Keep on Truckin'

Happy Monday night!  Last week I ordered from a food co-op for the first time in my life.  What an experience.  I am not sure what exactly it is that I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

I decided after talking to my good friend Milk Allergy Mom (visit her blog at http://milkallergymom.blogspot.com) to place an order with Azure Standard. According to the company’s mission statement: “Azure Standard specializes in natural, organic, earth-friendly foods and products.  We deliver directly to customers, buying clubs, and retailers by semi-trucks and UPS.  As of May 2012, Azure is delivering to 27 states including Hawaii and Alaska.  Azure Standard’s mission is to help people throughout the county realize their greatest potential in abundant living by providing the products, information, and services they need to make healthy and empowered choices.”

 I will admit I did have the preconceived notion that I would have a limited selection of allergy-friendly foods that Brady could eat.  Not. At. All. What. I.Got.   I was really surprised when I got on their website (www.azurestandard.com ) to place my order.   

The first thing I looked for was some kind of sweet for B.  I typed in “dairy-free” in the search box and so many goodies popped up.   The next thing I did was to check the ingredients on the product label to verify there were no eggs or peanuts, and then checked to make sure there was no possibility of cross-contamination.  One product that I ended up buying was Enjoy Life chocolate chips.  The prices offered by Azure were about ½ the cost of what my local food specialty store sells products for.  I was really happy about this too!  And I saw where if you buy them in bulk, the price is reduced even more.

I decided to also check out Daiya products, as they are hard to find in my area.  I have found that the cheese melts much like regular cheese does.  The slices work really well for grilled cheese sandwiches (when Brady will actually eat one.  Ahhhhhh picky eaters, I digress).  They offer Daiya shreds, slices, and even cream cheese.  I ordered some of each. 

I got very excited when I found out that you are able to purchase books at discounted prices as well!  I purchased two new books.  One was on allergies and how they are an emerging disease.  The other was an allergy-free snack cook book.  I was so excited about the second book because I am always looking for new and creative ways to come up with fun snacks that Brady will eat and that I can send to school. 

Figuring out what I wanted to order was the easy part, and so was placing the order.  Azure gives you the option to either pay with a card at the time you place the order, or you can pay on delivery.  Not many places give you that option, and it is nice to have.  The shipping wasn’t too pricey either.  I received a delivery confirmation once I placed my order and got a “drop” date.  You are probably asking, “What is a drop date?”  A drop date is when the truck your order is arriving on stops at your designated “drop” spot.  Our local drop stop happens to be a church on the west end of town that is pretty easy to find. 

The day of the delivery, picking up my order was a piece of cake.  Everything was nicely packaged and ready to go in two boxes.  I told the coordinator my name, she told me where my box was located (they had laid all the boxes out alphabetically making it super easy to find), and then she checked my payment method and I was on my merry little way. 

This method of shopping beats hours at the grocery store any day.  While all of the products that I ordered were packaged and nothing I ordered was “perishable”, Azure does offer a huge variety of fresh produce and meat.   I cannot wait to try them when I place my next order. 

I was really happy with the products I ordered, the quality as well as the price.  I was also really pleased with the customer service, ordering process, and pick up.  I can foresee myself becoming a loyal customer. 

Here is a recipe from the new snack book I bought.   I can’t promise Brady will love it, but as the first attempt at making it, not too shabbyJ

 Double Delicious Bean Spread (AKA Kid-Friendly Hummus)

Ingredients:

15 oz. can cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
15 oz. can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1 small clove garlic (minced)
¼ c lemon juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp dried basil

Pinch black pepper

Directions:

1.       Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth,

2.       Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled.  Store in the fridge up to 5 days.  Serve with veggies or pita chips, or anything else you desire.

 

Could this be any easier????

 

Enjoy J