Regifting: Practical and Thrifty or Thoughtless?
Every holiday season, many people receive a gift where it’s obvious the gift is a regift: a gift that has been received and given in the guise of a new gift by the original recipient. Some of the country’s most respected etiquette experts claim regifting is acceptable if done carefully meaning both the original donor and the new recipient don’t know. However, the notion of regifting is abhorrent to some because it implies that someone did not put enough time and thought into seeking just the right gift for the recipient. Read more 
Freddy Guys Hazelnut Granola
Freddy Guys is a well-known west coast based family run hazelnut orchard business who sells their raw or freshly roasted hazelnuts in the Portland area Farmer’s Markets and for those who aren’t local, the company’s products can be purchased via the company website: www.freddyguys.com. Famous for their commitment to deliver the most flavorful and freshest hazelnuts, the company handles every aspect of growing and roasting to ensure the consumer receives top quality hazelnuts. From that commitment, the idea to make Hazelnut Granola was born and for those who love hazelnuts, the Hazelnut Granola is a delicious nutty treat. Read more
Mama Jess Organic Pasta Sauces
There’s a new sauce on the market that warrants attention and is about to turn people’s idea of pasta (and enchilada) sauce in a new healthier direction. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free with no sugar added, no artificial flavors or colors, and no high fructose corn syrup, Mama Jess makes three organic pasta sauces that are delicious and wholesome: Read more
Cocomels
When my daughter was little, I would tell her stories that always had some kind of candy theme involved – chocolate rivers, caramel waterfalls, bedroom walls covered with edible 3-D wallpaper, red licorice tunnels, coconut snowballs – because I never outgrew my love for sweets or my interest in talking about candy. The possibilities were endless and I was never at a loss for words when it came to confections. At this stage in my life, it’s safe to conclude that I’ve tasted a lot of candy so it’s not often that a new sweet comes along and blows me away but this past week one did and they are called Cocomels. Read more
Tatte’s Fine Cookies, Cakes, Pastries and Tarts
Tatte Fine Cookies & Cakes is a Massachusetts-based bakery and cafe specializing in cookies, cakes, pastries, and tarts made with all natural and top quality ingredients including butter, flour, eggs, vanilla, chocolate, cheese, nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables. With two storefronts in the Boston area – the original bakery in Brookline and the newest shop in Cambridge – an on-line mail order business and high quality gourmet shops (i.e. Dean & Deluca) carrying the bakery’s products, Tatte’s sinfully delicious creations can be enjoyed by virtually anyone. Read more
La Maison du Chocolat Confret Maison
The French chocolate house La Maison du Chocolat makes some of the most decadent, expensive and best tasting chocolate in the world. The “Coffret Maison” is loosely translated to mean the “House Box” – the signature box of chocolates which contain an assortment of praline, ganache, and mousse in milk and dark chocolate – all of which are exquisite and provide a sampling of the famous French chocolatier. Read more
Organic Candy Canes
Candy canes are as much a part of our holiday season as the festivities. We hang the red and white striped sweets on the tree, smash them up with a hammer to use as a topping on cookies or to make peppermint bark, and we eat them in their natural state. The refreshing peppermint taste and the nostalgic shape draws most kids (big and little) to candy canes even though most of these seasonal treats contain corn syrup, artificial colors, and flavorings. TruJoy Sweets makes an organic candy cane using natural colors and flavors to create a healthier and better tasting candy cane using only four ingredients: organic evaporated cane juice, organic brown rice syrup, natural peppermint flavor, and organic fruit juice. Read more
The Yoku Moku Holiday Tins
Every year, famed Japanese cookie maker Yoku Moku commissions an artist to design a holiday cookie tin to be filled with the company’s light crispy buttery minimalist cookies. The essence of a Yoku Moku cookie is in its simplicity – both in ingredients, design, and taste – so the exterior design of the annual holiday tin is louder, more colorful and meant to draw attention to a cookie that doesn’t rely on adornment for attention. Read more
CiCi’s Handmade Italian Butterhorns
When I was in high school, I would often go to my friend Amy’s house over the holidays where her extended family would celebrate the end of a meal with a table full of Italian pastries and cookies. At my house, most cookies came in a bag so the sight of a whole table piled high with every conceivable type of handmade Italian cookie was a dream come true. Amy’s Aunt Cookie was primarily responsible for that dedicated table and she was infamous among her relatives (and friends) for her homemade cookies: Italian Wedding, Wandi, Pignoli, Struffoli, and more. Read more
Abe’s Market
Where do you go on-line to find a wide selection of healthy foods at reasonable prices and free shipping? Abe’s Market – the newest on-line resource for consumers looking for all types of healthy foods: organic, gluten-free, vegan, tree-nut free, nut-free, kosher, sugar-free, raw, and natural. Nearly 3,000 food products are currently offered with the selection growing daily. The prices are competitive and the shipping is free (and fast) on all orders of $49 or more. Read more
Paddock Post 