Whole Foods Event in Raleigh, NC

Please come out and see the Twins this Saturday, May 31 at Whole Foods in Raleigh. The event runs from 3pm to 7pm. We will be selling our delicious gluten-free and vegan baked goods. We will also be featuring some new treats using local molasses, strawberries, and zucchini. You will also find at this event other local vendors selling things ranging from produce, strawberries, bread, goat cheese, and more. Please come out and support your local community. The Twins look forward in meeting you. Remember to bring your reusable bags!

Why we love Oprah

Tomorrow on Oprah is a show about the fight to end puppy mills. I believe this is a re-run, but this one is worth seeing again. I have seen this one before when it first aired a few weeks ago. I will warn you all, it will make you cry. I do not remember the last time I cried so hard, but I would do it again if it saves a dog. Please if you missed it last time, tune in to watch tomorrow's Oprah show. It is your chance to help make a difference, one animal at a time. There are more links that can also be found off Oprah's site under Animal Adoption Resources. Lisa Ling, who I love, was the reporter for this segment. Take a look at these to find out what you can do to help. Below are some local and national organizatoins. If you cannot give time or money, you can always donate blankets or dog food to food shelters/hospitals. I have dropped off blankets to the Glenwood Animal Hospital. And if you are in the market to buy a puppy please think about shelters, you can find purebreeds. Although if you do buy elsewhere please check into the owner(s) and the facility before you buy. SPCA Pet Adoption Center www.spcawake.org Main Line Animal Rescue www.mlar.org The Humane Society of the United States www.hsus.org Lange Foundation www.langefoundation.com American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals www.aspca.org Petfinder www.petfinder.com Dogs in Danger www.dogsindanger.com Pets 911 www.pets911.com World Animal Net www.worldanimalnet.org Pet Harbor www.pethabor.com Best Friends Animal Society www.bestfriends.org Lori and I strongly believe in supporting great causes that bring awareness and attention to horrible issues like the business surrounding puppy mills. Please decide where you stand on the isssue and do something.

Strawberries

Strawberries are in season and are extremely delicious. If you have come by our table at the Moore's Square Farmers Market you have seen chocolate strawberry cupcakes and strawberry cheesecake where both are made with local strawberries. We use local strawberries because we know that we are supporting our local farmers and they are truly fresh.

Here is a tip that we have come across to help keep strawberries fresh. One of the best methods is to be remove all of the moldy or damaged ones and place the good strawberries in the refrigerator in layers separated by paper towels inside a plastic container or sealed bag. This works great for short term storage- up to 3 days. Do not wash the strawberries before storing them. Wait until you plan to eat them to rinse them off to ensure freshness.

Here are more fun facts about strawberries:

There are over 20 named species of strawberry plants.

The United States is the top strawberry producing country in the world, followed by Spain.

One cup of strawberries (144 grams) contains approximately 45 calories.

Please stop by our table every Wednesday at the Moore's Square Farmers Market or give us a call if you would like to taste more of our strawberry treats. We are also creating new recipes!

Cooking Food at the Franklin County Farm and Food Tour

Come out and see us at the 5th Annual Franklin County Farm, Foods, and Crafts tour this weekend. We will be serving lots of delicous food this Saturday evening, May 17 at 6pm. The food festival will include local foods that include beef, chicken, vegetables (provided by Twins Kitchen) and fresh strawberries. The website to learn more information and to get directions to this local event is www.FranklinCountyFarmFresh.com. Please come out and visit us!

More Moore's Farmers Market

Well, the nerves have calm down from our first time selling at the Moore's Square Farmers Market. This was our 3rd time selling our baked goods. It is great to see everyone who stops by our table to see us. Please enjoy the new pictures and hope to see more of you next Wednesday.

First Day at Raleigh's Moores Square Farmers Market

Lori and I have survived our first day at the Moore’s Square Farmers market in downtown Raleigh. Let me take you back and give you a bit of history. When researching ways to be apart of the local Raleigh community, Lori came across information about the Moore Square farmers market and they were still accepting vendors. We were thrilled to hear that because we knew this would be a great opportunity to get involved and met people in our community. We are personal chefs but we also enjoy baking on the side. So we gathered up our recipes and started to experiment in the kitchen to perfect our healthy desserts. This is when the fun really began. Since Lori and I have to be aware of what we eat because we cannot have gluten or dairy, we carefully chose each ingredient that we use in our baking. We feel if you are a vegan, have a food allergy, or anyone who has a sweet tooth can enjoy the great benefits from our healthy treats. After many trips to Whole Foods and Earth Fare, long days standing over a hot oven, a sink full of dishes, and many trial and errors we kept baking away till we felt we had delicious treats. We owe a lot to our family because they were the ones that believed in us and encouraged us to keep going. Then finally we had a break through. Our recipes were finally turning out and they starting looking like “normal” baked goods. Because as for all of you out here that know when you try to alter a recipe, either to lower the fat or make gluten free, it does not always look “normal.” Much thanks to Gary who was patient enough to be our taste tester. Because to Lori and I our baked goods all taste good, even though they might not look perfect. Now that we had our recipes, it was time for us to take the next step in getting them out and available for all to enjoy. Although this was not the first time we baked for others, it was our first time selling under our new company. We rose early Wednesday to start loading the car, which we did not check to make sure it would all fit, luckily it did. Then we started making the drive to downtown Raleigh. As we got closer and closer, both of us were silent as nerves took over. We pulled in to the spot they reserved for the vendors and just started unloading. We put up the tent, open up the tables, and then started setting up our display of our goodies. And the rest is history. Here are a few pictures of our first day at Moore’s Square Farmers Market. Thanks to all that helped us there that day and of course, thanks to all of you that stopped by and sampled our treats. We enjoyed meeting each and every one of you and look forward in seeing you next Wednesday.