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Quick and Easy Beef Stew

There’s nothing better on a cold winter night after a day of work and picking up the kids from school than a warm pot of beef stew.  Fortunately, you don’t need to plan ahead to make a hearty stew anymore.  You can pick up all the groceries you need for this recipe on your way home, and thanks to an Instant Pot (or another similar pressure cooker), you can have this meal ready to serve in about 90 minutes. There are several types of meat you can use for stew, but this simple recipe calls for beef chuck roast.  Chuck...
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Carne Asada Empanadas

Carne asada is a popular meat used in many Mexican dishes.  “Carne asada” translates to “grilled meat” but is always beef.  Chefs use a variety of beef cuts for carne asada, but two of the most delicious are skirt steak and flank steak.  One of the most essential criteria Mexican, Central American, and South American chefs look for in choosing beef for carne asada is quality.  They believe simple cooking combined with the highest quality ingredients makes the best meals. Empanadas are pocket meals, similar to Yooper pasties but smaller and contain more ingredients.  These are fun to make because...
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Ginger Glazed Stuffed Pork Chops

These ginger glazed stuffed pork chops with cornbread-apricot stuffing provide a delicious and hearty meal perfect for a cold winter’s day.  By cooking the stuffing inside of the pork chop, you’re taking care of two parts of your meal (a meat and a side dish), all at one time.  Add another favorite vegetable dish or a fresh salad to complete your dinner. For this recipe, you’ll need six 10-ounce TBS double-thick pork chops.  Call ahead to have these special cuts ready for you to pick up. Cornbread Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small sweet onion, diced 2 cloves garlic,...
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Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy is as interesting as it is tasty.  This simple-to-make meal that makes you look like a serious chef had its beginnings back in the Civil War.  It turns out that soldiers in the war were suffering from extreme malnutrition primarily because they weren’t getting the proteins they needed in their meals.  Dr. James Henry Salisbury, an early dietician who studied gastrointestinal health, came up with a simple way to serve an affordable “meat biscuit” to soldiers on the front lines.  Later on, the dish was improved with the addition of delicious mushroom gravy. While Salisbury...
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Yooper Pasties (Upper Michigan Meat Pies)

Upper Michigan is home to a large population of European immigrants–many of which came to work in the abundant mining operations throughout the state.  The yooper pasties were a lunch favorite of miners from Cornwall, England.  Employees packed their pockets with these hot meat and potato pies wrapped in foil to keep warm in the mornings and then serve as a heated lunch mid-day.  The popular lunch item spread quickly to mining families throughout the region. Although most mines are now closed, it remains a favorite grab-and-go meal in Upper Michigan today. This recipe combines the ingredients of a traditional...
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Croque Madames

Use Your Holiday Ham Leftovers By Serving Croque Madames Do you have more than a little leftover ham in your fridge, and you need a new way to prepare it?  Would you like to serve a breakfast or brunch sandwich for your family that makes you look like a master chef?  Croque Madames are a delicious solution to both of these desires! “Croque Madame” is a continuation of a French favorite, the Croque Monsieur” or “mister crunch.”  A Croque Monsieur is a ham, béchamel, parmesan, and gruyere sandwich, topped with more parmesan and gruyere cheese and baked until everything is...
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Holiday Hours

Just a reminder of this week and next week's holiday hour to help you plan ahead. This week we are open Monday - Thursday 9 am to 6 pm and on Friday, Christmas Eve we will be open at 9 am and will close at 12 noon. We look forward to seeing all of you who will be picking up your holiday meals this week. We will be closed Christmas Day - Sunday, January 2nd for some flooring and store upgrades and look forward to re-opening on Monday, January 3rd at 9 am. So plan accordingly and stock up on...
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Feast of the Seven Fishes and Shrimp Scampi

The Feast of the Seven Fishes may sound intimidating, but there’s plenty of flexibility and freedom to allow anyone to participate in this traditional Christmas Eve dinner.  The Feast has its origins in southern Italy as a dinner known as “La Vigilia” (“The Vigil”) and represents the waiting of the birth of Christ.  The meal consists of seven fishes since the number seven has the most significant of all numbers throughout the Bible. A true Feast of Seven Fishes will contain selections that have significant meaning for the host, although every host may select different options.  Some of the most...
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White Bean Chicken Chili

Easy Cooking for Kids (or YOU!) - White Bean Chicken Chili (Instant Pot Recipe) It’s time for winter break from school, and I’m always on the hunt for ways to keep my child busy at home.  Cooking dinner isn’t just helpful–it gives kids a sense of accomplishment and helps them learn valuable skills about healthy meal preparation.  White Bean Chicken Chili is a simple recipe that requires almost no assistance from an adult.  On the other hand, if you’re looking for a quick and delicious meal you can prepare in 10 minutes or less, give this recipe a try! One...
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Fish Tacos

Ready for Something Light Between Holidays?  How about Fish Tacos? I know once our family is done with the Thanksgiving leftovers, we all crave something lighter and fresher for dinner before we dive into Christmas meals and all the cookies that go with it!  One of our popular dinner dishes during this time is fish tacos.  Besides, it’s a great way to take advantage of having access to fresh, delicious fish! What kind of fish works well for fish tacos? You can get creative with your ingredients in fish tacos.  Because we’re so close to the Pacific Ocean,  the most...
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