Category: Holidays
Black Friday – Origins and History
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Today I want to wish all of you the happiest and most wonderful of holidays. I know that it is likely a difficult one for many people who are without their loved ones today. But, just remember, by skipping a gathering on this day, you are protecting the people you love. And…HOPEFULLY…you will be able to celebrate a safe and happy Christmas together if the dust settles a bit on this current wave.
In honor of the holiday, I’d like to give you a little background on it. No, I’m done talking about Thanksgiving. Even if all deals are off for gathering today, all deals are on for Black Friday! Nothing can stop the cyber shopping. Not even 2020. (I hope I didn’t speak too soon on that. LOL)
Grab and Go: Thanksgiving Options in a Pinch
Happy Turkey Week! I hope everyone is well prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday….in two days! If you are scrambling for a contribution to your family feast, just stop by Shisler’s…We’ve got you covered!
Featured Gift Box: Amish Cheese and Goodies
As we enter the season of Holiday Cheer, I first want to encourage you all to sign up for our email list! Yes, that little pop up…Right there! Our emails will give you exclusive deals on shipping and sale items throughout the holiday season. Secondly, I want to start to highlight some of the tasty selections offered in the Gift Boxes at Shisler’s so you can get a head start on stocking the house for Thanksgiving or holiday gift giving!
Be the Best Trick-or-Treat Stop on the Block!
Halloween is right around the corner and a lot of you may be wondering about the safety of Trick-or-Treat in the time of COVID-19*. Well, like with everything in 2020, its going to require a little inventiveness and imagination. But there are a lot of creative alternatives to the traditional door to door candy collecting to keep this time honored tradition safe and (maybe even more) fun!
Kiflis: An Eastern European Holiday Staple
Last week we posted some pictures of some AMAZING Hungarian Cookies that have been a huge hit. Both the online response and in store sales have been overwhelming. So, we wanted to take a few minutes to give you a little info on the history of these cookies and the bakery that makes them!
Featured Product: Heggy’s Fresh Roasted Nuts
Now, if you’ve never had Heggy’s Nuts – you might be thinking…”If I’ve tried one nut, I’ve tried them all.”
If you have experienced these freshly roasted, perfectly salted, phenomenal nuts, you’ll agree with me when I say, “They raise the snack bar pretty darn high!”
It’s National Snack Food Month!
It’s National Snack Food Month this February so we are bringing you a list of our favorite snack foods.
- Trail Mix
Our original trail mix is packed with nuts and dried fruit. Our diet trail mix is great if you’re hiking to get fit. Buggy trail mix has butter toffee peanuts, honey roasted sesame sticks, cheddar crackers, pretzel nuggets, and wheat crackers.
We also offer a banana split mix which contains cranberries, banana chips, almonds, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate drops, pineapple tidbits, raisins, yogurt covered peanuts, peanuts, and yogurt drops. You could also try Mikey’s Mix which is packed with nuts and chocolate treats.
If you’ve got time, you could try making your own trail mix. Check out our gourmet foods section and pick your favorite things to mix up.
- Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is a great source of energy and nutrients. We especially love dried strawberries, kiwi, banana chips, and pineapple.
We also offer Think Fruit Dried Fruit Snacks in a variety of flavors, packaged up and ready for you to pop in your bag for those on-the-go snack moments.
- Jerky
Jerky is full of protein which makes it a great snack, especially if you’re exercising or having a busy day. Try our Uncle Mike’s Beef Jerky, which we offer in Mild, Hot or Teriyaki flavor. It’s easy to pack and pull out when you’re out and about.
- Nuts
We have a great range of nuts including peanuts, pistachios, and cashews. They’re a healthy source of protein and fats. You can even create your own mixes of them to snack on. Keeping a jar of nuts in the kitchen can stop you reaching for more unhealthy snacks, especially at hungry moments like when you’ve just got in from work!
- Seeds
Seeds contain high levels of essential fatty acids as well as lots of vitamins and minerals that can help to keep us healthy. Because they are so nutrient-rich, you don’t need to eat a lot each day to get the health benefits of them. A tablespoon a day is more than enough and they’re easy to snack on. Try toasting them and adding them to salads if you’re having a more substantial snack.
- Cheese!
Of course, cheese is one of our favorite snacks. Whether you have a few slices with some crunchy crackers or create a more substantial snack with slices of bologna, it’s a great source of calcium and a delicious treat. Pop in to try some new cheeses and you might find a new favorite for your snack pack.
What’s your favorite snack food? Let us know in the comments below!
Celebrating National Hot Breakfast Month
Can you believe February is actually National Hot Breakfast Month?
With that in mind, we’ve got some ideas for hot breakfasts to energize you in the morning!
Chocolate Croissants
Take some crescent rolls and roll them up with pieces of chocolate inside. Bake in the oven until the rolls are golden brown and the chocolate is melted. These make a great breakfast that will surprise your family any day of the week!
Crepes
Crepes are simply a delicious thin pancake that can be filled with toppings both sweet and savory.
You will need:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
0.25 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
How to make the crepes:
- Mix all ingredients in a blender. This will create a puree and will ensure that all of the ingredients are mixed well. If you don’t have a blender you can do this by hand, but ensure that you mix thoroughly.
- Bubbles will form on the top when the batter is ready. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. If you are preparing ahead for a dinner party, it can be kept in the fridge for 1 day.
