Chukar Cherries
More than 25 years ago, Pam Montgomery bought a 100 acre, 8,000-tree cherry orchard in Washington’s Yakima Valley (in the south-central part of the state). After the first harvest, Pam noticed that many cherries went unpicked which allowed the natural sugars to develop while the fruit dried on the branches. Read more 
Whole Spice
Grocery store-bought spices were always a staple in my cabinet until I discovered Whole Spice – a California company that offers a wide selection of very fresh, all-natural herbs and spices without artificial colors, flavors or additives. Whole Spice offers more than 400 herbs, spices, seeds, blends, mixes, rubs, nuts, teas, fruits, vegetables, sugars, and seasonings in a variety of ways: whole, ground, powder, seed, granules, flakes, nibs, diced, sliced, granulated, crushed and more. Read more
Snapz
Snapz are an award-winning (Best New British Product), great tasting snack made from slices of fruit and vegetables with no added salt, sugar, or fat and no artificial colorings, flavorings, or additives. Gluten-free, made from non-GMO ingredients in a nut-free facility, Snapz are also low-calorie (30-50 calories per single serving packet), a good source of fiber (1-2 grams of fiber per single serving packet), and suitable for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who wants a healthy snack. Read more
Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad
Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad is a hearty dish full of vegetables, beans, and a trio of rice: wild and germinated red and brown rice. The nutty flavor of the rice combined with the slightly sweet red Adzuki beans and the earthy vegetables – mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini – and fresh chopped cilantro along with Zatar (a popular middle eastern spice) – makes for a flavorful salad that is both filling and nutritious. Easy and quick to make, the Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad is a terrific alternative to traditional rice or bean salad. Read more
Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad
Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad is a bright, colorful salad that takes less than 10 minutes to make and tastes fresh and delicious. Filled with a diced seedless cucumber, chopped sweet grape tomatoes, a minced sweet orange pepper, chopped Haas avocado, cilantro, and a dash of Pink Himalayan salt, this salad goes with nearly any main dish. The Cucumber, Tomato, and Avocado Salad is light and refreshing with ingredients that are readily available this time of year. When time is limited, this is a great salad to pull together in minutes. Read more
Quinoa, Black Bean and Avocado Salad
On a sunny Spring afternoon, I came home to find a bowl of Quinoa, Black Bean and Avocado Salad on the countertop. My daughter, a devout vegan decided to create one of her favorite lunch dishes with quinoa – a grain like seed that contains high quantities of the B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc and lysine (an amino acid) – vegetables (California avocado, sweet red peppers), fruit (sweet grape tomatoes, lime juice), legumes (black beans), herbs and spices (cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper), and a small amount of olive oil. The result is a refreshing colorful salad that has the perfect balance of flavors: Read more
The Excalibur Fruit and Vegetable Dehydrator
My daughter turned 17 recently and when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she replied “an Excalibur” meaning a food dehydrator, not the sword (big sigh of relief). Dried fruit is a favorite snack in our home but finding dried fruit without additives, sugar, or preservatives is difficult and often expensive. An Excalibur Food Dehydrator is the Cadillac of home dehydrators with the three attributes every dried food enthusiast wants: sufficient cubic space, a timer, and accurate temperature control. Read more
Simple and Crisp
Simple & Crisp is an organic and gluten-free snack food billed as “the perfect pairing” with wines, cheeses, ice cream, yogurt, tea, chocolate and even prosciutto. Extremely versatile, the crisps are dried fruit slices that are not too sweet and thus offer a perfect complement to so many other foods. For those who want the crunch of a cracker or cookie but without the wheat, dairy, nuts, or seeds, Simple & Crisp offers an alternative to the usual crackers and savory cookies on the market. Read more
10 Foods to Pack for an Easy and Healthy Lunch (or Snack)
Packing a healthy lunch for yourself or a child can be challenging at times because it’s hard to provide variety, taste, and wholesomeness day after day. One of the most important tips a friend gave me about packing a lunch is to purchase a lunch or meal transport system that is flexible and made to carry a variety of foods. Laptop lunches (www.laptoplunches.com) or Black and Blum (www.black-blum.com) are two companies that make top-notch lunch boxes and food transport pieces. In addition, I always keep a stock of “jello shot glasses” – small 2 ounce plastic containers (125 for about $10 through www.amazon.com) with a plastic lid that snaps on and stays on. Once you have the proper tools, packing a lunch or a snack on the go is infinitely easier. Read more
Meduri World Delights Dried Fruit
Meduri World Delights create some of the most delicious dried fruits – unsulphured and preserved naturally without artificial colors or preservatives. The company chooses the highest quality fruit from growers all over the world – Sweetglow apricots from California, apples, cranberries, blueberries, Rainier and Bing cherries from the Pacific Northwest, Morello cherries from Eastern Europe, peaches, sugar plums, raspberries and blackberries from Chile, Mandarin oranges from China, lingonberries from Scandinavia, and strawberries and grapefruit from Mexico – and prepares the fruit using the “Meduri Method” which means the fruit is placed in shallow trays and dried in small batches with a very small amount of sugar, sunflower oil, citric acid and/or ascorbic acid added to preserve the fruit naturally. Read more
Paddock Post 