Rosie’s Market, run by West Milford local, Hana Sabol, was named to represent an older time when products were made naturally, with real ingredients. 

“When I started the business then I knew it was important for me to be 100% truly natural,” Hana said. “Not natural with fragrances, not natural with synthetic add-ins.”

Hana chose the name “Rosie” to accompany her market’s fifties-style logo as a nod to her grandmother.

Although Hana began selling all-natural soaps and candles in  2015, the business was rebranded as “Rosie’s Market” in 2020 to represent a more diversified product list. In addition to her signature soaps and soy candles, Hana also sells other self-care products, as well as sage, crystals and sustainably sourced, therapeutic-grade essential oils and roll-ons. 

Nothing but quality inside

What Hana finds most important in her business is leaving out all of the unnecessary or non-natural ingredients from skincare. What’s left is skin care (and candles) in their purest, cleanest form.

“My focus is making sure the product is quality, that it’s coming from the best place possible, that I’m keeping it at the best price possible,” Hana said.

Hana takes care when sourcing the essential oils that fragrance her soaps and candles. She believes it is important to trust her distributor, and only uses 100% therapeutic grade, steam-distilled essential oils from a company she trusts. Despite the wide-spread inflation of prices, she’s doing her best to continue to remain affordable, because she believes everyone should be able to access naturally-made products. Although the labels may not say so, she sources organic ingredients whenever possible. If you have a question about what’s in one of her items, simply ask! 

Rosie’s Market in Brick and Mortar

Rosie has stepped away from regular farmers market appearances since opening her storefront in June of 2023 at the Belcher’s Run Shopping Center (1608 Union Valley Rd. West Milford, NJ). The items you remember and love from market can all be found there, alongside goods from other local artisans.

“[Opening a store] is something I always wanted to do in the back of my mind,” Hana said. “Then, one thing led to another, and this location opened up and. Since it was something I always thought about doing, I decided to go all the way.”

Although getting customers to walk through the door is more difficult than she thought it would be, Hana loves seeing her regulars, and recognizing familiar faces from market. 

The structure of Hana’s business model shifted with the storefront. In addition to the gift shop, Hana runs workshops and classes there, like soap or candle making workshops. She also has brought other vendors in to host events, such as a recent sound bath meditation and healing. Although Hana is still appearing at farmers markets, including West Milford Farmers’ Market, which she helps sponsor, much of her time is now spent on location in Belcher’s Run. 

‘[Having a storefront] is similar in setting up your location, but there are a lot of in and outs  to running a store that weren’t there before [when I was just doing markets].”

Getting the Rosie’s Market Recipes Right

Soap is her signature item, and how she began the business eight years ago. This wasn’t an instance of “trying a recipe online, then selling it,” she said. Hana conducted plenty of independent research, then tested and refined her recipe long before she began selling. She knew she had the right recipe when the soap had great lather, all the cleansing properties one wants in a bar of soap, and was long-lasting. 

Hana’s soaps are made with coconut oil, rather than traditional palm oil. That’s because through her research, she realized that although palm oil is renowned for its lathering properties, it is highly processed, and not environmentally sustainable. That doesn’t mean her soaps don’t have great lather, though. Hana continued working at her recipe until she got the lather people love, without environmentally difficult or overly-processed or synthetic ingredients. 

As with her soaps, Hana’s candles have no dyes or artificial fragrances. The slow-and-clean burning candles are made simply from 100% soy, fragranced with pure essential oils, providing a slow-burning, low-soot candle. 

“I spent time trying to perfect a product I can stand behind and be proud of,” she said. “But there’s always room for improvement.”

Finding the right scents

Many of her aromatherapy products, like her soaps, come in her pre-blended signature scents. Lemongrass and lavender was her first signature scent and she said it’s still incredibly popular eight years later. However, rose and rose geranium is a newer blend that is rapidly rising to (perhaps?) take its place in popularity. She’s also created blends and products based on customer feedback.

“I always try to listen to what customers are asking for and incorporate the items my customers are asking of me.”

Find Hana via her website www.rosiesnaturalmarket.com where orders over $75 ship for free, or visit her brick and mortar:

Belcher’s Run Shopping Center 

1608 Union Valley Rd. West Milford, NJ

A professional singer by trade, Amy Goff wanted to bring together her love of cooking and travel in a way that would share her talent and experiences with others. So, several years before COVID, Amy thought she’d put together a side hustle. Lunch Lady Foods, a prepared-food delivery service, represents the melding of her creative talents and endeavors.

How Lunch Lady Works

Once an order is placed via telephone or through the website, local delivery can be expected in one to two days (depending on her farmers market schedule). Patrons can also place an order for pick up at market.

Amy also brings a selection of soups and entrees to market each week—no preordering required. Examples of her market offerings can include options such as pasta fagioli, carrot ginger soup, spicy red lentil, quinoa with vegetables, and thai sesame noodles. 

All of the food is made fresh and in small batches, and Amy will even customize orders if she is able. In addition to home delivery, Amy’s foods can be found at local establishments—with soups making an appearance at The Breezy, and her grain and rice salads are a huge hit at Heaven Hill with hikers that pass through. 

Prepared with Quality Ingredients 

The ingredients in Lunch Lady Foods are often local and organic whenever possible and practical. Amy takes pride in our local economy as well as the quality and sustainability of her ingredients. She offers a number of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as gluten-free choices, but makes note that her kitchen is not gluten-free.

Amy was inspired to create vegan/vegetarian options after realizing how hard they can be to find. Her husband is a vegetarian—and a professional drummer—a physically demanding job that requires solid fuel for him to stay healthy. 

“That’s my wheelhouse…finding recipes that are healthy and don’t contain meat,” Amy said. “It’s hard when you can't rely on meat to make something taste good.”

Local Delivery and Connections in West Milford, NJ

As a professional singer, Amy lived in Manhattan for 20 years before relocating to West Milford about fifteen years ago. 

“I love working here and meeting people here… I’ve made new friends, and people are super sweet and patient,” Amy said.

As with any new business, Lunch Lady was slow to get off the ground. Farmers markets helped get the word out, as well as get food into people’s hands, Amy said. The pandemic only drove the need for a local, healthy and homemade food-delivery service.

There really wasn't anything locally that's super healthy other than making it yourself, and I thought there was a niche that needed filled,” Amy explained. “I’ve done a lot of traveling, and I love food. I love cooking and being in the kitchen—I even love grocery shopping.  My mom was an amazing cook and she and I loved to be in the kitchen together. It was my comfort zone.” 

The Lunch Lady at Market

Find Amy each week at Market with a fresh, rotating selection of grain-based salads, soups and entrees. See what she has to offer and make meals easy (and healthy) this week. 

DeMarco’s Pizzeria and Restaurant is the kind of neighborhood spot that feels like it’s been there forever—because it has. Second-generation owner, Lou, hasn’t changed the old-school family vibe much over the years—but has made it a point to continually upgrade his game. For one, his food and ingredients are the best you can find. Not satisfied with anything less than simple and pure, you’d be hard pressed to find a kitchen with more non-GMO Verified ingredients. His flour is never bleached and never contains bromide, and his pasta is always authentically Italian and fresh.

