Food and drinks that are of Interest
Tessemae's organic All Natural Dijon mustard contains water, mustard seeds, vinegar, salt and spices. I Each teaspoon contains 5 calories and 125 milligrams sodium. Kristine James, intern at Bite of the Best: Compared to other Dijon mustards I've sampled, Tessemae's is a lot smoother and is not "hot." It is a great alternative for people who like the Dijon mustard taste without the heat.
Stouffer's new Fit Kitchen frozen entrees are packed with 25 or more grams of protein and healthy carbohydrates including dark green vegetables, sweet potato and brown rice. They come in six different meal options including steak fajita, cilantro lime chicken, rotisserie seasoned turkey, Monterey chicken, bourbon steak and oven roasted chicken. Each meal contains 250 to 410 calories, 2 to 5 grams saturated fat (of 4 to 13 grams total), 750 to 960 milligrams sodium and 25 to 27 grams protein.
The Cajun Kitchen's first product is the Classic Cayenne (Not Too) Hot Sauce. This hot sauce is a blend of local Louisiana-sourced peppers and spices. It has a very mild burn. Each teaspoon contains 0 calories and 45 milligrams sodium.
Blue Isle Mediterranean Yogurt Spreads is a healthy alternative for cream cheese, dips, oil, butter, sour cream and crème fraiche. The spreads are made from fresh, rBST-free milk, containing live active and probiotic cultures. Two tablespoons contain between 60 to 70 calories, 4 grams saturated fat (of 6 grams total) and between 15 and 135 milligrams sodium.
Theo Chocolate Baking Bars are available with either 70% and 85% dark chocolate. The bars are non-GMO verified, organic, fair trade, vegan and kosher. Each 1/2-ounce contains 70 calories and 3.5 to 4 grams saturated fat (of 6 grams total).
So many libations, so little time to sample them all. We decided to taste a few and provide some suggestions for hostess gifts or food pairing at one of your holiday gatherings. And who to know better what their wines go with that the wine makers; we reached out to each for their holiday matches. The fruit-forward, bright lemon and apple nosed Rodney Strong 2013 Sonoma County Chalk Hill Chardonnay (SRP: $22.00) pairs nicely with butternut squash in soup with rosemary browned butter; or noodles with the squash, ginger and scallions Serve the complex and velvety spicy dark plum and berry Rodney Strong 2013 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP: $35.00) [...]
Farmhouse Culture introduced raw Krauts and Kimchi in 5 different variations. They are organic, non-GMO and vegan. Each 1/4 cup serving contains 15 calories, 310 to 340 milligrams sodium and provides almost half of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin K. Raw kraut and kimchi are rich in probiotics, which will help boost your immune system as well as increase the "good bacteria" in your gastrointestinal tract. - bonnie: I liked the spicy flavor of these good-for-you fermented organic cabbage krauts and kimchi. My favorite are the spicy wakame ginger kimchi and smoked jalapeno kraut! I suggest giving them a try. BonnieBOTB Follow @BonnieBOTB
Crunchies Natural Food Company introduced these freeze-dried fruit snacks in nine different flavors. They contain no added sugar, no artificial flavors or coloring and are non-GMO, vegan and kosher certified. Each 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup serving contains 40 calories, 3 to 8 grams sugar and 1 to 3 grams of fiber. The blueberry and raspberry are a good source of fiber, each with 3 grams per serving. Kristine James, intern at Bite of the Best: I like the crunchy texture of the sweet and healthy freeze-dried fruits, with no added sugar. My favorite is strawberry. Great on cereal or oatmeal or as a snack.
Simply7 introduced Kale Chips made from kale and potatoes, available in three flavors: Sea Salt, Dill Pickle and fresh Lemon & Olive Oil. They are non-GMO project verified, Gluten-Free certified, vegan and Kosher. Each 1-ounce serving contains 130 to 140 calories, 0.5 grams saturated fat (of 6 to 7 grams total), 290 to 400 milligrams sodium and 79% of the vitamin K recommended daily.
Lundberg introduced Organic Tri-Color Blend Quinoa including white, brown, red and black seeds. It makes a great meal on its own, in salads or as a base for a variety recipes. Each 1/4-cup serving contains 170 calories, 2.5 grams total fat, 6 grams protein and 3 grams, a good source, fiber. One serving provides 45 grams of whole grains or about the government recommended daily amount.
