A Dilly of a Fundraiser!

TODAY'S FOOD TIP:



If your school, sports team, band, or community group needs to raise funds, we have A Dilly of a Fundraiser for you that is a heavenly way to earn some cash – it's fun and easy. All you need is a resale tax number for your organization.



Email us for more information about our Dilly of a Fundraiser and we'll be glad to send you all the details.


****************************************

For retail specials on gourmet coffees and teas, visit Heavenly Java.

Teach Your Children What REAL Food Looks Like!

TODAY'S FOOD TIP - COOKING WITH KIDS



Did you see the episode of Dateline the other night when children were presented with two food choices - one food that was plain, the other decorated with a popular cartoon character?

This was a rather disturbing episode.

First, young children were presented with two cupcakes. Both chocolate, but one with plain chocolate frosting, the other with chocolate frosting plus SpiderMan's picture made of colorful icing.

When asked which cupcake the children would choose, they all chose the SpiderMan Cupcake.

When asked why, they simply said, "because it has SpiderMan on it, so it will taste better."

Next, the children were offered a banana decorated with colorful stickers of cartoon characters, and a chocolate cupcake with no decorations.

Each of the children chose the banana with the stickers over the cupcake because "It has Scooby Doo on it."

That sounded interesting.

If we want our children to make better food choices - fruits over cupcakes, for example - we merely need to put some cartoon stickers on the fruit.

But things got more disturbing.

Next, a large rock was decorated with stickers. Children were presented with this rock and a plain, undecorated banana.

They were asked, "Which item would you rather EAT for breakfast - this rock or the banana?"

The children all chose, "the rock."

The lady asking the children the questions wanted verification, "You would rather EAT this rock for breakfast rather than the banana. Is that correct?"

And the children shook their heads in agreement.

Man. Maybe we need to teach our children what REAL food looks like.

Real food doesn't have stickers of Scooby Doo or illustrations of SpiderMan on it.

I'll bet many children don't realize that most food comes from the ground or off a tree or bush or vine.

My food tip for today is this: Take a field trip to the grocery store or a local farmer's market and introduce your children to REAL food. Food that doesn't come with stickers of cartoon characters.

It's very apparent that advertisers are heavily influcencing your children's food choices. Is that what you want?

Which would you choose for breakfast - the rock decorated with Scooby Doo stickers, or the plain banana?

Think about it.

Try Some Broccoli Sprouts!

TODAY'S FOOD TIP



Everyone knows broccoli has many health benefits. But what you might not know is, even if you don't like the taste of broccoli you might enjoy broccoli sprouts. Plus, broccoli sprouts contain a powerful anticancer compound called sulforaphane.

You'll find broccoli sprouts at health food stores but you can also google "broccoli sprouts" and find several places to purchase them online.

Liven up a salad or sandwich with a few broccoli sprouts and give yourself a healthy dose of antioxidants, too.


*************************************

For gourmet coffees and teas visit Heavenly Java.

Host a Tasting Party!

TODAY'S FOOD TIP


Angel Ale Herb Bread


Whenever we offer product samples in stores we try to turn the event into a party, so why not try the same kind of thing at your home?

Host a tasting party.

Make up a variety of our heavenly gourmet mixes to offer your friends.

Our Sun-Blessed Tomato Herb Dip Mix makes the perfect bread dipper to serve with our Angel Ale Herb Bread (pictured above)when made with a little oil olive.

Our Divine Dill Dip Mix comes with an insert listing A dozen ways to use it.

Look at our products page and you'll see we have all sorts of delicious products that would be fun to make up for a tasting party!


***********************************************

Visit Heavenly Java for gourmet coffees, teas, and Today's Read.

Have You Heard About Magic Oil?

TODAY'S FOOD TIP

If you haven't heard about Magic Oil from professional foodie Ivey Levy you'll want to read this interesting interview from writer Linda Della Donna.

Then visit Ivey's in My Kitchen.

Make Life Easier with a Mango Splitter!

WEDNESDAY'S FOOD TIP

Splitting a mango is often a guessing game. The trick is to cut around the seed without wasting much of the precious fruit and ending up with sticky fingers.

Since we purchased a mango splitter several months ago we've been eating mangoes more often and have become quite fond of this luscious fruit.

The mango splitter from Oxo takes the guesswork out of splitting a mango and eliminates the sticky fingers. It works just like an apple corer (except you end up with 2 large pieces of mango while an apple corer usually divides an apple into ten pieces).



