PHOTO FEATURE: ChiIL Mama's Adventures at The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op Grand Opening Celebration

What's green and new and next to the blue? 

The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op's excellent expanded home! 

Yes, there's a newcomer next to the Logan Square Blue Line "L" stop that's bike friendly, neighborhoody, and full of loads of fresh local finds, organic goodies, bulk buys, and more. It's locally owned by your neighbors, but anyone can shop there, not just co-op members. Have you stopped in yet? You can see the cheerful, bright green roof from blocks away, and the inside is just as colorful and welcoming.

October was an exciting month for The Dill Pickle Co-Op. They've been around since 2009, in a much smaller space on Fullerton, but their new Milwaukee Avenue home will allow them to grow and really come into their own. Here's our photo recap of the first hours of their grand opening party in the new space earlier this month. 



They had a day long celebration packed with live music, dance, martial arts, bounce house fun and crafts for the littles, and loads of vendor samples/coupons/demos. We were lucky to catch a fantastic Capoeira demo.

Check out our full photo feature in the slideshow here and more favorites below:

Back in the day, when I heard the word food co-op, it conjured up dusty images of wholesome hippies stocking barrels of grains and aisles of bulk bins, with 20 types of granola. 





The Dill Pickle Co-Op is so much more. Sure, they have great bulk bin deals, but also a host of fabulous vegan, vegetarian, and carnivore finds, and eco-friendly non food items too. They have plenty of frozen items that are quick to fix. They also have loads of love for the locals, stocking a plethora of fresh produce, dairy and meat from farms in the region. And their homemade hummus is to die for.



This spot is sure to be an "L" commuter hit, on the way to or from work. They have a liquor license, a gorgeous salad bar, coffee bar, ready made sandwiches and lots of great grab n go items. They even have kombucha machines, in case keeping a kombucha scoby alive to DIY seems like a daunting task.







Family Friendly:
My kids are teens now, but it wasn't long ago that both were in tow, just about every time I went shopping. The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op loves littles, and has kid sized carts, goodies and a club, to make shopping with your offspring less stress.










The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op also has coupons and rockin' specials. They've joined with a collective of other co-ops for bulk purchasing power and better discounts. And they pass on the savings locally. The profits stay in our neighborhood, too.







Come on by and check it out! All are welcome. We bought a $250 share as owners, at a very reasonable $10 a month. This gives my family extra coupons, discounts and the chance for even deeper discounts with a work/barter program of a couple hours a week as a HOO (Hands On Owner). Here's their website, so you can keep up with happenings, sales, and more. Also follow them on social media on Facebook and Twitter.






Welcome to the neighborhood, Dill Pickle Co-Op! We'll be in to shop like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often!

 Click image to check out current specials, join, or see more info 

More Photo Favorites:

WIN BIG With Miss Jones Bake-it-Better Challenge With A $1,500 Grand Prize

Bake Organic Easy With Miss Jones Baking Co.

Here at ChiIL Mama we LOVE to bake (& eat) sweet treats, and rarely have the time to make goodies from scratch. That's why we were elated when Miss Jones Baking Co. asked us to partner up on this sponsored post and spread the word about their Bake-it-Better Challenge this holiday season. We were sent two decadently delicious chocolate cake mixes and Cinnamon Sugar Buttercream frosting 

to sample along with a fun t-shirt & bowl scraper. Miss Jones' baking mixes and frostings are organic, non-GMO, responsibly sourced, plant-based, and contain no artificial colors or flavors, so I feel confident I'm treating my family to the best. We also love to give back to those who are struggling, and every entry in Miss Jones Baking Co's Bake-it-Better Challenge means a $1 donation to the SF-Marin Food Bank.

ChiIL Mama created an easy Chocolate Cinnamon Sheet Cake 

with Seasonal Decorations added by my 13yo daughter, Sage

 (Cinnamon Imperials, Christmas DOTS, and Reese's Holiday Peanut Butter Trees)

Bake-it-Better Challenge

Calling all of ChiIL Mama's readers who adore baking. 

