If you love flavored coffee, check out Organic Valley’s new flavored Half & Half pints for an instant treat. They turn plain coffee into hazelnut or vanilla coffee. A soy creamer is also available in vanilla varieties.

Half & half, which is a combination of cream and whole milk, adds just the right amount of richness to a cup of joe.* The new flavors add the perfect amount of hazelnut or vanilla, as well.

*Why is coffee called a cup of joe? The true story is lost to history, but here are the three top contenders.

The only catch, for those of us who don’t add sugar to our coffee, is that the flavors are presweetened – with Fair Trade certified, unrefined organic cane sugar.

Beyond coffee, we used the flavored half & halfs on our morning Cheerios and oatmeal. It’s a delicious touch, if not exactly contributing to a healthy, whole-grain breakfast.

Organic Valley is a co-op of family farms that practice organic dairying. Their cows are antibiotic- and hormone-free; no pesticides are used in the pasture or to grow their feed. The line is certified kosher by OU.

Popcorn “chips”: Pop Corners from Medora
Foods. Photo by Katharine Pollak | THE
NIBBLE.

Tumaro’s, the first company to introduce flavored tortillas, has added New York Deli Style Wraps to its line of gourmet tortillas and wraps.

The five flavors are inspired by New York deli breads: Rye, Pumpernickel, Sour Dough, Everything and Cracked Pepper.

The wraps are rolling out now to both mainstream and specialty markets nationwide. A four-pack retails for $2.99 to $3.99.

The extra-large, 10″ wraps are 96% fat-free, cholesterol-free and high in fiber. And they’re a caloric bargain:

Tumaro’s New York Deli Style Wraps range from 80-100 calories per wrap. A sandwich uses two slices of bread, adding up to 140-240 calories. Bagels, depending on the size, can range from about 215 calories for a small bagel to almost three times that.

We appreciate that that the wraps are thin and flexible—easy to fold. All the flavors are delicious, but Pumpernickel and Rye provide authentic “deli sandwich” flavor. Cracked Pepper offers a nice burst of pepper that works especially well for a scrambled egg wrap.

The official engagement photo. The smiles
must be for the shortbread. Photo
courtesy Walkers Shortbread.

The wedding is April 29th and the commemorative tin will be released on April 12th, but you can beat the crowds by pre-ordering on Amazon.com.

The 15.8 oz. collectible tin is $22.95. The cover is blue and gold, framing the official engagement photo of the happy couple. The back of the tin features images of two places of great significance to them: Westminster Abbey, where they will be married, and Clarence House (former home of the Queen Mother), which will be the London residence for the prince and princess.

Order yours today. The limited edition may sell out quickly.

This is the trees’ 99th anniversary. In 1912, the Committee of Japanese Residents of New York donated two thousand Japanese Flowering Cherry trees to New York City. Most of them were planted in our nation’s capital as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

Breathtaking white and pink flowers blossom for a month each spring. In Japan, people picnic and drink saké under the flowering trees—a practice known as hanami, which began in the eighth century.

If you have a cherry tree (or other flowering tree), lucky you! If not, you can grow your own (buy them from ArborDay.org). Of course, it will take some time before you can hold your own hanami under the blossoms.

Otherwise, seek out a flowering tree near you and plan ahead for a picnic (or just a snack). Get ready for the next warm day and prepare to enjoy the fresh air and the blossoms.