I Ain't Afraid of No Gluten: Van's Pasta

Although Edible Skinny wasn’t able to make it to the Natural Products Expo this year in Anaheim, we were still able to experience some of the products offered there via the good old fashioned postal service!  Hooray!!!

One such product was Van’s, based in Southern California, which offers delicious nutrient-dense foods that focus on the growing need for expanding dietary options, including gluten-free allergy-friendly, non-GMO kosher whole grain and more.  With the tagline “Gluten Free Goodness,” Van’s products are certified gluten free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (with their seal of approval stamped on every box).  Their synthetic and artificial flavor free products include frozen breakfasts, snack food and pastas available at grocery stores, mass merchandise stores, and natural food retailers nationwide. 

  

Now I’m not one for carbohydrates (don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE to eat them, it’s the result I don’t adore…) but when I do turn to the dark side of carbs I usually try to make it gluten free.   That’s why I LOVEd experiencing Van’s gluten free boxed pasta meals: simple, gluten free, and yummy.  These prepackaged pastas are craveable gluten free varieties that can be prepared on the stovetop in just 10 minutes.  Easy peasy nice and breezy!!!

Van’s Creamy Herb & Garlic is the fancy pants version of Kraft Mac & Cheese (and healthier!).   Boil the pasta, drain, create the sauce with butter, milk, and their cheese packet, combine, and enjoy.   The result is a deliciously sophisticated savory taste with 11 grams of protein and 28 grams of whole grains per serving.

But if the classic Kraft Mac & Cheese is what you crave, Van’s also offers The Ultimate Cheddar Penne, a bright orange pasta meal that will totally bring you back to late night cram sessions for Biology 101.  Or if you’re looking for something on the tomato end of the pasta spectrum then the Rotini & Red Sauce is a simple fun gluten free option.

So if you’re avoiding the dark side known as wheat and gluten and you’re looking for the perfect boxed pasta for that quick meal or late night trip down college memory lane than Van’s might just be the way to go.

 

Here’s to life being delicious and having the force be strong with you (even if you indulge in gluten free carbs from time to time..)!

The 168-Year-Old Old Moisturizer with Thayers Natural Remedies

Edible Skinny LOVES unchapped lips!   We LOVE finding the perfect lip balm that allows our puckers to stay moist during these hot dry days of August, especially for those late night smooching sessions!  

So when we recently ran out of our standard Burt Bees chapstick and came across a product sample from Thayers Natural Remedies in our dresser drawer, by way of the Natural Product Expo in March, we were totally game! 

And all we can say is WOW!!!

Like an ice cream cone for your lips, Thayers Organic Vanilla Bean Slippery Elm Lip Balm offers creamy, dreamy protection against dry and windy weather, slaking your lips' thirst for moisture.  Slippery Elm's moisturizing power is a natural wonder-and your best friend in harsh weather (like August desert heat).  Certified Organic Slippery Elm speeds natural, hydrating relief to the most vulnerable skin on your face, healing chapped, cracked, peeling lips and restoring your radiant smile. 

Thayers Natural Remedies began in 1847, when Henry Thayer M.D., opened a laboratory on Main Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts to produce his newly developed line of herbal extracts for sale to the medical profession.  The company, prospered and broadened its line of products and has been described as the largest manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in America at the time of the Civil War.  The 168-year-old company is now the standard in the world of natural remedies.

Thayers throat remedies such as their Sugar-Free Dry Mouth Spray Citrus Flavor and Original Slippery Elm Lozenges have been a source of oral relief since 1847.  Their original Slippery Elm Lozenges deliver healing, protective, natural comfort to the throat and mouth without menthol (that are also vegan-friendly) have been used on television shows such as The Voice and American Idol and have a celebrity following including Justin Timberlake and Sting.

So if you’re searching for moisturize, either inside or outside the mouth look no further than the 168-year-old company of Thayers Natural Remedies. 

Here's to life being delicious and lips always being moist enough for puckering up!

Healthy Cleansing with Pacifica's Coconut Wipes

For a female one the surest signs the day has come to an end is when we start wiping away the layers of makeup caked on our skin.   And what better way to do this with a biodegradable towelette from Pacifica?

Last year Edible Skinny’s Best of Fest for the Natural Products Expo West included Pacifica’s new makeup line and this year we’re in Love again!  This time it's with their Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes!  

These super soft coconut water infused towelettes cleanse your face while removing toxins, oils, pollutants, and make-up your skin without water.  Papaya, a natural exfoliant, helps revive skin and remove dead cells.  Aloe Vera and Calendula soothe and calm.  Along with all these great non chemically ingredients the wipes also smell amazing and are vegan!

