Zymbiotics for your health

I have known about Zymbiotics for about a year -- first hearing about the company from my friends in the #mkefoodies group. After reading about it, I was a bit intrigued. Then I saw the products at Good Harvest Market and my interest peaked even more. I still wasn't 100% sure what it was, but I knew the products were supposed to be good for you.

I recently reached out to the owner Jeff after he introduced himself to the Wisconsin Whisk group that I am a member. I asked him more about his products, and he suggested that we meet up so that I could try them and ask anything that I wanted to know about them.

Here's a bit about the company from the website: "Zymbiotics are fine naturally fermented foods including Jeff’s Zauerkraut, Jeff’s Ginger Zarrots, Jeff Zimchi, and Jeff’s Vegan Zimchi.  These prebiotic and probiotic ferments are delicious and nutritious. We strive to use locally sourced produce for our products to reduce the environmental impact wherever possible.  Educating our community  on the health benefits of fermentation is a fundamental part of our mission."

Jeff and I met at Good Harvest Market and sat down in the cafe area. Did you know that Good Harvest Market has a full cafe, smoothie bar, and beer on tap? You can enjoy these treats while shopping or take a meal home. There is even a loft area above the cafe to get a better view of the store while you dine.

Jeff told me a bit about his products, Zymbiotics. The product are kept in the cooler case because they aren't pasteurized and are fresh. The products will last over a year opened or unopened if kept refrigerated. On your first time opening them, its recommended to open them over the sink--the CO2 builds up and could cause a little spill.

The company recommends at least two tablespoons of the products a day for maximum results. Here are more of the benefits of these products.

Zymbiotics Zauerkraut

I tried the Zauerkraut first - a bright, beautiful purple color. It was delicious and puts the kraut at Miller Park and the green can(Franks?) to shame. I want to only have this with my brats and hot dogs in the future. However, I was told to not get it over 104 degrees or it will lose the good bacteria and health benefits.

Zymbiotics Ginger Zarrots

Next I tried the Ginger Zarrots. I was a little hesitant as I didn't believe these flavors would go together at all. I was very pleasantly surprised - this was a great combination. I could eat this as a between-meal snack for sure. Or have them with a nice grilled chicken breast. Two tablespoons of this daily will be no problem. And there are some great recipes for this product on their website.

Zymbiotics Zimchi

Next up was the Zimchi - As someone that has never had Kimchi, I wasn't sure what to expect except Asian flavors. It has beautiful color and a great variety of products in it. There is a kick of spice, but if I had some rice with dinner, it would be just fine for my palette. I didn't try the Vegan Zimchi, but I was told the flavor is very similar, just doesn't have the fish sauce in it.

Jeff was nice enough to send me home with the Zauerkraut, Ginger Zarrots, and Zimchi. I have had Ginger Zarrots a few times and can't wait to make a few of the recipes from the website. Stay tuned for posts on that.

Jeff's wife has her masters in nutrition and culinary arts and she oversees the recipes to make sure they are healthy and that the prebiotic and probiotic dignity of the products are in tact.

Zymbiotics can be found at Good Harvest Market, Woodman's, Albrechts Sentry, B&K  Sentry, and the Sendik's on Capitol in Brookfield. The local food stores have welcomed his products and really supported his mission. I love seeing local work together.

I recommend you try these products for improved digestion and quality bacteria in your gut. In just a couple weeks, you will notice a change. Eating fermented foods increases the vitamin content and helps us absorb the vitamins.

Simple Irresistible Catering

 
You know a company is utilizing social media properly when its posts drive you to make a purchase. This is the case for my sudden impulse to try Simple Irresistible Catering. Because of the business' activity on Facebook and Twitter, I was able to find out that in addition to catering small events, they offer "Take and Bake Meals" that you can order thru the website or come into the shop and grab-n-go.

I checked out the website and it took me a long time to slim my list down of what to try first. I got a half order of the stuffed meatballs, an order of the glazed carrots and a half order of the Italian sausage lasagna. I scheduled to pick them up 24 hours later at the shop and they were ready and waiting for me completely frozen in oven safe aluminum containers. Directions are right on the lid so you can't misplace them when you are ready to heat them up.

