Jess’s Favorite Items (plus a new trend!) To Try In The New Year

Jess’s favorite items (plus a new trend!) to try in the new year

Cheers to 2023! As you reflect on the adventures of the past year and look forward to the opportunities of the year to come, I challenge you to consider trying something new. When I think about trying something new, I naturally gravitate towards food. So, to help you get started on your own “something new,” these are some of my favorite and lesser-known items (plus one trend) that I urge you to try in the New Year!

1. Sweet Haven Tonics

You have GOT to check this gem out! Sweet Haven Tonics handcrafts delicious concentrates right here in Minnesota for both cocktails and mocktails. These wonderfully fresh flavored tonics will produce an awe-worthy drink in about 30 seconds. Yes, you read that correctly – 30 seconds! With flavors like Lemon Basil Lavender and Spiced Cherry & Orange, these tonics are too exciting to pass up. Mix your flavor of choice with plain seltzer water for a mocktail or add liquor to make it a cocktail. The versatility and flavor of these products make them a bar cart must-have.

2. Black Bean Sun Chips

Sun Chips are an awesome choice for a savory and crunchy snack. They make reaching your daily 3 servings of whole grains easier by pairing whole grains with exciting and delicious flavors. In recent months, you may have noticed some new options in the chip aisle under the Sun Chips name! Sun Chips now sells a line of chips that contain real black beans. Black beans are rich in fiber and protein, so naturally these new chips boast slightly higher protein and fiber content. Not to mention the fun new flavors to compliment the inviting taste of black beans!

3. Superior Fresh Citrus Splash Greens

Sound familiar? That’s because I wrote about Superior Fresh Salmon back in October! At their facility, they recycle the water from the salmon pools to the aquaponic greenhouse, and the plants thrive on the nutrient rich water. They grow many varieties of leafy greens, but this one is by far my favorite. The unique sharp flavor of the Citrus Splash greens comes from red veined sorrel leaves. Which are as beautiful as they are scrumptious! Try out our Winter Greens and Grains Salad to experience it for yourself. Learn more about their salmon here!

4. Spindrift

I’m a HUGE fan of this sparkling water. While it may not be a new product, it’s newer on the seltzer water scene in the Midwest. The contents of this sparkling water set it apart from others, with each can of Spindrift featuring real fruit juice! The flavors range from a classic lime to a more adventurous pink lemonade, and everything in between. So, there’s a flavor for everyone! These are so yummy straight from the can, over ice, or even in a mocktail.

5. Swicy (sweet + spicy)

Here’s a new word to add to your vocabulary! We learn something new every day – right? This goofy word describes the collision of two bold flavors – sweet and spicy. You’ll see a lot more of these types of dishes and products heading into 2023. My personal favorite way to enjoy this flavor fusion involves combining the sweet of dark chocolate with the spice of Cayenne pepper. Get a head start on the trend with our Sweet & Spicy Chicken and Broccoli and Swicy Chile Brownies!

It’s always fun to try something new! Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favorite food in 2023.

Happy Eating!
Jess, Registered Dietitian
MPPD, RDN, LD

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3 Ways to Keep the Joy in Food This Holiday Season

3 Ways to Keep the Joy in Food This Holiday Season

Brrr! This chill in the air has us all thinking about the quickly approaching holidays. Thanksgiving is already this month! While there’s a lot of excitement with the holidays, there can also be a lot of stress when it comes to food choices. Many people experience both social pressure and self-imposed pressure to make the right food choices or to look a certain way. It’s a common experience to label certain holiday foods as “unhealthy” or to start a diet in preparation for seeing lots of family and friends. This restriction mindset is unsustainable and often backfires. So, I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to keep the holiday food just as joyful as the holiday it’s associated with!

These are my 3 tactics for keeping the joy in food this holiday season:

1. Don’t underestimate the emotional value of food.

Food is so much more than just fuel for our bodies! There’s a strong emotional connection to food. It reminds us of people, places, events, and more. Have you ever noticed how there’s that *one* dish that you crave every holiday? Take a moment and think about why. Is it a loved one’s recipe and you’re reminded of them when you eat it? Does it remind you of the joyful celebrations of years’ past? Food triggers a deep emotional response because it always involves at least 4 out of 5 senses. When you skip those foods not only do you miss out on that joyful experience, but you’re also ignoring an emotional need.

Here’s an example! Christmas is right around the corner, and you find yourself longing for your grandma’s cookies. You remember baking cookies with her around the holidays growing up, and your mom still makes her recipe when the family gets together for a Christmas celebration. But you’re worried about the sugar and butter in the cookies, so you tell yourself that you’re going to make “healthier choices” instead. Now you’re at the family Christmas gathering, spending most of your mental energy convincing yourself not to grab the cookies and that the fruit you put on your plate instead is just fine. How would things have gone differently if you had added two cookies to your plate of fruit? You likely wouldn’t spend the entire evening in a mental battle, and you would be present and joyful!

2. Focus instead on what you can add of value to your food choices.

All foods fit into a healthful diet. But of course, you won’t feel too well if you only eat mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner! Instead of thinking in terms of what you “shouldn’t” eat, think in terms of what you can add of value to your plate. For example, if you know that Thanksgiving dinner with your family often lacks vegetables, consider offering to bring a fun, veggie-filled side! Enjoy those classic Thanksgiving dishes that you love but also add some veggies to your plate with the side you brought.

3. Give yourself grace.

If the above tips don’t go as planned, give yourself some grace! It’s easy to get caught up chatting about food, diet, and lifestyle because they are common conversation starters. Those conversations can make it tough to maintain a positive mindset about food around the holidays. It can start to feel like others are judging your food choices, and that opens the door for your own inner critic to take over. Don’t let it!

The holidays are for celebrating, and food is part of that celebration. Keep the joy in food this holiday season and cherish the foods that bring you happiness!

 

Happy Eating!
Jess, Registered Dietitian
MPPD, RDN, LD

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The Great Salmon Debate

The Great Salmon Debate

October is National Seafood Month! Seafood, salmon in particular, has become an increasingly popular choice because of its lean protein and its stellar nutrition profile. Higher demand for salmon has led to more and more confusion on whether to purchase wild-caught or farm-raised salmon. The primary topic up for debate here is sustainability. And according to the Food Industry Association’s Power of Seafood 2022, 7 out of 10 people don’t feel very knowledgeable about sustainable seafood. So, let’s talk about salmon and sustainability!

First, Our Sustainability Promise is for all Fresh Seafood

At our stores we sell fresh wild-caught and farm-raised seafood with the highest standards in the industry. We partner only with suppliers that we know and trust. And that trust includes a commitment to help restore our marine and coastal ecosystems. That’s how we do our part to help build a more sustainable seafood market!

One of the most popular questions that I’m asked about salmon is: Isn’t wild-caught salmon more sustainable than farm-raised salmon?
The short answer is no. In fact, this answer is true of all seafood. Without farm-raised options, the seafood industry would be entirely unsustainable! We consume more seafood than the ecosystem can keep up with, making it impossible to rely only on wild-caught fish. Farming seafood allows the food supply to keep up with the needs of a growing population.

What about the environmental impacts of farm-raised salmon?

While there are valid concerns about how farming salmon impacts the environment, there are also many misconceptions about those concerns. Where do salmon thrive? Think  sheltered, deep, and cold waters. Therefore, you will find most salmon farmed in places like Chile, Canada, and Norway. Large nets hold the salmon, comparable to how a fence holds cattle in the field. Salmon farming operations are committed to maintaining the marine ecosystem by moving the nets periodically to reverse any temporary damage to the sea floor. They are also required by law to monitor the sea floor for any environmental damage. Not only do governments require this, but organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council oversee these practices as well.

What about the “color” added to farm-raised salmon?

This is another common misconception! You may notice that the farm-raised salmon in the fresh department has “added color” on the ingredient list.  To understand this, we need to take a closer look at the food chain of wild salmon. The diet of wild salmon largely consists of krill, and those krill consume an algae containing high levels of an antioxidant called astaxanthin. The astaxanthin naturally gets passed up the food chain from algae, to krill, to wild salmon. Ultimately giving wild salmon it’s pink hue! Have you ever heard about how flamingos are pink because of what they eat? Their diet contains the same antioxidant that makes salmon pink!

Farm-raised salmon do not eat wild krill, so the astaxanthin goes directly into their feed. It’s a healthy part of every salmon’s diet that also gives them great color!

Does “Wild-Caught” salmon have better nutrition?

A 2020 study looking at the nutrition of various salmon options available to consumers found that wild Sockeye, wild Chinook, farmed Atlantic, and farmed Atlantic organic categories of salmon were all defined as “best options” due to their nutrient density. In other words, some of the most nutrient packed salmon options are a mix of both farm-raised and wild-caught salmon. The study accounted for protein content, omega-3s, and mercury content in addition to general nutrient density.

Ultimately, all salmon varieties, whether wild-caught or farm-raised, can be part of a healthful diet. The nutritional benefits are plentiful for both categories of salmon, and either one makes a great choice for your recommended 2-3 servings of seafood weekly!

My personal experience with farm-raised salmon

All the fish at our fresh seafood counter arrives from all over the world within 24-72 hours after harvesting. But did you know that there is a salmon farm much closer to home? I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days touring Superior Fresh in Hixton, WI. They produce remarkably sustainable salmon – in the USA! Not only is their salmon sustainable, but it also contains 2x more omega-3s compared to other salmon. The farming operation includes two sides (really three if you include the land restoration focus surrounding the farm) – salmon farming and an aquaponic greenhouse. The salmon and plants rely on each other like an ecosystem. The plants thrive off the water from the salmon pools and purify the water in the process. The water then returns to the salmon pools! What a great example of how the future of salmon farming continues to evolve and match our need for even more sustainable food systems. And the best part is – you can find their salmon at our fresh seafood counter!

Truly, each of these topics could be a blog on their own! The world of seafood and sustainability is challenging to understand, and it feels like misinformation exists at every turn. When you’re choosing your salmon, keep in mind: It’s not about wild-caught versus farm-raised. Instead, it’s about wild-caught and farm-raised each having a place in our food choices. Either is an excellent, nutritious choice and both are necessary for a sustainable food system. And in other good news, we can look to organizations like Superior Fresh to pave the way for even further elevating sustainable practices in salmon farming.


Have more questions about wild-caught and farm-raised salmon for our team of Registered Dietitians? Reach out to us below!

 

Happy Eating!
Jess, Registered Dietitian
MPPD, RDN, LD

Ask A Dietitian

Study referenced:

Colombo SM, Mazal X. Investigation of the nutritional composition of different types of salmon available to Canadian consumers. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. 2020;2:100056. doi:10.1016/j.jafr.2020.100056

Family Meals Month – What’s Stopping You?

 

Family Meals Month- What’s Stopping You?

Making the time to eat together is no simple task. But it’s worth the effort! In fact, it’s so important that we dedicate the entire month of September to family meals. Sharing meals together has been proven to strengthen family bonds, foster emotional balance, and improve nutrition. The physical and emotional benefits of family meals are endless! However, many barriers exist that make family meals tough to stick with.

Time

There never seems to be enough time in the day! Especially when you’re juggling school, sports, and work schedules. Take advantage of your free time during the week to prep meals. I like to call this “being kind to your future self”! Whether it’s cutting up your fruits and veggies over the weekend or throwing together some meals to put in the freezer – you’ll be amazed at how much time you save!

Also, no one said that your family meal must be dinner. Maybe a family meal at your house looks like having breakfast together before school or work! That flexibility with your mealtimes allows you to adapt to whatever the day throws at you. And you can be just as flexible with your meal options! Put together a list of meals that you could make with the ingredients you have on hand, then choose which makes sense for a certain day.

High Expectations

It’s overwhelming to think about having family meals each day. Rest assured, you don’t need to do an overhaul of your schedule to make family meals happen. In fact, as few as 3 family meals per week saw a 24% increase in healthier food consumption.Start small, even if that means 1 family meal per week. Feel free to keep it simple with your food choices, and don’t forget to be kind to your future self!

 

Decision Fatigue

We’ve all been there – it’s 6pm, the family is hungry (including you), and you’re staring into the pantry debating what to make for dinner. After a long day, it’s natural to feel decision fatigue. After all, you’ve just spent all day making decisions! Meal planning and prep alleviates the stress of deciding what to make for dinner. Find what works best for you: That could mean having entire meals prepped in the freezer or writing out a meal plan for the week. Either way, the goal is to make decisions easier after a long day!

Different Food Preferences

Family meals involve balancing the preferences of many. Which poses a huge challenge! Eliminate the fuss by offering well-liked dishes alongside new ones. Children, and yes even adults, will be more willing to try new foods that they see other family members eating. (Another benefit of family meals!) If you’re dealing with picky eaters, keep in mind that it can take up to 10 attempts of offering food for a child to eat it.
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When you prioritize family meals, you prioritize the physical and emotional well-being of the whole family. And we challenge you to give family meals a try this month! Here are some of our resources to help you get started:

  • Healthy Eating on a Budget
  • Meals in Minutes
  • Dietitian’s Choice Recipes
  • Dietitian Tips on Meal Prepping

Happy Family Meals Month™!

-Jess,
Registered Dietitian

Salad On A Stick

Lynell

If you know me well you know I am a creative and artistic person… When deciding on a blog topic I thought, “Why not let that creativity shine through with the foods I create?” This food art is titled; “Salad On A Stick” and I just love how great they turned out! My coworkers would agree, as they were completely gone shortly after setting them out to eat at the office.

The first secret to a really great Salad On A Stick is to have foods with lots of color and great variety for guests to pick and choose from. The second secret is to have salad dressings that everyone will love! Wishbone has my favorite dressings and their great flavor can really spruce up a salad! I picked all of my favorites to set out when I made these for my coworkers to try. My favorite flavors are Italian, Western, Ranch and of course I had to include the Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette. If you want to take your salad from okay to outstanding then pick up these delicious dressings from Wishbone to try. Believe me when I say your guests will thank you.

These appetizers are as easy to make as 1, 2, 3.

  1. First pick up your fixins’, dressings and kabob sticks. I purchased blocks of cheese, a variety of meat, hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and a head of lettuce to break up.
  2. Then cut up your food into cubes or bite size pieces. This will make them easier to eat and less messy for your guests.
  3. Finally prepare them in an eye appealing fashion on the kabob stick. If you’re looking for a more do-it-yourself concept you could make a kabob bar! Simply set the sticks at the beginning of the line, the cubed food in the middle and the Wishbone dressing at the end. Guests will marvel at your creativity and appreciate the opportunity to add their favorite items to their Salad On A Stick.

Salads On A Stick are great for a multitude of events. From barbeques, graduation parties, picnics, potlucks, dinner on the patio, or even as a side for a Bloody Mary bar they are the perfect appetizers and I promise everyone will love them and you’ll love how quick and easy they are to prep for.

The next time snow is in the forecast or the winter weather is getting you down, just remember this blog and be optimistic that soon spring and summer will be here and you’ll have a delicious appetizer to bring to all of your warm weather events!

I hope this crafty creation can bring some inspiration to your life! Be sure to check out the rest of my blog with the link below!

Lynell
Coborn’s, Inc. Graphic Designer

Coborn’s Valentine’s Day Dinner

www.cobornsblog.com - Family, Friends & Food with Jayne

Jayne

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you are like me and don’t venture out to a local restaurant to celebrate I’m here to help you plan out your romantic meal at home step-by-step and it’s easy to do. Don’t worry I’ve got your back!

If you want to wow your significant other let’s start in the Meat Department at any one of your local Coborn’s stores. The days leading up to Valentine’s Day just stop in and ask for the pre-cooked Prime Rib in the heart shaped containers. Don’t forget to ask them about Johnnie’s French Onion Aujus also. This pre-cooked Prime Rib is fully cooked so all you have to do is place it in a glass dish, pour a little of Johnnie’s French Onion Aujus over the top of the steaks and then place them in your oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes and you have the most succulent and tender steak imaginable.

If you want something different in the steak family we also have Ribeye’s or Surf n Turf which is a New York Strip and Lobster. Don’t forget to melt a little butter to drench your lobster in or a wedge of lemon to serve on the side, but you better hurry in because the heart shaped containers are only available while supplies last.

To add to that wonderful meal don’t forget a little dessert and we now have a new item that I am so excited about. Stop in the Produce Department and ask for the strawberries dipped in chocolate placed in a heart shape container. I also can’t forget that the strawberries are drizzled with white chocolate, which is my favorite flavor and it truly puts the whole dessert over the top.

Now Valentine’s Day is not Valentine’s without a little wine to serve with your meal and I have a perfect wine that pairs so well with steak orDSC02776 seafood. It’s called “Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon”. It is a full body red wine and has black cherry and plum flavors along with an undertone of coffee and spice.

Now last but not least don’t forget to stop into our Floral Department for those beautiful roses to impress your friend. You put this all together and I know you will have a magical evening.

Since it is Valentine’s Day, I want to show my appreciation for all of you! I am going to make it even easier for you to impress that special someone in your life with a little giveaway! I’m going to give one lucky winner a head start with planning that special meal. Just “Like” & “Share” my video and you will be entered into a drawing to win a FREE Prime Rib Dinner along with one dozen roses!!!

Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day to all!!

Jayne
Coborn’s Inc. Meat and Seafood Merchandiser

 

How to Ice a Cake with Roll Fondant

How to Ice a Cake with Roll Fondant

www.cobornsblog.com The art of Cakes with Amanda

Amanda

Time to get fancy! Let’s talk fondant. Get out your rolling pin and nonstick mat and prepare those arm muscles for a little work out. I’ve included a little video to see the process but let’s also discuss the process from supplies to cake.

First thing you’ll need, a few special supplies. A cake, lightly iced. When you put the fondant on top it can get a bit too squishy and create a mess if your frosting is too thick. I’m going to be covering an 8” round, double layered, cake. I used 1 lb. of fondant to cover my cake but you could use a little more to give yourself a little wiggle room when covering. You should also have a fondant smoothing tool, a paddle like looking device, and a nonstick silpat mat for rolling on. Most important you need a rolling pin. I like a big heavy rolling pin for the job. You’ll also need to sprinkle powdered sugar, I like to use a shaker for this, but you could do it by hand too. I also like to use a pizza cutter for trimming my cake. It will roll smoothly around the cake. I don’t use a knife, those I keep far away from the silpat mat. Any knicks or cuts you leave behind when using a blade will show up forever after when you roll out fondant.

Ok, now to get rolling. If you want to color your fondant go ahead and do that first, then cover it up to keep it from getting crusty. Next I base ice my cake and then keep it close as I go back to start on the fondant again.

Knead your fondant, a lot. Keep kneading until it feels silky and smooth. Your hands should warm it up and make it pliable. The more you knead it the better your fondant covering experience will go. If your fondant feels dry and stiff, keep kneading. There should be a little stretch. Once it’s warmed up you can start rolling it out.

SuppliesDust your mat with powdered sugar and place your flattened ball of fondant in the center of the mat. I usually squish it out a little into the shape I want, a circle or a square. Dust the top a little with powdered sugar then start rolling. Keep rolling and rolling. Work the fondant into the shape you want. Rotate your pin, rotate the fondant. If it gets too oval or rectangular don’t be afraid to stretch back into the shape you want with your hands. Covering your cake will be easier if you can keep your fondant in a shape relatively similar to your cake. Keep checking the thickness. Give a little more muscle to the parts that are thicker. It can be tempting to use a thick a slab of fondant on your cake in the excitement of covering your cake, but be patient. A thick slab isn’t going to taste good and can squish your cake down creating slouching and puckering after an hour or so. Go thin. Shoot for about ¼” or less for a typical cake, but a little on the thicker side of that for a shaped cake to allow for stretching.

Now that you are at your desired thickness and size you are ready to cover. How big should it be? The height of your cake x 2, plus the width of the top. Then add a couple inches to allow for fidgeting and fussing.

You want to do the next steps in one, uninterrupted step. Don’t answer the phone, don’t stop for a snack. The fondant is already drying and getting a skin and if you walk away it will wrinkle and tear when you try to do anything with it, then you get to start all over.

Move your iced cake over next to your fondant slab. There are many way and tricks to picking up fondant. I don’t use them. I just pick it up like a pizzeria guy. Do it quick, yet gentle, and keep the fondant moving and you shouldn’t get any tears. If you stand around thinking with it draped over your fingers, yes, it will get deformed, but why are you just standing there? Place your fondant over the cake. There should be a little moisture left in the frosting to make it stick. If you think you are going to take more than 15 minutes to roll out your fondant covering your cake wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Lay your fondant across the top, let the sides drape down. Use your hand to smooth out the fondant from the middle to the outside. Then use your smoothing tool to briskly rub the surface. Apply pressure, just enough to work out any air bubbles. Try to work from the middle to the outside to move out any bubbles. Work quickly; your sides are starting to firm up.

Now for the tricky part, the sides. You need to start smoothing the fondant to the frosting. Work in small areas, going in a circle around your cake. You Using Fondant Icingdon’t need to stick it all at once. Imagine there are horizontal lines on your cake, about an 1 or so apart, just work from the top imaginary ring down to the next. By the time you get to the bottom half you’ll need to gently tug and stretch at the fondant to avoid the folds and pleats. Keep moving, keep working at it, and keep being patient. Smooth as you go to avoid air bubbles.

Once you have your cake covered you can trim the excess off from around the bottom with your pizza cutter. Now pick up your smoother again and start rubbing all over. At this point you are trying to polish the fondant up. Rub out any ripples, move any air bubbles down and out. If you have any stubborn bubbles you can poke a small hole with a thin pin and let the air out. This will leave a hole, but sometimes it’s worth the trade off on stubborn bubbles.

Congratulations! You did it! You have a smooth fondant cake. Have fun dressing it up from this point. You can paint it, stick fondant to it, and quilt it. And don’t forget the important part, you can eat it.

Amanda
Coborn’s Cake Decorator
Sartell, MN – Pine Cone Road

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www.cobornsblog.com - The Art of Cakes with Amanda