Get in on the Goodness

In the Fresh

2009-04-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

We're doing business a little differently.

When it comes to food, quality is what we most value. And for us, a quality food is one that is fresh, (meaning it has no artifical preservatives), natural, (meaning simple), and nutritious (meaning...I think you got it). In this world, we've all been taught that we can't have everything and that compromises must often be made. We take great pride in the fact that we use absolutely no preservatives in our cookies, which presents us with a number of challenges. For one, our cookies have a hard time maintaining their quality over long periods of time. But, really, the best way to enjoy our cookies (or any food) is when it's at its freshest.

And so, the compromise our modest company is making, so that you can enjoy our cookies at their best, is this: our cookies will be made fresh for every order. What this means is that unless a market will stock fresh cookies on a weekly basis, we will no longer have our cookies in stores. What this also means, and specifically for you, our valued customer, is that when you order, your cookies will be baked fresh and sent right away. Since we'll be baking orders as they come, you can expect to receive your order in up to 10 business days (which ain't bad if I do say so myself).

I'd also like to take this opportunity to let you know our prices have dropped! You can now purchase a bag of PistachiOats for $3.99.

We're happy about the changes and when we're happy we like to celebrate by giving. In the spirit of our health, happiness, and generosity, we'd like to now share with you the fresh, natural, nutritious taste of PistachiOats that inspired us to share it with the world in the first place.

So, don't be shy. If you want some of this, send us an email, pistachioats@sanovilla.com, with an address to which we can send you some cookies. Let us know what flavor you'd like - dark chocolate chip, blueberry, or original - and we'll get your order going.

About the Pistachio Nut Recall

2009-04-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

The recent pistachio nut recall has been issued toward Setton Farms Distribution and is not an all-encompassing recall. Our pistachio nut supplier is Trader Joe's, and they have advised the following:

At this time, Trader Joe's Pistachios are NOT subject to the recent pistachio recall. We are keeping a close watch on any new developments and are gathering valuable information from our suppliers to ensure the safety of all of the products sold in our stores. Please know that if we had any reason for concern about any of our products, we would immediately pull the product from our shelves and inform our customers of our actions and the reasons for them. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers and crew, and the quality of our products.

Our Sano Villa Family holds Trader Joe's in the highest regard and trust that they continue to supply us with good and fresh product. We trust them so much that we continue to indulge in pistachio nuts and PistachiOats despite current concerns.

You can find out more information about developments in the pistachio nut recall here.

Coming Soon - Butternut Market in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

2008-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful, crisp, and sunny autumn day in the streets of the welcoming Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. The Shops of Lewis Avenue (SOLA) association were afforded the perfect day for its celebration of existing and up-and-coming neighborhood shops. Among the "soon to bes" was our friend, Ardenia Brown, who is working hard to establish the first specialty and natural food store in the Bed-Stuy area. And she was graciously welcomed by neighbors excited to have a local health food store.

Named "Butternut Market", the store is scheduled to open this coming November. Not only will you be able to get your healthy groceries and fresh produce from Butternut, you'll also be able to enjoy healthy and gourmet prepared foods. For our fans in Brooklyn, PistachiOats will also be available at the Butternut.

The SOLA Festival had music, free goodies, food, and a whole lot of love. It was a wonderful experience being a part of a community that believes in itself and its people and is determined to preserve and stimulate its growth. We've found a wonderful friend in the Bed-Stuy community and we look forward to our continued connection with our new neighbors.

Mixing Business with Pleasure

2008-08-26T18:25:00.001-07:00

How a PistachiOats delivery made for a very nice weekend getaway

As we stepped off of the NJ Transit Train, we were immediately welcomed by a light and airy breeze that carried the scent of the salty sea. The train ride was long, taking us almost 2 hours to reach our destination of Asbury Park, NJ. Summer is swiftly coming to an end and we wanted to experience the pleasures of the beach before the autumn. Thinking about possibilities for a weekend getaway, we remembered the invitation extended to us from our friend and PistachiOats client, Patricia Patton, owner of Sea Greens in Asbury Park, NJ. I immediately contacted Patricia and asked for recommendations on places to stay and the best way to get there, to which she was most helpful. It was also about time for her re-order and so we decided to make the delivery a personal one and ventured off to Asbury Park.

