'Tis the Season.....again

Sorry for the absence. Two weeks ago Ryan went to Children's Hospital North after having an attack of croup. A few days later I came down with it, only the adult version, which is essentially a nasty upper respiratory infection that had me in bed for 3 days straight and I am still recovering (nearly 2 weeks later). I have been able to sleep and get rest, but my voice is still hoarse and I still cough from time to time. I am thankful that it's mostly over though. Ryan received a steroid that reduced inflammation and his cough was gone in a couple of days. Now Brooklyn has quite the runny nose and had a terrible fever, and thus a terrible day, on Christmas. She did not enjoy opening her presents. Poor little thing. She is still recovering now, but is on the mend.
As for Christmas, Tom surprised me by coming home early on Christmas Eve, roses in hand! I was so happy to see him. It had been a hard two weeks without him as he is off in Salt Lake City for job training. He returned to his training the day after Christmas and will be gone a total of 3 1/2 weeks when it's all said and done. Overall it was a good Christmas, but a very busy one that passed very quickly.


 For a dessert at our Christmas dinner, I made a Chocolate Mint Cheesecake. It turned out really good. I have posted the recipe below, and it was really easy: 

Grahm Cracker pie crust
1 box chocolate pudding
1 8oz tub of Cool Whip
1 pkg Candy Cane Mint dip mix
3 egg whites
2/3 c. sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 8oz cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
3 Tb flour


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In bowl mix together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add in chocolate pudding, milk and flour.  In separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add egg whites to cheesecake mixture and blend on high for 3 mins. Pour mixture into pie crust and spread to edges. Cook at 425 degrees for 20 mins. Then lower oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook for 45 mins.
While cheesecake is cooking, mix together Cool Whip and Candy Cane dip mix. Set aside in fridge.
When cheesecake is done allow to cool completely. Top with Cool Whip mixture and add crushed candy canes or mints (pictured is Andes Mints). Enjoy!

'Tis the Season

I just love this Vineyard Bowl. Adding seasonal decorations makes it the centerpiece of my style.

As for Christmas, I can't wait to see to look on my child's face as he realizes that the "surprises," as he calls them, under the tree are ready to open! It is also special because it is my daughter's first Christmas. She will be 7 months old next week. Christmas is always a special time in our house. Not just because this is a time where  traditions are passed along and family is celebrated, but because our house is a house that truly celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. We understand that His coming was our heavenly Father's way of bringing salvation to men. Christ's birth was the initiation of redemption. And for that, we celebrate. One of our Christmas traditions is that Santa brings ours kids a personal letter every year. Santa loves being the vessel for which to deliver presents under the tree, but he wants our children to understand the real meaning of his annual trip. He takes the time to explain that without Christ he would have no reason to bring his gifts. He explains how grace and mercy from God are the best gifts anyone could receive and that his fancy wrapping and shiny bows are just a symbol for the beauty that is beheld in Christ.

One day I hope my children will read back on all those letters Santa plans to bring and be able to relish the joy of the season. Yes, I want them to have great memories of all the glitter and fancy, the visits with family, the snow and hot chocolate...but I also pray that Christmas stirs in their hearts a love and thanksgiving for our greatest gift: Jesus Christ.

Bring in the New Year with New stuff!

Sooooo, coming this January is our new Spring/Summer catalog with over 40 new items to choose from. Not only are there new products, but some of the prices have lowered on the current catalog items! This is a flier for our January specials for our hosts and customers. 

What's super exciting is that you'll hardly get the 1895 Pillar Candle Set for cheaper than $38 - the only way you could get it cheaper is to use all the credit you earned as my host to buy it, which makes it FREE (or close to it)! How, you ask? Well, as my host you'll get a free "host bag" filled with goodies to serve at your party. Then, you invite all your friends, co-workers, family and neighbors to your party (who doesn't want to be the hostess with the mostess?). Then, let's say you have 10 wonderful friends show up. Just for getting 10 people there I will buy you a bottle of wine (or a happy substitution if needed). Then, let's say you have the average party of $500 in sales (and yes, this is more than possibly) - now you automatically have a free customer special (see below), $75 in credit (which can be used toward any item(s) in the catalog) AND two items at half price.

 So let's break this down: you use your credit to get the, oh let's say, the Vineyard Bowl priced at $79.98. You get a free customer special so you choose the Bamboo Cheese Board, and you your two half-priced items are the Damask Kitchen Towel set ($19.98) and the Savory Tuscan Bread mix ($21.98).
Vineyard Bowl = $4.98 (because of using the $75 towards the price)
Bamboo Cheese Board = Free
Kitchen Towels = $9.99
Bread Mix = $10.99
To buy all that separately would cost you $142.00 but will now cost only $26.00!

That's HUGE - and just for inviting friends over for food, fun and drinks. Really? YES! And the food you made for the party came in your pack, so a trip to the store may not even be necessary. Double YES! aka YES YES!!

So now what? Just contact me with any questions about hosting. Not sure about it? I can help you - I want to help you - I want you to get all the FREE stuff you can! You can go to my website and click on "contact me" or simply email me at inspirationsbybmw@gmail.com or call 904.923.0220.

Bright and Merry

Here is more fun from my house to yours. I apologize for the lack of quality photographs (hopefully that will change soon), but I will not apologize for having fun decorating my Cake Stand! In the first picture I have used the "celebration" towel set inside the hurricane and placed a penguin box head on top. The penguin once came with goodies inside of it, but now it's just my Christmas penguin.

 In this next picture I took my Christmas tree and Santa from a little village I have and used it as the decor. Lit with candles I'd say Santa is having a grand ol' time.

 Ho! Ho! Ho!

Again, I know the picture quality isn't that great. It was night time and the flash is all I had. If you know me, I am a picture snob, thus I require and desire "good" pictures. But I still had fun. Right now, I've settled for a scented peppermint oil bottle with wooden dispersing rods sticking out as my decor using this cake stand and hurricane.

New Items for Sale in December

For 30 more days only, these items are currently 50-75% off! They just sent me an email today showing me these items, and I am so excited! Now this is what I'm talking about! To order, just visit www.biltmoreinspirations.com/bwassmer and click on "shop online" and enter the codes of the items you want! They will ship directly to your door. All orders must be in by Dec. 12 to assure delivery before Christmas.

Cyber Monday Specials

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am SO thankful for each one of you; my faithful customers and friends!  Thank you SO much for your continued support for me and my business!  As we head into the frenzy of the holidays; have I got a deal for you!  It's my Biltmore Inspirations Cyber Monday Sale!  I am trying to earn a trip to the Biltmore Estate in February...so...I thought I'd help YOU with your holiday preparations while I help myself!  Biltmore Inspirations has everything you need for the holidays.  Whether you're looking for delicious, easy-to-prepare foods for entertaining, that perfect gift, or holiday decorations for your home, Biltmore Inspirations has it all! 

To view our online catalog, visit my website at www.biltmoreinspirations.com/bwassmer.   Click on "Our Products", then "View Catalog".  Saving is simple!  Just choose your items, then call (904-923-0220) or email me (inspirationsbybmw@gmail.com) with your order during the listed times for Monday, November 28th and earn the discount for each time period.  It's that simple! I will note the time of your email/call so I can make sure you’re qualified for that time period.

*  8:00am to 11:59am (MST) - "Just Another Manic Monday Special!"

Receive 25% off your entire order!

*  12:00 to 6:00 pm (MST) - "I’m Ready to Kick Off these Shoes Special!"

Receive 15% off your entire order!

*  6:01pm to 8:00pm (MST) - "After Dinner Drinks Special!"

Receive 20% off all of our Wine Cellar Products!

  

*  8:01pm to 11:59pm (MST) - "Late Night Snack Attack Special!"

Receive 20% off all of our chef-inspired food products!

Black Friday Special!

Don't feel like leaving your house at midnight with a turkey and pie hangover just to wrestle others for deals that will still be there in the morning? Well, go ahead and stay in your p.j.'s, pour yourself a cup of coffee and shop from home because Biltmore Inspirations is picking up the shipping tab! Any online order placed this Friday, Nov 25. will be free of shipping charges! It's a great time to enjoy shopping online instead standing in line. Just visit www.biltmoreinspirations.com/bwassmer and place your order before 11:59pm PST. Happy Holiday shopping!

