We’ve been married for over 30 years now, and Valentine’s Day is still important. Actually, what’s important is taking time to nourish your relationship with your spouse or significant other. We had a standing dinner date for years when Laura had her Wednesday night ball et class – there was just enough time in between delivery and pick up.
But for Valentine’s day – let’s be a little more romantic. Start with the setting – candles, soft music, and a dinner ending in chocolate. It doesn’t have to be complicated to be special! Keep it simple and spend time with your sweetheart – but not in the kitchen.
Five Ways to Make Valentines Day Dinner Special and Romantic
1. Light some Candles! Ambiance is everything. A little soft flickering glow goes a long way – put there everywhere!
2. Play “your song”! Remember the song you playing when you fell in love? Find it and play it softly. What ever genre you prefer, make a playlist to last the whole evening. We have a favorite that includes everything from the Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet to the Beach Boys.
4. Have a role for the children. If they are young enough, you can put them to bed, but if they are old enough, make them part of the special evening. Find a dish that they can make, like a simple dish. Have them act as waiter(s) on your table. Then let them watch a special video while you dine in peace!
5. Give them your love! You don’t really need to go beyond a special evening to please your honey, but if you want to, give a special gift. How about a certificate to have you complete one of their least favorite chores, or to go for a special afternoon out for the two of you! I promise to take the dogs for a walk on the beach with Rick.
Happy Valentines Day! Tell me how you are going to celebrate!
Wow! Twice a year, I am in foodie heaven when I get to attend the Fancy Food Show. In winter, it’s a double treat as I get to go home and see my Mom and other friends.
So you know about food trends – you all prowl the grocery store in search of new things to tempt the fickle palettes of your family. Many of the trends you know – they receive a lot of press; sustainability, eating locally, simple ingredients, and in case you hadn’t noticed eating at home more! (By the way, pigs in a blanket was voted the Super Bowl favorite!)
Now several of these, I heartily endorse. Now that we are back in the New Year, you know I am on my January diet! So I am back to eating HEALTHY (yes, I’m shouting). That means lots more fruit and vegetables. And while the farmer’s markets are not in operation at the moment, when the first one opens in the spring, I’ll be there.
That leave me with simple recipes and eating at home more – They must have known about us. We’ve had lots of food and food discussions over the holidays, and I truly believe that most of the best chefs think that recipes with less than 5 ingredients are best, because they really highlight the flavor of the food.
As for simple, well TSG certainly fits that bill. Shake on a little seasoning and you have a mid week treat! In a hurry, how about beer bread 21 different ways.
And eating at home more? The best part about having your children grow up is they come home more. And now they cook for us (granted I still get the dishes). Over the holidays we were treated to tacos, special Asian pork dumplings, marinated steak, fried rice, beef fondue, and General Tsao’s chicken. I really like the cookbook I gave them.
So the highlight of the show? Aside from the fabulous assortment of salsas and sauces, the hot trends included the continual introduction of global foods – Asian, Indian and lots of US regional. Superfoods are the other strong idea – blueberry, pomegranate, cranberry and acai. I need your help in shaping the way we grow the TSG line. Please vote for your favorite type so I know how to go.
Needless to say, I would love to introduce.And one of my personal favorites Honey Ridge Cream Honeys flavored with spice, raspberries and other fruit. The intriguing concept that you have to taste to appreciate is black garlic. IT is sort of sweet like good balsamic vinegar, but it is black . Another one that would be fun to have is chocolate cream in a container like whipped cream or cheese wiz – I’m not sure what I’d do with it other than put it in my coffee – but it is fun!
Super Bowl Sunday is almost a national holiday! I’m pretty sure where most of you will be on Sunday, Feb. 7 – and it isn’t at the mall (although if it’s not your team a chick flick might be a good idea! The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock is a great film.)
For those of you who will participate in this national past time, make a resolution to make this year one you can enjoy with your guests! While there is lots of mindless eating going on, you can still stand out as a great hostess.
The number one food to make the guys happy is Pigs in a Blanket – whether you buy them ready made or make them yourself (just wrap refrigerated crescent roll dough around your favorite little sausage – we like smokey links) and dip in Racy Wasabi Raspberry Mustard.
