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Get Prepared with Our Thanksgiving Checklist
We know that you will all be excited for Thursday, so we’ve put together a Thanksgiving Checklist to make sure that you’re completely ready for the festivities.
1. The Turkey
You need a turkey! Now is also the time to make sure that you have a big enough dish to cook your turkey in. If you’re brining your turkey, then check that you have a large receptacle to keep it in. You’ll want to start this process up to 24 hours before you are ready to roast.
2. The Sides
You’ll know which sides are family favorites, but you might also be trying to branch out a little, especially if it’s your first time hosting. Make sure that you have all the vegetables in advance. You can also start prepping and storing them ahead of time so that everything is simple on the day. If you are making stuffing, stock up on ingredients and dry out your bread.
3. The Sauces
Cranberry sauce and gravy are absolute essentials that can both be made ahead.
4. Dessert
Whether you’re buying your desserts or making them, no Thanksgiving meal is complete without a sweet treat.
5. Drinks
Make sure that you have stocked up on a range of wines and beers. You might want spirits to make cocktails and you’ll also need non-alcoholic options for little ones and those who are driving. Put anything that needs to be chilled into the refrigerator ahead of time.
6. Snacks
For those moments when you get last-minute guests or you all need a snack as you settle down in front of the TV. Make this even easier by picking up our Thanksgiving Menu Collection. It includes Troyer’s Trail Bologna Ring, Cheddar Cheese, Cranberry Delight Mix, Shisler’s Private Label Apple Butter, Pumpkin Muffin Mix, and Uncle Ozgood’s Popcorn on the Cob. It’ll tick this straight off your Thanksgiving checklist without any stress at all.
7. Table settings
Whether you prefer a minimalist or plentiful style, it makes the day seem like an occasion if you set a table. Use your best dishes and flatware, light candles and create a centerpiece that will welcome your guests.
8. Prepare for house guests
If you are having house guests, prepare for their arrival. Make sure the beds have clean linens and that you’ve collected together any supplies that will be needed. Providing the WiFi password written down somewhere will stop people asking you for it when you are preparing dinner, although you might want to take the opposite approach and ask people to put their phones away at the door!
9. Prepare for leftovers
Make sure that you have bread in the house for turkey sandwiches! Collect some boxes ready for guests to take away leftover treats to enjoy in the days after Thanksgiving.
10. Entertain the kids
If you’ve got kids coming to your celebration, collect together a few activities to keep them happy whilst the adults are chatting.
We hope that our Thanksgiving checklist has helped you to prepare for a wonderful day. We’re wishing you all a brilliant Thanksgiving, whether you’re celebrating with family or friends.
Thanksgiving Make-Ahead Recipes
Relieve the stress of entertaining over the holiday season with our selection of Thanksgiving make-ahead recipes that will keep the whole family happy.
Thanksgiving Make-Ahead: Mashed Potatoes
You can make your mashed potatoes up to two days ahead of time. Cool them and then simply store in an airtight container in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, put the mashed potatoes in a pan with a small amount of milk or cream. Warm up over a low heat, continually stirring to avoid any of the potatoes becoming burnt.
Thanksgiving Make-Ahead: Cranberry Sauce
If you like to make cranberry sauce, you can cool, cover and chill it for up to a week before serving. This is great if you want to get everything prepared the weekend before Thanksgiving. It also means that you have cranberry sauce on hand if it is required as an ingredient for any of the other cooking preparations. Of course, you can buy cranberry sauce, but it is a nice relaxing activity to make your own and can be a great task for kids as long as they are careful about the heat.
Thanksgiving Make-Ahead: Dinner Rolls
When making bread, there are several ways to make it ahead to reduce the amount that you need to do on the day. You can make and shape the dough into rolls, or even a loaf if that’s what you prefer, and then cover it and chill. This will stop the dough from rising. You can then take them from the fridge when you are ready to let them rise. This can take around 3 hours, and then they will be ready to bake.
