Big Acres'Spring eNewsletter
(10/30/2007)

Celebrate Halloween with Big Acres Gourmet Foods!

In this issue:

• Perfecting Your Smoker Bag Technique
• Save at www.BigAcres.com and get your holiday shopping started
• Appetizer Recipes - Are you looking forward to all those holiday parties?
• Need ideas for a quick and easy appetizer for Halloween?

Perfecting Your Smoker Bag Technique

Now that Fall is here, we're cooking indoors more often. Did you know that the SAVU?Smoker Bag works in your oven? You can make a healthy, smoky meal in minutes right in your kitchen while it's raining or snowing outside! Here are a few tips to help you:

Tip #1: Preheat! Preheat! Preheat! Heat your oven to at least 475 degrees before placing your smoker back in the oven. Got an older oven or are you unsure about the accuracy of the thermostat? Set the temperature to 500 degrees, just to be sure.

Tip #2: Lower the oven rack to the lowest position in your oven and place the smoker bag directly on the rack - no need for a baking sheet. Placing the bag in this position provides direct heat to the bottom of the bag, which is required for proper smoking.

Tip #3: Pat dry all food placing it into the bag. Smoke starts in the bottom chamber of the bag and rises to the top chamber to smoke your food through perforations in the middle layer of foil. Keeping food dry in the bag during the first 15 minutes allows the smoke to rise through the perforations. If you wash your meal before smoking, or if you marinate your fish, chicken or other meat, simply use paper towels to pat the food dry before placing in the bag.

Melanie recommends sprinkling a little Big Acres Spice & Rub on your meal before placing it in the bag. You can add sauce after your meal is cooked. Try our Perfect Poultry, Fancy Fish or Stellar Steak Rubs. These rubs work well on veggies too!

Tip #4: We receive a lot of mail regarding browning meat in the bag.
Here are a few suggestions:

• Take your smoker bag out of the oven 5 minutes early. Set your oven to Broil, cut open the bag, peel back the foil to expose the food and place on the rack under the broiler for 5 minutes. Ribs work especially well using this method.

• Poke a small hole in the top of the bag 10 minutes before the end of the cooking cycle. The steam will escape and your meat should lightly browned.

• Place a couple of sugar cubes in the bag along with your meal. The sugar will melt and create a brown glaze over the meat. This method will not work with meat that releases a lot of juice.

Tip #5: What do you do when smoke escapes from the bag during cooking? Sometimes a smoker bag will puff up so much during cooking that the folds become loosened and a little smoke escapes. Simply use your bbq tongs to carefully crimp the foil tightly in place. Be sure to pull out the rack from the oven first so you don't burn your arms.

Save at www.BigAcres.com

We're offering you 10% off your entire order over $15 (before shipping) just to kick off the holiday season and to help us get through a slow time of year for our business. Start your holiday shopping now and save by applying coupon code BA10C during the checkout process.

Stock up in our online store - Try our all natural, preservative- and MSG-free Sauces, Rubs, Smoker Bags, Oven Rack Guards and Basting Brushes!

Hurry! This offer expires on November 15, 2007!

Holiday Events in the San Francisco Bay Area

Meet Melanie, sample our gourmet goodies, check out our unusual cooking gadgets and buy your holiday gifts to support various charitable organizations at various Bay Area Holiday Boutiques:

• Nov 10 - 11:00am-6:00pm Petit Boutique
  Benefiting Junior League of Palo Alto - Mid Peninsula
  Garden Court Hotel, Palo Alto, CA 520 Cowper Street, Palo Alto, CA

• Nov 15 - 5:30pm to 9:30pm Holiday Gift Fair for Sassy Moms & Hip Kids
  Benefiting Lucille Packard Children's Hospital
  Jennings Pavilion, Holbrook Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Avenue, Atherton
  For more information: holidaygiftshow@yahoo.com

• Nov 29-30, Dec 1 - Christmas at Our House
  Los Altos, CA
  Benefiting the Saint Francis Catholic High School
  For details and locations, go to http://womensclub.sfhs.com/caoh.htm

• Nov 23 - Dec 1 - Holiday Traditions at Filoli Gardens
  Featuring this year's Winter Woods design inspiration
  Directions, Hours and tickets at: www.filoli.org 650 364-8300, extension 508

• Dec 8 - Mt. Carmel Holiday Home Tour
  Redwood City, CA
  Benefiting the Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Redwood City
  Call the OLMC Parish Office at (650) 366-3802 for tickets and details.

Quick & Easy Recipes for the Holidays

Seriously Simple & Delicious Veggie Dip
Serves 10

12 ounces cream cheese
1/2 bottle Big Acres Chipotle Peanut Sauce
Vegetables, sliced into dipping sized sticks

Place cream cheese in mixer and with regular attachment (or use a hand mixer) set on medium speed. Pour in Big Acres Chipotle Peanut Sauce and continue to mix until fully blended. Raise speed to medium-high and mix for 2 minutes or until dip is light and fluffy.

Place dip in bowl in the middle of your favorite veggie sticks. Melanie's recommends bell peppers, celery, carrots, zucchini and jicama.

Fruity Baked Brie
Serves 10
350 Degree Oven

1 large disc of Brie cheese
1 bottle Big Acres Mango Peach Chile Sauce
1 baguette, thinly sliced (toasted if desired)

Place brie on medium oven-safe platter or pie plate. Place Brie in preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until middle and sides begin to melt and sides are bubbling.

Remove from oven, spoon Mango Peach Chile Sauce over the top and serve immediately with baguette slices.

Happy Halloween and thank you for shopping!

Best regards,
Customer Service
Melanie's Fine Foods, Inc.

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