Tested: Maple Walnut Blondie, Orange Chocolate Cookie, Molasses Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cranberry Oatmeal, Double Chocolate Brownie.

Courser Farm Kitchen a little home based business located about 2 hours north of me in Warner, New Hampshire. I love supporting small local business and though they aren’t super local to me, they are local enough! I will definitely be placing orders in the future for these super awesome treats! They make cookies, brownies, bars, blondies and breads that are all gluten free and vegan! They also take special orders for cakes and cupcakes!

When I got the little box of heaven in the mail from Emma it may as well have been Christmas! I ripped it open and took a few nibbles of a few of the products but found the strength to wrap them back up (well, almost all of them…) and wait for my neighbor to be available to come taste test with me since he is gf. We had a blast eating them. The goodies we got to try were the Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie, Orange Chocolate Cookie, Molasses Cookie, Double Chocolate Brownie and the Maple Walnut Blondie!

I am a sucker for Cranberry Oatmeal cookies so those were definitely my favorite, I just wish they had a little more cranberry in them. But then again, I always almost double the amount of cranberries in the recipe I use… The cookie was nice and chewy and perfectly spiced. The Chocolate Chip was pretty fantastic too, it reminded me of the Cookie Crisp cereal I used to eat when I was a kid. It would have been perfect dipped in an ice cold glass of almond milk. Molasses cookies rock my socks in general so it’s no surprise this one was another winner! Give me chewy cookies or give me death! The dark sweetness of the molasses with the gentle hint of ginger really made me wish I had a whole truckload of these bad boys.

Now, I am very against combining chocolate with fruit flavors like cherry, orange, raspberry, etc etc, but I was extremely surprised at how much I liked the Orange Chocolate Cookie. It is a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips with a touch of orange, which was the perfect amount for me. It actually has me rethinking my hatred (yeah, really) of fruit flavored chocolate. I wouldn’t say that I’m a convert, but I’m going to be more open minded about it. See what a good product can do?! Speaking of good products, Double Chocolate Brownies? Hell to the yes! Fudgy, chewy and wicked chocolatey? The brownie was so good it didn’t last long enough to be photographed!

New England is pretty awesome to begin with, but the fact that we have the best of the best maple syrups makes it that much better. And that is exactly what you get with the Maple Walnut Blondie. New Hampshire maple syrup in a cake like little bar sprinkled with walnut chunks. Are you salivating yet?

(Left: Maple Walnut Blondie. From Top to Bottom: Orange Chocolate Cookie, Molasses Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cranberry Oatmeal. Not photographed: Double Chocolate Brownie. I inhaled it.)

Course Farm Kitchen sells there goods at a few local cafes and farmers markets, if you live in the New Hampshire area, or happen to be passing through, definitely stop by any of the places listed on their to grab some! If you don’t live in the area, get your butt over here and order some! What are you waiting for?!

Pros:

• Homemade.
• Local (sort of to me).
• Delicious!

Cons:

• None. Seriously.

Reviewed by Liz Whitaker

Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food is a brand new homemade recipe zine filled with information about cooking and eating Ethiopian food.   The recipe booklet is entirely xgfx, and most of the recipes can easily be prepared soy-free as well.  If you don’t know how to cook Ethiopian food, or have never had the opportunity to try this cuisine before, everything is clearly explained within–beginners will quickly become assured masters.

Ye'Miser Ingudai Sambusas (Spicy Red Lentil and Mushroom Noshes) Photo by Amy Gedgaudas

The zine is 86 pages and has the power to transform you into an Ethiopian cooking maven, and if you already have mad Ethiopian skills and know-how, you’ll find recipes to make magical dishes you’ve never seen or tasted before.

