Search Results for: chocolate
Easter Recipes to Help You Celebrate
In preparation for this coming Easter weekend, we decided to put together a list of Easter recipes for you to put together. Whether you’re celebrating with family, gathering a group of friends, or enjoying a quiet day to yourself, you’re sure to find some ideas that will make your day extra delicious.
Roasted Leg of Lamb
Of course, a roasted leg of lamb is a classic at Easter. We sometimes like to use a simple rub of lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. However, you can spice things up by using a marinade of harissa, a North African chili pepper paste that will add lots of flavor to your dish. Serve it with plenty of vegetables, but especially go for spring flavors like carrots, green beans, radishes, and beets. Try making your own gravy to accompany everything.
Four Cheese Scalloped Potatoes
A great accompaniment to roast lamb and a decadent treat for your table, scalloped potatoes do take some time to put together but they are well worth the effort. Use a mandolin slicer to speed up the process. We like to add a combination of creamy cheeses to make this extra special for our Easter recipes. Add Asiago, Mozzarella, and Raclette in slices between the potatoes for layers of melted goodness, and then grate Parmesan onto the top to create a cheesy crust.
Chocolate Nest Cakes
A firm family favorite and a dish that the kids can all get involved in making. Just be prepared to clean up a little mess afterward.
- Prepare a muffin tray lined with paper cake cups.
- Melt some of your favorite chocolate (of course, we recommend Heggy’s).
- Add in a cereal of your choice. Cornflakes or shredded wheat work really well. Ensure that the cereal is well coated in the chocolate.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared cups.
- Top each nest with some mini chocolate eggs.
- Leave to set and then enjoy!
Asparagus and Cheese Tart
If you’re serving vegetarians this Easter, or simply want to add some lighter Easter recipes to your table, we love an asparagus and cheese tart.
- Take a sheet of puff pastry and score a border around 2 cm from the edge.
- In the middle, add slices of cheese. You can choose your favorite but you are looking for something that will melt well and have plenty of flavor. We recommend goats’ cheese or cheddar.
- Layer spears of asparagus on top and add freshly ground salt and pepper. You could also put freshly shelled peas on at this point for even more spring flavor.
- Bake in the oven until the pastry has become puffed up and golden. The asparagus should be nicely roasted and the cheese melting underneath.
- If you like, add arugula leaves on top.
This recipe can be served hot or cold, so it’s a good choice if you want to prepare it in advance or if you are heading to a pot luck dinner.
We hope you enjoy making these Easter recipes to share with your family this weekend. However you’re celebrating, we want to wish you a wonderful Easter.
Easter Gifts For The Whole Family!
The time of year for celebration is upon us again! With Easter coming up this weekend, we have put together a list of delicious Easter gifts that you can buy right here at Shisler’s Cheese House. Read on to find out all about our gift options and how to make this Easter extra special.
Our Easter gift baskets are perfect for sharing with loved ones. You can purchase them online or in store. We can even deliver them straight to your family and friends to make gift giving as easy as possible. Inside you will find Marble Cheese, Dried Fruit Chips, Yogurt Pretzels, Heggy’s Chocolates, Wild Maple Walnut Syrup, and Muddy Trail Mix.
We created this mix of treats to make sure that everyone will love our gift basket. There’s chocolate for those with a sweet tooth and marble cheese for savory lovers, with dried fruit and trail mix to keep your energy up after all of the Easter fun.
If you’re looking to give a chocolate gift, then you need to look no further than Heggy’s Solid Chocolate Bunnies. These are a real treat with 20 oz of chocolate. They are available in both milk and white chocolate, so you can pick one up for everyone in the family.
If you are looking for some more grown-up chocolate options, check out our whole chocolate section. You’ll find dozens of products that will cater to every taste. Grab some Brazilian coconut or chocolate truffles for those friends that always want to try something new. You could take some Heggy’s milk chocolate turtles into work and share some Easter joy with your colleagues, but they’re certainly popular with the children as well! We offer sugar-free treats for anyone with a restricted diet.
We also have a range of other gift baskets for every taste. Pick from a simple selection of cheeses all the way up to a huge selection of locally sourced delicious treats. If you have your own Easter gifts in mind, we can create a custom basket for you. Custom baskets can include anything currently available on the website. This is perfect if you know someone who would prefer cheese and pickles to chocolate, even at Easter. You could create a box full of dark chocolate treats or even pick our healthier options such as our sugar-free chocolates. Call us today for a quote!
If you are ordering online, please check our shipping policy to ensure that your gifts will reach you in time. If you can, pop into the store. We love to meet our customers face to face and help you find the perfect Easter gifts.
We want to wish all of you a fantastic Easter weekend. How will you be celebrating? Let us know in the comments!
Troyer’s Trail Bologna: Try it Today!
For three generations we at Shisler’s Cheese House have prided ourselves on providing the best examples of local fare to tourists and locals alike. Troyer’s Trail Bologna is one of the best examples of local fare we can recommend. Our Trail Bologna comes from the fourth generation of the Troyer family, so don’t be fooled by imitators!
What is Troyer’s Trail Bologna?
Chunky bologna, made with coarse cuts of meat. Trail Bologna originates from the Troyer family in the tiny town of Trail, Ohio. One of the best flavors of Amish Country! Enjoy the smoky taste of Trail Bologna.
Trail Bologna was named after Trail, a village in Ohio that is too small to have a zip code of its own! The Troyer family has been making their quality wood-smoked Trail Bologna here for four generations, starting in 1912, when Michael Troyer created a unique blend of special seasonings to make his now famous all-beef Trail Bologna. The family continues the tradition of excellence to this day by making literally tons of savory treats daily.
How should I eat it?
Troyer’s Trail Bologna great served as part of a cheese and charcuterie board. It is usually thinly sliced and served with cubes of cheese. We recommend that it is best enjoyed with Swiss Cheese, Baby Swiss Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, or Hot Pepper Cheese for those with a more daring palate. You can, of course, enjoy it in sandwiches or wraps as well. If you want a real treat, make a Swiss cheese and bologna sandwich and pour yourself a glass of Malbec! Troyer’s themselves recommend a salad of lettuce, spinach, plenty of tomatoes, onions, and croutons along with some shredded Swiss and Troyer’s, paired with French dressing. A brilliant lunch!
Troyer’s recently added Trail Bologna infused with cheddar cheese or with hot pepper cheese to their product offering. We are proud to carry both. When warmed, the cheese melts, creating an extra delicious treat.
Can I give it as a gift?
Yes! We think this is a great gift for someone that you want to share some local flavor with or anyone who has lived in Ohio. As it’s so popular, we offer it in several of our gift boxes.
Our classic combination box includes a 2 Lb. Baby Swiss Wheel, Troyer’s Trail Bologna Ring, 8 Oz. Colby Cheese, Shisler’s Private Label Mustard, Carr’s Crackers, and Assorted Chocolates.
You can also try it with a simple cheese selection, which includes a 1 Lb. Troyer’s Trail Bologna Ring, 3/4 Lb. Wheel of Colby, 3/4 Lb. Wheel of Farmers, and Assorted Chocolates.
For more extravagant gifts that include Troyer’s Trail Bologna, try the Amish Country Sampler Gift Box or our recent addition, the Shisler’s Cheese House Deluxe Gift Box. If you would like to create a hamper of your own choosing, simply get in touch and we’ll do what we can to help.
Have you tried Troyer’s Trail Bologna? How do you like to eat it? Let us know in the comments below!
Butterscotch Caramels: Baking Ideas
Today we’ve put together a selection of brilliant baking ideas for you to try out with Heggy’s Butterscotch Caramels.
Shisler’s Cheese House has been in existence for over fifty years and we spent thirty of them trying to get local distribution rights for Heggy’s Chocolates. They are one of the few candy companies that match our tradition of excellence, and because of that they have always had a strict distribution strategy. We had to wait until a local competitor retired to get the distribution rights in our area and in the ten-year partnership we have built, we have become their second largest distributor. Now we are, of course, aiming for number one. We absolutely love their quality candies and we know that you will too.
Butterscotch Caramels: Cookies
We like to make a simple oatmeal cookie dough and then pop a butterscotch caramel in the middle of each cookie before they go into the oven. This allows the caramels to melt and create an incredible flavor along with a chewy texture that it sure to have you going back for more. You can even add broken up pretzel pieces for extra crunch and a fabulous sweet and salty contrast.
If you want to make something really visually impressive, make a simple cookie dough and cut out your chosen shape. Place the cookies on baking paper and cut out a shape from the middle of the cookie. Put a caramel in the hole and bake the cookies. The caramel will melt and create a window!
Butterscotch Caramels: Blondies
You might love brownies, but do you ever make blondies? Blondies have less cocoa than a brownie and instead focus on brown sugar to create a fudgey baked treat. We like to push butterscotch caramels into the pan before baking so that they create pockets of caramel for you to find in the blondies.
Butterscotch Caramels as a sauce
Melting down butterscotch caramels is a quick and easy way to make a delicious butterscotch sauce when you don’t have time to make one from scratch. This is a great way to create a quick and simple dessert. Simply drizzle over ice cream, fresh fruit, or even cake for a perfect caramel finish.
Of course, you can still always enjoy your butterscotch caramels straight from the wrapper. We certainly won’t judge you for it; they are delicious! How do you like to eat them? Let us know in the comments!
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
On Sunday 17th March, people around the world will celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Today we thought we would tell you a little more about the history and traditions of the day.
What is St Patrick’s Day?
It is a cultural and religious celebration held on the death day of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
Who was St Patrick?
He was born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century and kidnapped at the age of 16 when he was taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped but later in order to convert the Irish to Christianity. By the time of his death on March 17, 461 AD, he had established monasteries, churches, and schools across the country. He also wrote that he “baptized thousands of people”.
There are many legends surrounding St Patrick. Probably one of the most famous is his use of the shamrock to illustrate the Christian teaching of three persons in one God. The shamrock subsequently became a symbol for St Patrick’s Day and for Ireland as a whole.
Another legend tells that he banished all of the snakes from Ireland, after they tried to attack him as he undertook a 40-day fast on top of a hill. Some say that the snakes are a metaphor for the druids, who St Patrick drove out by teaching Christianity.
How is St Patrick’s Day celebrated?
It is officially a public holiday in Ireland. Historically, the Lenten restrictions on food and alcohol were lifted for St Patrick’s Day, making it a time of celebration. That has continued today with drinking and revelry forming part of the celebrations in many different areas around the world. There are often parades and festivals with traditional Irish music and many people will wear green or adorn themselves with a shamrock.
The custom of ‘drowning the shamrock’ was popular in the past, with a shamrock being placed in a glass and covered with whiskey, beer or cider. The shamrock was then either drunk with the rest of the drink or tossed over the shoulder for good luck.
In England, the British Royals traditionally present bowls of shamrock to members of the Irish Guards, a regiment in the British Army. This is currently done by the Duchess of Cambridge. The city of Liverpool has the highest proportion of residents with Irish ancestry in England and they celebrate with a parade as well as musical and cultural events.
Around the world, parades are held in Moscow, Sarajevo, and Tokyo, amongst other cities. The Caribbean island of Montserrat and the Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador both join Ireland in taking a public holiday.
Are there traditional foods to eat?
Soda bread, a yeast-free bread that is very simple to make, is a traditional Irish food and is a good accompaniment to a main meal of roast lamb and potatoes. You could also enjoy a traditional Irish stew. For dessert, baking with chocolate and Guinness is a fun way to celebrate Irish flavors.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our exploration of St Patrick’s Day. How will you be celebrating? Let us know in the comments!
Uses for Pretzels That You Might Not Have Thought Of!
We love to find new ways for you to indulge in our favorite treats here at Shisler’s Cheese House, and today is no exception. We’re going to explore some uses for pretzels that you might not have thought of. That’s right, they’re not just for dipping and snacking!
We stock a huge range of pretzels, including favorites such as our Gourmet Chocolate Covered Pretzels. These have been made with love by Stefanelli’s Candies in Erie, PA since 1929 and we are now proud to offer them to you here in Ohio’s Amish Country! You’ll also find peanut butter, honey mustard, and yogurt pretzels amongst a wide range of others.
Uses for Pretzels: Breakfast
If you’re making your own granola bars at home, or even just a good batch of granola for hearty morning breakfasts, why not add a handful of crushed pretzels to the mix? They can add both texture and flavor. The saltiness will contrast with your chosen sweet ingredients to create the perfect mix.
Uses for Pretzels: Snacks
Of course, pretzels are a snack in themselves, but they can also be elevated to a whole new level with just a few moments of effort. Crush up salty pretzels and roll a ball of cream cheese in them for a quick and easy game night dip. Combine them with other treats to create a sweet or savory trail mix. You can even add a pretzel on top of your favorite sweet drinks; hot chocolates and milkshakes with plenty of whipped cream are our favorites.
Uses for Pretzels: Dinner
Savory pretzels make a great crunchy topping for a variety of dishes including chicken, pasta or even schnitzel. Crush them up using a rolling pin and sprinkle them anywhere that you might use breadcrumbs. Just be sure that you haven’t chosen chocolate pretzels!
Uses for Pretzels: Baking
This is where pretzels really can be used anywhere! They’re great crushed into the crust for a cheesecake or sprinkled on top of cupcakes. Combine them with popcorn and melted chocolate to make clusters for movie night. Chop them into your cookie dough for extra crunch. Add them to your s’mores for another layer of fun.
