Morano Gelato, New Hampshire

Every once in a while, you discover a gem where you least expect it.

Morano Gelato, in Hanover, NH, is one of those discoveries.

It is no secret that I love ice cream, froyo, and other frozen desserts.  I eat them daily.  In my hometown of Lebanon, NH, I have my go-to place for ice cream: Dairy Twirl, as I adore soft serve ice cream, and soft serve is just not something we have much of on the west coast.  I've tried everywhere else around town, like the more economical soft serve at Ice Cream Fore-U or the froyo at Swirl & Pearl, but in the summer, Dairy Twirl is my common destination, and I only go elsewhere if I happen to really dislike the weekly flavors at Dairy Twirl, or I'm sick of the standards vanilla and black raspberry.

Well, all of this used to be true.  Until I discovered Morano Gelato.  It isn't in Lebanon, but is in the town next door, a bit of a trek from my parent's house.  Unlike the aforementioned soft serve shops, it is open year round.  And they don't have soft serve, rather, they serve house made gelato.

At this point, I know this still doesn't sound very interesting.  "Sure, you can get frozen dairy products in the winter if you drive 25 minutes, you can get those at the grocery store too!", is perhaps what you are thinking.

Let me cut the chase: Morano Gelato makes the best gelato I have ever had in the US (Sydney still has better gelato).

I remember the first time I visited my family, soon after Morano Gelato opened.  The hype all around the small town was huge.  I didn't believe it.  How would a little gelato shop in New Hampshire really even be worthy of consideration?  Sure, they have options like Nepalese (Basecamp Cafe) and Indian (Taj-E-India) too, that doesn't mean they are good.  The gelato would likely be no different: novel to the locals, but not actually very good.

And then I had Morano Gelato.

Seriously.  Best gelato.  Not that I'm a gelato expert, but, if you look it up, you'll find legit critics who are gelato connoisseurs, and they too will tell you this is the best gelato in the United States.  Yup, in Hanover, NH.

The story behind it?  The owner grew up in Hanover, moved to Italy, worked in gelaterias, and decided to move back and introduce us to real gelato.  She started by selling just at the local farmer's market, and, well, was more than successful.  Within 8 months, she had a storefront.  2 months later, she expanded.  The next year brought further expansion, more seating.  3 years later, she franchised, now with 2 other locations.  All this, since 2010.  Success, and for good reason.

Gelato and sorbet at Morano are made fresh every day, starting at 8am, 12 or so varieties, and they change daily.  Flavors are categorized into "Classics", "Chocolate", "Fruit", "Traditional", and "Nut", and they make over 200 flavors total.  You can find out what they are serving every day via social media.  If you arrive earlier in the day, not all options may be available.  Same if you arrive late, as they aim to sell out of all of it every day.  2pm is the sweet spot.

The menu also includes espresso drinks, but, gelato is what it is all about.

Small.

I do not have reviews of all the visits I made in the 7 years that Morano was open.  I took some brief notes, on some visits, but mostly didn't take extensive notes, nor did I plan on reviewing it.  But some aspect don't require notes.  They are just so memorable.

First, the texture of the gelato.  This is what sets Morano apart.

Just looking at the above photo, you can probably see how the consistency of the gelato is just amazing.  Soft, smooth, creamy, rich, light as air, perfect, really.  Served at the proper gelato temperature, warmer than ice cream.

The texture of this gelato really is a thing of wonder.  I had never experienced anything like it before my first visit to Morano, and, still haven't.

Second, the dark chocolate gelato.  I'm not a chocolate ice cream type, but, the dark chocolate at Morano is like the best chocolate mousse ... turned into soft perfect frozen dessert.  It is soo intense, so rich, and just amazing.  It is best served with another flavor, like, hazelnut or another nut flavor, and you can combine bites of pure magic.

I also dug up an e-mail I sent a local friend, when I went in December, 2011: "My mom and I went the other day, and ZOMG it is still amazing!"  I think that sums it up well.  Every single time I visited my family, Morano Gelato was on the "must do" list.  At least once.  Even in the depths of winter.  It was a place is worthy of a detour.

Outside Seating.

