Scenes from around our farm

Old Man Winter has arrived.  He sure is a handsome fellow~

 "Buddy"

Gourmet Holidays~

Bruschetta ~ $4.50

Now booking for January parties!  I would love to help you earn free gourmet mixes.  All my party hosts earn the top rewards: 15% of party sales in free merchandise and a free mix from me. If you are local, I would love to help you host an in-home party.  Across the country?  No worries!  There are a variety of parties available: Catalog, Office, Facebook, etc.  Rewards are the same regardless of type of party.  January is an excellent time to host as schedules tend to get less hectic.  Contact me today to reserve a place on my calendar! 

Spiced Apple Cake ~ $6.25

December special ~ Available to all, not just hosts

In the meantime, get your holiday orders in tonight or tomorrow!  Our gourmet mixes make hosting Christmas parties SO easy!  

All Aboard!

I am really enjoying selling The Gourmet Cupboard gourmet mixes!  I came on board last Spring and really love the support and room to grow in this family based company.  With a small investment to start (only $25!), The Gourmet Cupboard makea it very easy to get your business off the ground.  That $25 investment is actually a credit toward your 1st order, so there are no expensive kits to buy ~ one of my favorite parts of this company!  I have made new friends and found products that I love and that make it easier to get busy weeknight dinners on the table.  I would love to have you join my team!  My commitment to you is to be available to help you get started and link you with a wonderful network of gals to offer support and encouragement.  Please comment below or email me if you have any questions or would like more info.  I would love to get a catalog in your hands so you can see our over 200 available mixes! For anyone that joins my team, I will send a special gift your way as a little thank you.  Thanks for supporting small business!  

www.TheGourmetCupboard.com/sites/JeanetteAllday7954

Facebook: Jeanette Allday The Gourmet Cupboard

The Gourmet Cupboard updates and share your link....

Got these sweet treats in the mail on Friday! I'm especially excited to try our new slow cooker mixes. If you have been following all along, you know how much I LOVE my slow cookers~ all 3 of them!  I'll be trying the pot roast mix very soon, adding some potatoes and carrots fresh from our garden.  YUM!!

There are so many direct sales companies that I love.  I love the products and the work at home opportunity that these companies provide to reps all over our country.  And I love the idea of supporting each other by promoting one another, swapping parties or orders and giving each other some encouragement.  On that note, feel free to comment with the link to your direct sales company on this post. Let's check out each others websites, see if anyone wants to do a swap, promote our monthly specials, etc!

And let me leave you with some things to tempt your tastebuds.....

Cookie Dough Dip ~ $5

Tropical Chicken Salad ~ $4.50

Frozen hot Chocolate (makes several servings) ~ $4.00

Beer Bread (one of my very favorites!) ~ $4.50

The Gourmet Cupboard

Yay! They are finally here! You can order our new mixes today! I'm especially excited to share our new slow cooker mixes with you! When ordering, you will not find the mixes listed on the website~ these are BRAND NEW. Let me know what you would like and I can place the order for you or just attach a message when placing your order online. I have descriptions of each new mix and what extra ingredients are required and would be happy to share the details with any of you! 

The Gourmet Cupboard

Stitch Fix #1 Review

As you know from my last post, I finally took the plunge and ordered my first fix from Stitch Fix!  I got a $20 credit so I was able to get my fix for free with the usual style fee waived (the fee is $20 but is applied toward any item you purchase in your fix).
I really like the stylist that I was assigned. Erica did a great job determining my style with limited information to go by.  I did leave her a note letting her know that I don't like uncomfortable clothes, I'm in need of clothing appropriate for work and I am cheap!  Poor Erica!  I also started a Pinterest board to show some outfits that I really like and included a note that I love pastel, feminine, asymmetrical and will not wear white pants.  :)  Spolier alert:  I ended up sending everything back in this fix.  While I thought Erica did a great job, there just wasn't anything that I "couldn't live without" in this one.
Here is what Erica picked for me:

I loved the color of this one, but thought it was a bit plain.  I didn't like the neckline either and thought it wasn't very figure flattering.  So I sent this one back.

I really loved the color of this top.  And the buttons down the back are adorable!  The hang up with this one:  SHEER!  And I mean completely see through!  I don't have a cami to wear under it, and buying one would have defeated the purpose of Stitch Fix: to shop in my own home from selections that a stylist finds.  Sent this one back.

Had it not been for the $98 price tag, I would have kept these pants. I loved how comfortable they were and I have been wanting colored pants.  The peachy~pink was pretty and as you can see in the 2nd photo, they had a lacy style print on them.  Wish they would have been 1/2 the price because I just cannot justify spending almost $100 on pants! 

Another shirt I would have seriously considered keeping except:  THIS IS THE MOST STATIC~Y SHIRT I HAVE EVER WORN!  You can see it clinging in the photo.  It was unreal.  Too bad because I love green and you can't tell from this photo, but it dips a bit lower in the back making it ideal to wear with leggings.  

The last item in my box was not even photographed.  It was a black and white A line skirt that hit mid calf.  I will update my style board for future reference, but mid calf is not a good length for me.  I'll only wear long of just above the knee.  

