Category: Food & Farms

  • RECAP: NEW PRODUCT TUESDAY 10/2/18

    RECAP: NEW PRODUCT TUESDAY 10/2/18

    Check out our NEW products this week!

    Kombucha 221B.C.: Moringa Lavender, Berry Hibiscus, & Grapefruit Bee Pollen Basil

    Advanced Orthomolecular Research (AOR) Supplements: A supplement for your everyday needs!

    Backyard Beans Coffee Co.: Adiesto Guatemala, Punch in the Face, & Breakfast Blend

    Bee Bella Lip Balm: Lots of flavors and tints to choose from!

    Blue Moose of Boulder Hummus: Beet Balsamic, Lime & Black Bean, Roasted Red Pepper, Lemon Turmeric, Original, & Green Chile

    Canaan Olive Oil: Garlic, Lemon, & Jenin

    Desert Shadow Hair Color: Deep Red Shadow, Deep Chestnut Shadow, and many more!

    Flow Alkaline Spring Water: Watermelon & Lime, Cucumber & Mint, Lemon & Ginger, and Strawberry & Rose

    Kor Shots: Wellness, Vitality, Green Up, & Gut Check

    Nordic Naturals: Nordic Berries

    Zevia Tea: Black Tea, Lemon, Raspberry, Green Tea, and more!

  • RECAP: NEW PRODUCT WEDNESDAY 9/19/18

    RECAP: NEW PRODUCT WEDNESDAY 9/19/18

    Check out our NEW products this week!

    Maddalena’s KETO Cheesecake

    Lake Champlain Halloween Chocolates

    Forager Project Coconut Cashewgurt

    Califia Farms Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk

    Basil Bandwagon Elderberry Syrup & Ginger Rescue

    Aunt Patty’s Brown Rice Syrup

    Anita’s Plain Coconut Milk Yogurt Alternative

    Essential Baking Take & Bake French Baguette

  • Snow Day: Our Favorite Videos!

    Snow Day: Our Favorite Videos!

    It’s snowy and everyone’s huddled in at home. Maybe you’re feeling bored or have cabin fever- how about a look back at our favorite videos and posts from the last year?

     

    #1 Your Embarrassing Questions Answered Series:

     

    Last summer we decided to tackle the questions we get MOST often from our customers.

     

    https://vimeo.com/225881872

    https://vimeo.com/229286703

    https://vimeo.com/231419872

    #2 How to Make Safe Slime:

     

    Keep the kids entertained and yourself stress-free with this addictive stuff. Very satisfying!

     

    https://vimeo.com/218507649

    #3 Two Ways to Prep Zucchini:

     

    One of our resident chefs shares his favorite ways to chop this versatile squash.

     

    https://vimeo.com/206063032

    #4 Immune Boosting Tonic:

     

    Stay well with this time-tested elixir that’s surprisingly simple to make.

     

    https://vimeo.com/204060448

    #5 Postcards from Our 24 Stop Tour:

     

    This was from our Anniversary Celebration in 2017, and each link goes to a live Facebook visit to a favorite place! Check it out! (And don’t miss our 25 Stop Tour starting in April!)

     

    Postcards from Our 24 Stop Tour

     

  • Honeynut Squash Hash

    Honeynut Squash Hash

    We love Butternut squash, but if you haven’t tried it’s smaller cousin, Honeynut, you’re missing out. This smaller, sweeter variety is adorable.

    Just like last last week’s recipe, this one starts with roasted squash, but we added spicy mustard greens wilted with chopped onions and garlic. We topped it with a poached egg- perfect for anytime of day and full of nutrition!

