Rice’s Honey announces alliance with PACE, 'Pollinator Awareness Through Conservation and Education'3/16/2019
 Image Credit: Local Hive™ from Rice’s Honey® Local Hive™ from Rice’s Honey®, a leading producer of high quality, U.S.-only raw and unfiltered honey since 1924, offers 16 different local varietals of raw honey, including Local New England, Local Northeast, Local Florida, Authentic Clover, and Authentic Wildflower.
Raw, unfiltered honey offers many health benefits, including being rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and pollen. They also announced a new alliance with PACE, “Pollinator Awareness Through Conservation and Education”, the Butterfly Pavilion’s non-profit global initiative to restore habitats, strengthen populations, and reintroduce pollinators into native habitats around the world. A portion of proceeds from every bottle sold will be donated to the PACE initiative to promote and protect the prosperity of pollinators worldwide. Rice’s Honey® has a mission to help promote all pollinators & sustainable bee farms across the country. Check out their new website at: www.localhivehoney.com for more information and recipes. New Book~ Natural Style: Using Organic and Eco-Conscious Materials for Earth-Friendly Designs3/16/2019
 Image Credit: Fox Chapel Publishing Natural Style: Using Organic and Eco-Conscious Materials for Earth-Friendly Designs by Janet Sobesky is an eco-elegant guide to home decor packed with attractive decorating ideas inspired by colors, forms, and themes of nature. The pictures are also absolutely gorgeous!!
Using organic and eco-conscious materials for earth-friendly designs, Janet presents a host of practical suggestions for achieving a comfortable, informal, easy care and sustainable lifestyle. With advice for every room in the house, including Decks and Patios, Natural Style includes the latest information on organic fabrics, natural flooring materials, low VOC paints, energy efficient lighting options and more. We highly recommend this book!  Image Credit: Fox Chapel Publishing One of the biggest benefits of gardening with native plants is that it's great for birds and other wildlife. In return, your outdoor space will come alive with beautiful songbirds, colorful butterflies, buzzing bees and other fascinating wildlife for you and your family to enjoy. "Wildlife habitat gardens are an important way each of us can think globally, act locally and reconnect our own piece of the Earth—our yards and gardens—back into the ecosystem," says naturalist David Mizejewski.
Mizejewski is the author of the expanded second edition of the book Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Other Backyard Wildlife, a practical how-to guide to natural gardening filled with projects, diagrams, plant lists and inspirational full-color photos for experienced gardeners and new enthusiasts alike. Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Other Backyard Wildlife makes creating a natural garden that supports local wildlife easy. It hits shelves on April 8, 2019, just in time to celebrate Earth Day by planting a wildlife habitat garden.  Staci, Founder & CEO of Sips by. Image Credit Sips By Please meet Staci, the Founder and CEO of Sips by, sipping on her favorite - oolong! What is your favorite tea? Sips by is an Austin-based brand started by tea lovers who want discovering tea to be fun, personalized and affordable.
We requested a sample of organic teas and received a personalized collection of delicious teas such as Berry, Coconut Cacao Pu'erh, Lemon Balm, and Kashmiri Chai. Each box features 4 unique tea brands totaling 15 cups of tea at only $15 a month. Cheers!  Credit: Nielsen-Massey Enjoy these cookies for breakfast with bananas, almond butter and oats. If you want to lower the sugar, skip the vanilla bean glaze and use the no sugar added pure vanilla extract. These grab-and-go Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies with Vanilla Bean Glaze courtesy of Nielsen-Massey will make the perfect dunkers for your morning cup of coffee.
Banana Bread Cookies Ingredients:
Directions Cookies Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher in a large mixing bowl. Add egg, almond butter and vanilla extract; stir to combine. Add oats, flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix until just incorporated. Spoon the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, making about 15 cookies. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies turn golden brown. Allow to cool completely before adding the glaze. Glaze Add confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla bean paste to a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle onto cooled cookies.  Image: Hatherleigh Press Do you remember your walks in the woods as a Child? Do you want to relive the feeling of being enveloped in Nature and all its Wonders? Then you will love Child of the Woods: An Appalachian Odyssey.
Child of the Woods by Susi Gott Séguret is an exploration of the world through the eyes of a young child, whose life was defined and enriched by nature that surrounded her. This collection of short stories and insights highlights the wonders of growing up in rural Appalachia, learning to live as one with the land. These stories embrace the universal themes of self-discovery, adventure, and finding one's place in a living world.  Image Credit: No Sugar Aloud Are you looking for a Brownie Belgian Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mix, and no milk, butter or eggs are needed? Check out No Sugar Aloud. Ready in just 90 seconds, just add water, mix, pop in the microwave (or oven) and you have a delicious, decadent, sweet-tooth-satisfying warm and gooey dessert that's Keto, Vegan, Paleo and Diabetic friendly. Available on Amazon. Enjoy! :)
 Image Credit: Garden Lites Garden Lites®, a leader in unique veggie-rich foods has expanded their product line into Costco stores throughout the country. Consumers can also expect to try free samples at select Costcos over the next several months. The products include the new line of Garden Lites Frittatas: Spinach Egg White Frittata and Veggie Bacon & Potato Frittata (vegetarian, soy free and made with pinto bean bacon). Other products include, the popular Garden Lites Muffins made with fresh zucchini and carrots: Blueberry Oat, Cranberry Orange, Banana Chocolate Chip and Double Chocolate. Enjoy!
 Image Credit: gimMe Organic Almond Sesame, Toasted Coconut, and Sriracha Almond. These are the amazing and tasty flavors for gimMe Seaweed Thins which are a superior superfood snack choice with a mission to not only keep your diet healthy, but also your environment. Seaweed is a sustainable crop that benefits the health of our ocean ecosystem and our planet and is full of nutrients, including high levels of vitamins A, B, C and calcium.
in addition, 15-100 times more volume of seaweed can grow on the same footprint as lettuce with no water consumed in production, whereas 15 gallons of water are required to produce one pound of lettuce. The entire gimMe Snacks product line is made with premium USDA Certified organic seaweed sustainably cultivated and harvested in South Korea. Enjoy!  Image Credit: San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival We are looking forward to the San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival this year March 7-10, 2019.
Purchase your Tickets Here.  Photo credit: Victor Protasio In The Southern Living Party Cookbook: A Modern Guide to Gathering, Heiskell, a best-selling author and a TODAY show food contributor, has written a Cookbook divided by occasion, including Bridal Tea, Garden Club Luncheon, Summer Nights, Cocktails and Canapés, Tailgate, Picnic on the Lawn, Fall Dinner, and 24 more gatherings you’ll want to host. Even if you're not in the South and in California, for example, you will find the book enlightening and fresh. Many recipes can be made vegetarian or vegan.  Photo credit: Victor Protasio Enjoy this recipe for Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salsa with Blue Corn Chips. 20 minutes - Serves 8
- 1 1⁄2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, small diced (about 3 1⁄4 cups) - 3⁄4 cup finely chopped red onion (from 1 small onion) - 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 2 cups) - 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons) - 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro - 1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes) - 2 tablespoons olive oil - 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt - 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper Cilantro leaves (optional) Blue corn tortilla chips Gently toss together the tomatoes, red onion, avocados, jalapeno, chopped cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Garnish with the cilantro leaves, if desired. Serve with the tortilla chips. Recipe credit: Excerpted from The Southern Living Party Cookbook by Elizabeth Heiskell. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from TI Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.  Photo Credit: Caitlin Bensel To country music icon Martina McBride, cooking and singing aren’t all that different. “When I make something delicious, I want to share it, which is a lot like sharing my music with an audience,” she says. “Cooking is my love language.” With her new cookbook Martina’s Kitchen Mix: My Recipe Playlist for Real Life (Oxmoor House, October 30, 2018, $30), you’ll find your own invitation to step inside Martina’s kitchen and sample more than 150 of her favorite dishes.  Photo credit: Caitlin Bensel Check out her delicious recipe: Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette. Enjoy!!
Serves 6 to 8 Hands-on 30 minutes Total 30 minutes 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves pulled away (about 3 cups) 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced (about 1⁄4 cup) 1⁄4 cup sweetened dried cranberries 1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped pecans 1⁄4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese 1 ripe pear, chopped (about 3⁄4 cup) 1. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2. Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts, discarding core. Stir together the Brussels sprouts, sliced shallot, dried cranberries, pecans, Gorgonzola cheese, and chopped pear. 3. Pour the dressing over the salad, and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately. Recipe credit: Excerpted from Martina’s Kitchen Mix by Martina McBride. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from TI Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.  Image: Sambazon Sambazon is diversifying its line of products by using Acerola as the main ingredient in its latest Superfruit Packs launch. The Tropical Immunity Superfruit Packs have an exotic blend of organic acerola, pineapple and banana that you can blend into a delicious smoothie. One serving of the Tropical Immunity Superfruit Packs contains 10 times the vitamin C of an orange, is only 40 calories and has no added sugar.
Acerola is a cherry native to Central and South America in the Amazon Rainforest and is a powerful superfruit, known to be one of the highest natural sources of Vitamin C with immune-boosting properties. The naturally low-sugar and low-calorie fruit contains powerful antioxidants that help promote heart health, good digestion and eye health.  Image Credit: Stoneridge Orchards Stoneridge Orchards has a new Reduced Sugar product line. Available in Montmorency Cherries and Dried Blueberries – these snacks are only 130 calories (per serving), 50% less sugar than before and are rich with fiber, free of preservatives, non-GMO, and gluten/allergen free.
 Image: ChocZero This December ChocZero has launched a Sugar Free Peppermint flavor of their best-selling Keto Bark. The festive packaging makes it a perfect holiday hosting gift, stocking stuffer or sweet treat for Mr. and Mrs. Claus after a long night of wrapping gifts.
 Image: Smart Sweets One bag of SmartSweets fun-pack gummy candy only has 3 grams of sugar, where normal gummy candy can pack an average of 24 grams of sugar! Check out their super cute holiday packaging—ugly Christmas sweaters filled with snowpeople and Christmas trees that taste like pineapple and strawberry! SmartSweets candies also include Fruity Gummy Bears, Sour Gummy Bears, Sour Blast Buddies (Vegan) and Sweet Fish (Vegan).
 Image: The Grommet
 Mixed Berry Pie with Coconut Oil and Agave Credit: Better Body Foods Are you looking for new Holiday Recipes? Check out the following healthy ingredients and the yummy recipes below!! 1. Organic Coconut Flour: Gluten-free and lightly textured, Organic Coconut Flour makes for a delicious, alternative to standard grain-based flours. 2. Organic Agave: Agave Nectar is naturally low-glycemic plus, since it’s sweeter than white sugar, and you won’t use as much. 3. Organic Cacao: You get the great taste of chocolate with the healthy benefits of Organic Cacao superfood— protein, antioxidant flavanols and polyphenols, plus vitamins, minerals and natural fiber. Recipes below courtesy of Better Body Foods. Cheers! Mixed Berry Pie with Coconut Oil and Agave Ingredients CRUST -- 2 Cups whole wheat pastry flour 1 tsp sea salt 2/3 Cup BBF Virgin Organic Coconut Oil 5-7 Tbsp cold water 2 Tbsp BBF Organic Agave FILLING -- 2 Cups fresh raspberries 2 Cups fresh blackberries 1 Cup fresh blueberries 1/3 Cup BBF Organic Agave 3 Tbsp constarch 1/4 Cup water  Homemade Agave Hot Cocoa Credit: Better Body Foods Homemade Agave Hot Cocoa
Ingredients 1 Cup milk of your choice 1 Tbsp LIVfit Superfood® organic Cacao 1 Tbsp BBF organic agave 1/4 tsp BBF organic bourbon madagascar vanilla 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional) Dash peppermint extract 1 tsp BBF organic naturally refined coconut oil  Seafood Stew Benchmark Oakland. Image: Gratitude Gourmet Benchmark Oakland is now open featuring a delightful and lovely Italian-Californian menu prepared with seasonal, often locally sourced, organic ingredients. Executive Chef Peter Swanson and Operations Manager Melissa Swanson are co-owners and husband and wife. Chef Swanson opened Benchmark Pizzeria in Kensington, California in 2012 and Benchmark Oakland is their new restaurant. Assisting him in the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Moffitt who was most recently at Boot & Shoe Service. The restaurant’s house-stretched pasta and doughs for pizza are from sourdough starter made with their own wild yeast. If historic architecture delights you, you will love this building as it was built in 1876, and a portion of the restaurant’s mosaic and tile flooring has been in place for almost a century. The 50-seat dining room was designed by Said Jon Eghbal, in collaboration with the Swansons, and include a dark orange and black color scheme, wood-topped tables, high ceiling, over-sized windows and an exhibition kitchen with a wood fired pizza oven. The zinc-topped bar has room for 10 people and there is outdoor sidewalk patio seating. The outdoor street and trees at 499 9th Street, on the corner of Washington Street, are beautifully decorated for the holidays and is beautiful at night!! The beverage selection includes an international wine list, assorted beers, and craft cocktails curated by Tamir Ben-Shalom of Bull Valley Roadhouse. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Every item we ordered was exquisitely prepared, fresh with exceptional taste! Saffron in the Seafood Stew is an excellent idea! The Sourdough Crust in the Pizza was mild and perfect! We will be back! A detailed list of items we enjoyed are below along with slideshow pics! Enjoy!! Wine Mourvèdre-Syrah blend Bedrock Wine Co., Evangelho Vineyard, Contra Costa County 2017 Starters - Butternut Squash Soup Warm spice, brown butter, sage - Singleness Crab from the Wood Oven Potatoes, Aioli, Spices Pizza - Benchmark Tomato Sauce, fresh mozarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil Entree - Seafood Stew Saffron broth, crab, clams, mussels, aioli, toast  Karen Flying Noir - Image: Gratitude Gourmet We at Gratitude Gourmet enjoyed judging exceptional chocolate again at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon last weekend. Each Judging is getting more challenging as there are many impressive Chocolatiers! The Winners are here. See our photos below in our Slideshow! |
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