The Hen House Market – Store Review

 The Hen House Market celebrates 100 years.

Supermarkets have been around for a long time and there are numerous chains located in various areas and many cities throughout the country. Many of us are familiar with major chains such as Kroger,  Hy-Vee and Publix. 

The Hen House Market is one of 27 local markets throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. They are part of the Ball's Food Store group and Kansas City, Kansas is their hometown.

History of the Hen House – 1923-2023

1923 – the first Hen House Market Opens

The Hen House Market was begun in 1923 by Mollie and Sidney Ball. Not being able to hire help, they did everything. Mollie ran the cash register and kept the books. Sidney did all the rest, from unloading the truck to stocking the shelves.

Their little store offered a monthly credit system and home delivery.

1934

By 1934 the Balls were able to hire a couple of employees to help out. Then Sidney had a new idea – cash and carry – and opened a second store with this new concept and lower prices.

1941 – World War II Era

With so many working wives and mothers during World War II, Mollie Ball began to make take-home dinners to sell. Her meat loaf became famous throughout the neighborhood.

1948

The Ball's opened Kansas City's first large-scale “supermarket” and customers loved it. 

1956

By 1956, Mollie and Sidney's son Fred had graduated college and joined the business.

1965

By 1965, Fred saw that rapid industry changes were occurring and prepared the company for expansion.

1973

In 1973, Mollie and Sidney turned control of the Company over to their only son. Fred Ball became the second generation of family management.

1989

The Ball Foods Company purchased two Kansas City markets called Hen House which had a citywide reputation for fresh poultry and seafood.

1996

By the mid 1990s, Ball's Food Stores had grown to be the largest retail grocer in Kansas City.

2004

Time for the third generation of Balls.  David Ball now continues the family tradition of providing great food at a great price.

2023

Marking 100 years as Kansas City’s Local hometown Market 

Summary

Having moved to Kansas City just a few months ago, I was delighted to discover The Hen House Market. It has such friendly people and everything is arranged so nicely that it is a joy to shop there. 

Of the 27 stores under the Ball's Food Store corporate name, some are called The Hen House Market (9 locations across the Kansas City, Kansas area), and others go under the names Ball's Price Chopper, Payless Discount Foods and SunFresh Market.  Altogether, they employ 4,000 people they refer to as 'teammates'. 

Grandson David Ball states that as his grandfather Sidney said all those decades ago “Our grocery store is only as good as the people who work there.”

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*Hen House website

*Store Review of The Hen House Market by Wednesday Elf

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My Favorite Local Ace Hardware Store Reviewed

Do you have a local Ace Hardware Store -  where everyone knows your name? Cue the theme song to Cheers!

My local Ace Hardware is indeed the Hardware Cheers of our neighborhood and the neighborhood is very fortunate to have access to a store with the exemplary knowledge and customer service exhibited by their employees and the on site owner.

Ace Hardware Celebrates 95 Years Of Service

A few weeks ago fellow Review This Reviews Contributor Wednesday Elf wrote a review of Ace Hardware Stores and my comment was, "I love Ace Hardware! I was thinking of writing a review." While cleaning out the garage this summer and doing lawn work I realized how many of the tools were from Ace which sparked a conversation about Ace with the neighbor and turned into a review of the Ace tool inventory.

Wednesday Elf's article celebrated the history of Ace Hardware, her experience as an Ace employee and the 95th, yes 95th Birthday of Ace Hardware. She suggested I write a review and after surveying the inventory of Ace brand tools in the lawn and home toolbox, I agree!

Ace Brand Tools

There is no shortage of Ace brand tool in the garage! I have found the Ace brand to be equal or better than its' competitors in quality and price. From garden tools to water pumps to wheelbarrows, the garage is chock full of Ace!

Ace offers a rewards program which is free to join and members earn 1 point for every $10.00 spent on qualifying purchases.  I love that rewards can be earned in the bricks and mortar store or online. The rewards can be easily redeemed in store or online and are redeemable when earning reach $5.00.

The Service

Knowledgeable, friendly and extremely helpful! Whether fixing a gutter, reseeding the lawn or painting the employees answer all questions and guide you to the right product. The paint mixing is superior to the big box store down the street and the store to car delivery service is a huge convenience and help when needing extra muscle. 

Buying mulch, topsoil or heavy equipment has never been so easy as the store will deliver the purchase right to the car. Lawn equipment and snow equipment can be ordered online or through the store and delivered to your home. 