What’s your favorite recipe?
If you want to go beyond just mixing up your favorite TSG seasoning with some sour cream and mayo for a quick dip, here are 5 great ideas to kick off your successful Sunday afternoon!
1. Pigs in a Blanket with Racy Wasabi Rasperry Mustard
Ok, the holidays are really, finally, at last over. I mean completely cleaned up and leftovers gone to that happy kitchen in the sky. But now you’re out of energy. And it’s dark and cold. And you are tired.
If you ask me, it’s time for a little attitude adjustment.
Remember our attitude is largely our choice! Maybe you like the cold and want to hunker down and have warm comfort food. Maybe you want to pretend that you’re on vacation in a tropical place (staycations get old after a while). Maybe you need to see the face of someone other than your loving family.
Attitude Adjustment Meal – 5 Easy Steps
1. Decide on your Objective. – What will really make you feel better? For me, it’s actually the cooking and eating. For others it’s the friends. Maybe it’s family game night around the fire. Picture the perfect setting and get it going.
2. Set the Mood/Make the Invites: – So this means you have to plan ahead and commit (boy do I sound like a broken record). Once it’s in the works, it’s harder to back out – even for a date with your husband or children. Is the mood suitable for paper plates or candlelight?
3. Pick one element that takes effort – make the rest easy. If it’s game night, take the time to find a new game that everyone will like or find a family favorite activity. Or make a new dish– a fun dessert to eat while you play.
4. Shop only once. Or better yet, don’t shop at all. I bet there’s enough in your kitchen to make a good meal. If you didn’t get that little last thing, forget it! It’s not part of the objective and you’ll be the only one to miss it.
5. Be There! – I don’t mean just physically. You set this up for a reason and it wasn’t to do dishes. Have fun, be part of the celebration and relax.Easy cheese Fondue with great dipping tastes!
Fondue - Recipe for our ideal Evening
I actually love winter, firesides, being cozy. There’s nothing better at the end of a long winter day than that warm, comfort food. For us it’s fondue and fire, followed by a game of some kind. And it’s easy –all you need is a little melted cheese and bread? We like to jazz it up with some fresh fruit and sausages to dip too. The great thing about fondue is you don’t cook in the kitchen and it’ communal eating, where the act is part of the entertainment.
If cheese isn’t your thing you can heat up some broth and do meats as well. Check out these easy fondue recipes. Sure fondue was big in the 70’s – and we have a fondue pot from then, but it’s back and better. It can be a pot over flame or electric – or even in a microwave for cheese or dessert!
If you are having a group, have them bring potluck for dinner and you provide a dazzling chocolate fondue with fruit, marshmallows, angel food cake and just about anything else you can think of for dipping! (I‘ve even had potato chips which are pretty good!)
Then let the games begin: Trivia, card games and board games are big in our house. The sillier they make you feel the better.
Then there is that other part – exercise- Uggghh! I know, I imagine all of those young, fit women wearing spandex clothes, working out and smiling at the gym with their makeup perfect. And I am not one of those!
Them! Me
Even I Exercise Regularly
Now in all fairness, that used to be my response, but over the past 10 years, I have gotten to the place where I exercise at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week and I really do feel better. There are two crystallizing factors – I don’t want to be like many grandmothers and aunts whose falls in older age can be the precursor to their demise. We’ve learned enough to know that exercise keeps bones strong.
Then, our health plan started giving a discount for healthy learning. The measure was 10,000 steps a day. Do you know how much that really is? That’s about 5 miles a day. While I know running up and down the stairs with laundry feels like that, it really isn’t.
Start Walking
It turns out that for me to take 10,000 steps a day on a relatively regular basis, I have to do 5,000 steps on the elliptical in 35 minutes in the morning.
Also, I learned I can cope with stress and everything else better thanks to exercise – plus I’m helping the old heart muscle. My attitude now is “have sneakers, will exercise” (but I still hate running). I travel a lot, but exercise clothes are always in my carry on – believe me, it makes me a nicer, happier person to work with.
