The Taco Bowl Reconsidered
Taco night has always been a family favorite but every once in a while, the menu needs to be shaken up a bit which is how I came to add Taco Bowl night to mealtime. When I first decided to try taco bowls, the pre-made shells were on my shopping list but after reading labels and not caring for some of the ingredients, I decided to try to make my own. Organic corn tortillas usually contain corn, water, and a trace of lime but finding 9-10 inch organic corn tortillas (most grocery stores carry the 6-7 inch size) is very difficult unless there is a Latin market close by. So, I started thinking about alternatives which is how I considered Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Tortillas. Read more 
Fruit Vinegars by Mangé
For years, people have expounded on the health benefits of vinegar and although I was never able to bring myself to drink vinegar straight up, I often used vinegar to dress foods and make salad dressings. Balsamic vinegar has been front and center on my counter top but there’s a new vinegar that now warrants counter top space: Fruit Vinegars by Mangé. Different from balsamic, rice, apple cider, and white vinegar, Mangé fruit vinegars are smooth (really), slightly sweet vinegars that have been flavored with natural fresh fruits. Each vinegar is special in its own way and conducive to making sauces, marinades and dressings more flavorful. Read more
Artisana Nut Butters
Fresh peanut butter and almond butter have permanent shelf space in our cabinets because we love to spread it on crackers, toast, crisp apples, and even on California dates. With no added sweeteners or salt, these natural butters are delicious on their own and from time to time, we’ve been known to take a spoonful and enjoy the butter au natural. Read more
The Vegan S’More
July 4th is right around the corner and for most people the celebration will include a barbecue, fireworks, and hopefully, a campfire. Traditionally, we sit around the campfire, roast marshmallows and either eat the gooey mess au natural or pile the partially burned white blobs on graham crackers with chocolate bars to make the classic campfire treat: the S’More. But, when you have a vegan in the family, making a S’More is a challenge. Read more
FoMu Alternative Ice Cream
FoMu is not an alternative to ice cream – but instead, an alternative ice cream or what the company describes as “a new take on a traditional favorite.” Dairy-free and vegan certified, FoMu is a hard ice cream made from either a coconut or nut blend base. The coconut base flavors are made with coconut milk – a creamy, natural and nutritious base that is sweetened with agave and unrefined cane sugar along with a trace amount of plant-based stabilizers (guar and xantham gum) whereas the nut blend base is made with almonds and cashews. Read more
Living the Sweetgreen Life
Last month, I took my daughter to Washington, DC for college visits and we discovered Sweetgreen: a restaurant known for sourcing local and organic ingredients from farmers they know to create wholesome made to order salads and wraps. With 17 current locations (10 in DC, 2 in Maryland, 3 in Virginia, and 2 in Pennsylvania) and 3 to open soon (1 in Boston at 659 Boylston Street this summer and 2 in New York City at 413 Greenwich Street in Tribeca and 1170 Broadway at 28th Street adjacent to the NoMad Hotel), there is no better place to go for a casual, healthy lunch when visiting these cities. Read more
Two Moms In The Raw
Two Moms in the Raw is a Boulder-based company that produces granola bars full of seeds, nuts, fruits, and spices and not much else. Slightly sweet, chewy and crunchy, Two Moms in the Raw Granola Bars have all the attributes the health conscious consumer is looking for: 100% organic, wheat free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher, raw, and handmade. I would add delicious, nutritious, and convenient. Each 2-ounce bar is individually wrapped making Two Moms in the Raw Granola Bars easy to tote along for that late morning or mid-afternoon snack. Read more
NuttZo
Nut and seed butters are gaining in popularity across the country with consumers looking to these spreads as a healthy alternative to both butter and high protein animal based foods. Fresh peanut and almond butter are relatively easy to find these days but most grocery stores and markets don’t offer an abundance of other choices because until recently, there haven’t been many blended nut and seed butters on the market that don’t also contain oils, sugars, and other additives. Enter NuttZo – a delicious blend of nuts and seeds that doesn’t contain sweeteners or additives so all you taste is pure deliciousness. Read more
Sunspire Coconut Bars
Sunspire is one of the few companies with a reputation for making rich and delicious chocolate products that contain no refined sugars or artificial additives of any kind. A collection of chocolate confections – chips, powders, chocolate covered fruit and nuts, and bars – are organic, free-trade certified, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and/or vegan. Two of my favorite products are the Coconut Bar and the Coconut Almond Bar – the health conscious consumer’s answer to the Mounds and Almond Joy bars – only better. Read more
Purely Elizabeth Granola
This past week while grocery shopping, my vegan daughter convinced me to try a new brand of granola made by a company called Purely Elizabeth. She didn’t have to twist my arm even though we have at least a half-dozen bags of granola in our cereal cabinet, each one lovely in its own special way.
In our house, granola has a special importance and is given the status of both diamonds and water. Valued for its clarity in ingredients and adaptability (almost everything tastes better with granola just as diamonds look great with nearly anything), granola is the one food that tastes heavenly in its many variations and is a source of sustenance, just like water. Read more
Paddock Post 