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Owners Monica and Allie head to a local elementary school for Career Day

2.24.17

Owners Monica Van Cleve Talbert and Allie Van Cleve Cushing headed to a local elementary school in Spotsylvania to present their career to 4th and 5th graders. They couldn't pass up an opportunity to volunteer to speak with children from the town they grew up in and share their passion for entrepreneurship and seafood. They were honored and delighted by the enthusiasm of the students and are hopeful that several students will one day own their own business. "Be your own boss!"  

Easy Balsamic Reduction Perfect for Valentine's Day Dinner at Home

Planning on staying in and preparing your own Valentine's Day meal? Valentine's dinner menus almost always include some type of seafood from shrimp cocktail to a flakey sea bass filet sitting pretty next to a juicy steak filet.

A quick and delicious idea to dress up your seafood for the occasion at home is to use to a Balsamic reduction glaze on your fish, scallops or shrimp!  Here is an easy recipe for a perfect balsamic reduction to not only complement your seafood(and even steak) but also a great way to jazz up your plate presentation to make you feel like you're sitting in a 5 star restaurant. 

You only need 10 minutes and 1 ingredient, Balsamic Vinegar, for the reduction. If you want to make a glaze just add a sweetener of your choice (coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc.) to the vinegar. Are there more complex recipes out there? Sure! But this is guaranteed fool-proof and leaves you time to focus on grilling those scallops, fish, or steak filets to perfection!

1. Pour a cup of balsamic vinegar(and anywhere from 1-4 tablespoons, depending on desired level of sweetness, of sweetener if making a glaze) in a small saucepan over medium/high heat. Bring the heat to a boil without reducing the heat on the stove.
2. Once boiling, turn the heat down so that boil reduces to a simmer. Stir occasionally and allow to simmer until the vinegar has reduced by at least half (for a thinner reduction) or more (for a thicker consistency).  Be careful not to overcook as it will turn into a hardened mess. TIP- Once the reduction/glaze coats a spoon it's done! 
3. Cool and drizzle over dish or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 
4. 

It's that simple! Don't forget to get creative with plate presentation-- Hearts, I Love You, Be Mine, etc! 

Do you have a favorite/go-to Balsamic Reduction or Glaze recipe? What other dishes do you drizzle it on? Leave a comment and let us know!