Demo! Microplane gadgets, Saturday May 7th from 10 am - 1 pm

Demo of Microplane Gadgets this Saturday from 10 am - 1 pm!! Great in store specials and us!

"The Microplane story...

By now, cooking aficionados worldwide are familiar with the story: A Canadian housewife commandeers one of her husband’s favorite woodworking tools and discovers it effortlessly produces the lightest, most wonderful orange zest she could have ever imagined. It’s 1994, her Armenian Orange cake is a huge success and her husband’s Microplane® rasp has morphed into a must-have kitchen grater. It seemed as if a star was born overnight, but it didn’t happen quite that fast, in fact, it took over thirty years.

 
With just a few modifications, and a slight change in our marketing plan, an entire new product line of graters for home cooks and professional chefs was introduced. The response was extraordinary. Since that time, Microplane graters have distinguished themselves from other graters by using that signature chemical process to create ultra sharp cutting edges. Unlike stamped graters, they effortlessly cut through hard and soft foods without tearing or shredding.

What makes Microplane Graters so sharp?
 
The secret is in the signature Microplane process which uses chemicals to create sharp cutting surfaces."

ca.microplane.com

Demo! Saturday February 13th Giddy Yo Yo

We are doing a Giddy Yo Yo product demo on Saturday February 13th, just in time for Valentine's Day! They even have a limited addition chocolate bar for the occasion (see photo). Their bars are raw, gluten & dairy free and fair trade and so delicious! They also have spirulina powder, chaga, maca, dried bananas, raw cacao beans, nibs, cacao powder, coco butter...the list goes on and they are all ethically sourced and wonderful. So come in for a sample and fall in love with Giddy Yo Yo!

Why Does Foodstuffs Carry Toys for Just 2 Months of the Year?

Good question. 

We've been doing this for several years now and the best reason we can give you is this - just as the making and sharing of simple food from our past gives us joy - so does the finding and sharing of such uncomplicated fun. Much as we'd like to we can't take time out for toys all year long - we're mostly about health and specialty foods - but the time many of us take for indulging this sort of soft spot is at Christmas holiday time. 

So go ahead - put a giant rainbow spring in the middle of the table, plug in the lava lamp, wind up the 'roo-in-a-box, call everyone to dinner with a "ting" on the triangle and have a big fun family get-together with lots of good food and wonderful silliness.

Can you have wheat germ if you're sensitive to wheat?

Many recipes call for wheat germ for it's health benefits. But can you have it if you have a wheat allergy or sensitivity? The easy answer is no - but have no fear! There are great substitutes. 

Wheat Germ contains fibre, protein and B vitamins to name it's most common positive benefits. But for those who want to avoid it here are some excellent substitutes:

Rice Bran (gluten free) - contains good amounts of magnesium and iron. Source of B vitamins, especially B-5 & B-6.  Also an excellent source of fibre of course. Consider your overall arsenic consumption as it relates to rice products when using rice bran as it has been found to contain higher levels of arsenic than whole rice.  

Oat Bran (wheat free) - Similar in texture and nutritional benefits to wheat germ. Contains fibre, iron, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and some B vitamins

Flax or Chia seed ground (gluten free) - contain more fibre, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids and less fat than wheat germ. Similar texture but not quite as sweet as wheat germ. 

Sunflower seeds ground (gluten free) - add texture, protein and fibre to bread and other baked goods. They contain far fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ, but roughly the same amount of protein. They do have more fats but they are high in heart-healthy polyunsaturated fat.

There are probably many other ingredients that people substitute for wheat germ but this is a good start. Any ground nuts or seeds could work too, if you wanted give them a try.

Get creative and go bake!