Mark Your Calendars, it's time to SAVE!

At our Labor Day Weekend Warehouse Sale! Save an extra 25% on sale prices and imperfects. THURSDAY, September 2nd - MONDAY, September 6th

Only available in our warehouse stores in Rochester, NH, North Conway, NH, and Avon, CT.

Find your store here!

Tourist Season

You know it’s the start of summer when the bus tours come to visit our Flagship Store in York. We love to see the buses arrive. Guests pile out of the bus to walk through our gardens, shop in our store, grab a snack or lunch in the Café and of course, watch us making jam on the premises.

Please feel free to schedule a bus trip and a meet and greet from our Store Associates (who will always give you a coupon for shopping that day)! We look forward to seeing you! Call our store directly at (207) 351-2712.

Farmers' Market

For those of you in the York, Maine area this Saturday, we are sponsoring the Gateway Farmers' Market in the back lot at the Greater York Region Chamber Visitor Center, Route One. (Then come visit our York store!)

Every SATURDAY June 5th through October 9th from 9:00AM to 1:00PM, you will find many organic products such as breads, cheeses, and seasonal produce and fruit.

Memorial Day

The inspiration for this blog began at the local 24/7 store. Yeah, I know it is a pretty bizarre place to get any kind of inspiration but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. You see sitting out front of the store was a WWII veteran and what looked like his grandson. On the shaky card table were a bunch of red silk poppies and a can for donations.

I always put some money in the can and get a poppy to wear. It's a habit I picked up from my Grandmother when I was a little kid. She always bought a poppy and kept it in the visor of her car.

I never actually knew why poppies were worn on Memorial Day. I just googled it and here is what I found. Memorial Day is sometimes called Decoration Day because following the Civil War, people went to cemeteries to place flowers on or to "decorate" the graves of loved ones who died in the war. After World War I, it also became known as Poppy Day after Canadian Army Col. John McRae wrote a poem titled "In Flanders Fields." Now I know!

I am planning on gathering with friends and family for several cookouts. Working here at Stonewall Kitchen sometimes makes it difficult to decide what to grill. We have so many choices of sauces and marinades that I am having a hard time making up my mind. My guess is that I will end up in the store and buy several. My new favorite is our Thai Marinade – it makes shrimp out of this world!

A special thank you to all the servicemen and women, who have served, protected and sacrificed for our country and our freedom.

Not sure what I’ll make yet, but I’ll be wearing a poppy . . .

19th Anniversary Sale

We are celebrating our 19^th Anniversary and we are passing the savings on to you!

Starting today thru Sunday receive 19% on the Web.* Exclusive online offer. To receive your discount, please provide source code 19YEARS at checkout. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. Offer valid Friday, 5/14/10 through Sunday, 5/16/10 11:59PM ET on in-stock merchandise. Offer excludes shipping charges, Gift Cards, Specialty Food Club, Cooking School Classes or wholesale orders. Not valid on prior purchases. Offer valid for online purchases only.

The perfect savings for all your gift giving occasions this summer.

Happy savings! START SHOPPING!

May Sweepstakes - Enter to Win!

We are giving a gift away every month. Have you signed up for May's Gift yet?

May's Gift - A Grilling Collection Basket

Includes: Stonewall Kitchen Grilling Cookbook, Pineapple Ginger Sauce, Chicken and Pork Spice Rub, Maple Chipotle Grille Sauce, Steak and Barbecue Spice Rub and Roasted Tomato Grille Sauce all in a beautiful task basket.

April's winners will be announced shortly. Good luck and happy May!

Click here to enter

April Sweepstakes - Last day to enter

We are giving a gift away every month. Have you signed up for April's Gift yet?

It's our Berry Breakfast Basket (a gift valued at 99.95!).

Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, oh my! This basket is a collection of Stonewall Kitchen’s berry best and is sure to delight. Inside a straw task basket, you’ll find: Wild Maine Blueberry Jam, Red Raspberry Jam, Strawberry Jam, Wild Maine Blueberry Syrup, Raspberry Syrup, Strawberry Syrup, Blueberry Pancake & Waffle Mix, Strawberry Pancake & Waffle Mix, and Raspberry Muffin Mix. Also includes a cornflower blue Stonewall Kitchen cotton tea towel and 10’’ balloon whisk.

Sign up today to win and best of luck!

Click here to enter

Save the Date for Herb Planting Demonstrations

Herbs can add so much healthy flavor and color to your cooking, and fresh herbs are the best! It’s so easy to grow them at home --- either in your garden or in small containers and pots.

Stop by our York Maine Company Store for a FREE demonstration on working with herbs. Steve Fraize will be onsite to show you just how easy it is to plant and care for herbs at home. Bring your questions, Steve is a great resource!

Assorted herbs will be available for sale. Also, during the event, enjoy 15% off all Flower Pots, Garden Seeds and Stonewall Kitchen Garden Hand Care Products!

Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 12:00pm
2 Stonewall Lane, York, ME

CONNECTICUT STORES DATES

South Windsor, CT
The Promenade Shops
at Evergreen Walk
Saturday, May 1st, 12 -4 pm

Avon, CT
336 West Main Street
Saturday, May 8th, 12 -3 pm

Stop by our Connecticut Stores for a FREE demonstration on working with herbs. Bob Zotter of Pride’s Corner will be onsite to show you just how easy it is to plant and care for herbs at home. Bring your questions, Bob is a great resource!

Recycling for Earth Day and beyond!

Reusing Our Jars We've found loads of uses for our uniquely shaped jars. They are perfect for storing small items all around the house. From the pantry to the kitchen to the bath you'll find so many uses for the sturdy jars. Some other uses you may not have thought of are:

Use them to make a spice rack for the kitchen Store buttons, clasps, and pins in the sewing room Leftovers are clearly visible in the fridge in our jars and the lids stay on tightly. Fill one of our pasta or salsa jars with soup to take to a friend. Kids who love to collect things have a great way to keep them tidy and keep them on display. And the list goes on and on. Click here to see more Share your recycling ideas with us!

Looking for the sweetest little wedding or party favors?

Little touches can make your special day even sweeter. . .

Our mini jams make perfect favors for weddings, anniversary parties or any special occasion.

Call our Premier Services Department at 800-826-1735 to get a discount when you order mini jams by the case. Our Premier Services Dept. will answer all your questions.

Do it yourself! You design & print the labels. A 1 3/4" round label is the perfect size on our mini jams.

Lights, Camera, Action

Just wanted to let you all know that we are looking forward to an exciting day in our Cooking School today. We are noticing lights and cameras and crew in our Cooking School. PBS is here and it's because Cynthia Finnemore Simonds is cooking in the School today and PBS is filming the class for her show. We are thrilled to be part of the action and to host such a respected author!

Cynthia Finnemore Simonds is the author of Fresh Maine Salads, Superb Maine Soups, and Delicious Maine Desserts; cookbooks from Down East Books. She is currently in production with "Fresh to Flavorful," her own cooking show on PBS and a nationwide project featuring the myriad of stories that depict the Agriculture here in America.

Check out our Cooking School schedule.

Easter Eggs

I'd like to apologize in advance for the shameless, horrible egg puns that I'm inevitably going to shell out over the course of this blog.

I thought I'd tackle one of the simplest, yet most vexing everyday challenges of the home kitchen: perfectly boiling an egg.

Nearly every basic cookbook offers conflicting techniques on how it should be done—start the egg in cold water, or gently lower it into boiling water; add vinegar to the water to lower its pH, or add baking soda to the water to raise it; cover the pot, don't cover the pot; use old eggs, or use new eggs, and on and on—but very few offer evidence as to why any one of these techniques should work any better than your average old wives' tale. Apparently, boiling is not...ahem...an eggs-act science.

What Factors Matter When Boiling Eggs?

Age of the Eggs - "Old eggs are for boiling, fresh eggs are for frying," is what my mother told me. Well, it's true...to a degree. As anyone who's had fresh-from the hen eggs will tell you, they do fry up beautifully, giving you tall, tall yolks, and tight whites, and trying to peel a very freshly laid boiled egg is difficult—the inner membrane of the shell has a tendency to stick to the white, giving the peeled egg a pockmarked appearance. But these differences disappear within a few days after the egg has been laid. Since eggs in the supermarket can spend up to 30 days before they even hit the shelf, followed by a further 30 days before they hit their expiration date, the point is pretty much moot. So long as you don't keep your own chickens, you can boil eggs with impunity.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are a little complicated. The goal is to have both your white and your yolk at the point where they are opaque, but not rubbery. I was taught to place the eggs in cold water, bring them to a simmer, shut off the heat, and wait for a prescribed period of time (about ten minutes).

The best part about using this method is that even if you accidentally forget about your egg and leave it sitting in the water, there is no chance that it will overcook, because by the time the egg is done (about ten minutes), the water temperature has dropped far enough that the egg will stop cooking.. But for most practical purposes, this will deliver perfect hard boiled eggs every time.

Perfect eggs, but the yolk's on me—all this egg boiling has left me fried.

Or you could just use our electric egg cooker . . . .

Have a great deviled eggs recipe? Please share with us!

Warehouse and Web Sale!

Did you know? We have so many sales going on now at Stonewall Kitchen. We are having our Winter Outlet Sale. Save an additional 25% off previously marked sale items (up to 70% off original price). GOING ON NOW! 2/11 thru 2/21 at our Warehouse and Outlet stores only - Rochester, NH; Avon, CT and North Conway, NH. Happy Shopping!

Click here to find our locations

Starting now through Monday --- all orders on our website will save 20%!!!! Use the source code G01456CO at checkout. Your source code entitles you to 20% off your purchase. Offer excludes purchase of Gift Cards and Specialty Food Club, expedited orders, prior purchases and delivery surcharges. Cannot be combined with other offers. No cash value. Expires Midnight, 2/15/10 ET. Enjoy!

START SHOPPING

Did you know? Originally intended to celebrate the birthday of the first US President, George Washington, the Presidents' Day holiday has become a general celebration of all past US Presidents. BTW - Today is the 201st Birth Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln.

Frozen Pancakes

Have you promised yourself to eat breakfast this year? Even though I confess I was well into my thirties before I mastered the breakfast habit, I was surprised at the number of comments from people who confessed that they rarely (if ever) eat breakfast. Everyone knows they “should” eat breakfast, many people just don't manage to fit it into their busy morning routine. Below is a great way to enjoy pancakes or waffles on the fly.

A breakfast tip from my niece. Make a bunch of pancakes on the weekend, let them cool, and then stack them with a sheet of wax paper between each. Finally wrap the stacks in plastic bags, label and freeze. To serve: Put the frozen pancake in the toaster and toast once or heat briefly under a broiler or in a toaster-oven. Our Farmhouse Pancake and Waffle Mix

Join us at the Boston Home Show

You won't want to miss out on the Boston Home Show this weekend!

That is where we will be this weekend! Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School presents Famous Chefs of New England! We will be bringing together all the best chefs from New England to put on a series of cooking demonstrations for our attendees. These demonstrations will be taking place every hour on the hour for the duration of the show. For our attendees these demos are included in the cost of your ticket!

Thousands of homeowners will walk through the doors of the Bayside Expo Center looking for ideas and trends designed for their biggest investment – their home.

A jam-packed (no pun intended) event complete with over 400 exhibitors, free seminars, and over $40,000 in giveaways including a Dream Kitchen Makeover.

You don’t want to miss this, stop by the Boston Home Show at the Bayside Expo Center. Click Here for more information . . . . can’t wait to see you there!

We have new packaging

Have you heard about (or seen) our new packaging and new products? We now have a "new look" to our dessert sauces and fruit butters. They all contain the same delicious recipes and amount as our previous jars, but the best news is the new lower price!!! Key Lime Curd is one of our newest toppings. If you love our lemon curd – you must try our Key Lime Curd.

Laurie says: I am lucky enough to be on the tasting panel (I am sure the panel has a different name than that however). We receive notices to go to the lab and sample and evaluate new food products. It is pretty interesting to taste three of the same products with each one boasting a unique flavor.

