Napa Cakes Panforte
The original power bar dates back to the Romans when the Italians combined fruits and nuts to make a moist, dense round cake called Panforte which literally means “strong cake” owing to the slightly spicy flavor. Some people would call Panforte a fruitcake but with the negative connotation that fruitcake conjures up – especially among young people – classifying this Italian creation with the often ridiculed candied fruit concoction does not do this cake justice. A slice of Panforte is truly heavenly owing to the concentration of dried fruit, nuts, honey, and spices. Read more 
Gina and May Umbrellas
Gina & May makes an eye-catching collection of durable, striking, and stylish umbrellas that have been known to cause people to croon “I’m Singin’ in the Rain” while splashing through puddles. Graphic shapes of vibrant color – red, blue, green, fuchsia, tangerine, black, white and charcoal – are displayed on a nylon, non-fade fabric with UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) protection of 25.
Spanning nearly 40 inches across, the fabric is fitted with a high quality windproof mechanism to minimize pressure on the frame, allowing the umbrella to easily flip back into place should the wind turn it out. The frame is made of fiberglass and aluminum with plastic fittings which make a Gina & May umbrella one sturdy and durable parasol. The simple yet bold look of these umbrellas can make the most miserable day a bit brighter…and drier. Read more
Bobbysue’s Nuts
Bobbysue Kobren has been making her family’s fantastic, generations-old recipe for spiced nuts – crunchy almonds, cashews, and pecans coated with a delicate meringue, and lightly roasted with a bit of sugar, and a special blend of spices – for years but waited until 2008 to follow her entrepreneurial spirit by opening Bobbysue’s Nuts in Chappaqua, New York. Savory, slightly sweet (but not too sweet), Bobbysue’s Nuts are addicting: it’s impossible to open a jar and eat just a few nuts because one taste of these scrumptious nuts leaves you wanting more…and more….and more. Read more
“The Little Friend”
…it was Christmas, there was a new baby in the house, everybody was happy and thought they would be happy forever.
Harriet Cleve Dufresnes had just entered the world as the third child of Charlotte and Dixon Cleve. Four months later, while baby Harriett was strapped in her swing on the front porch with her 4-year old sister, Allison playing nearby, 9-year old Robin was found hung from the tupelo tree in the front yard while the rest of the family was in the house setting up the table for a Mother’s Day celebration. No one saw or heard a thing. Read more
Kee’s Chocolates
A visit to Kee’s Chocolates of New York City should be on every passionate chocolate lover’s bucket list. Named for the master chocolatier – Kee Ling Tong – who opened her flagship store in Soho twelve years ago, Kee’s Chocolates are the kind of chocolates that make you step back and think you’ve entered a sublime universe where nothing matters but chocolate and getting more of it because each perfectly hand-made bonbon is rich, decadent and unquestionably exceptional. Read more
The Ice Cream Cone Dilemma
Where I grew up in northern New Jersey, there were two places to go for ice cream: Dairy Queen and Van Dyke’s Ice Cream. Dairy Queen, the local standby was the default choice when we wanted soft serve ice cream after dinner but on weekends or summer afternoons, we would ride our bikes to Van Dyke’s in Ridgewood for rich, creamy, locally made ice cream.
Scooped by hand into impossibly big round balls, the ice cream would be placed on top of a cake or sugar cone. The star of the show was the ice cream – summer cantaloupe, deep chocolate, minty chocolate chip – but the cone was best supporting actor. Within minutes, the ice cream was melting down the sides of the cone and we would be frantically licking the drips to keep the sweet cream from spilling all over our hands. The best bite was the last one: the semi-soft tip at the bottom of the cone – part melted ice cream and part crispy sugar cone and total bliss. Read more
Flying Saucer White Nectarines
Bite into a Flying Saucer White Nectarine and taste the sweet and juicy “out of this world” flavor of a very special nectarine. Named for its flat shape – similar to the donut peach – the Flying Saucer White Nectarine was developed by the Zaiger Family in Modesto, California. Flying Saucers are now grown by Kingsburg Orchards, a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper in Central California’s San Joaquin Valley who also gave this unique variety of nectarine its well-suited name.”
“Niki: The Story of a Dog”
Affection is not only a pleasure for the heart but also a burden which, in proportion to its importance, may oppress the soul quite as much as it rejoices it.
Long before books like Marley or The Art of Racing in the Rain appeared on bookshelves, a book entitled Niki: The Story of a Dog was written in Hungarian by Tibor Déry and published in 1956, shortly before the October Uprising, a nationwide revolt against the Soviet-controlled government in Hungary. In the years following World War II, Hungary underwent massive political changes and it is these changes the reader sees through the eyes of the narrator who tells the story of a middle-aged couple who adopt a street dog named Niki. The story begins in the Spring of 1948 and ends six years later in 1954. Read more
Big Spoon Roasters
Big Spoon Roasters makes ten handcrafted nut butters from scratch in Durham, North Carolina. Each nut butter starts with freshly harvested nuts (peanuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, or brazil nuts) that are roasted, ground, and then blended with wildflower honey which enhances the flavor and serves as a natural preservative – eliminating the need to refrigerate the butters. A touch of sea salt, stone ground chocolate, organic cocoa nibs, organic coconut oil, cardamom, clove, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper, or crystallized ginger are also added, depending on the variety. Read more
Dr. Kracker Crispbreads
There is something deeply satisfying about eating Dr. Kracker Crispbreads – large rectangular shaped crackers loaded with whole grains and seeds that possess flavor, texture, and a nutritional punch in every bite.
The rich, toasty flavor of organically grown whole grains and seeds makes these European inspired crispbreads delicious to eat right out of the box or as vehicle for bolder foods – guacamole, cheese, nut butters, dips, and spreads. Deliciously crunchy, Dr. Kracker Crispbreads are a great alternative to ordinary crackers or bread.
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