I am super excited to kick off Raw Epicurean’s 2nd Annual Holiday Giveaway with Teeccino, a yummy caffeine-free herbal coffee. I’m an herbal tea drinker, so when I discovered Teeccino I instantly became a fan of this tasty and nutritious beverage.

When I hear friends or people express that they want to reduce their coffee intake, I suggest Teeccino. It’s a popular herbal coffee for those who are looking to avoid the effects of caffeine and acidity from coffee, and it’s the perfect solution for the health conscious who still want to enjoy the flavor of coffee..

Teeccino herbal coffee is the top selling brand in its category of coffees in the U.S., and it’s also popular in Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and the UK. Not surprising because it’s delicious. This innovative product line was created by the founder of Teeccino and CEO Caroline MacDougall. It’s made from all natural and certified organic ingredients like organic carob, barley, chicory, ramon nuts [from the Maya line], almonds, dates, figs, natural coffee flavor, and it’s sugar-free.

There’s more to love about Teeccino besides it’s great taste. The companies philosophy and business practices supports fair trade and education to support a healthy lifestyle. You can find Teeccino in natural food and specialty grocery stores, or you can get a free single packette of Teeccino to sample right here.

For this giveaway, Teeccino generously offers free single packettes. Everyone, yes you read it right, everyone, who is interested in trying Teeccino and leaves a comment will receive a single sample packette that yields 6 cups of herbal coffee. Also one [1] grand prize winner that I will pick using my trusted online random number picker will receive a 10-flavor sampler to include Maya Caffé, Maya Chocolaté, Maya Chai, Vanilla Nut, Hazelnut, Java, Mocha, Almond Amaretto, Chocolate Mint, and Original.

If you haven’t tried Teeccino this is a great opportunity to sample their product. So how do you get your free Teeccino single packettes or a 10-flavor sampler? Two steps. All you have to do is:

1] leave a comment in the comment section below telling us why you love Teeccino, or why you would like to try it.

2] email your mailing address to: love@rawepicurean.net so your Teeccino gift can be mailed to you.

Limit one [1] entry per person please. This offer is open for U.S. residence only and ends Friday, December 11, 2009 at 11:59 PST.

Important: please do not leave your mailing address in the comments section.

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The first time I became aware of glass straws was when Juliano, the incredible raw food advocate, chef and owner of Julians’s RAW, mentioned them in one of his videos. Months later, I did an online search and found the glass straws I now own at Living Nutrition.

Some of you may already use these hip straws; some may find the concept intriguing, while other might feel a bit of apprehension. I was intrigued and purchased a set of three without hesitation. I must confess I had a slight bit of apprehension thinking about drinking from a glass straw (it was an unfamiliar habit). That apprehension quickly disappeared when I received thick and durable straws. Though they are strong still handle reasonably and with care, as you would any type of glassware. I use my glass straws often, and my husband and mother get good use of them too.

These straws are an eco-friendly way to help reduce the use of plastic in the kitchen and this concept fits perfect with my plan to turn my kitchen into an eco-friendly one. There are other great reasons to consider using these straws.

Good Reasons To Choose Glass Straws

• – Glass is more eco-friendly.
• – Glass straws are reusable.
• – Glass can be recycled infinitely without loss of purity or quality.
• – Glass doesn’t leech toxins – these glass straws are non-toxic as opposed to plastic straws.
• – You don’t have to worry about these straws ending up in some landfill or cluttering bodies of natural water, like streams, lakes, and oceans.

Living Nutrition is the only online site I know of that offers glass straws. They sell these glass straws individually or as a 3-pack, and a free cleaning brush is included with each order. Do you know of a source for glass straws?

The next time you drink from a straw, why not take a sip from a glass straw.

The drink shown in the photo is a blend of 3 celery stalks, 2 carrots, 1 apple, ½ fresh squeezed lime.

To make – run the celery stalks, carrot, and apple through a juicer. Pour the juice in a glass and top off with fresh squeezed lime juice.

Makes 1 serving

UPDATE: SunFood Nutrition also carries glass straws. They do not offer a free cleaning brush but offer anti-roll bumps (to keep the straws stationary, from rolling around on a table).

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Recently, I purchased unbleached cupcake-muffin liners made by If You Care as part of my efforts to turn the kitchen into an eco-friendly kitchen.

I’ve read mixed reviews about this brand. Some say these liners falls off the cupcakes or muffins and don’t like that it does; others prefer it falls away as opposed to struggling with peeling the paper from it. My understanding from reading about this product is that it is not meant to stick.

My plan is to use these liners in a bit of a novel way and make raw cupcakes and muffins using a dehydrator. The outcome has yet to be determined. Stay tuned.

These liners, as well as other unbleached paper products, are beige or brown in color in comparison to similar products bleached with chlorine in order to make the paper fibers look white and brighter.

The use of chlorine contributes to the contamination of our water, soil and food supply, and this is one of the key reasons why I have chosen to purchase unbleached products.

On the side of the box in which these liners are packaged list benefits of using this product, here are some:

• * Will not affect the taste of the food in it
• * Reduces the amount of chlorine in our environment
• * Landfill safe
• * Non-toxic when incinerated
• * Environmentally safe

Another unbleached cupcake-muffin liner brand I found is
Beyond Gourmet Unbleached Baking Cups

A value – 24 pack by If You Care
If You Care value pack