Nana's Homemade Peanut Buttercups

Homecroft, IN (April 13, 2025) - When Nana made these heavenly treats, they were always everyone's favorite. Growing up, we spent a lot of time at Nana's house on the Southside of Indianapolis and we always asked her to make these for us.

Several days ago, while getting stuff prepared for supper, I ran across Nana's recipe and made some for my self and it was so easy. I love this recipe and that you don’t need to bake them, all you need to do is to place them inside the fridge until set.

Nana's peanut buttercups have the same creamy, sweet peanut butter layer and melty chocolate coating you love without all the extra oils or preservatives you get in store-bought candy. Making candy with Nana always tasted so much better, plus you get to control the ingredients. 

 Ingredients: 

•  1 cup butter, melted 
•  2 cup graham crackers, crushed 
•  2 cups confectioner’s sugar 
•  1 cup peanut butter 
•  1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 
•  4 Tablespoon peanut butter 

 Directions: 

1. Apply cooking spray or line with paper liners muffin tins. 
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add 1 cup of peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, butter, and graham crackers. Beat until well mixed and creamy. 
3. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture into the prepared muffin tins. 
4. Press them lightly in each muffin tin. Place 4 tablespoons of peanut butter and chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl. 
5. Place the bowl inside the microwave and turn the setting to medium. Allow the mixture to melt completely. 
6. Spoon the mixture and drop them on top of each filled muffin tins. Place inside the fridge to chill and set. 
7. Serve and enjoy! 

SOURCE: Nana

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Steak ‘n Shake closes another 13 locations

Indianapolis, IN (November 9, 2020) - Steak ‘n Shake and its franchisees appear to have closed another 13 locations as the brand continued its pullback during a pandemic that has sapped it of much of its customer traffic. The Indianapolis-based chain, part of the Biglari Holdings conglomerate, has been shuttering locations at a steady pace as years of sales declined have deteriorated its finances.

The company appears to have closed another 11 locations in the third quarter, while franchisees closed another two, based on Biglari Holdings securities filings. Steak ‘n Shake currently operates 528 locations, including 260 company units, 69 operated by “franchise partners,” and 199 by traditional franchisees.

Some 37 of those 260 company-operated locations remain “temporarily closed,” according to the filings. 

Steak ‘n Shake has been permanently closing locations all year due to the pandemic. It started 2020 with 610 units, suggesting 82 restaurants have shut down so far this year, or 13% of the chain. The closures have come as traffic has taken a nosedive during the pandemic. According to the filing, same-store traffic plunged 54.2% in the third quarter ended Sept. 30. Traffic has fallen 44.6% so far this year.

Same-store sales numbers were not published, but the company has seen steady decreases in recent years that have presumably worsened in recent months during quarantine-related dine-in restrictions.

To combat that, Steak ‘n Shake has been shifting its traditionally full-service business into a counter-service model—a rare shift, yet indicative of the challenges facing traditional dine-in concepts at a time when consumers are taking their food with them.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected our restaurant operations and financial results,” Biglari Holdings said in a filing. The company has been adding equipment in reopened restaurants to shift the restaurants’ model to one that emphasizes counter service and does away with wait staff. Yet details in the earnings report suggest the effort has been "limited."



But, the company noted, “the funds needed for the transition are limited under its current debt agreement.” Steak ‘n Shake has $153 million in debt that Biglari Holdings doesn’t guarantee—and refuses to guarantee.

That has put the chain under some pressure to turn itself around before next March, when the debt comes due. “Absent a resolution with the lenders, Steak ‘n Shake may need to seek refinancing options, which may not be available,” the company said. The pandemic could also limit those financing options.

Steak ‘n Shake has been shifting many of its restaurants to operators who would take ownership in exchange for a fee of “up to 15%” of sales and a split of the remaining profits. The company now has 69 such restaurants run by those franchise partners.

But traditional royalties have plummeted during the pandemic: Franchise royalties and fees fell 33% in the third quarter and are down 31.5% for the first nine months of the year.

SOURCE: Restaurant Business Online 

Beech Grove Butterscotch Brownies

Beech Grove, IN (September 18, 2020) - Made with butter and brown sugar, this recipe is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Whenever Nana made these brownies they were gone in no time. We have listed all the steps so you just need to follow them. 

Feel free to add more ingredients if you feel that this recipe can do better. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup butter, melted 
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar 
• 3 large eggs eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 cup chopped walnuts 

Coffee Frosting (Optional) 

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules 

2 tablespoons water 

½ cup butter softened 

3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare the oven and preheat to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F. 

Step 2: Apply cooking spray in a 11x7x2-inch baking pan. 

Step 3: Place a large saucepan on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Add in the butter and allow it to melt. Add in 2 cups of brown sugar and stir until well mixed and dissolved completely. Remove from the heat and let it cool at room temperature. Add in the vanilla and eggs. Beat until well blended. 

Step 4: In a small mixing bowl, sift baking powder, flour, and salt. 

Step 5: Transfer the dry mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir until well mixed then toss in the walnuts and stir.
Step 6: Transfer the batter into the greased pan. 

Step 7: Place inside the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cooked through. 

Step 8: Remove from the pan and let it sit on a wire rack to cool at room temperature. 

Step 9: Make the Frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, add in coffee and pour in water. Stir until coffee is dissolved completely. 

Step 10: In another small bowl, add in the confectioners’ sugar and butter. Whisk until well mixed. 

Step 11: Transfer the butter mixture into the dissolved coffee. Stir until well mixed. 

Step 12: Spread the mixture on top of the brownies.
Step 13: Serve and enjoy!

SOURCE: Nana

Southport Sausage Gravy

Southport, IN (September 8, 2020) - This is a really easy and super delicious recipe for sausage gravy from Nana that will have your family begging you to make this again and again. This recipe makes a hearty breakfast that is perfect any time of the year or any day of the week. Serve with hot biscuits or even eggs to round-out a filling lunch.

The trick to a great Southport Sausage Gravy is to really brown the sausage in a skillet until it has a deep brown caramelization on the outside. Not only will the sausage taste better, the drippings will have also have a deeper, tastier flavor to impart in the roux

Ingredients 

• 1-pound breakfast sausage, hot or mild 
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
• 3 to 4 cups whole milk, more to taste 
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt 
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, more to taste 
• 12 cooked biscuits, warmed, for serving

Preparation 

With your finger tear small pieces of sausage and add them in a single layer to a large heavy skillet. Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle on half the flour and stir so that the sausage soaks it all up, then add more little by little. Stir it around and cook it for another minute or so, then pour in the milk, stirring constantly.

Cook the gravy, stirring frequently until it thickens (this may take a good 10 to 12 minutes). Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick and luscious. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in another 1/2 cup of milk or more if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Spoon the sausage gravy over warm biscuits and serve immediately. This recipe can be easily doubled to serve 24.

Source: Nana

Kroger Launching eCommerce Marketplace

Indianapolis, IN (August 12, 2020) - The Kroger Company, America’s largest grocery retailer, announced Kroger Ship will expand to offer an extended ship-to-home assortment through a marketplace offering of third-party sellers powered by Mirakl, the leading software platform enabling B2C and B2B digital marketplaces.

“Our customers are increasingly turning to our e-commerce solutions provided at Kroger.com for their grocery and household essential needs. To better serve our customers, we’re continuing to invest in technology that enables us to expand our digital services to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere,” said Jody Kalmbach, Kroger’s group vice president of product experience. 

“Leveraging Mirakl’s best-in-class marketplace solution, we are broadening Kroger’s ship-to-home capabilities by offering more relevant products for our customers through exciting new partnerships with reputable third-party sellers.”

Kroger Ship, which launched in August 2018, will offer customers an extended aisle of products made available through marketplace partners. Initially, more than 50,000 additional items will be available to customers across multiple categories, including natural and organic, international food, specialty items, housewares and toys.

