Staff picks

This article was originally published in January 2016

Blood orange

In season: organic produce

  • Blood oranges
  • Autumn Glory apples
  • Murcott tangerines
  • Cara Cara navel oranges
  • Seville oranges (for cooking)
Lucini Rustic Tomato Basil sauce

GROCERY

Jacobs Creamery Bloomy cheese

A local, oh-so-delicious and creamy brie, it will knock your socks off!

— Diana L., cheese specialist, Greenlake

Lucini Rustic Tomato Basil sauce

The perfect sauce, not too sweet and good with any pasta dish.

— Lorraine S., office

Ginger People Ginger enerGizer juice

Sweet apple balances out spicy ginger to create a zesty beverage that perks you up with every sip.

— Chloe C., Greenlake Aurora

Smoked Mozzarella Pasta

DELI

Mashed Yams and Goat Cheese

Because they’re #1, goat cheese, and #2, yams. You don’t even have to chew them, just savor, savor, savor.

— Elizabeth P., office

Sesame, Edamame and Quinoa salad

Very nourishing and satisfying, like you’re giving your body what it needs.

— Suzanne P., Redmond

Smoked Mozzarella Pasta

My reason for living!

— Matthew M., office

Alaffia Africa's Secret Lotion

HEALTH & BEAUTY CARE

Alaffia Africa’s Secret Lotion

This time of year it’s amazing for keeping my hands from getting chapped. It keeps my cuticles healthy and the propolis is a nice antibacterial boost.

— Jamie W., Issaquah

Gaia Herbs Quick Defense

Every time I feel a cold coming on, I use this and my symptoms are gone in two days.

— Mackenzie P., Kirkland

Umcka Cold Care

The Soothing Hot Drink and Throat Spray keep me up and running in winter!

— Robin B., View Ridge

Also in this issue

Quality standards update

Recently PCC updated our quality standards for several controversial ingredients — caramel color, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide and carrageenan. We also asked FDA to define "grass-fed" for dairy.

Letters to the editor, January 2016

Missing PCC from the Midwest; Natural, effective deodorant; Kids eat what they need; and more

News bites, January 2016

Farmers used bees 9,000 years ago; Roundup and organ damage; EPA revokes herbicide approval; and more