Friday's Food Tip: Try These Easy Chowders

When you need food that is rich, warm, and soothing, nothing is easier to prepare than a bowl of piping hot chowder, made with a package of Potato Cloud Soup Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co.



Try some Easy New England Clam Chowder, or make a delicious Salmon Chowder in minutes.


EASY NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

1 pkg. Three Angels Potato Cloud Soup Mix (8 serving size)
1 can drained, minced clams

Bring 7 cups of water to a low simmer. Add the package of soup mix and stir it into the water with a wire whisk. Let soup continue to cook at a low simmer for about 20 minutes (or until potatoes are soft). Add one can of drained, minced clams and stir them into the soup until well mixed. Makes 8 servings.

Variation: For a delicious Salmon Chowder, instead of minced clams add 1 can drained salmon and 1 can drained English peas to the prepared soup mix.



Order Potato Cloud Soup Mix in the 8 serving size package or the single-serving package. The single serving size mix can be cooked in the microwave. It's the perfect size package for lunch at work, or for someone who lives alone.



Shipping on all retail orders is always FREE.

Yikes! Another Weekend Morning Show Spot!

Yikes! Looks like another TV spot this weekend. This time, look for me on FOX 4. I'll be on the weekend morning show. This should be a LIVE interview around 7:45.



Once again, I'll be promoting the 22nd Annual Writers' and Readers' Conference sponsored by Maple Woods Community College. The conference will take place October 7th and 8th.

If you live in or near Kansas City, and you like to write, or just want to hear your favorite authors and attend some book signings, you won't want to miss this conference. My workshop is called "Making the Leap: How to Jump Into Freelance Writing For Fun and Profit." I'll talk about all sorts of writing, including the food writing I do for the Three Angels Gourmet Co. I'll also give tips for other food writing opportunities.



Find out more about the conference and preregister here.

If you live in or around Kansas City and have signed up for my workshop, send me an e-mail (suzanne@threeangelsgourmet.com) and introduce yourself.

Hope to see you there!

Thursday's Food Tip: Hit the Trail With Homemade Trail Mix!

Fall is the perfect time for long hikes in the woods. The weather is cool and crisp, trees are ablaze with leaves in fiery colors, and it just feels good to get outside and commune with nature.



Make your fall hikes even more enjoyable by taking along some homemade trail mix. It’s so easy. Just combine your family’s favorite roasted nuts, dried fruits, dry cereals, etc.



Here’s a good basic trail mix recipe, but you can add or subtract ingredients to your own tastes:

BASIC TRAIL MIX

2 lb. dry roasted peanuts

2 lb. cashews

2 lb. roasted almonds

1 lb. raisins

1 lb. M & Ms® Plain Chocolate Candy

1/2 lb. flaked coconut

1/2 lb. sweetened dried cranberries

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container.



Try these other trail mix recipes:

Here’s a delicious version of Sweet Trail Mix.

This Saddle Bag Trail Mix can be tucked into a backpack as well as a saddle bag.

Younger kids will love Speedy Trail Mix made with TEDDY GRAHAMS graham snacks. They can even help make it!

If you want a fancier trail mix, try some Sugared Cranberry Trail Mix. You might want to pack it in decorative tins and use it as gifts for the fall and winter holidays.


Once you’ve made up a batch of your favorite trail mix, pack it in small plastic resealable bags (one for each person), then hit the trail.

HAPPY TRAIL MIX TO YOU!

Wednesday's Food Tip: Use Last Night's Leftovers for Tonight's Main Course Salad!

Last night's leftovers can become a main course salad for tonight’s dinner.

Cut thin slices of leftover roast beef, steak, or chicken. Add them to a tossed salad. Drizzle a little dressing (made with Sun Blessed Tomato Herb Dip Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co.) over the salad. Serve with hearty bread slices and a glass of wine and you’ve got dinner.




SALAD DRESSING

1 c. olive oil

1/2 c. balsamic or red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 or 2 Tbsp. of Sun Blessed Tomato Herb Dip Mix


Add dip mix and sugar to vinegar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add oil and whisk until well blended.




Order Sun Blessed Tomato Herb Dip Mix here. Shipping is FREE.

Calling All Cooks!

It’s always fun to learn food tips and get new recipes from our customers and/or our readers.

Do you have a food tip or a favorite recipe you’d like to share on our blog? If you do, and you live in the continental U.S.A., then send it to us by October 31, 2005. If we use it on our blog, we’ll send you a gift bag of Three Angels Gourmet Co. products, FREE, as our thanks.



