Gingerbread House Day is Dec.12

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DAY

Gingerbread House Day is observed annually on December 12. A favorite food of an Armenian monk, Gregory of Nicopolis, brought gingerbread to Europe around 992 AD and taught French Christians to bake it. Gingerbread was often used in religious ceremonies and was baked to be sturdy as it was often molded into images of saints. We can thank the Brothers’ Grimm for the idea of a gingerbread house through their tale of Hansel and Gretel. It didn’t take long for the German gingerbread guilds to pick up the idea and put it to a more festive use making snowy cottages made from the spicy-sweet treat. It is believed gingerbread was first baked in Europe at the end of the 11th century when returning crusaders brought back the custom of spicy bread from the Middle East. Ginger was not only tasty; it had properties that helped preserve bread

The Delicious and Colorful History of Gingerbread House Day

It is believed gingerbread was first baked in Europe at the end of the 11th century when returning crusaders brought back the custom of spicy bread from the Middle East. Ginger was not only tasty; it had properties that helped preserve bread. According to a French legend, gingerbread was brought to Europe in 992 A.D. by the Armenian monk and later saint, Gregory of Nicopolis (Gregory Makar). Gingerbread figurines date back to the 15th century and baking human-shaped biscuits was practiced in the 16th century. The tradition of making decorated gingerbread houses started in Germany in the early 1800's. According to certain researchers, the first gingerbread houses were the result of the well-known Grimm's fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. In modern times the tradition has continued in certain places in Europe. In Germany, the Christmas ma)rkets still sell decorated gingerbread before Christmas. (Lebkuchenhous or Pfefferkuchenhaus are the German terms for a gingerbread house.

How to Celebrate Gingerbread House Day

Get the family together, pick up the supplies necessary to make a gingerbread house.. Bake up some gingerbread and start building and decorating your very won gingerbread house.

Abraham Lincoln Proclaims Thanksgiving an Official Holiday During the Civil War

Thanksgiving usually brings up thoughts of the Pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe celebrating their harvest and friendship together. That famous feast took place in 1621, but it would take more than 200 years for Thanksgiving to become an official holiday in the United States — and under very different circumstances.

In 1863, the nation was halfway through the Civil War. In July of that year, the Battle of Gettysburg took place. That battle alone saw nearly 50,000 casualties. The country was torn apart and the bloody fighting was far from over. On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln would deliver the famous Gettysburg Address. One month earlier, however, Lincoln issued another profound and important proclamation.

At the urging of magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale, President Lincoln issued a proclamation that would establish Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday, to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.

In a time when there was so much strife, turmoil, loss, and division, what could have inspired Lincoln to establish a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise” for the nation? His words are profoundly moving and just as meaningful today as they were when first written.

Washington, D.C.October 3, 1863.

By the President of the United States of America. A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

It is no wonder that Abraham Lincoln is one of the most beloved Presidents of the United States in the country’s history, not only for his accomplishments but also for this perseverance and unwavering optimism through such hard times. When the nation was torn in two and war continued, Lincoln was able to speak of thanksgiving, harmony, peace, and union.

Apple Butter Gooey Butter Cake

When you’re looking for an easy make and take dessert for your next get together, look no further than this Apple Butter Gooey Butter Cake with a homemade yellow cake base and an apple butter cream cheese layer.

What is Gooey Butter Cake? It is a super-sweet, rich, St. Louis original treat! The gooey part of the name comes from the gooeyness between the cake and cream cheese layers, as if it’s slightly under baked. It’s more prominent if you serve the cake the same day you baked it while either still warm or at room temperature. If you do refrigerate any leftovers, let the cake sit 15-30 minutes at room temperature before eating. It may not be as gooey at this point, but it’s still a worthy dessert.

There are many versions of Gooey Butter Cake, this version is made with Graves Mountain Apple Butter made from their own apples.

Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¼ cup (2 ounces or 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoons whole milk
½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup Graves Mountain Apple Butter
1 egg
¼ cup (2 ounces or 4 tablespoons) unsalted  butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Whipped Cream and ground cinnamon, for serving

Instructions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8x8 square pan.

2.    Make the cake layer: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the egg, melted butter, milk, and vanilla until moistened. Spread evenly in the pan (mixture will be slightly sticky).

3.    Make the filling: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and apple butter until smooth. Beat in the egg then beat in the melted butter and vanilla. Scrape down the bowl then beat in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4.    Spread the filling over the cake layer then bake 45-50 minutes or until the center is set (do not overbake as the center should be slightly gooey). Cool completely before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For best results, let cake sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Graves Mountain Lodge

Graves Mountain Lodge is a family-owned and operated rustic mountain retreat well known for its down home hospitality. The Graves family can be traced back to Jamestown. Captain Thomas Graves sailed the “Mary and Margaret” to Jamestown in 1608, He served as a representative in the Virginia Assembly at Jamestown in 1619 and later sat on the House of Burgesses in the colonial capital of Williamsburg. In 1630, Captain Graves was commissioned to build a fort at Old Point Comfort in Hampton.

