I'm No Martha Stewart, but...

The pressure is on. Sunday, April 27 is the annual 1 Night 12 Kitchens Fundraiser to support scholarships for students at the Midwest Culinary Institute. This event features professional chefs and gourmet food from many of Cincinnati's finest restaurants. Students are also involved, and the extravaganza is truly a showcase of both culinary skills and creativity.
My husband and I have attended the event in the past to taste the samples and mingle with other guests. This year, however, we are answering the call to be among some of the Findlay Market merchants who will provide samples in a special VIP tasting room. We wanted to prepare something healthy, light, fairly simple, and representative of Daisy Mae's. Yet, it needed to be attractive and easy to eat in a cocktail setting. With the help of Pinterest and Martha Stewart, I think I've found the perfect dish--baguettes with veggie sticks.
What do you think? Wouldn't this be great for a bridal shower, happy hour gathering, or buffet?

I'm back!

It seems like forever since I've written anything, but I'm going to get back at it. Since I last posted, we've been busy at Daisy Mae's instituting a new inventory system, training staff, reorganizing the stand, adjusting to a new CEO at the Corporation for Findlay Market, setting up an online delivery system, and organizing food tours. On the home front, our daughter has been interning in Cincinnati this summer as she prepares for her senior year at college, and our son is taking a leave from the corporate world to head back to school in the fall. It seems everyone is coming and going while I just spin around in circles and hope to catch a glimpse of things.
With the end of summer already on the horizon and everyone talking about hitting the books, I'm ready to hit the blog again. I have so much to tell you about Findlay Market, Cincinnati, fresh produce, and our food tours...I don't know where to begin.
Uh-oh. I'm spinning again...

Potato Salad Blues

As advertised, I'm heading the blog posts for the summer. While I do love me some good, old-fashioned South Carolina cuisine, I'm always excited to return to Cincinnati and quench my Skyline, Dojo Gelato, and Tom & Chee cravings. Beyond just the great food I can go grab in this city, I look forward to all the things I can whip up in a "big girl kitchen" (the stove in my on-campus apartment last year took literally one hour to boil water). It is torturous to be subscribed to the Food Network magazine and not be able to make anything in it for five issues. So I'm catching up. And it doesn't hurt to have parents that can deliver whatever obscure fruits and vegetables I need on demand.

When I do cook at school, I am often inspired by the one and only blog that I actually read and subscribe to: Big Girls Small Kitchen. It is made for people like me, who really, really like food but don't have the space or funds to go all out every night. The blog itself is quite user-friendly; you can find recipes by course, ingredient, season (great for shopping fresh at Findlay), dietary restriction, and about a million other filters. I found a recipe on there today that got me thinking... which brings me to the topic for the week: potato salad.

Potato salad usually is not good. You go to a summer cookout and it has been sitting on the table for like six hours and you're like, "Dang, I wonder how long mayonnaise can stay out in 85 degree weather until it becomes toxic". I attribute my instinctive avoidance of the potato salad entirely to those kinds of cookouts. But it doesn't have to be like this.

The geniuses at BGSK have created a potato salad that is... wait for it... mayonnaise-free. It is definitely something you want to add to your summer potluck repertoire. The guests will thank you. Especially if the guest is me.

Taste the World at Findlay Market

Today I had the privilege of leading a group of home school students and their parents on a food tour at Findlay Market. We started at Daisy Mae's where I explained that we carry local and seasonal fresh produce, but we also stock fresh fruits and vegetables from all over the world. The kids tasted something most of them had never tried: a Daikon radish. Then we shared some Strawberry-Mango Salsa made with a juicy Champagne Mango. From Daisy Mae's, we moved on to Dean's Mediterranean Imports, a cute little shop on the West Elder Street side of Findlay Market . We sampled several olive oils and learned about the different grades and origins of the oils. After we entered the Market House, we went to Gibbs Cheese and received a take-home sample that included several different cheeses. Next stop on the tour was Dojo Gelato where Michael explained the difference between gelato and ice cream. Everyone agreed that there was no comparison and the creative Dojo Gelato flavors were top-notch! We crossed the aisle to visit Colonel De's Gourmet Herbs & Spices next. Here, we inhaled the awesome aromas and were amazed by all the different spices. Our last stop was a beautiful shop on the north side of the Market House called Churchill's Fine Teas. Again, the aromas and varieties of teas were overwhelming, and the samples were delightful.
We'll be offering more Taste the World at Findlay Market Food Tours. Our next public tour will be Thursday, May 17 at 4 pm. If you're interested in joining us, contact Barb Cooper at barbcooper@mac.com.

