SEASON IT WITH WATKINS!

Spicey Swedish Meatballs With Goat's Milk

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:00:00 +0000

by Susan Fox
Alas, I have recently found out I am sensitive to cow's milk. (It raises my blood pressure.) However, this was actually a happy event because I have discovered the wonder and flavor of GOAT'S MILK!
Except for the beef, you could almost call this a vegan recipe as it has no eggs, cow's milk or cow's milk cheese. It is great for people who can't tolerate lactose as my husband has that problem, and his digestive system likes this recipe.
My husband and numerous guests agree this recipe I developed for Swedish Meatballs using goat milk and goat butter is delicious.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MEAT BALLS
Use beef hamburger -- no need to add more expensive veal, lamb or pork hamburger, the fatter and cheaper is better as we will use the grease to make a gravy. This recipe is actually better with plain beef hamburger because the goat butter and milk gives it the exotic flavor.
Two pounds beef hamburger
1/2 teaspoon Watkins dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Watkins black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Watkins cumin
1/8 cup white wine
2 slices of bread (I used organic sprouted wheat with flax seed)
1/4 cup whole goat milk
1/2 sweet onion chopped
12 large fresh basil leaves chopped
1 teaspoon ground New Mexico Chile (more or less to taste. This amount will create a medium hot flavor)
6 large cloves of garlic chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons of Goat Butter or more to prevent burning

Mix all the ingredients except the butter together, working the spices and salt into the hamburger. Using your hands form little one-inch balls and saute the meatballs in the melted goat butter turning them until they are browned on all sides.

Remove the meat balls to a large casserole dish. Save the fat and meat juices in the pan.

NOW THE GRAVY!

1/4 teaspoon Watkins black pepper
about 3 cups whole goat milk
2 tablespoons goat butter
2 oz Goat Cheddar or other goat cheese
2 tablespoons of flour
4-5 large leaves fresh basil chopped
1/4 teaspoon New Mexico ground chili
1 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon

Add two more tablespoons of goat butter to the remaining fat and meat juice and melt. Watch so it doesn't burn!
Then add two tablespoons of flour. Stir and gradually add about 3 cups of goat milk, adding 1/2 cup at a time then a little more as the gravy thickens. Use medium heat but watch so the gravy doesn't burn. While you are in the gravy making mode you can add another 1/4 teaspoon New Mexican Chili ground, 1 teaspoon of salt (check flavor may need more or less), juice from one lemon (taste as you do may need more or less), 1/4 teaspoon Watkins black pepper,
4-5 large leaves fresh basil chopped and two ounces goat cheese (it will melt0. Check taste of gravy when done and see if you need any more of the above ingredients. Then pour the gravy over the meatballs in the casserole dish, and put them in the oven warmed up to 350 degrees. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
DELICIOUS! This will make a meal for four people. Can be served with potatoes, rice or it's really luscious with Organic Low Glycemic Quinoa. Having a large party? Double or triple the recipe and serve with toothpicks as an appetizer.

Watkins black pepper is more flavorful then other peppers because we buy top-quality Malabar and Lampong peppercorns (the two most potent varieties), carefully screen out fillers and stems, then granulate (not grind) them through our exclusive process, which creates less friction and preserves their high essential oil content. Experience the Gold Medal-winning taste of the most flavorful pepper on the market.

Irish Cream Caramels: Utterly Delicious and Easy to Make

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:58:00 +0000

by Susan Fox
I love these caramels. They are easy to make, store well, and delicious to eat. Order the Watkins ingredients before Dec. 10, 2009 for Christmas delivery.
Give the Caramels for Christmas, or give the ingredients:
Either way, it's a great gift.

2 cups whipping cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp butter
1 tsp Watkins Irish Cream Extract
1 tsp Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine cream, sugar, syrup and butter in large heavy saucepan. Using a candy thermometer, heat to 245°F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat at once. Stir in extracts; pour into buttered 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. Cool just until firm. Loosen candy around edges with a knife; invert on cutting surface. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Cool completely and wrap each in waxed paper. Store in a cool place.

Note: These caramels keep well, and may be made several weeks in advance.

Watkins Cinnamon makes a delicous Diabetic Snack

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:44:00 +0000

by Susan Fox
"Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it. . . " (Ez 4:9)

Have you heard of Ezekiel Bread?
Described in the Holy Bible in Ezekiel 4:9 from which it derives its name, this bread is made from freshly sprouted live grains and contains no flour. It's high in protein and low in carbohydrates, so it's excellent for diabetics, but everyone can benefit from the nutrition in Ezechiel bread. Sprouting is the best way to release all of the vital nutrients stored in whole grains.

Because it is a sprout bread, it has to be refrigerated unless you plan on eating it all in one day as it gets moldy easily. I keep it in the freezer and then toast one slice at a time. The problem with Ezechiel bread is that it doesn't really taste as good as a slice of ... say toasted white bread. So I buy the Ezechiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin bread. Then I smother it in butter and French Peach Preserves (Bonne Maman). Then I sprinkle the jam generously with Watkins 100% Organic Ground Cinnamon.

