Franklin Goose

Valentine’s Day Treat: Vegan Berry Pudding

 

 

Looking for a healthy Valentine’s treat you can serve your sweetheart, family, and friends? Try this delicious berry pudding from our friends at Inhabitots. It’s sweet, pink, and vegan, so you can have it as a festive dessert or as a snack. Or even as breakfast!

 

What You’ll Need:

1 cup cashews

1.5 cups frozen organic raspberries, strawberries, or a mix of both

4-5 Tbsp maple syrup

4-5 Tbsp non-dairy milk like coconut, almond, or soy

 

For toppings, choose what you like, be it berries, granola, coconut, or even chocolate!

 

Prep: Place your cashews in a bowl and cover them with water. Let the cashews soak for 2-3 hours to soften and make them easier for blending. 

 

Once your cashews have fully soaked, drain them. In your blender, add your maple syrup and non-dairy milk, starting with 4 Tbsp and adding another Tbsp only if needed. Add your cashews and frozen fruit. Blend until the mixture is smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the blender when needed. 

Portion out the pudding. We used Wean Green Lunch Cubes. If you’re serving the pudding immediately, add your desired toppings and enjoy. If not, cover your puddings and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. 

 

Recipe yields 4 servings. 

 

This berry pudding was a hit at Sheri’s home, among vegans and carnivores alike! We know you’ll love it, too. 

 

Do you have a healthy Valentine’s treat that you love? Tell us about it in the comments!

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Healthy & Tasty Alternatives For Your Family's Food

Halloween Candy Alternatives

(emily)

 

image from aston-martin orlando blog

I might be strange, but I’m not a big fan of candy. Too many candy-induced stomachaches as a child made me lose interest in sweets. Eventually I learned to pick over my holiday candy haul for the few things I liked and then hand the rest to my little brother.

With Halloween this week, we at Franklin Goose have been discussing candy alternatives to hand out to this year’s trick-or-treaters. We’ve also got a few great ideas from our lovely customers!

• Franklin Goose customer Sara L. suggested popcorn. Pop your own and bag it up for your little visitors. You can also buy individually packaged bags of popcorn. 

If you’re looking for a sweeter option, why not popcorn balls? Organic Authority has a great recipe for popcorn balls that doesn’t include refined sugar or corn syrup.

• Organic snacks like crackers and fruit snacks are another option. Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies come in 1 oz snack packs, or you could bag your own to hand out to kids.

For those of you who are looking for non-food and snack options, why not:

• Hand out stickers this year or temporary tattoos,
• Bottles of bubbles, or
• Grab some party-favor toys at your local party or craft store. 

 

If you plan on using a candy-alternative for Halloween this year, what are you planning on sharing?

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Healthy & Tasty Alternatives For Your Family's Food

Healthy & Tasty Alternatives For Your Family’s Food

(emily) 

A lot of people seem to make the assumption that if they’re to eat “better” or “healthy,” they have to sacrifice flavor and eat bland and boring food. So they ditch their cookies for celery sticks and suffer through a few weeks (or days) because they believe that to be healthy they can no longer enjoy food.

That’s so sad because it’s so not true. Just because something is healthy doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious! Even the simplest ingredients can give your food a burst of flavor.

If you’re cutting down on sodium, there are tons of ways you can still cook tasty food. Our friends over at the blog Mama Knows What? suggest sautéing veggies in coconut oil or adding lemon or lime juice to chicken dishes instead of salt. (Check out their recipe for Cilantro Lemonade, too! It’s fantastic!) Coconut oil, lemon juice, and herbs like cilantro add flavor without adding any of that junky stuff, plus they work great if your starting to introduce little ones to solid food.

If you’re looking for alternatives for sugar, using bananas, honey, or applesauce to sweeten food works well.  If you use honey, try to buy organic and local honey because it will retain its antimicrobial properties.

As for bananas, I personally love freezing bananas and then blending them because the result is a delicious frozen treat with the consistency of ice cream without added sugars or dairy. 1 banana is enough for me, and so yummy!

The simple truth is that cutting out sugar, salt, and processed junk food does not mean you have to eat tasteless food. Experiment with natural ingredients and see what you and your family prefer.

What alternatives do you use instead of salt and sugar?

 

If you’re interested in learning more about sugar alternatives, Franklin Goose will be hosting a class, Healthy Sugar Alternatives for your Family Food, on September 25 at our Richmond Store. The class will be taught by Lynnette of Nettie’s Naturally, and will look at the available options that provide a natural and low glycemic sweetener without the risk of a sugar rush and crash. (FG)

Green Toys - Supporting & Changing America

(sheri)

Part of the mission for Franklin Goose has always been to promote American made products. We do this with our Made in the USA page online, and by guiding people in the store to our Made in America products. This month while we are focusing on America we knew we had to talk about Green Toys.

