Mohawk Valley Trading Company - Honey - Maple Syrup - Beeswax Candles

Congratulations Larry Mirman, you are the winner of the "Dude, It's NOT Beef!" T-Shirt Giveaway.

We’ve sent you an email and look forward to your reply. To all you other Local Harvest followers; don’t bum out ‘cuz there’s plenty T-Shirt Giveaways in the works, so keep coming back to our blog. If you can’t wait to win one, contact Crooked Brook.

Hooded sweatshirts were popular with people who worked outdoors, way before they became fashionable and were called hoodies.

The origin of the hoodie goes back to the Middle Ages when the standard trappings for monks was a long tunic or robe with a cowl. The hooded sweatshirt as we know it today, was invented in the United States by Champion (an apparel manufacturer specializing in sportswear) in the 1930s and the word hoodie or hoody started to appear in popular culture in the 1990s.

Today, almost every major apparel brand offers a line of hoodies. Some high-end brands offer hoodies in high-performance fabrics, knitted silk, merino wool or other fabrics. With all of the different brands, styles, profiles, fabrics and colors of hoodies to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming.

Whatever you do don’t buy cheap hoodies; they are thin, ill fitting, lose their color, shape and shrink excessively after the first wash. However, high quality hoodies can be costly, but fear not;
 
The Mohawk Valley Trading Co. has teamed up with Crooked Brook to sponsor some adult and kids hoodie giveaways.

These giveaways are first quality, blank hoodies from Crooked Brook’s inventory. The brand, color, gender and size of the hoodie will be determined by what they have in stock at the time the winner is announced. Crooked Brook will try their best to send winner’s a hoodie as close to their request as possible.

Hopefully, for the next giveaway we can offer printed or embroidered custom hoodies.

The winner will be chosen randomly, from those who post a comment with an answer to this question;

What color, gender and size hoodie would you like to win?

Terms & Conditions:

You must be 18 years or older to win.
Contest ends midnight (Eastern Standard Time) 04/15/12.
Winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email.
Winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.  
Crooked Brook will ship the prize to the winner within 30 days of contest end.
Physical address required for shipping; no PO boxes, US recipients only residing in one of the 48 contiguous states.

Michele was the winner of Fleece Blanket Giveaway 1 and as we said, there are plenty more Fleece Blanket Giveaways in the works, so here it is:

Fleece blankets (also called fleece throws) are made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other synthetic fibers and can also be made out of recycled PET bottles or recycled fleece. They are lightweight, warm, soft, and hydrophobic; holding less than 1% of their weight in water which allows them to retain much of their insulating powers even when wet.

Fleece blankets are machine washable, dry quickly, are very breathable and will not lose their thickness when compressed; it does not matter if you crush, pull, twist or wad up the blanket it will come back to its original shape and thickness.

It is these properties that make fleece blankets ideal around your household or farm and The Mohawk Valley Trading Co. has teamed up with Crooked Brook to sponsor some fleece blanket giveaways.

These are blank, wholesale fleece blankets with a slight imperfection or personalized fleece blankets with an embroidery mistake.

There are many things you could do with these second quality fleece throws. First, if it is a smudge that can be washed out, you may be able to use the blankets as they are. If not, you could decorate it with a crocheted edge or make fleece pullovers, scarves, booties, hats, vests and lots of other items.

These fleece blankets are great keep to in your vehicle, for your cat, dog or a baby animal that needs to be kept warm.

Actually, you could do whatever you want with it.

The prize for this Fleece Blanket Giveaway is a 50” x 60”, 100% polyester fleece blanket with a slight imperfection or an embroidery mistake. The color of the fleece blanket will be determined by what Crooked Brook has at the time the winner is announced, and they will try their best to send the winner’s blanket in the color they would like to win.

To enter, leave a comment here about the color of fleece blanket you would like to win and what you would do with it.

The winner will be randomly chosen.

Terms & Conditions:

You must be 18 years or older to win.
Contest ends midnight (Eastern Standard Time) 04/10/12.
Winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email.
Winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.  
Crooked Brook will ship the prize to the winner within 30 days of contest end.
Physical address required for shipping; no PO boxes, US recipients only residing in one of the 48 contiguous states.

Beef Products Inc., the maker of “Pink Slime” suspended operations last Monday at all but one plant where the “lean finely textured beef (LFTB)” or “boneless lean beef trimmings” are processed, acknowledging current public backlash over the product has cost the company business.

This white, 6.1 oz., 100% cotton t-shirt is printed with Direct to Garment printing (DTG) technology which uses eco-friendly, water soluble ink that bonds to the molecules of the fabric, unlike most screen printing which layers Plastisol (a suspension of PVC particles in a plasticizer) on top of the t-shirt. DTG allows photographic quality printing with no setup fee or minimum you can order as few as one custom t-shirt.