The space had seating inside and out, but when I first visited, inside seating was virtually non-existent.  It didn't matter, people were happy to stand on the sidewalk with their treats.

Catering: Cioccolato al Latte Gelato, Citrus Sorbet, Fior di Latte Gelato.

Sometimes, my job is "hard".  Like when I'm asked to do a recruiting event at Dartmouth, e.g., "go visit your home town, on us", and host an ice cream social, e.g. "go eat ice cream".  I wasn't even responsible for any logistics, I just had to get myself there, and attend.

The plan, per the organizer, was to pick up ice cream from the grocery store.  I quickly suggested that we get gelato from Morano instead, and, the host agreed to my suggestion (and, luckily, Morano does catering).

We were provided with 3 flavors (one of which was a sorbet to accommodate non-dairy), in big tubs.  These were not the flavors I would have picked, as they were all a bit ... boring.   Clearly, intended for mass appeal. But still, this is amazing gelato.

Cioccolato al Latte (Milk Chocolate) 
I'm not generally a fan of chocolate ice cream/froyo/gelato, so the milk chocolate wasn't a favorite for me.  It was creamy, smooth, nice mild milk chocolate, but not the flavor I'd ever pick.  (The dark chocolate on the other hand ... swoon.  More on that soon).  ***.

Citrus Sorbet
Sorbet is not my thing, but I tried the citrus sorbet, for completeness.  It was ... fine.  Creamy, good citrus flavor, but, still, sorbet, and citrus is not a flavor I actually like in my desserts. **+.

Fior di Latte (Sweet Milk)

Fior di Latte is at least more interesting than vanilla, but is still fairly plain.  The thing is, this gelato is so good it doesn't matter.  No toppings, plain flavor, and it is still amazing.  The texture.  I just can't get past how smooth and perfect it is, even when served as catering. ***+.

Classic Flavors 

• Crema Fiorentina (Vanilla Custard with Citrus):  very creamy, lovely texture, but the flavor was lacking, no depth nor distinguishing flavor.  ***.
• Tahitian vanilla: great flavors from rose and saffron, soft, great consistency. ***+.
• Salted Caramel: pretty good, both salty and sweet.  ***+.
• Malted milk: meh, just there, no real distinct flavor. ***.

Chocolate Flavors:

• Cioccolato al Latte (Milk Chocolate): creamy, ok chocolate flavor. ***.
• Cioccolato Fondente (Dark Chocolate): so intense!  This was incredible, in both flavor and texture, like rich, airy chocolate mousse.  My favorite.  Goes great paired with a nutty flavor like hazelnut. ****+.  [ Other notes: The dark chocolate and hazelnut are always winners, particularly if you get them together.  The dark chocolate is insanely intense on its own but it is fantastic with the hazelnut (if you like nutella sorta things). - Dec 2011 ] [ Dark chocolate one was still insane actually, so intense" - June 2012 ]
  

Fruit Flavors:

• Passionfruit: I don’t like passionfruit flavor!  I like passion fruit, the real fruit, but this, like many things passionfruit flavor, tasted fake.  **.
• Blueberry: great soft consistency, but flavor not very intense. **+.
• Raspberry: great soft consistency, very strong raspberry. Not my thing, but well made.  ***.

Traditional Flavors: 

• Zuppa Inglese (English Pudding with Sponge Cake): Boozy, creamy, pretty good.  ***+.
• Zabaione (Marsala Wine Custard): nice flavors, complex. ****.

Nut Flavors 

• Nocciola (Hazelnut): Very good, good hazelnut flavor.  Goes great with dark chocolate.  One of my favorites. ****.
• Mandorla (Almond): Good almond flavor, tiny chunks of nuts, really nice. ****.
• Pistachio (Sicilian Bronte Pistachio): chunks of pistachio, great flavor.  One of the more intense flavors, really truly tastes like pistachio.  One of my favorites. ****+.

Other:

• Maple: not nearly as maple flavored as I’d like, very sweet. ***.
• Coconut Cream: bits of coconut in it, very rich, almost too sweet though, but good mixed with chocolate. ***.

