Wednesday's Food Tip: Make a Raspberry Brownie Tart

It's so easy to make an elegant dessert with our Raspberry Brownie Mix. Just make the mix according to the directions on the package. Instead of pouring the mixture into an 8x8 inch square pan, put it in a fluted tart pan.

Sprinkle the top of the batter with the sliced almonds that are included in the package. Bake as directed. Let the brownies cool, then remove the sides of the tart pan and place the brownies on a footed cake plate.

Drizzle a little heated chocolate syrup, or raspberry jam that has been liquified in the microwave, on top of the brownies, then pipe whipped cream all around the outer edge. No one will dream this "brownie tart" was made from a mix!



Here's a photo of some brownies baked in a fluted tart pan - I left them in the pan so you could see it, but they should be removed from the pan and piped with whipped cream before you present them at the table on a footed cake plate.

Tuesday's Food Tip: Bake Bite-Size Treats For the Holidays & Save Calories

If you’re trying to cut down on calories over the holidays, but don't want to feel deprived, try this trick. Bake brownies, muffins, or fruit tarts in a mini muffin tin. Since each sweet will only be a bite, you can enjoy a couple of your favorite treats without overdoing it.

Monday's Food Tip: Quick & Easy Holiday Party Favors or Small Gifts

Here’s a quick and easy way to make cute favors for a holiday party, or you can use these candy-filled cookie cutters as Christmas gifts. You’ll need some holiday cookie cutters in a variety of shapes, candy melts in different flavors and colors (available from stores that carry candy making supplies) or a variety of baking chips (milk chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, white chocolate, mint, etc.), colored sprinkles, colored sugar, clear cello bags, gold twist ties or colored ribbon.



Line a large cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set the cookie cutters on the cookie sheet, a few inches apart.

Melt one type of baking chip, or one flavor or color of candy melt, at a time according to the directions on the package, then pour the melted candy into a few of the cookie cutters. Fill each cutter to the top and use a knife to make sure the melted candy is distributed evenly inside the cookie cutter. Immediately sprinkle some colored sugar or candy sprinkles over the melted candy in the cookie cutter.

Repeat the process, using as many different colors and flavors of candy melts or baking chips as you wish. When all the cookie cutters have been filled, place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator and leave it until the candy in all of the cutters has hardened.

Remove each cutter from the cookie sheet. Scrape off any candy that might have stuck to the outside of the cutters. Package each candy-filled cutter in a clear cello bag (available at crafts stores). Tie the top of each cello bag together with a gold twist tie or a piece of colored ribbon.

Variation: You can also use your favorite fudge recipe or peppermint bark recipe to make these cute cutters. Simply pour the fudge or peppermint bark into the cutters just as you would the melted baking chips or candy melts.

Sunday's Food Tip: Filipino Lumpia

When I was a teenager on Guam in the 1960s, I used to enjoy parties where my Filipino friends would serve a special treat called lumpia. Lumpia is a Filipino version of the eggroll and can be served as a side dish or an appetizer.

Yesterday, I got together with my daughter-in-law, her sister, and their Filipino mother to make lumpia. It was the first time I'd had this traditional Filipino dish in years, and I'd never make lumpia myself because I figured it would be too complicated. I was delighted yesterday when I found out that lumpia really isn't difficult to make. It just takes a while to chop all the fresh vegetables that are needed to fill the lumpia wrappers. Still, this dish is well worth the time and effort but you'll want to enlist a few other friends or family members to help with the chopping because you'll want to make lots and lots of lumpia.

There are different recipes for lumpia but all of them call for a variety of fresh, chopped veggies. Here's a recipe for Fillipino Lumpia that calls for ground pork and green cabbage (two items we did not use in our lumpia yesterday).

Here's another recipe for Fresh Lumpia that calls for shrimp and chicken, which is what we used in our lumpia.

Once you've made the lumpia you'll need a Garlic Sauce or a Sweet and Sour Sauce for dipping.