There you have it, organic bread with organic cinnamon. I kid you not, this little snack is delicious. And it's better with the organic cinnamon rather than regular. You can't believe the flavor. I discovered this little gem all by myself, but after I did I read the label on the cinnamon and it said, "Use in all types of baked goods and fruit desserts, especially apples and peaches."

Watkins cinnamon is different than the Ceylon variety you get in the grocery store. Watkins award-winning high-oil Korintje cassia is about twice as flavorful as the Ceylon variety, and is the best quality cinnamon available anywhere. Plus it is the only cinnamon that will help stabilize blood sugar. For that reason, my goddaughter's mother puts it on her oatmeal every morning, and reduces the amount of sugar on her cereal, thereby insuring a healthy breakfast.

Your diabetes doctor will want you to eat protein with it, so if it's breakfast, I serve it with a boiled or poached egg. And if it's a snack I eat it with a handful of pecans. Ezekiel bread can be found at Whole Foods and other health food stores.

Hamburger Goulash! Tasty and Easy to Make

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:12:00 +0000

Watkins has a great new Ground Beef Seasoning, so I decided to try and make a hamburger goulash with it tonight. It was surprisingly delicious -- no sugar, but a hint of sweetness due to the onion, tomato and garlic plus the Ground Beef Seasoning.
Here's the recipe, which can, of course, be doubled and tripled:
1 pound hamburger cooked with red wine (about 1/2 cup of wine). Drain the excess fat and add 1 teaspoon Watkins Ground Beef Seasoning. (The ratio is one teaspoon of the seasoning to each pound of beef.) Set aside.
Cook about five red potatoes. Cut out the eyes, but leave the skin on and steam them. That's the best way to keep the vitamins and minerals in. Set aside to cool. Then cut the potatoes into thin slices.
In another frying pan, cover the floor of the pan with olive oil. Add one chopped onion, fresh tomato (I used about 20 grape tomatoes and burst them in the pan), about six-10 cloves garlic chopped. Cook over medium heat, adding olive oil as necessary so it doesn't burn, until the onion is soft. I use a large stick-free frying pan. Then add the meat and potatoes to the frying pan and heat everything thoroughly. If necessary, add salt to taste, but it may be salty enough. Then I sprinkled each portion with shredded cheddar cheese. It was delicious with dinner rolls and a green salad. Enjoy! Susan Fox

Mississippi Mud Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:09:00 +0000

My son is afraid I will lose this recipe. I remember how anxiously I looked through my mother's recipe books after she died to find the special ones I loved. Now with the wonder of online blogging I can save this recipe for him and allow you to share it too!
This is the most wonderful chocolate pie you will ever encounter. It's like the Chess Pie in Kentucky, but chocolate flavored. The kind of chocolate you use really makes a difference as do the other ingredients. I have no stock in Ghirardelli, but I would use no other kind. The recipe calls for Ghirardelli Sweet Chocolate, which is not available any longer so I use Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can get them at Walmart.
Be sure and use my mother butter crust recipe:
Here is my MOM's FAMOUS PIE CRUST RECIPE: Sift together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Watkins Aluminum Free Baking Powder,1 heaping tablespoon of organic sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, then put in 1/2 cup softened organic butter. Cut with a knife, then flour your hands and rub the butter and flour together until thoroughly mixed. Add 1 teaspoon water and mold into a ball. Roll it out and put in the pie pan. I always have to reconstruct this crust in the pie pan as it is not easy to make a butter crust.
This pie only calls for one bottom crust, so after you complete the above steps you are finished with the pie crust part.
Now you need:
4 oz. Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup butter
3 eggs
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup sugar (organic sugar is nice)
1 teaspoon Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla
Pinch salt
In a heavy saucepan or microwave oven, melt chocolate with butter. Beat eggs, mix in corn syrup, sugar and vanilla and salt.
Combine with chocolate mixture. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 or 40 minutes or until top is cracked and filling is still soft. Cool to room temperature. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Easy Raspberry Vinaigrette

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Sun, 31 May 2009 05:01:00 +0000

I heard about this recipe at a Watkins conference. And it sounded wonderful.
Watkins is famous for its great variety of flavor extracts. The success of this dressing is to use the Pure Vanilla Extract. The Original Grapeseed Oil is flavor neutral and it allows the flavor of the vanilla and raspberry to come through.

Mix the following thoroughly and pour immediately over your salad
1/3 C Watkins Original Grapeseed Oil
2 tsp Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Watkins Raspberry Extract
1/4 C white wine vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp sugar

Add more or less sugar to taste. If it's sour you need more sugar. And for fun in the summer you can add four or five raspberries. But these are optional.
Susan Fox

