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It’s cooking class time!

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Fun. Laughter. Eating lots of really good food. Learning new skills. All of those things happen in one of our cooking classes.

Was learning to cook a part of your New Year’s resolutions? Maybe you want to add some new ideas to your everyday dinners. Maybe it is time to plan a fun evening out with your friends and not just say “we should have.” Do you want to turn off the TV, get out and do something new? If your answer was yes to any of these, then a cooking class has got to be on your horizon. [Read more…]

Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cake

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Merry Christmas!

 

 

Tis the season! The holiday parties and the family gatherings are filled with laughter, fun and of course, a table heavy laden with delicious, beautiful foods.

We love every part of it. I know, I am speaking for Roxanne, too, but we do love it. Christmas and all of the food, fun, music, decorations, church services and memorable family times are beyond wonderful.

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Oven Baked Stew

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Winter has arrived early this year, no matter what the calendar says. The bitter cold temps and the snow accumulation has surpassed all the records for this time of year in the Midwest. This can only mean one thing…..time to heat up the oven and create comfort while preparing for the holidays.

One of the easiest, most comforting and tastiest dishes I know is beef stew. What? I mean beef stew done right. The type of stew with a rich depth of flavor and a hint of wine infused into cubes of beef and vegetables. Beef stew goes together fast enough and then you let the oven do the work. And did I mention that your home will smell of love and comfort all day long? Win-win for everyone.

Make this recipe and then get busy wrapping gifts, addressing Christmas cards or making candy. This is a great way to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the season with the added bonus of no worries about dinner.

I make this knowing we will have leftovers for nights that are filled with Christmas programs, caroling and spending time with friends. This is also a great way to use other vegetables you may have on hand. I like to add thickly sliced mushrooms and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Oven Beef Stew

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1 ½ pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (14.5 oz.) cans beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large carrots, cut into ¼ inch slices
½ cup frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Place the flour in a gallon size zip top bag along with the salt and pepper. Add half the meat pieces and shake to coat with flour.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Shake off any excess flour and add the meat to the Dutch oven. Brown meat well on both sides; remove and repeat this process with the remaining meat. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion to the Dutch oven and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook an additional minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and stir well to combine. Add the beef broth, wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme and bay leaves; stir well.
Return the meat to the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 1 ¼ hours. Add the potatoes and carrots.Cover and bake an additional hour. Stir in the peas. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

 

SOLD OUT on QVC!

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Good News!  In case you missed the opportunity to buy books from QVC, it looks like they have received new stock!  Once on the QVC site, search for Delicious Bundt Cakes and it should take you to the ordering information!  Thanks so much!!!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Our hearts are overjoyed and we are totally “over the moon.” It is so humbling to go on QVC and share our cookbooks with the world. We truly love writing the books and sharing our recipes with you.

Then, suddenly, David Venable of QVC has our books in his hands and is tasting our cakes.

Then, OMG, he says the books are gone—totally sold out. Can you tell we are surprised? It is such an amazing experience and we are humbled beyond words. We are very grateful to each and everyone one of you and we cannot thank you enough.

Yes, QVC is exciting!  Here are some peaks behind the scenes!  Everyone there is so nice, and yes, it is a busy place!

The QVC culinary team is wonderful! The cakes are real and looked (and smelled) wonderful.

It takes a team to get to that QVC segment, not to mention bring a cookbook to market. Our editor, publicist, the entire team at St. Martin’s, the cookbook photographer and the cookbook food stylist are all amazing! Our agents, Sally and Lisa Ekus are the hardest working and best team (and friends) anyone can have.

What a team! But it would not be complete without each and every one of you. If you were our neighbors, we would bake a cake (of course, a Poke Cake or Bundt Cake) to celebrate with you! Thank you so much!

In case you missed the QVC segment, take a look.

Are you ready to enjoy a slice of a Delicious Poke Cake or Delicious Bundt Cake? David Venable is known for his “Happy Dance” when he likes what he is tasting. Let us know if you are doing a “Happy Dance.”