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Here is what I love about Fall:

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Loaf

Pumpkin Spice Latte

The start of UNC Basketball season

Hiking with my family

What do you love about Fall?

For the Manly Man:

Even though tailgating season is over, there is no reason the Manly Dad can’t get his adrenaline pumping with The Tailgating Combo from Certified Steak and Seafood. Beef, beef, and more beef.

For the Business Man:

For the Business Dad that loves his black suit, white shirt and blue tie, he can now have Tie Cookies to match his buttoned-up image.

For the Retro Man:

For the dated Dad that walks around in Mountain Dew T-shirts and sports a rockin’ beard circa 1978, stick with the Retro Gift Box from {cacao} Sweets and Treats in Chicago. It’s totally groovy.

For the Drinking Man:

If your Dad has been known to dabble in “brewland,” check out the Beer and Pretzel Truffles from truffle truffle. Gourmet candy is known to absorb alcohol.

For the Adventurous Man:

Stock your outdoorsy Dad’s chic fanny pack with Adventurous Lollipops for his next hiking trek. Ordinary trail mix is so last year. Everybody knows that cool Dad’s now hike with Black Pepper Melon Lollipops from Seattle.

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Like all things in life an amazing dessert starts with a simple thought that turns into an action.

Starting a business is difficult but it is well worth the effort.  When I began to think about starting a delivery bake shop the first thing that came to mind was how difficult it would be when added to my responsibilities of family, full time graduate school and full time employment, but I quickly learned that this self defeating attitude is not the way to go so I put my “big girl panties” on and came up with a plan.

I came up with five things that would be absolutely required for me and anyone else who would be interested in juggling a 9 to 5 with being a CEO after 5.  First off would be Dedication to yourself and your product.  You say its good now it’s time to prove it.  You’ve gone out of your way for other companies now its time to give that same effort to your own company, go out of your way to put forth every effort to make your product a success.  Drop your Pride, it will not serve you well.  In the service industry the most important thing is how you treat your customer and the way they feel about you and your product.  Remember you are the face of your company and if you are not friendly and welcoming then your product will not be well received.  Tell your Fear you don’t live here anymore.  STOP being afraid to talk about your business or product it’s not going to help your business grow so stop wasting energy doing it.  Avoid Procrastination.  This is your business so don’t treat it like an option to succeed, treat it like there is not option for failure.   Lastly Know what you need to succeed.  Know your target audience, know your field and know how to sell your self and your product.  Clients hate it when you try to sell them a product that you are not even well versed on.

While there are other things are involved in being a success these are just a few of the heavy hitters for us!

Tamira Williams is the Founder of The Ultimate Drunken Cupcake in Orlando, Florida. Tamira began baking at the age of 19 and it became an unbridled passion for her. She began mixing alcohol and baking during the Christmas Holiday’s about 10 years ago when she “accidentally” put a little too much rum in the rum cake and everyone went head over heels for it, and she’s been mixing drinks with cupcakes since that day!

Kalhua Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers

Hot Dogs

Fried Chicken

Favorite Potato Salad

Baked or Barbecued Beans

Pie Recipes – All your favorite pies (apple, blackberry, lemon meringue, and many more pies)

Corn On The Cob

Old-Fashioned Lemonade

Sweet Tea

Ice Cream (any flavor)

Chips (various flavors) and Dip

While we are all for Americana, how about adding a contemporary twist to the family fun this year?

Savory Cheesecakes make a great appetizer at any picnic. They are so addicting that a new tradition will be started and you will be asked to bring this to the party every year!

The Original Slatherin’ Sauce Burger Recipe will earn you the title of Grill Master at the barbecue and make you the envy of all the other men desperate for this honor.

Pies are great, but Pie Pops are even Better. Pie Pops are easy to eat and made with locally sourced seasonal fruit. You will become the Martha Stewart of the neighborhood when you whip out these babies!

Have a great weekend and don’t forget to honor those who have lost their lives serving our great Nation while enjoying great food and quality time with friends and family.

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Bread and Crackers

A great match for honey, dipping bread into warmed honey is a simple pleasure. Some local sourdough bread with honey is a great choice.

Chocolate

A great way to balance the sweetness of certain honeys is with a dark (70% or more) chocolate bar.

Charcuterie

Smoked, Salted or Cured meats are a perfect choice when pairing honey because of their opposite flavors and each one balances each other out.

Desserts

Sweet items should be prepared beforehand and served accordingly. Highlighting the honey flavor and texture is a great idea. Some sweet treats to try: Baklava, Honey Caramels or Fritters in Honey Syrup.

Liquid Pairings

Not only can you pair honey with solid foods, you can also pair honeys with beverages. Use it as a natural substitute for simple syrup in drinks. Not only will you use much less, but your flavors will be heightened by the natural syrup. Showcase drinks with seasonal fruits and herbs, like mojitos and sweeten them with honey. Your guests will be surprised and you’ll even be improving their health. Here are some drinks to serve: Mojitos, Mint Juleps, and Sangria.

Remember the party is about discovering your favorite honeys, pairings and learning about varietal honey as a new staple in your kitchen!

The Honey Boutique Ships Honey Nationwide

Wanna get a head start? Check out The Honey Boutique.  The Honey Boutique is a startup that only sends the best honey with exotic flavorings such as range Blossom, Sumac, Tupelo, Star Thistle, Blueberry, Gallberry, Sourwood, Cabbage Palm, Clover, Wildflower and many more.

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1. Helps Promote Fertility
Peanuts contain a good amount of folate. Repeated studies have shown that women who had a daily intake of 400 micrograms of folic acid before and during early pregnancy reduced their risk of having a baby born with a serious neural tube defect by up to 70%.
2. Aids in Blood Sugar Regulation
One fourth cup of peanuts can supply the body with 35% of the DV of manganese, a mineral which plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation.
3. Helps Fight Depression
Peanuts are good sources of tryptophan, an essential amino acid which is important for the production of serotonin, one of the key brain chemicals involved in mood regulation. When depression occurs, a decreased amount of serotonin may be released from the nerve cells in the brain. Tryptophan may raise serotonin’s antidepressant effects when there is an increased amount of serotonin in the blood.
4. Boosts Memory Power
Do you know what can be found in peanuts that gave them the “brain food” tag? This is due to their vitamin B3 or niacin content whose many health benefits include normal brain functioning and boosting memory power.
5. Lowers Risk of Weight Gain
Surprise! Eating nuts regularly is associated with a lowered risk of weight gain. Research has shown that people who eat nuts at least twice weekly are much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never eat them.

So, there you go! Peanuts rule…start by supporting a local Virginia company and order the best from Bakers Southern Tradition Peanuts where it’s a family tradition to use only the best Virginia peanuts. All peanut gifts are shipped nationwide.

Carolina Cajun Peanuts

Redskin Peanuts

For Lynn Steinberg, food is the center of her family celebrations. As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, half-sister, grand-daughter, cousin, sister-in-law, daughter-in law, aunt, friend and co-worker, Lynn is a lot of things to a lot of people. And, after living in six cities since college, she has sent gifts to all of the people in her life, all spread throughout the country, at some point each year. [Listen More Here...]