12 Weeks of Healthy Food

I've come to think of the 12 Days of Christmas as the 12 Days of Overindulgence. If your schedule has at all resembled ours, we've been eating and drinking more in the last few weeks than we have in the previous few months combined. It's time to get back into a more regular routine for meals. It's time to resolve to eat healthy in 2012.

We, at Daisy Mae's Market, are doing our part to encourage you to develop some healthy eating habits. For the next 12 weeks, we will feature one especially nutritious fruit or vegetable each week. We'll write about it; we'll tweet about it; we'll share recipes using our healthy food of the week. And best of all, with a $15 purchase on any Tuesday-Friday at our Findlay Market location or delivered to you, we'll be giving you that week's featured fruit or vegetable absolutely FREE.

So make your resolution now...Resolve to plan your meals better. Shop at Daisy Mae's at Findlay Market or place an order for Daisy's Delivery of fresh produce. Prepare healthier foods for you and your family in 2012. Make it a Happy, Healthy New Year! 

To be added to our email list for weekly updates that include our 12 Weeks of Healthy Food promotions, send your email address to daisymae@daisymaesmarket.com. 

We're Celebrating Two Years at Findlay Market!

This week marks our two year anniversary at Findlay Market. So much has happened since November, 2009. We started with a few rolling carts, added some permanent racks with removable bins, decided to double the size of our stand, bought a building for storage, and installed a walk-in cooler. We've been able to make steady progress while building a fantastic loyal customer base, expanding our services to include personal and corporate deliveries, and hiring a terrific staff.
However, our progress has not been without challenges. We've learned to deal with every weather extreme...from 100 degree temperatures to freezing cold and snow. We've also fought winds that have twice destroyed our tarpaulin tents and forced us to reorder, regroup, and rebuild. Each time we've experience a setback, we learn a little bit and we become a little more determined to be successful.
This week we sit back and reflect. We have 1166 Followers on Twitter, 574 people who "like" us on Facebook, and I'd venture to guess, several thousand face-to-face friends that we've met during the last two years. All of you have reinforced our feeling that quality, consistency, and availability are all important when selling fresh produce. However, each day we're also reminded that developing a small business is all about the relationships you develop along the way.
This week we celebrate. We celebrate us, and we celebrate you...our loyal customers. To help us celebrate, we invite you to pick up a 6-pack this week! We're offering six Ohio-grown apples of your choice for only $2. Mix and match, or choose your favorite...Either way, this 6-pack's for you!

Fun with Fennel, Revisited

At Daisy Mae's Market, we contend that food is fun. We enjoy talking about food, learning about new varieties of fruits and vegetables, and experimenting with different recipes. A year or so ago, I wrote a post about fennel, and I got several comments from friends about the title of that post. Since then, my silly little "Fun with Fennel" phrase has been repeated more than a few times.
If you're unfamiliar with fennel, it is a hardy root vegetable that consists of a white or pale green bulb with stalks. Even though the stalk, leaves, and seeds are all edible, we tend to use the bulb most commonly. The bulb may be sauteed, stewed, braised, grilled, or even eaten raw.
Last week Mr. Daisy Mae stumbled on a new (fun) combination of ingredients that made a terrific side dish. He chopped the bulb of some fennel, a few carrots, and some fingerling potatoes and tossed them with olive oil. He then added a little salt and pepper and sprinkled with rosemary. After roasting for 25 minutes or so in a 350 oven, all the flavors had blended together beautifully. The fennel adds a very subtle, distinctive taste that takes the potatoes and carrots and makes them special. And the rosemary seems to tie it all together...and adds to the fun!

What's So Fun About Findlay Market?