We met Patricia at the Fancy Food Show in Chicago and have been in touch since. Patricia opened Sea Greens this summer and as we could see, business was doing well. The shop is located on the Asbury Park Boardwalk and offers all the healthy goodies you’d crave for after spending a long day in the sun and on the beach. Mom and I ordered “Veggie Shakes” which were delightfully light and fresh and were made with beets, carrots, and “cukes”. Ben had a fresh and all natural fruit smoothie. Visitors to Sea Greens can also delight themselves with a variety of fresh and healthy meals and snacks, including PistachiOats.

After dropping off our delivery of PistachiOats and enjoying our shakes and smoothies, we asked Patricia places she recommended visiting while in the Asbury Park area. She pointed us in the direction of Ocean Grove, a neighboring town to Asbury Park and we made our way accordingly. Strolling down the boardwalk, the open beach to our left and the beautiful wrap-around porch Victorian homes to our right, we savored each moment of quietude and peace we so seldom get to experience living in the city. We then made our way to downtown Ocean Grove and had a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant called, Isabella’s.

Our return train was scheduled to leave at 3 leaving us a few hours to roam the town. We made our way back toward the beach by walking along Wesley Lake admiring more of the beautiful Victorian homes. Finding our way back on the beach, we sat in silence, taking in the moment of utter contentment, soaking in the sun in all its glories.

We made our way back to the train station in silence, once again grateful for being part of a business that has found us new friends and exposed us to new places.

You can see more of our weekend getaway pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/PistachiOats/SeaGreensAsburyParkNJ.

And if you’re ever in the Asbury Park area, visit Patricia and enjoy a lavender lemonade and Belgian waffle while staring out at sea.

Pistachioats Debuts in Upper East Side

2008-08-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

For PistachiOats fans of the Upper East Side, PistachiOats is now available at the Health Nuts on 2nd Ave, between E. 63rd and E. 64th Streets. This will be PistachiOats debut in the Upper East Side and if all fares well, we'll be sure to get it into more of your local stores. Until then!

PistachiOats Goes Green with Orange

2008-07-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

New Packaging for the Environment

Sano Villa is dedicated to making environemntally friendly choices in all its endeavours, which is why deciding on an earth-friendly package is so important. For those who have been with us from the beginning, you'll remember our original bags were of a silver color and had stickers affixed to the front and back. To save on resources and to use fewer materials, we decided to go with a pre-printed version of our stand up pouches. Stand-up pouches are the ideal "go green" packaging as they use 75% less material than most traditional packaging.

The new orange package still has a resealable zipper for those of us who have the will-power to keep from finishing a bag in one sitting. Our bags are also made with a plastic polylaminate material, which keeps our cookies fresh for long periods of time and without contamination. The resealable zipper lets us reuse our beautiful bags as reliable storage containers for cereal, granola, nuts, and more.

Of course, we are keeping an eye out for packaging that is not only made efficiently and can be reused, but also for ones made with biodegradeable materials. If you have any suggestions, please let us know. Until then, keep on reusing your PistachiOats bags instead of buying new ziploc bags.

No Really, It's There Part II

2008-07-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

PistachiOats now available at Whole Foods - Chelsea

When we got a call from Whole Foods on 7th Ave, requesting 3 cases of PistachiOats, the feeling was bittersweet. Sweet, because of our product's growth; bitter, because it still hadn't seen the shelves of Whole Foods Columbus Circle, who are still battling an internal systems failure. (For the full story, read "No Really, It's There" at, http://pistachioats.blogspot.com/2008/05/no-really-its-there.html)

Aware of the glitch, we closely monitored our product's tracks at its new Chelsea location. Thanks to the staff at Whole Foods on 7th Ave, the problem has been rectified and is now, finally, available on its shelves. We'll be sure to share this news with our friends at Whole Foods Columbus Circle, in an effort to shed some light on the problem.

Stay tuned to find out when PistachiOats will finally have its place on shelves at Whole Foods Columbus Circle.

PistachiOats Second Debut at NASFT Summer Fancy Food Show in New York

2008-07-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

If ever you want to visit a museum of food, plan to attend the NASFT Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. Imagine a shopping mall filled with nothing but food and you would see what the Jacob Javits Center in New York looked like during the NASFT Summer Fancy Food Show this past June. My brother and I set out to visit each and every booth that filled the 4 story, 675000 square foot venue, and soon found the feat to be futile. One would need the 3 full days allotted visitors to the Food Show in order to see and taste everything. And it’s nearly impossible to try everything! By the time we finished the first floor of the Show, our tummies were brimming with sweets from Taiwan to curries from India.

Sano Villa was glad to have the extra help from Jeffrey and Grandpa in servicing and acquainting ourselves with the thousands of gracious visitors, vendors, and food enthusiasts who visited us at our booth. Nestled in between an organic honey vendor and a high fiber pasta company, Sano Villa presented its cornerstone, PistachiOats®, at its second NASFT Fancy Food Show. At our last show, we debuted in the “What’s New, What’s Hot,” pavilion. This time, though, we showcased our product in the Natural & Organic Foods Pavilion. We also partook in the Diversity Showcase, which supports minority and women-owned businesses.

Our three days at the show were long and required a lot of hard-work and it was nice to have each other there for the support. (We also were fortunate to have an all-natural energy drink across from us.)
At the Summer Fancy Food Show, we took everything that we learned from the show in Chicago this past spring and brought it to a whole new level. Not only did we have extra help (thanks Jeffrey and Grandpa!) we also debuted our new and improved, bolder, and brighter packaging. We’ve replaced the silver exterior with a cascade of orange, which makes each bag take on the appearance of a nugget of sunshine. Don’t worry, though, it’s the same recipe.

Since the show’s end, we’ve been following up with the many representatives of markets and distributors on bringing our product to their markets. For all of our fans outside of the Manhattan area, hold tight, our product is sure to come!

To see more pictures from our Summer Fancy Food Show album, follow the link to: http://picasaweb.google.com/PistachiOats/SummerFancyFoodShow

Good Canola, Bad Canola

2008-07-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

When creating PistachiOats, my mother thought to use only those ingredients she knew to be nutritious and healthy, since it was originally to be consumed by her and her family and friends.

And so when people say that we shouldn't use canola oil in our product because it's unhealthy, we take this to heart. It seems that there is no general consensus on the effects of canola oil. Some people insist it to be unhealthy, while others insist it to be the healthiest of all oils.

Well, we believe canola oil to be an excellent oil as it is:

very low in saturated fats

a source of omega-3 fatty acids

cholesterol and trans-fat free.

But, it's up to you to decide for yourself. A comprehensive source of information on canola oil is available on the U.S. Canola Association's website, which can be found at http://www.uscanola.com/. Although their information may carry the bias in favor of canola oil as it is their mission to "increase U.S. canola production", the information has been substantiated by the FDA.

We welcome and appreciate any input you may have on canola.

One Bowl of Cookie, Please

2008-07-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Question: How many ingredients does it take to make a tasty and nutritious bowl of oatmeal?

Answer: How many ingredients does it take to make a good cookie?

PistachiOats® is proud to boast its just 15 ingredients, all of which are in their purest form.

