Noah’s Raw Chocolate
The Raw Chocolate Man (aka Noah Nicolas Loin) hails from Fairfield, Iowa – a small city in southeast Iowa known for innovation. Surrounded by farms growing corn and soybeans along with cattle and hog operations, Fairfield is not a city where most people expect to find an abundance of start-ups, including software and development companies, an international center for TM (Transcendental Meditation), and Noah’s Raw Chocolate – a company committed to making raw chocolate desserts that also happen to be non-GMO, dairy free, gluten-free, organic, and delicious. Read more 
Gummies without the Gelatin
Never trust an adult who doesn’t like gummy bears, worms, or sour crawlers.
There is something special about gummy candy that brings out the kid in all of us. When a friend asked me “What do gummy bears, worms, cinnamon hats, sour crawlers, jelly rings, jelly slices, and hundreds of other gummy-type candies on the market have in common?,” my answer was “sugar,” which is not necessarily true (there are sugar-free gummies). Read more
Cacao Prieto
Chocolate makers – meticulous aficionados who choose to start with cacao beans to create their chocolates – are the rock stars of an industry that celebrates the subtle flavor differences of the cacao bean. Bars are now notable for the characteristics of the beans – the variety and where it was cultivated which are influenced by rainfall, sunshine, temperature, and the type of soil in which the bean was grown – and the multi-step process by which the chocolate maker takes large colorful cacao beans and turns them into a mouth-watering sensation. Read more
The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg
Anybody want a peanut? ~Fezzik
There are thousands of types of peanuts but only four major groups: Runner, Spanish, Valencia, and Virginia. These nuts (actually legumes, but that’s another story) differ in flavor, size, shape, and oil content and are therefore used differently. Most peanut butters are made with either the disease-resistant Runner or the Spanish (higher oil content) peanut while the Valencia is preferred for a southern favorite – boiled peanuts. Virginia peanuts – known for their large size and exquisite flavor – are generally sold in shell or roasted and salted. Read more
Sunfood Super Foods: Nut and Trail Mix
I wonder if the person who invented trail mix actually thought of it as they were cleaning out their car and moved their kid’s car seat? ~TheRat
Trail mix has come a long way in the past decade. No longer is the choice between a monster sized container filled with peanuts, raisins and chocolate candy or just plain GORP (good ol’ raisins and peanuts). Today, the selection is vast with some of the best options offered by Sunfood Super Foods – a San Diego based company dedicated to providing nutrient-dense, non-GMO, raw, organic super foods to consumers, including two incredibly wholesome and natural trail mixes that also happen to be delicious. Read more
Flattza®
Pizza or Flatbread…Blah, Blah, Blah……
Flatzza® is a wickedly wholesome and divinely delicious cross between a pizza crust and flatbread. Cover a 12-inch round Flatzza® with tomato or pesto sauce and your favorite toppings and bake until the crust turns a golden brown or bake/grill the Flatzza® (with or without a spray of olive oil) until golden brown and then add toppings, or slice into triangles and serve with hummus or your favorite dip. The options are endless. Read more
Lilly Handmade Chocolates
Has your mouth danced today?
Walk through the Tremont area of Cleveland, Ohio and visitors will quickly learn the historic neighborhood is home to 29 churches, 31 bars, and 1 amazing chocolate shop known as Lilly Handmade Chocolates. Situated among historic homes (Tremont is one of the oldest parts of Cleveland and once housed a large German and Ukrainian population that has since expanded to include young families, empty nesters, hipsters, and visitors who come for the shops, galleries, restaurants, and cafes) at 761 Starkweather Avenue, Lilly Handmade Chocolates is a destination point for those who appreciate chocolate, fine wine, and craft beers. Read more
Top Picks at Trader Joe’s
With more than 430 stores across the United States, Trader Joe’s offers a shopping experience that keeps customers loyal: great products at competitive prices. Most of the retailer’s packaged products are under their own private label although some well-known manufacturers (i.e. the French chocolatier Valrhona) are also available.
Smaller than the average grocery store (12,500 square feet compared to 50,000), Trader Joe’s has a limited selection but one that brings shoppers back time after time. Some of the best products available at Trader Joe’s include: Read more
Slipstream Organic Granola
When a cyclist (who owns Slipstream Cycling) from Fort Madison, Iowa teamed up with a pastry chef from Boulder, Colorado, the collaboration resulted in the creation of Slipstream Organic Granola: four delicious varieties of granola that primarily rely on organic wildflower honey as a sweetener.
Mixed by hand and made in small batches, Slipstream Granola is chock full of oats, nuts (hazelnuts and almonds), and seeds (sunflower and sesame) – which makes for a scrumptious, crunchy granola low in sugar (3 – 6 grams of sugar per serving) and high in wholesomeness. Read more
Des Moines’ Downtown Farmers’ Market
Many people start thinking about Farmers Markets during the early days of summer but Iowans living in the central part of the state have been patronizing the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market since early May. They haven’t forgotten about meat and potatoes (the market has plenty of these items) but instead celebrate the fresh local harvest of fruits and vegetables every Saturday from May thru October in the capital city on the west bank of the Des Moines River. Read more
Paddock Post 