I've finally figured it out...At least I've figured out one of the reasons that Findlay Market is so much fun. Everyone knows the food at Findlay Market is fun. But it's not just shopping for food that's fun. It's eating the food that's available at Findlay Market. And it's not just sitting down at a table to eat...It's WALKING AROUND WHILE YOU EAT!
Yes, that's a huge difference between a big-box grocery store and Findlay Market. When I go to Kroger, I go with a purpose. I'm in and out as quickly as I can go...And even if I wanted to carry a sandwich around while I shopped, I'm pretty sure they'd frown on that.
But at Findlay Market, things are different. Last weekend I began to pay attention to what shoppers were eating as they made their selections at Daisy Mae's Market. I started noticing why they were juggling with their purses or struggling to take a bag because their hands were full...They were EATING. They were EATING AND SHOPPING at the same time! Good or bad, it's the ultimate example of American drive-through, multi-tasking mentality.
Here are a few of my recent observations:
1. Early morning shoppers often have coffee...maybe from Dojo Gelato or Bean Haus.
2. Around mid-morning, you see pastries or bread from Skirtz & Johnston or waffles from Taste of Belgium.
3. Once lunchtime rolls around, shoppers may have gyros from Areti's, mac and cheese from Gramma Debbie's Kitchen, a Banh Mi from Pho Lang Thang, or a fresh burger from Eckerlin's grill.
4. During the afternoon, the eating continues with cheese from Gibbs, roasted nuts from Dean's Mediterranean Imports, soup from Frank's Fish & Seafood, or salad from Fresh Table.
5. And, of course, you'll see kids of all ages eating apples, candy, popcorn, cookies, and ice cream at all times of the day.
So I suggest the next time you're hungry, come to Findlay Market. And if you'd really rather not walk and eat, there are some great places to sit down and enjoy watching everyone else!

Our Recipe of the Week--Vegetable Slaw

At Daisy Mae's Market, we're featuring Vegetable Slaw from www.allrecipes.com this week. This would be a terrific side dish to serve at your 4th of July cookout. To get the fresh produce for this recipe, just ask for "Daisy's Deal." You'll receive 1 cabbage, 5 Roma tomatoes, 1 broccoli, 1 cauliflower, and 1 red onion for $8.50. We'll leaving the chopping and mixing to you!

Vegetable Slaw

Yield: 6 servings    Prep: 30 minutes    Ready in: 30 minutes

Peppes

Ingredients:

3 cups cabbage, shredded

5 Roma tomatoes, seeded, chopped

1 cup fresh broccoli florets, cut into small pieces

1 cup cauliflowerets, cut into small pieces

½ cup chopped red onion

½ cup fat-free sour cream

¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and onion. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper, and then pour it over the cabbage mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. 

Marry Your Fruits and Vegetables

Since I used to turn my nose up at vegetables, I don't remember having many green salads as a kid. I remember nothing but fruit cocktail and jello salads. As I got a little older, tossed salads began creeping into my diet. I remember the first green salads I ate were covered in thick 1000 Island or Ranch dressing and topped with shredded cheese and croutons. Somewhere underneath was a bed of iceberg lettuce with a few slices of carrots or celery. 

Salads have come a long way in the last few years...both for me personally and in the culinary world in general. It's not uncommon for me to have a salad as my entree, and every restaurant in town seems to offer a dizzying array of choices. Now I prefer mixed greens with a light dressing that doesn't overwhelm the freshness of the vegetables...And much to my surprise, some of my favorite salads today include marrying the fresh veggies with a touch of fruit. 

I've really developed a taste for the popular spinach salad with dried cranberries and feta, but last night we discovered a new fruit and veggie salad twist: Grilled Peach Salad. We topped fresh peaches and Romaine lettuce from Daisy Mae's Market with fresh crumbled Greek feta from Gibbs Cheese at Findlay Market and came out with an absolutely delicious summer salad. 

If you're stuck in a mealtime rut, try introducing fruit to the vegetables in your salad bowl. Flavors that you may think have no business on the same plate may actually prove to be a marriage made in heaven. 

Top Chef, Daisy Mae Style

Around our house, Dad has always been the featured chef. When the kids weren't calling me the "Casserole Queen" or complaining about my meatloaf, they were asking Dad to make a pasta, bake homemade bread, or fire up the grill. Even though Dad receives most of the attention in the kitchen, it has never bothered me because I come out ahead when delicious meals appear effortlessly on our table.
Having our daughter home from college this summer has ramped up the cooking again. Not only is Dad back at it making her favorites, but the college kid has become Chef #2. She's taken a real interest in developing her culinary skills, and it's been a welcome relief to have Chef #2 in charge of an occasional meal. Now dinner conversation has turned to marinades, spices, and techniques, and rather than be totally left out, I decided it was time to pull out all my Google and Food Channel resources and join in the fun.
The other night I made a Vegetable and Beef Stir-Fry with Brown Rice that received 5 stars from the other Top Chefs in the family. I started with a flank steak that I marinated a few hours. Then I chopped up a bunch of fresh vegetables from Daisy Mae's Market at Findlay Market.  After a quick stir-fry, I served it over rice and the judges went wild.
I may not be the Top Chef in the family YET, but at least I'm back in the game!

