October 2015 - Everyday Inspiration from LTD

Items We Adore: LTD’s Product Picks for the Week for Thanksgiving

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

The countdown to Thanksgiving isn’t nearly as exciting as the countdown to Christmas, but it does require a lot of prep work — which you can never start on too early! Gadgets and serveware help us make the meal perfect, so we came up with a list of items we think will help you make your meal a success! Here are this week’s Items We Adore: LTD’s Product Picks for the Week for Thanksgiving. mini-loaf-pans

Make It Personal The Set of 3 Mini Loaf Pans makes it easy to share baked goods with loved ones. These affordable, pastel colored dishes feature an inspirational phrase on the side. Make a variety of small-portioned treats for holidays, birthdays or office parties. They can also be used as serving dishes. 6-1/8″W x 3-1/8″D x 2-1/4″H. 14oz., each. Stoneware. Dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.

Make It Cute Harvest Leaves Table Decor decorates your tablescape with shades of orange, red and green. The Set of 4 Tapestry Placemats (19″W x 13″L, each) and Table Runner (13″W x 72″L) feature a tree design. Organize your cutlery with the colorful accent of the 4-Pc. Utensil Holder Set (approx. 3-7/8″W x 5″L, each). Polyester. Placemats and runner, cotton and polyester. Imported.

Make It Compact Buffet Caddy frees up space on the serving table by keeping all of your dinnerware in one spot. The top section organizes your flatware in 4 round baskets, the center section holds napkins, and the bottom section keeps dinner plates easily accessible. Metal frame has a scrolled design and durable balled feet to keep the caddy in place on any surface. 18-1/8″ x 12-1/2″ x 8-1/2″.

Make It Practical Go from oven to tabletop with this Set of 3 Handled Bakers. This 3-pc. set features half-loop handles on each side for easy lifting and nests for storage. Scalloped sides make them a beautiful way to create and serve roasts, casseroles, veggie side dishes and more. Stoneware. Dishwasher and microwave safe. Oven safe.

Make It Colorful Add a pop of color to your kitchen with this 14-Pc. Woven Kitchen Towel Set. Perfect for drying dishes, cleaning and more. Each towel is ultra absorbent with either a waffle weave or flat texture. The fun, bold colors add to your kitchen decor and show off your style. Cotton. Machine care. Imported.

Halloween: Curious Facts About Candy Corn

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

Our first big holiday of the season is here! Halloween brings with it so many traditions — carving pumpkins, dressing up as ghosts and goblins, and — every kid’s favorite part — candy! While most of the candy we enjoy is made up of chocolate, candy corn is the one candy that’s solely associated with Halloween. It’s an interesting way for sugar to take shape with a unique texture you don’t find in other candy. So we did a little research on these little nuggets of sugar to give you these curious facts about candy corn.

Farm Fowl Food Candy corn was first produced in the late 1800s, but it wasn’t always known as “candy corn.” The original name it was marketed with was “Chicken Feed.” On the farm, chicken feed sometimes contains corn kernels, so it wasn’t far off the mark where naming is concerned, but it might not be the most appetizing of titles for the general population. But farmers were into it and the original packaging included a rooster in the logo to help it sell.

Pastry Particulars Aside from the shape and sugar, what draws people to candy corn is the texture. It’s not quite hard but it’s not quite soft and it has a creamy quality to it. We owe all that to fondant — it’s sugar and water heated together until the mixture is moldable. Fondant is used by pastry chefs to make elaborate cakes that look like sculptures — things you can’t do with regular buttercream frosting.

Secret Ingredient Like the name suggests, candy corn is typically made from corn syrup. However, Brach’s Candy is the biggest producer of candy corn and it’s not corn syrup that makes it sweet and chewy, rather, it’s honey.

Meat Eaters Only Vegans steer clear of our favorite corn confection from Brach’s because of the honey which is not a vegan food. But vegans and vegetarians won’t find another candy corn brand to bend to their dietary restrictions because it contains marshmallow. Marshmallow is made with gelatin which is, basically, boiled down animal cartilage. Don’t get too grossed out — it’s in a lot of processed foods we eat every day, but it’s on the list of things vegans and vegetarians consider off-limits.

