Sunlight is like a miracle from the Gods. Now I know that those of you who live in areas of excessive heat may look forward to a cloudy, rainy day. But, for those of us in the rainy Pacific Northwest, when the sun comes out like it did today, we cherish every morsel of light we can get.

The plum is like sunlight when it comes to fruit. This well-traveled plant has been part of the human diet for thousands of years.

Plums were carried from China to the Mediterranean via the Silk Road and planted all along the way.

The plum is super versatile. It's delicious eaten fresh, but in its dried state as a prune, it's been an excellent food source with highly beneficial dietary and medicinal properties in times of poor harvests and for those traveling for months on foot.

Today, many cultures have their own ways of preserving plums, like the small, super salty and sour Chinese plums that make your eyes pucker, Eastern Europe's plum brandy and the luscious prunes from the Aquitaine region of France known as Pruneaux d'Agen—perhaps the most cherished of all when it comes to the sweet delight that a plum can be!

In case you think that these prunes are anything like the prunes we grew up with, I guarantee they are not even close.

The beauty of these prunes is that just one satisfies so many different desires. When you bite through the skin, you'll reach the soft, gentle center of pruneau creme, and the deep flavor lingers long after you finish chewing.

These beauties are delicious, a joy to behold, a treat that you can share with your closest friends, and feel enlightened, like your own personal morsel of the sun.

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Heat the oven, toss the sausage in honey, wrap the sausage and prune with bacon. Bake and eat!

See the Sausage and Prunes Wrapped in Bacon Recipe here!

Cut this prune in half and you might see a piece of candied orange peel peeking out.

If you just taste the prune center alone, you'll get the delightful flavor of prune infused with orange.

One bite and you can't help but close your eyes as you savor the flavor—it is THAT delicious!

With a gentle touch to the sweet side, the center of the prune is this wonderful, lush orange-flavored creme. It's as if you're eating micro-jets of aromatic oil exploding from the skin of an orange when you peel it, but in a solid form via pruneau cream. The finish is the delightful chew of the skin of the prune.

Scissor one in half to share, or enjoy by yourself. Take your time with this one if you can. I can't wait to eat another!

Shop Now for Favols Pruneaux d'Agen Recette Zestes d'Orange!

This homemade chai tea recipe makes a cup plus. This is just a starting point. Add star anise to protect from influenza and black pepper for digestion and mind clarity.

Experiment! The results will always be great! Really a great way to make time for yourself!

See the Basic Chai Recipe Here!

A whole green cardamom pod (Elettaria cardamomum) is an indication of very high quality, as it is difficult to buy cardamom pods in such a pristine state. Whole green cardamom pods are as esteemed as the seeds they contain: many pilafs, curries, and other hot dishes call for whole cardamom pods to be added. They slowly infuse the dish with their essence, and the shells disintegrate as they cook.

They are also necessary participants in the ritual of Arabic coffee. They are added to the thick, sweet drink as it steeps, and the gesture of serving whole green unblemished cardamom in coffee is an expression of very high esteem for the guest. The guest returns the gesture by drinking several cups of the brew.

6 pods for per teaspoon. Spice or coffee bean grinders works great to crush them up.

Shop now for Cardamom Pods - Whole Green!

Ginger has such great healthy qualities and packs a wonderful distinct punch of fragrant flavor.

As we come into the grilling season, be sure to add fresh ginger to your favorite marinade. Or, if you are like me and never have fresh on hand, use this ready-to-go ground ginger!

Add a couple of pinches to stir-fries, sauces for meat or chicken, or stewed fruit or applesauce. Ginger is also a common addition to savory Moroccan dishes.

This is definitely perfect for your essential pantry.

Shop now for Ground Organic Ginger!

225,000 Hand-Picked Stigmas make a single pound!

According to Greek mythology, there are a few variations to the story as to the origins of the Crocus flower. It appears that the nymph, Smilax, was involved in a relationship with the mortal, Krokus, who, with a bit of bad luck, was turned into the flower that produces Saffron.

Saffron is harvested from the fall-flowering plant, Crocus sativus, which is a member of the Iris family. It is native to Asia Minor, where it has been cultivated for thousands and thousands of years for its medicinal cures and its distinctive flavor attributes in foods.

Suggested Uses:

Saffron is a traditional ingredient in many famous dishes, including Spanish Paella Valenciana, French Bouillabaisse, Italian Risotto alla Milanese, and Moroccan Saffron Couscous. Used in small, tiny pinches, the flavor is unmistakable. Other ideas are saffron rice, with couscous, seafood, and in Chai.

Saffron comes from the stigmas of the violet-hued saffron crocus, and was first cultivated thousands of years ago in the area around Greece. Saffron grows particularly well in the valleys of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, and Moroccan saffron is some of the most fragrant available; it's strongly perfumed, with an aroma of honey and a pungent bitter-honey flavor.

A stone's throw from Spain and across the Straight of Gibraltar, Morocco produces some of the very finest Saffron in the world. A plant that loves hot sun with no shade, Morocco is a key growing location for many of Europe's bounties. Though Spain is known for its Saffron, they sell more than they can grow every year.

The flower stigmas are carefully removed, dried and stored in waterproof sacks, well away from direct light, in order to preserve their quality and flavor. It is easier to understand the price of organic saffron threads once you realize that it takes an average 100,000 flowers to produce a single kilogram of dried saffron! 

Shop now for Organic Moroccan Saffron!

This balsamic vinegar is truly the best everyday Balsamic Vinegar you can find anywhere - fabulous character, a personality of flavor that is memorable and a sweet sharpness that is great for almost everything.

This is balsamic in its early stages. Not thin like young balsamics that are 6 years old, but much richer, thicker, and sweeter than its early age would have you think. A hint of what lies ahead, this is a treat on its own as a wonderful everyday vinegar that is pulled before it is certified as a thick balsamic vinegar.

Priced to be used liberally, per ml this is the lowest-priced balsamic vinegar we have! Don't be fooled, this is one place where price is not a reflection of quality, but in fact, a mirror of the quality of all San Giacomo products.

Extracted early in the balsamic-making process, Agro di Mosto is only aged a few years. It is truly amazing how sophisticated this bottle is, given its young age. This is filled from the same battery of barrels on their way to becoming San Giacomo Balsamic, and then Essenza, a truly sophisticated Balsamic, and finally a Tradizionale.

This is a runaway hit in the store. Anyone who tastes it loves it!

Shop now for San Giacomo Agro di Mosto!