Wisconsin Holiday Shopping Made Easy On The Internet!

It was "Black Friday" four days ago, - retailers' official kick-off to the holiday-shopping season. While retailers hoped the day's sales figures would put their books in the black, shoppers may have had a different take on Black Friday. Jostling through crowded malls, waiting in long lines to purchase gifts, and lugging awkward-sized and heavy packages, may have darkened some customers' holiday spirits. Maybe this is why now we have "Cyber Monday".
Yesterday, as on previous Cyber Mondays, people flocked to on-line stores to find holiday gifts. A MSN/CNN headline said yesterday's Cyber Monday sales were up 20%! And no wonder. Internet shopping lets cost-savvy shoppers sit comfortably while they "shop around" for great deals. Their Internet travels take them beyond their local mall. They can find exactly what they're looking for as well as get suggestions for fun and novel gifts. Check-out takes just a few key strokes, and they know their gifts will be delivered during the week the shopper chooses to the doorstep of the intended recipient.
At least this is the way Internet shopping works at Wisconsinmade.com. Plus, this year Wisconsinmade.com ships some gifts anywhere in the country FOR FREE! No brick-n-mortar store does that. It's no surprise that business has been brisk at Wisconsinmade.com. Word has gotten out that this ten-year-old web store can ship gifts efficiently and securely around the country. Over 250 Wisconsin artisans now offer over 2000 high-quality products on Wisconsinmade.com.
Yesterday's top gift picks by Wisconsinmade.com shoppers were breakfast baskets, kringles, Christmas cookies, cheese and sausage gift boxes, bratwurst sampler sets, Wisconsin Badger sweatshirts, stained-glass ornaments, and hand-crafted, wooden desk sets. Who knows what it will be today, maybe something unusual, like copper cattail wind chimes or decorative fire rings; might even be a basket of holiday flowers. Happy holidays everyone, may your shopping be fun and easy.

How Wisconsin Gourmets Cook Venison: New Venison Recipes By Gourmet Chef, Henry Sinkus

Tomorrow gun hunting season for deer starts in Wisconsin. If the hunter is skilled and lucky, he or she will return home with approximately 70 pounds of venison. But should venison be cooked like beef or chicken? Well, would you cook fish as you do pork? Gourmet chef Henry Sinkus, owner of the Pine Baron's Restaurant in Manitowish, WI, answers a definitive "No!" Venison is a very lean, heart-healthy meat rich in texture with its own unique flavor. To bring out the best in flavor, always follow recipes specially created for venison.
Sinkus has written two cookbooks devoted to cooking venison. His newest is 100 Venison Recipes: From down home to uptown. The cookbook contains easy, family-favorite recipes such as venison meatloaf, mostaciolli, and venison stroganoff that call for ground venison. And the book also contains elegantly-gourmet venison recipes Sinkus prepares at his restaurant. These include coriander and honey glazed venison chops, venison medallions with port wine and lingonberries, and rheinischer stuffed venison roast. Sinkus gives his twists on classic recipes for venison stew, chili, and soup, but shows how a little creative cooking can transform these standards into Moroccan stew, venison and wild rice gumbo, and Thai venison shank soup.
Sinkus organizes his recipes into two sections: Down Home and Uptown. He writes, "The Down Home recipes are traditional comfort foods, dishes that you would most likely prepare for your family. The Uptown recipes are for those special evenings when you want to impress business associates, the new neighbors, or old friends." There's something for everyone in this new cookbook, and with it open on your counter, you'll never hear someone say, "I don't like venison."
If you won't be stocking your freezer with venison this hunting season, but still want heart-healthy meat, delicious venison summer sausage can be delivered to you from Terry Diedrich of Navarino Valley. Diedrich raises free-roaming deer, elk, and bison on his large, Wisconsin ranch, and is committed to rearing animals in the most humane, natural ways possible. He believes that the quality of life of the animal transmits directly into the quality of its meat. One taste and you'll likely agree.