Pistachio Nuts Rolled Oats Honey Wheat Farina 100% Whole Wheat Flour

Pumpkin Puree Canola Oil Oat Bran Wheat Germ Flaxseed Meal

Unsweetened Applesauce Egg Whites Rose Water

Spices Vanilla

Imagine making a bowl of oatmeal with all of the healthiest ingredients you can think of. Now, imagine it actually tasting good! When crafting PistachiOats®, the idea was to receive the healthfulness of a bowl of oatmeal, but with taste and flexibility. You can’t take a bowl of oatmeal on the go and chances are it takes a lot of effort to actually finish the bowl without wishing there were a bit more sugar in it. What’s more is that if you were to create a bowl of oatmeal and put all of the healthy and tasty ingredients found in PistachiOats® in it, you’d end up with a very high calorie breakfast. 3 PistachiOats® cookies equate to a bowl of oatmeal and at less than 200 calories. With PistachiOats®, you can enjoy the “oatmeal” experience in its cookie manifestation. Not to be confused with an oatmeal cookie, though, which is traditionally made with sugar and white flour, PistachiOats® is the oatmeal cookie with an edge, as it includes pistachio nuts and rose water, is sweetened only with honey, and is made with 100% whole wheat flour.

So, the next time you get ready to have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, remember PistachiOats®!

Happy Breakfasting!

Harlem Green Foods Festival

2008-06-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

June 21, Marcus Garvey Park, New York – As we made our way through the already bustling Marcus Garvey Park and to our allotted space in the Green Foods Festival, we were welcomed by the sound of a trumpet whose rhythmic beats seemed to resonate with the mixed crowds of protestors, vendors, park goers, and children. We found our spot, abut to the children’s playground, and set up camp.

When Whole Foods had selected our product, PistachiOats®, to be featured at the Green Foods Festival, we were honored to be a part of such an important movement. The Green Foods Organization, like Sano Villa, is about supporting healthy living by educating people on the means to leading a healthy life. Aside from the dozen or so healthy food vendors that dotted the northern pathway of the Marcus Garvey Park, visitors had access to free Tai chi lessons in the park and were provided with a variety of literature on healthy living. It was a very supportive and welcoming environment, which is something the Harlem neighborhood is in search of. As we handed out snacks and informed visitors that our product is available at Whole Foods, a number of them responded with elation – “I love Whole Foods! I’m always there!” Unfortunately, many of our visitors wished a Whole Foods was in their area so that they could implement and sustain a healthier way of living.

The event was to last from 12-6pm. We set up our booth at 11:30am and immediately had people come up to us, interested in learning more about PistachiOats®. The response was so overwhelming that we handed out over 500 snack packs and coupons by only 3pm, which was the reason for our early departure (for all of you who just missed us!). We also had a small raffle in play for a free iPod shuffle. All one had to do was sign-in at our booth with their name or email address. We received hundreds of entries and will have our drawing at the end of July; the winner will be announced in our August 1 newsletter.

While the iPod was an incentive for some, the unique appeal of our product intrigued most. Many health-conscious people were excited to know about an all-natural cookie that was not only low in sugar, but also made with the very popular pistachio nut. We had dozens of people return to our booth complimenting our success on the great taste of PistachiOats®, especially kids! One young man, Sharif of Harlem (11 years old), came back to our booth asking for more, saying, “These are really good!”

Thanks to the Green Foods Organization, Whole Foods, and the awesome Harlem Community! We had a wonderful time sharing our special cookie with you all!

Introducing Jeffrey and Grandpa at the NY NASFT Food Show

2008-06-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Shortly after our debut at the Spring Fancy Food Show in Chicago last April, Sano Villa was inducted into the National Association of Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) as Exhibiting Members. As Members, we have been given the opportunity to participate in all future NASFT food shows. Much work is to be done in preparation for NASFT’s largest show this June at the New York City Jacob K. Javits Center. There are cookies to be baked, brochures to be printed, posters to be created; which are just a few of the tasks Sano Villa must fulfill in preparation for our next show.

PistachiOats® will be displayed in the Natural & Organic Pavilion on the 4th floor Booth #6158 and will also be displayed in a special “Focus on Diversity Showcase” booth which is featured in the “What’s New, What’s Hot” area.

At the show, Sano Villa will introduce its son, Jeffrey Winthrop (21), to the business. He will be responsible for manning the PistachiOats® booth while the rest of the team attends meetings, seminars, and interacts with prospective contacts. And there is a lot to manage for our newest member, as the New York NASFT Show is the biggest of its trade shows. The three-day Fancy Food Show will host over 180,000 specialty foods from all around the world to more than 20,000 attendees.