Alternatively, prove and bake your dough ahead of time and freeze the rolls. Then you’ll simply need to remove them from the freezer the evening before ready to eat for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Make-Ahead: Pie!
Whatever pie your family holds dear as their favorite, there are ways to make them ahead so that you can take your time over the sweet treats. You can make the crust ahead of time and chill it for 2 days before use. You could also make the filling and store it in an airtight container, ready for assembly the night before. Making your pies the day before means that they can simply sit in the refrigerator ready to be warmed when the time comes to eat them.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our selection of Thanksgiving make-ahead recipes and they have given you some inspiration to help you prepare over the next week. Let us know how you get ahead in the comments!
We’ve made entertaining a crowd easier than ever this year with our Thanksgiving Menu Collection. It contains a Troyer’s Trail Bologna Ring, Cheddar Cheese, Cranberry Delight Mix, Shisler’s Private Label Apple Butter, Pumpkin Muffin Mix, and Uncle Ozgood’s Popcorn on the Cob. There’s something for everyone to enjoy and you can use the pumpkin muffin mix for another great Thanksgiving make-ahead that will save you time when your guests arrive.
Brick Cheese: Everything You Need to Know
We love to help you explore cheeses that you might not have tried before here at Shisler’s Cheese House. Today we are introducing you to the delicious Brick Cheese.
What is Brick Cheese?
Brick Cheese is a medium-soft cheese that is made in the form of a large rectangular or brick shape. It may also be named “brick” because the cheese curds are pressed with clay-fired bricks. Its color ranges from pale yellow to white.
How does it taste?
It has a sweet and mild flavor when young, and matures into a strong ripe cheese with age. It crumbles easily and is a little sticky to the knife when sliced.
How is Brick Cheese made?
Brick Cheese is an American original, produced in Wisconsin. Whilst the cheese making process is similar to American Cheddar, it is cultured at a slightly higher temperature which gives it a marginally higher fat content and slightly alters the protein structure. The cheese has a slightly softer taste with a sharper finish than regular Cheddar.
It was created in 1877 by John Jossi, a Swiss-born American cheese maker. Jossi came to the states in 1857 from Switzerland with his parents at the age of 12. The family settled first in upstate New York, but later Jossi moved to Richwood, in southwest Wisconsin. He envisioned a cheese made with curd that was drier than that used for the Limburger he had produced in the factories he worked in. He came up with the idea of using bricks to press the cheese, creating the shape that we know today.
How should it be eaten?
Brick Cheese is often served with corn polenta in the Midwest, where it is thinly sliced and melted underneath the polenta and then topped with tomato sauce.
It is also great for slicing and melts well, making it a delicious choice for grilled cheese sandwiches. This cheese goes very well with pickles, so it is perfect for adding flavor to a burger. Try it in your macaroni cheese or melted in potatoes gratin. You can even use it on pizza!
What should I drink with it?
If you like red wine, we recommend something fruity like a Beaujolais or Syrah to pair with brick cheese. White wines with peachy, tropical notes such as a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc are both good choices. This is also a great cheese to serve if you or your guests prefer beer, as it pairs well with Bock, lager and even stout.
How do you like to eat Brick Cheese? Let us know in the comments.
Veteran’s Day: Let’s Show Our Appreciation
With Veteran’s Day approaching this weekend, we wanted to share our Veteran’s Day Care Package with you.
This is a great way to remind our heroes that we still appreciate all they do! It is perfect as a gift for our veterans or as active duty military care packages. We have included less perishable options than some of our other gift boxes, for those who wish to send a care package to military personnel stationed overseas.
There really is nothing like a little taste of home to let our men and women in uniform know they are appreciated. We will ship to any FPO-AP address via U.S. Postal service. We will also show our appreciation for our men and women in uniform by donating a portion of the proceeds from every package sold to The Wounded Warrior Project.