Are You Bored?

My dad in Florida told me about a newspaper ad there that encouraged visitors to check out the local Flea Market. It was one of those ads that started on one page with "I was bored..." and then continued onto another page with "the other day"...followed by "so I went to"..."the Flea Market"...and "WOW!" Each part of the ad enticed the reader to go on and find the next part of the message...because you knew something good had to be at the end.
I was thinking such an ad would be perfect for Findlay Market here in Cincinnati. "I was bored...the other day...so I went to...Findlay Market...and WOW!" Food, handcrafted items, beer, wine, music, people-watching, and more are yours for the taking if you make up your mind to put a little "Wow!" in your life. Just like the ad suggested, as you wander the aisles at Findlay Market and turn each corner to see something different, you'll be amazed at the experience. Maybe your "Wow!" at the end of your visit will be a cup of DojoGelato, a taste from Market Wines, a waffle from Taste of Belgium, or a Christian Moerlein from the Biergarten. Or maybe your "Wow!" will be a minute talking spices with Colonel De...Or perhaps your "Wow!" will be picking up a new recipe from the friendly staff at Daisy Mae's Market...
So if you're looking for something new to do, come find your "Wow!" at Findlay Market. We're open Tuesday through Sunday, year-round, and we have everything here...except boredom!

Going the Extra Mile

At Daisy Mae's Market, we emphasize to our staff how important it is to "Meet and Greet" our customers. We feel that people have lots of choices as to where to shop for fresh produce, and in order to differentiate our company from the big box grocery stores, it's extra important to show our customers that we care about them. Shopping at Findlay Market needs to be more than just hurrying in to buy groceries...It needs to be an experience.
If you saw my post from March 12, you know that I'm not only a big fan of the Cincinnati Reds, but I'm also a big fan of their customer service department. The thoughts I expressed in that piece were reinforced when I was contacted a few days later by Michael Anderson, Public Relations Manager for the Reds. According to Mr. Anderson, my blog post "was the buzz in the office." It seems that the Reds had been spending the month of March training their entire staff, over 2200 employees, in the "Reds Way."  This training program emphasized, among other things, making a connection with fans. As it turned out, timing was everything, and my blog post must have been one of those "teachable moments" where the public relations department could show that the system was working.
One thing led to the next, and I received a phone call from Craig Warman, Director of Ticket Client Services. Mr. Warman expressed his appreciation for my story, and then offered me an opportunity to purchase two tickets that had come available. Of course, I was thrilled, completed the credit card purchase over the phone, and waited for the tickets to arrive in the mail.
If you're beginning to grasp the Reds' philosophy, you'll understand the tickets didn't come in the mail. No, for an organization emphasizing connecting with the fans, you don't just lick a stamp and put it on an envelope...You deliver the tickets in person.

Today, 2 days before Opening Day when I'm sure they had a dozen other things they could be doing, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Warman came to Findlay Market and hand-delivered my tickets. They went the extra mile...Not only did I get the tickets, but we also got another example to share with our staff about customer service...our own little "teachable moment."
Thanks, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Warman. Hope you realize your training goes way beyond those 2200 Cincinnati Reds employees.

When Work is Fun

Mr. Daisy Mae loves to cook. I've learned a lot from watching him in the kitchen over the years. Sometimes I take my turn at the stove...But for the most part, I prefer to watch and enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of his labor.
I, on the other hand, love to play with my computer. I'm amazed by the power of this small machine. I can find the answer to any question within seconds, communicate with people around the world, create photo albums, and play music whenever the mood strikes. Needless to say, when I got an iPhone a year ago, I felt like I had another computer right in the palm of my hand...Double my pleasure!
Recently, while Mr. Daisy Mae was having fun cooking up some brussel sprouts, I was playing with the camera on my phone. Today I played a little more with the pictures, and now I have something to show for all my hard work. Isn't it great when work is fun?

Can't Wait for Bockfest?

