Steak Fajitas and Tex-Mex Bean Salad

Sometimes I get a craving for Tex-Mex food. I love the flavor blend of the spices, cheese, and tortillas! Fajitas are one of my favorite Tex-Mex dishes. This Steak Fajita recipe uses marinated flank steak.

Steak Fajitas
1 flank steak, about 1 1/2 lbs.
Juice of one lime (or more if lime does not have a lot of juice)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Watkins Cumin
1 tsp. Watkins Chili Powder
1 tsp. Watkins Oregano
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
4 cloves garlic, minced
Watkins Garlic Powder or Garlic Salt
Bell peppers, green, yellow, or red, sliced
Onions, sliced
Other veggies you'd like
Flour tortillas or multi-grain tortilla wraps

Put flank steak in large ziploc bag.

Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cilantro, and garlic. Pour into bag with steak, turn to coat steak and marinate at least one hour in the refrigerator.

Grill flank steak (about 4 minutes per side for medium rare). Set aside to rest.

Sprinkle veggies with garlic powder or garlic salt; add to the grill and cook.

Slice steak. Serve on a tortilla with the veggies and your favorite toppings.

Toppings
Watkins Jalapeno Hot Pepper Sauce
Sliced avocados or guacamole
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Grated Monterrey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, Muenster cheese, or combination
Salsa
Sour Cream


Tex-Mex Bean Salad
1 can of black beans (15 ounces) - rinsed and drained
1 can of kidney beans (15 ounces) - rinsed and drained
1 can of cannellini beans (15 ounces) - rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper - chopped
1 red bell pepper - chopped
1 can of corn (7-8 ounces) - drained
1 red onion - minced
1/2 cup of olive oil or Watkins Grapeseed Oil
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of white sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of garlic - minced
1 1/2 teaspoons of Watkins Cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of Watkins Black Pepper

In a large bowl, combine the beans, chopped peppers, corn, and minced red onion.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cumin, and black pepper. Mix well.

Pour dressing over beans.

To add a little more spiceness season to taste with Watkins Red Pepper Flakes, Watkins Cayenne Pepper, or Watkins Inferno Hot Pepper Sauce. Add a little at a time so you don't over flavor.

Chill thoroughly and serve cold.

Enjoy!

Eleisia
http://www.watkinsonline.com/eleisiawhitney

New Products Planned For 2009

I'm very excited about the new products planned by Watkins for 2009. I'm particularly interested in the grinders, the new baby care products, the Natural Sunblock and After Sun Gel in tubes, and the First Aid Ointment and First Aid Spray.

The products offered by any company change over time, to meet new consumer needs, to match societal trends (such as the "green" lifestyle that so many people are pursuing these days), and to conserve company resources by eliminating products that aren't selling well or that don't meet quality standards.

With Watkins, we have a lot of time-tested products that have been in the line for over 100 years. But there are still opportunities to add related products, enhance product formulations, or improve packaging.

Over the past two years, Watkins has added 137 new or updated products. By comparison, Watkins has had a relatively small number of products that were discontinued due to low sales or vendor/ingredient quality issues.

Of course, it's disappointing when our personal favorite products are discontinued. But we need to realize that it's better for the overall growth to have the company's resources going to high-quality products that many people choose to purchase, rather than on products that only a few people enjoy. After all, it takes just as much effort for the company to get the raw ingredients, print labels and packaging materials, prep the production line, and do all the coordination of a low-selling product as for a big seller. So, it's exciting to note just how much work Corporate is doing to introduce new and improved products that many families will love using on a regular basis.

For 2009, 31 new product introductions are planned, bringing it to a total of 168 new products in three years! Here are the new or improved items scheduled for 2009, but please realize that these are the tentative, planned introductions—dates or products details may change:

8 Natural Gourmet products

Coming Mid-Year – US & Canada

• Mexican Snack & Dip Seasoning (current Mexican Soup repackaged)

Coming 4th Quarter 2009 – US & Canada

• Grinders: Tellicherry Peppercorn, Royal Peppercorn, Garlic Peppercorn & Sea Salt (these were originally slated for introduction sooner, but the grinder bottle tops the vendor delivered were not up to Watkins' standards, so Watkins refused that batch because Watkins will not put out a low-quality product)


• "Old Bay" type seasoning (although it will be called something else, since Old Bay is a trademarked name of another company)


• Blackened Seasoning


• Fajita Seasoning (new formula, packaged in Soup & Dessert container)


• Taco Seasoning

11 Natural Personal Care products, including an all-new Baby line

Coming April 1, 2009 – US Only

• Medicated Lip Balm

Coming July 1, 2009 – US & Canada

• Peppermint Foot Scrub


• Aloe & Green Tea Body Wash


• Aloe & Green Tea Shampoo


• Aloe & Green Tea Conditioner


• "Life's a Beach" kit: Body Wash, Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion, Raspberry Lip Balm, Wash Cloth

Coming November 1, 2009 – US & Canada

• Baby Lotion


• Baby Wash


• Baby Oil


• Bubble Bath


• Booty Balm

2 Natural Home Care products

Coming May 2009 (in Highlights catalog) – US & Canada

• Lemon All Purpose Wipes

Coming August 1, 2009 – US & Canada

• Fragrance Free Laundry Detergent (package some as Lemon Laundry)

