OUR BLOG HAS MOVED!

http://coconutbliss.com/blog

We will leave this blog here (for the memories), but all other posts will be handled at our new website. 

-Ciao,

Vince

Coconut Bliss New Website RELEASED - Come By!

It's been about 2 years in the making, but we've released our new website! There are still elements coming online with it, but the blog will move there (this Blogger blog will be retired), and we'll release some more bells & whistles for the site as they come online. 

We'd love to hear your thoughts about our new site. Comments welcome below. Thank you! :)

~Vince

Coconut Bliss in The Applewood Quarterly

I've always love the little unexpected things in life, today one of those such things came via email. After sharing a few emails with Pamela she told me that her daughter Natalie McDonald had written an article about Coconut Bliss for a paper she publishes 3 times a year, The Applewood Quarterly. I asked Pamela if we could republish it for everyone else & she was delighted to share.
From the Applewood Quarterly;

If you have ever taken it upon yourself to walk down the ice cream aisle of Whole Foods, you may have noticed a shelf of colorful ice cream cartons proclaiming “Luna and Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss.” When I first noticed these, I was rather confused, for the entire selection of different colored cartons said “Coconut Bliss.” Surely you can’t have eleven different versions of coconut ice cream? If I had looked more closely, I would have noticed that each carton did have a different flavor... then why did they all say “Coconut Bliss” on them? Well, because all of the flavors are made with coconut milk!

When Luna and Larry met, they discovered that they shared a passion for delicious and natural foods, one of their favorites being ice cream. They did not, however, like how they felt after eating it. One day, they came across a hand- cranked ice cream maker being sold for $1.50, and bought it. When they began making their first batch of ice cream, Luna suggested that they use coconut milk and agave syrup, instead of cow’s milk and sugar. They did, and when they tried their first bite, they knew they had discovered something. Soon they were hosting weekly tasting parties of new flavors at their house in Eugene, Oregon. Two of Luna and Larry’s friends who owned grocery stores in Eugene, asked if they could sell “Coconut Bliss” in their shops. Now, “Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss” is sold nationwide!

Coconut oil is a saturated fat; however, it is a medium chain fatty acid, which our bodies can easily break down and store as energy, whereas the unhealthy saturated fats are long chain fatty acids, which our bodies store as fat. Doctors believe that coconut oil is actually the healthiest oil for consumption. Agave syrup, is a low glycemic sweetener, unlike refined sugars. Sugars work very much the same way that saturated fats do; low glycemic sweeteners are easier for our bodies to process, and will be stored and used efficiently.

Of course, we had to try “Coconut Bliss,” and it is quite delicious! So far our favorite flavor is Pineapple Coconut. Yum! For more information, visit www.coconutbliss.com

Larry Shares His Story of Coconut Bliss (Smartups Video)

Rarely does one get a chance to really look at the insides of a successful business--the ups and downs, the stories, the lessons learned...

Larry Kaplowitz, the co-founder of Coconut Bliss, recently gave a speech at a local Willamette Valley-focused entrepreneurs group called Smartups, which is headed-up by local entrepreneur Caroline Cummins. Even though I work here at 'Bliss' and know a lot about the process of Luna & Larry finding their 'bliss', I thoroughly enjoyed this speech (from the back of the room) and learned a lot. For your enjoyment, here it is (and thanks goes to Smartups for handling the videography):

VIDEO (see bottom of page): http://coconutbliss.com/about/about-us

And here's an article about Smartups.org ...

Enjoy!

~Vince

Bliss Cart Is Showing UP--Pedal Powered Bike Cart Is In EUGENE!

You've heard about our Coconut Bliss "Bliss Cart", right?

It's Coconut Bliss bars in a traditional 'ice cream cart'. And the Bliss Cart doesn't use gas to move--it's totally pedal powered.  KVAL interviewed our "Bliss Cart Empress" Christina about it: fun video.

Here's our Bliss Cart pix on Flickr. 

• Today, Wed, June 2nd, the Bliss Cart will be at the Lanestock 2010 event at LCC (3,500 attendees!).
  

• This Friday, he will be stationed at the Greater Goods during the First Friday Art Walk from 5-8.

We'd love to see you there! Also, check out:

• The BLISS CART Facebook page

• BLISS CART Twitter  feed

...to find out where we'll be next. AND if you know of  a place you'd like us to be at, we're all ears: email Christina@coconutbliss.com

~Vince

Blissfull in Canada: Sales Road Trip to CHFA 2010

What can we say … the Bliss Crew gave their all to Canada, and she responded in kind. We traveled up there from Eugene, Oregon in our decked out Bio-diesel van. Crossing the border with minimal fuss--and after a bit of a headache trying to find suitable parking in the fair city of Vancouver--we settled in, ready to make an impact at our first Western Canadian Health Food Association show. 

On Friday, we set up our booth in record time and headed out to Lynn Canyon Park  for an afternoon hike along the river. After a quick dunk in the extremely cold ;-) river near the falls (and after getting to know the locals--some of them doing back-flips off the cliffs--yikes!), we went back to the hotel energized by nature, and ready for an awesome show.


The show was held in the beautiful new "eco friendly" Vancouver Convention Centre . In addition to it being run on green power, there was even a goose standing sentry on the corner of their "green roof"!

From the very beginning of the show we had more than a steady flow of people thrilled to have us participating. We heard such things as:

“ Wow!”,
"This is amazing!” ,
“How is this possible with just coconuts?”,
“Are you sure this is dairy free?”,
“We love Bliss!” ,
“Ah...THANK GOD you guys are in Canada now!”
...and so forth. We even had people mention that they had been ferrying our product over the border(!) for the last few years. We never get tired of hearing 'feedback' like this from our customers--and we feel gratitude and appreciation for it all.

