Merry day-after Christmas, pickle lovers! We hope you had a beautiful Christmas. We did here in Western Colorado, and it was magical and sparkly and white and cold.

Now it’s on to the happy New Year, and hopes and dreams for 2013. The world didn’t end, so we are gearing up for new ideas and plans for the spring. So, we’re taking a break until the spring. If you’ve liked our Facebook page, you’ll be the first to know when we’re back, baby! Until then, it’s back to the pickle workshop and a much-deserved vacation. If you email us, it may take a while to respond. Don’t worry, we’re just hibernating. See you in the spring!

Who wouldn’t want pickles for the holidays? They’re a perfect hostess gift. They’re low-fat and fit into most diets. No one really needs more fudge, now, do they? You don’t have to worry about what size to get. A jar of pickles fits everyone. And into everyone’s stockings.

Pick up your holiday pickles at Interiors, Etc. at Sixth and Main streets in Grand Junction, or at Sprigs & Sprouts in Palisade next to the high school. We are also shipping for the holidays, so if you don’t live in Western Colorado, you can still get pickles via priority mail delivered to you or people who deserve pickles more than other things (lots of other things). Email us at yumpicklequeen@gmail.com if you’re interested! We’re shipping until Dec. 18 with USPS Priority Mail.

We ship pickles!

Pickles make an amazing gift. For others, or to yourself. They’re a guilt-free snack in a sea of gluttony we call the holidays. And they’re delicious.

Lucky for you, we’re emerging from hibernation a few times this winter to sell you our delicious wares. Come see us Saturday, Nov. 3, in Grand Junction at Holy Family Catholic School. We’ll be there from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Buy local and know that some of the proceeds will go toward classroom supplies, equipment and hands-on activities for students!

Here’s the link to the craft fair. Hope to see you there!

Hello pickle enthusiasts! I’m taking a break from all the pickle happenings to let you know that our last market in the Grand Valley for this season is today at the Palisade Sunday Market, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. So come on down if you want to buy from us before we take a break in October.

While we’re on holiday, you can also get our pickles from Sprigs & Sprouts in Palisade, next to the high school, and at Interiors, Etc. at 6th and Main streets in Grand Junction.

Thank you all for your support! We’ll keep you posted on which holiday markets we will be involved in as we get closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Ok, so I have to say that I’m so happy to present three awesome entries for our “stick your pickle sticker” contest. Surprisingly, all of the entries are sports-related. Didn’t see that one coming. Very interesting.

So here’s how voting works. A “like” counts as a vote. Get your friends to vote by sharing these pics on FB, get them to like Yum Pickles AND like the photo they’re voting for. The winner gets FREE PICKLES that I will deliver to them, personally. The contest officially ends at midnight, Saturday Sept. 22. So get on it! And please note that even if your name isn’t Julie Hughey, Danielle Bridges or Brett Scoggins, and you didn’t post a pic of sticking your pickle sticker, you can help out by voting and encouraging others to LIKE Yum Pickles and vote!

And, just so you know, tonight is our last GJ Farmer’s Market for the 2012 season. We will be in our usual spot near Sixth and Main from around 4:15 to 7 pm. We will also be at the last Sunday Market in Palisade on Sept. 30. Thanks for a wonderful first season and all your support, and if you’d like to stock your pantry with Yum Pickles, please stop by, as we will be taking a much-needed vacation in October.

Ok, so we’ve had our ongoing T-shirt contest since the beginning of the Grand Junction farmer’s market. Some of you have seized the opportunity to win some pickle flair and are now flaunting it about town. This leads me to announce that we will soon be offering T-shirts for sale (probably in September) for those of you who are coveting that pickle flair.

In the meantime, you can enter our new contest to win ACTUAL PICKLES (yes, for consumption). Yum.

Oh, the places they’ll go!

All you have to do is:

1. Obtain a Yum Pickles sticker (many of you already have this) by coming to the GJ Farmer’s Market and visiting our booth. We will be there Aug. 16, Aug. 30, Sept. 13 and Sept. 20. Our booth is located near 6th and Main Street, two spots down from the big lemon.

2. Stick that pickle sticker in a conspicuous place. Preferably in public. You know, so other people can see it.

3. Snap a pic of where/how you shared your sticker with the world.

4. Post that awesome pic on our Facebook page. Please tag yourself in the photo.

This contest closes on Sept. 15, 2012. Prize is one jar of delicious Black Market Dills. Winner will be chosen by popular vote. Voting instructions will be posted on the Yum Pickles Facebook page. No purchase necessary to win. In the event of a tie, there can be two winners. Yum Pickles, LLC, is not responsible for where/how you choose to stick your pickle sticker. Obviously, creativity and humor matter to your fellow pickle enthusiasts who will be voting. Be smart and safe.

Many pickle enthusiasts who enjoy our pickled goods notice something different about our pickles.

Yes, they’re crunchy. They’re made with fresh, local produce and that helps a lot.

No, they don’t have high-fructose corn syrup. Blech.

No, they don’t have added chemicals or food coloring. That’s the color a pickle is supposed to be.

And yes, there are different sizes of pickle chunks. You will find that we try to offer a variety of styles of pickles for you awesome pickle eaters out there. Some people like spears. Some people like chunks. Some people like whole little cukes in the jar. We have them all.

We embrace your individual pickle tastes. Most jars will have a few chunks or slices floating at the top, for those of you who can’t help grabbing a little taste when you crack open a fresh jar of Yum Pickles. I know I’m one of those people who likes a little snack and I’m too lazy to cut up a whole pickle sometimes.

We know we can’t please everyone, but we can sure try!

For those of you who don’t know, the venue for our outrageously delicious pickles is the Thursday Farmer’s Market located in the metropolis of Grand Junction, CO. Here are the dates we will be offering our wares:

July 19, Aug. 2, Aug. 16, Aug. 30, Sept. 13, and Sept. 20

So, basically we’re there every OTHER week, except we managed to get an extra week at the end of the season. Yay!

The market runs from around 4:30-8:30 on Main Street. There’s free parking in the parking garage on White Avenue, which is really convenient.

Our booth is located near 6th and Main streets, on the north side of the street. We’re two spots up from the big lemon, next to the nice Alpaca folks. When we’re not there, The Zesty Moose, another fabulous Colorado Proud company, is there on our weeks off.

All our pickles are $7. The okra tends to sell out first, so if you want it, come early. Otherwise, we tend to have a steady stream of customers who have their favorite kinds of pickles. Come by and get a jar of your favorite!