Email your food tips and recipes, along with your mailing address (no p.o. boxes, please) to: suzanne@threeangelsgourmet.com

Tuesday's Food Tip: A Fast Dinner Without Fast Food

Weekday evenings are usually very busy for families. There isn’t time to spend preparing an elaborate meal so you can sit down together at a beautiful table complete with fresh flowers, REAL silverware, and your good china.



But just because you need dinner "fast," it doesn't mean you have to turn to fast food and plastic tableware or cardboard containers.



Try this easy dish for a busy weekend dinner. Cook the chicken ahead on a Sunday afternoon, then serve this dish on a Monday night, and you can have it made up, baked, and ready to serve in less than an hour.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

6-8 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

12 oz. sour cream (you can use light sour cream)

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 to 1/2 c. diced onion

1 pkg. corn tortillas (you won't use the entire package)

1/2 to 3/4 c. shredded cheese


Boil 6 to 8 chicken breasts in water, with plenty of seasonings, until done. Let cool, then tear or cut the chicken into small pieces. Note: This can be done a day ahead and the chicken pieces can be put in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x12 inch baking pan. Mix together Ro-Tel, mushroom soup, chicken soup, sour cream, seasonings, and onion in a large bowl. Tear tortillas in half and line the pan. Layer with 1/2 of the chicken, then 1/2 of the other blended ingredients. Repeat layers, starting with tortillas. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Put shredded cheese on top and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Add a tossed salad, some fresh fruit for dessert, and you’ve got a complete dinner "fast" – without relying on fast food!

Monday's Food Tip: Look For This Handy Guide!

If you like cookbooks and magazines about food, you’ll love this new publication from the editors of FINE COOKING magazine. It’s their first-ever annual guide "dedicated 100% to choosing and using the best tools, ingredients, and appliances for your kitchen. Insightful tasting panels, reviews you can trust, helpful photos, and editors’ picks will give you the inside track on the best olive oil, the most essential pots and pans, upgrading your utensil drawer..."



This handy guide will show you –

how to choose olive oil

the essentials for stocking your pantry and frig

how to make over your spice rack

the best mini-tools and hand tools for the kitchen

and much, much more.


You can even read about interesting foods and ingredients you probably don’t stock in your kitchen right now. Exotic items like, Pashmak – Persian Fairy Floss –which is used as a topping for ice cream, cupcakes, or served with afternoon tea.



If you live in Australia, you can order Persian Fairy Floss in several different flavors here. The rest of us can read what other cooks have to say about Persian Fairy Floss, or check out this interesting recipe for Rose and Turkish delight Ice cream with Persian floss.

FINE COOKING’S GREAT FINDS 2006, is available at Border’s and other local bookstores, or you can order it online.

Sunday's Food Tip: Dessert Can Be "Easy As Pie"

The phrase "easy as pie" must have been coined after someone made a super simple frozen yogurt pie like this one for dessert. Put together the ingredients for this rich and creamy pie in a matter of minutes, then pop the pie into the freezer to let it set for a few hours before serving.

Use your favorite flavor of low fat yogurt for this recipe. Raspberry and Key Lime yogurt are both crowd pleasers.


Frozen Key Lime Yogurt Pie



FROZEN YOGURT PIE

2 (6 oz. each) containers flavored low fat yogurt

1 (8 oz.) tub whipped topping (COOL WHIP), thawed

1 (6 oz.) graham cracker pie crust (readymade or make your own according to directions on a package of graham cracker crumbs)


Combine yogurt and whipped topping in a medium bowl; stir gently until well blended. Spoon into prepared crust.

Freeze pie 4 hours or overnight until firm.

Note: Remove pie from freezer 15 minutes before serving; let stand at room temperature until pie can be cut easily (the pie is much more flavorful when it has thawed just a bit). Store leftover pie in freezer.

See? Dessert can be as "easy as pie," yet incredibly delicious!

Tomorrow's Early Morning Show on Channel 9 - KMBC-TV

Hey, look for me on tomorrow's early Morning Weekend Show on Channel 9 (KMBC-TV) between 7:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. I'll be on to promote the 22nd Annual Writers' and Readers' Conference sponsored by Maple Woods Community College. The conference will take place on October 7th and 8th.



