Pride of Dakota Feature Member: L & M Meats

Finding a good, quality product that is still made the old fashioned way is hard to come by, but at L&M Meats, that is exactly what they do every day.

Laddie and Marie Novak, owners and founders of the company, say that having “over 50 years of experience teaches you new things about smoking meat. Don’t even try to get Laddie’s secret blend of hardwoods he uses for smoking some of the best items available.” After bringing every recipe from the Czech Republic, L&M Meats know what they are doing.

As for L&M Meat’s Old Fashioned Jerky, using real smoke allows for the “home-cured home-smoking flavor.” This is what makes their product so unique. Another important product to their line is Smoked Boneless/Bone-In Hams. These hams are hard to come by, because they have absolutely no extra water weight, which makes for a juicy, mouth watering piece of ham. These hams are made with seasonings and then cured and placed in a smokehouse. These products are just the beginning of the seemingly endless items to choose from.

For more information or to place an order, visit L&M Meats at www.lmmeats.com.

Food Friday: A meal to keep you toasty warm!

Food Friday: September 30, 2011

 

Main Dish: From the Kitchen of M & W Beef Packers, Inc.

Potato Soup

∙          2 TBLS. Butter

∙          ½ C. chopped onion

∙          1/3 C. chopped carrots

∙          1 C. thinly sliced celery

∙          3 C. cubed raw potatoes

∙          2 TBLS. Chopped parsley

∙          13 ¾ oz. can chicken broth

∙          1 tsp. Steak & Chop Seasoning

∙          ¾ tsp. dill weed

∙          1 TBLS. Chopped pimento

∙          3½ cups milk

∙          ¼ C. flour

∙          ½ C. milk

Heat butter in large saucepan, sauté onion until tender. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley, broth, dill weed, and seasoning. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Reduce heat, add pimento and 3 ½ cups milk. Heat only until milk is steaming hot, but not boiling (this would be a good time to taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed). Blend flour and ½ cup milk and stir into soup. Cook until soup is thickened and bubbly. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with a small pinch of seasoning.

Makes 2 quarts of delicious, hearty soup!

 

Side Dish: From the Kitchen of Dakota Family Mill

Whole White Wheat Honey Bread

∙          1 1/8 cups warm water

∙          3 cups Dakota Family Mill whole white wheat flour

∙          1 ½ teaspoons salt

∙          1/3 cup honey

∙          1 tablespoon dry milk powder

∙          1 ½ tablesppons shortening

∙          1 ½ teaspoons active  dry yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Whole Wheat setting, and then press Start. Makes a 1 ½ pound loaf.

 

Dessert: From the Kitchen of Maple River Distillery

Baked Apples in Butter Brandy Sauce

∙          4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

∙          1 ½ cups brown sugar

∙          2 teaspooons ground cinnamon

∙          1 teaspoon ground ginger

∙          ½ teaspoon ground cloves

∙          ½ teaspoon allspice

∙          ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

∙          4 tablespoons butter

∙          1 cup Maple River Distillery Apple Brandy

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Place apples in a shallow baking dish. Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg; pack the mixture into the cores of the apples and pile the remaining on the tops. The tops of the apples should be covered. Place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each apple. Pour the brandy into the dish, drizzling over the apples. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until apples can be sliced with a spoon. Serve in a bowl with some ice cream, and spoon sauce over. The sauce will be slightly runny.

www.mwbeef.com, www.dakotafamilymill.com, www.mapleriverdistillery.com

Food Friday: September 23

Here is another great meal from Pride of Dakota Members! Enjoy!

 

Main Dish: From the kitchen of Bonnie’s Country Classic

 

Pulled BBQ Pork

∙          1 Medium Pork butt (7-9 lbs. preferably bone-in)

∙          Olive Oil

∙          Roasted chipotle rub

∙          1 ½ c. Bonnie’s Country Classic Tex Mex BBQ Sauce

 

Cook on charcoal or gas grill by indirect heat or on low heat in the oven (325 degrees). Pat roast dry with paper towels. Brush thin coating of olive oil. Season generously with roasted chipotle. Cook on low heat setting until meat reaches 190-200 degrees. Let meat rest for about 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Pull the meat from the skin, bone, and fat. Shred the chunks of meat with two forks or by hand. Put the meat in a large bowl. While the meat is still warm, combine with BBQ Sauce to moisten and season. The pork can be made in advance to this point and reheated when needed. Serve on rolls.

