Fall is my favorite time of year. It’s all about the heartwarming food, the cool crisp air, the vibrant colors, and of course… Football!
Football has been a part of my life since I was a small girl. My first football memories are watching the Pittsburgh Steelers games with my dad and nibbling throughout the day on the “football food” that my mom would prepare (a “make your own taco bar” was a personal favorite!). Over the years dad started to dabble in the kitchen and would prepare our game day fare — elaborate veggie platters with dip (each vegetable was cut into perfectly sized pieces), shrimp cocktails, mini bagel dogs, chicken wings, pickled herring, and guacamole with pretzels. This unusual assortment of goodies was just to whet our appetite for the main game day attraction – Dad’s Ribs. These legendary ribs are eagerly anticipated throughout our family and friends. The process starts the night before by soaking hickory chips in water — this will ensure that the chips will not burn when they are placed around the charcoal. To prep the meat before smoking, my Dad removes the rib membrane (skin covering the back) – his secret to ensure that the hickory penetrates the meat and rib bone. The ribs are then smoked for 2 hours in a kettle grill over indirect heat. After coming off the grill, they are basted with a tangy barbecue sauce that makes these ribs irresistible.
And now that I’ve hosted a few of these game days myself, I would like to pass along to you my winning game day picks.
PreGame – Guests Arriving
Chips and salsa (I usually serve two types of salsa TSG Black Bean and Corn and a homemade version)
Hummus and pita chips
Crudité platter with assorted olives, cheeses, and flatbreads
My son has a sign in his room – Garlic is the 5th food group! And in our family that’s true. There are very few things that can’t be improved with Garlic. Growing up in California, garlic is a staple. Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world and its festival is world famous.
The Amazing History of Garlic
Garlic is one of the oldest seasonings available too! It was used and worshipped by the Egyptians, making it’s way to King Tut’s tomb, as well as the Greeks and Romans. Both cultures used it as food an medicine. It can even keep away vampires and other evil spirits in many cultures! At least in the old mythology – and it can certainly keep away undesirable advances on occasions. Although other cultures claim it is an aphrodisiac.
Garlic is also now proven to be good for you. Isn’t it amazing how many “old folk remedies” really have real benefits (like grandma’s chicken soup). Garlic is supposed to help lower blood pressure and while that is debatable, Louis Pasture found that it has great antibacterial properties. Garlic was even used as an antiseptic in WWI.
Great Garlic Ideas
I suppose that’s why Two Sisters Gourmet Outrageously Garlic is consistently one of the top three products in the line. It has great garlic flavor. My daughter takes a jar to school every semester and she doesn’t even really have a kitchen – you can use it a thousand ways. Most easily it makes an addictive dip with either sour cream or a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise. You can also let it soak in some olive oil for a great bread dip (add a little parmesan cheese and pepper and WOW!). You can always sprinkle it on fresh vegetables or French fries for some extra zest. Last night I added it to creamed spinach and had flavor at a whole new level.
Four Easy Recipes
Here are links to four of our easy recipes for Outrageously Garlic:
We had the children home last week and it reminded me how special it is to have the family gathered around the kitchen table. We all picture a Norman Rockwell painting or an episode of Leave it to Beaver and sigh. We all have been brainwashed into believing the family dinner is on the decline – because it certainly feels that way in our house. But take heart!! There are some good statistics!
NPD, a consumer research organization says that nearly 47% of all consumers say the family eats together at least 5 nights per week. 81% of people want to eat dinner at home. And 71% of teens have dinner with the family at least five nights per week, up from a few years ago.
This is great news because eating together is good for everyone. We all know the statistics that children are less likely to be involved in drinking and drugs if they eat with the family regularly. Family dinners are also good for nutrition and stress control in all family members. The dinner table is where we learn to take interest in each other, discuss issues, form opinions and gain self esteem. Even when the TV is on (in 40% of HH) there is still a positive benefit.
But we also know that 80% of women are the people responsible for getting the meal on the table – it doesn’t have to be difficult. The easiest way to get a meal on the table could be to use frozen or prepared dinners to take home from the grocery store, but that can be expensive and not necessarily the most nutritious.
Five Easy Family Dinners
Tacos – Families love tacos! They are a great way to get in vegetables and minimize prep time. You can make them either beef or chicken (ground or shredded). Add some chili seasoning, lettuce, tomato, salsa and you’re all set. All you have to do is warm the shells and cook the meat – the family can do the rest.
Baked Chicken Fingers with Creamy Dip – you can make them fresh and simple, or use frozen chicken fingers and your Lemony Fresh Dill blend made into dip.
Crockpot Pulled Pork – Start it in the morning and its ready when you walk in the door. Only 3 ingredients.
It’s no surprise to anyone who has tasted it – beer bread is the number one item! The family will devour it before it’s cool and it only took five minutes to make. Beer bread is probably the most versatile of all of our products. We like to say that everything should be used in at least three different ways –but we have 21 ways to make beer bread!
Beer Bread Top Five Recipes
Beer bread is great! It can take on any flavor that you like. Making it with beer is traditional, but if you don’t have it on hand – any carbonated beverage will do. Personally, I prefer it with club soda (not being a beer fan). But here are 5 of the top ways to change it up.
Corn Beer Bread: Add one can of creamed corn to beer bread mix. (Add 1 TBSP Over the Edge Herbed Spinach if you like) Bake in a 9×9 pan at 350 degrees for 35-45 mins.
Garlic Cheese Bread: Mix as directed and add ½ cup each grated parmesan and grated cheddar cheese. Mix in 1 TBSP Outrageously Garlic. Sprinkle Outrageously Garlic on top. Cook as directed
Sweet Breakfast Bread: Mix with Mountain Dew, add 1 cup chocolate chips or cinnamon chips. Bake as directed.