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Taste of Nature

"Founded in 1992, Taste of Nature, Inc is a rapidly growing candy and snack food manufacturing company whose fun and innovative products may be found on store shelves nationwide."

Hmm, if Taste of Nature has been around that long, and is on store shelves nationwide, why ... haven't I heard of it?  After all, I certainly like candy and snacks ...

Easy answer: they distribute under a slew of other company names, including Mrs. Fields® Cookies (which I've reviewed before), and many more.  But this review is focused on one particular product line: the cookie and brownie bites, usually found in movie theater concession stands and the like.

"Candy is the sweet treat everyone loves to eat. We manufacture a large selection of your favorite candies like Cookie Dough Bites (with real milk chocolate), Muddy Bears, Sqwigglies, a wide variety of gummi candies, and many more favorites like cotton candy, hard candies, and caramels. We have what you need to keep a well-stocked stash of bulk candy for events, vending or a retail store."

I've encountered these in both individual branded boxes, or bulk bins in candy stores.   I was impressed enough that I looked the company up, as I wanted to find out what else they made!

Fudge Brownie Bites.

"Bite-sized fudge brownie pieces covered in creamy milk chocolate."

"Bite-sized fudge brownie morsels covered in rich and creamy milk chocolate."

ZOMG THESE ARE DELICIOUS.

Do I need to tell you more?  Ok, fine.

The milk chocolate coating was creamy, thick enough coating to really taste it, but not too thick that you don't enjoy the glorious insides.  Because what is inside is fabulous.  Soft, sweet, sugary, brownie bites!  Almost like cookie dough, but, brownie.

I thought these were shockingly good.  Munch on them by the handful, throw on top of an ice cream sundae (or I bet they'd be great on soft serve or froyo),  add them to a trail mix, whatever.  It was hard for me to get past "open box, direct to mouth", but, they'd be great to put into/onto things if you can restrain yourself enough to do it.

Great flavor, great texture, just, awesome.  I could easily devour an entire container of these in moments flat.

****+.

Cinnamon Bun Bites.

"Delicious bite size cinnamon bun pieces in a creamy white chocolatey coating. Fresh from the oven taste — everytime!"

"Little morsels of toothsome vanilla-cinnamon goodness in a luscious frosting coating."

After the success of the brownie bites, I eagerly, but cautiously, moved on to cinnamon bun bites.  I do love cinnamon buns, so these sounded pretty fantastic.

The cinnamon bun bites were equally delicious to the brownie bites.  Same form factor, but white chocolate coated, and cinnamon-y.  I loved the texture again, and the sweetness was great because it prevented me from eating too many at a time.

Again, I suspect they'd be great mixed into soft serve ice cream or froyo, or used on a sundae, or any other place, but, by the handful worked plenty well for me.  I'd love to make a mix with both the brownie bites and these, and balance it out with some salty popcorn ...

****+

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Petit Pot

Pudding, pudding, pudding.  Glorious pudding.  One of my favorite desserts, so much so that my blog even has a label devoted to it.  I obviously had my eyes on Petit Pot, a local pudding maker, from their early days.

"France knows a thing or two about decadent desserts, and Petit Pot offers all of that delicious tradition in a convenient, petite jar. This delightful dessert is naturally gluten free and made with the best organic, local ingredients. With reusable jars and sustainable packaging Petit Pot is a treat you can feel good about enjoying."

At first, Petit Pot was fairly hard to find, definitely struggling to carve out this niche of higher end pudding.  Ok, not even pudding, it is french style, pot de creme.  Compared to the industry standard shelf-stable Snack Packs (which, sometimes can be quite satisfying!), these require refrigeration, but do have a shelf life of close to 1 month (!).  Eventually they were offered through Good Eggs and Munchery, and then ... they really took off, and became available at Whole Foods. 

I watched the product line expand to include more flavors, introduce a vegan version, offer up cookies for a while ... and now, I think they have stabilized on pretty solid product, for when you want your pudding just a touch less fake tasting, but don't want to prepare it yourself.  The rice pudding remains my favorite.

Pot de Creme

"Let’s talk about pudding for a second. Why? Because this is not some gelatinous powder-in-a-box pudding. This is a delightful blend of age-old French pastry practice with modern California culinary flourishes. We made all the sweet, velvety goodness of crème with the decadence and consistency of custard for a delicious, single-serve treat that’s potted to perfection. Now, all you need is a spoon."

The ingredient list for these puddings is really quite simple: milk, cream, skim milk, sugar, pectin, and salt.  This makes sense, as, well, that is all you need for pudding, but I expected to see more stabilizers, preservatives, etc.  I don't quite understand how they can have a month long shelf life if really just made with the same ingredients I would have in my kitchen.  Does that mean my pudding could keep for a month too?

Petit Pot makes 4 standard varieties (vanilla, chocolate, salted caramel, lemon cream), along with seasonal specials (yup, pumpkin spice, definitely a thing), and a vegan coconut milk version.  I've tried several.

The puddings come in little reusable glass jars.  I'll be honest: some of the draw for me to buy the pudding in the first place is so I can have more of the jars, such a great size.

Vanilla Pot de Creme.  $3.95.

"Nothing plain here. With Madagascar Vanilla and a rich texture, this work of art belongs in the Louvre."

The first flavor I tried was the simplest: vanilla.  Nothing fancy, but, pudding doesn't need to be fancy.

In addition to the base ingredients I mentioned above, the vanilla flavor has vanilla in two forms: vanilla extract and vanilla bean powder.  Nothing else.

Inside the jar: Vanilla.

I eagerly opened my jar of pudding, er, pot de creme.

It was ... fine.  A thick pudding, with visible specs of vanilla bean (from the powder?), and ok vanilla flavor.  But, really, nothing special.  I'm not sure what I was expecting though, vanilla pudding is, well, vanilla pudding.

I really wanted whipped cream, or some caramel to drizzle over, or something for some texture ...

Fine, but not particularly more awesome than say ... a Snack Pack.  Yeah, I said it.  ***.

Seasonal Special 2015: Maple Honey Pot de Creme. $3.95.

"Petit Pot made a special recipe just for you at Munchery to celebrate the holiday season! Made with organic milk and sugar, this Maple Honey pot de creme highlights the flavors of fall and is, of course, potted to perfection"

Next I tried one of the flavors developed just for Munchery, back when Petit Pot was a staple of their menu.  My choices were pumpkin or maple honey, and I was feeling a bit sick of pumpkin at the time, so I opted for maple honey, even though the idea of both maple and honey in the same dish seemed a bit unnecessary.

As with the vanilla, the ingredient list was simple, the same base ingredients, plus, you guessed it, maple syrup and honey.  Nothing else.

This one I liked more than the vanilla.  It was still very plain obviously, just the pot de creme, no texture from a crumble garnish, no whipped cream, no fruit compote, etc, but these things I could easily add.  It was also sweeter, which I guess you'd expect, given the honey and maple syrup.  However, I didn't taste maple nor honey really.  This was good in some ways, as they didn't compete, and just created a nice sweetness, but, I did also actually want to taste at least one of them, as I do enjoy both honey and maple.

The texture seemed a bit better too, firmer.  Certainly not "pudding", almost more like the consistency of a custard or flan.  I think this is because the recipe actually uses only egg yolks, creating a richer, custard-like nature?

Anyway, I enjoyed this, and quickly devoured my "petit" little pot.  If you wanted to jazz it up, I think some fresh sliced figs or a fig compote, or crumble gingersnaps would go quite nicely.

***+.

Seasonal Special 2016: Pumpkin Pie.

"Petit Pot made a special recipe just for you at Munchery to celebrate the holiday season. This traditional pumpkin pie recipe is now a pot de creme, spiced and potted to perfection!"

The next year, I decided to try out the pumpkin pie special. 

The flavor of this pudding was good, nicely "pumpkin spiced" with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, strong in the spicing, but not overwhelming, and balanced.  The pumpkin flavor was also good, it had real pumpkin puree in it.

But ... the texture was not.  It was gritty in a really strange way, I guess from the pumpkin?  It was also not as thick and creamy as I'd like.

So, good flavor, but not a winner for me overall.

**+.

[ No Photo ]

Dark Chocolate.

"Silky and decadent. Hello, ultimate treat. Elegant dark chocolate, creamy texture, and oh so French."

