Spice up The Holidays with Some Special Wisconsin Dairy!
With the holidays fast approaching, you may be looking for new and creative ways to celebrate. At my house, the holiday season means food and lots of baking. Glorious smells of cinnamon waft through the air as pies bake in the oven. Cookies fill the freezer in preparation for guests, and the struggle to find a spot in the fridge for anything gets more difficult every day. Although this year is looking a bit different and there are still so many ways to spice up your holiday celebrations with Wisconsin products.
One thing my family always has on the table during the holidays (and throughout the year) is butter. Whether you put butter on a fresh warm roll or use it for baking, there are so many ways to use this delicious dairy product. One way to spice up your butter dish is by making flavored butter. Just by adding a few simple ingredients like honey and cranberry sauce can create a whole new sweet condiment. Looking for a more savory option? Try adding parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian spices and paprika. This savory butter is perfect on potatoes or for preparing meat and vegetables. They always say, everything is better with butter and there are so many ways to make your butter unique for the holidays.
The perfect butter to gift (or to keep for yourself), is LuAnn’s Homemade Butters, located in East Troy., Wisc.. LuAnn makes all her own butter with locally sourced ingredients. With a variety of flavors including cinnamon and traditional Honey Butter – who wouldn’t love this sweet and creamy gift? LuAnn’s Homemade Butters is also a member of the Something Special from Wisconsin™ (SSfW) program through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
When family comes together to celebrate the holidays, one of my favorite things to prepare is a cheese and meat platter. Here in Wisconsin we are known for our cheese, and with over 600 varieties to choose from there are options for everyone. Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese is also a member of SSfW and their cheeses are made right on the family farm in Waterloo, Crave Brothers fresh mozzarella has a fresh taste that easily pairs with many cheese board fixings, while their chocolate mascarpone is hard to pass up and is delicious on top of fruit or used to top a cake.
On my cheese board I also like to include some slices cheeses to go with a cracker or apple slice. Widmer’s Cheese Cellars is a fourth generation owned and operated (SSfW) cheese operation, located in Theresa. Here they specialize in brick, Colby, and cheddar cheese handcrafted in small batches to produce high quality, delicious cheese. Widmer’s Cheese Cellars offers a variety of gift packages options great for gifting or snacking.
Now that your brain is filled with cheese board pairing ideas, you’ll need something to display your plethora of cheeses. Jewell Hollow Woodcraft is a SSfW company that creates beautiful cutting boards for any reason or season. They offer unique customization options and can personalize your board with laser engraving. Jewell Hollow cutting boards are beautiful and make wonderful gifts, kitchen tools, or decorations.
By purchasing Something Special from Wisconsin products, you are not only supporting local producers and processors, you are also supporting the Wisconsin way of life by keeping those dollars in the local economy. To find more local flavors, visit somethingspecialfromwi.com, and you can give thanks to our local farmers and agribusinesses all year long. Wishing you and your family a safe and happy holiday season!
