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How to Create a Beautiful Table Setting
Whether you’re entertaining a large group, having your neighbors over for a weeknight supper or simply cooking at home, sometime you want to add some sparkle to your table. That’s where we come in. Read on to find all of our tableware and table decoration tips for a great table setting.
- Fresh flowers
Flowers make a huge difference to a table. Buy seasonal flowers for extra color. Place a large bouquet in the centre of the table or create small posies around the table. Mix complementary colors and consider the color scheme of your home when choosing.
- Confetti
Whilst traditional confetti might not be amazing for the environment, you can create a beautiful effect on a table with natural or reusable confetti. Try dried flower petals or felt confetti. If it’s a holiday, find something that fits with this. Sprinkle it across the table before you put anything else down.
- A Centrepiece
This really depends on the season and occasion, but putting something in the centre of the table can really draw the look together. You can use flowers or foliage, or something less natural. You could create something rustic yourself or buy something ready made. You might have a family centrepiece that you always use or you could create on that represents your family. You can even use fresh fruits and vegetables to create a beautiful look, especially during harvest season.
- Candles
Great candles not only add a great look to your table, but they provide romantic lighting. You want to use tall dinner candles on candle holders or a chandelier, so that your guests don’t need to reach over a hot flame. Choose unscented candles, as you don’t want the scent to affect your dining experience.
- A table cloth or table runner
A table cloth will cover the whole table, whereas a table runner covers the centre of the table. This is great if you’re going to put dishes on the table for people to help themselves from as it provides a layer for them to sit on. Both will protect your table but they can also look great. Consider picking a color scheme and working to it.
- Glassware
You’re going to need glassware on the table, so why not make it part of your table setting look? You don’t always have to use clear glassware, so it could fit with your color scheme. You can put out several glasses for each person. Ensure that they have symmetry at each place setting so that it looks beautiful.
We hope these tips will help you to set a table that takes your dinner to the next level. As a general rule, try to pick a color scheme or seasonal theme and run with it. Don’t be afraid to mix up your glassware and plates to create an original look.
How do you decorate your table? Let us know in the comments!
Hiking? The Snacks to Take Along With You
As the weather warms up, we know that some of you will be heading into the outdoors for some hiking. Whether you’re tackling a gentle walk or your nearest mountain, we’ve got the snacks to keep you fueled up.
1. Trail Mix
The clue is absolutely in the name. When you’re on the trail, eat trail mix.
Our original trail mix is packed with nuts and dried fruit. Our diet trail mix is great if you’re hiking to get fit. Buggy trail mix has butter toffee peanuts, honey roasted sesame sticks, cheddar crackers, pretzel nuggets, and wheat crackers. They’re sure to keep you walking even when the going gets tough.
We also offer a banana split mix which contains cranberries, banana chips, almonds, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate drops, pineapple tidbits, raisins, yogurt covered peanuts, peanuts, and yogurt drops. You could also try Mikey’s Mix which is packed with nuts and chocolate treats in case you need an extra incentive to keep hiking.
If you’ve got time, you could try making your own trail mix. Check out our gourmet foods section and pick your favorite things to mix up.
2. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is a great source of energy while you’re hiking. We especially love dried strawberries, kiwi, banana chips, and pineapple.
We also offer Think Fruit Dried Fruit Snacks in a variety of flavors, packaged up and ready for you to take out on the trail.
3. Jerky
Jerky is full of protein which makes it perfect for hiking. Try our Uncle Mike’s Beef Jerky, which we offer in Mild, Hot or Teriyaki flavor. It’s easy to pack and pull out as you’re walking.
4. Nuts
We have a great range of nuts including peanuts, pistachios, and cashews. They’re a healthy source of protein and fats. You can even create your own mixes of them or take along sachets of nut butter to snack on.
5. Energy bars
There are loads of different energy bars out there, but most of them are great for keeping you on the go. Take your favorites along with you hiking and remember to pack a few for your friends as well.
We hope that these ideas will help you to plan your next hiking trip. Remember to take plenty of water along with you to keep hydrated. Make sure that you plan your route and take along a map to keep you safe. Appropriate footwear, layers and waterproof clothing will keep you warm and dry – we know that the weather can be unpredictable sometimes!
Where is your favorite hiking spot? What snacks do you like to take along? Let us know in the comments!
10 Uses for Jams and Jellies
Whether you love trying different jams and jellies, or you have made lots yourself, sometimes you need to find a way to use some up. Especially at this time of year, when you’ll be thinking about making new jams with all of the lovely summer fruit.
Read on to find out some of our tips and tricks for using up jams and jellies.
- Cakes
You don’t always have to use strawberry or raspberry jam to sandwich cakes together. Try out different flavor combinations and find your favorites.
- Gravy
This might sound a little odd, but trust us: it’s delicious. A little sweetness can go a long way to turning a good gravy into a great gravy. Add a teaspoon at a time and keep tasting; you don’t want to overpower it.
3. Yogurt
Stir jams and jellies into plain yogurt to create a delicious and easy dessert. It’s perfect for when you’re craving something sweet but you don’t want to leave the house.
4. Salad Dressings
Sometimes you might add a little sugar or honey to a salad dressing for sweetness. Try jam instead! Make sure you taste it before pouring it over your salad to make sure that you’ve got the flavors right. A great tip is to take a leaf or veggie from your salad and dip it into the dressing to taste. This way you get to try the flavors together, instead of tasting dressing on its own.
5. Grilled Cheese
We’ve mentioned this before, but jam or jelly can take your grilled cheese to the next level. We especially love this with cheeses like ricotta or mascarpone, but hard cheeses like gouda work well with fruit as well.
6. Barbecue
As the weather warms up and you start to think about cooking on the barbecue, try using jelly as a glaze for meats. Mix your jelly with a little water and heat over a low heat until it is a brushable glaze. Then simply brush it onto the meat.
7. Cocktails
Any cocktail that is shaken can have a spoonful of jam added to it. We especially love apricot jam in a mojito, but this is definitely something to experiment with. Make sure that you give everything a good shake before serving.
8. Pancakes
Pop jams and jellies on the table when you’re serving pancakes and watch them get eaten up! This is especially good with whipped cream.
9. Oatmeal
Oatmeal with a dollop of jam on top is a true joy. Try different flavors to find your favorite. You’ll never have a boring bowl for breakfast again.
10. Biscuits
Sandwich biscuits together with jam or even add a little to the batter to create an added sweetness. This is a quick and easy way to add excitement to your baking. It’s also a fun way to get the kids involved in the kitchen!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list. If you need some jam or jelly to try out these ideas, we’ve got you covered. Which will you try? Let us know in the comments!
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How to Create a Charcuterie Board
We’ve shown you how to create a balanced cheeseboard before, but today we want to help you create a great charcuterie board. Add a bottle of wine, and you’ve got a party! Read on to find out about all of our tips. We hope that it will inspire you to host your family or friends and treat them to a selection of your favorites.
- Think about colors and textures
You want to make your charcuterie board as vibrant and interesting as possible. Try to include a variety of colors and textures that will entice your guests. After all, they do say that we eat with our eyes first. Arrange the board so that the colors create contrast and draw you in.
- Create abundance
Try to make your board look as full as possible so that it seems like there is a real abundance of fantastic food on offer. If you’re serving a small group, use a smaller board so that you can still pile the produce high. Try layering each item up so that there is enough for all of your guests. You want them to be able to try everything instead of holding back.
- Include a variety of flavors
This is probably the easiest part of the process. Select some of your favorite meats, but try to think about your guests as well. Include both smoked and non-smoked meats, as well as sausage styles. Check out our selection – you’re sure to find something for every palate.
4. Add seasonal fruit
This is a great way to add color and flavor to your board. It will also give your guests a chance to experiment with different flavors. Classics would be apples or figs, but we know that you’ll find something original to try.
5. Find great jams, pickles, and preserves
We love adding pots of delicious preserves to a charcuterie board. Simply serve the jar and a spoon to encourage your guests not to be shy to try them. This will look much more elegant than trying to spoon it onto the board. Check out our Jams & Jellies and Pickles & Peppers sections.
6. Try something unexpected
Everyone has seen a charcuterie board with some simple cheeses and meats, so try to add an element of surprise. You could try nuts, crackers in unusual flavors or other snacks to add crunch to the board. You could even serve some chocolate for your guests to try. Experiment with your own ideas and see what your guests love.
We hope that you have enjoyed our charcuterie board tips. As always, try out different things to find the ones that you and your family love. Remember, if you pop into the store we are always on hand to help you pick out brilliant pairings. We can also recommend wine to drink with your charcuterie and cheese.
What would be on your perfect charcuterie board? Let us know in the comments!
Peanut Butter: The Perfect Addition to your Baking
We love finding new baking ideas and we also love peanut butter, so today we are combining the two to share with you some fun ideas for baking with peanut butter.
- Peanut Butter Cookies
Best served with a glass of milk, these are a true classic. Add peanut butter to your cookie batter or spread it on top. You can go for straight peanut butter or add chocolate – choose your favorite. Cookies also make great ice cream sandwiches!
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Mix the peanut butter into the cheese, use peanut butter cookies in the base, or even create a peanut butter topping. You could even chop some Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Creams and stir them in. However you decide to bring peanut butter into your cheesecake, you know that it will be delicious.
- Peanut Butter Brownies
Take your favorite brownie batter and swirl in some peanut butter. You could even add a crunchy topping with some crushed up Peanut Butter Pretzels. Try a blondie with white chocolate if you have a really sweet tooth.
- Peanut Butter S’mores
Just when you thought s’mores couldn’t get any better, we added peanut butter! You can do this in a couple of different ways. Either make a normal s’more and add a smear of peanut butter to one of your graham crackers or replace your chocolate with a peanut butter cup. You could even add some caramel if you want a real treat.
5. Peanut Butter Pancakes
Pancakes aren’t just for breakfast. They make a great dessert too! This filling will work for both. Put peanut butter, chocolate chips and slices of banana in your crepes before rolling them up.
6. Peanut Butter Sundae
Create a sauce by heating 3 parts caramel, 1 part peanut butter and 1 part milk until it is smooth. Pour it into the bottom of your sundae glass. Layer it with ice cream, banana, caramel, and any other ingredients that you like. Top with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.
7. Peanut Butter Popcorn
Combine peanut butter with syrup to drizzle over popcorn. This is a messy treat so make sure that you have cloths on hand to clean up!
8. Protein bars
If you want to create a healthier treat that will give you plenty of energy, make a peanut butter based protein bar. These can be made with peanut butter, honey, protein powder, and oatmeal, but there are lots of different recipes out there.
Have you been inspired to bake with peanut butter? Then pick up a jar of our Amish Peanut Butter Spread today. Made locally from a special blend of all natural ingredients, it’s sweet and creamy, with a soft and silky texture, perfect for baking.
If you plan to serve these at a party or take them along to an event, please be careful to ensure that no-one present has a nut allergy and always label your dish stating its ingredients. We would hate for someone’s baking to become a health risk.
How to Start Cooking from Scratch
We know that lots of you are avid cooks already, but some of you will still be learning. We’ve put together our tips for cooking from scratch.
- Stock your cupboards
If you’re going to be cooking food from scratch, then, of course, you are going to need food to cook. Start by making sure your fridge has basics including butter, milk, and cheese. Pick something like a cheddar which will be useful in almost any cheese dish.
For baking, you will need eggs, all-purpose flour, cake flour and pastry flour on hand.
Grab some pantry staples such as canned tomatoes, dried pasta and rice. Pick up some basic herbs and spices, as well as olive oil. Sometimes you can buy a pack of herbs and spices, but a good place to start would be with some salt, pepper, dried oregano, basil and parsley, bay leaves, ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, and garlic. You could also stock up on vinegars and sauces.
There are so many possibilities when it comes to cooking, but these basics will give you a good head start when it comes to making most recipes.
- Get the right equipment
If you’ve never been a cooking fan before, you might not have the right utensils. At the very least, you will need a standard cooking pot, frying pan, spatula, mixing spoon, mixing bowl and a roasting tray. These will get you so far but you’ll gradually want to add more items as you get more adventurous. Looking out for back to school sales, when stores often have great kitchen packs available.
- Plan your meals
To avoid randomly shopping and then creating food waste or being unsure what to make, plan your meals. Find recipes in books or online and use these to make your grocery shopping list for the week. If you are really new to cooking, you might want to commit to only cooking from scratch one day a week, or at the weekend, so keep in mind that you can be flexible with your plan.
- Start simple
You don’t need to wake up one morning and attempt to be a world-renowned chef. Start with simple dishes that you would like to conquer. These could even be side dishes, to begin with. Find a recipe and read it all the way through before beginning to cook. Make sure that you have everything you need, including the equipment required. Follow each step in turn and pay close attention to make sure that you use each ingredient.
- Ask for help
If you know someone who is a great cook, ask them if they might consider giving you some lessons in exchange for a fun evening or even a bottle of wine. If you don’t know anyone with cooking skills, you can also find great courses online or even simply watch YouTube videos. This is great for techniques such as how to chop vegetables or how to check that something is cooked.
We hope that you have enjoyed our tips to help you start cooking from scratch. If you’re an experienced cook, share your top tips in the comments!
What to Serve at Your Easter Table
Earlier this week, we shared with you our Easter gift ideas including fantastic Easter baskets and beautiful chocolate bunnies. Today, we’re here to help you with your Easter lunch or dinner. Serve up these simple, but fun, dishes and you’re sure to create a day to remember. After all, coming together with family and friends is all about creating memories. We’ve given you an idea for an appetizer, entree, dessert and a cake, so read on to find out everything that you need to know.
Deviled Eggs
We all know that it isn’t Easter without eggs. Deviled eggs make a great starter or canape. They can be prepared in advance so that your guests can enjoy them whilst you finish preparing your meal. This is especially great if you will be at church in the morning and then preparing lunch. It often feels like everyone has a family recipe for deviled eggs, but the basic is to hard boil eggs, mix the yolks with mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, and disperse this onto the egg whites. Sprinkle them with paprika and serve. If you have a special trick, then let us know in the comments!
Roasted Leg of Lamb
This is a classic at Easter. Use a simple rub of lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Roast your lamb with some garlic cloves that can be used to make delicious gravy. Serve it with plenty of vegetables, but especially go for spring flavors like carrots, green beans, radishes and beets.
Scalloped Potatoes
A great side dish, especially when it’s spring and heavier potato dishes like mash seem too much. Use fresh cream for an extra decadent dish. You can even mix in some gruyere for a twist on the classic.
Jello Bunny
This retro option is one to make if you have children attending your party. Grab a bunny shaped jello mould and fill it with your favourite flavor of jello. Leave it to set. Make a separate bowl of green jello. When the time comes to serve, chop the green jello up and lay it on a platter to look like grass. Turn the bunny out onto the grass and serve.
Simnel Cake
This is a traditional cake made in Britain to celebrate Easter. You might not have tried it before but it’s delightful and fairly unchallenging to prepare ahead of time. It is a light fruit cake, packed with dried fruit and a layer of almond paste in the middle. It is topped with a marzipan layer and eleven marzipan balls, which each represent the disciples. The top is briefly grilled to give it a toasted, nutty flavour. You can try making this at home or it may be stocked in some stores that sell British goods.
We hope that you have enjoyed our Easter ideas. We want to take the opportunity to wish all of our customers a very Happy Easter. As always, we are grateful to have you. We’d love to hear how you will be celebrating Easter in the comments.
Celebrate Easter with Shisler’s Cheese House
With Easter coming up this weekend, we have everything you need here at Shisler’s Cheese House. Read on to find out all about our gift options and how to make this Easter extra special for your loved ones.
Our Easter gift baskets are perfect for sharing with loved ones. You can purchase online or in store. Inside you will find Marble Cheese, Dried Fruit Chips, Yogurt Pretzels, Heggy’s Chocolates, Wild Maple Walnut Syrup, and Muddy Trail Mix.
We know that this is the perfect mix of treats. Chocolate for a sweet tooth and marble cheese for savory lovers, with dried fruit and trail mix to keep your energy up after all of the Easter fun. You could even hide each element of the basket to create a treasure hunt. Who says that kids get to have all the fun? Certainly not us!
If you’re looking to give a pure chocolate gift, then you need to look no further than Heggy’s Solid Chocolate Bunnies. These are a real treat with 20 oz of chocolate. They are available in both milk and white chocolate, so you can pick one up for everyone in the family.
If you are looking for some more grown-up chocolate options, check out our whole chocolate section. You’ll find dozens of products that will cater to every taste. Grab some Brazilian coconut or chocolate truffles for those friends that always want to try something new. Pick up a Heggy’s chocolate gift box for that special someone in your life. Take some Heggy’s milk chocolate turtles into work and share some Easter joy with your colleagues. We offer sugar-free treats for your health-conscious friends and caramels for those who just don’t like chocolate (we know it’s surprising, but they are out there!).
If you have your own Easter gift ideas, we can create a custom basket for you. Custom baskets can include anything currently available on the website. This is perfect if you know someone who would prefer cheese and pickles to chocolate, even at Easter. You could create a box full of dark chocolate treats or even pick our healthier options such as our sugar-free chocolates. Call us today for a quote!
If you are ordering online, please check our shipping policy to ensure that your gifts will reach you in time. If you can, pop into the store. We love to meet our customers face to face and help you find the perfect gifts.
We want to wish all of you a fantastic Easter weekend. How will you be celebrating? Let us know in the comments!
How to Use Different Cheeses as Pizza Toppings
After our recipe for great pizza, we decided to show you different ways to use cheese as a pizza topping. Whilst you might always put the same cheese on your pizza, there are so many different ones to try. You can combine them with other toppings to create endless possibilities.
It’s the absolute classic pizza topping. Serve mozzarella simply with tomato sauce and fresh basil. Make sure that you grate it evenly to create the delicious, cheesy effect. If you want to create a really special pizza, drizzle pesto over the top and add some arugula after baking.
Gruyère originated in the Alpine region between Switzerland and France in the eleventh century. Pop gruyère cheese on a pizza with ham and garlic. It’s like the croque monsieur of pizza toppings! You could even try gruyère on a white pizza, using bechamel or a creamy garlic sauce instead of tomato. If you haven’t tried this before then we urge you to give it a go. It works especially well with green vegetables like spinach and asparagus. You could even go Florentine style and add an egg on top!
Blue cheese is a perfect salty pizza topping. Pair it with bacon or red onions for an exciting pairing. Our Danish blue cheese would also be delicious with other cheeses too. Find your perfect four cheese pizza and let us know what it is in the comments. This is certainly a grown-up pizza idea, so serve it with a bold glass of red wine.
Spicy Cheese
Try our super hot ghost pepper cheese to add an extra kick to your pizza. Try it with fresh chilies and pepperoni if you’re feeling spicy. You could cool it down with some vegetables or a sour cream dressing. You could even try adding ground beef with spices to create a taco flavored pizza!
Manchego is a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese with a rich, tangy taste. Try it as a pizza topping with olives or sundried tomatoes. Add lots of herbs for extra flavor – try oregano, rosemary or basil.
Lucerne Cheese has a light and smooth flavor, but is low in sodium and fat. We recommend pairing it with your favorite vegetables. You might not always think of putting vegetables on a pizza but it’s a great option and a way to create a fresher pizza than the average toppings. Our favorites are peppers, courgettes and sweetcorn. You can even try something more unusual like roasted eggplant, artichokes or broccoli.
Next time you have a pizza party, make your own dough, put out some unusual cheeses, and you are sure to impress your guests. Even if you’re not having a party – this is sure to make for a fun Friday night in!
We hope that you have enjoyed these pizza topping ideas and that you’ll love trying something new. Let us know what you’ve tried in the comments.