Easy Basil Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:42:00 +0000

Dear Friends,
I have been making this salad dressing for my husband for years. But recently I added a new Watkins ingredient -- Watkins Garlic & Parsley Grapeseed Oil instead of olive oil.
He didn't recognize his regular salad dressing and asked me where I got this wonderful new salad dressing! He loves it. I hope you will too.
I make it in 16 oz (two cup) portions and put it in a salad dressing shaker. I fill the shaker with about 2/3 cup sugar (organic sugar is great). Then I add red wine vinegar about three-fourths of the way up. Red Wine Vinegar is the best vinegar to use.
I mince about four cloves of garlic, and add 1 1/2 teaspoon Watkins Basil.
I grind Watkins Garlic Peppercorn Blend into the mixture to taste. This is my favorite pepper to cook with.
I add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Watkins Sea Salt.
Then I shake it very well and taste it. If the vinegar is still sour, I add more sugar. It may need a little more salt. The other ingredients will get more flavorful with time in the refrigerator.
Then I pour the Watkins Garlic & Parsley Grapeseed Oil over the top, so it's full to the brim. Then I shake the whole mixture vigorously so all the sugar dissolves, and I shake it again just before it's served. Watkins also has its Grapeseed Oil in Citrus & Cilantro and in Original Flavor.
Enjoy! Susan Fox

What's for dinner on Good Friday? Meatless Clam Chowder

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:48:00 +0000

by Susan Fox
I know it sounds odd to say meatless clam chowder because isn't clam chowder meatless anyway? It's not. Most clam chowder recipes call for bacon and if you start with a soup stock, it's got meat juice in it. That's a "no no" on Good Friday if you are Roman Catholic, and a "no no" all the time if you are vegetarian. So here's a great vegetable stock and a delicious, healthy clam chowder. If you don't grow your own herbs, Watkins spices really make a big difference in the flavor. I've tried it myself with Watkins and without Watkins, and I can attest to the flavor difference. Ingredients do matter.

I make my stock in large quantities and freeze the rest. So not all of this is needed.
Chop one bunch of celery, one bunch of bok choy (this really makes the best soup ever, and use the whole thing, leaves and stalks), 4-5 carrots, 3 big onions, 15-20 cloves of garlic, 1 turnip, 2 parsnips. Put in a huge soup pot, cover generously with water. I use a 16-quart soup pot. Turn on the heat. Add 1 teaspoon Watkins Parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon Watkins thyme, 1 teaspoon of Watkins Orange Peel. Add salt, Watkins Granulated Black Pepper and/or Watkins Cayenne to taste. Also cut a couple of wedges of fresh lemon and throw them in the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for two hours. Let cool, and strain the broth through a fine sieve, pressing the solids to extract the liquid.

Use 10 to 15 cups of the vegetable broth in this recipe. It will not make a thick clam chowder, it will be healthy, buttery and milky, but not thick. However, the more soup stock, the more thiner the soup, so start with 10 cups and see what you think.

Boil three or four big diced red potatoes in the rich vegetable broth. I don't peel them, but I do cut out the eyes because I read they contain a poison. You can put more potatoes in if you want. I try to use less because I am diabetic and on a diet. I get a big can of Chopped Sea Clams at Costco with a net weight of 3 pounds 3 oz. It's mostly liquid. I separate the liquid and the clams, and at this point I mix the clam juice with two tablespoons of flour. You can add more flour if you want a thicker soup, but I am always aiming for a low carb option. It's possible to use none. Pour all the clam juice into the vegetable stock. But not the clams! Chop or thinly slice three stocks of celery and put them in the soup.

Now I am going to create a Clam Chowder Herb Blend. This stuff makes the soup incredible. Blend 4 tsps. Watkins Oregano, 4 tsps Watkins Parsley, 2 tsps Watkins Marjoram, 2 tsps Watkins Dill, 4 tsps. Watkins Thyme, 4 tsps. Watkins Basil, 1 tsp. Watkins Sage, 4 tsps Watkins Rosemary, 2 tsps. tarragon and 1 tablespoon of flour. Crush in a mortar or blend in a blender. Store in a resealable plastic bag to refrigerate.

Thinly slice two or three large onions or chop if you don't want to notice the onion slices. Chop 10-15 cloves. Put both in a heavy-bottomed frying pan, and saute in butter (or if you are allergic to butter, use olive oil or ghee (clarified butter). If you use ghee, you'll need to add more salt at the end. Use enough so the onions don't burn. Add three teaspoons of the Clam Chowder Herb Blend. Do it over low heat. Do not allow it to brown. Can you pierce the diced potatoes with a fork now? If so, throw the sauteed onions into the boiling soup pot. Add either whole milk, half and half or cream to the soup until it is creamy. If you are lactose intolerant, use lactose free whole milk. If you think it's too thin add more flour, but mix it carefully in some broth first or you'll have clumps of flour. Keep it hot, but don't boil once you put the milk in. The cream will make it thicker and creamier, and will have less sugar than whole milk if you are diabetic. Add the clams. Simmer about 20 minutes. Add salt to taste. I sometimes add a couple of palmfuls depending on how much it needs. Add pepper to taste. Add cayenne pepper if you want it spicier. Add paparika to taste. Enjoy with corn bread or crackers. Or just eat with salad if you are watching your carbs like me!

