Author: Matt Robinson

FIRE IN THE CAN

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If they were just a Veteran-owned company, I would be a fan of Fire Dept. Coffee.

If they just had flavors like vanilla sprinkle donut, skull-crushing espresso, and rum-infused coffee, I would be a fan of Fire Dept. Coffee.

If they offered only a Coffee of the Month club that lets firefighters and other fans enjoy their single-origin and other fantastic flavors with every super-charging sip, and not their first responder-supporting t-shirt club, I would be a fan of Fire Dept. Coffee.

But when I learned that Fire Dept. Coffee now comes in nitro-charged ready-to-drink cans that feature such favorite flavors as Irish coffee, vanilla bean Bourbon, and shellback espresso (which offers a special tip of the pull tab to the Navy), the ability to take their life-enhancing flavor and life-saving energy with me almost anywhere took even my fandom to a new level.

Not only does this stuff help keep firefighters up and at ‘em (both with its flavor and energy and also with donations to the Fire Dept. Coffee Foundation), it does it with one-of-a-kind flavors that are as special and worthy of praise as every first responder who enjoys them and that can help get you up the ladder every day as well.

The alarm bell is ringing. Will you answer?

www.firedeptcoffee.com

JELLY THAT CAN GET YOU PICKLED

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We have used many words for food over the years, but here are two I have not heard together before- jelly and alcohol!

I have been a fan of PB&J since I was a kid, but now that I am…older, I sometimes seek a more sophisticated sweetener for my legumated lunch.

That is why I am so thrilled to have found Olde Haven Farm!

As it is a family-run farm in Maine, it may be no surprise that Olde Haven uses traditional and ethical techniques to process and distribute its many delicious products. What might be interesting, however, is that many of these products combine flavors and ingredients that are not usually combined.

In addition to their home-grown produce and meats, Olde Haven is known for their preserves and preservations. From authentic salsas from south of the (Canadian) border to mustard pickles that combine the two best hot dog toppers in one to dill-brined green beans and garlic honey carrots, the folks at Olde Haven know how to use old techniques to make new taste sensations. But what may be the most sensational are their fresh fruit jams that, as mentioned before, are often laced with liquor!

In addition to familiar faves like strawberry rhubarb and (of course) wild Maine blueberry, Olde Haven whips up boozy batches of cherry Amaretto, cinnamon apple Whiskey, pomegranate Rosé, and Bourbon peach (which is GREAT on ice cream!), and even a Christmas flavor that is perfect for mull-ing over a gift list. Speaking of gifts, Olde Haven’s products can be combined to fit any occasion and any recipient, regardless of age or tolerance.

From the famed Maine farmer’s markets to your local grocer (just ask!), Olde Haven is growing in popularity thanks to its combination of family tradition and creative ingenuity- Just like a farm in Maine should be!

www.oldehavenfarm.com

COZY COGNITION

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While I am still very much enjoying IQJoe and Kickstarter coffee as nutritious and brain-supporting ways to help start my day, sometimes I want something a little bit sweeter that brings back memories from childhood and works better for my own children as well.

That’s why I’m so enjoying MOCO (short for “My Original COco”) – a delicious, hot cocoa mix that is organic, vegan, allergy-friendly, low in sugar, dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free, packed with nutrition, and processed without chemicals so you can enjoy the flavor and nutrition and not have to worry about unwanted ingredients that may take some of the fun out of this favorite treat.

Created by two Vermont-based moms who wanted to bring more nutrition to their families’ favorite drink, MOCO comes in three varieties – traditional classic, bold Mexican, and their award-winning peppermint hot chocolate – so that any cocoa-phile can find a flavor to love. No matter which flavor you try all of the cocoa is ethically sourced and each pack is made by hand with lots of sweetness and love.

MOCO is also great in shakes, on oatmeal, and also mixed with coffee, so you can enjoy each of the three flavors as well as the versatility that MOCO brings to your table- whether in a mug, a bowl, or elsewhere!

While cacao is already respected as a superfood (as we have discussed when talking about FlavaNaturals and other favorites), MOCO adds Maca – cruciferous plant (like broccoli and kale) that is filled with antioxidants and has been shown to improve mood and support energy and memory without the crash of caffeine.

MY girls clamor for hot chocolate all the time, but I am often wary of giving them too much as I am not always sure about what is in the packets. With MOCO, I can feel good about giving them what they want knowing that their favorite treat is also giving them a lot of what they need to grow.

www.MOCOVT.com

GLUTEN-FREE FOR ALL

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As we try to stay on the forefront of consumer desires, we talk a good deal about the latest in gluten-free options. Among our recent scoops have been Mightylicious cookies, the latest Celiac-friendly faves at Kane’s Donuts, and the newest tummy-friendly temptations at South Street Diner.

While gluten-free foods remain popular and have been shown to reduce the chance of developing many other diseases, they can still post complications for many people who want to cook and bake on their own.

Fortunately, there is a new set of gluten-free doughs that allow even the most amateur chef to become a gluten-free pro in no time!

