WRITER | CANDIE CONAT
PHOTOS | THE SEASONED HOME
Who says friends shouldn’t be business partners? For Christina Bensinger and Jody LaCombe, it has been a match made in heaven. After many years spent working together in a corporate setting, these two long-time friends decided to take a leap of faith and open their own shop.
It’s all about the kitchen at The Seasoned Home. With everything from soothing teas, kitchen gadgets and accessories of every kind, spices with a twang, and the utmost in decadent gourmet foods from all over Michigan and around the world, this dynamic duo has your kitchen needs covered – and then some.
Some of their most popular items are fun and whimsical yet also functional. Two of their biggest sellers have been the Gurglepot and the Chirpy Top. The Gurglepot is a beverage pitcher that looks like a fish and makes a hilarious gurgling sound when you pour from it. It comes in a wide variety of bright, eye-catching colors and doubles as a great conversation piece. The Chirpy Top, as you might guess, is a bird-shaped wine pourer that chirps like a bird when pouring. Both items have been nearly impossible to keep in stock, says Bensinger.
Bensinger and LaCombe are proud to include a unique selection of high-quality products made by Michigan artisans. Salad and serving bowls from The Holland Bowl Mill are always a hit for keepsake wedding, birthday, and anniversary gifts. The wooden bowls are hand turned, guaranteeing that no two bowls will ever be exactly the same. As an added touch, they can be personalized with special dates, a personal sentiment, or a business logo.
“Cookbooks are a big hit, even in today’s world of searching for recipes online. Many people still enjoy holding the book in their hands,” says Bensinger. When adding new cookbooks to their lineup, they select very specific themes, as is the case with a current favorite, Power Spicing. This cookbook focuses on using herbs and spices to create meals that will improve long-term health while kicking flavors up to new levels. Combine Power Spicing with a selection from the extensive line of spices, herbs, and rubs carried in the store, and you’ll have the perfect housewarming or wedding gift. The shop has become known as the best place in Holland to find unique and flavorful spices. Blends like Apple Butter Chop Rub, Backwoods Mesquite, and 8th Street top the list of favorites.
Bensinger and LaCombe try to make sure one of them is at the store almost every day. They view their customers as friends and enjoy helping every person select the perfect gift or new item for their own kitchen. Be sure to stop in and say Hi!
The Seasoned Home
43 E. 8th Street
Holland, MI 49423
(616) 392-8350 l TheSeasonedHome.com
