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It is also the home of the oldest guide dog school in the world which was founded by Frank Morris in 1929. You will often see the trainers on the green in the center of town with their super smart seeing eye dogs working their magic.

In addition, Morristown has restaurants & bars to fit all tastes and budgets as well as a world class community theatre. Schedule a visit and stay a while – we look forward to seeing you soon!

SELFIE CULTURE AND THE DESIRE FOR FLAWLESS SKIN

The FounderMade Beauty Summit brings together thought leaders, investors and founders to explore business innovations redefining the beauty industry.

FounderMade promoted beauty and wellness as a whole, stressing the importance of the products we chose for use in and outside our bodies.

What really struck a chord with me was how the importance of skin care evolved, partially due to the rising popularity of selfies.

As an avid #Selfie taker myself, I know the condition of my skin affects my confidence level when facing the camera phone. Companies like Olive & M, Beauteque, Biossance, & Skin Kick have products specifically aimed at the selfie consumer and putting a #Flawless face forward.

Wearable Technology such as the Dr. Dennis Gross LED Glasses are giving consumers the ability to get treatments once regulated to spas and treatment centers in the comfort of their own home.

In just three minutes the LED magic in these glasses help fight the signs of aging around the eyes, something I am sure my fellow #Selfie lovers can appreciate.

The Unboxing Allure

#Selfies aren’t the only social media trend on the rise.

Unboxing videos have become a phenomenon on YouTube and Vimeo.

It is gaining such traction that San Francisco start-up Packaged just launched their new app Unboxed.

Unboxed gives users the ability to purchase products viewed in their unboxing videos in real time.

FounderMade recognized this growing trend and emphasized the importance of packaging that resonates both digitally and with an online audience.

Featured brand Bellami Hair Extensions currently has over 32,000 unboxing videos of their products on YouTube!

I watched countless Bellami unboxing videos before and after my purchase of their hair extensions.

Initially I watched to learn about the product. I kept watching after my purchase because I was so excited to get them.

As soon as those beauties made it to my doorstep I was styling them and snapping photos of myself.

My social media site accounts were flooded with #BellamiHairExtensions, engaging me with the brand and providing Bellami free social media adverting.

Connecting With Your Customer One Package At A Time

Nosh Live Summer 2017 puts the goals, needs, challenges and concerns of natural food brands in the spotlight.

Key takeaways from this event are product presentation and building brand loyalty.

Banza Pasta, a chickpeas based pasta brand, recognized product presentation when designing their packaging.

Instead of choosing traditional blue, black or clear packaging, Banza went bold with their bright orange color choice.

The box was is not only eye catching; it displayed just enough information to relay their healthy alternative to traditional pasta without overwhelming the consumer with information.

Halo Top Creamery has been slaying the dairy industry with their product line.

Halo Top Creamery not only produces innovatively packaged, delicious, low calorie, guilt free ice creams; they truly connect with their customers.

Its no surprise Halo Top has developed a cult following by taking one look at their heavily active social media accounts.

Halo Top’s latest engagement is in celebration of their 5^th birthday. They are running a “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” type contest offering big prizes to five lucky winners who find a golden seal in their pints.

Non-winners can enter an alternate contest by uploading an image of non-winning seals to Instagram, Facebook or twitter along with #HaloTopGoldenSeal.

Tea Time Anyone?

The World Tea Expo is the leading trade show and conference focused 100% on premium teas and related products.

Tea has been gaining popularity over the past few years and The World Tea Expo showcased what’s’ on tea trend.

This year teas with good for you benefits and teas that offer experiences were in the spot light.

Lines such as Me Moringa Tea offer blends such as Beauty Me and Skinny Me. Developed with beauty and wellness benefits in mind, these blends are designed to improve your skin, hair and your waistline.

This trend is right in line with The FounderMade Beauty Summit theme that beauty and wellness operate as a whole.

Blooming flower teas are designed with experience in mind as they turn your teacup into a mini garden oasis.

A bundle of dried tealeaves are wrapped around one or more dried flowers. Once in contact with hot water the bundles open, giving the effect of a blooming flower. The end results are pretty stunning if I do say so myself.

Tea demonstration at the World Tea Expo.

The content of the chart is changing due to a few factors: New scientific evidence on how diet affects the risk of chronic diseases; adjustments to Serving Sizes; and the desire to better educate the food consumer. One of the most important changes is a mandatory declaration of Added Sugars. With obesity and diabetes on the rise, this was a new piece of information that the FDA wanted to introduce for consumers who are watching their sugar intake.