Sano Villa will also introduce its grandfather, Joseph Hajjar, widow to the late Mary Hajjar, the source and inspiration of Sano Villa’s foods. At 78 years of age, this will be Joseph’s first time in the Big Apple. A Lebanese native, Joseph is familiar with the foods and landscapes of the Middle East and Mediterranean. He and Mary prepared a legacy of Mediterranean foods for their children and grandchildren, side by side. After the death of Mary, Elizabeth, creator of PistachiOats®, now turns to her father for new ideas and innovations on recipes passed down to her from her mother. In his dedication to his late wife, Grandpa Joseph is very excited to be a part of the continuing growth of Sano Villa in the marketplace.

Be sure to check back beginning June 29th, the start of the NY Fancy Food Show, as we continue to share and chronicle our experiences with you.

Until then!

PistachiOats Summertime Treats

2008-06-16T12:10:00.001-07:00

Our taste buds sense the approach of summer and with that comes the craving for the sweet and the cold – ice cream!

We love ice cream just as much as the next person, which is why we’ve created a number of summertime desserts using PistachiOats^®. Our favorite of this summer is the parfait. We’ve taken this French dessert and made it our own by combining our favorite cookie, PistachiOats^®, with our favorite flavors of ice cream, and topping it with complementary tastes.

Here are some of our personal favorites.

Elizabeth’s childhood carries with it the flavors of pistachio nuts, which is a common snack and food in her native Lebanon. For her, the Pistachio Parfait is the perfect complement to her favorite cookie creation, PistachiOats^®.

Sano Villa family member, Nicole, is the quintessential chocoholic and so it comes as no surprise that her favorite PistachiOats^® Parfait is the Chocolate Parfait.

PistachiOats^® co-creator, Ben, loves to eat as much fruit as possible, especially come summertime. His parfait of choice blends vanilla ice cream and fruit with his favorite PistachiOats® flavor, blueberry.

You can learn how to make these yummy treats, along with other PistachiOats^® inventions, on our website at http://pistachioats.blogspot.com/2008/05/not-just-any-ordinary-cookie.html

Please also share with us your favorite PistachiOats^® creations!

Not Just Any Ordinary Cookie

2008-05-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

When Elizabeth created PistachiOats®, she did so with the goal of creating a healthy snack that was tasty enough to be eaten alone, yet simple enough in ingredients to complement an array of foods and recipes. Aside from its enormous health benefits and unique blend of Mediterranean flavors, PistachiOats™ is more than just your ordinary cookie.

The Sano Villa Family enjoys their daily dose of PistachiOats® with a cup of coffee or tea. (Nicole likes to have her Dark Chocolate Chip PistachiOats® with a tall glass of milk.) The Family also enjoys the cookie with a light cream cheese spread, such as Laughing Cow Cheese; not to mention that the cookie’s subtle sweetness also makes for a great snack with fruit.

Elizabeth and the Sano Villa Family are proud of the many roles the cookie plays in the plentitude of delicious and innovative recipes the cookie has inspired. It’s exciting to see the new recipes Mom (Elizabeth) comes up with by using our special cookie!

The following are some of the recipes inspired by our favorite cookie, which can be enjoyed at breakfast, as dessert, as an in-between meal or appetizer…anytime!

Cheese Balls
• 1 bag Original PistachiOats (7 cookies)
• 3/4 cups Mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cups chopped unsalted pistachio nuts

1. Crumble cookies into small chunks in a bowl.
2. Add cheese and blend with a spatula or by hand.
3. Roll into a tablespoon size balls.
4. Roll balls in chopped nuts covering the entire ball.
5. Place on the serving plate.

The above measurments should make about 20 - 25 balls. Note: You can make the balls smaller or a litter larger. However, smaller sizes serve better as appitizers to compliment a glass of wine.

