Gourmet Goodness on the Go

Yummease will be closed for a short Maternity Leave.

2010-04-14T13:26:00.002-05:00

IF YOU DO NOT HEAR FROM US DURING THE TIME PERIOD OF APRIL 15 & MAY 16 within the 24 hours of you ordering or calling us, please be advised that the Yummease family might have had to close early in anticipation of the arrival of their newest member. We will contact you as soon as possible and we apologize for the delay.

We will be closed for orders May 2 - 16. We will not be returning phone calls or emails during that time.

Healthy Eating: Conference encourages tastier tactics

2010-03-31T13:27:00.001-05:00

Healthy Eating: Conference encourages tastier tactics

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Beware of the Agave Nectar Fraud

2010-03-31T10:22:00.002-05:00

Many people interested in staying healthy have switched to agave as a safer "natural" sweetener. They want to avoid well documented dangerous sweeteners like HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) but are unaware that agave is actually WORSE than HFCS.

So just what is agave?

Blue agave is an exotic plant growing in the rich volcanic soil of Mexico under a hot tropical sun, boasting a stately flower stem that blooms only once in its lifetime. "Agave" literally means "noble." It’s generally recognized as a superstar of the herbal remedy world, claiming to offer relief for indigestion, bowel irregularity, and skin wounds.

Ferment it, and you have Mexico’s favorite adult beverage -- tequila.

Just the name "agave" conjures up images of romantic tropical excursions and mysterious shamanic medicine.

These are the mental images agave "nectar" sellers want you to hold. They use agave’s royal pedigree to cover the truth that what they’re selling you is a bottle of high-fructose syrup, so highly processed and refined that it bears NO resemblance to the plant of its namesake.

What is the "Real" Truth about Agave?

If you knew the truth about what’s really in it, you’d be dumping it down the drain -- and that would certainly be bad for sales.

Agave "nectar" or agave "syrup" is nothing more than a laboratory-generated super-condensed fructose syrup, devoid of virtually all nutrient value, offering you metabolic misfortune.

Unfortunately, masterful marketing has resulted in the astronomical popularity of agave syrup among people who believe they are doing their health a favor by avoiding refined sugars like high fructose corn syrup, and dangerous artificial sweeteners.

And if you’re diabetic, you’ve been especially targeted and told this is simply the best thing for you since locally grown organic lettuce, that it’s "diabetic friendly," has a "low glycemic index" and doesn’t spike your blood sugar.

While agave syrup does have a low-glycemic index, so does antifreeze -- that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Agave syrup has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener -- ranging from 70 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent.

This makes agave actually WORSE than HFCS.

It is important to understand that fructose does not increase insulin levels, which is not necessarily good as what it does do is radically increase insulin resistance, which is FAR more dangerous. You see, it’s okay for your insulin levels to rise, that is normal. You just don’t want these insulin levels to remain elevated, which is what insulin resistance causes.

That is why fasting insulin is such a powerful test, as it is a very powerful reflection of your insulin resistance.

In addition to insulin resistance, your risk of liver damage increases, along with triglycerides and a whole host of other health problems, as discussed in this CBC News video about the newly discovered dangers of high fructose corn syrup. The study discussed in this news report is about HFCS, however, it's well worth remembering that agave contains MORE fructose than HFCS, and in all likelihood, it's the FRUCTOSE that is causing these severe liver problems.

How Agave is Grown and Produced Proves it is Unnatural

Agaves grow primarily in Mexico, but you can also find them in the southern and western United States, as well as in South America. Agaves are not cacti, but succulents of the yucca family, more closely related to amaryllis and other lilies. Edible parts of the agave are the flowers, leaves, stalks and the sap.

A mature agave is 7 to 12 feet in diameter with leaves that are 5 to 8 feet tall -- an impressive plant in stature, to be sure. There are over 100 species of agave, in a wide variety of sizes and colors.

Although the industry wants you to believe that agave nectar runs straight from the plant and into your jar, nothing could not be farther from the truth.

In spite of manufacturer’s claims, agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of its pineapple-like root bulb [i]. The root is comprised mainly of starch, similar to corn, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of fructose molecules.

The process by which agave starch and inulin are converted into "nectar" is VERY similar to the process by which cornstarch is converted into HFCS1.

The agave starch is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals [ii]. Here is a partial list of the chemicals involved:

Activated charcoal
Cationic and ionic resins
Sulfuric and/or hydrofluoric acid
Dicalite
Clarimex
Inulin enzymes
Fructozyme

How natural does this sound?

The result is highly refined fructose syrup, along with some remaining inulin.

Agave syrup comes in two colors: clear or light, and amber. What’s the difference?

Due to poor quality control in Mexican processing plants, some of the syrup gets burnt. Hence, the darker amber color. Of course, this poor quality control is marketed as an "artisan" variation, like amber beer, when in fact it contains higher levels of toxic impurities that arise from the sugar-heating process.

Impurities aside, agave "nectar" is neither safe nor natural with laboratory-generated fructose levels of more than 80 percent!

It is worth mentioning that some websites mention that a natural raw agave product does exist in Mexico, made from the actual sap of the agave, but availability is limited because it is so expensive to produce. By far, the vast majority of agave syrups offered commercially are not this unprocessed raw agave from the sap.

Sales are Sweet for Agave Companies and Bad for You and Your Family

Growing consumer resistance to HFCS has been a hole-in-one for the agave industry. Need a healthy alternative to those evil HFS products?

Agave syrup to the rescue!

In case you doubt the influence of marketing in setting trends and consumer buying habits, look at these statistics:[iii]

New agave products more than tripled in number between 2003 and 2007, from 56 to 176. Agave syrup is now appearing in products such as energy bars, cereals and organic ice creams.
Revenues for the category "other liquid sweeteners," which includes agave, rose to more than $10.3 million in 2007, which was a 50 percent jump from 2006.
McCormick & Co., a major food manufacturer, placed agave syrup in its "top 10 flavors" list for 2009.
Two of Mexico’s largest agave syrup manufacturers, Iidea and Nekutli, are sending increasingly large shipments of agave syrup to Germany, Japan and New Zealand due to growing global popularity.

Agave is also quickly crossing over from the health food market to mainstream grocery chains, restaurants and taverns, and consumers (especially vegans and raw food enthusiasts) are replacing their honey and maple syrup with bottles of agave after being duped into believing it’s a more healthful alternative.

The Myth of Agave as a "Healthy" Sugar Substitute

It’s important for you and your family’s health to remember that agave syrup is neither healthy nor natural.

As reported by Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health:

"Agave is almost all fructose, a highly processed sugar with great marketing."

Agave syrup is not low calorie -- it has about 16 calories per teaspoon, the same as sucrose (table sugar). The glycemic index is immaterial, once you understand the full extent of the risk this product poses to your health.

The consumption of high amounts of sugar is what is inflating America’s waistline, as well as escalating rates of diabetes, blood pressure and heart disease.

Although overall sugar consumption is definitely something to be concerned about, even more problematic is one type of sugar that wreaks extraordinary havoc on your body: FRUCTOSE.

And if you want fructose, agave products next to pure fructose, have the highest percentage of fructose of any sweeteners on the market, over 50 percent more fructose than high fructose corn syrup.

Why You Need to Understand Why Fructose is so Important

All sugars are not created equal, in spite of what you might have been told.

Glucose is the form of energy your cells were actually designed to run on. Every cell in your body, every bacterium -- and in fact, nearly every living thing on the Earth -- uses glucose for energy.

But as a country, regular cane sugar, or sucrose (50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose), is no longer the sugar of choice. It’s now fructose.

This happened in the 1970s as a result of technology that made HFCS far less expensive to produce. Believe me, it was NOT done for its health benefits. This was purely an economic decision.

Let me clear up any confusion here, as fructose is the primary sugar in most fruits. It isn’t that fructose is intrinsically evil -- it is just the MASSIVE DOSES you and your family are exposed to that makes it dangerous. Because it is so cheap and makes foods taste so much better, it is added to virtually every processed food.

There are two overall reasons fructose is so damaging:

Your body metabolizes fructose in a much different way than glucose. Fructose is broken down in your liver just like alcohol and produces many of the side effects of chronic alcohol use, right down to the "beer belly"
People are consuming fructose in quantities that are 400-800 percent higher than they were 100 years ago due to its pervasive presence in just about all processed foods

Fructose Turns to Fat and Makes You Fat!

Unlike fructose which is nearly exclusively broken down in your liver and is directly converted to dangerous fats. This is one of the reasons why fructose is the leading cause of obesity. However, only 20 percent of glucose is metabolized in your liver. This is related to the fact that nearly every cell in your body can directly use glucose as a fuel source, so it’s normally "burned up" immediately after consumption.

It is also important to understand that the fructose in fruits and vegetables is not the same fructose molecule you’ll find in synthetic high-fructose corn syrup, which is manufactured in the lab. Naturally occurring fructose comes along with fiber, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, whereas fructose sweeteners have no nutritional value at all.

Additionally it is actually attached to other sugars and molecules and needs to be broken down before it is absorbed which limits the damage it causes. In HFCS it is a free fructose molecule, just as the glucose. Because these sugars are in their free forms their absorption is radically increased and you actually absorb far more of them had they been in their natural joined state which would cause a higher percentage of the fructose to pass to the intestine unabsorbed.

But the menace of fructose doesn’t stop there.

Fructose also elevates your uric acid levels, which is actually more dangerous than elevated cholesterol levels as it causes chronic, low-level inflammation, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis and premature aging.
Fructose also "tricks" your body into gaining weight by fooling your metabolism -- it actually severely impairs your body’s normal appetite-control systems.
Excessive fructose rapidly leads to weight gain and abdominal obesity ("beer belly"), decreased HDL, increased LDL, elevated triglycerides, elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure -- i.e., classic metabolic syndrome.
Fructose metabolism is very similar to alcohol metabolism, which has a multitude of toxic effects, including NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Metabolically it’s very similar to drinking alcohol without the buzz.

Remember to RADICALLY Reduce Your Fructose

These biological changes are not seen when humans or animals eat starch (or glucose), suggesting that fructose is a "bad carbohydrate" when consumed in excess of 25 grams per day.

However, it is important to remember that because fructose is so cheap it is added to nearly all processed foods. So even if you are seeking to eliminate it from your diet you will EASILY exceed 25 grams per day because it is "hidden" in so many foods. This is made worse by the deceptive and lax labeling laws which frequently allow gigantic loopholes for agribusiness to include it in the product and not identify it.

Making matters worse, your body easily becomes sensitized to fructose.

Fructose activates its own pathways in your body—those metabolic pathways become "upregulated." In other words, the more fructose you eat, the more effective your body is in absorbing it; and the more you absorb, the more damage you’ll do.

You become "sensitized" to fructosr as time goes by, and more sensitive to its toxic effects as well.

Let me be clear that it isn’t fructose that is the problem -- but excessive fructose. And especially the concentrated amounts of fructose that your body was NEVER designed to process, such as what’s in HFCS and agave syrup.

Agave nectar is EVEN WORSE than HFCS because it’s even higher in fructose than HFCS (80 percent and higher), making it an even worse metabolic menace.

Other Reasons You Should Steer Clear of Agave

Poor Quality Control. There are very few quality controls in place to monitor the production of agave syrup. Nearly all agave sold in the U.S. comes from Mexico. Industry insiders are concerned that agave producers are using lesser, even toxic, agave plants due to a shortage of blue agave.
Pesticides. There are also concerns that some distributors are cutting agave syrup with corn syrup -- how often and to what extent is anyone’s guess. In addition, the FDA has refused shipments of agave syrup due to excessive pesticide residues.
Saponins. Agave is known to contain large amounts of saponins. Saponins are toxic steroid derivatives, capable of disrupting red blood cells and producing diarrhea and vomiting. There is also a possible link between saponins and miscarriage by stimulating blood flow to the uterus, so if you’re pregnant, you should definitely avoid agave products.
Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Some agave syrups contain a contaminant called hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, also called 5-hydroxymethyl furfural), an organic heat-formed compound that arises in the processing of fructose -- in both agave syrup and HFCS. HMF has potential toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects[iv]. HMF is EXTREMELY toxic to honey bees, which is a problem since commercial beekeepers feed HFCS to the bees to stimulate honey production when field-gathered nectar sources are scarce[v].
Nutrient Void. Agave syrup is not a whole food -- it is fractionated and processed, devoid of the nutrients contained in the original, whole plant.
Enzymes. Agave syrup is not a live food. The natural enzymes are removed to prevent agave syrup from fermenting and turning into tequila in your food pantry or cabinet.
Addictiveness. Agave is, for all intents and purposes, highly concentrated sugar. Sugar and sweeteners wreak havoc on your health and are highly addictive.

What are Acceptable Alternatives to Agave?

If you are craving something sweet, your best bet is to reach for an apple or a pear. And if you give yourself a sugar holiday for even a couple of weeks, you will be amazed at how much those cravings will decrease. But be sure and count the grams of fructose and keep your total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day as you are sure to consume plenty of "hidden" fructose in the other foods you will be eating.

You can use the table below to help you count your fructose grams.

Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose

Limes 1 medium 0

Lemons 1 medium 0.6

Cranberries 1 cup 0.7

Passion fruit 1 medium 0.9

Prune 1 medium 1.2

Apricot 1 medium 1.3

Guava 2 medium 2.2

Date (Deglet Noor style) 1 medium 2.6

Cantaloupe 1/8 of med. melon 2.8

Raspberries 1 cup 3.0

Clementine 1 medium 3.4

Kiwifruit 1 medium 3.4

Blackberries 1 cup 3.5

Star fruit 1 medium 3.6

Cherries, sweet 10 3.8

Strawberries 1 cup 3.8

Cherries, sour 1 cup 4.0

Pineapple 1 slice
(3.5" x .75") 4.0

Grapefruit, pink or red 1/2 medium 4.3

Fruit Serving Size Grams of Fructose

Boysenberries 1 cup 4.6

Tangerine/mandarin orange 1 medium 4.8

Nectarine 1 medium 5.4

Peach 1 medium 5.9

Orange (navel) 1 medium 6.1

Papaya 1/2 medium 6.3

Honeydew 1/8 of med. melon 6.7

Banana 1 medium 7.1

Blueberries 1 cup 7.4

Date (Medjool) 1 medium 7.7

Apple (composite) 1 medium 9.5

Persimmon 1 medium 10.6

Watermelon 1/16 med. melon 11.3

Pear 1 medium 11.8

Raisins 1/4 cup 12.3

Grapes, seedless (green or red) 1 cup 12.4

Mango 1/2 medium 16.2

Apricots, dried 1 cup 16.4

Figs, dried 1 cup 23.0

If you feel you must have a sweetener, here are a few guidelines to follow:

Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners.
Avoid agave like the plague.
Limit sugar of all types as much as possible. You can buy pure glucose (dextrose) as a sweetener for about $1 per pound, which has none of the adverse effects of fructose if used moderately. It is only 70 percent as sweet as sucrose, so you’ll end up using a bit more of it for the same amount of sweetness, making it slightly more expensive than sucrose -- but still well worth it for your health.
Use raw, organic honey in moderation or avoid it completely as it is 70 percent fructose which is higher than HFCS. However the fructose is not in its free from so that moderates the damage. But each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose so you will want to carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) and keep them under 15 grams per day.
Use regular stevia in moderation, but avoid stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and PureVia because they have undergone more processing.
Lo Han is another excellent natural herbal sweetener.
Exercise can be a very powerful tool to help control fructose in a number of ways. If you are going to consume fructose it is BEST to do so immediately before, during or after INTENSE exercise as your body will tend to use it directly as fuel and not convert it to fat Additionally exercise will increase your insulin receptor sensitivity and help modulate the negative effects of fructose. Lastly exercise will also help to blunt your appetite and control your sweet tooth.

