Stonewall Kitchen

Chocolate for your Sweetheart

2012-02-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day comes every year, and every year you want to make it special for your loved ones. What better way to make someone happy than with homemade chocolate! Here are 3 fantastic, decadent recipes from a recent cooking class called Chocolate for your Sweetheart taught by Heather, one of our cooking school instructors.

Making homemade treats for your Valentine adds such a special touch to the day so we have created a recipe for everyone. Each recipe is a little more in depth than the previous, depending how much time you have to put into your homemade treats. Or, if you have no time, you can sign up for one of our Valentine's Day Classes and let our chefs do the cooking for you!

Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

Makes 24 Truffles
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Truffles can be simple to make at home.
And making them yourself is sure to earn you some brownie points!

Ingredients:

8 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Assorted coatings such as toasted coconut, finely chopped nuts and cocoa powder (shown in above photo)

Directions:

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and then pour over chocolate.
Let sit (without stirring) 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Refrigerate (uncovered) until somewhat firm, about 1 hour.
Spoon mounds (2 level teaspoons each) of chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Return to refrigerator for 15 minutes.
With your hands, roll mounds into balls. Place desired coatings in shallow bowls. Roll balls in coatings, pressing in and covering completely.
Return to baking sheet; chill until set, about 30 minutes

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Serves 10-12
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Top this fudgey cake with vanilla ice cream or one of our Dessert Toppings

Ingredients:

8oz quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa, plus extra for dusting
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. Godiva chocolate liquor
1 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Butter bottom & sides of 10" spring form pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl of a pot of barely simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups sugar.
Add eggs one at a time, whisking well. Sift cocoa over mixture and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into pan. Bake until tip has formed crust and a toothpick comes out clean (30-40 minutes). Cool for 10 minutes then remove sides of the pan.
Whisk cream, chocolate liquor and 1 Tbsp sugar until stiff
Garnish cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder.

TIP:

Dessert Toppings

Chocolate Macadamia Caramel Tarts
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Ingredients:
Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Tbsp. ice water

Ganache:

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cocoa), chopped
1 1/2 cups unsalted macadamia nuts (about 7 1/2 ounces), toasted, coarsely chopped.

Caramel Filling:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
For Crust:

Blend flour, powdered sugar and salt in food processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add 1 Tbsp. ice water and blend just until moist clumps form, add more ice water by the teaspoonful if needed.
Transfer dough into individual tart pans, or one 9" pan with removable bottom.
Using lightly floured fingers, press dough firmly and evenly onto bottom and up sides of pan. Chill for 1 hour.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until pale golden around edges and sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans; bake until crust is golden and cooked through, about 14 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool crust completely in pan.

For Ganache:

Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, stir until smooth.
Spoon 3 Tbsp. ganache into 1 corner of small resealable plastic bag and salt; set aside at room temperature for piping.
Spread remaining ganache evenly over bottom of crust. Sprinkle chopped macadamia nuts evenly over ganache layer in crust. Freeze crust while preparing caramel filling

For Caramel Filling:

Combine sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling the pan, about 8 minutes.
Remove pan from heat. Add cream and butter; stir until any caramel bits dissolve and mixture is smooth. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan and bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Boil without stirring until thermometer registers 240 degrees F, about 2 1/2 minutes.
Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and salt.
Remove crust from freezer. Working quickly, pour caramel filling into crust. Gently shake tart pan to allow filling to settle evenly in crust. Cool completely at room temperature, about 3 hours.
Place reserved resealable bag with chocolate ganache in microwave and heat in 5-second intervals just until smooth and pourable. Using scissors, cut off very small tip from corner of bag with ganace. Pipe ganache decoratively over caramel filling in crosshatch pattern.
Chill until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.
Remove sides from tart pan. Place tart on platter, cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Stonewall Kitchen's Super Bowl Playbook

2012-02-02T16:28:00.000-05:00

With all this talk around here about the “big game” on Sunday we thought it would be fun for you to see how we go from idea to execution for our emails and website photos.

We, of course are rooting for the home team, The New England Patriots but have not confirmed our plans for Sunday night, yet. It will most likely be a game-time decision, which is easily accomplished with our quick and easy options for throwing a party together in under two hours!

The Play by Play

Before you can purchase any Stonewall Kitchen items a lot of behind the scenes work must happen.

First and foremost of course, is the idea for a new product, which comes from Jim Stott and Jonathan King, owners of Stonewall Kitchen. Our test kitchen then creates several variations of the product which our tasting team evaluates. After several evaluations, to make sure we produce the best possible product, we are ready for production. A lot more goes into this of course, but we are going to jump to the recipe development.

Kim is our recipe developer. She develops the recipes which appear on the sides of some of our product jars, like our simmering sauces and she also creates recipes for each and every product which appear on our website, on recipe cards, and recipe booklets. Kim also cooks the food for all of our photo shoots and in her spare-time she teaches class in our cooking school.

To get ready for our Super Bowl themed photo shoot, Kim set up four different stations in the kitchen, and neatly organized all the ingredients based on the four different recipes she choose: Our Guacamole Spice Mix, Buffalo Wing Sauce, Three-Bean Chili using our Sloppy Joe Sauce and our Cornbread Mix.

Kim shared some quick cooking tips with us which made preparation and clean-up so much easier.

Place parchment paper in your baking pan and spray it with cooking spray before you pour your baking mix in, this allows you to simply lift the corn bread out of the pan, no need to gauge the pan while trying to cut pieces out and it also makes for a quick clean-up.

Use a spoon to scoop out the core of a jalapeno for effortless prep.

Cut an avocado in half, remove the pit, and then cut the rest of the avocado into squares to turn an otherwise messy job into a neat and easy way for preparing guacamole.

After all the food is cooked, baked and prepared it is time to deliver it to our photo studio.

This is where Michael, our photographer, and Cynthia,our stylist, prepare the scene to be photographed. Cynthia picks the props, and positions things just right so Michael can capture the scene. Once the photos are complete, Michael sends them around for review.

Once the photo is given the “go” our web designer, Ted, creates an email using copy from our copywriter, Nina. And often Kim’s recipes are linked to the email as well.

Super Bowl email picture appearing in your in-box soon

The emails then get sent out. You can sign-up here: email sign-up if you would like to receive our bi-weekly emails.

Sometimes we use the photos for other portions of our website or for promotional materials.

Cheers! We hope you enjoy your own Super Bowl party!

Recipe Roundup for the Superbowl

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

The teams have been finalized, the half time show announced and the venue selected. All that is left to do is plan the menu for Superbowl XLVI!

It seems everyone enjoys the Superbowl, whether its your team or not and even if you don't particularly enjoy football, the excitment is contagious. There is something for everyone whether you are watching it route for your favorite team to win the championship, watching closely for the entertaining commercials or waiting for the clock to tick down to the amazing half time show. And some of us, we admit, are in it for the food! What better way to spend a Sunday morning in February, the dead of winter.

With the New England Patriots in the Superbowl, we here in Maine are a little more excited this year to watch the game and are already starting the prep on our menus! Food during the game is all about finger foods; things you can quickly grab between touchdowns or for some of us, in between commercials. Pot Lucks are a great way to wide assortment of goodies and enjoy a little of everything. Here are some of our favorite recipes for a Superbowl party; all easy to make, delicous to eat and quick to enjoy!

Dips
Grab some of your favorite chips to enjoy with these dips. Or, if you are feeling adventorous, you can even make your own!

Guacamole

Artichoke Spinach Dip

Chili Con Queso

Spicy Black Bean Dip

Finger Foods
Great "grab and go" items for in between plays.

Bourbon Molasses Barbecue Ribs

Buffalo Wings

Skewered Grilled Chicken

Mini Meatball Subs

Desserts
Dessert is a requirement in our books for any party. Although you may need a fork for two of these recipes, it will be well worth it.

Mocha Brownie Ice Cream Bars

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Triple Fudge Brownie Mix

Easy Weeknight Meal: Buffalo Chicken Calzones

2012-01-25T11:34:00.001-05:00

We are lucky enough to see a lot of tasty food around the office. Between our recipe developer working on new recipes, our new product samplings and our cooking school it seems like everyday there is something amazing to try. Although you want to try everything, you have to learn to pick and choose what you deem as being "worth it" when there is so much tasty food available, and when I saw this walk by the other day, I knew it was one of those things.

I am an avid fan of anything "Buffalo" flavored. There is something about the spicy/sweet combination mixed with a good blue cheese dressing that makes my mouth water. I was beyond excited when we announced our new Buffalo Wing Sauce because although you can make a buffalo sauce from scratch, it is always so much tastier and easier when you can just open a jar from your pantry.

This calzone makes for a great weeknight meal. You can use our new Pizza Crust Mix or a pre-made dough from your local grocery store. Of course, you can always mix up your own as well. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Buffalo Chicken Calzone

Ingredients:

3/4 pound chicken tenders
1/4 cup flour
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/3 cup Stonewall Kitchen Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 pound pizza dough, or our pizza dough mix, prepared according to package instructions.
4 slices of provolone cheese
Classic olive oil
Blue Cheese Dressing or Ranch Dressing (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dredge chicken tenders in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour
Heat oil and butter in a straight sided skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, but does not smoke.
Cook chicken in batches until it is golden brown on all sides and fully cooked.
Toss chicken with Stonewall Kitchen Buffalo Wing Sauce to coat. Cut chicken into small chunks.
Cut pizza dough into four equal portions. Roll each piece into a thin round. Place chicken and cheese onto one half of the dough. Fold dough over forming a half circle and pinch edges together making sure to form a good seal. Brush each with olive oil.
Place calzones on prepared baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve with additional Buffalo Wing Sauce, Blue Cheese Dressing or Ranch Dressing for dipping

Check back soon for our post about our favorite Superbowl Menus!

Over 40 new products launched this month! How our products go from ideas to the shelves.

2012-01-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

Our New Aioli Collection

Our resolutions here at Stonewall Kitchen are the same each year: Create quality innovative products that our customers will love. We work hard throughout the year meeting, tasting and creating and are proud to bring you over 40 new products this January!

There are several steps to developing a new product and are often worked on for over a year to get them to meet the Stonewall Kitchen standards of quality. Here is a very quick overview of what our products will go through before they reach the shelf for purchase;

Ideas: we gather ideas from employees, customers, friends, family, tradeshows and more. We love hearing suggestions and take every suggestion into consideration. Our product development team meets on a weekly basis to discuss everything from new flavor profiles to entire new product lines.

Test Batches: Our in-house Research and Development team gets to work once product ideas have been selected. They spend hours developing and perfecting recipes for our sampling team to taste.

Sampling: Our sampling team, built up of employees spanning all departments who have been trained on how to use all senses when sampling, will then sample each and every test batch created, providing criticism, suggestions and compliments.

Results: Based on the results of the sampling team, the product will either be reworked by our R&D team, sent on to be created for production or slightly altered to meet the Stonewall Kitchen standard. Products can often go through months and months of sampling before it is perfected.

Production: Once recipes are altered to accommodate large batch size for production, they are then produced in our facility here in York, ME.

This January, we are launching over 40 new products, including 2 entire new product lines: Simmering Sauces and Aiolis. We are so excited to share our newest creations with you! A few of our favorite new products include;

All the complex flavors of red wine, mirepoix and a little tomato blend to make this rich and truly flavorful sauce.

An employee favorite from our Cafe is now available to enjoy at home.

With the flavor of fresh basil, no one will ever know this crust is Gluten-Free.

Great to use on a simple salad of mixed greens and goat cheese, or use as a marinade or dipping sauce.