Pumpkin Pie Cups
• 1 bag of Original PistachiOats (7 cookies)
• Pumpkin pie mix*
• Whip cream for topping
• 3 tablespoons of canola oil

1. Crumble the cookies in a bowl
2. Add canola oil and mix well by hand
3. Add a tablespoon of the mixture into the muffin cup and press to form a cup
4. Add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie mixture in the center
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees

Makes approximately 12 - 15 cups
Note: The baking time is less than the instructions posted on the pie mix due to the smaller portions.
Use as a pie crust for apple, pumpkin, sweet potato and pecan. PistachiOats spices compliment these ingredients.
* Prepare according to can instructions or use your own recipe.

Pistachio Parfait
• 4 Original PistachiOats to each parfait cup
• Pistachio ice cream
• Chopped unsalted pistachio nuts (about 1/4 cup)

1. Crumble a cookie into the bottom of the glass
2. Add a layer of ice cream
3. Sprinkle some chopped nuts
4. Crumble another cookie
5. Continue with the layering until the cup is full
6. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top

Chocolate Parfait
• 4 Dark Chocolate Chip PistachiOats to each parfait cup
• Chocolate frozen yogurt or ice cream
• Chocolate sprinkles or chocolate chips

1. Crumble a cookie into the bottom of the cup
2. Add a layer of yogurt or ice cream
3. Sprinkle chocolate sprinkles or add a few chocolate chips
4. Crumble another cookie
5. Continue with the layering until the cup is full
6. Top with a cherry

Blueberry Parfait
• 4 Blueberry PistachiOats to each parfait cup
• French vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Crumble a cookie into the bottom of the cup
2. Add a layer of yogurt or ice cream
3. Add some blueberries
4. Crumble another cookie
5. Continue with the layering until the cup is full
6. Top with fresh blueberries

Pistachio Pudding Parfait
• 4 Original PistachiOats to each parfait cup
• Pistachio pudding
• Chopped unsalted pistachio nuts (about 1/4 cup)

1. Crumble a cookie into the bottom of the cup
2. Add a layer of pistachio pudding
3. Sprinkle some chopped nuts
4. Crumble another cookie
5. Continue with the layering until the cup is full
6. Sprinkle remaining nuts on top

No Really, It’s There

2008-05-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

PistachiOats™, Now Available (but not yet on shelves) at Whole Foods Columbus Circle

New York, NY – Approximately 6 months after PistachiOats® was introduced to the Manhattan market, it was recently welcomed into Whole Foods Columbus Circle, in Manhattan. However, it has yet to be placed on its store shelves.

After 6 months of product demos in local markets, such as Amish Market, Lifethyme, and the Health Nuts and with repeated positive customer responses, Sano Villa felt the PistachiOats® product would be graciously welcomed into the Whole Foods community. Co-founder and CEO, Ben Orejana, began the quest for Whole Foods the old-fashioned way – door-to-door sales. He started in Greenwich Village and ended at Columbus Circle, approaching 5 locations in all, and leaving each with a sample and product information.

A few weeks and a dozen or so follow-up phone calls and messages later, Ben got a hold of the purchasing agent at Whole Foods Columbus Circle. Ben Orejana: “When I called a few weeks later, they [Whole Foods Columbus Circle] still hadn’t made a decision because they hadn’t yet tried the product. The purchasing agent actually tried the product while speaking to me on the phone and she loved it. She said we were in!”

Still, the PistachiOats® product has yet to see store shelves as it’s been caught in the gridlock of market bureaucracy. Sano Villa even performed an in-store tasting for its product, not yet available for sale.

“We were so nervous and excited the first day of our Whole Foods tasting. But, when I got there and my booth was already set up, I found out that our product still wasn’t in the system.” Operations Manager, Nicole Winthrop, continues, “Actually, it was funny because the minute I found this out, a customer had just grabbed a bag for purchase. I’m not sure what happened with that.”

Although PistachiOats® is a new member of the Whole Foods team, Sano Villa is still waiting the day its premier healthy cookie product will grace its shelves. Until then, PistachiOats® fans will have to venture to one of its other retail locations or content themselves with ordering on-line.

Outsourcing from the Home

2008-05-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

About Sano Villa - About Family

New York, NY - When Ben Orejana came to his partner, Elizabeth Winthrop, and asked that she create a healthy snack for them, the two didn’t then realize this little request would erupt into a small business, let alone a family enterprise. The company was named Sano Villa, translated as “healthy home,” the key word being home when taken in the context of the business end.