10 Health Remedies, including a new all-natural line
See photo above

Coming August 1, 2009 - US & Canada

• Menthol Camphor Bath Soak

Coming August 1, 2009 - US (followed in Canada pending DIN approval)

• Natural Sunblock


• Deep Muscle Cooling Gel


• Deep Muscle Warming Balm


• White Cream Liniment (Reformulation)


• Medicated Vapor Ointment


• Toothpaste


• After Sun Gel


• First Aid Ointment


• First Aid Spray

"Seasonal Favorites" Sneak Preview
The holiday gifts for fall 2009 will include food repeats such as Cinna-Cream Sprinkles and Cream of Tartar. Also, an all-time favorite, Cider Brew, will be back by popular demand! There will be new Natural Personal Care stocking stuffers and gift sets. Plus, there will be collectibles, such as kitchen and home care accessories with the Watkins logo.

Watch for these new products later this year.

Shop http://www.watkinsonline.com/eleisiawhitney

Roast Beef Sandwich Au Jus

Jus is French for "juice." When roast beef is served with this flavorful dipping sauce on the side, it is called au jus, or "with juice." Use it to dip slices of roast beef or roast beef sandwiches.

Cook a beef roast and slice thin or buy roast beef slices at the deli of your supermarket. If beef is cold, warm in Jus.

Lightly butter roll halves or spread with mayonnaise. Place rolls under broiler to toast slightly. Pile roast beef on sandwich rolls and serve with Jus for dipping.

Jus

1 1/2 cups/375 ml water
1/2 cup/125 ml Watkins Meat Magic
2 tablespoons/30 ml Watkins Beef Soup Base
2 tablespoons/30 ml Watkins Onion Soup Base
1 tablespoon/15 ml Watkins Onion Flakes

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Serve in small bowls with roast beef sandwiches.

Watkins Meat Magic
Article No. 01168 (325 mL/11 fl. oz.)

Watkins Meat Magic is a flavor enhancer that improves the natural taste of all meats. It makes
even inexpensive cuts of meat taste like prime!

• Enhances flavor: Improves natural taste of meat, and brings it out more fully.

• Economical: Helps prevent shrinkage; contains enough “magic” for more than 30 pounds of
meat (only two teaspoons per pound of meat).

• Versatile: Add to sauces, gravies, hamburger, stews, and marinades; brush on steaks, chops,
and roasts.

• Convenient: Requires no refrigeration; no premixing necessary; just add to meat.

Watkins 2009 Product Deletes for US Line

I just received this from Watkins Incoporated and am passing the information on. I personally use some of these products and plan to buy several for myself. Stock up before the the anticipated stockout date.

Order online at http://www.watkinsonline.com/eleisiawhitney or call Watkins at 1-800-928-5467 and give my name and ID# as your Watkins Associate, Eleisia Whitney ID# 335001.

2009 Product Deletes — US
The following products will be deleted from Watkins mainline due to low demand and/or component availability. An anticipated stockout date has been listed.

FOOD
Art# - Description - Estimated Stockout Date
43087 Breakfast Blend Organic Coffee June, 2009
43094 French Roast Organic Coffee April, 2009
43013 Sumatra Organic Coffee August, 2009
43124 Swiss Gold Decaf Organic Coffee May, 2009
21182 Mexican Soup & Seasoning September, 2009
21183 Six Onion Soup March, 2009
21367 Peach Extract April, 2009
21388 Peppermint Extract June, 2009
21387 Orange Extract September, 2009
01193 Caramel Extract 6 oz. December, 2009
01967 Fajita Seasoning June, 2009
21017 Rice Pudding July, 2009
01058 Calypso Sauce April, 2009
01046 Jalapeno Sauce July, 2009
01056 Inferno Sauce December, 2009
01057 Tropical Salsa December, 2009
01922 Bay Leaves Out of Stock

MEDICINALS
Art# - Description - Estimated Stockout Date
03113 Sunblock October, 2009
02332 Peppermint Toothpaste Out of Stock
02316 White Cream Liniment — Turpentine Reformulation* October, 2009
60499 Red Liniment 2 oz. November, 2009
20498 White Cream Liniment 2 oz. November, 2009
60492 Analgesic Balm — Repackaging October, 2009
60491 Icy Blue Ointment — Repackaging October, 2009
10491 Menthol Camphor Bath Soak — Reformulation** June, 2009

PERSONAL CARE
Art# - Description - Estimated Stockout Date
10510 Vanilla Shea Butter Tube Fall, 2009
60517 Red Clover Cuticle Salve Travel Size Out of Stock

HOME CARE
Art# - Description - Estimated Stockout Date
16791 Aloe & Green Tea All-Purpose Concentrate June, 2009
16792 Lemon All-Purpose Concentrate September, 2009
16793 Lavender All-Purpose Concentrate August, 2009
16794 Orange Citrus All-Purpose Concentrate March, 2009

Lemon Pound Cake with Sweetened Whipped Cream

A Sunday dinner of Classic Roast Beef with Crispy Oven-Browned Potatoes followed up with Lemon Pound Cake is an easy way to get back to the basics we all know and love. Add homemade flavor and color to your table.

Lemon Pound Cake with Sweetened Whipped Cream
Consider it your go-to dessert: every woman should have at least one! It’s easy to whip up this sweet, moist pound cake that’s perfect for every occasion. Makes 8-10 servings.

3 cups flour
½ teaspoon Watkins Baking Powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Watkins Almond Extract
Zest and juice of one large lemon, divided

Tip: Lemon zest adds brightness to the flavor of baked goods. Remove lemon zest from the fruit by carefully cutting or grating only the bright yellow part of the peel, and not the white pith beneath, which can infuse your batter with a dull, bitter taste.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 12” cake or bunt pan, then lightly coat with flour, tapping out excess.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar, beating with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute, or until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time to the mixture, beating well after each addition.

Gradually add in portions of the dry mixture and buttermilk until the batter is well mixed. Stir in vanilla extract, almond extract, finely chopped lemon zest and 3 tablespoons lemon juice; mix just until combined.

Spread the batter evenly into your prepared cake pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. Brush the warm cake liberally with Lemon Syrup (see instructions below).

Once coated, let cool completely on a wire rack. Drizzle your cake with Lemon Glaze, then serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream (see instructions below).

Lemon Syrup and Glaze
Add even more juicy flavor with a simple lemon syrup and thick, slow-pouring lemon-sugar glaze.

½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
Juice and peel of one large lemon (plus reserved juice and zest from cake batter)
1 cup powdered sugar

To create your Lemon Syrup, combine sugar, water, lemon juice and peel in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard lemon peel.
When your syrup is ready, place the cake and cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet to simplify cleanup. With a large culinary brush, generously coat your warm cake with the syrup, letting it drip over the sides of the cake. Set aside 3 tablespoons syrup to prepare the Lemon Glaze.

To make your glaze, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and remaining lemon syrup in a medium-size bowl, then drizzle it over the cooled cake.

Sweetened Whipped Cream
Finish your Lemon Pound Cake with rich, homemade whipped cream.

1 cup whipping cream, chilled
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

In a medium-size bowl, combine cream, vanilla and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat ingredients just until soft peaks form.

Tip: If your electric mixer has a whipping attachment, use it to achieve an extra light and airy cream. Remember that whipped cream is made by aerating heavy cream, so be sure to whip it just until it turns to soft peaks, or else it can quickly become butter!

Tip: Top your Lemon Pound Cake with fresh fruits that are currently in season. Fan sliced strawberries decoratively across the top.

Around the Kitchen Table Watkins Newsletter March 1, 2009 Issue

Welcome to another issue of Around the Kitchen Table!

Daylight Savings Time begins March 8th. St.Patricks Day is March 17th. And the First Day of Spring is March 20th.

The Manicure Pack, Body Care Gift Pack, and Peppermint Foot Cream are all on sale this month. Start preparing for Spring!

Recipes this issue are Roast Pork with Balsamic-Sage Marinade, Chicken Breast with Pasta and Mushrooms, Chicken Pot Pie, Sesame and Garlic Bread, Hot Fudge Sauce, and Raspberry Angel Cake.

Sesame and Garlic Bread
1 loaf French Bread
1/2 cup/125 ml butter
1 tablespoon/15 ml Watkins Sesame Garlic Snack and Dip Seasoning
2 tablespoons/30 ml Parmesan cheese, grated

Mix together butter, dip seasoning, and cheese. Slice loaf and spread butter mixture on bread. Bake in 400 degree F/205 degree C oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

This month's newsletter contest winner receives a set of Watkins Food Colors for cakes, cookies, frostings, and Easter eggs. Easter is April 12 so I'm giving the colorings away this month so I can mail them to the winner before Easter.

Read this issue now
http://www.everydaynecessities.com/march1-09newsletter.htm

Until next month,
Eleisia

Watkins Winter Survival Kit Winner

Watkins Winter Survival Kit Giveaway

The winner of the Watkins Winter Survival Kit is Christina from Indiana. Her name was chosen at random from February customer orders.

The Winter Survival Kit includes

Watkins Chicken Soup Base

White Chocolate Almond Cocoa Mix

Soup and Vegetable Seasoning

Natural Beeswax Lip Balm (with peppermint oil)

Pure Lemon Body Oil

Peppermint Firming Body Cream

Lavender Shea Butter Hand Repair Moisturizer

Lavender Hand and Cuticle Salve (pocket-size tin)

Orange Citrus Liquid Hand Soap

Menthol Camphor Breathe Easy Relief Mist

Box of Tissues

All products in a Living Naturally Tote Bag

Product Value $71.49

Watch for other Watkins product giveaways in my Watkins Newsletter http://www.everydaynecessities.com/atktnewsletter.htm and my here at my Watkins blog http://vanillasage.blogspot.com

Eleisia
Watkins Independent Manager

http://www.watkinsonline.com/eleisiawhitney