Weekly Wrap-up: Your Custom Cookie Flavors
Hi Friends, how was your week? Any fun plans for this weekend? I’m thinking about making these mini cashew cream fruit tarts for a going-away party on Saturday. I’ll have to let you know how it goes.
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Moving on – it’s weekly wrap-up time! This week we had some great feedback on Facebook and Twitter when we asked, “If you could have your own custom-flavor cookie, what would your request be?” Here are some of my favorite responses (did your suggested flavor make the list?):
- White chocolate and macadamia nut with caramel drizzle on top
- Peanut butter with chocolate chips
- German- or black-forest chocolate cake
- Green tea coconut
- Vanilla buttercream
- Key lime
- Chocolate peanut butter
Do you have any others to add to the list? Maybe a flavor just for Father’s Day?
Join the discussions, post pictures, and tell us what you’d like to hear more about on our Facebook and Twitter pages, today! Have a great weekend everyone!
Harness the Power of Sunshine: Make Sun Tea!
The days are longer now, and since it finally stopped raining, my deck is getting long hours of sunshine and that’s making me think of sun tea. 
Herbal tea steeped in the sun is one of my favorite summertime treats. Although many tea companies make specific tea bags for use in sun tea, you don’t actually need special tea. I prefer herbal varieties of fair-trade tea like Allison’s tins of Rooibos Earl Grey and After Dinner Mint Tisanes. I find that black or green teas become bitter when made this way.
Making sun tea is simple. Fill a large glass jar with cold water and 6-8 fair-trade tea bags or the loose leaf equivalent. 
Secure the lid of the jar tightly and place it in direct sunlight for several hours, shaking once or twice. I usually start sun tea in the morning and leave it in the sun all day. If it’s too strong you can always dilute it. Somehow it feels like the power of the sun filters into the tea and makes it especially delicious. After your tea has steeped, strain out tea bags or loose tea leaves, dilute and sweeten to taste, then place in the refrigerator or add ice to chill. Sip and Enjoy!
Fun in Allison’s Kitchen
Last week Allison and I had some fun in the kitchen making a special batch of gourmet cookies for Allison’s father-in-law’s birthday. She called them “Stephen’s Special Ginger Cookies,” so I initially thought we were making something like gingerbread or gingersnaps. But no, these cookies were like nothing I’ve ever had and they were outstanding! Imagine vanilla cookies (think chocolate chip cookies minus the chocolate chips) but as part of the wet ingredients we added several tablespoons of fresh ginger juice. Allison custom-made these sweet, spicy and delicious cookies just for Stephen and I’ll bet he’s enjoying them right now. Although it can sometimes be hard to find perfect gifts for people we love, I have to say, it’s hard to go wrong with gourmet cookies!
Question: If you could have your own custom-flavor, what would your request be?
Green Graduation Gifts
We’re nearing the end of the school year and that means it’s graduation time! Whether they’re graduating from High School or earning their PhD, hard-working and eco-conscious scholars everywhere will be delighted to receive
gourmet coffee gift baskets from Allison’s Gourmet this spring. Finding products that are vegan, fair-trade and organic is one of the biggest changes you can make to go green, and with more and more young people becoming aware of how what they consume effects animals and the environment, your green-mindedness won’t go unnoticed. With a gourmet coffee gift basket your graduate will know that you’re proud of their hard work and that you respect their commitment (and your own) to compassionate green living while also enjoying delectable organic sweets!
Chocolate for Men
Pssst…I know a secret: Moms aren’t the only people who love chocolate! Believe it or not, Dad’s like chocolate, too! 
Although they may not admit it as freely as some women I know, most men really do love good chocolate. Father’s Day is coming up in a few short weeks, and while you’re thinking of father’s day gift ideas, give chocolate some consideration. We think dads might especially enjoy our peanut butter cups, pecan brownies and cherry almond bark.
Okay, but what if your dad really doesn’t like chocolate? We have some excellent non-chocolate father’s day gift ideas too. Check out our spiced peanut brittle, chocolate chip pecan cookies and our aromatic selection of fair-trade coffee.