Jimmy's family goes back to a son of Captain Graves, Francis, whom was born in Virginia. In 1852, Jimmy’s great-great grandfather, Paschal Graves opened an “ordinary” or inn along the Blue Ridge Turnpike on the land that is now part of the Shenandoah National Park. The Graves ordinary was a natural spotting point for travelers making the 70-mile journey between Gordonsville and New Market. Around 1857, the Graves family moved to a new location, which is where the farm is today.

Graves Mountain Apple Butter

A sturdy log house that was built in the late 1700’s, was added on to over the years, and is now the center of a three-story farm house known as Mountain View. This has been the home place for four generations of the Graves family. For over 100 years, travelers and vacationers enjoyed the hospitality of Mountain View. Inn keeping was in Jimmy’s blood, so he decided to carry on the family tradition of hospitality. He met Rachel Lynn Norman through 4-H showing cattle, and she shared Jimmy’s enthusiasm for the idea of a mountain resort, they married in the fall of 1964. In April of 1965, Graves Mountain Lodge was open to the public.

The Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival: Oct. 6-7, 13-14, and 20-21 would be the perfect time to visit, see the mountains in stunning color and experience the days of yesteryear watching apple butter being cooked in kettles over an open fire. In the meantime, you can enjoy their incredibly smooth, perfectly spiced Apple Butter and other small batch preserves from The Virginia Marketplace.

Smoky Meat and Peanut Butter and Jelly a ‘Perfect Marriage’

If peanut butter and jelly can be so good in a sandwich, could those flavors be transferred into meats?  The answer is yes! Try it on a rack of smoked St. Louis-style pork ribs.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Ribs

The sauce is super simple: a cup of creamy peanut butter (We recommend The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg All Natural Peanut Butter), a cup of your favorite fruit preserves (We recommend Graves Mountain small batch preserves), beer (your choice) and a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Remove the membrane (often called silverskin) from the inner portion of the ribs, and apply your favorite dry rub (equal parts paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder always works) to both sides of the meat as you would any traditional rack of ribs.
The end result is a bite of pork that mixes the sweet of the sauce with the saltiness of a dry rub, and the smoke infused into the juicy ribs.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Ribs
Makes 6 servings

2 racks St. Louis cut pork ribs
1 lager beer
¼ cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Rub

1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Sauce

1 cup fruit preserves (your choice)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup lager beer
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions: Remove excess fat and floppy meat from the ends of the ribs so they are mostly squared up. Remove the fat membrane (often called silverskin) from the inside of the ribs.

Mix the rub ingredients in a small bowl and give a light coating to both sides of the ribs. Refrigerate the ribs for at least 30 minutes, then bring back to room temperature before placing in the smoker.

Set the smoker to an internal temperature between 250-275 degrees. Place the ribs lengthwise in the smoker and smoke for one hour. Open smoker and mop the top side with lager beer (enough to heavily moisten). Turn the ribs 180 degrees so the opposite end of where you started is facing the firebox. Close the smoker and cook another hour.

Assemble the ingredients for the sauce in a large saucepan. Over the firebox, warm the sauce, stirring, until it’s smooth and easily runs off a spoon without sticking.

After the ribs have smoked for two full hours, mop peanut butter and jelly sauce to the top of the ribs. Sprinkle with more lager beer, 1-2 ounces, then wrap the ribs completely in aluminum foil. Cook another hour. Open the smoker lid and carefully remove foil (it will be hot) and discard. Apply another layer of the peanut butter and jelly sauce. Smoke for one more hour.

Ribs should be ready (well beyond the 145 degree internal temperature needed for safe consumption ... hopefully they are in the 180-185 degree neighborhood). Allow ribs to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts as garnish and serve. Adapted from BBQpitboys.com

July is National Ice Cream Month and July 15 is National Ice Cream Day

July is National Ice Cream Month and National Ice Cream Day is the 3^rd Sunday in July. This year it is July 15, 2018.

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" Shout it from the rooftops, because July 15 is National Ice Cream Day! National Ice Cream Day is observed each year on the 3rd Sunday in July and is a part of National Ice Cream Month. Although ice cream isn’t sold on The Virginia Marketplace, we have products that will add to your ice cream eating pleasure.

It is believed that ice cream was first introduced into the United States by Quaker colonists who brought their ice cream recipes with them.  Their ice cream was sold at shops in New York and other cities during the colonial era. in    Others say it was brought to the colonies from Europe and quickly became a favorite of the wealthy. It would remain in the hands of the elite until the 19th century when improvements in technology allowed ice cream to be mass produced. The rest, as they say, is history.

Some facts about ice cream:

·         Ben Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson enjoyed ice cream.

·         1813 -First Lady Dolley Madison served ice cream at the Inaugural Ball.

·         1832 – African American confectioner, Augustus Jackson, created multiple ice cream recipes as well as a superior technique to manufacture ice cream.

·         1843 – Philadelphian, Nancy Johnson, received the first U.S. patent for a small-scale hand-cranked ice cream freezer.

·         1920 – Harry Burt puts the first ice cream trucks on the streets.

The celebrations were originated by Joint Resolution 298, which was sponsored by Senator Walter Dee Huddleston of Kentucky on May 17, 1984. The resolution proclaimed the month of July 1984 as "National Ice Cream Month" and July 15, 1984, as "National Ice Cream Day". In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month and established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in the month of July.

Americans consume more ice cream than any other nation in the world. So HOW about trying something new and make an ice cream pie with peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients:

15 Oreo cookies (crushed)
½ cup butter (melted)

1 quart vanilla ice cream (softened- not melted)
1 cup The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg Chunky Peanut Butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup Virginia peanuts (crushed)

¼ cup chocolate syrup

Directions:

Combine Oreos and butter and mix well.

Press into piedish to form a crust going ¾ of the way up the sides.

Mix ice cream, peanut butter & vanilla until well blended and smooth.

Pour into crust
Freeze for a few hours (until frozen)

Sprinkle crushed peanuts on top and drizzle chocolate syrup right before serving.

June 12 is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

June 12 is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. Most people are familiar with peanut butter for use on sandwiches, while peanut butter cookies are yummy snacks that can be enjoyed any time but especially on Peanut Butter Cookie Day. The ancient Aztecs and Incas made a paste by mashing roasted peanuts, and that was the first known peanut butter. Peanut butter cookies have been popular since the early 1900s, and in 1913 the wife of the 28th US President, Woodrow Wilson, published a list of her cookie recipes including one for Peanut Cookies that used peanut butter. In 1916, George Washington Carver began promoting the peanut and its many uses. As part of the campaign, he published three peanut butter cookie recipes in a research bulletin entitled, “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption.” Celebrate Peanut Butter Cookie Day by baking your own cookies using a traditional recipe – make sure to put traditional crisscross fork marks on top – then enjoy eating them with friends and family.

The first time that these fork marks were widely instructed to be placed on the cookie tops was in a recipe from a 1936 Pillsbury cookbook. There was no explanation given in the recipe as to why the fork hash marks were called for, but people made them anyways. Now, most people who bake these cookies put the hash marks on them out of pure tradition without knowing why they are even doing it. Maybe it’s because it’s simply more fun to make old fashioned peanut butter cookies! Probably the most common reason specified for the marks on the cookies is because it’s supposed to help them cook more evenly. When peanut butter is added to cookie dough it makes it denser, which in turn makes it harder to bake through. Putting the hash marks in the cookie dough balls actually flattens them for more even baking. When the cookies bake, they should come out soft with crispy edges where the hash marks have been formed. Most people agree that the best peanut butter cookies are the ones with a soft center and crispy edge. This cookie was thought to have been given fork marks to warn people who are sensitive to nuts what they are about to eat. Since the marks are such a unique cookie feature, it is a great reminder of the ingredients.

Why not make this yummy recipe?

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag Hershey Kisses

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs. Add white and brown sugar. Sift dry ingredients and stir in. Add shortening, peanut butter and vanilla.

Roll into balls the size of walnuts and put on greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are golden brown.

Remove from oven and immediately press one Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie and remove cookies from baking sheet to cooling rack.

Strawberry Corn Cakes for National Strawberry Month

May is National Strawberry Month. "Spring-up" some corn muffins with fresh strawberries and of course, Graves Mountain Strawberry Preserves. This recipe is from The Food Network Kitchen:

Strawberry Corn Cakes

     Strawberry Corn Cakes

     Ingredients

·                     Cooking spray, for the pan

        8.5-ounce package corn muffin mix

            1/4 cup all-purpose flour

            2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

       1 cup chopped strawberries

       2 tablespoons strawberry preserves

       3/4 cup heavy cream

           2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 6-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Prepare the corn muffin batter as the label directs, then stir in the flour, lemon zest and vanilla. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until the edges are set and the centers are soft but not wet, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the strawberries and strawberry preserves in a bowl and set aside. Remove the corn cakes from the oven. Gently press the back of a teaspoon into the center of each to make an indentation about one-third of the way into the cake. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the strawberry mixture into each indentation, pressing to tightly fill. (Reserve the remaining berry mixture for topping.) Return the cakes to the oven and continue baking until just golden, about 5 more minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan on a rack, 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool 10 more minutes. Meanwhile, beat the cream and confectioners' sugar with a mixer until soft peaks form. Top the cakes with the remaining berry mixture and serve with the whipped cream. 