Bug Luster Most candy corn has a sheen to it — and that sheen allegedly comes from shellac. Shellac is what you think it is, it’s a resin mixed with alcohol to make wood finish and finger polish shimmer. What you might not know is that it’s secreted from a bug found in India and Thailand. It’s actually used in a lot of glazes we eat and things use every day. But if you’re vegan, this is another reason you can’t eat Halloween’s most popular candy.

Mixing It Up If you’re a candy corn enthusiast, you’ve had it in just about every shape and color like pumpkins and hay for Halloween or bunnies and chicks for Easter. But it Canada, you might find candy corn in colors and flavors you wouldn’t expect! Imagine candy corn in purple with the flavor of a blackberry cobbler. Yep, that’s how they do candy corn in Canada.

At LTD Commodities, we’re excited about all the treats ahead of us! From bags of candy corn for Halloween to holiday cookies between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, we can’t wait for all the holiday excitement!

Fall Warm-Up: Fall Casseroles to Try This Week

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

Now that it’s fall, we’re trading in our summer salads for meals to warm us up! One of our favorite things to make when it’s cold is a good casserole. Not only do they warm us up, but they also carry the convenience of a one-dish meal! That translates to easy to make and easy to clean up! Here are 5 fall casseroles to try this week.

What Would John Wayne Eat? According to Cook’sInfo.com, actor John Wayne submitted (at least part) of a recipe for a casserole to Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends in the late 1970s. The recipe has since been passed on and modified by cooks across the country, but we liked the one Amanda’s Cookin put together. It’s ground beef mixed up with all the right ingredients for a delicious meal. With jalapeños and taco seasoning, it’s got a kick, but the cheese and sour cream cool it down enough to savor it.

Comfort Chicken Chicken is probably the best base for a good casserole — add dressing to it and you have your one-dish meal! This chicken and dressing casserole comes from South Your Mouth. It’s pretty easy to make — boil the chicken, saute the onions, toss in some cornbread dressing and bake! It’s more complicated than that and there are a few more ingredients, but the process is pretty simple. It’s the perfect weeknight meal the whole family can look forward to and you won’t wear yourself out putting it together. reuben-casserole

Sandwich Casserole Bet you’ve never thought to make a casserole out of your favorite sandwich! Well, Winner Dinners did the thinking for you with this recipe for baked reuben casserole. It’s all of the ingredients of the classic sandwich chopped up, layered and baked for a very heavy one-dish meal. Winner, indeed.

Since We Already Crossed That Line… Here’s a meatball sub in the form of a casserole! Bake at Midnite came up with this one. It’s pretty easy to put together if you like making meatballs. You just put them in a baking dish, line the edges with garlic bread and top with sauce and cheese. It’s all the magic of a meatball sub without getting too sloppy to eat in front of other people. That means you can lose all the extra napkins and eat your sandwich with a fork and knife like a civilized human being.

Something Borrowed, Something Bleu Chicken cordon bleu is Swiss in origin, but it’s been a favorite in the United States for at least a half-century. It’s ham and cheese wrapped in chicken to create a delightful surprise with each bite. Gonna Want Seconds took this idea and ran with it — she chopped the ham, cheese and chicken into bits and tossed in noodles to round it out as a one-dish meal. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making the Swiss classic, the Americanized version is just as good and easier to make.

As much as we hate to say goodbye to warm weather, LTD is excited to get to all the things that make fall and winter fun! From casseroles to warm up our meals on cold nights to holiday gifts to make the snowy days brighter, look to LTD to make any season your favorite season.

Items We Adore: LTD’s Product Picks for the Week for Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

covered-casserole-dishes You have just over a month before your family digs into a plateful of turkey, stuffing and pie! Right now you have plenty of time to plan your Thanksgiving dinner — but don’t let that time get away from you! Thanksgiving requires a lot of work and a lot of tools to make the meal perfect. To make it easy for you, we put together a list of items you might need. Here are this week’s Items We Adore: LTD’s Product Picks for the Week for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Keep It Covered Make a meal for a party, a few friends or just the two of you with this Set of 3 Covered Casseroles. The set comes in graduated sizes to fit the number of portions you wish to cook. Each stoneware piece has handles for easy carrying and comes with a matching lid. Stoneware. Dishwasher, microwave, oven and freezer safe.

