Like last year, the lovely Megan from Pur Oslo (Oslo’s best gluten-free baking and dishes/Dairy) is back with her recommendations for this season’s foodie must-haves. You may have seen some #regrams of this natural beauty on my face Instagram, so you can recognize it. 😉
I’m so excited to include her picks for you favorites as you get into holiday shopping mode (okay, many already have). Enjoy these Nordic-inspired options for your foodie friends and food-loving family members.
North Sea Salt Works
North Sea Salt Works is a family business located on the island of Gossen in northwestern Norway. This salt is harvested by hand from cold clear seawater in the Norwegian Sea, using 100% renewable energy and sustainable production processes. It is the mineral content of the cold and clear seawater that makes Havsnø’s crystalline white flakes flat and soft, with a slight crunch. They also have baking salt for all that holiday baking you’ll get your hands on – so why not get it for you and your foodie friend’s stocking.
Where to buy from:
Online at Havsno for NOK 69 (±$8 USD)
EvaMia Interiør
Perfect gifts for the one who has everything in the kitchen, are handmade wooden products from olive branches. During the olive harvest, the trees are pruned to ensure that new branches will grow and be able to produce more olives the following year. From these branches are made the olive wood products from which EvaMia Interior is made. EvaMia also sells pottery, fabrics and accessories.
The site is in Norwegian, but you can use Google Translate to get directions around the site. You can also contact the store to help you place your order.
Where to shop:
Online at EvaMia (ships internationally)
Flaska water bottle
Like LPN, Pur Oslo is a big proponent of portable glass water bottles (see the many posts on bkr). Flask is our latest favorite. The technology behind it is amazing! So what makes it different? The glass is programmed for water structure. Water what?! Water structure is a process that turns ordinary water into water that has a structure similar to spring water. It penetrates the cell membranes of the body easier and faster and offers better food to living organisms. Flaska uses TPS (programmable silicon technology), a vibration program made up of various kinds of information from nature and then imprinted on the glass. There’s even a bowl for your dog!
Where to buy from:
Online at Amazon.com from $29.99 USD
Blendtec Mixer
While we at LPN often use the Vitamix, another high-end blender that packs a big punch (and arguably deserves more space in the health food blog pages) is Blendtec. The Blendtec is a SERIOUS machine that can blend fruits, vegetables and nuts in seconds. It makes soups, smoothies, nut butters, nut milks and sauces in no time, and is a perfect gift for the kitchen or those who aren’t so great in the kitchen but love good, healthy food (boyfriend? spouse? *cough* ). As well as being a fantastic smoothie maker, its warming function also allows you to heat up soups directly in the blender.
Where to buy from:
Online at Amazon from $389 USD
Weleda Arnica massage oil
Give the gift of healing oils this holiday season – an especially good gift for those who spend a lot of time in the kitchen stressing out the body. Wild arnica flower extract has been shown to soothe sore muscles, as well as helping to relieve pain and providing a warming effect. A base of sunflower oil and olive oil nourishes and hydrates the skin while birch extract offers detoxifying effects. While your skin soaks up the muscle-soothing properties, a pure, natural scent of lavender and rosemary essential oil helps calm your mind.
Where to buy from:
Online at Amazon.com from $13.99 USD
Activated carbon from bulletproof
If you haven’t discovered bulletproof products yet, you might want to look into this company and their technology. Another good filler, especially for those with food sensitivities (food allergies, gas, bloating, slow digestion anyone?).
For more than 10,000 years, healers from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Western Medicine have used activated charcoal to absorb poisons and improve gut health through a process called “absorption,” which means “binding” and not “absorption”.
Take it when you eat out at restaurants or eat low-quality food (let’s be real, this happens a lot during the holidays) – and while it won’t fix the problem, it helps a lot.