Check back on our website or subscribe to our E-Mail Newsletter to be kept up to date on our new product launches as they occur throughout the year.

"Notes from a Maine Kitchen" Kathy Gunst recipe

2012-01-13T16:51:00.000-05:00

Kathy Gunst came to the Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School today and presented a great class on several of her recipes from her latest cookbook, "Notes from a Maine Kitchen". Since the local fisherman around here have been hauling in lots of Maine shrimp this past week we figured this recipe would be a great way to cook some of those fresh shrimp. If you can't get Maine shrimp, other smaller sized shrimps will work just as well.

Maine Shrimp, Haddock, and Jerusalem Artichoke Winter Chowder

Serves 4.

The Jerusalem artichokes give this Maine shrimp-based chowder a great crunchy texture and sweet flavor. The chowder can be made a few hours (or a day) ahead of time and simply reheated over low heat until bubbling hot. This chowder is a great platform for showing off the shrimp’s sweet, fresh winter flavor.

3 strips bacon, optional

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried and crumbled

1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes, Yukon Gold works well

1/2 pound Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups low fat milk

1 cup cream

1 pound haddock, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 to 1 ½ tablespoons flour

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

a pinch cayenne pepper

1 pound peeled whole Maine shrimp

[TIP] You need one tablespoon of flour as a thickener, but if you prefer a thinner chowder only add this amount. If you want a thicker, more stew-like soup add 1½ tablespoons flour.

[TIP] You’ll need 2 1/2 cups dairy—for a lighter chowder add all milk and for a richer one add the cream. You can play with the proportions of milk and cream depending on how rich you like it.

In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until crisp on both sides; drain on paper towels. Crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.

Add the oil to the bacon grease (if you choose not to add bacon work with about 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil instead). Add the onion to the hot oil and cook, stirring frequently, over low heat for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are soft and just beginning to turn color. Add the salt, pepper, and half the thyme, and stir well. Add the potatoes and artichokes and cook, stirring, for a minute to coat the potatoes and artichokes thoroughly with the spices and onions.
Meanwhile heat the milk and cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat until just simmering.

Add the haddock to the pot with the onions and potatoes and stir well. Sprinkle on the flour and stir gently to coat all the ingredients. Let cook about 2 minutes. Add half the crumbled bacon (if using), the remaining thyme, and then the warm milk and cream. Raise the heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Once the chowder simmers reduce the heat to low, add half the parsley, and the cayenne. Cover, and let cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until they firm up. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, pepper, and cayenne if needed.

Serve hot with a sprinkling of parsley and some of the remaining bacon on top.

Good Day for Pizza

2012-01-12T16:19:00.001-05:00

I love pizza, like most of you - according to the statistics out there, 94% of Americans eat pizza regularly. I am fairly certain most of us can site our favorite pizza experience down to the exact moment and location. My love for pizza came to me from being raised in New York. Weekends were spent exploring the limitless culinary boundaries of Manhattan and inevitably involved a slice of the pizza. Not any pizza, but a large slice that takes two hands to fold and requires a learned technique of maneuvering to ensure that first bite includes a taste trifecta of dripping cheese with sweet tomato sauce, finished off with a chewy, almost tangy crust – while walking.

Now I prefer my pizza sitting down and have come to accept that all pizza is not necessarily created equal, but no matter the variety or style it is still a good thing--a very good thing. And an especially good thing is when you can make a good pizza at home with very little effort. You may call me biased, since my latest attempt at home-cooked pizza came in the form of a boxed version from Stonewall Kitchen, my place of employment, but I can assure you this is one tasty pizza pie.

I used the Stonewall Kitchen Pizza Crust Mix (we have a gluten-free version too!) and Stonewall Kitchen Classic Pizza Sauce. For toppings I used local, sausage from the winter farmers’ market, caramelized onions and fresh mozzarella cheese. The directions are right on the box and it makes a really nice sized and tasty pizza in less than 30 min., not including baking time. The dough does not require an hour to rise, only the yeast mixture needs to sit for 10 min. A great meal to have on-hand when the weather keeps you inside. You can purchase all of our pizza items online, at one of our company stores or at a number of food merchants across the country. http://www.stonewallkitchen.com/shop/seasonalitems/5013.html

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce Giveaway!

2012-01-10T15:08:00.002-05:00

****UPDATE****

We have 5 winners and based on a Random Number Generator they are;

Please comment back with your contact information (comments have been closed so this information will not post online) by January 13th at 3:00PM!

*************************************

Today, as some may or may not know, is national Bittersweet Chocolate Day! Bittersweet Chocolate, by definition, is composed of at least 35% Chocolate Liquor (unsweetened chocolate). The chocolate liquor is combined with cocoa butter, a small amount of sugar and vanilla to create what we know as Bittersweet Chocolate.

Our Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce is one of our most popular dessert toppings. To celebrate national Bittersweet Chocolate day, we would like to share one of our favorites with some of our readers!

To enter, answer the following Stonewall Kitchen history trivia question;

Roasted Garlic Onion Jam was actually a mistake that turned out fantastic! What was the original product suppose to be?

hint - answers may or may not be found in the video below

Giveaway ends on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 3:00PM EST

Winners comments will be selected at random and will be posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 and have 48 hours to claim their prize. A select number of winners will be chosen. US residents only, please no employee entries.

Soup's On! Homemade soup with a little assistance

2012-01-06T11:21:00.000-05:00

Despite the record high temperatures here in Maine, winter is always a time for warm, comfort foods. After an afternoon of shoveling there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot soup. At our house we jokingly call the winter months "soup season" because we find it on the dinner table more often than not. Often times, people are intimated by soup, but in reality it is one of the simpler things to make. Most recipes just call for throwing everything into a pot and letting it simmer!

If you are one of those people intrigued, but intimated by creating soup recipe from scratch, then a soup mix is the perfect balance. Soup mixes typically provide all the spices, dried beans, grains and vegetables needed, requiring you to only add the stock (which can be purchased at any grocery store), protein if desired and a few other ingredients found in your pantry.

A few of our favorite mixes include;

Farmers' Market Vegetable (shown above) - great for everyone! This soup can also be made with added protein such as chicken or turkey to please the meat eaters in your family.
New England Chicken Stew - one of the staff favorites here at Stonewall Kitchen.
New England Clam Chowder - or chowda' depending on where you are from!
Hearty Beef Barley Stew - filled with barley, lentils, vegetables and spices, this soup mix can also be vegetarian friendly by simply leaving out the meat.
Italian Wedding Soup - the perfect marriage of ingredients.
Potato Leek Soup - with the simple addition of broth and cream, you can have dinner created in 20 minutes.
French Onion Soup - an all time favorite.

If you are looking to try out a soup recipe from scratch, this is a great, simple recipe that everyone can enjoy!

Homemade French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

3 large sweet onions, sliced thin
5 Tbsp. Stonewall Kitchen Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 cups (or 3 - 14oz cans) beef broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Onion Jam
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1" slices, toasted
4-6 oz Gruyere, Swiss or provolone cheese, grated

Directions:

Over medium heat, warm oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
Add onion and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally.
Cook for 35-45 minutes until onions are a deep, golden brown.
Add Roasted Garlic Onion Jam, broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Ladle soup into 4 heatproof bowls. Top with toasted bread slices and grated cheese.
Broil 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned.
Garnish, if desired, with fresh chives, parsley or thyme.

For more soup recipes, please visit our recipe page.

Lucky Foods for the New Year

2011-12-30T09:48:00.001-05:00

Being "Mainers" we have a special love for lobster and enjoy it as often as possible, except for one day; New Years Day. Did you know that it is actually considered unlucky to eat lobster for New Years? I guess we can survive only enjoying it 364 days a year. A lobster crawls backwards, and for the new year the last thing you want to do is move backwards, which is why it is considered an unlucky food for the new year. Another unlucky food? Chicken. Although a chicken moves forward, they scratch backwards, also symbolizing a move in the wrong direction for the new year.

A few lucky foods for the New Year are;

Black-Eyed Peas
Considered lucky since the Civil War, Black-Eyed Peas symbolize prosperity.

Greens
Greens, in the form of lettuce, collard greens, mustard greens, etc, symbolize money. Greens should be eaten on New Years eve, meaning luck with money in the upcoming year.

Pork
Pigs, unlike lobsters, move forward, constantly sniffing the ground looking for what is ahead of them. Pigs symbolize moving forward in the upcoming year.

Cake
We think any day you get to eat cake is a lucky one, but especially on the new year. Traditionally, ring-shaped cakes (such as a bundt cake) symbolize wholeness and completion. Often, a small trinket or token is baked inside the cake and the person who gets that slice will receive an extra dose of good luck in the upcoming year.

So as you prepare your New Year's menu, be sure to include some of these "Lucky Foods"

Tenderloin of Pork with Beet Greens

Using both pork and greens, this dish will bring you a double dose of luck in 2012!

Ingredients:

2 tenderloins of pork (approximately 1-1.25 pounds each)
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup Cognac, wine or apple juice
3/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Fig & Ginger Jam or Roasted Garlic Onion Jam
1/2 pound beet greens (approximately 4 cups, tightly packed)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to coat pan)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add enough oil to lightly coat pan. Salt and pepper the tenderloin and then sear 3-4 minutes per side until all sides are browned. Transfer to an oven-proof dish and add 1/2 cup of the stock. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes, until pork is slightly firm to the touch, registering 150 degrees on a meat thermometer.
While pork is baking, return saute pan to medium heat and add Cognac to deglaze pan. Add remaining 1 cup stock to pan and reduce by half. Add jam and reduce to sauce consistency. Transfer sauce to a bowl.
Remove pork from the oven, and pour the pan juices into the sauce. On medium heat, saute the beet greens until slightly wilted.
Plate greens, top with pork that has been cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices and drizzle with sauce.

Caramel Apple Butter Bundt Cake

Enjoy this lucky cake for breakfast or dessert!

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Caramel Apple Butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Cake Batter:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan
In a small bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients, set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs to butter and sugar, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth.
Alternately, add dry ingredients and sour cream into the resulting egg mixture, beating until smooth.
Measure 1/2 cup batter and add to filling mixture.
Pour just over 1/2 of the batter into the pan.
Make a 1" trough in the center of the batter all the way around the pan.
Spread filling through.
Cover with remaining cake batter. Smooth around top, so the filling is completely covered.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake begins to pull away from the edges of the pan and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Wishing you lots of luck in the year to come!

Breakfast Recipes for your Christmas Morning

2011-12-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

For most families on Christmas, Christmas morning either starts at the crack of dawn in anticipation of all the presents Santa left, or you enjoy a quiet, lazy morning. No matter how your Christmas morning is spent we think there is really no better way to enjoy the daylong celebration than with a delicious breakfast or brunch. Here are some of our favorite breakfast recipes sure to make your morning a joyful one!

Baked Herb Eggs

Ingredients:

6 thin slices of good deli ham or Canadian Bacon
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup light cream
3 Tbsp. Stonewall Kitchen Traditional Pub Mustard
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
dash of oregano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray 6 ramekins (4.5oz round) with pan spray.
Pull the ham slices into small pieces and place in ramekins.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs.
Add to the eggs, cream, mustard, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, cheeses, pepper, green onion and herbs.
Stir well, then spoon into prepared ramekins.
Use a fork to push ingredients below egg mixture.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and set.

Baked French Toast with Mimosa Jam

Ingredients for the french toast

1 2/3 cup light cream
5 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp/ pure vanilla
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
1 - 12oz loaf rich egg bread, cut into 1-inch slices
1 Tbsp. butter, softened

Ingredients for the mimosa orange syrup

1/2 cup Stonewall Kitchen Mimosa Brunch Jam
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. butter
Sour cream and mint leaves for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl whisk together the light cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Grease a 9x13 inch pan with butter. Arrange pieces of bread in a single layer close together. Pour egg mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Pour off extra egg mixture. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the top. Bake 20-30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cut into individual portions.
While the french toast is baking make the syrup by combining the Mimosa Brunch Jam, orange juice, lemon juice and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until jam and butter are melted. Serve over baked French toast. Garnish with sour cream and mint leaf.

Mixed Berry Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

6 cups mixed berries, such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
1/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Tangerine Marmalade
1 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped

Directions:

Clean and hull berries. Drain well or lay on paper towels to dry.
Heat marmalade slightly in a microwave or over low heat.
Combine fruit, Tangerine Marmalade and mint in a medium serving bowl. Mix until uniform
Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Apple Crumb Cake with Stonewall Kitchen Apple Butter Syrup

Ingredients for the cake:

2/3 cup plus 4 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla or flavored extract
5 large apples, cored and sliced thin

Ingredients for the crumb topping

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour
2 cups walnuts
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 ounces cold butter in pieces

Ingredients for the syrup topping

1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Apple Butter Syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Beat together oil, milk, and eggs. Mix in dry ingredients. Gently stir in vanilla or other flavoring.
Pour 1/2 of the batter into a greased 11x17 pan. Lay apples over the mixture to create a colorful pattern.
Cover the apple with a thin layer of crumb topping. Repeat with the rest of the apple slices, batter and topping (top layer of the crumb mixture should be think to completely cover the fruit).
Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Combine syrup and cream in a heavy saucepan and heat, stirring.
Serve cake warm or at room temperature with warm syrup topping.

If you are looking for more holiday meals for this coming weekend, check out our holiday recipe page!

Holiday Shipping at Stonewall Kitchen - Behind the Scenes

2011-12-16T10:01:00.001-05:00

Every year it is amazing to see the organization and hard work in our warehouse to ensure orders are received by Christmas! Each staff member at Stonewall Kitchen dedicates a minimum of two days each holiday season to helping in the warehouse. It is a great way to get everyone to work together and get in the holiday spirit.

Here is a quick video, shot by owner Jim Stott during his recent trip to our warehouse, that shows a behind-the-scenes look at how we get the packages to your door!

If you still need to ship out a holiday package, please check our shipping information page to see what date it will need to be ordered by to get to your home in time.

Cupcakes for the Holidays

2011-12-14T13:51:00.000-05:00

Not only do these cupcake decorating ideas make fabulous looking cupcakes in the wink of an eye but tomorrow is National Cupcake Day; what better way to honor such a day?

Use your favorite cupcake and frosting recipe. Make sure you purchase some piping bags which you can find at the grocery store or craft store. Kids love using the piping bags and they also make things a lot neater and easier than using spreaders. Also, purchase a few bags of candy such as gum drops, nonpareils and marshmallows.

For our ribbon cupcakes we used red and green gum drops as decorations. We rolled them with a standard rolling pin, sprinkling regular sugar on the surface to prevent too much stickiness. After rolling out the gumdrops, the pieces can be easily cut into almost any shape with a pair of kitchen shears. We cut the gum drops into strips and then used frosting to hold the pieces together in the center to create the finished bow. We finished these cupcakes off with a few sparkling dragees. Our poinsettia cupcakes and the holly leaves were also made using this method.

To make the peppermint pin wheel, Santa and the pretty wreath cupcakes, we first coated the top of the cupcake with a generous amount of plain white frosting. We piped on the decorations using the same frosting dyed with food coloring and used licorice and tiny red dot candies to finish off Santa’s face and the wreaths. For Santa's hat we used the rolled-out gum drops as well.

For the snowmen we used marshmallows, made a gum drop scarf, two eyes made out of pieces of licorice, and a hat made from nonpareils. The kids will really like making these.

Don't you think these cupcakes would be great to make for a bake sale, school holiday party or December birthday party?

Toast the season with style and great taste: Drink Recipes for All

2011-12-08T11:23:00.000-05:00

The Holidays don't have to be all about Eggnog and mulled cider. It's a great time to get a little creative behind the bar to add some pizazz to your holiday party, and your fun concoctions do not need to contain alcohol. Here are some great recipes created by our recipe developer, Kim, that everyone can enjoy!

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

Ingredients:

2oz Vodka*
1 oz Stonewall Kitchen Pomegranate Cosmo Mixer
Splash of Cointreau

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and shake well.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lime twist

*For a non-alcoholic version, eliminate the vodka & cointreau and replace with club soda (to taste) and a splash of Orange Juice.

Bloody Maria

Ingredients:

2 cups V8 tomato juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Salsa Verde Hot Sauce or Salsa Verde
3-4 ounces tequila or vodka*
Cucumber, cherry tomatoes and habanero peppers for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Serve over ice. Garnish with skewered sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and habanero peppers.

*For a non-alcoholic version, simply omit the tequila or vodka for a spiced tomato juice cocktail.

Pomegranate Champagne

Ingredients:

2oz Stonewall Kitchen Pomegranate Cosmo Mixer
4oz Champagne*
Pomegranate seeds or raspberries for garnish

Directions:

Add Pomegranate Cosmo Mixer to champagne glass
Top off with chilled champagne and garnish with pomegranate seeds or a few raspberries.
Enjoy!

*For a non-alcoholic version, replace the champagne with club soda, or a soda such as Sprite or 7-UP

Cheers!

Tips for a Crafty Holiday

2011-12-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are, the second week into the holiday season. So many great ideas have passed our desks it is hard to narrow them down, we wish we could do them all! Each one of our holiday tips comes from a bit of research and our own splash of creativity; we shop for all the materials, cook all the recipes, make each craft, go into our photo studio and work with our photographer to style and shoot each tip. We then write explanations up and post them on our website and here on our blog. It is a lot of work, but a fun team effort we look forward to each year. We hope you are enjoying these fun holiday ideas as much as we are! You can also view them all here: http://www.stonewallkitchen.com/ (box in upper right-hand corner of home page).

Today's tip is all about holiday wall decorations. Your treasured holiday ornaments are just the thing for decorating a tree for the holidays or for adding a little touch of merriment to your home, but here are some ways to extend the holiday spirit to your walls. These are a couple of our favorite and fairly simple ideas:

NOEL

You can find pre-made wood or cardboard letters in any sewing or craft store. Choose your favorite holiday words … joy … peace … merry … or as we did, noel. Simply spray paint the letters in a color to complement your space. We used a bronze colored spray paint on these oversized letters. Using the new stick on wall hanging tags (found at any hardware store) hang them in any fashion you find pleasing – on a bare wall, or on a sometimes overlooked space like the stairwell. Add decorations of an appropriate height and width to balance out the letters - if you are using the large letters as we did.

Little White Boxes

Similar to a curio box, this adorable decoration is a project you and even your kids might enjoy doing. You can make these boxes in one of two ways. If you’re handy in the workroom (or know someone who is) simply make nine or twelve 3-4” square boxes from plywood. If you are having fun with the kids, find the same number of jewelry boxes or craft boxes from a local craft store. Glue the boxes together and allow them to dry completely before spray painting them the color of your choice. Meanwhile, gather special ornaments, pine cones or trinkets from around the house. Put one item in each box. Use your imagination. Our little piggy is actually a salt shaker dressed up for the holidays with a bright red bow! Hang with wall hanging tags and have fun moving items in and out each year!

Simple Holiday Decorations for the Outdoors

2011-12-02T10:43:00.000-05:00

We gave you a few ideas this past week to decorate the inside of your house, but what about the outside? Here are a few ideas to get your outdoor decorations started.
Apple Topiaries

These are fun to make and look great out on the front stoop or porch, in the garden or even inside by the front door.

You will need:

One garden urn
Large Styrofoam cone found in the floral department at a craft store
Long wooden skewers - the kind used for BBQ
Various sized apples down to crab apple size

Directions:

Place foam tree in urn, you may have to secure it by filling rocks into the gaps or cut the bottom off to make it a bit shorter and more stable
Start at bottom of foam tree with larger sized apples moving up to smaller apples. Fill in holes with smaller crab apples or you could even use frozen cranberries skewered with toothpicks.
We left ours plain, but you could add a box and drape ribbon down the sides of the topiaries.
Stand back and enjoy your creative display!

Wine Bag Door Hanger

This simple, yet surprisingly different, door hanger makes for a nice welcoming holiday decoration.

You will need:

Hook
Ribbon for hanging and decorating bag
Pretty fabric wine bag
Greens or other holiday decorations like candy canes

Directions:

Hang your pretty wine back on the door hook or door handle, tie some ribbon around it, fill with greenery and enjoy!
Wine bags are also great for holding thoughtful things for your holiday guest on the back of the guest room door.
Wrap a few small presents and travel sized toiletries they may need while staying with you.
Don't forget an orange too; a traditional token of holiday welcoming.

Festive Yarn Spheres

This is a fun craft to do with the kids and makes for inexpensive and festive outdoor decorations.

You will need:

Yarn (twine can also be used for a more natural look) in two or three different colors
Elmer's glue
Rubber gloves (for keeping hands free of glue)
A bag of regular sized, round balloons

Directions:

Blow up balloons to various sizes, think of shaping them like spheres. Make sure to tie balloons off with string instead of knotting them.
Mix Elmer's Glue - basic white glue - with a little water in a bowl. Just add a little water at a time to prevent mixture from becoming too thin and watery. Consistency should be like paint.
Cut sting in 2 foot lengths, or whatever length is easiest for dipping string into bowl of glue. Circle balloons with each length of glued string until balloon is covered for desired look.
Hang balloons from string knots to dry. This is best done in a garage, basement or laundry room where balloons can hang freely. Balloons should take a day or two to dry completely. They will feel stiff once dried.
Slowly let the air our of each balloon, pushing the balloon away from the yarn. Don't just pop balloons, this can cause the spheres to collapse.
Hang finished spheres from string or ribbon from outside tree branches. They would also look great hanging from a porch ceiling or inside for party decorations.

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Have you missed our previous tips? You can catch up by visiting our website!

Easy DIY Holiday Decorations: Create your own Garland

2011-11-30T14:02:00.000-05:00

One of the easiest ways to decorate your home for the holidays is with garland. There are dozens of places where a string of natural greens looks fantastic in your home, whether it's going up the banister or framing a door. Garland does not have to be made from greens though; there are several other do-it-yourself ways to create gorgeous strands to accent your home. It is even a holiday project you can get your kids involved in! I remember growing up sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of popcorn, cranberries and a needle and string in my hands making bets on who could make their garland the longest.

Today's tip of the day is a great gift idea for the children (and adults) in your family! A perfect hostess present for all of the holiday parties you'll be attending this year!

Popcorn Garland Kit

You will need:

Small Box (recycle an old gift box)
Package of unpopped popcorn
Small back of Cranberries or Red Beads
A needle
Thread
Tissue Paper
Tag for the box

Directions:

Simply place all items in a box lined with tissue paper. Fashion a tag as you see in the above photo. Makes a great hostess gift!

Other garland ideas:

Star Garland

Snowflake Garland

In case you missed our previous holiday tips:

A Tree for Every Room: Easy Holiday Tabletop Trees

2011-11-28T10:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend, with Thanksgiving behind us, holiday decorations were going up both in homes and outside. Several people headed out to cut down their Christmas trees, and unlike most years, this year it could be done in a light sweatshirt thanks to the warm temperatures here in Maine! If you aren't quite ready to put up the real tree, these smaller versions are a great start to holiday decorating and are quite easy to create.

