Join us as we debut handcrafted jewelry from several new Alaskan artists in addition to showcasing new pieces from several of our favorites such as Converging Traditions, Judie Gumm and Catherine Joan Petersen.  We have new several styles which will appeal to men.   We’ll serve refreshements and you’ll have an opportunity to sign up for a door prize drawing.

 We are pleased to debut Spiritiles to the Fairbanks community as our feature on First Friday January 6, 2012.  Spiritiles are designed and created by Houston Llew of Atlanta, Georgia.  Molten glass on copper, they can stand alone or hang on a wall.  They never fade or tarnish and bring liminous imagery to life with timeless ideas on their golden sides.  We’ll have 32 different spiritiles on display for this event.

 17 December 2011   Sometimes you have to go a far distance to get something wonderful.  It’s a bit of a jaunt to get to the Polka Dot Bake Shop from here.  They serve up some delicious cupcakes and such in Charlotte,North Carolina.  So we’ve done the next best thing— bring their amazing Cracked Pepper Sweet Potato Crackers to Fairbanks!  Made in small batches with real sweet potatoes, they are seasoned with savory ingredients to provide a unique taste.  Plus, they’re gluten free!  So come on in and get some for serving at your holiday parties.  They are great by themselves or with hummus, soups, or salmon.   We speak from experience.

 Gift Idea Number Seventeen:  Pair a box or two of Sweet Potato Crackers with some of our Rill Soups for a healthy, hearty twist on holiday giving and receiving.

15 December 2011    The World’s Best Peanuts, and that’s the whole truth.  The Feridies family selects the top 2% of the peanut crop each year to ensure the best extra large peanuts.  They roast in small batches in pure peanut oil.  The result is a superb, extra crunchy, full-bodied peanut full of flavor and freshness.  You can enjoy these peanuts from our specialty food collection three ways:  18 oz. cans of peanuts come salted and unsalted.  I like to purchase one of each and mix them together-that way I reduce my salt intake by half over time, plus I love the peanut taste over the salt, but not well enough to go totally saltless!  We also have 4 oz cello bags of salted peanuts, perfect for stocking stuffers or to pack for that plane trip to Hawaii over the holidays.  An added bonus, Feridies is a Kosher Certified company.

Gift Idea Number Fifteen:  Pair a can of peanuts with some of our fabulous dips, then add a bag of chips-you’re ready with a host/ess gift for your next holiday party.  Or create your own gift bag with some of our favorites, chocked full of wholesome goodness– a can of peanuts, a Prairie Dog chocolate bar, a box of dried cranberries, and some gluten free sweet potato crackers.  Yum!

 Two German families teamed up in the late 20′s (yup, that was back in the 20th Century) and started making jams and jellies from the harvests of their orchards.  It was the beginning of a long history of two families working together and later growing a business that is still family owned and operated.  From the wide open spaces of Texas we included four of Fischer & Wieser’s products in this year’s Specialty Food collection here at If Only…a fine store.  Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce is the #1 selling condiment in Texas and an award winner.  It’s the product that catapulted the company into food stardom.  A blend of raspberries and chipotle peppers, it is smoky, sweet and spicy-great on salmon, chicken, and pork.  It’s gluten free, too!  Chipotle Chili Ketchup can be used as a dipping sauce as well as ketchup.  Its blend of chilies and Roma tomatoes make it a tasty treat unlike the “57Variety”.  I like it on a grilled ground beef patty.  We  also carry Pasilla Chili Finishing Sauce, which is made from little Mexican chilies, Roma tomatoes, almonds and pineapple.  It is gluten free and delivers unique and definable flavors.  A Salsa Verde Ranchera rounds out our offerings.  It is an all natural and gluten free salsa made with medium hot green tomatillo peppers, great for dipping chips or as a topper for chicken.

Gift Idea Number Thirteen:  Pair the Salsa Verde Ranchera with Suckle Busters for a bold gift duo.  Or use one of our great itty bitty cloth bags and fill it with F&W. The bag is a multi-tasker and can be used over and over again.  Stylin’, functional, and the contents are delicious!

 12 December 2011   First of all, what’s great about Dave is that he’s a wild and crazy guy with a passion for heat and outstanding flavor.  He founded Dave’s Gourmet several years ago after debuting his Ultimate Insanity Hot Sauce.  Yikes, is it ever hot!  (And yes, we have it).  From there, he went on to develop award winning pasta sauces.  The secret to his success:  fresh specialty ingredients, unique flavors, and a slightly insane perspective.  Most of his products are organic, all are natural, gluten free, and contain no preservatives.  You won’t find anything at the grocery that compares with these sauces.