Lessons Learned at a PizzeriA

Lou’s parents bought into the business with his godfather, Tom DiMaggio in the mid-seventies. He literally grew up in the kitchen, and twenty years ago he officially took the business over. 

The restaurant has been both a love and a challenge, helping Lou break out of his shell, understand the needs of customers of all ages and walks of life. Dealing with complaints has a way of sharpening the character, he jokes. 

“I often joke that I’ve been in the place since fetus. The restaurant is my big brother… teaching me the way big brothers often do.”

In the end, he’s taken this young start in the business of accommodation and turned it into a passion that’s reflected in his food and his business practice. 

A focus on fresh, quality ingredients

From experimenting in adding new foods people are asking to his repertoire, to offering clean, quality ingredient lists and allergen accommodations whenever possible, to providing late-night catering in a definitively delivery-deficit area, DeMarco’s Pizza has helped define our changing times.

“I really like meeting new people and having food,” Lou said. “In America right now we take for granted how easy it is to be fed and nurtured in that regard. I accommodate people through food, and that’s something that I don’t think restaurant people get.”

Dessert’s on us!

Like what you read? Mention this spotlight during your next visit for a free mini cannoli per diner when you order an entree or pizza.

Find Us

www.demarcospizza.com

1926 Union Valley Rd, Hewitt, NJ 07421

862-377-8000

It’s time for caramel apple pie, pumpkin spice and apple cider… but what happens when you combine your favorite fall flavors with a taste of summer? The result is Clyde’s Ices & Ice Cream truck. Dig your spoon into a creamy pumpkin ice cream, a made-with-real-apples apple pie ice cream, or get a fall float made with apple cider, a scoop of vanilla, whipped cream and caramel. You’ll wish it was autumn all year round.

It’s all about the taste

Clyde’s ices are made with real fruit. Their lemon ice, by far their most popular ice flavor, is their most cherished recipe, and is always made with fresh squeezed lemons. When it comes to their ice creams, it’s no different. The apple pie ice cream has real chopped apples, and the pumpkin flavor includes pumpkin puree. They’ll even source from their neighbors, such as the super-sweet cantaloupes from Hope Cress Farm that gave their melon ice an extra kick of flavor this summer. 

Whether it’s cherry, blue raspberry, mango or melon, all of Clyde’s ices are made with real fruit and ingredients. On a hot summer day, Tim said they will easily go through twenty gallons of their biggest seller: lemon ice. Their chocolate and vanilla ices are water-based like the others, but add dairy for a unique creaminess. 

Have you ever tried black licorice ice cream? Stop by the trailer this week and give it a go. You can’t get it anywhere else (that I’ve found anyway), and owner Tim Devens said it’s a bestseller with a nostalgic taste. 

Something for everyone

Because everyone should be able to enjoy cool treats, Clyde’s has something for everyone, including dairy-free ices and an entirely nut-free truck (they do sell nut-based ice creams at the store). Tim makes sure that everything is as separate as possible to eliminate cross-contamination so more people can enjoy cool treats. They even offer sugar-free options sweetened with malitol (no aspartame!) that taste so good his diabetic customers stock up on their favorite flavors.

They have more than just cones and cups, too. The trailer sells pints and quarts to-go, and you can get half-gallons at the store in Garfield. 

Expect a rotating list of approximately 100 different flavors. They won’t carry that many on the truck, but they do have about ten different varieties of ices and ten varieties of ice cream each week including favorites like ice cream in chocolate, mint chocolate chip and black licorice, and a rotating specialty flavors (expect fall favorites this time of year). 

The longest running business in Garfield

This 100 year old business has been in Tim’s family for sixty years. He started working there under his uncle’s ownership when he was 13 years old. Although it was never his plan to continue the family business, by the time Tim was in his late teens, he knew he loved the atmosphere and the customers. He purchased the business from his uncle 38 years ago and has been running it with his wife ever since. 

The Garfield storefront is the longest running business in the town, Tim said, and is recognized by locals and visitors alike. But about two decades ago, Tim decided to expand into the realm of farmers markets. He did well, and traveling to different locations gave the business a chance to be discovered by new eyes. Even so, customers who had left the Garfield area were glad to find them at markets closer to their new homes, Tim said.

Ice on wheels

Things really began to (literally) take off about six years ago when the Clyde’s trailer was born. Now, instead of having to pack and unpack everything from the tent to the freezers, the trailer keeps everything self-contained and makes it easier to travel to farmers markets like ours here in West Milford. 

Return customers don’t just get a scoop or a cone each week, either, Tim said. They’re often returning for pints or quarts of their favorite flavors to enjoy at home. 

Customers: The heart of Clyde’s Ice & Ice Cream Co.

Tim’s favorite part of the job is the customers, and he loves talking to and collecting stories from everyone he meets. One of his favorite stories is the day he met a 95 year old customer who turned out to be the grandson of the company’s original owner, Clyde. He had come in for a bit of nostalgia and a lemon ice he said tasted just like he remembered from his childhood.

Tim is as personable as they get, and is as ready to offer a helping hand in the flavor-choosing process as he is to help other vendors at the markets he attends. 

“When you are out there with food truck business and markets, you become friends with everyone,” Tim said. “They are all friendly and we are all helping each other. It’s a good family thing out there and I really like doing it.”

Follow Clyde’s online to get updates on where they’ll be each week and what flavors are hot right now. Don’t forget to stop by every Wednesday at the Market to find him there, too.

https://www.facebook.com/clydesitalianice

Looking for a beautiful (and edible!) display for your next holiday or special event? Maybe you need the perfect thank-you gift, or present for someone impossible to buy for. Enter everyone’s favorite snack: charcuterie boards. Chock-full of edible treats, and beautiful to behold, charcuterie boards like those from Jessica’s Treasures and Treats are popular, edible, and completely customizable.

What is a Jessica’s Treasures & Treats Charcuterie Board?

Jessica’s charcuterie boards, boxes and cups consist of a variety of meats, cheeses, fruits, condiments, pickles and sweets (like cookies and chocolate covered pretzels). She creates with the seasons, purchasing many of her items at farmers markets (like ours!) and getting fruits and berries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and other fresh vegetables at local farmstands. Herbs like local basil may be added as garnishes. Orchids and other edible flowers are sourced from Highland Flowers and Gifts in Vernon.  Jessica also incorporates seasonal flavors whenever appropriate… like apple and pumpkin for the fall. Holiday-themed boards and gifts are a given… Keep an eye out for pictures and samples of Jessica’s Halloween boards and Char-boo-taurie cups during October markets. 

Jessica’s boards come in a variety of sizes… small, which is suitable for 2-4 people, all the way up to extra-large (suitable for 15+). She also makes mini-boxes for 1-2 people, and individually-sized cups—perfect for snacking on-the-go. They also make great favors for kids parties… especially when navigating multiple food allergies (or sticky fingers!). Both the cups and the mini boxes are available for direct purchase at the farmers market on Wednesdays, or you can stop by her booth to place an order for larger sizes. 