- Heat a non-stick 12inch skillet over medium heat. Add a little butter and allow this to melt and coat the pan.
- Add 1/3 of a cup of batter, swirl it to evenly cover the pan, and cook until golden brown. This should take 2 to 3 minutes.
- Carefully flip the crepe using a silicone spatula. Cook for another minute and remove from the pan.
- Continue with the remaining batter, adding butter before each crepe.
Oatmeal
It’s a classic for a reason! If you need fueling up for a full morning then oatmeal is nearly always the one to go for. You’ll have your own favorite way of making it, whether it’s with water or milk, and that’s one of the best things about it. Why not try a new topping? Peanut butter, jams, fresh fruit, seeds, you name it and it can be popped on top of a bowl of oatmeal!
Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a Mediterranean breakfast dish.
Preheat your oven to 350F. Start by cooking down one chopped clove of garlic, a sliced onion and a sliced red pepper in an ovenproof frying pan. You want them to be cooked until they are really soft. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and a teaspoon each of ground cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
When ready, make 4 small wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Pop the whole pan into the oven for around 10 minutes. Watch closely so that the eggs are cooked how you like them. Once removed from the oven, a sprinkle of fresh coriander can add freshness. Simply serve with fresh bread for dipping in the delicious sauce.
What’s your favorite hot breakfast? Let us know in the comments!
Get Prepared for Valentine’s Day 2020!
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and it’s time to start preparing to show your loved ones your affection.
We’ve created two fabulous gift boxes that are sure to hit the right note on February 14th.
Our Valentine’s Day All Chocolate Gift Box is perfect for those with a sweet tooth. Inside you’ll find a Heggy’s Solid Milk Chocolate Heart, Chocolate Cheese, Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Turtles, and two kinds of chocolate covered fruit!
With this much chocolate packed in, your loved ones will be thinking of you for a long time.
For inspiration on how to use the chocolate cheese, check out our recent blog post.
Our Valentine’s Day Gift Box combines some of our favorite treats. Inside you’ll find Havarti Cheese, a Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Heart, Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Fudge, Strawberry Caramel Creams and Yogurt Covered Cranberries.
This is the ideal gift if you’re preparing a special dinner and want to have cheese and sweet treats to complete the evening.
Wine pairings
If you want to serve up some wine along with your gift boxes, you have several options.
To complement the Havarti Cheese, a merlot or chardonnay would both work well. Havarti is a semi-soft Danish cow’s milk cheese with a buttery aroma and a sweet, sometimes nutty, taste. These wines will complement the flavors whilst matching its smooth texture.
If you want to pair wine with the chocolate, you need to find something that is slightly sweeter. A dessert wine such as Moscato or Sauternes is ideal for this. For something lighter, try a sweet Riesling. This will also work well with the Strawberry and Cream flavor
Whether you’re a new couple or celebrating years of marriage, Valentine’s Day is the time to take a moment to appreciate those that we love.
We don’t want to be too cheesy (!), but we love all of our Shisler’s Cheese House customers! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Let’s Celebrate National Peanut Butter Day!
January 24th is National Peanut Butter Day!
We have a whole range of fun peanut butter products for you to try!
Our Amish Peanut Butter Spread is made locally from a special blend of all natural ingredients. It’s sweet and creamy, with a soft and silky texture, perfect for baking or spreading on toast!
If you need a sweet treat, then Heggy’s Peanut Butter Creams are completely delicious. If you are keen to avoid sugar right now, then we also have sugar free peanut butter meltaways.
For pretzel lovers, we have peanut butter pretzels that are both salty and sweet! We also stock peanut butter yogurt pretzels which are a firm favorite around here.
We thought that you might like to celebrate the day with a little baking. Read on to pick one of our ideas to cook up something fun!
- Peanut Butter Cookies
Best served with a glass of milk, these are a true classic. Add peanut butter to your cookie batter or spread it on top. You can go for straight peanut butter or add chocolate – choose your favorite. Cookies also make great ice cream sandwiches!
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Mix the peanut butter into the cheese, use peanut butter cookies in the base, or even create a peanut butter topping. You could even chop some Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Creams and stir them in. However you decide to bring peanut butter into your cheesecake, you know that it will be delicious.
- Peanut Butter Brownies
Take your favorite brownie batter and swirl in some peanut butter. You could even add a crunchy topping with some crushed up Peanut Butter Pretzels. Try a blondie with white chocolate if you have a really sweet tooth.
- Peanut Butter S’mores
Just when you thought s’mores couldn’t get any better, we added peanut butter! You can do this in a couple of different ways. Either make a normal s’more and add a smear of peanut butter to one of your graham crackers or replace your chocolate with a peanut butter cup. You could even add some caramel if you want a real treat.
5. Peanut Butter Pancakes
Pancakes aren’t just for breakfast. They make a great dessert too! This filling will work for both. Put peanut butter, chocolate chips and slices of banana in your crepes before rolling them up.
6. Peanut Butter Sundae
Create a sauce by heating 3 parts caramel, 1 part peanut butter and 1 part milk until it is smooth. Pour it into the bottom of your sundae glass. Layer it with ice cream, banana, caramel, and any other ingredients that you like. Top with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.
Happy National Peanut Butter Day everyone!
If you plan to serve these at a party or take them along to an event, please be careful to ensure that no-one present has a nut allergy and always label your dish stating its ingredients. We would hate for someone’s baking to become a health risk.