    Honeynut Squash Hash

     

    2 Honeynut Squashes, cubed and roasted

    1 bunch of Mustard Greens

    1/2 Onion, minced

    2 cloves garlic, minced

    seasoning salt to taste

    4 eggs

     

    • Cook onion until transparent in oil, adding garlic just before finishing.
    • Remove stems from greens and tear or chop leaves. Add into onion/garlic mix until wilted
    • Season to taste
    • Poach eggs, and top hash
    • Garnish with fresh herbs, salt & pepper
  • Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm

    Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm

     

    The smell of simmering beeswax wafted through the door as Summer, Kam, Zach and Zoe welcomed us to their home last week. As we walked through their home and met the whole family, it became apparent that bees are more than a passion for this family, they are a lifestyle.

    Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm, located in Hunterdon County, NJ, is a family-owned business that specializes in honey production and superfood blending. The family first started keeping bees to produce raw honey for their own use.

    When the family began their honey production, they quickly realized how passionate they were about the bees. They also realized how much honey they were able to produce. With a surplus on-hand, they decided to sell some. That is when Summer’s passion for wellness kicked in. Her love for Matcha, led to her first blend.

    In fact, we loved it so much that we featured it in our Matcha Honey Smoothie a few months back.

    While honey itself is gorgeous and tasty, they realized that they could combine it with other superfoods to further enhance the nutritional effects. That move was the spark that started their brand.

    Today, there is a whole family of tasty and nutritious offerings from Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm, including: Ginger, Beet Root, Lavender, Rice Protein and Vanilla, and more. With their passion for honey bees and wellness, there are sure to be many more offering from Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm.

    If you haven’t had a chance to try them yet, stop by either of our locations and pick up a bottle…maybe two. 

    We are featuring their Lavender Honey in our September Smoothie, the Fruit Moon Smoothie! Try it while its available!

  • 7 Reasons Why You Need to Eat Cherries This Season

    7 Reasons Why You Need to Eat Cherries This Season

     

    1. Cherries are a smart sweet. They score low on the glycemic index for a fruit, keeping us fuller longer and helping curb our appetites.

     

    1. Cherries will help you snooze. They are a natural source of melatonin, a compound found in our bodies that helps us regulate healthy sleep cycles.

     

    1. Our ancestors have been chomping on cherries for years (and years).  Archaeologists discovered fossilized cherry pits in prehistoric caves. The earliest mention of them was in the year 300 BC!

     

    1. Cherries come in many varieties. There are over 1000 varieties, including our personal favorite at Basil Bandwagon: Rainier Cherries!

     

    1. Cherries combat inflammation. All varieties: dark, sweet, Rainier, etc. all lower uric acid, which is a key contributor to the inflammation that can make us feel stiff, achy, puffy and sore.

     

    1. Cherries are rich in anthocynanins. Say what, now? Anthocynanins are a class of flavonoids found in many fruits that give them their vibrant colors. The health benefits of them can be far-reaching: boosting cognitive performance, supporting liver health, optimizing vision, and more!

     

    1. Cherries are fun! In fact, cherry pit spitting contests are no joke! The world record for spitting was made during the International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship in Eau Claire, Michigan, in 2004: 93 feet, 6.5 inches!!!

     

    Sources:

    http://mentalfloss.com/article/82858/13-sweet-facts-about-cherries

    http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2007/12/sf_cherries/page-01  

    http://www.naturallivingideas.com/7-reasons-to-eat-more-anthocyanins-and-top-foods/

    http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/cherry-stone-spitting-greatest-distance

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_pit_spitting

     

     

     

     

     

  • July Fourth FAVE’s!

    July Fourth FAVE’s!

    Here’s a small slice of what we’re eating tomorrow:

    Local Ground Beef from Cotton Cattle in Bethlehem Township, NJ

    We got to visit this farm on our 24 Stop Anniversary tour and were just BLOWN AWAY at the beauty of the pastures and the philosophy of how the animals are raised. Well tended land, 100% native plants, carefully curated and a life of ease for the cows themselves. We love that this meat is LOCAL, humane and the highest quality we can find!

    Local Burgers: Cotton Cattle

    Local Dill Cheese Curds from Sugar Maple Jerseys in Stockton, NJ

    These addictive lumps of goodness are about as local as you can get- and come from some of the most beautiful cows you’ll ever see. Check out our live tour where we met Heidi and her gorgeous ladies!