 

 

Side Dish: From the kitchen of NoKota Packers Inc.

 

Ranch-Style New Potato Salad

∙          2 cups Ranch dressing

∙          ½ cup Dijon mustard

∙          2 ½ tablespoons prepared horseradish

∙          2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

∙          4 pounds red potatoes, diced into ¾-inch cubes with skins on, cooked, cooled

∙          ¼ cup diced red onion

∙          ½ cup diced green bell pepper

∙          ½ cup diced red bell pepper

∙          Salt and pepper to taste

 

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine dressing, mustard, horseradish and dill. Gently fold potato, onion and bell pepper pieces into dressing mixture. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving time

 

 

Dessert: From the kitchen of Patrie’s Raspberries on the Prairie

 

Raspberry Kuchen Bars

Crust

∙          1 cup melted margarine

∙          1 cup sugar

∙          2 eggs

∙          2 cups flour

∙          1 tsp. vanilla

 

Filling

∙          4 eggs

∙          1 ½ cup sugar

∙          4 tablespoons flour

∙          ½ cup cream

 

Mix crust ingredients and spread in greased jelly roll pan. Sprinkle 3-4 cups raspberries over crust. Mix filling and pour over fruit on crust. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until filling is set.

 

www.bonniescountryclassic.com, www.nokotapackers.com, www.patriesraspberries.com

Food Friday: September 9

September 13^th is Celiac Awareness Day. Here is a great gluten free meal featuring Pride of Dakota products! Let us know how this week’s food Friday turns out!

 

September 9^th Food Friday

Entre:

From the Kitchen of Gourmet Coating

Grilled Pork Chops

Place gourmet coating on a plate. Dip pork chops in water and coat with gourmet coating. Place chops in a foil pack sprayed with cooking oil, seal and grill at 350 degrees for about one hour. Pork chops can be browned prior to coating.

 

Side Dish:

Grilled Potato, onion, veggie pack

4              Large potatoes

1              green or red bell pepper

1              large sweet onion

1/3         head of broccoli

¼ cup    canola oil, olive oil, or butter

½ cup    gourmet coating

 

Cut up all vegetables and place them in a double-lined foil pack add oil. Add ½ cup or more of gourmet coating and toss the entire mixture until thoroughly blended. Seal the foil pack and grill at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Add more gourmet coating to taste.

 

Desert:

Find your favorite gluten free item at Twisted Bakery!

 

www.dakota-lakes.com, www.qualityglutenfree.com

Home Sweet Home is our Feature Store of the Week!

Not only did the flooding in Minot threaten Linda Johnson’s home but also her business. That didn’t stop Home Sweet Home from opening its doors once again. Here is a little update on how Linda and Home  Sweet Home are doing.

Home Sweet Home has been in business since 1986 in a quaint 110 year old Victorian house turned into a unique gift shop. They carry a wide variety of gift items, home décor, gourmet foods and coffees, and much more. The store specializes in North Dakota made products and has a large selection of Pride of Dakota items. Linda Johnson has been the proud owner now for 11 years. Along with Home Sweet Home, Linda has Gifts Dakota Style which can ship products all over and people who have moved out of the state can still easily get Pride of Dakota products.

The Home Sweet Home store is located near the Souris River in Minot and has had a long and stressful summer. They moved out of their house twice and reset the store up twice between June and July. Linda with the help of many volunteers, friends, family, and customers moved everything out of the store or to higher ground. Linda noted that they were more organized the second time than the first time! They evacuated the whole Pride of Dakota room and moved the products 35 miles north of Minot so Linda could continue with her online business. It wasn’t until July 25 when she was finally able to reopen her doors for business.