If you have insulin issues, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you’re overweight, I suggest you avoid all sweeteners, including stevia, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity.

[i] Morell SF and Nagel R. "Agave nectar: Worse than we thought," April 30, 2009. Weston A. Price Foundation
[ii] "US Patent 5846333—Method of producing fructose syrup from agave plants," Patent Storm
[iii] Carr C. "Agave’s sweet spot," January 31, 2009. Time Magazine
[iv] "Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup, bee study finds" ScienceDaily August 27, 2009
[v] LeBlanc BW, Eggleston G, Sammatarot D, Cornett C, Dufault R, Deeby T, and St. Cyr E. "Formation of hydroxymethylfurfural in domestic high-fructose corn syrup and its toxicity to the honey bee" J. Agric. Food Chem., 2009, 57(16), pp 7369-7376

Yummease Easter Brunch Kits Now Available

2010-03-18T12:08:00.002-05:00

Stay out of the kitchen and spend more time with loved ones by letting Yummease help you serve a delicious brunch this easter holiday. Place your order by Monday, March 29 for delivery Saturday morning, April 3 or Sunday morning, April 4. Order online at www.yummease.com

Yummease Easter Brunch Kit for 6
· French Toast Baked Casserole with a Praline Topping
· a Fresh Fruit Salad
· Locally-raised Bison Sausages
· Tuscan Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Yummease Easter Brunch Kit for 10
· French Toast Baked Casserole with a Praline Topping
· Spinach and Egg Florentine
· Locally-raised Bison Sausages
· Tuscan Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
· a Fresh Fruit Salad

*Meals will require heating (approx. 1 hour) in an oven.
Don't worry all you have to do is:
1. Put the dishes in the oven, 2. Breath a sign of relief and 3. Enjoy the Rewards of your good thinking!

Also Available to add-on:
· Spinach Strawberry Salad with a Fresh Berry Dressing and toasted almonds $4 per person
· Easter Bunny Cookies with Lemon Icing $7/dozen
· An assortment of Freshly Baked Organic Muffins, Biscuits & Scones $17/dozen

Feedback of the Week

2010-03-09T14:40:00.005-06:00

We are always so happy to hear great feedback. Here is this weeks wonderful praise.

Dear Tammy and Arlen,

Thank you very much for a hugely successful gift. My mother came home from the hospital this week after major surgery, and the thing she was dreading the most about her recuperation -- no lie! -- was having to eat my father's cooking. She didn't have much of an appetite at first, but I was hoping that some appetizing treats from you would tempt her. It worked! She nibbled on a bit of fruit salad, which was so fresh and delicious that she felt like trying a few bites of eggplant parmigiana, which led to a few more...in fact, she ate a full meal and was feeling MUCH better after getting some proper food. During the convalescence my father has loads of duties besides meal preparation, so it's great that he can grab a scone or a carrot muffin (his favourites, apparently) in between trips up and down the stairs to do her bidding. She is not a very patient patient, but having some meals prepared and some snacks on hand makes this difficult period just a little easier for both of them. My sister and I are so glad that we decided to send the Get Well Soon package instead of some flowers!

You have some very satisfied customers, and since it often seems to us that my mother knows everyone in Winnipeg I'm sure she'll be spreading the word as soon as she's back in social mode.

Dr Kathryn P.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce After Business Mixer

2010-02-25T12:38:00.006-06:00

Yummease provides catering services for all kinds of events. Here are some pics from The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce After Business Mixer this past fall. We supply all the yummy food as well as the serving staff and bartenders. Check out our catering menus online at
www.yummease.com/catering.html

Broths Contain Mysterious Ingredients

2010-01-19T08:38:00.000-06:00

(NaturalNews - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 by: Jack Challem, citizen journalist)

There's a company that dominates the soup business, but its products are at best bland and mushy. You probably know who I'm talking about. Some of the company's soups contain so much salt that they're the human equivalent of a salt lick. For example, its chicken noodle soup dishes up a whopping 890 mg of sodium per serving, and 2,225 grams of sodium per can.

This company also owns the leading maker of various chicken broths and stocks. Until recently, that subsidiary spiked its tasteless products with monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer. But MSG is well documented as a cause of Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.

I'm not joking. Every Chinese restaurant used to boost the flavor of its meals by adding MSG. But a fair number of customers complained of neck and muscle aches afterwards, the result of MSG. So now, a lot of Chinese restaurants don't use MSG anymore.

But I digress.

The company recently introduced organic chicken, beef, and vegetable broths. Sounds like a great idea, right?

Well, the company's website admits that the broths contain 550 mg of sodium for each one-cup serving. If you like to use a lot of broth, that could add up to 1,100 mg of sodium per real-world serving. And maybe one blood-pressure cuff.

But no where on the company's website is a full listing of the products' other ingredients found. This is more than just peculiar, because all of the junk food and fast food companies you can think of list their product ingredients on their websites.

So that left me wondering what the soup and broth company might be hiding.

So I clicked to contact customer service and wrote a brief email asking for a complete list of ingredients for their organic products. Sounds simple enough, right?

A few days later, some anonymous person emailed me back:

"All of our products have nutritional labels that include the calorie, sodium, fat, cholesterol and carbohydrate content for a single serving. However, it is important to note that product recipes change frequently and ingredients are periodically added or replaced. Therefore, we suggest that you check each package for the most current nutritional information..."

So I wrote back and said that they had NOT answered my question. And I also wondered, adding a list of full ingredients to the website can't be all that difficult, could it? After all, it's got to be easier to update a web page compared with...say, reformulating the ingredients in an industrial-size soup and broth manufacturing facility.

Finally I went to both my local supermarket and health food store, but did not find any of the company's organic broths on the shelf. So their ingredients remain a mystery to me.

After all this, I can't help but wonder: Why couldn't the world's biggest soup company just be more up front about its ingredients and list them on its website? Unless, they really want to hide what's in them, that is.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/027973_broths_ingredients.html

The Plan for the Food Supply (comic)

2010-01-08T08:35:00.002-06:00

The Plan for the Food Supply (comic)

There's a new plot underway to sterilize your food and destroy the nutritional value of fresh produce. The players in this plot are the usual suspects: The USDA (which backed the "raw" almond sterilization rules now in effect in California) and the American Chemical Society -- a pro-chemical group that represents the interests of industrial chemical manufacturers. The latest push comes from USDA researchers who conducted a study to see which method more effectively killed bacteria on leafy green vegetables like spinach.

To conduct the study, they bathed the spinach in a solution contaminated with bacteria. Then, they tried to remove the bacteria using three methods: Washing, chemical spraying and irradiation. Not surprisingly, only the irradiation killed nearly 100 percent of the bacterial colonies. That's because radiation sterilizes both the bacteria and the vegetable leaves, effectively killing the plant and destroying much of its nutritional value while it kills the bacteria.

The USDA claims this is a huge success. By using radiation on all fresh produce, they claim, the number of food-borne illness outbreaks that happen each year could be substantially reduced. It all makes sense until you realize that by destroying the nutritional value of all fresh produce sold in the United States, an irradiation policy would greatly increase the number of people killed by infections and chronic diseases that are prevented by the natural medicines found in fresh produce!