M-m-m...fresh, hot lumpia. I wish I knew the Filipino word for "delicious."

Saturday's Food Tip: Wake Up to a Hot & Hearty Breakfast

You can wake up to a hot and hearty breakfast tomorrow if you let your crockpot cook the meal overnight. Before you go to bed tonight, put the following into your crockpot:

1 c. steel-cut oats
4 c. water
1/2 c. dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc.)

Put the lid on the crockpot and turn in on low to cook while you sleep. By morning your breakfast will be ready.

Friday's Food Tip: What to Do With Those Thanksgiving Leftovers…

If you’re wondering what to do with all those leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, try this tip.



The day after Thanksgiving I make a casserole with the left over turkey, stuffing, gravy, veggies and mashed potatoes, (if you don't have any potatoes left, instant mashed work well), I layer everything in a pan - sort of like lasagna and seal the top with mashed potatoes - like a turkey Shepherd's Pie. It's a big hit at my house. - Jan Czech

Thursday's Food Tip: Make This Thanksgiving Apple-Cranberry Crunch

If you’re looking for something a little different to make for Thanksgiving dinner today, chances are you already have all of the ingredients on hand for this delicious Apple-Cranberry Crunch. I got the recipe years ago from a book called AMERICAN FAMILY STYLE by Mary Randolph Carter, and I’ve made this dish every Thanksgiving since then. It’s become a family favorite. Enjoy it as an alternative to cranberry sauce or try it for dessert.



APPLE-CRANBERRY CRUNCH

3 c. McIntoch apples, chopped but unpeeled
2 c. cranberries, washed
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. light brown sugar
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 stick butter, melted

Mix apples, cranberries, and granulated sugar and place in bottom of an ungreased shallow casserole or tart pan. Mix remaining ingredients and crumble on top of fruit. Press lightly. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350 degree oven 45 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday's Food Tip: Plan a Thanksgiving Day Toast

The holidays are the time to create heartfelt traditions for your family. A lengthy prayer of thanks for another year of good health, warm friendships, and meaningful life experiences is a Thanksgiving tradition for many families. But you might want to start a new tradition and let each dinner guest offer a personal word of thanks with a Thanksgiving Day toast.



A few minutes before everyone sits down to dinner tomorrow, serve a special beverage in special glasses to all your guests. When everyone has a glass, announce that you'd like to propose a Thanksgiving Day toast by having everyone share the one thing they are most thankful for this year. Start the toast by telling what you are most thankful for, then go around the room and have each guest offer words of thanks, then drink a toast together to your collective blessings and good fortune.

Tuesday's Food Tip: Make Butterscotch Chip Cookie Bars With a Slightly Different Taste

There's nothing quite like the rich, creamy taste of butterscotch. But next time you bake a batch of Butterscotch Chip Cookie Bars, surprise everyone with a slightly different taste sensation.



Add a few semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. Or, for peanut butter lovers, sprinkle in a few peanut butter chips. The butterscotch chips blended with the other chips will really perk up the taste buds.

Mmm...yum!


WHOLESALE BUYERS:

Butterscotch Chip Cookie Bar Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. is on special all this week. Call Debra Steiner at 913-963-1733 or send her a fax at 913-322-0385 for more information and/or an order form.


RETAIL BUYERS:

Shipping is FREE when you order Butterscotch Chip Cookie Bar Mix directly from our website. And, from now until Christmas, receive a special GIFT with every retail order.

Monday's Food Tip: Serve a Butterscotch Chip Cookie Tart

Now that the weather has turned cooler, our Butterscotch Chip Cookie Bar Mix is available for shipment once again. With a plump, 4.5 ounce, packet of quality Guittard butterscotch chips in every package, it's so easy to make a batch of delicious cookie bars – with bits of butterscotch in every bite.