To sum it up, CHFA was great! We felt so welcomed into the Canadian natural food's scene. We even won the "Most Creative Small Booth Award"! After making great connections with store buyers and Bliss fans, we feel real excitement about being in Canada. We are looking forward to going north again next year... and in case you live up that way, check out www.coconutbliss.com for the stores near you that carry Bliss.

~Much Love and Respect, 
“Bliss” Sales Team – Marc, Chris & Toby

The The Importance of Certified Fair Trade Ingredients: Larry's Interview

Here's a quick interview that Larry did at Expo West, explaining why we (at Luna  & Larry's Coconut Bliss) choose to include Certified Fair Trade ingredients in our coconut milk-based frozen-dessert.

Larry, take it away...

Spreading The Bliss: From Oregon to Minnesota to California...

I recently went touring with reknown kirtan singer Dave Stringer across my gorgeous home state of Oregon and also in Wisconsin and Minnesota, including the cities of Madison and Minneapolis.

The tour was sponsored by Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss, so each event was blessed with generous servings of Bliss for all in a nice assortment of flavors. All events were well attended (averaging 150-200).

For those of you not familiar with 'kirtan', this is a form of bhakti yoga, which is basically singing mantras in Sanskrit (the oldest language on the earth) together with the crowd - it's a great way to get everyone singing! Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of devotional practice, established in ancient times in India. Dave Stringer is particularly good at getting everyone singing passionately, and his musical compositions rock!

Being a kirtan singer/songwriter and student of yoga myself, and an integral part of the marketing team here at Coconut Bliss, I've been involved a lot this year connecting up with the growing yoga and kirtan communities across the country. There's so much networking going on! So many great people doing great things that really are improving the quality of life for all beings.

This photo was taken in the cafe after the kirtan at Old Arizona in Minneapolis, which is a beautifully restored building complex in downtown Minneapolis. Dave on the left, me on the right, and in the middle is our Minneapolis 'rep' Nicole Brenny, who is also a blogger.

Old Arizona co-owner Darcy Knight told me a bit of their story: they were aware of this inner-city street corner with dilapidated historic buildings where young girls involved in prostitution frequented, and they decided they would take action and transform the whole thing. They came in and built a community center complete with its own theater, cafe, chocolate bar and wine room, etc. and started a non-profit arts program to benefit the teen girls in the area: The Arizona Bridge Project. All net proceeds of the cafe and theater go to the non-profit.

Read more about their story here: http://www.oldarizona.com/about.php

We have so many exciting events going on, but the next big one that I will be attending is the Harmony Fest in Santa Rosa, CA. We are a sponsor of this great alternative festival, and Christina and Michael will be running the Bliss Cart, selling Coconut Bliss bars all weekend:

June 11,12,13
www.harmonyfestival.com

I'll be there performing Saturday night and also Sunday at the Goddess Grove stage at 3:30pm.

Grab a bar and come on by for a listen!

Peace and Blessings,
~Jaya Lakshmi

Upcoming (FREE) Coconut Bliss Tastings in May

Currently you will find Coconut Bliss on sale at all Whole Foods nationwide until May 11th, so be sure to stop into your nearest Whole Foods and stock up on the goodness! You’ll also notice that we are doing plenty of tastings this coming weekend before the sale is over. There will be more tasting posted later, so stay tuned and look for your city… 