 Shop Local

The residents in this area make it a priority to shop the local Ace store and there is a big box competitor 1/2 mile down the road. It is always a pleasure when a store delivers as promised and this store makes it easy to support the local business. 

Ace stocks the major brand names of tools as well as a fun selection of unique items to bring a smile to the shopper. One year I found rubber clogs for the garden in a cheery selection of bold colors and this year I found this charming self watering bird for potted plants.

It is always a fun shopping experience at Ace whether it be for the practical lawn bags or a little birdie to liven up a potted plant!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Ace Hardware Store Review

Celebrating 95 years of service

History

In 1924, a small group of hardware store owners in Chicago banded together to buy merchandise in bulk for their individual stores. This allowed them to save money by purchasing at the lowest possible prices, enabling even the smallest stores to compete. This was the beginning of the Ace Hardware Corporation. To this day, each store is owned solely by local Ace retail entrepreneurs.

Background

Today there are over 5,000 Ace Hardware stores around the world. These men and women owners are each part of your local community. As small business owners, they live and work locally and are knowledgeable about their store products and also about the local businesses and their needs. That's why they say a visit to Ace is like a visit to your neighbor. Customers call the owner by his/her first name and the employees know the names of all their regular customers.    

Ace is the Place

Ace stores are all sizes and shapes. Since 2016, I have worked part-time at two widely different sized Ace stores, yet they are basically the same; serving the needs of their local communities. 

I worked for a very large Ace store (Islands Ace) located on the islands East of Savannah, Georgia. This Ace serves local residents and many businesses and contractors. Currently I work for a small Ace store (Jerry's Ace) in a small town located just north of the Quad Cities in Iowa. While this Iowa Ace does not carry the large lots of lumber, or decorative paving stones for patios or the large gardening center that the Georgia Ace does, it meets the needs of the local residents and businesses.  

As with all Ace stores, you will find a wide variety of paint, lawn and garden, tools, and just about anything you'll ever need to fix, repair and maintain your home and yard.  If your local store does not have an item in stock, they can order it for you from AceNet, the online website. You can also order online yourself and arrange to have the item picked up at your local Ace Hardware. All Ace stores order from central warehouses and usually have deliveries of new products arrive once a week. The staff at your local Ace calls the arrival "Truck Day". Unloading and restocking keeps us busy. 

They also offer local niche services. For instance, the Georgia Ace I was with before my move to Iowa had the space for a gift department and a clothing department. Located just 10 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and the beach, their clothing department carries a variety of beach-related clothing and their gift department has locally made merchandise from the Savannah area. This Iowa Ace offers fishing and hunting licenses for local residents. Our Iowa Ace also carries snow blowers and snow shovels and other seasonal items not needed in Georgia! 

As you can see, any Ace store will be based on the needs of each individual neighborhood. Ace Hardware stores are most certainly the place with the 'helpful hardware folks!  Ace is such a 'friendly' place and a 'helpful' place, especially compared to the large, impersonal big stores. 

95th Year Birthday Celebration

On October 19, 2019, Ace Hardware will celebrate 95 years of service. Your local Ace Hardware stores will be offering special sales and events to celebrate. Come visit on October 19th, or any day you need a tool or a can of paint or a part for anything around your house or yard. You won't be disappointed. 

Ace is the Helpful Place! 

Quick Link:

Ace Hardware Website


(c) Wednesday Elf review of Ace Hardware Stores. (10/12/2019)

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Ace Hardware Color of the Year Review

Ace Hardware is known for it's multiple paint products and their paint mixers which are able to give the customers the exact paint colors they desire. In mid-2018, in conjunction with Clark and Kensington Paint, Ace decided to run a consumer-led color contest to select a new batch of colors for 2019. 

Ace held a Neighborhood Paint Party in March, 2018 where consumers were encouraged to hand mix, create and name their own paint color for a chance to be entered into Ace's Color of the Year Contest.

The Winning Color of the Year

Twenty-five finalists were selected from the entries by a panel of Ace color experts and over 35,000 fans voted for their favorite color via social media channels. 

The winning Clark+Kensington color was created by a New Jersey woman who states she was daydreaming about enjoying a delicious dessert while on a relaxing vacation.

“The color is soothing and yet bright; sweet with just a bit of tartness.” 

She named her mellow yellow winning color “Pineapple Cream Granita”. As the winner, she also received a $1,000 Ace Gift Card. 