A fancy way to display your red Vineyard Bowl

Well, if there isn't a better way to show off my new red Vineyard Bowl! Brooklyn here told me she wanted to help model for it. So I loaded it up with cinnamon scented pine cones and let her have fun with it. The cinnamon is the first thing I smell when I walk in my front door. I love it! She also wanted to show off her new Christmas dress and the personalized bow that mommy made her.

This bowl is great for so many things. Other Christmas decorations can include the colored glass balls and other ornaments. You can stuff your hand-made quilts and let them drape over for all to see, you can load it up with ice and chill your wine or other spirits, you can even serve food it in if you have a large enough crowd! It is food and dishwasher safe. I would recommend hand washing it though, just because I wouldn't want anything to accidentally chip it. Red is an excellent accent to any house. If you have a red living room, dining room or kitchen, this bowl compliments and carries over that color into any other room so that there is a smooth flow from one room to the other. This also goes for the other Vineyard items: the vase (white) and the serving dish (green). I can't wait to have to whole collection!

Even though these colors are GREAT for Christmas, they go with nearly every other holiday. Any one of these items can be used for New Year's, Valentines, St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Football Sunday, Baseball games, Halloween, and Thanksgiving! Or even birthday's! It's endless and timeless, and that's why I love them.

Holiday Gift Baskets

Holiday Gift Baskets 

by Biltmore Inspirations

Skip the Stress…Make Shopping My Job!
 Imagine the mall at Christmastime—the crowds, the lines, the traffic. Now imagine…skipping it! Picture yourself shopping at home or from the office, celebrating the season with your friends while checking off names on your Christmas list. Biltmore Inspirations has put together a catalog filled with gorgeous gifts and home accessories—and the perfect holiday baskets to compliment the season!
 ”T’was the Night Before…”

(This basket includes one each of the following)

Oatmeal Pie Crust mix, Harvest Pumpkin Bread mix, Candy Cane dip mix, Apple Orchard Butter and the Woodland Spice Soy Candle

$55

“Home for the Holidays”

Taste of Italy (Roasted Garlic Basil Seasoning and Tuscan Parmesan Seasoning), Savory Tuscan Bread mix, Fleur De Lis wine stopper, and (2) Highball glasses

*You may add a bottle of Biltmore red or white wine for an additional $25

$80

“Here comes Santa Claus” (includes 2 each of the mixes and dips) Popover quick mix, Gingerbread specialty mix, Artichoke Spinach dip, Super Savory set (Cheesy Black Bean dip, Kitchen Garden Veggie dip and Sundried Tomato dip), and Santa’s Sugar set (praline spread and cinnamon spice syrup).

$160

For orders contact:

Brittany Wassmer
Biltmore® Inspirations
inspirationsbybmw@gmail.com
904.923.0220

To view my website:

www.biltmoreinspirations.com/bwassmer

*All items come in a neatly displayed basket. Free shipping & Delivery in the Denver Metro area. Instructions and recipes will also be provided.

All orders must be received by Dec. 10 to ensure delivery before Christmas!



This basket contains a few items from each basket. It is not an exact representation.

New Thoughts as the Holidays Approach

Caramelized Balsamic Onion Pizza with Goat Cheese:

Crust:

1 C. warm water (110 degrees)

2 1/2 tsp active yeast (or 1 package)

2 c. Flour

2 Tbs sugar

3 Tbs Roasted Garlic Basil Seasoning (from BI)

2 Tbs Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix yeast into warm water and let stand 10 mins. Mix together flour, sugar and seasoning. When ready add yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until you get a stiff dough. Let rise 30 mins.

Roll out dough into desired thickness and shape. Top with goat cheese and spoon onto cheese the Balsamic Onion topping (from BI). Bake in oven for approximately 20 mins.

I made two little pizzas - one for me and one for my son

Ryan's regular pizza and my goat cheese pizza

Another Great Way to use our products!