Cinnamon French Toast for Diabetics

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:45:00 +0000

My husband and I had a craving this Sunday morning for French Toast, so I tried this recipe, which is basically my own. It was luscious with Bonne Maman Peach Preserves. But the bread and the sweetener made it better for diabetics.
4 slices Milton's Whole Grain Bread
3 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk (less fat means more sugar, so if you are diabetic always chose the most fat)
2 tablespoons of Organic Raw Blue Agave Nectar (a low glycemic organic sweetener)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Watkins Cinnamon (Watkins award-winning high-oil Korintje cassia cinnamon is about twice as flavorful as the Ceylon variety, and is the best quality cinnamon available anywhere. It is also the only kind that stabilizes blood sugar. Commercial brands containing the Ceylon variety don't do this.)
3/4 teaspoon Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla.
Beat salt, eggs, milk, agave nectar, cinnamon, vanilla until fluffy. Soak the bread in this mixture. I like to really soak it, so the bread almost falls apart. Heat butter in a no stick omelet pan on high heat and cook each slice until it's just brown. Butter and serve with sugar-free syrup or preserves.
Susan Fox

Susan Fox's Blue Ribbon Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:43:00 +0000

Spicy and Delicious:
Make it as hot or as bland as you want.
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 tsp Watkins Meat Magic
2 tsp. red wine
Olive Oil
1 lb buffalo ground beef (gives it extra flavor & protein, very healthy for growing children)
1 lb ground beef
2-3 big onions sliced thin
1 eggplant chopped
2 zucchini chopped
4 chopped fresh tomatoes
One ball of organic fresh garlic about 20 cloves chopped, or if you can't get organic, it's better to use Watkins Garlic Granules as it's more flavorful than regular fresh garlic.
1 or more tsp of Watkins Calypso Hot Pepper Sauce to taste.
6 oz (half bottle) Watkins Tropical Salsa
2 cans (14.5 oz each) of S&W Ready Cut Diced Tomatoes
2-3 cans red kidney beans
1 can (6 oz.) Tomato Paste
5 tbsp. Watkins Chili Seasoning (more or less to taste)
1 tsp Watkins Rosemary (more to taste)
1 tbsp. more or less to taste of Watkins Cumin
1 tbsp of Watkins Chili Powder if you want a hotter taste. It's optional if you are using the Watkins Chili Seasoning.
About 20 fresh mushrooms sliced
1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar to taste. If you don't like it sweet, use less or none.
Salt & pepper to taste.
In a frying pan, brown the beef and buffalo. Before you begin browning it, put in about 2 teaspoons of Watkins Meat Magic throughout the meat (Shake Meat Magic thoroughly before using, and don't think more is better. You only need a small amount to bring out the flavor of the meat) and once it starts cooking add about 2 tablespoons of red cooking wine. Set the cooked meat aside. If you used lean hamburger, it is not necessary to drain the fat. Coast a large frying pan with olive oil. Add more as needed to prevent burning. Now add onions, garlic and eggplant. Saute on medium high heat for about 10 minutes or longer. Now add zucchini and fresh tomatoes. This is actually the French vegetable recipe Ratatouie which is the basis of all my tomato/onion sauces. Saute uncovered until the flavors are mingled, about 10-15 minutes. Put the Ratatouie and the meat into a large soup pot, and turn on medium initially until it starts boiling. Now saute the mushroom in olive oil in the same pan you used to cook the meat or the vegetables. Meanwhile add the tomato paste, Calypso Sauce, canned tomatoes, kidney beans, Rosemary Cumin, Chili Seasoning, Chili Powder and Tropical Salsa to the sup pot. Also throw in a palm of salt and some pepper to taste. I use Watkins Purest Granulated Black Pepper or I will grind in some Watkins Garlic Peppercorn Blend. Add the cooked mushrooms. Stir. On the stovetop bring to a boil and simmer on lower heat for one hour. Add the brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste. At this point if it's not hot enough for you add more chili powder and calypso. You probably will need more salt, and you can add more brown sugar to taste. Cook another 10-15 minutes.
For garnish, serve with diced onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, Watkins Red Pepper Flakes or Watkins Calypso Hot Pepper Sauce.
It's also great served with Watkins Good Tastings Bread made with beer. The bread will make it a complete meal.

The best dish soap I've found

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:22:00 +0000

by Susan Fox
I was in Louisiana for two weeks, and I bought Dawn Orange Dish Soap. I have sleep apnea and I use a C-Pap machine, which has to be washed regularly with vinegar and dish soap. I don't want to fly with dish soap and vinegar, so I always buy them when I get where I'm going. It's becoming quite common to travel with these machines as another traveler greeted me by holding up an identical machine on this trip. Well, I did my usual wash-up of the C-Pap, crawled into bed and put the clean nose piece on my nose. And it smelled like horrible orange! I tried later in the week rinsing and rinsing, but still it smelled like horrible orange.
Why did I never notice this before? At home, I use Watkins Liquid Dish Soap, part of our new natural plant-based home care line. It cuts through grease, leaves no noticeable scent, and I can wash my C-Pap machine, hook it to my nose with pleasure. It also comes in four fabulous scents: Aloe & Green Tea, Lavender, Lemon and Orange. They don't offend the nose like the commercial brand scents. And you can only smell them while you are washing dishes -- not afterwards. That's because there's no phosphates, dyes, SLS or Cocamide DEA.