Shell Trees

Perfect to use all of those shells collected from the beach this summer. Incorporate your sea glass pieces for some added color!

You will need:

Styrofoam Tree (can be found most craft stores)
Shells (from your own collection or can also be purchased at craft stores)
Glue Gun & Glue
Optional: pearls, beads, sea glass, etc.

Directions:

Beginning at the bottom, glue each shell into place using the glue gun. Try using the bigger shells first and then filling in gaps with the smaller shells. Build layer upon layer until you get to the top.
If desired, glue beads or pearls on top of the shells
Top with a star fish, large shell or ornament.

Cork Trees

Make good use of all the corks saved up from this past weekend, or get the word out now for your friends and family to save you a few!

You will need:

18-24 corks (depending on how big you would like your tree to be)
Glue gun and glue
A 2" piece of a 2" diameter stick (from your yard) or a cut wooden dowel
Acrylic or water based paints
Bits and pieces to decorate your trees (ribbon, paper scraps, tacks, buttons etc)

Directions:

Start with four corks and glue them together to make the base of the tree.
Add five corks to the next level, letting them hang over slightly on each side.
Continue adding four, then three, then two, then one cork to each layer (start with three corks on the bottom for a smaller tree).
Randomly paint the ends as desired.
Decorate with ribbon, fabric, buttons or any notions you may have.
Attach the tree to the 2" base.

Make sure you stay up to date on our Holiday Deals and Tips this season. Every day we will be posting new tips and deals, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Black Friday Sale - Save 20% off of your online purchase!

2011-11-25T00:00:00.003-05:00

BLACK FRIDAY SALE!

Shop from the comfort of your home this weekend. Save 20% off of your online purchase today, Friday, November 25th through Sunday, November 27th. Stock up on great gifts for friends and family, and maybe a few things for yourself!

Enter promo code TAKE20 at check out*

Click here to start shopping online!

*Offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. Offer excludes shipping charges, gift/ecards, Specialty Food Club, cooking classes or prior purchases. Excludes Corporate and Wholesale Orders. Offer valid until November 27th, 2011 at 11:59PM EST.

Fuel for your Black Friday shopping; a favorite recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers!

2011-11-22T16:14:00.000-05:00

At this point, most people already have their Thanksgiving meal planned out and recipes selected (if you have not, check out all of our holiday recipes online!). We are thinking ahead, and want to share with you one of our absolute favorite ways to enjoy leftovers. In fact, we love it so much that we often offer it in our cafe. The perfect fuel for your Black Friday shopping, enjoy!

Pilgram Turkey Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 jar of Stonewall Kitchen Cranberry Horseradish Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
16 slices whole grain bread
2 cups prepared stuffing
1 1/2 - 2 pounds sliced turkey

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the Stonewall Kitchen Cranberry Horseradish Sauce and mayonnaise. Mix until uniform.
Layer stuffing and turkey slices on one slice of bread for each sandwich.
Top with cranberry mayonnaise mixture and another slice of bread. Cut in half and serve.

What is your favorite way to enjoy leftovers?

Stay up to date on our Holiday specials and tips this season

2011-11-17T14:52:00.001-05:00

The holidays are quite literally around the corner! With Thanksgiving only a week away, the shopping season is quickly upon us. For some of us, the shopping season may have already begun! We will be releasing our daily deals and holiday tips starting on Black Friday (November 25th), so make sure that you kept in the loop with our holiday specials!

Sign up for our Newsletter

Like us on Facebook

Follow our Tweets

Apple Cranberry Chutney; One Jar, So Many Options

2011-11-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

chut·ney [ chútnee ]

spicy relish: a sweet and spicy relish made from fruit, spices, sugar, and vinegar

*****************

Most people know what to do with things like jams, salsa, mustard and crackers. However chutney is one condiment that gets a lot of questions. Here in America, a chutney isn't used quite as frequently as say a jam, so many people wonder what to do with it. Chutneys are one of the most versatile products we produce. They can be used for anything from a sandwich spread to a pairing with cheeses to fantastic dessert. They are great to have on hand for the holiday season because they can be utilized in any course. Here are a few recipes using one of our favorites for this time of year, Apple Cranberry Chutney.

Appetizer

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

This recipe can use any of our chutneys and is incredibly easy to prepare. Puff Pastry can be found premade in most of your local grocery stores in the freezer section.

Or for Individual servings: Cranberry Brie Bites

Main Dish

Stuffed Roast Pork with Savory Apple Cranberry Sauce

A great addition if you are looking for another protein option besides turkey for Thanksgiving.

Side Dishes

Apple Cranberry Wild Rice

Great as a side dish, or use it as a stuffing for acorn squash for a great vegetarian meal (replace chicken stock with a vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)

Apple Cranberry Stuffing

A classic stuffing recipe with a jar of Apple Cranberry Chutney mixed in creates an entirely new taste profile.

Dessert

Apple Cranberry Tart

The chutney is a great compliment to this recipe that also includes fresh apples and fresh cranberries.

Baked Apples

Served warm with scoop of vanilla ice cream makes a great end to any meal!

How do you typically use chutneys?

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

2011-11-02T09:00:00.002-04:00

If you are looking for something a little different this holiday season, then we have the recipe for you! For some reason, bread pudding always seems intimidating; all of those ingredients and so many flavors! It is actually quite simple to prepare and is a great dish to prepare ahead of time and then bake later. Yes, it does involve a few more ingredients than your average pumpkin pie, but they are almost all kitchen staples. And the baking part? That's easy! You basically mix everything up, spread it in a pan and bake.

So put your fears aside and try this amazing recipe!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Ingredients for bread pudding:

1, 22-ounce loaf of rustic country white bread
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups half and half
5 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Maple Pumpkin Butter (can substitute roasted/mashed pumpkin or canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup Stonewall Kitchen Pumpkin Caramel Sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)

Ingredients for whipped topping:

1 cup whipping cream
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Pumpkin Caramel Sauce

Directions:

Step 1: Remove crusts from bread and cut into 1" cubes

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine milk, half and half, eggs, sugars, Stonewall Kitchen Maple Pumpkin Butter and Pumpkin Caramel Sauce, vanilla, salt and spices. Whisk until combined.

Steps 1 and 2

Step 3: Add bread and chocolate chips to the liquid mixture and toss gently. Pour into a greased 8 cup shallow baking dish. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Pudding is done when puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and looks like the below image.

Step 3

Step 4: While bread pudding is baking, whip cream in a cold mixing bowl with a whisk attachment until soft peaks are about to form. Whisk in 2 Tablespoons sugar. Gently fold 3 tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Pumpkin Caramel Sauce into the cream.

Step 4

Step 5: Serve warm, top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Enjoy!

What is your favorite non-traditional dessert for the holidays?

It's National Pumpkin Day: Pumpkin Giveaway!

2011-10-26T08:00:00.005-04:00

*********UPDATE*********

We have a winner! Congratulations Mom, please comment back with your contact information so we can mail you your pumpkin products to enjoy!

********************

With Fall comes gorgeous foliage, cooler weather, football games and my favorite...pumpkin. Pumpkin spiced coffee, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin scones, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie; you name it and I love it, and for some reason it all tastes better in the Fall months! There is just something about the the mixture of pumpkin, cloves and cinnamon that warms you up during the crisp mornings and cold evenings.

Today, on National Pumpkin Day, we want to share a little of our love for pumpkin by giving away some of our favorite pumpkin products for one of our readers to enjoy this fall!

What you will win:

One (1) box of our Pumpkin Scone Mix

And to top your scones, one (1) jar of our new Pumpkin Caramel Sauce

How to Enter:

Mandatory: What is your favorite way to enjoy pumpkins?

Additional Entries:

Share our Facebook Page with your friends on Facebook
Like us on Facebook if you don't already do!
Follow us on Twitter: @stonewalkitchen
Blog about our products and send us the link!
Re-tween this giveaway daily. Feel free to copy/paste:

Pumpkin Giveaway

@Stonewalkitchen http://bit.ly/bO4Ab, Please RT

Remember, each extra entry must be left in a separate comment. A winning comment will be chosen at random. If an email, twitter handle or other way to be contacted is not included the winner will be announced and asked to comment back leaving their contact information (this will not be published). Winner has 48 hours to reply and claim their prize.

Giveaway ends on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:00PM EST

Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. US residents only, please no employee entries.

***********************************

For another chance to win some of our pumpkin products, register to win our Pumpkin Breakfast Gift, our monthly giveaway for November.

Oh My, It's Time for Pie!

2011-10-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

All this talk about harvest fests, apples ripe for picking, and big orange pumpkins dotting the landscape, forced me to get up super early the other morning to enjoy all this New England beauty under a rising eastern sun. Nothing says, “Fall is here,” like a morning mist rising off a local farm’s fields.

Of course there are pumpkins and apples galore around York, Maine but another fall staple of Maine is the cranberry, much like it is in Massachusetts, and what I hear, Michigan too. Maine cranberries grown on low lying vines in marshy areas near the coast. Offering a high dose of vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium, these little tart berries have gone to become lunch pail staples and insistently represented on most Thanksgiving tables. Once known as the “craneberry” because the pilgrims thought the budding, spring flowers resembled a crane, the cranberry as become an important commercial crop for Maine.

It’s no easy feat being a cranberry harvester. In fact, two prominent Maine occupations, cranberry harvester and lobsterman were recently listed as two of the toughest jobs in the food business: http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2011/04/28/the-toughest-jobs-in-food/. Cranberry harvester, come on, really? Yes, it’s true. While you’re sitting back, feeling content after you’ve eaten a piece of freshly baked cranberry apple pie, think of the delicate cranberry crop that must endure constant monitoring during chilly fall nights. If frost comes in, someone has to notify the other farmers and activate the sprinklers to prevent the frost from destroying the crop. I guess cranberry harvesters are not privy to automatic sprinkler systems? All the more reason to enjoy this traditional, hard working crop, and something I think about during this early frosty morning.

My hungry thoughts quickly change to visions of cranberry and apple pie, one of my favorites. And Stonewall Kitchen’s recipe developer, Kim, offers up her fabulous version below. Oh my! Enjoy!

ingredients

Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons white sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, frozen, cut into 8 pieces each

• 8-10 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 3 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup golden raisins

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Apple Cranberry Chutney

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• pinch of cloves and nutmeg

Glaze:

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon cream or milk

directions

Crust:

1. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in food processor. Add butter pieces and pulse until butter is in 1/4" pieces.

2. Add 7 tablespoons of ice water and blend until moist clumps are formed, adding more water by the tablespoon until dough just starts to form into a ball.

3. Remove from processor and carefully gather into a ball on a clean and lightly floured surface.

4. Divide ball of dough into 2 portions. Flatten into discs. Wrap one in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

5. Roll out remaining disc on a lightly floured surface and place into a 10" quiche pan. Refrigerate.

Filling:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

2. Combine chopped apples and all remaining filling ingredients until well mixed.

3. Spoon into prepared shell, spreading evenly.

4. Roll out second crust disc.

5. Cut into 1"-wide strips for lattice topping.

6. Using a long, narrow spatula, carefully lift strips onto pie, using 5-6 strips.

7. Rotate pie 45 degrees. Carefully place 5-6 more strips on top.

Glaze:
1. Combine egg yolk and cream/milk in a small dish. Stir with fork until well blended.

