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The Kentucky Derby is one of America’s most beloved springtime traditions.  Plan a derby party to celebrate this occasion complete with silks, extravagant hats and these special recipes.

Kentucky horse racing can be traced back to 1783 when races were being held in the middle of Kentucky streets and on a number of private tracks located on farms throughout the area.

Several concerned citizens complained about safety issues, and eventually the first race track was built in Lexington in 1789.

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Posted in Food on May 14th, 2008
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Mead is one of the easiest wines to make and you can almost never go wrong but there are some good rules of thumb you should follow. Here are some practical tips from a mead maker.

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Posted in Food and Drink on April 26th, 2008
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Tired of the same old, boring dinner? Try the BEST Chicken and green chile recipe ever. Our cistomers rave about the flavor and the simplicity of this thirty minute chicken recipe. Warning-you’ll be hooked!

At the recent Fiery Foods and Barbecue show in Albuquerque, we made enough Santa Fe Chicken to serve 5000 guests. If this seems like a daunting task, well, you’re right. When other vendors were opening bags of chips to serve with their salsa, we stuck to our philosophy that real food demands real cooking. If we’re going to be in the specialty foods business, we’d better get cooking.

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Posted in Food and Drink on April 25th, 2008
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Now that you’re pregnant, you’re wondering if your decision to become vegetarian can still be carried out successfully during your pregnancy.  And while it is possible for you to obtain all the nutrients your body will need during pregnancy through a well-planned, nutrient-dense vegetarian diet, careful planning and observation will be crucial to your overall success transitioning to vegetarianism during your pregnancy. 

In other words: take it slow and be smart!

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Posted in Food on April 16th, 2008
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Wine has been around for thousands of years. It has been reported that Noah discovered wine making after his ordeal with the flood.

From ancient civilizations to modern times, wine has been produced and enjoyed by many people of all walks of life. The first evidence of wine produced dates back to 6000BC during the Mesopotamian culture. It has been shown that the Mesopotamians were the first people to cultivate grapes.

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Posted in Food and Drink on February 29th, 2008
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If you cook rice more than a couple times each month you want a countertop electric rice cooker. The electric rice cooker is a clever device that is as simple to use as a toaster but always produces magical results. It’s a tribute to human ingenuity how this simple kitchen small appliance does its magic and cooks rice, every kind of rice, perfectly every time. How is it that a rice cooker knows when to switch from the cooking” mode to the keep warm mode automatically?

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Posted in Food and Drink on February 27th, 2008
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So you are going to cater your event. Big or small, it can be overwhelming to find a caterer, estimate the cost, and choose the menu. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some catering ideas to help you in your search.

There are several things to look for when you choose a caterer. Make sure they have proper insurance, and have a business license and an inspection certificate. They should also have a National ‘Servsafe’ Certification and a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point program. They should also have a plan to keep foods at the appropriate temperature throughout the serving process. Look for a caterer who has a good reputation and can provide references for you to check out.

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Posted in Food and Drink on February 27th, 2008
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This easy pork chop recipe is a southern favorite. The pork chops are covered in thinly sliced onions and gravy, and simmered to a flavorful finish.

Choose a thicker sliced pork chop that is an even thickness throughout. Chops that are an even thickness will cook evenly with less drying.

Start the chop at a high heat to brown quickly, then finish at lower heat on the stove in the gravy. This produces a more tender and juicy chop.

Watch your heat and do not overcook. Overcooking will cause the chops to dry out. Serve this with a nice bread or biscuit to soak up the extra gravy or over rice. Excellent!

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Posted in Food and Drink on February 24th, 2008
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Book clubs are a great way to get friends and families together and catch up on reading. Whether you are into non-fiction, romance, how-to’s or fantasy; a book club can quench your thirst for reading. However, when you gather everyone together for that weekly or monthly book club party, you may find that the guests are in need of something a little more substantial than tomes and poems. That’s where this handy book club menu comes in.

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Posted in Food and Drink on February 10th, 2008
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Do you have a ham bone in your freezer but you’re not sure what to do with it? Here’s a fun assortment of five recipes with crock pot and stovetop instructions. These range from the traditional split pea to the creative wild rice and ham chowder.

Lentil Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: see below
Pams-hams bone
½ pound dried lentils
6 cups water
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can V8 juice
¼ cup oil
1 t. basil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse lentils thoroughly. Combine all ingredients.
In crock pot, cook on low 8-10 hours, Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup
On stove top: Combine ingredients and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender. Remove bone from soup. Cut up ham, return chopped ham to soup

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Posted in Food and Drink on February 4th, 2008
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