During my pickup, Megan, the owner, and I got to chatting a little bit and I found out even more about her ties to Waukesha and her love of food (which we obviously share!). She and her sister have worked at some of the downtown businesses and Megan decided to take the plunge and start up her own business in downtown because she loves the area. She has had great success with catering small custom events and her business is really growing by word of mouth and by those that have attended her events and are planning one of their own.


Ok - let's get into my food. I originally chose the meatballs to serve to my boyfriend and his boys but I just couldn't wait to try them. Sports and tournaments kept postponing our dinners together, and I was getting impatient on trying these, so I went for them all on my own.

I used my new oven to get these heated up and cooked some spaghetti while I waited for these to finish. The oven worked perfectly on convection and the directions were easy to follow and worked perfectly.

The meatballs are almost 2 inches in diameter and smelled heavenly when I pulled off the lid to finish cooking them. I couldn't wait to try her sauce as the only sauce I had on hand was "sugar free from a can." You can't really get more bland than that. I could see the chunky tomatoes in hers and you can see the spices and herbs in her sauce.

I plopped two meatballs on top of spaghetti and covered it with her sauce. I did add a bit more of my own, because I love sauce and then added a little Parmesan to top it all off.

The meatballs were scrumptious! Just the right amount of cheese in the middle of them and tons of Italian flavor. I wanted to eat more but I didn't want to be gluttonous. I chopped them up and mixed it in with my spaghetti and sauce so I had a little with each bite. Her sauce really had excellent flavor - I would buy just that if she would jar it :). And I think two meatballs is the perfect serving size. Some nice sauteed vegetables on the side or garlic bread would have really pulled this meal together but alas, I didn't have any and didn't think to order her Parmesan Garlic Bread  or Garlic & Herb Butter Vegetable Medley. 

A half pan (6 meatballs with sauce) is $9.95 + tax and this would have served my boyfriend and his kids just fine with pasta and garlic bread. So let's add $5 for that and we have a meal for the five of us for around $3 a person. Can you go anywhere and get that good of a deal? Not that I can think of. As an example, we went to Taco Bell with the kids for lunch and it was over $25 for us to eat and we weren't even satisfied with the quality of the food presented to us and the kids were still hungry. Simply Irresistible is homemade by a local business for a great price. I am definitely a fan and can't wait to try her other entrees I ordered.


A little more on Megan and her biz:

Megan graduated from WCTC's Culinary Management Program and is a proud member of the American Culinary Federation.

She doesn't have a specific catering menu because she really enjoys working with the individual clients to provide them just what they want. She does offer all of her take and bake options for catering too!
 

Katie's Gourmet Instant Oatmeal

I have become a big fan of Katie's Gourmet Instant Oatmeal in the last few months and have finally tried all the flavors.

Sunday Special has to be my absolute favorite, replacing Berry DeLite by a thin margin. I think why I like it so much is the chocolate chips! Who doesn't like chocolate? :)  They melt when you heat it up and add a chocolatey flavor to the oatmeal that I don't think I have ever had before and absolutely love.

I was hesitant on the banana in this flavor at first as I typically only like banana bread and real bananas. Anything else with banana flavor, I shy away from. However, this has real banana and strawberry flavor and really does have a banana split sundae taste to it.

I tried a bowl of the Grandma's Kitchen which has apples, raisins and cinnamon in it. It reminds me a little bit of the European Deluxe but the apples were tart. I might have been over cooking it a bit, but the apples tended to be a bit chewy. I let my parents try this as my dad has oatmeal every morning before work. They agreed about the apples but did like the flavor.

And Katie's last current flavor is Tropical Vacation. Dried mango, coconut, pineapple and orange - an island in a bowl! I am not a big fan of coconut (never have been), but I love mango and the other flavors, but for me the coconut was all I could taste. My mom loves coconut though and she really liked this one.

From Mom: "I made it just one portion at a time in the microwave with water as directed and with milk. And it was very good both ways. It had a nice texture, not just mush. After gently mixing the bag, there was ample fruit for each single portion. The only thing that sort of caught my off guard was a the 'tanginess' of what I'm thinking is the orange peel. It's the third ingredient listed (oats, mango, then orange peel) -- and in my first couple of bowls of oatmeal, it was just something I hadn't expected."

My mom told me that I could buy her this flavor and she would eat it all up again and again.

My dad's only suggestion was to make individual servings. He is an "on-the-go" breakfast guy that likes the pre-measured packets out on the market. I think what I will do for him is measure out servings, place them in baggies and put the baggies back in the larger bag. That way he has his on-the-go breakfast all set.

You can find Katie's Gourmet Instant Oatmeal at:
      Albrecht's Sentry in Delafield
      Fox Brother's Piggly Wigglys in Hartland and Oconomowoc
      O' What a Day Cafe on Bluemound in Brookfield
      Book Cafe on East Ave in Waukesha (by Carroll University)
~AND VERY SOON~
      Sendik's in New Berlin
I am very excited for Katherine as this is the Sendik's my parents and I shop in a lot and is a wonderful store. My friend Jacob recently became the liquor department manager of this location as well so make sure you stop in and check out his great selection of wine and beer. This is one of the busier Sendik's in the area and I am very proud of Jacob for getting the position. And major kuddos to Katie for getting her oatmeal on the shelves of this busy store. She will post updates as to when she will be on the shelves and doing samplings of her products.

I also heard from her that she is testing out a new flavor to hit shelves this summer. Stay tuned to her website and Facebook page for all the details.

Katie's Gourmet Instant Oatmeal

My friend Katherine and I share a love for local food made with quality ingredients. We have checked out some local eateries together a few times a year and have enjoyed all of our ventures out.

About a year ago, Katherine began a new business,"Katie's Gourmet Instant Oatmeal." She has always been one to add fruit to her oatmeal to increase the flavor and she came to the realization that she wanted to share this yummy concept with the public. Katie has done the work for you - combining all of the dry ingredients. Just add milk or water, or a combination of both and you are set to go. 

She debuted her products at the Waukesha Farmer's Market and has gradually been increasing her reach including being on the shelves at Albrecht's Sentry in Delafield and the Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly's in Hartland and Oconomowoc. You can also find her oatmeal at O' What a Day Cafe on Bluemound in Brookfield and The Book Cafe in Waukesha.

Katherine (as I call her) is very active in getting her name out there and hosts samplings at the stores she is in. I follow her on Facebook and love hearing that she is selling out and having to make extra stops at her stores to restock their shelves. She hopes to get into a few more Farmer's Markets this summer and continue to grow her fans.

She asked me to lunch to check out Pat's Rib Place as neither of us had checked it out yet, and talk a little business. She treated me to a bag of each flavor of the oatmeal and asked me to share my thoughts on her product on my blog.

European Deluxe

I am a huge oatmeal fan already and I don't know why I hadn't tried her products until then. But let me tell all of you, without even trying all the flavors yet, she has made a fan out of me!

Katie's comes in five delicious flavors  - European Deluxe, Berry DeLite, Grandma's Kitchen, Tropical Vacation,and Sunday Special.

After microwaving

I started with the European Deluxe which has blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans. The pecans really make this oatmeal unique. She is very generous with the blueberries and pecans in each bag. The flavors work well together and the cinnamon and pecans are my favorite part. The flavor really warms me up on these cold mornings.

 Berry DeLite - look at all those fruits!

I took a bag of Berry DeLite up to Appleton to have a healthy breakfast each morning when I stayed at my cousin's. Her 5-year old son asked me to make him a bowl as well and he loved the strawberries. I couldn't believe how fast he polished the whole bowl off. He said it was his favorite treat Auntie Sarah had brought him. I wanted to leave more for him, but I was selfish and took it home for me to enjoy. I'll definitely be bringing him a bag the next time I see him.

I made myself some of the Berry DeLite this morning. I make it right before I head to work. I add 1/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup water as I don't want it too rich with all milk.