Try the following tip if you want to serve the cookie bars to your dinner guests this holiday season:



Next time you make the cookie bars, prepare the mix according to the directions on the package, except reserve 1 tablespoon (or a little more) of the butterscotch chips. Pour the prepared cookie mix into a fluted tart pan and bake until done.

Let the cookie "tart" cool. While it does, melt the reserved butterscotch chips in the microwave with a little cream or milk. Stir until the melted chips and cream blend together to make a thin butterscotch glaze.

When the tart has completed cooled, remove the sides of the tart pan and place the cookie tart on a footed cake plate. Drizzle the melted glaze over the butterscotch tart. Give it a few minutes to set up, then bring the tart to the table for everyone to admire before you cut it and serve. M-m-m...yum!

Sunday's Food Tip: Herb Ice Cubes

The good news is, these days fresh herbs like basil, chives, dill, chervil, and tarragon are usually available in most grocery stores. The not-so-good-news is, small bags of these herbs are rather expensive and they won’t keep very long in your refrigerator. But don’t worry. Here’s a great way to preserve fresh herbs so your money is well spent.



Partly fill the sections of an ice cube tray with pieces of fresh herbs, then fill each section to the top with water. Place the trays in the freezer until the water freezes.

Once the water has frozen, pop the cubes out of the tray and place the herb cubes in plastic freezer bags. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To use the herb ice cubes, simply add the number needed to soups, stews, and other dishes. The heat will melt the cube(s) and the herb will add fresh flavor to the dish.

Saturday's Food Tip: Angel Christmas Bark

If you love to make delicious treats for the holidays, then try this easy Angel Christmas Bark. The secret to this candy is the white chocolate. Many similar recipes call for almond bark instead, but it produces candy that is somewhat waxy because of the paraffin content of the almond bark. Make our Angel Christmas Bark with white chocolate and it will turn out smooth, rich, and creamy – and not waxy at all.



ANGEL CHRISTMAS BARK

1 lb. white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
6 candy canes
Peppermint oil (optional)
Small or medium Angel-shaped cookie cutter

Line a small cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside.

In the top of a double boiler, melt white chocolate, stirring constantly.

Unwrap candy canes and put them in a large self-sealing plastic storage bag. With a meat mallet, pound candy canes into small pieces.

Stir the pieces of candy canes into the melted chocolate. Remove from heat, and pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet; spread evenly. Chill until slightly firm, then use an angel-shaped cookie cutter and carefully cut the chocolate into angel shapes. Chill the angels until completely set - about 25 to 30 minutes.

If you don't want to make the candy in angel shapes, you can simply chill the mixture on the cookie sheet until firm, then break it into pieces, and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

NOTE: Instead of a double boiler, the white chocolate can be melted in a microwave. Put the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes (at medium power). Take the chocolate out and stir. Put back in the microwave for 2 more minutes, then stir. Keep doing this until all the white chocolate has melted.

For a stronger peppermint flavor, stir 1/4 tsp. of peppermint oil into the melted chocolate and crushed candy cane mixture before pouring the mixture onto the cookie sheet.

Friday's Food Tip: Here's a Quick and Delicious Way to Thicken Homemade Soups and Sauces!

This time of year homemade soups and sauces are a welcome part of any good meal. But sometimes getting just the right consistency to that soup or sauce can be a bit tricky. You certainly don't want to keep adding cornstarch or flour to your special creation and destroy the taste, so here's a tip to try instead.




Use a little leftover mashed potatoes to thicken your soups and sauces.

If you'll be making mashed potatoes next week for Thanksgiving dinner, save some and freeze them. Later this winter, when you're making those hearty soups or sauces, just pull out the frozen potatoes and break off a few tablespoons or so and add them to the soup pot or saucepan. The potatoes will add flavor to your soup or sauce as it thickens it.

Thursday's Food Tip: Celebrate National Pomegranate Month!

Did you know November is National Pomegranate Month?