2. Brush entire crust, top and edges, with egg wash.

3. Bake pie in lower 1/3 of over for about 1 hour until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.

You can view many harvest themed recipes, including this recipe on our website:

http://www.stonewallkitchen.com/recipes/desserts/pies-tarts-pastries/R100303.html

With so many kitchen gadgets, what deserves a space in your cabinets?

2011-10-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

Now a days, there seems to be a kitchen gadget for just about everything. Sometimes I find myself wondering where people store all of these gadgets because often they take up an entire cabinet in your kitchen! Unfortunately, most kitchens have limited space so you need to choose your gadgets wisely. Recently, at our Holiday kick-off meeting, some of our staff members had a chance to share with us their favorite gadget that they use on a regular basis, here are a few that we found deserve a place in the kitchen.

Polder Cooking Thermometer

Our talented recipe developer, Kim, is in the kitchen developing new recipes with our latest products on a daily basis. Cooking meats can often be difficult because typically the done-ness is determined by the inside temperature, not a set time. The Polder Cooking Thermometer can be inserted into the piece of meat you are cooking, while the thermometer itself stays outside of the oven. With pre-programed temperatures to choose from, simply pick whatever you are cooking and the timer will go off when the inside comes up to that temperature range.

Pot Minder Chef

There are few kitchen gadgets that are only the size of a poker chip! Eddie from our Portsmouth Store uses the Pot Minder on a regular basis. For some reason a watched pot never boils, but an un-watched pot? That boils over in no time and you are left cleaning up! We can thank the Ancient Greeks for this fantastic idea! They used to place a piece of antique pottery in their pots to prevent them from boiling over. Since most people don't have chunks of pottery laying around their homes, the Pot Minder works as a perfect replacement!

Personal Popcorn Popper

I am a big popcorn lover, but as much as I love the convince of microwave popcorn, the ingredient lists often have me attempting the paperbag trick and filling my kitchen with the smell of burnt popcorn. This little gadget has saved my poor kitchen! You simply fill the bottom with a layer of kernels, and microwave just as you would a bag of popcorn. You can even place a pat of butter on the lid so it perfectly melts and pours onto the popcorn, or enjoy it with a little salt and pepper or seasoning.

Please share with us what kitchen gadget deserves a space in your cupboard!

The Old Farmhouse Chutney Cheeseball; A company classic recipe

2011-10-07T20:30:00.000-04:00

The Old Farmhouse Chutney Cheeseball; a staff favorite, a customer favorite, and company classic. This is one of the most popular recipes we have and yet its also one of the easiest! With holiday entertaining around the corner, this is a great recipe to keep on hand. Here are step-by-step directions on how to make one of our favorite recipes.

Old Farmhouse Chutney Cheeseball

Ingredients:

2 - 8oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup Stonewall Kitchen Old Farmhouse Chutney
1/4 cup green onion, diced
1 glove garlic - crushed
dash of salt
dash of pepper
1/2 cup Colby Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monetery Jack Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pecans

Step 1:

Mix together cream cheese, Stonewall Kitchen Old Farmhouse Chutney, green onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Step 2:

Fold in the Colby and Monetery Jack Cheeses

Mix well

Step 4:

Form into a ball and coat with nuts and serve with crackers!

Did our Fall Holiday Catalog arrive in your mailbox yet?

2011-10-04T16:56:00.001-04:00

Yep, it's our busiest and more favorite time of year! Between Halloween and New Years Eve has got to be some of the best eating that we get to do all year long. So many parties, so many gatherings, so many good eats! Every year we kick off this wonderful season with our Fall Holiday Catalog. We just can't wait to share all things pumpkin and fall with you.

Like what you see here? Find all of the gadgets that you need to turns those just-picked-apples into pies! You can see more pages from our catalog on our Facebook Album or in a mailbox near you soon! Not signed up to receive our catalogs? That's an easy fix, get yours HERE.

Perfect soup recipe for the fall season: Pumpkin Soup

2011-09-30T12:46:00.000-04:00

One thing that I find myself looking forward to every summer is soup season, also known as fall. Soup mixed with pumpkin? Even better! Enjoy this quick, easy, fantastic autumn recipe that warms you from the inside.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Extra Virgin Olive Oil or unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4” dice
2 cups chicken broth
1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Maple Pumpkin Butter
1 1/2 cups half and half or light cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil or butter in a saucepan. Add onions and cook until translucent.
Add potatoes and chicken broth to saucepan; cover and bring to a boil.
When potatoes are fork tender, puree potato-onion mixture with cooking liquid in food processor or blender.
Return mixture to saucepan. Stir in contents of 1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Maple Pumpkin Butter, and half and half. Reheat gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fall is here!

2011-09-28T12:11:00.000-04:00

Pumpkins, cool nights, spiced cider, how can you not love fall? While I'm always a little sad to see our short but sweet summer go there is something so invigorating about the fall season.

Don't you just want to go out and carve a pumpkin? Halloween has got to be one of the most fun holidays around.

Do you have a costume idea for Halloween yet? Nope? Me neither. Maybe our Halloween products will give you some great ideas. However, even before Halloween, I love to just enjoy the changing seasons. I relish my last chance to get out to the farmers markets.

Don't forget to stop by your local farm stand to grab some of the great fall produce like this sweet corn and brussels sprouts. All of the photos that you've been seeing in this post are or Zach's Farm in York, Maine.

Speaking of Zach's, did you know that they have a huge corn maze? It's open from noon until 6PM with flashlight tag from 7-10PM!

Good luck finding your way back out of here!

Hopefully I've inspired you to go out and enjoy fall to the fullest. I know I will be!

And, don't worry...summer will be back next year! If you're not lucky enough to be near a farm like we are we'll share a taste of fall with you!

Sandwiched between two foodie cities; a little history and our staff's favorite local restaurants

2011-09-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

Portland, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, home to two of Stonewall Kitchen’s Company Stores, were recently included in Foodsnall.com’s Eight of the Best American Small Towns for Foodies. We were delighted, but not at all surprised, to hear the news. Thousands of food-loving tourists and loyal locals visit our stores in these cities each year, and the York, Maine company headquarters and flagship store is sandwiched (pun intended!) right in between. We love being part of the food culture in the New Hampshire seacoast area and Southern coast of Maine!

In honor of this recognition, we thought you’d enjoy learning more about our Portland and Portsmouth stores and some of our staff's favorite restaurants in these fabulous foodie towns.

Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine is often cited on those "Best Towns to Live in Now" lists and rightfully so. An eclectic and charming mix of a busy fishing port (New England's third largest) and art galleries, cobblestone streets, historic buildings and modern boutiques. The Stonewall Kitchen Company Store is located in the Old Port on Middle Street, in the middle of Exchange Street; a bustling quaint area of shops, galleries, and amazing restaurants.

A few of our staff favorite restaurants in Portland include;

The Salt Exchange - Offers seasonal plates using local suppliers
Havana South Restaurant - American Fine Dining with a Latin Flair
Grace - a restaurant created in an old church, great menu and atmosphere
Fore Street - A favorite for after work appetizers and drinks
Otto - a casual pizzeria with fun toppings such as White Bean, Sausage, Herb & Red Flake

Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth, NH is one of the oldest settlements in the United States. This historical fishing community has had its share of colonial upheaval and a modern revival to make it one of the most desirable cities on the Seacoast. Maintaining much of its early historic charm, Portsmouth is full of enchanting shops and great restaurants (leading contender for the U.S. city with the most restaurants per capita). The Stonewall Kitchen Company Store at 10 Pleasant St. in downtown Portsmouth offers a unique shopping experience.

In Portsmouth, you can usually find our staff enjoying these local restaurants;

Cava Tapas and Wine Bar - a great tapas restaurant where you can order a la carte or of their phenomenal tasting menu
Black Trumpet Bistro - offering a creative menu
Agave - Authentic Mexican cuisine, with a second location in Newburyport, MA
The Street - A new restaurant with an eclectic menu selection in a casual environment
Jumpin' Jays Fish Cafe - a great place for larger groups, this restaurant has several local seafood options

We would love to know what your favorite restaurants are in Portland, ME and Portsmouth, NH are!

It's Apple Season here in New England; Apple Crisp Giveaway!

2011-09-09T11:41:00.002-04:00

UPDATE:

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Maria, please comment back with your email address so we can contact you and mail you your Apple Crisp ingredients!

(We have closed off comments so your comment will not be posted publically)

*************************************************

As we begin to welcome Fall here in New England, we also begin to look forward to visits to the Apple Orchards. Somehow, you always manage to leave with more apples than you could eat in a month. As you are walking out you notice the perfect apple here, and the perfect apple there, and before you know it your bag is overflowing and you find yourself wondering what you should make first; apple crisp, apple pie, apple sauce?

This fall, we want to make baking a little easier for one of our lucky blog readers. Our Apple Pie filling tastes just like you picked the apples and spent hours in the kitchen, so you can save the freshly picked apples you worked so hard to gather and enjoy them as is.

What you will win:

One (1) Jar of our Apple Pie Filling

One (1) Box of our Oatmeal Crisp Topping

How to Enter:

Mandatory: What is your favorite apple product or apple recipe?

Additional Entries:

Share our Facebook Page with your friends on Facebook!
Like us on Facebook if you don't already do
Follow us on Twitter: @stonewalkitchen
Blog about our products and send us the link!
Re-tweet this giveaway daily. Feel free to copy/paste:

Apple Crisp Giveaway

@Stonewalkitchen http://bit.ly.WT6wt, Please RT

Giveaway ends on Monday, September 12, 2011 at 12:00pm EST.

Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. US Residents only, please no employee entries.

Savoring Summer with Good Food and Friends

2011-09-01T11:24:00.000-04:00

Another Maine summer is coming to an end, and with that we say goodbye to evening bike rides, visits to the Farmers Market and long, lazy days by the shore. School is already back in session for many kids and with that comes the challenge of scheduling leisurely get-togethers with friends and family.

As a last hurrah to the season, I recently hosted a casual dinner party using a variety of Stonewall Kitchen salsas and dips. Taking stock of my pantry for inspiration, I found jars of Peach Salsa, White Bean Dip and Spicy Corn Relish. These delicious toppings combined with locally grown tomatoes (near perfect this time of year) would make the perfect accompaniments to a crowd-pleasing taco bar. Catering to the tastes of everyone would be no problem, offering both grilled shrimp and seasoned ground turkey with various cheeses, veggies and tortillas. A side of black beans sautéed with fresh cilantro and lime rounded out our end-of-summer celebration, with just enough spice to keep us warm through the Maine winter.

Even the most inexperienced cook can look to Stonewall Kitchen for inspiration in the kitchen. Our products pair perfectly with meats, cheeses, breads and seasonal vegetables, and a quick glance at the jar’s label will feed your creativity. This last weekend of summer, take it easy and let our products take the lead.

Peach Salsa Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. light olive oil
1 Pound large (21-30 count) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
6 corn taco shells
2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
Stonewall Kitchen Peach Salsa
1/3 cup Manchego or Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, salt and pepper and cook until shrimp are pink and become firm, about 1-2 minutes per side
Reduce heat to medium and add chili powder, lime juice and garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Bake taco shells on baking sheet 4-5 minutes
Layer lettuce, shrimp, Peach Salsa, cheese and cilantro in the taco shells. Serve immediately

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What’s in your cupboard? How will your menu keep the relaxed summer vibe all year long?

It's time to stock up for Fall - Labor Day Outlet Sale!

2011-08-30T13:59:00.000-04:00

Join us as we celebrate Labor Day at our Outlet and Warehouse stores! This weekend, from Thursday, September 1st through Monday, September 5th, you can enjoy an extra savings of 25% off all markdown items at our 3 outlet locations. Product assortment ranges from Jams to baking mixes, grille sauces, dinnerware, bake ware and more!

Stonewall Kitchen Outlet & Warehouse Store Locations;

Avon Retail & Outlet Store
336 West Maine Street
Avon, CT 06001
(860) 674-8001

North Conway Outlet Store
2 Common Court, Unit #C14
North Conway, NH 03860
(603) 356-3342

Rochester Warehouse Store
7 Amarosa Drive, Unit 1
Rochester, NH 03868
(603) 994-1100

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Can't make it to any of our Outlet store locations to enjoy the extra savings? Help us get to 10,000 fans and we will send our Facebook friends a promo code to use on your online purchase!

Back to school essentials for creating a fun and nutritious lunch!

2011-08-24T12:26:00.001-04:00

It is always a shock when the stores begin to stock their shelves with pens, notebooks and back to school supplies. Somehow it manages to sneak up on us every year. Suddenly we wake up to cooler mornings, the days begin to get a little shorter and we begin to pack up the backpacks for school! Sending your children to school with a nutritious lunch is important, but it is also just as important that they enjoy the lunch that is packed for them. Here are a few of our favorite products for the school year;

Sandwich Ideas:
- Peanut Butter and Concord Grape Jelly - For a traditional PB&J
- A Fall Favorite, Pilgrim Turkey Sandwich
- For the nut free schools, Seedless Red Raspberry Jelly with Cream Cheese

Kid-Friendly Snacks:
- Honey Mustard Pretzels
- Sea Salt Crackers
- Baby Carrots with a side of Artichoke Spinach Dip
- Aged Cheddar Cheese Straws
- Sour Cream & Chive Potato Sticks

And everyone's favorite...dessert:
- For those with a Gluten Intolerance; Gluten Free Brownies or Gluten Free Cookies
- Chocolate Whoopie Pies
- Our new Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Also, if you are looking for more Eco-friendly ways to pack your lunches, check out the Recyclable Lunch Bags!

What are your children's favorite lunch items for school?

August Afternoon

2011-08-18T17:44:00.000-04:00

Nubble Light in August

While we are hastily working to get things together for the upcoming holiday season, as in Thanksgiving and Christmas, not Labor Day, a recent after work bike ride reminded me it is still fully summer in Maine. A bright and sunny Friday afternoon lead me from the busy day at Stonewall Kitchen: around the corner, down the road and up the hill to another equally as busy place, Nubble Lighthouse http://www.nubblelight.org/ (Sohier Park) in August, where I took this picture from. I am told this is the most photographed lighthouse in the whole country and it is right around the corner from Stonewall Kitchen. A reminder of how lucky we are to call this place home. There she sits, all content and peaceful watching over the Atlantic and leading the way for sea-faring vessels and tourists clad in plaid.

Around here lots of us stick around in the summer. There really is no better place to be. We are already in "Vacation Land" so our vacations usually mean enjoying being just where we are. What about you, what fun mini-adventures did you enjoy this summer?

It's not over yet! Be a tourist in your own backyard. Happy Summering!

Rainy Day Recipe

2011-08-16T12:29:00.000-04:00

The past few days have reminded us that summer may be coming to a (hopefully slow) end and fall will show it’s colors to us soon enough. With the recent rain, the damp and cool mornings make many of us around the office crave warm, gooey comfort foods –especially in the morning! For your next rainy morning, we recommend baking up a batch of our homemade sticky buns. The aromas alone will motivate you to relish the goodness offered by a late summer rain day! Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1-1lb. Loaf of unbaked bread dough (found in your groceries frozen food section)
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Spiced Rum Butterscotch Sauce
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted**

Directions

1. Thaw frozen dough according to package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate.
3. Roll dough into a rectangle approximately 10 inches by 6 inches.
4. Brush surface of the dough with melted butter.
5. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough.
6. Roll up the dough forming a 10-inch long roll. Cut into ten rounds about 1 inch thick.
7. Sprinkle toasted pecans over the bottom of the pie plate.
8. Spread the Stonewall Kitchen Pure Maple Cream or Spiced Rum Butterscotch Sauce over the nuts.
9. Place the dough rounds, spiral side up, over the sauce. Let the dough rise in a warm place 30 minutes or until it doubles in size. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and cool 5-10 minutes. Turn pie pan over onto a serving dish. Serve buns warm.

Are you a pro marshmallow toaster? It's National S'More Day!

2011-08-10T10:48:00.000-04:00

Somehow summer is sneaking away again and it's already August! August here in Maine is such a beautiful month, we begin to welcome the cooler mornings while still enjoying the hot afternoons at the beach. August evenings are often filled with enjoying friends and family by the fire...and trying not to light the marshmallows on fire! I am no pro when it comes to marshmallow toasting. Years of experience and still, they get all nice and brown and then poof; they are up in flames!

Today is the day to show your toasting skills, it is National S'More Day. As much as children love to enjoy s'mores, we know that the adults love them just as much! Here is a fancy twist to a summertime classic that everyone will enjoy, and you can do them right on your grill so no marshmallow toasting needs to be involved!

S'more's (the Stonewall Kitchen way)

Ingredients:

4 chocolate graham crackers, broken in two
2 chocolate bars, broken in two
4 jumbo marshmallows
Stonewall Kitchen Raspberry Liqueur Hot Fudge Sauce

Directions:
For the Grill:

Stack s'more: Graham cracker, marshmallow, chocolate bar, fudge sauce, graham cracker
Wrap all in aluminum foil and place on top of a hot grill for about 10 minutes
Peek to make sure chocolate is melted
Enjoy!

The Traditional Way:

Get your bottom graham cracker and top it with the piece of chocolate bar.
Toast the jumbo marshmallow over the open flame of the fire. If you are a marshmallow toasting master, brown slightly. Or if you are like most people, blow out the flames as quick as possible!
Place onto pre-assembled graham cracker & chocolate bar
Top with a spoonful of Raspberry Liqueur Hot Fudge Sauce
Top with the second graham cracker
Grab a napkin and enjoy!

Do you have a favorite twist to a s'more that makes them special? If so, please share, we would love to hear your ideas!

If you don't have the time to make a traditional s'more, try out our S'Mores Brownie Mix!

Charity Pancake Breakfast & Giveaway!

2011-08-05T13:06:00.001-04:00

***Update***

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations Carole! We will be contacting you for your mailing information and we hope you enjoy your pancakes and cookbook since you could not be here with us!

_______________________________________________________________________

Last years Charity Pancake Breakfast was a huge success and we are excited to do it again tomorrow! People waited in line for an amazing breakfast of Farmhouse Pancakes served up by the founders of Stonewall Kitchen, Jim Stott and Jonathan King, and got to choose their toppings from various syrups, fruits and more.

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 6th, we will be hosting the Charity Pancake Breakfast again and we hope you can make it! The cost is $5.00 per adult and $3.00 per child, with all proceeds going to the York Community Food Pantry and the Youth Enrichment Center at Hilton-Winn Farm.

This year, Jim & Jonathan will be at the event signing cookbooks and with every cookbook purchase you get a free 16oz Farmhouse Pancake & Waffle Mix!

We want to be able to include our readers from across the country who can't make it to our event by giving away a free signed cookbook and a 16oz Farmhouse Pancake & Waffle Mix to have your own Pancake Breakfast at home!

What you will win:

(1) 16oz Farmhouse Pancake & Waffle Mix

(1) Autographed Stonewall Kitchen Breakfast Cookbook

How to enter:

Mandatory: Give us your best guess as to how many pancakes we will be flipping and serving tomorrow!

Additional Entries:

Share our Facebook Page with your friends on Facebook. Once we hit 10,000 fans we will be sending out a 20% off coupon code for online purchases!
Follow us on Twitter: @stonewalkitchen
Blog about our products! Mention your blog URL in our comments section
Re-tweet this giveaway daily. Feel free to copy/paste:

Pancake Giveway

@Stonewalkitchen http://bit.ly.WT6wt, Please RT

Remember, each extra entry must be left in a separate comment. A winning comment will be chosen at random. If an email, twitter handle or other way to be contacted is not included the winner will be announced and asked to comment back leaving their contact information. (The winner's comment with contact info will not be published). Winner has 48 hours to reply and claim their prize.

Giveaway ends on Monday, August 8, 2011 at 12:00PM EST. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. US residents only, please no employee entries.

Want to save 20% on your online order? - "Like" us on Facebook!

2011-08-04T09:33:00.003-04:00

UPDATE: We have reached 10,000 fans!

Receive 20%off your online order, exclusive for our Facebook Fans.

Online offer valid for 24 hours, until 1:59PM EST September 30, 2011

Enter code FANS20 at checkout

Sale items are excluded.

Offer valid online only on in-stock merchandise only. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Offer excludes shipping charges, gift/ecards, Specialty Food Club, cooking classes, sale items or prior purchase. Excludes Corporate and Wholesale, future ship orders

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Do you want to save 20% off of your next online order? All you have to do is "Like" us on Facebook! Once we hit 10,000 fans we will be sending out an exclusive coupon code just for our fans. Head on over to our Facebook Page and click the "Like" button. We love to keep our fans up to date with photos of our favorite foods, lots of recipes and our new products.

The coupon code will be posted at noon the day after we reach 10,000 fans and will be valid for 24 hours once posted on your online purchases. Be sure to check back often to make sure you don't miss it!

Want to get your savings faster to stock up on grill sauces and marinades before grill season is over? Scroll to the bottom of our Facebook Page and click "Share" (shown below) to tell your friends about us. Thanks for being a fan!

Behind the scenes in the Photography Studio

2011-08-01T14:01:00.000-04:00

Hello blog readers! Did you have a nice weekend? I sure did. It was perfect beach and BBQ weather here in New England. The same 'relaxing-with-friends' feeling that we were going for in these photos.

Did you ever wonder how we make photographs like these? I photograph for our website and catalogs here in our in-house studio. I was thinking that you, our blog readers, might enjoy a snapshot showing behind the scenes on a photoshot. Below is what the studio looked like when I was shooting these summer entertaining photographs.

I'm lucky to be able to shoot in a studio that has great access to natural light so I can mix the window light with our studio lighting. And yes, we did have a big tree branch in the studio that day! Steve, one of our merchandise buyers, and I thought that it added a little touch of outdoors to the photo. What do you think? If enjoy this behind the scenes blog post let us know and we'll show you some more behind the scenes looks here at Stonewall Kitchen.

Prepping for a dinner party? Learn from some of the best in the business

2011-07-25T11:11:00.000-04:00

Have you ever found yourself flipping aimlessly through your collection of cookbooks trying to prep for a dinner party and not knowing where to begin? Especially those cookbooks without pictures, how are you suppose to know if what your making turned out OK? If you've found yourself in this situation (maybe more than once) then it's time to get a lesson from the professionals.

This past weekend, the Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School welcomed chef and cookbook author Sara Foster to our cooking school. Sara came to us from Raleigh, NC with two mouth-watering menus to teach eager guests how to recreate her recipes in their own home.

Sara's menus included her southern favorites such as Shrimp Jambalaya, Salt & Pepper Cornbread, Granny Foster's Sunday Fried Chicken and more.

This summer, our cooking school has a great class schedule lined up. Our talented cooking school staff, along with local chefs, cookbook authors and nutritionists, have created classes for everyone...even one that your furry friends will enjoy!

