Raw Crunch Bars
Just when I think there couldn’t be a better tasting, nutritionally sound bar on the market, along comes one that blows me away. That would be the Raw Crunch Bar: a handmade, unprocessed, uncooked energy bar made with a core of four types of organic seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, flax), three types of organic nuts (cashews, pecans, macadamia), raw honey, and Celtic sea salt. Read more 
Theo Coconut Bites
Theo Chocolate of Seattle, Washington recently introduced Coconut Bites: three distinct types of sweet and chewy coconut bars that seem to be the Pacific northwest’s answer to the sibling duo (Almond Joy and Mounds bars by Hershey) that originated in the northeast.
Talk about taking something from good to great. That’s Theo Chocolate. Last year the organic fair-trade certified company did it with the rollout of peanut butter cups made with CB’s Nuts Peanut Butter and their own homemade chocolate and this year the Seattle chocolate maker combined coconut and chocolate to create Coconut Bites. Read more
Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolate
Five years ago, a visitor to Santa Barbara, California would have thought that the seaside town had nearly everything: great weather, lovely beaches, perfect sunsets, a creative vibe, aromatic coffee shops, artisan grocery stores, and a fabulous farmer’s market but one thing was missing: a bean-to-bar chocolate maker.
It’s not that visitors couldn’t buy chocolate in Santa Barbara – a wide variety of chocolate could be purchased at various retail stores including Chocolate Maya; instead, the town lacked a hometown chocolate maker who was willing to take on the monumental time-consuming task of making chocolate from fresh cacao beans. Read more
Chick Pea Salad with Avocado and Apples
Chick peas are chock full of protein ( 7 grams per half a cup of cooked peas) and although they can taste a bit bland on their own, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt brings out the flavor of the beans. Add chunks of creamy avocado, crispy apple and celery pieces along with sweet red onion and dill, and a delicious chick pea salad emerges. For those who prefer a less sweet salad, leave out the apple pieces.
Super easy to make, Chick Pea Salad with Avocado and Apples can be scooped onto a bed of lettuce and served with fresh tomato slices with a sprinkle of chives on top or piled in between two pieces of whole grain toast with lettuce, tomato and sprouts for a delicious crunchy sandwich. Read more
The CORE Meal
Core Foods – based out of Oakland, California – was established by Corey Rennell, a self-confessed adventurer who traveled the world and learned two lessons along the way: eat mainly whole fresh fruit and vegetables, and treat others the way you want to be treated. Sounds simple, but as we all know, the day-to-day demands of life often keep us from eating healthy and forgetting about the people we interact with each and every day. Read more
Nairn’s Scottish Oatcakes
Oats. A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people. ~Samuel Johnson
The world has both changed and stayed the same since Samuel Johnson (a writer famous for publishing “A Dictionary of the English Dictionary” in 1755) graced us with his wit and talent. Although England has since embraced oats in their diet, the Scots have continued to revel the grain that is well suited to Scotland’s short, wet growing season. Read more
15 Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers
Whether you prefer chocolate bars with 56%, 70%, 80%, 82%, or even 90% cacao, there are real bean-to-bar chocolate makers who understand and strive to provide a pure chocolate experience for those of us who still love to rip open a chocolate bar when the craving hits.
A real chocolate maker produces chocolate from raw cacao beans and goes through eight (8) processes (along with many subprocesses) – selecting, roasting, winnowing, refining, milling, conching, tempering, and molding – to make a rich, earthy bar with very subtle flavors of nuts or fruits: Remember that. There’s a test at the end of this post. Read more
Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
We have never shied away from a challenge in order to produce a beautifully finished product. It is just part of who we are. ~Dustin Taylor and Adam Dick
How did two craft masters – Dustin Taylor and Adam Dick – specializing in furniture and wood boats come to be premier bean-to-bar crafters of chocolate? According to Taylor and Dick, the answer lies with time, care, courage and commitment. Fitting a mortice or shaping a plank is not unlike handcrafting chocolate from a cacao bean says the co-founders of Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate. Both processes are challenging and must be done slowly to exacting specifications to produce a beautifully finished product. Read more
U Rawk
Real food has real benefits.
Ten years ago, energy bars were on a small shelf in the health food aisle. Today, most grocery stores and markets allocate prime supermarket shelf space to dozens of energy bars because so many of us want a delicious and nutritious bar that we can take anywhere. Although several great tasting bars are on the market, there is only one raw energy bar that totally rocks it in the flavor and nutrition department: the U RAWK Bar. Made with all organic ingredients, the U RAWK Bar is simply scrumptious…and incredibly nutritious. Read more
Whole Grain Oatmeal Banana Bread
Finding healthy and delicious recipes for traditional favorites is a challenge but after I discovered Fran Costigan’s Vegan Chocolate cookbook, I realized that desserts we all grew up on – chocolate cake, brownies, and cookies – can be just as delicious without dairy, copious amounts of oil, or eggs. The trick is to search for recipes, use alternative ingredients and be fearless (you really do learn from mistakes in baking). Search, read, make, taste, adjust, and try again. Read more
Paddock Post 