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weekly specialsAuthor Archives: Lauri Youngquist
May 19, 2012
Summer Food
We are always brainstorming about how to make food prep and cooking easier for our customers.This week we introduce our Pineapple kabob, a juicy fun treat for the grill! We included a buttery marinade recipe on the package that you might enjoy as well. Our Premium Choice Black Angus Top Sirloin Kabobs have been a customer hit for years providing a quick meal on the grill. All you have to do is season them and put them on the grill. Chicken kabobs are another customer favorite and our team makes all of these kabobs extra special. If you are looking for a side dish to accompany something you are grilling, perhaps you would like our vegetable kabobs, another item that you may season or marinate and toss on the grill for a quick side. I can’t think about summer food without thinking about our Corn Tomato & Avocado Salad! A … Continue reading
May 10, 2012
Summer is here!
What says summer more than a fresh cooked bratwurst on the grill? Well, we think we have an answer – a really great fresh prepared bratwurst! Our butchers have been making the Famous Festival Fresh Bratwurst for many years right in the store. Great sausage making is really a lost art and fresh sausage right in the store is almost unheard of. We are keeping the tradition alive and our fresh butchers continue to deliver tasty links for the grill. Stop in today, pick up some fresh brat buns from the bakery and your favorite toppings from kraut to onions and more! Enjoy a traditional treat on the grill with your family and friends. If you have family members who prefer chicken pick up some of the new Chicken Bratwurst from Gold N Plump! Busy weekend with opening fishing AND Mother’s Day. Don’t fret you can get everything you need … Continue reading
April 30, 2012
Savor Local Flavor
On April 19 Festival Foods was honored to receive the “Minnesota Grown Retailer of the Year” award! Pictured is Minnesota Grown spokesperson Carrie Tollefson, Rod Borden Director of Produce and Jason Herfel Vice President of Fresh Foods at Festival Foods. As a small local business we understand perhaps better than the chain stores that our local farmers are an important part of their communities just as our stores and associates play an important role each community they are located. While Whole Foods & other chains define local as “only products that have traveled less than a day (7 or fewer hours by car or truck)” our definition at Festival Foods is a lot closer to home. Here are some of the wonderful families and farms that have provided our local produce for many years. Axdahl’s Garden Farm-Brian and Leslie, Stillwater MN Pahl Farm- Gary and Brian Pahl, Apple Valley MN … Continue reading
April 23, 2012
Food favorites on the menu
One item always on our shopping list at this time of year is Asparagus, we had it for dinner three times last week! Steaming and roasting the asparagus are my favorite methods to cook the Asparagus. Roasting is so simple just wash and trim the Asparagus toss to coat with olive oil and a tiny squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of kosher salt. Lay flat on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Another simply delicious recipe is Grilled Asparagus Salad with Fried Eggs. Asparagus would be a wonderful side dish to many of our recipes included in our menu for the week. We thought we should highlight some foods around the store that you may not have tried yet: Piacci Fior‑di‑Latte, or “flower of milk,” offers delicate flavor, reminiscent of handmade fresh Italian Mozzarella. Perfect to toss with tomatoes and fresh basil for … Continue reading
April 17, 2012
It’s hot then it’s cold,it’s Minnesota!