The vitamins section at the bottom has also changed. Vitamin D and Potassium are now mandatory, due to newer nationwide food consumption surveys which show that many Americans are lacking in these two nutrients. Vitamins A and C are now voluntary because the FDA now sees Vitamin A and C deficiencies as rare in the general population. Calcium and Iron will continue to be required on the label.

The presentation of the chart does look very similar to its current incarnation. But there are some important differences. Calories is shown in a much larger font size than previously to demonstrate its increased importance as something the FDA wants consumers to spot immediately. Serving Size is also much larger and bolder. The Vitamins section now has the “mg” value in addition to the % of Daily Value. The Daily Value statement footnote has been reworded to put calories in context of the daily diet.

For those of us consumers who can’t resist eating an entire small bag of snack chips, 24-oz soda, or pint of ice cream in one sitting, despite the 1990s Nutrition Facts chart declaring a multi-portion item, the FDA has us covered. Items such as these will require a dual-column format to define the nutritional difference between eating the recommended “per serving” and eating “per package.” The FDA has also adjusted how much food/beverage constitutes a “single serving” as now people are consuming more food in a “serving” than compared to 1990s calculations. With the information in this particular dual-column label, consumers will be able to easily understand how many calories and nutrients they are getting if they eat or drink the entire package/unit at one time.

It will be up to food manufacturers to have their food re-analyzed and calculated to meet these new specifications (such as the amount Added Sugars and Vitamin D). Manufacturers would also have to determine if their product is subject to the “multi-serving” per container factor and have to calculate the Nutrition for Per Serving and Per Container. The FDA documentation states that “Manufacturers are required to make and keep records to verify the mandatory declaration of added sugars as well as for certain fibers, vitamin E, folic acid, and folate.”

For more detail direct from the FDA, please see its website for Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label, and Industry Resources on the Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label. There are several helpful downloadable PDFs.

Here are some out takes from our fabulous branded Superbowl Party, what we cooked and devoured, & a few recipes!

Thanks to our wonderful food & beverage clients for giving us the opportunity to help brand your products over the years!

Angel Hair with Broccoli Rabe, Garlic and Olive Oil

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 oz package of DeBoles Rice Angel Hair Pasta
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 teaspoon of hot red pepper flakes
2 bunches broccoli rabe, cleaned and cut into 2 inch lengths
½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Hain Sea Salt and coarse ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Add the broccoli rabe, season with salt and pepper; stir to coat the broccoli rabe.
5. Add ½ cup of cooking water and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until broccoli rabe is tender.
6. Add an additional ½ cup of the cooking water. Add drained pasta, toss to coat evenly, cover and cook 1 minute longer.
7. Divide pasta between four bowls. Sprinkle generously with cheese and serve immediately.

Chicken Enchiladas

2 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL

1 SMALL WHITE ONION, PEELED AND DICED

1.5 POUNDS BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS, DICED INTO SMALL 1/2-INCH PIECES

1 (4-OUNCE) CAN ORTEGA DICED GREEN CHILES

1 (15.5 OUNCE) CAN BLACK BEANS, RINSED AND DRAINED

8 LARGE ORTEGA FLOUR TORTILLAS

3 CUPS MEXICAN-BLEND SHREDDED CHEESE

1 CAN ENCHILADA SAUCE

(OPTIONAL: 1/4 CUP CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f. Prepare your enchilada sauce, if making homemade.
In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced chicken and green chiles, and season with salt and pepper.Saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from heat and set aside.To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: Tortillas, enchilada sauce, beans, chicken mixture, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add beans in a line down the middle of the tortilla, then add in a spoonful of the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Then spread the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese.Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately,
garnished with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.

 

Phyllo Antipasto Cups

1 BOX MINI FILLO SHELLS

1/2 STICK OF SALAMI, MINCED

1/2 PEPPERONI, MINCED

3 PIECES QUARTERED ARTICHOKE HEARTS, MINCED

ROASTED RED PEPPER SLICE, DICED

1/2 GREEN PEPPER, FINELY DICED

1/4 CUP OLIVES, MINCED

4 OZ. SHARP PROVOLONE, CUT INTO SMALL CUBES

2 TABLESPOONS PARSELY, FINELY CHOPPED, DIVIDED

SPLASH OF BALSAMIC VINEGAR

1 TSP OF OLIVE OIL

Instrutions:
Mix above ingredients in a bowl.
Save 1 tablespoon of parsely for garnish.
Carefully fill the phyllo cups.
Garnish!