***************************FROM THE COMPANY WEBSITE*******************************
The history of The Gourmet Cupboard is rather interesting, and I would like to share the story with you. After teaching elementary school for 6 years, Melissa Holmes decided to quit and stay at home with her first, soon to be born, son. Kaden was born in August of 2001. School was already back in session, and she began to look around for a hobby to take up. She began a business called Icing on the Cake, where she baked cookies, breads, pies, and other sweets. She custom decorated cakes including wedding cakes. It was very stressful, it began taking up all Her free time, and Her kitchen was constantly covered in greasy icing!!
In the meantime, with her mom, Judy Baker, she had been making homemade gifts for all of their friends. They mixed up some of their favorite family recipes, packaged them in Ziploc bags, typed up the directions, and sent them out for Christmas, wedding, and baby gifts. They had a great response from everyone who tasted them, and then They started experimenting with other recipes. They both always loved to be in the kitchen, baking, cooking, and experimenting. So, they really had fun with this!! They started to give away other mixes, and the popularity of it all began.
They decided to spruce up our packaging a little and see if we could sell our mixes using the name Icing on the Cake. Their first craft show, in the summer of 2002, They only had about 20 different mixes, and they only made about 10 of each one. They were so scared that They wouldn’t sell them. Boy, were They wrong!! They knew immediately that They had a good thing going, and there could definitely be a future in this!
For the next 5 years, they operated out of a specially designed building built by Melissa’s husband, Shannon, and was located adjacent to their home. Its convenient location allowed her to stay at home with Kaden and Kale, who was born in December of 2003.
They also changed the name to Gourmet To Go, and then later to The Gourmet Cupboard, which seemed more fitting, and she has given up the cake business all together!!
After 17 years Melissa’s mom recently retired as her co-partner from The Gourmet Cupboard. JuJu (Grandma Spice) – her name here at the shop, continues to work part time throughout the week, but she is spending more “grandma time” at her house now.
The new partner is one of Melissa’s very best friends, Christy Lee. Christy was an answered prayer. She shares that same important family value and work ethic that Melissa and her mom put in to build this business. Melissa’s weaknesses are Christy’s strengths and vice versa. It is a perfect fit, and Melissa couldn’t be any prouder or happier to have Christy as her partner.
They are a Christian based company, and they consider The Gourmet Cupboard® a blessing to them in many ways. They all work very hard at making the business a truly great one.They take lots of pride in the mixes, in the way they run the company, our quality service, our wonderful employees, and they think that you will too.
They still experiment all the time, sometimes finding exciting new mixes to put together and sometimes throwing out our concoctions, but that is the fun of it all!!
Asian Pork Wraps
Requires:
1 lb boneless pork loin or roast
Tortillas
Optional: coleslaw
Confetti Fajita Chicken Soup
A great tasting recipe for all those Mexican food leftovers when you bring home a to-go box of fajitas from a Mexican restaurant!
Ingredients:
1 package of TGC Tex Mex Soup mix
3 cups of milk & 3 cups of water
1 can Cream Of Chicken Verde Soup or just Cream of Chicken soup
1 4 oz. can of Chopped Green Chiles (I used the mild)
1 14 oz. can of whole kernel corn (not drained)
leftover flour tortillas cut in to 1 1/2 in squares.(approximately 3)
optional garnish: crushed tortilla chips , sour cream , grated cheese and avocado slices
Leftovers (all approximately ½ cup, give or take)
Leftover refried beans (approximately ½ cup)
Leftover Spanish rice (approximately ½ cup)
Left over pico de gallo (approximately ½ cup)
Guacamole (approximately ½ cup)
Grated cheese (approximately ½ cup)
Sour cream (approximately ½ cup)
Fajita chicken meat diced with the bell peppers and onions
Directions:
Bring water, milk, Tex-Mex Soup Mix, and the can of soup to a boil. Add all the fajita leftovers, the chilies, and the corn. Reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes and then bring back to boil and add cut squares of flour tortillas. Cook for a couple of minutes and then serve warm. Can be garnished with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheese and/or slices of avocado. YUMMM
Recipe donated by: Shirley Lee from Palestine, TX
Alfredo Lasagna
Yields: 9×13 pan
Requires:
12 oz. lasagna noodles
4 cups of milk
mozzarella cheese
16 oz. pkg. mozzarella cheese
4 T. margarine
your choice of cooked meat (shrimp, diced chicken, or sliced ham, turkey or sausage)
Creamy Chicken Stew
Makes 6 cups.
Requires:
1 lb. of chicken
1 cup heavy cream
Crowd Pleasin’ Cowboy Stew
Makes 16 cups.
Requires:
1 lb ground meat
1 (15 oz) can corn
2 (15 oz) cans Ranch style beans or pinto beans
1 (10 oz) can of Rotel (chopped tomatoes with green chilies)
Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
Requires:
2-3 Tbsp. Spicy Chipotle Dip Mix
1 lb chicken breast, sliced
Olive oil
Flour tortillas
Shredded Mexican cheese
Directions:
Drizzle chicken with olive oil and then sprinkle with Spicy Chipotle Dip Mix. Preheat a fry pan and saute’ the chicken until cooked through. Shred chicken and set aside. In a second skillet, heat your tortillas. Place some chicken and cheese on one side and then top with another tortilla. Brown on both sides. Repeat. Top with your favorite quesadilla toppings like sour cream, guacamole, etc. These can even be made on the outdoor grill with a cooking tray.
Recipe donated by Roberta Whalen from Wallingford, CT
Baked Potato Soup
Yields 5 cups
Requires:
¼ cup margarine or butter
2 cups of milk or half and half
Contests
This week’s mix of the week is our Chicken Enchilada Soup
Comment on the Official Company page (link below) and tag your rep (ME), and both YOU and your rep win a free mix. https://www.facebook.com/TheGourmetCupboard
There is a weekly contest done by The Gourmet Cupboard Official Site if you would like to have the current contest sent to you weekly, sign up for my newsletter (currently under construction) Davidskitchen63301@gmail.com or IM thru Facebook. I will be posting Recipes, Information, Party Invites, current Fundraisers, and a contest or two.
Online Event Contest – Every day (24 hr. period midnight to midnight) everyone who places an order will be eligible for the random drawing of a free mix within that day’s category. (Today’s Breads, Muffins, and Dips)
So take some time and shop The Gourmet Cupboard
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