~ Christina, Bliss Cart Ambassador and Demo Coordinator

Thursday May 6th

Kris @ Whole Foods Venice, CA 11-2

Christine @ Whole Foods Union Square, NYC 11-2

Gail @ Martindale’s Natural Market in Springfield, PA 12-3

Aandi @ Whole Foods Sauganash, IL Ladies Night 5-8

Friday May 7th

Aandi @ Whole Foods Gold Coast Chicago, IL 11-2

Keenan @ Whole Foods Saint Francis, Santa Fe, NM 11-3

Ciera @ Whole Foods Fourth South, Salt Lake City, UT 11-6

Aandi @ Whole Foods Lincoln Park Chicago, IL 3-6

Sarah @ Whole Foods Cranbrook Ann Arbor, MI 3-6

Taryn @ Whole Foods Tempe, AZ 3-6

Layla @ Whole Foods Westlake, Seattle, WA 3-6

Saturday May 8th

Keenan @ Whole Foods Academy Albuquerque, NM 10-2

Megan @ Whole Foods Broadway Boulder, CO 11-2

Chris @ Whole Foods Green Hills, Nashville, TN 11-2

Larry @ Whole Foods Plano, TX 11-2

Ciera @ Whole Foods Sugar House, Salt Lake City, UT 11-2

Kris @ Whole Foods Torrance, CA 11-2

Steve @ Whole Foods Bridgeport Portland, OR 11-2

Aandi @ Whole Foods Halstead & Waveland, IL 11-2

Ernie @ Whole Foods Briarcliff Atlanta, GA 11-2:30

David @ Whole Foods Gateway Austin, TX 11-3

Nicole @ Grassroots Co-Op, Anoka, MN (Grand Opening!) 11-3

Rachel @ Whole Foods Roosevelt Seattle, WA 11-6

Shelly @ Whole Foods Novato, CA (New Store!) 11-6

Josh @ Whole Foods Omaha, NE 12-2

Gail @ Whole Foods North Wales, PA 12-3

Larry @ Whole Foods Park Lane Dallax, TX 2:30-6:30

Kris @ Whole Foods Redondo Beach, CA 3-6

Priya @ Whole Foods Santa Cruz, CA 3-6

Steve @ Whole Foods Fremont Portland, OR 3-6

Aandi @ Whole Foods Lakeview Chicago, IL 3-6

Ernie @ Whole Foods Johns Creek Atlanta, GA 3-6:30

Keenan @ Whole Foods Indian School Plaza Albuquerque, NM 3-7

Nicole @ Whole Foods Minneapolis, MN 4-7

Sunday May 9th

Sarah @ Whole Foods Ann Arbor 12-5

Tuesday May 11th

Marie @ Whole Foods Greenwich, CT 11-2

Friday May 14th

Marie @ Mrs. Greens in Mt. Kisco, NY 11-2

Saturday May 15th

Kris @ The Celiac Expo in Los Angles, CA

Christina @ The Life Source Food Fair in Salem, OR w/ the Bliss Cart 8-4

Gail @ Kimberton Whole Foods in Downington, PA 12-3

Sunday May 16th

Kris @ World Fest in Los Angeles, Woodley Park 10:30-7

Are your recipes 'Blissful'?

If you've been seeing any of the smoothie recipes or videos by Diana Stobo, you may have noticed she often uses Coconut Bliss as an ingredient. It's a great choice for all kinds of delicious situations. The organic coconut milk in Coconut Bliss imparts a creamy texture to your food-- and it has no fillers, or artificial anything.

Our resident chef Chris Garrison uses our 'Naked Coconut' flavor as a base for his "Asian fusion" creations. Instead of coconut milk, he adds in a scoop to his veggie stir-fries, noodle dishes and more. It's easier than can openers and messy, metallic cans of coconut milk...

Saying all this, if you ever see cool recipes on the web that mention Coconut Bliss, feel free to let us know about them. Or make up your own and share them with us. You can send us the links to them via Kiley@coconutbliss.com

Bon apetit!  

~Vince

FREE BLISS EVERYWHERE (almost)

Upcoming Demos of Coconut Bliss in April. Here they are!

 


Thursday April 15th

Kris @ Whole Foods Venice Beach, CA 11-2

Lisa @ Whole Foods Santa Rosa, CA 3:30-6:30


Friday April 16th

Megan @ Whole Foods Colorado Blvd. In Glendale, CO. 11-2

Christina @ Whole Foods Bellaire, Houston, TX 11-2

Lisa @ Whole Foods Palo Alto, CA 11-2

Larry @ Central Market Ft. Worth, TX 3-6

David @ Central Market Austin Central, TX 3-6

Christina @ Whole Foods Kirby, Houston, TX 3-6

Lisa @ Whole Foods Los Gatos, CA 3-6


Saturday April 17th

Kathy @ Jimbo’s Escondido, CA 10:30-1:30

Nicole @ Fresh and Natural in Plymouth, MN 11-1

Christina @ A Moveable Feast Houston, TX 11-2

Chris @ Whole Foods Boca Raton, FL 11-2

Lisa @ Whole Foods SF SoMA, CA 11-2

Layla @ Madison Market Central Co-Op in Seattle WA 11-2

David @ Central Market Westgate Austin, TX 11-2

Steve @ Whole Foods Tanasbourne Portland, OR 11-2

Larry @ Central Market Dallas, TX 11-3

Shelly @ The Real Food Company in San Francisco, CA 12-4 Earth Day Event

Dena @ NRG Nature’s Finest in St. Petersburg, FL 2-5

Priya @ The Food Bin in Santa Cruz, CA 2-5

Kathy @ Jimbo’s 4S Ranch, CA 2:30-5:30

Layla @ West Seattle Thriftway 3-6

Lisa @ Rainbow Grocery Co-Op in San Francisco, CA 3-7

Sarah @ Arbor Farms Market in Ann Arbor, MI 3-6

Chris @ Whole Foods Palm Beach Gardens, FL 3-7

Christina @ Whole Foods Wilcrest in Houston, TX 3:30-6:30

Dena @ NRG Palm Harbor, FL 6-9


Sunday April 18th

Ernie @ Whole Foods Ponce De Leon 11-2:30

Lisa @ Whole Foods Cupertino, CA 12-4

Nicole @ Valley Natural Foods in Burnsville, MN 3-6

Ernie @ Sevananda 3-6:30


Monday April 19th

Lisa @ Whole Foods Walnut Creek, CA 12-4


Thursday April 22nd

Kiley @ First Alternative Co-Op Corvallis, OR 4-7 Earth Day Celebration


Friday April 23rd

Christina @ Whole Foods Baton Rouge, LA 3-6


Saturday April 24th

Rachel @ Metropolitan Market Admiral Seattle, WA 11-2

Layla @ Metropolitan Market Sand Point Seattle, WA 11-2

Christina @ Whole Foods Woodway Houston, TX 11-2

Steve @ Zupan’s Macadam in Portland, OR 11-2

Barbara @ Whole Foods Woodmere OH 11-3

Jessica @ Whole Foods University Heights Cleveland, OH 11-3

Ernie @ Earth Fare in Athens, GA 11-3

Shelly @ Whole Foods in Oakland, CA 12-4 Earth Day Celebration Event

Christina @ Central Market in Houston, TX 2:30-5:30

Megan @ Whole Foods Capitol Hill Denver, CO 3-6

Ernie @ Daily Groceries Co-Op in Athens, GA 3:30-6:30

Nathan @ Whole Foods Palatine Chicago, IL 3-6


Sunday April 25th

Larry @ Central Market South Lake Dallas, TX 2-5


Tuesday, April 27th

Kris @ Whole Foods Fairfax, CA 4-7 Vegan Vendor Day!