If you’ve never bought pomegranates because you didn’t quite know what to do with them, here are some delicious and easy pomegranate recipes to help celebrate the season with this amazing fruit.

Colorful Pomegranate, Orange, and Kiwi Salad is an unexpected fall and winter treat for salad lovers.

Spiced Pomegranate-Apple Cider gives a unique twist to a traditional holiday brew.

Make some pomegranate jelly as Christmas gifts for friends and family.

Find pomegranate recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts here.

Wednesday's Food Tip: Easy Crockpot Clean Up!

Whenever we sample our Mild Chiles & Cheese Dip at stores or trade shows, we keep it hot in a crockpot. We've learned a simple trick to make cleaning the cheese dip out of the crockpot quick and easy.

Prepare the dip mix in the microwave, following the directions on the package. Then open an oven bag and put it in the crockpot. Pour the prepared dip mix right into the oven bag.

Oven bags are meant to be used in hot ovens (no hotter than 400 degrees) to cook meats and poultry, so they're perfect for the crockpot.

When all the dip has been eaten, it's simple to clean the crockpot - just remove the oven bag!

Tuesday's Food Tip: Here's a Great Stocking Stuffer idea!

Looking for a great stocking stuffer for friends, family and coworkers on your Christmas list? Then try single serving Potato Cloud Soup Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. It makes the perfect stocking stuffer for the cook, foodie, person living alone, office secret pal, or for a favorite teacher. And right now, our single serving Potato Cloud Soup Mix is on special.

Wholesale customers - Order one 24 pack case and receive the 5 case discount price. Order by Nov. 21st for guaranteed shipment by Nov 28th. Call Debra Steiner at 913- 963-1733 to place your order.

Retail customers - Buy two single serving packets of Potato Cloud Soup Mix and GET ONE FREE at the Three Angels Gourmet Co. website.

Just a Reminder: Stop By and See Us at the JCYM Home for the Holidays Boutique!

If you live in the Kansas City area, stop by and see us tomorrow or Wednesday at the JCYM Home for the Holidays boutique.



Find out all about the sale here.

You can sample and purchase these Three Angels Gourmet Co. products (and MORE) at the sale:

Divine Dill Dip Mix
Mild Chilies and Cheese Dip Mix
Ambrosia Tea Bread Mix
Creme de Menthe Brownie Mix
Cinnamon Chip Scone Mix
Peanut Butter Chip Cookie Bar Mix
Raspberry Brownie Mix
Amaretto Brownie Mix
Currant Scone Mix
Heavenly Jam Bar Mix

Monday's Food Tip: Keep Whole Nutmeg on Hand For The Most Flavorful Holiday Dishes

Many delightful holiday dishes call for nutmeg – custard, eggnog, mulled wines, cookies, and spice cakes, for example. Nutmeg also adds flavor to cheese and egg dishes. Even vegetables like squash, cabbage, and spinach are more tasty with the addition of a little nutmeg.



But powdered nutmeg quickly loses its zip. It’s much better to keep whole nutmeg on hand if you want the most flavorful holiday treats.

Use a nutmeg grater (or any microplane grater/zester) to grate fresh nutmeg whenever you need it. If you can’t find whole nutmeg locally, you can learn more about it and order it here.

Sunday's Food Tip: Turn Sugar Cookie Mix into Yummy Poppy Seed Jam Sandwiches!

These yummy cookies are a lot like the traditional Linzer Cookies. In fact, you can even use a Linzer Cookie Cutter Set to cut them out.



THREE ANGELS GOURMET CO.'S POPPY SEED JAM SANDWICHES

1 pkg. Three Angels Gourmet Co. Sugar Cookie Mix

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 stick butter

1/4 c. poppy seeds

1/3 c. raspberry jam


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.