If you are not in the mood for baking yourself, then why not pick up some Heggy’s White Chocolate Pretzel Delights? These are a combination of fresh ground pretzels mixed with a white creamy coating so that you can enjoy a treat without the need to cook.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our new uses for pretzels. How do you like to eat them? Let us know in the comments below!
Foods To Try If You’re Going Sugar Free
We know that more and more people are trying to cut sugar out of their diet. You might have some health concerns and be trying to combat them with a low sugar diet. You might simply want to explore alternatives. Today we’re going to share with you some of our products which can help you to reduce sugar cravings whilst still enjoying balanced, healthy meals.
The first thing we would recommend is going to our Skinny Alternatives section. Here, you’ll find healthy cheeses, sugar-free chocolates, calorie-free dressings and a wide range of snacks.
Sugar Free Chocolate
We stock a wide range of sugar free chocolates including the Cashew Praline, Mint Meltaway, and Peanut Clusters. All of these deliver great taste and texture without the sugar so that you can enjoy a treat without worrying about your health.
Walden Farms: Sugar Free Syrups and Dips
We’re proud to stock Walden Farms products here at Shisler’s Cheese House. We stock their syrup in Blueberry, Chocolate, and Strawberry, as well as their pancake syrup. You can enjoy delicious syrup with no calories, fat, carbs, gluten or sugars of any kind. They are made with concentrated fruit extract and natural flavor. Enjoy them in a glass of milk, over ice cream, with fresh fruit or in a smoothie. Make yourself some easy sugar free pancakes and drizzle them with pancake syrup for an amazing healthy breakfast or dessert.
Our favorite sugar free batter recipe is to mix:
2 mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup wholewheat flour
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Once you have a nice smooth batter, simply drop spoonfuls into a hot pan and then flip when you start to see air bubbles appearing. They’re quick and delicious!
Walden Farms also make calorie free dips in both chocolate and caramel flavor. The chocolate dip is made with premium natural cocoa beans, real chocolate, and other natural flavors, while the natural caramel flavor is great with slices of apple or pear.
As if that wasn’t enough, there is also a calorie free marshmallow dip! It is made with all natural vanilla flavor and is delicious with your favorite fruits, in a parfait, a smoothie, with yogurt, or as a topping on pudding or Jell-O. You’ll be spoilt for choice!
Walden Farms Calorie Free Salad Dressings
We’re also lucky enough to have a whole range of calorie free salad dressings, so you can avoid the hidden sugar that pops up even in savory dishes. Choose from a wide range of flavors including Ranch, Italian Sun Dried Tomato, and Honey Dijon. Just like the syrups, they have no calories, fat, carbs, gluten or sugars of any kind.
Try them drizzled over salads, as flavor in your sandwiches or as a marinade for grilled meats, fish or vegetables.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our exploration of our sugar free range. Hopefully, you found something to try this week. What are your favorite ways to reduce the sugar in your diet? Let us know in the comments below!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
We wanted to wish all of our customers a very Happy Valentine’s Day!
Whether you’re celebrating love this week or taking some time to celebrate yourself, we wanted to share some ideas for making the day extra special.
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.
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.
If these selections aren’t quite right for your loved ones, check out our huge range of gift boxes. You’re sure to find something that will help you demonstrate your love.
Now all that’s left to do is plan the perfect date night. Here are some ideas that we love!
1. Movie night
Whether you head out to the cinema or stay in with lots of blankets curled up on the sofa, watching a movie together is always fun. Choose a classic that you’ve seen before so that you two can reminisce about your first dates and make sure that you’ve got plenty of popcorn!
2. Hiking
Grab some trail mix and head out for a hike. This is a great way to get to know your partner better, as you support each other to get to your destination. Take along a picnic for an even more romantic day.
3. Take a brewery or winery tour
This is a super fun way to spend an evening. Find a local brewery or winery that holds tours and head along. You’ll learn something new about how your favorite tipple is made and you might even get to try some samples along the way!
4. Take a cooking class
Instead of putting the pressure on one person to cook a stunning meal this Valentine’s Day, or booking a busy restaurant, why not head to a cooking class? You’ll be sure to have fun goofing around and you should get a great meal out of it at the end. If it’s a disaster, you can always grab a takeaway and file it away in your funny stories to tell the kids.
5. Go to a spa
The ultimate in relaxing dates, if you are both in need of some time out then book into a spa. Whether you try out the treatments on offer or simply sip champagne in the hot tub is up to you, but it’s always good to find time to relax.
However you are spending your Valentine’s Day, we hope that it is one filled with love!