Cincinnati has a tradition of celebrating its 1800's beer heritage with a special brew that is tapped around the time of Lent. This year, March 4-6 has been designated as Bockfest in downtown's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Early March seems like a perfect time to honor your German heritage or hoist a mug of Bockbier. At our house, we jump the gun a bit and have created our own holiday called Febfest. In 2011, we celebrate this weekend.
It all began 17 years ago when Mr. Daisy Mae decided we needed a reason to get together with our friends during the grey, cold days of winter. We love the fall Oktoberfests around Cincinnati so Mr. Daisy Mae suggested his own version of Febfest. Why not get together when we all have cabin fever and share traditional German food and drink with our good friends? This could be Gemütlichkeit at its best...and so it began.
We've found the best Febfest features food from local small businesses. We start with several cheeses from Gibb's at Findlay Market and follow that with a "radi" (fresh Daikon radish thinly sliced and salted) from our own Daisy Mae's. Alongside the cheese are pretzels from Servatii's. Next come the sauerkraut balls, and then we serve fresh sausages from Kroeger & Sons at Findlay Market. The main course features wiener schnitzel made from Avril's fresh veal and served on mini-buns from North College Hill Bakery. The sandwiches are accompanied by homemade German slaw and potato pancakes made with ingredients from our own Daisy Mae's Market. Dinner concludes with Mr. Daisy Mae's apfelstrüdel baked with Granny Smith apples. Of course, the entire meal tastes better when accompanied by a Christian Moerlein beer or a Bockbier from your favorite local brewery. This year we're going one better---home brew crafted by a special German friend.
So, you see, it's possible to have a German celebration with the help of local Cincinnati small businesses. Try it--shop locally, celebrate internationally, and have fun with good friends, good food, and good drink.

Alice's Super Parties

You might recall a previous post in which I explained the origin of the name "Daisy Mae's Market." Daisy Mae was the grandmother of partners Barry and Jeff Cooper. She lived in the hills of Kentucky and could cook up quite a meal with whatever she might have around the house. I never met Daisy Mae, but I imagine her as a typical Little-House-on-the-Prairie-kind of grandmother.

I, on the other hand, had Alice. She was my mother's mother, but preferred to be called "Alice" because she never felt old enough to be called "Grandmother." Alice was as different from a Little-House-on-the-Prairie-kind of grandmother as she could be. She managed the office of the family automobile business her whole life, served on the Church Council and practically ran the church, and owned season tickets for St. Louis Blues hockey even though her husband chose never to join her for a game. She enjoyed shopping, dining out, and attending the theater, but most of all, she enjoyed entertaining. 

Alice, and her husband Sherman, had a modest yet state-of-the-art home. As one of their 6 grandchildren, I always felt privileged to go to Alice's for holidays and special events. Not only did she serve delicious meals, but there were usually "Kiddie Cocktails" and orange peanut candy...things we didn't get at home. But the most special thing about Alice's house was that she owned a color television! Very few homes had a color television in the 60's, but there we were watching Bonanza in living color.

I'm sure we watched the first Super Bowl in 1967--in color--at Alice's house. And I'm sure all of the grandchildren had their little fingers in the dips and cheeses. There was nothing like a party at Alice's. How she would have loved to see the way the Super Bowl has evolved! It's so much more than a game now...It's the 60" HDTV's, the commercials, the parties, the extravaganza...Alice would have loved it.   

So this year, when I get ready to watch the Super Bowl, I may just have a "Kiddie Cocktail" and lift my glass to Alice who taught me every party can be super if you just relax and have fun. 

10 Things I Learned in 2010

Like everyone else, I thought I'd look back at 2010 before I look forward to 2011. Here's what I learned this year at Daisy Mae's Market:

1. Cactus leaves are edible.
2. People smile when fresh produce is delivered.
3. Findlay Market is an international tourist attraction.
4. There aren't enough hours in the day.
5. Twitter is the best way to spread a message quickly.
6. Sunshine is more important than temperature.
7. My iPhone is critical to our business.
8. If you organize it, they will come.
9. Quality is more important than price.
10. Everyone appreciates good service.

Most of all, I've learned there is much more to learn about Findlay Market, historic Over-the-Rhine, fresh produce, customer service, merchandising, and social media...We look forward to 2011 with the anticipation of expanding our knowledge and broadening our network of friends.
Best wishes to you for a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year! See you at Findlay Market...year-round!

When Your Name's on the Store...

