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 
Asian Cole Slaw
Cole slaw is always a tasty side dish but every once in a while, you need to shake things up. Consider making Asian Cole Slaw – a variation on the old standby that doesn’t compromise the flavor of the freshly chopped vegetables or the delicious dressing that pulls the salad together. Start with fresh raw vegetables – Chinese cabbage (Napa), zucchini, carrots, cucumber, scallions, and golden beets – add a light peanut dressing, chopped peanuts, and lots of fresh green cilantro – and the result is Asian Cole Slaw – a refreshing tasty salad with lots of crunch and flavor.
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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
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
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
FAB
An artist friend of mine introduced me to a relatively new website last month called “FAB” – a design e-retailer that has four distinguishing characteristics: (1) the products are fabulous in design, taste, or use; (2) e-mails are sent daily alerting subscribers to new products offered; (3) the products are not widely available; and (4) the products are all offered at a discount. Founded in June, 2011, FAB was the brainchild of Jason Goldberg and Bradford Shellhammer – two West Villagers who believed they could build an e-commerce powerhouse through word of mouth, which is exactly how it’s grown (witness my introduction to the website by a friend who has an eye for design). Read more
The King Arthur Flour Company: The 4 in 1 Baker’s Resource
There are an abundance of schools, supply stores, bakeries/cafes, and on-line resources dedicated to baking throughout the United States but there is only one place that combines all four: The King Arthur Flour Company. Located in Norwich, Vermont, a small town in central-eastern Vermont close to the New Hampshire border – the King Arthur store, bakery, cafe, and education center are easily accessible by car from the following major cities/towns: Read more
Zyliss: The Swiss Queen of Gadgets
In my home, I am known as the “Gadget Queen” – a nickname that was given to me a few years back by a friend who noted that every time he and his family visited, I had a new gadget. He would barrel in the front door and before putting his suitcases down would say “so, what’s the new gadget this year?” Read more
Paddock Post 