Ben and Elizabeth used their premier product, PistachiOats® – the heart healthy cookie, as a foundation for their children, beginning with the eldest, Elizabeth’s daughter, Nicole. Ben and Elizabeth, although determined to bring their new product to the market, were preoccupied with their full-time jobs. They considered outsourcing certain tasks, such as marketing, research, sales, etc. to various firms, but then decided to approach Nicole with the task.

“We decided that although a good firm would have the wherewithal needed to launch a new business, this wouldn’t mean they had the heart and dedication. Elizabeth and I want our children to know what needs to be done to start and run their own business and we hope to pass those skills to Nicole, the big sister.”

Nicole, a recent college graduate and student of philosophy was hesitant to take on the responsibility of helping to launch a new business, but she believed in the product and in the company. “I didn’t and still don’t know the first thing about starting a business, which I’ve found to be a benefit. We’re constantly learning and with each new nugget of knowledge is growth.”

Ben and Elizabeth will be involving all of their children over the summer – Sloan, 13, Alex, 14, Joey, 14, Jeffrey, 21 – and for a variety of projects in and out of the kitchen, which can all be chronicled on the PistachiOats® website at http://pistachioats.blogspot.com/

Debut at the 2008 Global Food and Style Expo in Chicago

2008-05-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

Sano Villa took to the rode in April 2008, making our way to Chicago for our very first food show. We packed up our rental with cases of PistachiOats®, brochures, flyers, banners, and our nerves and drove from New York City, headquarters of Sano Villa, to Chicago, with a stop in Cleveland. On our drive, we prepared for what was to become a pivotal moment in our emerging business’ career. As new Member Candidates of the National Association of Specialty Foods Trade (NASFT), we understood that our presence at the food show would be important in launching our product into the market.

The experience was overwhelming, to say the least. Admittedly, it was hard to focus on work, work, work, being in one of the most beautiful cities in America and in a mecca of art, entertainment, and fabulous restaurants, but we had come with the purpose of gaining industry insight and exposure, which helped us to focus amidst all the pleasures of Chicago.
While at the show, we attended various seminars, ranging from business basics to the insides of marketing. We also met with many Chicago retailers and manufacturers and learned more about the ins and outs of the food industry. The most encouraging part of our experience was in meeting so many new, small business owners, just like us, who were experiencing a food show for the first time. Some of the wonderful small business entrepreneurs that we met were:

Chris at Shaggy Dog Marinade
Sharissa at Anthony Grace Collection

Judy and Dale and Splendid Spreads
Sam at How Do You Take Your Coffee?
Lucy and Paul at Dr. Lucy's

Our deepest gratitude goes out to each and every one of them and we wish them all the best!

A very special thanks also goes to Erika from the NASFT for allowing us the opportunity and providing us the resources and invaluable support that made our first food show experience a success.

Sano Villa is now taking its experience and preparing for our next big NASFT Food Show here in NYC at the end of this month. Be sure to check our website regularly to find out how our next big show goes!

To see our complete album from the Spring Fancy Food Show and tour of Chicago, follow the link to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/PistachiOats/2008GlobalFoodStyleExpo

Family-Run Health-Inspired Company, Sano Villa, Opens Its Doors with a Donation to NYC Food Bank

2007-10-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

Sano Villa Produces Special Batch of Gourmet Health Snack Specifically for New York’s Neediest

New York, NY (October 2007) – Sano Villa, a new company which caters to health-conscious individuals, opened its doors this month with a special donation. While most companies launch a new product with promotions and giveaways to prospective customers, Sano Villa began by giving away to the NYC Food Bank. 100 packs of their first health-inspired product, PistachiOats® – an all-natural, multi-grain, organically-made, gourmet health snack – was donated to NYC Food Bank to be used by the Holy Cross Church in Manhattan.