How the Boards Began

Jessica began making charcuterie boards during the pandemic. At the time she had been working in medical billing, and with two young children at home, she found it hard to manage the required work schedule and quarantine protocols. Jessica’s mother encouraged her to use her creativity to start working for herself. The mother-daughter team wiled away months of isolation by creating culinary masterpieces together.

When her mother passed away unexpectedly, Jessica stopped making her treats completely. It was too difficult to manage during her grief. Until a friend messaged her asking if she could make her a board. 

“So, I just did it,” Jessica said. “Then I got back into it, and then in April (2023), I made it official.”

Today, Jessica has a fully inspected commissary kitchen at her disposal. She began selling at local markets like the West Milford Farmers Market. Once the foundation was laid, she said that the business just started flourishing. 

The name “Jessica’s Treasures and Treats” was her mother’s idea. It was meant to complement the name of her husband’s business: Justin’s Junk Removal. For a time, Jessica had been restoring old furniture that her husband had recovered during clean-ups. Jessica had originally imagined combining the charcuterie board business with furniture restoration. She dreams of one day having a storefront where she can do both: using restored furniture to display her platters, or to be used as workspaces for groups interested in making (and eating!) their own charcuterie boards together. Although she is not currently restoring furniture, she couldn’t bear to part with the name coined by her late mother, and hopes to get back into furniture restoration as time allows.

“[My mother] loved [the boards] and pushed and encouraged me. She loved eating them. Everytime I made one she said it was so beautiful,” Jessica said. “I told someone the other day that I feel like she’s just guiding the whole thing, because it’s just coming together.”

Jessica’s Mother & inspiration

Get Your Custom Charcuterie Board Today!

Whether you enjoy being a part of the creative process, or want Jessica to create the perfect combination of foods and flavors for your gift or event, each board is custom-made for you. She has done vegetarian boards, teacher appreciation gifts, get-well boards, holiday platters and more.  She can accommodate almost any creative desire or dietary need… just ask!

To learn more, visit Jessica at Market on Wednesday afternoons, or contact her to get started with your own custom board of treats today!

Contact Jessica’s Treasures & Treats

https://www.instagram.com/jessicastreasurestreats/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057440679715

Jessicastreasuresandtreats@yahoo.com

(973) 296-6568

Throughout the market season, we have been introducing our vendors in our weekly Vendor Spotlight. This is a list of the vendors we’ve written about to date so you can learn more about them and what they have to share at market each week.

Pickle Licious

Empanada Lady

Hope Cress Farms

Orlando's Bakery

The Cheese Guy

Muino Bakery

Rosie's Market

Clyde's Ices & Ice Cream Co

The Gritty Sisters Soapery

All About Microgreens

Pesto Joe

Keep reading each week for a new spotlight and to discover more of what you can get at market through October.

Not long after her father’s passing in 2021, Carina Castagna opened the freezer for dinner and found one of her father’s pesto sauces. Seeing it gave her the idea to honor his memory by recreating his beloved sauce.

“For as long as I can remember my dad has been making pesto sauces. Growing up my family always had dozens of basil plants in the backyard… and I specifically remember my dad being particular about the basil he picked for each batch. He wanted to ensure the correct type of basil was used, and that each leaf was at its peak.”

Carina was awarded seed funding for Pesto Joe thanks to a startup program offered by Seton Hall in the summer of 2022. By December of the same year, the business was officially off the ground and running. 

“Knowing how fragile life is and how short our time is with our loved ones, I wanted Pesto Joe to be a means in which families can gather together and spend quality time with one another,” Carina said. 

As a young girl, Carina recalls being her father’s “official taste tester.”  The specific gurgling noise the blender would make when the sauce was made perfectly is the same gurgling sounds she looks for to ensure she’s put the ingredients in the right order and amount when making batches of pesto today. As a child, that sound was her cue to run to the kitchen and give her “professional” opinion on the flavor. Joe’s pesto was a labor of love—he spent time inspecting the dozens of basil plants in their home garden to find the “perfect leaf.” Family and friends would continually ask for more pesto, and essentially begged him for the recipe.

However, in true Italian fashion, there wasn’t a “true” recipe to be given. Instead, Carina said her father essentially cooked using a “dash” of this, a “pinch” of that, or a “handful” of leaves.

“To an untrained eye it might have looked as if he was making it up as he went, but he was very purposeful and systematic and somehow always had the pesto perfectly made.”

Her father varied every batch of pesto, often based on what he was cooking with it, or who he was sharing the batch with. He adored garlic, and would eat it raw. However, Carina realized that not everyone wanted as much garlic as her father. This prompted her to create her two original flavors, traditional and garlic lovers, which she says compliments steak or chicken well. Carina hopes to one day create additional flavors, using the traditional recipe as the base.

She learned the recipe by watching her father from a young age. She began by hunting for the perfect leaves of basil, then handing her father each ingredient while he blended them together. Creating a written recipe to ensure a consistent flavor across batches, has been one of Carina’s biggest hurdles in starting the business. However, she was able to recreate her father’s recipe and write it down for generations to come. 

Pesto Joe sources its ingredients from local family farms in New Jersey. Carina would love to grow her own basil someday, but until she has the ability to keep up with the demand, she remains focused on sourcing high-quality ingredients from local sources. 

Pesto Joe wants to slow life down for you and to create a means in which you can have a sit-down family dinner and enjoy each other’s company. They strive to be a high-quality healthy alternative that provides an easy way to make a delicious meal. Whether it be pasta with pesto, homemade pizza, or a sandwich!

Pesto Joe is committed to bringing families together and creating a positive impact and so they donate to charitable organizations on an annual basis.

The more you eat, the more we grow, the more we can give!  

Want to learn more? Visit www.pestojoe.com

Each batch is made with love, from a father to a daughter, to your family.

Annmarie Muino has always loved to bake. Whether it was for home, for friends, or for family parties, she was always the one making cookies and cakes everyone loved. Then, about ten years ago her friends started making requests, and she found herself not just baking, but selling her baked goods, too.

Then in December of last year, she went all-in, and made her side business official with the opening of Muino Baked Goods. Although she bakes out of her home, rather than in an industrial kitchen, Muino has all of the certifications and qualifications required of any New Jersey based food business, including ServSafe. This is her first season selling to the general public, and she’s proud to be a part of the West Milford Farmers Market vendor team. 

“Everything is moving along kind of slowly [since the business opened], but in a good way because I can keep myself organized,” Annemarie said.

Best sellers for Muino Baked Goods

Keep an eye out for some of Muino’s fan favorites: crumb cake, a gluten-free almond macaroon cookie, and her ever-popular chocolate chip cookie. All of these can be found at Market each week. She also makes cakes, including carrot cake, red velvet cake, and classic crumb cake. A new product is her “cake in a cup,” made with layers of cake and frosting in an 8 ounce to-go cup.

