It’s Thanksgiving, and we’re celebrating with food. The Christmas Stroll Saturday morning is nothing without it food vendors.
Paula Amsbaugh will have a table to sell her Mimi’s Mustard and Dip. Paula said, “I got the recipe from a friend years ago,” but she has “tweaked” it. She’s been making the mustard for about 20 years, but it was only a couple of years ago she started to try and sell it. It took her over a year to get all the paperwork completed. It was difficult to get started because she didn’t know where to start.
Although the recipe is a secret, Paula will tell you she uses a lot of fresh Jalapeno peppers. I use the “not too hot” mustard and it’s hot enough for me, but if you like hotter she has that too.
You can visit her table at the Christmas Stroll Bazar. If you can’t make it, she does sell it in the following places: The Grocery Store in Big Sandy, in Havre 5 Heads and Grams Ice Cream Shop, in Loma, Pa’s Mart, and I Fort Benton at Benton Pharmacy.
If anyone else wanted to start selling their homemade food item, she would send them to the Department of Public Health and Human Services at//dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/FCSS/countytribalhealthdepts.aspx.
Karma Hale has been making double-dipped chocolate candy for five years. She got a few of the recipes from her Grandmother and her mom, but the reset she just came up with on her own. Her personal favorite is Chocolate Covered Cherries. It’s also one of her best sellers along with Raspberry Cheese Cake Truffles. Karma has had an ad in the paper so people can order ahead of time, but she will also have a lot of Chocolate to buy at her table. Last year she started making Chocolate at Valentine’s day too and placing the Chocolates in a heart-shaped metal container. Karma likes to make them, and “in today’s society everyone is so busy, it’s nice to offer homemade chocolates. They do keep in the freezer. They don’t turn that white color—the secret is you add some oil to the recipe. They only take about 10 minutes before they are ready to serve.”
Vickie Kulbeck will have a table this year selling her Butter Spritz Cookies and Sand Buckles, which is a Swedish sugar cookie pressed into a tin mold. Most likely, she’ll have Rosettes, which are made with a hot iron. Maybe some breads, molasses cookies, Macaroons, and Coconut Haystacks. She and Barb Berglund were talking when Barb was last in Big Sandy. They make Gingerbread cookies at Halloween, and while they were talking, they came to a conclusion, “it might be fun” to have a table of specialized cookies. She’ll also have some paper stars, and her Granddaughter’s homemade caramels to sell too.
“Just a creation,” said Cassie Bahnmiller . She makes Gourmet Rice Crispy Treats--six kinds, Snickers, Reese’s, Butterfinger, Turtle, Thin Mint, Oreo, and this year she’ll have a surprise. Cassie’s personal favorite is Reese’s. She first found the idea on Pinterest. She’ll have a table at the sale, but get them early, she ran out last year. They are 4x4x2. “so, it’s a meal,” she laughed, or an excellent stocking stuffer.
Cassie has frozen them up to at least two weeks, and they thawed and were still very chewy. You can order a bunch, but you have to call her ahead of time. If it’s a special order, you have to take the whole batch, which is eight. You can contact her at 399-1844.
Norm and Karen Reinertson, Methodist church women, and Big Sandy Senior Center will have baked goods as well. Bonnie O’Gorman is selling Jelly and Jam’s. And Kracklin Kamut will be selling as well.
There is so much more. Those selling clothing, quilts or, sewing: Twila Cline, Bonnie O’Gorman, Candace Miller, Donita Darlington and Sarah Shaw. Lindsay Boyce is selling Dot Dot Clothing and Maranna Dean will be selling textiles. Regina Jappe will be selling table runners and Fruit Cake. Stacy Crasco will be selling pullovers and blankets.
Lots of jewelry made by Karen Baumann and Sarah Cuellar. Glenn Braun will be bringing his jewelry made from rocks, I have a number of them and they are always a point of interest.
Other crafts and arts will be Glenn Braun with some wood projects. Kathy Geyer with tree Charms. Samantha Potter with barbed wire Christmas trees. Holley Fasteson will be selling paper dolls (remember your childhood days). Katie Heppner will have metal signs. Two will be selling lamps. Glenn Terry has made Lamps from antlers, and Dan Deborsky has wood projects and lamps.
A number of home business will be represented including Scentsy, Norwex, and Mary Kay.
There is a number of personal care tables, with Sarah Drga home-made goat lotions and soaps. Delana Matinez with soaps and bath salts. Shalayna Clark with nail products.
End the shopping by buying a flower bouquet, by Tina Rodewald, for yourself.
