Fresh Thyme Farmers Market opens 3 locations in Metro Detroit

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market opened 3 stores in Northville, Troy and Rochester Hills on Wednesday, July 22nd. I went to the Northville Grand Opening and had a very healthy shopping experience! 

About Fresh Thyme Farmers Market: 

“At Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets we believe you shouldn’t have to give away the farm to feed your body nutritious food. We’re on a mission to improve the way our communities eat by offering fresh and healthy food at amazing values -all in a vibrant and fun shopping environment, with smiling friendly faces. Our stores don’t follow traditional grocery store design, nor do they have tall aisles or glitzy fixtures. In fact, our stores are so simple and easy to navigate that we don’t number our aisles or hand out store maps. We believe shopping for fresh and healthy food should be easy and enjoyable.”

I was greeted by friendly employees who handed me a Fresh Thyme circular ad with outstanding deals!

When you arrive at Fresh Thyme, you’ll see their produce department and it’s impressive! Fresh Thyme believes that fresh fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet, so their stores are always overflowing with colorful produce.

I was excited to see that Fresh Thyme Farmers Market offers high quality produce from local farms and a large selection of quality organic items! Check out all the healthy values!

There are over 400 bins of natural and organic self-serve bulk items at Fresh Thyme. You'll also find locally roasted coffee and bulk oils! Buying bulk is earth friendly and economical. It just makes cents!

There are over 450 local items in every Fresh Thyme Michigan store! I love the local wine and craft beer selections. You can also find wine and beer from all over the world in the Hops & Grapes department.

 

There are over 7000 varieties of high quality products available in the Vitamins & Body Care Department. I especially love the all natural cosmetics!

Artisan bread, rolls and delicious treats are baked every day in the Fresh Thyme Bakery! You can also build your own pizzas, order fresh salads and enjoy made to order healthy sandwiches.

The Fresh Thyme Kitchen offers a variety of healthy meals on the go like pot pies, pasta dishes, tamales, healthy wraps and pizza. Everything looks delicious!

There is an extensive selection of products available at Fresh Thyme for those who have special dietary needs. There are over 1,600 Gluten Free products in every store!

You can order natural custom-cut meats & hand made sausage that's made fresh daily at Fresh Thyme.

You can find a wide variety of fresh seafood at great values in Fish Market.

Check out the aisles of nutritious and delicious groceries at Fresh Thyme. You can find many familiar brands in the refrigerated and frozen sections. The prices are affordable, so you'll leave with a little extra money in your bank.

The soup and salad bar offers many healthy options. It would be perfect for a quick lunch. There is also an olive and antipasti bar.

"Healthy Food. Healthy Values."

The majority of the store is dedicated to fresh, organic and natural foods. What I love most about Fresh Thyme is the affordable prices. I try my best to buy healthy food, but it can be expensive. I'm very happy that I found Fresh Thyme because I can now buy food that's pure, simple, nutritious and delicious without emptying my entire wallet!

Website: Fresh Thyme Farmers Market
Follow on Twitter: @FreshThymeFM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshThymeFarmersMarkets


New Store Locations: 
Open 7 am - 10pm daily  

Fresh Thyme Market Northville 
15480 Sheldon Road Northville, MI 48168

Fresh Thyme Market Troy 
901 E. Big Beaver Road Troy, MI 48083

Fresh Thyme Market Rochester Hills 
2025 S. Rochester Road 
Rochester Hills, MI 48037


*This is a sponsored post and I have been compensated.

Join the Fresh Thyme Twitter Party to Celebrate the Grand Opening of Their 3 Stores in Metro Detroit on Thursday, July 23rd from 8-9pm EST

I'm excited to announce the Grand Opening of 3 Fresh Thyme Farmers Market stores in the Metro Detroit area on July 22nd. To celebrate the Grand Openings in Northville, Troy and Rochester Hills, there will be a Twitter Party on Thursday, July 23th from 8:00-9:00pm EST. The party will be hosted by @HireInfluence along with panelists @KendallRayburn @TheHungryDudes and @dadofdivas

They will be giving away 3-$50 gift cards, 2-$100 gift cards, and 1-$250 gift card! Please join the party so you can learn more about Fresh Thyme Farmers Market and make sure to use the hashtag #FreshThymeMI.


Fresh Thyme Grand Opening Celebration Details:  

On Wednesday, July 22nd at 7 am, each location will have a grand opening celebration with grocery giveaways, samplings, kids' activities, live entertainment and more! The first 250 customers will receive a FREE bag of groceries valued at $50 or more. Be sure to get in line early! 

