Thanksgiving marks the official start of the holiday sales season! Black Friday always seems to jump start my focus on gift giving. As a kid I remember Hickory Farms gift baskets adorning our holiday gatherings. My father would always receive Hickory Farms gift baskets from his patients. We got to unpack the classic Hickory Farms Signature Beef Summer sausages (a recent American Masters of Taste Gold Medal Winner) and those blocks of the Farmhouse Cheddar Cheeses, each branded with the iconic illustration of that red barn. For more … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Giveaway!
November 9, 2012 By 360 Comments
Back by popular demand.... It's getting quite cold here on the east coast so it's the perfect time to get hunkered down and cook some slow cooked meals to comfort you and keep you warm. I bought my very first slow cooker last year. Gone are those stressful nights trying to figure out a last minute dinner plan for my cranky, hungry kids. My slow cooker has certainly lived up to its motto: "cooks while the cook's away." Honestly, it's just so easy to use. Simply dump your food in the porcelain pot in the morning and, when … [Read more...]
Breast Cancer Awareness
October 18, 2012 By 2 Comments
I am taking a break from the normal recipe post. I couldn't let this symbolic month (Breast Cancer Awareness, Mom's intended 70th birthday, 4th Anniversary of Mom's death) tick away without talking about breast cancer. So, today you’re not going to get food but rather, food for thought. Do you know how much my heart breaks every time I look at Mom's familiar handwriting on all of her now-faded recipe scraps? With each written measurement and specified instruction, I reminisce about her hands: Always manicured. Always ready to … [Read more...]
Holiday Meal Prep, and a Sweet & Sour Brisket
September 25, 2012 By 3 Comments
I’m not embarrassed to admit that I’ve been preparing for tonight’s holiday dinner since Sunday. With all of the thought, shopping and kitchen labor involved, you’d think I’d be feeding at least twenty people. Nope. I’m only having my family (2 adults; 2 kids) and my brother. Once an overachiever, always an overachiever. I was that kid in high school who always over-studied for tests and never waited until the last minute—cramming was never part of my vernacular. When I decided I was going to venture out of my comfort zone (again) … [Read more...]
