Winter Markets

Do you miss your local Farmer's Market?  Do you feel the winter blues and can't wait for summer to arrive again?  You may be surprised to find that their is a growing trend in many cold weather areas to hold Winter Farmer's Markets.

While many crops are only grown locally during peak growing seasons, there are a number of products that can be produced year round.  Green houses, hydroponics and other methods provide access to the products in the areas that are unable to grow fresh products year round.  While you most likely cannot find locally grown sweet corn in the midwest, you may be amazed at what produce might be available.

We are participating in a  Winter Farmer's Market in Kankakee, IL this season.  It is held indoors at the Majestic Center which is located at 150 N. Schuyler in downtown Kankakee.  The market runs from 9-1 on Saturday Mornings through the end of January and most likely through February.

Explore your own community and you may be able to find a local market right in your own back yard.

Crescent Roll Calzones

Looking for a quick and easy way to spice up a lunch time treat?  Give this a try.  It is a variation on the long time favorite of hot dogs rolled in a crescent roll and baked.

I used the crescent rolls that come out of a cardboard tube.  Into each one, I added a slice of Genoa Salami, 1/2 piece of Provolone Cheese, rolled them up and sprinkled a touch of oregano onto each one.  They were placed on a baking sheet and baked per the instructions on the rolls.

For more variety, consider adding pizza sauce, peppers or other veggies to the rolls before baking or a simple marinara sauce to dip them into.

Enjoy!

Baking the Holiday Ham

Over the past few years, I have been dabbling with a method of cooking the holiday ham that comes out nice and tender and almost falling off the bone.  It is a rather simple method that works particularly well for us,

I use a meat injector and some apple juice that I have added a touch of a mild hot pepper sauce and minced garlic brine to.  Once you have a mix you enjoy, inject the ham freely and later baste with a Sweet Apple Honey Mustard Dressing.  Bake as usual.

Stuffing - Dad's Roadhouse Style

As you begin to plan your Thanksgiving dinner, we offer a suggestion to help put a twist on a traditional favorite. Consider adding a new ingredient to your favorite stuffing mix.

As you make your stuffing this year, add some 5 Amigos Fire Roasted Pepper Salsa to your recipe.  Depending on how much stuffing your recipe makes, you can adjust the amount of the salsa to fit your tastes, but we suggest 1/2 cup or more per typical box of stuffing mix and more for larger amounts.

Grilled Tomatoes

With the weather getting colder and an abundance of tomatoes coming in from the garden to beat the first frost, you may have a lot of tomatoes to use.  At our house, my wife picked 70 tomatoes from a single plant.  What to do with them all?  Consider grilling them.

What you will need:
   Tomatoes
   Giardiniera in oil
   Basil
   Bleu Cheese crumbles

Take out the stem of the tomato with a paring knife.  Be generous with your removal as you will be filling the opening.  Gently and without crushing the tomato squeeze some of the water.  With your finger or a small spoon, remove most of the seeds.  Pour some of the giardiniera oil into the tomato and fill the openings where the seeds were with the giardiniera.  Top it with some basil and Bleu Cheese crumbles and place them on a medium hot grill until the cheese begins to melt.  Serve and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

If you are looking for a quick and easy way to make a special treat this holiday season, try this simple recipe.  It is a favorite for all ages and especially nice if you are looking for something a child can help with.

1/2 cup non dairy whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1/2 cup Dad's Roadhouse Pumpkin Butter
8 oz cream cheese

Combine the ingredients and whip.  Chill the mixture and serve with ginger snaps, vanilla wafers, graham crackers or similar.

Glee Gum April Giveaway!

It has been a pleasure to be introduced to the products offered by the folks at Glee Gum.   They produce six assorted flavors of all natural chewing gum.  They use no artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives.  It is also gluten free.  They are produced from naturally sustainable chicle which is harvest in the rain forests.



The gum comes to the consumer in a variety of packages.  They have their standard boxes which contain 18 pieces per box, mini packages which contain 4 pieces of gum, 1 oz boxes of "Wee Glee" loose gum as well as 1 pound packages for the gum chewer in the family.

I have been enjoying the opportunity to get to know the products.  My personal favorite flavor has been the Tangerine.  It is a nice subtle flavor that lasts.  It does not have the sugary sweetness that some of the candy chewing gums can sometimes have.  With the more natural flavor, it seemed to me a more lasting flavor that had a very nice texture as well.  Other flavors that are available are Triple Berry, Bubblegum, Spearmint, Peppermint and Cinnamon.


If you enjoy a good chewing gum with lasting flavor as well as a nice texture, look for Glee Gum in a store near you.  They also offer an online store to make sure that you can get all of the gum that you'd like delivered right to your front door.  Tell them that we sent you!


Along with the products that they sent for us to enjoy, they have graciously agreed to let our readers enjoy some as well.  They have generously agreed to provide Three packs of Glee Gum in the flavor of your choice and a coupon to three different winners to try Glee Gum.  Due to shipping restrictions, the winner of the giveaway must be a resident of the continental United States.


How to Enter:


We are providing a variety of ways to enter.  Below you will find a list of opportunities to earn an entry into the random drawing.  Entries must be received by us as a comment to this posting and the winning entry will be verified for accuracy.  The possibilities of entries is virtually limitless.  The cutoff for entries will be 12:01 am CST on May 1, 2011.


How to earn an entry into the drawing:

Comment on Dad’s Roadhouse Blog – 1 entry

Comment on Glee Gum Blog – 1 entry – post the name of the person who commented on the Glee Gum Blog just prior to your entry back on Dad’s Roadhouse Blog 1 additional entry

Post 1 of the 23 steps to make Glee gum on Dad’s Roadhouse Blog (no duplicates) - 1 entry per person

Like Dad’s Roadhouse on Facebook and leave a comment regarding Glee Gum – 1 entry

Like Glee Gum on Facebook and leave a comment regarding the giveaway – 1 entry

Follow Dad’s Roadhouse Blog and leave a comment – 1 entry

Refer a friend to Dad’s Roadhouse on Facebook and they leave your name in a comment – 1 entry each

Refer a friend to Glee Gum on Facebook and they leave a comment containing your name and mention the giveaway – 1 entry each

Follow  Dad’s Roadhouse on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment about it on Dad’s Roadhouse Blog – 1 entry

Follow Glee Gum on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway.  Post the tweet as a comment in Dad’s Roadhouse Blog – 1 entry

Post a link to this Giveaway on another website and post the link on Dad’s Roadhouse Blog as a comment – 1 entry  (the referrals from the site can mention your name in their comment to gain you additional entries)

Have fun and enjoy Glee Gum!