Fresh Thyme will also donate $15,000 to local non-profit organizations with check presentations and ribbon cutting ceremonies prior to the 7 am door openings.


About Fresh Thyme Farmers Market: 

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market is a specialty grocery store that features fresh, healthy and organic food at amazing values. Fresh Thyme is especially passionate about fresh produce, so they made it the nucleus of the store. Their bounty of fruits and vegetables will always be visible from all other departments! You’ll find locally grown produce fresh from the farm and much of it will be organic.

Fresh Thyme will offer over 450 local items, from fresh produce to grocery products in every Michigan location. There will be a natural meat department, healthy prepared foods to go, a full salad bar, natural and organic bulk foods, locally roasted organic coffee beans, bakery items, wine and local craft beers, over 7000 varieties of health supplements and more.

Website: Fresh Thyme Farmers Market
Follow on Twitter: @FreshThymeFM
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshThymeFarmersMarkets


New Store Locations: 
Open 7 am - 10pm daily 

Fresh Thyme Market Northville 
15480 Sheldon Road Northville, MI 48168

Fresh Thyme Market Troy 
901 E. Big Beaver Road Troy, MI 48083

Fresh Thyme Market Rochester Hills 
2025 S. Rochester Road Rochester Hills, MI 48037



This is a sponsored post and I have been compensated.

Tropical Chia Pudding with DOLE Frozen Fruit

As a Team Dole advocate, I have the opportunity to test products and help spread the word about my favorite delicious Dole frozen treats!
You can learn more about being a top Team Dole advocate here: Team Dole consumer advocate program





Dole has a wide variety of frozen fruit products that are perfect for smoothies, recipes, desserts and snacking. I love to defrost my Dole Frozen Fruit at room temperature for 30 minutes and add some to my yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast. It adds an extra boost of nutrients and fiber, plus it tastes great!

Find more Dole products here: DOLE

Tropical Chia Pudding with DOLE Frozen Fruit

I wanted to come up with a simple, yet unique recipe using DOLE Frozen Fruit. I love making chia pudding and the addition of fruit makes it a very healthy dessert full of fiber and disease fighting antioxidants.

What are chia seeds?

Yes, they are the same seeds used to grow greens on the terracotta Chia plant! The chia seed is very tiny, but it's a nutritional powerhouse. Chia seeds are rich in plant omega 3-fatty acids, high in fiber (about 10 grams of fiber in 2 tablespoons) and are an excellent source of protein. They are easily digested, so they don't need to be ground like flaxseed. 

Chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight in water! When you mix the seeds in liquid, they swell and form a gel. It not only makes a great pudding, but it also helps you feel full!

Preparation 

Chia pudding is so simple to prepare. You can use regular milk, almond or other nut milk, rice milk or coconut milk. Add chia seeds to the milk and add some honey, maple syrup, agave or sugar. Vanilla extract adds an extra dose of flavor. You can mix it all with a spoon or even put the pudding in a mason jar and shake it up. 

Quick and easy ingredients! 

The mixture will be thin at first, but the chia seeds will expand after a few hours in the refrigerator.

The chia mixture before refrigeration. 

Chill the chia pudding for at least 4 hours or overnight. Your chia "pudding" should be thick and creamy. The chia seeds will look like tapioca. Spoon the pudding into serving dishes and add a layer of DOLE Frozen Fruit in the middle and top it off with more fruit! I added some shredded coconut as a garnish.

Dole sells Wildly Nutritious Tropical Fruit with a colorful mix of pineapple, mango, golden kiwi, papaya and strawberries. I went to 2 stores, but they were both sold out. I improvised with DOLE Wildly Nutritious Mandarin Sunshine Blend and DOLE Mango Chunks.

Tropical Chia Pudding with DOLE Frozen Fruit

Yield: 2 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

DOLE Frozen Fruit (I used DOLE Wildly Nutritious Mandarin Sunshine Blend and DOLE Mango Chunks)
12 oz light coconut milk, almond milk or other nut milk. (I used canned light coconut milk)
1/3 cup chia seeds (you can use white or black chia seeds)
1-2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup (I used honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Stir together the light coconut milk, chia seeds, honey and vanilla in a bowl or mason jar. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. The chia seeds will swell up and make a thick and creamy pudding.

