Kara's Cupcakes is celebrating founder and president Kara Haspel Lind's birthday with a sweet giveaway! Next Monday, September 21, Kara's Cupcakes is giving away free mini vanilla chocolate cupcakes adorned with a pink cupcake to the first 50 guests. Come celebrate with Kara's Cupcakes.

Oxbow Produce has reopened as Hudson Greens & Goods. Still focused on locally sourced, organic fruits and vegetables, you'll also find an expanded selection of dry goods and household items and an increased selection of cut flowers from The Monkey Flower Group. 

The expanded juice bar includes additional menu items, including toasted breads with a variety of house-made spreads, bone broths, prepackaged salads, and other seasonal, farm-based, and convenient grab-n-go offerings. Hudson Greens & Goods also features weekly tastings, featuring local 

farmers and purveyors. With the larger space, Hudson Greens & Goods is now be able to offer a separate checkout station for the juice bar, along with two convenient checkout stations for purchasing grocery items. Hours of operation are 8 am to 8 pm daily, and 7:30 am to 7 pm for the juice bar.

Whole Spice will be offering a 20 percent discount the last three days of September. Stock up on all your favorite spices and herbs September 28-30 and receive 20 percent off your entire purchase!  Whole Spice is also offering a limited deal through Groupon. For only $8 you will receive two beautifully jarred flavored salts, worth over $14. 

Introducing a new vinegar from The Olive Press: raspberry balsamic vinegar...sweet and tangy, just like a fresh raspberry! Perfect on a spinach salad with fresh berries, avocado, walnuts and goat cheese, or try it over ice cream, in a gin and tonic for extra flavor, or in a reduction sauce with chicken or pork! Enjoy with a robust or medium extra virgin olive oil for a new flavor accompaniment to any meal. 

Five Dot Ranch introduces its new, personalized dry-aging program. Customers are able to personally select the specific beef muscle they want, how long they want it to be aged (28-100 plus days) and how they would like it cut once the aging process is complete. A $100 deposit is required at the start of the program and the remaining balance is due at the time of pickup. Stop by Five Dot to speak to one of the butchers to get your personalized dry-aged meat started!

We are all familiar with smoothies, the popular breakfast drinks that utilize fresh fruit, but there is another refreshing fruit drink to try -- the agua fresca. Popular in Mexico and South America, it is enjoyed with meals, or as a healthy thirst quencher. C CASA creates a variety of colorful and revitalizing agua frescas in flavors of strawberry, pineapple or cucumber lime that are delicious accompaniments to C CASA tacos. The name alone sounds refreshing, doesn't it?

Stop by Gott's to try their September specials: a California deluxe burger with a half pound of Niman Ranch beef, bacon, Swiss cheese, arugula, a fried egg, balsamic-glazed onions and mayo on a toasted Italian bun...and for those looking for something lighter, a Green Goddess salad with chopped kale, radicchio and romaine lettuce tossed with green goddess dressing, cucumbers, chickpeas, wheat berries, feta cheese and cherry tomatoes. The ever popular crispy fried zucchini sticks will also stay on the menu through the rest of the month.

With fall approaching, we look forward to long, leisurely Sunday breakfasts where the enticing aroma of fresh coffee rouses you from sleep. Then there is another tantalizing smell -- the one of French toast sizzling in the pan, and you know it is going to be a good day. Cate & Co. suggests its cinnamon raisin bread for making delicious French toast, and serving it with a variety of toppings that each diner can customize to their own taste...melted butter, warm maple syrup, fruit preserves, fresh berries, whipped cream or orange blossom honey...the possibilities are almost endless.