​I had the opportunity to try out some teas for the breakfast episode of "A Fresh Take". No, I don't mean we HAD tea with breakfast; I used the tea IN the breakfast!  I had quite a little of a variety, but my friend Leslie has more flavors and types of teas available than you could ever imagine!
I used her matcha tea in a smoothie.  Matcha has a lot of health properties, especially being an antioxidant.  Match is green tea, but its different in that it is more of a powder rather than whole leaf.  Its great to use in things like green tea ice cream or meat rubs, and anytime you need a natural  green color.
​I used a flavored chai in my rice cooker oatmeal.  Not only did I get the benefits of black tea, but  since chai is made with cinnamon, ginger and other spices, it saved me even more time of having to add those myself!
Get yourself some teas and start using them in your cooking.  Oh, and they are great to drink also! You can get some from Leslie Couch here: http://www.mysteepedteaparty.com/TIME4TEA/    https://www.facebook.com/teawithlesliecouch/  

I had the opportunity to Pampered Chef’s food chopper on the homemade ramen episode of “A Fresh Take”. Pampered Chef has some great kitchen tools and I believe this is one.
In addition to being quick – I was able to chop up some leftover items I was putting in the soup (boiled eggs, cooked chicken), it’s great for jobs that are too small for your food processor.  I was making soup for 2 and was able to chop up small quantities of veggies fast without a huge piece of equipment.  The guarded design also means that, with adult supervision, kids can help in the kitchen and do some chopping!

Get yourself one and start making more quick, healthy meals.  There are quite a few other products you should check out to help you in the kitchen. You can get some from Maggie Reilly here: https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/magspies
​https://www.facebook.com/MagsPieswithMaggieReilly/?pnref=lhc​

If you watched my pizza episode on "A Fresh Take", then you know that I used a couple of seasonings from Wildtree.  I used Garlic Galore in the crust and Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato Blend in the sauce. These made it so easy to whip this pizza out in a hurry!
​Wildtree is an organic food company that provides simple, healthy, natural and easy to prepare meal solutions, with all natural and organic products.
 You can get these and other great seasonings from:
​Wildtree Seasonings with Rachael Ortega, Independent Representative
​719-322-3923
​website
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Misty Medders is sharing her passion of essential oils and helping others with natural options to chemicals. 
​Food grade essential oils make a great addition to recipes.  I had the opportunity to use lemon essential oil in my cashew cheesecake recipe.  It added a refreshing lemon flavor to the treat, plus all of the health benefits of the lemon oil, such as mood lifting, anti bacterial, focus, energy and more.
​You can use other essential oils in recipes, such as mint, rosemary and oregano. You can also use oils in DIY home and beauty products such as making your own laundry detergent.
​Remember when using oils instead of extracts in recipes that you do not use the same amount.  Often you only need to use a few drops of the oil.  Try 1-2 and then taste, adjusting as needed.  Oils are very potent. 
​You can get essential oils from Misty:
​Doterra Essential Oils for Life, Love and Health with Misty Medders
505-261-1801
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​website
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My friend, Sylvia McGrath, reps for Wine Shop at Home, a Napa winery that is a premier producer of artisan small batch wines.

​I used a Joy Cellars Merlot from Sylvia in my Red Velvet Cake recipe on "A Fresh Take". Using the red wine in the recipe added great flavor and healthy antioxidants. The wine itself was delicious with a very clean finish.

​Wines are sold through private in-home wine tastings for small groups up to 12. These are Try Before You Buy tastings where the wines are paired with small bites of food and there is an opportunity to purchase wines at the end of the tasting.

​Wine Shop at Home also offers a 2 or 4 bottle monthly wine club, gift baskets and custom labels can be created for thank you or celebration gifts.
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​Wines can also be purchased from Sylvia at anytime through her website. For ordering information and a current wine list, contact Sylvia McGrath thro​ugh:
​Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Wine Thyme
​website: https://www.wineshopathome.com/?rep=sylviamcgrath​