Wednesday April 28th

Marie @ Whole Foods Jericho, NY 11-2



Thursday April 29th

Marie @ Whole Foods Manhasset, NY 11-2

Nathan @ Whole Foods Chicago Ave in Evanston, IL 11-2

Nathan @ Whole Foods Evanston, IL 3-6


Friday April 30th

Marie @ Whole Foods White Plains, NY 11-2

Nathan @ Whole Foods Wheaton, IL 11-2

Nicole @ Whole Foods St. Francis Santa Fe, NM 11-3

Nathan @ Whole Foods Willowbrook, IL 3-6

Ciera @ Whole Foods Highland Drive in Salt Lake City UT 3-6

Diana Stobo Makes A Mango Lassi

Hey, Diana Stobo and Benjamin dropped by the office today--driving all the way from Northern California to our little office in Eugene, OR! Thanks for the visit, Diana. :)

And, saying that, here's her most recent smoothie, the Mango Lassi, featuring Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss.

Feel free to check out her health & nutrition book "Get Naked Fast" and her website. Her story is inspiring and her recipes rock.

~Vince

Let's Talk About Agave

We have heard from a number of people who were alarmed by what they read in Dr. Mercola's recent article about agave syrup. We also were alarmed --not by the case Dr. Mercola makes, but by some blatant misinformation contained in his article.

We care very much about the healthfulness and integrity of our products, so we decided that it was very important for us to personally see, firsthand, where our agave syrup comes from and the process by which it is made. So in February, our general manager, Doug Furlong, took a trip to Jalisco, Mexico, to visit the agave fields and processing plants where our agave syrup is produced. (This trip is documented, with photos, on our blog at: http://coconutbliss.com/blog/doug/doug-visits-our-agave-farm-part-1).

What Doug saw was completely different from what Mercola describes. Mercola states,

"The process by which agave starch and inulin are converted into "nectar" is VERY similar to the process by which cornstarch is converted into HFCS1. The agave starch is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals."

Doug, who has an extensive background in food science and manufacturing, witnessed the entire process, from harvest to finished product, and what he saw was a very simple process in which the agave piñas (which, contrary to what Mercola states, contain no starch), were ground up and sprayed with water to remove the juice, which was then heated to break down the inulin into fructose, mechanically filtered through screens to remove impurities, and then evaporated with a process that used only heat and a vacuum to remove excess moisture. That’s it. None of the chemicals or enzymes that Mercola describes were used, and there is no resemblance to the process used to make HFCS1. If you have ever ground, heated and strained something in your kitchen (e.g., making applesauce or tomato sauce), that is a much closer comparison to the process used to make agave syrup.

Dr. Mercola goes on to make what we find to be an offensive generalization when he refers to "...poor quality control in Mexican processing plants..." What Doug saw in the three plants he visited was state-of-the art equipment and extensive sanitation and quality control procedures that matched the best food processing plants he's seen in the U.S. He also got to spend time with the farmers and the people who work in the plants (two of which are collectively owned by the farmers), and was impressed with the great sense of pride they had in the quality and integrity of their work. The plants and farms are also certified in compliance with USDA organic standards, and meet several other international standards for quality assurance. The certified organic agave farms use no inputs of any kind on the plants—no fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides—not even water. The agave plants are very well adapted to the environment in Jalisco and naturally thrive there.

While we cannot vouch for the whole agave industry, but only for the three facilities Doug visited (which supply not only us, but many other excellent organic food companies), some of the negative claims that Mercola makes about the agave industry (e.g., “there are very few quality controls in place to monitor the production of agave syrup…”; “…some distributors are cutting agave syrup with corn syrup..”), are not documented in his article. This raises the question of whether they are based on hearsay and conjecture rather than data.

The issue of fructose in the diet is very complex, and there is a dizzying array of conflicting information circulating around the Internet about this topic. We are continuing to do our own exploration and research on this, but I encourage everyone to take what you read on this subject with a hearty grain of salt, and to explore the research yourself. If you dig in to many of the articles that have recently been circulating around the Internet, you will see that there are very few actual research studies cited, but much extrapolation, conjecture, inference, questionable or faulty interpretation of research, and blatant misinformation.

What we have found, so far, in the studies we have seen, is that fructose is only problematic in excess, but causes no difficulties, for most people, in moderate amounts (up to 50-60 grams per day). Moderation is essential. Coconut Bliss is a dessert, not a staple food, and we have to trust people to consume it appropriately. We agree with many of the agave critics when they say that it is a problem that some people assume that the low glycemic index of agave syrup gives them carte blanche to consume it in large quantities. It is important to keep in mind that many foods or nutrients can cause health problems when eaten in excess.

