Wildtree Was Love at First Bite...

At the end of January I was invited to a Wildtree Tasting Party by a friend of mine.  I hadn't seen this friend since my corporate America days, so I jumped at the opportunity to visit with her - and let's be honest - I love to eat.

You can read up on the products here.  Briefly, they are all natural products that make cooking easy (especially for those of us that seriously lack creativity in the kitchen).  The products are also produced in a peanut-free facility.  At this point, the peanut thing is not a concern in our household, but it is important to me when I know that other people's children will be over or I may be cooking a meal for another family.  And, with the little ones, you just never know.

What I LOVE is that these products are preservative free and all natural (no artificial coloring).  I am always afraid that I am trading health for convenience.  I know that we can shop in the "Health Market" at the grocery store, but I was amazed to find that even organic products have some questionable preservatives in them.  And, given that the closest Trader Joe's is in Minnesota, I'm sold on Wildtree.  It seems affordable (yes, more expensive than the preservative/chemical filled alternative) to me, especially if you join the "Culinary Club".

My review of the products I have tried:

• Grapeseed Oil (in natural, butter, and basil pesto)
• Sauteed onions and other veggies in the natural or butter - tasted so fresh
• Dipped bread in the basil pesto flavor - to die for
• Grilled cheese sandwiches in the butter flavor (instead of using butter) - amazing
• Kids Cheeze
• Used only for elbow pasta so far - the directions on the package yielded a very runny sauce - need some work on this!
• Alfredo Extraordinaire
• This was fantastic as a dip for bread, or as a topping to elbow macaronni
• Hearty Spaghetti Sauce Blend
• Love this!  Just mix with diced tomatoes.  Very flavorful and you only need one tbsp/can of tomatoes. 
• Used for a pasta dish and lasagna - big hit!
• Fiesta Salsa Mix
• Yum. Yum. Yum.  This is another product that you just mix directly with a can of diced tomatoes.  
• Best when refrigerated for a couple of hours because then the spices have really taken over! 
• Guacamole Mix
• We made this and ate it in one sitting!  I can't say enough about this - but I love guacamole.  This guacamole tastes like it was made table side at Dos Rios!
• Taco Seasoning Blend  
• Very authentic taste (as if I'm a Mexican food expert).  It just tasted great, had a good kick to it, and was (re)fresh(ing).
• Wheat Flax Seed Beer Bread - I liked this better than the Tastefully Simple version, but who doesn't love beer bread?
• Brownies and Pound Cake - both were tough not to eat in one sitting.

I plan to do my menu planning for the rest of March based on some of these products.  Each product link provides great recipe ideas!  The only problem I am running in to, is which products to add to my collection next!  I earned almost $100 in free product from my party, so in the pantry waiting to be sampled are: Just Like Mom's Meatloaf Mix, Hearty Morning Granola Mix and Wicked Good Slow Cooker Sauce.