“Kroger has long been a retail giant, and by integrating an online marketplace into its leading eCommerce experience, Kroger is continuing to lead from the front,” said Adrien Nussenbaum, CEO and Co-founder of Mirakl. “It’s clearer than ever that digital marketplaces are the foundation of the next generation of commerce, and we look forward to supporting Kroger as it takes advantage of this opportunity.”

Kroger’s marketplace products are expected to launch this fall. Eligible Kroger.com orders earn loyalty rewards like fuel points.

“The expansion of our Kroger Ship platform will continue to bring together our industry-leading customer insights and merchandising data to offer our customers a digital shopping experience that includes staples available in our physical stores as well as products that are exclusive to Kroger.com,” said Stuart Aitken, Kroger’s senior vice president and chief merchant and marketing officer. “As part of our continuing transformation, we look forward to accelerating the development of our e-commerce platform and providing our customers with even more choices.”

Kroger’s strategic investments in e-commerce technology and channels over the past two and half years under Restock Kroger have positioned the company to more effectively respond to the sustained, increased demand of delivery, pickup and ship-to-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOURCE: Kroger

Taco Bell unveils "At Home Taco Bar"

Indianapolis, IN (May 1, 2020) - Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Taco Bell® is giving fans the perfect recipe to recreate their favorites from home with the At Home Taco Bar, available via delivery and contactless drive-thrus nationwide starting Friday, May 1, for a limited time. From virtual parties with friends to family dinners, the At Home Taco Bar is a surefire way to satisfy cravings and spice up any virtual or at-home gathering.

The At Home Taco Bar comes deconstructed, packed and sealed for an easy and safe way to feed a party of 6 for $25*. Complete with staple Taco Bell ingredients including flour tortillas, crunchy taco shells, nacho chips, seasoned beef, shredded lettuce, nacho cheese sauce, hot sauce packets and more, fans will have the chance to recreate beloved favorites from the comfort of their own homes.

#TacoBell is now offering an at home taco bar (via @KimberleyDS84) https://t.co/vTMlxJg5Nz

— Kimberley S (@KimberleyDS84) April 30, 2020

To help inspire the inner chef in us all, Taco Bell is also rolling out a series of recipe cards straight from the Taco Bell Test Kitchen. The cards provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the ingredients to whip up iconic Taco Bell classics, beloved favorites from the past, like the Double-Decker Taco and recipes fans have yet to see. And since no party is complete without refreshments, fans will also find recipe cards to make Taco Bell-inspired cocktails and mocktails, like the Taco Bell Strawberry Freeze Tequila Sunrise. The recipe cards will be available on Taco Bell’s Blog beginning Sunday, May 3

“Our food has always been a catalyst of bringing people together, and we’re finding new ways to do this from a safe distance until we can all be together again,” said Melissa Friebe, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing and Consumer Insights at Taco Bell. “No matter the meal they create, we’re excited to give fans a new at home Taco Bell experience.”

The At Home Taco Bar, which serves 6, will be available for at participating restaurants nationwide and includes 8 flour tortillas, 12 Crunchy Taco shells, 6 oz. of nacho chips, seasoned beef, shredded lettuce, refried beans, nacho cheese sauce, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, reduced-fat sour cream, Hot Sauce packets and napkins for $25*.

The At Home Taco Bar has something for everyone - the adventurous, the classic taco lover, the vegetarian or the roommate who wants it all. Fans can order ahead on the Taco Bell app and pick up their order via contactless drive thru or place an order via Grubhub for free delivery from participating locations.** Fans can share their unique Taco Bell menu creations on social and follow the conversations with #TacoBellCreations.

*Call local restaurant for pricing and participation which vary. Tax extra.

**Please visit www.tacobell.com/deivery to check delivery availability and additional terms. Free Grubhub delivery available for a limited time at participating U.S. Taco Bell® locations for users who order $15 or more, before tax, tip, and fees.

SOURCE: Taco Bell