Organic Product Review - Organic Choice Date & Stem Ginger Oatie

I was sent the most lovely surprise by Marian from Organic Choice. A box full of cake bars. It is hard to review them because they were all lovely, but after some humming and hawing I have decided that the Date & Stem Ginger Oatie was my favourite.

Made without wheat these cakes don't have the chalky consistency that spelt based baking tends to. They are all moist, not just the oaties but the fruit cake melts in your mouth and the chocolate almond cake is divine if a little bit bold. I'm a bit of a sucker for ginger though and that's why the Date and Ginger stands out. It's best described as a chewy flapjack sandwich. Layered in between two slices of oats is a lovely gooey filling. The oatie flapjakey bit is sweet but not so sweet as to overpower the other flavours. There is a touch of extra naughtiness on the top, a swirl of dark chocolate. Beautifully filling it took me two coffee breaks to finish the 96g bar. As it is oat based it really banishes hunger quite effectively and if it wasn't so tasty you could almost believe it was a healthy snack.

It is great to see new businesses like Organic Choice emerging in Ireland and I hope to be able to stock Marian's Christmas cakes this Christmas.

To find out more about Organic Choice and where you can get your hands on these cakes contact Marian direct on 01 2068034 or 087 2419646. And keep an eye on the website which is still under development.

Organic Choice is certified organic by IOGFA.

Organic Product Review - Flourish Organics Hemp & Macadamia Face Cream

Flourish Organics is a small company based in Killarney Co. Kerry. I first encountered them at a trade fair last year and was impressed by their range of skincare products.

I have been suffering from dry skin recently, probably due to central heating over the winter months. I always find it pays to alternate between moisturisers so that the skin doesn't get too used to one. So I was delighted to try out the Hemp and Macadamia face cream. It has a mild scent which is great, no heavy perfume just the smell of it's constituent parts. It sinks into the skin quickly which means it doesn't leave that sticky greasy feeling. It seems rich enough to be used as either a night or a day cream. As a bonus, my skin seems to love it, the dry patches have almost been eliminated and my skin feels beautifully soft, it glows now and it is possible for me to go without make up without needing to hide behind my hair. On their website Flourish say that one of the ingredients is said to have anti ageing properties so I guess it must be good for 'mature' skin like mine.

You can buy Flourish online at their website. I'm going to have to check out the vanilla and white chocolate lip balm next.

The product range is not yet certified organic but they do contain a large quantity of organic ingredients, the ingredients that aren't certified organic are natural and safe.

Organic Product Review - Green Bay Manuka Honeysuckers

Manuka honey is a product that you can not have missed hearing about over the last few years.

Native to New Zealand and produced by bees who feed on the Manuka bush, this honey has been found to have excellent healing properties. It helps to fight infection both when taken orally and when applied directly to wounds. The results are so well proven that even the NHS in the UK uses it on dressings. Many people already use Manuka daily, either by taking a spoonful raw every morning or by stirring it into porridge.

I tried these honeysuckers last weekend for a sore throat and was delighted with the results, within 10 minutes my throat had significantly improved. The best thing about these little lozenges is that they take the hassle out of using Manuka honey. No more sticky honey jars in the morning, you can simply pop the pack in your pocket and take them as you need them. They come in two varieties, one flavoured with blackcurrant juice which takes the edge of the honey for those who aren't mad about the flavour, and the other pure honey.

Green Bay Manuka Honeysuckers are UMF 15+ and certified organic by the soil association.

If you would like to know where in Ireland you can buy Green Bay Honeysuckers leave a comment stating in which area you live and I'll give you a list.

Organic Product Review - Ariosa Organic Guatamala Blend

I like a strong flavored coffee and have been stocking two that I am particularly fond of in my hampers for the last few years. Recently one of them has been discontinued and I was keen to find a replacement. 

I discovered this product at 'The Organic Supermarket' and was immediately delighted to find an Irish roasted and blended organic coffee. I was even more delighted by the lovely aroma which wafted tantalisingly from the bag. I took it home and at the first available opportunity brewed myself a cup, the taste lived up to the smell, a lovely rich flavor, smooth and very drinkable. There was a hint of bitterness but it wasn't overwhelming. 

Ariosa boast that they bring their coffee to their customers within a week of roasting and this would somewhat account for the wonderful flavor, I don't drink a lot of coffee however and the bag has been sitting open in my fridge for the last two weeks and it still tastes great.

So It's a big thumbs up for Ariosa Coffee. It is available to buy either ground or as beans from 'The Organic Supermarket' in Blackrock and direct from Ariosa at the Temple Bar Market. Very soon it will also be available in my hampers and at my stall at the Naas Farmers Market.

Ariosa Organic Guatamala Blend is certified organic by The Organic Trust.

Organic Product Review - Mileeven Strawberry Preserve

Mileeven are an Irish company based in county Kilkenny. I already stock some of their jams in my hampers but hadn't tried the Strawberry one before. When I found it on the shelf of my local supermarket I couldn't resist giving it a go.

It is quite a smooth jam, lacking the big chunks of strawberry that you may find in some products. I was slightly disappointed when I discovered this as I always love getting that surprise giant strawberry in the middle of my toast. It does spread quite easily though and this is a definite advantage to a smooth jam.

The flavor is great, it contains 45% fruit so although it is sweet, it's not too sweet which leaves the strawberry to do the talking. 

This was supposed to be my last post in celebration of the Strawberry but I have just received another product to review and tasted some great organic strawberries at the weekend so I can't resist extending my celebration.

Organic Product Review - Luscombe Strawberry Lemonade

I found this lemonade 3 years ago at a trade fair and knew from the first taste that It would go into my hampers. 

Luscombe Farm's Strawberry lemonade comes in a glass bottle and reassuringly needs a bit of a shake before you drink it as, being completely natural and organic, some of the pulp settles when it is left on the shelf.

Although labeled as lemonade the overwhelming flavor is a lovely smooth strawberry juice. The lemon adds a bite of refreshment. Although this is a sparkling drink, the sparkle is minimal so doesn't affect the taste but tingles on your tongue.

It is available in two sizes 32cl for personal use and 74cl for sharing. 

Luscombe have a great website with lots of cool cocktail recipes including one featuring the Strawberry Lemonade. It's also great just added to a drop of  vodka and ice for a cool summer drink.

Luscombe Organic Strawberry Lemonade is certified organic by the Soil Association.

Organic Product Review - Booja-Booja Champagne Truffles

I have to declare a bit of an interest in this review. I stock and sell Booja-Booja Champagne truffles and have done for many years. The reason I stock them is because I love them and have done since the very first time I tasted one. I had been searching out the best organic chocolate box for some time but hadn't managed to find one that came up to scratch. It was at a trade show in London that I discovered them, and whilst having a conversation with the sales rep must have eaten my way through a mountain of samples. All of the Booja-Booja truffles are good. As well as the Champagne there are Ginger Wine, Hazelnut Crunch, Around Midnight Espresso and Cognac Flambéed Banana. All of them have been my favourite from time to time but the Champagne always wins out in the end.

When you open a box of Booja-Booja you know you are getting something really special. The truffles are presented in a black box trimmed in gold. When you get inside the cocoa dusted truffles look up at you from gold shiny packaging. Dark chocolate is often quite bitter but as you bite through the shell of these truffles you are greeted with a creamy, very alcoholic flavour. I often tell people that these chocolates are so decadent that you could not possibly eat the whole box at once but I have a sneaking suspicion that if you left me alone in a room with them I might give it a go. All Booja-Booja Truffles are Vegan, wheat, dairy and gluten free.

You can buy Booja-Booja Champagne Truffles from my website.

Booja-Booja Truffles are certified organic by the Soil Association.

Organic Product Review - Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

Every now and then a little package will arrive for me in the post. Sometimes they come from my suppliers, sometimes from potential suppliers and sometimes they are just things that my friends and family have picked up for me.