If you live in or near Kansas City, and you like to write, or just want to hear your favorite authors and attend some book signings, you won't want to miss this conference. My workshop is called "Making the Leap: How to Jump Into Freelance Writing For Fun or Profit." I'll talk about all sorts of writing, including the food writing I do for the Three Angels Gourmet Co. as well as stories I have written for a coffee company to use on their coffee cans.



Find out more about the conference and preregister here.

Saturday's Food Tip: Invest in a Good Scone Pan!

If you enjoy fresh baked scones on cool crisp fall mornings, now’s the time to invest in a good scone pan. Whether you make scones from your favorite recipe, or use an Apple-Cinnamon Scone Mix or a Cranberry Scone Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co., a scone pan makes it so easy to bake up a batch of perfectly shaped scones.



Additional Tip: Use your scone pan for cornbread this fall, too.




Order Apple- Cinnamon Scone Mix or Cranberry Scone Mix. Shipping is FREE.

Heaven Sent

It's always nice to hear from people who enjoy Three Angels Gourmet Co. products.

Read this article by Marinade Dave about our Heavenly Jam Bar Mix.

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I know what you're thinking.

No, I don't pay Dave to try, test, or write about our mixes.

I think he's just a lot like me. When he thinks a company has a good product he likes to help spread the word about it.

Thanks, Marinade Dave!

Be sure to read other interesting articles at MarinadeDave.

Friday's Food Tip: Here's Another Kitchen Gadget Good Cooks Just "Gotta Have"

Okay, so cupcake or muffin papers aren’t exactly a kitchen "gadget." But I think these reuseable muffin baking cups from Kaiserflex would definitely fit into that category.



These handy muffin cups can be reused for 1000 bakings. The set of 6 comes in assorted colors and they’re heat resistant to 500 degrees F. The flexible cups allow for easy muffin release and are dishwasher safe (put them on the top shelf of the dishwasher).

Since I never seem to have enough of the paper muffin cups when I need them, these reusuable muffin baking cups are this week’s "gotta have" kitchen gadget. Use them with any standard muffin tin and you’re ready to bake muffins, cupcakes, and other goodies.

Here are some recipes to get you started:



Chocolate lovers will want to try these yummy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins.


Kids will get a kick out of these cute Pumpkin Cupcakes for Halloween.



These Raindrop Poke Cupcakes will add a bit of color to a dessert buffet.



You can even use these attractive baking cups for mini fruit tarts or mini cheesecakes.

Happy baking!

Thursday's Food Tip: Make Some "Divine With Wine Bread Bites" This Fall!

If you’ll be hosting a fall wine tasting, or just want something a little different to serve with wine this season, try these melt-in-your mouth bread bites made with a package of our Angel Cloud White Bread Mix (or use another brand of white bread mix, if you prefer).



"DIVINE WITH WINE" BREAD BITES


1 pkg. Angel Cloud White Bread Mix

1 c. warm water

1 pkg. yeast

1/2 c. olive oil

1 c. Parmesan cheese


In a large bowl, combine contents of yeast packet and warm water, then the bread mix. Stir with wooden spoon until soft dough forms. Place dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough into a well-greased bowl, turning to coat entire surface of dough. Cover bowl with towel and place in a warm, draft-free environment. Let rise until double in bulk (about 30 minutes). Punch down; pull off small pieces of dough and roll each piece into a bite-sized ball. Roll each ball in olive oil, then Parmesan cheese. Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until bites are golden brown in color. Makes about 3 dozen bread bites.


Variation: Instead of Parmesan cheese, roll bite-size pieces of the dough in sesame seeds or poppy seeds after the olive oil. Bake according to the directions above.



ANGEL CLOUD WHITE BREAD: Order Angel Cloud White Bread here. Shipping is FREE.

If You've Missed Any Daily Food Tips...

If you’ve missed any of my daily food tips, and don’t have the time to scroll through our archives, check out some previous food tips and articles that have been picked up by other sites.



ChefKings.com features all sorts of delicious recipes, including my article about how to make Simply Wonderful Scented Sugars.



Read my tip for making simple Herb Butters and find out all about garlic at The Informer Online.



Visit the Grand Illusion Clothing Company and read my article about English Cucumber Sandwiches.



Find my recipe for Easy Insalata Caprese at Men.com Magazine.



You can read my article about The Power of Grapefruit Juice as well as other informative articles at The Frugal Retiree.


NOTE: If you have a food related web site that you need content for, you can use any of my articles posted at ezinearticles.com. Type my name into the search engine and a list of my available articles will pop up.

