March 2007
In this issue, you'll find:
- From Our
Desk to Yours...
- Favorite
Photo
- Almond Butter
Treats
- Green Opportunities
- New Retailers
- Spreading
the News About Almond Butter
- What Works...Success
Stories
- Featured
Web site: www.grassrootsinfo.org
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From Our Desk to Yours...Reminders
REPLACEMENT PARTS: If you've experienced problems with your dip
lids and haven't had a chance to order replacements, please click
HERE
for ordering information. We apologize for the inconvenience and
thank you for your continued support! We are committed to providing
high quality products that are built to last.
VEGAN
LUNCHES: Whether you're vegan or not, these great photo galleries
will inspire! Check them out!
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Got a favorite
photo to share?
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- seared ahi tuna with field greens
- mandarin orange with dried cherries and raisins
- cucumber and bell pepper salad
- broccoli pesto on whole wheat pasta
"This lunch was a collective meal made by my brother, my boyfriend,
and me." |
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The main dish is sashimi grade, wild caught ahi tuna that we seared
on both sides. We put it on a bed of mixed greens and covered it
in a sauce made from soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, and sesame
oil. We topped it with slices of avocado and sesame seeds. The side
dish is a broccoli pesto on whole wheat pasta. The pesto sauce has
steamed broccoli, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, olive oil,
and a little bit of Parmesan cheese. The vegetable side dish is
red bell pepper and cucumber with a light coating of a dressing
we made from blue cheese, brie, yogurt, and olive oil. The dessert
is a mixture of fresh orange, dried cherries, and raisins.
After we ate the meal, I packed my brother this lunch in the
bento box I got him for Christmas. He works as a computer programmer
and often goes out for all his meals. I thought the gift would encourage
him to start making more food and bringing it to work. It has!
I'm studying nutrition, but my main interest in general is just
food. I am really interested in pretty much all aspects, from nutrition
to preparation to the politics of food. Your bento box is an awesome
way to make a sustainable, portable lunch as well as one that is
just aesthetically pleasing.
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"I get your monthly newsletter with pictures of other peoples' lunchbox
creations, which inspired me to take a few pictures of some of my
own. You guys made a cool, cool thing!"
--Alissa Sobo
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Barney
Butter Oatmeal Cookies
These
cookies are wheat-free, packed with protein, and contain less saturated
fat than regular cookies because most of the butter is replaced with
a healthier non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening. Chocolate Chip
Cookie Variation: omit the cranberries, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir
in lots of semi-sweet chocolate chips instead - my husband's favorite!
(From Jennifer Barney) |
- 1½
cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1
cup granulated sugar
- ¼
cup butter (room temp - not melted)
- ½
cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (such as Spectrum Organics)
- 3
eggs
- 1
jar Barney Butter
- 1
tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2
teaspoons baking soda
- ½
teaspoon almond extract
- ½
teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2
cups oat flour
- 2 cups oats
- cranberries
- 1 tsp. each cinnamon & nutmeg
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| 1.
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Heat
oven to 350°F.
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| 2.
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In
the bowl of an electric mixer combine brown sugar, granulated sugar
and shortening; beat at medium speed until well blended. |
| 3.
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Beat
in eggs. |
| 4.
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Beat
in Barney Butter, corn syrup, and extracts. |
| 5. |
In
a separate bowl sift the oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
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| 6. |
Add
the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl while on low until well combined.
Remove from mixer. |
| 7. |
Stir
in oats and cranberries. |
| 8. |
Drop
3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until just
beginning to brown. Cool on baking sheets; transfer to cooling racks.
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Sesame
Almond Pasta
- 1/4 cup smooth or crunchy almond
butter
- 2 Tbs. soy sauce
- 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 carrot, julienned
- 8 oz. whole wheat rigatoni
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Makes 4
servings
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| 1.
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Boil
the pasta until cooked but not mushy, strain, and rinse in warm water.
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| 2. |
In
a bowl, mix the almond butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. |
| 3. |
Pour
the almond butter mixture over the cooked pasta and mix until creamy. |
4.
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Add
the scallions, carrots, and cabbage. Toss.
