1.  A long cool drink is in order.  You can make a killer raspberry iced tea, or something more exotic that pink with fruit in it – I always like a Planter’s Punch

2.   Set the table for fun – Decorate with colorful placemats and flowers or fruit, like a whole pineapple and some lemons and limes

3.  Cook and Eat outside – Nobody wants to heat up the kitchen. Make a great fresh green salad topped with TSG Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette.  Skewer some Caribbean Chicken Kebobs made with Island Ponzu Sauce.  Have piles of light fresh fruit for dessert

4.  Set the mood with steel drum music and candles (maybe Banana Leaf) flickering.

Enjoy your tropical getaway!

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At the beginning of the season, it’s not too hard to figure out what to do with the tomatoes as they come off – sliced on salads, sandwiches and hamburgers really are the best. But after a few weeks, you have more than you can eat for lunch! And you don’t want to refrigerate fresh tomatoes, it destroys the taste.  If you must refrigerate them to make them last, bring them out about 24 hours before use to let their natural flavor enzymes rev up.

Easy Weekend Tomato Recipes

So here are my weekend recipes: bruschetta (with tomatoes roasted or not), fresh salsa  – straight or for salads, and of course in our house – grilled!! 

Easy Salsa

Salsa and bruschetta are really first cousins. For simple fresh salsa, just dice the tomatoes, add diced onion and cilantro for the basics. Peppers, garlic, oregano  and fresh corn are up to you –even pineapple and mango are great additions! Beyond chips, salsa is a great topper for fish and hamburgers too!

Easy Bruschetta

Bruschetta you could really call salsa with olive oil! And maybe some extra flavors.  The bruschetta usually goes on toast as an appetizer. Here’s a simple recipe to use.  If you also happen to grow fresh basil, add that in for extra zing!

If you really want to go wild, have some great fresh cold tomato Gazpacho soup for a refresher!

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Easy Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

At the end of the season, I look forward to getting a crate of them to slow roast down to spaghetti sauce.  Just  pile in the quartered tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and oregano and let it go in the oven all day on low heat (about 250 degrees)- when the water has been largely been cooked out and most things dissolve when stirred – then batch the mixture  in the food processor or put through a food  mill. Then freeze in the size that best suits your cooking. If you tire of spaghetti sauce, you can always add a little milk for creamy tomato basil soup. YUM!

Nothing like fresh tomato taste all year round!

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All around this weekend the barbeques were lighted and the scent of dogs and burgers filled the air – along with major squeals from happy family get-togethers.   We happened to be down the street from my brother and sister-in-law who had a healthy 26 for the weekend.  We expanded with the kids home to a happy foursome – six if you count the dogs.  And they should be counted for slider night.

As you well know, I love the kids coming home for all the usual reason, but also because they cook for us.  With several new food magazines for inspiration – they couldn’t decide how best to celebrate the holiday.  There were too many recipes for burgers to choose from, so they decided on a variety of sliders – you know –mini hamburgers so you can eat more than one without guilt!

Amazingly, a year ago, my daughter didn’t even eat hamburger (we’re talking age 20), but now she is in pursuit of the ultimate burger!  Who says they don’t grow up?  We all sat around discussing our favorite flavors and decided on four different varieties of burgers to try.

Burger Basics

Burgers are easy to customize with a little imagination.  Just take high quality ground meat, add seasonings cut finely to mix well, some sauce or egg for binder (so it doesn’t crumble on the grill) and voila!

The men decided bacon was a must to add, that combined with barbeque sauce was one for the grill.  Another version went Florentine with spinach, garlic and cheese.  There was also a Mexican version with chili powder, Jack cheese and a little salsa. Or you can try the Mango Peach Salsa Sassy Burgers. Finally, there was the mushroom and cheese burgers with chipotle mayo – as you can tell we are largely a cheeseburger kind of family. We each had four tiny samples, but all were delicious!

Burger Tips

When making burgers use the finest quality meat, add finely diced herbs or other ingredients, add a binder such as egg, sauce or breadcrumbs to keep it whole on the grill. Taste test!  Make a tiny burger of your favorite combination and grill first for flavor check – start light!  You can always add more, but it’s harder to take out or add more meat to compensate.

Burgers Don’t Have to Be Beef

For all those years my daughter didn’t eat ground beef, that didn’t mean she didn’t eat grilled patties in a bun.  Turkey burgers were a weekly staple in our house with mustard, onion and parsley  for flavor.  We also had our fair share of salmon burgers with mayo and dill.  If you still crave meat, but want something with a little less f at, you can always use bison with a heartier flavor which is increasingly available in grocery stores.

