Oats Any Time
In a small town in central Maine just west of Bangor, a company called Oats Any Time (O.A.T.) makes whole grain oat tarts with real fruit filling and a crumb crust that taste rich and scrumptious and there isn’t an ounce of butter, eggs, or dairy used to make these treats. Gluten-free and vegan, the O.A.T. Fruit Filled Crumb Tart is a moist, delicious, and satisfying confection that can be eaten for breakfast or enjoyed as a snack or dessert. Read more 
Rethinking the Lunch Box and Thermos
Every so often, a product is redesigned in such an innovative way that people reconsider its use. There was the brown paper bag for lunch which led to the iconic lunch box and thermos – all of which were staples in our society for those who wanted to bring lunch from home. When my daughter announced she was going vegan and would be preparing her own lunch to bring to school, she quickly realized the challenges of not only making fresh tasting food but of transporting and storing it so that the food looked and tasted just as good as when she first made it. The preparation was relatively easy; the transporting wasn’t which is how we found Black + Blum – a company that makes innovative and functional soup carriers, salad boxes, and meal holders, bags, and utensils. Read more
GIN GINS
For a chewy, not too sweet and just a tad spicy adult candy, consider Gin Gins – a new type of candy that is natural, stimulating and deliciously different. Touted as “a soothing travel treat” because of ginger’s queasy-quelling properties, Gin Gins are used by many to fight off nausea while flying, boating, or driving on a winding, bumpy road. But, Gin Gins are more than a travel aid; they are a refreshing chewy candy that brings warmth and the good flavor of ginger to your senses. Read more
Rau Om
Years ago when we were living in Spain, my daughter would often order a cheese platter for dessert and devour the 4 or 5 piece selection, much to my surprise as most kids order cake or ice cream for dessert. She just happened to develop a deep love of cheese (especially goat) at a young age and was an adventurous eater. Now that she is a vegan, life has changed as has her diet.
By definition, a vegan is a person who avoids using or consuming animal products so cheese is no longer on the menu. In its place is a product called Tofu Misozuke – an all natural miso-cured tofu that has been aged for two months. Rich, creamy and slightly tangy, Tofu Misozuke is the centuries old Japanese answer to cheese and a cheese-lovin vegan’s choice when a craving for the forbidden fruit beckons. But, Tofu Misozuke is also a delicious alternative to cheese that non-vegans should consider trying. Read more
Yonanas
This past Christmas, we surprised my daughter with a Yonana machine – an electric kitchen appliance that turns frozen fruit into a soft serve treat called Yonanas. My daughter is a vegan so fruit is a big part of her diet and although the majority of fruit she eats is fresh, more than a portion of our freezer is allocated to frozen fruit for her daily smoothies. Sometimes I open the freezer and think Carmen Miranda is looking back at me only to realize its a frozen fruit fest. There are piles of frozen mangos, blueberries, strawberries, pineapples, cantaloupes, raspberries, blackberries, and most popular of all – bananas. Read more
Sandcastles
Sandcastles are an original take on an old Moroccan cookie recipe that utilizes rye flour and coconut oil instead of flour and butter as the basis for each of the four varieties of cookies: Deep Chocolate Infrared, Maple Dusted Cardamom, Vanilla Black Sesame and Marzipan with Toasted Almonds. Slightly suspect (because what can be better than butter and flour in a shortbread cookie?), I reluctantly purchased these cookies for my vegan daughter who was looking for a great tasting cookie that satisfied her dietary restrictions. Read more
Clarine’s Florentines
Clarine Hardesty is a pastry chef and owner of Clarine’s Florentines, a Berkeley, California-based commercial operation that specializes in the Florentine: a delicious mixture of toasted nuts and candied fruit held together by a honey and sugar mixture that hardens and forms a crunchy candy-like delicate cookie. To complete the treat, Clarine’s Florentines are dipped in bittersweet chocolate. Read more
Morning Sunshine Breakfast Cookie
There is a funky little coffee house about 30 miles north of Queens in Northport, New York on the Long Island Sound called Caffe Portofino. Owned by Lisa Harris, a truly passionate baker, Portofino is known for their eclectic menu – whole wheat scones, hearty oatmeal with pecans, walnuts, cranberries, granola, and fresh fruit, smoothies made with milk or soy, and the Morning Sunshine Breakfast Cookie – a scrumptious blend of all natural ingredients – for the health conscious consumer. Read more
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
The Christmas of ’51
Last year I posted a story about the Christmas holidays and the Christmas of 1951, when my husband was 4 years old. It’s a story worth reposting because its message conveys the real meaning of the holidays. Merry Christmas. Read more
Paddock Post 