CT Blogger Meetup Celebrating Stop and Shop's Savory Magazine

At least a couple of times a year members of the CT blogging community get together for some "lunch & learn" type meetups!

This month we gathered to celebrate the launch of Stop & Shop's new magazine, "Savory" and sample some of the food made with recipes from the magazine!

I spoke with Wendy from ConnecticutLifestyles.com who was hosting the event and told her I would love to help and make some of the foods. BUT when I went to pick up a copy of the magazine...my local Stop and Shop didn't have copies left!

No worries - because the magazine is also available ONLINE!

Yup! all the recipes and everything that you would find in the magazine are also available online! YAY!

(Link to the downloadable summer June/July 2015 issue => HERE)

Here's some of the items we created and adapted from the June/July Stop & Shop Savory Magazine! So many of these recipes are perfect for summer picnics, barbecues, and dinners!

The Watermelon Margarita. 

I adapted this recipe by adding pink lemonade and sour mix and made the entire pitcher without alcohol so that everyone could enjoy. We then made each real margarita to order in a mason jar glass and used 1 oz Sauzo Blue Agave Tequila and 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier. We garnished with a lime wheel, blueberries, wedge of watermelon and a fresh sprig of mint.

Watermelon Margarita

Tomato Tulips

These tomato tulips were super easy to make! Again, I adapted the recipe just a bit as it called for Roma tomatoes and I substituted grape tomatoes so they would be just the perfect "pop one right in your mouth" size!

Tomato Tulips

Grilled Caesar Salad

This was delicious! We all know that grilling vegetables brings out their inherent sweetness, and this was true for those delicious salad fixings! Again, I adapted the recipe and used grape tomatoes (the recipe called for clusters of "on the vine" tomatoes).

Grilled Caesar Salad.

Grilled Skewers

Greg from CT Lifestyles put together this great assortment of skewers! There were beef, chicken, and shrimp, grilled with a variety of vegetables and fruits!

Grilled Skewers

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Another great item Greg created from the Savory Magazine was Grilled Corn on the Cob

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Watermelon Pops

Finally, for dessert Greg and Wendy made the Watermelon Pops! These were so great! Perfect for a hot summer afternoon!

Watermelon Pops

Big thanks to Stop and Shop for providing some of the food for our meetup and to Wendy and Greg from Connecticut Lifestyles for hosting us!

Bloggers and writers in attendance were Christine from Charged, Cecilia from Snap Happy Foodie, Michelle from She is Going Places, Monika from My Haute Blog, Rosa from Lady Diana Pearls, Jane from RoadFood, and Jessica from The Entertaining House.

You can find all these recipes by downloading the Savor Magazine  => http://cdn.peapod.com/site/61/0/0/0/a37a776d-afb4-4de1-aa5b-dc6cd2e9c505.pdf)

or using the recipe search feature on Stop and Shop ==> http://stopandshop.com/

Happy grilling with Stop and Shop this summer!!

More pictures from this event on the Home Place Facebook page HERE - and while you're there, don't forget to 'like' us!

Grill Tips from Kings Food Markets in CT, NY, & NJ

Are you ready to get your grill on this weekend?  

So many families will be hosting backyard barbecues this weekend in honor of Father’s Day, the summer season, and school graduations.

The team from Kings Food Markets have some great tips for you this season!

Kings Food Markets isn't your run of the mill supermarket. Instead, it’s a gourmet food market located in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, known for providing customers with high quality, rare finds and unique ingredients.  King’s has tapped into its knowledge base of meat expert Mike Lamb and chef Bill Hedge to share the following grilling 101 guide with you:

·         Must-Have Meats of the Season

o   Brisket burgers, made of Kobe-crafted beef with the time-honored roast

o   Exotic blends or different meat grades, including Cluck n’ Moo, which combines ground chicken and beef for all the flavor but a fraction of the fat

o   Game meats, like buffalo or elk

o   Organic meats, such as chicken, turkey or pork

o   Locally raised/grass-fed beef or chicken

·         Tips & Techniques Straight from the Butcher

o   Use a grill with a wide heat range and an adjustable grate; grill steaks on the hotter settings, chicken on the cooler settings

o   Brush a little vegetable oil on your grill grate before placing meat on to cook

o   Season your proteins well with salt and pepper; use the “touch test” method to gauge a steak’s doneness, checking the firmness of the meat

o   To cook the best tasting steaks, you need very high heat to sear and char the steak on the outside; high heat produces that great grilled flavor and keeps the steak juicy by cooking it quickly before the juices can escape (It doesn’t really seal in the juices, as is popular belief — but it’s a good practice anyway for the best, and juiciest, steaks)

o   Steaks continue to cook after being removed from the grill; remove your steak a little before it is cooked the way you like it, and after grilling, let your steak rest for 5 – 10 minutes before you cut it (This will keep more of the juices in the steak and less on the plate as you eat it)

·         Savory Sides – The Perfect Accessory for Your Plate

o   McClure’s Pickles Garlic Spears – McClure’s adds the right amount of peppers, dill, garlic and brine that are all so amazing you could certainly consume the entire jar

o   Honeycup Mustard – Golden brown with a molasses-like sweetness and a fiery, finishing kick; this honeymustard is perfect for pretzels, ham and sandwiches

o   Hoboken Eddie’s BBQ Sauce – This thick, spicy and smokey sauce is all-natural, made with local ingredients and reduced to a nice thickness (never corn starched)

o   Lea & Perrin’s Classic Steak Sauce – Perfect seasonings for your steaks; great for cookouts

o   Soy Vay Veri Teriyaki Sauce – Veri Teriyaki combines garlic, ginger and toasted sesame seeds in a delicious blend that wakes up taste buds

o  Alessi Balsamic Reduction – Alessi Balsamic Reductions add a dimension of flavor to any dish and can be used on everything

To locate a Kings Food Market in CT, NY, or NJ click HERE