Find what you like to do and what works best for you. Walking starts with a single step, and it’s a great way to keep up with friends. I have some who make it a habit to go walking with their friends after the bus stop or around the parking lot at lunch. If you actively try to move, you will find a way. But there are other options – classes, swimming, kayaking, nature walks with your children– why not make it a family event?
Exercise at any age!
And you know the energy part? Doctors are right! You get more when you exercise. And it’s never too late – my mom is 88 years old and started going to the gym last week so she could move better and be more stable. She’s noticing a difference! You’ll be interested to know that studies have shown that with exercise, older people (even starting at age 85) can improve their muscle tone significantly in only six weeks. Of course, everyone should check with their physician before starting a rigorous exercise program.
I know I’m personally dieted, exercised and stretched to the point of exhaustion on a bad day. But in my heart of hearts, I know the answer is very simple. Move it or lose it!
I can’t count the nights that I don’t begin to think about dinner until I open the refrigerator door and everyone starts asking me “What’s for dinner?” Of course with TSG, we like to think you can add a little excitement to any meal you make by going to the Recipe Box and looking up your favorite TSG products…..
But if you aren’t that fortunate, we have found some help. At My Fridge Food, you can actually click on your favorite ingredients and it will pull up recipes for you to choose from. I put in cheese, salt and pepper, eggs, milk, pasta and chicken and it pulled up nearly 100 recipes ranked by the percentage of required ingredients I had on hand. It also gives the number of ingredients, time and number of calories in the dish. Truth be told, I probably had the missing ingredients in most cases…..but it’s fun to see what creative things you can make with so little!
Tell me, what’s in your ‘fridge and what do you do with it?
At the end of the holidays, I don’t know about you, but my fridge needs a good cleaning – so I can see the shelves again. If you feel the same after weeks of treats and leftovers, you might enjoy this. On the lighter side, here is a photo essay on what your fridge says about you! For a good laugh and some self awareness!
We’ve made it through Christmas and New Year’s is upon us. We celebrate and vow to do things better in the New Year. We get to start with a clean slate!
New Year’s Celebrations Around the World
When we were living in different countries, one thing I learned is that New Year’s isn’t always on January 1. In one year as we moved from Europe to Asia, we were able to experience at least 7 different New Year celebrations – we started with ours in January, with our favorite bubbly and good cheer. Then there was Chinese New Year in the beginning of February with its fireworks, gifts and dragon dances. Nyepi in primarily Hindu Bali where noisy celebrations scare away the evil spirits followed by a day of silence. Songkran in Thailand where we were soundly doused with water to wash away the past. Hari Raya in Malaysia, although not technically the Islamic New Year is a great time of celebration at the end of Ramadan. Rosh Hashana with good friends in many countries. Deepavali (Diwali)Festival of Lights. Each had it’s own sights, sounds, traditions and foods. Yum! We had a lot of fresh starts that year!
Dragon Dancers for Chinese New Year
In fact, that is one of the great lessons learned from our travels – whatever our celebrations, we are much the same. Whether it involves new clothes, cleaning house – sweeping away the old – new year’s is much the same. Everyone gets a chance for a clean slate and to start anew.
Granted my history with resolutions isn’t very good. I make them (usually to lose weight, see Diet and Exercise (next week)) and then need to start over again a few months later. Instead of feeling guilty about making and breaking New Year’s resolutions, I prefer to think that I start every day with a resolution
At least I know this is a universal trait of all people – we are just human. You don’t need six new years celebrations to get it right. Resolve to make each day a little better than the last.. Make everyday New Year’s Day – embrace the future and start to make it a little better.
Be prepared for unexpected holiday guests, have some extra snacks!
Well, it’s official, we are again in the holiday season. Lights are up and expectations are high to be jolly, happy or oozing with extra good cheer – it’s enough to make you crazy. As a Mom, you feel like the happiness of everyone around you is dependent on what you do! But give yourself a break – if you are not happy, neither will anyone else be.
There are now three days before we leave to visit my mother for the holidays. I’m a little stressed. So I will do what I always do – make lists. If I can take a big task and break it down into little ones, I feel much more successful and things will get done. I will make Christmas lists, and hit the internet. I will make shopping lists and store them on my phone. I will make packing lists, so that I can keep things in one suitcase – and I will put them all on the calendar so that as I get closer to THE DAY, the list will shrink instead of grow and I will feel better not worse.