The Watkins brand is also more economical. I used to typically use one huge bottle of Dawn in six weeks. I bought it at Costco. I would pour and pour it into the sink hoping it would take off that baked on food easily. I thought more would help. It didn't. So when I got the tiny Watkins Dish Soap Concentrate -- only 24 ounces for $6.99, I used a skewer to punch a tiny hole in the lid so my husband wouldn't dump the whole bottle in the sink in one sitting. The bottle lasted six weeks. But just a little bit actually did remove the baked on food easily. I really wouldn't use any other brand of dish soap now. My friend, Mary, said the same thing about the Watkins All Purpose Cleaner, available in the same scents. She had an old greasy fan to clean in her house and the grease just dripped off. My friend Phoebe loves our natural plant-based window cleaner. She uses it to clean the laminate in her kitchen. Because this formula is coconut-based, it won’t break down the bonds of plastic on window films and is ideal for tinted windows.

Buttermilk Pie from Louisiana!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Wow, what a way to enjoy Wakins famous vanilla and cinnamon! Here's a great recipe for Buttermilk Pie from Plantation Country in Lousiana! When I was in graduate school in Kentucky, I became addicted to Chess Pie, which is similar to this one. Now, my son's favorite pie is Mississippi Mud Pie, which is a chocolate version of of the Chess Pie. Now this one is a cinnamon-buttermilk version. Phenomenal. Bon Appetite!

Buttermilk Pie

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon Watkins Purest Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 lb. melted butter

3 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Mix the first six ingredients on slow speed until well blended and uniform. Add the buttermilk and mix well. Pour into an unbaked 9" pie shell and bake at 350 degree F for 40 minutes or until set and brown on the top.

It needs a butter crust. Here is my Mom's famous pie crust recipe to boot. Sift together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Watkins Aluminum Free Baking Powder,1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, then put in 1/2 cup softened organic butter. Cut with a knife, then flour your hands and rub the butter and flour together until thoroughly mixed. Add 1 teaspoon water and mold into a ball. Roll it out and put in the pie pan.
Susan Fox

Pork Chops a Les Herbs de Provence

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:44:00 +0000

We don't sell it, but you can make it with Watkins products!
I was pleasantly surprised recently when a customer called and asked if Watkins had Les Herbs de Provence. "What is that?" I wondered. I looked online, and it is a mixture of aromatic plants native to the Provence region of southern France. It includes rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, thyme and lavender flowers. Some mixtures contain tarragon. It is mostly used to flavor grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as vegetable stews. The mixture can be added to foods before or during cooking or mixed with cooking oil prior to cooking so as to infuse the flavor into the cooked food. Watkins has all the ingredients except for the lavender flowers, which I got at Whole Foods.
I mixed up 1 tablespoon of Watkins Organic Rosemary, Watkins Marjoram, Watkins Organic Basil, Watkins Bay Leaf (chop a couple of them up), Watkins Organic Thyme, and lavender flowers.
If you later find that is too much lavender, add less next time. Lavender is what gives this mixture its sweetness.

Then flop your pork chops in a beaten egg and coat them. Then coat them in a flour mixture made with two cups flour, Watkins Organic Paprika, some of the Herbs de Provence, salt, pepper. Saute the chops in butter until the coating sticks nicely. Put them in an oven proof glass cooking dish and place a slice of one onion on each chop. Then cover them in orange juice and bake covered one hour at 350 degrees. Enjoy with rice. The sauce is great. God bless you. Susan Fox

Ingredients do make a difference to your cooking

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:29:00 +0000

Ingredients do make a difference to your cooking.
I've had this recipe for "Fresh Apple Pie" for decades, but I just made it tonight using Watkins ingredients. It was unbelievable. The "pie" -- really an ultra rich cake that is easy to throw together -- was actually better than ever because I used Watkins Cinnamon and Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla.
Watkins award-winning high-oil Korintje cassia cinnamon is about twice as flavorful as the commonly used Ceylon variety, and is the best quality cinnamon available anywhere. Plus it's the kind of cinnamon you can stick on your kids oatmeal in the morning as a means of reducing the amount of sugar needed to sweeten their hot cereal. And it is the only kind of cinnamon known for its blood sugar stabilizing properties. Diabetics can enjoy this cinnamon on some sugar free pudding or ice cream and reduce their blood sugar.
Watkins Vanilla is made from the world’s finest Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans—brewed using a process perfected over the course of a century. Our blending of ingredients makes the flavor bake-proof and freeze-proof as well as double-strength.
Anyway, here is the recipe.
Fresh Apple Pie
4 cups coarse diced apples (these are large chunks -- like one-eighth an apple. Don't peel it. Leave the skin on)
Add 2 cups sugar and mix well.
Add 1/2 cup Wesson Oil, 1 cup chopped nuts
2 beaten eggs, 2 teaspoons Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla.
Mix and add the following:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Watkins Purest Ground Cinnamon
Mix and bake in a 9"x13"x2" pan at 350 degrees F for one hour.