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Almond
Butter, Banana, and Sprout Sandwich
A
chef told me about this combination, and I must admit at first I was
skeptical, but once I tried it, I was hooked! This sandwich is best
assembled on the spot so the bananas don't get brown. (From Jennifer
Barney)
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- Spread Barney Butter on a slice
of whole grain bread cut in half and pack it in the large container.
- Pre-slice a banana length-wise
and wrap it back up in the peel. Pack the banana and the sprouts
separately in the medium containers.
- When it's lunchtime, simply open
up the sandwich, pile on the sides, and munch away!
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Green Opportunities
Some
earth-friendly tidbits that have landed in our office in recent weeks...
- UPDATED
SEAFOOD WATCH – The Monterey Bay Aquarium has just
released its 2007 Seafood Watch pocket guides, with several
changes from the version that’s probably in your wallet
now. They've included more specific recommendations that
have come from a closer look at open ocean longline fisheries
around the world. For tuna, mahi mahi and swordfish, they
have specified the type of gear -- and in some cases the
country of origin or ocean basin. They've also included
U.S. farmed barramundi as a “Best Choice.” To see the details
or to download a new pocket guide, visit www.seafoodwatch.org.
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- EARTH
DAY SIGNAGE –
Earth Day is April 22nd, but why not make every day Earth
Day? AwarenessIDEAS.com has been providing earth day awareness
posters, handouts, decals, gifts, incentives and other awareness
items in support of Earth Day for years. With the "Earth
Day, Every Day" campaign, they're helping promote healthy
Earth-saving habits every day. Visit their Web site at www.awarenessideas.com/Earth-Day-Every-Day-s/159.htm.
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- BEST
GAS? –
Oil companies are notorious for polluting air and water,
contributing to global warming, destroying wilderness, exploiting
workers and much more. It's easy to find ways to cut down
on the amount of driving we do, but going completely "car-free"
isn't possible for many of us. If you're looking to purchase
gas from the companies that follow the best environmental
practices, check out the Sierra Club's oil company rankings
at www.sierraclub.org/sierra/pickyourpoison.
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- GET
THE MOST OUT OF YOUR APPLIANCES! –
Appliances account for about 20 percent of a household’s
annual electricity use. Since most of our nation’s electricity
is generated from fossil fuels (such as coal and natural
gas), which contribute to global warming and air and water
pollution, replacing older appliances with more efficient
Energy Star-rated models can go a long way toward reducing
your environmental impact. However, these appliances are
only as efficient as the person using them. To find out
how you can improve the efficiency of your current appliances,
visit the Union of Concerned Scientists Web site at www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips.
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- FIX
IT OR NIX IT –
Need help deciding what to do with
your old electronics? The Consumer Reports "Greener
Choices" Web site offers tips for repairing and upgrading
computers, cell phones, and TVs. Save money and reduce landfill
waste by following their step-by-step recommendations at
www.greenerchoices.org/electronicsrecycling/el_whatyoucando.cfm.
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New
Retailers
Visit www.laptoplunches.com/retail.html
for a complete list of retailers.
Want to see Laptop Lunches at a store in your neighborhood? Email us at
info@obentec.com, and we'll give them a call.
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Jennifer
Barney: Spreading the News About Almond Butter
Looking
for an almond butter that's as creamy as creamy peanut butter, doesn't
separate, and doesn't need to be refrigerated? Check out Barney
Butter at www.barneybutter.com.
Barney Butter was created by Jennifer Barney, a mother, entrepreneur,
and Laptop Lunch user. She began making the delicious spread--one
jar at a time--in her Fresno California home. Her friends, family
and the neighborhood kids all loved it and wanted more, so Jennifer
decided to start supplying Barney Butter to a much larger audience.
Jennifer's Barney Butter contains no trans fats or hydrogenated
oils and is high in calcium, magnesium, vitamin E, and iron. Tammy
had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer a few weeks ago.