If you missed Sara Foster's classes this weekend and want to learn how to recreate those recipes in your cookbooks at home, be sure to sign up for one of the upcoming classes taught by popular cookbook authors.

Thursday, August 4th: Summer Entertaining with Jim and Jon

Spend an evening with our own Jim and Jonathan, founders and owners of Stonewall Kitchen as they prepare some of their favorite summertime recipes.

Saturday, August 27th: Maine Classics

Local cookbook authors and restaurant owners, Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier show you how to prepare 3 recipes from their newest cookbook, Maine Classics.

Friday, September 16th: Veggie Garden Harvest Celebration

Saturday, September 17th: Late Summer Farmers' Market Grazing Menu

Susie Middleton, author of "Fast, Fresh and Green" and "Fresh and Green for Dinner" (being released in spring 2012) brings us her knowledge of using fresh, local foods to create memorable meals.

Friday, September 23rd: Fall Celebrations
Kathy Gunst, co-author of our 6 Stonewall Kitchen cookbooks Kathy will highlight the best of late summer-early fall with her new recipes.

For a complete list of Cooking Classes through the end of September, please visit our Cooking School Website. To register for one of our classes, call 888-899-8363.

A summertime twist to a traditional treat; Watermelon Cupcake Recipe

2011-07-19T15:14:00.000-04:00

Today, our cooking school was preparing quite the perfect summer lunch! The menu included a Summer Vegetable Crepe with Cheese and Chives, Grilled Herbed Turkey Tenderloin with grilled polenta, a Roasted Corn with Basil Shallot Vinaigrette and for dessert a Watermelon Cupcake with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting. A little healthier take on the traditional cupcake, this treat is as tasty as it is adorable.

Watermelon Cupcake with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1 small Seedless Watermelon (enough for 8, 3" cut outs)
1 can crushed pineapple
1/4 stick of butter
1/4 c. sugar
Juice from 1 lemon
3 oz cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
Mint Sprigs (optional)

Directions

Cut slices of watermelon about 3" thick. Using the cookie cutter of your choice, cut out 8 pieces to use as the base of your cupcakes
Combine pineapple, butter and sugar in a saucepan. Cook until mixture is thickened and transparent, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool.
Combine lemon juice and cream cheese until smooth, blend in powdered sugar.
Add the cooled pineapple mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat well.
Top each watermelon slice with a dollop of frosting and top with mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Dog Days of Summer Sale

2011-07-15T10:45:00.001-04:00

Not to worry, we did not forget about the rest of you! For those of you not in or around York, Maine this weekend (even those who are) we have something special for everyone!

It's our Dog Days of Summer - 20 % off Sale ONLY on our website: www.stonewallkitchen.com. Enter source code DOGDAYS at checkout!

Stay cool and enjoy your weekend!

Sidewalk sale this weekend & the Garden Party.

2011-07-15T09:40:00.007-04:00

One blog post, three exciting things to share! First, our Sidewalk sale is this weekend! Come into our York Company Store to Save.

And last but not at all least, I wanted to share a few photographs from out garden party last night. We have a great turnout of guests from our local community and visitors 'from away' as we say here in Maine. Many thanks to everyone who came out to see the artwork and celebrate our 20th anniversary with us!

It's a Garden Party!

2011-07-13T17:41:00.000-04:00

Here at Stonewall Kitchen horticultural has always been an integral design element for Jonathan and Jim. When laying out plans for our headquarters in York, Maine the gardens were integrated front and center on the property. And now we all get to enjoy the benefits of such beautiful gardens each year!

A section of the front gardens

Art in the Garden

Flower Garden

Each year a new summer garden is planned out with gardening mastermind, Jacquelyn Nooney of Jacquelyn Nooney Landscape, Inc. This year is an especially special horticultural presentation, in celebration of our

20^th Anniversary, the Stonewall Kitchen garden theme: From the Garden to the Kitchen represents a collaboration between Jonathan and Jim, Jacquelyn Nooney and art curator, Mary Harding of the George Marshall Store Gallery in York.

Colors and texture variety. Do you see the beets?

Mary worked with various, New England based artists who presented work ranging from photography pieces, to large abstract murals, detailed oils and sculptures, all representing the theme: From the Garden to the Kitchen. Each piece was photographed and transformed to an outdoor tolerant canvas, and then hung on custom designed wrought-iron picture hangers which were placed throughout Stonewall Kitchen's headquarters' gardens. The gardens were then planted to reflect and compliment the various pieces of artwork.

The George Marshall Store Gallery exhibit of From the Garden to the Kitchen original artwork will be on view July 16-August 21 at:

George Marshall Store Gallery
140 Lindsay Road, York, ME
phone: 207.351.1083 www.georgemarshallstoregallery.com
hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm & Sunday 1–5pm

Jackie took time yesterday to walk around the gardens with me. I learned a lot about choosing plants and utilizing the different colors and textures available not only from your standard annuals, but how to mix in vegetables as well for effect. Jackie planted beets and leeks in the gardens for color and height and added parsley for texture. I’ll pass along information on the various varieties of plants and some of her ideas for beautiful plantings you can replicate at home in the next garden post.

A Dahlia for the Bees

But for now, everyone is invited to our Garden Party tomorrow evening, July 14, from 4 pm - 7 pm at our headquarters in York, Maine. So if you happen to be in the area come by! We’ll have live music, refreshments, and we will be giving away sample sized jams and coupons too! Come enjoy this amazing exhibit of art and garden!

You can view the exhibit brochure here: Stonewallkitchen.com

Add Leeks to the Mix

Salvia - perfect for flower arrangements

Grilling with Spice Rubs - Giveaway

2011-07-08T11:00:00.004-04:00

When I start preparing to grill dinner it seems I always go right for the grill sauces and marinades. It is so easy to marinate a piece of meat and the flavor you get from it is pretty unbeatable...so I thought.

The other night, I got the chance to try out one of our new spice rubs. Carolina style barbecue holds a special place in my heart. It reminds me of summer vacations to visit my grandparents in North Carolina, sitting on the picnic tables with a Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich and a bag of hush puppies. When I first saw we were introducing a Carolina's Rub I knew I needed to try it as soon as possible; pork, chicken? The options seem endless!

Had I not had the guidance from my chef husband, I might have just dunked the chicken breasts into the rub and threw them on the grill. I was quickly informed that we needed to marinate the chicken breast just like I would with a grill sauce to get a more intense flavor. After a few minutes on a charcoal grill I got the flavor I was looking for. I may have been converted to using spice rubs all the time now and I can't wait to try the other 7 flavors!

Since it's summer time and everyone has the grills lit up, we want to share a few of our new spice rubs with one of our blog readers!

What you will win:

Stonewall Kitchen's new Carolina's Rub and one new rub of your choice!

To Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Are you a patient charcoal griller or do you prefer the ease of a propane grill?

Extra Entries:

(one extra entry for each, please leave a separate comment to let us know)

Follow @stonewalkitchen on Twitter
Write a review of a product you have tried
"Like" Stonewall Kitchen on Facebook
Blog about us! Leave the URL to your blog in the comments
Tweet this giveaway once daily and leave the URL of your tweet in the comments section. Feel free to copy/paste;

Spice Rub Giveaway from

@Stonewalkitchen http://bit.ly.WT6wt,Please RT

Remember, each extra entry must be left in a separate comment. A winning comment will be chosen at random. If an email, twitter handle or other way to be contacted isn't included the winner will be announced and asked to comment back leaving contact information. (The winner's comment with contact info will not be published). Winner has 48 hours to reply and claim their prize before a new winner is selected.

Giveaway ends on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 11am EST. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize of an alternate winner will be selected. US residents only, please no employee entries.

Bananas, love 'em or hate 'em? Try our banana cream pie recipe.

2011-07-06T17:18:00.001-04:00

Bananas, class clown of the fruit world...do you love them or hate them? Is it just me or is it always the banana flavored candy* that gets left behind in the dish? I guess this is lucky for me, because I happen to love bananas. (Yes, please give me those little yellow candies passed over by others, I'll gladly partake!) Bananas always seem to be involved in jokes -- picture someone dramatically slipping on a banana peel, but the funniest of all banana items has got to be the banana cream pie. This pie seems to never be eaten and instead is only ever smashed in the face of an unsuspecting victim. Poor little pie. Well, as comical as it's reputation is, it'd like to propose it as a great choice for summer dessert. Our recipe, with a coffee caramel twist, promises not to disappoint. Don't worry, as usual I taste-tested it for you just in case. Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pie

ingredients

* 3 Tbsp. corn starch
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 4 egg yolks
* 2 cups milk
* 1/2 vanilla bean
* 2 cups banana puree

directions

1. Sift together cornstarch and half the sugar, add egg yolks and mix well.
2. Bring milk, vanilla and the rest of the sugar to a boil.
3. Temper cream into yolks. (click the link for instructions)
4. Return to stove and whisk until very thick.
5. Add banana puree to desired flavor and cool over night.
6. Pour into graham cracker crust, store bought or home made.
7. Top with fresh whipped cream flavored with a drop or two of almond flavoring or almond liquor.
8. Drizzle Stonewall Kitchen Coffee Caramel Sauce over top.

*As our Facebook fan Jilly Beanz pointed out, and I agree, real banana beats banana flavoring any day!

Taste of the Nation: Helping to Fight Childhood Hunger

2011-06-29T10:27:00.000-04:00

Last week, on Wednesday, June 22nd, The Stonewall Kitchen Cafe and Cooking School participated in an event called "Taste of the Nation" in Portsmouth, NH. Taste of the Nation is a benefit that raises money for Share our Strength which helps to fight childhood hunger across the United States. Participating in an event such as this is such an eye opening experience. When most people think of starving children they think of third world countries, not the child that lives down the road. According to Share our Strength, 17 million children in America are at risk of hunger which is about 1 in 4 children.

This year at the Taste of the Nation event, we served attendees our famous Roasted Apple Chicken Salad from the Cafe and a Lemon Curd Tartlet from the Cooking School.

Liz, our Cafe Manager preparing for the crowds

Theresa, our Cooking School Chef Manager serving up her Lemon Curd Tartletts

Despite the rainy weather, the event was a success! Share our Strength was able to raise over $140,000 just in this one event alone to go to children in need. We enjoy attending these events each year because it is such a great cause and a fun event.

In an effort to continue to contribute throughout the year, Stonewall Kitchen also offers a gift on our website and in our stores called Our Blueberry Breakfast Gift that donates a portion of the sales to Share our Strength.

Taste of the Nation events take place across the country throughout the year and are a great experience if you are able to attend. You get the chance to sample food from several local restaurants all while helping a good cause!

Whoopie Pie Giveaway- the official Maine State Treat!

2011-06-24T10:39:00.001-04:00

***UPDATE***

We have a winner!

Congratulations Nicole! Please comment back with your email address and we

will ship you out your Chocolate Whoopie Pie Mix!

*************************

Here at our York Company Store we are hosting a Sidewalk Sale running through Sunday, June 26th. Despite the rainy weather we have our tent set up and filled with select customer favorites at 50% off. We know not everyone is a short drive away from our store here in York, Maine, so this weekend we want to give one of our readers one of our favorite baking mixes!

What you will win:

One box of Chocolate Whoopie Pie Mix - The official "Maine State Treat"

To Enter:

Mandatory Entry: What is your favorite baked treat?