Topping
6 tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cream or milk
1/2 cup coconut
Mix ingredients together and spread on the cake immediately after it comes from the oven. Then place the cake under the broiler as fast as possible. Broil until tiny bubbles appear and it looks toasty. WATCH TO KEEP FROM SCORCHING. You know this cake tastes better after it has sat for at least six hours. So try and plan ahead and make it the day before its needed by your guests.

Host a Party, Earn Free Watkins Products!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 02:44:00 +0000

This past fall, I invented a new kind of Watkins Party -- called "Party in the Ether With Me." It's the kind of party that requires no cooking, no cleaning, just fun. Visit with your friends in that nebulous space of air over the planet -- the Ether -- on the phone or by email, and earn a free Watkins Shopping Spree. My hosts and hostesses typically receive $150 to $283 in free Watkins product. Guests at this "party" win prizes and have the chance to order Watkins quality products without paying for shipping.

My friend, Claudia had one of these parties, and this is what she said about the experience: "I would highly recommend working with Susan to host a Watkins Ether Party. It was so easy to accomplish and it had great success. I especially appreciated that as a host, I didn't have to clean my house, prepare food, or worry about how many would attend. All I did was collect the email addresses of my friends and neighbors. Susan did the rest. She sent out the invites and information and collected the orders. The turn around was fast and friends shared that they liked shopping from their own home. Also, I was nicely surprised at how much was ordered. If you have a busy life, consider trying this method. You won't be disappointed."

Interested? Call me, Susan Fox, at (480) 671-3824

Margie's Home Made Lemon Meringue Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:17:00 +0000

My cousin Margie is an incredible gourmet cook. Both of our mothers -- sisters Tora and Lily -- were phenomenal pie makers. This recipe comes from my Mom and her Mom. The Lemon Meringue recipe is from my Aunt Lily Meyer. Margie labeled the recipe, "Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie." The pie crust is from my Mom, Tora Hutchison. No matter how delicious the pie recipe I usually can make it better than the cook who gave it to me because of Mom's crust. My Mom, Tora Hutchison, owned a restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1950s. That's where she met my Dad. And the pie crust comes from the Mystery Chef who had a radio program during that time. It's made with pure butter (I use organic butter), so it's hard to get into the pie pan, but the great thing about pie crust is if it falls apart, it can be remolded in the pan. So this posting is now dedicated to sisters Tora and Lily, now deceased.
First, the Crust,
Sift together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Watkins Aluminum Free Baking Powder,
1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, then put in 1/2 cup softened organic butter. Cut with a knife, then flour your hands and rub the butter and flour together until thoroughly mixed. Add 1 teaspoon water and mold into a ball.
Roll it out and put in the pie pan. Prick the crust with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees F for about 12 minutes. Don't let it burn.

Set aside the 9 inch pie shell -- cooked.

Then, The Filling
Mix 3/4 cup sugar with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon flour. Stir in 1 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for one minute. (It happens fast. Don't leave the stove)
Add very fine zest of one lemon. (There is a cooking tool called a lemon zester, and it's phenomenal for getting the skin of a lemon off a lemon. One could use a carrot grater, but it gives you more white part. The Lemon Zester just takes off the very flavorful yellow skin of the lemon very finely. This stuff is delicious in the filling.)
Remove from heat and beat in 4 beaten egg yolks. Return to heat and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and beat in approximately 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice to taste. I added a little more sugar and lemon juice, and I got my lemons from the lemon tree in my back yard.
Put the filling in the crust. Spoon meringue on top. Bake in oven at 400 degrees until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Now the Meringue
The way you make the Meringue is to beat four egg whites until frothy, and add 1/2 tsp Watkins Cream of Tartar (only available in the fall so get it now. And it's on sale in December for only $4.49)
Continue beating the egg whites, adding 1/2 cup sugar slowly until the egg whites are stiff and hold a peak. Then for the piece de resistance, add 1/2 teaspoon each of Watkins All-Natural Pure Almond Extract, Watkins All-Natural Pure Lemon Extract and Watkins Pure Vanilla Extract. You'll be glad you chose the pure version of our extracts for this pie. Normally, we recommend Original Double Strength Vanilla and the imitation versions of the Lemon and Almond Extracts as the flavor doesn't cook off. But in a meringe, which will be in the oven briefly, or in frosting or whipping cream, I much prefer the pure natural version of our extracts. If you aim for even more unbelievable flavor you can use the Watkins Organic Pure Vanilla Extract.

Hope you enjoy this pie. Susan Fox

Watkins Turkey Rub Works.