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| Tammy:
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Hi
Jennifer. First of all, what's Barney Butter? |
| Jennifer: |
Barney
Butter is an all-natural no-stir almond butter. It comes
in both Smooth and Crunchy. |
| Tammy: |
What
makes almond butter a better choice than peanut butter? |
| Jennifer: |
Almond
butter is more nutritionally dense than peanut butter
and has less saturated fat. While peanut butter and almond
butter are both high in protein, almond butter is significantly
higher in calcium, iron, magnesium, Vitamin E and fiber.
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The new USDA Dietary Guidelines (www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/report)
reveal that most American adults do not consume enough vitamin A,
C,and E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. Most children do
not get enough vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber
in their diets. A one-ounce serving of almonds, (or two tablespoons
of almond butter) is specifically identified in this report as a good
source of 4 out of 5 nutrients for children and 4 out of 7 for adults.
Watching our intake of saturated fat is essential because cardiovascular
disease is the #1 killer of Americans today. Almond butter, with less
than half the saturated fat of peanut butter, can help reduce the
risk of heart disease.
For a nutritional comparison of almond butter vs. peanut butter and
an American Heart Association Journal Report on the positive effects
of eating almonds, visit www.barneybutter.com/nutrition.htm.
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| Tammy: |
What
makes Barney Butter different from other almond butters on the market? |
| Jennifer: |
No-stir means that Barney Butter does not separate like other almond
butters. No oil to stir back in also means no need to refrigerate,
making Barney Butter easier to spread. I am often asked why it doesn't
separate like the others. Unlike conventional peanut butters which
use hydrogenated oils to achieve stabilization, Barney Butter contains
a small amount of palm fruit oil to gain the same effect. Palm oil
from the fruit of the palm often gets confused with palm kernel oil,
which is highly saturated. Palm fruit oil has a balanced fatty acid
composition and is cholesterol free. It is easily digested, absorbed,
and available for energy by the body unlike it's synthetic counterpart:
partially hydrogenated oil, or trans fat.
Barney Butter also has no grainy texture or speckled appearance, and
has a better roasted almond taste. This is because Barney Butter is
the only almond butter made exclusively from California-variety blanched
almonds. I source my almonds from local growers whom I know and trust.
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| Tammy: |
What
inspired you to develop and market Barney Butter? |
| Jennifer: |
I
wanted my children to eat almond butter instead of peanut butter because
it's better for them. I
was unhappy with the taste and texture of the almond butters I found
at the store, so I began experimenting with homemade almond
butter. I wanted my kids to be able to grab it on their own and spread
it on fruit or veggies for a snack without a big fuss, so I started
to research how to make it shelf stable after opening without compromising
on natural ingredients. |
| Tammy: |
Where
does the name 'Barney Butter' come from? |
| Jennifer: |
The
kids in our neighborhood spend a lot of time playing together. When
I first started making almond butter, they would inevitably get some
for a snack. Pretty soon friends and neighbors were trying it. They
started calling it Barney Butter, and the name stuck.
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| Tammy: |
What's
the biggest marketing challenge you face? |
| Jennifer: |
The
two biggest challenges for Barney Butter are distribution and brand
awareness. The consumer food business supply chain model favors large
supermarket chains and multi-national food conglomerates. Small family
farms and entrepreneurial food manufacturers like Barney Butter are
at a distinct disadvantage in a system biased towards high volume,
low cost producers. It also stifles creativity and innovation in the
food industry, often at the expense of quality and nutrition. Today's
system with distributors, brokers, merchandisers and sales reps taking
a cut, doesn't leave much for the grower/manufacturer. The system
ultimately leaves the consumer with fewer, lesser quality choices.
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| Tammy: |
Where
can our readers buy Barney Butter? |
| Jennifer: |
Barney Butter is available on our Web site at www.barneybutter.com
and here in California at specialty and gourmet stores like Whole
Foods Markets in Northern California, Draeger's and Piazza's on the
Peninsula, Shopper's Corner and Bruno's on the coast, and Watson's,
Sam's Deli and Bentley's in the Valley. A complete store listing is
available on our Web site. |
| Tammy: |
Describe
your perfect lunch. |
| Jennifer: |
It's
been so cold in Fresno lately, and I've really be craving Jim Beecher's
version of Killer Shrimp over rice. Mmmm, the spicy broth really hits
the spot, and it's best if you eat it piping hot, so I would definitely
pack it in the large lunch jar. There's lots of versions of Killer
Shrimp, but his is the best. I'd top that off with a couple bites
of dark chocolate, letting the last bite melt in my mouth as slowly
as possible. |
| Tammy: |
Describe
your children's favorite lunch. |
| Jennifer: |
Miles' favorite
is rotelle pasta with chicken sausage in tomato sauce packed in
the Small Lunch Jar.
