Watching Weight

So a couple of us joined Weight Watchers and it has come up repeatedly how good MOST of our Garlic Festival products are for those folks who are trying to watch their weight but don't want to miss out on some great flavor.

Obviously Garli Garni is a natural choice for those looking to jazz up diet dishes. Its fat free, gluten free and has no MSG and as you know, it is PACKED with flavor.

Well, one of my FAVORITE products is our Grill & Marinade sauce. I find it very versatile to use and it is chock full of flavor too.

Last night I discovered that I had used up more points than I had planned before dinner so I had to come up with something to eat that was low in points but filling. I had a couple of beautiful Portabella mushrooms in my fridge that I had marinated with our Grill & Marinade.

I only had to use a few tablespoons because it is so potent. I just made sure the mushrooms were well coated and let them sit. When we were ready to eat, hubby fired up the grill and put them on as I sauteed an onion in a touch of olive oil (with a dash of Garli Garni) until they were brown and caramelized. When we were ready to eat I put just a swipe of lo fat mayo and some GF mustard on a sandwich thin along with the mushroom, about a Tbsp of blue cheese crumbles and topped with the onions. They were DELICIOUS! and filling and juicy! Hubby LOVED it. And, when all was said and done I figured it came out to only about 7 Weight Watcher points! Thats a pretty good meal when accompanied by some veggies and salad.

So, whether you are on Weight Watchers yourself, trying to lose a few extra pounds or just LOVE your veggies, I recommend you try this recipe. Its easy and tasty!

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER

OR..

SHELF LIFE IS NOT THE SAME AS HALF LIFE.

One of the most common questions we receive concerns the shelf life of our products; with few people (luckily, very few) thinking that shelf life and half-life* are synonymous. The answer for each category of products is different. Most spice companies (whose names we don’t mention) advise replacing herbs and spices every few months, as they tend to lose potency and freshness. In general, that’s probably a good practice. Herbs and spices, unlike wine, do not improve with age.

However, we have found that GARLI GARNI, stored properly, can easily last up to a year. What is properly?, you ask. Store GARLI GARNI and all other seasonings in a cool, dry, dark place. If you have a small shaker, refill it from your big one.

“Wet” products, such as salsa, mustards, sauces and dressings should be similarly stored until opened and then should always be refrigerated. These should be used within a couple months (open or not) but use your common sense. If it looks or smells like a science experiment, throw it out! Remember, food products began life as living plants and organic substances and therefore are not candidates for life everlasting. Most of our users don’t want us to use so many preservatives that our products outlive them!

To enjoy the freshest, tastiest products, buy only what you can reasonably use in a few months. Never eat products that are off color, smell funny, or are in bulging or open containers. Store all products safely. No product should be stored where it is hot or in direct sunlight.

*half-life: the time required for half the atoms of a radioactive substance to become disintegrated; usually thousands of years.

HAPPY COOKING!! 

Happy St Patty's Day!!

Hope everyone is enjoying some delicious corned beef along with a side of your favorite Garlic Festival Mustard. I know we will be! It smells so great wafting in from the kitchen..

In case you haven't been on the site or received our Tiny Little Newsletter in your email box, we just wanted to share that we have introduced a new feature called "Product of the Month." Each month we will feature one of our products along with ideas for uses and new recipes. In addition, the featured product will be discounted in some way allowing you the opportunity to try it out at a savings or to stock up if you are already a fan.

Hope on over to our home page to check out this month's offering.

Garlic May Lower Chances Of Hip Arthritis

Interesting on Garlic from BetterHealthResearch.com

Happy Fat Tuesday

Happy Fat Tuesday ya'll
now we aren't down in N'Awlins but we're gonna try n hep ya'll to cook a little Cajun today wit dissin here Garlic Jambalaya..

