Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Thanksgiving Cooking with Sambazon Açaí

At Sambazon we love to experiment with new ways to use açaí from baking, to making sauces and drinks and desserts. Here are some great new takes on old holiday classics that the Sambazon crew and our friends have put together for this Thanksgiving. Try them out and surprise your guests with antioxidant rich holiday treats!

Sambazon Açaí Nog

1 cup Sambazon Original Açaí Juice
1 cup Silk Soymilk Nog
½ organic banana

Blend till smooth, pour into individual cups or mugs, and top with a light sprinkle of nutmeg. Makes about four 6 oz. servings.


No Bake Bars with Sambazon Açaí

2 /12 c. oats
1/2 c. toasted wheat germ
1/2 c. dried non-fat milk powder
1/2 c. dried cherries or other dried fruit, chopped
1/2 c. lightly salted, roasted almonds, chopped
1 c. peanut butter or other nut butter
1/2 c. honey
1 Sambazon Original Açaí Smoothie Pack, defrosted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Line 9″x9″ pan with foil and spray with vegetable oil.

In large bowl mix together oats, wheat germ, milk powder, cherries and nuts. Over medium heat, blend peanut butter and honey. Once blended and smooth, take off heat and stir in Açaí pulp. Add vanilla, cinnamon and salt to peanut mixture. Add wet to dry ingredients. Blend well.

Pour into pan. Using wax paper, press mixture into pan well. Let cool. Cover and chill in fridge. Cut into bars as desired and wrap in plastic wrap or foil.


Ani Phyo's Açaí Holiday Orange-Cranberry Sauce with Sambazon Açaí

Enjoy this sauce as a condiment with Thanksgiving dinner, or spoon it over the top of a wedge of baked brie cheese anytime of the year.

1 x 100g Acai frozen package, thawed
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, about 3 1/3 cup, rinse well
1 teaspoon orange zest, from 1 orange
1 cup medjool dates, pitted

In your food processor, place Sambazon Açaí, cranberries, orange zest, and dates. Pulse to mix well but keep the chunks.

Variations: For a bit of crunch, add 1/4 cup walnuts, and/or a teaspoon of cinnamon to your recipe. For a sweeter sauce, add 1-2 Tablespoons agave syrup, to taste. Try adding 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Recipe courtesy of Ani Phyo, author of "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy Delectable Living Food Recipes". For more recipes and videos, visit Ani at: www.AniPhyo.com

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part I - The Scammers


Açaí Spam Scams.

Ok, so this whole thing has officially become weird - Just kidding… ok, not really. Are you guys receiving a bunch of uninvited emails from websites offering a FREE TRIAL on açaí supplements that tout weight loss or cleansing benefits? Anyone who’s cultivated a close relationship with açaí knows it’s all about dense nutrition and phytonutrients. To market açaí simply for weight loss is counterintuitive to put it lightly.

Over the last several months’ people have been contacting us asking us to, ‘please stop charging my credit card’. We’ve come to learn of a number of companies who are luring folks into giving them their credit card info under the guise of a free trial. Unbeknownst to the customer, they’re signing themselves up to have their credit card charged for regular, automatic shipments of the product. To make matters worse, un-enrolling from the program can apparently be less than a cakewalk.

* The good news: A thoughtful customer contacted us a few weeks back to tell us that after much time and energy she finally discovered how to un-enroll from the auto-ship program she’d singed up for. She was successfully able to un-enroll via: www.gohelpnow.com.

Although this website worked for one customer, it may not for all. We’ve been gathering information about these companies since this phenomenon began and greatly appreciate any insights you’d be willing to share with us.

• To share your own experience with açaí spam scams, please send an email to me at ed@sambazon.com with a subject line which reads ‘açaí spam scam’. You can also file a complaint with the FTC (fair trade commission) via: http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/cmplanding.shtm


Your Friend,

- e.skanda


The Real Deal Açaí Blog Series is a new posting series written by Ed Nichols nicknamed Skanda, Sambazon Co-Founder and Director of Consumer Relations. Check back every second Tuesday of the month for the latest and greatest insights from Skanda.