Before microwaving

I have a short 5 minutes drive to the office, so it takes the temperature from HOT, HOT to perfect. Not to mention, I love a really thick oatmeal and the drive allows it to get a bit thicker.

After microwaving

This is the perfect breakfast for me and I can't wait to try the Sunday Special next. It smells so good and who wouldn't want to have some chocolate in their oatmeal?

I did give some of the Tropical Vacation and Grandma's Kitchen to my parents to try. My dad makes himself oatmeal every morning before work, so I thought this was the perfect treat to let them try. I can't wait to hear their thoughts either.

Besides Katie's Gourmet Instant Oatmeal being available in the stores, it's also available online so you can ship it to those that can't get it in the stores.

Braise & Mumford Night

Last night ranks really high on my list of dinner and concert evenings! My friend Shauna and I tried out Braise before the Mumford & Sons concert last night and we were really impressed.

Braise is one of a handful of restaurants in Milwaukee that really focuses on using local ingredients. It is Milwaukee's first Community Supported Restaurant (CSR!) We chose to go to Braise as part of the Eat Milwaukee Challenge, that I found out thru this Nibble, going on now through September 15. I figured if I couldn't make dinner with fresh Farmer's Market fair, I could at least try to eat local and this was a great option. I hope to get to the Waukesha Farmer's Market Saturday and pick up some goodies!

Ok back to dinner. We made a reservation not knowing that the place really isn't very busy at 5:30 on a Tuesday night, but we didn't want to risk the chance of being late to Mumford, so I'm glad we made one. We decided to sit outside on cute copper colored chairs and butcher block-esque tables. Shauna had seen on the restaurant's Facebook page that they offer different sliders each day, however the sliders are only available at the bar and we were already seated outside. When she found out they were a beef and horseradish slider, I thought I was going to be eating solo and texting her while she ate at the bar, but she said she would come back for the sliders some other time.

Our server promptly greeted us with water and fresh bread and butter and told us a bit about the menu. They have a Market Menu each week that is a 3-course meal - either Root-To-Leaf or Head-To-Tail. Last night was a pork option or a heirloom tomato and although tempting, I thought I would be too full if I ordered it. (No one wants a sleepy person next to them at a concert!)

After reviewing the impressive cocktail and wine list, I settled on a Zuma Rosso red and Shauna went with a white wine. I chose the Kale & Quark Tart with tomatoes and chickpeas on the side and Shauna got the Roasted Chicken with feta and veggies. We enjoyed the nice summer breeze and chitty-chatted a bit. On Saturday, Shauna asked me to be her Maid of Honor (squeeeee!!!!!) and so most of the talk revolved around wedding planning. I'm beyond excited and honored to be a part of her and Jack's big day next summer!

I was very impressed with the plate presentation of the food. Everything was so colorful and fresh.

Forgot to grab a shot before I dug in!

My kale was cooked down with onions and oil and placed onto warm Quark (from Clock Shadow Creamery I must assume) inside the tart. It was heavenly and not too rich. The cherry tomatoes were cut in half and scattered amongst chickpeas covered in a Greek yogurt sauce.

Braise Milwaukee

Shauna's chicken breast was sliced over a bed of veggies and she said it was lovely. It was very Greek and she liked the flavors together very much.

We enjoyed another glass of wine each and she got an espresso before we left. She said it was nice and strong just what she needed before the concert. I used the restroom before leaving and they truly are trying to leave as small of a carbon footprint as possible with their place. Actual towels are used to dry our hands and a basket is under the sink for the used ones to go into. Yay for not killing too many trees!

I will definitely go back to Braise for another meal (sliders) and classes. If I enjoy it as much next time, I might consider becoming a member. There are some great perks and I love staying local :)

We drove around for a bit trying to find free/close parking and ended up about a mile away on Barclay and Oregon. It was a beautiful night so we didn't mind the walk.

Beautiful Milwaukee sunset

Our friend Tory's "house" in the distance

The concert was at the Marcus Amphitheater and so before we took our seats, we enjoyed the views (and smells, whew!) of Lake Michigan. We caught it right at sunset. Bear's Den is a great opening act for Mumford, but The Vaccines were a bit too hard for my taste.

Milwaukee from Marcus

Mumford & Sons - Milwaukee

Mumford did not disappoint. I have waiting forever for them to come to town and regardless the review the silly JSOnline reporter gave the show, I thought it was outstanding. The intimate lighting was a highlight for me!

I thought the band was personable and fun while still being crazy-skilled musicians. Marcus choked on a bug during Light and laughed his way through two more songs while he reminisced the scene from Dumb & Dumber about eating a June Bug. Too awesome. Then they zoomed in on an instrument with a sticker that said Milwaukee America's Drunkest City and he told us he has shotgunned a PBR or two in his days! So fun. The lighting, the sound, the voices, the singing along of the crowd - it was a great show.

Mumford & Sons - Milwaukee

Mumford is going to take some time off and just live for a bit and then get in the studio and write and record another album but the plan to be back and I plan to be there!

Annual MKEFoodies Picnic

If you are from the Milwaukee area and have a love of all things food related - checking out new places, hearing from area chefs, making new food and more - then you definitely need to become a part the MKEFoodies group. I have been a part of the group for 2 years now and I have zero complaints about it and tons of admiration and positive words for the spectacular founders that provide me the opportunities to check out new places, try new foods and tour restaurants among other things.

Sunday was the annual MKEFoodie picnic held again at the Estabrook Park Beer Garden. This year, we were blessed with fabulous weather that no one could complain about. Last year we were in a downpour and had to rig up tarps in the trees and wear ponchos (but we were all troopers!) We were completely deserving of the weather this year!

As for food - there was plenty! We were even treated to some new treats. I had the opportunity to try SA Braai sausage and Afro-Fusion Cuisine jerk chicken wings. I was unfortunately way to full to try the Sprecher brats from Neukirchen Wurst Co. (gotta love their website address: http://www.bratsthatmakeyourbunslookgood.com). But I did find out that I can purchase a package of them at the Expo Citgo, just down the road from my work in Waukesha. I was told the Sweet N Sassy is like a breakfast sausage as it's made with Sprecher Root Beer! 

If you haven't been to the Estabrook Beer Garden I highly recommend it. If you bring your own glass, they will fill it with either a 1/2 liter or full liter of beer for a very reasonable price. If you forget a glass, it's a $5 deposit that you get back when you bring the glass back empty and in one piece. 

Ok - Back to what I actually at (and drank).

My first plate consisted of the SA Braai sausage (South African spiced sausage) with a mango, slightly spicy chutney (so good), a salami wrapped breadstick, cucumber dill sandwich, olive tapenade pinwheel roll, watermelon onion salad and delicious rice. This plate was my favorite - I loved everything and wiped it clean before going for seconds. I had a Munich Hofbräu Hefe Weizen beer with this plate.

Plate two consisted of Afro-Fusion Cusine mild jerk chicken, kale salad, green beans, egg slice, cream cheese pepper, a grape leaf wrap, fried plantains and crockpot beans. I wasn't a fan of the grape leaf wrap, but others raved about them. My fave was the plantains on this plate, followed by the kale salad. I already was provided that recipe from Karen Cooks It Personal Chef .

The beer garden was really busy on Sunday, and we were even entertained with some great polka music. And our vendors, that graciously supplied us food, and the group got some wonderful exposure from all the folks coming for beer and music. There were people that brought cheese and crackers and then ordered wine (yep that's available too at the garden) a birthday party, and other enjoying Wisconsin Summer all in the park.

 

My second beer was Dunkel Lager and although I was extremely full at this point - this was really refreshing. You can't take beer in glass on the scenic path, so we set ours in the shade and took in the views.

Then it was time for dessert - well sort of. I had to get more plantains, another cucumber sandwich, but also the peanut butter/cocoa krispie cake and a smores bar. Both were rich but delicious and my beer pairing seemed to be spot-on at that moment. This is where I ran out of room in my belly and had to say no to the rest of the yummy food.

I needed to burn a few (very few) calories off and so we brought out Jenga and got a few people to watch and play. The wind definitely helped us lose in both games around level 31, but it definitely got some more great attention for the group. Others in the park were playing bocce ball, ladder golf, bags, frisbee, catch and more.

If you like what you read here and want to become involved in more events like this or events that are based around Milwaukee's local food scene, then consider joining the #mkefoodies group. Start by liking on Facebook and following on Twitter to get yourself in the loop. I hope to see you at an event soon!

Foodie Penpal Month 9

I had a really fun and unique opportunity with my Foodie Penpal this month.

First, I will share that I sent my package off to New York with some of my favorite local treats from Allo! Chocolat and Poppin' On Broadway. I received a nice email from her about my package:

I adored the package you sent and have slowly been making my way through it. My favorite was deff that amazing popcorn with the cheese being a close second! Thank you so much for everything :)

Now the really fun part!!!

I had the good fortune of being paired with a Penpal from Wisconsin, and in fact she was so close to me that she suggested we go out to eat together and actually meet up. Yep a Foodie Penpal Meetup!!

Christina is also a local food blogger. We decided to meet up at Cafe Corazon that is known for using many local items in its dishes. I hadn't had the fortune of dining there yet, but heard so many wonderful things about the place.

It's a small restaurant in Riverwest, but just walking in the door, I was overcome with the scent of wonderful mexican spices. Christina had grabbed us a table for two by the bar, which is also near the kitchen and just about everything else because it is so small. But the place was perfectly busy and the outdoor patio was hopping as well. Looks like a patio expansion is on the way for later this summer!

We reviewed the menu and I asked Christina what they were known for. She told me everything was great and she had eaten a lot of the dishes and had no complaints. I settled on the special of the night; tequila orange shrimp and Christina got the tofu fajitas.

I ordered myself a drink called El Diablo that also came recommended from Christina and it was named properly as it was devilishly delicious!!! A perfect combo of tequila, orange liqueur, pomegranate and grapefruit juice.

While we waited for our food, we talked about a few other restaurants in the area that we liked or told the other to try and talked about our blogging. Christina loves to bake versus me that loves to cook. :) I told her about a few of the foodie things that I do around the city, like the MKEFoodies events and she told me about a few blogger groups as well. We hope to meet up at some future events!

Our food came out a short time later and I knew just from the look of the plate, I was in for quite a treat. The shrimp was strong (not overly) with citrus flavor and just a small bite from the tequila. The black beans had a sort of sweet taste to them that was surprisingly different but really, really good. The rice was good as well. I did get corn tortillas with it, but decided to not fill up on those and just eat up all the shrimp.

Christina's fajitas came out sizzling and she was only able to eat about half of the huge portion. It was one of her favorite dishes and she took the rest home in leftovers.

After our plates were cleared, she gave me my Foodie Penpal package and I couldn't wait to look inside.

So many great treats!

I love rice crackers, but didn't know they came in this larger size - JACKPOT!

 Tea! You can't go wrong with tea!!!

I had a strawberry patch when I was a kid and can't wait to grow this!

 

This smooth dark chocolate bar helps restore the Amazon - www.alterecofoods.com. I ate this while writing this post :)

Pepitas are shelled pumpkin seeds and these just happen to be Mexican spiced from a local store . Can't wait to try them.

These cookies reminded me of Ritz crackers with Rolos mushed in the middle that my family used to have at holiday parties. But these are on a gourmet level. The wafers are so light and flaky with a hint of salt and the chocolate creme is almost like mousse in the middle. I will have to ration these like I do my Girl Scout cookies until I find more!

 While watching Mad Men on Sunday, I polished off about half of this bag of popcorn the other night.

I thanked her for the lovely treats and after we paid the bill, we went outside and took a picture. It was a beautiful night out and a great way to end the evening.

If you want to join the fun of the Foodie Penpal program (and maybe have as fun of an experience as I did this month), here are all the details.

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.