Grandma’s Irish Stew for St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted by David Dennis on Feb 23, 2012 in Seasonal | 0 comments

When we think about St. Patrick’s Day we usually think about Corned Beef and Cabbage and Green Beers! But, if you’re not necessarily a fan of cabbage (it is awfully smelly!) a traditional (my grandmother’s traditional) Irish Beef Stew can be a great way to enjoy the holiday with your friends and family. It’s delicious, hearty, and goes well with a Guinness and some Irish Soda Bread and creamy Irish Butter.  So put on your apron, break out the cutlery and cast iron pots, it’s time to get to cooking! (just a note, this recipe makes about 4 good size servings, so you can double or triple depending on the size of your family or the number of guests! You’ll just need bigger pots and pans.)

Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for your Irish Stew:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 pounds beef stew meat (or you can use lamb) cut into chunky pieces
• 2-3 tablespoons of garlic powder (or to taste) or the equivalent in fresh garlic
• 6 cups beef stock (unsalted is fine)
• 2 pints of Guinness beer (1 for the stew and 1 for the chef, seriously, this is hard work!)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme (and I think a little marjoram as well, a couple of teaspoons)
• 2-3 bay leaves (I don’t know what these are for, but Grandma always put them in her stews and soups)
• 2-3 tablespoons Irish butter
• 4 pounds of small golden or red potatoes  (she preferred them unpeeled, but it’s up to you, personally, I prefer the peel on)
• 1 large White or Yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups baby carrots
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons parsley
• 2-3 shots of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Toss a little salt and pepper with the meat pieces and make sure you brown the pieces on all sides, this should take about 5-7 minutes.  Add beef stock, Guinness (just 1 pint), sugar, thyme, marjoram, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir thoroughly. By now you’re probably thirsty, so it’s time to take a sip or two of your Guinness. Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring as needed. Take  another sip of Guinness (repeat as necessary.)

In another large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add your potatoes, onions and carrots and saute them until tender and a little brown on the edges, this should take about 20-30 minutes,  add them to the beef stew when it’s ready (after about an hour, remember?) Now, simmer uncovered about 35-45 minutes or until everything is nice and tender. Finish up your pint, toss out the bay leaves, add a little more salt and pepper to taste (I always go a little heavy on the pepper, but your choice!),  sprinkle with parsley and serve with a pint of Guinness and some crusty bread and creamy Irish butter!

I never did figure out what the shots of Jameson’s were for, but they were always gone when Grandma was done cooking.   Must be a chef’s secret.  So with or without the Jameson’s,  give granny’s recipe a try and have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy New Year From Perfect Imprints

Posted by Patrick on Jan 1, 2012 in Seasonal | 0 comments

Happy New Year to our customers and our readers. I hope you have a very prosperous 2012 and I look forward to offering sound marketing advice and marketing products to you in the coming year.

Here are the services that Perfect Imprints offers:

• Promotional Products
• Custom Apparel (including screen printing and embroidery)
• Full Color Printing
• Graphic Design
• Marketing Consultations

January 2012 Obscure Holidays and Observances

Posted by Patrick on Dec 26, 2011 in marketing, Seasonal | 0 comments

Well 2012 is soon upon us and there are some really wacky and crazy holidays and observances in January. Some are fun and some are dumb, but use some of them to market your business and offer a special on a related item for that day. Be sure to advertise well in advance.