In addition to owning Three Angels Gourmet Co., I’m a freelance writer, so I’m also available for paid writing assignments. Contact me at suzanne@threeangelsgourmet.com if you need a writer for an upcoming assignment or project.

Sign Up For Our Fall Newsletter!

It's almost time for our fall newsletter. Find out about our newest product, our new customers, and get other tips and delicious recipes.




Read our summer issue, then sign up for the next issue HERE.

The fall issue will be sent to you via e-mail in a few days.

Wednesday's Food Tip: Create a Heavenly Apple Crumble!

It’s easy to create a "heavenly" dessert for fall with fresh apples and a package of Heavenly Jam Bar Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. Try this simple and quick recipe.



HEAVENLY APPLE CRUMBLE

3 medium apples

1/2 tsp. powdered cinnamon

1/3 c. water

1 stick butter

1 pkg. Heavenly Jam Bar Mix



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core apples. Chop them into bite-sized pieces and set them aside. Spray an 8"x8" baking pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom of the pan with the apple pieces. Pour the water into the pan with the apples, then sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon. Put 1 stick of butter in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave, then pour the jam bar mix into the melted butter and mix together well (this will make a crumbly mixture). Pour the crumbly mixture over the apples in the baking pan and pat down. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until crumbly mixture is brown around the edges and apples are soft).

Serve the crumble topped with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream, if desired.



HEAVENLY JAM BAR MIX - Order a package or two of Heavenly Jam Bar Mix here. Shipping is FREE.


Thank you, Marinade Dave, for your nice comments yesterday about our Heavenly Apple Crumble!

Check out Marinade Dave's blog here.

Tuesday's Food Tip: It's Still Fun to Fondue!

If you’re old enough to remember life in the good old USA in the 70s, then you probably remember that fondue was quite the rage back then. Everyone who enjoyed entertaining at home had a fondue pot!



Today, fondue is making a comeback. That’s not surprising when you realize that it’s still fun to fondue. Especially when it’s so easy to make a creamy cheese fondue to enjoy with your friends or family. Try this recipe from THE DINNER DOCTOR by Anne Byrns.



EASY CHEESE FONDUE


1 c. refrigerated Alfredo-style pasta sauce

8 oz. pkg. of pre-shredded Swiss cheese

1/4 c. dry white wine

Cubes of French bread (for dunking)

Crisp apple slices, such as Gala or Granny Smith (for dunking)

Place the Alfredo sauce in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the Swiss cheese and wine and stir until the cheese melts and is bubbling, 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour the fondue into a fondue pot or chafing dish and light the heat source underneath it to keep it warm. Serve the fondue with bowls of bread cubes and apple slices and provide long forks for dunking.




Today’s fondue pots are a bit more sophisticated than those of the 70s. Find out more about the different types of fondue pots or buy a cheese fondue set here, and have fun with fondue!

Monday's Food Tip: Make This Dilly of a Cheeseball!

For easy fall entertaining, create this Dilly of a Cheeseball with a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co.



DILLY OF A CHEESEBALL

12 oz. cream cheese
1 c. drained, crushed pineapple
1 pkg. Three Angels Divine Dill Mix

Mix pineapple and Three Angels Divine Dill Mix into softened cream cheese. Shape into a ball and roll in chopped nuts and parsley. Dillicious!



Variation: If you don’t want to shape the cheese mixture into a ball just spoon it into an attractive bowl and serve with bagel chips or crackers.

Find other recipes from the Three Angels Gourmet Co., plus A Dozen Ways to use Divine Dill Dip Mix.

Order Divine Dill Dip Mix here. Shipping is FREE.

Sunday's Food Tip: Get "Eggcited" About Breakfast!

For many people, breakfast just wouldn’t be breakfast without an egg and a cup of coffee. I have to agree, although the egg doesn’t always have to be such an obvious part of my morning meal. That's not very exciting day after day. Sometimes an egg is just part of the batter for pancakes or muffins. Other times, I’ll use eggs for a fluffy omelette or french toast.



Fine Bed & Breakfast Inns across the country are known for serving up some of the most exciting morning meals that include eggs, and many of these inns are happy to share their recipes.

Try this Cinnamon-Raisin Breakfast Strata from the Cora Needham House in Wales, Massachusetts.

Whip up some tasty Egg Trufles with this recipe from the Mountain Creek Bed & Breakfast in Waynesville, North Carolina.

Or make this easy Eggs Benedict Arnold with this recipe from Maple Hill Farm Bed and Breakfast. This inn uses its own eggs, so get the freshest farm eggs possible to recreate this luxurious treat in your own kitchen.

