When the Weather Grows Cold. . .

One wintry day - just driving around Marshall County’s beautiful countryside - my husband and I saw the sign for Cardinal Rose Organic Country Store. We stopped out of curiosity. Jeanie Severtson, the store owner, had been open for business for several months; she made us feel welcome right away. I’d just learned that I needed to be on a gluten-free diet. It was so good to talk over what I was looking for in products with someone who knew the benefits of organic foods.

The personal consideration that’s given to the customers is another reason to shop at Cardinal Rose. Jeanie and Chelsea Edwards, the store manager, are knowledgeable about what’s available in organic products. That’s the way I found out about the Pamela’s products. I’ve had excellent results with everything I’ve tried. Gluten-free menus are no longer a bug-a-boo. Thanks to Cardinal Rose, I prepare delicious meals that my whole family enjoys.

Fresh veggies from Cardinal Rose are staples in my menus. I love them as a main dish. One of our favorites is a steamed vegetables recipe that I was given years ago from a hugely popular Indianapolis restaurant: Cut into chunks unpeeled white potatoes, cleaned carrots and onions. Steam all together. If you want meat to go with the veggies, prepare your favorite type of sausage separately.

Next, make up a ‘mess of skillet cornbread’ (as my grandma used to say). Use the gluten-free cornbread mix from Cardinal Rose. To serve, put the steamed veggies on a platter. Top with melted butter. Use your preferred seasonings. Have Tofutti or regular sour cream on the side. (All are available at Cardinal Rose). Arrange the sausage around the platter’s edge. Sprinkle fresh, minced cilantro over the vegetables, and you have a filling meal for a cold night. What’s even better, if there are leftovers, dice all together, adding more onion and bell pepper. Sauté until browned. (Use EarthBalance). Stir in three or four eggs to make a breakfast dish that our children named “scrambled potatoes”. Top this with fresh salsa. If you’re a bread person, bake biscuits to accompany the dish. I use the biscuit mix from Bob’s Red Mill.

Speaking of biscuits, when I was a little girl, my daddy showed me how to slice up the leftover biscuits and brown them in the skillet. He would top these with old-fashioned yellow syrup that was so sweet it made my teeth hurt! Nowadays, drizzle with honey or sugar-free syrup. (Cardinal Rose offers several choices.) A great after-school or mid-morning treat!

I look forward to shopping at Cardinal Rose. There’s always something to sample or a new product to investigate. My latest preference is the K-Too chocolate cookie that is quite like an Oreo. The other night I crumbled up a few in vanilla soy ice cream for a late snack! For company-coming-over time, however, scoop the ice cream into balls. Roll in finely crushed K-Too cookie crumbs. Place ice cream balls on a cookie sheet. Keep in freezer until ready to serve. Top with homemade whipped cream just before serving. Sprinkle grated slivers from a Dakoba chocolate bar over the whipped cream.

And let’s not forget the Yogi Tea. It is just the finest - never bitter or with an aftertaste. I like mine, either plain or with honey. I have a weakness for the MaraNatha peanut butter. When my granddaughter visits, I’ll set up a tray with my prettiest china, EnviroKidz animal crackers (that we slather with peanut butter) and a pot of hot tea. Then, wearing our wide brimmed ladies’ hats (and the granddaughter in a pair of my old high heels), she and I will tea party together with my doll Lucy while I read the story of Snow White aloud to them.

When the weather grows cold, Cardinal Rose has in stock all you need to create satisfying meals that will warm you and make memories of happy moments with your family.