Keep It Clean Eliminate hours of scrubbing when you position a reusable , nonstick liner inside your oven. It catches all those messy drips, and because it’s made of specially coated nonstick fiberglass, it easily wipes clean with a cloth or non-abrasive sponge. Unlike aluminum foil, it won’t affect cooking time or browning. Works on gas, electric and toaster ovens and can be cut to size if needed. Lasts for years. 23″ x 16-1/4″.

Keep It Warm Always be ready to share your favorite dishes with the Monogram Food Carrier and the Extra-Large Gel Pack. The Monogram Food Carrier (18-1/2″ x 11″ x 8″, fully expanded) has two insulated, expandable sections that let you pack a hot dish on the mylar-lined bottom (18-1/4″ x 10-3/4″ x 3-1/2″) and a cold dish on top. The wipe-clean polyester exterior sports a stylish monogram that identifies you as the chef responsible for the tasty treats. The 6-1/2″ double handles make it easy to carry, while the double-zipper closure makes it simple to take the food in and out. The dual-use Extra-Large Gel Pack can be used to keep food at the proper serving temperature. Put it in the food carrier to keep dishes hot or cold when you travel. Large, slim design doesn’t take up too much space. Easy-to-follow instructions are printed on the vinyl cover. Microwave and freezer safe. 10-1/2″ x 7-1/2″.

Keep It Tasty Unleash your inner chef with the Gourmet Kitchen Gift Sets. The 5-Pc. Bread Dipping Set includes 4 decorated saucers and a 4-compartment plastic jar packed with seasonings. All you add is a loaf of crusty bread and a bottle of olive oil for a delicious treat everyone will love. Each saucer (4″ dia.) features an olive branch design and raised edges to keep your oil from spilling. The seasoning jar includes Sicilian, Parmesan, Tuscany and Rosa Maria blends (0.6 oz., each). Plates, melamine. Dishwasher safe. Use a 4-Pc. Gourmet Set to spice up your favorite meal, as a marinade, or to add a creative twist to your cooking. Just mix the flavors in! Sea Salts, approx. 1.8 oz, each. Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oils, approx. 1.7 oz., each.

Keep It Easy The 1 Second Slicer(TM) is an all-in-one food prep station. From fruits and vegetables to meats and fish, now you can cut everything with one handy gadget. Get professional results in a flash and then serve, seal, stack and store all in one compact container. The chop function even features 1-button cleaning. Plastic and stainless steel. Dishwasher safe.

7 Things You Can Do Today to Plan for Thanksgiving

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

Halloween is next week and that means you can start your holiday planning right now! If you don’t want to run around frazzled, trying to get things done at the last minute, that is, but some of us do work better under pressure. For those of us who like to take it easy, here are 7 things you can do today to plan for Thanksgiving dinner.

Decor You don’t have to put your Thanksgiving decor up as soon as the Halloween decor comes down, but at least have it planned. Make sure you have your gourds, candles, leaves, and wreaths together so you can make your home warm and festive long before the guests arrive.

Guest List Send out any invites to people you want at your dinner. They may bring companions or family members — try to get a rough estimate of how many people you will be entertaining so you can accommodate everyone and then some. Thanksgiving

Seating Arrangements Think about how many guests you are expecting and how many places at the table you can accommodate. If there are more people than seats, you can start planning on the extra seating now rather than Tuesday before the big dinner.

Sleeping Arrangements If you have guests coming from out of town, now is the time to plan where they will sleep. Think about whether you have enough bed linens for the adults and sleeping bags for the children. If there’s not enough space, now is a good time to book hotel rooms to make sure your guests are comfortable.

Menu Make your list of items to serve for the big dinner along with all the ingredients. Keep this list so you can buy items little by little and tick them off as you go. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, you won’t have to make a big trip for food when everyone else is doing it.

Special Requests Now is the time to get any special requests for your dinner. Whether guests have dietary restrictions or they can’t live without one particular dish, knowing what you need to do to adjust your menu now makes planning much easier than if you get the request a week or a day before the holiday.

Kitchen Tools Not everyone has a fully equipped kitchen for big holidays. There’s always something a dish needs that you may not have. Go through all your recipes and make sure you have all the gadgets and platters you need to pull of the perfect Thanksgiving; the stores will be packed with procrastinators looking for the same things you need the week of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays here at LTD Commodities! We have ideas and products to make this Thanksgiving your best Thanksgiving.

