This may seem like old news, but our bag of Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit was a revelation. Moist and supple, the blend of sun-ripened apples, apricots, plums and pears is our new favorite snack.
The fruits are dried, moisturized and packed in foil-fresh, 7-ounce zipper bags.
The variety and the natural sweetness of the fruits actually topped our addiction to candy and cookies. Unlike our favorite sugary snacks, they’re just as sweet—naturally—and are packed with fiber.
That’s why Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit made our Tip Of The Day instead of a conventional product recommendation. The line also includes Tropical Trio (mango, papaya, pineapple) and Goldens & Cherries (golden raisins and tart cherries).
If you want to make a healthy switch that’s also perfect for grab-and-go (or grab and stash in desk or glove compartment), pick up some bags of Sun-Maid mixed fruit.
Our new favorite snack. Photo by
River Soma | THE NIBBLE.
You can also add the dried fruits to cereals and salads, stuffings, rice dishes, yogurt and more. Try them; you’ll love them.
One of the lovely gems from Gem
Chocolates. Photo courtesy Gem Chocolates.
We regularly taste chocolates from the artisan chocolatiers all over the world. While most are quite good, some are truly gems.
We’re thrilled that Gem Chocolates lives up to its name. A delight to look at and to taste, chocolatier Glenn Knowles has also created a selection of flavors that excite.
Whether you want classic ganaches (lavender, praline, vanilla bean) or modern ones (blueberry rooibos, habanero, masala, lychee), every flavor in the ample collection is a hit.
In addition to ganaches, there are boxes of chocolate domes filled with seductive caramel. Don’t miss them.
Needless to say, we hope our admirers—known and secret—rush over to GemChocolates.ca to send us boxes for Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for something special, go for Gem.
Your latte may arrive with a design in the foam known as latte art.
Originating in Italy, latte art first appeared in America’s coffee capital, Seattle, around 1989. The creative flourish was pioneered by Espresso Vivace coffee bar owner David Schomer.
The heart pattern became a signature at Schomer’s coffee bar. He then added the rosetta pattern, and shared his knowledge by teaching a course, “Caffe Latte Art.”
You can be a creative barista at home. Ideally, you need to create a pitcher of microfoam made with the steam wand of an espresso machine. If you have a separate foaming device, give it a try.
Call it “Foosball Chip.” Photo courtesy
RubyEtViolette.com.
For Super Bowl sweets, Ruby et Violette is offering its fall special, the “Friday Night Foosball” chocolate chip cookie, through this weekend.
The “foosball” chocolate chip cookie includes peanuts and Chex mix.
For a two-point conversion, order some of matching Friday Night Foosball ice cream to enjoy with your cookies.
Cookies can be ordered at RubyetViolette.com by noon (ET) on Wednesday for 2nd Day Air shipping, or by noon on Thursday, 2/3 for overnight delivery. Ice cream requires a phone order: 1.718.728.6250.
Mushrooms tend to come packaged in a plastic-wrapped box; or if you select them from a bin, you put them in a plastic bag.
Plastic is not good for mushroom health: There’s no air and the ‘shrooms can’t breathe.
If you’re not going to use them immediately, transfer the mushrooms to a paper bag. We retain the bags from small purchases—deli purchases to greeting cards—for that purpose.
Properly bagged, the mushrooms will stay fresh for up to a week.
And yes, you can rinse mushrooms under water or in a bowl. Just give them a brief bath: enough to loosen dirt but not enough to intake water. Pat dry with a paper towel.
White beech mushrooms: Let ‘em breathe.
Photo by Claire Freierman | THE NIBBLE.