Once you've split a mango with this great little tool, follow these illustrated instructions for dicing the fruit (just use the mango splitter in place of Step 1). Then try this recipe for Mango Salsa from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.

Food For the Bereaved

Tuesday's Food Tip

This may seem like a rather strange food tip. But this past week my family experienced a terrible loss. My brother's 19-year-old son went in to take a shower and collapsed and died. His heart just stopped beating and nothing anyone (including the paramedics) could do for him could get it started again. No drugs or alcoholic, or anything strange were involved. The doctors suspect he had a heart defect that had gone undetected and it suddenly caused his heart to just stop.

I can't begin to explain how this has "broken" my brother's own heart. And my entire family has been grieving FOR him and the rest of his immediate family, as much as WITH them, over this unbelievable loss.

As friends, family, and business associates from far and wide flocked to my brother's house with food, I realized that it might help others who want to help friends in a similar situation, so here are some tips when preparing and sending food to the home of the bereaved:

1) People send a little of anything and everything to the home of the bereaved family, but it's wonderful to have an actual "meal." If you can, prepare a one pot meal, like chili, soup, or even a pot roast with all the trimmings (potatoes, onions, carrots, etc.). That way, the family will have a nourishing meal readily available, not only for themselves, but for the extended family that will come to town at this time.

2) A platter of cold cuts, breads, and vegetable sticks is most welcomed. Anyone at the home who is hungry can make themselves a sandwich, or lunch can be prepared quite easily for a large crowd.

3) Comfort foods are most appreciated - Platters of chocolate chips cookies are soothing to everyone and there is no such thing as "too many cookies."

4) Try to send some foods that can be frozen if they aren't eaten right away. My brother and his family received so much food, they were worried about it spoiling before they could eat it all. A frozen casserole or soup that can be thawed out later will be much appreciated by the family.

5) Fresh fruit salad is wonderful if you know the family isn't receiving this from others. It needs to be eaten soon after the family receives it, and they won't be able to eat 3 or 4 fresh fruit salads, so be sure they aren't inundated with these before you decide to make one for them.

6) Try to send the foods in disposable containers whenever possible. That way, the family won't have to keep up with the containers and see that they are returned to the rightful owners later.

Also, if you're a member of the extended family or a very close neighbor or friend, check to make sure the house has everything the family will need to keep going for a while - this means the refrigerator is stocked with milk, juice, and butter, and there is bread and cereal in the pantry, and enough toilet tissue and laundry detergent for the next few days. During this time of loss, so many arrangements need to be made. The family won't have time to think about food or other little necessities, so you can do that for them.

If you have other tips you'd like to share, please leave your comments.

Take care.

Suzanne Lieurance
Owner, Three Angels Gourmet Co.

FYI - Why There Have Been No Food Tips This Week

If you visit our blog on a regular basis, you know that we have published a daily food tip for over a year now. But this week the last food tip was published on Monday. I just wanted to let our readers know that we had an unexpected death in the family Monday night and I just haven't been able to focus on food tips for the blog.

Look for food tips to start again daily on Monday at the latest.

Thank you, for your understanding!

Suzanne Lieurance
Owner, Three Angels Gourmet Co.

A Cool & Refreshing Appetizer for Summer!

MONDAY'S FOOD TIP

These attractive cucumber and salmon appetizers are a snap to make with our Divine Dill Dip Mix. Simply add cream cheese or sour cream to the dip mix.




DILLICIOUS CUCUMBER & SALMON APPETIZERS


1/2 pkg. Divine Dill Dip Mix

1 c. sour cream OR 4 oz. cream cheese

1 large cucumber

1 pkg. (about 3 oz.) smoked salmon

Fresh dill or canned pimento


Combine the sour cream or cream cheese and Divine Dill Dip Mix and refrigerate for at least an hour, so the onions in the dip mix will soften and the flavors will blend with the sour cream or cream cheese.

Slice a large cucumber in half. With a vegetable peeler, peel the length of each cucumber, leaving narrow strips of the peel intact (see photo). Cut the cucumber into 1 to 2 inch slices, then make a little cup out of each piece of cucumber by hollowing out a bit of the cucumber. Put about a teaspoon of the dill dip mixture into the hollow space of each cucumber. Cut a small piece (about 2 inches or so) of smoked salmon and roll it up. Place the rolled salmon on top of the dill dip mixture that is inside the cucumber slice. Garnish with a little minced dill or a small piece of canned pimento. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

*********************************************

For Wholesale Information: Visit Beyond the Expected Marketing.