Runner-Up Winners

Six runners-up were also selected and these colors are now all available at your local Ace Hardware store.  The six other colors are:

• Jack Come Back! (a burgundy red) 
• Shake Your Flipper (a sea blue) 
• Leroy the Rooster (an orange shade) 
• Warm Llama (a gray tone) 
• Tina's Patina (an aqua blue shade)
• Miracles in D'skies (a deep blue with a turquoise tint). 

The six runner-up winners each received a $250 Ace Gift Card. 

Ace is the Place

For more than 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks. The paint contest has now made their paint department even more helpful. 

If you need paint, especially a unique color, for any of your household projects, visit the Paint Studio at an Ace Hardware near you and enjoy choosing the one that suits you best. All seven of these new customer-created colors are exclusive to Ace Hardware. 

Visit ACE online or 
your local neighborhood store and choose your favorite paint color

*Ace Hardware paint color contest article written by (c) Wednesday Elf on 7/20/2019

**Images scanned from a free paint chip flyer obtained at my local Ace Hardware ~ Jerry's Ace in Eldridge, Iowa. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Famous Wigleys Corned Beef Reviewed

When I see St. Patrick's Day on the calendar I immediately think of corned beef and the traditional Irish boiled dinner. Actually an authentic boiled dinner is the perfect comfort food year round in our household and if you are from an Irish depression era family - well, Grandma did tend to excel at boiling :) !

Wigleys Famous Eastern Market Corned Beef provides the perfect mix of seasonings and high quality corned beef that allows the flavor of the corned beef to shine while the seasonings enhance the corned beef versus overpowering the beef.

Who Is Wigley?

Wigleys dates back to the 1880’s in England and the Wigley family meat recipe.  Job Wigley arrived in Detroit in 1924 with the Wigley family meat recipe along with the vision of the American dream. The family tradition continues to this day with Job’s grandson Tom continuing the Wigley business.

What Is Eastern Market And Why Is It In The Name Of Wigleys Corned Beef?

Established in 1891 Eastern Market was originally a market for wood and hay. Additional sheds were added in 1921, 1926 and moved to its’ current location. The end of W.W. II brought the wholesale food industry to the market. Hence why Wigleys Corned Beef has Eastern Market in its’ name.

Photos courtesy of CC 4.0:  Sarahebrowning,

Bill Whittaker, Etx313

Eastern Market is renowned in Detroit and the metro Detroit area. Before farm to table became trendy, vendors at  Eastern Market have provided the freshest meats, seafoods, vegetables, spices, candies,  flowers in an open air market.  Enjoy the amazing murals, antiques, art and crafts throughout the market as a destination stop for locals and tourists.

Whether it be for corned beef or flowers, Eastern Market is a treasured Detroit tradition and institution which was recorded to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1978. Wigleys and its’ corned beef is an integral part of the tradition.

The Fool Proof Corned Beef - How To Cook Wigleys?

So easy and so fool proof! Wigley’s corned beef is packaged pre seasoned; the seasoning surrounds the corned beef like a marinade.  Simply remove the corned beef from the package and squeeze the seasoning from the package and into the pot. Cover the corned beef with cold water and simmer. Depending upon the size of the brisket the corned beef will be ready in 3-4 hours.

Perfect every time!

Where To Buy Wigleys

If a visit to Eastern Market is not possible Wigleys is available throughout the metro area at grocery stores and specialty markets.  

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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River Street Sweets – Savannah Candy Store Review

(c) Wednesday Elf

The Sweet Taste of Savannah!

On historic River Street in Savannah, Georgia you will find a candy store that has been renowned for their world famous pralines for 44 years.  Everyone who walks into River Street Sweets will be enticed to try a sample of the pralines or fudge or other candies on display. 

A simple taste of these delicious handmade candies will also find you purchasing a bit of this, a little of that…. and of course a few pralines. So many sweet treats to choose from.  One whole wall is filled with every flavor of saltwater taffy you can imagine.  I have yet to go into the store without leaving with at least a few tasty tidbits. 

Oh Fudge – How River Street Sweets Came About

Chocolate Fudge - River Street Sweets

Stan & Pam Strickland had a gift shop on River Street called The Cotton Bale where they sold knick-knacks and Christmas ornaments.  In 1978 they were at a gift market trade show in Atlanta with their daughter Jennifer and son Tim looking for new items for their store .  Tim, age 11, found a fudge pot and begged his parents to put it in the store.  

They finally agreed and a week later, on St. Patrick's Day, the first batch of chocolate mint fudge was made. It sold like crazy and soon it became obvious that candy was much more popular than the gifts they had been featuring.  Within six months, River Street Sweets became a full-fledged candy store.