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Add some fresh veggies to your morning meal with a recipe for Veggie Frittata from the Wine Country Inn in St. Helena, California.

Check out over 160 delicious egg recipes from B&Bs across the land. You’re sure to find at least one reason to get excited about breakfast.

Saturday's Food Tip: Bring on the Bacon!

If you love pork bacon, but have given it up because of the high fat content, then give turkey bacon a try. Ounce for ounce, turkey bacon has less than half the calories and fat of the pork variety.

In my opinion, Louis Rich Turkey Bacon is the ONLY turkey bacon to buy. Microwave it or cook it up in a frying pan. Either way it turns out crisp and flavorful. But don’t take JUST my word for it. Here’s a review of Louis Rich Turkey Bacon and another recommendation for this brand here.



You can use turkey bacon in all sorts of delicious recipes this fall. When you need to feed a crowd for breakfast or brunch make this Turkey Bacon, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Herb Omelette or try this Turkey Bacon Quiche.

A Denver Bacon Burrito is another delicious idea for breakfast.

And, if the standard BLT is one of your lunchtime favorites, you’ll love this Triple Decker Turkey Bacon Sandwich. Yum.


So give turkey a try and bring on the bacon!

Friday's Food Tip: Drying Herbs

Are you ready for winter cooking?



An indoor herb garden makes it easy to garnish a hearty winter stew with a sprig of fresh rosemary, or decorate a special soup with a fresh basil leaf, even if the weather outside is below zero on a snowy afternoon in January.

But since fresh herbs tend to lose their flavor when cooked for long periods of time, dried herbs are best for seasoning those soups and stews that bubble on the back burner all day in a warm, cozy kitchen.


Different herbs dry best at different times of the year, of course. But, if you have an outdoor herb garden, it’s not too late to harvest some of your summer herbs and dry them for use during the cold winter months ahead.

Find out about harvesting and drying fresh herbs here and here.

Learn other ways to preserve and and dry herbs.

Dry some summer herbs and get your indoor herb garden started. Soon you'll be ready to cook up plenty of tasty dishes for family and friends this winter.

Thursday's Food Tip: Get Ready for Winter With an Indoor Herb Garden

This morning it’s gray and rainy in Kansas City. There’s even a slight chill in the air.

Brrr! It reminds me that winter isn’t far away, and if I want fresh herbs for cooking in a few months, I’d better get my indoor herb garden started. I just can’t go without fresh basil until spring!

You’ll probably want to start your own indoor herb garden since there’s nothing quite as tasty and satisfying as food seasoned with fresh herbs (especially in the dead of winter).

If you have herbs planted in your backyard garden, it should be easy to transfer a few of these plants to small pots or other containers and move them to a sunny spot in your house. Just be sure the pots aren’t "too" small or they will dry out very, very quickly and the herbs will die if you forget to water them for even one day (I’ve had that happen).



If you don’t have an outdoor herb garden and need to start your indoor herb garden from scratch, read tips for doing that here and here.

If you want to try an even easier way to start an indoor herb garden from scratch, then order a windowsill Italian Herb Garden here or a complete indoor herb garden kit here.


The important thing is to get your indoor herb garden started now. When the cooler months of fall and winter roll around, and you’re ready to make some tasty stews and soups, you’ll be glad you did.

Wednesday's Food Tip: Make Some End-of-Summer Salsa!

Fall will soon be here. Fall is football season. Which means it’s also the season for chips and dips.

Why not use those luscious tomatoes still plentiful in your garden or at the farmer’s market to make some end-of-summer salsa? If you make several batches they just might see you through the coming season of tailgating parties and football games.



Here’s a simple recipe from BRILLIANT FOOD TIPS AND COOKING TRICKS by David Joachim

FRESH TOMATO SALSA

In a bowl, combine 4 large seeded and chopped summer tomatoes; 2/3 finely chopped sweet onion (or 4 finely chopped scallions); 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro; 1 to 2 seeded and finely chopped fresh jalapeno chile peppers (leave the seeds in for more heat); 2 teaspoons lime juice; and 1 teaspoon salt.

Toss, let sit 1 hour at room temperature, and serve. Great spooned over soft tacos or for scooping up with corn chips. Makes about 3 1/4 cups.



MORE RECIPES

For Salsa Recipes from A-Z go here.

Try this salsa recipe from Reluctant Gourmet.com.