Last but not least, I tried the dark chocolate.  Another simple, classic pudding flavor.

It had a creamy, fairly light chocolate flavor, not too indulgent.  It tasted like what I always want a Snack Pack to taste like, aka, mild chocolate, no plastic aftertaste.

This didn't blow me away, but it was good.

***.

Riz Au Lait

"A delightful combination of naturally gluten free, organic and local ingredients, our Riz Au Lait is made to make your taste buds dance with joy. We hope that you enjoy every spoonful!"

After making only pudding for the first few years, Petit Pot expanded the line slightly, to include rice pudding.

I was thrilled, because I like rice pudding just as much smooth pudding, because I appreciate the texture.

It is available in only two varieties (for now? hint hint), classic vanilla and a non-dairy coconut milk version.  It is a winner, and I hope they keep it.

Ritz Au Lait.

"Creamy Rice Pudding with Madagascar Vanilla Seeds."

The Petit Pot jar changed shape slightly since the last time I ordered, now with a tapered neck, but otherwise, this was the same concept.  I really love these reusable jars, although this one was slightly less practical, as several of my spoons don't fit in easily!

I started with the classic vanilla.  Almost the same ingredients as the vanilla pudding, except a lighter offering, no egg yolk, since it isn't actually a custard.  And of course, with rice added.  Again though, simple ingredients (cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, sea salt), nothing scary in here.

Ritz Au Lait: Inside.

I was prepared to need to jazz this simple flavor up.  I expected that I'd need to sprinkle on some cinnamon, chop up some nuts perhaps.  I had strawberry compote ready to stir in.  Fresh fruit nearby.  Fresh whipped cream on hand.  I was ready to "save" it in whatever way I needed.

It looked, and sounded, too simple.

But I did try a spoonful straight from the jar first.

It was great.  Creamy, not too thick, not too runny, not gloopy.  Just right consistency. 

The rice was well cooked, not al dente, not mushy.  Again, just right.

The ratio of rice to pudding was perfect, slightly more pudding-forward than standard rice pudding, but I liked it that way.

And the simple flavor?  Yeah, it *was* simple vanilla.  But the vanilla flavor was deep, and the sweetness level was again, well, just right. 

I added some of the fresh strawberry compote because I had taken the time to get it ready to mix in, but honestly, preferred it plain. 

This item is perfect, just as it is (although I can imagine that perhaps I'd get sick of it if I had too many jars, and finally decide I want to add something to it).

It was gone far too quickly.  It *is* a "petit" little pot.  Certainly smaller than a normal serving of dessert for me, and I did need to follow it up with more dessert.  But if you are a normal human who cares about portion control and minor indulgences, at only 150 calories per jar, it really is quite reasonable offering.

****+.

Petit Box Cookies

Petit Pot expanded outside the pot to ... the box!  The box of cookies that is.  

"We adapted the famous French butter cookie (sablé) and fused fresh local flavors baked to a satisfying crisp. Garnished with a touch of Fleur de Sel, the most premium French sea salt, these tasty treats tickle your tongue with the perfect combination of savory and sweet."

They made three varieties (chocolate, vanilla, and lemon).  I received a box as a sample to try out.  These products didn't last all that long on the market though, and are no longer available.

Yes, a box!

Like the pot de creme isn't just "pudding", these aren't just "cookies".  They take a French spin, rather than a classic American cookie, more like a sablé.

Cookies Inside.

Each box contains 6 mini cookies, packaged into two batches of 3 each.

Inside the Box.

The box doesn't just give you cookies.  It also brings you entertainment.  Fun facts, games, and collector panels featuring different characters.  I'm not sure I really understand this, but, it was cute, and a surprise to see when I opened my box.  Do people really collect these?

Mini Chocolate Cookie.

By now you likely know that I don't actually like cookies.  Even fresh homemade ones.  Puddings I adore, but cookies ... yeah, never my choice.

But I still tried these, made with 70% dark chocolate.

And, for cookies, packaged ones at that, they were quite good.