Green Toys is synonymous with the American sucess story. We love them for their dedication to creating great toys in America. What we also love is their dedication to our planet. They use 6.9 lbs of recycled material for every 1 lb of toys they create. That is a lot of waste being reused, plus many jobs created in the recycling process! Jobs like the one that converts the bottles into plastic pellets that are then used by Green Toys to make the toys.  

We love that Green Toys makes trucks, and boats bcecause they open up dialogue with kids about the jobs that are so  necessary in our country. In our house we had long discussions about what ferry boats are, what they do, and where you can find them when I brought home the new ferry boat toy. When we went to visit firemen at the fire station it was imperative to my niece that the Green Toys firetruck come with us. That was her reference point for firetrucks and she wanted to show the firemen her truck when we visited.  So many toys focus on race cars, airplanes and helicopters but we don't often find recycling trucks, ferry boats and tug boats. 

Green Toys has proven that you can make quality, affordable, environmentally responsible toys that are fun and functional! Green Toys are great outside, inside, wet or dry. They are great for girls, boys, kids and adults (yes, you can find me playing with the ferry boat and cars when I am helping at bath time). 

 

 

Green Toys also make great snack plates and bowls, which I have used as great prep bowls for cooking!

Nature Inspired Baby Shower

(sheri)

A few weeks ago we threw a baby shower for pregnant moms in Richmond. This is our favorite event in the store so far and this year was no different. Stefanie came up with doing a nature theme based on some amazing pins we found on pinterest. We had so much fun planning how to decorate the food table:

 

 

Herbs and greenery from our backyard

 

 

 

Our drinking glasses

 

 

 

One of our birdie rattles does double duty as decoration

 

 

 

The Plan Toys Snail Measuring tape hides out on the wood slabs

 

 

 

An Under the Nile Mushroom hides out next to the pastries

 

We were so lucky that the local Panera Bread donated pastries, hot tea and cold tea for our guests! We also served fresh organic fruit as well.

 

Moss, birds nexts, wood slabs and natural toys set the theme for the shower

 

 

We played a lot of games! OXO Tot donated a Sprout high chair as a gift! Nook donated an amazing body pillow (which the mommy to be has reported back she is now fighting her dogs for every night because it is so comfy!), Bamboobies donated breast pads, Bumkins donated an All In One diaper, & Ergo donated a carrier! What lucky mommies we had!  The SWAG bags were filled with great stuff, too: Boon odd ducks, Kushies skull caps, Sage Creek washcloths (and awesome tote bags), Bumkins diaper inserts, and more!

A local auther, Caley Cantrell came to talk about her book, "You're Bringing Me A Baby?" This book is a great gift for parents who have a dog and need help introducing the new baby. (It's also a great way to introduce older siblings to your new additions!) Jennifer Kyzer talked about how to ready your dog for a new baby:

1. If your dog has a fear of strollers, put your stroller in the room you are in the most in your house with the brake on. Just leave it there until you can see that your dog is comfortable with it in the room. Then let the brake off, and move it slightly in the room. Leave it this way until the dog is comfortable. Once he/she is comfortable, try pushing the stroller a little several times a day/night. Do this again until your dog is comfortable. Once they are then you can have them next to you and try to move around the room with the stroller, or take them for a walk once you see they are comfortable being next to the stroller.

2. Jennifer suggested getting your dog on a routine before you deliver. It will help them with adjusting to the new addition.

3. Bring something of the babies home from the hospital before the baby comes home so the dog can get used to the way your baby smells.

4. When you bring baby home you should enter the house first without the baby, then go outside and come back in with the baby. (This often works great if you have an older child at home as well )

Linda Churmside, a local lactation consultant, talked about breast feeding, giving great tips, advice, and ideas: 

1. Linda suggested using a bed pillow or sofa pillow for breast feeding rather than a breast-feeding pillow. She stated that many people find these standard pillows allow the baby to be in the perfect position while feeding. Also, some of the breast-feeding pilllows do not put the baby in the right position for feeding and are highly toxic.

2. Linda says if you are having trouble breastfeeding pumping can often help your milk come in.

3. Also, we learned if you had problems breastfeeding your first child you may not necessarily have those same problems with your second. Each child and each pregnancy is different.

Lastly, we learned alot about choosing an organic crib mattress. We have written about this before, you can read about it here, here and here. We would also be happy to talk to you in person or on the phone (804-355-0595) about how to choose the right mattress for your new little one.

We wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU! to everyone who donated gifts, time, food, and advice! It was a great event!

 

 

 

Interview with Kangovou owner Pretty Govindji

Our devotion to sustainability leads us to many interesting and up and coming products, people and companies. One of these people is Pretty Govindji. She has created the products that make up Kangovou. The sustainable, stylish and practical dishes are some of our favorites!

We wanted all of you to get to know Pretty and learn more about the Kangovou dishes, so we asked her to talk with us about her company, her products and what drives her.

How did you come up with the idea for the Kangovou products?

Several years ago, I moved my whole family to organic eating after researching and educating myself on the effects of pesticides on young developing bodies like my three little boys. I educated myself on what items had the highest levels of pesticides and what items did not need to be bought organically. I was under the impression that I had done everything I could to eliminate toxic chemicals from the foods that my kids were eating. In 2009, the news reported that certain plastic children's products including plates, cups, spoons and bowls contained bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that is harmful. It turned out that I was putting nutritious, healthy and organic foods on plates and bowls that contained BPA and were leaching chemicals into my kids' food. Out of frustration, I threw out all my plastic plates, bowls and cups and went out looking for an alternative. Not being able to find what I wanted, I started with a large round stainless steel plate that my mom gave me, which she had brought from India. Over the years, I had family members and friends who traveled overseas bring me back stainless steel dishware that they were able to find during their travels. Over two years, I tested all the items on my three boys.  I found out what worked, what didn't, and what would be nice to have -- the wish pile! That's when a friend of mine, Tess Brennan decided to join me and help me with designing products on our own. Together we worked on developing the ideal feeding set for kids. These products had to be free of BPA, PVC, Phthalates, Lead and Melamine. All these chemicals have major effects on our kids lives.  It turned out that what we created was great for adults as well.  Adults are also using our plates and our bowls.

 

What do you think the best features of the dishes are?

The fact that all our dishes can be used by kids and adults.  Our compartment plates are being used by kids at schools for lunch and adults are also using them for portion control meals.  Our flat plates are also being used by both kids and adults.  I use the flat plate almost everyday for a salad at lunch. 

 

Tell us a little about the products, where are they made? What are they made from?

All of our products are made of 18/8 stainless steel which is a high quality, sanitary, food grade stainless steel.  There are many reasons why we used stainless steel.  First and foremost, stainless steel is non-toxic and non-leaching and it's safe for food usage and storage.  It's also very durable so you are not spending tons of money replacing containers over and over.  It's also stain and rust resistant.  During the product testing phase I found a number of problems in using stainless steel dishware: (1) The stainless steel cups sweat when you place cold liquids in them, making them difficult to hold, and (2) Stainless steel dishware conducts heat.  To solve these problems we designed an outer plastic cover made of polypropylene (PP #5),which is a food grade plastic.

All of our products are BPA, PVC, Phthalates, Melamine and Lead free.  Our products also come with lids so it is safe and convenient to move from the dinner table straight to the fridge. All of our products can also be used for travel.

All our products are made in South Korea. 

 

What is your background?

My background is in Human Resources.  I worked for a couple of companies in their Human Resources Department before becoming a Mom.  I also have a Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and an MBA. 

 

Do you have children?

I have 3 boys.  I have a 9 year and 7 year old twins.  They keep me busy!

 

What are your dreams for Kangovou as a company?

It is our goal to provide a line of products that offers safe and eco-friendly solutions for today's parents who want to solve real-world needs. We want to develop and market an entire suite of products, from stainless steel dishware to organic skin care products, and children's clothing, which delivers both style and functionality and are healthy for children and the environment.

 

 

If you could do one thing to change the way we treat our planet what would it be?

If I could do one things to change the way we treat our planet is have less waste and recycle as much as possible.  I would like to continue to educate and provide products that make life easier for people to use sustainable products in order to the reduce waste. 

 

What inspires you right now?

My kids inspire me to do and create things that are better for them and the planet. 

 

Do you have other questions you would like to ask Pretty? If you would like to see her dishes feel free to come in the store, or check them out on the site.

I currently have the compartment plate & flat plate combo on my wish list. I dream of a beautiful salad for lunch in this gorgeous dish. Which dish would you buy?

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Costa Rican Spice Plantation

(sheri)

A few weeks ago (which now feels like months ago) I visited a biodynamic spice plantation in Costa Rica with my sister, niece and daughter in law. The experience was so inspiring and educational. I thought I would share some images and a little about what we learned.