If you can grind it, mix it and grill it  – you have a burger for a holiday feast!

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5 Steps to a Great Picnic

 Picnics should be easy and fun. In ours we always try to feature the bounty of summer as it ripens – so our menu changes some depending on the month and the temperature – but the good news is that fresh food is usually healthier too! First there are some rules:

1. Almost all food should be finger food. You never know how you will be surprised by your locale and you memory!

2. Have some favorites but try something new!

3. Don’t pack more than you can carry!

4. If you have a group, let everyone contribute – keep life easy!

5. Make anything you can disposable so there’s no clean up at the end.

Seafood Supper by the Sea

Tonight’s dinner is in a park by the ocean in North Carolina so we’ll be having dinner to celebrate the time and location. It will be about 3 hours so we’ll do three courses.

What’s fresh right now at the end of May? Those go on the list first and then I build around them. – Strawberries (we pick our own), Peaches the early crop from Georgia, asparagus and fresh local seafood.

1. I start with the main course, it sets the tone of the meal. In this case seafood. My favorite in the summer is ceviche – a seafood dish that actually cooks itself in lime juice so it’s cool and refreshing and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Regardless of your recipe, I can pretty much use whatever is local and add the fresh herbs from your garden. If you want to try variations you can explore a world of ceviche varieties.  Here in the Carolina’s there will also be shrimp on the menu, in the ceviche, but probably also with appetizers to just dip in cocktail sauce and enjoy the sweetness. Since I like the ceviche more than Rick, there will probably be some salmon too topped with yogurt blended with Over the Edge Herbed Spinach. Then I’ll either roast some red potatoes or make a couscous salad for the side.

2. Appetizers – grazing gone wild! Lot’s of crisp cut vegetables to dip or munch straight. Make a dip from your favorite seasoning using your favorite base, sour cream, yogurt, may or a combination. A little steamed asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. And a big bowl of the fresh strawberries with Snickerdoodle Sweet Cheeseball Mix blended in whipped topping as a dip.

3. Dessert – Here’s where my peaches (and a lot of other fresh fruit) go. Believe it or not, Rick will tackle these this afternoon. He will grill the peach halves and pineapple spears brushed with a little brown sugar melted with balsamic vinegar . Or you can eat them fresh with a little balsamic vinegar topping(the really good stuff) and some biscotti for texture. If my daughter were here, we’d flip it around and have chocolate dipped strawberries instead – but that will be next weekend.

Wear comfortable clothes, take a good book and a citronella candle and enjoy!

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Mexican food is now the most popular food in America (after pizza!)  Having a Margarita is the perfect way to cool off on a warm evening, or to bring the spirit of fiesta to your home. Bright colors and candles can top off the fiesta feel with little money and effort.  Add some salsa music to your playlist and you’re all set.

It’s as easy as one, two, three!  With the right fixins, a pitcher and a blender start the party by makeing a chilling frozen margarita . A classic margarita features tequila, Triple Sec and Lime Juice.

 Then grab some chips and salsa, TSG Black Bean and Corn Salsa or Mango Peach Salsa are great.  Add traditional guacamole (if you can’t get fresh avocados, then buy the frozen and jazz it up with some onions, garlic and tomatoes).

If you want a fun dinner inside that takes no time to prepare – have a taco buffet – the only part you really have to cook is the ground meat. Cook with any commercial packet of taco seasoning,  lay out lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa and shredded cheese. And you’re done.

Easy Recipes for a Great Margarita Party

Here are some easy recipes if you want a little more pizzazz!

1. Chorizo Quesadilla
2. Mango Peach Soft Tacos
3. Layered Black Bean and Corn Dip
4. Chicken and Mango Peach Quesadillas

Invite you friends and let us know how it went.

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quick, easy apple cake recipes

Summer is coming up!  The kids will be home and there will be lots of outdoor entertaining and picnic opportunities!  Want some help in feeding the crowds? How about simple ways to use Apple Cake Mix to make a variety of new taste treats?  There are a lot of great recipes in the TSG Recipe Box to tantalize your taste buds, but here are five new, easy ways to use apple cake!  Thanks to Rita Held our great recipe creator!

Send us your recipe ideas and earn a chance to win 3 boxes of apple cake.  We will choose ten recipes at random in a drawing

Five Great New, Easy Recipes for Apple Cake!

