 |
 |
|
|
Thanks so much for joining us for a special June edition of Feather Your Nest. We love this time of year...bees are buzzing happily in the sunshine, everything is green in the garden, and the ever-warmer days are cooled by evening showers. Even though Summer's official first day is still a few weeks off, it feels like it's already here!
As if the perfect blue-sky days aren't reason enough to love June, this year we're celebrating a special anniversary...20 years of the homestyle cookbooks you love! We wish we could have you all over for a slice of cake and a hug, but this virtual party will have to do. Keep reading to see how we're marking the occasion.
|
P.S. Did you take part in our Pinterest contest last month? Our Simple Shortcuts Scavenger Hunt winners are revealed below!
|
|
 |
|
20 years already...can you believe it?
Back in the early 90s, we were loving all the recipes our newfound friends were sharing with us...many of them made their way to our kitchen tables at home and fed our families. We never could have imagined that those tried & true recipes - homestyle comfort food at its best! - would have paved the way for Gooseberry Patch to become a nationally bestselling cookbook publisher.
|
The idea originally came from our friends and customers...over and over, in their letters, they asked us to gather the recipes shared in our mail-order catalog into a collection. "A cookbook?" we thought. Well, why not? We've always followed our hearts when it comes to Gooseberry Patch, and this seemed to be a natural next step for us.
In the holiday season of 1992, we released Old-Fashioned Country Christmas, and we knew immediately that we had filled a need for our customers and friends. After that first cookbook (still a bestseller today!) we just kept going, following our recipe contributors' lead.
|
|
From the very beginning, these cookbooks were as much yours as they were ours...we simply couldn't have created them without folks just like you, who shared their treasured family recipes, stories, memories and so much more.
Thanks so much for all you've shared with us...
we couldn't be happier to celebrate 20 years of
homestyle cookbooks with all of YOU!
|
|
 |
|
|
|
How often do Vickie & Jo Ann cook/bake from their
Gooseberry Patch cookbooks? Do they always try
something new or do they stick with their favorite
recipes?
- Lori P.
|
|
J: I cook from my cookbooks whenever I have a family get-together. My family loves the simple and easy foods. We like to try something new all the time. Doing our videos gives us a chance to try lots of new recipes every season!
V: I love trying new recipes, so the answer is...every chance I get! It's been especially fun the past several months videotaping our In the Kitchen series. We've made lots of different recipes, everything from Robert's Corn Dip (a Gooseberry Patch all-time favorite!) to Fudgy Cake in a slow cooker and everything in between. And, of course, our company potlucks are always a good excuse for trying out a Gooseberry Patch recipe!
I absolutely have my favorites...Buckeye Brownies, Paul's Broccoli Casserole, Reuben Stromboli, Deep Dish Pizza and Big Eddie's Rigatoni. But it's always fun to try something new. That's how I discovered my favorites!
|
|
|
|
|
What was the first recipe you chose for
Old-Fashioned Country Christmas?
- Amanda P.
|
|
V: First recipe chosen from my own recipe box was Buckeyes, a candy recipe my kids both loved! First recipe chosen from a contributor was Chicken Casserole Supreme from Gwen Linton. It's a really yummy casserole that smells and tastes just like Christmas. Thanks for sharing it, Gwen!
|
|
|
|
|
Is it necessary to take off the outside on asparagus?
- Diana G.
|
|
J: We don't usually do any peeling of asparagus stalks. Just trimming the woody ends and a quick rinse is enough prep for us! We have several yummy recipes using this tasty vegetable in our Recipe Collection...click here to see 'em all!
|
|
|
|
|
Any substitutions for canned cream soups, that can be loaded with sodium?
- Amy S.
|
|
J: Yes! Keep an eye out for a from-scratch recipe for cream soup that you can use in place of the canned variety. For now, here's a basic white sauce recipe that will work in place of any cream soup...you can add minced mushrooms, celery or seasonings to your taste.
|
|
|
Basic White Sauce
This recipe comes from our own Gooseberry Patch kitchen and can be
tweaked to include minced vegetables, garlic or even cheese. It's a great
base for any flavorful sauce that you create!
|
3 T. butter
1 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
| 1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
|
|
|
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour gradually; keep whisking until mixture is bubbly and smooth. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in broth and milk, alternately. Return sauce to medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens; add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 1-1/4 cups, an equivalent substitution for one can of soup.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
We couldn't celebrate our cookbooks without sharing some of our favorite recipes...download the special anniversary collection of 20 of our best-loved recipes from 20 of our favorite cookbooks!
|
|
|
|
Don't miss our newest article in Where Women Cook magazine...
we're sharing some of our freshest recipes inspired
by local farmers' markets!
It's on newsstands this month or CLICK HERE to subscribe!
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Don't miss our anniversary
collection of photos, videos,
favorite recipes and more!
|
|
It was tough to choose just 5 winners...you all did such a great job!
|
|
Thanks to everyone
who participated.
We'll be repinning
from these shortcut
collections for sure!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|