We have asked a highly credentialed nutritionist, Buck Levin, Ph.D., R.D., for his assessment of the health properties of Coconut Bliss. Here is his conclusion:

“The amount of fructose provided by one serving of Coconut Bliss (between 10-12 grams) falls well under the risk threshold established in these dietary studies. It’s not only an amount of fructose that falls well under the health risk level, but it’s also an amount of fructose that is readily matched and exceeded in many whole, natural foods. A large apple, for example (3.25 inches in diameter), contains slightly more fructose (13 grams). So does 1 medium-sized banana plus 1 cup of blueberries. And if you compare the amount of fructose in one serving of Coconut Bliss with the amount of fructose in 200 calories worth of many other commonly-consumed foods, it is dramatically lower. 200 hundred calories worth of unsweetened applesauce, for example, contains 25-30 grams of fructose. So does 200 calories worth of unsweetened apple juice or grape juice. Even 200 calories worth of red grapes contain about twice as much fructose (23 grams) as a serving of Coconut Bliss with the same caloric value. Given these everyday food comparisons and the health research on fructose as a dietary risk factor, the use of agave syrup as an ice cream sweetener seems far from excessive and also removed from research-based health concerns in this area.”

(Buck’s full article, including extensive documentation, is available at: http://www.coconutbliss.com/Buck_Levin.pdf)

Another very clear and well documented paper about agave syrup, fructose, and other sugars, can be found here: http://www.coconutbliss.com/Agave_Syrup_9.4.09.pdf

I do not question Dr. Mercola’s motives, but sadly recognize that we live in a time and culture where everyone and everything seems to be suspect (often deservedly so), and negative charges seem to be given much more credibility than positive ones. Sensationalism sells. Our current politics are full of this (many people probably still believe that Barack Obama is not really a U.S. citizen!) I would welcome a public discussion about agave syrup that is based, not on sensationalism and bully pulpits, but rather on facts and documented research.

Blissfully yours,

Larry Kaplowitz

Co-founder, Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss

Doug Visits our Agave Farm (Part 2)

This is part two of a travel journal from our General Manager, Doug Furlong; he visited the source of our agave nectar in Jalisco, Mexico. The blog post has been moved to our new blog and website here: http://coconutbliss.com/blog/doug/doug-visits-our-agave-farm-part-2

Diana Stobo Kale Colada Recipe with Pineapple Coconut Bliss

Diana loves our Coconut Bliss in her "Kale Colada" smoothie. She adds Pineapple Coconut Bliss in at about 1:30. ;) YUM!

Feel free to check out her health & nutrition book "Get Naked Fast" and her site; there's great stuff in there. She also recommends us as a healthier food choice in her book. Thanks, Diana!

~Vince

Expo West 2010 Recap: Bliss in Anaheim

Chris G., Marc D., Kris W. , Toby G. 

It was fun, it was loud, it was successful: Expo West (and East) is an event that any natural products company should make a space for on their calendar. Whether you go there to view new products or share your own, it's the place to download massive amounts of ideas regarding healthy food, beverages, beauty goods, and more. 

Bliss Demo Queen Christina S.

Toby at the booth--note our new "Food Service "1.5 gallon tubs!

Our newest item? We're now offering 1.5 gallon 'food service' tubs; if you've got a restaurant/ice cream-coffee-smoothie shop, or commissary and you'd like some, you can reach us at foodservice@coconutbliss.com  . 

Airplanes are fun...

The 'conga line' in front of our booth (that was rumored to happen on Facebook) never materialized. However, we were very appreciative of our booth visitors, and their patience, as they waited in long lines to sample our many flavors of "Bliss".

###

I'm back in my office finally, enjoying a bar of Naked Coconut. And...it is good to be back home. :) If I missed you at Expo or if you have something to share about your experiences there, please leave me a comment.  Blessings. :) 

~Marc D. , National Sales Manager

Free Bliss: Demos For The Next 2 Weeks of March UPDATED

Here's where you can find Bliss for the next 2 weeks of March. Check out these demos--it's a great chance to try a new flavor, or revisit an old one.

And enjoy your weekend... :

Saturday March 6th

Ernie @ Whole Foods Harry’s Farmer’s Market in Alpharetta, GA 11-6 (11-2 is Ice Cream Contest)
Kristina @ Co-Opportunity in Santa Monica, CA 11-2
Layla @ Olympia Co-Op East in Olympia, WA 11-2
Rachel @ Town & Country Ballard in Seattle, WA 11-2
Steve @ Zupan’s on Burnside in Portland, OR 11-2
Layla @ Olympia Co-Op West in Olympia, WA 3-6
Steve @ Food Front in Portland, OR 3-6
Taryn @ Whole Foods Paradise Valley in Phoenix, AZ 4:30-7:30

Thursday March 11th-Sunday March 14th

Coconut Bliss @ EXPO West in Anaheim, CA
Sunday March 7th

Kris @ Whole Foods Redondo Beach in CA 11-2
Wednesday, March 10th

Melanie @ Harvest Co-Op in Cambridge, MA 1-4

Friday March 12th

Anne @ Harvest Market in Ft. Bragg, CA 3-7
Saturday March 13th

Ciera @ Good Earth in Sandy, UT. 11-2
David @ Vitamin Cottage in Austin, TX 11-2
Megan @ Vitamin Cottage Northglenn in Denver, CO 11-2
Nicole @ Fresh & Natural in Plymouth, MN 11-2
Priya @ New Leaf Community Market in Felton, CA 11-2
Sarah @ Natural Food Patch in Ferndale, MI 11-2
Shelly @ Berkeley Bowl West in Berkeley, CA 11-2
Taryn @ Whole Foods in Chandler, AZ. 11-2
Melanie @ Good Health in Hanover, MD 1-4
Sarah @ Plum Market Bloomfield Hills Location in MI 3-6
Tuesday March 16th

Christine @ Whole Foods Bowery in New York 12-3
Friday March 19th

Marie @ Organica in North Vale, NJ 11-2
Megan @ Whole Foods Cherry Creek in Denver, CO. 3-6
Saturday March 20th

