Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I heard that our NEW! Angel Measuring Spoons are a Paula’s Pick in Paula Deen’s Cooking with Paula magazine. I immediately turned to pages 14/15 and jumped up and down.

But later that night, when I had calmed down, I actually read through the magazine. And look – there on page 18 – you can find “Turkey 101″. It seemed like this had been written for our family since this year my middle daughter, Petrel, and her husband, Jacob, will be hosting our family Thanksgiving for the first time!

They are a bit nervous about this. Since both of the moms of this young couple consider themselves to be accomplished cooks, Petrel and Jacob probably feel that they have a lot of live up to. Jacob would be content to just run out to a lovely supermarket and order all of it “to-go”. Petrel, on the other hand, is up to the challenge and, if I know her, she will convince him to join in.

I left them tonight with a new set of Angel spoons and Turkey 101. Everyone in the family will be there to help them and I know it will be the best Thanksgiving ever!

Since we have this wonderful connection here at Crosby & Taylor with Paula Deen, it seems we also must have some connection with butter.

I was thinking back on my history with butter. As unbelievable as it sounds, I actually can remember the time when I started eating butter. No joke! We spent my 7th grade year in Chapel Hill, NC so that my mom could get a Master’s Degree in Library Science. (Side note: Best year of my childhood! Thank you to everyone who welcomed me to the “Southern Side of Heaven”. If you were a 7th grader in 1979 at Grey Culbreth Junior High – give me a holler!)

When we returned back to Northern New York, my mom got a job as a Reference Librarian at SUNY Postdam! (Before that, she had been a stay-at-home mom and super volunteer in the community and in our church.) Suddenly my parents had a second income! They decided right away that there were two major things we could now afford….Drum roll…

1) We no longer had to fill our glasses half up with powdered milk! We got to have full glasses of real milk. You laugh but that was life-changing. All of us are big milk drinkers – still are! – and that meant so much to us!

Carnation instant milk

Bottled milk delivered to our front porch!

2) We switched from margarine to butter. Again, this was life-changing! I had experienced butter at my Great Grand-mother’s house in Boston – but that was pretty much it. It was definitely margarine at school on our Wonder Bread. And it was always margarine at home.

Margarine!

Butter!

I have read that Paula came from simple roots so I wonder if she can remember when she first switched to butter? I can, clear as a bell! Thanks, Mom, for going to work and bringing home the butter! I look at the picture of Paula below and wonder if this was pre or post Butter-discovery!

A younger Paula Deen with Jamie and Bobby

We are thrilled to announce that Paula Deen has picked us again!   Check out the November/December issue of Cooking with Paula Deen!

Turn to page 14/15….

Paula's Picks - The things I love, from my home to yours

The photo is a bit on the small side so here is a nice big picture of our NEW! Angel Measuring Spoons! Since Paula already owns nearly all of our other styles, we wanted her to have something new for the Holidays! These are now available for purchase at our online store. (And remember – we always have free shipping on orders of $50 or more.)

NEW! Angel Measuring Spoons

We are pretty proud of the back sides of the Spoons, as else. The texture almost resembles the stitching on a home-made quilt.

Spoons - detail

Since Paula Deen uses our Measuring Spoons and Cups on her show, you can imagine that we are pretty big Paula Deen fans.

But even if she didn’t use them, we would be her fans. She is an awesome lady who is kind and generous and big-hearted. Further more, as many of you already know, she pulled herself up from a difficult start in life. She is a self-made woman!

Now most of you probably also know that she is a BIG fan of butter! Even she makes fun of herself and her love for BUTTER – as you can see in this Food Network picture…

Who doesn’t love butter? I know I do.

Earlier this month I became an “empty-nester” when we sent our youngest off to college. Everyone keeps asking me WHAT am I going to do with myself? Oddly enough, the new things that I keep trying are all food and drink-related! On the way home from dropping our baby girl off at college, I tried an In and Out Burger and Fries for the first time and then later that day, we stopped at Starbucks. I had my first Frappucino! Wow! Talk about a calorie-laden day!

Then, when we got home and I went grocery shopping, I decided to splurge on some French butter. You might ask – what in the world is different about FRENCH butter? Well, first of all – THE PRICE! which is why I said I “splurged” on some French butter. First of all, its unsalted and secondly, it is divine. I truly do not know what makes it taste so different but next time you want to splurge on something, I would suggest some French butter.

I might also point out that I was drawn to this particular French butter since it came from the region of Charentes-Poitou – where I spent my Junior Year Abroad in 1980!

Here is your basic $2.99 butter alongside your incredible $4.59 butter. Nothing against Umpqua Dairy butter. It, too, is a quality product. I’m just saying….

French Butter vs Regular Butter

Look how incredible it looks without the wrapper. Don’t you just want to go find yourself some French bread and jam?

Or, I guess you could just go ahead and make yourself some of Paula’s Deep-Fried Butter Balls. Frankly, I’m happy with just butter and jam on French bread! And, in fact, I actually don’t eat a lot of butter. Everything in moderation!  Thanks Paula for being such a supporter of butter!

Ciambella {Chocolate Ring Cake} on bella alimento

Italian cuisine, known for its use of simple, quality ingredients combined with love, is meant to be shared with family & friends! -bell’alimento

I am proud to say that our Vineyard Measuring Spoons with Pewter Display Post were featured in the very lovely food site: bella’limento.  Its author, Paula (who happens to be a freelance writer for that other famous Paula!), fell in love with Italy in her youth and now shares her passion for Italian culture and food with her readers. The site features simple, seasonal and satisfying Italian dishes.

Paula’s philosophy is “beautiful food doesn’t have to be complicated”. Lucky for us, Paula has a “THING” for pewter (we had no idea) and took us up on our offer to do a Vineyard Measuring Spoons giveaway on her blog. Sadly, the deadline has passed to enter….but there is a silver lining:

She leaves us the gift of Ciambella (Chocolate Ring Cake) that you simply must try (pictured on the right). Visit her site for this recipe and enjoy her many other lovely Italian dishes featured throughout this gorgeous site.

Thank you, Paula, for featuring us and we are glad you enjoy your spoons!

Follow her on Twitter @bellalimento and Facebook

Paula Deen in her early days as a Mom

After my daughter and I visited the Paula Deen Store in Savannah last week, we wandered around and did some shopping. Then, after a quick dip in the pool, we headed over to Lady & Sons for dinner. There is always quite a line to eat there but Noelle, the manager of the Paula Deen Store, had graciously put us on the list so we were able to get right in. (Thank you, Noelle!)

As we waited for the elevator to take us up to the 3rd floor, we enjoyed looking at the old photos and newspaper clippings about how Paula got her start. This picture of Paula and her son, Jamie (I assume!) was my favorite (to the left).

As soon as we were seated upstairs we were each given a biscuit and a pancake! There was maple syrup on the table but still, we were a bit confused!

After the heat and humidity of Savannah, I was more than ready for a cold drink. Since I was in the South, I decided I should definitely have a Mint Julep. They were featuring a Peach Mint Julep. That sounded pretty nice to me. But the waiter seemed very surprised – “Are you sure, ma’am? It’s got bourbon in it. That’s some strong stuff.” I’m not sure why he took me for a light-weight. I could handle a little bourbon! It was divine and just what I needed!

Next, we knew we needed to jump right into some Southern cooking so we ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes. This is definitely NOTHING you would ever find on a menu in Oregon so we were pretty excited to order these up!

I’m not a light-weight when it comes to Southern drinking but I am definitely a light-weight when it comes to Southern cooking! The Fried Green Tomatoes were definitely DIVINE but, after those, we just did not feel like we could head over to the buffet. So we ordered entree-sized salads. They did not disappoint.

People kept stopping by our table – on the way to and from the buffet – and they sure looked envious. With all those friend onions and bacon on top, I do not think these were exactly low-calorie salads. But we were at Lady & Sons, after all. I guess sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind! We walked slowly back to the hotel. It had been a lovely evening.

Hot Biscuit and Pancake!

A very refreshing Peach Mint Julep!

Fried Tomatoes on the menu!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Dinner Salad - Paula Deen style

Last week I found myself in Savannah, GA – smack dab in the middle of Paula Deen land! This was pretty nice since I was able to pay a visit to the Paula Deen Store. My daughter and I sat down for a few minutes in a park to check our bearings and see if we were headed in the right direction.

As we were catching our breath, I couldn’t help but notice a pair of young women sitting next to us. The book that one of them was reading appeared to be in Chinese. I wondered if she was a tourist from half way around the world – stopping in Savannah to go to the Paula Deen store – check out her shopping bag!

A tourist with her Paula Deen shopping bag

It was great to finally meet the wonderful managers there – Jeff and Noelle – and to also chat with Juanita, a very dedicated sales assistant. Somehow I missed getting a photo with Noelle but here I am with Jeff and Juanita.

Jeff and Juanita and myself - in front of our display

The Paula Deen Store has an awesome display of 7 “Best Dishes” products that we make expressly for Paula – the Measuring Spoons and Cups (that can be seen on her show) along with a pair of Double-ended Measuring Spoons, a Recipe Card Holder (which also shows common equivalencies – like 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon…very handy!), a Teabag Holder, a Cake Tester and a Spoon Rest. They were actually sold out of the Super Post Sets (Measuring Spoons and Cups on one giant stand).

Exclusive "Best Dishes" line

Apparently everyone at the store thinks that our Recipe Card Holder is a Spoon Holder. I decided that was pretty clever but I still think it is pretty practical for a recipe or even a note holder.

Recipe Card Holder

The store was absolutely jam-packed with people. It’s really a fun store to shop since every single thing in it has some connection to Paula Deen. If you are a Paula fan, this should be your first stop in Savannah.

Although we hope you will pick up some of OUR products, I have to admit that there are lots and lots of other really awesome things to buy!

As soon as I get home, later this week, I am going to finish off two more products for the store – a Coffee Scoop and a Wine Cork Stopper. It is always very inspiring to visit a store in person and to see our products beautifully displayed.

Busy Paula Deen Store!

Elaine modeling her Birthday Dessert

Our 18 year old daughter, Rosella, loves to cook and bake! So she was pretty excited when she heard I needed a dessert for Elaine’s birthday party. She is always looking for an excuse to get into the kitchen. (I hope there will be a kitchen in her freshman dorm in the fall!)

Elaine is our wonderful accountant who moves into my office twice a month and tidies up our books, writes our paychecks, and basically handles nearly everything that involves money. She is truly a joy and we all look forward to our Elaine Tuesdays.

So, when I realized that this birthday was one of those BIG ones (you know, like 29 and 39 – ha!) I knew we had to throw her a little party. Carl, our amazing potter, threw some burgers on the grill, Rosella made a delicious pasta salad AND Fresh Raspberry Bars – thanks to Paula Deen, of course.

Elaine was quite happy to model the tasting of the Bars.

They were really yummy. You might say to yourself – well if you combine raspberries and cream cheese and Paula’s genius….how could they not be?? HOWEVER, I am a chocolate lover and I rarely – ever so rarely – waste any of my precious daily caloric intake on anything sweet that is not made of, covered with, sprinkled with, and/or drowning in CHOCOLATE. So, take my word here. These bars are really something special because I went back for seconds and thirds and …..well, there are a few left, I think.

Here is the recipe – thank you, Paula! Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars

Paula Deen’s Fresh Raspberry Bars

For the crust:

Directions

Happy Birthday Elaine - you're the best!

Gift to Paula Deen!

All of a sudden, I realized that we hadn’t sent our new Heart to Heart Measuring Spoons and Cups to Paula! Oops! How will she be able to use them on her show if she doesn’t even know about them?!

We always try to do something fun with the packaging when we send gifts to Paula.

This time, since it’s just about Valentine’s Day, I figured I would use those little Conversation Heart candies – you know? the ones with the fun words on them – like “cute boy”, “call me” and such. We hope that Paula will fall in love with these – as much as she has with our other designs. Then, one day, you will be watching Paula’s Home Cooking – and you will exclaim – OH my gosh! There’s Paula with her new Heart to Hearts!

If you aren’t Paula, you can find these new Spoons and Cups on our website, of course.  You can also get a free gift or two if you order them by Valentine’s Day.

Use this coupon code: H2H2011 to get a Free packet of Raspberry Flavored Sugar ($3.50 value) with any $25 order   or

Use this coupon code:  H2HSALT to get a  Free Heart Salt Cellar ($19 value) with a $100 order

Heart to Heart Measuring Spoons shipping out to Paula Deen

Free packet of Raspberry Flavored Sugar ($3.50 value) with any $25 order

Free Heart Salt Cellar ($19 value) with a $100 order

Paula Deen's Pig Tail Martini

Ok, once I calmed down a bit from the thrill of being in Paula Deen’s lastest magazine, I had to try some of the recipes in it. Not one to shy away from a new cocktail, I decided to start with The Pig Tail.

Since I’ve noticed there seems to be a bacon craze going on these days, I guess I wasn’t completely shocked to find that there is a recipe for a bacon-infused Whiskey martini. It was created in Paula’s honor by a friend of hers, Rich Eldredge  from Atlanta Magazine.

Don’t be put off by the long directions. It’s not as complicated as it looks in print!

My only comment is that I did not get enough bacon drippings by cooking the bacon in the oven. So I had to cook a second batch (after dredging it in brown sugar) in a skillet.

Here it goes:

The Pig Tail (a Martini found in the Sept/Oct issue of Cooking with Paula Deen)

Makes 6 servings

1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
12 slices thick-sliced bacon
2 cups Tennessee whisky
1 orange
5 dashes angostura bitters

• Preheat oven to 400′.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil (This is important because the bacon gets very sticky.)
• Dredge bacon in brown sugar, shake off excess and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp, golden, and caramelized. Place bacon strips on wire racks to cool. Reserve bacon drippings.
• Add 1/4 cup bacon drippings with the whiskey in a pitcher. Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Then chill this same mixture for about 1 hour or until bacon drippings congeal.
• Cut 6 slender strips of orange peel for each cocktail. Note: the instructions say to curl the strips around a utensil to resemble a pig’s tail. I could not succeed at this!
• Rub the inside of 6 martini glasses with the orange. Add 1 orange curl to each glass. Garnish rims with a piece of bacon.
• In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 cups whisky mixture and bitters: fill shaker with ice and top with lid. Shake well; strain into each martini glass. Serve with remaining bacon.