2007 June | Three Angels Gourmet Co. - Gourmet Food, Recipes and Podcast

Welcome to the Three Angels Gourmet Co.

Hello,

We're Ireland Reynolds, Daisy Benson, and Delphine Gray, the "virtual" three angels who run the Three Angels Gourmet Co. here online. That's us, pictured at right.

We live in the fictional town of Seven Cedars, Florida, and sell REAL gourmet mixes from this website.

To learn more about the "actual" Three Angels Gourmet Co. click on the About Us page.

We hope you'll visit us here often and try many of our delicious heavenly gourmet mixes.

Sincerely,

Ireland Reynolds, Daisy Benson, and Delphine Gray

Have You Tried Reuseable Muffin Baking Cups?

By admin at 8:18 am on June 30, 2007 | No comments

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Okay, so cupcake or muffin papers aren’t exactly a kitchen “gadget.” But I think these reuseable muffin baking cups from Kaiserflex would definitely fit into that category.

muffinbakingcups

These handy muffin cups can be reused for 1000 bakings. The set of 6 comes in assorted colors and they’re heat resistant to 500 degrees F. The flexible cups allow for easy muffin release and are dishwasher safe (put them on the top shelf of the dishwasher).

Since I never seem to have enough of the paper muffin cups when I need them, these reusuable muffin baking cups are this week’s “gotta have” kitchen gadget. Use them with any standard muffin tin and you’re ready to bake muffins, cupcakes, and other goodies.

Here are some recipes to get you started:

muffin

Chocolate lovers will want to try these yummy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins.

cupcake

These Raindrop Poke Cupcakes will add a bit of color to a dessert buffet.

minitart

You can even use these attractive baking cups for mini fruit tarts or mini cheesecakes.

Happy baking!

Daisy
Another “Gotta Have” Kitchen Gadget from Daisy Benson

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Storing Fresh Berries

By admin at 9:11 am on June 29, 2007 | No comments

This time of year berries are plentiful at farmer’s markets and roadside fruit stands. Here’s a tip for storing a large supply of fresh berries:

Wash and dry the berries. Place them in a single layer on a baking pan and lightly cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap, then put the pan in the freezer. Once the berries have frozen, remove them from the pan and place them in plastic freezer bags and seal the bags. The berries will keep in the freezer this way for up to a year, and they won’t get crushed.

Another Fabulous Food Tip from Delphine Gray

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Festive Foods for the Fourth of July!

By admin at 7:44 am on June 28, 2007 | No comments

If a big barbeque or picnic is part of your plan to celebrate Independence Day this year, take a little time to create some festive food for the fourth of July. With a little imagination, you can come up with all sorts of things. Here are a couple of ideas for making fun “flag foods.”

Try this “Flag Fruit and Veggie Tray” - can you identify the different fruits and veggies used for this?

Note: If you prefer white stars, peel and thinly slice a medium size jicama. Use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out white stars for your “Flag Fruit & Veggie Tray.”

You’ve probably seen, or even made, a “Flag Cake” for the 4th of July. But here’s a huge “Flag Cookie.”

I used a couple of packages of Three Angels Gourmet Co. Sugar Cookie Mix to make the cookie. Then I covered the top of the “flag” with a thin layer of plain powdered sugar frosting, so the berries would stick to the top of the flag. Red raspberries are good for this cookie flag, too, but since I had strawberries on hand, I used those.

After you have all the berries in place, make white stripes across the flag with whipped cream in a pastry bag, or just use a big can of Reddi-wip. Use the whipped cream to make the white stars, too. Store the Flag Cookie in the refrigerator until time to serve.

ANOTHER IDEA: Red, White, & Blue Star Cookies

Dig out those larger star-shaped cookie cutters that you usually use only at Christmas time. Use them to make star-shaped sugar cookies.

Ice the stars with powdered sugar frosting - color some of the frosting blue, some red, and leave the rest white. Frost the cookies in a variety of these colors. Put red, white, and blue star shaped cookies on a plate and see how quickly they disappear.

More Fabulous Food Tips from Delphine Gray

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Be Choosy About Melons

By admin at 6:41 am on June 27, 2007 | No comments

Ah! Don’t you just love summer, when markets are stocked with fresh melons of all types – cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon, not to mention some of the other more exotic varieties of these luscious fruits? But you need to be choosy when selecting a melon. Here’s how.

WHEN CHOOSING A MELON:

Look for hard melons, with no soft spots.

Weigh a few melons that are about the same size. Choose the heaviest one.

Give the melon a good slap with your palm. You should hear a hollow ring. If you hear a dull thud, put the melon back.

Gently shake the melon. If seeds rattle, the melon is probably overripe.

Look for melons that are paler on the bottom, which means they were ripened on the vine (instead of picked early and ripened in shipment).

Enjoy!

Another Fabulous Food Tip from Delphine Gray

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Stuck on Silicone

By admin at 6:41 am on June 26, 2007 | No comments

You either love Martha Stewart or you loathe her. Either way, you’ve got to give the woman credit. She knows her way around the kitchen and uses only the best ingredients, cooking tools and accessories.

I first learned about fiberglass-reinforced, nonstick, heatproof, silicone pastry mats (Silpat was the brand she used) watching one of her cooking shows years ago. When I saw how cookies (perfectly baked with no burnt bottoms) slid off a baking sheet lined with Silpat, I just had to try this for myself. I ordered one of these flexible mats from the Martha Stewart website.