Below is the Olmstead Oak serving dish, which as you can see has candles and our acorns in it. Doesn't it make you want to roast chestnuts?

This is our Vineyard Dish used for some lovely Christmas decorating, along with the Cake Stand with Hurricane, the Candle Pillars and our Christmas Tree Card Holder, and Wine Bag.

Payton is my first born child. She told me she wanted to try on the Damask Apron, so I placed it around her and took this picture. She really likes showing it off! 

Biltmore Inspirations Special!

I’m so very excited to share with you that on MONDAY, November 7^th,

Biltmore Inspirations will be offering the opportunity to join our Biltmore family as a consultant for $99!

If you are intrigued and would like to hear more about what we have to offer, please feel

welcome to join us for an informational call where you can simply listen in and hear more about what we have to offer you as a consultant! 

   

Join us for our call:  Sunday, November 6^th at 8pm Central/9:00 pm Eastern

Dial 308-344-6400 and enter code 670969#

We need consultants nationwide and we could not be more excited about our first fall selling season and 2012! 

What do you have to loose?  You have everything to gain!  Come join our fun Biltmore family!

Contact me at inspirationsbybmw@gmail.com or 904.923.0220

A Biltmore Season!

I just LOVE the versatility of all our products! If you can't eat it, you can make your friends think Martha Stewart is your personal consultant! But she's not, you're just awesome with your functional and handy home decor. Here are some more ideas for the Fall. Don't forget that these are also great gift ideas! Only about 8 weeks left until Christmas.

The Candle Pillars

 Around the candles are our wine bottle charms

The Vintage Grape Basket(s)

 The Wine Accessories, Fifth Ave Cake Stand and our table decor

Brunch for Breast Cancer - Join The Fight!

You’re invited!

1st annual Biltmore Brunch for Breast Cancer

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Catch up with friends, taste great food and discover how to make your home a delightful oasis while increasing awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure!

ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED! 

Door Prizes will be given out! Earn tickets by:

*Being one of the first 10 to RSVP

*Bringing a Buddy

*Bringing your bib number if you ran in the Race for the Cure

*Wearing Pink

*Booking a future party

Hosted by Brittany Wassmer

On Saturday Oct. 29, 2011

From 11:00am – 1:00pm

At the house of Rhonda Elliot

8430 Newcombe St. Arvada, CO 80005

RSVP at 904.923.0220 or inspirationsbybmw@gmail.com

If you can’t attend, no worries! You can view my catalog online at www.biltmoreinspirations.com/bwassmer

(Order under party #3150 when checking out)

What kind of door prizes?...

So what kind of door prizes are going to be available to win at my Biltmore's Brunch for Breast Cancer?

Well, one of the things you can view now is this Vintage Grape Basket filled with flowers! I will probably have pink roses in there for the party. This picture was taken last week, there these flowers are already dried up! There will be also be some Orchard Apple Butter up for grabs among a couple of other items! Be sure and get your extra tickets by RSVPing, wearing pink, bringing a Buddy and booking a future party!

The Brunch is on Oct 29th from 11am - 1pm at the home of Rhonda Elliot: 8430 Newcombe St. Arvada, CO 80005. You can RSVP to me via email, phone or by commenting on this post! See the invite below for contact info!

 SUPER November Host Specials!

Host a party with $250 in sales and this Cake Stand with Hurricane can be yours for 60% off (making it 37.99!) That's a STEAL! Ask me more about it! 

An evening with Biltmore

Our evening at The Westin in Westminster was a lot of fun. We had about 50 people there to come and view our products, hear about the Vanderbilt family and the Biltmore house, eat some great food, win some awesome door prizes and hear more about the company and its opportunities! I am sad to report that I did not win any prizes. *tears* Oh well, maybe next time!

The Wine Cellar Collection

This was our Halloween and Fall table showcasing all the different uses for our decor.

 

This is part of the Breakfast Room Collection. I love the Damask pattern on the dishes and these trivets are nice and heavy. I can't wait to have the entire set. Right now all I have are some of the mini bowls.

Christmas is coming and these dishes can be used for decor or for serving food. They are all food safe.

Biltmore's Brunch for Breast Cancer

You’re invited!

1st annual Biltmore Brunch for Breast Cancer

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Catch up with friends, taste great food and discover how to make your home a delightful oasis while increasing awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure!

ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED to the Susan G. Komen Foundation! 

Door Prizes will be given out! Earn tickets by:

*Being one of the first 10 to RSVP

*Bringing a Buddy

*Bringing your bib number if you ran in the Race for the Cure

*Wearing Pink

*Booking a future party

Hosted by Brittany Wassmer

On Saturday Oct. 29, 2011

From 11:00am – 1:00pm

At the house of Rhonda Elliot

8430 Newcombe St. Arvada, CO 80005

RSVP at 904.923.0220 or inspirationsbybmw@gmail.com

If you can’t attend, no worries! You can view my catalog online at www.biltmoreinspirations.com/bwassmer

(Order under party #3150 when checking out)

(You can also RSVP by commenting on this blog post)

Crispy Chicken Parsley Pilaf

A delicious dinner idea. I was watching the Today show yesterday morning and got the idea for the rice. The chicken I added myself, but needless to say, it was a new dish for me all around. I will call this one...."Crispy Chicken Parsley Pilaf." My husband, who loves rice pilaf and does not like wilted green things really enjoyed this dish. I questioned all the ingredients but I trusted a professional chef. Turns out, he knew what he was talking about! The entire dish took about 30 minutes to prepare and almost 3 minutes to eat.

Rice Pilaf:

1 box rice pilaf. Prepare as instructed.

Each herb should be added liberally, about 1/2 -1 cup each. Make sure these are fresh greens, not the dried spices.

*Parsley

*Basil

*Chives

*Mint

Add 1 cup chicken stock to cooked rice and then add all greens. Allow greens to cook in rice.

Chicken:

6 chicken tenderloins (they should be thin so that frying is quick)

Approx. 2 cups oil (I used Olive Oil so that it was "healthy")

1-2 cups flour

1-2 cups bread crumbs (I had Italian bread crumbs, or you could add Biltmore Inspirations' Garlic Basil seasoning to crumbs)

2 eggs beaten

*Take each tenderloin and cover in flour. Then dip in egg and finally cover in bread crumbs. Place chicken in oil and let fry for 2-3 mins each side. Check chicken to make sure it is done. Place fried chicken on top of rice pilaf and devour!

A great wine pairing with this dish would be Biltmore's Chardonnay.

Restaurant Quality

I haven't yet been able to try all of Biltmore Inspirations' food mixes and toppings, however I have tried quite a few. So far my favorite has been the Artichoke and Spinach Topping. All you need to do to make an amazing dip is add 8oz cream cheese and bake it. Serve with chips. When I made this for one of my parties, it was the first to disappear and the first item purchased that night. It was fantastic! Definitely one of my top recommendations.

Mix topping and 8oz cream cheese, bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes (until bubbly). Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with chips. 

This topping is also great on crackers. Spread some cream cheese on the cracker and then top with a spoohful of the topping, or just the topping alone. It also makes a great sauce for a "white pizza". 

Need ideas for the Fall?

Here are some decorating ideas I received in an email today. I love the creative uses and functionality of all these products! I can't wait until my house looks like a "Biltmore house." More ideas to come!

Place a large pumpkin on top of Biltmore Inspirations' Fifth Avenue cake stand as a way to add dimension and a tier set up with Fall colors! A candle was set into the Compliment Jar and the Wine Bottle Charms have been turned into candle and pumpkin charms! Add some acorns and you're set! So cute.

 I love this teetering pumpkin tower. I also saw someone use the three Blue Ridge pie dishes with pumpkins in between to create a "tiered cake" look.

This Blue Ridge Pedestal is just fabulous in person. I don't own it yet, but I am working on it!

Ready - Set - Inspire!