Monthly Observances

• National Bath Safety Month
• National Blood Donor Month
• National Braille Literacy Month
• National Hobby Month
• Hot Tea Month
• National Oatmeal Month
• National Soup Month
• Apple and Apricots Month
• Artichoke and Asparagus Month
• Bath Safety Month
• Be Kind to Food Servers Month
• Birth Defects Month
• Book Blitz Month
• California Dried Plum Digestive Month
• Carnival Season
• Celebration of Life Month
• Cervical Cancer Screening Month
• Financial Wellness Month
• Get Organized Month
• International Change Your Starts Month
• International Creativity Month
• International New Years Resolutions Month for Businesses
• International Quality of Life Month
• International Wayfinding Month
• International Wealth Mentality Month
• National Be On-Purpose Month
• National Child-Centered Divorce Awareness Month
• National Clean Up Your Computer Month
• National Get Organized Month
• National Glaucoma Awareness Month
• National Hot Tea Month
• National Mail Order Gardening Month
• National Mentoring Month
• National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month
• National Polka Music Month
• National Poverty in America Awareness Month
• National Radon Action Month
• National Skating Month
• National Soup Month
• National Volunteer Blood Donor Month
• Oatmeal Month
• Rising Star Month
• Self-Love Month
• Shape Up U.S. Month
• Tubers and Dried Fruit Month
• Thyroid Awareness Month

Weekly Observances

• Celebration of Life Week:1-7
• Diet Resolution Week: 1-7
• Silent Record Week: 1-7
• National Lose Weight/Feel Great Week: 1-8
• Someday We’ll Laugh About This Week: 2-8
• New Year’s Resolutions Week: 2-8
• Women’s Self Empowerment Week: 5-9
• Universal Letter Writing Week: 8-14
• Home Office Safety and Security Week: 8-14
• National Vocation Awareness Week: 9-15
• International Consumers Electronics Show Week: 10-13
• Cuckoo Dancing Week: 11-17
• National No-Tillage Week Conference: 11-14
• National Soccer Coaches of America Week: 11-15
• International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week: 15-21
• Healthy Weight Week: 15-21
• International Printing Week: 16-22
• National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week: 17-23
• Week of Christian Unity: 18-2
• Sundance Film Festival: 20-30
• Bald Eagle Appreciation Days: 21-22
• World Leprosy Week: 21-27
• National Activity Professionals Week: 22-28
• KidFilm Festival: 22-25
• National Nurse Anesthetists Week: 22-28
• Clean Out Your Inbox Week: 23-27
• National Handwriting Analysis Week: 23-29
• National Medical Group Practice Week: 23-27
• National Nuclear Science Week: 23-27
• No Name Calling Week: 23-27
• National Take Back Your Time Week: 25-29
• Catholic Schools Week: 29-2/5
• Meat Week: 29-2/5
• Intimate Apparel Week: 29-2/2
• National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Week: 30-2/4
• International Hoof Care Week: 31-2/3

January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 1-Copyright Law Day
January 1-Ellis Island Day
January 1 – Euro Day
January 1 – First Foot Day
January 1 – Mummer’s Parade
January 1 – New Year’s Dishonor List Day
January 1 – Polar Bear Plunge or Swim Day
January 1 – Saint Basil’s Day
January 1 – Z Day
January 2 – Rose Bowl Game
January 2 – “Thank God It’s Monday” Day
January 2 – Tournament of Roses Parade Day
January 2 – Happy Mew Year for Cats Day
January 2 – National Motivation and Inspiration Day
January 2 – National Personal Trainer Awareness Day
January 2 – 55MPH Speed Limit Day
January 3 – Drinking Straw Day
January 3 – J.R.R. Tolkien Day
January 3 – Momento Mori “Remember you Die” Day
January 3 – National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
January 3 - Festival of Sleep Day
January 3 – Fruitcake Toss Day
January 3 – Humiliation Day
January 4 – Trivia Day
January 4 – Dimpled Chad Day
January 4 – Earth at Perihelion Day
January 4 – Pop Music Chart Day
January 4 – Tom Thumb Day
January 4 – Trivia Day
January 4 – World Braille Day
January 4 – World Hypnotism Day
January 5 – Asara B’Tevet Day
January 5 – National Bird Day
January 5 – Bean Day
January 5 – Bird Day
January 5 – Elvis’ Birthday Celebration Day
January 6 – Epiphany or Twelfth Night Day
January 6 – Three Kings Day
January 6 – Cuddle Up Day
January 7 – Harlem Globetrotter’s Day
January 7 – I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore Day
January 7 – International Programmers’ Day
January 7 – Orthodox Christmas
January 7 – Old Rock Day
January 8 – Bubble Bath Day
January 8 – Argyle Day
January 8 – Bubble Bath Day
January 8 – Earth’s Rotation Day
January 8 – National English Toffee Day
January 8 – Midwife’s Day or Women’s Day
January 8 – National Joy Germ Day
January 8 – Show and Tell Day at Work
January 8 – War on Poverty Day
January 9 – Balloon Ascension Day
January 9 – National Clean off your Desk Day
January 9 – Panama’s Martyr Day
January 10 – National Cut Your Energy Costs Day
January 10 – United Nations Day
January 10 – Houseplant Appreciation Day
January 10 – Peculiar People Day
January 11 – Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends’ Day
January 11 – Cigarette’s are Hazardous to your Health Day
January 12 – Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day (what?)
January 12 – National Pharmacist Day
January 13 – Blame Someone Else Day
January 13 – Friday the 13th
January 13 – International Skeptics Day
January 13 – Make Your Dream Come True Day
January 13 – Public Radio Broadcasting Day
January 13 – Rubber Ducky Day
January 14 – Dress Up Your Pet Day
January 14 – Caesarean Section Day
January 14 – Dress Up Your Pet Day
January 14 – Organize Your Home Day
January 14 – Ratification Day
January 14 – Miss America Pageant
January 15 – Humanitarian Day
January 15 – National Hat Day
January 15 – Religious Freedom Day
January 16 – Appreciation a Dragon Day
January 16 – Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
January 16 – National Nothing Day
January 16 – Robert E. Lee Day
January 16 – World Religion Day
January 17 – Cable Car Day
January 17 – Hot Heads Chili Days
January 17 – Ditch New Years Resolutions Day
January 17 – Judgement Day
January 17 – Kid Inventor’s Day
January 17 – Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day
January 18 – Do Dah Parade Day
January 18 – Pro-life Day
January 18 – Thesaurus Day
January 18 – Winnie the Pooh Day
January 19 – National Popcorn Day
January 19 – Tin Can Day
January 19 – Get to Know Your Customer Day
January 19 – 20 Women in Blue Jeans Day
January 19 – Women’s Healthy Weight Day
January 20 – Camcorder Day
January 20 - Inauguration Day
January 20 – National Buttercrunch Day
January 20 – Penguin Awareness Day
January 20 – National Disc Jockey Day
January 20 – International Fetish Day
January 21 – National Hugging Day
January 21 – Squirrel Appreciation Day
January 22 – National Blonde Brownie Day
January 22 – Answer your Cat’s Question Day
January 22 – Celebration of Life Day
January 22 – Roe vs. Wade Day
January 23 – National Pie Day
January 23 – National Handwriting Day
January 23 – Measure Your Feet Day
January 23 – Chinese New Year
January 23 – National Pie Day
January 23 – Snow plow mailbox hockey Day
January 24 – Belly Laugh Day
January 24 – Beer Can Appreciation Day
January 24 – Compliment Day
January 24 – Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day
January 25 – A Room of One’s Own Day
January 25 – Opposite Day
January 25 – Macintosh Computer Day
January 25 – World Leprosy Day
January 26 – Spouse’s Day
January 26 – Lotus 1-2-3 Day
January 26 – National Peanut Brittle Day
January 26 – Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement
January 27 – Auschwitz Liberation Days
January 27 – Holocaust Memorial Day
January 27 – International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
January 27 – National Preschool Fitness Day
January 27 – Thomas Crapper Day
January 27 – Viet Nam Peace Day
January 27 – Fun at Work Day
January 27 – Chocolate Cake Day
January 27 – Punch the Clock Day
January 28 – Fun at Work Day
January 28 – Data Privacy Day
January 28 – National Seed Swap Day
January 28 – National Kazoo Day
January 28 – Thank a plug in developer Day
January 29 – Curmudgeons Day
January 29 – National Puzzle Day
January 29 – National Cornchip Day
January 29 – Free Thinkers Day
January 29 – Seeing Eye Dog  Day
January 29 – Thomas Paine Day
January 30 – National Insane Answering Message Day
January 30 – Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
January 31 – Appreciate Your Social Security Check Day
January 31 – Backward Day
January 31 – Inspire Your Heart with Art Day

Save Your Holiday Dignity

Posted by Jennifer on Dec 19, 2011 in marketing, promotional products, Promotional Products Marketing, Seasonal | 0 comments

It’s time for holiday baking and cooking again! I start early and cook a lot. We all like a lot of good food during the holidays and my kitchen gets a workout! I started looking around to see if I have enough chip clips for all the open bags of chips that will find their way into my cabinet, enough measuring cups (somehow mine always get commandeered for other things and never replaced), and jar openers. These are important to me because every year I’m bound and determined that I’m not going to ask my husband to open the stubborn jars when I’m preparing Christmas meals……it’s just personal. So I end up in the kitchen muttering at the jars under my breath and smacking, tapping, and grunting at the jars. It would be so much easier for my 5 foot 3 inch, buck o’ five weighing self if someone would just get me some jar openers and be done with it. I would never again have to hear, “Do you need some help with that?”

 

Start a Revolution!

Posted by Jennifer on Dec 18, 2011 in corporate gifts, fundraising, marketing, promotional products, Promotional Products Marketing, Seasonal | 0 comments

Every year churches, schools, teams and businesses do fundraisers to try and make it through another year of activities. I personally have more fundraiser wrapping paper and cookie dough than I can possibly use in a year. And don’t get me started on those chocolate bars that I buy that are $2 but add 10 lbs. to my hips with every bite. I’m thinking it’s time for a Christmas revolution! Why not sell something easy to get and personalized for your church, business, or school? Personalized Christmas ornaments come in so many different varieties it gets you in the holiday spirit just looking at them. People can always use ornaments but we do not need any more cookie dough or wrapping paper!

Holiday Gifting To Your Employees

Posted by Patrick on Nov 23, 2011 in Employee Motivation, marketing, promotional products, Promotional Products Marketing, Seasonal | 0 comments

So we have come to that time of the year when you have to think about Christmas gifts for your employees. How much is enough? What should I get them? These are both questions that makes you ponder. Each answer is dependent on how valuable that person is for your company. I can say this for sure, “Don’t get them a Jelly of the Month Club membership.” Employees always like cash. When sales are where they need to be, I give out Christmas bonuses around the beginning of December. Then my employees can use that to buy Christmas gifts for their families. I’ve never heard a complain yet from my employees receiving cash. Other companies like to give actual gifts. When selecting gifts, make sure and get something useful so it will be used frequently. You might as well brand it as well with your company logo. Don’t forget that you have to market to your employees just like you have to market to potential clients. Your employees are your biggest assets so you have to make sure they are on board and ready to refer clients. Below are a few idea for Christmas Corporate Gifts:

1. Wine Gift Sets – Let’s face it, we can all benefit from a little drink every now and then.
2. Custom Coolers – Coolers always come in handy.
3. Laptop Cases – Cases for laptop computers are great gifts for those traveling or bringing their laptop to and from work.
4. Flashlights – A good flashlight is always useful. Don’t skimp here; make sure you get a good quality light.
5. Candy & Nuts – Who doesn’t like a candy or nut gift basket at the end of the year? Diets are blown anyway this time of year.
6. BBQ Items – Men love a good barbeque set.
7. Corporate Awards – Reward your top producing employees with a premium award so they can proudly display the award on their desk.