Fall is Here!

WELCOME FALL!

Don't you just love fall? All the bright oranges, reds, & yellows-smiling jack-o-lanterns-red, crisp apples-spicy caramel cider. Warm, fuzzy sweaters...and of course Halloween!

We are dressing up the shop, PERSONAL PASSIONS for the season. Come see all our little lovelies & add a little "Personal Passion" to your own home. We are open Thursday through Monday from 9-5 at Ziegler's In the Country in Hershey, PA.

White Christmas

It has been cold & frosty this winter. We had a lovely, fluffy snow the week before Christmas. It was enough to put everyone in a festive mood, as we put the finishing touches on our holiday decorating. We topped off the tree with a vintage angel I gave to my husband for Christmas several years ago. She is almost exactly as he remembers his Mom placing on their tree-top when he was a child. It snowed again & some pesky freezing rain Christmas Day, but didn't deter us from family & friends in the afternoon. I wasn't about to miss that Christmas ham at Mom's!

I took this photo of our neighbor's house from my attic window. It looks like a scene in a snowglobe.

It was a bit of respite from dragging boxes to and from the attic. I had no idea I had so many decorations! At least I felt I earned those Christmas cookies!

Gearing Up For the Holiday Season

It's hard to think the holidays when it is 90 degrees outside. But we are trying to get a jump-start on our busy time of year. Our old favorites still top the best-sellers list:

• Naughty Nancy's Nautical Herbs



• White Pizza Cheese Spread



• Victorian Garden-boursin spread



• Herb Garden Cheese Spread



• Christmas Confetti Chesse Spread & Dip Mix



• The Night Before Christmas Soup Mix



• Country Christmas Bread Mix

The Victorian Garden Herbal Gourmet Products

Our gourmet product line, The Victorian Garden began in 1989 featuring Herbal Dips, Cheese Spread Mixes, Herbal Sugars, Bread Mixes, & Soup Mixes. All of our herb mixes are all natural with no preservatives or artificial flavoring. We have several dip mixes which do contain food coloring to enhance their appearance or refined sugar. there will be an asterisk * in front of these products. They are packed generously so all products with the exception of the bread mixes make more than one recipe. Our mixes are carefully blended by hand in small quantities-(of 100 packages or less), by hand from my own recipes.

Each product card features graphics from Victorian engravings and Edwardian-Era French postcards. The card is then embellished with a hand-tied bow & finished with a gold & garden green seal. Bread Mixes are packaged in fabric bags finished with a recipe card and hand-tied bow. All dips, seasonings, sugars, & soup mixes are packed in a zip lock plastic bag to keep them fresh & retain flavor.

Lavender cookies made from our Lavender Sugar. Additional sugar varieties include...

Mandarin Orange Spice

Myra's Magical Mint

Rose Geranium.

Our Beer Bread Mixes are packaged in pretty floral fabric bags, complete with a recipe card tied with a bow. We also package in Christmas fabric for the holidays as well as masculine patterns for the guys! The mix is heat-sealed inside a plastic bag to retain freshness.

To make Beer Bread simply mix the contents of the bag with 12 ounces beer or ginger ale - pour into a loaf pan & bake. That's all there is to it...no kneading...no rising. *May be used in a bread machine on "quick bread" setting.

Part of our original line in 1989, the Beer Bread Mixes come in eight different varieties. They make a lovely presentation & are excellent for gift-giving.

Our own line of herbal dip & cheese spread mixes, herbal sugars, bread mixes, soup mixes, & scone mixes. Each of our dip & spread mixes make more than one recipe. Every product comes with a Victorian-inspired card with hand-tied bow & includes recipe to make each product & additional recipe suggestions.

All of our recipes may be made with Fat Free ingredients with little change except to the consistency - fat free cream cheese has a smoother texture than block.

Be sure to visit our website to view our entire line. Check out some of our favorite recipes. Bon apetite!