Autumn Elegance: Crafts to Do with Leaves

Gallery

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

This gallery contains 5 photos.

It took a while, but it looks like the leaves are starting to fall! It is one of the most beautiful times of the year, but it never sticks around long enough. The most enjoyable way to preserve its elegance … Continue reading →

Items We Adore: LTD’s Product Picks for the Week

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

Entryway-bench-with-rack The end of the week is here! It’s time to relax and think about all the things we need to get done before the holidays officially arrive and then shop to repress those thoughts! We have a few weeks before things get hectic and until then, there are a few things to take our minds off the tasks the next few months hold. Here is this week’s Items We Adore: LTD’s Product Picks for the Week.

Dreams of Being Organized Entryway Bench with Rack offers handy storage space and a place to sit to put on or take off your shoes. The metal rack features 18 hooks with protective knobs to hold jackets, backpacks, bags, umbrellas, scarves and more. A handy top rod is perfect for hanging dry cleaning when you first get home. Use the sturdy wooden bench for getting ready or as an additional storage shelf. The 2 shelves underneath the bench are ideal for keeping shoes and boots neat and organized. 70-1/4″ x 25-3/4″ x 12-1/4″ overall. Some assembly required; assembly hardware included.

Easy Ensemble Double your fashion value with a Women’s Set of 2 Knit Dresses. Wear them for casual style, or dress them up with accessories and jewelry for an upscale look. You get 2 all-cotton dresses, each in a different color. Lengths are 33-1/2″, 34″ and 34-1/2″. Machine care. Imported.

Because Why Not? Coordinate your bathroom at an unbelievable price with this NFL 15-Pc. Bath Set. The polyester shower curtain and nylon rugs feature your favorite team’s colors and logo. The set includes polystyrene shower curtain hooks for easy hanging. The rugs have latex backing to keep them in place. Shower curtain and rugs, machine care. Imported.

Something To Keep the Kids Busy Get kids into fighting shape with this Standing Punching Bag Set. Just fill the base with sand or water, slip on the gloves and start throwing punches. The punching bag features built-in rebound and adjustable height. 13-1/4″ dia. x 40-1/2″H, assembled. Polyester and plastic. Adult assembly required; assembly hardware included. For ages 4 and up.

…And Keep Your Toes Warm Men’s Mossy Oak FleeceDawgs are perfect for lounging around or wearing anywhere. These lightweight mules are designed with a thick EVA foam sole for comfort. Removable polyester lining has an ultra-soft, faux fleece texture that feels great on bare feet. Lining, machine wash. Imported.

Autumn Recipe Roundup: Fall Soup Recipes to Try This Week

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

broccoli-cheese-soup As the temperatures start to drop, we’re looking for all sorts of ways to warm up! While hats and scarves take care of the outside, we need something on the inside to protect us from the shivers. We have hot meals on our minds for the frigid months ahead and soup is our top priority so we put together a list of fall soup recipes to try this week.

Broccoli Cheer Got little ones in the house who don’t like to eat their veggies? Here’s a quick fix! Sugar Apron came up with the perfect mask for one of our most feared veggies: cheese soup. Imagine broccoli florets wrapped in creamy, cheesey, buttery goodness! Even the pickiest eaters can’t say no to broccoli doused in cheese.

Painless Potatoes Ok, stop by Mama Loves Food for the recipes and stay for the writing. Her recipe for Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup is super easy — I dare you to mess it up! — but her quirky answers to the FAQs will make you smile before you dice your first potato. buffalo-chicken-soup

Liquid Bar Food With all of the football games you’re watching now, we know you’re eating plenty of Buffalo wings. But for those who crave the flavor of The City of Good Neighbors when the game is not on, you can try it out as soup! Doughmesstic brings us this version of our favorite bar food. It takes next to no effort to make this — the hardest thing you have to do is blend! And if you’re watching your weight, you might like to know is that it’s low-carb.

Leisurely Lasagna Another one of our favorite foods can be reduced to a soup: lasagna! Who knew? Cooking Classy knew — she’s the one who came up with this one. It takes all of the layering and effort out of lasagna but leaves all the flavor. This is a crowd-pleaser — check it out; you won’t be disappointed.

Tortilla Temptations If you’ve never had tortilla soup, you’re missing out. This is a must-make soup. But don’t expect a taste of Mexico; just expect amazing. Baked By Rachel put this slow cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe together. Whipping this one up takes little more than chopping a few onions and peppers and tossing all of the ingredients into a slow cooker. It really doesn’t get easier than that, and it definitely doesn’t get tastier, either!

At LTD Commodities, we strive to make every season the best season. Whether you need soup recipe ideas for a warm meal or you’re looking holiday gifts for the whole family, look to LTD for great ideas and better products.

Fall Quotes to Help You Appreciate the Season

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

We are well into fall — in two weeks we’ll be draped in all things scary for Halloween and in six weeks, we’ll be clearing the table for a Thanksgiving turkey. But we don’t want to wish away fall for the fun things ahead! We want to enjoy as much as we can while it’s here. In honor of the season, here are a few fall quotes to help you appreciate this time of year.

“Corn wind in the fall, come off the black lands, come off the whisper of the silk hangers, the lap of the flat spear leaves.” Carl Sandburg

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” L.M. Montgomery

“Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like they’re falling in love with the ground.” Andrea Gibson

“Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.” William Cullen Bryant

“The stripped and shapely maple grieves the ghosts of her departed leaves. The ground is hard, as hard as stone. The year is old, the birds are flown.” John Updike

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” Emily Brontë

“Then summer fades and passes and October comes. We’ll smell smoke then, and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness, swift elation, a sense of sadness and departure.” Thomas Wolfe

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air.” Nathaniel Hawthorne

“When everything that ticked has stopped, and space stares, all around, or grisly frosts, first autumn morns, repeal the beating ground.” Emily Dickinson

“From the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn–that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness–that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.” Jane Austen

“Autumn is as joyful and sweet as an untimely end.” Rémy de Gourmont

“Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.” Carol Bishop Hipps

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace, as I have seen in one autumnal face.” John Donne

“There ought to be gardens for all months in the year, in which, severally, things of beauty may be then in season.” Sir Francis Bacon

“At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, bitter where it borders on taste, and more honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds. Containing depth within itself, darkness, something of the grave almost.” Rainer Maria Rilke

Items We Adore: LTD’s Product Picks for the Week for Thanksgiving Decor

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Rachel Roszmann

It seems early to be thinking about turkey and stuffing, but the holidays are going to be here before you know it! We want you to be prepared to be festive, so we pored over the catalog for all-things-Thanksgiving to make your home festive for the first big holiday. Here are this week’s Items We Adore: LTD’s Product Picks for the Week for Thanksgiving decor.

Owl Always Love Thanksgiving Plush Harvest Owl or Squirrel Decor features an irresistible animal figure dressed in fall colors and seasonal accents. The fabric elements include a stitched greeting of “Happy Fall” or “Happy Autumn.” Place the figure on a mantel, holiday table or wherever visitors are sure to see it.

Autumn Delights Celebrate the changing colors of the season with autumn wreaths and garlands. Hang a Wreath (approx. 21″ dia.) on the front door or any wall inside your home. The flexible Garland (approx. 60″) can be wrapped around a banister or draped on a mantel or shelf. Bursting with blooms, the Floral design also features faux greenery. Faux acorns and berries give a natural touch to the fiery leaf design.

A Warm Glow Enjoy your favorite scents without the danger of an open flame with the Flameless Candle 5-Pc. Gift Set. The beautiful set includes a scented LED pillar candle as well as 2 LED tea light candles with coordinating holders. Comes packaged in a gift box, ready for giving.

Loving Thoughts An uplifting message accompanies your table settings with a Live-Laugh-Love Table Runner. The traditional checkered pattern goes with almost any kitchen or dining room decor. Its cheerful look also is perfect for everyday use. 13″ x 72″. Cotton. Imported.

Autumn Accents Harvest LED Candle Lighted Decor makes a beautiful seasonal centerpiece for fall’s holidays. Scrollwork cutouts cover the surface of a familiar autumn symbol. The LED flame shines through the pattern for a festive look, and can also be set to flicker. The top is decorated with leaves and stems. Each one has cushion pads on the bottom to protect tabletops and shelves from scratches. Requires 3 “AA” batteries. Includes an on/off switch on the bottom.