The Veteran’s Day Care Package Includes:
- Baby Swiss Cheese Wheel (2 Lbs.)
- Trail Bologna Ring or Beef Jerky (In non-perishable option)
- Clem’s Hot Pepper Relish – delicious with cheese and crackers!
- Banana Split Mix – cranberries, banana chips, almonds, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate drops, pineapple tidbits, raisins, yogurt covered peanuts, peanuts, and yogurt drops all mixed together for a great trail mix
- Amish Peanut Butter Spread
- Amish Homestyle Jam
- Carr’s Crackers
We know that you love to show your appreciation and, to us, food is the perfect way to do that.
Here at Shisler’s Cheese House, we also make a range of gift boxes if the Veteran’s Care Package isn’t quite right for you.
Our Football Season Special is perfect for sports lovers. It contains Swiss Cheese, Troyer’s Trail Bologna, Pepper Jack Cheese, Shisler’s Private Label Mustard, Shisler’s Private Label Hot Pepper Relish, and Carr’s Crackers.
The Fall Harvest Collection celebrates the best flavors of fall in Amish Country. You’ll find Baby Swiss Cheese (2 Lbs.), Streb Meats Smoked Sausage (1 Lb.), Cranberry Delight (1 Lb.), Pumpkin Muffin Mix, Pumpkin Butter, and Popcorn on the Cob inside.
If you want to show your support to a beer and cheese lover, then our Beer Collection is absolutely the gift for you. It contains enough Brick, Gouda, Gruyere, and Ohio Premium Swiss Cheese to entertain 20 people. These cheeses have been chosen for their strong flavors which pair beautifully with beer. We recommend trying out a few different beers to compare the tasting experience.
Finally, our Hot Stuff Collection has everything that you might need for someone who lives spice and heat. Enjoy trying Hot Pepper Cheese, Habanero Cheese, Troyer’s Trail Bologna with Hot Pepper Cheese, Shisler’s Private Label Hot Pepper Relish, Shisler’s Private Label Hot Jalapeno Mustard, Hot Pepper Jelly, and Carr’s Crackers. Be warned, you might need a cooling glass of milk on hand.
Do get in touch if you have any questions about any of our gift boxes, but especially if you would like to get a Veteran’s Day care package for a special someone to recognise their service this month.
We’d also love for you to take a look at the work of the Wounded Warrior Project and consider supporting them in their efforts.
What is Bonfire Night? How to Celebrate the British Tradition
We love to explore traditions from around the world here at Shisler’s Cheese House. Today we’re taking you over the pond to find out all about how the British celebrate Bonfire Night.
What is Bonfire Night?
The traditional phrase goes “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot”.
Bonfire Night, sometimes also known as Guy Fawkes’ Night, falls on November 5th, and celebrates the night that Guy Fawkes failed in his Gunpowder Plot to assassinate King James I of England and VI of Scotland in 1605.
Guy Fawkes and a group of others tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London with barrels of gunpowder. They hid them in the basement of the building and Guy Fawkes was left to guard them but he was discovered before the plot could take place.
A year later in 1606 the Thanksgiving Act was passed stating that November 5th would be a day of celebration. Fireworks and bonfires were chosen as a suitable way to celebrate.
How is it celebrated?
Bonfires are often lit and fireworks display light up the night sky with bring colors.
Some people will put on displays at home but it is more common for families to go to large displays together with their community. There are sometimes fairground rides and food stalls for everyone to enjoy.
It used to be traditional to burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes on the bonfire, but this has now ceased in many places. There are still some other traditional activities, however, such as in Ottery St Mary, Devon, where people chase each other through the streets with flaming tar barrels!
Which foods are enjoyed on Bonfire Night?
The night is all about enjoying cozy, warming foods that help you to enjoy the cold evening. Soups and baked potatoes are some of the most classic foods that everyone can enjoy together. Lots of sweet treats are on offer, especially caramel apples and crunchy toffee. Hot dogs and burgers are quick and easy to eat off the fire and you can sometimes find people enjoying toasted marshmallows.
What about drinks?
A hot apple cider is a brilliant Bonfire Night drink that keeps everyone warm, but hot chocolate is also a popular choice. Sometimes the adults will indulge in a glass of mulled (spiced) wine.
Have you ever celebrated a traditional Bonfire Night? Let us know in the comments!
Fall Food: Try our Fall Harvest Collection
Now that we are really in fall, you might be looking for some fall foods to enjoy. That’s why we wanted to share our fantastic Fall Harvest Collection with you. It has everything you need for a cozy evening in with loved ones or a picnic under the trees as they change color.
Inside you will find:
2 Lb. Baby Swiss Cheese
Our Baby Swiss is made locally in Charm, Ohio by the original producer: Guggisberg Cheese. This is a young, semi-soft cheese with lots of small holes that you will recognize from Swiss cheese. Because water is substituted for the milk’s whey in Baby Swiss production, the bacterial action is slowed down creating smaller holes and a milder flavor. It is also made from whole milk, giving it an extra creamy, mild taste.
1 Lb. Streb Meats Smoked Sausage
Streb Meats is a third generation family-owned company that has been famous in our area for over 70 years. All of their meats are locally raised and hickory smoked in a real smokehouse, creating a quality product that you just can’t beat.
1 Lb. of our Cranberry Delight mix
This is one of our favorite mixes because it includes a great selection of both nuts and fruit which give it a true fall flavor. It contains dried cranberries, golden raisins, peanuts, almonds, pecans, dried cherries, pineapple dices, and papaya dices. A great healthy snack for your next hike or to keep you fuelled at your desk.
Pumpkin Muffin Mix
Our muffin mixes are ideal for those moments when you want to whip up something to share with guests without any fuss. They include all of the dry ingredients to make delicious muffins. What flavor could be better for fall food than pumpkin? If you have extra time, you could even make a cream cheese frosting to go with them.
Pumpkin Butter
A delicious way to add fall food flavors to lots of different dishes. This will be great with the pumpkin muffins that you make with the muffin mix. It’s also brilliant on toast in the mornings or even stirred into coffee with milk or cream for a pumpkin latte.
Popcorn on the Cob
Have some fun making popcorn with this quick way to a delicious snack. You can pop the corn right on the cob and then settle down to a cozy movie night with the family. Try adding your own flavorings such as salt, sugar, butter or even a sprinkle of cinnamon to keep the fall theme going.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our tour of the Fall Harvest Collection. This is available for a limited time only, so shop today to get yours! What’s your favorite fall food? Let us know in the comments!
Halloween Recipes for a Spooky Feast
We love creating spooky dishes for Halloween, so we’ve put together a list of some of our favorites for you to try at your parties!
Ghostly Mini Pizzas
Top mini pizza bases or even bagels with tomato sauce. Cut ghosts out of mozzarella and put them in the middle of the base. Bake until the cheese has slightly melted. Add small pieces of black olive for eyes. Make lots of these as they’re sure to be eaten up quickly!
Witch’s Hats
Cut puff pastry or pre-made crescent rolls into the shape of witch’s hats. Decorate with a strip of Colby cheese as a ribbon. You could even use sweet or savory filling to make them into pies. Try pumpkin, cream cheese or melted chocolate for fun seasonal flavors.
Hot Dog Mummies
Cook your hot dogs as per the instructions, then wrap them in strips of crescent rolls. Add dots of mustard for eyes. Bake in a hot oven for around 10 minutes, until the pastry is golden and flaky. Serve with more mustard and ketchup on the side for dipping.
Snake Infested Jelly
Make your favorite jelly according to its instructions. When it is around a quarter of the way to being set, push gummy snakes into the jelly. This way they will be suspended throughout the jelly ready for your party! You can try this with other candy too – let your imagination run wild!
Spider Cookies
This recipe is lots of fun to make. Get the whole family involved to create a fantastic treat. Use your favorite cookie recipe or even pre-bought dough to make a big batch of cookies. Melt white chocolate and use it to pipe a web onto the cookies. The easiest way to do this is to pipe on concentric circles and then use a cocktail stick to pull the circles into a web shape. Leave this to set. Then melt milk chocolate and pipe on your creepy spiders. You could even add icing eyes or create your own using candy.
Pumpkin soup with Ghoulish Shapes
Cut a 2lb pumpkin into small chunks. In a large pan, gently cook a diced onion in olive oil, then add in your pumpkin and cook for around 10 minutes. Pour in 25 fl oz of vegetable or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the pumpkin is thoroughly cooked through and soft. Blend the soup and add 5fl oz cream to create a perfectly smooth texture.
Keep the soup warm and make some toast to have alongside it. Using cookie cutters or a small knife, cut the toast into Halloween shapes like ghosts, pumpkins or bats. See what shapes you can come up with!
What do you like to make for your Halloween feasts? Let us know your favorite recipes in the comments!
Halloween Decoration Ideas For a Spooky Home
With Halloween fast approaching, we have put together some decoration ideas to help you make your house as spooky as possible!
Carved Pumpkins
Of course, pumpkin carving is the classic decoration for Halloween. Make sure that you don’t waste the actual pumpkin flesh. It’s delicious roasted as a side dish or cooked into a warming soup for cold evenings. You can even roast the seeds with different flavors for a quick crunchy snack.
Traditional faces are easy to carve, but there are so many online tutorials that can help you to create intricate designs that are sure to impress trick or treaters!
Remember to be careful of any open flames when the pumpkins are lit.
Ghostly Lanterns
It’s easy to create ghostly lanterns out of old milk jugs. Simply draw on ghost faces and pop some battery powered fairy lights inside. Line them along your paths to create a spooky entrance way!
An Autumnal Wreath
If you’re looking for something to brighten your door rather than terrify your visitors then a lovely wreath is a great choice. They’re not just for Christmas! Create one with foliage from your yard or buy some fake leaves from a craft store. You can create a base from bendy branches but it is sometimes easier to buy them ready-made. Keep in mind whether your wreath will be exposed to the weather and choose your materials accordingly.
Rock Creatures
For a simple project that the whole family can take part in, collect some large rocks and paint them with monstrous faces. Googly eyes will add to the spooky feel. You could even hide them amongst other rocks in your garden to create a fun surprise!
A Halloween Tree
You can now find artificial Christmas trees in a huge range of colors, including black and white. Pick one of these up and decorate it as a Halloween tree. There are lots of spooky ornaments available in the shops and online. Add some cobwebs, skulls, and spiders for a truly creepy tree. You can even get orange tinsel or pull out any dark colored Christmas decorations to add some extra sparkle.
Candy Corn Banner
It’s easy to create candy corn bunting from some cardboard, paint, and string. You could even cut up paper plates to make the banner even more quickly. Hang it in your windows or over a mantelpiece for a fun, festive look. Make sure you have some candy corn to hand so that you don’t get hungry whilst looking at it!
Floating Witch’s Hats
Use fishing line to hang witch’s hats in your porch for a fun decoration that can be seen by your neighbors. You could even use battery powered fairy lights or glow sticks to make them light up so that they can be seen at night. Make sure that they are hung up high so that no-one walks into them!
How will you be decorating your home this Halloween? Let us know your spookiest tips and tricks in the comments!
4 in 1 Cheese: Everything You Need to Know
As you know, we stock lots of unusual cheeses here at Shisler’s Cheese House; today we are going to show you one of them: 4 in 1 cheese.
What is 4 in 1 cheese?
