Peas & Joy

Winter Ginger Sipper

What is better than a warm winter drink that smells and tastes like the holiday's! Our Winter Ginger Sipper is not only festive but also has medicinal properties for soothing sore throats common this time of year. Ginger is the star in this reci-pea as it is rich in Vitamins A and C. The effects of drinking ginger can be very soothing for those with a cold or flu and by adding in honey, a natural antioxidant that boosts the immune system, it is a comforting drink that your family will want you to make all winter long.

Winter Ginger Sipper:

- 4 C of water

- 4 C of apple juice

- 1 TBL of honey

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 4 whole cloves

- 2" piece of freshly peeled and sliced ginger

In a large saucepan combine all of the ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Using a strainer, pour the liquid into a pitcher and serve warm. Serves 6-8.

Fort Fryday's : Celebrating our Hero's at Home!

A huge accomplishment of ours this year was shipping our products into the Military Commissaries! Commissaries are similar to grocery stores accept they are located on military bases all over the world. They stock similar items available in the US regardless where they are stationed, so a service member in the Middle East is able to purchase foods he would buy at home, like burgers and buns!

We started shipping our veggie French fries into the commissaries a few months ago and to celebrate this exciting accomplishment we created Fort Fryday's designed to honor the mom or dad who takes care of the household while their spouse is/was away. We call these strong amazing people, our Hometown Hero's!

Here is our next Hometown Hero and her story:

Name: Amy Cruder
Affiliated Base: Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach

-Amy, what branch of the military is your spouse ? "My husband is in the Navy for almost 10 years now and he was just promoted to 1st class. The kids and I are so proud of him." 

-How long have you been a military wife? "We were married a couple of months after my husband joined in July of 2003 and are currently on our 3rd deployment which is also the hardest because the kids are now old enough to realize daddy is gone." 

-How many kids do you have? "Hunter, our son, is 5 and Arelyn, our daughter is 3."

-Do you or have you lived on base? "As a Navy family we have never lived on base but instead bought a house in Virginia Beach which is a strong military Community with ties to all branches of the military and NASA."

-Tell us, what is the best thing about miliary life? "What I like about living here is the relationships you forge with other military families.  I have friends all around the world because we met here and hope our travels will bring us back together one day."

-Since we are a food company we must ask, what is your favorite food to prepare for your family? "My favorite food to prepare for my family has always been spaghetti because I buy veggie packed noodles and the sauce we buy has 1 1/2 servings of veggies per serving so I am able to get a good amount of vegetables into my family without them being any the wiser, although my kids would probably pick your cauliflower fries over the spaghetti.  In reality, anything that is healthy and natural that my family will happily eat is enough to make me happy which is why I was ecstatic to be directed to your amazing options by another military wife and friend, Jodi Martin."

-Ok, so you are on a deserted island and can only bring one thing...Go! "If I was on a desserted island and could only take one thing?  Oh my that is a tough one.  In hopes that the desserted island would be full of vegetation I would have to take a fully loaded tool box so I could build myself a raft to get home to my family.  Is that cheating?  I would love to say my family but I would hope that fate would never befall them."

-Is Military wife life what you thought it would be? "I am an Army brat so I was prepared for some of the challenges of being a Navy wife, however it is a little harder when it is your spouse leaving all of the time.  Sometimes you feel like a single parent and it's a hard feeling to deal with but then your husband calls and it makes all the hardship worth it to know that he is out there keeping us safe and free.  I would do it over again in a heartbeat.  I am proud of my Sailor and all he does for us."

Thank you, Amy, for sharing your story with us! Keep on pushing those veggies into your family and enjoy your Peas of Mind care package!