Spicewood Salt

11/05/2023

We're still here!! If one is considering salt gifts or hostess gifts for the holidays, now would be a good time to place an order.

11/18/2022

Not too early to start thinking about those holiday gift lists!! Let us know if we can help you out with an order of Spicewood Salt!

03/26/2022

Sooo ... trying this recipe for the first time. Ten minutes into the cook time it smells fabulous!! Calls for kosher salt but you know I'm using Master Salt Blend. A friend made it earlier today and raved about it.

Paired with low-carb tortillas, chopped tomatoes, Mexican blend cheese, salsa, sour cream, chopped lettuce and spicy guacamole ... it's what's for dinner!!

ETA: Really good, chicken was unbelievably tender in the IP.

This Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas recipe makes fajita night even easier! Strips of chicken cooked with Mexican spices and bell peppers are delicious served with tortillas and all your favorite toppings.

03/16/2022

Unfortunately, Ball has discontinued their line of half-pint flat jars so the large flats are no longer available. We still have the popular tall shakers and small quilted jars, however!

Zuppa Toscana with Tuscan Rosemary Blend ... fabulous!

10/28/2021

Time to start thinking about those holiday orders!!

We're not waiting on supplies from container cargo so your order will be promptly put together and shipped out (or ready for pickup if in the Northern Colorado area).

03/11/2021

Finding all the ingredients for this recipe was more difficult than making it! Definitely a keeper at my house.

BAKED FETA & TOMATO PASTA
Serves: 4

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
½ C onions or scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed (or 1 heaping tsp minced)
½ C extra virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
crushed red pepper flakes
1 block feta (8 oz)
3 sprigs thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
10 oz. pasta, cooked (I used linguini)
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
fresh basil (amount to your taste, I used a handful of large leaves, chopped)
To taste: Spicewood Master Salt Blend

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large ovenproof skillet or medium baking dish, combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, and most of the olive oil. Season with salt and red pepper flakes, toss to combine.
• Place feta into center of tomato mixture (nestle into tomatoes so it’s touching the baking dish) and drizzle top with remaining olive oil. Scatter thyme over tomatoes. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until tomatoes are bursting and feta is golden on top.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
• Break up feta with a spoon and work into the tomatoes and olive oil.
• To the baked tomatoes and feta, add cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, chopped basil and lemon zest (if using); gently toss until combined. Garnish with additional basil before serving; Master Salt Blend to taste.

06/18/2020

New graphic for the logo, same great product!

05/03/2020

And the winner is ... Susie Schneiber Rohr and her Barbet with this delightful entry. I'm guessing more than a few of us will resemble this when we finally get back into the salon. Dogs and humans alike.

05/03/2020

As in past years, Spicewood sponsored a photo contest prize for .

Our chosen theme was "Bad Hair Day" as it seemed appropriate for two reasons: (1) my own hair, sadly lacking a much needed haircut and highlights in this Covid landscape, and (2) this epic photo of my breed, the Lhasa Apso, in her own bad hair day. Photo graciously shared by Heidi Liåsen Brunes of Norway.

You just know this photo ... one day you're ticking along, everything is fine and then "whoosh" everything changes. You can just see the "what?!?" on the Apso's face. I dare say many of us are wearing the same expression as we navigate an unknown virus.

Photo winner to be posted shortly.

02/20/2020

Guess we need to update this a bit more often! The past year was a whirlwind of activities and a special delivery in May of the four-legged kind. To say that every minute of our time was consumed by these little ones would be an understatement. However, wouldn't change a minute of the experience. Three went on to new homes and we kept a female for training and the show ring.

My printer quit working just after the holidays. Found a new one quick enough but then discovered it wouldn't print out the logo graphic -- completely irritating. New graphic, same product!

10/17/2018

Whew, what a busy summer! Too easy to get sucked into yard work, activities and little time in the kitchen.