Maddy likes
a salad of winter greens and croutons with the croutons packed on
the side so they don't get soggy and Caesar dressing in the dip
container. Maddy also prefers to build her own cheese, salami and
3-seed cracker stacks over a regular pre-made sandwich any day.
Cami likes chicken pesto pasta made with homemade pesto and in the
wet food container she likes applesauce. My mother-in-law taught
me how to make incredibly good basil pesto from her garden basil
and freeze it in single servings for a year's supply. Now I do it
every year and I can't live without it.
Chloe wanted to say Top Ramen (!) but I told her she couldn't pick
something that I don't serve. "Just kidding, Mom." Her real favorite
is none other than Barney Butter sandwiches made with either jam,
honey, or bananas and sprouts!
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What
Works...Success Stories
"I
just want to thank you for making such a wonderful product! I'm in college
and spend a great deal of time on campus during the week. I used to have
only a few choices for lunch: bring a sandwich or yogurt or settle for
an expensive (yet convenient) lunch at the food court at $5-6 a pop. I
absolutely love my Lunch Date! I've been eating healthier foods that I
prepare at home, have been saving a TON of money, and I've been reducing
waste all at the same time. A lot of my friends and professors have been
asking about my Laptop Lunch, and I've been directing them all to your
Web site. Thanks again for making such a wonderful product and awesome
newsletters!"
--Kara
Strawn, Mount Pleasant, MI
"I
pack lunches for my "big" boy - my husband of 30 years - who
works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. I've been sending
his lunch in a plastic grocery bag - very aesthetic ;-) When I saw your
Laptop Lunch System on Rachael Ray's new daytime show, I knew it would
be perfect for him. Now it looks like he's got 2 laptops (very techy,
going along with all the techies at JPL)! Better than a plastic grocery
bag containing his lunch!"
--Amy
Putnam, Sierra Madre, CA
"The
Laptop Lunchbox is terrific. I carry meals everywhere for my kids because
of food allergies, and this makes it so easy and convenient to take food
wherever we go. My kids love the containers and the cool carry bag. The
lunchbox gives inspiration to be creative with my children’s lunches,
and they always come home empty. I am amazed at how much easier it is
to pack a lunch with this instead of using plastic bags. It saves time
because the containers are all in one place. All I have to do is fill
them. It saves money because I am no longer throwing away plastic bags
and single use containers. Thanks for a great product!"
--Angela,
Illinois, POCHA of Will County Food Allergy Support Group
Do
you have a success story or photo to share? Email it to us at newsletter@obentec.com.
Featured
Web Site: http://www.grassrootsinfo.org
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Grassroots
Environmental Education www.grassrootsinfo.org
is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about
the links between common environmental exposures and human health.
Their mission is to cultivate a broad-based understanding of environmental
issues in order to bring about positive and lasting change. They
strive to shape opinion by developing materials and programs that
bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding.
Their goal is to empower individuals and groups to act as catalysts
for change in their own communities.
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Learn
more about...
- Common
Exposures
- Kids
and Toxins
- Lawn
Care
- Programs
- Educational
Tools
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April Highlights
Healthy
Twists on Old Favorites, Green Opportunities, and Tips for Making Healthy
Lunches!
©
March 2007 Obentec, Inc.
849 Almar Ave., Suite C-323
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-457-0301
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to use this copyrighted material. For more information, contact Obentec,
Inc. by email at info@obentec.com
or by phone at 831-457-0301, or visit their Web site at http://www.obentec.com.
Reprint permission granted with this full notice included."
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