Appropriately named Gluten Free Easy, this raft of recipe starters includes puff pastry, pita and pizza doughs that are not only gluten-free, but also vegan and kosher!

Created by a pair of women, who wanted to allow and encourage friends with sensitive stomachs enjoy more dough Gluten Free Easy doughs have been tested by hundreds of blindfolded fans, many of whom claim that they taste even better than their proteined partners!

To use Gluten Free Easy doughs, all you need to do is take them out of your freezer and top or fill them with whatever you choose to make everything from blintzes Spanakopita and whatever your edible imagination conjures.

If you need more gluten-free inspiration, Gluten Free Easy doughs are available at thee Gluten Free Shoppe (spelled with the old-timey “ppe” at the end), a Brooklyn-based marketplace that is a safe haven and epicurean wonderland for those dealing with Celiac or those who just want to try new versions of traditional favorites.

In addition to the doughs, the Shoppe has premade baked goods (including challah and donuts!), as well as snacks and supplements and their site has a handy Q&A about Celiac so those with it and those who love them can be more informed as they all expand their menus with these delicious foods.

https://www.gf-easy.com / https://theglutenfreeshoppe.com

IMPERIAL DESTROYERS

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As I have been writing about music and food for so many years, Austin has become a second home. 

And just as I love ciders from Champlain Orchards, Stormalong, Harpoon, Nine Pin, Hudson North, Left Bank, and Angry Orchard in this area, I LOVE Austin East Ciders anywhere I can get them!

While I have long been a fan of their Texas honey and fruit-based ciders (especially those featuring lemon and ginger, blackberry, and other flavors I have not tasted at other cideries), as I enjoy them so much, I have recently found my way to their 100-calorie light ciders which also offer great fruit taste and feature combinations like blueberry yuzu and cucumber agave that are as deliciously weird as the city itself!

While the lower-calorie varieties are every bit as delicious and refreshing as anything else in the East Ciders line (which is saying something!), I have also been indulging in the 8% ABV line of Imperial ciders, which includes a juicy tropical punch and the latest edition- a Mosaic hops-based dry cider.

Not only do these new additions to Austin East Cider’s impressive and expansive (but all equally high-quality) menu taste amazing, but their red, green, and gold color scheme are perfect for the holidays (though I cannot wait that long!).

Speaking of the season so giving, in addition to providing some of the tastiest ciders around, Austin East Ciders also uses proceeds from their sales to support not-for-profit organizations in the Austin area, including many that support animals and artists, children and students, and the environment. As global warming has become such an issue in the South, it is more important than ever for everyone to do what they can to fight the heat- and not just with cold beverages. Fortunately, Austin East Ciders has that down cold as well!

www.austineastciders.com

TAKING CARE OF A MOTHER OF A PROBLEM…DELICIOUSLY

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As I talk about food so much, it stands to reason that I have a lot in my house. As a result, food waste is a BIG concern.

Fortunately, I am not alone in my desire to stem the tide on the billions of pounds and dollars that are wasted every year when perfectly usable food is thrown away and ends up contributing to climate change in landfills.

Among my most ardent (and delicious) allies is Matriark Foods, a certified Women-Owned Business that recently launched the world’s first line of upcycled pasta sauces.

While this may not sound like much of a triumph, when you consider how many tons of tasty tomatoes are tossed every year, the fact that Matriark can use domestically-grown, slightly unattractive but still perfectly safe and healthy love apples to create varieties that range from their gentle marinara to a spicy arrabbiata, it is a giant step in the right direction and one that I hope others will follow. When you add that all of their sauces are non-GMO and vegan and have no added sugar, that the Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper packaging is easier on the planet than traditional glass jars, and that the company is partnered with 1% for the Planet and Planet Forward and partnering with communities where nutritious food is hard to come by, the news is even tastier!

I recently topped one of my favorite Re-Grained upcycled pastas for a delicious, nutritious, and environmentally-conscious one-two punch of flavor and it made me feel good inside and out because I knew I was doing good for my body and for my community too!

In any case, Matriark makes delicious ways to top off whatever you eat with inspired ingredients, great flavor, solid nutrition, and the good feeling that comes from knowing you are serving your family and the planet with your best intentions.

matriarkfoods.com

BAKING UP SUPPORT

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I have long loved promoted a company called Colletty’s Cookies that is run by a young woman with Down syndrome named Collette Divitto. Since I last sang her praises, she has not only expanded her delicious line of tasty treats, she has also made many strides that other entrepreneurs can only dream of!

In addition to getting her cookies into Stop & Shop, Shaw’s and the TD Garden (and hopes to get to Gillette), Collette has recently inked a deal that will land her cookies on all overseas military bases. As the founder of a charitable organization that provides training and empowerment for people with or without disabilities, Collette has been named to MA Governor Maura Healy’s Disability Board and has spoken on the issues of work discrimination and entrepreneurship around the world.

