Saturday, October 4, 2008

Fresh Fruit Leather from Hood River Valley


I was starving the other day. Just starving. I had been trying to hold out for dinner while getting some tea at a coffee shop. While ordering hot peppermint tea, I noticed a box of "fruit bars". My mouth instantly began to water and I pictured how good a chewy hunk of dried fruit leather would taste and feel in my mouth. I had to have it. I chose the pear flavor after reading the two ingredients, "pear puree and pear concentrate," which assured me this was sugar-free. After burning my hand on my cup of hot tea, I set it down and cozied up at a table with my delicious looking fruit bar. This was really going to have to tie me over until dinner. I ripped into the package and sunk my teeth into the sweetest fruit flesh. It was perfect tasting and made my stomach stop growling. I was pleasantly surprised how moist it was compared to other sugar-free fruit leathers that I have tried. It was delicious and stuck to all of my teeth. As I popped the last piece into my mouth, I took a closer look at the package: "Manufactured in the Columbia River Gorge using Northwest grown fruit". How cool! They are local compared to the fruit leathers that I had been buying from New Zealand!

I highly recommend trying these "Gorge Delights" fruit bars. Ask your local grocery stores and cafes to start carrying them. Write a customer comment card asking for them and include their information: http://gorgedelights.com/. It made a great snack at the coffee shop in place of all the other sugary pastries they had out.

Also, when you order hot tea at a coffee shop, I advise you to ask the barista to throw in a couple of ice cubes.

3 comments:

Jenn said...

It's pretty easy to make fruit leather even without a proper dehydrator - give it a whirl, then you'll know for sure it's local and sugar free!

My Year Without said...

Good point! I am actually in the process of collecting all of my bruised fruit to try making leather on my own. I just think that when you are out and about, it's nice to have the option of eating a fruit leather over all those fattening pastries that coffee shops sell. Finding that little box of fruit leather really made my day.

Joy's Journey in Weightloss said...

Hi,
I have been sugar free for over 60 days. I would love to hear about your favorite sugar free treats that get you through. I found Bliss Organic Coconut Milk Ice Cream that is only sweetened with agave. Delish!