LYRA MAG.

 Upcycled ingredients-re-purposed for eating-is common amongst professional chefs and everyday home cooks. That means -for example, taking parts of fruits/vegetables that were usually tossed-like stalks, cores, peels-and using them to make other eats-soups, purées etc. A new(ish) standout: Brooklyn based- RISE Craft Flour -is a byproduct of nearby beer making (makers)...using the spent grains from breweries (byproduct of the first stage of beer making=malt barley) as the base of a true versatile flour that's naturally high in fiber/protein and less carbs-than the regular kind. VERY COOL Available ONLINE RISE Craft Flour can be used interchangeably as flour in recipes-like pizza+ pie crusts, crackers and sweets. The dark flour-comes courtesy of stout, fyi-great for brownies. The light version -from IPA and Pilsner. Recipes online.     Rejected Potato Produce: Kettle Cooked-non-GMO UGLIES Potato Chips...are crispy-greasy enough in a good way. Honestly sin...

Transparency and a traceable supply chain are big real deals-and in some cases, the law-  for buyers (and purveyors)...in all industries...from baby strollers to wearables, apparel, and especially in the food/drink/pharma businesses-judging by all the FDA recalls we get emailed everyday. (YIKES). Notably-we have seen an uptick in small business- owner-grower images-and their backstory- right on their goods' packaging   (not just Q codes-or on social media)-at the recent Fancy Food Show in NYC... Which makes sense-as a terrific way to stand out on shelves from big consumer packaged food companies. No wonder...the later often now are struggling for Gen Z-Gen X dollars-who are the largest eaters of specialty (really mainstream now) offerings. On The Farm: Betting vegetarians-who vow never to eat anything that has a mother -would be horrified to learn that in this country (at least)...most milked animals have an expiration date on their milking days-and get slaughtered at...

Specialty Foods-Fancy Food Show Plant based foods/drinks are not just trends. Pretty much everyone- from vegans (all the time)-to cattle steak enthusiasts-hardily devour plant based subs fairly regularly now... in this country. (Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger popular eats both- kinda proves that for meatheads). Still a read of ingredients has many consumers looking for healthier alternatives to big consumer packaged goods offerings or genetically modified 'food'... At the recent Fancy Food Show...a few plant subs that really taste great: Good Catch -caught our eyeballs at last year's show. There was one product-and their display table was off in a far flung Javits Center hallway. There wasn't even A/C in that section.  THIS YEAR-there has been  bump in sales-and probably a new hire or two clearly -plus  hip packaging + new products. This Chef mastered brand (plus one investor with vision) now has shelf stable-ready to eat- fish free tuna, that is no...

Judging by the plethora of probiotic packed supplements, foods (naturally blessed or added in), and skin care ingredients available-the good for you kind of gut bacteria-has surpassed being a trendy phenom-into a lifestyle must for a healthy GI ecosystem with potentially positive ramifications . One very interesting  company- COLUMBIA Skincare -has a  proprietary formula of vitamins/minerals/botanicals that composes its well respected Restorative Hydrating + Ultimate Skincare Repair creams -to encourage the healing abilities and overall health of the dermis. Recently launched--- is interesting-a  Probiotic  Concentrate  and Complex-that contains active probiotics ( Lactococcus Ferment Lysate – good bacteria  )  in a stable format, and other proven skin helping plant stem cells, peptides and vitamin C. Both can be used separately or layered -with the Concentrate going on first. We tried a sample-and both probiotic formulas are absorbed quickly-...

ATHLETE ESSENTIALS Crunchy Sweet, Bite Sized... New Snacks that are everything their supposed to be (FUN TO MUNCH ON)-with added nutritional benefits. I mpressive- SPROUT  is a private company that makes a slew of tasty snacks-packed for one-six sized portions-perfectly portable for on the go crunch musts.   In the mix-veggies form the basis of USDA ORGANIC goodness...no circumspect ingredients in the mix! Everything we sampled-from the airy properly puffy Two Peas in a Pod-to the densely crunchy Crinklez-...were great. And dip worthy. Toddlers and kids of all ages will enjoy.  There is a slightly less salty/greasy taste than the mass market junk food equivalents...fyi. Which might a be plus for many. This company also makes baby eats. Pumkin Carrot Crinklez pictured-(also Cheesy Spinach Crinklez) and Two Peas In A Pod - Aged White Cheddar. (other flavors-Broccoli, Sweet Potato Cinnamon). ALL Gluten + Dairy Free, VEGAN, Non-GMO, no added sugar, no fake col...