Why fresh, living produce helps prevent sickness

The USDA, you see, has zero recognition of the difference between living produce and dead produce. To uneducated government bureaucrats, pasteurized or irradiated vegetable juice is identical to fresh, raw, living vegetable juice. They believe this because they've never been taught about the phytonutrients, digestive enzymes and life force properties that are found in fresh foods, but that are destroyed through heat or irradiation. This, the USDA is operating out of extreme ignorance when it comes to food and nutrition.

Read more at Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/023014_food_food_supply_foods.html

Feedback for our Christmas Turkey Dinner

2009-12-26T21:16:00.003-06:00

We just got the best feedback ever and wanted to share it. It really validates all the hard work we have put into our Christmas Turkey Dinner. We have really great clients who appreciate great food and makes it all worthwhile.

Here is the feedback:

Dearest Tammy and Arlen,

Just wanted to give you a big thank you for the most delicious meal! Everything was so easy to prepare and went so well. The presentation and color of the food was beautiful on the plate very Christmasy, turkey was so moist and tender, green been was the perfect crunchiness, the beet salad was amazing (I love beets but this was the first time I've ever had beets where it didn't have a hint of earth taste to it), oh and the dessert was too good to be true normally I let my guests take some home but I couldn't part with it this time... even the gravy was superb it wasn't oily or fatty everything just tasted so healthy and clean.

I hope you were able to enjoy a delicious x-mas meal... you could really tell love was your secret ingredient!

I wish you both best for 2010 and we definetly plan to use Yummease on a regular basis.

Thank you again so much....

happy holidays and thanks

2009-12-21T14:30:00.003-06:00

As another year comes to a close, we’d like to thank you for bringing YummEase into your lives and kitchens. We wish you all a happy holiday season and all the best in 2010.

Relax & enjoy, from all of us at YummEase!

How fragile we are: Why the complexity of modern civilization threatens us all

2009-12-09T09:27:00.001-06:00

How fragile we are: Why the complexity of modern civilization threatens us all

(NaturalNews) The fragility of our modern human civilization did not become clear to me until I began living full-time in South America. As a resident of Vilcabamba, Ecuador, I've grown accustomed to the idea of knowing where the things I consume come from.

The water I drink, for example, comes from a hole in the ground that taps into a water table replenished by the clouds hanging over the Podocarpus National Forest to the East. I can make a logical connection between the clouds, the rainfall, and the water in my glass. And if the well pump fails, I know I can always carry a bucket to the river a few hundred meters away and scoop up virtually unlimited quantities of water that recently fell out of the sky.

During a recent trip to Tucson, however, I found myself hesitating when I turned on the kitchen faucet. I paused, marveling at the magic of this water which apparently appears from nowhere. And it's always there, reliable and uninterrupted. That's when I noticed myself asking the commonsense question: "Where does the water come from around here?"

The Mom Stash

2009-12-08T09:39:00.000-06:00

The Mom Stash

Holiday Recipes

Candied Nuts
Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients
2 cups walnuts
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 350˚F

In a medium bowl, stir together honey, salt, black pepper, allspice, cayenne, and cumin. Add walnuts and toss until evenly coated.
Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the sugar and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Stir once and continue to bake for 5 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and separate the pieces as much a possible so they don’t stick together too much. Let cool.

Gift Presentation Idea
Package in mason jars, tied with a festive ribbon with a gift card announcing they are from your kitchen.

Peppermint Crunch Bark
Yield: 36 pieces

Ingredients
17 ounces white chocolate (Valrohna), finely chopped
30 candy canes, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces)
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (Valrohna), chopped
6 tablespoons whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)

Method

Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover with foil.
Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from over water.
Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto foil and spread.
Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed candy canes. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.
Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until just melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes.
Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture over white chocolate spreading chocolate in even layer. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.
Rewarm remaining white chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate layer; spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed candy canes. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.
Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges. Cut bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips, and each section diagonally into triangles, or simply break into large chunks!

(If all these steps seem too finicky, simply do white chocolate layer, then swirl with dark chocolate for a less structured, more artistic effect.)

Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in airtight container. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Gift Presentation Idea
Wrap in parchment paper with ribbon.

Recipes from the dish kitchen and Saavy Mom.

http://www.savvymom.ca/index.php/newsletter/the_mom_stash/2

Let Yummease prepare your Christmas Dinner!

2009-12-01T21:11:00.001-06:00

As posted on The Lifestyle Pass' website:

Have you planned your turkey dinner? Not to worry, we will be providing our Full Turkey Dinners with all the Trimming as well as Fresh Herb-Stuffed Turkey Breasts for smaller gatherings. See what we are preparing for you at yummease.com.

Nutrition Can Save America! Special report issued by NaturalNews.com

2009-11-25T12:59:00.000-06:00

Nutrition Can Save America! Special report issued by NaturalNews.com

Yummease's One Year Anniversary

2009-11-18T19:54:00.005-06:00

It's been an exciting first year in business for Yummease! In that time, we've felt the momentum building as each month passes. We would like to thank everyone who has helped us out in any way.

One of the business that has really helped us out has been the law firm Olschewski & Feuer.
Both founders, Richard and Jeremy, have been huge supporters of Yummease and have brought us many connections. Jeremy was actually our very first customer. Thank you for giving us countless advice. We really appreciate all you've done for us. If anyone is looking for great lawyers... we encourage you to contact their office.

Another great supporter of Yummease is Dr. Robyn & Zsolt Egey-Samu of Focus Chiropractic. These two doctors are fully versed in healthy eating and truly want all their patients to live, eat and be well. They are truly wonderful, positive people that you must get to know. They run healthy eating seminars and many events throughout the year.

A few others we need to mention is Maggie N. from Uniquely Manitoba, Kristine and Tom at The Winehouse, Glenn Tinley of Studio Publications, Barb C. of BC Creative, Bert at City Press, Don & Kathryn of The Sign Source, Tina J. and Jill K. at Banville & Jones and so many more that we are probably missing here from this list.

We are also part of an amazing group of business professionals who have introduced us to some many of you. We thank all the members of our group and encourage anyone who needs their services to contact them.

Insurance: Rory Landa - Garriock Insurance
Accountant: Tony Gauthier - Craig & Ross
Construction/Renovation: Peter Anadranistakis - Oxygen Property Group
Investment Professional: Craig Sharp - Investor's Group
Printer: Pat Dillistone - Impress Printing
Audio Recording: Jason Gordon - Studio 11
MTS Services: Dale Morley - Planet Mobility on Pembina
Photography: Dallas Ludwick Photography
Car Repair: Chad Brick - Eastside Collision
Car Sales: Orest Serwylo - Birchwood Automotive - Honda Park West
Mortgage Specialist: Denis Brunet - Mortgage Architects
Travel Agent: Michelle Bibault - Travel Connections
Real Estate Agent: Ron Kibbins - Remax
Windows and Doors: Bevis Prince - Prince Windows and Doors
Promotional Materials: Mark Hauser - Xpressions Embroidery
IT Support: Eric Sawatzky - NexIT Solutions
CFO on call/Bookkeepers for Hire: Carla Gray - Independent Perspective
Tiling: Tavio Giannico - Giannico Tiling
Signage: Kerstin Wiechmann - Euro Design & Graphics
Custom Cabinetry: Glenn Zebrynski - Seine River Cabinets
and Vito Lonigro

We also cannot forgot all the support from friends and family. We thank you all so much in helping us get our business off the ground.

In the coming year, we have many more yummy and exciting things in store. Stay tuned!

Tammy & Arlen.

Dean Foods pulls bait-and-switch on "organic" Silk soymilk

2009-11-10T10:21:00.001-06:00

Dean Foods pulls bait-and-switch on "organic" Silk soymilk

Scaredy-Cat Ice Cream Cake Recipe

2009-10-13T13:43:00.002-05:00

Great Halloween Ideas on Better Home and gardens Website.

Here are my favs.
Scaredy-Cat Ice Cream Cake Recipe

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Benefits of Hiring a Meal Delivery Service

2009-09-30T12:50:00.002-05:00

If you think hiring a meal delivery service is too hoity-toity, you may be surprised to discover that more people than ever before are opting to "outsource" for at least some of their meals. Here are 5 reasons to use a meal delivery service.

1. Yummease can save you money.

Yes, it seems counterintuitive, but you can actually save money when you hire Yummease. Think about how much money you spend each week picking up take-out, going out to dinner, and buying groceries at the store. Chances are, you and your spouse spend more than the cost of having a meal delivery service than you realize. Most couples spend an average of $700 a month on groceries and eating out. Seems high? Go ahead and save up all your receipts for October and let us know.

2. Yummease can save you time.

When you add up the time it takes to get a healthy meal on the table, a meal delivery service like Yummease is actually quite affordable and saves you a lot of time.

Meal planning/Creation of Grocery Shopping List - 1 hour

Grocery Shopping and Driving Time - 3 hours (because you usually go to the store more than once a week)

Meal Preparation for 1 week (3 meals a day x 7 days x 30 mins per meal) = 11 hours minimum

Total for week: 15 hours

That is 60 hours for the month spent in ensuring that you have healthy meals on the table. We can think of better things that you can be doing instead - Yoga, Going to the Movies, Vegging out, Drinks with Friends, etc.

3. Yummease can reunite the family.

Well, Yummease doesn’t reunite the family, but gathering together for a family meal goes far in helping family members stay connected. With careers, errands, extracurricular activities, and time spent with friends, it’s all too easy to spend for family members to scatter to the four winds. With our Turkey Dinner with all the Trimmings delivered to your door, you can spend what little time you have together enjoying good food and catching up with one another.

4. Yummease brings nutrition to the table.

All too often, nutrition takes a backseat to convenience.Yummease provide convenience without sacrificing nutrition. By using the best and freshest ingredients, we provide meal options that are both delicious and nutritious.

5. Yummease takes the stress out of entertaining.

Whether you’re having a dinner party for six or a brunch for sixteen, Yummease can be a godsend. They can whip up exquisite meals that your guests will find memorable, and you can concentrate on ensuring that everyone has a good time. If you need other help for the party, such as servers or bartenders, Yummease is able to provide the staff.

Once you look into the costs and benefits of hiring Yummease Gourmet Dinner Service, you’ll quickly see that they will not only make your life easier, but will also make your life better.

British Girl Dies After Cervical Cancer Vaccine - ABC News

2009-09-30T10:10:00.001-05:00

British Girl Dies After Cervical Cancer Vaccine - ABC News

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2009-09-17T15:33:00.001-05:00

In North America, if we are what we eat, most of us are fast, cheap, and easy.

Top 20 Antioxidant-Rich Foods

2009-09-10T08:47:00.001-05:00

Trying to add more disease-fighting antioxidants into your diet? The following 20 foods contain the highest antioxidant concentration.

Pomegranates
Small red beans (dried)
Wild blueberries
Red kidney beans
Pinto beans
Blueberries (cultivated)
Cranberries
Artichokes (cooked)
Blackberries
Prunes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Red Delicious apples
Granny Smith apples
Pecans
Sweet cherries
Black plums
Gala apples
Black beans (dried)
Plums

Antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients that help prevent heart disease, cancer, and the effects of aging. Little is actually known about how antioxidants work or what makes them function best. Scientists believe that some antioxidants are more potent than others, and their potency can be affected by cooking or digestion. For example, the antioxidants in blueberries lose their potency when cooked, while the antioxidants in tomatoes become more potent when cooked.

So use this list to find antioxidant-rich foods, but for the best nutritional outcome, eat them in a wide variety.

The SIGG BPA Confession: You aren’t going to like it any more than we do

2009-08-24T15:14:00.003-05:00

Here is yet another reason to investigate everything that you buy, before you buy it. I don't want to sound like you shouldn't trust anyone, but you shouldn't.

Read this story:

Swiss sports and children's bottle maker SIGG has admitted what many consumer advocates have suspected for years, but never proven: That the epoxy lining used for years in SIGG bottles - which they secretly swapped out for a new liner last summer - contained the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A. There's more to the story than that, but the bottom line is that this company is in a very vulnerable position, and there are a couple of factors that will make it hard for them to claim the high road on this issue.

http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/siggs-bpa-confession-you-arent-going-to-like-it-any-more-than-we-do/

Gourmet Diet Delivery Service – How to Get Healthy Meals Delivered to Your Doorstep

2009-08-24T09:47:00.002-05:00

When it comes to eating, most people would say that they enjoy it and that they crave food. But just how many of those who love food also love the process of making and preparing it? And just how many of those self- professed food lovers even know the simplest way of preparing the food, especially their favorites?

Many would say that they do not know such. It’s a shame just how many of us love food in general but have less of an inkling on how to prepare it.

But how about those people who are on a diet? There are some people who love to eat but have to keep their weight in balance and make sure that they won’t gain, nor lose, a single pound.

However, there are many people who have to watch their diet in an exactly opposite way. They have to gain weight and keep it on a certain level. Most of the time, these kind of people are the ones whom a lot would say picky eaters.

They don’t like to eat much and when they do, they prefer to eat really special foods such as gourmet. Preparing gourmet food is a bit difficult and hiring a gourmet chef is equally expensive.

The perfect solution to this would be getting a gourmet diet delivery service like Yummease. In this way, you get to have gourmet food delivered to your home anytime of the day and at a much cheaper price too.

It is especially convenient for busy working professionals who have no time to cook, let alone cook a diet gourmet meal for themselves or their families. Online gourmet diet food delivery services such as Yummease offers healthy gourmet meals that are delivered to your doorstep each day saving you the trouble of cooking and buying groceries.

Meals to help the medicine go down - Times Online

2009-08-21T13:47:00.001-05:00

Meals to help the medicine go down - Times Online

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Great Things For the New Mom or Ill Friend

2009-08-21T12:18:00.003-05:00

Most of us have people in our lives that need our help from time to time. Whether they are briefly sick or an extended period of time or have just had their first baby and are a bit overwhelmed, gifts in the form of service and help are usually the most appreciated ones.

Here are some ideas on things you can do for that friend or relative who is sick or just had a baby from setting up meals to be delivered for that person, to purchasing flowers online things that may cheer them up as well as other great ideas .

Making meals for the new parents or for the family with an ill relative is one of the best things you can do to help someone out. It is one of the things that many struggle with accomplishing when they are overwhelmed with a new baby or having to care for an ill family member and there is nothing that says I care more than a nice meal.

One option is the traditional method of getting several people who care about this person organized by signing up for a specific date to make a meal. You will need to set up a "organizer" who keeps track of the schedule. Although, organizing this task can now even be done on special online sites as well with email reminders going to the people volunteering to help. This ensures that the family will have meals delivered for a specific time frame. The downside might be the intrusion and coordination for the receiving family. Coordinating one big delivery might be best as during this time they do not need anything else to worry about. Also, this is not a time to visit and force them to entertain you. A simple drop off on the doorstep and go is always appreciated. (although they will never say this to you)

Another option gaining popularity is having meals delivered to a person that you care about but live too far away from them to cook them and deliver them on your own. There are websites that may deliver 3 course gourmet meals to your door that will thrill anyone to get that type of delivery. For the friend who is battling cancer and having chemotherapy, a frozen meal delivery service like Yummease is perfect since there are days that the recipient won't feel like eating. This way the food never goes to waste. Even if you live in the same city, this gesture is always well received. Who doesn't love food?

Another old favorite method to show someone you are thinking of them is to have flowers brought to them. This may be accomplished easily from your home from the several online florists that are available and are sure to put a smile on someone’s face that truly needs it. You may want to give a gorgeous flowering plant for them to enjoy for a longer time too.

