Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and it’s time to start preparing to show your loved ones your affection.
We’ve created two fabulous gift boxes that are sure to hit the right note on February 14th.
Our Valentine’s Day All Chocolate Gift Boxis perfect for those with a sweet tooth. Inside you’ll find a Heggy’s Solid Milk Chocolate Heart, Chocolate Cheese, Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Turtles, and two kinds of chocolate covered fruit!
With this much chocolate packed in, your loved ones will be thinking of you for a long time.
For inspiration on how to use the chocolate cheese, check out our recent blog post.
Our Valentine’s Day Gift Boxcombines some of our favorite treats. Inside you’ll find Havarti Cheese, a Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Heart, Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Fudge, Strawberry Caramel Creams and Yogurt Covered Cranberries.
This is the ideal gift if you’re preparing a special dinner and want to have cheese and sweet treats to complete the evening.
Wine pairings
If you want to serve up some wine along with your gift boxes, you have several options.
To complement the Havarti Cheese, a merlot or chardonnay would both work well. Havarti is a semi-soft Danish cow’s milk cheese with a buttery aroma and a sweet, sometimes nutty, taste. These wines will complement the flavors whilst matching its smooth texture.
If you want to pair wine with the chocolate, you need to find something that is slightly sweeter. A dessert wine such as Moscato or Sauternes is ideal for this. For something lighter, try a sweet Riesling. This will also work well with the Strawberry and Cream flavor
Whether you’re a new couple or celebrating years of marriage, Valentine’s Day is the time to take a moment to appreciate those that we love.
We don’t want to be too cheesy (!), but we love all of our Shisler’s Cheese House customers! Happy Valentine’s Day!
We have a whole range of fun peanut butter products for you to try!
Our Amish Peanut Butter Spread is made locally from a special blend of all natural ingredients. It’s sweet and creamy, with a soft and silky texture, perfect for baking or spreading on toast!
We thought that you might like to celebrate the day with a little baking. Read on to pick one of our ideas to cook up something fun!
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.
Happy National Peanut Butter Day everyone!
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.
Lots of us love drinking wine, but we’re also concerned about staying healthy. Luckily, it turns out that you can do both! We put together a list of some of the health benefits of drinking wine.
Antioxidants protect your heart
Polyphenols in both red wine and white wine have antioxidant properties. These can protect you against cardiovascular diseases and have anticarcinogenic effects. These polyphenols mainly come from the skins of grapes, making the levels higher in red wine, although rose wine will also contain some.
Wine can raise your omega-3 fatty acids
Usually found in fish, omega-3 fatty acids are believed to protect us against heart disease as they lower the level of triglyceride blood fat. Red wine appears to raise the blood level of omega-3 fatty acids when drunk regularly in moderation. These good fats can also relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and reduce levels of depression.
Improvements in short-term memory
Resveratrol, one of the active ingredients in wine, has been shown in plants to fight off bacteria and fungi. It is found in the skin of red grapes and therefore only found in red wine. It has been shown to improve short term memory in participants asked to retain words over a short period of time.
Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Research has suggested that having one to three glasses of red wine per day can be linked to a reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. This is because of the antioxidant compounds which protect brain neurons against damage and destruction. When the neurons are protected, they may be less susceptible to neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s. Whilst this is still very difficult to treat, anything that helps to prevent the problem seems like a great idea.
Help your gut health
Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and yogurt are praised for their health effects on our gut bacteria. Wine is also a naturally fermented product, allowing it to help produce and promote the healthy bacteria in our gut. These bacteria help us with digestion, boost our immune system and can help us to stay at a healthy weight.
Protect against diabetes
Moderate red wine consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Another study also found that moderate alcohol consumption could reduce the risk by up to 30 percent. This might prevent diabetes but if you already have it you’ll need to be more cautious as alcohol will affect your blood sugar and could also interact with any medication you are taking.
Prevent vision loss
Resveratrol in red wine can also prevent vision loss caused by blood vessel growth in the eye, it has been found. Angiogenesis, the overgrowth of blood vessels, is a leading cause of blindness in Americans over 50. This research could change how people experience vision loss, including those who have complications associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Keep your teeth healthy
This might be one of the most surprising benefits on the list if you’re used to worrying about whether you have red wine on your teeth or lips. A Spanish study tested bacteria that cause dental diseases in various liquids and found that red wine was the best at removing the bacteria. You’ll still need to drink in moderation and make sure you’re cleaning your teeth, though!
Increase bone density
Your bones naturally become more brittle as you get older, putting you at risk of osteoporosis. This condition weakens the bones and makes them more likely to break. As you get older, this can create complications as healing becomes more difficult. The high levels of silicone in red wine increase bone mineral density, reducing that risk.
Prolong your life
Resveratrol, the chemical that helps with memory and vision loss, could also help us to live longer. It suppresses molecules that cause inflammation and stops compounds in the blood that interfere with insulin production. Combine that with the benefits listed above and it can all lead to a longer, healthier life.
We’ll certainly drink to these health benefits of drinking wine!
As today is Veteran’s Day and we are passionate supports of our veterans, 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.
With many of us back at school and work after a fun summer, many of you will be thinking about options for packed lunches. There’s nearly always someone in the household that needs to take lunch with them in the morning.
Packed Lunch Ideas: Warming Lunches for Fall
As it starts to get cooler, you’re probably going to want something warming at lunch. Why not take a delicious soup, hearty stew or even a rich pasta dish with you to keep the cold at bay. There are so many options for food containers that will keep your lunch hot as you work or learn these days. Not only that, but taking your own along reduces the environmental impact of packaged foods.
Packed Lunch Ideas: Baking Mixes
Our range of quick baking mixes will help you to whip up something quick for tomorrow’s lunch that feels truly homemade.
For the sweet tooth, we have a great range of muffin mixes. These include strawberry, apple cinnamon, chocolate chip, pumpkin raspberry, and “bran”ana.
Packed Lunch Ideas: Trail Mix
We’ve got a trail mix to suit every taste here at Shisler’s Cheese House!
Banana Split Mix: Cranberries, banana chips, almonds, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate drops, pineapple tidbits, raisins, yogurt covered peanuts, peanuts, and yogurt drops for those of you looking for a fruity sweet treat.
Amish Hot Mix: Hot Cajun sesame sticks, taco sesame corn sticks, redskin peanuts, pretzel twists, and chili bits for spicy food lovers.
Buggy Trail Mix: Butter toffee peanuts, honey roasted sesame sticks, cheddar crackers, pretzel nuggets, and wheat crackers for anyone who loves a bit of crunch.
We also have a Diet Trail Mix, Mikey’s Mix and a basic Trail Mix. You could even combine some of these to create your ultimate trail mix. This is a great snack if you’re sending hungry kids to school. Just be sure to check whether the school has any allergy requirements as you may not be able to send snacks containing nuts.
Packed Lunch Ideas: Dried Fruit
Another great healthy snack is dried fruit. We stock Think Fruit: a fab dried fruit snack. Try pineapple, blueberries, cranberries, peach slices, cherries, and cinnamon apple slices to discover your favorite.
We hope some of these ideas will be useful to you as you plan your lunches in the coming weeks. Something that you might find useful is creating a meal plan so that you always know what’s coming up for lunch and which snacks you need to stock up on. You could even cook batches of meals ahead of time and freeze them for later. A couple of great soups and stews frozen in portions can save a lot of time and headaches later!
What do you like to take for your packed lunch? Let us know in the comments!
This year Mother’s Day falls on Sunday May 12, so now is the time to make sure that you have picked up a great gift. As always, we’ve worked to put together a list of ways that we can help you here at Shisler’s Cheese House.
Our favorite way to show her how much you appreciate all she has done for you is our delicious Mother’s Day Gift Basket!
We think you’ll agree that this is a rather incredible selection but in case you need convincing, we have put together some information about everything included. We’re also going to give you some other gift ideas, in case there’s something in there that your Mom doesn’t like! Read on to find out more.
Havarti Cheese
Havarti Cheese is a semi-soft Danish cow’s milk cheese that can be sliced, grilled, or melted. It has a buttery, semi-sweet taste with some acidity. It’s perfect for making grilled cheese, but it would also be great with a fruit platter after a meal.
Assorted Heggy’s Milk Chocolates
Heggy’s Candy Company has built a rich tradition of premium handcrafted chocolates and candies throughout the United States for over 9 decades. Founded by Ben Heggy in 1923, Heggy’s Chocolates remains one of the premiere candy companies in America. Over the years, Heggy’s Chocolates has remained a family owned and operated business and today they maintain a high level of commitment to their customers and the community.
We know that these are great gifts, so we had to include them here!
Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Fudge
If you’ve never tried this, you have got to hope that your Mom feels like sharing! This is a fudge unlike any you will have had before.
Strawberry Caramel Creams
The perfect taste of summer strawberries wrapped up in smooth caramel.
Yogurt Covered Cranberries
A delicious treat and something a little refreshing after all the sweets and cheese.
Order your Mother’s Day gift basket today or pop into the store. Be sure to check our delivery times if you are ordering online so that your gift isn’t late.
Even more gift ideas
We have a whole selection of different gift baskets to cater for every taste. Whether your Mom is a cheese lover, a bologna fan, or wants to try a little bit of everything, we’ve carefully curated our favorite products to make them smile. We even have a basket for those who love hot and spicy foods! If you’d like to, we can help you build your own gift basket with all of your Mom’s favorite things.
If you want to let Mom pick her own selection of treats, we can provide an e-gift certificate. We send you a code immediately, so this is a great option if you’re not able to see your Mom in person (or if you’re a little forgetful and have left things til the last minute!).
We want to wish all of you Moms a very happy Mother’s Day this Sunday. Enjoy your day; you deserve it!
The time of year for celebration is upon us again! With Easter coming up this weekend, we have put together a list of delicious Easter gifts that you can buy right here at Shisler’s Cheese House. Read on to find out all about our gift options and how to make this Easter extra special.
We created this mix of treats to make sure that everyone will love our gift basket. There’s chocolate for those with 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.
If you’re looking to give a 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. You could take some Heggy’s milk chocolate turtles into work and share some Easter joy with your colleagues, but they’re certainly popular with the children as well! We offer sugar-free treats for anyone with a restricted diet.
We also have a range of other gift baskets for every taste. Pick from a simple selection of cheeses all the way up to a huge selection of locally sourced delicious treats. If you have your own Easter gifts in mind, 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 Easter gifts.
We want to wish all of you a fantastic Easter weekend. How will you be celebrating? Let us know in the comments!
Did you know that seeds are incredibly good for you?
Seeds contain high levels of essential fatty acids as well as lots of vitamins and minerals that can help to keep us healthy. Because they are so nutrient-rich, you don’t need to eat a lot each day to get the health benefits of them. A tablespoon a day is more than enough.
We’ve put together a list of ideas to help you eat more and get the goodness into your diet. We stock both sunflower and pumpkin seeds which will both work well in any of the options below.
Seeds: On Cereal
Start your day with a spoonful of seeds sprinkled on top of your usual cereal. Even better, you could have seeds as part of a bowl of granola or muesli. You can easily make your own granola by choosing a selection of oats, nuts, and seeds and gently roasting them in the oven. Drizzle them with honey or maple syrup if you like them to be slightly sweet, or mix in a selection of dried fruit before storing the granola away.
On Yogurt
Yogurt can be a great healthy snack if you choose one that is low in sugar and fat. It is full of protein and when sprinkled with seeds will give you the energy to take you right through the day. If you find yourself experiencing a mid-afternoon moment of tiredness then why not pack a pot of yogurt and a small tub of them to enjoy wherever you happen to be?
Stir Fry
Next time you whip up a quick stir fry of your favorite meats and vegetables, add a spoonful towards the end of cooking. Not only will they add a crunchy texture, but they’ll toast beautifully and add plenty of nutty flavor to your dish. Just be careful not to burn them.
Salads
Of course, salads had to be on this list. You always want to be adding texture and protein to your salad and seeds are a quick and easy way to do this. If you are often making a quick lunch at the office, keep a pot of them at your desk or in your car so that you can quickly add them without any fuss.
Soups
Instead of a swirl of cream, try a smattering of seeds! They’re better for you and add both texture and flavor to your dish. Even if you haven’t made the soup from scratch yourself, you can make it seem like a put together meal.
Trail Mix
This is another option that you can make yourself with all of your favorite ingredients, but if you need a quick and easy option then our diet trail mix contains nuts, seeds, and fruits to give you a boost of energy.
We hope that these handy tips will help you to get some of those essential fatty acids and vitamins into your day to day meals. How do you like to eat seeds? Let us know in the comments!
We love to find new ways for you to indulge in our favorite treats here at Shisler’s Cheese House, and today is no exception. We’re going to explore some uses for pretzels that you might not have thought of. That’s right, they’re not just for dipping and snacking!
