holiday

Visions of Sugarplums

Do you believe? In sugarplums that is? Sugarplums are the things of fairy names and sweetened childrens’ dreams on Christmas Eve. An old-fashioned confection made with a potpourri of holiday spices, dried fruits and nuts, held together with molasses, honey and powdered sugar–sugarplums are very real. In these sweet hours before Christmas I’m going to give you a sugarplum [...]

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5 Minute Spiced Holiday Sauce

Let me guess–you’re in the middle of a holiday recipe bombardment and totally overwhelmed by it all. Or, you know the cooking routine and are just looking for a something that adds a little extra sparkle and pizzaz to your food contribution. In either scenario, you want this sauce. Why? Cake, ice cream, pie, custards–this [...]

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10 Spiced-Out Holiday Beers

Show of hands please. Who can’t find something to love about the late autumn, winter transition? One week you’re admiring leaves bathed in colors of golds, butterscotch, ochre, and bronze–the next–you have the austerity of empty branches decorated with snow. Ocean dwellers admire the change of light over the Pacific, and the desert offers up its own magic. It’s [...]

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Green Tomato Mince: What Is It and How to Make It

This is the spice season…is it not? While Spice Sherpa has some cool stuff on tap for you in the coming month, (A giveaway! A spice freebies section! Spicy gift guides!), today’s post spotlights a simpler, more wholesome, and frugal time. And it all starts with the cold weather. Quick 10 second diversion: if you were anticipating [...]

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Spices, Horses, and the MS Society

Last week was summer’s swan song and I sent it off with a pile of fresh fruits paired up with fun spices. This week I’m buttoning up the season the same way I started it: immersed in the horse world. Four years ago the barn where I keep my horse began hosting a horse show [...]

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Free Tea from Twinings

Halfway through writing my summer wrap-up post this tidbit of good news came through my inbox: an offer from Twinings for free tea. I liked the offer. Thought you would too. After all, aren’t autumn’s stirrings in the air? Despite perfect, warm days the nights are taking on that chilly edge. What better way to cozy [...]

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Grilling Healthy with Summer BBQ Spices

June is upon us and the weather forecast is sending us days of sunshine. Memorial Day, Father’s Day and summertime — the outdoor grill is the icon of good times. Where there’s a grill there’s fire and coals. And those delivers the heat and smoke giving us those delectible, crispy outer bits of vegetables and meats loaded with that [...]

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5 Spices for Cinco de Mayo

Here’s the deal. Today is Cinco de Mayo. Having grown up in California and raised on avocados and Baja cuisine I’m compelled to celebrate our Southern neighbor. Ah, but now I live on the other side of the country. And while today is Cinco de Mayo it’s also Thursday. So my bright idea was to [...]

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I Scream for Snow Cream!

Buried. That about sums it up for most of the country these past few weeks. What are you supposed to do when there is this much snow? You play in it!! Spinning the freestyle way (I tried to embed the video but all I can give you is the link. Sorry.) You cozy up by the [...]

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The 2011 Spice Forecast

It’s January–time for lists, predictions, forecasts, and resolutions. It’s going to be a busy year so let’s get to it. Here’s the big news. Spices, in general, are one of the trends. The US Department of Agriculture reports that the consumption of spices in the United States has grown three times as fast as the population over the past several [...]