Recently I received a package that contained a variety of soaps. I have to admit, I wasn't madly excited when I found a small bottle of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap amongst them. I first encountered these liquid soaps at the Organic Products Show in London earlier this year. I stood there while a salesman tried to describe the special qualities of the soap while spraying my hand over and over with water and soap. I probably had so many substances sprayed on my hand that day that any benefit of the liquid soap was lost on me. For this reason Dr. Bronner sat in my bathroom cabinet until, one day, out of desperation, after unexpectedly running out of showergel, I grabbed the little bottle.

From that moment onwards I was a convert. One of the problems I often encounter with organic skincare products is that they don't produce much foam.  I have been told the reason for this is that a chemical agent is used to create this foam. As certified organic products do not contain chemicals they usually also do not contain foam. Dr Bronner, which is 100% certified organic does foam, the bubbles don't last for long but they are lovely whilst they do. It also doesn't smell of anything, I don't mind this, I often find the cocktail of scents that I pour on myself in the bathroom can be a bit overpowering. Some of the soaps in the Dr. Bronner range are scented. I am currently using their peppermint soap bar, which does have a mild peppermint scent but nothing compared to the other products in my bathroom. For some people this could be a disadvantage but it is easily solved by adding a drop or two of organic scented oil to the bottle.

The thing I love about this product, and the reason I will be stocking up on this for myself is that it makes your skin feel amazing. It doesn't dry it out like other products yet it leaves it remarkably clean. I use an organic moisturiser after showering and it used to be a race to get it on to my skin before it starts to shrivel.  After using Dr. Bronner I can relax before moisturising. 

There are disadvantages to this product, aside from the lack of scent and the quickly fading bubbles this is an American product. That means it has travelled a long way to get here. I am sure that Dr. Bronner is busily off setting it's air miles but it is probably still better to buy an organic product closer to home. Even with this considered I will still be buying this product over and over again. I love it!

Product Review: Yummy Earth Lollipops

A little parcel arrived for me in the post this week. Inside, amongst other things were these lovely lollipops. I got a lemon and a pomegranate flavoured one but there are 7 different flavours in the range.

It took a lot of restraint for me to wait until the photograph had been taken before I lashed into the lemon one. I always think organic sweets are a bit boring. There are plenty out there that just seem to take the fun out of having a treat. These lollipops do not fall into this category. They really deliver on all fronts, they taste great, look great and price wise they don't cost anymore that a conventional lolly. That is they don't cost a lot of lolly!

The one complaint would be that they come off the stick a little quickly and you are left chewing them as if they were boiled sweets.

Of course, these sweets are not 'good for you' but they are a lot less 'bad for you' than other sweets. For example, a quick look at their website will tell you that they are free from: gluten, wheat, egg, casein, dairy and soy, they are made in a nut free factory and they contain; 100% natural colours, no chemical dyes, real fruit extracts & 100% Natural Flavors. A closer look at the ingredients shows that they really mean it when they say they only use 100% Natural flavours and colours:

"Natural Flavors (May contain Watermelon, Pomegranate, Orange Oils, Lemon Oils, Raspberry, Mango), Natural Colors, (may contain Red Cabbage, Purple Carrots)"

I wonder what a purple carrot is? It's great to know there is a product out there that not only caters for children with allergies, is organic but doesn't take the fun out of eating sweets.

These really are a great treat for the child in all of us, as soon as I had chomped my way through the first one I had to order a bucket of them. They should be arriving in a couple of weeks so if you want to try for yourself, come and visit my stall at the Naas Farmers Market any Saturday. Mention the blog and I might even give you one for free!

Organic Product Review: Bath Ales - Organic Wild Hare

As a British native, I spent a number of years in my early 20's learning to love real ale. As part of a small group of friends I used to search out small 'Free House' pubs and large beer festivals in search of new ales to taste.

My love of real ale has never subsided and I always look forward to trying some new brews when I am in the UK. My last trip resulted in me bringing home at least 20 bottles, two of which were organic. The first to be tasted was 'Wild Hare' which I bought in the town where it is brewed; Bath.

When I opened the bottle it smelled really good and my first sip revealed a good full hoppy flavour. Much to my disappointment the hoppyness was replaced by an extremely bitter aftertaste which became almost unbearable by the end of the bottle.

I'd like to give this beer the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it's better enjoyed with a good pie than by itself, or maybe it needed to breath a bit longer, or maybe it's just not to my taste. I just hope that there are better organic ales out there for me to taste. I have a bottle of Sam Smith's Organic sitting in the cupboard which I am pinning my hopes on!

Wild Hare is certified organic by the Soil Association

Organic Product Review: Two By Two - Organic Vanilla Biscuits

I bought these biscuits when I was in Whole Foods Market in London. I was attracted by the packaging and was interested because they were an organic luxury biscuit aimed at Children. Inside the rustic cardboard packaging these handmade biscuits are well sealed in a foil packaging. Although hard to open the packaging has preserved the biscuits so perfectly that they make an audible 'snap' when broken. This may suggest that they would be hard, brittle biscuits but being an all butter biscuit they melt in the mouth. The vanilla is not overpowering but subtle and adds a softness to the flavour.

The biscuits themselves are shaped like owls and pussycats and carved with feathers and fur patterns. Children will love these both for the way they look and the way they taste. As a children's product they are quite high in sugar (20.2g per 100g) and saturated fat (14.9g per 100g). On the positive side they contain no hydrogenated or trans fats.

I really enjoyed these biscuits and will definitely be trying to stock these in my new hamper range.

Two by Two Organic Vanilla Biscuits are made by Artisan Biscuits and are certified organic by the soil association.

Product Review: Glenisk Raspberry Yoghurt

Glenisk the Irish organic dairy have recently re-branded. I have long been a fan of their organic milk. The full fat version, which until now has been the only cows milk available, is gorgeous. I don't usually use full fat milk but this one is sooo yummy that I just have to treat myself now and then. I started using the yogurts a little while ago and although they were tasty enough I was always disappointed that they didn't have any chunks. Part of the pleasue of a yogurt is to bite into the fruity chunks, it's the best bit just like the orange centre a Jaffa Cake.

At first sight the new packaging doesn't really do it for me. I liked the old fashioned style graphics that used to adorn the milk cartons. One bonus however is that the milk now comes in a regular 1 litre size, the smaller 750ml cartons used to run out way too quickly. Another improvement is the new low fat version, this means I can use it all the time.

I buy the single portion sized yogurts to bring to work with me, that only flavours available at my local supermarket were natural and raspberry. So I bought the raspberry. At 11am I sat down for my tea break and peeled back the lid. To my delight the new improved Glenisk yogurt now included chunks! The yogurt itself remains the lovely creamy satisfying flavour that it always was and although raspberry isn't really the best flavour to judge chunks on, it was great to have them there. I can't wait to taste the other flavours.

It is also worth mentioning that the yogurt is described on the packaging as low fat. I often find that low fat yogurts contain gelatine and as a vegetarian this is a big no no. I was pleased to find that the Glenisk yogurt was marked as suitable for vegetarians and was completely gelatine free.

Glenisk products are available in health food shops and supermarkets country wide. Their products are certified organic by IOFGA

Product Review: Meridian Organic Tomato & Chilli Pasta Sauce

To be completely honest, I love this sauce so much, and eat it at such a speed that I find it almost impossible to describe.

Spaghetti Bolognese has always been a firm favourite of mine and over the years I have tried many pre-prepared sauces as well as making a few of my own. This sauce, in my opinion is the best of the pre-prepared sauces. I always like to have a jar sitting in the cupboard for that emergency pasta urge.

I like a bit of spice in my food and this sauce provides it in bucket loads. The heat of the sauce is well balanced with the tomatoes and a good dose of herbs. Don't worry if spice isn't your thing, there are a variety of flavours available including tomato and herb, tomato with mushroom and tomato with Spanish olives. It is worth noting that although I use this sauce for my Bolognese it is intended to be heated through and served on it's own with pasta.

The one downside for me is that as it contains no added sugar it can seem a little bitter. I always add a teaspoon or so of organic sugar to counteract this.

It can be found in most good health food stores and is certified organic by the Soil Association.