Hello, everyone!

In answer to the many queries of, “When’s the next Newsletter coming out?” …. it’s finally here! It’s been a whirlwind few months at Missing Link, and administrative functions have taken back seat to sausage-making. Thanks to all of you, we’ve had to struggle to keep up with demand!! We are so appreciative of all the support.

It seems that we finally have enough staff to fill the freezers every week, so I’m back in the office on occasion.  Here’s what else is going on in sausage land:

SOCIAL MEDIA

Those of you who’ve visited our website in the last while may have noticed that we haven’t made many changes recently (for the reasons outlined above). This is another issue on our to-do list, and we’ll be making updates very soon. Our aim is to get our Facebook page up and running over the summer as well. Our Twitter “followers” are slowly growing, and every week we give away free sausage to one new follower. We also periodically run some fun contests, so if you don’t already track what we’re doing, check us out. Twitter is easy to use, and is a great way to find out the latest information in just a few seconds. Just key in @mlinksausage to see what we’re up to, and get a chance to win.

THE “NEW” CALGARY FARMERS’ MARKET

In case you still haven’t made it out to the “new” CFM (on Blackfoot Trail, just north of Heritage), now’s the time! The parking situations have all been sorted out; the leaks in the roof are almost all sealed up; the heating/AC issues continue to improve; and the quality and selection of vendors gets better and better. We have been warmly welcomed by the Deerfoot Meadows and area folks, and our customer base grows by leaps and bounds every weekend. It’s a hopping place. There’s always something new going on, with special events, contests and surprises on a regular basis. Don’t miss out! We’re open Thursday-Sunday 9-5 all year long.

THE NAACO TRUCK ON THE STAMPEDE GROUNDS

Calgary has some terrific food trucks, and the newest addition is no exception. The Naaco Truck recently celebrated its grand opening at the Kingsland Market, offering yummy neo-retro Indian cuisine. Even more exciting, they’ll be set up on the Grounds during this year’s Stampede. And guess who’s providing them with two flavours of sausage?

While you’re Stampeding, try some Naaco Bites – their take on a traditional corndog. This tasty concoction features our butter chicken sausage with a corn and chickpea batter, served with a salad of carrot and red cabbage, a date and tamarind dressing and whole grain mustard chutney. Or how about some Bolly Chips (their take on NAAchos) .. shredded mogo, carrot and cabbage salad with a lime and cilantro dressing, our chicken chorizo and smoked cheddar cheese. Spread the Naaco love!!

CANMORE AND COCHRANE DELIVERIES

We hear you loud and clear. You want us to come back out with another delivery! We haven’t forgotten you, and we’ll be starting to collect orders within the next two weeks, once the Stampede push is over.  Our aim is to deliver all your orders before the end of July. Thanks for being patient!

SUMMER ORDERS

Thanks to the many of you who’ve already placed bulk orders to take to the cottage for the summer; pack in your suitcase for the annual family visit back east; or cook up for the neighbourhood block party. Don’t be disappointed by the inevitable sell-outs at the booth each weekend. If you’re in need of a large quantity, drop us a line or call us to place your order ahead of time, and we’ll have it ready for you when it’s convenient. And just a reminder .. our City permit allows us to sell from our home (near Peters’ Drive-In) if you don’t want to make the trek to the Market on the weekends.

CHICKEN BURGERS

In response to overwhelming demand, a few weeks ago we began making chicken burgers. Holy cow, are they a hit! We’ve been selling out each weekend, so drop by early to get yours. Our burgers are a perfect 6 ounces each, are wrapped in twos, and sell for $7 a package. So far we’ve made about a dozen different flavours, but we’re willing to turn any of our flavours into burgers .. just ask! They’re great on the bar-b-q, take up little room in the camping cooler, and are so convenient after a busy day in the yard because they’re cooked from frozen.

STAMPEDE FEATURE FLAVOUR

The Calgary Stampede is commemorating its 100th anniversary this year, so we decided to celebrate with a feature flavour. Now don’t get teste .. you know we don’t do anything ordinary, and that we can be a little nutty, right? A lot of people said we didn’t have the balls, but we decided to tackle the challenge.

So … we’ve teamed up with Silver Sage Beef at the Market, who provided the key component of this special treat. I mean, really, what says Calgary Stampede more than prairie oysters?? You might think that we don’t know our lefticle from our righticle, but we wanted to pay homage to the brovaries, and create something really unique. Unveiling tomorrow, and available only during the next 11 days … goodness gracious, it’s Great Balls Afire!!

What’s in it? Thought you’d never ask! This tasty (it really is!!) concoction features chicken, prairie oysters, whiskey and jalapenos. Are you cowboy enough to give it a taste? We’ll bet the family jewels that you will. Why not cook some up for your Stampede breakfast? Huevos, anyone?

Only Missing Link has the cojones to make sausage out of … well, cojones.

And on that note, we’ll sign off. Yahoo!! Have a terrific summer.

Mick & Deneise Sherlock