PistachiOats® co-creator, Ben Orejana, explains the PistachiOats® “get in on the goodness™” campaign to be a universal message: “As a believer in community service, our Sano Villa Family was excited to be able to share PistachiOats® through the Food Bank. We believe everyone should be eating healthier. I think food kitchens are a tremendous blessing and I commend the work that they do and hope that our contribution can help others not only sustain, but improve toward a healthier way of living.” The donation was also inspired by the works of health-conscious soup kitchens, such as the Broadway Presbyterian Church, where the head chef produces gourmet-style foods for its customers while advocating the use of home-made, trans-fat-free, organic, and locally produced products in his recipes.

The value of the donation is priced at over $300. As a small business with no sales, the donation is an expensive, yet worthwhile expense; the major pay-off being that people with likely nutritious-deficient diets are receiving a good and wholesome snack. Sano Villa plans to make the donation monthly and hopes to steadily increase its donation as business grows.

Reasons I Don’t Need Triticale and Seven Grains

2007-10-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

A Response to Technological Health Foods

Triticale. The name alone gets my taste buds going. Oh, you haven’t heard of it? I’m sure you’ve eaten it before. Triticale is an artificial hybrid of rye and wheat, first developed in laboratories. It is a sterile grain, so come reproduction time, a special chemical (colchicine) is applied in order to make the plant reproduce. What’s colchicine, you ask?

There is a trend in the food industry that cannot be ignored – the growing demand for healthy, natural, unprocessed foods. With this demand comes one of two responses: (1) a turning to technology and artificial ingredients, made, in large, by big food producers, or (2) a turning to mother earth for her all-natural ingredients – a technique employed by most small health food businesses

Over the weekend, I was approached by a major self-proclaimed, health food distributor’s snack-stand from which “good snacks” (as they called them) were given for free. Let’s call them TritiHealth. Familiar with TritiHealth’s healthy image, I happily accepted the free snack. Then came the surprises. The first surprise was when I read the 30 item ingredients list, most of which I didn’t understand. “For a snack bar?” I thought. Among the most notable were our friend, triticale and evaporated cane juice crystals, an exotic name for sugar. Although I still did not have a full understanding of 1/3 of the ingredients, I found the TritiHealth bar to be an overall artificial, albeit healthy treat. After an attempt to chew my first bite, I gave up and threw it away. You would think that with all the enhancements made, they could have made it taste better than lightly sweetened cardboard. Had my TritiHealth bar pleased my taste buds, I would have let its artificial healthiness go. Their values read: “minimal processing,” “pure ingredients,” “natural goodness.” I think not.

And why do I need more than one type of grain in my snack bar? That seemed to be TritiHealth’s emphasis; that their snack bar has not one, not two, but seven. Ask any nutritionist and they’ll confirm that a serving of grain is a serving of grain, no matter the grain. Now, aside from fiber, each grain does offer a particular benefit that is sometimes not shared among its other fellow grains. For example, rye is rich in potassium, but not so much in farina. However, since TritiHealth has so many grains and only so much room to put them in their snack bar, there isn’t enough of each grain to receive its benefits. Instead of the pleasure of receiving potassium from a product rich in rye, you get the by-product effect of seven different grains. Good source of fiber, not much else. I've learned to stick to foods that focus on a select few grains. That way, the body absorbs more of the nutritional value of the grain.

It comes as a no surprise that I'm a huge fan of PistachiOats (and not because it's my mom's recipe). PistachiOats™ represents the emerging second response made to the growing demand for more healthy, natural, and unprocessed foods. It has all-natural ingredients and all of which I know and recognize without the use of Wikipedia. Added bonus, it tastes delicious. Unlike most other "healthy" and "all natural" products, PistachiOats is forthcoming and does not mask ingredients, such as sugar, with fancy names like crystal.

Small companies, such as Sano Villa, are taking on the big job. And while food production gods continue to turn to technology and laboratories to make healthy foods, the small business health food producers have flocked to the farms outside of laboratory walls. They’ve re-discovered the traditions and secrets to our ancestors’ health. No, it’s not triticale; it’s simple and natural, earth-made ingredients.