Linda is so grateful for the help of the Pride of Dakota members and their thoughtfulness and understanding. It has been a tough road for Home Sweet Home but they are finally back on their feet. Linda and her husband have plans to expand in the near future since they have recently moved out of the upstairs of the store. Because of the flood they moved their storage spaces from the basement to the upstairs. Linda has plans to open 2 more rooms in the upstairs to expand the store. It is true that good things do come out of tragedies.

A special thank you to all of the Pride of Dakota members who have shown her support through this rough time! Home Sweet Home is back open for business!

For more information about Home Sweet Home visit them at www.ndgifts.com,their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/homesweethomend, or on the Pride of Dakota website.

Food Friday: Back to School

Now that the kids are back to school they are coming home very hungry! Here is a Food Friday menu that is sure to please the kids with Pride of Dakota recipes.

September 2^nd Food Friday

Appetizer:

From the Kitchen of Bonnie’s Country Classics

BBQ Snack Mix

3 cups                   Rice Chex cereal

3 cups                   Corn Chex cereal

(OR 6 cups Crispix cereal)

1 ½ cups               pretzel twists

1 ½ cups               bite-size cheese crackers

¾ cup                    honey-roasted peanuts

½ cup                    Bonnie’s Country Classic BBQ Sauce

1 tbls.                    vegetable oil

¾ tsp.                    onion powder

¾ tsp.                    garlic powder

Stir together cereals, pretzels, crackers and peanuts in large bowl; set aside. Stir together remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over cereal mixture in bowl, stirring until evenly coated. Spray a 9×13’ pan. Spread cereal mixture in pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. Spread on aluminum foil or wax paper to cool. Store in airtight container. (Option: Microwave uncovered on High 9 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes)

Makes 7 ½ cups snack.                  

Entre:

From the Kitchen of Dakota Family Mill

Pizza Dough

2 pkgs.                  Dry yeast

3                              cups warm water

2                              Tbsp. sugar

2                              tsp. salt

3 ¾ cups               Dakota Family Mill  whole white wheat flour

3 ¾ cups               white bread flour

Sprinkle yeast over warm water. Let yeast work to a buble. Add sugar and salt. Add 2 cups flour and beat with mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough (not sticky). Rest, raise for about an hour. Punch down, and form. Makes 4 medium crusts. Add your favorite toppings. After toppings are on, let rise for 15 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Dessert:

From the Kitchen of SunButter

SunButter Fruit Dip

½ cup marshmallow crème

¼ cup SunButter

2 T. cold water

Fresh fruit

Combine first three ingredients and whisk until blended. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Server with fresh fruit, graham crackers and pretzels.

Makes: 6 servings

www.bonniescountryclassics.com, www.sunbutter.com, www.dakotafamilymill.com

Eco Your Senses is our Pride of Dakota Feature Member

Some may say that “going green” is a fad, but for Blair Poitra- Duchesne and Summer Walters, it is a lifestyle and now a career choice.

Walters had four years in the corporate world but felt it was time for a change of scenery after Duchesne called her up and said “let’s start a business.” The two friends, both Air Force veterans, one a vegetarian and the other a self-proclaimed hippie, wanted to create a quality product that reflected a healthy lifestyle choice.

Their business, Eco Your Senses, is an all-natural candle company. Each candle is hand-poured, 100 percent food grade soy wax and hand-wicked with hemp. This environmentally responsible company is striving to make a difference through their products. They use all-natural ingredients and soy wax to support American farmers. Their candles have no dyes or additives that make them a healthy alternative to other types of candles. They also have a recycling program encouraging their customers to send the empty jar back to be refilled for a fraction of the cost.

Eco Your Senses is excited to offer a quality and fresh product that hold true to their priority of environmental and moral responsibility.

For more information visit http://www.ecoyoursenses.com or find them on Facebook!

Maple River Distillery is our Featured Member

At Maple River’s Distillery, they pride themselves on making things their Grandma only “wishes she could make.” The official home of rhubarb vodka, they make wine, vodka, and cordials with fruit that is all grown locally.

