I care about you so I am doing another giveaway to show it. To welcome in this month of love there will be 2 winners (from the US only): one will win an Afghan saffron gift box from Rumi Spice and the other will win Endorfin Foods Vegan Floral Chocolate Sampler. There is a two step process to enter: 1st you MUST enter your email below in Rafflecopter, 2nd you MUST leave a comment on this post about why you would like to win either prize, (scroll to the bottom of this page to “Leave a Reply” section to post your comment). The giveaway will end at 11:59 pm PST on February 13th, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Rumi Saffron
Saffron is an exotic and expensive spice that many people have not tried at home due to its cost. However, a little goes a long way. My love for saffron began more than 25 years ago after I had started the now-defunct Sonoma County Culinary Guild. Someone got a saffron expert to do a half day workshop for one of our meetings. I learned so much – how it has been known as an aphrodisiac, how it is hand harvested, it can also be used to dye clothing (don’t wear white when using it), and many culinary uses.
Using saffron works best when the threads (the stigma of a crocus) are rehydrated in hot water and then added to dishes. It can be used in savory dishes (risotto is one of my favorites although this quinoa recipe is wonderful, too) to sweet as in ice cream or rice pudding (Saffron Rice Pudding with Dried Cherries and Pistachios in Vegan Under Pressure page 300).
I have had saffron from Spain (its original place), Morocco (just across the strait), Iran and more – last time I bought it I bought an ounce (yes an ounce) it is dried it lasts a long time. Some people try to substitute turmeric but… it so not the same except for a similar yellow color. You likely know that turmeric is a potent antioxidant and so is saffron but you won’t likely be able to afford to use it the same way.
While I do have a fondness for saffron, I have even more admiration for this company Rumi Spice which has so graciously offered to participate in this giveaway. They are giving away their Ultimate Rumi Spice Gift Set which includes 2 grams of saffron.
The company itself has a wonderful story as it is a B Corp and was started by a team of US military veterans with a mission to cultivate peace in Afghanistan. From their website: ”We believe that creating demand for Afghan agricultural products will catalyze rural economic development. Over 80% of the Afghan population is reliant on the rural agricultural economy. The success of the saffron industry not only helps farmers and the women providing direct labor it touches every member of the village. In our second year, we have seen output from our existing partners double and triple, while new farmers have asked to join our network. Connecting Afghan farmers with the global market is key to unlocking the economic potential of Afghanistan.” To me, this is what love is all about.
Endorfin Chocolate
Now for a more familiar product but this one is very vegan: Endorfin Foods organic vegan chocolate. I recently attended the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Of the hundreds of products that I sampled, only a few handfuls caught my eye. One of them was this company’s chocolate which is made with coconut milk and coconut sugar. The taste and flavor combinations were exotic and lovely. Here is a description of the bars that they will give away to one winner. These bars contain lots of vegan love and some essential oils. They are not ordinary chocolate bars and you don’t have to be concerned about added milk or milk fat which I have recently seen in many chocolate bars although I cannot figure out why. Read more about Endorfin Foods and their chocolate here. They make hand crafted chocolate in Oakland, California which is close enough for me to consider it my “local” chocolate.
The winners (from the US only) will be randomly chosen after the contest closes at 11:59 pm on Monday, February 13th. You MUST comment on the blog about why you would like to win either prize. To comment, scroll to the bottom of this page to “Leave a Reply” to leave your comment. You will be contacted via email if you are a winner and the winner’s names will be posted.
Wishing you lots of love now and always – Jill
tim says
love to read this nice post, i am going to bookmark this for my friends