Comment and share your own creations and enter the contest to 

win an incredible Grand Prize, valued at over $1,500!

1. Bake up a treat of your choice using Miss Jones baking mix and/or frosting, and they will donate $1 to the SF-Marin Food Bank. 

2. Post your creation using the hashtag #betterwithmissjones on social media. Visit their website for more info. We can't wait to see your tasty treats (with the secret ingredient of creativity and a pinch of holiday cheer). Miss Jones also offers tons of recipes and inspiration online to get you started like candy cane Christmas cookies, maple cheesecake brownies, chocolate cake waffles, pumpkin cake bars, chocolate and pecan cupcakes, maple and walnut sugar cookies, and many other unique creations sure to wow the friends and family you're entertaining during prime baking season.  If you're submitting via Instagram, be sure to tag @missjonesco, too! If you're submitting via Facebook, be sure to post your entry directly onto the official Miss Jones Baking Co. Facebook page.

I was a vegetarian for 10 years and still have many vegan friends and friends with food allergies and other dietary restrictions, so I was thrilled to see that Miss Jones cake mixes offer loads of customized baking directions right on the box, like plant based milk substitutions and more. 

We'd never tried Cinnamon Sugar frosting before and it was fabulous with the chocolate cake. The cake we made was moist, flavorful and all around excellent, and the family devoured it in record time. I think we're going to attempt chocolate doughnuts with our 2nd box. 

Order their mixes easily on line. They even have gift sets in a range of prices, in case there's a master baker on your holiday gift list. We highly recommend Miss Jones Baking Co., so give them a taste. 

ChiIL Mama's submission to 

Miss Jones Baking Co.'s Bake-it-Better Challenge,

Easy Chocolate Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Seasonal Decorations 

From now through December 23, 

Miss Jones Baking Co. 

is holding the Bake-it-Better Challenge, 

which gives you the chance to win a Grand Prize 

worth over $1,500—including a $1,000 gift card, 

the full line of Miss Jones products, 

a KitchenAid Mixer, William-Sonoma Goldtouch Baking Set, 

Scharffen Berger Chocolates, and much more!

HELP OUT: Remember every entry means $1 donated to the SF-Marin Food Bank. At this time of year every little bit helps—so join in the fun and make the holiday season sweeter for everyone. 

That's it. For each entry containing the hashtag #betterwithmissjones, $1 goes to the SF-Marin Food Bank—and you can enter multiple times! 

Disclosure: It was a sweet treat to partner up with Miss Jones on this sponsored post. We were compensated with the goodies above, which included product samples to review, in exchange for spreading the word about their holiday contest to our readers. As always, all opinions are my own.

Celebrate No Bacon Day, September 3rd, With Cool Foods

September 3 is International Bacon Day. I'll confess to being an omnivore who was a strict vegetarian for 10 years before marrying a self confessed "meatatarian". Now we have 2 teens and compromise is key when it comes to feeding everyone. I raised my kids vegetarian through toddlerhood then let them make their own choices. Although we didn't cook it at home, my small daughter snagged bacon off my husband's restaurant plate at every opportunity and put on a "puppet show" with the pieces, in different stage voices declaring "I'm bacon. Don't eat me!" then chowing down. My son still won't touch it. 

We don't make hard line food judgments here. It's a choice. We do cover meat sometimes and also veg, vegan, gluten free and other food genres. That said, we have many many friends and readers in the vegetarian and vegan communities, so today we're featuring #NoPigBaconDay. There's no denying the science that veg and vegan diets are better for your body and better for the earth and sustainability. It's a process. If you'd like to explore a 100% meat free diet or just dabble in consuming less, kudos to you. Happy eating. 

Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is pleased to partner up with Cool Foods and we have been sent complimentary samples for review purposes. As always all opinions are our own.