After the North Dakota Legislature approved legislation to allow small distilleries to operate in North Dakota similar to wineries, they received federal approval in August 2009 and had their first product out in November that same year. Then, after their Rhubarb Cordial won the 2010 gold medal for the Fruit Blend portion of the Indy International Wine Competition, Maple River Distillery started introducing new products including Apricot Cordial, Strawberry Cordial, and Chokecherry Brandy.

The distillery is able to ship to any address in North Dakota, is available at any local retailer, and also has tasting rooms open Monday through Saturday in historic downtown Casselton from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Sunday’s and evenings by appointment.

To view a complete description of their products or to order a bottle of your favorite drink, visit their website at www.northdakotawinery.com

AnnaKate Soaps is Pride of Dakota Featured Member!

What do you do when your outdoorsman husband makes you a hunting and fishing widow? You could complain, or you could start your own business! That’s what Jennifer Sondag and Laura Scott, the creators of AnnaKate Soaps, did.

 It all started  one weekend when the ‘widows’ decided to get together and make scrubs and lip balms they found in Martha Stewart Living. They loved it so much they went on to create their own. They went on to attend a Handcrafted Soapmaker’s Guild convention in Denver in 2009, where they were able to learn new techniques, labeling restrictions and tricks of the trade that they’ve used to expand their business.

The ladies describe their product as, “unique, handcrafted soaps and body products made from the finest ingredients.” They have something for everyone including custom soaps for bridal showers, baby showers and weddings. The beautiful designs and scents can be tailored to the season and they can even feature love quotes, holiday greetings, or I Heart Fargo messages. 

So, you’re probably wondering why two women named Jennifer and Laura would start a company named AnnaKate. Well, according to them, naming the company was the most difficult part. However, the origin is simple really. Ann is Jennifer’s middle name, and Katherine is Laura’s. “We thought AnnaKate seemed like a fun, clean name,” they said.

Then, why soap? Jennifer and Laura both love baking and, according to them, “making soap is like baking a beautiful cake, without the calories!” That’s probably why the creative process is their favorite part of their business. They said that seeing an idea come to life is great, but “the best part is when our customers love it.” Favorite customer products include the Breakfast Bar, Milk and Honey, Clay Savon and Escape to the Sea. Jennifer and Laura are always open to suggestions too, though!

You can find AnnaKate Soaps at their website www.annakatesoaps.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnnaKateSoaps, or at the airport gift shop in Fargo.

Food Friday – Featuring Brenarsky’s and Grandma’s Kuchen

From your drink to your main dish Brenarsky’s can make it all taste better. Enjoy your Brenarsky’s meal. Can’t wait to hear about it!

Appetizer: From the Kitchen of Brenarsky’s

Brenarsky’s Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup ranch dressing
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2-3 tsp. Brenarsky’s Bloody Mary & Caesar Seasoning

Combine all ingredients, blend together and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Excellent dipping sauce for potato chips, pretzels and onion rings. Oh so good!!  Enjoy!

Brenarsky’s Bloody Caesar

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. Brenarsky’s Bloody Mary & Caesar Seasoning
• 8 oz. Clamato juice
• 1-2 oz. quality vodka (may use gin or tequila as well)
• Ice

Garnish with celery sticks, pickles, green olives, pepperoni, asparagus or all of the above!

Combine Brenarsky’s seasoning with Clamato juice, vodka and ice in a shaker and shake.  Pour the mixture into the glass and garnish with celery sticks, pickles, green olives, pepperoni, asparagus or all of the above!! For some additional tart, Squeeze a lime wedge on top of the drink.

Entree:

Prime Rib Brenarsky’s Style

Ingredients

• 1 (10 pound) prime rib roast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1/8cup Brenarsky’s Seasoning

Directions

Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, salt, pepper and Brenarsky’s. Spread the mixture over the fatty layer of the roast, and let the roast sit out until it is at room temperature, no longer than 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

Bake the roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), and continue roasting for an additional 60 to 75 minutes. The internal temperature of the roast should be at 145 degrees F (53 degrees C) for medium rare.

Allow the roast to rest for 10 or 15 minutes before carving so the meat can retain its juices.

Dessert:

A slice (or 2) of your favorite flavor of Grandma’s Kuchen.