Put softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg and extra egg yolk and add to butter, then add the poppy seeds. Mix together well. Add cookie mix and stir until a dry crumbly dough forms. Divide dough into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, working with one piece at a time, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch-thickness. Use a 2 1/4-inch round cutter to cut out cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Using a 3/4-inch round cutter, cut a hole from the center of half of the cookies. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake just until edges start to brown (about 6-12 minutes). Remove to wire racks, and cool completely.

Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of jam on all solid cookies; top each with a cookie with a cutout center.

FYI: A Star Studded Christmas Sale

If you live in Kansas City, stop by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church at 6401 Wornall Terrace this weekend for the church’s "Star Studded Christmas Sale." You can even purchase some delicious baking mixes from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. while you’re there.

The sale started this past Thursday evening and I was there from 4:00 to 6:00 that day with samples of all sorts of delicious products for shoppers to try – Divine Dill Dip, Heavenly Jam Bars, Raspberry Brownies, Angel Ale Bread, and even a giant Christmas cookie made with our Sugar Cookie Mix.

The sale continues today (Saturday, Nov. 12) from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 13) from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Proceeds from this sale allow St. Andrew’s to contribute to several different, worthwhile projects. So, stop by and do a little Christmas shopping to help out a good cause.

Friday's Food Tip: Try This When You Don't Have Time to Cut Out and Decorate Cookies!

Everyone appreciates beautiful, decorated cookies around the holidays. But, with so much going on this time of year, the baker in the family doesn’t always have enough time to cut out and decorate dozens of cookies!



If you don’t have time to make cut out cookies for Christmas, try this idea instead. Prepare a package of Three Angels Gourmet Co. Sugar Cookie Mix according to the package directions and put it in the refrigerator to chill.

Once the dough is cold, instead of rolling it out for cut-out cookies, pat all of the dough into a pizza pan (sprayed with cooking spray) to make one giant cookie. Bake the big cookie at 400 degrees until the edges have browned.

When the cookie cools, make a powdered sugar icing and tint it with a little green or red food coloring, then ice the entire cookie and immediately sprinkle it with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Use a pizza wheel to cut slices of the cookie when you're ready to serve it.

Your giant Christmas Cookie will add a festive touch to any holiday buffet or party.

Thursday's Food Tip: Here's an Easy Way to Roll Out Sugar Cookie Dough!

Sugar Cookie Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. makes such cute and delicious sugar cookies when the dough is rolled out and cut into a variety of shapes with cookie cutters.



Here’s an easy way to roll out the sugar cookie dough. It will help the cookies retain their shape and you won’t have to use excess flour to keep the rolling pin from sticking to the dough.

Instead of plopping the cookie dough directly onto your cutting board (as pictured above), lay out the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Cover the dough with another piece of parchment paper of equal size.

Use a rolling pin to roll over the top sheet of parchment paper until the dough underneath thins out to the thickness you want for your cookies (you can lift the paper as you’re rolling, to smooth out any wrinkles). Peel off the top sheet of parchment and cut out the cookies with cookie cutters. Transfer the cut cookies to a baking sheet and pop them into the oven and bake.

Wednesday's Food Tip: Serve Snack Cake!

Snack cakes are usually fairly simple and inexpensive to make. They’re tasty but pretty plain – certainly not something you’d want to serve at your next dinner party.

That’s not the case with the following recipe. This Applesauce Snack Cake (from Martha Stewart) is impressive enough (and expensive enough) to please even your most important dinner guests. Your family will love it too.




APPLESAUCE SNACK CAKE

1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus soft butter to coat pan
2 1/4 cups superfine sugar
2 1/2 cups applesauce
2 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Calvados (a French apple Brandy)
1 large apple, peeled and very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger


1. Heat oven to 325°. Brush a 10-inch spring-form pan with soft butter. Coat the entire pan with 1/4 cup superfine sugar, lightly tap out excess sugar, and set pan aside.

2. Combine 1 cup butter and remaining 2 cups superfine sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Carefully fold in the applesauce. Do not overmix.