But more importantly, I need to realize it is not my job to make everyone happy. True, it’s easier now that the children are grown and I can realize that much of the struggle we had during those teenage years was as much my problem as theirs. They were trying to show me they were responsible for themselves, and I had to learn to let them be responsible.
This year my family is beginning to scatter around the U.S. as we become part of other people’s families and celebrations. They each have a desire and responsibility to contribute to everyone’s happiness – and they want to. The joy of making others happy is now the gift they have to share - that and a few recipes from home. Let me know how you and your family share the holidays.
Still there is that central role you have to play – so make it easy for yourself, at least on the food front.
5 Steps to Making Holiday Cooking Easier
1. Put out a plate of fresh, ready to eat fruit for the day. Let them help themselves. In many European countries it’s a tradition that they put out a plate of food for the 12 Days of Christmas – one for each day. It includes dried fruit (like apricots), cheese, nuts, fresh fruit (like clementines and grapes) and some wrapped candy.
2. Prepared food is good food. – Make a pot of soup – only twice what you would normally prepare – freeze half for the day so that you’re ready for guests coming at odd hours or those running late. If you don’t have the extra time now, a roast chicken from the grocery store is a great, warm dinner.
3. Keep It Simple – As much as I love to cook, I am always humbled by the fact that the family seems to love easy comfort food as much if not more than things I slave over. We had a week full of delicious dishes – but my son, Scott was happiest with the easy mac he made for himself. It was inexpensive and easy, and reminded him of being a kid again.
4. Let People Help!! - I’m always guilty of this one. I invite people over, they say “what can I bring?” and I say “Just Yourself!” What was I thinking? I am learning to say, “Thank you, yes” and everyone feels better.
5. Keep some “extras” on hand! – The one thing I have trained the family to do, is put something on the grocery list when they use up the last one. Particularly around the holidays, there should be some no thought food around. For a late night meal, I take a can of tomato soup, add a can of minced clams and a little milk and I have a wholesome meal. When people drop by, I have some mini-bagels, frozen pigs in a blanket, TSG Cheeseballs or a jar of Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jelly over cream cheese – and everyone is happy!
If you are relaxed and happy, so will be those around you. Give up control and enjoy the holidays.
Ok, so today I will be unabashedly commercial. After all, without Two Sisters Gourmet I wouldn’t get to blog. Today is the culmination of a year long journey of integrating Two Sisters Gourmet into the PartyLite family. With the new Winter/ Spring 2010 Catalog available today, we are finally national!! The one thing I know for sure, is that once you have tasted it, you’ll be hooked!
We’ve had lots of help over the past year, beginning with our PartyLite Consultants– thank you Gina Fletcher and Tammy Martin for being our pilot Regions. And in the PartyLite Home Office – thank you Karen Conkey, Liz DiPaolo, Joyce Elven, Mary Brunelle, Christa Silvieus, Debbie Holmes, Dana Harrell, Marye Cozzens, Rachel Kane, Cindi Ford, Kim Beson and the rest of the U.S. team for taking me under their wing and adding Two Sisters Gourmet into their product line.
Now it’s up to you to find you favorites and send me feedback for the future shape of this collection. Become a PartyLite Facebook fan and see if you can win TSG product!
You’ll notice in the new catalog that there are four tasty new offerings: Swirled Cheddar Merlot Cheese Mix, Sun-Roasted Red Pepper Seasoning, Bursting Blackberry Cabernet Preserve and Ripe Pear Chardonnay Preserve. These were designed to bring the feel and freshness of wine country to your table.
When you have TSG in your pantry, remember to check out the recipe box for mouth-watering ideas on how to use each item at least three different ways! TSG brings extra excitment to your everyday cooking and helps you prepare dishes that are quick, easy and delicious.
I had a great time tasting and refining products with you. My tasting cart is becoming a welcome sight here at the office. We’re currently finalizing the new items for the next catalog – plus, I can’t wait to get new ideas at the Fancy Food Show in January!
Please share your favorite TSG items and how you use them. I know a lot of you are just as excited as me, spread your enthusiasm and write a guest post for the blog.
Thank you for welcoming Two Sisters Gourmet into PartyLite and now onto tables nationwide!
In the afterglow of Thanksgiving dinner, we began to be ready to think about Christmas (a little late if you ask most retailers). We saw a special on how they decorate Disneyworld for Christmas – and had the bug. While it had all the usual stories about trees and lights( over 1000 65 foot trees) for us, the story that resonated most was about food of a sorts – gingerbread houses!
Everyone Can Decorate a Gingerbread House
At Disney, they even make a complete store out of gingerbread, a huge display at a monorail station. We have seen the White House constructed in gingerbread too. It can be a real art – or a great party.
Since the children were little, we have made gingerbread houses every year – some elaborate, some in a hurry, some very original. It started in England where my very talented friend Jeanne, brought the three familes with six kids together for a wonderful two day exercise. Jeanne lovingly handcrafted the gingerbread pieces, taught us how to make royal icing that worked better than superglue, and laid out a spread of candy and other items to decorate with that would leave the children full of sugar for days. Camille lovingly donated her house for what is a sticky adventure on its best days, and we all settled in to learn how to turn shredded wheat into roof tops and clear mints into reflecting pools.
As the children grew older, and we moved away from our friends, the tradition remained. We went through a phase of great creativity where Scott made gingerbread submarines and air craft carriers, and our imaginative Laura decorated everything just so with a pretty story.
In college, when trips were shorter, we migrated on to pre-made kits, with extra candy for décor. Grandma learned how – even though the dog stole it off the kitchen table. Guests away from home had to take part too. The good news is, if you live in a dry climate, you can even store these masterpieces in a bag in the attic for a couple of years.
How to Make a Gingerbread House or Christmas Ornament.
Gingerbread for houses is not your run of the mill gingerbread – it has to be stiff for good walls! There are some great recipes and patterns available, or to cut down on prep time, most grocery stores will have a kit with pre made pieces. You can make ornaments too! Just use your favorite cookie cutter and make sure you pike a hole at the top so it will hang. If you are really pressed for time – you can use graham crackers for structural pieces.
When you are ready to assemble – be prepared for icing glue.
Putting on the roof with a home made pastry bag
It goes everywhere!! And it sticks like glue, so cover your tables or counters. We have always found it works best with extra sugar and cream of tartar for extra sticking powder. And powdered egg whites work too – you really aren’t going to eat too much of it! Make twice as much as you think you will need – extra always helps, and if you want a snow covered scene, you will go through a lot. When you put the roof on, leave it for a few minutes to set so it doesn’t go sliding down to the ground.
If you’ve never used a pastry bag for icing – this is not the time to panic. Think of it as an easy way to squeeze in tight places. Grab yourself a plastic sandwich bag and fill with the icing. Cut a tiny diagonal corner off the bottom and squeeze out through the hole. If you’ve ever had whipped cream, icing or cheese in a can, you know what to do! The best part is, it’s disposable – no washing up.
The next most important thing are your decorating options. Kits come with some candy for decoration and a picture for suggestion, but let your imagination run wild. We have found the most useful things are small frosted wheat cereal biscuits, red licorice whips for paths and roofs, striped candy canes and peppermint, gumballs and red hots – but go wild!
When you are satisified with the results, or your children run out of concentration put them on display for the family, friends and neighbors. Some towns have a contest between Scout troops or children and display the results in the store windows. But take a picture first, while they can last for a couple of years cared for, accidents happen – including the one the dog took from the kitchen table, or the building that fell down when it was cleaned and you want a record forever!
relationship with your spouse or significant other. We had a standing dinner date for years when Laura had her Wednesday night ball et class – there was just enough time in between delivery and pick up.
Easy cheese Fondue with great dipping tastes!
I can’t count the nights that I don’t begin to think about dinner until I open the refrigerator door and everyone starts asking me “What’s for dinner?” Of course with TSG, we like to think you can add a little excitement to any meal you make by going to the 
We’ve made it through Christmas and New Year’s is upon us. We celebrate and vow to do things better in the New Year. We get to start with a clean slate!