    Upton’s Natural Bar-B-Que Jackfruit 

    This may not be local- but we love it because it’s a vegan product with very minimal processing. It’s gluten free, soy free and preservative free! Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, and has a fibrous texture that is perfect for piling on sandwiches or filling wraps for summer BBQ dishes!


    Dry Sparkling Watermelon

    This is the PERFECT mixer for cocktails or alone over ice, and the flavor is dead-on. Only 12 grams of sugar and no preservatives make this a clean option for summer drinks that will be the hit of the party!

    More favorites:

    -Local par-baked pizzas from Market Pizza in Stockon, NJ

    –Niman Ranch Certified Humane Sausage

    Annies Organic Hot Dogs

    filfil Garlic Hot Sauce

    Tofurky Sausages

    Lightlife Smart Dogs

    Annies BBQ Sauce

    Jackson Honest Purple Heirloom Chips

    Local Produce

     

     

  • Zucchini, Corn & Black Bean Tacos

    Zucchini, Corn & Black Bean Tacos

    Zucchini is a superhero when it comes to healthy eating. You can do SO much with it. This week’s video shows our favorite ways to prep it for maximum flavor.

    https://vimeo.com/206063032

    Once you have your zucchini cleaned and chopped- you have a world of possibilities. Here’s one of our favorite meatless recipes that easy to throw together and packs a LOT of flavor!

    Zucchini, Corn & Black Bean Tacos

     

    Ingredients:

     

    • 3 Tablespoons Oil
    • 2 Cups Frozen Corn
    • 1 Yellow Onion
    • 3 Cloves Garlic
    • 2 Red Peppers
    • 1 Jalapeno
    • 3 Medium Zucchini
    • 1 can Black Bean, rinsed
    • 1 Tablespoon Cilantro
    • Juice 1 Lime
    • 3/4 Cup of Full Fat Greek Yogurt
    • 8 Tortilla

     

    1. Heat 1/2 of the oil in a pan.
    2. Cook/caramelize Onion for 5 minutes.
    3. Add Garlic, cook for 1 min
    4. Add Red Peppers, cook for 5 minutes
    5. Add Zucchini and Corn and cook for 5 minutes
    6. Add Black Beans and Cilantro and cook for 3 minutes.
    7. Mix Lime Juice with Yogurt
    8. Toast tortillas if desired
    9. Spoon Zucchini, Corn and Black Bean mixture onto tortillas. Top with Lime/Yogurt mixture and add salsa of your choice.

     

  • How to Slice an Ataulfo Mango

    Make the most of our Fresh Deals on Organic Produce by knowing how to use them!

     

     

     

  • Bio Dynamic: Above and Beyond Organic

    Bio Dynamic: Above and Beyond Organic

    As a conscious consumer, you like to be aware of the quality of all ingredients in your food as well as the labeling that denotes the quality.  

    A new and important label you may or may not yet be familiar with is taking USDA Organic standards to the next level. “Biodynamic®” is an exciting — yet complex — way of growing crops and here’s what it involves:

     

    Biodynamic farming:

     

          • Meets all USDA Organic Program standards

          •Avoids use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and transgenic contamination; instead, focuses on farm-generated living solutions to control pests and fertility

        •Sets aside at least 10% of total acreage for biodiversity

     

    Overall, Biodynamic farmers view their farms as self-contained, self-sustaining organisms. The wellbeing of the farm animals, the farmer, the grounds and the Earth are viewed as integral parts that make up a whole.

     

    To qualify as a Certified Biodynamic farm or product, it must be certified by Demeter USA- a non-profit formed in 1985 to promote Biodynamic agriculture. Demeter USA is part of Demeter International – the oldest ecological certification organization operating in 45 countries globally.

     

    Check out the products for yourself- look for this tag:

    BioDynamic Shelf Talker

    For more information on Biodynamic standards, click here.