For Retail offers on gourmet coffees, teas, plus Today's Read..., visit Heavenly Java.

Creative Ideas for Our Sugar Cookie Mix

SUNDAY'S FOOD TIP

Doesn't this fruit tart look delicious? You can make one just like this if you have a package of Sugar Cookie Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. But there are many other ways to get creative with this wholesome mix, too.

Prepare a package of Sugar Cookie Mix, then spread it out in a pizza pan and bake. When the cookie is done, sprinkle with colored sugar, or let it cool, then frost with powdered sugar frosting.

For another impressive dessert, prepare the Sugar Cookie Mix according to package directions, then mold it into a tart pan and bake. When the cookie has finished baking, remove it from the oven, then sprinkle the top with chocolate chips. As the chips melt, spread them over the top of the entire tart for a chocolate-iced shortbread type cookie-tart. M-m-m-yum!

Order Sugar Cookie Mix here.

Click Here for the Fruit Tart Recipe.
*************************************

For wholesale orders and information, visit Beyond the Expected Marketing.

For retail offers on gourmet coffees and teas, visit Heavenly Java.

Cute and Easy Cakes for Your Child's Birthday

SATURDAY'S FOOD TIP - COOKING WITH KIDS

Okay, so today's tips are really more about cooking FOR your kids than cooking WITH your kids. Still, I think you and your children will enjoy this birthday cake collection.



Kid Birthday Cake Idea Collection - Cake Decorating Without Fear
by Patricia Jensen

Our kid birthday cake idea collection makes cake decorating fun and fearless. You don't have to be a pastry chef to create a professional quality cake for your child's birthday or other special event. Learn unique and easy cake decorating ideas to make spectacular homemade cakes.

PARTY CAKE CONCEPT AND DESIGN

The most important kid birthday cake idea is choosing a cake concept which fits with your party theme. You can start with a simple sheet cake topped with small toys or figures, or piece the cake itself to form a unique design.

For example, a Construction Party cake could be topped with tiny toy dumptrucks and bulldozers pushing a chocolate chip mountain. Or, the cake itself could be cut, pieced and frosted to look like a dump truck.

For a Train Party, set a miniature choo-choo train on licorice tracks atop your cake, or line up several brightly colored frosted loaf cakes to form train cars.

For a Luau party, a simple round or sheet cake can be festooned with a silk flower lei, or form a string of cupcakes in a circle and adorn each one with silk or frosting flowers. Connect with a licorice string to make a cupcake "lei".

Baking cakes in an oven-safe glass bowl or in a special 3D sports ball pan is great for making any kind of perfectly round ball cake, or the dress part of a Barbie doll cake. A wonder mold cake pan makes small single serving doll cakes and other cute creations!

Think of the design you'd like to make and what shapes you need to make it - round, sheet, loaf, cupcakes, or a combination.

Peruse cake decorating books for a kid birthday cake idea which fits your needs. Many books provide templates forcutting and piecing cakes to create any number of popular designs. You decide just how simple or challenging your cake will be.

For a no-fuss kid birthday cake idea, apply an edible cake art image to the top of a frosted cake. Many popular themes and copyrighted images such as Disney are available to provide a professional looking cake design.

Themed cake pans are another popular cake decorating option. They provide the shape and visual design to follow for an impressive finished cake. Popular TV and cartoons characters are well represented in cake pans, as well as teddy bears, butterflies, pirates, Tigger,Mickey Mouse, and lots more.

FROSTING CHOICES

Homemade Frosting - Dig up that famous family recipe or check out one of the many online recipe sites and make your cake frosting from scratch. Be sure to plan ahead how much of each color will be needed for both basic foundation and decorative trim.

Canned and Tube Frostings - Easiest and quickest, prepared canned frostings are available in grocery stores in the baking aisle with the cake mixes. They generally come in white, chocolate, and a handful of other popular flavors. Keep a few ready-to-use tube frostings on hand in various basic colors to add the finishing touches.

Fondant Frosting - Gaining in popularity in this country in recent years, fondant frosting gives a beautiful smooth finish to your cake decorating creation. Fondant can be rolled out and draped over a cake, poured on as a glaze, or sculpted into shapes. It is easily tinted, and can be flavored as well. Ready-made fondant is available through party supply outlets. There are also many recipes online for homemade fondant.