In addition to purchasing ready-made options, customers are encouraged to request custom orders. Come with an idea, and Annmarie will turn it into a one-of-a-kind edible creation. Sometimes people will send her photos of cake or cookie concepts they found online. Sometimes they’ll come to her with a rough idea of what they want. In the end, what they get is handmade to order and baked with love. The proof is in the taste, as her products don’t only look beautiful, but they stand on their quality. 

A labor of love

To Annmarie, the act of baking is about more than just the finished product. The art of baking is a form of stress relief for her, and her favorite part is seeing people enjoy her baked goods. She’ll purposely make things she doesn’t even like so she doesn’t find herself overindulging. She just loves to bake. 

From a young age, her children were in the kitchen baking with her, too. Even though they are grown now, her youngest still helps out by creating and helping to manage the company’s social media sites. Otherwise, Muino is a one-woman operation. But she still dreams of having a brick-and-mortar location. 

Find Muino each week at market, as well as this coming weekend at the Franklin/Ogdensburg PBA Local 404 Food Truck Festival this Saturday at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum. 

Visit Annmarie online at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076614529641 to see some of her custom creations, or feel free to ask her your questions at Market this week.

Brent Delman, a.k.a. "The Cheese Guy," creates flavorful small-batch cheeses that are also kosher, vegetarian and 100% free of artificial preservatives or flavorings. He never uses added hormones, animal rennet or other animal enzymes in his cheesemaking, opting instead for plant-based or microbial non-animal enzymes. 

Brent prides himself on using high-quality ingredients and has spent the better part of two decades perfecting his recipes. From spreadable hint-of-lemon goat cheese, to spicy  jalapeño pepper jack to pungent blue cheeses, The Cheese Guy can cover all of your cheese needs. This includes classics such as mild cheddar, Monterey Jack, Italian specialty cheeses and fan favorites such as their craft beer cheddar. They even carry organic cheese. 

After receiving an MBA from George Washington University in 1990, Brent moved into the specialty food industry, but his entrepreneurial spirit extends back to his middle and high-school years in the midwest where he took pride in running a variety of local businesses—from window-washing to landscaping.

Inspired by the ethic of the hard-working Midwesterner, Brent has, “continued to support small businesses and the concept of agripreneurship, partnering with many family-owned dairy farms in Upstate NY, Vermont, Northeastern Ohio (where I was born and raised), and Wisconsin,” he said. He also produces a handful of cheeses in Italy in the old tradition from small countryside dairies.

Visit The Cheese Guy online to learn more about his extensive cheese line, or to follow The Cheese Guy on social media… and don’t forget to visit him every other Wednesday through October at Market!

Robert Kovacs and his wife Laura bought Orlando’s, a struggling Italian bakery in 2016. This was not their first foray into baking, however. Rob had been a Wall Street trader for many years. After the economic downturn of 2008, he was more than ready to make a new life for himself, and after leaving his job in 2009, he turned to baking.

Not your traditional bakery

This wasn’t a traditional baking experience, however. Rob had discovered a research product, developed in Europe, that was creating a low-carb baking flour suitable for diabetics. Rob purchased a patent for the product and began working on his own to learn how to manufacture it into a great tasting bread. Once he was successful in the recipe, the Alma Baking line was born. 

“The [European] research institute decided not to join us on this journey,” Rob said. “I did it on my own and it’s fully owned by me and my wife.”

The Kovac’s purchase of Orlando’s became a way to bring Alma Baking to life, but more importantly, it became a way for the couple to meet with their customers and make personal one-on-one connections that Robert had been so removed from in his “prior life” on Wall Street. 

Redefining Orlando’s

Orlando’s had made its name and built its reputation on traditional Italian breads and sweets. When the Kovacs took over, they made some minor changes to the product line, keeping the more popular items that were thriving and letting go of others that weren’t doing as well. Alongside the traditional Italian goods, Rob has brought in his Alma Baking bread line. 

“It’s been a very fulfilling journey,” Rob said.

Discover Orlando’s at Market

The Kovac’s focus at the West Milford Farmers Market is their traditional Italian baked goods. These include a three-day, all-natural sourdough bread, also formulated by Rob, which is the basis of many of the Italian sausage and cheese style breads they sell. They also have sweetbreads and desserts available. 

Since Laura is Lebanese, they’ve begun to add more middle eastern products to the line as well. However, the low-carb, diabetic-friendly Alma line is always available. In addition to the Alma Baking breads and pizzas, customers can potentially look forward to a future waffle formulation and soft/wheat tortilla down the line.

Hope Cress Farms raises non-GMO, pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken and eggs, as well as produce and microgreens. Find every cut of meat, alongside Jersey sweet corn, tomatoes, microgreens and lettuce at their booth each Wednesday. They even carry farm-fresh milk bottled in Sussex, NJ. 

Although Greg Van Grouw began cultivating the Hope Cress Farm location for personal use about thirty-two years ago, the operation became a full time business more than eight years ago. 

All of the meat (and eggs) they raise—beef, pork and chicken—is non-GMO and pasture-raised from start to finish. Both the meat and layer chickens live in tractor-pulled chicken coops that are moved daily, allowing them free-range access to fields and fresh forage. The coops protect the birds from predators while allowing them a natural diet and exposure to fresh air and sunshine. 

This creates both a healthier environment for the chicken, and a sustainable practice of farming. The chickens share the pastures with the cows in a staggered rotation that supports a healthy regeneration of the fields. 

In addition to being pasture-raised, the cows are supplemented with a small amount of feed, Greg explained, helping to create coveted marbling, and to reduce the gamey flavor of grass-fed beef.

Is grass-fed healthier?

The belief that grass-fed beef is healthier is supported by both science and opinion, but there is no arguing that the overall experience and health of an animal is improved by allowing it to roam and graze as nature intended.

“The meat is healthier, the animals are happier and they’re in an environment they’re supposed to be in,” Greg said of his pasture-raised cows. “They have access to the barn if they need to, but even in the dead of winter they often prefer the lot. I think it’s just a healthier product in the end… and you can’t compare the taste of the meat. People who buy it, they keep coming back.”

Quality control and certifications

All of Hope Cress Farm’s meat is USDA certified, including the butchering process. The chickens are tested and certified monthly to ensure they are healthy and disease-free, and in compliance with FDA guidelines, they are always hormone-free. They raise about 250 chickens each month and bring them to the butcher every six to seven weeks, so be sure to grab your favorite cuts before they sell out, or you may have to wait for the next batch. 

The pigs are raised in a free range pasture with shelter, like the cows. They are fed a non-GMO feed and are allowed to forage as well, although Greg said they prefer to spend most of their time between the shelter and the water tub, or anywhere cool.

What you’ll find at market

All cuts of meat are available for individual sale at market each Wednesday, and at the Hope Cress farmstand on Blairstown Road in Hope, NJ. Patrons can buy whole roasting chickens, or individual cuts. (The chicken cutlets are the biggest seller, and often sell out first, Greg warned). For pork, traditional cuts are available as well as four different types of sausage. Find country style spare ribs, bacon, roasts and more. Get a wide variety of steaks, including T-bone, porterhouse and ribeye, roasts, as well as ground beef, hamburger patties, and all-beef hot dogs. 