Bakela Dinich W'et (Soy Curls and Potatoes in a Spicy Gravy--with Avocado) Photo by Amy Gedgaudas

Bamia Bakela W'et (Okra and Homemade Black Eyed Pea Sausages in a Spicy Red Gravy) with Injera Fakeouts

The zine is also full of hand-cut paper illustrations and was professionally printed on 100% post consumer paper.  For ordering information, please visit Cake Maker to the Stars. Thank you!

xo

kittee

]]> http://xgfx.org/2011/07/papa-tofu-loves-you-and-ethiopian-food/feed/ 6 http://xgfx.org/2011/07/andeans-dreamy-dreams/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=andeans-dreamy-dreams http://xgfx.org/2011/07/andeans-dreamy-dreams/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:01:01 +0000 Review Squader http://xgfx.org/?p=4700 Andean Dream – Gluten Free Quinoa Products

Tested: Macaroni, Coconut Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pasta and cookies made from quinoa? And they taste good? I could have never thought up such a product in my wildest culinary dreams! The people responsible for Andean Dream products really are geniuses. I will be honest though, I was a little skeptical, but still excited, when I learned about the products I was going to be taste testing. I didn’t have very high expectations but I was definitely surprised, especially by the pasta. I got to try the Macaroni, Coconut Cookies and the Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Not only does quinoa have a high protein content but it also contains calcium, phosphorous, iron and all eight essential amino acids. In addition to having a great tasting and versatile little grain to eat, you get a nutritional powerhouse. Did you know quinoa has been used for human consumption for about 3 or 4,000 years?! And to think I didn’t knowingly try it until I was 25!

The first product I tried out was the Macaroni and it was love at first bite! You don’t have to cook this particular brand as long as non-xgfx pastas which is great, but you do have to keep an eye on it, I’ve heard quinoa pasta over cooks really easily. Luckily I didn’t have that problem; it came out perfectly tender and had a really great taste as it was. It wasn’t starchy tasting like “regular” pastas and I probably could have just eaten a bowl of it plain. Okay, maybe I did, so what? While the pasta was cooking I whipped up a thick walnut pesto to pour on so if I didn’t like the pasta I would at least have something tasty to smother it in. I now prefer quinoa pasta over other varieties and can’t wait to get my hands on some more!

Onto dessert… The cookies, oh the cookies! They come in portion sized little packages, 2 per bag, and are about 2 bites each but they are adorable! Both the coconut and chocolate chip were really tasty although a little dry and crumbly but I was very willing to look past that because they both reminded me of some pre-vegan childhood favorites. The coconut reminded me of a certain pecan shortbread cookie I used to love but without the pecans. They had a very light coconut flavor and would be excellent crumbled over some xgfx ice cream. The chocolate chip cookies were very much the same as the coconut but with the addition of mini chocolate chips. They reminded me a lot of a certain kids breakfast cereal that made my favorite Saturday morning cartoon commercial. I still have some of the cookies stashed away in a cabinet so nobody eats them on me!

The makers of these excellent products are not only dedicated to providing delicious gluten free products made from quinoa, they are also dedicated to making the world a better place. The individual packaging the cookies come in is vegetable based and recyclable. The products also support 280 indigenous farming families in Bolivia who grow the quinoa for them! Any company, especially the small independent ones, trying to make an environmental and social impact are the kind I truly don’t mind paying a little extra for greatness. Everybody wins!

Pros:

• All vegan. All gluten free.
• The company has made a direct impact on improving the lives of the 280 farming families growing the quinoa.
• 5 different types of cookies and 3 shapes of pasta.
• The best dried pasta I have eaten!!!
• According to an email from the owner of the company these products are not only available on their website but at most Whole Foods Markets as well!

Cons:

• A little pricey ($5.99 for cookies and $4.99 for pasta).
• The cookies were a little dry but dunked in an ice cold glass of your favorite xgfx milk will solve that problem!

Reviewed by Liz Whitaker

Stonehouse 27 Cooking Sauces

When I first learned about Stonehouse 27 sauces (the label reads: “exotic indian without the effort”), I was all about trying them.

Six jars arrived to my house from the fine folks at Stonehouse 27, and since I was gifted this free sample from the company I had no idea that each jar sported a hefty price tag of about $6.50 USD per jar. I thought the price seemed a tad steep, and I was really hoping these sauces would live up to the cost.

From the looks of the jars, each with their own unique color and flavorings, I was excited to try them out. Plus, the colorful labels caught my eye! Sadly, I realized that two of the sauces were made with cows’ milk, so those never got taste-tested.

The vegan flavors include Tamarind and Garlic (mild), Tomato and Chilies (medium), Cilantro and Coconut (mild), and Dates and Tamarind (hot and sweet). It started off on a positive note when I instinctively flipped the jars around to read the labels and noticed that the vegan sauces contained nothing weird or scary:

Cilantro and Coconut Ingredients: Onions, Coconut Milk, Diced Tomatoes, Cilantro, Spices, GMO free Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Garlic, Green chili, Apple Juice Concentrate, Pure Agave Nectar, Water, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Ginger, Mint, and Turmeric.