We’re raving for a right reason as these are Pacifica’s most popular item. 

Packs of 30 are available for $6 at Target and on Amazon

Trends of Natural Products Expo West 2015

 

It’s been a little over a month since the Natural Products Expo West occurred at the Anaheim Convention Center, but if you’ve read any of Edible Skinny’s past coverage of the world's largest natural, organic and healthy products event you’ll know that it takes that long for us to recover and start reporting on the event! 

And if you look at the numbers of the 35th you can see why: this year the event grew to over 71,000 industry members attending, 2,7000 exhibiting companies, and 634 first-time exhibitors.  Really, it’s like a tidal wave hit Whole Foods and brought it to Anaheim!

The Expo can be many different things to many different people, but for me it’s about seeing where the world of innovative natural eating is flowing.   What’s going to end up in everyday vernacular and where will people be spending their money (because if someone told us we’d be spending $11 on a single serving of juice 10 years ago we’d have thought they were more than a little cray cray…)

Overall trends that Kelly and I noticed during our time at Expo West were that:

• Everyone is making Turmeric tea!

• Gluten free has evolved to specifics.

• Chia is everywhere!  Everywhere!  And in everything!

• Non-dairy is finding its personality. 

As we did last year we’ll be submitting our Best of the Fest list throughout the next few weeks (and remember this is out of 2,700 choices!)?   So keep your eye out for that tidal wave of Whole Foods items!  

Hope life is delicious!

Best of the Fest #8: Back To The Roots Mini Mushroom Farm

The Mini Mushroom Farm

Since they started in 2009, Back to the Roots has always been a favorite of Edible Skinny’s. So we were definitely excited to hear that BTTR’s mushroom kits are now USDA certified organic at this year’s Natural Products Expo West (which we found out via the Mushroom Man at this year's convention)! 

Me and the Mushroom Man!

Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez were a few months away from graduation at UC Berkeley when they first heard that you could grow gourmet mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds.  Inspired by the idea of turning waster into fresh, local food, they experimented in Alex’s fraternity kitchen, which ultimately lead to growing one test bucket of oyster mushrooms.  With that one bucket they decided to forgo their investment banking and consulting offers to instead become full-time urban mushroom famers and they haven’t looked back since!

Edible Skinny recently took a test spin of BTTR’s Mini Mushroom Farm. Simpler than their standard Mushroom Kit (there’s no mister) there’s only 3 simple steps between you a 1b of organic mushrooms: open, water, and harvest.   

The Mushrooms busting out!

This kit grows gourmet Pearl Oyster mushrooms, a varietal that is commonly found in Europe and Asia and are used increasingly in a variety of cuisines for their velvety texture, smooth taste, and dense nutrient content. The Mushroom Mini Farm is made from all organic recycled waste including corn cob and saw dust. 

Just 10 days later there was a full-realized crop of fungi that were deliciously sautéed with garlic and olive oil. 

  

Martha Stewart selected the Mushroom Kit and AquaFarm as part of her top 10 American Made products for the 2013 holiday season!  Stewart stated that their Mushroom Kit was, “such a fun project.  I love how it’s connecting families to their food again.”

 

The Mushroom Mini Farm is exclusively sold at Whole Foods, Home Depot, and Fresh Market locations nationwide.  And with a price point of under $15 and is perfect for the novice mushroom farmer. 

Best of the Fest #7: Monterey Farms Artichokes

One of the simplest and tastiest products that we experienced at the Natural Products Expo West were the elegant and exquisite artichoke hearts of Monterey Farms.

With over 25 years of experience Monterey Farms is a small locally owned and operated manufacturer located in Salinas, California.  They are situated on the scenic Monterey Peninsula, less than 15 minutes from Castroville, “The Artichoke Capital of the World.”  Because of their close proximity to the nation’s most notable artichoke fields, Monterey farms is afforded access to the freshest artichokes available.

Monterey Farms artichokes are made with all-natural ingredients and their taste, texture and quality is that of a cooked artichoke fresh from the field. Their proprietary process of sealing the arti hearts promotes the natural value and health benefits of the artichoke, giving a chef a unique and graceful alternative to the canned or jarred artichoke products.

Monterey Farms offers artichoke hearts that are available in 4 divine and distinct flavors.  Along with classics such as Grilled ArtiHearts and Natural ArtiHearts, Monterey Farms offer a few other fun flavors that were total winners!  My favorite were their Buffalo ArtiHearts which are tossed in a traditional Buffalo style sauce, then grilled for a rich, spicy, full body flavor.  For the Vegetarian and Vegans in the room (moi) they’re a delicious meat alternative to Buffalo style chicken wings!  Buffolo ArtiHearts can be served either warm or lightly breaded; either way they are a savory Yummm!