I remember a tv commercial from a few years back that featured Radar O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) of "Mash" fame. I can't remember the sponsor (not good for the ad agency), but I do remember the premise. Radar answered one phone line with the company name. When the caller asked for "Shipping and Receiving," he'd put the call on hold...He might pick up another phone line, put that on hold, return to the first call with a slightly different voice, and then reply, "This is Shipping and Receiving." Then he'd return to the second line with another voice and say, "This is Accounts Payable." Phones kept ringing and he'd keep answering in different roles at the same company. Radar was wearing all the hats of a small businessman.

When I think of that commercial, I realize that's exactly what we at Daisy Mae's Market do every day. We wear lots of hats. The same people that you see at the Findlay Market location are the people who manage our Purchasing Department, our Sales Department, our Marketing Department, our Accounts Payable Department, our Maintenance Department, our Payroll Department, our Accounts Receivable Department, our Human Resource Department, and our Administrative Department. When something needs to be done, WE do it...

I look around Findlay Market, and I see 37 other merchants doing the same thing. Some of them have been there for years; others are just starting out...Either way, they're wearing all the hats year-round for 6 or 7 days a week. Sure, some may use outside resources to help with some tasks...But the ultimate responsibility lies with each business owner to see that what needs to be done is done and, most importantly, to see that it's done right. I guess it's like another tv ad I remember: When your name's on the store, you care a lot more.  

We Deliver Fresh Produce to You!

'Tis the season to be running around like crazy...holiday shopping and socializing, kids' Christmas plays and concerts, church programs, work obligations...you know the routine. The last thing you want to do on your way home from work is stop at the grocery store. Now there's no need to sweat the small stuff...Daisy Mae's Market can eliminate that one extra stop. We can bring the fresh fruits and vegetables you want to your downtown Cincinnati office location. We call it Downtown Delivery!
We have been successfully delivering fresh produce for the last few months. It started as a spin-off from our Healthy Breaks fresh fruit that we supply to many downtown offices. Some people started asking if we could drop off a few things for their personal use at the same time...someone else heard about it...and away we went!
Regular delivery days for custom orders are Tuesdays and Thursdays in the 45202 zip code. Place your order by Monday at 4:00 pm, and we'll deliver on Tuesday. Place an order by Wednesday at 4:00, and we'll deliver on Thursday. (Just between you and me...if we're not too busy at our Findlay Market location, we're happy to deliver Tuesday through Friday...and sometimes with just an hour or so notice.)
So how does it work? I send out a weekly price list and gentle reminder on Monday to anyone interested in our program. If you want to place an order, you can send a simple email message with your grocery list, or you can scan, fill-in, and reply with the price list order form. Either way, I'll get back to you shortly after that with your total price. On day of delivery, you can leave payment in the form of cash or check with your office receptionist, or you can charge your order by phone using Mastercard or Visa. We'll leave your order at the receptionist's desk in a bag labeled with your name.
Of course, we guarantee everything is fresh...and if we make a mistake, we try to fix it or give you a credit toward a future purchase. We try to get to know our delivery customers so that we learn your personal preferences...
We've found almost everyone who orders once orders again...They may not order every week, but from time to time they decide to make life just a little easier and let us do the running around.
Trust us on this one...Try it, you'll like it!
To receive this week's price list, send your email address to daisymae@daisymaesmarket.com.
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One Bad Apple Won't Spoil the Whole Bunch

An Open Letter to the Creep Who Stole Our Cash Box:

Thanks for ruining our day. It was unfortunate that our staff member was engaged with a customer and turned his back for an instant. We're not worried about the money. In fact, we hope you use the money for a nice Thanksgiving with your family and some Christmas gifts for the kids. We know we can earn the money back by working harder and longer.

What will take a little longer to earn back is our trust. Now we'll have to decide if we should walk to the other side of the stand to discuss a recipe with you or if we should guard the cash box. We'll give you a second look if you just hang around and don't buy anything. We'll hustle to pack up at night so we don't meet you on the way to the car. 

What you won't change, however, is the faith we have in the Cincinnati community. Shortly after you helped yourself to our money, support poured in from customers and friends encouraging us to keep our chins up.  We love the energy, the diversity, the pride, and the history of Findlay Market. We love being a part of the urban atmosphere and offering a much-needed service in Over-the-Rhine. We feel appreciated by the locals, the weekend suburbanites, the other merchants, and the tourists. 

We'll assume you're going through some tough times. When things turn around for you, we hope you come back and spend your hard-earned money at Daisy Mae's Market. In the meantime, we'll be here...working hard to help YOUR community. We're digging in our heels. One bad apple isn't going to spoil the whole bunch.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Daisy Mae's Market