These unique plant-based shakes deliver plant-based protein with additional benefits of immunity boosting superfoods, such as curcumin from turmeric, maca and almonds. There is no added sugar and only 1 gram of net carbs, with also 5 grams of healthy fats from almonds. Pirq is a woman-, minority-owned business founded by Minal Bhakta, who was inspired by her mother’s use of turmeric and the health benefits it provides. Pirq shakes come in Golden Vanilla, Decadent Chocolate and Caramel. All are deliciously smooth, creamy, indulgent and flavorful while packing a positive wallop of superfoods. Grab a Pirq shake and enjoy the convenience, flavor and benefits.

Made in Eugene, Oregon, Pink Wagon Foods has added a sensational twist on the common vegetable, onions. I love the simplicity they bring to livening up virtually any dish. The Pickled Pink Onions are ideal additions to salads, burgers, tacos, dressings and more! Or, if you’re feeling fancy, incorporate them into your next charcuterie board alongside Market of Choice House Cheeses and your favorite meats! The perfect Pickled Pink slices (say that ten times fast) are ready for you to pick up at your Market.

Winter is a great time for bold and savory items to bake in the oven. My new favorite item for this time of year is our Garlic Lemon Bone-In Chicken Breast. This chicken breast is Non-GMO and locally raised, which is exactly what I look for in a poultry item. Our Market Butchers make it in-house using a fresh, gluten-free, garlic and lemon marinade, creating a bold and savory flavor throughout. It is the perfect item to bring to a gathering or to serve as the main entrée. Absolutely delicious! Just bake in the oven at 400° for 20 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature reaches 165°.

Revol Greens arrived at your local Market of Choice about four weeks ago and they are creating quite a buzz in the salad world. Grown completely indoors and hydroponically, Revol Greens uses a proprietary Grown Clean and Green process within all operations, offering an animal- and pest-free environment with no pesticides or herbicides to create a clean, ready-to-eat product free of any chemical residue. The process does not require a chlorine-based rinse to wash away trace elements of chemicals. Their greenhouses in Tehachapi, California, east of Bakersfield, offer a unique climate with over 278 average sunny days per year with milder temperatures. This natural sunlight provides more than 85 percent of the plant’s light needs, as opposed to vertical indoor factory farms that rely 100 percent on artificial light and energy use. Revol Greens Certified Organic lettuces are grown with the company’s plant-based organic nutrient source, as opposed to fertilizer that contains animal byproducts. Revol Greens’ growing environment requires just one pint of water per container of greens, compared to 12 gallons per container if grown in the field – the annual equivalent of over 300 million gallons of water saved. Revol Greens are truly revolutionary! Check out their website at revolgreens.com.

This Knibble cheese knife by Dreamfarm is a great addition to any cheese plate or charcuterie board. What I love about this knife is that it is multi-functional. It has a non-stick blade that slices, spreads and even forks to serve your nibbles. The unique barbed blade creates air pockets that keep the cheese from sticking. The durable, plastic blade will stay sharp and never rust. Whether you're having a small gathering or a cheese plate for one, you can make Knibble the knife of the party. Pick one up at your Market Home and Gift department, then grab your favorite cheeses and enjoy.

This new recipe from our Kitchen takes a classic favorite food and puts a lively, very yummy, spin on it. It’s lean, tender and juicy, made with both light and dark turkey meat, a tandoori spice blend and a tasty curry ketchup over the top. I love it because it feels like comfort food to me, which makes it cozy and perfect for these cold winter months, but at the same time, feels a little lighter and fresh. I am having mine alongside some turmeric roasted cauliflower and green salad. Yum!

For some, January is Dryuary, a time to pull back on alcohol. This doesn’t mean we have to skip having a great cocktail, especially with this ready-to-drink, tasty, Zero Proof tipple that combines Lyres American Malt and premium cola. It’s a crafted blend of classic flavors with notes of oak, vanilla, cedar, rye, caramel and toasted nut. Decadent and redolent of an old friend, it is best over ice and has a long mellow finish. Perfect for sipping on a winter’s night or before a meal with none of the aftereffects of alcohol. Perfect for Dryuary. Enjoy.

We have so many wonderful choices when it comes to Oregon-made cheddars that it really takes something special to turn my head for one that comes from out of state. Enter Cottonwood River Cheddar from Jason Wiebe Dairy in Durham, Kansas. Cottonwood really draws a connection with the old ways of cheesemaking. It’s a farmstead cheese, meaning it is made with milk from cows that live where the cheese is made. This milk is not shipped in from far-away farms to a production facility. Jason and family are raising, feeding and caring for the cows that make this cheese, as his family has for three generations. In addition, the milk used to make Cottonwood is raw, not pasteurized. Pasteurization, which is common in most cheese production, is a process that makes milk more stable over a longer period but destroys the natural microflora and enzymes in the milk and drives off many of the fleeting aromatics that come from the grass and plants that the cows eat. The result of these practices is a thing of beauty as this cheese has tons of complex flavor without being heavy handed. It is delicate, crumbly, lightly sweet with just a hint of citrus, and it’s dangerously snackable. Come try it for yourself at our Market Cheese Shops.

A new year, and a new chance to focus on doing right by my body! Yes, it sounded so good on January 1, but as we all know it’s hard to keep motivated. Enter Source Vitamin Infused Chocolates. These incredibly delicious chocolates have become one of my favorite ways to give my body the nutrients it needs to thrive. These chocolates were created to help a friend (a famous friend in fact) who could not stomach Vitamin B12. Chocolate happens to be the perfect vehicle for better vitamin absorption with no nausea. With formulas like Mood and Beauty, is it too much to say that eating these chocolates has become a treasured part of my day? Not at all.

We are featuring a very special item in our Baristas this January, Yuzu Black Tea from our tea partner, Jasmine Tea Merchants. This wonderful tea is the result of their direct trade relationship with Konishi-san, a small-holding tea farmer in Shizuoka Prefecture, about a three-hour drive south of Tokyo. Not only does Konishi-san make the tea, but the Yuzu fruit used is grown right there in Shizouka. It’s carefully and thoughtfully handmade in small batches to ensure excellence of quality and flavor. For those who don’t know Yuzu, it is a citrus plant with an East Asian origin and valued for its highly aromatic rind. Its unique flavor complements the black tea in this blend beautifully. We have the exclusive on this for our Winter Citrus promotion, so it is available for a limited time. Get it while you can at your Market Barista and enjoy with or without milk.

With New Year dieting resolutions in the cards this month, I turn to the many Higher Taste products. Based in Cornelius, Oregon, this family-based company was started more than 30 years ago as a catering service and has grown to make their delicious foods available across our stores. I enjoy the hearty Breakfast Wrap (vegetarian) to start my day with its fluffy wheat tortilla holding all kinds of yummy cheesy goodness – who could pass that up?! For lunch, try the Big Kahuna, which is sweet teriyaki-marinated Seitan with just a hint of heat, topped with a rainbow slaw to round out the flavors. It takes you to a sunny day on an island for lunch. Check out Higher Taste’s many delicious items and find your favorite. Whether you choose a fresh sandwich made with locally sourced, high-quality ingredients or one of the amazing frozen burritos, you are going to have a delicious, nutritious breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner. Enjoy.