Join us as we celebrate Washington Cider Week!

September Events!

We're off to an exciting month here at Spice Traders! With fall starting and the kids heading off to school, we've set up a number of fun events to help you get out of the house and tap into your culinary side. Here's the line-up so you can mark your calendars:

• Saturday, September 7th, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Warehouse Wine Sale
• We'll be offering a mix of Italian, French, Spanish and Washington wines for you to sample (for free!) that we will be selling at affordable prices and spectacular deals for full case orders!

• Tuesday, September 10th, 6 - 8 p.m. - Van Gogh and Merlot Painting Class
• Last month's class was a great hit, and we hope you'll join us for this month's equally exciting event! For $40, you'll be treated to an appetizer, wine tasting and all painting supplies. At the end of the night, you'll leave with a full belly and a beautiful work of art to display at home! More information is available at the Van Gogh and Merlot website: http://vangoghandmerlot.com/ We've capped the event at 25, so give us a call at 315-4036 to save your spot today! We will be painting this lovely Tuscan scene:

• Saturday, September 14th, 3 - 6 p.m. - Cider and Summer Sparklers!

• Have you ever tried a Cherry Cider? What about a Habanero Cider? We'll be bringing these and many other ciders to you as a part of Washington Cider Week, a celebration that lasts throughout Washington State from September 5 - 10. On the 14th, we will be sampling a wide variety of local Washington-made Ciders, some West Coast ciders, and a handful of sparkling wines to add a little zing to the tasting! Finnriver Cideries and Tieton Ciderworks will be sending representatives to tell you how their ciders are made and how cider is changing the adult beverage industry! There will be live acoustic guitar, outside seating and food available for purchase, and a slim $10 bill lets you sample all of the available ciders and wines. Come discover how America's oldest drink of choice is being reinvented!

       The Spice Traders Mercantile has issued a Cherry Challenge! Check out our facebook page for more information, and to learn how to get a free small Cherry Balsamic and get your recipe featured on our blog and weekly newsletter as well as our  facebook page!

 (Click the link below!)

  STM Facebook Cherry Challenge

FAT, The Good the Bad and the Amazing!

        I often hear of people in search of low fat options because they think the term "low fat" is synonymous with healthy. I have to exercise much self control to keep myself from cringing because nothing could be further from the truth, and the people who are trying to be healthy and fit are shooting themselves in the foot.

  The truth is that our brains are over 60% fat.

           The myelin sheath is a crucial part of brain function, and it is 85% fat. It serves as the conductor on our nerve cells that carries nerve impulses quickly and efficiently through our brain. As the myelin deteriorates you see things like Alzheimer's and dementia begin to develop. The autopsy on Albert Einstein's brain revealed an above average amount of myelination and many people attribute his genius to this anomaly. Fat is crucial for our brain, but not just any fat. Fish oil from clean sources that has not been compromised by heat processing is liquid gold. Not only does it contain EPA and DHA, which are critical to brain function, but it is also incredibly anti inflammatory are critical for comfortable joint movement.

 These critical fats are also plentiful in the eggs of free range chickens. I say free range chickens as opposed to factory caged chickens because factory chickens don't have access to the insects which are loaded with good stuff, and because us finicky Americans are not keen on eating insects (myself included) A good farm fresh, free range egg is the next best option!

        Fish oil, which is amazing when handled correctly, can easily become rancid and  unhealthy when it is high heat processed because those precious elements are not heat stable. This is what brings me to the bad fats. Many of our cooking oils have been through such rigorous processing that they are rancid and oxidized by the time the end up on the shelf at the grocery store. These compromised vegetable (corn, soybean, canola) oils are inflammatory and loaded with free radicals that cause cell damage in our bodies and they are steeped in omega 6 and very low in omega 3. Our bodies function best with an even balance of omega 3 and 6. This healthy balance is struck in those free range eggs and fish oil I spoke about earlier.
   

