New Hope's 5th Birthday!

This weekend our New Hope store is celebrating our 5th birthday! YAY for us! What does this mean for you? 

First, THERE WILL BE CAKE! Meyer Lemon Lavender to be precise. The recipe is below, and I've made it gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free so that everyone should be able to have some!

Second, There are going to be IN-STORE specials! There will be special deals and sales going on all weekend, so please stop by!

Sorry internet users, you have to be here for the sales. The next internet coupon should come out in a couple weeks. 

To make the allergen-free version I made for the store, use Gluten-Free flour in place of the all-purpose flour. I like a garbanzo/fava bean flour. And substitute a vegan tofu or soy based yogurt or sour cream. I like this better with the sour cream. It feels fluffier.

A version of the cake made for a friend's anniversary.

 For this, I made a simple confectioner's sugar frosting. 2 cups confectioners sugar whisked with about 3 tbsp of liquid. Milk and water are traditional, but I used lemonade to keep the theme.

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Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day! We're celebrating at home with a BBQ and here with a coupon!

There are also FIREWORKS on Friday! 

Starts at 9:30pm.

So our family BBQs are always fun and filled with the usual suspects. Burgers, chicken and hot dogs and loads and loads of fresh veggies. My grandfather loves corn, but his teeth don't care for it as much as he does. So, in the interest of good dental health, here is a corn recipe that is easy and flavorful while retaining all that is so so good about summer corn. (but gently!)

This works for any spice blend, but definitely recommend the Jerk Blend! It's fiery but not overwhelming. It would be great with the Prime Rub or Anglers too. (I love lime on corn)

Fire Roasted Jerk Corn

1/2 tbsp Jerk Seasoning Blend

2 tbsp Coratina or Casa Ligaro Olive Oil

4 ears Corn

Working one ear at a time, stand up your corn and use a very sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cob. They have fancy tools are extremely cool and work even better, but a knife will work just fine if that's what you have. Gather all the kernels into a bowl and sprinkle with the seasoning blend. Toss to coat. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss again.

Heat your grill to medium high. If you still have them, I like to use the corn husks to grill these. I just grab a silk-free section of the softer husk and use it like a little boat. If you don't have them, I make little boats out of foil. Don't crowd the kernels - I like to cook these in single serving packets, about one ear of corn worth each. 

Place the corn boats on the edges of the grill and let them cook for 10-15 minutes. If you don't have a grill handy, heat your oven to 400° and bake for about 12-14 minutes. Stir and serve. 

Have a great weekend! And for our friends to the North, Happy Canada Day! (July 1st)

Our Smithville Store is One!

Our Smithville store is one year old! Come celebrate with us and get the summer season started off with a bang!

There will be Specials in store all week, bring in this coupon to get

15% off your entire purchase!

(Does not apply to already discounted items)

This is a Smithville ONLY coupon. Watch this space in the next few days for our 

Independence Day Coupon!

Father's Day 2016

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! 

Thank you for all you do! 

(even loaning me your car when mine is in the shop! Thanks dad!)

Happy Memorial Day!

I'd love to give you a more interesting recipe to go along with this , but the next thing I have queued up is soup and I don't think it goes as well!

This super easy recipe can be made with whatever bread you have on hand, and can be either grilled or baked. Have fun with it!

Basic Garlic Bread

1 loaf bread, split lengthwise

1/4 cup Garlic Olive Oil

2 tbsp Italian Blend Spices

Pour the olive oil into a shallow dish and use the cut side of the bread to mop it up. Coat evenly.

Sprinkle the spices over the bread and sandwich together. Wrap with foil and toast in the oven or grill until just browning. 

(5-10 mins)

Spring Events

There is news! We have some new products I wanted to tell you about.

You asked for them so we got them: Wine Vinegars!

We have a Prosecco Vinegar, a Sherry Vinegar and a Red Wine Balsamic. Very tart, but oh so good. 

Also, EVENTS are happening!

Here in New Hope, it's time for SHADFEST! 

In Smithville, it's the Renaissance Faire! 

Both are happening the last weekend in April, which is this coming up soon. April is over much too quickly, when did that happen? Links to the festivities are above. We look forward to seeing you there!

Happy Spring! Yes, it did snow a bit yesterday. That was winter's way of saying 'So Long!' I sure hope so anyway. *brrr*

This is another new balsamic we got in. Black Truffle!

I know how well truffles go with cheesy sauces so I served this up with some Alfredo noodles, because I love how a good meal comes together!

Truffle Pork Roast 

1 pork loin, 2 1/2lbs
1 tsp Oregano
2 tbsp Black Truffle Balsamic + 1 tsp
1 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a casserole dish with foil.

Mix the balsamic, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper together. Rub the pork loin with the olive oil and spread the balsamic mixture on top.

Roast 30 minutes. Brush on the remaining balsamic. Roast an additional 25-30 minutes.


Veggie Alfredo

1 lb pasta, cooked and set aside
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups soft shredded cheese (mozzarella is great)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup hard shredded cheese (cheddar or Asiago)
1-2 cups frozen mixed veggies, thawed

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the oil and flour, whisking until smooth. Cook until fully incorporated. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure that everything is smooth. Cook on medium high heat about 2 minutes or until thickened.

Sprinkle in the shredded cheeses and stir until mostly melted. Spoon in the sour cream and stir until incorporated.

In a large pan, combine the noodles with the sauce and veggies. Cook until the veggies are warm all the way through. Serve.