In addition to being featured on everything from Matt’s Meals to Good Morning America and QVC, Collette has recently published another book in her ongoing series on growing up with developmental challenges and is working on producing a documentary about her life in which she hopes to build on her books by showing in her own way what it is like to deal with and flourish despite challenges.

If it were not for her books and the documentary (which she is crowd-funding on her website, www.colletteys.com), you might never know that this dynamo had any challenges, as she continues to achieve goal after goal, inspiring other women, entrepreneurs, and more at every step!

But back to the cookies- In addition to her incredibly (and innovatively) yummy cinnamon chocolate chip and crunchy oatmeal cookies, Collette is about to release a plant-based variety. And as it is so easy to devour an entire bag of her cookies, the savvy chef is graciously coming out with bite-sized bags as well.

I’ll say it again- Collette is one “smaht” cookie!

www.colletteys.com

I WANT IT NOOOOOW!

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As we get ready for another reboot of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (as if we need anything better than the legendary Gene Wilder!), the idea of finding a “golden ticket” that allows its bearer access to a magical food-related wonderland will be swimming in more than just a heads of children everywhere.

And while Wonka Bars and Everlasting Gobstoppers may be great, older fans may be more interested in something more age-appropriate.

Leave it to our friends at Harpoon Brewery to jump on this holiday trend with their “Spread Holiday Cheer Giveaway!”

As they are the creators of New England’s first IPA, it may be no surprise that Harpoon is once again on the forefront of food trends. 

For this special holiday season giveaway, the folks at Harpoon are hiding golden cans of their legendary IPA in their new, limited-edition 12 packs. Whoever finds the special cans will have a chance to win an amazing holiday party where they can bring up the 30 guests to Harpoon’s brewery in Boston or Vermont to enjoy the best, freshest beer (and pretzels!) around at the best, freshest time of year!

This year also marks the 30th birthday of Harpoon’s IPA. And while there may just be 27 Harpoon lovers who will get a taste of the brewery’s latest special prizes, anyone who enjoys their IPA while searching for the golden can will have reason to celebrate!

So don’t be an Oompah-Loompah. Grab a Harpoon and celebrate the season!

http://harpoonbrewery.com

SLAW DANCING

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There is so much information out there about so-called “superfoods” that are supposed to help keep you healthier or even improve your body, mind, and spirit.

And while we love examples like IQBAR, Flava Naturals, Forij, and even items from Boston legends like Harpoon Beer and South Street Diner, what they have in common more than nutritional value are great taste and great local people behind them.

Two more who fit this category are Lost Art Culture Foods and Pigeon Cove Ferments.

Lost Art is run by a single mom in Charlestown, who wants to give her daughter (and everyone else) not only wholesome, healthy, organic, sustainably-sourced food, but a better future. In addition to some of the best kraut around, Lost Art offers truly artistic options like their combination sauerkraut-kimchi and a beet-based kraut that can color your plate and your life.

Pigeon Cove is a fermenting family from Gloucester who are also taking the hyper-local and kombucha trends to new places. In addition to delicious and refreshing kombuchas that mix bold and balanced flavors like pineapple and chamomile, jalapeno and cucumber, and raspberry and basil, they also have a fermented coffee that adds brain-helping lion’s mane mushrooms to the gut-supporting probiotics and tastes so good it has often replaced my morning joe (though not IQJOE, of course!).

As a fitness trainer, father, and food recommender, I am all about finding and haring healthy options that may improve and even extend my life. But if you don’t enjoy that life, why bother extending it? With friends like the folks at Lost Art and Pigeon Cove, I do not have to choose., I can just enjoy. And so can you!

https://lostartculturedfoods.com / https://pigeoncoveferments.com

SHARING YOUR DOUGH

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I love to support Veteran businesses and I also love to support those who give back to their community, so I LOVE talking about Chris Wysong at Bucket of Bread!

As he was intricately involved in Operation Provide Comfort in Iraq, it may be no surprise that Wysong now makes his mark on society by providing some of the best comfort food around- homemade bread.

And as he has been at it since before COVID made home baking a thing, Wysong truly knows what to do with dough!

His certified-organic Bucket of Bread kits now not only come in traditional white, hearty wheat and his amazing seven-grain variety, but all come in two sizes- neither of which comes with preservatives, added sugars, or challenges for the baking novice. In a further effort to help others afford and enjoy healthy, delicious, comforting food, Chris recently lowered his prices, despite inflation – making his mouthwatering breads even more appealing!

While it is always fun and fulfilling to bake for friends and neighbors, Wysong takes the idea of breaking bread with others one step further by offering an online option by which visitors to bucketofbread.com (which also has great recipes and fun merch) can donate buckets directly to food pantries, knowing that an additional 10% of profits got help others as well! Especially at this season of giving, such extra-mile operations not only befit a Veteran but benefit the givers and receivers (who receive a tax deduction in addition to the good feelings that come from being generous).

So whenever you need a gift (or just a delicious, nutritious, homemade treat), forget the fancy paper. Grab a Bucket of Bread instead!

http://bucketofbread.com