Suddenly, the only thing stuck on silicone was ME.

These baking mats are also perfect to use when rolling out dough for pies. And, whether you’re using the mats for baking cookies or pastries, food slides right off the cookie sheet.

Today, kitchenware stores across the country carry all sorts of silicone baking products including muffin tins, cake pans, spatulas, and whisks, etc. These items can withstand high temperatures and don’t crack or melt. And foods baked in silicone rarely burn.

Try one of these flexible baking pans for yourself. My guess is, the only thing stuck on silicone will be YOU!

Another “Gotta Have” Kitchen Gadget from Daisy Benson

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Juicing Oranges

By admin at 7:38 am on June 25, 2007 | 11 Comments

A glass of chilled, fresh orange juice is a refreshing and nutritious way to start the day. But not just any orange will do for juicing. While you CAN juice a Navel orange, Valencia oranges are the best for juicing. They have a thin skin, few seeds, and lots of juice. Save the Navel oranges for snacks.

To get more juice from an orange, microwave it on high power for about 10 seconds. Then remove the orange from the microwave and roll it lightly on the counter while pressing down. This will loosen up the juice, so you will get more of it from the orange.

Juice from Valencia oranges can be frozen for up to 4 months. But, again, those pretty Navel oranges just won’t do if you want to freeze the orange juice. Juice from a Navel orange will turn bitter when frozen.

Rule of thumb for juicing oranges: You will get about 1/3 cup of juice from 1 medium-size orange.

Another Fabulous Food Tip from Delphine Gray

Filed under: Food Tips, Delphine Gray, juicing oranges, Valencia oranges, navel orange — 11 Comments »

Sugar Cookie Tart

By admin at 8:48 am on June 24, 2007 | 303 Comments

Three Angels Gourmet Co. Sugar Cookie Mix makes an elegant and scrumptious cookie-tart when prepared in a tart pan, iced with a cream cheese mixture and decorated with pieces of fresh fruit.

Here’s all you need to make this delicious and eye-appealing cookie-tart:

1 pkg. Three Angels Gourmet Co. Sugar Cookie Mix

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

1 stick butter

An assortment of fresh fruit, cut into small slices (as shown in photo, above)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. sugar

A little vanilla flavoring (1/4 tsp. or less)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make cookie mix according to directions on package and chill for at least 30 minutes.

When the dough is cold, mold it into a tart pan that has been greased with cooking spray. Bake the dough at 350 degrees for about 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely after baking.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Spread a thin layer of this mixture over the cooled cookie crust. Arrange cut fruit over the cream cheese mixture as shown in the photo, above.

Drizzle warm apricot preserves over the fruit, if desired. Refrigerate at least one hour.

To serve, cut into wedges. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 12 servings.

Another Favorite Recipe from Ireland Reynolds

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Julienne Like a Pro

By admin at 4:31 am on June 23, 2007 | No comments

Don’t have the time, the skill, or even the patience to julienne carrots or other fruits and vegetables for attractive garnishes for your favorite dishes? Then you need this handy little gadget.

When you’ve got an OXO Good Grips Julienne Peeler in your kitchen, you can easily julienne a variety of firm fruits and veggies – just like a professional chef. This neat little tool cuts food into thin strips with a single motion.

Another “Gotta Have” Kitchen Gadget from Daisy Benson

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Dr. Bethany Klug is Coming to Heavenly Food Chat Next Week!

By admin at 5:28 am on June 22, 2007 | No comments

Dr. Bethany Klug will be our special guest next Saturday on Heavenly Food Chat, our podcast for “foodies.”

Bethany Klug, DO specializes in holistic medicine at the Kansas City Holistic Centre.

She authors the monthly column The Doctor Cooks for the Kansas City Wellness Magazine. The Doctors Cooks Weblog is now online with past articles, menus, recipes, tips and other resources. To learn more about Dr. Klug visit her weblog.

Dr. Klug will talk to Heavenly Food Chat host, Suzanne Lieurance, about Healthy Summer Eating.

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Perk Up Plain Potatoes

By admin at 6:24 am on June 21, 2007 | No comments

It’s easy to perk up plain potatoes if you have a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix from the Three Angels Gourmet Co.

My favorite way to dress up a baked potato is to simply make up the dill dip mix with 2 cups of sour cream, then slather some of the prepared dip onto the potato.

You can get a little fancier by making “twice baked potatoes” with the dip. Again, mix it with 2 cups of sour cream. Then scoop out the insides of a baked potato and mix them with enough of the dip mixture to moisture. Put this mixture back into the potato skin. Put the potato onto a cookie sheet and run it under the broiler for a few minutes until the creamy potato mixture starts to brown.

If mashed potatoes are your favorite, put a few tablespoons of the dill dip (prepared with sour cream or plain lowfat yogurt) into the potatoes as you mash them for dilly mashed potatoes.

Divine Dill Dip Mix also makes one dilly of a potato salad.

Mmm…yum.

Once you try these perked up recipes, you’ll probably never serve plain potatoes again.

Note: Just one package of Divine Dill Dip Mix makes enough dip to perk up plenty of potatoes!

More Fabulous Food Tips from Delphine Gray

Filed under: Divine Dill Dip Mix, Food Tips, Delphine Gray, Dilly of a potato salad — Leave A Comment »
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