I stumbled upon Oma Goodness on Facebook, and I love to support a local business - especially when they're offering sweets! 



"Oma Goodness is a home based candy business that offers homemade goodies from your childhood. Fantasy fudge, no-baked cookies, potato candy, hard rock candy, coconut bon-bons and more! It is all custom made, all by hand." 



I ordered some milk chocolate buckeyes (yum!) and some cool whip candy, because it sounded fun! She even threw in an extra St. Patrick's Day-themed candy sucker because it was near the holiday! The buckeyes were delish. I always love a good buckeye. The cool whip candy was kinda reminiscent for me of a Three Musketeers. Have you tried this tasty home business yet?

It's my favorite time of the month - J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile delivery day!! Let's see what we have. 



Spicewalla - Buxton Hall Chicken Seasoning: From award winning chef and pitmaster Elliott Moss this rub will elevate chicken, or any other white meat, to another level. Perfect blend of sugar salt and spices. Made in Asheville North Carolina.

WV Harvest - Sweet Pickled Ramps: The embodiment of Appalachian delicacy, Pickled Ramps are the perfect accompaniment to any dish or as a stand alone treat. Natures springtime gift from Morgantown, WV is an amazing blend of wild onion and garlic flavor.

Vino di Milo - Fresh Herb Marinara Sauce: Smooth and savory! This seductive marinara has loads of fennel, thyme, basil, and parsley for an incredible flavor. Finished with a splash of Malbec

Scratch Pasta - Spinach Fusilli: These delicious pastas are made in Lynchburg, VA by Stephanie Fees of Scratch Pasta Co. The Virginia Wheat Campanelle is made with a mix of semolina flour and Virginia-grown wheat flour, this whole wheat pasta is a lighter alternative to traditional whole wheat pastas. Balanced and delicately flavored, this pasta is perfect in just about anything, but our go-to move is mixing it with some delicious pesto. Stands up to heartier sauces. The Semolina Pappardelle is perfect for a simple tomato sauce or a heavier bolognese. It has a great texture. Gluten free fusilli is made with a blend of tapioca and brown rice flour for a perfect texture. The Spinach Fusilli is an amazing bright colored pasta that will brighten any meal.

Lindera Farms - Lemongrass Ponzu Sauce: Lindera Farms' owner, Daniel Liberson, sources local ingredients around Virginia for his vinegar and soy sauce. The Honey Vinegar is made from honey near his farm and is a rich, slightly sweet vinegar with low acidity. It is a great addition to any salad. The Ramp Vinegar is made with ramps foraged by Daniel himself. It's bright onion/garlic flavor is great on vegetables of any kind. The Soy Sauce is made from dark, rich, locally grown black soy beans. It is finished with apple wood to give it a touch of smokiness. Drizzle over meats, stews, and sauteed vegetables to elevated the flavors of your cooking. The Scotch Bonnet and Aji Pepper hot sauce is a must in every pantry. It has a kick of heat but excellent flavor that will not overwhelm the palate. The ponzu sauce is made with citrus and lemongrass. It is a great seasoning for Asian food. Most items come in 100 ml bottles, others in both 100 ml and 200 ml bottles.

Thomaswork - Leaf Motif Bookmark: Lazer cut bookmarks that feature a crisp tree design into either sycamore or walnut. Produced by Matt Thomas, of ThomasWorks in Shock, WV these bookmarks are the perfect way to keep your place in a good book.

I love traveling and trying foods from all over the place. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened as much as I would like over the past year. Covid 'n such.



Instead of traveling to these places I want to try, I had the idea to bring them to me. Have you heard of Goldbelly? I don't know about you, but I'm getting targeted ads for it like nobody's business. It's a website that offers specialty foods from all over the country that you can get mailed to you - for a premium.



But it's a cool option if you've always wanted to try real Chicago-style pizza or a New York-style bagel, etc. I wanted to find something that was new to me and that was also interactive for date night - but takes no real skill. Because I have no real cooking skills to speak of. 



So, we ultimately decided on ordering a cannoli kit from Carlo's Bakery. "Buddy and the Carlo's Bakery team star in TLC's hit series, "Cake Boss," and in more publications and spin-off series than we could list. Buddy’s cake design was voted by The Today Show's viewers as the best cake in America," as per the website. 



So we were shipped a dozen cannoli shells with two piping bags full of icing and went to town. I tried a sort of swirl technique, where as RL did this mooshing thing that I think worked better. 



And, they were very tasty. There was no actual cooking or baking involved, so I couldn't mess it up fortunately. And it was fun to make them on our own. Bu I sure do miss that sort of "authentic" feeling of being there. But for now, this will do. 

Heeeere's the mail, it never fails. It makes me wanna wag my tail. When it comes, I wanna wail "maaaaiiiillll!" Anyone remember Blue's Clues?

This month's J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile Box is here! I am already chowing down on the dilly beans from Crisp & Co.  And I'm loving this print from Laura Poulette. This bathroom spray has already made its way into the guest bathroom. I've not yet tried this hot sauce from Tennessee, but I hope to soon. I've never tried pull candy before, so I can't wait to taste this one. If you have suggestions for the rhubarb chutney, let me know! 

I know that charcuterie is trendy right now, but truth be told, I've always love eating like this. I used to buy a bunch of different small blocks of fancy cheese, some salami, crackers and mustard and call it a day. Now that that concept is amplified to the nth degree with specialty cheeses, delicious condiment, all sorts of fruit, etc., I am so here for it.



Le Charcutier is located in Morgantown and offers a weekly charcuterie box that is available to purchase on Wednesday and pick up on Friday. I was really lucky they were willing to work with me on a pick-up date to accommodate when I would be coming through town.