1

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 6-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Prepare the corn muffin batter as the label directs, then stir in the flour, lemon zest and vanilla. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until the edges are set and the centers are soft but not wet, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the strawberries and strawberry preserves in a bowl and set aside. Remove the corn cakes from the oven. Gently press the back of a teaspoon into the center of each to make an indentation about one-third of the way into the cake. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the strawberry mixture into each indentation, pressing to tightly fill. (Reserve the remaining berry mixture for topping.) Return the cakes to the oven and continue baking until just golden, about 5 more minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan on a rack, 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool 10 more minutes. Meanwhile, beat the cream and confectioners' sugar with a mixer until soft peaks form. Top the cakes with the remaining berry mixture and serve with the whipped cream. 

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April 2 is National Peanut and Jelly Day

The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg
 Crunchy Peanut Butter

April 2 was National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. It’s always time to celebrate by eating both, but it doesn’t always have to be in the usual sandwich way. Here’s a way to enjoy both in a mouthwatering Peanut Butter Puffs. It’s quick and easy to make. If you love peanut butter, you will go crazy for them!!! 

PEANUT BUTTER PUFFS

PREP TIME:15 MINUTE(S)

COOK TIME:15 MINUTE(S)

YIELD:18 PUFFS

INGREDIENTS

·         Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

Graves Mountain Strawberry Preserves

·         2 cups All Purpose Flour

·         2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1/2 cup sugar

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 cup The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg Crunchy Peanut Butter

·         2 tablespoons butter

·         1 cup milk

·         2 large eggs, beaten

·         1/2 cup Graves Mountain Strawberry Preserves

·         1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts

DIRECTIONS

1.      HEAT oven to 400ºF. Spray a muffin pan with no-stick cooking spray. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

2.      CUT in peanut butter and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and eggs all at once, stirring just until moistened. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full.

3.      BAKE 15 to 17 minutes. While puffs are baking, melt preserves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove puffs from oven. Immediately brush tops with melted preserves; dip in peanuts. Serve hot.

March is National Peanut Month.

March is National Peanut Month. How did National Peanut Month get started? According to the National Day Calendar website, March celebrates one of America’s favorite snack foods…Peanuts! National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941, but later morphed into a month-long celebration in 1974. Whether it is the smell of their roasted goodness, the grinding of their essence into peanut butter or just being used to make healthier cooking oil, peanuts have found their way into many of the food items we consume regularly.

Peanut cultivation and popularity in American food culture can be attributed to Dr. George Washington Carver, nicknamed “The Father of the Peanut” for his tireless devotion to this versatile legume. In fact, in 1925, Carver published a bulletin called, “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption.”

Peanuts are actually not nuts, but legumes. Peanuts are a very valuable source of protein, niacin, folate and phytosterols, more than any nut. They also contain over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients. Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free and rumor has it that there is enough mental stimulation in one peanut to give a person 30 minutes of serious thinking! Need a brain recharge, eat a peanut.

At The Virginia Marketplace, Virginia peanuts are sold and highlighted in many of our gift baskets and boxes. Virginia peanuts are the largest of all the peanuts. Our Virginia peanuts are blistered, Blistered peanuts are big on crunch! First boiled in water, then roasted while still wet which causes a blister to form on the peanut, giving them their unique flavor and texture. These are crispy and awesome.

National Strawberry Day is February 27th

February 27th is the day we pay homage to one of the most popular fruits in the world. National Strawberry Day says that the growing season is just around the corner!  Strawberries are the first fruits to ripen every year, so they are often called the “taste of spring.” The bright red juicy berries are both delicious and incredibly good for you. Each bite is packed with vitamins, antioxidants and fiber.

Graves Mountain Strawberry Preserves

People have been enjoying strawberries and their health benefits for centuries. In fact, the Ancient Romans believed that strawberries could cure fevers, fainting, inflammation, and several other ailments. They also used the berries for teeth whitening. A gift from Chile in the 1700s, garden strawberry plants made their way to North America in the 1750s.
To celebrate National Strawberry Day, enjoy some Graves Mountain Strawberry Preserves on toast, croissants, French toast, pancakes, waffles, ice cream or have a PB&J sandwich with The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg All Natural Peanut Butter. Enjoy!