Free Jarlsberg Notecards...woo hoo!

I have so much to share today.

First, below you'll see my new illustration for Jarlsberg Lite. If you're looking for great taste but lower calories and fat, this cheese is a tasty choice.  I enjoyed it this past weekend while spending a few sunny days in Florida for my brother's wedding...and looooved it (the cheese and the wedding).

The second goodie...Jarlsberg USA is celebrating Jarlsberg Lite this month with a special offer:

For every order of notecards placed in my Etsy shop (sets valued at $14.50 or higher), Jarlsberg will also send you a set of my newest Jarlsberg notecards which includes this new Jarlsberg Lite illustration (one free set of cards per customer). Each card also includes a recipe or cooking tip, straight from Jarlsberg. Simply use the term "JUSA" in the comments section when you order. Quantities are limited to the first 25 orders placed!

Jarlsberg USA has one more special offer...A free Toastabag for every comment on their Facebook page as they challenge you to come up with "101 Ways to Lighten Up with Jarlsberg Lite."

Please read more on the Jarlsberg USA blog. A big thanks to Jarlsberg USA for this fabulous offer!

My Big Project: Norseland, Inc.

For the past few months I've been working with The Burrell Group, Ltd. and Norseland, Inc. to develop several illustrations for four of their cheese companies: Jarlsberg (Norway/USA), Woolwich Dairy (Canada), Garcia Baquero (Spain), and Old Amsterdam (Netherlands).

I'm finally able to share these with you! I feel honored for the opportunity to work with them. Enjoy!

Project Food Blog Challenge #2: The Classics

As part of Project Food Blog's Challenge #2 we are to tackle a foreign cuisine outside our comfort zone (though, almost anything would be outside mine).

I've chosen a Scandinavian dessert called Upside-Down Lingonberry Muffins. My husband and I both have Norwegian ancestry, plus we currently live in a Norwegian community. We are not originally from this area, so have enjoyed learning many of the fabulous Scandinavian dishes. Every fall we partake in kumla suppers and our neighbor often shares her blue-ribbon kringla.

My featured ingredient is the lingonberry. Lingonberries are a staple in Scandinavian recipes. They are a small red berry found in mountainous areas of the Northern Hemisphere. These berries are often used with meats and baked goods. They are similar to cranberries and are just as healthy. This recipe, originally printed in A Lingonberry Cookbook, calls for fresh ones, but unfortunately, those can't be found in Iowa, so I slipped in lingonberry preserves instead. I must point out that finding lingonberry preserves is also no small feat. I dragged my kids all over central Iowa before locating that special jar.



To make Upside-Down Lingonberry Muffins, start by mixing the dry ingredients below.



Once mixed, add the following wet ingredients. The final batter will be lumpy.



This recipe makes 12 small muffins, but I decided to make six large ones instead. Make sure you grease the muffin tray first. Add the preserves to the bottom of the muffin indents, then pour the batter on top. The original recipe also required sugar and butter be added to the berries within each indent, but I left this out since I was using preserves. I did learn that this batter rises quite a bit, so you may want to leave about an inch at the top.



Pop into the oven for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Since I made six large ones, the 25 minutes worked perfectly. If you make smaller ones, 20 minutes may be more appropriate. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about ten minutes. Place a plate top facing down onto muffins, then flip muffins over onto plate (gently, of course). You may have to scoop out the extra berries and place them on top.



My favorite part of this recipe is the berry smell while they are cooking. Wow! The final result actually has a biscuit taste and texture. The salty texture of the muffin combined with the sweet berries is a great combination. Perfect with tea or a coffee break.

I am really veering from my blog intent by including photographs, but I wanted to show you that I did indeed bake these fabulous muffins.





Recipe gently borrowed from About.com: Scandinavian Food. Original recipe from the Bellingham Damekor's A Lingonberry Cookbook.