Progresso Cooking Stocks are made by simmering real bones, vegetables and herbs. They have no artificial flavors or added MSG. Each 8-ounce serving contains between 15 to 45 calories, 0 to 1 gram total fat and 95 to 420 milligrams sodium.
Coney Island Brewing Company introduced Hard Root Beer made with natural ingredients, including Madagascar vanilla and cane sugar. It has 5.8% alcohol by volume. This new beer from Coney Island Brewing Company tastes just like root beer soda.
Kim Crawford (whose wines I enjoy) must have money to spare. They're offering pricey Wine Gems by ANNA New York that arrived to me in a box that could house Chopard, Tiffany or Harry Winston jewels. I hesitated tossing it, trying to figure out how to re-purpose. My box contained a bottle of their tasty Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand, two crystal white wine glasses and another fancy box housing the six stones. The $76 price tag includes only the gems — in a box also nice enough for jewels. The larger one I received was only for promotional purposes. A waste of resources for sure! [...]
Beaverton Foods introduced Inglehoffer Gourmet Ketchup, an all natural ketchup which offers a more savory and less sweet tomato flavor. Use this ketchup on potatoes, meat loaf, fries or hot dogs. One tablespoon contains 15 calories, 250 mg sodium and 4 grams sugar. Kristine James, intern at Bite of the Best — Inglehoffer's ketchup is sweetened with sugar, not the high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup in Heinz. It, though, contains more sodium, 250 per tablespoon verses 160 milligrams. I like the slight spicy flavor from the added paprika and red chili peppers.
Savannah Bee introduced their Sourwood Honey Gold Reserve. This reserve is produced in the upper heights of the Southern Appalachians in very limited quantities — only ~2,200 jars. Be sure to consume the honey within the first year or two following harvest as its "beauty" fades fairly quickly. One tablespoon contains 64 calories and 17 grams sugar.
New things are happening in refrigeration! You can now brew your coffee or tea, or make carbonated beverages right from the door; or you can own a restaurant-style one that easily accommodates full sheet pans. With single-cup brewer machines in over 35 million homes, GE decided to introduce their new Cafe Series refrigerator with a Keurig K-Cup brewing system in the door. This Energy Star certified refrigerator is available nationally at Lowes for ~$3,300. A Samsung one features a built-in chilled sparkling or still water dispenser powered by Sodastream. That will set you back ~$6,399.00 BlueStar, a company that designs restaurant-quality products for home chefs, is introducing a 36-inch built-in [...]
Chung Jung One introduced Gochujang Spicy Ketchup Sauce, an authentic fermented Korean hot chili sauce with a sweet, tart umami flavor. Use to marinate meats, to add flavor to stews and soups or simply as a condiment. Each 1-tablespoon contains 35 calories, 310 milligrams sodium and 7 grams sugar. bonnie — You'll find a little spicy heat in this sweet gochujang ketchup. If you're not familiar with this Korean condiment, gochujang is fermented from chile peppers, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt. Skip this if you're watching your sodium intake. BonnieBOTB Follow @BonnieBOTB
Pompeian introduced Smooth Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a lighter color and milder on the palate then their Robust EVOO. The differences are from the variety of olives used. Each tablespoon contains 120 calories and 2 grams saturated fat (of 14 grams total). bonnie: Other olive oil companies also have light versions of their full-flavored EVOO, similar to Pompeian Smooth. Do note, the lighter colored, smoother tasting oil has the same amount of calories and fats as the rich darker one. BonnieBOTB Follow @BonnieBOTB
Topperfino Chocolate Coffee Toppers add a hint of sweet chocolate to your java. Place one on top of your cup of coffee and watch it melt into a creamy chocolate addition to your morning Joe! One Topper contains 25 calories and 1 gram saturated fat (of 1 to 1.5 grams total). - bonnie: What a fun idea to top your hot brew with a disc of chocolate. I only wish they hadn't added artificial colors to their Toppers. BonnieBOTB Follow @BonnieBOTB
My new intern was working on this post about Yoplait Plenti for our Bite of the Rest (new product) section. I had asked her to look into the nutrients from Yoplait Plenti's label boast of "with fruit, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and whole grain oats, all mixed in." I mentioned to her that the name "Plenti" and the earthy-colored cup might make a consumer think that it's packed with plenty of extra nutrients. Is it? I started by asking this question to the Yoplait public relations professional myself and was told that, "These are legal claims so I’d have to check and secure approvals ..." We went back and forth [...]
