Product Review: Infused Spreads

I love artisanal, handcrafted products because in addition to knowing exactly where they come from, you can taste the love and passion that goes into the creation of them. Today, I'm reviewing Infused Spreads, a local company specializing in the time-honored art of preserving. Inspired by traditional methods of preserving, Infused Spreads offers an impressive line of handmade fruit butters, jams, jellies, ketchup, infused vinegars and more. 

I discovered Infused Spreads at a local farmer's market. The array of products made my mouth water. It was nearly impossible to choose between the delectable-looking offerings with equally enticing names like White Pumpkin & Rosemary Fruit Butter, Cucumber Ginger Relish, and Pineapple Horseradish Vinegar. After several agonizing moments of contemplation, I purchased the Plum Lavender Jam and Sweet Potato Pie Butter.

Infused Spreads Plum Lavender Jam & Sweet Potato Pie Butter

I couldn't wait to get home to taste my new finds. I made a few quick biscuits (with Bisquick which is amazing in an of itself) and in minutes, I found myself in Heaven--alternating between indulgent bites of biscuit with the jam and the fruit butter.

The Plum Lavender Jam has a rich, bold fruity flavor--the plums fresh, ripe and juicy and the lavender prominent, sweet and herbaceous. The Sweet Potato Pie Butter was superb--tasted just like sweet potato pie--had a great consistency and just the right amount of spices. SUBLIME!!!

Emem of Infused Spreads busy with customers at the market

But, if you know me, you know I don't plan to stop at the conventional use of the jam and butter. IF I can keep these goodies away from a certain family member, who shall remain nameless, I plan to experiment--maybe use the Sweet Potato Pie Butter to make a savory pasta sauce with fresh basil and aromatic spices or use the Plum Lavender Jam to make an Asian-inspired dipping sauce for spring rolls or grilled shrimp. Hmmm, the possibilities are endless!

I didn't think to ask the owner, Emem, if she ships her products but she is very nice and approachable so if you're interested, contact her to find out. I guarantee it will totally be worth the effort. I'm giving Infused Spreads 5 hearts! ♥♥♥♥♥

Rave: Island Coconut Coffee by Green Mountain Coffee

Are you old enough to remember those little rectangular-shaped coconut cookies they used to sell back in the day? They were flat w/horizontal fork lines in them and were sold two for a penny? A lot of corner stores and penny candy stores sold them. They'd put the cookies in a brown paper bag--it seemed like a million of them for a quarter--and by the time you got home, the oil from the cookies had seeped through the bag. They were without a doubt the best coconut cookies I've ever had!

I am rather advanced in age so maybe the memory of those cookies has been romanticized by the mind of the wide-eye little girl I was at the time but I've never forgotten those crisp little beauties and every time I smell coconut I think of them.

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a cup of Island Coconut coffee by Green Mountain Coffee and it tasted exactly like the coconut cookies from my childhood! I stood there stunned...silently thanking God for creating man (or woman) who created this amazing coffee blend. I don't believe I've ever met anyone who loves coffee as much as I do and as much as I love it, I'll be honest and say I don't know enough about coffee to properly review it. I'll just say that it was one of the best flavored coffees I've ever had--and that is saying a lot! In fact, I love this coffee so much I felt it warranted a full blog post to hail it's greatness.

Here's how they describe Island Coconut coffee it on the Green Mountain Coffee website:

"Indulge your senses with this delightfully fragrant, tropical taste treat. We've captured the lush aroma of freshly grated coconut – fruity, fresh, exotic – and blended it with the subtle sweetness of a lightly-roasted, Central American coffee. The result is as refreshing as it is unexpected. "

Island Coconut Coffee

...Blah, blah, blah...if you say so. All I know is I never want to be without this coffee...lol. From what I understand it is a seasonal product offered only in spring and customers are pleading with the company to sell it year round. Consequently, it is not currently available on their website. I found a few people selling it on Ebay--but only in K cups/pods. I prefer to make my coffee in a full pot so I haven't purchased one of those single-cup coffee brewers. If you like flavored coffees and happen to see this coffee at a supermarket or specialty store, try it. I'm on the hunt to find more of this stuff--hopefully I can find bags instead of the pods...wish me luck!

WFM Pumpkin Cheese Muffin...

Went to Whole Foods yesterday to have lunch with a friend (Hi Freddy!).  We had the yummiest sweet and sour meatballs and all sorts of goodies from the fresh salad bar.  I also bought a pumpkin cheese muffin that I took home.  The muffin was HUGE and my intent was to eat part of it last night and finish it for breakfast this morning but one bite into the moist, sweet, spicy treat caught me off guard.  It was sooooo good I ate the whole thing--right then and there.

This morning I awoke with that muffin on my mind and decided I would go back to the store to get another one.  I mean how bad could it be?  It was baked in a gluten-free Whole Foods bakery with unbleached flour and no artificial sweeteners, colors, etc....so it's all good, right?  Well, I told dh about the muffin and while he was out running errands today he picked up four more muffins for me.  Yaaay...I'm now having a "moment of silence" for the WFM pumpkin cheese muffin.  I won't post a picture because that would be cruel.  Sorry you're not here to share them with me.