On February 1 and 2, you could not buy beer or wine at the Co-op. The shelves were bare. The staff took away all the alcoholic beverages.

The reason was a small bureaucratic glitch. Idaho requires that all sellers of beer and wine have their fingerprints on file. For the Co-op, that means that the members of the Co-op Board of Directors must all get fingerprinted.

As a buyer, one of my greatest challenges is finding good-tasting products for people who suffer from food allergies. I stress good-tasting. Since I’m lactose-intolerant, my continual quest is to find dairy substitutes that satisfy my craving for milk-based products and make my taste buds smile. I feel the same about foods marketed towards those who struggle with other types of allergies.

The results of an informal poll sponsored by Buy Local Moscow showed that an increasing number of shoppers on the Palouse are choosing to support locally owned businesses. To follow up the PrizeCard shopping game event held last fall, we asked local independent retailers to compare their holiday sales in December of 2009 with the sales in 2008.

March is looking pretty appetizing for anyone who enjoys a delicious deli morsel or two. Each day of the month will feature an inventive and inviting offering from our stellar selection of fantastic foods and beverages, which can only mean one thing — there will be some outstanding opportunities for you, dear customers, to capitalize on some sensational deals in the Deli. Here’s the scoop: