Home for the Holidays

It can be fun to make plans to visit with family and friends over the holiday season. But hosting an event can sometimes be stressful. With a little help from the Something Special from Wisconsin™ program you can relax knowing you are showcasing great Wisconsin products, and your dollar stays right here in Wisconsin. That’s because at least 50% of all Something Special from Wisconsin products ingredients, packaging, and processing are attributed to Wisconsin.

Let’s talk hosting. If you’re like me, sometimes decorating for the holidays is a little overwhelming. Walking into a large retail store can be exciting, but deciding what goes best with your décor can be intimidating. One item that will never go out of style are beautiful REAL evergreens. The Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association is your source to find local, farm grown Christmas trees, wholesale trees, cut your own tree farms and many more. I’m excited to showcase these beautiful decorations made with REAL Wisconsin Christmas Trees during the next few weeks on radio and TV interviews. Visit www.realtree4me.com for more information on this beautiful part of Wisconsin agriculture.

Before you serve the main course, keep everyone happy with an easy appetizer. Palo Popcorn has perfect cheesy popcorn options. Cheddar Cheese, White Cheddar Cheese, and Bacon Cheddar

Cheese are fun options for kids of all ages! Just don’t wipe your cheezy fingers on the couch!

Add a little spark to your holidays with Spark Spices, LLC. They have a lot of great options like Zesty Snap, Lemon Pepper, and Original Brine.

For an easy and festive dip, combine cream cheese, sour cream, dried cranberries and two tablespoons of Zesty Snap.

Let’s talk cheeseboards. You know those that you actually stop and look at like a piece of artwork? Display your state pride with hand-crafted cutting boards, coasters and serving trays from Chosen Stones. These items are made from Wisconsin wood in Richland Center and are perfect for holiday platters or to give as gifts. Find more information online at www.chosenstones.com

Wisconsin cheese boards are sure to delight and entertain your friends and family at holiday get-togethers. Saxon Creamery offers an astounding array of delicious spreads for crackers and

delightful cheeses for slicing. As I proudly call Cleveland home, I’m lucky to have this business as neighbors! Here is a list to get your mouth watering: Big Ed's Gouda, Birdy’s Red Wine Spread, Snowfields Butterkase, Reisling Wine Cheese Spread, Snowfields Butterkase Spicy Lager Cheee Spread, Snowfields Aged Butterkase, Big Eds Gouda, and Asiago Fresca. www.saxoncreamery.com.

Need some wine to serve with your cheese? Look no further than Vetro Winery; where Wisconsin grapes are always the star. Nun on the Run is a flavorful red dry wine is made with Leon Millot

grapes from Wisconsin. It is the perfect complement for steak. Padre’s Punch is a semi-sweet red table wine made with Wisconsin Steuben grapes that complements ham and smoked meats. White Mead Wine is a honey wine that compliments chicken and Thanksgiving turkey. Made with local bee’s local honey, White Mead Wine is a semi-sweet very mellow and smooth wine.

Silver Creek Specialty Meats, Inc. has a lot of great Wisconsin flavors for that cheeseboard too! Their unique offerings include Silver Creek Cranberry Cherry Summer Sausage, Silver Creek Pepper Summer Sausage and Silver Creek Hukki Summer Sausage. Add a real treat to you holiday cheese tray or appetizer selection with Silver Creek Specialty Meats.

Family operated for three generations, Silver Creek has an amazing selection of beautiful and tasty traditional meats!

No holiday celebration is complete without dessert. If you are looking for an easy treat, Porubcans, LLC makes a delicious ready to order

Bourbon Fruitcake. Serve up a treat with a warmed fruitcake with a rich bourbon cream sauce made with real Wisconsin cream.

On the other hand if you are looking to “shake things up!” try serving up a Malted twist on a holiday classic. CTL Foods, Inc. has a one-of-a-kind Malted Milk Powder. You can bake with this product or