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Go back to newsletter archives
Celebrations!-March 31, 2007
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April/May 2007
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Introducing our NEW Packaging... |
Celebrating Easter with an old tradition ... |
And the nominees are ... congratulations to all! |
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Scroll down for more .... |
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Wholesome Sweeteners' New Packaging |
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Over the next few months, Wholesome Sweeteners sugars will take on an entirely new look. These are the same great sugars you know and love, only the pouches are different!
To celebrate the tropical origins of Wholesome’s sugars and our commitment to Fair Trade, we redesigned our packages around bright, clean colors with an eye-catching 'taste of the tropics' theme and the Fair Trade CertifiedTM logo placed front and center—a reminder of the difference that YOUR purchases make in the world.
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Reviving a Lenten Season Celebration |
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Simnel Cake
¾ cup Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Fair Trade Dark Brown Sugar or Billington’s Molasses Sugar
¾ cup unsweetened organic butter, softened
3 large, cage-free eggs, beaten
1½ cups unbleached organic flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice will work as well)
1 teaspoon finely grated organic lemon rind
2 tablespoons organic lemon juice
1½ cups seedless organic raisins
¾ cup organic sultanas (golden raisins)
½ cup dried organic currants
2 to 3 teaspoons of organic apricot jam
1½ cups marzipan (use homemade or store-bought)
Small organic chocolate Easter eggs (for decoration)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 8" round cake pan.
Place the sugar in a large mixing bowl and break it down gently with a wooden spoon. Add the butter and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sift together the flour, salt and mixed spice, then fold into the creamed mixture. Add the lemon rind and juice, then fold in the raisins, sultanas and currants.
Turn the mixture into the prepared cake pan, level the surface and bake in the oven for about 2.5 hours or until a fine skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan. To decorate the cake, brush the top with warmed apricot jam. Knead the marzipan until smooth (recipe follows). Roll out two thirds and cover the top of the cake. Form two long rolls from the rest, carefully coil together and place on top of the cake. Position the Easter eggs on top and tie a ribbon around the outside.
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Simnel Cakes, a "Mothering Sunday" tradition from England, have been baked by daughters for their mothers since medieval times. Mothering Sunday is not a celebration of motherhood, per se, but a sixteenth-century celebration of the fourth Sunday of Lent, a day set aside for people to return to their “mother church” for Sunday service.
During the late years of the Middle Ages, landowners and Lords often “employed” older children from outlying areas within their domains to keep the manor house, barns and farming operations running. Family gatherings were few and far between, if at all, but Mothing Sunday was often an exception, especially as Christianity spread across the British Isles. Young girls working as domestic servants prepared Simnel cakes to bring home as their contribution to the celebration.
Inspired by the Latin word 'simila,' which refers to the fine flour used in their preparation, these delicious cakes celebrated the reuniting of families during the austerity of Lent and, in time, have become a modern Easter tradition in the United Kingdom. Different communities had their own secret recipes for Simnel Cake, and debates continue even today about whose is “best.” This recipe, inspired by Billington’s cookbook More Delicious Recipes, is one of our favorites.
For additional seasonal recipes, please visit the Wholesome Sweeteners Recipe Library. |
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Well, we’ll make this part easy … that’s our friend Cameron standing in front of Big Ben in London wearing a "Feeling Blue" Blue Agave t-shirt. Big Ben is one of London's best-known landmarks, and looks truly spectacular at night when the clock faces are illuminated. (You even know when parliament is in session, because a light shines above the clock face.) The name Big Ben actually refers not to the clock-tower itself, but to the 13-ton bell that hangs inside. The bell was named after the first commissioner of works, Sir Benjamin Hall.
The clock in the tower was once the biggest in the world, able to strike the first blow for each hour with an accuracy of one second. The clock mechanism was completed by 1854, but the tower was not fully constructed until four years later. To see a live shot of Big Ben, day or night, click: http://www.camvista.com/england/london/bigben.php3.
England is also home to one the oldest sugar companies in the world … one that is also a key partner in Wholesome Sweeteners.
Can you name the British company?
Please send entries to Info@WholesomeSweeteners.com and write “Where in the World” (or “I know! I know!”) in the email subject line. In the body of the email, please tell us the company (and for extra points, the city where said company is based), as well as your name, phone number and street address by May 1, 2007. We’ll select one entry at random from all correct entries. If selected, you'll receive a special Wholesome Sweeteners Spring Gift of sugars, syrups and nectars just in time for spring sweetening—plus a rare and wonderful Wholesome Sweeteners “Feeling Blue?” Organic Blue Agave cap. Four runners-up will receive Wholesome Sweeteners sugars and molasses.
No purchase necessary. Enter as often as you like, but only one gift per family, please. We'll let everyone know the company’s name in the next issue of The Sugar Club. |
Here are a couple of clues:
· Established in 1858, this company has nearly 150 years of knowledge and experience in organic and all-natural farming and extensive expertise in sourcing the finest quality sugars across the globe.
· This company was the first company in the world to bring a certified organic sugar to market.
Where was last issue's "Where in the World"? It was Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica, near the Ortunos' farm, where Sucanat is made. Thanks to all who played! | |
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 The nominees are ....
The James Beard Foundation is a national not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in New York City dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. The James Beard Foundation Awards are the nation's preeminent honors for culinary professionals. For dedicated gastronomes—these are the culinary equivalent of the OscarsR!
This year’s nominees include members of Wholesome’s extended family of chefs from across the nation, many of whom use our products in their kitchens.
Our congratulations and best wishes go to all of the nominees, and especially to:
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Marcus Samuellson, chef-owner of Aquavit, whose stunning new cookbook, The Soul of a New Cuisine, is nominated in the Best International Cookbook of 2007 category. Marcus is a strong advocate for Wholesome’s Fair Trade sugars from Malawi and is featured on the back of the Raw Cane Sugar and natural Cane Sugar packages. |
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Gale Gand, Ric Tramonto and Richard Melman, whose serene and sophisticated Chicago restaurant Tru, is nominated in the Outstanding Service category. Gale Gand’s recipes are featured on the back of Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Fair Trade Light and Dark Brown Sugars. |
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Monica Pope of Houston’s t’afia is nominated as one of the Best Chefs in America. Monica's recipe is featured on the back of our 1 pound pouch of Fair Trade Organic Sugar. |
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David Bull of the Driskill Grill in Austin, Texas is nominated as one of the Best Chefs in America. David's recipe is featured on the 2 pound pouch of Fair Trade Organic Sugar |
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Rick Bayless's Chicago restaurant, Frontera Grill, is nominated in the Outstanding Restaurant of 2007 category. Rick is an avowed lover of Blue Agave nectars. |
The winners will be announced May 6-7. Our best wishes and heartiest congratulations go to all! (For more information, please see … www.jamesbeard.org.) | |
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Organic ZeroTM...
is coming to a store near you!
Organic Zero contains zero calories, has a Glycemic Index of zero, contains zero artificial ingredients, and is certified organic, unlike sugar substitutes currently on the market. It is made from organic sugar cane juice, which is naturally fermented and crystallized, creating the first organic erythritol, a naturally occurring sugar that is present in fruits such as pears and melons, and fermented foods like soy sauce and beer. It is 70 percent as sweet as regular sugar, does not cause tooth decay and is easily digested. It's perfect for sweetening beverages and fruit...
For a free sample of Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Zero please send a note to info@wholesomesweeteners.com and write Free Zero in the email subject line. In the body of the email, please tell us your name, phone number and address. We’ll send a complimentary sample right out! |
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