Veggie Bits

Fruit Leathers Pack Perfectly for School Lunches, Camping Trips, or Any Other Occasion!

Stretch Island has introduced organic versions of their fun, chewy Fruit Leather snacks. These 1/2-ounce treats are available in deliciously tart Organic Apple, superbly sweet Organic Apricot, Organic Grape, intensely tasty Organic Raspberry, and Organic Strawberry. All flavors are made from 100 percent dried fruit and fruit juice without added sugar or preservatives.

Organic Fruit Leathers are available from many retailers that carry natural foods, including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. For a retailer near you, contact Stretch Island Fruit, Inc., at P.O. Box 1099, Allyn, WA 98524, or at (360) 275-6050. Also, U.S. residents can request free samples through the company’s website at www.stretchislandfruit.com.

Vegan Ballet Shoes Make Their North American Debut

Cynthia King, a dance teacher in Brooklyn, could not find affordable non-leather ballet slippers, so she found a renowned local dance shoe maker to create a line for her and her students. Now, they’ve made these cruelty-free shoes available to the general public. CKDS Ballet Slippers have comfortable canvas uppers with a beautiful satin-like sheen and synthetic suede soles that are just as durable as their leather counterparts. Plus, these shoes are dyeable, making them an excellent choice for competitions and recital season.

CKDS Ballet Slippers are available in children’s sizes from 8 through 4 and in adult sizes from 5 through 9, including half-sizes, in white, pink, black, and custom-dyed colors. One pair costs approximately $25, plus shipping and handling. Visit the Cynthia King Dance Studio’s website at www.cynthiakingdance.com/slippers.htm, or call the studio at (718) 437-0101 for more information.

Very, Very Convenient Bagels

Agnes’ Very Very Organic Bake’mmm® Bagels are definitely among the very, very best frozen bagels that The VRG staff has ever tasted. Plus, these vegan, New York-style rolls are so easy to prepare. Just preheat your oven, toss them in for 10 minutes, and breakfast is served. Organic Bake’mmm® Bagels come in bags of four in your choice of Plain, Cinnamon-Raisin, or Whole Wheat varieties. Plus, Agnes’ Organic Everything Seeds—including garlic, sesame, poppy, sea salt, and onion—will further expand your bagel flavor options.

Write to Agnes’ Very Very, LLC, at 50 Lodge Lane, Suite 114, Verona, VA 24482, or call the company at (866) 248-0908. Look for these bagels at a store near you or order them online at www.agnesveryvery.com.

Parma! Livens Up Pizza, Pasta, Salads, Popcorn, and More!

Good vegan cheese alternatives are often hard to come by, which makes Parma! Vegan Parmesan all the more a revelation. This great-tasting and authentically-textured topping is made solely with “raw organic walnuts, Red Star nutritional yeast, Celtic sea salt, and love.” And that love will spread to everyone who sprinkles this incredible product onto their next salad or Italian meal.

Contact EatintheRaw.com, Parma!’s parent company, at P.O. Box 5563, Central Point, OR 97502, or call (541) 665-0348. See their website at www.eatintheraw.com for a list of retailers near you.

Introducing Organic Soups

Muir Glen has long brought their great tomato items, including sauces, ketchup, and salsa, to natural foods store shelves. Now, the company has added an organic soup line to their product family, including two vegan varieties. Just grab a 19-ounce can of their savory Homestyle Split Pea or robust Savory Lentil, and you’ll have a hearty dinner for two in a matter of minutes.

Visit Muir Glen’s website at www.muirglen.com for nutritional facts and other information about these soups. Also, you can contact their parent company, General Mills, Inc., at P.O. Box 9452, Minneapolis, MN 55440, or at (763) 764-7600.