“One woman from the market bought [all-beef hot dogs] at market, and she later told me her kids had asked if she was trying to poison them with all those years with store-bought ones,” Greg quipped. Yup, they’re so good, they’re kid-approved.

Nothing goes to waste either, any parts that are not popular or used—backs, necks and organ meat, etc—are ground and packaged for dog food. Greg noted that raw chicken is a very healthy diet for dogs, and they sell both patties processed by their butcher, as well as farm-ground dog food sold in one pound tubes. These are available at market for $3/pound (or $1/patty). 

More than just meat

Meat isn’t all you’ll find at Hope Cress. The produce sold at their booth is grown at Hope Cress and neighboring farms. Expect to find summer favorites such as tomatoes, zucchini, lettuces and green beans. The sweet corn they sell is renowned for its flavor, and Greg said many patrons come to his booth for the corn alone. Additionally, Hope Cress microgreens are jam-packed with nutrients, grown in controlled environments and sold fresh for the picking each week. 

Last but not least, the Hope Cress stand also has farm-fresh milk available for sale from a Sussex County farm that is licensed to bottle and sell his own milk (rather than having it delivered to a processing plant for pasteurization and bottling). 

If you’re looking for something specific, be sure to ask at market. Greg may have it in another freezer, or he can bring it the following week if available, 

Visit Hope Cress Farms online, or at their farmstand, four miles from the farm at 440 Hope Blairstown Road in Hope, NJ.

It began, as with most big things, a life change and a dream. When Cindi, the Empanada Lady, lost her job of 15 years during the 2009 recession, she found herself in culinary school and on a completely new career path. Unsure where the road would lead, she started by making empanadas for friends, family and local merchants while she was still in school. This led to a bit of catering, and eventually an account with a local bar, giving her a taste of what it would be like to own her own business.

She finished her culinary program, and although she was gaining experience in the field, what Cindi really hoped for was a business of her own.

“I wanted to work for myself. I was hungry and determined to continue to dream about having my own business,” Cindi said.

She just never thought it would be selling empanadas at farmers markets. 

Then she saw an ad about becoming your own boss at farmers markets. Inspiration was sparked, and Cindi took advantage of the growing industry to learn as much as she could. She worked for another company for a season, selling products at markets and learning the trade. She learned so much that within one season of starting the Empanada Lady, she realized she had become a household name. 

Have you tried Cindi’s famous empanadas?

Her spritely pink food truck offers empanadas in varieties for every palate, including beef, chicken, egg and cheese, kale and plantain, loaded potato, Indian samosa and mac & cheese. You’ll even find dessert empanadas like apple pie, guava and cream cheese, nutella with fruit and more. She also sells Cubano sandwiches with plantain chips and sides like yucca fries and fried sweet plantains, plus daily lunch specials.

For those who want more… Empanada Lady also caters. Her menu includes the famous ¼ pound empanada (or cocktail size for those craving finger food), speciality sandwich platters, wings and things, salads, spreads, dips and sides as well as main dishes in beef, pork, chicken and vegetarian options

Find all this and more on her full menu at the cafe in Verona where you can get everything from small bites, to salads, homemade soups, sandwiches, and made-to-order platters that include carne asada or the fish of the day.

Meet the Empanada Lady at her food truck every week at market, or visit her online or at the cafe in Verona at 20 Grove Ave. Call ahead for daily lunch options, or to start a catering order. 

www.empanada-lady.com

Food Truck: 201.675.7465

Cafe: 973.239.7812

cyndi@empanada-lady.com

Robyn Brown Samra (known as “The Pickle Lady”) simply has a passion for pickles. As a single mother and struggling waitress seeking to provide a better life for her two small children, she followed her passion and started Pickle Licious in 1995 at a local flea market with her brother Jay, despite limited resources. 

As a Jewish kid from Jersey who was practically raised on pickles and bagels, Robyn felt confident that pickles would be a bestseller. And they were. The first Pickle Licious storefront opened on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in 1997. When her husband Leo passed in 2001, Robyn worked even harder, expanded her markets, and moving the storefront closer to her home in Teaneck. Before long, the company was written up in The New York Times and New York Magazine, and featured on MTV and CNN. They were even voted “Best Pickles” by the Jewish Standard Newspaper for eight years in a row.

Pickle Licious: A family affair

Today, Pickle Licious truly is a family affair. Robyn’s husband Ray assists with online sales and shipping. Her daughter Alex handles retail, events, and social media, and her daughter Taylor develops new products as a recent graduate of The Culinary Institute of America.

Mark Malajian is a partner with Pickle Licious, overseeing the sales and operations at several markets, including the West Milford Farmers Market each Wednesday. He said that for them, the entire company is family owned, blood-ties notwithstanding. The partners have worked closely with each other for over a decade, and they all see and connect with each other inside and outside of work almost every day.

“Robyn started the company running around with her kids at farmers markets, and wanted to do something local as a Jewish girl growing up in the Teaneck area,” Marc said. “ It blew up into a storefront, and a great website with online shipping across the country.”

Finding the perfect pickle

Pickle Licious currently carries twenty kinds of pickles, many of which are available at the market each week for sampling and purchase. Marc said their “New Pickle” has been a longtime best seller. He calls it a “borderline pickle”: It’s half “old” cucumber, half “new pickle” that undergoes only a short (few day) brining/curing process so that it looks like a fresh cucumber but has the crisp taste of a pickle. 

Deli-style Kosher Dill is another fan favorite, as are their Sweet Pickle Chips that are like a bread and butter pickle with the sweetness (possibly the perfect hamburger pickle?). His personal favorite, however, is Sweet Horseradish that Marc loves to slice up and squeeze into grilled cheese sandwiches. 

They also sell between 20-30 custom-cured olives and condiments, including olive combination mixes, such as their mediterranean mix. 

One of Marc’s favorite condiments to recommend is their roasted garlic that can be used as a garnish or to be included in any recipe that calls for garlic. The oil they are cured in can be used in cooking to impart a brilliant garlic flavor. Meanwhile, their Krelish is the perfectly balanced pickle-based hot dog condiment for your summer grilling parties that includes mustard, sauerkraut alongside sweet and hot relish, all in one jar. 

The facility in which the pickles are crafted and packaged is completely kosher, Marc said. Those who follow a strictly kosher diet, however, should know that a Rabi does not visit the market tables each week. However, all online purchases come directly from the fully-kosher warehouse. All of Pickle Licious products are sourced from local vendors in New Jersey whenever possible. 

Stop by their booth for a quick sampling, to grab a pickle-on-a-stick, or to ask suggested uses for their pickles, olives and condiments. Or visit them online at picklelicious.com.

Phenix Sharp is a veteran-owned, professional knife and blade sharpening service. They understand the uniqueness of each blade and understand the care and upkeep required for each one. Their mission is to provide the highest quality knife and blade sharpening so that your blades are returned to you sharper than when you first bought them.