The winner will be chosen randomly, from those who post a comment with an answer to this question;

What do you think about “Pink Slime”?

Terms & Conditions:

You must be 18 years or older to win.
Contest ends midnight (Eastern Standard Time) 04/08/12.
Winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email.
Winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.  
Crooked Brook will ship the prize to the winner within 30 days of contest end.
Physical address required for shipping; no PO boxes, US recipients only residing in one of the 48 contiguous states.

There are two well known systems of maple syrup grading in use today. One system is used in Canada (where 80% of the world’s maple syrup is produced) and another system is used in the United States of America. Both systems are based on color and translucence with relate to the flavor of the syrup. Different grades are produced by the same trees over the length of the season.

Syrup thickness is not related to grade. State and Province laws dictate minimum thickness requirements for syrup. For example, New York State requires a thickness of 66% solids. Vermont has stricter laws, requiring 67.1% thickness. These minimums protect the consumer from being cheated by a diluted product. Thicker syrups are also safer to consume, with only 62% solids a syrup is likely to contain and breed dangerous pathogens.

The Canadian system assigns numerical grades from 1 to 3 with several subcategories. Grades are established based on light transmittance. Number 1 syrup is broken down to Extra Light, Light and Medium. The lightest syrup varies from full (100%) light transmittance to 75%. In comparison, light and medium vary from 74.9%-60.5% and 60.45-44% respectively.  Number 2 syrup is classified as Amber and has a range of 43.9%-27% light transmittance. Number 3 syrup is darkest and includes all syrup below 27% light transmittance.

The US maple grading system assigns grades ranging from AA to Commercial Grade. AA syrup is also labeled light amber or ‘Extra Fancy’ and is equivalent to Canadian number 1. Many people incorrectly assume that syrup with the highest grade has the strongest maple flavor, but the opposite is true. This syrup has the lightest flavor, it reads as subtle to some and weak to others. AA syrup is made from the earliest sap; approximately 25-30% of syrup production will fall into this grade. This syrup will produce the lightest maple sugar with the most subtle flavor. Bias toward the label of ‘AA’ means this syrup is often more expensive than the others.

Grade A syrup is divided into medium amber and dark amber. These syrups are darker in color and have a stronger maple flavor. Medium amber is often used as table syrup for pancakes and other breakfast foods. Some people think dark amber syrup is too strong for table use and prefer to use it for baking. 50-60% of maple syrup falls into these two categories.

Grade B is very dark; it is the same as Canadian number 2. This syrup has the strongest flavor. Grade B is the best syrup for baking, it allows for a strong maple flavor without adding too much liquid. It is also used as table syrup for those who love strong maple flavor. Only 10% of syrup is labeled Grade B. Since maple syrup recipes usually do not specify any particular grade to use, take into consideration that darker colored syrups will produce dishes that a have a pronounced maple flavor.

Vermont produces the majority of maple syrup in America. Other important states in maple production include New York and Maine. Vermont has its own grading system; it is very similar to the American grading system but includes a grade below B. Commercial grade syrup is not sold bottled for use. It is used as a flavor additive in other products. Commercial syrup is the darkest syrup produce, only 2-3% fits this label. In Vermont, syrup grading is taken very seriously. Fines of more than $1000 are applied for mislabeling syrup. At this time there are motions in the state of Vermont to make it a felony to market fake maple products as real maple syrup.

Congratulations Michele Pineda, you are the winner of Fleece Blanket Giveaway 1!!!

 

We’ve sent you an email and look forward to your reply. To all you other Local Harvest followers; don’t bum out ‘cuz there’s plenty more Fleece Blanket Giveaways in the works, so keep coming back to our blog. If you can’t wait to win one, contact Crooked Brook.

Fleece blankets (also called fleece throws) are made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other synthetic fibers and can also be made out of recycled PET bottles or recycled fleece. They are lightweight, warm, soft, and hydrophobic; holding less than 1% of their weight in water which allows them to retain much of their insulating powers even when wet.

Fleece blankets are machine washable, dry quickly, are very breathable and will not lose their thickness when compressed; it does not matter if you crush, pull, twist or wad up the blanket it will come back to its original shape and thickness.

It is these properties that make fleece blankets ideal around your household or farm and The Mohawk Valley Trading Co. has teamed up with Crooked Brook to sponsor some fleece blanket giveaways.

These are blank, wholesale fleece blankets with a slight imperfection or personalized fleece blankets with an embroidery mistake cut off.

There are many things you could do with these second quality fleece throws. First, if it is a smudge that can be washed out, you may be able to use the blankets as they are. If not, you could decorate it with a crocheted edge.

 

Or make fleece pullovers, scarves, booties, hats, vests, or lots of other items.

These fleece blankets are great keep to in your vehicle, for your cat, dog or a baby animal that needs to be kept warm.