Vegetarians & Vegans Unite! Cool Foods’ Vegi Bacon Bits & Dips Unveils 
“NO BACON DAY” Campaign 

to Begin On International Bacon Day September 3

Campaign Created To Protect Pigs & Support Pig Sanctuaries By Reducing Bacon & Pork Consumption

                                                                                      

Show Your Support September 3 -  (Hashtag)#NoPigBaconDay

Determined to give a voice to all the vegetarians and vegans out there who quite literally can’t stomach the notion of basing parties and good times around the slaughter of innocent pigs, plant-based food company Cool Foods (www.coolfoods.net) – makers of the new Vegi Bacon Bits & Dips line made from protein-rich pinto bean pulses – is declaring the very same September 3 as the start of its ambitious NO BACON DAY campaign.

Join The Cause September 3!                                                                                                                                                

Cool Foods invites the public to support No Bacon Day by using the hashtag #nopigbaconday and visiting www.coolfoods.net/no-bacon-day.

Photo Credit ©Kenaz-Mara ChiILMama.com

Here at ChiIL Mama, we tried Cool Foods Vegi Bacon bits and they rock on baked potatoes, avocado/tomato/mozzarella sandwiches and broccoli salad. They're even tasty for snacking right out of the package. This weekend we plan to add them to some Labor Day dip. As a mom, I love that they're gluten free, vegan, non GMO, and a healthier choice for my family than both bacon and soy based alternatives. 

We're frequently running into families where one or more of the kids have decided to go vegetarian for humane or health reasons, and the rest of the family isn't. Sometimes it gets complicated catering to everyone's food preferences. We also have a hybrid family where half adores red meat and half eats very little and prefers vegetarian choices, Cool Foods is a great way to bridge that gap and keep everyone fed and happy. Highly recommended.

According to Cool Foods founder Tom Mosk, “Cool Foods is concerned about the health risks associated with eating pork bacon and has created a better-for-your-health alternative – as standard bacon is loaded with calories, saturated fat and cholesterol. Plant-based Vegi Bacon Bits & Dips is made with pinto beans and is healthier than soy-based imitation bacon, which is often highly-processed. We also believe that if more people switch to plant-based bacon, there will be less of a need for pork bacon and this will help reduce the inhumane abuse of pigs that goes on each and every day. So please join us in making September 3, and every day, No Bacon Day!”

Now available on the www.CoolFoods.net site and on Amazon.com (http://goo.gl/gsbnK7) - and soon to be introduced in retail stores around the country - shelf-stable, plant-based Vegi Bacon Bits & Dips are sold in 3oz packages, as well as in 30oz food service pack sizes. 

A deliciously nutritious alternative to highly-processed soy-based imitation bacon, Vegi Bacon Bits & Dips are made via a patented process in which premium pinto beans are steamed without water waste and thereby retain their inherently rich nutrients. All of Cool Foods’ pulses are sustainably grown.

DON'T Bring Home The Bacon! – A Few Important Facts & Figures

-       Pigs learn their name in a few weeks and respond when called

-       Pigs rank #4 in intelligence – behind chimps, dolphins and elephants

-       Pigs snuggle close to one another and prefer to sleep nose to nose

-       Pigs have a sophisticated cognitive ability – more so than dogs and comparable to 3-year old children

-       Pigs communicate with one another – over 20 vocalizations have been identified

-       Contrary to their reputation, pigs are actually clean animals; if given sufficient space, they won’t soil where they sleep or eat

-       Pigs feel pain and affection

-       According to WebMD, bacon is unhealthy due to the harmful chemicals that are created when its processed, as well as its high saturated fat content (which can raise cholesterol levels that can lead to clogged arteries, heart disease and stroke) and. Because of the unfavorable qualities of bacon, in fact, the American Institute for Cancer Research recommends completely removing it from our diet.

About Cool Foods & Cool Cups

Based in Santa Monica, California, Cool Foods, a division of Cool Cups LLC, strives to produce the healthiest possible meat-free alternative products on the market today. The new brand  made its debut at Expo West with  their irresistibly tasty and nutritious Vegi Bacon Bits & Dips™. Please visit www.coolfoods.net for more information.

Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is pleased to partner up with Cool Foods and we have been sent complimentary samples for review purposes. As always all opinions are our own.