From kitchen knives and folding blades to scissors and clippers, Phenix Sharp cares for all common use blades. However, they will also sharpen and balance lawn mower blades, woodworking tools, garden tools and filet knives.

Their Bergen-county centered service area also includes pick-up and drop-off to your residence after your blades have been professionally sharpened at their facility. Look at the list below to see if your home or business is located in their service area, or catch them when they visit the farmers market and have your blades sharpened while you shop.

We return your knives back to you, not just sharp, but PHENIX SHARP!

Areas we serve:

Old Tappan, NJ

Harrington Park, NJ

Montvale, NJ

Woodcliff Lake, NJ

Chestnut Ridge, NJ

Township of Washington, NJ

Oradell, NJ

Upper Saddle River, NJ

Saddle River, NJ

Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ

Waldwick, NJ

Allendale, NJ

Ridgewood, NJ

Mahwah, NJ

Ramsey, NJ

Find Phenix Sharp online

www.phenixsharp.com

info@phenixsharp.com

(201)-899-8818

Pie Eyed Bar Pies is a local bar pie pizza maker. In addition to finding them at market each week, they also make homestyle dinners, soups and sauces for pick up at their Ringwood location. Pie Eyed products may come frozen, but they are all handmade from scratch. In order to preserve the quality that defines them, all products are fresh-frozen. That means that they are frozen immediately after preparation to ensure that the flavor, texture and everything you love is perfectly preserved. 

Fresh made pizza flavors

Bar pies are 11.5 inches and come either in classic plain, or with a variety of well-loved toppings that include sausage, meatball, mushroom, eggplant, spinach and ricotta, pepperoni, baked ziti, chicken (buffalo, BBQ or ranch), vegetables and more. They even have a gluten-free pizza anda whole-wheat veggie variety. 

Their rolls include a veggie medley, chicken or meatball parm, pepperoni, sausage and spinach as fillings. For those looking for a sit-down meal for the family, try their homemade chicken or eggplant parm with ziti, baked ziti or Poppie’s Homemade Meatballs.  Grab some salad greens at Hope Cress, a bit of bread at Orlando’s, and tonight’s dinner is ready after heating through in the oven. 

Pie Eyed also offers a variety of homemade soups and sauces for home use and wholesale. Their sauces include classic marinara as well as other Italian favorites like francaise, puttanesca, scampi and vodka. Their soup selection includes chicken noodle, split pea, minestrone and potato bacon cheddar, but may vary based on season and availability. Call ahead to discover what’s fresh this week. 

Pizza fundraising for a cause

In addition to keeping the family fed with homemade goodness, Pie Eyed Bar Pies offers fundraising opportunities for organizations seeking to raise money with their time-proven method. Pie Eyed will provide your organization with a price list, order form, cooking instructions and samples. The pies are packed and delivered to one designated location in bulk, separated by type. The fundraising organization is responsible for dividing and packaging the individual orders. 

Their full line of 11.5 inch bar pies have successfully raised funds for PTOs, Girl and Boy Scouts, churches and youth groups, sports leagues, school bands, and PBA and fire departments. For more information on fundraising with Pie Eyed, contact Margaret at (973) 962-6850

Finding Pie Eyed Bar Pies

Although you can find them each week at market, Pie Eyed can also take orders for pick up at their Ringwood location. They ask that you contact them by phone or email to place the order and arrange a pick up time, and wait for a confirmation response before arriving. All orders are delivered from the building to where you wait in the parking lot, ensuring the safety and cleanliness of their facility. 

http://www.pieeyedpizza.com/

973.962.6850

barpies@gmail.com

46 Executive Parkway

Ringwood, NJ 07456

Seeds to Sew is a Fair Trade Federation member, nonprofit organization based in NJ that works to help women and girls in rural Kenya gain the skills and education they need to become independent through the products they sell. 

They offer handmade, functional, sustainable, eco-friendly gifts such as gift-wrap bags, shopping totes, beaded and wooden bowls, spoons and bracelets. They also sell ornaments, dolls and figurines made from all-natural, sustainably sourced materials. All items are eco-friendly, and made by seamstresses in rural Kenya. The shopping totes are crafted from eye-catching Kenyan fabrics and make high quality gifts that will last a lifetime.

They also sell upcycled feed bags made into shopping totes and zipper pouches by student volunteers, the sale of which funds the school fees for program participants in rural Kenya where many participants live on less than a dollar a day.

From humble beginnings…

Operations Manager, Nina Moukova said Seeds to Sew was founded in 2011 because Nina’s colleague wanted to initiate a sewing program that would provide independence to women and young girls in need. Although much of the work is done remotely from the United States, thanks to the team’s program manager, there is always someone on the ground in Kenya to make sure things are running smoothly and properly. She ensures that the women are paid for the products they make, providing an income that more than covers the cost of supplies. The balance of any profit goes into an account that funds the education of the family’s children. The program provides a layer of transparency by making tuition payments directly to the schools on the girls’ behalf, ensuring that all students receive the education their hard work has paid for.

“We found out the hard way that if we give the cash to the moms, sometimes the fathers take it and the girls don’t go to school,” Nina said.

Agnes’ success story

The inspiration for the program began with Agnes, a young girl who was destined to be circumcised and married at 12 years old. Agnes was not having it, and flat out refused. As a result, her father left the family without any resources, and Agnes resorted to making and selling bracelets in hopes that she might be able to fund her high school tuition. 

“We said [to Agnes], keep making the bracelets, and maybe if we sell them you can go to school,” Nina said.

The plan worked, and so began the Seeds to Sew program.

As a result, Agnes was able to finish high school with all of her fees completely covered: uniform, textbooks, shoes and anything else she needed. Upon graduation, she wanted to continue her education, and although the team couldn’t imagine her selling enough to fund University tuition, the program continued to assist by helping her apply for loans and facilitating a sponsor. They were successful, and when Agnes graduates this December, she will be an elementary school teacher. 

A program that keeps giving back

Agnes has continued to give back to her community by volunteering throughout her high school and college career.  When the women in her community were encouraged to start sewing uniforms, they declined, saying they could not take and compute the measurements required to make the clothes. Agnes did not hesitate. She stepped in and bought a blackboard and other supplies, and turned the sewing shop into a classroom. She taught the seamstresses to read and write and calculate, and now they are making school uniforms to improve the opportunities for young girls in Kenya.

“This [education] will make them independent of our program,” Nina said. “This is our goal, to support them so they are independent. To establish them and get a good ground for a good future and the possibility to provide a better life for their family.”

Together with the Seeds to Sew program manager, Agnes also underwent training through Street Business School to help teach women in the street how to become entrepreneurs. The beauty of Street Business School is that it can literally be done on the streets, without any tools or supplies. Women gather in a circle, and the facilitator/teacher provides guidance, education and answers questions. They help the women understand how to take care of their finances independently, and how to do something that they perhaps always wanted to do but never could by providing resources and support. 

“[We are] encouraging them to think outside the box and push their boundaries,” Nina said. 

