Veggie Bits

Baseball season is in full swing, and many of you may be wishing that someone would finally manufacture adult-sized vegan baseball gloves. Well, Carpenter Trade Company has come to the rescue! You can now purchase made-to-order vegan baseball gloves, including catcher's mitts, from this vegetarian-owned business located in Cooperstown, NY, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Carpenter gloves are lightweight and used by several Major League Baseball players. The standard rate for a custom-made glove is $250. For further information, visit www.carpentertrade.com, or call the company at (607) 264-8133.

Top Your Summer Salads with Delicious Dressings and Vinaigrettes from Organicville

Organicville makes an entirely vegan line of delightfully tangy-and need we say organic?-dressings that will add life to any salad that you toss this summer. Made with traditionally-aged vinegars and expeller-pressed oil blends, these lively vinaigrettes are available in nine varieties-Herbs de Provence, Miso Ginger, Olive Oil & Balsamic, Orange Cranberry, Pomegranate, Sesame Goddess, Sesame Tamari, Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic, and Tarragon Dijon.

Contact Organicville at 1200 65th Street, Suite 107, Emeryville, CA 94608, or call (510) 655-2011. Or you can visit their website at www.organicvillefoods.com.

Andean Odyssey Customizes
Vegetarian-Friendly Tours

Whether you've always wanted to visit the Galapagos' famous turtles or climb Machu Picchu, Andean Odyssey can arrange the perfect tour for you! The company can create a program that includes all vegetarian or vegan meals and a customized tour through Bolivia, Ecuador, or Peru with your choice of cultural activities, wildlife watching, and other South American attractions. Call Andean Odyssey at (886) 978-2011, or visit their website at www.andeanodyssey.com/veggie.htm.

Dorset Cereals Makes Muesli
Heavy on the Fruit and Nuts

Dorset Cereals is a British family-owned company that makes a delectable line of whole grain- and dried fruit-laden cereals. Among their mouth-watering varieties are Deluxe Muesli with oat and wheat flakes, raisins, dates, and sunflower seeds; Luxury Banana & Apricot Muesli with banana chips; and Luxury Triple Nut & Raisin Muesli with brazil nuts, almonds, and roasted hazelnuts. The company also produces several flavors that earn the 'super' in their names-Super Blackcurrant & Cherry Muesli with chewy fruit, Super Raisin & Date Cereal with toasted coconut, and Super Cranberry, Cherry, & Almond Cereal. All varieties are vegan, GMO-free, and certified kosher.

Additional information is available at the company's website, www.dorset-cereals.co.uk. Look for these products at Whole Foods, Wegmans, and supermarkets across the country. You can also purchase them from their U.S. distributor, Bisme LLC, at www.bismellc.com. Their address is P.O. Box 26583, Tampa, FL 33622, and their phone number is (813) 289-5231.

Making Peanut Butter Better!

No longer are your peanut butter options limited to creamy versus chunky! Peanut Better has created the most flavorful family of certified-organic peanut butters around. Liven up your marinades and pasta sauces with their Savory varieties, which include rich Hickory Smoked, Onion Parsley, savory Rosemary Garlic, super-hot Spicy Southwestern, and Thai Ginger & Red Pepper. Or add their Sweet flavors-Cinnamon Currant, dark Deep Chocolate, Peanut Praline, ultra-delicious Sweet Molasses, and Vanilla Cranberry-to shakes, smoothies and desserts. They also make great spreads for sliced fruit and even for pancakes or waffles. And you can still use all Peanut Better flavors to make sandwiches, too!

Peanut Better products are available at Albertson's, SuperTarget, Whole Foods, and many specialty stores throughout the country. For more information, write to Peanut Better, Inc., at 9410 De Soto Avenue, Unit G, Chatsworth, CA 91311, or call the company at (818) 709-9958.Their website is www.peanutbetter.com.

Baby Food for Thought

The founders of Homemade Baby thought that it was so challenging to find wonderful organic dishes for their three young daughters that they decided to start developing some themselves. The result? A line of age-specific infant cuisine that was too good to keep under wraps.

Made from 100 percent organic ingredients, Homemade Baby products are slow kettle-cooked, puréed, and immediately packaged in individual eco-friendly containers to be shipped to your front door. Their So Smooth varieties give babies from six to eight months a choice of Just Apples, Just Pears, Just Squash, or Just Peas, all of which are made with only that featured item. Good Mushy introduces 9- to 12-month-olds to Squapples, made of organic squash and organic apples. And toddlers can enjoy two flavors-Yummy Yammys with sweet potatoes and lentils and Baby Tex Mex with brown rice, kidney beans, and vegetables.

Visit the company online at www.homemadebaby.com to order or to join the Yummy Tummy Club for frequent customers. You can also contact Homemade Baby Consumer Relations at 10335 West Jefferson Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232, or by calling (800) 854-8507.

Fantastic Foundations for Your Pizza Creations

If you love the aroma of baking Italian bread wafting through your home, then the Rustic Crust Company has created some ready-made pizza crusts just for you. Their 12-inch, Old World-style flatbreads are hand-formed from whole grain flours and guaranteed to stay fresh in your pantry for as long as four months without preservatives. Two varieties, Classic Sourdough and Tuscan Six Grain, are vegan, and both bake to a flaky crisp in only 10 minutes. Then, voilà! Healthy, homemade pizza!

Write to the Rustic Crust Company at 31 Barnstead Road, Pittsfield, NH 03263, or call their offices at (603) 435-5119. You may also visit their website at www.rusticcrust.com.

Frozen Falafels Will Make
Mediterranean Meals a Breeze

Made from chickpeas, vegetables, and spices, falafel has long been a popular food among cultures bordering the Mediterranean, and Mount Olive Falafel now offers an alternative to making these delights from scratch with two handy frozen varieties. Simply pan-fry their Falafel Patties until crunchy, and you have the basis for a wrap or a pita bread sandwich. Or add some tahini to a platter of their Falafel Sticks, and you have an ideal appetizer!

Contact Mount Olive Gourmet Foods, Inc., at 1212 South Fifth Avenue, Suite H, Monrovia, CA 91016, or call the company at (626) 574-2011. Their website is www.mountolivefoods.com.

Newman's Own Adds Organics

Newman's Own has expanded its family of vegan products to include an array of organic foods. Their offerings include fresh produce, such as carrots and pre-packaged salads; dried fruits; olive oil and balsamic vinegar; and several snack items, including Pretzels, 94% Fat-Free Pop's Corn, Fig Newmans, and all Newman-Os cookies.

Contact Newman's Own Organics at P.O. Box 2098, Aptos, CA 95001 or (831) 685-2011. A full list of their vegan products and a list of retailers near you are available at www.newmansownorganics.com.

Vegetarian Camp in Vermont Offers Bonding Activities for All

Common Ground Center, a nonprofit organization that aims to strengthen diverse families and communities, has a vegetarian camp on 700 acres near Lewis Creek and the Hogback Mountains in Vermont. Each August, Camp Common Ground hosts a series of week-long, intergenerational programs focused on music and the arts, the healing arts, and outdoor exploration. In addition, their facility, which includes program space and housing for as many as 100 people, is available for rent from mid-May through mid-October. To learn more about what Common Ground has to offer, visit their website at www.cgcvt.org or contact their office at (800) 430-2011 Monday through Friday.