Extra Entries:

(one extra entry for each, leave a separate comment to let us know)

Follow @stonewalkitchen on Twitter
Write a review of a product you have tried
"Like" Stonewall Kitchen on Facebook
Tweet this giveaway once daily. Feel free to copy/paste

Whoopie Pie Giveaway from

@Stonewalkitchen http://bit.ly/WT6wt, Please RT

Remember, each extra entry must be left in a separate comment. A winning comment will be chosen at random. If an email, twitter handle or other way to be contacted isn't included the winner will be announced and asked to comment back leaving contact information. (The winner's comment with contact info will not be published) Winner has 48 hours to reply and claim their price before a new winner is selected.

Giveaway ends on Monday, June 27, 2011 at 11am EST. Winners have 48 hours to claim their price or an alternate winner will be selected. US residents only, please no employee entries - Thanks!

Celebrating the first day of summer with a Lobster Salad

2011-06-21T08:56:00.000-04:00

What better way to celebrate the first official day of summer than with a refreshing summer salad? Add lobster! We asked our facebook friends on National Lobster Day (June 15th) what their favorite way to enjoy a lobster is. The most popular response was straight from the shell, dipped in a little butter. Other popular ways included lobster rolls, lobster pot pie and even the Lobster BLT from our Cafe here in York.

Some people seem to get a little intimidated eating a lobster straight out of the shell, which is understandable. There are so many other ways that you can enjoy lobster without breaking out the lobster bib! One of my favorites is on top of a fresh salad. Here is a great recipe if you are looking to celebrate the start of summer with nice light, refreshing salad. Of course, you could always substitute the lobster for another protein, but here in Maine, lobster is our number one choice!

Lobster, Avocado and Mango Salad

ingredients

- 4-6 tablespoons Stonewall Kitchen Champagne Shallot Mustard
- 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons bottled clam broth
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced tarragon leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 4 to 8 red leaf or bibb lettuce leaves, washed and blotted dry
- 1 pound lobster meat
- 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
- 1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste

directions
1.Whisk Champagne Shallot Mustard, mayonnaise and clam broth together in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in shallots and tarragon. Cover and refrigerate while preparing salad.

2.Line 4 chilled plates with lettuce leaves. Divide lobster among plates, mounding meat in the center. Add avocado and mango slices in an attractive pattern surrounding the lobster. Grind black pepper over the salads; drizzle with dressing and serve

Monthly Giveaway Winners - Have you entered June's Giveaway yet?

2011-06-14T15:14:00.000-04:00

Each month we host a giveaway that everyone can enter, whether you are near a company store or visiting our website. For the month of May we gave away an Antipasto Gift Basket filled with savory items such as Stonewall Kitchen Rosemary Parmesan Olive Quick Bread, Roasted Garlic Oil and more. Congratulations to our Monthly Giveaway winners for the month of May!

York Company Store: Deb H of Essex Junction, VT
Portland Company Store: Eliza M of Portland, ME
Camden Company Store: Alicia K of Plaistow, NH
Portsmouth Company Store: Nancy A of Epping, NH
North Conway Outlet Store: Warren T of Wolfeboro, NH
South Windsor Outlet Store: Stacy B of Storrs, CT
Avon Company Store: Lori M of Avon, CT
Rochester Warehouse Store: Rhonda L of Rochester, NH
Cooking School: Polly T of Barre, VT
National Harbor Company Store: Mary Jo F of Fort Washington, MD

Make sure you enter to win the June Giveaway - a Porcelain Grilling Griddle Gift, perfect for your summer Barbecues! To enter, you can visit any of our retail locations, or right on our website.

A drink recipe to help you beat the heat

2011-06-08T08:20:00.000-04:00

Listening to the news this morning made me realize that summer is finally here! It looks like there is a heat wave working its way across the country, 90 degrees in Maine? Yes, please! When the temperature rises and the humidity sets in, sometimes all you want is a refreshing drink to cool you down. Today is the perfect day for a lemonade, specifically a Raspberry Lemonade! Drinks, such as this, are so easy to make from scratch, and so much more refreshing then what you can purchase pre-made at the store. Add a little mint for an extra touch! Do you have a favorite drink you go to when the weather gets hot?

Raspberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

- 3 cups of sugar
- 4 cups of water
Combine above ingredients and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Allow to cool for "simple syrup".

- 2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 4 cups of water
- 4 1/2 cups of simple syrup
- 1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Raspberry Syrup

Directions

1.Mix together.
2.Chill.

It's National Doughnut Day! - Giveaway

2011-06-03T11:55:00.001-04:00

UPDATE: We have a winner!

Contgratulations Suburban Prep! We will contact you for your mailing information and

choice of doughnut mix.

************

There seems to be a food holiday for just about every day of the year. Today, however, is a great one to celebrate, it's National Doughnut Day! This day falls on the first Friday of every June and has been celebrated since 1938 during the Great Depression when they were sold to raise money for the Salvation Army. Today, doughnut shops across the country give out free doughnuts and continue the tradition.

Don't have a doughnut shop near you? Many people insist that you can only get doughnuts from a doughnut shop, however they are quite easy to make in your own home and much healthier! Today, we want to share one of our increasingly popular baking mixes for you to try out; our Doughnut Mixes. These doughnut mixes are all natural and are baked instead of fried. You can enjoy them for breakfast or even better, with a little scoop of ice cream for dessert. Enjoy!

What you will win:

Your choice of either our Chocolate Doughnut Mix or our Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mix

To Enter:

Mandatory - What is your all time favorite doughnut?

Extra Entries:

(one extra entry for each, leave a separate comment to let us know)

If you are in the Southern Maine area, stop by our York Company Store to visit the opening of the Garden to Table Art Exhibit
Visit a Farmers' Market in your area
Follow @stonewalkitchen on Twitter
"Like" Stonewall Kitchen on Facebook
Tweet this giveaway once daily. Feel free to copy/Past

Doughnut Mix Giveaway from

@StonewalKitchen http://bit.ly/WT6wt, Please RT

Remember, each entry must be left in a separate comment. A winning comment will be chosen at random. If an email, twitter handle or other way to be contacted isn't included the winner will be announced and asked to comment again leaving contact information. (The winner's comment with contact info will not be published) Winner has 48 hours to reply and claim their prize before a new winner is selected.

Giveaway ends on Monday June 6th, 2011 at 12PM EST. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. U.S. residents only. Please no employee entries - thanks!

Website - Facebook - Twitter

Blog - Store Locator

From the Garden to the Kitchen - Opening this weekend!

2011-06-02T17:51:00.002-04:00

Every year Jonathan plans something special for our gardens like last year's top secret garden project. This year the gardens are even more elaborate for our 20th anniversary! Jonathan King along with curator Mary Harding and landscape designer Jacqueline Nooney have created a two part exhibition called 'From the Garden to the Kitchen.' Artwork will be featured in the gardens at our York Company Store, as well as at the George Marshall Store Gallery here in York, ME. (click below to see the full sized exhibition announcement)

The gallery portion of this exhibition opens this weekend at the George Marshall Store Gallery. We are especially excited excited for the opening because myself, Katie Ring - Photographer at Stonewall Kitchen, and Melissa Lyford - Graphic Designer at Stonewall Kitchen are featured artists in the show. We hope that if you're in York you'll be able to stop by the gallery to see the artwork. The gallery portion of the show runs from Saturday June 4th until July 11th.

Also opening this weekend is our local farmer's market. Be sure to check out Stephanie's post about it for more info.

A Perfect Day for the Farmers' Market Opening

2011-06-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

Farmers' Markets have a special place in our hearts here at Stonewall Kitchen. If it wasn't for selling jam at the local market 20 years ago, we might not be where we are today. Here in Maine, we only get to enjoy the Farmers' Market a few months out of the year. Although there are various Winter Farmers' Markets that take place nearby, we look forward to perusing the local vendors under the sun on a gorgeous Saturday morning!

The weather is looking perfect for the opening of the Farmers' Market here in York this Saturday, June 4th. If you are in the Southern Maine area, this Farmers' Market takes place right across our driveway at the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce. It runs every Saturday June 4th through October 8th, from 9am-1pm. If you can't make it on Saturday, it is also open Thursday afternoons from July 7th-September 1st, 11am-2pm. This works out great for us to hop over and pick up some local produce during lunch time!

Not in the Southern Maine area? This website is a great resource to find the local Farmers' Markets, CSAs and Farm Stands happening in your area. It is important to support your local farms and vendors, and you always get the freshest ingredients whether you are looking for produce, meats, baked goods or artisan products. Often times you find things that you would never find at your local grocery store!

This weekend I hope to pick up some local Fiddleheads, a fresh loaf of homemade bread, my favorite local goat cheese and a few plants to add to my garden. What are your favorite products to pick up at the market?

Also, stay tuned for tomorrows giveaway! It just happens to be a special food holiday that we want to share with you!

An alternative use for ketchup & our giveaway winner!

2011-05-31T11:05:00.000-04:00

The winner of our Memorial Day Giveaway is Holly!

Holly, please comment back with your contact information so we can mail you out your products! Don't worry, we will not publish the comment.

The first thing that tends to come to everyone's mind when they hear ketchup is using it as a condiment for hamburgers or hot dogs. Our Country Ketchup has so many possibilities beyond a burger topping; from using it to spice up a marinara sauce, make a cocktail sauce, or easy appetizers such as Cream Cheese & Crab Dip. Here is a wonderful, easy recipe using our Country Ketchup that everyone will enjoy.

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable or light olive oil
- 1-cup onion, chopped 3/8-inch
- 1-cup celery, chopped 3/8-inch
- 1 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 3/8-1/2 inch
- 2 tsp. garlic, minced
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 2 cups tomato Sauce
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups Stonewall Kitchen Country Ketchup

directions

1. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the onion, celery, and green bell, sauté until onion is translucent but not browned. Add garlic and sauté about 2 minutes.

2. Add ground beef and brown. Drain off grease.

3. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer until flavor fully develops, about 15-30 minutes.

A Memorial Day Giveaway

2011-05-27T11:05:00.001-04:00

Are you planning to fire up the grill this weekend? I know that we are and there will be a few burgers consumed in my near future! Everyone knows that I work for Stonewall Kitchen, so whenever we have parties, I always get asked what my favorite Stonewall Kitchen product is. There are so many great products, that it is hard to narrow it down to just one, and usually my reply is whatever I am in the mood for at the time.

One product that always remains at the top of my list is our Country Ketchup. I know, I know, such an average condiment to be a favorite out of such a unique product line. This is no average ketchup though! If you haven't tried this ketchup you need to right away. It is chunky, garlicky and has just the right amount of spice to it! I consider it an "adult ketchup". Another product always in my top choices? Our mustard...not just one, but the whole assortment. Our Caramelized Onion mustard is our newest addition to the line and paired with the Country Ketchup they make the perfect condiments for a hamburger or hot dog, so we want you to give them a try!

What you can win:
One jar of our Caramelized Onion Mustard and one jar of our Country Ketchup

To Enter:

Mandatory:

What is your favorite condiment to add to a hamburger or hot dog?

Extra Entries;

Follow @StonewalKitchen on Twitter
"Like" Stonewall Kitchen on Facebook
Follow Stonewall Kitchen NetworkedBlogs
Write a review on a product you've tried
Let us know you stopped by our Memorial Day Sale at one of our outlet stores
Tweet this giveaway. (Once Daily) Feel free to copy/paste:

Remember, each entry must be left in a separate comment. A winning comment will be chosen at random. If an email, twitter handle or other way to be contact isn't included the winner will be announced and asked to comment again leaving contact information. (The winner's comment with contact info will not be published) Winner has 48 hours to reply and claim their prize before a new winner is selected.

Giveaway ends on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 10am EST. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize of an alternative winner will be selected. US residents only, please no employee entries - thanks!