Hostess Gift Ideas from Whole Foods Market

I received a fabulous basket full of goodies from Whole Food Markets in Tempe.  I love that I can find dairy-free products there for my dairy-allergic loved ones!  I also appreciate the products there are good for you and good for the people who produced them.

This basket was full of items that were not only high quality, but also had a feel-good quality because of the programs the items supported.

The sturdy, canvas L.I.F.E line bag is made by "mums in Maai Mahiu, Kenya". You can learn more about the program at www.lifeline.org.  I loved being able to see the smiling faces of the mothers who are creating these bags and earning a living for their families.

The coffee in the basket is not only high quality and delicious coffee (according to my mom - who loves coffee), but it also helps support the Whole Planet Foundation by donating 30 cents from each can to help alleviate poverty worldwide where Whole Foods sources products.

I like this beautiful scarf for a couple reasons.  My first name, Melanie, means black or dark and my middlde name is Rose.  Because of that, I have often been drawn to black roses.  This scarf is super soft, and it is made from recycled polyster derived from discarded plastics!  I know - you may be thinking what do I need a scarf for in Arizona?  But, I am actually headed to the Grand Canyon next week so this scarf will come in handy!  I can't wait to wear it.  It was made from a company called Threads for Thought.

The organic chocolate bars are not only delicous, but they also support a schoolhouse project in Tanzania.  The drinking chocolate is sourced from a co-op in Peru and has a flavor unlike any hot chocolate I've had!  It was an absolute treat.

And I have to rave about the Everyday Coconut Super Hydrating Lotion!  It is made with certified fair trade coconut oil, and it leaves my skin very soft.  The winter in Arizona is extremely dry, and it's hard to keep moisturized. I have been using this lotion for more than a week now and I am so pleased with the results.  It has a very mild scent as well, so my husband has been using it as well.   And, like so many products at Whole Foods, some of the proceeds help fund various community empowerment programs.

Even buying a Whole Foods gift card helps alleviate poverty! With each gift card purchased, you can donate a dollar to the Whole Planet Foundation.  The Foundation's mission is to empower poor women living in countries that supply Whole Foods Market with product.  They focus on developing countries by providing microcredit loans for women to start or expand home-based businesses.

I loved being able to learn more about the great organizations that these products help support. This time of year, we are all looking for special gifts for our loved ones.  Any of these items would make a lovely gift that would be wonderful not only for the recipient, but for the individuals being supported by the businesses providing the item.  All of these items can be found at Whole Foods.  The items I received came from the Whole Foods in Tempe, AZ -- which is the one that I frequent.

*Disclosure: I received a selection of products from Whole Foods Market in exchange for an honest review and post. No additional compensation was provided.*

Review: Whole Foods Gift Box

I was excited when I saw that Whole Foods was offering gift boxes, and even more excited when I received one of my own to review! This video shows you the gift box I received.  Visit Whole Foods Gift Boxes for details on all of their great boxes.



You'll have to forgive the slightly-shaky camera work, apparently Nate had an itch that he was trying to ignore!  Also, I mention wholefoods.com in the video -- which will take you to their site, but it's actually www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

*Disclosure: I received the gift box pictured in the video for review.  No additional compensation was provided.  All opinions are my own.*

In Love With Salad

Both Nate & Lydia love a good salad.  I like to buy baby spring mix, so the lettuces have some nutritional value.  (I always remember learning that eating iceberg lettuce was the nutritional equivalent of eating a paper bag, so I try to make better choices.)  When we eat out, servers are often amazed that the kids eagerly eat salad.

Whole Foods has a campaign right now to add salad bars to public schools. You can visit the Salad Bar Project website to learn all the details, and how to work with your school for the chance for a salad bar.  The school my kids attend has a salad bar, but Nate informed me that he doesn't eat from it. Apparently it's out of the way of the regular lunch line, so he avoids it.  Colin sometimes visits the salad bar, because according to him, it's not really a salad bar, it's a fruit bar.  (he doesn't like any lettuce or salad dressing, which means he doesn't eat salad)

I sent Bo over to the school at lunchtime yesterday so he could check it out. The "salad bar" at our school has a variety of cut up fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as applesauce (or another canned fruit according to Colin)  The school also offers a chef salad as an alternative to the hot meal of the day that can be chosen from the main lunch line. 

We've encouraged Nate to visit the salad bar once in a while, but I know he still eats plenty of salads at home (in fact, his snack before bed last night was a big bowl of spring mix with a sprinkling of walnuts and Annie's Goddess dressing)  I think every school should have a salad bar, so I encourage you to check out the Salad Bar Project for yourself and see if you can help put a salad bar in a local school that doesn't currently have one.

*Disclosure: I received information about the Salad Bar Project, but was not compensated in any way for this post.*

Whole Foods Ground Beef Special (Giveaway!)

For Labor Day, Whole Foods is running an awesome deal on ground beef! Nationwide, the stores are offering ground, grass-fed beef at a special price of $3.99/lb! Grass-fed beef is much leaner than grain-fed and considered better for you. As always, they have some great recipes on their website that would be perfect if you're throwing a Labor Day picnic. I think we're going to try the Bahn Mi Grass-Fed Beef Burgers this weekend. (We've been watching the Food Network's Great Food Truck Race show and I've been intrigued by the Nom-Nom truck that serves Vietnamese sandwiches)

If you don't make it in time for that sale, if you live in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada, they're offering 20% off burgers from Saturday - Monday.

To sweeten the deal a bit more, Whole Foods has generously offered to send a $10 gift card to one of my readers!

Giveaway Name: Grass Fed
Mandatory Question: What's your favorite burger topping?

Enter this giveaway by filling out the giveaway form with your information. The form keeps track of all of your information, without exposing your information to the Internet.  I always delete the entries after submitting the winner's information.  Comments left on this entry are not entered into the giveaway. For all my giveaway rules, check out this page.

Giveaway will end on Monday, September 6, 2010!

*Disclosure: I received a gift card, and one will be provided to my readers thanks to Whole Foods Market*

A Cheese Party

A couple weeks ago, we were in Whole Foods Tempe looking for some back-to-school snacks.  We were by the cheese display, and Nate was amazed at the size of some of the rounds of cheese.  He didn't believe me at first when I told him that was how some cheese was made, and then pieces were cut from the large round.

We talked a bit about cheese, and then I suggested we pick up a few varieties to try. He thought that was a neat idea, so we chose 8 different chunks of cheese and planned to have a cheese party.  We also picked up a couple different varieties of crackers.

It took a week or so, but one night everyone was home early enough that we were able to enjoy our cheese spread.  We had some delicious green grapes, and Bo would slice one type of cheese and we'd all try it.  Everyone was great about trying the different varieties -- even if some insisted on only eating Ritz crackers with their cheese.

Not surprisingly, we all loved the Wisconsin aged cheddar.  But, we also all liked Leerdammer (a semi-hard cheese with many holes like swiss, but not as strong) and I doubt I would have ever picked up a chunk of it if not for Nate's excitement.  In fact. of the 8 we chose, none were deemed yucky!

It was so much fun that I think we may make it a new tradition!  Our cheese dinner occurred a couple nights before school started this year, so maybe we'll tie it to every new school year.

On a completely silly note, here's an ad I found for Leerdammer cheese . . . it's so silly but it made me laugh!

Tell Me Thursday - Whole Foods Allergy Tour

When my sister discovered her new food allergies, I thought immediately of Whole Foods Market. I know they sell food that is healthy -- free of chemicals, fake stuff, antibiotics, etc. Whole Foods was definitely on the short list for grocery stores full of things she could potentially eat.

We were lucky enough to have a personalized tour a couple Saturdays ago with Dusty, who works in the Whole Body section.  Dusty is a wonderfully warm, energetic, informative woman who also happens to cope with her own set of food allergies.  Dusty danced us through the store and showed us item after item that Jane could successfully add to her diet.  She did it with enthusiasm, humor and a big dose of information.

Our mom was in town that week, so she and Lydia joined us on the tour. She was amazed at how many things were available that fit into Jane's limitations and was glad that she was able to go with us.  She also commented on Dusty's positive attitude and how refreshing it was.

Some of the surprises -- there's a sour cream that meets the allergy requirements! There are 2 dairy-free cheeses that don't have yeast as an ingredient! Rice milk chocolate tastes REALLY good!

I had sent over a list of Jane's food allergies prior to our tour, and Dusty did her best to accommodate them all.  Because Jane is allergic to citrus, as well as yeast, that means that vinegar is out, as well as the common vinegar substitute -- lemon juice.  She showed us some wonderful flavored olive oils that could be used as a salad dressing without vinegar.

We all appreciated the honest evaluation of products that Dusty showed us. If something may require an acquired taste, she let Jane know.  She also encouraged her to add coconut to her diet to help build up her potassium levels, since she is allergic to bananas. She showed us her favorite coconut milk (in the refrigerated section) and also shared that there are other options that are shelf-stable.

While the prices of specialty foods are higher, they are available at Whole Foods and many can't be found elsewhere.  I know people often lament that the store is expensive, but if you purchase items from their 365 brand, they are comparable to other stores.  They have a wonderful produce section, and the prices for in-season fruits and vegetables are comparable and sometimes even less. 

Once again, I was blown away by the friendliness of staff. The store is such an inviting place to visit, and everyone is eager to help.

In the car later, we both said that we could have wandered around the store for 2 hours and never found 1/2 the products that Dusty pointed out.  Jane left feeling more encouraged and a little less overwhelmed than when we walked in.  So, I count the visit as a success!!  I offer many, many thanks to Dusty and all those at Whole Foods that helped make it possible.

I will share reviews of different products in the coming weeks, as I'm sure you're all eager to find out what she's tried!