Source: http://www.articlefeeder.com/blog/house-and-home/19236-types-of-food-and-meal-delivery-and-other-great-things-for-the-new-mom-or-ill-friend/comment-page-1#comment-5336

Top 10 Fruits and Vegetables for Eye Health

2009-08-21T12:09:00.001-05:00

Carrots: Vitamin A, antioxidant
Spinach: Lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants
Kale: Lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants
Collards: Lutein and zeaxanthin
Tomatoes: Vitamin C, antioxidant
Bell Peppers: Vitamin C and A, antioxidants
Citrus Fruit: Vitamin C, antioxidant
Squash: Lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants
Avocado: Glutathione
Strawberries: Vitamin C, antioxidant

10 Strategies to Eat Smarter

2009-08-14T23:52:00.001-05:00

Shop at a local store where you know the owner and the owner knows you.

Eat low-fad foods. Most of the best foods have bargain basement prices.

Buy in season.

Waste not, want not. Organic foods become affordable when you use the whole food (as our grandmothers knew).

Pay the extra cost of organic on the installment plan. Eat now, save later on your health and that of your community.

Turn your kitchen into a profit centre. Take the time to prepare food you used to buy.

Turn your lawn into a profit centre. The yard (the word comes from the ancient Anglo Saxon word for herb garden) can become what it used to be. Grow your own food.

Turn a walk in a meadow into a profit centre. Weeds are wildflowers with bad PR. Learn about the different edible greens and make them a part of your diet.

Start a community garden.

Turn your workplace benefit plan into an organic profit centre. Smart employers ask for an "undertime bonus" that gives employees half-pay to take a day off work to grow, gather or prepare organic food.

The 10 Powers of Food

2009-08-14T23:51:00.001-05:00

Food is too humble and modest for its own good. Yet it’s such a routine part of our day that its extraordinary qualities as a catalyst for personal, health and social transformation are hidden in plain sight. Here are 10 powers of food.

1. Food is powerful because small, easy changes count.
Food comes in bite-sized pieces. So do positive food changes. The menu of opportunities for small but significant improvements is almost endless. Starting to make changes to your diet is as easy as crumbling some tofu into a spaghetti sauce, or adding an extra clove of garlic to your salad dressing. You don’t need to go for retraining, get a licence, form a support group, get on the Internet, buy equipment or give anything up. It’s not easy to give up your car or quit your job. But changes in food choices can take place easily and quickly, on your say so.

2. Food is powerful because it unleashes the Power of One.
Food gives individuals a taste of power and a rare chance to make a difference. Choosing ethical and fairly traded products breaks the biggest food habit of all--the habit of divorcing individual shopping decisions from their social and ethical consequences.

3. Food is powerful because it brings people together.
Most people enjoy meals more when they have company.

4. Food is powerful because it creates extra, unintended benefits from simple acts.
To use the lingo of economists, "the market cannot capture side benefits." In other words, the market has no way of rewarding a homeowner who plants an apple tree that saves public money on water treatment, air cleaning and global warming–all side benefits of the apple tree.

5. Food is powerful because it can be used to increase the value of other things.
The value of food so far exceeds its cost that a number of opportunities present themselves to capture that value by increasing access to quality food. As soon as governments learned that business lunches oiled business deals, they made them tax deductible. But few companies and government tax policies build on the value of food much beyond the free lunch. Some companies subsidize healthy meal programs because they more than pay their way in reduced absenteeism and drug plan costs. Just as today’s life insurance plans offer discounts for non-smokers, tomorrow’s life, health, workplace disability and drug insurance will offer deep discounts for organic eaters.

6. Food is powerful because it creates employment.
Food takes work. The number of people who work the land has gone down dramatically since 1900, but not the number of people who work on food. Food production is recession-proof. No matter what, people have to eat, preferably a few times a day, every day.

7. Food is powerful because it can be grown anywhere and make good use of unused capacity.
Food is a great sideline activity. It’s perfectly adapted to be grown and prepared in the nooks and crannies of opportunities left over from other activities. This means we can grow and prepare food at greatly reduced costs by taking advantage of the most productive untapped resource in Canada: unused capacity. And we have lots of it–from roofs of public buildings where food can be grown to people drawing social assistance who want to work.

8. Food is powerful because it stimulates generosity.
People who would never share their computer, car, home or money will share their food. That’s why food is such a logical starting place for efforts to bring out the best in people, to increase equality and co-operation. There are only so many lots with mountain or lakefront views to go around, and if everyone owns a Mercedes, it takes some of the shine off. But if you have potatoes, there are still potatoes for me, and I don’t enjoy my potatoes less because you enjoy yours, too. I’m even happy to share my family recipe for potatoes with you. The dirty secret behind the Canadian and world hunger crisis is that there’s more effort put into manufacturing scarcity than abundance.

9. Food is powerful because it satisfies both humble biological needs and deeper social and spiritual needs. We celebrate the major rituals and turning points of life with food. We honour great people and causes with banquets. We mark religious events with feasts. When we want to get closer with people, we invite them over for dinner. We say a grace or toast before dinner. No other physical object enjoys this universal status.

10. Food is powerful because it has positive energy.
From the loose and stray energy in sun, soil and water, food comes on with a force strong enough to defy the laws of gravity and grow upward. Food takes dispersed energy and organizes it, both biologically and socially. The opportunities to organize around food defy the most pervasive, dangerous and disempowering myth of our time: TINA, There Is No Alternative. There are plenty of alternatives, all of which rely on the positive energy food generates. When we grasp this power, we will have real food for a change.

Source: Adapted from Real Food for a Change (Random House of Canada, 1999) by Wayne Roberts, PhD, Rod MacRae, PhD, and Lori Stahlbrand.

http://www.alive.com/922a3a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=725

Healthy Sweeteners

2009-08-14T23:49:00.001-05:00

If you're concerned about the risk of type 2 diabetes, you may be looking for alternatives to refined sugar, which has been linked to a host of chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. But many synthetic sugar substitutes such as sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame also pose potential health risks.

What's safe and sweet and good to eat? Here are some of the healthiest sugar alternatives.

Honey

You may be surprised to learn that honey has more calories and carbs than refined sugar, but it contains small amounts of trace minerals. Because it's sweeter than sugar, you can use less of it. Choose organic honeys.

Maple Syrup

It's Canadian, eh? Make sure it's maple syrup and not an imitation. Grade B maple syrup, which is darker than the more popular Grade A, contains more minerals. Recent research shows that maple syrup is also a good source of antioxidants.

Stevia

Made from an extract of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, stevia boasts zero net carbs, zero calories, and a rating of zero on the glycemic index. It's also about 300 times sweeter than sugar, so only a tiny amount is needed.

Xylitol

A sugar alcohol, xylitol is a good low-calorie alternative to refined sugar. Because it is absorbed more slowly than sugar, it doesn't contribute to spiking blood sugar levels in the body, which can lead to both hypoglycemia and diabetes.

The Bottom Line:

Cut back on the amount of not only sugar itself but sugary and sweet foods you consume.

Read More About Healthy Sweeteners:

Get the Sugar Out for a Healthy Holiday

Good Sugars, Bad Sugars

Unrefined Tastes

Sweetening Power of Honey

How Sweet It Is

Susan Safyan is a researcher, writer, and editor at alive magazine.

Source: alive Web Exclusive, November 2006

http://www.alive.com/4898a13a2.php

Healthy, Whole Foods Diet, Timothy Hennessy, RHN, RNCP

2009-08-14T23:41:00.001-05:00

Healthy, Whole Foods Diet, Timothy Hennessy, RHN, RNCP

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Great Food Shots! http://www.mytartelette.com/

2009-08-04T11:35:00.001-05:00

http://www.mytartelette.com/

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Why You Should Consider Prepared Meals Delivery

2009-07-24T15:35:00.002-05:00

Everyone wants a great meal for a great price with the most convenience as possible. By ordering food online it is extremely easy to have prepared meals. Delivery is available for these foods whether you have a busy scheduled at home, are temporarily staying at a hotel or are staying abroad and are craving those great regional favorites. These meals are available no matter where you are and can be delivered with great swiftness and ease.