3. Sift together 2 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking powder. Fold the dry ingredients and pecans into the applesauce mixture. Add the vanilla, Calvados, and apple slices; mix until just combined.

4. Transfer the batter to the prepared spring-form pan. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, brown sugar, and ginger in a small mixing bowl. Mix with fingers until just combined and crumbly, and sprinkle lightly over the batter.

5. Place cake in oven, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Let stand until completely cool.

Tuesday's Food Tip: Serving Tips for Waffles

Serving waffles can be a bit tricky. By the time the last waffles have come off the waffle iron, the first waffles can be cold and soggy.



To keep waffles warm and crisy until serving time, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven. Avoid stacking the waffles – that’s how they get sweaty and turn soggy.

Monday's Food Tip: Three Angels Gourmet Co. Sugar Cookie Mix Is One Sweet Deal!

Three Angels Gourmet Co. products are very versatile and our Sugar Cookie Mix is no exception.

Plus, sugar cookies made from our mix turn out just the way you’d want a sugar cookie to be…crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

And each package of our Sugar Cookie Mix comes with a beautiful tin angel cookie cutter.



Use a package of Three Angels Gourmet Co. Sugar Cookie Mix to create cookies that can be used as:

A beautifully decorated food gift

Clever cookie gift tags

Cute cookies on a stick for children’s holiday parties

Homemade Christmas ornaments

Unique place cards for those special holiday dinners


Sugar Cookie Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. is one sweet deal.

This week, the deal is even sweeter.

WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS –

Order just one (12 pkg.) case of Sugar Cookie Mix with Angel Cookie Cutter, and receive the 5-case Discounted Price!

Call Debra Steiner, at 913-963-1733 to place your order.


RETAIL CUSTOMERS –

Order just one package of Sugar Cookie Mix with Angel Cookie Cutter and receive FREE shippng, plus a cute gift with every retail order.

Sunday's Food Tip: Make a Food "Find" in a Small Town!

With offerings like Pecan Praline Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce, and Kansas Coffee Cake, it’s no wonder the Marigold Bakery & Café in Atchison, Kansas is such a popular stop for both visitors and residents alike in this quaint little midwestern town.



Friends visiting from California and I had lunch at the Marigold Bakery & Cafe yesterday. We didn’t go to Atchison specifically to eat. We went to shop.

But lunch was so delicious at the Marigold, we bought extra treats to take home – Apple Dumplings, Cinnamon Pull-Aparts, and something called (I think) Chocolate-Popcorn-Peanut-Caramel Crunch.

One of my friends was particularly pleased to discover the Kansas Coffee Cake. For her, that was a true food "find," and after enjoying a piece of the cake for dessert, she bought several bags of Kansas Coffee Cake mix to take back to friends and family in California so they can enjoy it, too.

So the next time you pass through, or visit, a small town, stop in at one of the local eateries. You just might make a new food "find" of your own and want to visit this place on a regular basis.

I know I’ll be going back to the Marigold Bakery & Café.

Saturday's Food Tip: Julienne Like a Professional Chef!

Don’t have the time, the skill, or even the patience to julienne carrots or other fruits and vegetables for attractive garnishes for your favorite dishes? Then you need this handy little gadget.



When you’ve got an OXO Good Grips Julienne Peeler in your kitchen, you can easily julienne a variety of firm fruits and veggies – just like a professional chef. This neat little tool cuts food into thin strips with a single motion.

Friday's Food Tip: Pear Teas

M-m-m….a cup of hot tea really hits the spot on a cool fall afternoon.



If you haven't tried any of the luscious pear teas, you're in for a surprising new taste treat.

White Pear Tea combines white tea, slivers of real pear, and natural pear flavor. Plus, it’s full of antioxidants.



Perfectly Pear White Tea combines white tea with natural pear and vanilla flavors for a brew fit for royalty but available to everyone.