Actually, you could do whatever you want with it.

The prize for this Fleece Blanket Giveaway is a 50” x 60”, 100% polyester fleece blanket with a slight imperfection or the embroidery mistake cut off. The color of the fleece blanket will be determined by what Crooked Brook has at the time the winner is announced, and they will try their best to send the winner’s blanket in the color they would like to win.

To enter, leave a comment here about the color of fleece blanket you would like to win and what you would do with it.

The winner will be randomly chosen.

Terms & Conditions:

You must be 18 years or older to win.
Contest ends midnight (Eastern Standard Time) 04/01/12.
Winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email.
Winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.  
Crooked Brook will ship the prize to the winner within 30 days of contest end.
Physical address required for shipping; no PO boxes, US recipients only residing in one of the 48 contiguous states.

Many chefs, cooks and bakers are now learning the wonderful benefits of cooking and baking with wildflower honey. Not only does it add complexity to the flavor of your dish, but your family and guests will absolutely enjoy the delicious mouth-watering taste.

If you are planning to buy wildflower honey for its health-benefits, raw wildflower honey is what you need. Really raw honey is strained, not filtered and  is processed without using any heat at all and is in the same condition as when it left the hive. Heating honey (pasteurization) destroys the all of the pollen, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Almost all of the commercial honey sold is in the super markets is heated. Really raw honeys will come from lesser known, artisanal producers. Honey that has been heated is called liquid honey.

For cooking, you can use liquid or raw wildflower honey.

Another thing that chefs, cooks and bakers love about wildflower honey is that because of its floral flavor, your baked goods will taste like you have the goodness of wildflowers in every bite. So is not only a wonderful antioxidant, but it adds another layer of flavor to your baked goods as well.

Wildflower honey is sweeter than sugar. This is only normal as its basic components naturally make it sweeter. To offset this, you should use about ¾ the amount of wildflower honey relative to the amount of sugar required in your recipe. Make sure you use only the right amount as you do not want your delicious creations to be too sweet.

Wildflower honey is more beneficial than regular processed sugar and when you use wildflower honey for baking, it makes your cake or pastry moister. It also extends the life of your baked goods as the moisture allows them to not become stale easily.

When using wildflower honey as a baking ingredient, make sure to oil the measuring cup you used so that it will easily slide out of it. This is frequently the hassle of many cooks and bakers because they feel like they just make more mess with honey than with sugar. But with a little skill and knowledge, clean-up will be easier for you. Plus, the praises and affirmation you get after you serve your mouth-watering baked goods will make your efforts worth it.

Cave paintings supposed to have been done in or around 7000 BC shows that people were harvesting honey even then. Honey bees date back even further than that record by centuries. Fossils show proof that bees were pollinating and producing wildflower honey over 150 million years ago, which leads us to believe that the first people may have made use of honey.

Wildflower is one of the most popular varieties of raw honey. You can order wildflower honey online so you can start using this wonderful ingredient for your salad dressings, meat marinades and other home-produced sauces. Get your raw honey from your trusted source and remember that wildflower honey can be used for almost every recipe which has sugar in it.

 

Under new legislation being advocated by the Department of Labor, kids under 18 would not be allowed to do many of the chores on their own family’s farm or a neighbor’s.

Under the proposed regulations:

• Anyone under age 16 could not operate any power-driven machines unless the child was under the supervision of a parent or guardian.

• Kids would be prohibited from handling non-castrated livestock older than 6 months, sows with suckling pigs or cows with a newborn calf. They also could not be in situations where an animal’s behavior might be "unpredictable", such as giving shots, dehorning or breeding.

• Prohibit young workers from “working from a ladder or scaffold at a height of over 20 feet”.

• Limit the exposure of young farm workers to “extreme temperatures and/or arduous conditions” (like snow, sleet, hail and rain, the hot sun, high humidity).

The list goes on.

Oh, and by the way, the proposal also calls for new penalties and fines as a means of enforcing the new regulations.

In response to this, The Mohawk Valley Trading Co. has partnered with custom t-shirt printer Crooked Brook to sponsor a ““Department of Labor, Keep Off My Farm!” T-Shirt Giveaway.

This white, 6.1 oz., 100% cotton t-shirt is printed using Direct to Garment Printing (DTG) technology which uses eco-friendly water soluble inks.

The winner will be chosen randomly, from those who post a comment with the correct answer to this question;

What are domestic pigs that have escaped and gone feral called?

Terms & Conditions:

You must be 18 years or older to win.
Contest ends midnight (Eastern Standard Time) 03/22/12.
Winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email.
Winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen.  
Crooked Brook will ship the prize to the winner within 30 days of contest end.
Physical address required for shipping; no PO boxes, US recipients only residing in one of the 48 contiguous states.

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