In addition to finding their wares at the farmers market, Seeds to Sew sells their one-of-a-kind handmade items on their website and their storefront. They are finding increasingly more traction in the wholesale business locally and worldwide with resale partners in gift shops and other locations throughout the U.S. and Europe. If you know of a store that might be interested in reselling Seeds to Sew products, please contact them through their website, where consumers can also make individual purchases. 

Visit Seeds to Sew online at https://seedstosew.org/

When sisters Shannon, Lauren and Erin came together with an idea of creating a soap company, it took more than just grit to make it happen. The business started only a year-and-a-half ago, but according to owner Lauren Brown, they’ve grown faster than they expected thanks to a presence at farmers markets like ours. 

Variety, Ingredients and Nostalgia 

In an effort to make small changes toward an all-natural lifestyle, Lauren had been making soap at home for several years when Shannon came to her with an idea to open a soap-making business. Now all three sisters work together to create the soaps, moisturizing body “frosting,” scrubs and deodorants their customers have grown to know and love. 

With their signature “gritties” (exfoliating bar soap with natural exfoliants) and “pretties” (smooth bar soap made to look as beautiful as it feels), The Gritty Sisters Soapery creates a shopping experience that not only titillates the senses with varieties like Bergamot Balance, Lake Eerie Summer (containing water collected from Lake Eerie), and even Green Beer, but offers a variety of ingredients and objectives. Shannon, Erin and Lauren’s jam is using different vegan ingredients (from different types of moisturizing oils to add-ins like coffee beans or beer) to create all-natural, beautiful and effective products. Their line currently includes a wide variety of soaps, moisturizing “frosting,” body scrubs and deodorant.

An all-natural beginning for The Gritty Sisters Soapery

Lauren was always the creative sister, and always loved arts and crafts and making things from scratch. When a friend made her own batch of soap out of the blue, Lauren thought she would try her hand at it, too. The first batch was a game-changer, and her family never looked back.

“Once we started using it, we just couldn’t go back to the chemical-filled stuff that you purchase at the store,” she said.

At first, Lauren was using traditional animal tallow for her soap, but when her daughter became vegan, she began experimenting with different blends of oil. The  business later benefited from this experimentation, and has only ever made vegan products. Their signature base oil is a blend of coconut, olive and palm oils, although different varieties contain custom blends of different all-natural oils, too.

In fact, experimenting with different ingredients is one of The Sisters’ signature moves. Instead of using goat’s milk, the vegan brand created an oat milk bar that is just as moisturizing. They love add-ins and color, and work to create nostalgic varieties that use ingredients from some of their favorite places to visit (like Lake Eerie) to seasonal ingredients perfect for autumn, the winter holidays, and even St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo. 

Other ingredients include all-natural exfoliants for their “gritties” line. This includes everything from orange or avocado peels, cinnamon sticks, and pomegranate seeds.

In addition to soap, they also make moisturizing body “frosting” (like a body butter, but smooth and creamy like frosting), scrubs and deodorant. 

Stink No Moore: A Deodorant Game Changer

The deodorant was a reluctant entry to the product line, but an important one that reflected Lauren and her daughter’s desire to have an all-natural option, one that they eventually shared with others through the business. 

Although Stinks No Moore (the sisters maiden name being Moore) works just as well, if not better, than store-brand deodorants, don’t expect the Sisters’ version to look and smell like what you get at your local store. First of all, it’s often brightly colored thanks to the addition of food-grade antioxidant powders that add benefit to the skin while making the self-care product fun (colors don’t transfer upon application!). 

Since they’re all-natural, the consistency of the deodorant has a tendency to fluctuate depending on the temperature. Therefore, they don’t package it in standard deodorant tubes. Instead, the scoopable mixture comes in a wide mouth jar. In the summer months, Lauren said it’s generally soft enough to scoop by hand, but in the colder winter months, customers may like to use the piece of Lake Eerie sea glass under the lid as an applicator.

A complete experience 

The act of exploring the different colors, scents and variety, peppered with plenty of joking and laughter from the sisters themselves, makes stopping at The Gritty Sisters’ booth more than just an errand run, but a full experience. Since the sisters work together to man the booth, they’re always available to answer any question you might have about their products and how they’re made and work.

“We like to create soaps that remind us, and possibly other people, of certain things, and we like to be fun when we are selling and interacting with the customers,” Lauren said. “We feel like we are selling ourselves, and… we want people to have fun when they come to our booth.”

Want to learn more? Come visit us at market each week and get to know The Gritty Sisters and their products. Or visit them online to see what they’re about and to make your purchase there!

https://www.grittysisterssoapery.com/

Wildish Way is owned and led by Meghan Hindi, an archer, certified life coach and doula who runs a unique nature-led day retreat and rejuvenation space in West Milford.

Meg is a trauma survivor who through her own healing journey, discovered a passion for supporting women through transitional times in their life. She can be found supporting people through weddings, births and death, including those dealing with cancer and other terminal illness.

A sanctuary of authentic self-empowerment

A quick look at the Wildish Way website will reveal photos of women at peace, in a place of quiet, or screaming and cheering for each other.  If they want to share their story, Meg will hold space and listen, on their level and by their side. She does not consider this therapy, per se, but in many ways it is therapy. She hopes that being in nature, drawing a bow, and being in a safe place with like-minded women will propel those who need it into discovering their own path to mental health care.

“I use coaching techniques to make sure that they are always feeling supported shoulder-to-shoulder by a woman who has been there, and who is strong enough to see who they are,” Meg said. “I can then empower and help light up their way as far as clarifying and understanding next steps forward. It’s all future based.” 

In other words, Meg recognizes that there is little she can do to help someone resolve the past. But she can offer them a way forward. Her work in archery confirms this, as she’s found that the act of drawing a bow, focusing on a target and then letting the arrow fly, teaches the skills needed to find the words that need to be said before releasing what could be a deadly weapon. Archery represents the need to release fear, shame and anxiety before trying to resolve an issue… the same as these strong emotions must be released and the body must relax before letting an arrow fly, if one wants it to hit the intended target.

More than just a retreat space

In addition to running retreats, Meg also teaches archery and coaches women one-on-one. 

Her coaching sessions could involve archery, or hiking, or spending time with her horses. However, it is the group classes, and the opportunity to be with and support other women, where Meg has found the most demand. 

“These women learn to scream for themselves and for each other, and they watch each other bloom and blossom,” Meg said of her workshops. “Growth can happen in a vacuum, but then it remains in a vacuum… but if you do it in a group, these women are contagious with each other.” 

Childcare is available, allowing mothers a place to grow where their children can watch her grow and be happy, too.

She has also published a children’s book suitable for the inner child of any aged survivor, “The Healing you Can Do.” Find it on her website, or for sale at her market booth. She said the book serves as a reminder that no matter who you are, or what you’ve experienced, “you are not defined by what was done to you.” 

Wildish Way also holds Women’s Circles, such as the full moon event happening on July 13th. Visit her website to learn more or sign up.