So, I am looking froward to getting another future fix.  I've read some tips on Stitch Fix's website on how to make the most of the feedback and Pinterest boards so the stylist gets a better idea of personal style and will update my board accordingly.  I would love to see your Stitch Fix reviews, so feel free to post the link to your blog below in the comments.  If you are interested in giving Stitch Fix a try, I would love for you to use my personal link (I'll get $25 credit and can get another fix!): 

stitchfix.com/referral/8061494

Stitch Fix on the Way

Ok, I have seen so much about Stitch Fix and have wanted to give it a try for some time now.  I just landed a new job as a Social Worker and really need some outfits that are work appropriate~I have very few!  We live 1.5 hrs from the nearest store that sells clothing so shopping for outfits isn't easy (plus I generally hate shopping!).  BUT...I am so, so cheap.  I hate spending money on clothes and that is the main reason why I haven't taken the plunge and tried Stitch Fix yet.  I created an account a few weeks ago and even set up my style profile.  I hoped to win a Stitch Fix gift card that I signed up to win on a few blog giveaways.  The plan was if I won a gift card, I would get one Fix and see how it goes.  Since opening an account, I have received emails from Stitch Fix everyday.  Well, today the email was a coupon code for a waived style fee!  So basically I can try Stitch Fix for free.  If I like it, I can purchase any of the clothing using the $20 credit.  If I don't then I send everything back for free and don't have to pay the $20 fee!  Yay!  So, I have a Fix scheduled to arrive around June 14.  I can't wait to see what my poor stylist picks!  I told her/him that I was super cheap and had to have clothes that are comfy.  I'll let you know when the goods arrive!

Repost from 2009- I'm just not a camping kind of girl!

Ha, Ha!  Reposting this from 2009. Enough time has passed that I am actually considering going camping again.  

A Camping Diary From A Non-Camping Kind Of Girl

4pm~ Walk through the woods with Josh and the boys. Perfect weather!


4:30pm~Stop for wading in the river. Nothing like baby bottoms!


7:00pm~Hobo dinners and smores around the fire. I think every boy loves fire!


9pm~Boys in the tent for bed. I smile as I listen to the boys talking. Zachary tells little brother, " Don't worry. God did not create monsters. Well, maybe He created them, but they are extinct now."


10pm~ Josh and I go to bed. 


10:02 pm ~ I'm excited that my hair, which had been up in a clip all day and is now down, still smells like my fruity shampoo. :)


10:21pm~ Now sharing my pillow with Zachary. Wondering why we decided not to bring the boy's pillows.


10:56pm~ Hear the man in the tent across the campground talking about a chupacabra.


10:59pm~ Wonder if the chupacabra is Big Foot's pet.


11:16pm~ Josh swipes my fruity hair out of his face.


12:01pm~ Hear a donkey hee-hawing in the woods. (I'm not kidding!)


12:06pm~ Hear a gun shot in the woods (still not kidding!)

    
1:12am~ Plan on designing a terry cloth robe jumpsuit.



1:17am~ Reconsider the robe jumpsuit idea.


1:25am~ Forgot how cold it gets at night.


1:32am~ Relieved to see that the sun is beginning to come up.


1:57am~ Disappointed to see that the sun is not coming up.

2:33am~ Zachary swipes my fruity hair out of his face.

2:47am~ Wonder if it is just a coincidence that after the gunshot I never heard the donkey again.


3:41am~ Start to worry that Lucas might me hypothermic.


4:00am~ Wonder why no one commented on how good mom's hair smelled.


4:51am~ Hear a creature creeping around outside the tent.


5:07am~ Put Lucas in the sleeping bag with me. Now sharing my pillow with 2 boys.

5:30am~ A little sleep despite the sore hips and sleeping arms. 


8:30am~ Breakfast tacos cooked on the fire and one final hike.


10:30am~ Thank goodness we are home. It was fun for a change. Looking forward to the next camping trip when the boys go and I get to stay home and sew all weekend! :)

We have a winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway! Thank you also for becoming Facebook fans and blog followers...I SO appreciate it!  Congratulations to Stacy Tilton! You are the winner of the Gourmet Cupboard mixes! I'll be in touch with you soon through email.

Giveaway Time!!!!

~GIVEAWAY CLOSED~

I'm so excited to share today's post with you!  It's giveaway time and this one offers lots of chances to win! The winner of this giveaway will receive their choice of any 3 mixes (up to $5.00 value each) from The Gourmet Cupboard!  

The Gourmet Cupboard makes meal time so easy and delicious.  We have over 200 mixes to choose from ~ anything from the main course to beverages and desserts and everything in between.  All you do is add a few perishable ingredients (sour cream, meat, etc) and you have a complete dish ready to serve.  Most contain no preservatives or MSG.  We have comfort foods like baked potato soup, sweet cornbread, broccoli rice and cheese casserole, hickory smoked brisket, German chocolate pie and Southern pecan coffee.  There are sugar free selections like the sugar free hot chocolate and peanut butter pie.  Lots of savory choices like garlic cheese biscuits, Mexican meatloaf,  Asian pork wraps and chicken and dumpling soup.  My mouth is watering!  

