When at our local Choices Market the other day I came across a local British Columbian company that was marketing their 100% natural products. Occasionally I review products on this blog that have a focus on either sustainability or are a healthy choice and a bonus would be if they are environmentaly friendly as well. This is in keeping with my life style choices to create as little carbon imprint on this planet as possible.
Made with Love is a family run business with a back to basics focus on integrity, insight and simplicity. At Made with Love they choose their packaging consciously with our planet’s health in mind, opting for materials which are natural, reusable, recyclable or biodegradable.
Their Spice Blends are hand-crafted, 100% natural blends of spices, herbs and vegetables designed to make everyday cooking and eating simple, healthy and tasty. All of their Spice Blends combine Whole Super Food Nutrition with a focus on antioxidant properties in flavours that are deliciously addictive!!! The bonus is we get super yummy healthy food we really want to eat with nothing to feel guilty about! Every Spice Blend can be used to make dips, spreads, dressings, marinades, sauces, pasta, stirfry, meats, eggs, tofu, beans, soups, chili, veggies, breads, appetizers ...the possibilities are endless to make EVERYTHING taste great!!!!! I tried their Prima Vera Spice Blend in my favourite Primavera Alfredo as well as in a Creamy Asparagus Soup and was hooked!!!!
I contacted Alex and Colin and an idea was born!!!
For the next 6 weeks Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and I will be alternately cooking up some recipes using our collection of Made with Love Eco-friendly Spice Blends. Each week we will be giving away a different couplet or trio of Spice Blends Gift Sets to you our readers generously supplied by Made with Love. Simply find the weeks chosen "search and find image" and enter to win!!!
To enter:
1) Visit their web site http://www.madewithlove.ca/ and find the image/photo "The Kiss" for this weeks entry and enter to win.
For the next 6 weeks Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and I will be alternately cooking up some recipes using our collection of Made with Love Eco-friendly Spice Blends. Each week we will be giving away a different couplet or trio of Spice Blends Gift Sets to you our readers generously supplied by Made with Love. Simply find the weeks chosen "search and find image" and enter to win!!!
To enter:
1) Visit their web site http://www.madewithlove.ca/ and find the image/photo "The Kiss" for this weeks entry and enter to win.
2) Leave a comment at madewithlovecontest(AT)gmail(DOT)com where you found the " The Kiss".
3) You will be automatically entered to win a Made With Love Eco-friendly Spice Blends Gift Set worth $40!!! This weeks winner will receive the trio of Red Pepper, Daring Dill and Country Onion. Can be shipped worldwide!!!!
4) Visit either Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch or here at More Than Burnt Toast at the beginning of each week for a delicious recipe and a new chance to win 2 different Spice Blend gift sets each week!!!
5) The lucky winners who receive their Spice Blends will create a recipe using their products, blog about it with a link to http://www.madewithlove.ca/ . All of the recipe creations will be posted as a roundup on The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and here on More Than Burnt Toast. Your recipe may even be on the Made with Love website!!!!
Their flavour combinations are somewhat unusual and take flavours to a new heights.
Prima Vera Spice Blend is a wonderful blend of sun-dried tomato, sweet pepper and Italian spices. Try this blend for creamy, red or clear pasta sauces, in cream cheese on a bagel it is heavenly and as a spanish-style rice side dish.
Crimson Love Spice Blend is a garlic lover’s blend with a strong essence of rosemary in a dried beet base with hints of nori and fresh greens. Wonderful for dips, dressings or pretty pink pasta!
Jalapeno Roots Spice Blend is a rich blend of jalapeno with garlic, onions, sweet peppers and lime in a dried carrot base. Creamy dips & pasta are gorgeous. Spice up your guacamole, veggies, meats or salsa.
Garden Curry Spice Blend is a mild curry blend with a mix of garden vegetables. Blended in cream cheese, pasta or yogurt dip it creates a mild, rich and flavourful sunshine cream!
Country Onion Spice Blend is a traditional mix of fresh garden herbs, caramelized onions and chives. An extremely versatile blend, great on poultry, meats or eggs, fabulous for potatoes and herbed rice.
Pesto Garlic Spice Blend is our dried rendition of its namesake. Not fresh pesto but an easy instant version that is extremely versatile. No pinenuts or cheese here so safe for vegans or nut’free, just a beautiful blend of the herb flavours traditionally recognised as pesto. Great for pasta, meats or salad.
Daring Dill Spice Blend is truly their most sophisticated blend full of great dill flavour followed by a hint of fresh tomato and a hot mustard finish. Lovely on veggies, chicken or fish. Excellent for vinaigrette dressings and creamy sauces. Delightful!
Aztec Chocolate Spice Blend is a complex blend of Real Cacao, Coffee and Vanilla Beans with pungent sweet and spicy peppers. Aztec Chocolate is a traditional savoury flavour mix for Mexican and Latin American cuisine, led by the ancient Aztec and Mayan peoples of the region. Try it on meat dishes, beans, tofu or salad dressings this amazing sweet and spicy combo is great for everyday cooking. Also decadently fabulous for our desert dip.
Red Pepper Spice Blend is sweet with a mild spicy flavour similar to a pepper jelly. A blend of turbinado sugar with a mix of sweet and hot chilies. Amazing on veggies of any kind and a wonder to sprinkle on chicken, pork or fish. Great in mashed potatoes or melted in your popcorn butter it is absolutely addictive.
This week I used the daring Dill Spice Blend to make a delicious creamy asparagaus soup. Check back next week to see what Shelby is cooking up!!!!!!
Made with Made with Love Daring Dill Spice Blend which has late summer dill with a luscious tomato and mustard zing!!
**Creamy Asparagus Soup with a Touch of Daring Dill**
2 pounds asparagus
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped onion
1- 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
2 cups water
2 cups warm milk (lowfat or soy is okay)
white pepper to taste
1 - 2 tablespoons Made with Love Daring Dill Spice Blend
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Break off and discard the tough asparagus bottoms. Slice off the tips and set them aside. Chop the remaining stalks into 1-inch pieces.
Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot. Add the onion, asparagus stalks, and salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes over medium heat. When the onions are clear and soft, sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of the flour while constantly stirring. Cook over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently, another 5 to 8 minutes. Add water, stirring constantly. Heat to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Puree the soup with the milk and 1-2 tablespoons of Made with Love Daring Dill Spice Blend, either with a hand-held immersion blender, or bit-by-bit in a food processor or blender. Return the puree to the pot to simmer. Season with white pepper and taste to correct the salt. Steam the reserved asparagus tips until just tender, aprroximately 2 - 3 minutes. Add these to the soup, heat very gently (don't boil it!) and serve immediately.
If desired mix 1 tablespoon of Made with Love Daring Dill Spice Blend with 1/4 cup cream. Swirl through soup decoratively.
Serves 4 - 5
