Editor's Pick: Georgia Grinders

If you've ever taken a note or appreciation to my eating schedule, you'd find that peanut butter is an unwavering mainstay. Zero questions asked. An apple and peanut butter a day (most days) keeps the doctor away, right? The peanut butter to my apple is typically of the all natural, many times organic, variety; so when I found out about Georgia Grinders' two-ingredient PB, my eyes widened, and I cut right into an apple, its sidekick.

Made with two simple ingredients, the finest quality non-GMO Georgia grown peanuts and sea salt, the peanuts are hand selected, slow roasted and then ground to the NaturAlmond company's signature texture for a really fresh peanut butter experience. I tried the creamy first. Just the right amount of salt with a fresh-out-the-shell taste, it was delicious. Same can be said about the crunchy, of course. 

The Georgia Grinders Peanut Butters, which are available in creamy and crunchy versions, began production in December and were picked up by regional Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Central Market Grocery Stores and many gourmet food markets in Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and Florida.  But now, the 12 oz glass jars of Georgia Grinders Peanut Butter will be available on shelves beginning in January at all of these retailers. For more information on where to find Georgia Grinders  Peanut Butter, or how to carry it in your store, visit www.georgiagrinders.com.

Editor’s Pick: Tonja’s Toffee

Tonja’s Toffee is a delicious treat that satisfies any sweet tooth, without hurting them. I am very picky about what sticky foods I eat. After enduring braces for 4.5 years and now wearing a permanent retainer, I won’t eat anything that I think will damage my teeth. One of the great things about Tonja’s Toffee, is that it’s neither tough nor sticky. Each bite is a sweet, perfectly textured treat bursting with flavor.

Kansas-based Tonja Williams, the owner, knows how to please both the taste buds and the eye, with her visually-appealing packaging perfect for gifting. Each portion—1/4, 1/2, and 1 pound—is sold in a clear, high-quality bag making it a great holiday gift for neighbors, teachers or anyone else in your customers’ lives.

Each batch of toffee is made from pure butter, sugar, whole almonds and milk chocolate. 

Editor's Pick: Umpqua Oats

One of my pre-New Year resolutions has been to eat breakfast more often. I used to love eating breakfast. Until I stopped becoming such a morning person, and decided as much as I love breakfast, I love sleep more. Instead of making an egg-white omelet stacked with bacon and cheese in the morning, now I grab a pack of Instant Oatmeal and hit the road. The only problem is, now the flavors are starting to taste somewhat basic. I was thrilled to come into the office one day last week and learn about Umpqua Oats. They recently launched their new flavor, Vanilla Almond Crunch. The first-of-its-kind, warm oatmeal cup included a satisfying mixture of custom-milled rolled oats, oven-roasted almonds, rich Bourbon vanilla, sweet honey and crunchy vanilla almond granola. 

The conveniently-packaged breakfast filled the office kitchen with a delicious vanilla aroma that I haven't experienced in a long time and the flavor combination isn't overwhelming, in fact it's fairly discrete. It's also completely satisfying. It had a little bit of a different texture than the oatmeal I'm used to, it was thicker and creamier than you would expect. It's definitely innovative—a concept the company is no stranger to.

In the development of Vanilla Almond Crunch, the company conducted multiple focus groups and invited people to provide their opinions on several oatmeal flavor profiles. After an overwhelming response to Vanilla Almond, the company moved forward in the Umpqua Oats way—by adding a unique twist on traditional oatmeal with granola that stays crunchy even when hot water is added.