Saturday, December 12, 2015

I love the new Beekman Gourmet Provisions!

 
I am just crazy over our Beekman 1802 Gourmet Provisions!  I wanted to share three of them with you.  Aside from supporting the small farm and local movement all of their products are very unique and superior in quality. 
 
Most of you know that I love to entertain!  I especially love to serve good food, but more than that...I also LOVE simple so that I can enjoy my guests.  For my store, Gatewood Hall Gracious Home I work hard to find excellent products that can "doll up" even the most simple items...or as one of my best friends says that l love to "guild the lily".  These products do just that, as well as making perfect gifts.
Beekman Hot Fudge
Made with small farm cream, butter and real goat milk!

I almost hate to do this to you. The Beekman hot fudge uses real ingredients, from small farms, including fresh goat milk. It's made the oldest-fashionest way possible...in small batches, by hand. How's it taste? Like it would win Best Hot Fudge Sauce at a 1928 church social. That real. Real chocolate. Real sugar. No corn syrup. No stabilizers.
 
Sure you can just put it over ice-cream while you're binge watching HGTV...but how about really good vanilla ice-cream in a beautiful martini glass drizzled with this sublime fudge sauce and a little cream de menthe!  How easy is that?

There's really not much more to say about it. Except that I'm sorry for creating a new addiction. It is sure to become a stable in your kitchen pantry!

Shortbread Mix
Colonial Recipe with an added touch of goat milk

 

Not only is Shortbread one of my absolute favorite cookies it is one of the earliest “cookey” recipes in colonial America. But only for special occasions... butter was a pretty valuable ingredient in those days. With a little goat milk added to the Beekman shortbread mix, because, well as the Beekman boys say... goat milk makes everything taste better. So easy to make, they are nearly fail proof!  Try these delicious, buttery treats with coffee, tea, or a big glass of cold milk. Who needs a special occasion? Well the Beekman boys just declared today “Shortbread for Everyone Day.” Seriously. They can do that.

Besides there are endless things you can do with really good shortbread. Especially during the holidays! I love to make the shortbread and then dip half of the cookie in melted caramel or chocolate. With a very tiny sprinkle of Fleur de sel. Sometimes I'll add finely chopped dried cranberries, pecans and white chocolate chunks to the mix before baking. Yummy and special.
Blaak Drizzle
As featured in Country Living..
 
The Beekman 1802 Blaak Drizzle is a reduction of balsamic vinegar, figs and the native elderberries that grow wild around the Beekman 1802 Farm and all over New York state. It is in a beautiful bottle making it a perfect gift!

The mellow sharpness of cask-aged balsamic is further tempered by the sweet figs and tart elderberries. It's totally unique flavor has been heralded in Country Living and numerous food blogs. Enjoy it drizzled over cheese, salads, slices of fruit (imagine it with grilled Georgia peaches or strawberries) and always...a favorite...over vanilla ice -cream. Sounds odd but amazingly delicious and another great way to "fancy" up ice cream for guests. I know you'll find even more uses for it, too.
 
I hope you will try these goodies out and please let me know what you think!  I'd love to hear what ideas you come up with! 

Friday, December 4, 2015

Gatewood Hall is Proud to Announce a Fabulous New Line Beekman 1802



I am so excited to announce another exclusive line at Gatewood Hall Gracious Home.  I have been following Beekman 1802 for a few years.  I love their drive, creativity and overall business smarts.  Then when I tried their products I was in love.  I can honestly say there has not been product that I haven't found wonderful.  So let me introduce you to this exciting new line.

Beekman 1802 was founded in 2008 by Josh Kilmer-Purcell (advertising executive and NY Times Bestselling author) and Dr. Brent Ridge (physician and former Vice President of Healthy Living for Martha Stewart Omnimedia) with a mission to prove that a farm is bigger than its fences.
Josh and Brent with some of their "kids"!
 
In 2008, the ‘Beekman Boys’ were laid off from their NYC jobs and stuck with a mortgage on the Beekman farm in Sharon Springs NY. Originally the farm was their country get away from the hustle of the city. The farm became their lifeline. Faced with possible foreclosure, the pair made a decision – if they were going to save their farm, they would have to make it profitable.

Beekman 1802
After taking in a neighboring farmer and his herd of beloved dairy goats, Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell began producing soaps and cheese. As other neighbors taught them how to farm, Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell shared their city-honed skills – starting a website and Mercantile. Dr. Ridge even gifted Martha Stewart a bar of their unscented goats milk soap...rumor has it that the queen of  "good things" loved their products.  The men began working with several other local farmers and artisans to market their goods, and the entire village came together to host seasonal festivals, which are now attended by thousands of visitors from around the globe.
Vanilla Goats Milk Soap
Since then, their recovery story and lifestyle brand has been chronicled by the likes of NASDAQ, Vanity Fair and the New York Times. Beekman 1802 was named as as one of "the fastest growing lifestyle brands in the country". Josh also authored the New York Times bestselling memoir, The Bucolic Plague, about the very beginnings of Beekman 1802. (I loved this book it is very funny and inspirational!)

In 2015, Beekman 1802 unveiled a Goat Milk bath and body line and gourmet food products for the North American specialty gift and independent market. Most of 1802’s products feature Goat Milk as a key ingredient; emphasize ingredients from a Farm, rather than a lab; and are Made in America. Their gourmet provisions are simple and outstanding. They can take something from "drab to fab" and make you look like a seasoned chef (and you know how I love simple!!)

They have also written some excellent cookbooks, as well as their new Style Book which is absolutely lovely.  (these books make perfect gifts!!) I can't wait to hear your feedback!!  After all...as they say..."Beekman 1802 is for city folk who long for the country, and for country folk that dream of the city". Keep following our FaceBook page and this blog as I highlight some of their products and recipes.
Some Beekman 1802 Gourmet Provisions at Gatewood Hall
 
Beekman 1802 Style Book