 Masala, award winner last year, is an innovative pasta sauce which pairs the western flavors of a classic marinara with the spices (masala), lime, and coconut flavors of the South Asian world.  The result is a superb sauce that wows everyone who tastes it.   Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce is made with squash ripened in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  Paired with fresh garlic, onions, and roasted red pepper, the natural sweetness and delicate flavor of the butternut squash is enhanced.  Spicy Heirloom Marinara will warm you on a cold Fairbanks night.  This organic sauce combines spicy red peppers and vine ripened heirloom tomatoes for a fine flavor and some bite.  It adds balance to pasta, pizza, chicken or fish.  Wild Mushroom Pasta Sauce is a mushroom lover’s dream!  It’s mostly mushrooms-wild porcini, buttery shiitake, and crimini with tomato sauce added. Extra hints of garlic, sage and sherry make for a perfect well-rounded flavor.  Awesome!

Gift Idea Number Twelve:  Pair a pasta sauce with any one of our pastas or pair the Spicy Marinara with our pizza drizzle for the pizza lover in your life.  Want some real zing? Pair the Dave’s Spicy Marinara with our Pasta di Campofilone Chili Pepper Fettuccine. Delish!

 11 December 2011   Victoria Taylor turned to her passion over ten years ago and founded Victoria’s Gourmet after a career in the corporate world.  She spent almost a year testing products and recipes in her own kitchen and adjusting the flavors to perfection.  Victoria has a penchant for creating marvelous recipes that are manageable with our busy schedules.  Use her spices, seasonings and recipes and turn your kitchen into a little gourmet paradise!  Our Specialty Food Collection boasts many of her spices and seasonings both singly in small and large containers and trio packs which provide for a variety of tastes.  A favorite of mine is the meat and fish trio which provides a Ginger Citrus seasoning great for chicken, fish and pasta.  Its ingredients include onion, garlic, orange peel, bell pepper, and paprika to name a few.  I use it as a rub on chicken and then bake-quick, easy, and oh, so tasty!  The Seafood seasoning, great for salmon or halibut, provides you with just the right blend of Victoria’s proprietary herbs and spices with garlic, onion, lemon peel and bell pepper included for extra good tastes.  The third part of the trio is Toasted Sesame Ginger, fabulous in stir fry and also good on tuna or salmon.  It boasts a terrific sesame flavor coupled with the ginger.  The European trio will take you to Italy and France in a flash!  The Mediterranean seasoning is has a traditional base of oregano and garlic.  Use it on focaccia bread and in potato dishes.  The Tuscan seasoning combines rosemary with toasted sesame, bell pepper, and garlic– perfect for pasta dishes and also great on pork, chicken, and veal.  Its aromas of cool rosemary and nutty toasted sesame add punch to pasta dishes.  And finally Herbes de Provence is a combination of 7 dried herbs with lemon, lavender and a hit of garlic.  Close your eyes and you’ll be transported to the lavender fields of Provence!  All natural, all with very low salt or no salt, all goodness.

Gift Idea Number Eleven:  Purchase a trio of seasonings and Victoria Taylor’s recipe book.  This gift is fabulous for the kitchen initiate as well as the seasoned home chef.  Or pair Victoria’s Gourmet seasonings with our pastas or salts. 

Spend $20.00 or more on Victoria’s Gourmet products and we’ll provide you with a complimentary recipe book, valued at $17.95.  Because Flavor is Everything is written by Victoria herself.   It’s our gift to you, if you mention you saw this offer on our website!

 10 December 2011    O Olive Oil Company is a well known purveyor of infused olive oils, balsamic vinegars and tapenades.  Their products are featured on The Food Network as well as in the best food and wine magazines.  So it’s no wonder that we chose several products to include in our 2011 Collection.  O Balsamics are made in California in the traditional manner, oak-aged over time under rigorous supervision.  They are hand crafted one batch at a time in order to certify their quality and healthful goodness.  We have the very giftable O Balsamic Vinegar Trio (award winner) comprised of Port, White, and California Balsamic Vinegar. The O Champagne Vinegar Trio will add sparkle and excitement to everyday foods.  The delicate and delicious lemon notes of the Citrus Champagne give freshness to any salad, the Cuvee is crisp and light, and the Pomegranate Champagne sings with flavor.  They all come in presentation boxes, ready for you to give to your favorite home chef.  Single bottles of Sudachi Lime Vinegar and Citrus Champagne Vinegar are also available.   At your next soiree serve Kalamata Olives with Blood Orange Tapenade and Meyer Lemon Tapenade with Picholine Olives. Just add a great cracker (and we have a great variety to choose from at If Only…).   The key is fresh with an amazing infusion of citrus.    You can’t ask for a better combination.