Marie @ Health Shoppe in Morristown, NJ 11-2
Aandi @ Whole Foods Hinsdale in Chicago, IL 11-2
Ciera @ Whole Foods Sugar House in Salt Lake City, UT 11-2
Lisa @ North Coast Co-Op in Arcata, CA 11-2
Rachel @ Metropolitan Market Queen Anne in Seattle, WA 11-2
Larry @ Whole Foods Park Lane (Brand New Store!) in Dallas, TX 3-7
Lisa @ Eureka Co-Op in Eureka, CA 3-6
Sunday March 21st

Kathy @ Whole Foods La Jolla in San Diego, CA 2-5
Tuesday March 23rd

Christine @ Whole Foods Union Square in New York 12-3

Saturday March 27th

Ernie @ Return to Eden in Atlanta, GA 11-2:30
Shelly @ Gluten Free Fair at Whole Foods Petaluma 11-2
Larry @ Market Street in Plano, TX from 11-2
Nicole @ Fresh and Natural Shore View in Minneapolis, MN 11-2
Shelagh @ Hy-Vee Market in Olathe, KS 11-2
Priya @ Spring Fling Tasting Fair Whole Foods Capitola in CA 11-2
David @ Whole Foods Lamar in Austin, TX 11-2
Steve @ Zupan’s on Belmont in Portland, OR 11-2
Nicole @ La Montanita Co-Op in Santa Fe, NM 12-3
Ernie @ Whole Foods West Paces Ferry in Atlanta, GA 3-6:30
Shelagh @ Whole Foods Overland Park in Overland Park, KS 3-6
Ciera @ Whole Foods Fourth South in Salt Lake City, UT 3-6

~Vince :)

Doug Visits our Agave Farm (Part 1)

Recently at Coconut Bliss, we have been receiving a lot of inquiries from Bliss lovers about agave. There has been a flurry of information coming out on the Internet that challenges its status as a healthy alternative to other sugars.

At Coconut Bliss, we pride ourselves on integrity and honesty, sourcing only the purest and highest quality ingredients. Our own research into agave has culminated just this past week in having our General Manager, Doug Furlong, visit Jalisco, Mexico to personally inspect our agave producer's fields and facilities. This first article will talk about the general parts of how our agave is processed. Future articles in this series will go into detail about this unique plant and food source, and the history that surrounds it...

This is part one of a travel journal from our General Manager, Doug Furlong; he visited the source of our agave nectar in Jalisco, Mexico. The blog post has been moved to our new blog and website here: http://coconutbliss.com/blog/doug/doug-visits-our-agave-farm-part-1

Demo Update: Free Bliss in Cali and AZ

Besides our February list of demonstration tastings at stores near you (see article below), we just heard of some upcoming demos in California and Arizona. If you're around, come by and have some Bliss on us. :)

2/25 Whole Foods Market(WMF) Venice Beach, CA 3-6pm

2/26 WMF Hillcrest, CA 11am-2pm

2/28 WFM La Jolla, CA 10am-1pm

3/6 WFM Paradise Valley, AZ 4:30-7:30pm

3/6 Co-Opportunity, Santa Monica, CA 11am-2pm

3/7 WFM Redondo Beach, CA 11am-2pm

3/13 WFM Chandler, AZ 11am-2pm

~Vince

Bliss Demos! Taste It For Free...

Here's a quick rundown of places where you can taste Coconut Bliss. If you haven't tried it before, welcome to experiencing 'Bliss'  for the first time...

Thu Feb 18, 2010

12pm - 2pm Steve @ WF Portland, OR

11:30- 2:30 pm Dan @ Healthy Home & Market in Charlotte, NC

Fri Feb 19, 2010

3pm - 6pm Comet @ Market of Choice Ashland, OR

3pm - 6pm Rachel @ WF Interbay Seattle, WA

2pm- 5pm Shelly @ WF Mill Valley, CA

3:30pm - 6:30pm Anna @ WF Oakland , CA

Sat Feb 20, 2010

11am - 2pm Anna @ WF Soma San Francisco, CA

11am - 2pm David @ WF Gateway Austin, TX

11am- 2pm Chris D. @ WF Nashville, TN

11am - 2pm Larry @ WF Forest Dallas, TX

11am – 2pm Ciera @ WF Sugar House Salt Lake City, UT

11am - 2pm Megan @ Vitamin Cottage East Denver, CO

11am - 2pm Nicole @ WF Academy Albuquerque, NM

11am- 2pm Dan @ Earth Fare Ballantyne Charlotte, NC

11am - 2pm Rachel @ WF Interbay Seattle, WA

11am - 2pm Sarah @ WF Cranbrook Ann Arbor, MI

11am - 2pm Shelly @ WF San Rafael San Rafael, CA

11am - 2pm Steve @ WF Bridgeport Portland, OR

11am- 3pm Ernie @ WF Ponce De Leon Atlanta, GA

11am – 6pm Priya @ WF Santa Cruz, CA

12pm - 4pm Nicole B. @ Taylor Made 1 yr. Anniversary Minneapolis, MN

3pm - 6pm Anna @ WF Berkeley Berkeley, CA

3pm - 6pm Rachel @ WF Roosevelt Seattle, WA

3pm - 6pm Megan @ WF Tamarac Denver, CO

3pm - 6pm Nicole @ WF Indian School Plaza Albuquerque, NM

3pm - 6pm Sarah @ WF Ann Arbor , MI

3pm – 6pm Ciera @ WF Highland Drive Salt Lake City, UT.

3:30- 6:30 Ernie @ WF Briarcliff Atlanta, GA


4pm - 7pm Steve @ WF Laurelhurst Portland, OR

Sun Feb 21, 2010

11am - 2pm Megan @ WF Cherry Creek Denver, CO

1pm - 4pm Aandi @ WF Lakeview Chicago, IL.

Friday Feb 26th, 2010

12am – 3 pm Christina @ WF Tribeca New York, NY

 

Sat Feb 27, 2010

11am - 2pm Anna @ WF Potrero Hill San Francisco, CA.

11am- 2pm Layla @ WF Bellevue Seattle, WA

11am- 2pm Dan @ Earth Fare S. Park Charlotte, NC

11am – 2pm Aandi @ WF Lincoln Park Chicago, IL.

11am - 6pm Ernie @ WF Sandy Springs Atlanta, GA

11am - 2pm Larry @ WF Lakewood Dallas, TX

11am - 2pm Rachel @ WF Redmond Seattle, WA

11am - 2pm Shelagh @ WF Overland Park, KS

11am- 2pm Nicole B @ WF Minneapolis, MN

11am – 2pm David @ WF Lamar Austin, TX

3pm- 6pm Shelly @ WF Petaluma, CA

3pm - 6pm Ciera @ WF Park City, UT

3pm - 6pm Larry @ WF Highland Park Dallas, TX

3pm - 6pm Layla @ WF Westlake Seattle, WA

3pm - 6pm Aandi @ WF South Loop Chicago, IL.

3pm - 6pm Shelagh @ WF Metcalf Overland Park, KS

Sunday Feb. 28th, 2010

11am- 6 pm Ernie @ Sevananda in Atlanta, GA

Of Chocolate Elephants, PremRoses, and Valentines...

Here's a special thank you to Linda at PremRose Edibles for making a delicious lunch for us on a recent Thursday, bringing in Chocolate samples, and basically talking about...well...what else? Chocolate. She makes great chocolate.

In addition to providing chocolate sauce for our "A Night Of Bliss" event in Fall 2009  (you can see her scooping here in this blog post collage), she also did a special pairing of her "rose-petal" sauce for our Coconut Bliss sampling efforts at the recent Eugene Truffle Festival event--where you may have seen our Demo superstar Christina speedily handing out tastes of 'Bliss'...

And what might you ask is Toby and Vince looking at--their mouths agape?

On that plate is an elephant made of solid chocolate, courtesy of Linda at Premrose Edibles. It felt heavy. She may also bring us another. I love working here.

Yes, it is February and-- for some of us--everyday is the 14th.

Happy Valentines day to all of you from us.

May all your chocolate elephant dreams (and your Coconut Bliss ones) come true... :)

Bliss is Free...if you come to these events...

We are demoing (read: free tasting!) Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss a LOT in February...see if one is happening near you.

And see why it's better than ice cream...it's  'Bliss'. :)

Sun Feb 7, 2010
11am - 3pm Steve @ WF Fremont Store,  Portland, OR

Wed Feb 10, 2010
3pm - 6pm Comet @ Ashland Co Op, OR

Thursday Feb. 11th – Saturday Feb. 13th Coconut Bliss will be sampled at
All 5 New Frontier Market Stores in CA & AZ during their Annual Festival of Chocolates Events

Fri Feb 12, 2010
3pm - 6pm Nicole @ Wedge Community Co-op, Minneapolis, MN

Sat Feb 13, 2010
11am - 2pm Nicole @ Eastside Co-Op Minneapolis, MN

11:30am - 2:30pm Megan @ Vitamin Cottage Co. Springs , CO

11:30am - 2:30pm Layla @ Madison Market Co-Op Seattle, WA

11:30am - 2:30pm Megan @ Vitamin Cottage Col. Springs , CO

12pm - 3pm Shelagh @ Community Mercantile Lawrence, KS

3pm - 6pm David @ Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX (New Flavors!)

3pm – 6pm Sarah @ Plum Market Ann Arbor, MI

3:30pm - 6:30pm Megan @ WF New Center Point Col. Springs , CO

11am- 6pm Ernie @ Sevananda Co-Op Atlanta, GA

Coconut Bliss Sampling and Bars at Eugene's Truffle Festival

Sample some Coconut Bliss for free at the Truffle festival this weekend...

http://www.oregontrufflefestival.com/

It's happening Sunday, January 31st, 2010. Christina, our Demo Coordinator extraordinaire will be sampling many flavors of Bliss and selling BARS!!!

She'll also have a few of our hard-to-find Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss T-shirts. We don't sell them...yet.


Festival Location: Valley River Inn, 1000 Valley River Way, Eugene Oregon
Time: 11am -4pm

A blissful weekend to you all!
~Vince

Guest Blog from Aandi, Chicago Demo Team

Here's a guest blog post and introduction from one of our Bliss operatives in Chicago, Illinois... :)



The Extended Bliss Family Keeps on Growing and Glowing!

Hi, I’m Aandi and I demo Coconut Bliss in Chicago; I am also a kombucha brewer with a budding new business and new baby daughter. Her name is Ariana Anahata (Anahata is the name of the heart chakra). My beautiful fiancée Angela and I welcomed her into the world on January 3rd, 2010. She is perfect and got a great start in life by us giving conscious consideration to our diet and health before her birth.

