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Shake up your weekly lunches with new spice blends that will transform your meals for the upcoming week! Your future self will thank you. Try these four easy chicken marinades and rubs including teriyaki chicken, yogurt-marinated baharat chicken, coconut curry chicken, and chili lime chicken - a perfect introduction into meal prep! These recipes are designed to be baked all on one sheet tray using aluminum foil boats to separate the dishes. So not only are the recipes super easy, but clean up is hassle-free.

by Mia Hanneken

Common Ground Food Co-op has existed since 1974. Since its inception, the Co-op has been a small, independent entity serving the Champaign-Urbana community. It’s been around for 47 years, but so many in the area aren’t familiar with Common Ground. Most notably, there is still a lot of confusion about what a cooperative business even is. 

Pongal or Makar Sankranti is a festival celebrated all over India. It goes by different names in different parts of India and the customs in celebrating the festival vary too. This festival is dedicated to the deity Surya (Sun). It is a harvest festival. It marks the first day of the Sun’s transit into Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days. It usually falls on the 14 or 15 of January.

Enjoying the holidays but don’t partake in cocktails? Try these amazing mocktails to ring in the new year right! 

Elderberry Fizz Mocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz of elderberry syrup (we love regional Dayempur Herbals elderberry syrup!)

1 oz of rosemary simple syrup

½ oz of lime juice

Club soda

So how do restaurants make their cocktails so great? It’s simple! Using simple syrup adds sweetness without being overpowering, plus you can infuse the simple syrup with just about any flavor you want. Here’s how I make mine:

General Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

2 cups of water

1 ½ cups sugar (raw cane sugar, if you can find it)

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add water and bring to a boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let cool. 

Homemade simple syrup, good quality liquor & holiday flavors all combine together in these delicious cocktail recipes from Common Ground Food Co-op!

Cranberry Shenanigan 

Ingredients:

2-3oz of Hayman’s Old Tom gin

1 oz of rosemary simple syrup

4oz of cranberry juice (unsweetened)

1 Lime (or substitute with 1 oz of lime juice)

Try this soothing miso vegetable ramen chock full of local winter produce, including shiitake mushrooms, scallions, carrots, and radishes. This cozy recipe will bring you comfort all while incorporating those whole foods your body craves.

What you need for Plant-Based Miso Ramen:

2 containers Pacific Foods mushroom broth

2 1/2 cups water

2 pieces of kombu (optional for broth)

1 local & organic celeriac (celery root) from PrairiErth Farm, coarsely chopped (optional for broth) 

This spicy ramen is perfect to make on a cold weekend. This recipe walks you through how to slow cook local pork shoulder, how to prepare tasty ramen broth, and what local winter vegetables go great with black forbidden rice ramen noodles.

What you need for Spicy Pork Ramen:

2 T. organic canola oil

1-2lbs local pork shoulder roast from Central Lean

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 containers (8 cups) Field Day Vegetable Broth

1 cup water

1 inch piece fresh ginger, thickly sliced

Craving a mimosa but want to mix it up? Check out the easiest twist on this classic cocktail to ring in Christmas morning: the Kombucha Mimosa! There are tons of kombucha flavors you could easily substitute, because, let's face it, it's rare for a flavor profile to clash with Champagne or Prosecco (though we do recommend staying away from GT's MultiGreen). A mimosa is best served with either a brut Champagne or Prosecco. A traditional mimosa is 1/2 wine and 1/2 orange juice, and we did the same with kombucha. 

Make gift giving extra meaningful this year by making your own gifts! Not only will these gifts be fun and affordable to make, they also can ship well as holiday care packages.

Learn how to make:

• Fudge Brownies In a Jar

• Infused Honey (Lavender & Tulsi Basil are great options)

• Meyer Lemon Infused Salt

• Cumin & Coriander Infused Salt

• Zinfandel Infused Salt