1.  Apple Cocoa Nut Cake

2.  Cranberry Coffee Crumble Cake

3.  Cranberry Orange Loaf

4.  Crispy Walnut Chocolate Cookies

5.   Pecan Cake with Coconut Frosting

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  Tired of Winter, Want to have a fun party that brings to mind a warm summer day in the vineyard?  Why not have a Sonoma Style dinner party with friends.  Here are 10 easy tips for success from our recipe specialist Rita Held.

Ten Tips for a Sonoma-Style Dinner Party

1.  Getting It Together

Several weeks ahead, invite the guests; select and print out the recipes (visit the TSG Recipe Box); and order specialty food products. Wine can be ordered online too (if your state allows it). Create to-do lists, and the day of the party follow a timetable so the casserole gets into the oven and the wines get chilled on schedule.

2.  What Can I Bring?

Guests today want to bring something—a great help in these busy and uncertain times. For a more cohesive menu, assign each guest a recipe to prepare and deliver in a serving dish. Simply send them the recipe link  or specify a type of dish.  Ask some guests to bring wine—specify the varietal, wine region, and maximum price. 

3.  Sonoma-Style Dinner

While good wines come from around the world, focusing on one wine region is fun. Sonoma, one of the world’s great wine regions, is a good place to start. The wines are exceptional and prices are often lower than comparable wines from Napa. White varietals include chardonnay, gewürztraminer, sauvignon blanc, and pinot gris; reds include cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, merlot, syrah, and zinfandel. Sonoma also produces excellent sparkling wines.

4.  What Wines to Serve?

Believe it or not, choosing wine is the easiest part of menu planning. Simply serve what you like—and forget outdated wine rules. If you adore chardonnay, drink it with everything. To serve a variety of wines, select light whites or reds for light dishes, and choose full-bodied whites and reds for hearty dishes. Here are some suggested pairings with Two Sisters Gourmet recipes:

• A crisp sauvignon blanc with Asian Steamed Mussels or Lemon Garlic Shrimp
• A semi-sweet gewürztraminer with Spicy & Sweet Chicken Wings. 
• Pinot noir or chardonnay with Over-the-edge Smoked Salmon Appetizer or Chicken Kiev.
• Sparkling wine or pinot noir with Classic Quiche with Gruyere .
• Cabernet sauvignon or merlot with Deliciously Devine Duo , Pot Roast Perfection, or Baby Back Ribs.
• Zinfandel with Italian Pizza or Pepperoni Pizza Loaf.
• A sec or demi-sec sparkling wine with Simply Pear Chardonnay Pudding. 

5.  How Much Wine to Buy

Plan on at least 2 glasses of wine per person for a daytime affair. For a long party, allow up to a bottle per guest. 

6.  Sonoma Wine and Food Pairing

Choose at least half dozen wine varietals to serve. The goal is to find the best wine for each dish on the menu. Taste one dish with all of the wines, and then repeat until each wine has been compared to each dish. Start with the mildest dish and the lightest wine. Here’s what to do: 1) Swirl the wine in the glass and immediately take a sip—think about how the wine tastes and feels.  2) Take a bite of food. 3) Swirl and sip the wine again. Did the food alter the taste of the wine?  If each sip of wine tasted similar—and you liked the flavor after tasting the food—it is a good match. Discuss what combinations you liked best and why; which ones weren’t as good and why. 

7.  Wine Temperatures

For wine to taste best, it must be at the right temperature. Whites should be chilled but not ice-cold. To quick-chill whites, submerge the bottle in ice water for 15 minutes, or refrigerate about 2 hours. Red wine bottles should feel cool to the touch.  If the bottle is warm, refrigerate it about 1/2 hour; if too cold, leave at room temperature 1/2 hour.

8.  Setting the Table for Wine

Put the water glass on the far right, above the knife. Arrange the wine glasses to the left of the water, above the plate. One glass for each wine (or one for red and one for white) is ideal. If a single glass is used, rinse it between wines. Clear, long-stemmed wine glasses that curve in slightly at the top and hold at least 12-ounces are ideal. 

For a centerpiece, keep it simple and decorate for the theme.  Use something like the PartyLite Customizable Tealight Centerpiece for quick elegance and great ambiance.

9.  How Much Wine to Pour?

A wine glass should be filled no more than 1/3 full—that allows space for swirling the wine to release aromas and aerate the wine. It is easier to swirl the glass without spilling if the base of the glass is on the table—hold the glass by the stem and quickly move the glass in a circular motion.

10.  Have Fun and Trust Yourself

It’s fun to talk about wine—what flavors you taste and aromas you smell. But don’t be surprised if everyone disagrees—even the experts do. Just as people have different opinions about food, the wine palate is very personal. Trust your own opinion.