Recently, she got a little infection in one of her eyes. My first approach to fix her up - regular warm saline wash and application of coconut oil for its excellent natural germ fighting properties. It worked great, of course. Angela was worried about stretch marks during pregnancy so we started early - applying coconut oil to her belly religiously. Conclusion, no stretch marks! This stuff really works great for everything! After I shave, coconut oil. Toast in the morning, coconut oil! Stir-fry coconut oil! Nature's sports drink - fresh coconut water! I am probably preaching to the choir here. I could just go on and on about the benefits of coconut everything.

I’m also crazy about kombucha, also. Every day when I wake up, kombucha. Last thing before I go to sleep, kombucha. That is why I started a kombucha brewery here in Chicago; it’s called the Living Well Brewery. I also work with green restaurants, and have my own mobile (raw organic) juice bar with wheatgrass and various drink options that I occasionally set up for private events. I am in training to be a juice bar manager at a new green Greek restaurant. I am working with Midwest organic farms to promote local sales in Chicago. My goal is to change the way people feel about food. I am hoping that humanity will get to the point where our gifts of knowledge and wisdom from the generations of past will be shared freely with those of the generations to come and there will be abundance and bliss for all.

P.S. Coconut Bliss is the healthiest ice cream you can buy in my opinion. Vanilla is my favorite.

Thank you for reading!
Much bliss to all!

-Aandi, guest blogger

THE FINE PRINT: The opinions expressed by the "Our Bliss is Your Bliss" bloggers, guest bloggers, and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Bliss Unlimited LLC, related employers, partners, clients, vendors or any employee thereof. Bliss Unlimited LLC is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the authors of these posts.

Introductions: Toby G.

Toby Gamberoni, our latest addition, is part of our Bliss sales team.

A Brit who has extensively traveled the world--often in a bizarre fashion, having hitched over half the planet--has fortunately ended up in the North West,  joining our Bliss family from January 2010. 

His motivation?  "This company is all about community, sharing, creativity, consciousness and fun!" Plus he loves the product: the Pineapple Coconut blew him away!

Toby and his family are all up for a better world, a better diet, healing, and the outdoors. They love to travel, hang with the dog, or get on the bike---you might well find Toby playing football (soccer) or mulling over his garden...regardless of the weather. 

In the face of its many environmental challenges, Toby has, from an early age,  had a concern for the fate of our planet. In addition to sales, he has taken on the role of Green Coordinator for Coconut Bliss. So, if you have any tips concerning the greener side of business, feel free to share them with us via Facebook, Twitter, or the comment thread on this blog post.  

~ Toby and Vince

We just passed 2000 and 3000!

Within the last couple of weeks, we just passed 2000 fans on Facebook and 3000 fans on Twitter. We're stoked. If you aren't following us, you're missing out on giveaways of free pints and free t-shirts (Bliss T-shirts are hard to find right now, as we don't sell them).

Here are a rundown of all our social media links, so free free to subscribe to one, or all:

Facebook    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coconut-Bliss/35826736835

Twitter   http://twitter.com/lunaandlarrys

Bliss Blog   http://www.coconutbliss.blogspot.com

Flickr    http://www.flickr.com/groups/coconutbliss/pool/

Youtube    http://www.youtube.com/user/LunaandLarrys

Blissings!

~Vince

Demos Near YOU (and Free Coconut Bliss !)

Check out these upcoming in-store demos of Coconut Bliss!

Santa Cruz, CA @ Staff of Life Jan. 16th 11-2 p.m. www.staffoflifemarket.com
Dallas, TX @ Whole Foods Forest Jan. 16th 11:30-2:30 p.m. www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/preston/
Wesley Chapel, FL Nutrition S'mart Grand Opening Jan. 16th Noon-4 p.m. www.nutritionsmart.com
Clearwater, FL @ Nature's Food Patch Jan. 19th 11-2 p.m. www.naturesfoodpatch.com
Atlanta, GA @ Whole Foods West Paces Jan. 23rd 11-6 p.m. www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/buckhead/
Deerfield, IL @ Whole Foods Deerfield Jan. 23rd 11-2 p.m. www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/deerfield/
Northbrook, IL @ Whole Foods Northbrook Jan. 23rd 3-6 p.m. www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/northbrook/
Tampa, FL @ Rollin' Oats Jan. 29th 11-2 p.m. www.rollinoats.com
Palm Beach Gardens, FL @ Nutrition S'mart Jan. 30th 11-3 p.m. www.nutritionsmart.com
Seattle, WA @ Metro Market Uptown Jan. 30th 4-8 p.m. www.metropolitan-market.com

See you there!!!
-Christina

Introductions: Christina, Demonstration Coordinator

We have a couple new faces here at the Coconut Bliss offices, and we’d like to take this week’s blog to introduce you to Christina, our new Demonstration Coordinator.  

Christina started in October, and has been a huge fan of Coconut Bliss since the first time she tried a bliss shake at Red Barn with the Wild Lavender Blueberry during a hot summer day in 2005. “I’ve been watching Coconut Bliss grow ever since, and am so happy to join the wonderful people and friends who also work to spread the bliss.”

Christina’s passion for good food developed after moving to Oregon ten years ago. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Environmental Studies, with a heavy focus on sustainability in the food sector. "We live in such a unique place and time on this planet, and I'm so thankful to work in a community that supports so many sustainable natural foods businesses. For me, it's all about making choices and creating a new culture that is based on love, creativity, connection, and sharing an abundance of wonderful foods and ideas."

When she’s not hard at work planning demos for Coconut Bliss, you might also find her doing organizational work for a few local non-profits here in Eugene. She also likes to practice Nia, hula hooping, dancing, and often is found home brewing, wild fermenting, and making food with community and friends.