Local Food Notes for Dec. 1

Lots of events to give you the holiday cheer in this week’s Local Food Notes.

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Spiced cranberry sangria combines local shrub, wine

Editor’s Note: Linda Weaver of Mt. Nittany Vineyard and Winery offers this delicious recipe for a pleasant cocktail full of holiday flavor that features Mt. Nittany wine and cranberry shrub from Tait Farm Foods.

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Tags: recipes | recipe | wine | Mt.NittanyVineyard&Winery | TaitFarm | shrub | holidays |

Local Food Notes for Dec. 9

This very holiday-ish edition of Local Food Notes features a holiday open house at Mt. Nittany Winery, Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, gingerbread houses at Millbrook Marsh, and a great band playing at local food hotspot Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks.

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Five holiday gift ideas for gardeners

Gardening season is over, but for the serious gardener, thoughts of playing in the dirt are never far from one’s mind. And that includes the holiday season. Finding the right gift for a gardener can be a bit of a challenge if you are not one yourself, but here’s five sure bet gifts that will be well-received by any gardener:

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Winter Craft and Local Food Fair Saturday to benefit Taproot Kitchen

Taproot Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that brings adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities together to cook local food and socialize, will be holding a Winter Craft and Local Food Fair on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Meetinghouse on Atherton, located at 318 S. Atherton St. in State College.

The event will feature a variety of holiday gift ideas and local food. The crafts on sale will include handmade, locally sourced ceramics, wood block prints, hand-knit clothing, baby toys and mobiles, holiday ornaments and cards, specialty foods, and more.

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Five fantastic last-minute local food gift ideas

Uh-oh…up against it for Christmas shopping this year? Don’t panic. Everybody loves good food and drink, right? And we have plenty of options produced right here Central Pennsylvania. Here’s five great gift local food ideas for the last minute shopper.

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Local Food Notes for Dec. 11

This week we have a lot of holiday-themed stuff to do, including a holiday open house at Mt. Nittany Winery, Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, Holiday Fest at McCann School of Art, and yet another great Tait Farm tasting.

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Holiday recipes and wine pairings

Whether you have a houseful of friends and family dining with you this holiday season or are looking for some tried and true favorites, we’ve come up with some cold-weather recipes that are easy to prepare and go well with some of our best-selling wines.

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Tags: wine | holidays | recipe | Mt.NittanyWinery |

Two great holiday events for wine-lovers

Here’s two wine-related holiday season events from Mt. Nittany Vineyard & Winery:

A Heartland Christmas with the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail, various locations, Dec. 5-6

Take a trip back in time to when Christmas was a wonder to behold. As part of this wine tour, enjoy handmade gifts, family time, and drinks to celebrate this festive time of year. A Heartland Christmas celebrates the season with a different ornament from each of the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail wineries.

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Nouveau Weekends on the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail

Celebrate fall and harvest time with the wineries of the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail! Their Nouveau Weekend Event, Nov. 8/9 and Nov. 15/16, is your chance to try newly-released and newly-made or “noveau wines” which are fruity and flavorful and meant to be consumed in celebration of the season.  There will also be plenty of your current favorites to taste as well.

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Nouveau Weekends on the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail

Celebrate fall and harvest time with the wineries of the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail! Their Nouveau Weekend Event, Nov. 8/9 and Nov. 15/16, is your chance to try newly-released and newly-made or “noveau wines” which are fruity and flavorful and meant to be consumed in celebration of the season.  There will also be plenty of your current favorites to taste as well.

Continue Reading: Nouveau Weekends on the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail

Tags: winetrail | wine | holidays |

Sweeten up the holidays with desserts from Gemelli Bakers

Gemelli Bakers has made a name for itself by baking wonderful bread. However, they also make some fantastic desserts. Gemelli is not as well known as a source for great baked desserts, but more and more people in the area are becoming aware of the sweet goodness that they offer at their downtown State College location, or at area farmers markets.

“We’ve been making desserts from day one,” said Tony Sapia, owner of Gemelli Bakers. “A few examples of what we bake include Italian cookies like biscotti and macaroon, American-style cookies like oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip, apricot fruit bars, pies…there’s quite a list.”

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Tags: Christmas | holidays | Gemelli | dessert | cake | pie | cookies |

December Cookies: World Peace Cookies from Dorie Greenspan

Dorie Greenspan is an accomplished food writer and cookbook author, and her World Peace cookies are all over the Internet. (Find out how they got their name here.)

They are French shortbreads with a generous amount of bittersweet chocolate and a touch of fleur de sel (French finishing sea salt) to yield a really intense flavor. Find more of Dorie’s delectable dessert recipes in her book, BAKING: From My Home to Yours.

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December Cookies: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

The combination of pumpkin puree and oatmeal makes these cookies nice and chewy. The white chocolate chips are sweet, and the dried cherries are sour. And the spices couldn’t be more festive.

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Five Gift Ideas for the Gardener in Your Life

Looking to buy a holiday gift for that special gardener in your life? Here are five great suggestions:

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Holiday Greetings from the Farm!

We are home to many local families’ holiday traditions and lasting memories. There is an honesty and simplicity that comes with the annual pilgrimage to Tait Farm. The ritual is predictable, as well as comforting—it often includes cutting a tree, chatting with friends, visiting the Bassets, sipping a cup of tea, and sampling our food products in the Harvest Shop. 

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Countdown to Thanksgiving

Less than a week to go until Thanksgiving Day—a holiday created for foodies! What do you plan to place on your table this year? Check back next week for some of our favorite recipes and ideas to take care of those turkey leftovers. Until then, take advantage of holiday specials offered by some of your favorite local shops.

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Green Week: Pistachio Cookies

Get into the spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day with these festive cookies! Pistachio pudding provides the green coloring, but you could substitute another flavor like lemon or butterscotch.

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