Spa state of mind

I hope everyone is having a healthy and happy 2013 thus far!  I must admit that one of my favorite parts of the New Year is that the Holidays are over; no more presents to wrap, the cookies are finally gone and the stockings are hung back in the attic where they belong.  January is a time for new beginnings and I’m a firm believer that in order to start the year off right it’s important to take some time to recharge and rejuvenate.   But with your busy schedule, your kid’s extra-circular activates and that 2 mile walk you made it your resolution to do three times per-week, how on earth are you ever going to find time to relax? Two words: spa night!  Now we’re not telling you to go spend a few hundred dollars at a spa; the idea is to get yourself in the spa state of mind and bring the luxuries of the spa to your home.

Five simple steps to spa night:

1)       You’re going to need an hour to yourself so put a Peas of Pie in the oven and a movie in the DVD player. You get a Spa night and your kids get a movie night!

2)       Let your troubles float away.  Did you know that soaking in warm water lowers blood pressure, lifts toxins from your skin and relaxes muscles?  Add some Epsom salts, lavender oil or your favorite bubble bath to get the full spa experience.

3)      This is no ordinary bath so don’t forget to light some candles and bring something yummy to drink. Why not something seasonal like a cranberry spritzer (just mix cranberry juice and carbonated water) or our Winter Ginger Sipper (http://www.peasofmind.com/recipes/recipes.htm)?

4)      This is a great time to treat your tresses to the spa experience.  Mix your conditioner with a few teaspoons of olive oil, rub into the ends of your hair and put on a shower cap.  Leave this concoction in for at least five minutes.

5)      Enjoy the quiet.  Read that book you’ve been meaning to finish, indulge in your favorite guilty pleasure magazine or just let your mind wander.

When you emerge from the bath you will feel relaxed and invigorated - ready to start the New Year with a skip in your step.  Here’s to spa night bringing you peas and harmony in 2013!

Surprisingly Recyclable

Most people here in SF have larger recycling bins in their homes than trash cans. We passionately recycle and compost as much as we can, but what exactly can be recycled these days?

It varies (greatly) from city to city, depending on the capabilities at your local recycling plant, so definitely check online to see what is and is not recyclable in your neighborhood.

We checked the list for San Francisco and we shocked and impressed at how much the list of recyclables has grown since we last checked!

These items were most surprising for us to toss in the blue bin:
aluminum foil
spray cans
buckets with metal handles
CDs, DVDs and cases (with paper insert removed)
coffee cup lids
corks - plastic
flower pots and trays
toys (no electronics, metal or batteries)
tupperware
plastic utensils
wrapping paper (non-metallic)


Here's the full list of items welcome in the blue recycling bin:

Since we are legally obligated to compost, not many things go into the trash these days. A free standing paper grocery bag under the sink can hold the trash of 3 people for a week or longer, and because food scraps are in the compost bin, the trash doesn't get gross or smelly. It's odd, but awesome!

The question is no longer who takes out the trash, but who takes out the compost.

Experiment with us this 4th of July!

We'll be hosting a party on the 4th for the Peas family and friends and have decided to grill up Peas products! That's right, grilled Peas pizzas, grilled veggie fries, grilled Puffets!

Have you grilled pizzas before? Frozen ones? French fries?
We found a couple online resources, as this will be our first time:

• Grilling frozen pizza
• controllingmychaos.com/2009/07/pizza-on-grill-fresh-or-frozen.html
• use a low setting on a gas grill or coals that are on their way out.
• cook with the BBQ lid ON.
• use a higher rack, or loft a second rack to encourage even cooking.
• Grilling frozen french fries
• Cooks. com
• we plan to omit their flavorings and use our recipea instead.
• puncture the foil pouch so steam can escape and fries will get crispy!

What will you be grilling up this 4th of July? If you decide to grill our pizza, fries, or Puffets; DO share photos and tips with us!

Highlight of the Week

It's been awfully busy around Peas HQ lately. Woo hoo, gettin' it done here in the house of PEAS!

Taking a luxurious, deep breathe and a moment to read the glowing (unsolicited, we swear!) review of our cheese pizza on ducttapeweddingring was the clear highlight of our week, so we wanted to share it with you.

Here's the taste portion (below) of the review, but do check out the full review and also keep up with ducttapeweddingring for the honest yet super playful comic relief that we're totally hooked on!

"This was the best frozen pizza — bar none — that I’ve ever had. Ever. Seriously. (I’m out of easy ways to add emphasis. Damn.) The crust, after about 10 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees, came out perfectly crispy (like most other decent pizzas, sure) but the taste was what really put this thing into a realm of it’s own. Know how there’s carrots and whatnot baked into the crust? Well, you’re not going to taste them (sorry if that’s disappointing) as what you’re going to taste is a golden wheat crust lightly brushed with olive oil. Really. If you know someone that abhors carrots, this is the best way to sneak ‘em by them. The sauce is an absolute treat — it tastes like actual tomatoes and not some sugary, ketchup gloop. And the cheese…my goodness, the cheese. For a light mozzarella, it was sharp and full of flavor, and it really made the pizza pop.

I don’t say this lightly or with any measure of hyperbole. This seriously was the best frozen pizza I have ever had — and I didn’t feel like crap after I ate it."

We Are Taking Our Stand

We want to take this opportunity to really discuss our company mission and take our stand. The products we make are clean, healthy and innovative!  All of our products are made as if they were made in your own kitchen. 

We use a few ingredients (like salt, sugar and fat) sparingly and let you, the consumer, decide to sprinkle salt on our fries, top our Puffets with hummus, avocado, etc., or add any number of toppings to our pizza (chili flakes for dad, etc).  That way you can control the amount of sodium and fat that you and/or your kid are eating (rather than us make that call for you).

Many of our consumers embrace the zero grams of fat and minimal salt per serving of Veggie Wedgies, or that our pizza has 50% less fat than the leading brands! We feel it’s our  responsibility to provide the healthiest products and leave it up to our consumers to adjust to their taste.

Nutritional Highlights of Our Products

• Pizza
• 1/2 the fat of the leading brands of cheese pizza
• 1.5 servings of veggie's in every pizza

• Veggie Wedgies
• zero grams of fat
• minimal salt
• no added sugar
• allergen free
• vegan
• 7-8 servings of veggies in every bag

• Puffets
• minimal salt
  
• no added sugar
• contain organic ingredients and the 4 food groups
• gluten free and dairy free varieties

Suggested Preparation of Veggie Wedgies
We've found that a quick spritz of cooking spray adds to the crispiness of our Veggie Wedgies. Many customers have emailed us to share the same discovery! But, for those who love the zero-grams-of-fat version, we choose to make and sell the healthiest version possible.


For those looking for extra crispiness, try this preparation:

• Preheat a consumer oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees F (400 degrees for convection ovens).
• Pour frozen Veggie Wedgies into a bowl. Toss while spraying with canola oil cooking spray lightly to coat.
• Bake in preheated oven until the fries begin to brown. Shake the pan to turn fries if necessary. Bake time should be about 10-12 minutes. Veggie Wedgies are ready when most fries have some golden brown color. (Ovens vary greatly from one to the next, so be sure to keep a close eye on Veggie Wedgies as soon as they begin to brown.)
• Salt the fries, then let cool 1 minute. Serve with ketchup.

For a jazzy twist, try our signature spice blend recipea.