Memorial Day weekend festivities are right around the corner but are you ready? Here is an easy checklist you can use to make sure your celebrations are a success:
1. Check your grill’s propane tank to insure it’s full or buy a sufficient amount of charcoal. The Pecan Store sells pecan shell charcoal for $2.50/5lb bag, and can be purchased in store only.
2. Plan out your menu ahead of time. Don’t even attempt to do this at the last minute with whatever items are in your pantry or freezer. Grilled meats taste best when they’ve been marinated and The Pecan Store carries Arizona Rub in four flavors: Original, Chipotle, Rattlesnake and Pistol Whip. These delicious rubs would be perfect on a variety of different meats! And to accompany your perfectly seasoned meat, don’t overlook the barbeque sauce. The Pecan Store also sells Green Valley Pecan Company barbeque sauce and hot sauce that include pecans. They would be a tangy, savory addition to your grilling menu.
3. Drinks, drinks and more drinks! Especially in our hot desert weather, insuring your party guests are adequately hydrated is important. Put out some aluminum party tubs or ice chests and fill them with all the necessary beverages that make a party great. But most importantly, make sure everything is iced before your guests arrive because who wants to drink a warm beer? Also, set up a Do It Yourself Drink Bar so your guests can pour their own concoctions. Make sure you included Prickly Pear margaritas, which are made with Prickly Pear Syrup from Cheri’s Desert Harvest. You can purchase a bottle, which comes with a complimentary recipe, at the Pecan Store website or in the Store.
4. Decorations can make any backyard gathering into an over the top production, so don’t be shy about spreading the party theme around the occasion. However, just because you want to be festive doesn’t mean you have to spend an arm and a leg to fund it. Instead of star spangled cups, plates and napkins, opt for the more affordable solid red, white and blue cups and plates and mix and match them to your heart’s content. Delicious fruit salads containing blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and pecans combined with whipped cream would make an attractive trifle centerpiece. Another great idea would be wrap pecan trays from the Pecan Store in red, white and blue ribbons. They would do double duty as attractive centerpieces and gifts for your guests. You’re only limited by your imagination!
While you pull all the elements of your bash together, don’t forget about the music! Music is a key element to setting the mood at any great party, so have your IPod ready to crank out jams that will get your party guests out of their seats and grooving to the rhythm. Play a mix of various music genres to appeal to as many party guests as possible, and keep in mind that Memorial Day weekend, July 4th and Labor Day weekend are the only acceptable times to play “American Pie” by Don McLean more than once, which may still be pushing it for some! Have fun and be safe!
I have had so many delicious meals over this holiday season, and I have never felt so full before. I found a wonderful snack to keep me full that is healthy and quite sweet. The recipe contains pecans that are sautéed in butter and then toasted in the oven with a tablespoon of honey. I can eat this great snack without the worry of adding onto my holiday weight. Even though the New Year is only a few days away, I feel I can cut back on the holiday leftovers and enjoy more healthy snacks.
It’s my favorite time of year and I can’t wait to spend it with my family and lots of fantastic food. From all of us here at The Pecan Store, we wish you and your family a very happy holiday.
A friend of mine forwarded a link from Delish.com about how to “Host an Elegant Appetizer Party.” I absolutely love this idea, especially for the holidays. With so much going on, it’s sometimes incredibly difficult to even get dinner on the table, let alone serve an entire party. These simple, yet scrumptious appetizers are sure to hit the spot and fill up guests without sacrificing the happy in your holiday party.
Some of my favorite recipes from the slideshow include:
1. Chili Pecans (slide 10 of 11) - Sweet heat chili-covered pecans spice up the holidays
2. Fig-and-Stilton Squares (slide 1 of 11) - I love pairing sweet with savory, and you can never go wrong with cheese
3. Apricot Canapés (slide 9 of 11) - Dried apricots, blue cheese, pistachios, honey and a dash of pepper. This recipe is so easy to make, not to mention budget-friendly.
Check out the full slideshow here, and get ready to savor the holidays.
I have recently posted recipes for Thanksgiving focusing on side dishes and desserts, but who could forget the most important dish - the turkey! Every year I prepare the turkey differently and I have decided to deep fry it this year. I have never deep fried a turkey before, but I could not resist the recipe I found which includes a honey pecan glaze! My side dishes will compliment this turkey well and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
When it comes to Thanksgiving my focus is always on dinner and I typically forget about breakfast and lunch. I am usually in the kitchen all day preparing for dinner and I end up snacking all day. This year, I have decided to prepare pecan caramel cinnamon rolls ahead of time so I can stick them in the oven first thing Thanksgiving morning. Having a delicious breakfast will keep me from snacking so I can enjoy the wonderful Thanksgiving feast and have room for dessert!
Searching for recipes for Thanksgiving is something I really enjoy. My favorite recipes to find are desserts as I have a big sweet tooth. It seems that the most popular new dessert recipe for the 2009 holiday is bourbon-pecan pie or tart. Since I am already making a variety of pies, I thought I would make the bourbon-pecan tart. This recipe comes from Bon Appetitand has received some great reviews.
Place crust in 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom; press crust into pan. Trim overhang. Chill crust 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans. Bake until crust is set and pale golden, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Place pan with crust on rimmed baking sheet.
Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in medium bowl. Beat in corn syrup. Add butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt; beat until blended. Stir in pecans.
Pour pecan filling into hot crust. Bake until center of filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool tart on rack 1 hour; remove pan sides. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Rewarm slightly before serving, if desired.
I can do nothing but think of sweet potatoes as the holiday season approaches. I have always enjoyed the sweet taste and soft texture of sweet potatoes and when they are mixed with brown sugar with a couple of marshmallows on top they are unbelievable. Another Thanksgiving favorite is mashed sweet potatoes which are always smooth and creamy with a little added sweetness. This holiday season I have been looking for a recipe that adds a little something extra to the mix. I came across this recipe that adds a tangy and toasted crunchy flavor which is amazing. These flavors come from cut up pineapple pieces and toasted pecans that are added when roasting the sweet potatoes in the oven. I cannot wait to see the responses I get from this dish, this holiday season.
It is my favorite time of the year, Thanksgiving! I love the cool weather and even better yet, the warm desserts. For the longest time now I have been searching for the perfect Thanksgiving dessert recipe and I think I found it. I came across a Sweet Potato Pecan dessert and this recipe caught my eye because it is very simple to make and cooked in the slow cooker, which means I can focus on my other dishes that need more time and labor to get them just right. I also really like this recipe because I can offer more variety to my guests; rather then just serving pie like everyone else does during the holidays.
I typically spend all day in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner and this year it is my goal to be more prepared so I can spend more time with my family! I am focusing on recipes that can be made ahead of time and I found a great stuffing recipe in Gourmet. Not only is this recipe simple but you can make it one day ahead of time with only 45 minutes of preparation time, which means one less dish to make on Thanksgiving!