Our glorious spring weather disappeared quickly with a dusting of snow so we turned to some heartier dishes for this week’s menu. One of the dishes this week is Speedy Baked Ziti. I was a fan of the Sopranos on HBO and all of the characters loved Carmella’s Ziti and a dish that brought the family together for Sunday dinner so when I ran across this recipe in Food and Wine, I had to give it a try! Another recipe this week is our Southwestern Pot Roast, a very simple recipe for the slow cooker that we serve with provides another great meal with leftover pot roast used for Shredded Beef Quesadillas, here is our video for the quesadillas. The perfect accompaniment to either of these meal is our recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice: Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients: 1 Cup Basmati Rice – Rinse lightly in cold water, then cook … Continue reading
April 11, 2012
Breakfast for Dinner
One of our favorite dinners growing up was “Dad’s Pancakes” made from scratch and unbelievably fluffy. The pancakes were always served with what is now referred to as simple syrup, we referred to it all those years ago as sugar syrup. While I would like to tell you that I continue to make Dad’s recipe, my time does not allow that to be the case, but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying pancakes for dinner! There are many good pancake mixes, I like a complete mix where all you have to do is add water, a quick and easy way to feed the family for dinner, add some “little sizzlers” or bacon with a giant glass of milk and your family will be very happy. That glass of milk can also help save BIG money at the gas pump as well. Save 10 cents per gallon of gas for EACH … Continue reading
April 3, 2012
Easter Dinner
One of my favorite holiday traditions as a child was coloring the Easter eggs, as an adult one of my least favorite traditions was hard-boiling the eggs so the eggs could be dyed! Many years ago I discovered the secret of perfect hard-boiled eggs – I purchase them from the Deli at Festival. I prefer to purchase the eggs and dye them at home but the Deli team also prepares dyed eggs if that is your choice. Our Premium Quality Double Smoked Bone-In Ham is a holiday tradition for many families. Our ham is fully cooked; twice smoked over hard wood you may simply bake covered with foil or lid at 325 degrees for approximately 15 minutes per pound to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. This video featuring Festival team members Ray and Jason explains the advantages of purchasing and serving a premium quality ham. Leftover ham from your dinner may be … Continue reading
March 5, 2012
Let’s Eat!
We hope you enjoy our suggested menu this week, the menu includes several of our favorite comfort foods. If you are looking for a recipe for chuck roast we have the perfect solution Southwestern Pot Roast another slow-cooker recipe. Chef Ryan has a new video on Youtube to show you how easy this recipe is to make. If you are in the mood for chicken and looking for a side dish to accompany the chicken, what could be more Minnesota than Wild Rice? We thought it was time to share a recipe highlighting Minnesota’s official state grain. This is a delicious Wild Rice Casserole recipe that we wanted to share with you. Another reason beside this delicious recipe is the nutritional information below from mnwildrice.org that shows why Wild Rice might be a better nutritional option than rice. One of favorite products at Festival is Lefas brand Extra Virgin … Continue reading
February 27, 2012
Salmon Love
We have some beautiful salmon filets in our store this week and a recipe that is sure to please is Bacon Wrapped Salmon. This recipe uses Tom Douglas Rub with Love – Salmon rub as well as a Savu smoker bag. The salmon rub is brown sugar based and this rub flavors “the best salmon in Seattle” at Etta’s restaurant, according to Northwest Palate Magazine. If you love easy clean up with the bonus of great taste you will love the Savu smoker bag. Our weekly menu also has another salmon recipe for Maple Glazed Salmon, another delicious option! As if we needed an excuse to eat salmon, here is an interesting article A Diet Rich in Fish May Help the Brain. The new Tide “pods” have just arrived in our stores, great pre-measured detergent so no messy cups to measure and spill. Another new item in our innovative bakery … Continue reading
February 19, 2012
Celebrate Mardi Gras
You don’t have to go to the French Quarter of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. Have your own celebration enjoying creole or cajun cuisine and other food traditions of Mardi Gras. We have King Cakes and Paczkis on Monday and Fat Tuesday and some festive cupcakes to celebrate the event. One staple in our family cupboard has always been Zatarain’s Dirty Rice mix, all you have to do is add water and browned ground beef, a one pot meal to have any time of year. Po’ boys are another Louisiana food that we enjoy. Po’boys are a sandwich that consists of meat or seafood (usually fried) served on a baguette. One of our favorite po’ boy recipes is made with ground pork from a recipe I found years ago in Food and Wine magazine Spicy Pork Po’Boys is included in our Menu this week. How about trying Jambalaya with … Continue reading
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