Crazy buttery, as you'd expect from a sablé base.  Rich chocolate flavor, they really tasted like brownies.  Crumbly texture, very easy to break apart (and make a huge mess with).  I loved the little cocoa nibs inside (or maybe they were tiny chips?).  Whatever they were, they added a nice texture contrast and crunch.  I didn't taste the promised sea salt at first, but, then I found it on the finish.  It left a really nice flavor as an aftertaste.

So, overall, still cookies, still hard-style, packaged cookies, but great flavor and texture.

***+.

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Mira, Toronto

Today's review is going to be a first. You see, I visited Mira, a Peruvian restaurant in Toronto, with a group, during a business trip. I tried a slew of dishes. I took copious notes. I took mediocre photos. And then ... I got busy with the rest of the conference, flew back home, and ... somehow lost those precious notes.

Usually I just discard content when I have this happen (it does happen, fairly frequently, when I'm traveling for work and don't have time to write up posts).  But this time, instead, you'll just get a pictorial view.

Peruvian Feast.

I dined with a group of ... 7? or so.  Everything was served family style, so we got to try a variety of the menu.

Is Toronto known for its Peruvian food?  Um, no.  But we were able to make a large group reservation with short notice, it did get great reviews, and I was drawn in by the menu.  So, Peruvian feast it was.

I remember being quite fond of the many sauces, and textural elements on the dishes, and eating far more than my share of the desserts.  I think that means a successful meal?

Setting

Hard to find entrance.

One thing I don't require notes to remember ... how hard it was to find the entrance!  My group circled around the neighborhood unable to find it, until we finally discovered the back entrance.

Seating.

"The bar, with its smoky mirrors and dim lights sets the tone for a unique pisco cocktail list that stays true to its Latin American roots while providing familiarity through a classic cocktail lens. A true feast for the senses. Escape to Mira for the evening, tucked away in the heart of Toronto’s King West."

My group was seated at this vantage point, looking down over the rest of the dining room.  We were a fairly last minute reservation, and thus ... clearly got the worst seat in the house, located up a level from everyone else, adjacent to the door that was constantly opening with guests coming and going.  It was not warm outside, and the constant gusts of cold air were not exactly pleasant.

Open Kitchen.

We did have a decent view of the open kitchen, located on the same level as us.

Artwork.

The stairwell to get inside was dimly lit, but at least it had cool artwork?

Bathrooms.

I liked the ambiance on the bathroom level.

Food & Drink

"Mira finds its inspiration from the bold flavours of Peru’s culinary culture. The menu offers a creative and contemporary take on authentic dishes with wide selections of the freshest seafood and meats made into a variety of ceviches, tiraditos and anticuchos."

Menu.

The menu was broken down into Aperitivos, Ceviches, Antichuchos, Carne & Mar, and Acompanamientos.  We selected from most categories, but for those who don't want to make choices, a tasting menu is also available.

While I don't eat peruvian food often, I was pretty drawn in by many ingredients on the menu: purple corn.  octopus.  mango.  fluke.  yuzu kosho.  truffle. rocoto.  furikake. cassava.  plantains.  huitlacoche. And much much more, all ingredients I am fond of.  Many of my dining companions had no idea how to interpret the menu, being unfamiliar with most of it, so I ordered for us.

Complimentary Snack.

Once our orders were taken, a complimentary snack was brought out, seasoned crispy corn nuts.  I was pleased.

El Manana.

"Bourbon + amaro + grapefruit + lime juice + honey syrup + mint + grapefruit + angostura bitters."

To pair with what seemed like a bar snack, I went all in, opting for a bourbon based drink.

CEVICHES & TIRADITOS

Mira Ceviche. $19.

"Fluke + sweet potato + leche de tigre + criollo + cancha corn."

Tiradito Hiramasa. $22.

"Kampachi + jalapeño tigers milk + rocoto jam."

APERITIVOS

Pulpo.$22.

"Spanish octopus + red and yellow ají + purple potato."

Jalea Mixto. $22.

"Market fish + squid + scallop + pickled aji + criollo + yuzu ponzu."

CARNE & MAR

Pollo Inchacapi. $28.

"Cornish hen + aji panca marinade + peanut uchucuta + tamarind glaze."

Sudado de Pescado. $28.