 On Thursday October 6, Biltmore Inspirations is throwing an event for YOU! Starting at 6pm, we are going to meet you, feed you and then give away free stuff. We will be at the Westin in Westminster. The first 15 people to RSVP get a free food item just for walking through the door. This event will have recipes for the holidays, decorating ideas using Biltmore Inspirations' home decor and a lot of door prizes! It's going to be fun, won't you join me? You can RSVP by emailing me, commenting on this post or going to facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=219700721417865&view=wall.

Broomfield Days was a blast. We had a ton of people stop by our tent and check out our goods. We handed out a lot of invitations for our event on Oct 6th and I even was able to hand out a few business cards. For me, that's a big deal! I've been working hard on getting my business started and I hope that one day the ball will be rolling down hill! Here are a few pictures of our tent and our set up as we brought Biltmore Inspirations to Broomfield.

The Fall decorations are so much fun! It'll be fun to add some spooky items to make my house ready for Halloween, then spruce it up for Thanksgiving and finally make it sparkle for Christmas! Yay for the holidays, boo for the cold. Can I have snow without the cold? Oh I wish sometimes, but I do love a good scarf and hot cup of coffee.

Breakfast for Champions

Good Morning! My mornings usually start with a hot cup of coffee and some quiet "mommy time" before the day gets started. I am up before the children and the sun rises (now that it's Fall anyway). I don't like to get up early, but I receive more benefits from having this quiet time before the noises of the day start. And because my babies are, well, still babies, sometimes this quiet time gets cut short. One thing I NEVER skip out on is my breakfast. First, I love food too much, but I am also very hungry in the morning and there's no reason to not eat! With my new sauces, spices and syrups that come from Biltmore Inspirations breakfast has never been tastier and more fun to make. I like to experiment with new ideas and then enjoy them. I am definitely more of a "chef" than a "baker." It has been said that cooking is an art and baking is a science. I am better at throwing a dash of this and a dash of that in my food to see how it tastes. If you do that with baked goods you mostly end up with disasters! Either way, here's a few ideas on how to start your day with quick and delicious meals.

Summer Salsa Scramble:
2 Tbs Summer Salsa seasoning
2 eggs (or 3 egg whites)
*Mix eggs and seasoning together and scramble in a skillet. For cheese lovers, add cheese. For a little spice, use a dash of the Blazin' Hot Southern Salt from Biltmore Inspirations.

Wild Pancakes:
1/2 cup Wild Blackberry syrup or Praline syrup
*Prepare pancakes (or waffles) as you desire (either via box mix or homemade). Warm 1/2 cup of the syrup and pour over hot 'cakes! Deelish! Garnish with fresh fruit  and pecans if desired.

*NOTE* These syrups can be used for a multitude of things. For example, I recently topped some lemon squares with the Wild Blackberry syrup and it was amazing! I bet the Raspberry syrup would be just as good. The Praline syrup is also great in coffee or as an extra dash of flavoring in your cookie recipes. More ideas to come!

September Newsletter

View our September specials and our latest news!

http://www.imakenews.com/biltmore/index000514554_13.cfm?x=bjWrbdJ,bprw7sMy

Some of My Favorites

So you might be wondering, which products are my favorites? Well, all of Biltmore Inspiration products are absolutely quality, and that quality is guaranteed, but here are some pictures of my favorite collections.

This is the Fifth Avenue Cake Stand with Hurricane. As you can see, the cake stand has been turned upside down and adorned with a decorative hurricane. I love the versatility of the products. You may not need a cake stand every day, but you can decorate your home for the holidays or use it as a vase every other day of the year. As you may notice, the carafe holding orange juice is BI's wine decanter.

Above is the Damask design, inspired after the Biltmore's Breakfast Room. This design is beautiful in person! The deep red and beige colors are perfect for the holidays as well as for an intimate dining experience.

The Lisa Conard Collection comes from none other than Lisa Conard herself. She is a local artisan that Biltmore Inspirations has decided to support by selling her work. This setting is beautiful and great for any home! The deep blue hues with the neutral leaf "theme" is just delightful. I can't wait to own the wine chiller so I can make it into a vase. I love wine, but I drink red, so I don't need to chill much wine.

*NOTE* The Damask and Lisa Conard dishes are oven, microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe!