by jamie on August 30, 2010
One of my favorite things about being a blogger is getting the opportunity to meet so many amazing and interesting people - whether its readers who frequently email me or comment on posts, other foodies, athletes who inspire me, and founders / CEOs / and even PR reps of different companies who have grown on me - which is why it makes me angry sad to see so many curmudgeonly bloggers out there posting about hating people who email them, or blasting these obnoxious Tweets about how someone didn’t follow their “rules” (barf), or use obnoxious auto replies for every single email as if they are oh so important (double barf).
Anyway, I digress.
The inspiration for this post comes from this lovely young couple out in Missouri who have created Herbal Oats granola bars - basically a blend of oats, honey, and natural herbs to provide you with different health benefits inclusing: Immunity, Energy, Focus, and Strength.
One of the founders, Steven emailed me via Facebook (ballsy move if I were one of the above type bloggers) and asked me if I’d like to sample his granola bars. And of course, I said yes.
Intrigued, I started poking around on their website and could instantly tell they were a young company. Steven and his girlfriend Sarah started the company after meeting in college and realizing their shared passion for nutrition. What’s not to love?
Not only do they have a cute founding story and an ambitious young couple behind their products, but Herbal Oats Granola Bars use all-natural ingredients and biodegradable packaging (which I love).
That being said, the granola bars are just so so and the packaging (biodegradable or not) could use a bit more work. My favorite flavor was “Focus” or Raspberry with Ginkgo Biloba - but not because it made me feel any different or “focused” while I was eating it, but because the flavor itself was pleasing and the raspberry actually came through. The other flavors were a bit of a disappointment especially “Strength” which is supposed to be Chocolate Peanut. I was craving something sweet and of course tore into the Chocolate Peanut first (I love anything that sounds like chocolate and peanut butter) only to realize it didn’t taste like chocolate or peanut at all - more like honey and sugar.
But as I said, this is a young company with a young product. They have the right ambition, a great story, and I believe if they keep at it, they’ll get it out there. Right now, they are available in a few select stores in Colombia, MO.
Check them out: www.herbaloats.com
Tagged as:
ambition,
biodegradable,
canola oil is dangerous,
energy,
entrepreneurial,
focus,
functional ingredients,
granola bars,
health food,
herbal,
herbs,
strength,
vegetarian,
young entrepreneurs
by jamie on August 19, 2010
Sometimes I truly believe that cooking is a form of therapy. After an exceptionally long, crazy day and my annoying conversation with a pharmacy technician who told me (after waiting in line for over twenty minutes) that my prescription wasn’t even actually available even though they called me to tell me it was, I was in a pretty wretched mood when I got home last night. But, wretched mood or not, a girl (and her guy) has got to eat.
To keep up with my farmer’s market success and despite my tired, cranky attitude and the late hour, I decided to whip up some beet salad with tempeh bacon and ricotta salata.
I must admit, I’m pretty frickin proud of this little creation. Not only was I able to use the WHOLE beet - greens, stems and all - but I created it from stuff I already had lying around the kitchen. And best of all, somewhere along the way while boiling, chopping, slicing and dicing, I found a way to smile and relax. God I love cooking!
Aren’t they beautiful!??! I <3 fresh beets!
Beet Salad with Tempeh Bacon and Ricotta Salata
- 4-5 medium red or golden beets with stems and greens attached
- 3 tbsp ricotta salata
- 4-5 strips tempeh bacon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar (regular sugar will also work)
- salt and pepper
Remove the beets from teh stems and leaves and place in pot of boiling water. Let cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Once the beets are tender, remove from the pot and run under cool water and peel the skins off and slice.
Meanwhile, chop the beet stems and beet greens and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in in a medium saute pan and add garlic. Once garlic has started to brown, add beet greens and stems and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Heat another small pan and place the strips of tempeh bacon on it, flipping them after about 2 minutes. Let them get slightly blackened and then remove them to let cool. Once cool, slice into small pieces.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the red wine vinegar, remaining olive oil, coconut sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
Put the beet greens and stems, and beats in a large mixing bowl. Add the bacon, ricotta and dressing. Mix together. And enjoy!
What’s your favorite way to eat beets?
Tagged as:
beet recipes,
dinner recipes,
easy recipes,
fake meat,
farmer's market,
healthy,
healthy recipes,
natural,
organic,
produce,
recipes,
soy,
vegetarian