• 1 lb Andouille sausage  (or italian sausage)
• 1 1/2 cups diced smoked ham
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 tbsp CA Cajun Seasoning
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped garlic
• 2 chopped celery
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 3 cups chicken broth or 3 cups stock
• 2 jars Spicy Garlic Festival Salsa ( or mild if you prefer less heat, or one each!)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions with top
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. 1 Brown sausage in heavy 4-6 quart pan or skillet, drain fat.
2. 2 Add peppers, onions, celery and Cajun seasoning. Simmer until just about tender, then add garlic and cook until tender.
3. 3 Add rice and stir until rice is mixed in and coated with sausage and vegetables.
4. 4 Add broth and salsa, bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Let stand five minutes covered.
5. 5 Add fresh chopped onions and parsley and fluff with a fork just before serving.

Tasty for St. Patrick's Day

Pour the green beer and a put on a pot of corned beef, St Patrick's Day is just a few days away. We'll be celebrating and hoping for a little luck o' the Irish here in California and we never miss a chance to cook up a pot of corned beef and cabbage.

Garlic Festival Foods is a great way to add a bit of extra flavor to your St. Patrick's Day meal..

Start by liberally adding Garli Garni to your pot when you cook up your corned beef brisket. We also like to add fresh, whole peeled garlic cloves which will not only add flavor but mellow and soften during cooking so they can be easily mashed into your tater! Yum!

When serving, accompany your brisket with a dollop of Garlic Festival mustard in your favorite flavor. Or for a quick twist to your old favorite TRY THIS:

After removing your brisket from the cooking broth, place in a roasting pan and slather with Garlic Festival Mustard and broil until lightly golden (about 5 min). Serve with all the traditional accompaniments and of course that glass of green beer! Erin go Bragh!

but we already knew that...

From today's New York Times:

"According to a Provençal saying, “Garlic soup is a life saver.” This simple broth, made by simmering crushed garlic cloves in water with sage or other herbs, is recommended as a cure for ailments as varied as hangovers, stomach ailments and colds.

Garlic has been known for its therapeutic benefits since ancient times. Studies have linked it to lower cholesterol, serum triglyceride levels and blood pressure. Sulfur-containing compounds including allicin, which give garlic its pungency, along with high levels of vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and selenium seem to be responsible for garlic’s beneficial cardiovascular effects. Allicin helps to prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together and is also a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent that may be useful in weight control. - Martha Rose Shulman"

Of course we already knew that. Visit the source for some yummy sounding soup recipes or try one of ours.

Creamy Garlic Soup
• 1 bulb fresh garlic, separated and peeled
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Garli Garni
• 1/2 tsp ea. fresh sage and oregano, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 slices sourdough or country bread, toasted
• butter or margarine

Combine garlic, broth, Garli Garni and herbs in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until garlic is tender. About 45 minutes. Whisk eggs and cheese together. Whisk mixture into soup until smooth. Butter bread and toast, removing crust if desired. Ladle soup into bowls and top each with toast slice.

Got Salsa??

Got a jar of half eaten Garlic Festival Salsa in the the fridge? Me too... well don't let it go to waste, TRY THIS!

Mix salsa with baby salad shrimp or crab meat and serve with chips OR with a quesadilla filled with melted cheese and chopped pickled garlic.

OR

pour it in a hollowed out cabbage on a platter arranged with pickled garlic (or baked garlic heads) and Garlic Festival Stuffed Olives. Instant hors d'ouevre platter..

OR

dump a jar of GF salsa over hot cooked pasta and toss, sprinkle on a bit of grated parmesan and voila!! instant meal!

spring tease

When you visit our home page, you may have noticed that our banners change with the seasons. Its something we planned our new site around and its fun and challenging to keep the content fresh and changing.

Usually, most of the images you see in these banners are from our immediate area. Snapshots of our surroundings at any given time. We find our area so very beautiful, bountiful and inspiring and we try to draw from those things every day.

Our current banner is a little teaser of spring. I think we're a little closer to it than many of our fans in other states, however just when we start feeling a little cocky we DO get some crazy weather. Just this past weekend it SNOWED in our area! This is extremely rare, only occurring every 10 years or so. So we got put in our place a little bit but we can still drive or walk around and see little clues that spring is near.

*Blossom photo by my gifted photographer friend Joleen.