Macadamia Cheddar
Christopher’s Kitchen – a restaurant, take-out, juicer, and wine bar in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida makes a product called Macadamia Cheddar that can only be described as pure fromage plant-based bliss. Made of organic ingredients – macadamia nuts, carrot juice, lime juice, nutritional yeast, turmeric, jalapeño, paprika, and sea salt, Macadamia Cheddar tastes like savory aged cheddar cheese baked into a semi-crunchy cracker. Read more 
“The Afterlife”
People are fond of saying that the truth will make you free. But what happens when the truth is not one simple, brutal thing?
Personal memoirs about growing up with less than suitable parents, and particularly mothers – provide readers a glimpse into a world that managed to produce some of the most talented contemporary writers in this country while supporting the argument that nature wins over nurture but not without the long-lasting effects of childhood. Read more
Organic Nectars Chocolate
Sometimes simplicity is the point…..
Organic Nectars has been dedicated to making and delivering the finest quality artisanal food products for more than a decade. Based out of small town – Maldon-on-Hudson – about 40 miles south of Albany, Organic Nectars specializes in raw products (nothing heated above 118 degrees to preserve maximum nutritional value) that are healthy, environmentally friendly, and delicious. Read more
Where does $1 to the American Heart Association Go?
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States with more than 600,000 people succumbing annually to this preventable and treatable disease in the US. Although advances in medicine have contributed to both an overall decrease in the annual number of deaths (860,000 in 1950) and the number of deaths per 100,000 population (589 sixty-five years ago compared to 170 in 2013) since 1950, the country’s biggest killer is hard to tame. Medical and pharmaceutical research along with information garnered from studies on diet and exercise have greatly contributed to this improvement but we still have a long way to go. Read more
Blood Orange and Chocolate
Forget the flowers and stuffed animals. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner (next week!), its time to start thinking about chocolate. EHChocolatier of Somerville, Massachusetts (voted “Best Chocolate” by Boston Magazine in 2014 and 2015) typically offers chocolate covered Valencia orange slices but this year, blood oranges are on the menu. Known for their crimson, blood-colored flesh, blood oranges have a sweet, slightly more tangy flavor than other oranges, making them an ideal fruit to combine with dark chocolate. Read more
Vegan Nachos Made Easy
Nachos are an American favorite but making vegan nachos may seem pointless for those on a plant-based diet because isn’t the point of nachos cheese? Well, not really. The deliciousness of nachos depends on several factors: good chips, refried beans, crispy chopped lettuce, sweet tomatoes, creamy ripe avocado, and for those following a plant-based diet, often a cheese substitute made from a nut milk. Read more
Almond Cole Slaw
Which ingredients do not belong together?
- Peanut Butter and Jelly
- Oil and Vinegar
- Cole Slaw and Almonds
Most people would choose #3 because cole slaw traditionally gets its crunch from shredded cabbage and carrots and it’s creaminess and tanginess from a mayo or vinegar based dressing. Nuts never really enter the picture in this all-American side dish but adding finely chopped almonds to a traditional cole slaw recipe yields some very amazing results. Read more
The Ultimate T-Shirt
Triple Threads – a company that makes a boutique line of globally conscious apparel designed to inspire and represent three ethical reasons – earth, animals, and health – for a compassionate lifestyle – makes t-shirts that are soft and very flattering with a body hugging consciousness. Read more
Facebook Friends
This past week, I decided to take a different approach to Facebook because I just wasn’t feeling authentic about the whole social media world. With sincerity guiding me, I went through my “friend” list and started unfriending people because (a) I don’t really know them; (b) I’ve known them for decades but have not kept in contact with them (grade school or high school acquaintances); (c) I do business with them; or (d) because they are in another group of acquaintances (i.e. kids of friends). It’s not that I don’t like these people. In fact, there are several “friends” that seem very nice but whom I hardly know which makes sharing personal moments awkward. Read more
Where does $1 to American Homeless Vets go?
This past week, my phone rang and a woman identifying herself as “Laurie” from “American Homeless Vets” was calling to request a donation. The organization is actually the Center for American Homeless Veterans but doing business as American Homeless and Disabled Veterans (AHDV) and also known as the Association for Homeless and Disabled Veterans. Sound confusing? It is but the mission of the organization is very clear. AHDV is an advocacy organization (a non-profit 501 (c) (4)) that educates the public about homeless veterans and creating awareness of solutions to this problem. They publish, print, and distribute The Veteran’s Vision and they outreach to congress regarding the needs of homeless veterans. Read more
Paddock Post 