Mmmm, Peach MmmMarmalade!

This Easter, I received a sweet little Easter basket of goodies from my fellow foodie friend and entrepreneur, Mrs. Picky Fanicky of Mrs. Picky Fanicky Foods--no, that's not her real name, but rather a term of endearment that describes her devotion to producing only the finest, most irresistibly delectable North Carolina marmalades and chutney made from wholesome, all-natural ingredients, using traditional family recipes and plenty of love. In addition to a jar of her divine Peach Cocktail MmmMarmalade, my basket contained an adorable notecard with recipe suggestions and a few homemade chocolate goodies which were a delightful--and delicious--surprise. One taste of her peach marmalade reminded me of how much I missed being able to sell her products through the Carolina Sauce online store, and how disappointed I was when I learned that our warehouse partner wasn't going to stock them.

Not being willing to give up so easily, and because I've continued to receive requests from customers who want to purchase Mrs. Picky's chutney and marmalades from Carolina Sauce Company, I set off on a quest to see if we could partner with one of Mrs. Picky's distributors and thus resume offering her products on our website.

Buy Mrs. Picky Marmalade

Good news: I succeeded.  Through our new affiliate partnership with Abe's Market, you can now buy Mrs. Picky Fanicky's NC Chutney & Marmalades from our recently-updated North Carolina Products page! When you get to this page, simply scroll half-way down and you'll find the link for Mrs. Picky's products in the left column (look for the photo with three jars). Click on that link and you'll be able to place your order directly with Abe's Market, and we'll earn a small commission from them for referring the sale. Likewise, you can also click on the "Buy Mrs. Picky Marmalade" link and photo on the right.

So how did I enjoy my jar of Easter marmalade? In addition to the usual ways of slathering it on toast or biscuits and spooning it over ice cream, I treated myself to a hearty bowl of hot cereal topped with a sprinkling of slivered almonds and a generous dollop or two of marmalade. This was my breakfast of choice on several cool mornings after returning from a long run. Whether you make hot oatmeal or a multi-grain hot cereal like I did, or even a bowl of Grape-Nuts with hot milk, adding a few spoonfuls of marmalade turns an ordinary, boring breakfast into a special occasion, without ruining your diet, either.

Another satisfying breakfast, brunch and lunch treat was a toasted whole-wheat bagel spread with natural chunky peanut butter and Mrs. Picky's peach marmalade. Healthy, hearty and heavenly, especially when accompanied by a big mug of good coffee or tea. If you don't like bagels, you could certainly make a PB&M (peanut butter and marmalade) sandwich with regular bread, or spread both the peanut butter and the marmalade on a wrap or tortilla and then roll up--or even on a hot waffle or on pancakes. Peanut butter and peach marmalade are a winning combination, better than using ordinary jelly or jam.

My favorite creation, however, was this recipe for roasted sweet potatoes & carrots with rosemary and peach marmalade. It was very easy to make and took about 30 minutes of time, most of which was the roasting time, leaving you free to prepare the rest of your dinner while the sweet potatoes and carrots roast in the oven. Not only was it sublimely delicious as a dinner side dish with its balance of sweet and savory (an ideal pairing would be roast chicken or pork or even venison), but the leftovers were surprisingly good the next day, straight from the refrigerator without warming them up first.

Mrs. Picky also makes a marvelous strawberry marmalade called Sundae MmmMarmalade, a spiced Apple Pie MmmMarmalade that tastes like old-fashioned apple pie, and a spicy-sweet and subtly savory chutney that complements meats, poultry and seafood, and also doubles as a BBQ glaze for ribs and chicken. Gift packs are also available, and would make a thoughtful Mother's Day gift.

How do you enjoy Mrs. Picky's products? Please leave us a comment here or on the Carolina Sauce Facebook Page to let us know!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria