Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Product Newsletter

In This Issue:
  • New Product: Hearty Chicken Stew
  • New Product: No Sugar Added Blueberry Preserves
  • Cozy Afghans ON SALE
  • Kitchen Towels Will Be Back Soon!
  • Free Recipe: Pepperoni Bagel Pizzas
Chicken Stew is Here!!!
We are incredibly happy to announce that we've added Justin's legendary Chicken Stew to our collection of healthy soups and stews. Justin makes over two and a half gallons of this stew each year for our annual holiday party. Every year, our guests drain the pot. Now, you can have that stew year-round for lunch at work or a great meal on a drab rainy day. We start the way Grandma did, with whole chicken pieces, make our own rich stock, then simmer the soup until just right. The soup is 95-98% fat free and gets its creamy texture from an all-natural thickener packet that gets stirred-in before reheating. And, at only $4.99 per jar, it's cheaper than eating out.

New Product: No Sugar Added Blueberry Preserves
Our brand-new No Sugar Added Blueberry Preserves uses the natural pectin found in blueberries to create a delicious, sweet, yet slightly tart blueberry spread. Perfect for those on low sugar diets, our preserves are sweetened with the blueberry's natural sweetness and a small amount of sucralose (Splenda) to balance the flavor without that bitter aftertaste.

Our Cozy Hand-Crocheted Throws ON SALE!
Our beautiful, hand-crocheted throws are on sale for $60 each. That's a savings of $20. Going to a summer wedding? Get the bride and groom something to keep them warm in their new home come winter time. We have one with burgundy and one with brown accent colors, each with neutral main colors.

Hanging Kitchen Towels Back in Stock Soon!
Our designer hanging kitchen towels are so popular that we've already sold out! However, they'll be back in stock soon. We're currently working on a new batch made with earthy colors and natural fabrics and yarn. Like the original batch, all are 100% cotton, washable, and fashionable enough to accent your kitchen's decor.

Free Recipe: Pepperoni Bagel Pizzas
1 jar JM Creative All Natural Tomato Marinara
plain, whole wheat, or whole grain bagels (one per person)
1 package shredded mozzarella cheese
sliced pepperoni from the deli (6-8 pieces per bagel)

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper
2) Slice each bagel in half and place on the baking sheet cut side up
3) Spoon a thin layer of tomato marinara onto each bagel
4) Top each bagel with a generous layer of cheese
5) Stack the pepperoni and cut the rounds into four, making small "pie wedges"
6) Distribute the pepperoni slices on top of the cheese.
7) Bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.
8) Cool 1-2 minutes and serve two pizzas per person.

Note: These work great with mini bagels too.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

YART SALE

In This Edition:
  • Etsy YART SALE (Yard + Art) Starts Today - Great Deals!
  • Free Recipe: Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
  • Half-Price Toffee With 4 Jars of Soup
  • Deep Discounts on all Blankets
  • Marinara Stock-Up Sale - 3 for $15
Etsy-Wide YART SALE (Yard + Art) Starts Today!
Today begins a site-wide sale on Etsy called a YART SALE and we're participating. Each store is offering deep discounts, special offers, free gifts, and other deals. See our special Yart Sale section for our discounts. Search for Yart Sale to see deals in other stores. If you make a purchase from another store, please mention in the comments that you heard about the Yart Sale from JMCreative.

Great Deals
Save $20 on Throws
- As part of the Etsy Yart Sale, we're discounting our two gorgeous, fluffy hand-made throws down to $60 each. Going to a wedding or bridal shower soon? Pick one up for the couple's new home. Or, grab one for Christmas and stash it away.
Economy Buster "Soup and a Snack" Deal - Beat the economy by bringing lunch to work instead of eating out. Order any four of our delicious, hand-crafted jars of soup and receive a bag of English Toffee at half-price. Just remember to hide the Toffee from your co-workers!
Marinara Stock-Up Sale - Feed your family well. Stock-up on our all-natural tomato marinara sauce at the great price of 3 jars for $15.
Save $5 on Soft Baby Blanket - Know someone who's expecting? Grab our super-soft baby blanket for the perfect gift at just $25.

Free Recipe: Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

1 tablespoon dijon mustard (optional)
3 tablespoons JM Creative Strawberry Jam
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1) Whisk mustard, jam, and vinegar to combine.
2) Add oil in a steady stream while whisking.
3) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yeild 1 1/2 cups
Recipe borrowed from the Vistadoro Farms website

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Do You Yart?

Beginning on June 10th, JM Creative will be participating in the Etsy "Yart Sale". What's a Yart Sale, you ask? It's a cross between a Yard Sale and an Art Sale. Etsy will be having its annual Yart Sale, organized by volunteers, from June 10th through June 14th online. Information about it can be found in this article.

During the Yart Sale, JM Creative will be offering a number of our products at a discount and may offer free giveaways as part of your order. We're still working-out the details. Be sure to check-in often, as deals and products may come and go throughout the sale.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Last-Minute Orders

It's Tuesday night and we all know what that means... Last chance to order in-stock products and have them shipped on Wednesday!

Order an in-stock item (such as our delicious soups) by 10:00 (Eastern) on Wednesday morning and your product will ship that day.

If you live in New England - Have your order by Thursday!*
If you live on the East Coast - Have your order by Friday!*
If you live in the Mid-West - Have your order by Saturday or Monday!*

* Time estimates based on observed average shipping times for UPS Ground. UPS officially asks that you allow 7-10 days for shipping.

New Product Poll

I'd like to take a moment to take a brief product poll. Please respond with comments indicating which of the following product ideas you'd like to see added to the JM Creative store:

Soups
Chicken Noodle
Chicken or Turkey Stew
Beef Stew
Beef & Vegetable
Creamy Butternut
Creamy Carrot & Ginger
Creamy Honey Carrot
Creamy Tomato and Basil
Vegetarian Bean Chili
White Bean Chicken Chili
Tuscan White Bean Soup With Rosemary
Minestrone
Tomato Rice
Chicken & Rice

Meal & Side-Dish Kits
Meal and side-dish kits would consist of a jar of product and a package of powdered mix that must be mixed with one or two pantry ingredients (butter, water, milk, etc.) and heated according to included directions.

Chicken Pot Pie - On the table in 30 minutes
Home Fries - On the table in 20 minutes
Spaghetti & Meatballs (Beef or Turkey) - On the table in 20 minutes
Ready to Mash Potatoes - On the table in 10 minutes
Ready to Mash Sweet Potatoes - On the table in 10 minutes
Ready to Mash Butternut Squash - On the table in 10 minutes
Berry Pies (Strawberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Strawberry-Rhubarb) - In the oven in 15 minutes.

Jams & Jellies
Strawberry Jam Made With local RI Berries
Blueberry Jam Made With local RI Berries
Raspberry Jam Made with Local RI Berries
Seedless Strawberry Jam Made with local RI Berries
Seedless Raspberry Jam Made with local RI Berries
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Made with Local RI Berries
Concord Grape Jelly Made with Local RI Grapes

Condiments
Dill Pickles - Made with local cucumbers
Bread & Butter Pickles - Made with local cucumbers
Sweet Relish - Made with local cucumbers
Cranberry Mustard
Hand-Crafted Ketchup

Sauces
Caramel Sauce
Strawberry Syrup (for Pancakes, Ice Cream, and Milk)
Blueberry Syrup (for Pancakes and Ice Cream)
Chocolate Sauce
Chocolate Raspberry Sauce

Breads (Freshly Baked Before Shipping)
Banana Bread
Zucchini Bread
Pumpkin Bread
Corn Bread
Carrot Cake

Candy & Treats
Biscotti
Chocolate-dipped Biscotti
Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Lindzer Cookies (Jam-filled shortbread)
Thumbprint Cookies (Jam-filled shortbread)
Peanutbutter Bites/Cups
Chocolate-Coated Marshmallow Bites
Cherry Cordials (liquid)
Chocolate Bark (with nuts)

Monday, June 1, 2009

Product Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

We hope you all had a wonderful week and a fantastic holiday weekend. It was a bit chilly here in New England this weekend and a bit drab and dreary for a few days last week but we were excited to see the farmer's markets getting ready to go full-swing and my container garden is looking more and more green by the day. That said, we've introduced some new products and great deals for you this week!

New Products & Great Deals
  • New! Recycled Cotton Wash Cloths - Michelle has been hard at work making some of our traditional cotton wash cloths using yarn made from 75% recycled cotton and 25% acrylic. Not only do they help the planet by being washable and reusable, but these cloths saved a lot of cotton trimmings from ending-up in the landfill. They're incredibly soft and an elegant gray-beige color that the manufacturer calls "almond". We have one set of four in stock and another set on the way. Of course, we'll gladly take special orders for your choice of color.
  • New! Half-Pound Bags of Toffee - We're happy to offer our famous English Toffee in less expensive half-pound bags. Add one to your next order. You won't regret it!
  • Wedding Gifts - June is the beginning of wedding season. Give your favorite bride and groom a hand-made gift from JM Creative. Our elegant, fluffy throws are the perfect compliment to their new home. Or, order our eco-friendly wash cloths and some all-natural hand-made soap from another Etsy seller and put together a beautiful gift basket. Don't forget one of our designer kitchen towels!
  • Organic Wild Blueberry Jam - Nothing but pure blueberries, some sugar, and a little bit of elbow grease (in the form of stirring) went into this batch of scrumptious blueberry jam. The jam still contains small whole berries but is spreadable enough to slather onto your morning toast or a PB&J sandwich on whole wheat bread for a light lunch.
  • Toffee Ice Cream Topping - We've taken our classic Old-Fashioned English Toffee and chopped it down into a course, crunchy treat that will go great on a big scoop of ice cream or just about any decadent dessert. Sold in 4oz bags, it's a bargain at $2.99! Add a bag onto your next order. You won't regret it!
Network With Us!
Want the latest, most up-to-date info about our newest products and what we're working on? Follow us on your favorite social networking site:
- Twitter (www.twitter.com/JMCreativeStore)
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Creative-Handmade-Gifts-and-Gourmet-Foods/82788124913
- Our New Blog: www.jmcreative.blogspot.com or jmcreative_feed.livejournal.com


Free Recipe - Tomato Soup & Toasted Cheese Sandwiches
Everyone knows that grilled cheese and tomato soup is the best weekday lunch. This recipe brings it up a notch with artisan bread, two types of cheeses, and our own homemade creamy tomato soup. Serve it to luncheon guests on your best china. I guarantee they'll be pleasantly surprised.

JM Creative Creamy Tomato soup (1 jar per person)
Crusty French, Italian, or Artisan bread
Sliced Cheddar Cheese from the deli (1 slice per person)
Siced Provolone Cheeese from the deli (1 slice per person)
Butter

1) Open the tomato soup and pour into a microwave safe bowl or a sauce pan. Optionally stir-in a little milk or cream.
2 Heat soup in the microwave on high 2-3 minutes or in a sauce pan on the stove until hot.
3) Slice the bread into thick slices (about 3/4 of an inch)
4) Place one slice of each kind of cheese between two slices of bread. Repeat for as many sandwiches as you need.
5) Melt butter in the bottom of the pan and swirl to coat. Be careful to not let it burn.
6) Place sandwiches in pan and weigh them down with a heavy sauce pan, bacon press, or a teakettle half-filled with water.
7) Cook until bottoms are toasted and brown. Flip sandwiches ad weigh them down again.
8) When the second side is brown and cheese has melted, remove to a cutting board and slice diagnally. Serve with a piping-hot bowl of the tomato soup.