Once your chia pudding is thickened, spoon into a serving dish and layer with DOLE Frozen Fruit. Garnish with shredded coconut flakes.


This post was created in partnership with Dole. I have received compensation for this post.

It's Kiwi Season!

Did you know that two kiwifruit have more vitamin C than an orange and as much potassium as a banana? And, SunGold, a new variety of kiwifruit with tangy, tropical flavors, has four times the USRDA of vitamin C in one fruit.

Kiwifruit are nutritional powerhouses and are also a great source of micronutrients like Vitamin E and antioxidants. They’re high in fiber, have a low glycemic index, and two fruit have fewer than 100 calories.

According to Rebecca Scritchfield, registered dietitian, nearly 70 percent of Americans don’t eat the daily recommended amount of fruit. Says Scritchfield, “Kiwifruit packs a nutritional punch and is a delicious and healthy way to boost fresh fruit consumption.”

An infograph highlighting the many nutritional benefits of kiwifruit can be viewed and downloaded at zesprikiwifruitmediakit.com. Along with the infograph, you’ll find tasty recipes, a news release, product fact sheets and downloadable images.

Zespri® Kiwifruit are available in the United States and Canada for a limited time, from June through October. 

Article provided by Zespri® Kiwifruit. 

Michigan Tart Cherry Gift Basket Giveaway

I'm excited because this is my very first giveaway! The Cherry Marketing Institute sent me a tart cherry gift basket filled with a bag of Michigan dried tart cherries and a bottle of tart cherry concentrate. Cherries are my favorite fruit, so I'm pretty happy. One of my readers will also have a chance to win a tart cherry gift basket!

A few years ago, The Cherry Marketing Institute invited me to attend an educational cherry immersion event in Traverse City, Michigan - The Cherry Capital of the World. The Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) is a nonprofit national promotion organization that's funded by U.S. tart cherry growers.

You can read about my tart cherry experience here: The Elusive Tart Cherry of Northern Michigan

Cherry Facts 

Tart or sour cherries are recognized as the key ingredient in decadent desserts, but their potential health benefits are promising! There are over 1,000 varieties of cherries, but the two main types are sweet and tart. Both sweet and tart cherries are high in antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, iron, folate and fiber. However, tart cherries have been found to contain more beta carotene, vitamin C and anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants and the pigments responsible for the bright red color of cherries. If a fruit or vegetable has color, then anthocyanins are present. Tart cherries are the richest source of anthocyanins 1 and 2, which may reduce inflammation associated with heart disease, arthritis, and assist with muscle recovery after strenuous exercise. Anthocyanins may also inhibit the growth of colon cancer tumors.

Fresh tart cherries are very delicate, so they're rarely shipped fresh. Therefore, the cherries are frozen, dried or made into a juice or concentrate.

Cherries May Help Relieve Muscle Pain Associated with Exercise! 

Oregon Health & Science University discovered that tart cherry juice may relieve muscle pain and inflammation associated with running. Runners who drank 10½ ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for a week before their race and on the day of their race had considerably less pain than runners who used a placebo. The researchers concluded that tart cherry juice may be being a safer way to treat muscle pain and inflammation than over the counter pain relievers.

Get More Rest with Cherries 

The University of Texas Health Science Center found that tart cherries contain substantial levels of melatonin, an antioxidant. Melatonin may help regulate sleep and maintain the body’s circadian rhythm. Melatonin has also been said to fight jet lag and may even prevent cancer. Since the body contains melatonin in very small amounts, even a slight increase in melatonin can have very promising results.

Quick and Easy Ways to Add Cherries to Your Diet 

Fresh tart cherries are hard to find, but they are available frozen, dried and as a juice or concentrate. (Your other option is the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan, in early July every year!)

 - Dried tart cherries are delicious in salads, quinoa, yogurt or on top of your oatmeal.

 - Mix dried tart cherries into low fat muffin or bread batter.

 - Create your own granola or trail mix with dried tart cherries.

 - Add an ounce of tart cherry concentrate to your water or sparkling water, or in your next smoothie, for a refreshing drink full of antioxidants.

Find delicious recipes at The Cherry Marketing Institute's Recipe Database


The Cherry Marketing Institute generously sent me 2 gift baskets, so a Nutritious Feast reader will win a bag of delicious dried tart cherries and a bottle of concentrated tart cherry juice!

Enter through the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional, but you'll have a better chance of winning if you submit more entries. A random winner will be chosen on or around August 9th! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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