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GOURMET NEWS FEBRUARY 2019 www.gourmetnews.com Naturally Healthy NATURALLY HEALTHY 1 4 Crunchy Granola Goodness in a Portable Snack BY LORRIE BAUMANN Crazy Monkey Baking's Granola Cookie Crunch comes from a mom who had a de- gree in dietetics and an urgent desire to give her own kids a snack that she could feel conscientious about giving them and that they'd enjoy too. She started with an oatmeal cookie that her kids enjoyed and went to work on the recipe to come up with a product that was a bit more oat and a little less cookie but still delicious. Her kids loved it. Their friends loved it. "My kids really liked it, and that's the beauty of children – that they'll be honest," said Teresa Humrichouser, that Ashland, Ohio, mom. "We are a chocolate family, so I knew that if I put chocolate in it, there was a pretty good chance they would eat it." It was a bonus that she could take it along in her mom-van, and the kids could nibble on it during their rides without leav- ing behind a mess of crumbs in the car. "Our lives are so busy, so, as a mom, I can have this in my minivan as I pick the kids up from practice," she said. Humrichouser's friends encouraged her to take her Granola Cookie Crunch to the local farmers market, where, every week- end for two years straight, she sold out. Local grocery retailers saw what was hap- pening, and a few of them approached her and asked her if they could carry her prod- uct in their stores after the farmers market season had ended. Humrichouser started looking for a commercial kitchen. She found a 350 square-foot facility that had been vacated by a pizza kitchen. "It was a few minutes from our house, and it was a small kitchen that we could move into and get it li- censed because it had been used for food service in the past," she said. Three years later, she moved out of the former pizza shop and into a 1,000 square-foot facility. Then in January, 2017, she moved into a 7,500 square-foot bak- ery, where eight employees make small batch after small batch of her Granola Cookie Crunch in four year-round flavors as well as occasional seasonal fla- vors. "With this move, it has allowed us to be in a location that suited us for bringing on larger customers," she said. The move has also facilitated supplier audits and food safety planning and documentation to qualify for national distribution to grocers who sell the products in either the granola, healthy snack or cookie sections of their shelves. Crazy Monkey Baking has also just been certified as a woman-owned business, and Humrichouser offers contract manufactur- ing services to other companies that have a granola formula but not a facility. "Even after all this time, baking is still my greatest passion," she said. "I don't get to do it that often any more, that that's what I love working with most in the business." Crazy Monkey Baking is now offered in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Dark Chocolate Chip, Mint Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Almond flavors in 1.25-ounce bags that are smart-snack approved for schools. They retail for 99 cents to $1.49. Those four flavors plus White Chocolate Cranberry are also offered in 7.5-ounce bags along with a rotation of seasonal fla- vors that includes Cinnamon Pecan in the winter, Lemon Coconut in summer and Pumpkin Seed & Spice in the fall. Addi- tional special-edition flavors also appear occasionally. "We have a variety of flavors, so there's some variety to appeal to the kids and adults alike," Humrichouser said. All of the products are wheat free and made with 100 percent whole grains. Oats are naturally gluten free, and the products are sweetened with honey, molasses and evaporated cane sugar. A serving of the Dark Chocolate Chip flavor Granola Cookie Crunch contains 8 grams of added sugars and 6 grams of fat along with 3 grams of protein and 150 calories. "There is fat in oats and in whole grain cornmeal and in flax seeds, but it's all healthy fat," Humrichouser said. "When you have the real ingredients without the fats stripped from them, you're going to get those good, healthy calories in the fat." Visit www.crazymonkeybaking.com for more information. GN La Tourangelle Brings New Vinaigrette Line to the West Coast La Tourangelle launched a new line of organic vinaigrettes at this year's Winter Fancy Food Show. Making their West Coast debut, these rich, flavorful vinai- grettes are the first to use La Tourangelle's award winning artisan oils to create exceptional ready-to-pour vinaigrettes. For La Tourangelle, high quality oil is the secret for higher quality and better tasting vinaigrettes. By combining their own award-winning artisan oils with fresh, organic ingredients, La Tourangelle delivers a superior vinai- grette with one easy pour. Each vinai- grette is delicately whipped with herbs, spices and acids like balsamic vinegar or lemon juice for a creamy consistency that doesn't separate, with no whisking or shaking needed. "For years La Tourangelle Artisan Oils have been the home chef's secret to excep- tional dressings, vinaigrettes and so much more," said La Tourangelle Founder Matthieu Kohlmeyer. "We are excited to say our artisan oils are still the secret to extraordinary vinaigrettes, and now the whisk and work of making them yourself is optional." There are currently four La Tourangelle vinaigrette flavors including: Creamy Ranch, made with Organic Virgin Avocado Oil; Classic Balsamic, made with Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Sesame Tamari Vinaigrette, made with Organic Toasted Sesame Oil; and Citrus Chipotle, made with Organic Virgin Avocado Oil. They're all certified organic by the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture, vegan, gluten free and low in sodium and sugar. Each is packaged in an 8.5-ounce glass bottle that retails for $5.99. GN Blue Moose Launches Snack-Size Hummus Packs Blue Moose has just launched two new product lines in snack sizes: its Organic On The Go Hummus Snack Pack and Organic Moose Minis 100 Calorie Single Serve Cups. "With the shift in trends towards snack- ing, we're filling a void in the marketplace to ensure our customers don't have to sac- rifice convenience for quality or taste," said Tenley Satre, President of Blue Moose. "We're thrilled to be able to deliver nutrient dense organic snacks that you can truly feel good about." Organic On The Go Hummus Snack Packs buck the status quo by pairing its hummus with organic carrot sticks rather than pretzels or chips. The nutrient-packed dehydrated carrot sticks are made by Rhythm Superfoods. With 150 calories, 5g protein and 0g added sugar per container, this snack delivers real nutrition. Available in three flavors: Original, Roasted Red Pep- per and Lemon Turmeric. Organic Moose Minis 100 Calorie Single Serve Cups are convenient grab-and-go containers of creamy hummus for con- sumers to pair with their own dippers. Available in three flavors: Original, Roasted Red Pepper and Lemon Turmeric. As with all products in Blue Moose's hummus portfolio, the new snacks are cer- tified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and non-GMO by the Non- GMO Project. They're also certified gluten free, and they're vegan and contain no preservatives. The new snack lines launched at the Winter Fancy Food Show, and Blue Moose has already started shipping the products. GN

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