Those Dang Chips!
Dang Chips are toasted coconut chips with a strong, sweet aroma, a very satisfying crunch, and a sweet, slightly salty taste that will make you say “Dang, that’s good.” Made of three ingredients: coconut, sugar, and salt, Dang Chips are made in Thailand where Vincent Kitirattragarn’s mother, Dang (hence, the product name) grew up. Read more 
Nature’s Path Qi’a Superfood Breakfast Cereal
Nature’s Path Organic Qi’a Superfood Breakfast Cereal is more aptly known as Qi’a (pronounced Kee-ah), a trio of seeds and grains – chia, hemp, and buckwheat – full of plant-based protein, fiber, and Omega 3’s. Certified gluten-free with no added sugar or salt, Qi’a is also certified organic, non-GMO project verified, and vegan. Loaded with protein – 6 grams per 2 tablespoon serving – Qi’a also provides 4 grams of dietary fiber per serving with no added sodium. Read more
Millet: The Pearl of Ancient Grains
Millet – and specifically pearl millet – is a widely grown grass that gives off small grain seeds which are hulled and used as a cereal food. Creamy or yellow in color, round, and small, the tiny circular grains of millet hail from Asia where it has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years.
Able to grow quickly in dry, high temperatures, millet has until recently been used as an ingredient in bird seed in developed countries (but it’s really not for the birds as USAID recently – July, 2013 – awarded Kansas State University nearly $14 million dollars to research millet and sorghum). Millet is gluten-free and a complete protein, with 1/4 cup of dry millet providing 7 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, magnesium, calcium, B6, iron, folate, and zinc. Read more
How ’bout a Date?
Several years ago while living in Switzerland, a friend gave my family a tray of dried fruits – figs, dates, and apricots – from the Middle-East where he often traveled. The jumbo sized dates formed my idea of what a date should be: sweet, moist, creamy and delicious. Unfortunately, the standard date available at grocery stores (and even Whole Foods) does not live up to the dates from lands far away, which led me to look for for a high quality date in the US. My search led me to a Indio, California which is about 23 miles southeast of Palm Springs, where Shields Date Garden is a major draw for locals and tourists alike. Read more
Dave’s Killer Bread: What the East Coast Needs
Every time I travel to the west coast, I make a point of buying Dave’s Killer Bread, painstakingly packing the loaves in my suitcase and bringing them back to the east coast to enjoy. Made in Milwaukie, Oregon, Dave’s Killer Bread is available in nearly 4,000 grocery stores in 17 western and central states (and Guam, if you can imagine)…but not on the east coast (hint, hint Dave…we want your bread on the east coast). Read more
Quin Candy
Located in downtown Portland is Quin – a candy shoppe featuring handmade gumdrops, lollipops, caramels, sours, and marshmallows by the foot. Owner and chief candy maker, Jami Curl never outgrew her passion for sweets which drove her to use high quality locally sourced ingredients to create traditional types of candy without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Made in small batches by hand, Quin relies on sugar, fruit purée, gelatin, butter, heavy cream, vanilla beans, natural flavors and extracts, lemon zest, and more to make a delicious modern interpretation of old world favorites:
Bragg Organic Sprinkle
While shopping at a food coop in Middlebury, Vermont last month, I picked up a jar of Bragg 24 Organic Herbs and Spice Seasonings – a blend of all natural herbs and spices which adds flavor without sodium to soups, salads, pizza, vegetables, rice, beans, potatoes, marinades, and more. Formulated by Paul Bragg (a health crusader before his time and quite a colorful character) more than 80 years ago, Bragg Organic 24 Herbs and Spice Seasoning was aptly named because 24 herbs and spices go into making this flavorful seasoning. Read more
It’s Time to Freekeh
Every time I cook up a packet of Organic Freekeh – all natural roasted green wheat – I think of the 1978 hit song by Chic – Le Freak because that’s exactly what I do – freak out . Yes, I really do sing that song changing “freak out” to “freekeh” in my head – Ahh, Freekeh, Freekeh, c’est chic!...(out loud if no one is home) and then freak out over the flavor (nutty and smokey) and texture (firm and chewy) of a big bowl of Freekeh, especially when mixed with steamed broccoli florets and stems or fresh sautéed asparagus. Read more
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
When most people think of hemp, they think of marijuana and although the association is understandable, there is a big difference between hulled hemp seeds (which are also called hemp hearts) and marijuana. They both come from the cannabis plant but hulled hemp seeds or hemp hearts have .001% (one thousandth) of THC (the mind altering agent) whereas marijuana has 3-22%, with an average of 9%. So although hemp has gotten a bad rap from its distant recreational drugee cousin, hemp in reality is a very nutritious seed that provides a complete protein and is easily digestible. Read more
The Charmed Bar
Deb and Jen, the two “Charmed Girls” – one, a former kindergarten teacher and the other a sales professional in suburban Washington, DC – put their heads and hearts together to create the ultimate snack bar, the Charmed Bar: a salty-sweet mélange of wholesome natural ingredients made without gluten, grains, dairy, soy, refined sugars and absolutely no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Read more
Paddock Post 