CAKE DECORATING WITH CANDY AND SMALL TOYS

Cookies, candies, and other materials can be used for special and impressive effects. Frosted sugar cones can serve as the fins on a space ship cake or the turrets on a castle cake. Make a surprise cake filling with jello.

A wide variety of plastic stand-ups or cake toppers are available in craft stores. Or, simply use a toy which fits in with the party theme as a cake topper and give it to the party child when the party is over. Action figures, small dolls, animals and cartoon characters all make good choices.

Add cool candy accents with M & M's, licorice pieces, licorice whips, animal crackers, oreo cookies, paper umbrellas, pretzel sticks, tootsie rolls, jimmies, gummies such as worms, bears, etc, gumdrops, mini marshmallows, colored coconut, jellybeans.

THE LATEST CAKE DECORATING FADS!

There are many novel choices for placing the finishing touches on your party cake. Dress it up in style with one or more of these unique special effects:

Spray Color Mist - is a fun addition to your baking repertoire. Frost your cake white, then spray on edible color from an aerosol can. Available in many colors, it can be used with stencils to make unique designs, as a highlight to whipped topping - even on your child's mashed potatoes!

Luster Dusts - are an edible food safe "dust" which can be used on any frosting recipe that dries hard and firm to the touch. Brush it on white frosting for a metallic-like glossy sheen or layer it for interesting color effects.

Cake Stampers - can be used along with brush-on color for fondant icing. Simply stamp shapes and designs into the finished fondant and tint with brush-on color.

Cake Stencils - Place stencil on iced cake and sprinkle edible glitter, confetti sprinkles, or use spray-on color mist.

Edible Color Markers - These unique markers are used just like an ink marker. Draw fun designs on cakes, cookies, fondant frosting, even cheese, fruit slices and bread. Decorating marker kits are available for children.

Edible sugar-shape decorations, decorative candles, themed cake picks and rings,and edible glitter are all fun tools in your cake baking arsenal.

Now you're armed with lots of great ideas for cake decorating success - without fear!

Go forth and create... and above all, have fun!

For more cake decorating information, check out our webpage: Kid Birthday Cake Idea Collection

Copyright 2005 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved


Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.

Article Source: ezinearticles.com.


************************************

For wholesale information about "heavenly gourmet mixes" from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. visit Beyond the Expected Marketing.


For retail sales of gourmet coffees and teas, plus Today's Read, visit Heavenly Java.

Monkey Bread Baker - Another "Gotta Have" Kitchen Gadget

FRIDAY'S FOOD TIP

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned...gulp...55! Yikes!

I went from comfortably "middle-aged" to a "senior-citzen" in a single day.

How did that happen?

I'm sure that in a few days I really will appreciate all these "senior-citzen discounts" I'm now entitled too.

It just takes a little time to get used to this new label I've acquired, I guess.

Anyway, I had a wonderful birthday. Some fellow writer friends and I spent the morning at our favorite spot - the coffeeshop in a bookstore, of course.

And my friends brought presents. Yippeee!!

They know me well, too. There were all sorts of kitchen gadgets and fun things for cooking. I loved everything!!! Thank you! thank you!

But here is one of the most beautiful and unusual items I received. It's called a Monkey Bread Baker.



If you've never had Monkey Bread, it's a delicious bread made with biscuit dough that you simply break apart and serve. I've always made it in a bread pan. But now I can bake and serve it in this gorgeous Monkey Bread Baker.

My Monkey Bread Baker was created by Vicki Gauerke of Topeka, Kansas, and purchased at The Phoenix Gallery in Lawrence, Kansas.



As you can see, it's a beautiful piece of crockery. Plus, it is lead free, dishwasher safe, and ovenproof. To use it for Monkey Bread, it needs to be filled with the ingredients, then placed in a cold oven and the oven turned on and allowed to heat to 375 degrees as called for in the Monkey Bread recipe.

Here are two yummy recipes that came with the baker:

Savory Monkey Bread

2 tubes of Pillsbury Hungry Jack Flaky biscuits
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped dried chives
1 tsp. dry dill weed
Dash of garlic powder

Butter pan. Melt butter and put it in pan. Add cheese, chives, dill weed and garlic. Split biscuits. Spread halves with butter-cheese mixture. Stand biscuit halves on edge. Fill pan in this manner. Lay extra pieces across top. Put into a cold oven and set the temperature at 375 Degrees. Bake 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.

Cinnamon-Raisin Monkey Bread

Instead of cheese, chives, dill weed, and garlic, use 1/2 c. raisins, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and 1/4 c. nuts. While hot, remove from pan and glaze. Mix 1/4 c. powdered sugar, a little vanilla, and a little milk to make a medium thick paste. Use this to glaze.


************************************

For wholesale information about "heavenly gourmet mixes" from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. visit Beyond the Expected Marketing.


For retail sales of gourmet coffees and teas, plus Today's Read, visit Heavenly Java.

Oven-Dried Tomatoes

THURSDAY'S FOOD TIP

Love the taste of sun-dried tomatoes but hate the high cost of such a gourmet treat? Then make your own.

Well, sort of. Instead of sun-drying tomatoes outside, dry them inside in your oven.



First, be sure to get the proper tomatoes for drying. I like to use about 20 plump Roma (Plum) tomatoes for drying, but cherry tomatoes work well, too.



Set your oven to 200 degrees F. Slice the tomatoes in halves. Scoop out the seeds with your fingers or a fork. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven for several hours (about 5 to 6, but longer, if necessary – see EXTRA TIPS below) turning it occasionally so all of the tomatoes dry evenly.

The tomatoes are done when they are dried but are still slightly plump. Allow them to cool at room temperature.

Once the tomatoes have cooled, put them in a jar or other container that has a tight fitting lid. Pour enough oil olive into the jar to cover the tomatoes. Put the lid on the jar very securely. Store the tomatoes in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

EXTRA TIPS:

If you have a convection oven (which is what I use for this) use it and the tomatoes will dry much faster. Keep checking the tomatoes periodically after a couple of hours.

Some directions for oven-dried tomatoes include marinating the tomatoes in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and parsley before drying them. This gives the tomatoes a rich flavor, but will increase the drying time to about 16 hours or longer. Once the tomatoes have been in the oven for a few hours, keep checking them to determine when they are dried but not leathery.

********************************

For wholesale orders and information about our "heavenly gourmet mixes," visit Beyond the Expected Marketing.

For retail offers on gourmet coffees and teas, plus an interesting Today's Read, visit Heavenly Java.

The 2006 Raw Spirit Retreat

WEDNESDAY'S FOOD TIP

I like to present news and information about all sorts of foods - not just my own "heavenly gourmet mixes." With that in mind, did you know the 2006 Raw Spirit Retreat will take place in Oregon later this month?

Here's some more information about the event:

The 2006 Raw Spirit Retreat will be held at Camp Adams, nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains near Mollala, Oregon.  The retreat begins Wednesday afternoon, August 30th and runs through Saturday morning, September 2nd, and consists of three transformational days of vegan living foods, inspiration, learning, support, and community.  The price of only $395 per person includes all workshops and accommodations as well as eight fantastic meals prepared by guest raw gourmet chefs!  For more information, call 800-910-4877 or visit RawSpirit on the web.  Hurry, due to venue capacity this event is limited to 200 people!


Camp Adams

Jeff Rogers will be one of the speakers at this retreat. He'll be teaching participants to make gourmet vegan "ice cream", some terrific raw vegan dressings, and his decadent raw vegan 4-layer chocolate cake! According to Jeff, "This is a great way to learn more about raw foods, said to be the fastest growing segment of the food industry. People have consistently touted benefits from a variety of ailments, as well as improved energy and vitality."

Check out Jeff's website for more information about vegan foods.


**************************************

For wholesale information about "heavenly gourmet mixes" from the Three Angels Gourmet Co. visit Beyond the Expected Marketing.


For retail sales of gourmet coffees and teas, plus Today's Read, visit Heavenly Java.

This Week's Special - Divine Dill Dip Mix

TUESDAY'S FOOD TIP

Order this week's special and you'll have plenty of Divine Dill Dip Mix on hand to make everything from a dill cream sauce or a tartar sauce to a dry rub for chicken or an elegant dill, pineapple, and cream cheese filling for dainty tea time sandwiches.

With temperatures soaring across most of the country right now, relaxing with some Divine Dill Dip Mix, prepared with plain lowfat yogurt, and a platter of carrot sticks and celery sticks for dipping, can be a refreshing way to unwind at the end of a hot day.

Order This Week's Special Here.

*****************************************

Wholesale orders and information: Visit Beyond the Expected Marketing.

For retail sales of gourmet coffees and teas, visit Heavenly Java.