Try a New Tea In Our New Mug
To celebrate the release of our new mug, we wanted to give you a list of tea to try that you might enjoy drinking from it!
Black teas
When you think of tea, you are probably thinking of a cup of English Breakfast. This is a black tea, which means that the leaves have been oxidised resulting in a dark color and a stronger flavor.
Did you know that black, green and white tea all come from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis? How the leaves are treated creates the different colors and flavors of the tea. There are also some variations based on the climate and soil in which the tea is grown.
Black teas include Assam, the most widely produced variety, Darjeeling, and Ceylon. Darjeeling has a very mild, fruity flavor and is grown in India. Ceylon, grown in Sri Lanka, is also light and will vary in flavor depending on the altitude at which it is grown.
Some black teas, such as chai and Earl Grey, have flavors added to them. Chai includes spices such as cardamom and cinnamon, whilst Earl Grey has bergamot oil which imparts a citrus taste.
Green teas
These leaves do not undergo the same drying and oxidization as black tea, leaving them fresh and green. It is sometimes slightly bitter in flavor.
To brew excellent green tea, the water should be left to come off the boil to avoid scalding the leaves. Sencha has the whole leaves, whilst matcha has been powered to produce a different effect. Again, some green teas have flavors added to them.
White teas
The lightest of the drinks from the Camellia sinensis, white tea features young, minimally processed leaves. They are often simply left to wilt in the sun and are not rolled or oxidized. The resulting drink is extremely light and delicate, with a natural sweetness.
Herbal teas
There are now herbal drinks in every flavor you can think of. Some have health benefits from their active ingredients, whilst others will simply offer a fruity alternative to your usual drink. These are particularly good options if you are trying to cut down on your caffeine intake, as many of them will be naturally caffeine free.
Hot chocolate
Of course, some of you might not be tea lovers. For you, we recommend checking out our top tips for making a great hot chocolate. Whether it’s choosing great toppings or adding a little extra flavor, we’ve got all the ideas you need to make a cozy evening at home even better.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our quick foray into different types of tea. Rest assured, if coffee is more your thing then that’s great too! We even stock the delicious REACH coffee right here in the store. Our mug is designed to show your pride in shopping here at Shisler’s Cheese House and even comes with some Heggy’s Chocolates for you to enjoy as you sip on your latest teas.
What’s your favorite tea? Let us know in the comments!
Last Minute Christmas Gifts: Ideas to Save the Day!
We know that it’s a busy time of year for all of you, so we have put together a list of last minute Christmas gifts that could help you save time and get everything under the tree before the big day!
Last Minute Christmas Gifts: Gift Certificates
This is the perfect gift for someone you are struggling to buy for. Our gift certificates are valid for one year and can be used all at once or in multiple transactions. They can spend it on their favorite cheeses and treats. You’ll be provided with a code immediately after checkout, so this is a great last minute Christmas gift if you’ve left it until Christmas Eve! You could even email the code over if it is for someone that you won’t actually be seeing over the holidays.
There are also lots of other websites that provide gift certificates via email should you need something quick and easy to give. Choose different stores for different members of your family and no-one needs to know that it was a rush to buy them!
Last Minute Christmas Gifts: Hampers
We have an incredible selection of gift boxes and have added some extra special new ones this year so that you can really show your love and appreciation during the holidays. Treat someone really special to the Deluxe Gift Box, which includes cheeses, chocolates, snacks, and even a Shisler’s Cheese House t-shirt!
For wine lovers, take home our Red Wine or White Wine Collection. These specially selected boxes of cheese have been chosen to complement the flavors of the wine. They will make for a fun addition to any holiday parties and will certainly make any cheese-loving friends happy too.
We can even help you to put together a hamper of specially chosen gifts if you have more time and want to select items that you know your friends and family will love. You could even pick up some treats from us and combine them with other gift items such as cosmetics to create a unique gift.
Last Minute Christmas Gifts: Chocolate!
You really cannot go wrong with the gift of chocolate over the holidays. Whether it’s Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Turtles for the kids or Brazilian Chocolate Truffles for the grown-ups, you’ll find something for everyone on your list. We like to keep a few boxes of chocolates on hand for those unexpected guests so that you’re never caught without a gift to reciprocate with.
Unless you are buying a gift certificate, you will need to pop into our store in person to secure these last minute gifts. We’ll be happy to help you pick out everything that you need and you’ll be able to complete your Christmas shopping in no time.
We hope that this list has helped you to approach those last minute Christmas gifts without any stress. Pop in to see us at Shisler’s Cheese House today and find everything you need.
Have you done all of your Christmas shopping? Let us know in the comments!