 

Cacao

The plantation grew cacao trees, beautiful chocolate supplying cacao trees.

This is how a cacao pod starts to grow.

 

Eventually it grows into this pod.

 

Each pod grows little beans inside. These beans are covered with a white flesh. We sucked on the bean with the white flesh and incredibly it tasted very similar to chocolate.

 

 

Inside of each bean is the cacao "meat". This is where the cacao comes from which eventually becomes chocolate.

 

These are raw cacao nibs. They are the meat of the bean. Raw cacao is extremely high in anti-oxidants, it is great for energy as well as a myriad of other benefits. I use it to make smoothies, cookies, and ice cream. If you don't buy good ones they can taste very bitter,  a good raw cacoa nib should never be bitter. I am adapting a few cookie recipes I will share later this month using raw cacao and coconut sugar.

 

 

The next thing we discovered was the cinnamon tree! No one in the group had any idea cinnamon grew in trees. Did you?

 

There are three layers to a cinnamon tree; the outside bark, the cinnamon and then the cinnamon wood. She has shaved the bark off so what you see is the cinnamon. When you taste it like that it is soft and pliable, and delicious!

 

These trees were Ceylon Cinnamon. There is a dinstinct difference between that and regular cinnamon. It has hints of mint and ginger along with the cinnamon flavor. The taste was amazing! Ceylon cinnamon has incredible health benefits as well:it is an anti-bacterial which will slow the growth of bacteria, it is antiviral so it can help treat viral infections, antifungal so you can use it to help with fungal infections, it contains antioxidants which are amazing for fighting diseases, it is fantastic for high blood pressure and can help with inflammations such as arthritis. There are so many more uses and benefits I was amazed! She suggested putting some in your coffee in the morning. Her father in law mixes a teaspoon of ceylon cinnamon with a tablespoon of honey every morning to help his arthritis.

 

The other things that amazed me were seeing how a peppercorn grows. I had no idea they were this cool! The peppercorn we use is inside of the green shell.

 

This is what turmeric root looks like when it is ready to harvest.

 

This incredibly elegant vine is a vanilla bean vine that got away from the farmers. Normally the vines, which grow up to 30' long, are strung horizontally through trees so they are easy to harvest. I was in awe of how perfectly the vine grows when left on its own.

 

I never grow tired of seeing my favorite plant, the orchid, growing in nature. It is such a beautiful and rare thing for me to see.

This is the plantation we visited. They do allow volunteers to come and work at the biodynamic farm. I was very tempted but then remembered I have Franklin Goose to run.... Oh well, a girl can dream.

 

Gift Ideas for Friends, Co-workers & Teachers

The holidays are a perfect time to indulge with family. I hope all of you will get the chance to make some wonderful memories with your friends and family around the table this year.

 

My most precious holiday memories are of making holiday treats and meals with my family in the kitchen. Baking treats is even more fun than actually eating them, don’t you think?

 

This Christmas, why not give your friends and loved ones a chance to make memories?

 

Here at Franklin Goose we offer lunch containers by Wean Green, and they have some great gift ideas that can go well with their products. From spices to deserts to spa treats, Wean Green has a gift for everyone. Just layer the ingredients within a Wean Green Lunch Cube and attach a recipe. I’ve picked a few of my favorites to share with you! Enjoy, and go and make some holiday memories!

 

For the chefs:

 

Curried Lentil Soup

 

 

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups red lentils

Pinch of sea salt

6 tbsp. minced dried onion

2 tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 ¾ cups green lentils

2 tbsp. dried parsley leaves

2 Lunch Cubes

 

Divide ingredients into 4. Repeat the following instructions for each lunch cube:

On the bottom of one Lunch Cube put the red lentils. Layer on top the salt, followed by the onion, curry powder, garlic powder, green lentils, apples, and parsley.

 

Note: Can be stored for 1 month.

 

Recipe:

Combine 2 cups of the soup mix in a large soup pot with 3 ½ cups of water. Bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat. Cover pot and let simmer for 30 minutes.

 

For the Romantics:

 

Slow Cooker Cranberry Cider Mix

 

 

Ingredients
½ cup dried cranberries

12 cinnamon sticks

½ tsp. crushed whole cloves

2 tbsp. all spice

 

Combine and layer all ingredients in a Wean Green Lunch Cube for full recipe. Start your with the spice at the bottom. Layer your cloves and cranberries next. Stack the cinnamon sticks neatly on top.

