A Golden Weekend…

admin

12 years ago

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I am SO sorry it has taken me so long to get this post out! I had intended to do it the day I came back, while it was all fresh in my mind but I got sidetracked (imagine that ;).

The weekend I spent with the Red Gold Family and the other bloggers from around the country was one of the most wonderful in my life. I felt like Cinderella at the ball, I mean, things like this just don’t happen to me. I have been using Red Gold Products for as long as I have had my own kitchen so to get a chance to meet the Red Gold Family as well as tour one of the facilities was a chance in a lifetime!

I have so many great memories of that weekend, too may to share. I have attached a slideshow of just a few of the many pictures I took as well as many that were given to me from the company. I hope you take a second to check out their top-notch facility through the pictures. My descriptions can’t do it justice. I will apologize in advance that they are not labeled and are also out of order. You get the idea, though ????

I am fortunate in that , being from Indiana, I was already aware of the reputation Red Gold has. I have driven past their growing fields, visited with members of their marketing team st the Indiana State Fair and I have unlimited access to all of their products locally.. I am spoiled. There is nothing like opening a fresh can of diced tomatoes and knowing that from vine to can it takes 45 minutes to process them. 45 MINUTES!! That’s incredible! What you see is what you get. Tomatoes. No fillers, no chemicals. Pure Indiana goodness.

We were able to sit down with the members of the quality team as well as tour the ketchup facility. Can I just say that was one of the highlights of my trip?! We went into the test kitchen and did a ‘cutting’ of the many brands on the market. Not one stood up to Red Gold’s quality. This is my opinion, of course.

All in all it was a perfect, golden weekend. They whisked us off to a restaurant I had never been to, Bonge’s Tavern, let us be the first to visit their new headquarters in Elwood ,Indiana, I had one of the best donuts in my life at Concannons in Muncie and I met many wonderful people that I will never forget.

I am proud to call myself a Hoosier and proud that this family-owned Hoosier company takes such great care of it’s employees, growers and customers. I look forward to seeing them all at the Indiana State Fair this year!

Thank you Brian, Selita, Linda AKA Red Gold Lady, Colt, Theresa and Monica for inviting me to share this golden weekend with you all. I will treasure it forever!

Scroll down to watch the slideshow after you see of my favorite ways to use Red Gold Tomatoes in my kitchen!!

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef or your choice of ground meat
1 envelope of low sodium taco seasoning, I used HOT
2 12 oz bags of frozen corn (or 2 14 oz cans of whole corn undrained) I used frozen corn I had already
2 15 oz cans of ranch style beans (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce)
3 14 oz cans of undrained petite diced tomatoes, I used Red Gold
taco garnishes of your choice, I also added a 1/2 C of brown rice to each bowl.

In a large pot, brown the meat and drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning, corn, beans and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through. Stir from time to time to prevent sticking.

Serve in a bowl with your favorite taco garnishes and a slice of lime if you have it. This needs to stay like a taco, so keep it simple ????

**This will be a thick soup that really makes a lot (about 2 quarts). I added 1 small can of tomato sauce to mine to thin it. I also froze my leftovers! If you like things spicy add 1/2 tsp of cumin and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper to the pot before it’s done. Personal preference.**