Katie says: I may not be lucky enough to be on the official panel - but I do get to taste a lot of new products! Since I need to photograph them before they can be shown online or in the catalog - I usually end up having a taste when I'm done with it on set. Don't worry, I shared some fruit butter and biscuits with Sam in HR!

Chillin' and Grillin'

Don’t let the season determine your outdoor cooking. Even though it’s chillin’ it’s thrillin’ to be grillin’ no matter what the temperature is outside. Over 60 percent of Americans don’t mind putting on the parka to grill their favorite meal even if some of the sizzle comes from a snow flurry or two.


The perks are the same as in summer…the fabulous flavor, a break from meatloaf, and the absence of pots and pans in the sink. Most extreme grillers go with a gas fueled grill…no waiting for coals to heat up while you literally chill out. But there are diehard charcoal grillers who relish the flavor and aroma only charcoal can give…even if cooking takes a tad longer.

So there’s no need to put your grill away for the winter. Instead, put on a few extra layers of clothing and head out for the deck and your favorite grill for some punch in your winter menu.

That being said, have you tried our Sesame Ginger Teriyaki Sauce yet? You can make an incredible meal in minutes with chicken, beef or pork. I love using it as a marinade when grilling. Share your winter grilling recipes with us!

Foodie Resolutions?

What are your foodie resolutions for 2010? Cook dinner at home more? Bake the perfect batch of brownies? Eat out at that one restaurant you’ve always dreamed of visiting? Open your own restaurant?

It’s a lot easier to make New Year’s resolutions than it is to keep them. I’ve heard statistics that say anywhere from 50 to 92% of all resolutions are not kept. They say that the trick to keeping a resolution is to break them down into smaller, more manageable goals. So, if you want to cook at home more, you might start out by cooking a big dinner once a week so that there will be plenty of leftovers for another dinner and a lunch or two. Gradually work up to more nights, or encourage yourself further by saying you’ll try a new dish or two from a favorite cookbook. Did we mention we have two new cookbooks?

This year, I’m just not quite sure what my big resolution is going to be, but traveling more, taking an international cooking class (check out our cooking school schedule) are definite goals of mine. I’d also like to hold a few more contests on Facebook with giveaways for all of you readers. Beyond that, I’ll have to make them up as I go through 2010! What about you?

A Simple Breakfast - Perfect for the holidays!

At this time of year, I often have guests staying over—and at my house, that means making sure that everyone is well fed. But with a full house, I usually shy away from cooking anything too complicated. (The pressure!)

This weekend I was inspired by a recipe that I stumbled across while thumbing through our Stonewall Kitchen Breakfast cookbook: (it's on sale too) Provencal Style Baked Eggs in ramekins. The ingredient list couldn’t be shorter: olive oil, scallions, thyme or basil, tomato, favorite hard cheese, eggs and cream. You just add the tomato mixture (scallions, thyme, tomato) sprinkle with cheese, add an egg, a little more cheese, and a little more tomato mixture. The trick is not overcooking the eggs, but otherwise, it really couldn’t have been easier. And you can add other fun flavors to the ramekins, if you like (I put in some sautéed artichoke hearts, zucchini or peppers right before adding the eggs.) Served with toast on the side, the dish was simple, but really special.

So I think this is my new drop-dead easy yet elegant breakfast dish (Now what about lunch and dinner? Hmmmm.) It'll be making its second appearance at Christmas. In the meantime, I’d love some more inspiration for super-fast yet impressive recipes, so please post your ideas.

Favorite Three: Snow, Shop and Sale!

It has been active here in the Internet Department this week. Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over – things are getting exciting around here. The stores are stocking the shelves, while guests wander through the stores sampling and trying out all our gourmet foods. Find a store near you!

All we need now is a little snow (and some deals) to get in the Christmas spirit! I know we have both to offer! It looks like we might have a little snow tomorrow afternoon and we definitely have a deal every day. Find our deals here: http://www.stonewallkitchen.com/prdsell.aspx?L0=Seasonal&L1=Holiday&L2=12DealsOfChristmas&sc=G25216U9