As the trend towards living in high density housing has become the norm, most of us are not able to have much of a flower garden let alone grow vegetables, yet we crave fresh, sustainable food choices.
Founded in 2009 by two friends during their last semester at UC Berkeley, Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora, were inspired to turn waste into wages after a lecture about potentially growing gourmet mushrooms entirely on recycled coffee grounds. After successfully producing a bucket of mushrooms in the fraternity kitchen, Back to the Roots was born.
The Back to the Roots grow-at-home mushroom kit allows you to produce up to 1.5 pounds of Oyster Mushrooms in a box in your kitchen - all in 10 days. Each self-contained "garden" will produce multiple crops (at least 2 but sometimes up to 4) and all you have to do is open the box, mist it twice a day (mister included) and enjoy. The soil inside is made from 100% recycled coffee grounds so it's safe and sustainable. Take a look at this infograph that shows the sustainable cycle:
We discovered the Mushroom Garden at Well Seasoned in Langley for $29.99.
CONTEST ALERT!
One lucky reader will win a Back to the Roots Mushroom Kit from Well Seasoned. To enter, post a comment on this editorial. Winner will be announced on Friday, May 11th.
One of the best things about gathering a few friends together for a wine and appie party is the cheese. There are hundreds of beautiful cheeses to enjoy, however, with so many choices it's almost impossible to know what variety to choose off the cheese plate.
Put an end to the cheese guessing game with Ceramic Cheese Markers by Petite Maison. Beautifully embossed with a lovely scroll design, the markers come in a set of 6 complete with a dry erase pen. Simply write the name of the cheese on the marker and put it into the block of cheese. The marker wipes off with a damp cloth and it ready to use next time. We think the Cheese Markers look lovely and would perfectly compliment your cheese and grape plate - complete with the Grape Shears we featured earlier this week.
We discovered these Ceramic Cheese Markers at Kitchen Therapy in Grandveiw Corners in South Surrey for $21.00.
In homage to the 84th annual Academy Awards, we here in the Stimuli offices felt inspired by the old Hollywood glamour of the red carpet and, of course, this year’s Best Picture winner, The Artist when we stumbled upon these lovely nickel plated Grape Shears.
With the popping of corks and tinkle of crystal these delicate scissors would make a lovely gift for the host and hostess at your next soirée. Exclusive to Chapters Indigo, these scissors are been designed to snip off small sections of grapes for guests. So, for your next gathering, dig out your grandmother's old cut crystal bowl, fill it with plump red table grapes and impress your guests with the simple elegance these Grape Shears provide.
As a little side note, these Grape Shears are currently on sale for $30 and come with a gift box.
Do you love cheese? Discover your inner cheese maker!
Canadian gal Ella Kinloch does and the Lotsa Mozza Cheese Making Kit from Make Cheese Inc., is the result of her decision to pursue her interest. This all-in-one kit contains everything you'll need to make fresh Mozzarella and Ricotta in 30 minutes in your own home! That's not all...the kit includes enough ingredients to make mozzarella 30 times! No wonder they call it Lotsa Motsa.Inside you'll find: a recipe, rennet, citric acid, salt and cheese cloth. And we put some special attention into our hand crafted packaging.
We love the packaging too. If it's a gift, the old-fashioned mailbag tag allows you to write the recipients name on it: It's perfect for a housewarming present or Christmas gift.
Remember, the only thing not included is the thermometer but you can pick one up at your specialty store (range 80F to 200F approx.).
HAPPY CHEESEMAKING! You are going to love this kit as much as we do. It is available exclusively at Well Seasoned for $34.95
If that’s not enough for you why not make your own POUTINE! Just makes us want to start singing Oh Canada
This kit is called Proud Poutine because, like many Canadians, the girls at Make Cheese are proud of this invention. It's nothing short of a kitchen miracle: Poutine in your own home.
The kit includes enough supplies for 9 servings of Poutine which translates to only $2.10 per serving. The kit includes:
- Recipe Booklet (each batch makes 3 servings of cheese curd)
- Gravy Packet (10 servings of authentic St. Hubert gravy)
- Mesophilic Culture
- Rennet Tablet (Vegetarian)
- Cheese Cloth
- Salt
Be the first to make poutine for your friends! Also available at Well Seasoned for $34.95.
One lucky Stimuli Magazine reader will win a Lotsa Mozza Cheese Making kit courtesy of Well Seasoned. To enter, post a comment on this editorial. Winner will be announced on Friday, November 25, 2011.
Is there anything better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter's day? We think not. It's even more enjoyable when the soup is homemade. Not only is it healthier, as homemade souls have a lower sodium content and no preservatives, they are also much tastier! However, making soup from scratch can take more time and effort than we'd like. Until now, that is.
Cuisinart has created the all-in-one Blend and Cook Soup and Beverage Maker. This handy little multifunctional machine sautés, cooks and blends homemade soups and sauces right in the jar. All you do is add in your pre-cut, fresh ingredients and the machine will sauté and blend it together and keep the soup warm until you're ready to serve it. With three temperature settings, four blending speed plus a stir function, the Cuisinart Blend and Cook Soup & Beverage Maker ensures your culinary creation will be the perfect consistency.
This truly versatile machine is also a high-performance blender and is great for crushing ice, whipping up cocktails and making smoothies.
The Cuisinart Blend and Cook Soup & Beverage Maker is available at major retailers including Canadian Tire ($199.99), The Bay (Reg: 219.99 on sale for $175.99) and Bed Bath & Beyond for $199.99 and it's also available through the Airmiles program by redeeming 1,950 airmiles.