Stay tuned for more in the future, including additional archery workshops, men’s archery classes, couples archery classes, and more circles and workshops. Stop by her table and get to know Meg, and to learn more about these offerings and more. 

“It’s about redefining a strong woman and what she’s made of.”

Meg of Wildish Way

Work with horses with one-on-one coaching

Posing during an all-woman archery workshop at Wildish Way

Plentifull Kitchen’s owner, Rosie Sanchez, had been baking for about 20 years. Then she had kids, and moved to Sussex County about three years ago where she became involved in the PTA. Soon after, she began baking for school activities and her community. The response was incredible, and so Rosie decided to rent space in a commercial kitchen and start a small catering business with a focus on empanadas. Things took off and by the end of 2019 she was official. 

Thriving through the lockdown

In the thick of the pandemic and lockdowns, Rosie used her Facebook page to share recipes and other helpful information, such as where to get masks. This content grew rapidly, and so did her following. When things opened up again, she found herself face-to-face with a wedding that had been scheduled for some time. They decided that the best and safest way to do the dessert table was to put the desserts in jars. She had spent her time in lockdown perfecting the dessert-jar recipe for the wedding, and the rest was history. 

From there, Plentifull Kitchen started attending markets. First Vernon, then Lafayette, and now West Milford. The markets eventually led to wholesale production. She believes in supporting local business, and would let people know that by purchasing her products in local venues, customers are supporting two local businesses at once.  

As Plentiful in support as taste

Plentifull Kitchen is plentiful in giving back. Rosie uses the business to support school and other fundraising efforts through cheesecake sales. But more than that, she supports her community by employing those who are in most need of work: single moms who might otherwise consider themselves unemployable. She offers her working moms flexibility, particularly through Covid lockdowns and beyond, and has flexible scheduling to accommodate their families’ needs. 

“Plentifull Kitchen is always going to be a place where they can come and start all over until their thing happens… the kid goes back to school, or they get their footing. They come out of here with all these managing skills, farmers market experience, and more.”

In 2021, Rosie won the Womenpreneur Award, and was later invited by Facebook to represent local businesses in Northern New Jersey and Sussex County for the Meta platform. She was recently flown by Meta to speak in D.C. about moms in business, and how to protect small businesses better with similar protections enjoyed by bigger businesses. 

Rosie works as hard with greater small business and employment issues as she invests into keeping her business growing. Getting women back to work during the pandemic was Rosie’s primary concern of note. The Facebook supporting role came afterward, and has been a springboard to discuss these employment concerns with a larger and more powerful audience. 

Plentifull Kitchen at Market

Plentifull Kitchen’s cheesecake-in-a-jar is a fan favorite at market. The six-and-a-half ounce jars are ready to go, all you need is a spoon. Although they have over sixty different flavors of cheesecake, expect to see only their best sellers each week—six to seven different rotating flavors. Almost always in stock is their peanut butter cheesecake jar, key lime pie, Boston Cream, and plain. Keep an eye out for cake jars with flavors such as tres leches and flan. Rosie also makes quiches: chorizo, philly cheesesteak, vegetarian and Mexican being some of their best sellers.

You can also enjoy Rosie’s creations at The Tracks Deli in Vernon, Lorenzos in Sussex, Jersey Girl Operation Market Garden in Lake Hopatcong, Sandyston Bagel, and her cheesecakes are featured at the Sit and Chat diner.  Visit them online at www.plentifullkitchenllc.com.

You may know of bone broth as something you eat when you're sick. However, it's an incredibly nutrient-dense food that is beneficial to any diet. It can easily be mixed into most dishes: to make gravies, to cook rice, to enrich soups and stews, for making pesto... essentially anywhere you might add water, bone broth can be substituted to add flavor and nutrients. Pineapple Pink owner, Priscilla Moynihan, has made this powerful food even more nutritious and tasty by adding a variety of all-natural flavors and fibers to her products. 

All of her broths are simmered for 24 hours, and include not only bones, but a variety of fruits, herbs and vegetables. They are then condensed to create a rich broth base that can be purchased as-is for home use, or used to create items like her bone broth elixirs and fruity ice pops.

Beginnings of Pineapple Pink

Pineapple Pink began around March of 2022. Priscilla has been in the food and restaurant industry for her entire career and had worked in fine dining establishments in NJ, NY and even spent two years working at the renowned restaurant, Blue Hill in St. Louis. 

As a farm-to-table restaurant with its own gardens and fields, Priscilla’s time at Blue Hill taught her much about the power of plants. Although bone broth is technically a meat-based food, Priscilla does not skimp on her use of the nutritious plants and medicinal herbs she was introduced to while working there. However, it was her time at Fossil Farms, a butcher shop in Boonton, that truly fueled her love for meat and locally sourced animal-based products. 

All of the bones used in Pineapple Pink broths are pasture-raised and locally sourced. In addition to Fossil Farms, she often gets bones and vegetables from WMFM’s very own Hope Cress Farms, and Goffle Farms in Wyckoff. Top O the Mountain is her all-natural source for sweetening her fruity bone broth ice pops. 

“I left everything behind to follow my dream and my passion to bring a new innovative, fun, unique product to the table and into the community,” Priscilla said.

More than just a broth

To make her fruit-based bone broth ice pops, Priscilla makes a special broth base that includes fruits alongside chicken bones. She includes flavors like apple, pear, orange and lemon, as well as cinnamon and vanilla bean to create a great tasting, light and fruity base that is then condensed down more than half. She then blends a 50/50 mixture of the condensed broth and her custom, all-natural fruit purees into a delicious popsicle that has all the great benefits of bone broth with five grams of protein per serving. 

One of her favorite flavors of ice pops isn’t fruity at all. Her chocolate mushroom pop is rich, creamy and loaded with the benefits of cordyceps mushrooms to offer a powerful and sustaining energy boost without the crash of caffeine. 

For our furry friends, she’s created a base made especially for a dog’s needs. It includes blueberries and turmeric which are known for their anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting, cancer-fighting properties. This broth can be added to kibble or a raw food diet, or the doggie pops can be offered as a healthy treat, particularly for pups that love snacking on ice cubes.

Her elixirs take traditional bone broth recipes and offer a twist of both flavor and health benefits like immunity.

She even has something for vegans with her vegan demi glace. This product combines fourteen fruits and vegetables that are also cooked for 24 hours, then condensed by more than half to create a rich consistency that is reminiscent of gravy and can be used as such for meat-free diets.

Why Pineapple Pink

Traditionally pineapples are a symbol of hospitality and high quality. Being in the culinary industry as a chef and at times a server, that remained Priscilla’s focus with Pineapple Pink. 

 “I always want to provide top quality products, animals that are treated well, and products that are sourced with care,” Priscilla said.

She sees pink as a fun and inviting color, and so this translates to her way of approaching a traditionally “stuffy” or one-sided product. Pineapple Pink strives to help people think of  being healthy and being health-conscious as something that should feel fun, rather than a burden.   

Stop by her booth on market days to taste her delicious and nutritious bone broth ice pops, or to grab a vegan version of her condensed broth that doesn't skimp on nutrients or taste.