So, put the kettle on, get out your favorite teacups, and treat yourself and a friend to a relaxing cup of delicious and soothing pear tea.

Thursday's Food Tip: Pick Pears!

Next time you want a healthy snack for yourself or your family, pick pears.

Well, CHOOSE pears, that is. You can let someone else pick them from the tree.



Pears are rich in vitamin C, fiber, and they contain no cholesterol, sodium or saturated fat.

There are over 3,000 varieties of pears grown throughout the world. Here are some popular varieties:

ANJOU PEAR

A yellow-green pear with a bland, not very sweet flavor. Better for cooking than for snacking.

RED PEAR

Pretty, red pear with a pale flesh. Should be peeled before cooking or eating.

SECKEL PEAR

Small, green to russet-colored pear with a fine-grained flesh. Spicy flavor. Perfect pear for cooking, or eaten, unpeeled, as a snack.

BOSC PEAR

Russet colored skin. Rich, sweet taste. Holds its shape when cooked, for a beautiful presentation.

BARTLETT PEAR

Large, golden pear, shaped like a bell. Very juicy flesh. Perfect for snacks, unpeeled, or cook Bartlett pears in pies or tarts or use them to make sauces and sorbets.


Find out more about pears, and get the recipe for a delicious pear stuffing at USA Pears.



Make a Heavenly Pear Crumble with Heavenly Jam Bar Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co.

HEAVENLY PEAR CRUMBLE

3 medium pears (Barlett, Seckel, or Anjou are good choices)

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/3 c. water

1 stick butter

1 pkg. Heavenly Jam Bar Mix

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and core pears. 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 pear pieces. Pour the water into the pan with the pears, then sprinkle the pears with cinnamon and grated nutmeg.

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 pears in the baking pan and pat down. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until crumbly mixture is brown around the edges and pears are soft).

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

A Dilly of a Special For Wholesale Buyers All This Week!

All this week our Divine Dill Dip Mix is on special to wholesale buyers.



For details, and to place an order, call Debra Steiner at 913-963-1733, or fax her for an order form with complete details at 913-322-0385.

For Retail Customers - Shipping is FREE on all retails orders. Plus, from now until Christmas, receive a gift with every retail order.

Wednesday's Food Tip: Perk Up Plain Potatoes

It’s easy to perk up plain potatoes if you have a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co.

My favorite way to dress up a baked potato is to simply make up the dill dip mix with 2 cups of sour cream, then slather some of the prepared dip onto the potato.



You can get a little fancier by making "twice baked potatoes" with the dip. Again, mix it with 2 cups of sour cream. Then scoop out the insides of a baked potato and mix them with enough of the dip mixture to moisture. Put this mixture back into the potato skin. Put the potato onto a cookie sheet and run it under the broiler for a few minutes until the creamy potato mixture starts to brown.

If mashed potatoes are your favorite, put a few tablespoons of the dill dip (prepared with sour cream or plain lowfat yogurt) into the potatoes as you mash them for dilly mashed potatoes.



Divine Dill Dip Mix also makes one dilly of a potato salad.

Mmm…yum.

Once you try these perked up recipes, you'll probably never serve plain potatoes again.

Note: Just one package of Divine Dill Dip Mix makes enough dip to perk up plenty of potatoes!

Tuesday's Food Tip: Get This "Gotta Have" Gadget for the Cook Who SEEMS to Have Everything!

It’s not too early to start your Christmas shopping. And, if there’s someone on your list who loves to cook, but SEEMS to have every kitchen gadget known to mankind, I’ll bet even he/she doesn’t own one of these unusual gismos.



This Electric Marshmallow Toaster is an automatic, hand-held rotisserie that creates perfectly toasted marshmallows!

Ah! Now that’s a gadget any true smores lover has just "gotta have."

Heck. This would be worth the money just to see what happens around a campfire when everyone else pokes marshmallows onto a stick and you whip out this little gem - so you might want to order one for yourself, too!