Congratulations, Mindy!

She won this week's superfoods sweepstakes! Make sure to check back on Monday for a new sweepstakes! Have a wonderful weekend!!!

New African Soaps!

Fresh into the store: VIVO Natural Products bar soap! This ultra-natural company was founded in 2007 "with the mission of creating fine bar soaps using high-quality, natural ingredients". VIVO's soaps feature 100% pure African shea butter, olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil and other natural ingredients to scent the soaps.

VIVO is a US company dedicated to not only providing natural products to consumers, but also giving back to the areas it sources ingredients from. For instance, the shea butter used in these soaps is sourced from a cooperative of female farmers in Togo, West Africa. Some of the profits from these soaps go directly to that developing area!

There are five decadent smelling soaps to choose from: Lemongrass & Verbena, English Lavender, Green Tea with Mint, Brazilian Acai with Pomegranate and Rose Water & Jasmine!

Come into the store to check out this amazing soap and to learn how shea butter can help your skin! Want to learn more about VIVO? Visit them online at vivonaturalproducts.com!

Yummy Lunch Idea!

Curried Chicken Pita

In a hurry for a quick, lunch idea?  This sounds yummy on a hot, summer day!

Combine 6 tablespoons non-fat plain yogurt, ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon curry powder in a large bowl. Toss with 2 cups cubed cooked chicken, 1 diced firm pear, 1 diced celery stalk, ½ cup dried cranberries and ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds. Fill 4 small whole wheat pitas with 1 cup chicken salad.

For those that are living gluten-free, we have found a great gluten pita!

Makes 4 Servings. 323 Calories per serving

Vegan Wednesday!

Vegan BBQ ideas!

My personal favorite vegan "hot dog" is Lightlife's Tofu Pups. I've pretty much tried them all, and I think they have the best texture and flavor. Tofu Pups are great paired with ketchup, mustard, relish, and Rudi's wheat hot dog buns. They are great boiled or grilled, or if all else fails, microwaved.

Another favorite of mine are the Tofurky beer brats and kielbasa. These are great on their own, or topped with sauerkraut or traditional hot dog toppings.

There is a lot of room to experiment with vegan bbq ideas! You'll be amazed with your options once you start looking around! Food For Thought has a large variety of organic mustards, ketchups, relishes, etc. and most of them are on sale right now! BBQ season is in full swing, so stop by FFT and pick up your goodies today!

Superfoods Sweepstakes!

It's a little late, but we still have a fabulous giveaway! More yummy superfoods to tempt your palate. This week's goodies include:

- Numi Puerh Tea: Chocolate Puerh
- TerrAmazon: Sacha Inchi Tamari

- Cell-Nique Super Green Drink: Dark Chocolate

- Beveri: Fine Milled Golden Flaxseed (Perfect for sprinkling onto yogurts or adding to smoothies!)

- Ohgave! Amber: Blue Agave

For your chance to win, enter your name and email address in the blog's comment section. Winner will be chosen this Saturday!

Yo! Check this out!

Speaking of Greek Yogurt... Stop in and pick up the free June Taste for Life magazine and score a $1/1 5.3 oz or 16 oz cup Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt coupon.  Right now, select flavors are on sale at Food for Thought for $1.79.  Sample the goodness of Greek Yogurt for only 79 cents!!!    Yum!

It's All Greek to me...

I love yogurt.  My kids love yogurt.  So basically, we are a fermented bacteria type of family!  When we first started to carry Greek yogurt, I had to try it.  It was love at first spoonful.   Greek yogurt is so creamy and rich, I felt as if I was eating dessert.   I assumed something this good, could not be low in calories... Wrong!  One of my favorite brands contains 140 calories, zero fat and 14 grams of protein in ONE serving!

What makes Greek yogurt different?   It is strained to remove the whey, resulting in twice as much protein and lower in sugar and sodium than unstrained varieties!   

Sure, I typically just grab a spoon and inhale...but those with higher culinary ambitions will find Greek yogurt unbelievable.   It adds creaminess to dips and sauces. Bake with it, and you’ll find your crusts moist and golden and fillings smooth.   In beef and lamb dishes, Greek yogurt tenderizes the protein and gives you a rich, complex mouth feel with a touch of acidity and tartness.  It also easily substitutes for cream, cream cheese, sour cream, or ricotta cheese.  Greek Yogurt makes yummy smoothies and boosts their protein content. 

I found this recipe on Chobani Greek Yogurt's website and am planning to whip up this weekend!  Stop in and check out the large selection of Greek Yogurt at Food for Thought!

Holy Guacamole!

Ingredients

1 cup Chobani® Plain 0% Greek Yogurt

2 medium avocados

½ tsp cumin

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp jalapeno, finely chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp lime juice
Salt to taste

Preparation
Slice avocado in half lengthwise. Remove pit and discard. Scoop out insides with large spoon and add to bowl. Roughly mash avocado with fork. Add Chobani® and remaining ingredients.
Mix until guacamole has desired texture, whether chunky or smooth. Add salt to taste. Kick up the heat by adding extra jalapeños. Serve with Pita chips for a "Greek" twist or use as a tasty spread on sandwiches.

Manic Monday Recipe: Shrimp Marinara over Pasta

The weekend is over and it's back to reality! Each Monday we will post an easy recipe, either for the crockpot, quick fix or five ingredient or less recipe. Here's to eating healthy, simply!

Shrimp Marinara Over Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-14.5 oz can Muir Glen's no salt added diced Tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
Directions:
Before starting the shrimp, it will save time to go ahead and start boiling the water for your pasta!  Add pasta and cook while working on the following:
1.  Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened.  Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 5 minutes.  Remove the shrimp, leaving behind most of the onion and garlic.
2.  Add the tomatoes, basil, and oregano to the sauce.  Cook over medium-low heat until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
3.  Blend the sauce using a handheld blender.  Let simmer for 5 minutes longer, adding salt and  pepper to taste.
4.  Return the shrimp to the sauce and serve with pasta!