In addition to this great giveaway, check out my Facebook page.  There is a fun contest going on there right now!  You could be the mystery hostess and walk away with ALL the party hostess benefits (that means FREE mixes for you!!!)!!!

(overnight sticky buns)

Ok here are the details~

Do any (or all!) of the following for a chance to win the giveaway mixes:

* Visit my website and leave a comment telling me which mix sounds the best and why (1 entry)

* "Like" my Facebook page then let me know your name and that you are a new Facebook fan in the comments below (1 entry)

* "Follow" my Facebook page then let me know your name and that you are a new Facebook follower in the comments below (1 entry)

*Blog about this giveaway and post your link in the comments below (1 entry)

*Make a purchase and let me know your name and that you made a purchase in the comments below (10 entries!) (This purchase will count toward the Mystery hostess contest that is going on on Facebook too!)

*Book a catalog or online party to begin by 4/18 and contact me to set up the details.  My email button is on the right sidebar-------->  (10 entries!)

*Follow this blog and introduce yourself as a new follower in the comments below (1 entry)

BE SURE I HAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR A WAY TO CONTACT YOU IN CASE YOU ARE THE WINNER!  Open to all 18 years or older and in the United States (due to shipping costs).  Contest runs now until 4/17/16.

(lasagne soup)

All entries will literally be put into a hat and drawn by one of my children on 4/17.  There will be a fight between my children over who gets to draw the name.  See how much I love you guys!  

 I'll contact the winner that day to find out what mixes you want to choose.  Winner must respond within 48 hrs or another name will be drawn.  Mixes will be ordered and then mailed to you by the end of the month.

(raspberry dip)

Good luck to all my wonderful readers!!!

New kids

Zachary picked out his 4H goat today as well as his pet "buddy" goat.  Oh my goodness, these little guys are so, so cute!
Meet Jack and Buddy~

Jack is on the left ~he's the show goat.  Buddy is the pet goat on the right. 

Buddy loves to be brushed and scratched!

Key Lime Pie

I'm not crazy about traditional key lime pie.  It's too tart for my liking and it's not my favorite consistency.  Good news for people like me:  The Gourmet Cupboard's key lime pie is much fluffier with a cream cheese and cool whip base.  It's simple- no cooking involved- and it's so yummy!  I bet it would make a wonderful start for one of the cool whip fruit salad recipes too...I'll have to try that sometime soon!  Do you like key lime pie?

Homemade Chili

Or should I say Semi-Homemade.  Last week I made chili using a mix from The Gourmet Cupboard. It reminded me of Josh's grandfather's homemade chili recipe...a true Texas chili without beans.  It was delicious and I hope to make it again using a cornbread mix to go with it.
Chili is such a regional recipe.  In Texas, it can't really be considered chili if it contains beans. A few years back, Josh and I visited Cincinnati and when the locals discovered we were from out of state they insisted that we must try their chili.  Everywhere we went, we saw advertising for"delicious chili," so of course we immediately found a restaurant and ordered a bowl.  I was shocked to see that it was served over spaghetti noodles!  In addition you could order onions, cheese, etc piled on top.  Very interesting and different than what we were used to!  How do you prefer your chili?  I would love to hear how your region enjoys the dish!
In the meantime, check out TGC's version along with all the other tasty mixes we offer.  The choices really do make dinner simple and quick!

A New Adventure

Hello Readers~

 I wanted to let you know all about my new business.  I have signed up to be a distributor for The Gourmet Cupboard.  Some of you may be wondering- What is The Gourmet Cupboard?  Well, we sell over 200 different mixes like soups and meals to feed your entire family.  Available are dips, wonderful desserts including many sugar free, cookies and bars, beverage mixes and much more!  Each one is handmade using only the finest gourmet ingredients at just the right proportions.  Each mix includes all of the dry ingredients; you simply add a few additional ingredients (sour cream, cream cheese, water, etc).  The products are all individually handmade in southeast Texas and most contain no preservatives, msg, or chemicals.

          Don’t cook?  All of the mixes are really simple to make!  Anyone can cook delicious foods with the help of The Gourmet Cupboard!! 

On a diet?  You can make many of the mixes using low fat ingredients.

On a budget?  Our mixes are very reasonably priced.  Where else can you spend around $5 and literally feed your entire family? 

          If you would like to host a party, I would love to set up an online party for those of you out of town or an in-home party for those of you nearby (Western Montana).  I’m flexible to help arrange the type of event that earns you the most free products!  By hosting either type of party, you would earn 15% of the total amount sold in free products of your choice (for all parties $100 or more).  

          Our mixes are great for giving as gifts, to have on hand when company drops by, or just for serving to yourself and your family.  They have a shelf life of 6 months to 1 year. 

          Contact me if you would be interested in having a party.  Here is a link to my website.  You may email me using the link on the right hand side of this page.  Many thanks to my friends that have already signed up to host a party- you won’t be disappointed!  Please feel free to purchase mixes directly from my website as well.  I think you will love the selection and ease that The Gourmet Cupboard provides!