Local Product of the Week: Bona Dea Marvelous Muffins Mix

 
Last week I told you about our new additions to the family. Now it's time to get a bit better acquainted, starting with Bona Dea's Marvelous Muffins Mix!

Bona Dea's Marvelous Muffins Mix is so great because of its versatility. You can make it your own and change it to fit whatever you're craving - make it healthy with some nuts, dried fruit, and flax meal, or satisfy your sweet tooth by adding some chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and cinnamon. All this talk is making me crave a delicious Blueberry Muffin! Or even a Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffin... see, I told you the options were endless!

Pick some up at Whole Foods downtown or order yours online.

Local Products of the Week: Welcoming the Newbies

Have you heard? We recently welcomed two new artisans to the Yum Runnerz family. So, in honor of these additions, I thought I'd formally introduce them to y'all.

First up is Bona Dea Baking Co. a local company that provides gluten-free flour to at home bakers and restaurants. Their products range from an All-Purpose Mix to Pancake and Scone Mixes. You can purchase their mixes at local stores like Whole Foods Downtown or Avenue B Grocery (and more to come soon!) or taste products made with their mixes at restaurants like Hopdoddy Burgers and Sugar Mama's Bakeshop. Their mixes are perfect to have on hand for all your gluten-free baking needs.

 
Second is Wimberley Valley Gourmet Specialties a fabulous shop operating out of Wimberley, TX. We will be working to get their array of oils (including pecan, avocado, and sunflower) onto the shelves of stores near you. In the meantime, why not take the short drive out to Wimberley to peruse their shop and explore the wonderful town?

We are so excited to have both artisans as part of the family and we look forward to sharing their great products with the foodies of Austin.

Local Product of the Week: Ancient Texas Secret

 
The name of this sauce alone conjures up thoughts of a magical meal!

East Meets West Texasian Sauces are perfect to have in the pantry for those nights when you want to whip up something simple, or add a little kick to your favorite dish. They are great marinades, flavorful sauces for stir-fries, and would be delicious as a dipping sauce for your favorite roasted vegetables.

Ancient Texas Secret has the sweetness of apricots and the kick of horseradish and cayenne. Pour it over a steak, throw it on the grill, and you've got a fabulous meal. Or, for you vegetarians out there, toss it with some roasted mushrooms, potatoes, or summer squash from the farmers' market.

Find this week's product at local stores like Faraday's Kitchen Store, The Meat House Westlake, Live Oak Market, and Wheatsville. Pick some up today!

Local Product of the Week: Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

 

Balsamic Strawberry Smash

photo by Kelly Carámbula of eatmakeread.com

After a nice long weekend break, it's back to work. We've been busy here at Yum Runnerz with meetings and tastings trying to get all our yummy clients into equally fabulous restaurants and stores. Our product of the week is perfect to be enjoyed at the end of a long and busy Hump Day like today.

I've talked about the delicious Balsamic Vinegar from Spicewood Food Company before, but today I'd like to share one of it's close relatives - Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar. The sweetness of the strawberries paired with the thickness of the balsamic is oh so delicious.

We all know the basic ways to use balsamic - salad dressings, marinades, sautes, etc. But have you ever tried balsamic in a cocktail? Now, before you make any judgements, check out a few of these delicious recipes:

Balsamic Lemonade & Vodka Cocktail
Balsamic Strawberry Smash
Tequila + Balsamic
Bufala Negra

Don't those sound amazing?! Stop and imagine them not just with plain balsamic, but Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar. I'm counting down to 5 o'clock!

Happy Wednesday! 

Local Products of the Week: Memorial Day Round-Up

It feels like just yesterday I was writing about springtime, and here we are in the last week of May thinking about Memorial Day!

For this week's highlighted product, we have a round-up of ways to use Yum Runnerz's local artisans' products at your Memorial Day celebration.

1. Use East Meets West TexAsian sauces to marinate some chicken or vegetables to throw on the grill. Try their Texas Szechuan for an extra kick!

2. Brew some Zhi iced tea. I've told you about two of our favorites in the past two weeks (here and here), but why not try their Berry Hibiscus or White Blueberry? Head over to their local tea shop to browse their extensive selection.

3. Serve up some of Pate Letelier's veggie pate with vegetables or chips - why not try their White Bean Pate?

4. Mix up a bowl of fresh fruit and serve it with some jam-sweetened whipped cream - wouldn't a whipped cream mixed with Blackberry Jam (with a Hint of Lavender) taste delicious?

5. And what's a party without a salad topped with some fruit, nuts, and a sprinkle of cheese, all tossed in one of Spicewood Food Company's vinaigrettes? I mean, come one... how good does a Blue Cheese and Pecan dressing sound?

These ideas will help make any summer BBQ or celebration a hit. For more ideas or info about any of the recommendations, just head on over to our Facebook page and leave us a message.

And don't forget to like us on Facebook. Our giveaway ends soon and we are far behind -- don't miss out on your chance to win a goodie basket filled with local products like the ones mentioned above. Like us before June 1st, and if we have 300 likes by then, we're giving a fabulous goodie basket away to one lucky person.

Local Product of the Week: Blood Orange Herbal Tea

Ok, so I know we featured a tea last week, but I tried a new kind of tea this week when sampling with a restaurant and I just fell in love. Zhi has an herbal tea called Blood Orange. Not only is the tea beautiful in the bag with chunks of orange peel, but it tastes wonderful also. I brewed a pitcher of the tea and poured to over ice... so good!

Pick some up and brew it hot for these dreary days and then pour it over ice once the heat comes back.

Check out Zhi and the rest of their tea selection on their website or at their tea shop at 4607 Bolm Road, Austin.

Local Product of the Week: Desert Blend

We started representing a new company and have been working like crazy to get their products into stores and restaurants. Zhi Tea is a local tea company that sells fair trade and organic teas that are made right here in Austin. Even you non-tea drinkers will be won over by the fruity Berry Hibiscus or fragrant Tropical Green Tea. Next time you're at Whole Foods, Central Market, or Fresh Plus Grocery be sure to pick up some of their awesome teas. 

This month, our Featured Local Product is one of Zhi Tea's most popular teas: Desert Blend (also sold as Sweet Desert Delight). Try it hot, try it cold... just try it!

And be sure to head over to our Facebook page and Like Yum Runnerz for your chance to win a basket filled with goodies like these.