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By 3 p.m. I need a pick me up – I’m an early morning person after all.  I find that a cup of coffee and a piece of  chocolate work wonders for me.  And now,  I’m all excited because of  all the recent good press chocolate is getting – but is it true?  Can I really indulge and get benefits? Or is it just wishful thinking?

All women know that chocolate makes you feel better – and once again we are right! (Didn’t you see Chocolat – the movie – WOW  here’s a great movie.)

History of Chocolate

How did we get so consumed with chocolate?  It was originally a bitter beverage, brewed and consumed by the Incas and Mayas and brought to Spain as a new delicacy in the 1500’s.  Now hot chocolate with spices are the in trend again – 600 years late!For a while, cocoa beans were even used as Spanish currency. 

Chocolate became the food of love in 1645 when it was part of the dowry of Spanish princess Maria Theresa when she married Louis XIV.  He then got the idea to manufacture and sell it.  If you study art and literature of the time, it focuses on chocolate and it’s symbolism, and shal we say “intimate relations”.  Casnova was supposed to have conquered many a lass with chocolate and champagne! Hence our Valentine’s Day passion with chocolate.

Chocolate is good for you!

Now we have a new reason to celebrate chocolate.  Recent research is actually supporting the positive health benefits of chocolate (dark chocolate that is of about 65% or more cocoa content).

A recent study in the Netherlands showed that eating the equivalent of ½ of a chocolate bar every day could lower blood pressure and also reduce the risk of death. It can also lower your cholesterol (now I’m for that one).

There are at least three other reasons chocolate can help elevate your mood:

-It can give you a feeling of pleasure because it stimulates endorphins

-It  can act as an anti-depressant because it contains seratonin

- It has other stimulants similar to caffeine which causes relaxation but increases your brain activity.

We all know that antioxidants are good for us, right?  Well dark chocolate contains eight times the amount of antioxidants as strawberries – superfruit! Unfortunately, we all know that choclate contains fat – but the good news is that most of it doesn’t affect your cholesterol.

As to the calories – you’re on your own.  Moderation in all things!

What’s in your chocolate Future?

So all this good news has food manufacturers thinking about chocolate.  Chocolate is now being elevated to the level of interest of wine, cheese and coffee.  It can be a great small indulgence.

Hot trends:

-         Chocolate and cocoa will be ingredients in main dishes (think a warm addition to steak sauce)

-         Flavors that include chocolate and spices are hot

-         Sweet and savory combinations like chocolate and cheese  (there’s even a chocolate/bacon combo for the men)

 So the third week of March is American Chocolate Week and I for one am going to indulge!  I’ll stick to my afternoon coffee and a fabulous truffle.

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St. Patricks Day Myths

What I learned is that much of the American hoopla about St. Patrick’s Day is just that – American hoopla.  Until recently, St. Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday in Ireland.  And we all know it was to celebrate driving the snakes out of Ireland.  Right?  Except there were no snakes in Ireland. Those snakes were most likely heathen symbols.

And ready for this?  St. Patrick wasn’t Irish.  He was actually born in Scotland or Great Britain in 373 A.D., was enslaved in Ireland as a youth and returned  in adulthood as a priest when he probably took the name Patrick or Patricus.   Oh Well!  Why ruin a festive celebration with facts?  I think we just needed a celebration in March – a month that is frequently without one. So what to make?

Recipes for Traditional Irish Foods

The traditional American list includes Irish Soda Bread (which is actually Irish, but not the kind we make with white flour and raisins or gluten free)

Of course, most traditional Irish plates include potatoes (although that didn’t begin until after the great potato famine) and are very simple – meat, potatoes, vegetables.  You can do a great corned beef in your slow cooker or a lamb stew. There boxty which is an Irish potato pancake (rhyme).  There’s fun potato and sausage dish called a Dublin Coddle. But my personal favorite, Colcannon (mashed potatoes with onion, kale and bacon), is traditionally served at Halloween.

Easy Recipe – No Bake St. Patrick’s Pops for Kids

For the kids, I found this great, fun, easy no bake idea to help celebrate – St. Patrick Cookie Pops.  Now this is celebrating!

So on March 17, I’ll wear my green (the shamrock was a symbol of rebellion in Victorian times), have a Guiness (my one per year) and say Erin go Braugh! (Ireland Forever) with all my other American Friends!

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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

2.  Layered Black Bean and Corn Dip 

3.  Sisters Southern Barbeque Meatballs or Meatballs with Maple Dijon Sauce 

4.  Sweet and Spicy Pepper Torta 

5.  Baked Brie in Flaky Pastry   

Then sit back and enjoy the game! 

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