No one likes to go to the store because of all of the hassle involved when all you want are great prepared meals. Delivery for these meals is offered online by Yummease Gourmet Dinner Service to take out the hassle of the shopping and chopping. There is no longer the need to deal with the mundane food of the past when you can order amazing gourmet meals online and have them delivered within the week.

We all have busy schedules that we struggle to keep up with on an everyday basis. Going to the store for groceries is the last thing on our minds because we have a lot more important things to deal with. We don't have to go all the way to the store anymore for our favorite prepared meals. Delivery takes out the hassle and worry so we can focus on the more important things.

Are you looking for ways to save on gas? Is your life too hectic for you to prepare meals anymore? Have you ever wanted to try new foods but have no idea how to prepare them? Then visit www.yummease.com right now to find out all the ways that prepared meal delivery service can help you!

VOTE NOW!

2009-07-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

Tammy has been nominated for the SaavyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Now we are not asking for money, just a few clicks of your mouse.

The prize is $15,000 which will help Yummease continue on its mission of providing healthier dinner solutions to all you busy professionals.

Please support us by voting for Yummease at http://www.momentrepreneuraward.ca/MomBio.aspx?momID=299

Thank you for all your votes!

5 Things to do with a can of Black Beans

2009-07-15T15:14:00.002-05:00

1. Include 1/3 cup of black beans in your morning omelette to add an extra 5 grams of protein to get you ready for the day!

2. Mix ½ cup of black beans into 1 cup of your favorite salsa. Add some cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a tasty low-fat, high fiber party dip.

3. Use ½ cup of black beans in addition to your usual quesadilla fillers. A ½ cup will add 7.5 grams of fiber to your meal and curb your cravings later on.

4. Make a delicious fresh chutney by mixing 1 cup of black beans with 1 cup chopped avocado, some chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Serve with grilled or roasted chicken for an extra boost of fibre and disease-preventing antioxidants.

5. Add 1 cup of black beans to 3 cups cooked rice, the combination makes a complete protein with complementing amino acids from both.

For more information and tasty pulse recipes
visit www.pulsecanada.com

5 Things to do with a can of Chickpeas

2009-06-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

At Yummease, we use a lot of Chickpeas. We have a few amazing salads as well as our most popular Fresh-Herb Tuscan Bean Dip. It is a great way to get protein without eating meat.

Here are a few other ideas how to use them.

1. Add 1 cup of chickpeas to spaghetti sauce instead of ground beef. The substitution will lower the fat while adding fiber.

2. Add a cup of chickpeas to any green salad or pasta salad… it tastes great and adds protein and fiber without increasing fat!

3. Make a delicious hummus. In a blender or food processor, combine 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas with 2 tbsp. of both tahini and olive oil, juice squeezed from ½ lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Add water, 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved and serve with whole-wheat toasted pita bites.

4. When eating a quick can of soup for lunch, add ½ can chickpeas to increase protein
by 7 grams.

5. Roast them! Drain and rinse 1 or 2 cans of chickpeas and coat them with a little bit of olive oil and your favorite seasonings (1 teaspoon of Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce and 2-3 tablespoons of cumin work nicely). Bake them at 375˚F for 1 hour. Chickpeas should come out crunchy and delicious.

For more information and tasty pulse recipes
visit www.pulsecanada.com

Paul McCartney Advocates Meat Free Mondays to Aid the Environment

2009-06-15T16:12:00.002-05:00

Sir Paul McCartney—legendary musician, environmental activist and longtime vegetarian—today led a star-studded appeal for people in Britain and elsewhere to practice “meat free Mondays” and adopt a vegetarian lifestyle one day a week.

McCartney said that having even one meat-free day per week would help to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases, alleviate global hunger, improve human health and increase the ethical treatment of animals. Joining McCartney for the announcement were his daughters, Mary and Stella McCartney, John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono, and a host of other celebrities.

“I thought this was a great idea. To just reduce your meat intake maybe by one day a week and this would seriously benefit the planet,” McCartney told reporters.

“It’s kind of easy to do,” he said. “You’ve had too much over the weekend, anyway, and you’re all running down to the gym to try and work it off, so just have a meat-free Monday.”

To learn more, see the Meat Free Mondays website.

Winnipeg's Slow Food Movement is picking up pace.

2009-05-20T20:30:00.001-05:00

After much anticipation, the very first official Slow Food Manitoba event is taking place!

Eat Slow presented by Slow Food Manitoba
Saturday June 20, 9 am, 613 St. Mary's Road

Please join us for Eat Slow, a one-day event dedicated to local, sustainable and fair food. We'll be starting at 9:00 am and will run through to the early afternoon.

Look forward to presentations on edible flowers, composting, fair trade, soil preparation and 100-mile cooking. Join us for a light lunch following the presentations featuring recipes from 100-mile chef, Karen Peters.

Also, take part in a canola oil tasting and sample fair trade coffee, chocolate and locally made products. To register, please visit http://slowfoodmanitoba.blogspot.com/ and look for the PayPal link. (Note: You do not need a PayPal account to register--simply look for the "Don't have a PayPal account?" link at the bottom and follow it through.)

Registration closes on Friday, June 12 and space is limited--so don't miss your chance to be part of the Slow Food Revolution!

To find us on Facebook visit: http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=70286631055

Slow Food Manitoba is a newly-founded organization dedicated to supporting local, sustainable and ethical food in our province and around the world.

Curry in a Hurry!

2009-05-15T11:17:00.005-05:00

Come try our Lamb Curry at Crampton's Market this Saturday, May 16 between 11am - 2pm Saturday.

Here's a map to Crampton's. It's a the corner of Waverly and Bishop Grandin.

Crampton's is carrying the following Yummease items: Lamb Curry, Gingered Bison, Burgundy Beef Stew with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes all available for purchase.

Going to the lake this long weekend?

2009-05-15T11:13:00.003-05:00

Let Yummease take care of all the food for you. Our Cottage Coolers make sure you have more time to have fun or just relax. See this weekend's menu here.

How it works:
1. Order by Thursday NOON for Friday night delivery.
2. We will provide the cooler with ice and your meals to you on either the North Perimeter or the #1 West between 5-7pm on Fridays.
3. All meals will be ready-to-eat or ready-to-bbq so all you have to do is enjoy.
4. Swap the empty cooler with a new cooler full of food on the next weekend you order (we will call to arrange a pick up if necessary)

If these days don't work for you, please email order@yummease.com to make alternate arrangements.

Don't forget we can deliver meals to you on Monday night if you find yourself with an empty fridge. Call Arlen to arrange at 801-7686.

Yummease is going Retail!

2009-05-05T11:46:00.002-05:00

That's right. Yummease will now be available at Crampton's Market on Waverley and Bishop. We will be doing a tasting on Saturday, May 16 from 11-2pm. Come try our Lamb Curry. Come try it out!

Crampton's is carrying the following Yummease items: Lamb Curry, Gingered Bison, Marinated Bison Kabobs, Burgundy Beef Stew with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes all available for purchase.

Do you need a gift for your mom or wife?

2009-05-05T11:44:00.001-05:00

Flowers are nice, but a night off from cooking is even better! Send your mom gourmet meals from Yummease.

We have 2 gift options:

1. Mother's Day Brunch
Delivered Saturday evening so that you can treat the special lady in your life to a yummy brunch at home. Why wait in line at a breakfast joint when you can relax at home? Let us do all the preparing for you. See the menu here. **Must be ordered by Thursday 4pm.