Our 4 in 1 cheese contains Colby, Orange Cheddar, Cojack and Monterey Jack Cheeses.
Colby cheese is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese native to the United States. It is very mild and creamy. It goes through a washed-curd process, rather than a traditional Cheddar process, making it slightly softer. It is an excellent table cheese and works well in salads because of its mild taste.
Monterey Jack is a buttery, semi-firm cheese which originated in California. It is usually only aged for around a month, making it a fresh, fairly soft cheese to enjoy.
Cojack cheese is a blend of Monterey Jack and Colby cheese, marbled together to create a striking effect.
Orange Cheddar has Annatto, an extract from the tropical achiote tree, and oleoresin paprika added to give it a striking orange hue that will look fantastic on your cheeseboard.
How should I enjoy 4 in 1 cheese?
It is a brilliant table cheese because it caters to a variety of guests and looks fantastic amongst a cheeseboard. Serve it with crackers and fresh bread, as well as fruits, pickles, and charcuterie meats. For extra fun, your guests might like to guess which cheeses are being combined on their plate.
You could also grate this over dishes to add color and flavor, but our favorite way to serve it is simply as a block in the center of the table. If you are building a cheeseboard, then be sure to include stronger cheeses that will contrast this one such as a blue cheese or something spicy like pepper jack.
What should I drink it with?
Owing to the mild and smooth nature of most of the cheeses included, we would recommend a Riesling or even a light Pinot Grigio with 4 in 1 cheese. For red wine lovers, we suggest that you try a Zinfandel or Shiraz.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our exploration of 4 in 1 cheese. Have you tried it? Let us know how you like to eat it in the comments!
How to Taste Wine
If you love drinking wine, then you may have wondered how to taste wine properly can truly elevate your experience.
How to Taste Wine: Environment
One of the most important things is to create the right environment. Odors such as cooking smells, pets, or perfume will affect the wine’s aroma. Using the wrong glass or serving wine at the incorrect temperature can even affect the wine’s flavor.
Try to move away from anyone wearing strong perfume. It is possible to condition your glass by swilling some wine and pouring it out. Wait for your wine to be the right temperature before serving and eat neutral foods to cleanse your palate.
How to Taste Wine: Look
The first part of tasting wine is to look at it.
Start by observing the color, holding it to the light and noticing the clarity of the wine. Then you swirl your glass, which will increase the surface area of the wine and allow oxygen in. This helps to open up the aromas.
If you notice particularly cloudy wine, you may want to check if it smells bad, as this may be a sign that it is past its best.
Look at the legs of the wine. These are the drips of wine that run down the inside of the glass. If the legs are thick and slow moving this indicates higher alcohol and sugar content, which will usually have a fuller mouthfeel. If you see thinner legs, then this will usually be a lighter wine.
How to Taste Wine: Smell
Sniff the wine several times and then concentrate on all the aromas that you are experiencing. If there is a dusty, leathery, or vinegar smell, then the wine may be past its best. You may recognize floral, fruity, herby, spicy or mineral scents. These come from the grapes themselves.
There are also secondary aromas, which come from the winemaking process. These include smells of cheese rind, nuts or beer, as they usually come from the yeast. Tertiary aromas come from the aging process and might include a scent of toast, smoke or vanilla.
The Final Essential Element: Taste
After observing and smelling, you get to taste the wine! Take a sip and roll it around in your mouth to see what you can taste.
You may notice that different flavors occur during the beginning, middle and end of your drinking experience. You might also notice the texture of the wine. Some will be thin and almost watery, but wines increase in richness as they increase in alcohol.
When you take a second sip of wine, try to draw some air into your mouth, then breath out of your nose. This process will aerate the wine slightly and help you to identify more of the flavors.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our wine tasting tips. Remember that the most important thing is to enjoy your wine and have fun with it. If you want to try tasting different wines with different cheeses, why not pick up our White Wine Collection or Red Wine Collection?