Positive IRL news on the control and curing of diseases that used to be fatal, fast- is always welcome in our inbox and social media feeds!!!!!  One of the most promising updates we got recently-was from a summary of a keynote-delivered by Samuel Waxman -a renown physician-with a mission- at the 2019 Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) Breakthroughs Scientific Symposium.  Specifically-the Waxman Foundation-with a mandate to fund + collaborate global research  to develop novel therapeutics to treat cancers -informed attendees about recent efforts  "...  based on new understandings of epigenetic and genetic mechanisms associated with cancer development and progression, how cancer cells become dormant or reawaken to spread through metastasis, successes in treating childhood leukemia and the role bacteria may play in pancreatic cancer "   Another SWCRF foundation partnership -with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Insti...

Last week-in a dental practice's waiting room ...the  pre-appointment gripes were about   allergies .  With sniffles/sneezes/inhaler dosages evident  ... the day's pollen count was 'voted'  THE quality of life misery winner of the day (week-month) surpassing dentist anxiety (mass transit-street parking)  complaints . That's something. FYI: The other obstacles of regular breathing includes smog (alert days), smoke (from outside fires and indoor cooking productions), odors, VOCs (volatile organic compounds-think that new paint / carpet smell ), really unhealthy mold spores (visible -to-microscopic), dust, bacteria-viruses and furry pet dander. AND furry pets can suffer from seasonal allergies too! SOLUTION (and a game changer): If  a LEEDS certified abode or a major home/apartment retrofit are budget busters -an affordable room size HEPA air purifier strategically placed- can greatly alleviate the aforementioned irritants o...

Replenishing post workouts (the real kind of workouts)...need to be easy grabs -and a bit more bumped up than H2O. Because there's only so much water that's inhale-able on a long run (or bike) without that sloshy stomach feeling. TRY: There's a reason Pepsi's now retired, visionary CEO bought NAKED Juice Co  years ago---as Americans eschew sugary non-nutritional drinks for just as tasty-better for you options. Half Naked Juices-Smoothies-pictured above in authentic Peach Ginger-is refreshing...esp. if one drinks it really cold! Non-GMO ingredients too. The total carb count of 33grams (27 of those sugars) from the replenishing coconut- watermelon-apple juices +peach puree -is pretty much what we need after multi-hour efforts to get in long distance endurance race shape. And stay awake afterwards. Widely available. We had no idea how much we would love detox water ....with the digestive healer-and natural prebiotic aloe vera as the star ingredient. USDA ORGA...

How popular is Jarlsberg cheese-the nutty-sweetish Norwegian export-made from cow's milk is the perfect balance of semi-soft/hard goodness? In the middle of a packed refrigerated cheese section where we shop-a lone hunk of Jarlsberg remained -which of course was snatched up by moi right before another shopper came looking for the exact same cheese... by name. To sum it up=VERY POPULAR (in fact-Jarlsberg is the number one selling specialty cheese in the USA! Versatile and approachable ...Jarlsberg is the palate pleaser for cheese heads, gourmands and picky eaters (kids!!!) alike. Mild in flavor but distinct with large round holes -- serving suggestions -run the gamut-from straight out  small cubes or thinly sliced-for sandwiches, grilled -on burgers (plant based or not), or as part of a protein loaded s'more like bite-put a cube on a skewer -layered with chunks of green pepper and tomato and fresh basil leafs-roast for like a sec or 2 over an open fire...and slide i...

For every person we know who controls the outdoor lights with voice commands + and the front door via RING (meaning a smart-home device + app)-there are those that  want to go home to disconnect from tech - turn on a switch =and have the lights work. No sci-fi control nightmares needed. More so than an open concept floor plan-vs delineated spaces /functional rooms with walls...how much to connect appliances, security systems, and daily life habits/controls to a cloud based wifi set-up that sacrifices personal privacy for certain kinds of conveniences (theoretically)...is becoming "an issue" with regards to interior design. With that in mind-we recently attended "The Art of Hiding Technology" panel during DDB's Spring Market 2019---in the Crestron showroom (automated home control systems) which meant of course-physically hiding -backbones of technology  ...and a basic how-to on cutting edge setups for 21st century dwellings. Clearly, most of the interior d...