The first sauce I tried was the Cilantro and Coconut, a mild flavor that I served to my kids for lunch one day. I mixed up a quinoa pilaf and decided to see how the sauce could enhance it. Upon opening the jar I noticed a pleasant fragrance, but the flavor seemed bland. I immediately realized that these sauces weren’t intended for use “out of the jar” but needed some doctoring up to make them shine. So, I dutifully added some salt (check back up in the ingredients… no salt! great for modifying to your own tastes), and I also ended up throwing in some extra spices and some nooch for good measure.

The kids thought that the flavor was pretty good, but not similar to the Indian sauces we were used to from restaurants. I have to admit, I found it to be pretty bland. But, I was pleased with the convenience of simply pouring sauce from a jar to finish off our meal, since that’s a rare occurrence in our house.

For dinner, I thought I’d try the sauces out on my husband. Plus I was dying to see if there was a huge difference between the first sauce and the others. I planned to use the Tamarind and Garlic with some sautéed veggies, soycurls and basmati rice, but last minute ended up having to combine it with the Tomato and Chilies sauce just to have enough to cover a little less than 4 servings of veggies and soycurls. The flavors of the two jars merged well and together ended up tasting very similar to the flavor we had tried earlier. Again, a little embellishment was in order… this time I added some fresh herbs, garlic, salt, and a few chopped tomatoes. My husband’s reaction wasn’t quite as positive as the kids’ reactions at lunch time. He felt they still weren’t very flavorful even with my doctorin’.

A few days later I ended up using the Dates and Tamarind on a socca pizza. It was good… and this flavor was my favorite of the four. Compared to its “mild” counterparts, it was much more flavorful. It packed a little heat and was the perfect amount and consistency to slather on a personal sized pizza. And there was even some left over for crust dippin’!

All in all, I’m glad I tried the sauces, but I’ll be sticking to my regular homemade “Indian inspired” sauces for dinnertime…even if they’re not authentic whatsoever. ;)  But, these are great sauces to have around if you don’t mind the price tag, and are itchin’ for something convenient and not made simply for topping pasta.

pros:

• easy and convenient
• available in 4 vegan flavors
• small natural ingredient list

cons:

• kinda pricey
• only serves about 2 people
• not perfect “straight from the jar”… you need to know a thing or two about cooking if you want good results from this stuff

Reviewed by Allyson Kramer

Crazy Rumors - Lip Balm

Tested: Peppermint Lemongrass, Orange Creamsicle, & HibisKiss

*** Through the month of May Crazy Rumors is offering all you awesome xgfx readers a 15% discount. Use coupon code XGFX

Sometimes finding good xgfx lip balm can be a little tricksy. Everything’s got beeswax, or it’s tested on animals, or it’s full of funky ingredients. I have even heard tell of lip balm containing wheat-germ oil. Well, I received some samples from Crazy Rumors the other day that are vegan, not tested on animals, all natural, contain lots of organic ingredients, and just so happen to be xgfx.

The samples I got were Peppermint Lemongrass, Orange Creamsicle, and their HibisKiss lip color in coral. All of their products are flavored, so if you’re looking for a Plain Jane, you’re out of luck. They also contain a little stevia, so they’re slightly sweet. After using them for a couple weeks, I‘m hooked. They glide on silky smooth, and my lips are feeling pampered and soft. They really do taste good, and they smell good too. The coral HibisKiss has a pretty color, but if I apply it too heavily it feels like there’s a dried oily residue on my lips. Use it sparingly though, and this isn‘t an issue. My favorite of the bunch is the Peppermint Lemongrass. It tastes good and leaves your lips all tingly.

You can order directly from their site www.crazyrumors.com and there are a lot more flavors to choose from (coffee and chocolate looks really good). The lip balms are $3.49 and the lip colors are $4.99.

Pros:

• Tastes and smells great
• Glides on smooth
• Long lasting
• Lots of flavor choices

Cons:

• No unflavored option
• Lip color gets funky if you overindulge

Reviewed by Jenny Wren