"Branzino + chupe sauce + criollo + amarillo causa + plantain."

ANTICUCHOS

Salmon Teriyaki. $21.

"Ginger + green onion + yuzu kosho + soy beurre blanc."

ACOMPAÑAMIENTOS

Yucca Fries. $11.

"Lime huancaina + jalapeño huacatay."

DESSERT

Port.

Amor con Coco. $13.00.

"Three ways of peruvian chocolate + vanilla ice cream + candy stevia + amaranth crunch."

Mousse de Lúcuma. $13.

"Lúcuma mousse + passion fruit ice cream + caramel + coco nib + mango."

Cachangas Peruanas. $11.

"Crispy pastry + coconut ice cream + lulo sorbet + goose berry sorbet + candied papaya + dragon fruit."

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Nature's Path Toaster Pastries

"As pioneers of the organic movement, we believe organic food and farming is the best way to care for our bodies and for the planet."

Nature's Path is a brand of organic, fairly natural products, mostly breakfast items.  Over the years I've tried many products from Nature's Path, generally the cereals.  I do really like their Heritage Crunch (Heritage Flakes with bonus granola clusters!), but cereal never seemed blog worthy.

I recently tried their Toaster Pastries and was pleasantly surprised.  Enough to write this up.

Toaster Pastries

"Our toaster pastries let you snack happy knowing they are made with real fruit and always free from nasty preservatives and high fructose corn syrup."

Nature's Path makes toaster pastries in a variety of flavors.  The healthiest are the unfrosted basic fruity flavors (strawberry, blueberry, apple pie), all of which are also available frosted, but there are plenty of other more unique fruity frosted flavors available too (like cherry pomegranate, wildberry acai, and razzi raspberry), plus a couple more decadent sounding options (lotta chocolotta, Mmmmaple brown sugar, pumpkin pie).

While I wouldn't call these wholesome breakfast, they actually aren't awful for you, not loaded with chemicals like their Pop-Tarts counterparts.  ~200 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein (20 grams sugar) per pastry.  The first ingredient is wheat flour (whole wheat flour comes later), and next is cane juice.  No high fructose corn syrup, nothing too scary, actually.

I've tried several flavors now, liked them, and would try others flavors.

Frosted Buncha Blueberries Toaster Pastries.

 "Deliciously organic, frosted and naturally flavored with real organic sun-ripened blueberries."

I started with the "Buncha Blueberries".  I first tried a bite untoasted, to best evaluate.

It tasted kinda like a graham cracker with some blueberry jam on it.  A bit dry.  The amount of icing was meager.  These were clearly not Pop-Tarts.

"Meh," I thought, but put it into the toaster oven anyway.

Toasted!

It was much better when toasted.  I, uh, forgot to take a photo of the toasted one until I came up for air when I had almost finished the second one.  Ooops.

These do not taste like  Pop-Tarts.  Let me just get that out there.  If you want to taste a Pop-Tarts, this is not for you.  And, I'll admit it, I do like Pop-Tarts.

These are entirely different.  The crust tastes ... wholesome.  Healthy.  Sorta like a soft graham cracker.  Not like pasty chemicals like Pop-Tarts (that again, I, uh, do like).

The filling tasted like blueberries.  Sweet, fruity, a paste, yes, but again, not all chemical-like.  The icing was still pretty thin, but it was better when a bit melted and warmed up.  I'd still prefer more glaze, but, this added some sweetness that I enjoyed.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised.  These fit far more into the breakfast category than regular Pop-Tarts, and I wouldn't really be able to call them dessert unless I dunked them in whipped cream, or used them as cookies for an ice cream sandwich.  (Oh come on, you think this way too ... right?)

***.

Frosted Wildberry Acai.

"Frosted and naturally flavored with real organic sun ripened wildberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries." 

Next I moved on to the trendy sounding wildberry acai.  I was a bit skeptical given the mix of other things in there, particularly as the first fruit listed in the ingredients is apples.  Then raspberries, strawberries, etc. Acai powder falls near the end.

I didn't need to be worried.

