Back Roads Granola
After all these years, we are still Crunchy Granola People.
At the southeastern tip of Vermont is a town called Brattleboro where a family-owned bakery of self-described “crunchy granola people” makes some of the most delicious and nutritious granolas on the market.
Using only non-GMO certified organic ingredients, Back Roads Granola is also noteworthy for what they don’t use: sugar, salt, canola oil, and no wheat products (all the granolas are certified gluten-free). Instead, the company uses Vermont maple syrup and honey to add a slight sweetness to the granola along with a touch of sunflower oil. Read more 
Where Does $100 to the Clinton Foundation Go?
The Clinton Foundation – also known as the “Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation” (BHCCF) – is based out of Little Rock, Arkansas although there are offices in other locations including New York City. Established in 1997, the organization is a 501 (c) (3) engaged primarily in maintaining and operating the Presidential Library and Museum in Little Rock, and addressing “the world’s most pressing problems.”
BHCCF is not a large grant provider; nor does the organization specialize in implementing projects. Instead, BHCCF appears to be focused on pubic awareness, establishing partnerships with other organizations, and finding solutions (referred to as initiatives) to a variety of global issues including third world problems, climate change, and health-related issues. Read more
Candy Bars by Nelly’s Organics
In my ongoing search for a healthier alternative to the sugary and additive filled confections offered in supermarkets, I came upon Nelly’s Organics: a line of scrumptious certified organic candy bars in the refrigerated section of a Fresh Market that sell for just $2.99 a bar (note: most certified organic chocolate bars cost two or three times as much). With no preservatives (which is why they are in the refrigerated section), additives, dyes, powders, fillers, by-products, nutritional supplements, or added stimulants, Nelly’s Organics contain real ingredients that have been certified organic. Read more
The How Not To Die Cookbook
When the groundbreaking book, How Not To Die was published in December, 2015 by Dr. Michael Greger, MD, who had no personal financial stake in book sales because all of the proceeds are donated to charity (www.nutritionfacts.org), the public took notice putting the book on the New York Times Bestseller List instantly and keeping it there for more than a year. Read more
The Silvermoon Medicine Ball
Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Let Us Celebrate Life’s Sweetness
Most great ideas and products spring from the mind of someone forward thinking which is exactly how the Silvermoon Medicine Ball came about. With the knowledge that food is medicine – particularly raw living food – and a reverence for the cacao plant and other superfoods, Stacey Aradhana Silvermoon created the ultimate nutritious and delicious raw and organic treat: the Silvermoon Medicine Ball. Read more
Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup
….think of it as maple syrup with a little something-something to brighten your day.
Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite places to shop because they have the best avocados and organic extra firm tofu that is never mushy even before the water is squeezed out. But, they also carry the most delicious, robust Grade A dark Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup.
Made with one ingredient – maple syrup – the Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup is made by taking white oak barrels that have been used once to distill bourbon and reusing the barrels to age Great Lakes (Michigan) maple syrup, giving the barrels a second life and a twist on one of America’s favorite all natural syrups. Read more
Cappello’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
If you want to taste the world’s finest (really, truly, honestly) grain-free, gluten-free, and vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, look to Cappello’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – a roll of frozen cookie dough (think Slice and Bake but in a Michelin star sort of way) made with the most high quality ingredients (almond flour, organic Vermont maple syrup, dark chocolate morsels (unsweetened chocolate, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter), arrowroot flour, organic unrefined coconut oil, organic vanilla extract, coarse sea salt, and baking soda. Read more
Where Does $100 to Compassion International Go?
Compassion International, Inc. (CI) is a Colorado Springs, Colorado based 501 (c) (3) engaged in Christian ministry to “release children from their economic, social, physical, and spiritual poverty.” With 1,181 employees, CI is one of the largest US charities (although the organization primarily operates internationally) raising $800 million annually and spending most funds on grants to foreign organizations and individuals. Read more
Holiday Spinach Salad
Spinach Salad takes on a new twist this holiday season with the addition of fresh, organic roasted red beets. The dark green spinach leaves tossed with a light mustard maple salad dressing and then sprinkled with dark red beets, light green avocado pieces, lightly toasted pecan halves, and roasted pumpkin seeds makes for a nutritious and delicious lunch or dinner salad.
The Holiday Spinach Salad was inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s recipe for Roasted Yellow Beet Salad with Warm Maple-Mustard Dressing – a light summertime salad that I often make during the warm months. The Holiday Spinach Salad is a bit more substantial with the yellow beets replaced with red beets and the addition of fresh avocado chunks and crunchy pumpkin seeds – and the omission of red onion. Read more
The Flipside 4 Wallet
Wallets haven’t changed that much in decades. Most are made of leather with a windowed section for a driver’s license or personal identification, slats for credit cards (and the multitude of store loyalty cards) and often a coin or zippered section to place receipts. When you think about what a wallet is meant to do: carry and protect some of your most valuable personal effects – driver’s license, credit cards, and cash – then you may begin to wonder why wallets haven’t kept pace with the technological changes that protect our personal identity and define our daily lives? Read more
Paddock Post 