VEGGIE BITS

Make Way for Meatballs!

Who has time to make vegan meatballs from scratch when the mood for pasta or a veggie sub sandwich hits? Thanks to Nate's Brand, you can just pop a few of these frozen orbs into the microwave and then straight into your mouth. All three varieties — Classic, Savory Mushroom, and Zesty Italian — are so delicious and convenient that even most non-vegetarians will want their meatballs meatless from now on.

For more information, write to Nate's parent company, Elena's Food Specialties, Inc., at 405 Allerton Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080, or call them at (650) 871-8700. Visit the company online at their website, <www.elenasfoods.com>.

Looking for Adventure?

Healthy Adventure, Inc., is a vegetarian vacation company that specializes in natural health and fitness. They offer travel to destinations like the Virgin Islands and the Florida Keys with the opportunity to experience island excursions, yoga and meditation, outdoor sports, health lectures, cooking demonstrations, and wonderful vegan, vegetarian, and living foods cuisine. To learn about their upcoming itineraries, visit their website at <www.healthyadventure.com> or call (561) 626-3293.

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag!

Cooler Couture makes fashionable oversized purses that can handle all of a woman's daily essentials. The totes are made from a cruelty-free material that looks and feels like textured black or cocoa leather. Another appealing quality is the removable insulated interior pouch that holds whatever the carrier would like to keep cold, including lunch, snacks for a plane, baby bottles, medication, and more. What better way to stay cool than with this ultra-hip and humane bag?

Write to Cooler Couture at 129 17th Place, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, or call the company at (310) 569-2954. Their website is <www.coolercouture.com>.

Good Karma Takes Frozen Desserts to Heavenly Heights!

Good Karmaä offers an incredible line of frozen desserts and novelties that are all organic, vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free, and kosher. Sure, their Rice Divine rice cream comes in Pints of Very Vanilla and such, but who wouldn't head straight for uncommon flavors like Banana Fudge, Carrot Cake, Coconut Mango, or Mudd Pie? Their Sundae Cups — available in Strawberry Swirl and Vanilla Fudge Swirl varieties — come with four 4-ounce cups to a pack, perfect for a quick snack or dessert. Plus, their 3-ounce Chocolate Covered Bars, frozen rice cream bars on sticks available in either Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chocolate varieties, are fabulous right out of the freezer. Best of all, these offerings are so sweet, rich, and creamy that they are indistinguishable from even the finest of their dairy counterparts. Just one taste of these divine treats, and you will definitely find yourself in seventh heaven!

Contact Good Karma Foods at 441 Beaver Street, Suite 201, Sewickley, PA 15143, or phone the company at (800) 550-6731. More information about these products and a list of retailers that carry them is available at <www.goodkarmafoods.com>.

Get Back to the Garden with Lavender Hill Dressings

The popularity of edible flowers dates back to the Victorian age, and they have experienced a renaissance with today's renewed focus on raw cuisine. Now, Lavender Hillä Foods has introduced a line of vinaigrettes made with organic varieties of these culinary blooms. The flowers add a different delightful twist to the dressing's four distinctive varieties — aromatic Lavender French, peppery Orange Nasturtium, tangy Pomegranate Hibiscus, and sweet White Balsamic & Rose Petal. All are available in 8-ounce bottles for use on salads, as marinades or sauces, and much more.

Contact Lavender Hillä Foods at 1769 Old Wilmington Road, Hockessin, DE 19707, or via phone at (610) 444-2746. The company's website is <www.lavenderhillherbs.com>.

Earth-Friendly Fashion Finds

Earth creations' lightweight summer clothing epitomize eco-friendliness. Not only are their garments made from fabrics like hemp and unbleached organic cotton, but they are also dyed to rich, nature-inspired tones — such as charcoal, henna, lilac, maize, moss, and mud — using the permanent staining ability of clays found throughout the United States. Just a few of their offerings include tanks, sweaters, and activewear for women, onesies for infants, and T-shirts for the entire family.

Earth creations' items are available at co-ops and natural products stores nationwide and through the company's website at <www.earthcreations.net>. Or contact earth creations, inc., at 3056 Mountainview Way, Bessemer, AL 35020, or via (800) 792-9868.

Satisfying Your Snack Attacks

Soy Jerky is some of the best-tasting meatless jerky on the market. This convenient, flavorful food is available in eight varieties, including peppery Cajun Chick'N, tantalizing Teriyaki, and of course, the savory classic Original. You will not regret getting your hands on one (or more) of these 1.5-ounce packages today!

Contact Soy Jerky's parent company, Tasty Eats, Inc., at (302) 236-7503. Visit <www.tastyeats.com> to buy online or to find retailers that carry these products.

Toys that Spark Imaginations and Still Sustain the Planet

Hazelnut Kids is a family-owned-and-operated business in Michigan that offers a huge array of toys made solely from natural and often organic materials. Among their unique products are more than a dozen wooden push toys for toddlers, wooden vehicles and playsets, blocks, organic cotton dolls and stuffed animals, vegetarian foods and supermarket items, rubberwood musical instruments, and bamboo board games. Although the company specializes in items for infants through kids up to age 6, there are board games that will appeal to older children and even adults. Plus, the company promises that one tree will be planted for each item purchased.

To view Hazelnut Kids' catalog, visit <www.hazelnutkids.com>. You may also call (888) 869-1901 or e-mail [email protected] for further assistance.

You'll Want to Fête the Makers of This Magnificent Soy Feta!

Many vegans probably never thought they'd see the day when they could enjoy a robust Greek salad or an authentic artichoke dip. Sunergia Soyfoods has branched out from its flavored tofu line to offer an organic, vegan Soy Feta cheese alternative. And if the mere news of a vegan feta wasn't exciting enough, the fact that it comes in three flavors — Lemon Oregano, Mediterranean Herb, and Tomato Garlic — will send many running to the nearest health foods store!

Write to Sunergia Soyfoods at P.O. Box 1186, Charlottesville, VA 22902, or call the company at (800) 693-5134. More information is available on their website, <www.sunergiasoyfoods.com>.

Mediterranean Delights Brings Hummus and Salads to Homes and Food Service Users Alike

Mediterranean Delights' products will tempt even those who don't usually go for Middle Eastern cuisine. Unique offerings include certified-organic hummus in flavors like Avocado & Lime and Chipotle Pepper and their famous Frummus — fruit-infused hummus in Apple Cinnamon, Cranberry Almond, and Peach Mango. Plus, their 10 new prepared salads, which include Vegan “Chicken” Tempeh, Crunchy Barley, Wheatberry Cranberry Orzo, and Cous Cous Confetti varieties, are destined to become staples in many vegetarian homes.

Mediterranean Delights offers lots of choices for food services that are looking to add some exotic cuisine to their menus. With many hummus flavors, all of their Frummus varieties, falafel, tabouleh, and prepared vegan salads available in large sizes, your patrons will never become bored with their choices!

For more information, write to Mediterranean Delights at P.O. Box 749, Saxtons River, VT 05154-0749, or call the company at (802) 869-3533. You may also want to visit the company's website at <www.mediterraneandelights.com> to learn more about their products or to find a retailer near you that may carry them in their stores.