Baubles & Beads

I have added a new line of jewelry to my website. I have carried this line at Ziegler's In the Country for the past several years & will be adding select pieces to my website, The Victorian Garden Gourmet. Featured pieces for February are on sale till the end of the month while they last. All are Sterling Silver with genuine gemstones. Many pieces are one-of-a-kind. If you're looking for a great destination for a winter weekend-try Hershey, PA. Visit the shops at Ziegler's for fabulous antiques, gifts, & decorating ideas. Dine at the famous Hotel Hershey & day-trip to the outlets, Crossroads Antique Co-Op, or The Olde Factory-(Antique & Craft Co-Op) in Hummelstown. We love to lunch at the Chatterbox Cafe or the Warwick Hotel-both loaded with Victorian charm & atmosphere.

Bonne Annee

The start of a brand new year! In 2009, The Victorian Garden will turn 20 years old! I have made some resolutions as I always do with the start of the new year. Some I keep and some go unresolved-once again! Join us throughout the year at The Victorian Garden Gourmet in celebrating our 20th year with lots of surprises & give-aways!

I vow to take more time to stop & smell the roses. It is so easy to let time go by in a rush.

I vow to spend more time with family & friends...

I vow to always treasure the one who "hung the moon"!

Happy New Year

The start of another New Year is both exciting & relaxing. We made it through the hustle-bustle of the holidays, but are already looking ahead to spring. Last year saw us launching our website-finally! For 2009, I'd like to expand the site and my knowledge of the internet. We thank all of our businesses that have been with us for years - Brown's Orchard in Loganville, PA - Victorian Trading Company & welcome our new business as well. This year the company will turn 20 years old. It is hard to believe it has been that long & we are still plugging away. A big thank you to all of you who support us & enjoy our products! Here's to 20 more!

New in the shop for Fall

It is that time of year again-FALL. Dig out those wool sweaters, grab a cup of hot cider & frolic in those leaves! Once again our Chocolate Chip Scone Mix is back-along with Merry Molly's Mulling Spice & Holiday Wassail Mix.

Check out our website for pumpkin pie spices & delicious, easy to make soup mixes.

I'll be posting some fall recipes in the up-coming weeks. Be sure to stop by often for some delicious ideas.

We offer a wide variety of gift baskets for all occasions. This one we put together for a local Humane Society charity event.

NEW eBay STORE

I have opened a new eBay store-THE VICTORIAN GARDEN. I have been an eBayer since 1999 & have sold hundreds of things from designer clothing, shoes, & handbags to Weller & Roseville Art Pottery & Staffordshire Transferware. The most expensive piece I've ever sold was a Roseville Sunflower pattern lamp that went for over $1,000.00. The furtherest distance I have shipped a piece would be to New Zealand or Japan.

I am an avid reader-I read at least two books a week. My father can top me. My Mom is a Nicolas Sparks fan. If I'm lucky my husband will read two books a year. Hoever the rest of us make up for him! I will be listing lots of books in my store & on-line auctions-mysteries, inspirational, decorating/design, cookbooks, you name it. Need a good read-check me out!

A little bit of everything-shabby, cottage, French, books, clothing.....

Winner Monthly Give Away

Congratulations to Tracie of My Petite Maison! She is the winner of our August Give Away. Congratulations go out to Heather of the Patchwork Cottage! Be sure to visit her on her blog She was the winner of our July Give Away. There are precious few days left of August so visit the website & sign our guestbook so you will be entered for the August Give Away. For August Tracie receives a beautiful gift box with our Lavender Sugar, a floral note pad & pen set & a package of our Herbes De Provence.

Sign our Guestbook for our Fall Give Away. Pumpkin Pie Spices, Mandarin Orange Sugar, Country orchard Fruit Dip in a lovely basket.

What's New

New in the shop for fall are delicious lovelies by Fringe Studio. As if from a bygone era they are elegant works of art.

Be sure to visit our website The Victorian Garden Gourmet to see all our enchanting products to enhance your home or for that special gift.

The Victorian Garden

Welcome to The Victorian Garden. Home of the Victorian Garden Gourmet Herbal Food Products, romantic, shabby, vintage & French Country Gifts. Visit our website http://www.victoriangardengourmet.com/ to see all of our products. Our gourmet food items are available retail & to the trade.