2. Give Mom the the Week Off Gourmet Gift Packs
For all the times Mom cooked for you, remember her this year by giving her the night (or the week) off with meals from Yummease. We even have beautiful handmade, plantable cards to include with your gourmet meals. How's that for easy! See our gift pack options online at www.yummease.com

Family Fun Learning Fair

2009-04-26T15:47:00.001-05:00

We were mentioned on savemoneyinwinnipeg.blog.ca

Here's a direct quote: "And last but not least, there was yummease gourmet dinner service. What a great idea, wholesome organic dinners delivered to your door. Was a little sad there were no samples, or items to buy (was dying to try the cookie dough!!), but not sure if it was a kosher issue, since no one had any food samples at all."

Read the whole post on Nadine's Blog.

Yummease Participates at Earth Day Community Event

2009-04-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

St. Mary's Road United Church is hosting an earth day event for the whole community. Speakers, prizes, information and more. 7-9:30pm on Earth Day!

Come visit St. Mary's Road United Church from 7:00pm to 9:30 pm on Earth Day for speakers, information, displays on living greener. This year we are also hosting an e-waste disposal site! There is no cost to attend the event (although e-waste disposal does have fees associated with the various items).

This event is open to the community. All are welcome!

SPEAKERS

Erin Crampton of Crampton’s Market on the importance supporting local food producers. From her exciting summer market on Waverly at Bishop Grandin Erin has taken ethical, green eating and made it delicious.

Dr. Richard Milgrom of the University of Manitoba’s faculty of architecture will offer a green take on our city, taking us on an urban design portrait of Winnipeg.

DISPLAYS AND SALES

Ten Thousand Villages
Climate Change Connection
Norwex Cleaning Supplies
Local Foods—what it means to buy local.
YummEase - great, easy organic meals for busy people.
The Garden Group will be working with children planting for spring.

E-WASTE DISPOSAL SITE

SyroTech Industries will be set up to receive your e waste in the parking lot. There are costs associated with disposal.

View entire story here

2009-04-15T17:02:00.004-05:00

Summer is just around the corner and BBQ season is calling your name, so to kick it off we have a Fresh Spinach-Berry Salad with a Grilled Chicken Breast.

A barbecued 4 oz. chicken breast rests on a bed of fresh spinach drizzled with a delicious mixed berry dressing, and topped by a sprinkling of shallots, toasted almonds, and fresh strawberries. This salad is a meal on its own and has the enormous health benefits from the green leafy spinach, packed full of iron and calcium, so indulge. Order online in the Dinner Club section at www.yummease.com.

This week we are delivering between 5 - 8pm to:
Wednesday: St. Vital, St. Boniface, Transcona, The Kildonans,
Thursday: St. James, Downtown, Fort Rouge
Friday: Lindenwoods, Tuxedo, Whyte Ridge, Charleswood, River Heights
Saturday: St. Vital, Waverley Heights, Fort Richmond, Fort Garry
Monday 10am - 3pm: Senior Savvy Dinner Club Deliveries

If these days don't work for you, please email order@yummease.com to make alternate arrangements.
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It's not too early to start thinking about Mother's Day. For all the times Mom cooked for you, remember her this year by giving her the night (or the week) off with meals from Yummease. We even have beautiful handmade, plantable cards to include with your gourmet meals. How's that for easy!

Now Delivering Fresh Meals along with Frozen Meals

2009-03-04T12:36:00.001-06:00

Starting this month, we will be delivering one fresh meal a week along with your freshly frozen meals for your freezer. Order by Tuesday night for your Thursday dinner at www.yummease.com

This week's meal is a Hawaiian-Cashew Stirfry served over Pineapple-Infused Quinoa.

What is Quinoa? (pronounced: KEEN-wah) Quinoa is a super-food that contains more protein than any other grain and is a good source of dietary fiber. It is high in magnesium, potassium and iron and a good source of phosphorous, calcium, vitamin E and several B vitamins. Quinoa is also gluten-free and easy to digest.

Hawaiian-Cashew Stirfry
Fresh, juicy pineapple with sweet red peppers and plump peas over top of pineapple-infused quinoa make this dish both delicious and very nutritious. It's like being at a luau right in your own home, minus the music and the grass skirts... unless you want to borrow ours.
$8 per 500ml serving
Add on chicken or shrimp for $3

The Power of Food

2009-02-27T13:24:00.002-06:00

So last night I attended an event called Maximized Living and it was about healthy eating. I eat well but I decided I better shape up. I could do better.

I found this helpful article on www.vegnews.com. It talks about cleaning up your diet with these health-supporting kitchen staples. I was so excited to see Quinoa on the list. So here's the list:

Many healing, cleansing foods known for their disease-prevention properties are probably ones you already eat; those included here that you’re not consuming on a regular basis might offer inspiration the next time you’re stuck in the kitchen. Nourishing, healing, and delicious, these culinary offerings can be mixed and matched in myriad ways, and incorporated into meals year-round for optimal health and nutrition.

Cauliflower: Members of the cruciferous family, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are all known for their cancer-fighting properties.

Cayenne: Enhances blood circulation, stimulates the digestive system, and protects the body with its antioxidants from the effects of harmful chemicals.

Cinnamon: Helpful for reducing intestinal gas and aids in increasing blood circulation. This spice is also known to treat diarrhea, nausea, arthritis, menstrual cramps, and Candida.

Garlic: Antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, and antifungal, garlic is used to treat ear infections, influenza, blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It eliminates toxins from the body and is antiparasitic.

Ginger: Used to improve circulation, aid detoxification, and improve the cleansing of the kidneys and bowels. Also used to treat colds, motion sickness, nausea, and morning sickness.

Miso: Helps to protect the body from radiation, cancer, air pollution, and environmental toxins. A wonderful digestive aid and protein source.

Nori: This sea veggie is great paired with fried foods since it emulsifies fat and aids in its digestion. Rich in vitamin A, protein, B vitamins, calcium, and iron.

Quinoa: This simple seed is a complete protein, and also boasts high calcium and lysine contents.

Turmeric: Found in most curry powders, this mustard-colored spice is high in beta carotene, strengthens the immune system, and helps to dissolve cysts and tumors.

Winter Squash: A warming food, these sweet squashes are a good source of vitamins A, C, and potassium.

The Brain Diet

2008-11-30T13:53:00.002-06:00

This week thanks to Sasha and Josh I am reading The Brain Diet by Alan Logan. He lays out a nutritional plan for improving your mental and physical well being by eating well. So far the book is very interesting. I will keep you posted.

Christmas is coming!

2008-11-17T13:24:00.003-06:00

The Holiday season is upon us and we are faced with the daunting task of preparing the family dinner. Instead of slaving away in the kitchen for hours, why not spend more time with loved ones, and let Yummease prepare a yummy Naturally-Raised, Local Herb-Buttered Turkey stuffed with an Apple-Sage Stuffing and served with a Shallot Pan Gravy, Maple Walnut Sweet Potato Mash and a Medley of Freshly Sauteed Vegetables.
Your family will love you for it! Delivered anytime in December.

We deliver in Winnipeg, Manitoba and surrounding areas. Visit our website for complete details at www.yummease.com

Eating Organic Foods Reduces Children's Exposure to Pesticides

2007-08-21T12:08:00.001-05:00

A study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that children who switch to organic foods get "dramatic and immediate" reduced exposure to pesticides. Scientists tested the urine of children ages 3 to 11 in which during the first three and last seven days, they ate normal diets. During the middle five days, they were given organic items, including fruits, vegetables, and juices, and wheat- and corn-based processed items, including cereal and pasta. Average levels of pesticides in the children's urine decreased to nondetectable levels immediately after the introduction of organic diets.

Gourmet Retailer Newsletter, 2006