Freddy Guys Hazelnuts
A hazelnut is also known as a filbert nut and is most often associated with desserts or chocolate (think Nutella or praline). But the hazelnut is also delicious roasted and salted and can be used to make hazelnut butter, an alternative to peanut butter. In Europe, hazelnuts are used to make a paste for pastries or chopped and then sprinkled on the sides of cakes or tortes. Frangelico, a vodka-based liquor is flavored with hazelnuts and hazelnut oil is gaining popularity as a cooking oil. Read more 
The Saturn Peach
Summertime is the best season to enjoy fresh peaches so be adventurous and try the Saturn Peach. Small (about 3 inches across), flat and less fuzzy than the standard peach, the Saturn Peach has a very thin red and yellow skin. Sweeter than a typical peach…and never dry and mealy – the Saturn Peach is a healthy delicious snack best enjoyed in its natural freshly picked state. Harvested from late Spring through the Summer, the Saturn Peach is gaining popularity among farmers (because it’s easy to grow and bountiful) and peach fans (because the texture is juicy and the taste is scrumptious). Read more
Organic Superfood Cereal
Vigilant Eats makes a unique product: Organic Superfood Cereal – a gluten-free dry cereal that contains no dairy, soy, refined sugar, additives or preservatives. Organic Superfood Cereal does contain oats, oat flour, goji berries, cacao nibs, hemp flour, coconut palm sugar, yacon (a sweet tasting root plant) powder, maple powder, and cinnamon. Sold in 3 ounce cups (with a small foldable spoon on the inside), Superfood is, for lack of a better word super convenient. Just add cold water or milk and stir and you have a high-protein, low-glycemic, nutrient dense cereal that tastes terrific. Actually, it tastes better than terrific…it’s totally delicious. Read more
Champagne Mango Salsa
Summertime brings a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables to our table and there is no better time to mix them together. With an abundant supply of champagne mangos and sweet grape tomatoes, consider making Champagne Mango Salsa – a delicious side dish that is simple and quick to make.
Great with crab cakes, salmon, or grilled chicken, the mango salsa can also be used as a topping on mixed greens. My family prefers the salsa heavy on the mango but the quantity of the major ingredients – mangos, tomatoes, avocados, scallions, and red onions – can be varied to your taste. However, the fresh chopped cilantro is key to the refreshing taste of this salsa so use a heavy hand. Read more
Bavaro’s Italian Pasta Sauces
I’ve always been a big advocate of homemade tomato sauce but when there are no fresh tomatoes or boxed Pumi tomatoes in my pantry, or even a grocery store within miles (and miles), the jarred variety is the only option. Enter Bavaro’s Italian Sauces which could almost make me a total convert. These sauces smell and taste of summer ripened red tomatoes and make for an easy and delicious dinner for the family and a house full of guests. Stocked in my pantry three deep, Bavaro’s Italian pasta sauces are a staple I rely on when I can’t make homemade sauce and have 20 minutes or less to make dinner. Read more
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
If you and your family like sweet potatoes, then Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos will become a family favorite….even if there are no vegetarians or vegans in your home. The overwhelming flavor of this dish lies with the sweet potatoes but the addition of the black beans, cilantro, onions and spices give the burritos a heartier flavor. Add the toppings…well, they’re the icing on the cake. Very simple to make, the potato and black bean filling can be prepared ahead of time then refrigerated until thirty minutes before dinnertime. Assemble the burritos and while the main course is baking, chop up the tomatoes and avocado, and grate the cheese. Dinner is served. Read more
Seggiano Paté: Olive, Sun-Dried Tomato or Artichoke
For those who love olives, tomatoes, or artichokes, Seggiano, the company with the logo “Real Food from Italy,” makes three (3) patés that seem more like tapenades. The word “paté” conjures up thoughts of liver or meat chopped up and seasoned into blocks of spreadable toppings. But, the paté cooked up by Seggiano does not contain any meat or dairy products; in fact, the three spreads are vegetarian and vegan. But most importantly, the three patés are delicious on crackers, a piece of a baguette, toasted bruschetta and even on pasta. Read more
Early Bird Granola
Grocers are slowly dedicating more space in the cereal aisle to granolas although this oat-based cereal is no longer limited to being a breakfast food. These days we also sprinkle granola over frozen yogurt, gelato or ice cream and eat this healthy treat as a snack. There are dozens of types of granola available as we all have our preferences with mine being heavy on the oats and nuts. So, when I came upon a bag of Farmhand’s Choice Granola by Early Bird Foods & Co., I immediately read the label, which listed the following ingredients: organic rolled oats, toasted organic coconut, organic pepitas (pumpkin or squash seeds), organic sunflower seeds, fancy pecans, real maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, organic brown sugar, and salt. Wow, was all I could say. Read more
Seggiano Pesto Sauces
Several weeks ago, my daughter was grocery shopping with her dad when she called me from Whole Foods to tell me there was no fresh basil to make pesto and asking if Seggiano Pesto Genovese Sauce was ok to buy. She read the label and repeated the list of ingredients to me: olive oil, cashew nuts, fresh Ligurian basil, sea salt, and pine nuts. Rarely do we ever indulge in a store-bought sauce but after hearing the list of ingredients, I told my daughter to put the jar in the grocery cart; it was worthy of a try. Read more
“Forks Over Knives”
A few weeks ago, my friend, Kathy recommend a book called “Forks Over Knives” and also the movie of the same title. Her 13-year old son had decided several years before that he wasn’t going to eat anything that had eyes and became a vegetarian. In her search for information on a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, she came across this book and movie. Read more
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