Gift Idea Number Ten:  Add a serving idea with your specialty food gift.  (It’s like giving a 2nd gift!)  Here are three ideas for O Pomegranate Vinegar; dazzling on spinach mixed with a great olive oil; toss with feta & toasted pecans; drizzle over fresh vegetables. Bon Appétit!

9 december 2011   Tired of bland and fatty grocery store dip varieties?   Want to add some pizzazz to your collection of tried and true home recipes?  If the answer is a resounding YES, we have everything you need to make that happen right here in our 2011 Collection of Specialty Foods.  Our favorite dip offerings hail from a small company in Austin, Texas, and come jarred and ready to serve either heated or chilled, depending on the dip.   Our current all-time favorite is Pistachio & Roasted Pepper, a blend of crusted pistachios and roasted poblano peppers in a lime cilantro cream.  It’s great on chips, crackers, French bread, burgers, and enchiladas.  This dip was awarded best exotic dip by Rachel Ray Magazine.  Queso Completo is another favorite-just heat and serve with chips, burgers, tacos, and enchiladas-it’s the ultimate, comprised of cheddar with roasted corn, black beans, onions, poblano and jalapeno peppers, fresh Roma tomatoes and garlic.  Yummmm.  Or add Spinach Artichoke, Chunky Pineapple, Mango Salsa, Spinach Avocado, or Cranberry Salsa to your appetizer tray to stoke things up a bit.  All delicious.  All natural ingredients.  Be sure to check out the Portobello Mushroom Steak sauce-another award winning product.

We carry a huge variety of packaged dry spices and seasonings that add flavor and goodness to your holiday parties and everyday dinner table.  You’ll recognize all the ingredients, no unpronounceable additives and preservatives in these, just superb tastes.  Cleverly titled dips such as Popeye’s Passion, Eat Your Vegetables, and Thai One On give you many savory options.  There is no salt or MSG in these packets and you can cut calories with many of these by substituting zero fat Fage yogurt for sour cream and a bit of reduced fat mayo.  The dip still packs a great flavor, and it’s guilt-free!  Each package makes a lot of dip so I usually use only part of a package unless it is Super Bowl weekend or my brother is coming to visit.  Also, you can use the dip mix as a spread or dip just by changing a few ingredients.

 One of our favorite salsa mixes is Suckle Busters, a pistol packing salsa mix that makes a great stocking stuffer for those who take overnight ski trips to backcountry cabins or those headed to Arctic Man.  This is your immediate gratification dip; takes 30 seconds to prepare.  Just add a can of chopped tomatoes and a little water and give it some time.  Serve it up with your favorite chips or crackers.  Need an extra, extra kick?  Add a shot of Texas Gunpowder, a jalapeno seasoning conjured up by the same folks in Texas.  They know how to warm up a cold Fairbanks winter!

Gift Idea Number Nine:  grab a bunch of these dips for stocking stuffers.  They are great to take camping, and they are great for guys or gals.  Or, pair dips with your favorite chips or veggies for a great holiday gift for the office.

 8 December 2011   To get a good shortbread recipe, you’d need to travel all the way to Scotland.  McTavish Shortbread has done the work for you; they’ve taken an age old Scottish recipe handed down from generation to generation, added carefully selected ingredients like local creamery butter, pure cane sugar, and Madagascar Pure Bourbon Vanilla, and baked up the most mouthwatering, unique flavors this side of the Big Pond.  McTavish cookies are hand made in Portland, Oregon, and are as good as the ones served up by grandma.  Maybe even better, but don’t tell Grandma!

We’re offering you a heap load of choices of these fine cookies so you have options for every occasion.  We have tubs of bite-size Chocolate Espresso, Pecan Shortbread, Lemon Shortbread, and Red Velvet.  Tubs are great for school and office parties, or large gatherings.  They are also good to have as a cookie on reserve, when you need “just a bite ‘o sin”.  The Specialty Foods Collection also contains a number of dippers (yup, they’re dipped in luscious chocolate) including Chocolate Chip, Lemon, Gingerbread, Peppermint, Chocolate Espresso, and Traditional.  Christmas trees with dipped chocolate or sprinkles round out the list.  These single or double pack cookies make fabulous stocking stuffers or Secret Santa Gifts.

Gift Idea Number Eight:  Include a tub of McTavish in your office gifts this year.  It’d be great with some Cuties.  Or attach a Christmas Tree Shortbread to your holiday package to add festive flavor (no pun intended) to your wrapping!