Yes, these are a healthier style toaster pastry.  Whole wheat flour, and a slightly hearty taste to the shell pastry.  At room temperature, they do trend a bit too "oooh, yeah, that's trying to be healthy" end of the spectrum.  But once toasted?  Really not a problem. 

Toasted!

They toast up perfectly.

Warm pastry, crisp exterior, perfectly iced.  I loved how generous the icing was on these, but not overwhelming. 

Inside, a great fruity mix.  I would never identify these as acai, but, they were fruity and tasty, and quite enjoyable.  I'd gladly get these again.

****.

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Sweet Maple Confections

"Sweet Maple Candy is a manufacturer and distributor of world's best jawbreakers, pressed dextrose candies and gumballs. Their dextrose candies are known for their superior flavors and amazingly beautiful finish. Their product line also includes great tasting gumballs and jawbreakers in a variety of sizes and flavors."

Discovering Sweet Maple introduced me to a style of confection I didn't know the name of.  "Pressed dextrose candies".  Aha.  That is what hard sugary candies that are made out of basically just compacted sugar are called!  I had no idea.  Think Runts, SweeTARTS, that sort of thing.  And, Sweet Maple specializes in them.

I've tried several shapes and style, and I must say, I didn't know I liked pressed dextrose candies, but, apparently I do!

Silly Bananas.

"What a colorful candy assortment! Silly Bananas have the same fruity taste and pressed candy texture as Banana Heads, but you get a nice color mix of pink, orange, blue, green, and of course, yellow."

These were just fun to eat.  Really, just sugary and sweet and kinda fruity, and I'm pretty sure they all were the same flavor, but they were sooo hard and crunchy and actually just awesome by the small handful.

I know they don't sound special, but, I really enjoyed them (once I got over wishing the yellow ones were banana flavored like Runts).

****.

Flower Garden Mix Up.

"Sweet-tart and crunchy, these pretty posies are flower-fully delicious!"

The "Flower Garden" mix was similar, same texture that I really did like, sweet sweet sweet, and slightly tart.  Like a harder SweeTARTS.

Again, simple, but, quite enjoyable.  I liked the form of the Silly Bananas more for some reason though. ***+.

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Jittery John's Iced Coffee

When is the last time you had a flask ... of coffee?  If you are a fan of Jittery John's, perhaps your answer is "quite recently", but otherwise, this may be a bit novel to you.  It was to me.

"At Jittery John's, we make coffee. But not just any coffee, we make the richest, smoothest, strongest, most delicious-est Cold Brew Coffee that you can get this side of California."

Jittery John's is a local company, based in SF, that makes cold brew, and only cold brew.   Very concentrated cold brew.  They roast their own beans locally.

I mostly only see the signature espresso blend around town, but once I managed to find a single origin as well.  You can find Jittery John's in a few retailers around town, and on Good Eggs for delivery.  Always in a flask.  Believe me, it stands out on the shelf!

Espresso Blend.

"Dark chocolate and blood orange dominate the flavors of this blend of beans from Ethiopia and Guatamala. Our Espresso Blend is strong, yet very drinkable straight or with a splash of milk. Or Bourbon. You choose.   Enjoy a little something that looks sinister but is totally legit at 8AM. "

Well ... I liked the flask.  And now I have a lovely re-usable glass flask!

But, I didn't really like the product that much.

The coffee itself was fairly bitter, and really quite oily.  I decided to pour some into a glass with ice (I know, far less fun, but, I wanted to ice it, and water it down a bit to improve the flavor for me), and there was a pool of oil floating on top.  Eh.

I decided to try heating some up too, and that actually was more successful, although I'm sure the coffee maker would hate to hear this.  I mellowed it out a little and drank it, but I wouldn't buy this product again.  But I have a nice drinking vessel now!

**.

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Single Origin Colombian

"This light roasted Colombian coffee has a silky body, with plum and cacao flavors.  Our Single Origin cold brew changes seasonally to showcase the distinctness of each region."

The single origin cold brew (not an espresso blend like the other) was slightly less intense, but it too was dark, bitter, and oily.  I know they want it intense, and it is designed to be cut with water or milk, but ... the oils?  Perhaps this is just a style thing?  Regardless, it doesn't seem to be the style for me.

**.

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