Monterey Farms artichokes are available at Whole Foods Market, The Fresh Market, Wegman's, and HEB Markets.

Best of the Fest #6: Good Nature Tea

Good Nature Tea was hands down the tastiest tea that both Kelly and I sipped during our time at the Natural Products Expo West, and that’s saying something considering the amount of tea vendors there!  Good Nature’s tea was so delicate and delicious that you didn’t need to add anything else (no honey, no milk, nothing!).  

For more than 70 years, Alkaloid AD, has been one of the most successful Macedonian companies and their products are present in markets across 27 countries. Trusted throughout Eastern Europe for years, Good Nature strives to bestow you with the same enjoyable experience as they have brought to Eastern Europeans for years. They believe the secret to life is a good cup of tea (which is good news since I gave up coffee a few months ago!).

Their Botanicals division produces the Good Nature branded tea products and their number one goal is to produce the best tea possible.  Following the ancient Macedonian art and tradition of harvesting herbs and fruits directly from the fertile soil on which they are grown, Good Nature brings you a unique selection of teas, hand blended from the highest quality ingredients

GoodNature Organic Tea is made with the highest quality, therapeutic grade herbs and botanicals.  Good Nature tea is 100% certified organic, natural (yes a joke word in the United States but in their mind: the epitome of a legitimately natural product), caffeine free, and additive free.  Their bags are made from 100% unbleached paper with their boxes made from 100% recycled paper board (at least 40% verified post-consumer waste) and printed with soy ink. 

Rigorous taste testing ensures good customers’ opinions regarding their products.  At Alkaloid AD, they believe that the skill of any tea producer lies in the art of blending flavors, selecting one or more herbs and creating harmonious aromas, while preserving the uniqueness of each of them.

Both Kelly and I were gaga for the Good Nature’s BeTea line.  With names such as b.Pure Tea, b.Whole Tea, and b.Joyful Tea these teas inspire both your Consciousness and your tastebuds.  Available on their website and somewhat on Amazon they are a perfect choice for anyone looking for an alternative to coffee!

Best of the Fest #5: Pacifica Makeup

The Oregon based Pacifica has been the name in natural fragrance blends for years: their lotions, body butters, and perfumes (solid and roll-ons) have been the darlings of the health conscious scent world.  Since 1996 all of their skin care and color is formulated without: Animal testing, animal ingredients, FD&C color, phthalates, parabens, sulfates, propylene glycol, benzene, mineral oil, petroleum, peanut oil, triclosan, with their products being composed of from natural ingredients and essential oils and their packaging is made from recycled materials.

Well as we saw at the Natural Products Expo West, Pacifica is reinventing themselves this Spring 2013 with a selection of new skincare and makeup products that will be available at Target.  Pacifica Creator/Owner Brook Harvey-Taylor for the longest time held out from being retailed at Target until she realized that much of her all-natural fan base lived far away from the big cities and needed Target's location, quality, and reasonable-priced selections to meet their consciousness needs.

Ever since Harvey-Taylor made that move, she was glad she did!  Pacifica is Target's exclusively all-natural line that's being exposed to a wider range of shoppers.

These new cosmetic and skincare collections are coconut water-based which acts as a skin balancer while soothing and softening.  This ingredient creates a creamy, crease-free formula that supports long wear.

One of the Auh-Mazing products of this new line is their Enlighten Eye Brightening Mineral Eye Shadow Palette.  Rich, lasting, creaseless eye shadows are infused with coconut water for a velvety, cream-like finish.  These four highly pigmented mineral satin makeup and iridescent shades are specially curated and designed to brighten the eyes and make you look gorgeous and awake.  (Even when you did not get a good night's sleep!) Shades include Urchin (Purple), Golden (Gold), Coral Sand (Pinky), and Skinny Dip (Buff).

Another really cool Pacifica product is their Radiant Shimmer Coconut Multiples, a palette of 3 pearly shades of Bronzed, a perfectly glowing sun-kissed color with golden shimmer shadow; Island Rose, a shimmering, radiant dewy pink shadow; and Moonlit, an iridescent pale shades of moon-kissed shimmer that can be used as lip color, blush, and eye shadow.  

You'll get your money's worth out of this $14 palette along with the peace of mind of using a Vegan and cruelty-free!  Whoot, whoot!!!