Today is Christmas and I hope those of you who celebrate it are enjoying the day. I also hope Santa was good to you and that your tummies are or soon will be full from a good meal. And maybe there’s even a nap in your future.
As much as I enjoy all the seasonal foods we use in our celebrations, I know that we eventually have to get back to our normal eating routine, but not just yet. Many of us are gearing up for New Year’s Eve festivities.
Meatballs are a good choice because you can buy them ready-to-heat and serve. Whether they’re smothered in traditional tomato, sweet and sour, or just simple barbecue sauce, the sky’s the limit.
Casa Di Bertacchi recently introduced a gluten-free Italian-style meatball sold only at Sam’s Clubs. The pre-cooked meatballs are seasoned and ready to eat. With barbecue sauce, they are delicious. A 6-pound bag costs about $15.
Johnsonville is well known for its sausages, and recently added meatballs and sausage slices. They are made with premium cuts of fresh pork and a blend of herbs and spices. The meatballs come in Classic Italian, Homestyle and Three Cheese. The sausage slices are available in Mild Italian and Hot & Spicy versions, and they are gluten free.
Both items are sold in re-sealable zipper bags. A 24-ounce bag of meatballs and a 22-ounce package of sausage slices sell for about $8.
Lipton recently debuted Natural Energy Tea, a black tea that naturally contains more caffeine than other varieties. An 8-ounce serving has 75 mg of caffeine and 20 mg of L-theanine, an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea.
Natural Energy Tea is sold in 40-count boxes that cost about $4.
If you love pretzels, but are restricted to a gluten-free diet, you might want to check out the offerings from Pretzel Perfection. They first marketed Pretzel Clusters, a gluten-free treat, in four flavors - Pacific Trail, Salted Caramel, Spicy Cherry Pistachio and Ultimate. They’re made with nuts, cranberries, blueberries, sunflower seeds and other goodies.
Now they’ve introduced Twice-Baked Pretzel Sticks in Chipotle BBQ , Garlic Herb, Lemon Toffee, Stoneground Mustard and Tomato Basil. They’re sold in 3-ounce bags that cost about $6 each.
In Arkansas they are sold at Whole Foods stores.
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Food, Pages 40 on 12/25/2013