 

For individual servings in Wean Tubs, divide the recipe by 4.

 

Recipe:

Additional Ingredients: 8 cups of apple cider and 4 cups of water

Combine cider mix with water and apple cider in a slow cooker. Heat on high for 1.5 hours. Serve hot.

Keep on low, or if you have a warm option, then turn slow cooker to warm.

 

For the coffee lovers:

 

Mocha Cocoa

 

 

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup espresso powder

1 cup powdered milk

½ tsp salt

½ cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or miniature chocolate chips

 

Layer starting with the cocoa powder, and work your way down the list.

 

Makes 2 lunch cubes.

 

Recipe:

Heat with water and enjoy!

 

For the snackers:

Caramel Popcorn Kit in a Jar

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup unpopped popcorn

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 Wean Green Lunch Cubes

 

Alternatively layer ¼ cup white sugar with brown sugar in 1 Wean Green Lunch Cube. Fill a second Lunch Cube with the popcorn kernels. In the third Lunch Cube fill with condensed milk. Attach the Lunch cubes together with a ribbon.

 

Recipe:

Additional ingredients: ½ cup of butter

Pop all of the corn. You should have about 10 cups of popcorn. Ensure you don’t have any unpopped kernels. Combine sugar mix with butter in a large saucepan. Stir, and add condensed milk while stirring constantly.

Bring mixture to a boil for 1 minute, and then remove from heat. Quickly pour over popcorn. Mix until all of the popcorn is covered.

 

And for those who need a vacation:

 

Chocolate Face Mask Recipe

 

 

Ingredients

1/3 cup cocoa

¼ cup honey

2 tbsp heavy cream

3 tsp oatmeal powder

1 Wean Tub

 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well and pour into 1 Wean Tub.

 

Instructions:

Wash face with warm water. Smooth Chocolate Face Mask mix onto face. Leave on for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

 

Note: The expiry date will be the same as the cream. The mixture must also be refrigerated.

You can find more ideas or inspiration in the Wean Green Holiday Gift Guide.

Sili Squeeze the Holidays

The holidays are upon us, and if you're like me, you will spend a lot of time around the table with family and friends. With all of those good meals to eat, we here at Franklin Goose have a great idea for your little ones' feasting: the Sili Squeeze, a reusable food pouch for little eaters.

The Sili Squeeze company was founded by Kristin Ahmer, a mother in California who wanted an environmentally-friendly food pouch that was also economical. The Sili Squeeze and the Sili Squeeze with Eeeze allow children the ability to feed themselves delicious and nutritious pureed food. The Sili Squeeze with Eeze is perfect for your beginning eater. It has a cross-hair spout so it is slow flow and won't leak everywhere if your child sets it down. The Sili Squeeze spout is free flowing, great for your older child who is eating independently (make sure they put the lid on or you will have a mess). 

So why not provide your family with their favorite purees this holiday season? (And give yourself a chance to sneak a second helping of pumpkin pie!) Or put those leftovers to use later during outings or on the drive home from Grandma's. 

While you're at it, try some of these festive recipes by the Sili Company:

Peanut Butter-Nut Smoothie

Fills one 6 oz. Sili Squeeze

This is a great and hearty breakfast or snack rich in protein.

3 oz. vanilla hemp milk

2 oz. butternut squash

1 oz. peanut butter

1/2 tbsp flaxseed or hempseed oil

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Cook the butternut squash until it is fork tender. Let it cool to room temperature, and then puree all the ingredients together until smooth. Serve chilled. 

Yummy Yams

Fills one 4 oz. Sili Squeeze

3 oz yams

1 TB hempseed oil

1 TB banana

Remove the skin from the yams and cook until tender. While still warm but not hot, puree the yams and all the ingredients until smooth. Sever warm or at room temperature. 

Baby Pumpkin Pie

Fills one 6 oz. Sili Squeeze

4 oz. pumpkin

2 oz. oatmeal or rice cereal

1/8 tsp cinnamon & nutmeg combination, optional

1/8 tsp fresh vanilla bean

Remove any seeds from pumpkin and cook until it is fork tender. (Squash can also be used instead of pumpkin--be sure to remove the skin). Cut a slit in the whole vanilla bean and scrape the paste within into your measuring spoon. While the pumpkin is still warm, stir in the oatmeal or rice cereal and the spices until they are well combined. Serve warm during dessert. 

(This desert is recommended for babies 6 months and older.)

Happy holidays!

You can find the Sili Squeeze in our store, or give us a call 804-355-0595!