Special Deals On Gourmet Food At Wisconsinmade.com

Wisconsinmade.com is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with two very special deals. First, receive $10.00 off the purchase price of any product(s) costing $75.00 or more by typing tenyrs75 into the the promotion-code field during checkout. This $10-off promotion ends Nov. 15th. Second, Wisconsinmade.com is giving away a $100 gift certificate to a Wisconsinmade.com newsletter recipient chosen at random. Sign up for the newsletter by November 20th to enter the drawing. No purchase is necessary. Then afterword, receive a $5.00-off promotion code in every monthly e-newsletter.
Wisconsinmade.com has been delivering gourmet food and gifts made by Wisconsin artisans since 1999. Ten years ago, the specialty webstore launched with 20 Wisconsin artists selling 100 products. Today over 250 Wisconsin artisans offer over 2000 products.
We're adding new artisans all the time, and two of our newest are Madison, WI's Clare and Matt Stoner-Fehsenfeld, founders of Quince and Apple. Their out-of-the-ordinary selection of uniquely-flavored, organic preserves contains shallot confit with red wine, figs and black tea preserves, and orange marmalade with lemon. Their newest creation is a pear with honey and ginger preserve made with locally-grown, organic pears, apples and honey. Quince and Apple created this preserve especially for the holiday season and is offering it on sale.
Other deals at Wisconsinmade.com are gourmet foods with free shipping. All Wisconsinmade.com month clubs come with free shipping. Send artisanal cheese, gourmet desserts, meats, chocolates, coffee, ice cream, kringles, or pies once a month to a special friend or family member. Some non-food products also come with free shipping such as select artisan jewelry.
Not on sale, but always a good deal is the whole, smoked turkey by Nueskes. Already cooked to perfection, just gently warm the turkey before serving. This Thanksgiving's turkey could be the easiest and best-tasting you've ever made.

Veterans' Day: Honoring America's Heroes In Wisconsin

November 11th, Veterans' Day, is coming up. An armistice to end the war (WWI) that was to end all wars was signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. To those Americans celebrating peace 99 years ago, this first veterans' day was a life-changing joy. One year later, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11th to be forever remembered as Armistice Day. In 1938, Armistice Day became a national holiday.
However, WWI did not end all wars. In 1954, as the world staggered back to sanity following WWII, President Dwight D. Eisenhower renamed November 11th Veterans' Day in honor of ALL people who had served and given their lives in the protection of the United States of America.
Today however, November 11th seems only a holiday for post office workers. Businesses remain open; kids go to school. Have we really forgotten the importance of honoring our military? Perhaps the numerous wars that followed "The Great War" jaded us into no longer trusting that peace can last. If this is true, then honoring our veterans seems ever more important. Showing respect for those who served and caring for those now serving recognizes that we human beings will always require brave men and women to protect our homes and families.
I write this post because I was touched by the conscientious effort a Wisconsin woman took to commemorate the patriotic contribution of Wisconsin veterans. I, like probably most civilian Americans, hadn't thought much about giving patriotic gifts. But this woman called me at Wisconsinmade.com and wanted help in finding gift baskets she could give out at a Wisconsin veterans' function. She wanted the baskets to show patriotic spirit and hold foods symbolic of Wisconsin. Together we selected the American Flag gift basket. I arranged with the artisan who creates the baskets to deliver them to the Milwaukee hotel where the celebration would be held. The woman called to thank me later.
Since then I have helped parents select gifts to carry their love to their children serving overseas. I have my own children and imagining them in combat is chilling. I admire these respectful parents and the supportive spouses who go out of their way to show their loved ones overseas how much they care.
With the Iraq war winding down and the Afghan war heating up, lasting peace seems far away. But celebrating Armistice Day is a way all Americans can renew a fragile faith that peace is possible. And the best way to celebrate is to actively honor our veterans. We don't really have to have a day off work to say thanks.