Epicure Selections Summer Season

I have been having a great time exploring this whole epicure business.  I have already met some wonderful new people and have been creating some delicious things in the kitchen with my new products.  Summer is quickly approaching and with that the launch of epicure selections new summer catalogue that was just released to customers this week!  There are tons of great products for grilling and summer entertaining.  I am excited to share the new products like the garlicky dill topper and montreal chicken seasoning at a tasting party I'm having next week.

One of the recipes I'm looking forward to preparing for my summer tasting parties are the Epicure’s Bailey’s® Ice Pops

Ingredients

1 pkg Epicure’s What’s for Dessert? Chocolate Pudding in an Instant Mix

1 3/4 cups (430 ml) cold milk

1/4 cup (60 ml) Bailey’s® Irish Cream

Instructions

1. Prepare Chocolate Pudding according to package directions, substituting Bailey’s® Irish Cream for 1/4 cup (60 ml) of milk.

2. Pour into Epicure’s Ice Pop Mold and freeze for 4 hours.


Visit http://www.tammychase2.myepicure.com/ to shop online, check out the monthly specials and get new recipe ideas.



New Venture with Epicure Selections

Epicure Selections is a family owned, women-led, Canadian made company that I was introduced to years ago. The products promote a healthy living with low sodium spices and herb blends that also contain no MSG or added colors, flavors, oils, silicone dioxide or sulphites. If you have ever looked at a package of your regular old taco seasoning that we are all guilty for throwing mindlessly in the cart you would be astonished at the amount of sodium in that tiny little packet. Not to say that I live a salt free life but using some deliciious sea salt to season is a far cry from all those thousands of milligrams companies stick in there to preserve the products. Not to mention all those other ingredients they throw in that we can barely pronounce.

A little background on the company: Sylvie Rochette founded the company starting out with four hand-crafted spice blends sold from her station wagon at local markets and consumer trade shows, the products' overwhelming popularity soon prompted the creation of Epicure Selections® This wonderful company follows a party-plan direct sales model to distribute therefore is not found on supermarket shelves. If you can track down a local consultant (like myself) you can order their products directly from the catologue or a consultant like myself will be happy to bring a tasting party to your home. There are tons of benefits for hosting an epicure tasting party which I think is really fantastic. The first party I hosted at my house I earned over $100 worth of product and all I had to provide was a cucumber and some crackers...the consultant did the rest.

I can't say enough good things about this company so I wanted to be a part of it. Partly because of the health benefits but also for the products versatility. Take their pizza seasoning for instance (one of my favourites)Don't let the name fool you, this italian blend is great sprinkled on pizza but I have used it for dips, pasta's and breads. Their lemon dilly dip mix makes a great dip for veggies but I have sprinkled it on salmon, in my potato salad, egg salad and just the other day I made a crab salad (neptune salad) and the lemon dilly mixed with some maynonnaise and sour cream. It was delish!!! I could go on forever so I'll leave it at that for today with hopes that if you aren't familiar with their products you will check them out.

Epicure is available to order in Canada and if you’d like to place an order you can email me at tammysepicure@gmail.com or if you live near London, Ontario I would be happy to come and host a tasting party for you and your friends.

Visit Epicure www.epicureselections.com and tell me what you would love try!

"Exactly Perfect" Oatmeal Banana Muffins

I discovered that I have a loyal and faithful baking sidekick in my daughter Ruby. She delights in helping spoon in each and every teaspoon, and whisking each egg with pure concentration. I swear sometimes I wonder whose child she is. She is very focused and precise and neither Alex or I are very focused or precise. She loves to make things just right, and says things like "there mommy, it's exactly perfect."





If you saw our house here most days you would know that perfectionists do not run the show over here. Ruby is going to keep us all in line I think. Precise or not, she is just 3 years old so it got a bit messy and the ingredients weren't necessarily added in the exact measurement but I wanted her to feel like she was really a part of the whole process. Ruby and I both agreed that the final product was "exactly perfect..." and absolutely delish. I wanted to share the recipe. I personally like to make mini-muffins, they are good for little hands and great with my tea in the afternoon.

Oatmeal-Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium sized extra-ripe)

*Note* I also like to add about a 1/2 teaspoon of poudre douce or as Jalen calls it "pook-a-ma-goose." Poudre douce is a delicious spice blend of cinnamon/nutmeg type flavours, it smells like apple pie. I first came across it at a home party for Epicure. http://www.epicureselections.com/en/ If you don't have poudre douce then a dash of cinnamon in your muffins will also be lovely :)

Directions
Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.(poudre douce or cinnamon)
In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and stir well.

Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin or 24 mini-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups or grease lightly with butter, and divide the batter among them.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.

Happy Baking,