Champagne Margaritas

Margaritas get a festive boost with the addition of your favorite bubbly.  Doesn’t this sound heavenly? I will definitely be making this pitcher full of festive joy! Here’s How to Make It: What You Need:  1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup silver tequila 1/2 cup orange liquer (I’m a Grand Marnier gal myself…) 1 bottle of champagne (about 3 cups… but don’t be stingy) lime wedges, for the rim salt, for the rim How You Do It: Combine all ingredients in …

Bruschetta

This delicious and easy to make brushetta recipe will put your fresh tomatoes to good use. This tomato bruschetta (broo-SKET-uh) is the most wonderful appetizer during fresh tomato season. Easy to prepare and bursting with summer flavors, these bruschetta make a great snack, appetizer, or side dish.  Try it and you’ll be hooked. Ingredients 10 plum tomatoes, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced ¾ cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional) 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt …

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Enjoy this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins that Sue made for us! They are a perfect treat to bring to all your holiday gatherings and a great way to show off your homemade pumpkin purée! Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins 1 15oz can or homemade pumpkin 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 …

The Great Pumpkin – Homemade Pumpkin Purée

In the fall, pumpkin dominates a lot of recipes. For ease, I often turn to easy-to-find canned pumpkin. I always thought it was super complicated to make my own pumpkin purée. Well, thanks to our resident baker of “all things delicious”, Sue Sarters, I now know differently.  Recently, Sue purchased some of our pie pumpkins and took them home to make her own homemade pumpkin purée.  She then took that homemade pumpkin purée and used some in a recipe for pumpkin …

Cheers to Cherry Bars

Need a delicious treat to share at your holiday gathering? Michele, our resident designer, brought in an amazing cherry treat for all of us here at the retail store.  It was so good I thought I would share… Enjoy! Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (9 graham crackers) ¼ cup sugar ½ cup butter, melted 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 21-ounce can LUCKY LEAF® Regular or Premium Cherry Pie Filling …

Bean Soup

Looking for a low fat, high protein meal? Try this quick and easy soup made mostly with canned beans. It is one of my favorites! I love this garnished with a pinch of shredded sharp cheddar and some crushed tortilla chips. Ingredients 1 can Black Beans 1 can Kidney Beans 1 can Cannellini Beans 1 can Butter Beans 1 can Fat Free Refried Beans 1 can Diced Tomatoes 3 cups Water 1 tsp Minced Garlic 1 tsp Onion Powder 1/2 …

Basil Lemonade

A great go-to summer lemonade recipe — the basil adds a delicious twist. The recipe is perfect for a party as you can make non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions. Basil Lemonade 2 cups basil lemon syrup 2 cups cold water 2 cups ice cubes 1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice Garnish: fresh basil sprigs; lemon zest strips Preparation Stir together all ingredients in a large pitcher, then pour into tall glasses half filled with ice.   Basil Lemon Syrup 4 cups packed …

Watermelon Strawberry Mint Salsa

Easy to make and perfect when served with seasoned meat just off the grill. Ingredients 1 c Diced Watermelon (Seeds removed) 3⁄4 c Diced Strawberries 1⁄4 c Diced Red Onion 2 T Chopped fresh mint leaves 2 T Diced Seeded Jalapeno Chile 1 T Lime Juice 1 t Sugar (Optional, to taste) Instructions Gently stir together all ingredients in bowl. Let stand to blend flavors, about 1 hour. For a dynamite combination, serve salsa with Caribbean or jerk seasoned grilled …

Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe

Cucumber Onion Salad is a classic summer side dish. This is a family-favorite that is perfect for many occasions as well as just for snacking.  Ingredients: 2 cucumbers, sliced Half onion, red or white 1/2 cup vinegar (I like to used garlic infused rice vinegar) 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp fresh ground pepper 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1/2 cup water Place cucumber slices into a large bowl.  Cut onions into long strips and add to the …

Fresh Tomato Salsa

This is a great way to use all those fresh tomatoes from your garden. Serve with tortilla chips. INGREDIENTS: 3 cups chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup onion, diced 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 4 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper (including seeds) 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper DIRECTIONS: Stir the tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, cumin, salt, and …