For the Organic Fanatic.

Organic. By definition it means: of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Most of us today want to eat food and drink beverages that are not comprised of noxious chemical elements and that contain pure, fresh ingredients. There are many organic products on the market to choose from and it can be hard as a consumer to determine was is best for themselves and/or their families.

I introduced Maintal products not long ago in a post dedicated to rosehip. Today I am going to introduce you to Maintal Organic Fruit Spread. Not only is this product organic, it’s also vegan and all natural. This blueberry organic fruit spread is made with 40% fruit and is made in Germany. So what’s on the label? What are the ingredients? I’m happy to tell you:

Ingredients: Raw cane sugar*, blueberries*, water, lemon juice concentrate* (acidifier), pectin. *Denotes: Only from controlled organic agriculture.

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That’s a pretty basic and simple list of organic ingredients in this fruit spread. This fruit spread contains pieces of actual fruit, as it should, for being all natural and organic! While some fruit spreads with actual fruit pieces sometimes taste odd or may have a texture issue, there is none of that with this Maintal product! Delicious, fruitful and smooth!

The blueberry organic fruit spread is perfect for breads, cakes, pastries and more. According to Maintal’s website, there are approximately 1 million vegan Germans. The mindset of people consciously increasing the amount of vegan products in their diet has been growing. Those who have included vegan foods in their diet have been found to have noticeable effects on the well-being of people who suffer from allergies, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

Maintal’s production processes and techniques have helped to preserve as many vitamins as possible within the fruit spreads. The combination of organic and vegan benefits nature, as well as, providing a simple taste of organic food for gourmet connoisseurs.

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Take a Break From Everything Pumpkin.

Yes, I did post those cute and super delicious White Chocolate Pumpkin Pots, but sometimes a break from all things pumpkin mid-October can be a good thing! I made this delicious and refreshing Apricot-Berry Smoothie using from a recipe that I got from Hero. Hero is a Swiss company that makes and distributes fruit jams, preserves, spreads, a variety of nectar, glazes, and more. Hero has a plethora of recipes on their website to try out, so don’t be surprised if you see me making and sharing more of what they have out in the cyberworld! They have all sorts of desserts, beverages and more! As the title of the recipe suggests, I used the Hero Apricot Nectar.

Apricot-Berry Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 6 halved fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 6 berries for garnish
• 1 cup Hero Apricot Nectar
• 1 ice cube

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and purèe until completely smooth.
2. Pour into a tall glass, garnish with the remaining blueberries and enjoy cold.

This recipe says it makes two portions, but it was portion enough just for me! I will add, this recipe also calls for just *one* ice cube. I believe after the initial blend I added maybe 3 or 4 more smaller ice cubes.  I also must say the picture posted on the Hero website looks much better than my version, but it tastes so good! All of the berries that I used were organic and fresh and not frozen!

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So what does it really taste like? The nectar is free from any high fructose corn syrup and is made from all natural ingredients, so nothing about this smoothie makes it overly sweet. I would say it’s a pretty good blend of flavors. I ended up using my Magic Bullet, which worked okay – but it could have blended my fruit a bit better. I ended up drinking this concoction with my dinner this evening. I have enough fruit and other nectar flavors in my fridge, so I think tomorrow morning I’ll be making another smoothie at breakfast time! And it would normally be a Nibble, Nibble from me… but in this case, I’ll have to grab my straw and SLURP, SLURP!