We stock a huge range of pretzels, including favorites such as our Gourmet Chocolate Covered Pretzels. These have been made with love by Stefanelli’s Candies in Erie, PA since 1929 and we are now proud to offer them to you here in Ohio’s Amish Country! You’ll also find peanut butter, honey mustard, and yogurt pretzels amongst a wide range of others.
Uses for Pretzels: Breakfast
If you’re making your own granola bars at home, or even just a good batch of granola for hearty morning breakfasts, why not add a handful of crushed pretzels to the mix? They can add both texture and flavor. The saltiness will contrast with your chosen sweet ingredients to create the perfect mix.
Uses for Pretzels: Snacks
Of course, pretzels are a snack in themselves, but they can also be elevated to a whole new level with just a few moments of effort. Crush up salty pretzels and roll a ball of cream cheese in them for a quick and easy game night dip. Combine them with other treats to create a sweet or savory trail mix. You can even add a pretzel on top of your favorite sweet drinks; hot chocolates and milkshakes with plenty of whipped cream are our favorites.
Uses for Pretzels: Dinner
Savory pretzels make a great crunchy topping for a variety of dishes including chicken, pasta or even schnitzel. Crush them up using a rolling pin and sprinkle them anywhere that you might use breadcrumbs. Just be sure that you haven’t chosen chocolate pretzels!
Uses for Pretzels: Baking
This is where pretzels really can be used anywhere! They’re great crushed into the crust for a cheesecake or sprinkled on top of cupcakes. Combine them with popcorn and melted chocolate to make clusters for movie night. Chop them into your cookie dough for extra crunch. Add them to your s’mores for another layer of fun.
If you are not in the mood for baking yourself, then why not pick up some Heggy’s White Chocolate Pretzel Delights? These are a combination of fresh ground pretzels mixed with a white creamy coating so that you can enjoy a treat without the need to cook.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our new uses for pretzels. How do you like to eat them? Let us know in the comments below!
We know that more and more people are trying to cut sugar out of their diet. You might have some health concerns and be trying to combat them with a low sugar diet. You might simply want to explore alternatives. Today we’re going to share with you some of our products which can help you to reduce sugar cravings whilst still enjoying balanced, healthy meals.
The first thing we would recommend is going to our Skinny Alternatives section. Here, you’ll find healthy cheeses, sugar-free chocolates, calorie-free dressings and a wide range of snacks.
Sugar Free Chocolate
We stock a wide range of sugar free chocolates including theCashew Praline, Mint Meltaway, and Peanut Clusters. All of these deliver great taste and texture without the sugar so that you can enjoy a treat without worrying about your health.
Walden Farms: Sugar Free Syrups and Dips
We’re proud to stock Walden Farms products here at Shisler’s Cheese House. We stock their syrup in Blueberry, Chocolate, and Strawberry, as well as their pancake syrup. You can enjoy delicious syrup with no calories, fat, carbs, gluten or sugars of any kind. They are made with concentrated fruit extract and natural flavor. Enjoy them in a glass of milk, over ice cream, with fresh fruit or in a smoothie. Make yourself some easy sugar free pancakes and drizzle them with pancake syrup for an amazing healthy breakfast or dessert.
Our favorite sugar free batter recipe is to mix:
2 mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup wholewheat flour
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Once you have a nice smooth batter, simply drop spoonfuls into a hot pan and then flip when you start to see air bubbles appearing. They’re quick and delicious!
Walden Farms also make calorie free dips in both chocolate and caramel flavor. The chocolate dip is made with premium natural cocoa beans, real chocolate, and other natural flavors, while the natural caramel flavor is great with slices of apple or pear.
As if that wasn’t enough, there is also a calorie free marshmallow dip! It is made with all natural vanilla flavor and is delicious with your favorite fruits, in a parfait, a smoothie, with yogurt, or as a topping on pudding or Jell-O. You’ll be spoilt for choice!
Walden Farms Calorie Free Salad Dressings
We’re also lucky enough to have a whole range of calorie free salad dressings, so you can avoid the hidden sugar that pops up even in savory dishes. Choose from a wide range of flavors including Ranch, Italian Sun Dried Tomato, and Honey Dijon. Just like the syrups, they have no calories, fat, carbs, gluten or sugars of any kind.
Try them drizzled over salads, as flavor in your sandwiches or as a marinade for grilled meats, fish or vegetables.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our exploration of our sugar free range. Hopefully, you found something to try this week. What are your favorite ways to reduce the sugar in your diet? Let us know in the comments below!