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:30:00 +0000

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and we opened our can of Watkins Turkey Rub today and rubbed it on the turkey with butter. It was delicious. My only advice is be sure and add salt to the bird, and get some Turkey Rub before it's all gone. The Turkey Rub from Watkins is only available this fall, and may or may not be reintroduced next fall. It's part of Watkins seasonal line, Seasonal Favorites 2008. But the good news is if you get a can of it, it looks like it might last a while. We used it on an 8.9-pound turkey today and hardly made a dent in the can. But it's recommended for chicken as well, so I can't wait to try it on our next bird. It costs only $6.49. Happy Thanksgiving and God bless you. Susan Fox

Susan's Organic Scallop Curry Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:51:00 +0000

Hey, I had only six scallops for dinner. They were very fresh, but I couldn't serve that as a stand alone. So I threw the scallops into a frying pan with a generous dose of white cooking wine and virgin olive oil. I cooked them on medium heat until they were almost done, adding a shake of Watkins 100% Organic Dill, Watkins 100% Organic Garlic Powder and Watkins 100% Organic Curry Powder. Wow that curry powder is good. I didn't have to go digging in my cupboard for my spices as I have a Watkins Spice Rack sitting on my counter top and all I have to do is whirl it around and 16 different organic spices are immediately at my fingertips. After the scallops were almost cooked I used a slotted spoon to put them in a bowl and set them aside. In my fabulous fishy curry juice in the pan, I added chunks of fresh garlic, chunks of half a red onion, small chunks of one fresh zucchini from the garden and small chunks of one small fresh eggplant. If I'd had mushrooms, then mushroom chunks would have been very good in this. So I sauteed the vegetables until they were soft adding olive oil as needed so my curry juice wouldn't disappear. Then I put in half a stick of butter and a tablespoon of flour. And I added milk, making a lovely white vegetable sauce to accompany my scallops. Now I added my Watkins Sea Salt, and a lot more Watkins curry to taste. Wow, was this tasting good. I put the scallops back in and I had a sweet Scallop Curry Stew in less than 40 minutes. My husband was very happy. And he got lots to eat.
Susan Fox

Mary's Magic Meatloaf

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:07:00 +0000

"Short on time -- Long on Flavor"
Mary Silva invented this one. Mary is a Watkins Associate in my organization who came to Arizona suddenly after Hurricane Katrina. She brought with her a fine sense of New Orleans cooking and food. We had a Watkins Good Tasting Party this past Thursday night, and our friend Betty's house was packed with people. Mary took the Watkins Six Onion Soup Mix and had everyone smell it. She loves that product. Interested in a Good Tastings Party? We do themed parties anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. We have virtual parties online or real ones in your home. Contact me, Susan Fox (480) 671-3824. Our hostesses typically earn between $150 and $283 in free Watkins products!
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 lb. Ground Pork
2 cups bread crumbs
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 egg
4 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup Watkins Six Onion Soup & Seasoning
2 teas. Watkins Seasoning Salt
2 teas. Watkins Garlic Granules
1 teas. Watkins Meat Magic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray loaf pan with Watkins Cooking Spray.
Mix all ingredients well and press firmly into loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes uncovered, then 10 minutes additional with foil cover.
Accompany with Watkins Steak Sauce or Watkins Original Barbeque Sauce or make your own sauce using your favorite Watkins spices and seasonings.
FLAVORS WILL COMPLIMENT THE CHEF!! -- YOU!! ENJOY!!
Mary Silva Independent Watkins Associate #381330

Betty's Best Ever Banana Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:50:00 +0000

Dear Friends,
I'm off to a huge Watkins party on Thursday. (If you are interested in having one, I can do them in your home or online anywhere in the U.S. or Canada) The hostess rewards on this one -- typically $150 to $283 in Free Watkins Products -- will go to a needy family. Besides tasting the Banana Bread below, and other goodies, we are going to be trying out some of Watkins 25 different shea butters and hand creams, plus organic hand soaps in aloe and green tea, lavender and my new favorite only available this fall -- Pomegranate Spice
The hostess is responsible for the recipe below. She figured out that adding Watkins Banana Extract to the her banana bread made it better. Susan Fox
BETTY'S BEST EVER BANANA BREAD
1/2 C shortening
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 C (or three ripe bananas mashed)
2 teas. Watkins Banana Extract
1 tbls. milk
2 C flour
1 teas. Watkins Baking Power (no aluminum)
1/4 teas. salt
1 C chopped walnuts
Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs one at a time beating well after each egg. Beat in bananas, extract and milk. Combine flour, baking soda, salt -- gradually add to creamed mixture -- mix well. Stir in nuts. Bake in a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan or two small loaf pans. Cook at 325 degrees F for 65-70 min for the large loaf pan or 60 minutes for the small loaf pans. Test for doneness with toothpick or touch. Cool 10 min. before removing from pan to wire rack. The Banana Extract makes this the best ever!
Submitted by Betty Bublitz

Celebrate the eggplant in the garden!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:29:00 +0000

My friend, Mary Silva, took home fresh eggplants from my garden with joy. And as a result she invented this recipe. It's delicious.
2 medium sized eggplants (peeled and sliced approximately 1/4" thick)
3 whole ripe tomatoes thinly sliced
3 teaspoons Watkins Parsley
3 teaspoons Watkins Thyme
3 teaspoons Watkins Seasoning Salt
2 cups Italian flavored bread crumbs
3 teaspoons Watkins Garlic Granules
Grind Watkins Black Tellicherry Peppercorns to taste.
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Watkins Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Spray 12-inch square baking dish well.
Organize sliced eggplant on bottom of pan, then alternate with sliced tomatoes, bread crumbs, sauce, seasonings and Parmesan Cheese. When all assembled top with thin layer of bread crumbs and cheese. Dot with pieces of butter throughout layers and on top. Bake 45-50 minutes covered, then 10 more minutes uncovered. (You can use Swiss or Mozzarella Cheese if preferred)
Eat it when it's warm with pasta or as a side vegetable dish.
Enjoy!
Mary Silva, Watkins Associate #381330