Today, they are known worldwide for their gourmet southern sweets. On a visit to River Street Sweets you can watch candy makers dip pralines onto a giant marble slab Stan bought from a gravestone company. You can also see them stir glazed pecans in  huge copper kettles and see the 100-year-old saltwater taffy machine in action. They make their sweets in the stores and also ship them out around the world.

Come on a video tour of Savannah Street Sweets

The Savannah store is run today by grown-up Jennifer and Tim, while just down the street Stan "The Candy Man" operates Savannah's Candy Kitchen, the largest candy store in the south since 1990. 

If you cannot make it to Savannah, other River Street Sweets stores can be found in the Mall of Georgia in North Atlanta, in two places in Charleston, SC, and in Myrtle Beach, SC, as well as Key West and Lancaster Maryland. New locations will soon be coming to Texas, New Jersey and South Carolina.  You can also order them online from Amazon or through their catalog or website.  

Holiday and Gift Baskets

Office Party Basket - River Street Sweets

The wicker gift baskets are popular with tourists for taking home to friends & family.  They are irresistibly filled with delights such as pralines, bear claws, glazed pecans, hand-stretched peanut brittle, nougat log rolls and creamy chocolate fudge. Or grab a box of your favorite sweets (mine is fudge with walnuts). 

All candies sold by River Street Sweets are made using their own family recipes to make the finest and freshest handmade Southern candies around.  Not surprising, their best sellers are the glazed pecans, their bear claws and the oh-so-delicious pecan pralines.

How the Pralines are Made

A Sweet Treat you'll love. 

(c) Travel Review written by Wednesday Elf (12/22/2018)

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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IKEA Food Reviewed

And You Thought It Was A Furniture Store!

IKEA image courtesy of pixabay.com

We recently visited the new store that just opened in our area and were surprised that IKEA food was even an option. My husband and I were prepared to see interesting types of furniture in the huge store. Well, let me rephrase that. We had heard from others that we should be sure to try the meatballs while there.

To be honest, I had envisioned something like Costco or a weekend at any given grocery store where there are people offering samples of food to try. I wasn't sure why IKEA would offer samples other than a sort of hospitality type gesture. Perhaps I thought that it was a way to celebrate the Swedish culture and their style of meatballs. Was I in for a surprise? You bet ya!

It seemed like there were miles and miles of furniture. The place is huge! Let me tell you the place is a virtual maze of interesting vignettes of ideas for the home or office. I oooed and ahhhhed at every corner, but I digress. There are signs overhead to guide you to different areas and at one point I noticed that the sign showed that we were on a path that would lead us to the restaurant. I said to my husband, "These people have thought of everything! Since this place is so enormous, they know a person can get hungry from all of this walking. So, they feed you too!" I should probably mention that upon entering the store we saw an area for parents to drop their children off so that they could shop in peace. Anyway, we headed for the restaurant...

It appeared that others had entertained the same thought, the place was packed with people. We got in the cafeteria style line and quickly got waited on. I chose the meatball dinner and my husband chose the salmon dinner, both were very reasonably priced. Oh my word! The food was really good. My meatball dinner included five or six meatballs, mashed potatoes and a vegetable dish of carrots and cauliflower. The potatoes and meatballs had a gravy like sauce over them and there was this other stuff next to the meatballs that almost looked like cranberry sauce. Well, I was in heaven! 

I really liked the gravy like sauce that covered my mashed potatoes and some of the meatballs. I said to my husband that I would really like to get some of it to use at home. Turns out, I could get some right there in the store along with frozen meatballs and all sorts of other food items. Who knew, right?

IKEA Cream Sauce

For some reason I only purchased one packet that day. Silly me! I was delighted to see that there is an option to get the cream sauce online!

Oh, and that stuff that looked like cranberry sauce on my plate. First of all, it was extremely good and tasted great when I dipped a piece of meatball in it. It was not a Swedish version of cranberry sauce but instead it was Lingonberry jam. This stuff is awesome! Kind of sweet but also tart much like cranberry sauce. I enjoy it with meat but it is also good on a piece of toast in the morning.

So, here is the deal. If you find yourself close to an IKEA store, you need to go inside. Prepare to spend some time there because there is a lot to see. Treat yourself to some of their food! I'm telling you; you will not be disappointed! By the way, the salmon that my husband had was wonderful. You can buy it frozen in the store, too. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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