    Hydrogenated oils, found in non dairy creamer, cool whip, and margarine are oils that have been treated with hydrogen at high heats (Sometimes up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit). The process allows the otherwise liquid oil to stay solid at room temperature and the resulting product resembles plastic much more closely than it does oil. Its the most lethal fat that I know of and shows a strong correlation with occurrence cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's,  and heart problems. The correlation is attributed to the fact that the plastic nature of hydrogenated oils. Once it is absorbed into your cell inhibits the cell permeability, crucial for communication, assimilation of nutrients, and elimination of waste. In essence, your cells become plastic.
       In the next blog we will discuss healthy cooking oils and their application in the kitchen.
       

Sips and Dips

We welcomed a group of 24 ladies and one gentleman to our store last evening to host our first monthly Van Gogh and Merlot painting session! Pictures are soon to follow, but we wanted to post a few of our featured recipes here for those who couldn't join us last night! We hope you find our fare filling and fanciful to make for your own upcoming soirees.

Mediterranean Hummus

• 1 can white beans (or cannellini beans), rinsed and drained
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 Tb Tahini
• 1 Tb EVOO (we recommend garlic or lemon!)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 Tb STM Dukka Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp salt

Blend beans, garlic, Tahini, olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor until desired consistency is achieved. Fold in the Dukka seasoning and salt. Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours. Serve cold with pita chips, fresh veggies, or your favorite crackers.





New Orleans Pumpkin Dip

• 12 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 c cooked or canned pumpkin
• 4 Tbs STM New Orleans Blackening Spice
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 c green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 c red bell pepper, diced
• 1 round loaf Italian or whole wheat bread or a small pumpkin

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, pumpkin, New Orleans Blackening Spice, and crushed red pepper flakes until smooth. Stir in the green and red bell pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Hollow out round loaf of bread (bread can be used for bread crumbs or for dipping) or small pumpkin. Spoon dip into the center and serve with vegetables, chips or crackers. Enjoy, and happy hump day!

Caramel Corn and a Visit from the NNBA!

Yesterday we welcomed a tour from the Northwest Nursery Buyers Association! The group hailed from all parts of the Pacific Northwest, and stopped in to have lunch in the nursery and sample a selection of goodies, including our homemade Balsamic Caramel Corn and our fruity July wine of the month, Mamamango! They were friendly and excited to be here in Spokane, and the STM wishes them well on their journeys home!

Even our young visitors had a great time!

And although their lunches were good, they left raving about our cherry balsamic caramel corn, and we thought we would share this easy, caramely goodness with you!

Balsamic Caramel Corn

2 bags plain or lightly salted popcorn, roughly 5 c popped popcorn
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c butter
1/3 - 1/2 c STM Balsamic Vinegar (we recommend cherry or blueberry!)
Pinch of Salt
1 - 2 Tb STM Rosemary or Thyme (optional, for an earthy taste)
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter with the sugar and salt, stirring occasionally. When the sugar begins to dissolve and the edges become bubbly, add the balsamic and optional rosemary. Allow the caramel to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in baking soda until foamy. Pour the caramel over the popped kernels, coating as evenly as possible. Spread onto rimmed baking sheets and bake for 1 hour. Stir the corn every 15 minutes to ensure an even distribution of caramel. Let cool and break apart if needed.

Gluten Freedom!

       It used to be that if you had a food intolerance the realm of food possibilities would just get smaller and smaller. However, with the increase in food intolerance nationwide we have created enough demand to call forth a supply! Enter: Gluten free beer!                                      

                                                     
        If you are gluten free and have been dreaming about an ice cold beer to accompany the July heat, the solution is here at STM. We carry a variety of gluten free beers and we are constantly bringing in new varieties.We currently carry St. Peter's Pilsner style Sorgham Beer TM, Bard's Sorghum Malt beer, and New Planet's Pale ale. Gluten free beers have a flavor all their own, and as the niche develops, the beer diversifies more and more. So whether you like it straight up and ice cold, or with a splash of Clamato and an asparagus spear, stop dreaming about it and come taste it!