Planning to attend the Natural Products Expo West?

If you're planning to attend the Natural Products Expo West, March 9th - 11th, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, then be sure to visit the Buyer's Best Friend Booth #3988 where you'll find our Perfectly Expressed Hot/Cold Gift Bags. Members of the Buyer's Best Friend team will be happy to share with you all the features and benefits that our gift bags offer to both retailers and consumers, including:

• Environmentally friendly thermal bag - recyclable, reusable and FDA approved
• Printed with water-based inks
• Keeps up to 22 lbs. of food hot, cold or frozen for up to 3 hours
• A portion of the proceeds from sales benefit the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund

Perfectly Expressed Hot/Cold Gift Bags Now Available Through Buyer's Best Friend Online Specialty Products Catalog

We are pleased to announce that our complete line of Perfectly Expressed Hot/Cold Gift Bags are now available for specialty product buyers to purchase through Buyer’s Best Friend (BBF), an online catalog of wholesale specialty products.

“ BBF is a cost-effective way for us to reach thousands of potential buyers of our thermal gift bags nationwide, including many famous hotels and groceries that are otherwise hard to “get into,” said Jody Shampton-Moore, CEO, Innovations Expressed and creator of the Perfectly Expressed Hot/Cold Gift Bag product line. “Buyers can now learn about our products, request samples and place orders any time of the day – whenever they choose.”

BBF was created by Joyce Guan, president of the San Francisco-based, California Girl Foods brokerage, and Adam Sah, a former senior software engineer at Google. With extensive input from retail buyers and suppliers, BBF has fast become the world’s largest catalog of wholesale specialty products, with over 100,000 products from 1,500 manufacturers.

"BBF models the way wholesalers buy and sell food," says Joyce Guan, co-founder of Buyer’s Best Friend. "We made BBF easy and fast to find rich product information, by category and location, which buyers find intuitive.”

In addition to being a featured seller on BBF’s Website (www.bbfdirect.com) and current Valentine’s Day Buyer’s Guide, the company’s Perfectly Expressed Hot/Cold Gift Bags will be showcased at the upcoming Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, January15-17, 2012 in the BBF’s booth #1188.

To view complete information and order Perfectly Expressed – The Original Hot/Cold Gift Bags from Buyer’s Best Friend click here or visit www.perfectlyexpressed.com.

Last Minute Christmas Gift Idea to Give to Family, Neighbors and Friends

This holiday treat is inspired by my friend Cooper, a college room mate who generously shared the hot chocolate mix that someone had gifted to her upon returning from winter break to Ohio University. It was a go-to treat that warmed us on cold days, and created an atmosphere for good conversation and loads of laughs. Later in life, I would whip-up a batch to share with my children's teachers and neighbors at holiday time. So if you're in need of a last minute gift idea this is one that will surely be appreciated long after the holidays end. Simply follow the recipe below, place the mix in an air tight container, place in a Perfectly Expressed Hot/Cold Gift Bag along with a 1/3 measuring cup or scoop, a bag of marshmallows, a mug or package of disposable coffee cups with lids, and a copy of the recipe.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Hot Cocoa Mix
6 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 (5 ounce) package non-instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup powdered chocolate drink mix
1/2 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder


Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine powdered milk, chocolate pudding mix, chocolate drink mix powder, creamer, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa. Divide the mixture between two 1 quart jars. Seal, and decorate as desired. These can be stored in a dry area for up to 3 months.

2. Attach a tag with the following instructions: Hot Cocoa: Dissolve 1/3 cup cocoa mix in 1 cup boiling water.

It's Time to Start Baking Holiday Cookies and Treats to Share

As of tomorrow, it will be two weeks until the Christmas festivities begin in my home. Time to start thinking about the holiday cookies that will be shared with family and friends, with a generous helping left out for Santa's visit. Making the list again this year is a Whoopie Pie recipe that I found courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. The finished holiday Whoopie Pies received rave reviews from my family last year, but they're also good to make and eat year round.

Of course, holiday cookies as a gift are perfect for sharing in a Perfectly Expressed Hot/Cold Gift Bag. Simply put the cookies in an air tight container, place into one of our thermal gift bags along with a quart of milk, and a copy of the recipe, and you'll have a gift that will transport easily and be received with open arms.

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies:
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (leave out if you just want Chocolate Whoopie Pies)
1 cup buttermilk

Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 7.5-ounce jar marshmallow fluff
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup crushed peppermint candies (about 50 peppermint discs)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and extracts; mix well.

Slowly add flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Cover dough and chill at least 30 minutes.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheet, placing cookies 2 inches apart. Bake cookies 9 to 12 minutes, or until firm. Cool cookies on pan 3 to 5 minutes or until set, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For filling, in large bowl, cream together butter, fluff, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar slowly; mix well.

Spread flat side of half the cookies with heaping tablespoon of filling; top with second cookie to create sandwich. Roll edges in crushed peppermint candies; chill cookies to set filling.

Store unfilled cookies and filling in airtight containers in refrigerator for up to 1 week, and filled cookies for up to 3 days. Bring cookies to room temperature before serving.

Yummy Perfectly Expressed Gingerbread Loaf Recipe to Make and Share.

Holiday time is the perfect time to make and share your favorite casseroles, soups, and baked goods. So we'd like to share our favorite gingerbread loaf recipe with you. Use a Perfectly Expressed Hot/Cold Gift Bag to share it with friends and family, and who knows they may return the favor someday soon. 

Gingerbread Loaf Recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup white sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
1 cup applesauce

Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan, or even a square baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Dissolve baking soda into applesauce and mix into creamed butter. Add flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

4. Pour the batter into a loaf pan.

5. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out just slightly sticky. (Be careful not to over bake, for this cake can dry out easily. Just remember that the toothpick shouldn’t come out clean, but a little sticky).

6. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Frost the cake when it is completely cooled. Decorate with chopped candied orange peel or candied ginger.