Irish Soda Bread: Mix with 12 oz. Club soda, and ½ cur orange flavored dried cranberries. Bake as directed.
Pizza Muffins: Mix with light beer, add 1 cup parmesan or mozzarella cheese, ½ cup chopped pepperoni, 1 TBSP Outrageously Garlic. Bake for 20-25 minutes in muffin tin at 350 degrees.
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
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!
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!
Family Thoughts on Thanksgiving and Food Thoughts on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving dinner is the one time no one in the family will ask me “What’s for dinner?” Like families all over the country, we have a ritual dinner. Every year I am tantalized by all the great and interesting recipes in the food magazines that find their way into my mailbox, but I am NEVER allowed to indulge in them. The only time I get to vary the menu is when we open our doors and include traveling waifs who can’t go “home” for Thanksgiving. We want everyone at our table to have something that reminds them of home, so I get to expand.
Thanksgiving may be officially the fourth Thursday of November, but in our house, and I believe many houses, it’s really at least a four day affair. This year, we will be having Thanksgiving at the beach, which sometimes means that all the Edwards gather and we have a large and noisy bunch. That’s when I get to try different things, we have multiples of everything, turkeys, stuffing , potatoes, pies – you name it.
Origins of Thanksgiving Dishes and Wishes
This year will be a smaller, quieter retreat. The older the family gets, the more connections we have to other families, and the more we share the people, the customs and the time. Traditionally, most Thanksgiving foods are those native to American soil. Turkey is ubiquitous – over 91% eat turkey on Thanksgiving. They say if you look at your Thanksgiving table you can tell where your family originates within the U.S.
Mole and Roasted Corn, - Hispanic Americans of Mexican heritage
Lefse and Green Beans – Midwesterners of Scandinavian heritage (lefse is Norwegian potato flatbread)
On our Table for Thanksgiving – In addition to the Cornucopia!
Shrimp Cocktail and Fresh Hot Rolls
Black Olives – lots!
Fresh whole Cranberry Sauce (is your family whole berry or strained?)
Turkey (don’t forget the Butterball Hotline!) link to other post.
Aunt Ida’s Sage and Sausage Stuffing (not sure who Aunt Ida was)
Giblet Gravy ( we had to wait till they were a little older for the giblets)
Mashed Potatoes
Pumpkin and Minced Pie
My Thanksgiving Wishes
What I love about Thanksgiving is that it is the most American of all holidays – everyone within our shores is invited to the table to celebrate. It’s a day of peace and promise as we gather to be thankful for the blessings we have. It’s a little island of calm before the holiday rush. Food is one of the most fundamental ways of connecting. I know at our table we will be thankful for family and friends (including those we don’t know yet). We wish the same for you at this time and hope you will share the season…
Ok, I give up. My carefully laid plans ran aground again. We all had different schedules–my son had an afternoon crew practice, my daughter an evening ballet class and I had a late, late meeting. Thankfully, my husband was home to feed the dogs! Let’s face it, on a night like this it’s impossible to sit down together for dinner.
But there’s an easy solution! Make it a “scoop and nuke night.” What’s that?…. Here’s the easy recipe:
An easy, no fuss, semi–nutritious meal. It’s so quick that I had time to prepare it before the after school frenzy.
One pan cooking. After all, no matter what time I get home that pan will be waiting for me in the sink.
Make a lot. I always planned on leftovers, but never got any.
A meal that everyone will eat!
My family isn’t picky too about food, but like everyone their appetite depends on the day. My daughter couldn’t eat a heavy meal before dance, but my son was famished. My husband still thinks he plays college varsity soccer and I require just one dish–fast.
Ideas for What to Put on the Dining Room Table:
Soup with fresh bread – Make a pot of whatever is left in the refrigerator from the weekend – add broth.
Chicken stroganoff. A little heavy for the dancer, but one of her favorites and she could have some before and after class.
Spaghetti. If I boil the noodles and mix with sauce before leaving for my meeting (one pan remember?)
Tacos. Smorgasbord of cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, except for the meat with sauce which can be “nuked” as needed.
Or ask friends! Our all time family favorite is an Indonesian spicy rice dish called Nasi Goreng (fried rice). You might think we picked this up when we lived in Asia, but no, we never do anything the easy way.
We first heard about this lifesaver on a ski trip with our best friends, who are Dutch. Apparently, Dutch cooking is replete with Indonesian and Malaysian influences, as they were a global trading power in the 1600’s. In fact, the rijstafel (rice table) is a frequent Malaysian occurrence – an assortment of Asian dishes, largely including or served over rice and named by the Dutch.
Anyways, we stayed in a rental apartment and everyone was tired from skiing all day. Yvette, my friend, was graciously in charge of feeding the troops that night. The pot filled with Nasi Goreng must have been as big as one of the best lobster pots, but 30 minutes later it was empty.
Nasi Goreng Recipe: Try it with your family!
Spice mix. I found the Dutch store and bought the Nasi Goreng by Conimex packets. For added interest you can also purchase Ketcap Manis (something like sweet soy sauce), to be truly authentic.
Cook rice. Mix with spice, add onion and chicken (optional). Then it’s ready to go!
Low and behold, a few years later my family was transferred to Asia. The first day there, my son saw Nasi Goreng on the menu and was thrilled to see something he both recognized and loved!
Well, let me tell you – the original native is not what comes out of the bag. After the first bite, and many tears of disappointment, I had to find the closest Dutch store and revert to our mix. We still horde it in our cupboards!
Share your scoop and nuke meals–and how they save your family!
Want some history on the Dutch East India Company? Makes for interesting dinner table conversation!
Fall is my favorite time of year. It’s all about the heartwarming food, the cool crisp air, the vibrant colors, and of course… Football!
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 