We Seasoned It (the fish) with Watkins

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:56:00 +0000

Dear Susan,
We took a big trip up north this summer. We had a blast. They all fished on the way up and down the Alcan highway while I took pictures. I want you to know that we had ordered a few Watkins spices and creams and they were quite the hit. Krista is a very good cook and roasted fresh grayling (fish) on an open fire after she had seasoned them with Watkins lemon peel, Watkins Black Pepper and Watkins Fish and Seafood Seasoning and then wrapped them in foil. They were wonderful. We had omelets for breakfast made with Egg Starters (watching our cholesterol you know) seasoned with Watkins Omelet & Soufflé Seasoning. I had several opportunities to apply the Watkins Pain Relief Burn Cream to mosquito bites. It was very effective. I should have bought the Watkins Insect Repellent Spray. (Everything you've ever heard about the mosquitoes in Alaska isn't quite strong enough. They're bigger and badder than that.) Pete said our camper was like a Watkins commercial so I just had to let you know about it all. I think the next time we go on a road trip I'll bring some of the Good Tastings Bread Mix because it's so easy to make.

That's all the news from here for now. Type at you later, tater. Take care.

Love,

Your favorite cousin,

Margie

When Leaves Begin to Fall, Reach for the Pumpkin Butter Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:47:00 +0000

October is here, and now is the time for the spices Cinnamon, Ginger & Nutmeg. Whether it's a Halloween Party or just Thanksgiving Day, try these wonderful Pumpkin Butter Cupcakes. With Watkins Organic Spices the flavor is very intense, and good for you as well. But time is short. Watkins Pumpkin Butter is only available through Christmas!

Pumpkin Butter Cupcakes
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp Watkins Baking Powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Ginger
1/2 tsp Watkins Organic Nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup Watkins Pumpkin Butter
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Brown Sugar Frosting
1/4 cup butter
6 tbsp brown sugar
6 tbsp half-and-half
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla

Cooking Directions

Pumpkin Butter Cupcakes
In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs. Blend in pumpkin butter. Stir in dry ingredients and milk, blending until batter is smooth. Stir in chopped walnuts. Spoon batter into paper lined muffin tins. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 375°F/190C for 18 to 22 minutes. Makes 16 cupcakes.

Brown Sugar Frosting
In 2 quart/2 liter saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and half-and-half. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil (2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Let cool to spreading consistency (5 to 10 minutes). Frost cupcakes.

The Devil is in the Egg

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:54:00 +0000

I wonder where these poor eggs got their name -- Deviled Eggs.
I have a luscious variation on them, which makes these probably the best deviled eggs you've ever tasted. In addition to dry mustard and salt and pepper, I use Watkins Potato Salad Seasoning. It works wonders. I took 36 of these little nodules of delight to a parish function today and they disappeared very quickly. You start with six hard-cooked eggs. Peel them while they are still warm. Otherwise they are not easy to peel. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yokes and mash with a fork.
Mix in 1/2 teaspoon Watkins Organic Dry Mustard, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of salt (the lesser amount because there is some salt in the Potato Salad Seasoning), 1/4 tsp of Watkins Black Pepper, and 1/2 to 3/4 tsp of Watkins Potato Salad Seasoning(I like more). Now add 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise. My husband and I actually prefer to use Vegenaise. It's better for your heart, and it actually tastes better to us. You can find in the organic foods section of your grocery store. Fill whites with egg yolk mixture, heaping slightly. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with Watkins Organic Paprika. Enjoy! --- Susan Fox

My Back Yard is Full of Zucchini. Here's What I Did With It.

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fox) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Hi, It's early September in Arizona, and my back yard is full of zucchini courtesy of my husband's gardening skills. So last night I made Zucchini Bread. It's great especially with Watkins Cinnamon. Watkins award-winning high-oil Korintje cassia cinnamon is about twice as flavorful as the Ceylon variety. That makes our Purest Ground Cinnamon the best quality cinnamon available anywhere.

Fresh Zucchini Bread

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tsp Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp orange juice (fresh squeezed orange juice gives this a lovely flavor)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Watkins Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp Watkins Purest Ground Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Watkins Nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and beat at medium speed using an electric mixer until well blended. Add zucchini, applesauce and orange juice and stir well. Combine flour and next five ingredients and add to zucchini mixture, stirring well. Add chopped pecans, stirring gently to combine.

Pour into two greased and floured 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaves comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let loaves cool completely on wire racks. Yields two loaves.

One can then slice the loaves and put individual slices into freezer bags. When you want a couple of slices you can just pull them out of the bags, let them thaw for a couple of minutes and eat. The zucchini bread is so moist that it's just as good after being frozen and thawed as it it fresh.
Susan Fox