Enjoy this sunny cocktail from one of our favorite restaurants, Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian churrascaria with locations worldwide (and many in the U.S.—send someone a gift card!).

It’s called Guava do Sul, guava sunshine. You can stop in for a cocktail or have it as the beginning of an entire wonderful dinner.

We liked it so much, we had two!
 
 
RECIPE: GUAVA DO SOL GUAVA COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Drink

Guava purée, vodka and honey topped off with prosecco. What could be sunnier? (Photo courtesy Fogo de Chão.)

 
Preparation

1. RIM the coupe glass with sugar. (Moisten the rim of the glass 1/4″ in water, and twist in a plate of sugar.)

2. COMBINE the vodka, lemon juice, honey, gum syrup, guava fruit purée, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain the drink into the glass. Top with prosecco.

3. GARNISH and serve.

You might think from the ingredients that the drink is very sweet, but it’s simply…sweet.
 
 
WHAT IS GUM (GOMME) SYRUP

Gum syrup, spelled gomme in the U.K., is a sweeter simple syrup. Instead of the 1:1 proportion of sugar to water, it is 2:1, and is combined with gum arabic, an all-natural resin (gum) harvested from the acacia tree.

The gum, which is comprised primarily of fiber and protein, adds weight and silky mouthfeel. It acts as an emulsifier in the syrup and subsequently in the cocktail.

Bartenders like it because it means that all of the drink components are uniformly blended.

Gum syrup is also used in sweet non-alcoholic drinks such as sweet iced tea and the Arnold Palmer; and is also used in baking.

Commercially, it is made by Lieber & Co and other brands.
 
 
© 2018 Fogo de Chão, Inc. All rights reserved.

[1] One of three flavors of new Muesli Cups—two are gluten free—from Bob’s Red Mill (photo courtesy Bob’s Red Mill).

[2] Cali’flour cauliflower pizza crusts, including new Jalapeno (photo courtesy Cali’Flour Foods).

[3] Snikiddy’s baked cheese puffs, organic and gluten-free (photo courtesy Snikiddy).

[4] Trader Joe’s Birthday Bar: white chocolate, cookie crumbs and sprinkles (photo courtesy Trader Joe’s).

Today’s list of favorite new products, in alphabetical order:
 
1. BOB’S RED MILL MUESLI CUPS

If you like granola or oatmeal, you’re a potential fan of muesli (MEW-slee).

Created by a Swiss physician in the late 19th century, muesli is a blend of whole grains, toasted seeds and dried fruits. It’s a comfort food that’s good for you (more about museli).

Bob’s Red Mill has created a gluten-free muesli that is just as delicious and nourishing. You can eat it hot like oatmeal, like any cold cereal topped with milk or yogurt, or the traditional Swiss way: topped with apple and soaked in milk overnight.

Take the 2.12-ounce cups with you or enjoy them at home. The three flavors are also available in 14-ounce bags.

 
The muesli is currently exclusive at Whole Foods Markets, or online at BobsRedMill.com.
 
 
2. CALI’FLOUR FOODS GLUTEN-FREE CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUSTS

If you miss conventional pizza because of a diet plan, check out Cali’Flour, gluten-free pizza crusts made from…fresh cauliflower! (The business is based in California; hence, Cali’Flour.)

Add cheese and your favorite toppings, pop the pizza into the oven, and you’ll soon snack or dine on a crisp, totally satisfying low-carb, low-glycemic pizza. You can also use the crusts more creatively, for example, to make gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches and panini.

The all-natural, grain-free crusts have 60 calories and 1 net carb per serving, and are hand-crafted from simple, fresh ingredients: vegetables, mozzarella, eggs, basil. There is no added sugar.

The brand has added a new flavor to its line-up, which now includes:

 
More news: The line, which was originally frozen, is now shelf stable (no refrigeration required) for up to two weeks.

There are also gift cards. Order yours at CaliflourFoods.com (also on Amazon).
 
 
3. SNIKIDDY

If you like cheese puffs, we’d like to introduce you to the more elegant puffs from Snikiddy.

Organic Baked Cheese Puffs are USDA-certified organic, Certified Gluten Free, and available in two flavors:

Discover more at Snikiddy.com.
 
 
4. TRADER JOE’S BIRTHDAY CAKE CHOCOLATE BAR

Warning: Trader Joe’s Birthday Cake Bar is addictive. We no sooner had our first bite than we were ready to head to the store to buy out the remaining stock.

The finest white chocolate (trust us—we’ve tried every white chocolate we’ve ever seen) is topped with vanilla cookie crumbs and multi-colored pastel sprinkles, the latter naturally colored with beet juice, beta carotene and turmeric, rather than chemically-produced colors.

The two-inch chocolate bars are just $1.49—the lowest price imaginable for chocolate this good.

Don’t head to Trader Joe’s just yet: We’ve got to get there first!

Few people would call a bagel beautiful, but Baldor Specialty Foods has overturned that notion.

On top of an everything bagel with cream cheese, they have arranged:

 
You can substitute goat cheese for the cream cheese.

If your Mother’s Day breakfast includes bagels, invite everyone to create their own bagel art.

Our entry into the Most Beautiful Bagel competition (photo courtesy Baldor Specialty Foods).