All the cool stuff delivered to my doorstep is usually for my kid. But sometimes the goodies are for me.
My front stoop gets its fair share of packages. Most of them turn out to be for my son, who is sponsored by some fitness brands that send him everything from protein powders to backpacks for him to scoop up commissions on whatever sells through his promotional efforts. My son gets to review and promote some cool “strength” stuff; I guess that makes him an influencer.
Sometimes the samples and review copies that arrive at my home office are for me. When I see my name on the address label instead of his, it’s always a little like Christmas.
The recent booty included some fun discoveries.
B Good Grainola
Get it? Not just the “B Good” part, which is a cute and important exhortation, but also GRAINola. GRAIN. Not gran. A box full.
I’m not a beer drinker, but give me granola made with spent brewer’s barley and I’m munching away with a grin on my face. That’s the secret to B Good’s business.
As the B Good website explains, they work with craft breweries to get the spent brewer’s grain that will eventually become their bags and bars of granola.
“The first part of the brewing process is similar to making iced tea — it’s called mash. Delicious grains are soaked in hot water to remove the carbs, which will later be fermented into alcohol. This leaves behind ‘spent grain’ — whole grain that is rich in fiber and protein.”
B Good had the idea to take those flavorful leftovers and make food from carefully selected grain blends that included Vienna Malts and Chocolate Malts.
Rebekah Rotzler, whose husband, Hilliard Rotzler, is the founder-creator of B Good Grainola, was the one who sent my box of goodies filled with “the only granola bars and granola made with spent grains from Texas craft breweries.”
You cannot imagine the crunchy joy I’ve been experiencing eating it by the handful, bowlful, and bar. Don’t force me to choose a favorite flavor though because I honestly can’t decide. Okay, if you threatened to never let me have any B Good Grainola again, I’d probably have to choose the coconut and peanut butter.
But, seriously, I’m not going to play favorites when all of them are delicious and rich in fiber and the ability to minimize food waste. “It’s a win for everybody and the planet,” say the B Good people.
To which I say, Hear, hear! And then have to remind myself to slow down and chew at an appropriately slow savoring pace.
Here’s more of B Good GRAINola’s story:
Why Spent Brewer's Grains?: “Simply put, we saw an opportunity to utilize the delicious and nutrient-rich spent grains from craft brewers as an ingredient in our premium granola and granola bars. We love the depth of flavor and fiber these grains impart to the foods we make ... not to mention that we are up-cycling a product that might otherwise go to waste.”
Artisan Cooking Techniques: “In addition to our unique ingredient sourcing, we also employ artisan cooking techniques. The product is handmade in small batches, and we slow-cook the product for 12 hours for a deeply caramelized flavor profile that results in a lower sugar content.”
Nutrition: Sensible calorie count (~170 cal/svg) and sugar (~7 grams) profile with improved fiber (4 grams) and protein (4 grams) content over traditional granolas.
Flavors: Coconut, Honey Almond, Oats and Honey, Peanut Butter.
Retail Price: $0.99 (single-serve granola bags), $1.49 (granola bars), $7.49 (large granola bags)
Where To Find It: B Good Grainola and Grainola Bars are available at Central Market, Whole Foods Market (regionally in Dallas), Walmart, and direct through BGood.co. Local retailers carry their products in East Texas.
Click on the right arrow above for a slideshow of images.
Ecomended Zero-Waste Lifestyle
Ecomended is a one-stop-shop where you can find zero-waste, eco-friendly, affordable, and sustainable products for your cool and conscious lifestyle. From housewares to health and beauty, Ecomended products run the gamut from vegan dental floss and wheat-fiber travel cutlery to shampoo bars and artisanal soap. Their shampoo bars are hand-poured in-store at their brick-and-mortar shop in Arizona and come in a variety of adorable shapes.
Click on the right arrow above for a slideshow of images.
Somebody’s Mother’s Gourmet Dessert Sauces
Award-winning producers of gourmet dessert sauces, Somebody’s Mother got its start in Houston in April 2005 when founder Lynn Lasher decided to teach her three children how to start a business “and, more importantly, how to take matters into their own hands and to assume responsibility for their own financial wellbeing.”
Chocolate, caramel, praline, mocha, white chocolate — in coffee, on ice cream and fresh fruit — however you do your dollops, this is some yummy sweet stuff.
The name of the company and the philosophy behind it are something I relate to. As Lasher explains on the Somebody’s Mother website: “Generally speaking, mothers are almost never validated or recognized, much less compensated. They do it instinctively. They love instinctively and they make sacrifices on a daily basis. That’s the main reason we started using quotes about mothering, or parenting, on the jar lids of our products. We have 36 now and I love to see the jars askew on the shelf because I know that means someone is looking for just the right quote which, if not recognition, at least seems to give everyone a little chuckle.”
Click on the right arrow above for a slideshow of images.
Zincuta Ointment
I’ve always been a sucker for ointments in little metal tins. Even if I didn’t have psoriasis, I’d have been excited to get this old-fashioned-looking skincare product. Zincuta’s Ointment — “a specialty skin cream that brings relief and heals skin afflictions, including chafes, burns, sunburns, abrasions, raw sores, insect bites, psoriasis, eczema, poison ivy, and more” — is actually both old-fashioned and modern.
Inspired by the works of Dr. Josiah C. Case (1865 – 1930), the new formulation is the work of herbalist Donna Penney, who researched the good doctor’s original and lovingly formulated a completely new version of Zincuta.
Click on the right arrow above for a slideshow of images.
Dr. Segal’s Compression Socks
You don’t need me to tell you that sedentary confinement impacts muscles and circulation and causes leg fatigue and swelling. Anyone who has flown or sat for long uninterrupted hours at a desk knows what I’m talking about.
Compression socks can help, and they need not look like you raided your grandpa’s laundry basket or dressed yourself in a Walgreen’s Pharmacy aisle.
Dr. Segal’s compression socks are enough of a fashionable alternative that they made it into O, the Oprah magazine. Combining medical technology with style and design, Dr. Segal’s makes an everyday collection as well as medical compression and diabetic socks.
Wish I’d had some of these when I was pregnant!
I gave a pair to my mom, who appreciated having a sassy-looking pair of socks to deal with some mild swelling in her legs.
Dr. Segal’s socks have more than style going for them:
- Breathable cotton blend instead of nylon
- Wide-top comfort band to prevent pinching, chafing, and rolling down
- Antimicrobial and silver-ion wash for odor and stain protection
- Terry cushioning in the toes and heels for extra comfort
- Flat-felled seam construction for no lumps or bumps
Seeing my mom’s legs up on her recliner in a pair of these bad boys gave me as much pleasure as pulling a pair on my own tired legs and feet.