Autumn hit the calendar last month but you'd never know it with the temps we had in September ... 90 and up most of the month. So much for fall! Winter made an early rude appearance with a storm that blew through Colorado on Oct 13/14, dumping 7 inches of snow in the yard.

Needless to say, we and the dogs were *not* impressed. Upside to that -- soup season!! Kielbasa and cabbage soup ... chicken noodle soup ... chili ... beef stew ... beef/acini de pepi soup ... white chicken chili ... and whatever new recipe strikes our fancy.

Thanks to everyone who ordered over the summer/fall and a big "hello" to our new customers! If you're thinking about the holidays already, Spicewood salts are a tasty addition to your gift list (and nothing to dust).

05/05/2018

Spicewood Salt is a proud sponsor of the photo contest with NationalPurebredDogDay. This year's theme was "Be the Spice of Life" ... I'd say this little Jack Russell Terrier nailed it.

03/19/2018

Traditional St. Paddy's Day, a day late. But definitely worth the wait and using the Instant Pot.

03/07/2018

Eating healthier ... ahem, if one doesn't count the Girl Scout cookies. As a former Brownie, we should support our sisters, yes??

In any event, here's tonight's new recipe ... cabbage steaks, sans the cow. Cabbage slices (one inch) drizzled with olive oil and a generous shake of Master Salt Blend (oiled/seasoned both sides, bake at 375° for 30 minutes, but start checking at 20 minutes for desired doneness). Add the leftover grilled chicken and we're good to go. Work night meals are always a challenge so cooking extra on the weekends is definitely a consideration.

03/05/2018

Grilled chicken and roasted asparagus with Master Salt Blend ... spring is in the air! At least until the next cold front blows through.

02/26/2018

New recipe with the Instant Pot ... pot roast with onions, potatoes and carrots. What used to take hours is now 1 hour and 20 minutes. Smells heavenly!!! Final topping is Master Salt Blend.

01/19/2018

While the temps are mild for today, we have a storm front coming in with a possible up slope. If familiar with weather along the Front Range of Colorado, you know that "up slope" means we could get significant amounts of snow.

Scrounging around in the freezer found ham hocks so will convert our fav ham 'n bean crock-pot recipe to the Instant Pot. This recipe is very close to my recipe so will go with it and tweak along the way. As it calls for fresh thyme, I'm going to enhance by using Spicewood Salt's Tuscan Rosemary blend. Will be interesting to compare the texture/flavor to what is traditionally an 8-hour cook in a 6-quart crock pot.

Instant Pot Ham Hock and Bean Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

1 1/2 lbs Ham Hock (I use one large one)
1 lb Navy Beans* (dry, or soaked for 2 hours)
6 cups Broth or Water (low sodium)
1 Large Yellow Onion chopped
3 Ribs Celery chopped
3 Carrots chopped
2 Cloves Garlic finely minced
2 Bay Leaves
3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
1/3 cup Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley chopped
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Add all ingredients to the inner liner of the Instant Pot. Stir.

Put the lid on, and set the steam release k**b to the Sealing position.

Press the Beans/Stew button and the + or - button to choose 35 minutes.

When the cooking cycle ends, turn off the pot and let it naturally release pressure for 20-30 minutes.

Carefully release the remaining steam manually, using short bursts at first to make sure the soup won't spew out of the steam release k**b. When all steam is out of the pot, and the pin in the lid drops, open the lid facing it away from you.

Serve hot with some nice bread or rolls.

Recipe Notes: *I soak my beans for 2 hours and use 35 minutes for this recipe. If you don't soak your beans, try 40 minutes and add more time if you need to.

Recipe at the link below ...

Instant Pot Ham Hock and Bean Soup is a hearty classic you can make in your pressure cooker. Great flavor!

01/15/2018

Hubby is down with what appears to be influenza (despite getting his vacc in October). While the homemade chicken noodle soup didn't cure him, it was fabulous seasoned with Master Salt Blend, parsley and dill.

Made in the Instant Pot, it took all of about 30 minutes from start to finish and tasted like it had been simmering all day.