Enjoy...

"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy." --William Blake

Hope you're enjoying the last hurrahs of winter where you are.

-The Grocer's Wife

Even presidents get hungry...

It's a blustery Presidents' Day in Palouse, which, if you're like me, can make you hungry.

And so, on this the day in which we honor our presidents, and in light of the fact that McLeod's Palouse Market is--as our masthead above indicates--a grocery thing, I thought it only appropriate to do a little research into what the esteemed leaders of our country enjoyed indulging in when their stomachs were rumbling. 

Now, most folks know of Ronald Reagan's fondness for jelly beans, or Bill Clinton's affinity for cheeseburgers, but Food & Wine put out a fun little slideshow of Presidential Food Obsessions that included some I'd never heard of before.

Here are some of my favorites (click HERE to see the full list): 

Richard Nixon found cottage cheese and ketchup delightful. 

Apparently, George H.W. Bush loved fried pork rinds with Tabasco sauce. 

Andrew Jackson had a penchant for cheddar cheese, while Abraham Lincoln loved his mother's gingerbread. 

Theodore Roosevelt is said to have loved fried chicken covered in white gravy (no worries about cholesterol back then). 

And, John Adams is purported to have indulged in hard cider before breakfast. Wow.

So, if you want to celebrate Presidents' Day in style, a little cottage cheese, pork rinds, and gingerbread might just be the ticket (or not)…

Happy Presidents' Day!

-The Grocer's WIfe

GO VIKINGS!!!

District 9 BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS:

Gar-Pal VIKINGS vs Rosalia SPARTANS!

Saturday, Feb. 15, 6pm

Garfield-Palouse HS Gymnasium

GO VIKINGS!!! 

CHEER! CHEER! CHEER!

Say it with flowers…or chocolate…or BOTH

You can't go wrong when you say it with flowers…or chocolate…or best of all, BOTH ;)

Our Valentine's flowers have arrived! Single roses, triple roses, arrangements, and bouquets. You're sure to find something for that special someone. 

And, don't forget to add a little chocolate - something sweet for your sweetie! We even have fun options for the man in your life (see below).

Shop early for best selection.

Happy Valentine's Day!

-The Grocer's Wife

Punxsutawney Phil & the power of looking forward

This year marked the convergence of Super Bowl Sunday and Groundhog Day, which may have stolen a bit of the limelight from Phil and his annual prediction. With the sighting of his chubby, round shadow, ‘six more weeks of winter’ got his nod this year. Even so, I feel optimistic.

As a four-season-climate gal, something about February always marks a turning point for me in terms of winter at least feeling like it’s fading away, while spring is inching closer. Finally, the long, dark, seemingly-endless days of January slip into history once again.

Whether it’s an early spring or a bit of a longer winter, Phil gets us looking forward. And, therein, I believe, lies the magic.

It's such a common phrase: “I’m looking forward to that.” 

We say it all the time, and hear it said by others. ‘Looking forward’ is a universal human action, its very essence synonymous with hope.

We look forward to small things: getting to sleep in after a long week, going out to a favorite restaurant, watching the big game, or indulging in a little retail therapy. We look forward to big things, too: getting a driver’s license, graduating high school, getting married, or a baby's birth.

Looking forward reminds us that time marches on, with us or without us. It keeps us going when the chips are down, and, in an ironic way, reminds us to appreciate the moments we’re in, because they can never exist again.

Albert Einstein said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

And, I'm looking forward to giving that a try ;)

-The Grocer’s Wife

Quick and Easy BIG GAME FOOD!

clockwise: Mini Taco Bowls, Jalapeño Poppers, and Loaded Baked Potato Rounds

Looking for something to make for the BIG GAME? The beauty of these appetizers is they're quick and easy! The following aren't really recipes as much as they are loose guidelines (variations of these are all over Pinterest). You can add more filling/less filling, etc. etc. It's like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - some people like it light; some people like it loaded!

Mini Taco Bowls 

Ingredients:

soft taco shells (you can get two bowls from one shell)

refried beans

salsa

shredded cheese

(optional: cooked hamburger, guacamole, sour cream, green onions)

Use a bisquit-cutter or large-mouth cup to cut two circles out of each taco shell. Press the rounds into a greased muffin pan to form mini bowls. Mix refried beans with salsa (add cooked hamburger, if desired), then fill each taco shell mini bowl with a heaping tablespoon of the mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 10-15 minutes (or until cheese is melted and inside is hot). Serve as is or with guacamole, sour cream, and chopped green onions.

Loaded Baked Potato Rounds

Ingredients: 

potatoes

olive oil

salt/pepper/seasoning

bacon (cooked and crumbled)

green onions

shredded cheese

(optional: sour cream) 

Cut potatoes into thin slices. Lay across a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and your choice of seasoning. Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the potato rounds, and bake for 15 minutes more (until rounds are soft). Remove from the oven and add shredded cheese, bacon crumbles, and green onions. Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream.

Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients:

cream cheese

a few jalapeños (seeded and diced)

bacon (cooked and crumbled)

a tube of crescent rolls

shredded cheese

Mix the diced jalapeños with the cream cheese. Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate at perforations. Cut each triangle in half (width-wise) and spread it out a bit (shape doesn't have to be perfect). Add a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture, sprinkle with bacon crumbles and shredded cheese. Pull the bottom of the crescent roll dough up all around and pinch shut to keep the filling in. Set pressed side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

And, If cooking isn't your thing at all, pick up one of our football veggie trays! The work is all done! Don't forget - Super Bowl SUPER SAVINGS are in effect through SUNDAY! Click HERE for details!

Enjoy the GAME!

-The Grocer's Wife