Nutty Butter Peanut Butter

There is peanut butter, and there is peanut butter. No need for anything artificial when enjoying the good taste of real peanut butter! Parker Farms All Natural Peanut Butter has all of the good stuff without any preservatives. The peanut butter is also without trans fats, hydrogenated oils and low in sodium.

The peanut butter is made in Coon Rapids at the Parkers Farm company which began in 1977. The company produced cold pack cheese, and later expanded their products to include peanut butter. The ingredients are all natural and need to be kept in the refrigerator. Parker Farms also produces salsas and spreads which can be found in the refrigerated section.

Salad Days!

Salads can get boring with the same old lettuce and toppings but Jim and Pam Powell have changed that! Pam worked in the past as a personal chef and was always creating salads. She often created home made vinaigrettes using the fruits and herbs of the season. In 2007 she and her husband teamed up to create small batch fresh, organic and natural salad dressings to be sold at the Mill City Farmer's Market. They have been so successful, that are now sold around the Twin Cities.

The flavors they offer are Pomegranate Pear, Crisp Apple Maple, Blueberry Basil and Curry and Fig. In addition, they also have added fruit and nut toppings for the perfect salad accompaniments.

They can be found regularly at the Mill City Farmers Market, Kowalski's Markets, Whole Foods, as well as other natural stores in the metro area.

Nut Goodieness!

Minnesota is famous for many things, but Nut Goodie bars have to be one of the best! Manufactured by Pearson's Candy company in St. Paul, the candy bar was invented in 1912. It helped put the Pearson company on the map in the candy world, and the Salted Nut Roll, Mint Patty and Bun bars all followed. The Pearson family sold the company in the 1960's and the company changed hands a few other times. In 1985 however, a few Pearson's employees bought the company with the goal of returning the Pearson's products back with their original quality. The original recipe of the Nut Goodie and the wrapper were in use again!

The Nut Goodie bar is not a beautiful bar. It tends to look like a big lump of chocolate and nuts. The filling is maple flavored and has a nice creamy consistency. The maple filling compliments the crunch of the nuts. The chocolate has a nice smooth flavor, and is just the right coating for this treat. The packaging is styled like the original back in 1912. It has a nice nostalgic feel.

The Nut Goodie is hard to find outside of Minnesota. Many former Minnesotans find that the Nut Goodie cravings are difficult to satisfy due to a limited distribution outside of our state.

Pearson's Candy Company will be 100 years old next year. Have a Nut Goodie Bar to celebrate!