It might even be a good idea to grab a bottle for yourself, especially if you’re partaking in too much holiday cheer. Activated charcoal is especially useful after drinking alcohol (think detox). Oh, and is it good for beauty too? Although it may seem unsavory, popping open a capsule of black powder on your toothbrush does amazing things for stained teeth. You can even use it safely during pregnancy to lock in toxins, and for those of you traveling away from home for the holidays (like LPN and Pur Oslo), it’s also a great help with jetlag.
Where to buy from:
Online at Amazon.com for $18.12 USD
Kishu Charcoal – Activated carbon water filter for pitchers
Instead of getting a piece of charcoal in your stocking this year, how about some activated charcoal? Kishu is a finely crafted form of activated carbon also called activated charcoal. By sustainably heating harvested oak branches to an extremely high temperature (usually in a kiln) and slowly depriving them of oxygen, the wood is charred. Kishu coal is 97% pure coal. After several days, a beautiful glass-like activated carbon emerges.
This pure form of carbon readily absorbs or binds to toxins, mainly metals, at the molecular level. These toxins can be found in municipal water systems and can include lead, mercury, copper, cadmium and chlorine. Kishu has been tested to remove them all. Kishu charcoal is ready to use upon opening the package. Simply place in any jug or water bottle and add tap water. Kishu begins absorbing impurities immediately, while also imparting healthy minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These give your water a delicious, clean taste.
Kishu charcoal should be boiled once a month to keep its pores open. Oh, and that it has some great secondary uses: it absorbs odors in the fridge (better than baking soda!) or it helps your garden grow (it will help improve water absorption).
Where to buy from:
Online at Amazon.com for $15.49
Go Fermentation & FARMcurious Home Fermenting Systems
You’ve heard a lot about fermented foods for gut health (maybe you remember LPN’s post about making kombucha?). The “good bacteria” found in raw, fermented foods help replenish the lining of the gut, keeping that skin glowing. These kits are perfect for the health nut to keep his gut health in check – all while making some delicious creations (think kimchi, sauerkraut and other pickles).
These starter kits are great for small batches at home. How do they work; They release carbon dioxide and prevent oxygen from entering the jars. This helps keep your vegetables mold-free by allowing carbon dioxide to escape from the top of the vent (while nothing gets in). Lids are compatible with any wide mouth Mason jars (jars are not included in these kits though).
Where to buy from:
GoFerment online at Amazon.com $25.95 USD
FARMcurious online at Amazon.com for $27.95
Tea Glass Infuser by Uendure
Whether on a train or plane, hiking or biking, this BPA-free Tea Glass Infuser is the perfect way to sip loose leaf tea on the go! The Uendure tea glass is made of smooth, double-walled insulated glass (keeps hands comfortable) and a vase-style rim, with a durable stainless steel tea infuser. There are two openings and two caps that make thinking simple…the injector sits at the bottom of the bottle for easy drinking
Where to buy from:
Online at Amazon.com for $27.97
If you buy 2 or more, shipping is free and you save 10% on your purchase, use UENDURE2 at checkout.
PUR Oslo Gluten Free Cooking Class
If you follow LPN on Snapchat (snap.kate) or Instagram, you may remember the images from Pur Oslo’s last class, Autumn Harvest. Not only was it a lot of fun, but we also made the food, ate the food, and brought home the recipes. Some shots from her latest class below:
Megan shows off the tricks of the Spaghetti Squash trade
Spiral cucumber for our kale and avocado salad
Cabbage, avocado and cucumber salad
Baked vegetable fries with 3 types of homemade mayonnaise
Gluten-free pumpkin pie with edible flowers
So if you’re an Oslo native and want to give something different this year, why not a cooking class? PUR Oslo and Terra Magica are organizing a vegan gluten-free pasta making class.
Where to register:
For the next class (or to get information about upcoming classes). January 11, email Megan directly at pur@puroslo.com
Happy holidays, beauties.
May your foodie friends be satisfied with these Pur Oslo options – and keep you eyes peeled for the next Holiday Gift Guide.
X
K
