New Year's Party Foods That Bring Good Luck As Well As Great Taste

New Year's foods that bring good luck will be in demand next week. 2009 was a rough year for so many people that folks will want to begin 2010 with as much good luck as possible. Here are some extra-lucky foods from Wisconsin.
Let's start with fish. Fish is a traditional New Year's food lucky for people, although unlucky for fish. Herring is especially lucky. Whether the herring be in cream sauce or wine sauce changes only the taste, not the fish's future prosperity benefits. Some people are squeamish about eating herring, but if they've suffered misfortune in 2009, they need those nutritious little critters now more than ever. Tell them not to worry about the flavor, one bite and they'll find out how delicious herring actually are. Herring just have a PR problem, that's all.
Another lucky food is pork or ham. European tradition has it that eating a pig on New Year's Day brings good luck because pigs are good at rooting out good things from the earth (i.e. truffles). So, perhaps the delicious smells and flavors of ham, bacon, or pork chops will bring good things to people also.
Other traditionally lucky New Year's foods are round or ring-shaped. Round foods symbolize that the seasons have come full circle. The old year is complete, - on with the new. Black-eye peas are supposedly good luck because they're round. Although people who think black-eyed peas are round have likely been sipping a little too much spiked eggnog. Last time I looked, those peas were oval. But perhaps that shape is appropriate for 2009; our troubled economy did seem to make 2009 last overly long. But better times are ahead. Everything cycles. So let's all eat well and ring in the new year with Wisconsin gourmet food!

Christmas-giving Mishaps Fixed At Wisconsinmade.com

Christmas gift-giving cheer has us giddy at Wisconsinmade.com. Customer service is busy phone-calling, emailing, typing, and chuckling as we fix customers' ordering mishaps. We'll share the best with you.
First off is the woman who called to cancel the order her cat had placed on Amazon for Wisconsinmade.com's ice cream toppings. The keyboard-dancing kitty did her own web-surfing and landed on the toppings. Thanks to the order confirmation email, her human companion got wind of the cat's shopping spree. The woman canceled the cat's order saying she did not think it healthy for cats to consume chocolate, no matter how gourmet it may be. We suggested that she could substitute the kitty treats gift basket, but the woman said no, her cat is in the dog house and will not be receiving any gifts at this time.
Another woman called to say she'd ordered a gift on Amazon, but instead of receiving our popcorn, her friend had gotten a rocket ship. "We're so sorry," we answered, "but we don't sell rocket ships so she can't return the rocket to us. But we would be happy to send the friend a gift set of popcorn." So we did. I guess that friend is going to enjoy a very explosive Christmas.
This afternoon a man called to say he has a freezer full of ducks and asked why Wisconsinmade.com is sending him another duck. He had wanted pheasant. Unfortunately he had ordered the duck. It's an understandable error, once the feathers are off, those game birds look alike. We told him, "We'd be happy to send the pheasant instead".
Yes, it's a busy holiday time here at Wisconsinmade.com. We're nibbling on stollen and drinking lots of coffee as we answer customers' calls for gifts shipped quick. And we're making sure we laugh a lot too. Hope you're feeling just as jolly. Happy holidays.

Wisconsin Holiday Foods: Scrumptious Gourmet Foods For Christmas Eve Dinner And Christmas Morning Breakfast

Festive foods liven up our holiday traditions. Christmas foods decorated in reds, whites, greens, and golden yellows presented on a simple white tablecloth transform an ordinary meal into a holiday feast. So this holiday season if you are looking to coordinate the colorful with the edible, here are some suggestions.
Let's start with the shades of Christmas red. I can't resist the peppermint fudge topped with candy cane chips. Okay, the fudge is pink, but It Looks Christmas! It's certainly as 'Christmasy' as the Santa Claus sugar cookies. And since we're starting with the dessert table, let's match those cookies with ice cream - red, green and white peppermint ice cream! Ah-haa! A peppermint theme here! Peppermint's cool sweetness carries the frosty excitement of winter's first snowfall. And if we've got the peppermint ice cream, how about scooping it on top of a Winter Wonderland Peppermint Chocolate Cake! And since we're talking cake, what about gingerbread! What says Christmas more than a deep, rich gingerbread cake with pure white frosting? Cake with peppermint ice cream and steaming coffee or hot chocolate? Of course we love winter! Of course we love Christmas! We're feasting!!!
But you also want "good food" aka "healthy food" before the desserts? Do those come on a Wisconsin holiday table or are Wisconsinites all sweets now and guilt later? Nonsense! Wisconsin gourmet chefs excel at cooking all courses of a holiday meal!
So let's talk turkey! Low-fat, high-flavor smoked whole turkey for Christmas dinner. It's a no brainer, no-work, and delicious holiday entree. Tired of turkey? Want meat? Easy, - Wisconsin beef is scrumptious. How about a Christmas Eve dinner featuring a Chateaubriand beef roast? It looks impressive, is simple to cook, and tastes heavenly. Equally as festive and a rival in flavor is the Wisconsin leg of lamb roast. Nothing says "special occasion" better than a leg of lamb. And what's a favorite Wisconsin holiday libation? A Tom and Jerry of course, - not the cat and mouse, - THE MIX! The secret's in the MIX!!! Yes, get the party rolling! Put on the holiday music! Listen to Wisconsin's Expressions of Christmas CD as you dine and sip the holiday brews. Christmas Eve only comes once a year, - pull out all the stops!
But what about Christmas morning? How will you feel at 5:45 am when the little ones beg you to rise and see what Santa Claus brought? Will you feel as cheery then as you did the night before? No, but you'll fake it. And Wisconsin holiday food can help. Start off with gourmet coffee, - make sure it's gourmet so it will pack a wake-up punch of flavor and a lot of VA-Va-Va-Voom! Next, serve up the Christmas kringle. A little sugar in the happy shape of a Christmas tree will bring warm smiles to everyone faces. Merry Christmas! - the way it's supposed to be. Another holiday of incredible eating with those we hold dear! Celebrating the good life the Wisconsin way!