This last week's box included truffle cheddar, brie, borgonzola, blueberry vanilla goat cheese, and aged cheddar, plus olives, cornichons, assorted cured meats, nuts, dried fruit, and other accoutrements. The cheeses in this box were the best I've had in a charcuterie box. And, I LOVED the cherries! I never can find cherries locally. All together, delicious.

Grade: A

White Sulphur Springs is home to a new Filipino food store.



Pinoy Store is located along Main Street and offers a wide variety of goods, not limited to those from the Philippines.



But Filipino food is really what I was excited to find. My friend Sam pointed me in the direction of some goodies to try. 



So, one of the first things I picked up was cornick, this garlic-flavored corn snack. It was addictive.



Sam also introduced me to calamansi, which is like a Filipino lime flavor, and they instant noodles in this flavor. I haven't made this yet, but I am very excited to do so. 



My best friend Kaitlynn's husband Josh makes ensaymada, so it was really need to see some frozen! 



I also got some chocolate cream cracker things that were my own choosing - and not all that great. My bad. 



When it say cracker, I wasn't thinking like an actual saltine. So they're not super flavorful and just not as doused in sugar as I probably want. 



Finally, I also went for some dried mango and a mango drink, too.



Sam was tempted to get some frozen fish, but we weren't exactly equipped for frozen food on this day.



And I wanted halo halo topping, but I figured I can wait on that. 



Check out my haul.



What else should I get next time?



Do you have any favorites?

When it's frigid and icy in West Virginia, the demand for strawberries seems to go up. That's based on my observation waiting in line two different times for two women running strawberry businesses in the Charleston area. From my understanding, they ship strawberries directly from Florida and meet people in random parking lots, as noted on Facebook, and the people come. They line up. And they buy alllll the strawberries.

The Strawberry Lady



Arguably the more popular of the two strawberry vendors, The Strawberry Lady has a box truck full of strawberries that they deliver around to various points in the Metro Valley. The first time I tried to get some in Kanawha City, they actually sold out while I was still in line.



So, when they came back, I was an hour early to make sure I got my fix. You can purchase by the flat ($32) or half flat ($16), and jam is $4 -- which is so smart for those with $20 bills. They are cash or check only. I got a half flat and shared with some friends. One thing I noticed about these ones is that they are not quite as ripe as the other, but they are huge. 


M & C Strawberries



These folks seem to be more consistently set up at the India Center at Southridge. They are more expensive - a half flat here was $20 and a full flat here is $40.



These strawberries were perfectly ripe and beautiful. So, what's the verdict? They're both tasty. I think it depends if you want to go for size or flavor. Either way, they're both lovely fresh in the midst of winter.

It's time for this month's Appalachian Mercantile box!!! What do we have this month? 

Snowville Creamery - cheddar crisps - These delicious crisps are made from pure cheddar cheese. Snowville Creamery, located in eastern OH, grass feeds all of its cattle to produce A2 milk. The crisps are non-GMO, gluten free and yummy!

Shagbark Seed & Mill - Organic Pinto Beans - Shagbark Seed & Mill is a cooperative that supports local organic grain and bean growers in eastern OH. These pinto and black beans are staples for the pantry. Grown in the Americas for more than 8000 years, Black Beans are at the heart of Indigenous Foodways in South America, Cuba, and Central America. They offer loads of protein, fiber, magnesium, and anti-oxidants to every meal. Ohio grown, certified organic, vegan. Pinto beans have been a staple of Appalachian cuisine for many, many year. Cook with a piece of smoked pork, onions and garlic. The rich, meaty flavor of the beans sings through.

Studio B Art Boutique Wine & Beer Gallery is a really cool shop in Fayetteville that has everything from WV products and clothing to beer and wine. There's really a lot here, but, of course, I wanted to focus on the food and drink part. 



First, let's talk Mountain Top Tea, which is produced by Berkeley Springs Brewing Company. These are beers brewed with tea, like Mandarin Orange Rooibos, Green Tea or Earl Grey. So they're like sours but with these tea flavors. If you are a tea fan, this could be a good try! 



Then, I also wanted to collect the beautiful line of cans from Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company. I need the Green Bank Fruited Gose, 35 Pale Ale and would love Bat Boy! If anyone knows where I can get these cans, give me a head's up! 

There's a new shop in Huntington that is home to fresh meat and seafood, gourmet food items and perfect gifts for just about anyone.



The Butcher Shop, located next to Christopher's Eats, is a small space with this really lovely wooden exterior that has carvings of a cow, pig and chicken. 



Inside, you'll find all sorts of goodies. There are charcuterie essentials like cheese knives and markers.



There are also some West Virginia glasses and a wide selection of pasta. 



There is cheese, crackers and make-your-own-cocktail kits.



Condiments like jams and jellies and pickled vegetables are available.



And, there are sweets too - caramels, marshmallows, truffles.



There are two small coolers - one with beef and another with seafood. 



I'm unclear if they butcher in the traditional sense - if they break down cuts of meat or if people can have them do so - it seemed like the items they had were packaged from different companies. 



But the one thing I saw that didn't have another company's label on it was the crab cakes, so I was sure to get a package of those. 



And, I also got some "cheese straws," some caramels, some marshmallows, a candy bar, a giant peanut butter cup, pimento cheese popcorn, truffle crackers and butter toffee peanuts.



If I had to describe this shop to someone, I would say they that they carry a lot of regional speciality foods (not many local ones) that could make up the ultimate charcuterie board. 



So far, everything I've tasted has been so good. After a quick fry, the crab cakes had a lovely golden brown crust and lots of shredded crab. 



The pimento popcorn, which is from Asheville, N.C., was like a cheddar popcorn with a little spice. A nice, fun little twist. 



Have you been here? Let me know what you got in the comments!