Recently I received a wonderful surprise in the mail...

The Mohawk Valley Trading Company sent me an assortment of their products to review!

Here are the things that I had the opportunity to try:

Soaps: Lavender Goats Milk Soap and Olive Oil Castile Soap

My skin is very dry in the winter but these handmade soaps are really gentle- I loved them!

From their website:

"The ingredients used in our handmade soaps are all-natural and we do not use synthetic or artificial fragrances, dyes, detergents, or preservatives. Our soap is made from goat’s milk and botanical sources such as vegetables, fruits, herbs, and nuts. There is no need for extra chemicals and dyes; the honey, coffee, herbs, spices and natural essential oils give our soap its fragrance and color. The 100% natural plant-based essential oils used in our handmade soaps are pure botanical oils that have been distilled or pressed from fresh herbs, spices, leaves, flower petals, citrus peels, and other naturally fragrant botanical materials. Rather than using animal fat (tallow) our soaps are made with high quality goats milk, shea butter and natural plant oils including, organic hemp seed oil, olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, castor bean oil, and avocado oil. The use of synthetic-free and petroleum-free natural ingredients provides the unique qualities of our handmade soap."

Beeswax: A beeswax candle and beeswax bars.

There is something magical about the smell of beeswax products! From the Mohawk Valley website, their candles are "hand poured, hand dipped and made with 100% cotton wicks and 100% pure, all natural, unbleached, yellow beeswax produced by our bees in the USA."

I have been making my own body butter (which I love!) and I plan to try a new recipe that uses the beeswax bars soon.

Honey and syrup: Raw Autumn Wildflower Honey, Raw Summer Wildflower Honey, and Maple Syrup

The two honeys are different from one another. The summer honey has a milder flavor but both are wonderfully flavorful and delicious- a world apart from the plain store-bought variety.

About the raw honeys:

"The Mohawk Valley Trading Company offers the highest quality raw honey we can produce; it has not been heated, filtered, blended or processed. All of the pollen, enzymes, propolis, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals and aromatics are in the same condition as they were in the hive."

I love this honey in my current favorite breakfast: a smoothie made with frozen mixed berries, 1/2 banana, 1 cup organic yogurt, flax meal, a handful of greens, water, and a dash of vanilla stevia.

I think it would also be wonderful on toast or breakfast bread, added to oatmeal, on ice cream, in tea (or another hot beverage), in baked goods, or in anything that needs a little extra sweetness.

The maple syrup has a great deep maple vanilla flavor.

I used the syrup and the autumn honey together to make granola.

So good.

Next up for the syrup: pancake Saturday! Can't wait.

A huge THANK YOU to the people at the Mohawk Valley Trading Company for the chance to try these lovely products. I have honestly enjoyed (and am still enjoying) each and every one of them!

You can find these and more wonderful things on the Mohawk Valley Trading Company website (here).

**I received free products for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.

• Truffled cashew cheese (see recipe link, below)
• Braised tempeh (see recipe, below)
• Duxelles (see recipe, below)
• Mushroom gravy for serving (this is my favorite recipe. It can be easily "vegan-ized" by replacing the butter with Earth Balance)
• 1 package of puff pastry, thawed (note: Pepperidge Farm® brand isn't very "natural" but it is, surprisingly, vegan. If you can find something without junk in it, that would be best!)

1. Prepare the truffled cashew cheese, braised tempeh, and duxelles per recipes and instructions below.
2. Preheat oven to 425° F. Place the puff pastry sheets (one at a time) on a floured surface and roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the pastry, using a pizza cutter or large knife, into strips that are large enough to cover 2 slices of tempeh on all sides.
3. Spread cashew cheese on each of the strips. Spoon duxelles on the middle of each strip and top with two slices of tempeh then more duxelles. Fold the ends of the pastry strip over the tempeh and duxelles and press all seems together to seal the packet. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
4. Brush or mist each packet with olive oil and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve topped with mushroom gravy.

• 1 package of tempeh
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon grainy or Dijon mustard
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Several sprigs of fresh thyme
• A few lemon slices
• Fresh cracked pepper and sea salt

1. To braise the tempeh, spray a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Slice the tempeh brick in half and then slice long-way into about 4 thin pieces. Lightly brown the tempeh on both sides in the pre-heated skillet.
2. Stir the mustard into the broth and pour over the tempeh (in the skillet). Add thyme, lemon slices, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on medium-low until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the tempeh from the pan and set aside.

• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance margarine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups finely chopped mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, white mushrooms, or a mix)
• 1/4 cup Madeira wine
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• Fresh cracked pepper and sea salt

1. Melt the Earth Balance in a skillet on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes then add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes then add the wine and cook until almost evaporated. Stir in the parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat.