• Home
  • Shop Our Store
  • Blog
  • What Is Toastilla?
    • Introduction to Toastilla
  • What's In Yours?
    • Recipes >
      • Savory
      • Sweet
    • Instructions for Use
  • Toastilla Spotting
    • Where's Toastilla Now?
    • What are People Saying?
  • Customer Support
    • About Us
    • Contact Us >
      • Return Policy
    • Our Team
TOASTILLA (a new twist on an old tradition)
  • Home
  • Shop Our Store
  • Blog
  • What Is Toastilla?
    • Introduction to Toastilla
  • What's In Yours?
    • Recipes >
      • Savory
      • Sweet
    • Instructions for Use
  • Toastilla Spotting
    • Where's Toastilla Now?
    • What are People Saying?
  • Customer Support
    • About Us
    • Contact Us >
      • Return Policy
    • Our Team

The Tortilla

3/5/2018

0 Comments

 
We bet that you didn’t know March is the designated month to celebrate flour. But, it’s true! Aaand, what is made of flour? Just a little hint: you love it and we use it every single day! That’s right, it’s tortillas!
Picture
Okay, so it’s probably not a big surprise to find out that tortillas come from Mexico. Before we get into flour tortillas we need to look at maize nearly 12,000 years ago. According to Mayan legend, the first tortillas were invented by a peasant in ancient times to feed his king. Soon, the flattened cakes of dried maize were adapted into Aztec culture and in 1519 when Cortés arrived with his Spanish soldiers he commented on the corn tortillas in a letter to King Charles V of Spain.
Over time, corn tortillas evolved into a wheat tortilla made with unleavened, water-based dough that was pressed and cooked like corn tortillas.
​
Today, tortillas are the staple of many cultures and can be found worldwide. In America, tortillas are so popular that they rank only behind sliced bread for the most sold packaged bread. And that doesn’t count the chips. Mmmm, tortilla chips. I can hear Rudy cracking open a bag now.

From the manual tortilla maker to equipment which can produce over 60,000 tortillas an hour, anyone can make their own tortillas. And you guessed it, we have a recipe for you!

Flour Tortilla Recipe

Picture
Ingredients:
  • 4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons of lard
  • 1 ½ cups water
Directions:
  1. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
  2. Cut lard into the flour mixture until it the mixture resembles cornmeal.
  3. Add water until a dough is formed.
  4. Layout dough on a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic.
  5. Divide into 24 pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
  6. Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat.
  7. With a tortilla press or a floured rolling pin flatten each dough ball into a thin and round tortilla.
  8. Place each flattened tortilla into the skillet until it begins to bubble and turn a nice golden color. Flip and do the same to the other side.
  9. Store the cooked tortillas in a tortilla warmer or eat right out of the pan. 
​These tortillas are soft, chewy and delicious. Try them in any of your favorite wrapped meals, but we of course like to flatten them thin enough, so they make great Toastillas! For us, the thinner the better, but it’s hard to pass up a tortilla as chewy as these. In fact, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and were afraid these little cakes won’t even make it to your toaster. 
0 Comments

National Peanut Butter Lover's Day 03/01

3/2/2018

0 Comments

 
​It’s funny how quickly life can get away with you. From a trade show in Minneapolis (In February, yes, that happened), to the kids, and getting Toastilla out to the masses, it’s been a busy month. One thing we hadn’t realized is how many food-inspired days of celebration hit the end of February. I don’t know if it’s because people are craving the fresh produce and picnics that are a baseball’s toss away, or if people are just tired of hiding the effects of winter hibernation under sweaters and coats. 
Picture
​So, today, we end with the last food celebration of the month – National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day – and is there a better one to celebrate? From PB&J to a spoonful of Jiff before bed, peanut butter is truly an American favorite. In fact, one of the first Toastillas we came up with was the Peanut Butter and Jelly Toastilla Pocket and it continues to be a favorite with everyone in our family. 


Picture
Picture
Picture

Picture
​Even though peanut butter is a beloved food around the world, believe it or not, there are people out there who fear peanut butter. Of course, nut allergies can be severe, so we’ll give that to about 1.5% of the country who suffer from this tragedy as having significant fear. But, have you ever heard of Archibutyrophobia? It’s the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. Yep, that’s a real thing!

​Still, for those of us who don’t have to worry about the effect of peanut butter on our lives we have a lot to be grateful for – Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups, Reece’s Pieces, PB&J, and of course using our index finger to slide out the remainder of deliciousness in the jar of Skippy. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
​So, while we can’t get enough of the taste of peanut butter, around the Gallego house we also like to stretch our trivia. Here are a few fun facts about peanut butter.
  • If we didn’t start this list of trivia with a common myth, we would be horrible trivia-listers. So, for the betterment of trivia lists everywhere we must tell you that peanuts are not nuts at all. They are actually legumes. But, peanut butter sounds a lot better than pea-legume butter, so we’ll just say that’s why we call it peanut butter. In actuality, we just have no clue. 
  • 75% of homes in America have a jar of peanut butter in their pantry. We assume that the remaining 23.75% who aren’t allergic, just didn’t answer the question truthfully. To be fair, there are estimates that say up to 94% of households have peanut butter on their shelves. 
  • Why do we love Grand Saline, TX? Because they made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that weighed 1,342 lbs., that’s why!
  • Americans spend $800-million a year on peanut butter, which is enough to coat the floor of the Grand Canyon and would weigh about 1.5-billion pounds. 
  • George Washington Carver pioneered the peanut industry with over 300 uses for peanuts, however one of them was not peanut butter. That is right, he did not invent peanut butter. It was actually ancient Inca and Aztecs who first ground peanuts into a paste. But, modern peanut butter came from three individuals: Marcellus Gilmore Edson who patented peanut paste, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (Yes, that one) patented a process for creating peanut butter from raw peanuts, and Dr. Ambrose Straub who patented a peanut-butter making machine. 
0 Comments

Strawberry Day - February 27!

2/26/2018

0 Comments

 
Strawberries are one of the most nutritious foods in the world. They are jammed with antioxidants, are heart healthy, helps to increase good cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and can also help prevent against cancer. So, to say they are healthy is a bit of an understatement. And for such a small plant, strawberries are oddly durable and can be found nearly anywhere that you will find people.

So, naturally, with all the health benefits of this amazing berry, there is a day of celebration. And while we love the health benefits, what we love more is the versatility of this fruit. Strawberries pack a combination of sweet and tart which enable it to be used as a succulent dessert, an addition to a refreshing salad, and can even accompany warm dishes. That doesn’t even include, jellies, jams, sauces and everything else they are used for.
​
So, while you’re waiting for your toaster to pop out our Fresh Berry Toastilla Pocket, we thought we’d give you a few facts about this delicious berry. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
  • Strawberries are notorious for their tiny chia-sized seeds adorning the outside of the fruit. But, did you know that strawberries are the only fruit to have seeds on the outside of their skin? In fact, there are nearly 200 of these small seeds on each strawberry. This might have something to do with how widespread the fruit has become around the world. 
  • But, wait a second, because those stingy little seeds provide a little bit of a problem for Strawberries. Technically, a berry has seeds on the inside, which not only eliminate the strawberry as a berry, but actually means that to a botanist, each of those 200 seeds is their own individual fruit. 
  • To add a little more to this “what is a strawberry?” puzzle, strawberries are also a member of the rose family. 
  • Beyond the seeds, strawberries are also perennials, which means that they will come back year after year for about five years. Basically, that means you will have strawberries a plenty with little work. Not a bad deal. 
  • While every state in the United States and every province in Canada grows strawberries, there is one special place that grows 80% of North Americas strawberries. Obviously, it is California which produces about three-billion pounds of the fruit. 
  • Do you have a problem remembering when foods are in season? Well, strawberries make it easy, they are the first fruit to ripen in spring.
  • Depending on the variety and location, the strawberries growing season lasts from February to November. Although, it’s peak season is considered April through June. 
  • Pregnant women should be eating a lot of strawberries. Studies have shown that women can reduce birth defects such as spina bifida by consuming strawberries regularly. 
  • While you may love the bright red and heart-shaped strawberries in your backyard, they come in a variety of colors many people are unaware of such as blue, black, yellow, white, and purple. 
  • If you really love strawberries, but wish they were bigger, don’t fret because there are strawberries that are the size of an animal. 
  • And if the word love is an understatement, you can get your fill of strawberry knowledge and foods at the Musée de la Fraise de Wepion (Belgium’s Museum of Strawberries).
0 Comments

National Tortilla Chip Day

2/23/2018

0 Comments

 
February 24 is National Tortilla Chip Day and you can bet this is a big day in our home! As you can probably guess, tortillas play an integral part of our everyday life, considering our business depends on them! And while the tortilla is the base for our Toastilla, we would be lying if we didn’t admit our affinity for tortilla’s little cousin – the tortilla chip.

Tortilla chips are traditionally made of corn, usually yellow, but you can also find white, red and blue corn tortilla chips. While now chips come in all shapes from triangular and circular to scoops – a personal favorite, this wasn’t always the case. And, like many of the great foods of today, it took a creative entrepreneur to realize that either a waste of something or a mistake in processing could lend the world greater purpose. So, in the 1940s a woman named Rebecca Webb Carranza took the rejected tortillas from her automated tortilla maker, cut them into triangle and fried these delicious little chips.

By the 1970s, tortilla chips made their way from California to the other side of the country and the rest is history.  In 1994 Rebecca Carranza received the first Golden Tortilla award for her contribution to the Mexican food industry and we can’t imagine a better recipient.
​
In celebration of National Tortilla Chip Day here is one of our favorite tortilla chip Toastillas. It’s like a bowl of nachos in your mouth!

Toastilla Nachos

Picture
Ingredients:
  • Tortilla
  • Nacho Doritos
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Salsa
  • Black beans
  • Thin slices of avocado

Click on picture to the left to watch our video on how we made these Toastilla Nachos
Directions:
​
Everyone loves their nachos a bit different, so we won’t bore you with amounts with this recipe. What we will say is that these Toastilla Nachos seem to work best if you start with salsa laid first onto the tortilla, layer the other ingredients and then top with cheese before folding and toasting. 
The great thing about Toastilla Nachos is that they are as versatile as regular nachos. Additional ingredients such as jalapenos, nacho cheese, refried beans and even sauces like barbecue and ranch will only add to the flavor.
​
While these are great any day of the week, they are especially welcome as appetizers when you’re throwing a party – especially one on February 24 – National Tortilla Chip Day!
0 Comments

Creating a Toastilla Breakfast

2/19/2018

0 Comments

 
You’ve heard this before, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Unfortunately, studies show that nearly 10% of Americans skip breakfast entirely – that’s 31-million people. Surprisingly, the biggest culprits are those food vacuums us parents refer to as teenagers. In fact, that can be expanded even further, and with a larger percentage to men between the ages of 18 and 34 are the most likely to skip breakfast – nearly 28%!

While we all know that that particular age group will make up those calories later in the day with burgers, hot dogs and anything else that crosses their paths, it’s also known that this is the problem with skipping breakfast. You see, skipping breakfast does several things for your body such as breaking the nightly fast, replenishing glucose and supplying your body with essential energy-rich nutrients to keep you going through the day. Oh, and one more vital importance to eating breakfast – weight management. This is the reason why, even though men between the ages of 18 and 34, despite grabbing their calories through the day, are likely to find a nice flotation device hitting their mid-section as they near their thirties.

Breakfast is a time to break fast with healthy nutrients such as protein and fiber that both fill you up and help your metabolism and digestive system get rollin’. Without this morning process people are more likely to start snacking and overindulging at lunch because they are hungry and can’t gauge how much they should eat.

So, today, I’d like to talk about how a few morning minutes with Toastilla can help start you off to a fantastically healthy day.
Putting together a power-breakfast is all about choosing the right ingredients with a powerful mix of nutrients. What we look at are ingredients dense in calcium, iron, B-vitamins, and the two biggies, protein and fiber.

A little guide we like to look at is mixing and matching the big five. Of course, we are looking at meals that can be served warm, so we might not include a protein-intense Greek yogurt, but when you’re on the run, digging through a yogurt cup or cereal bowl isn’t as easy as munching on a Toastilla while you run out the door. We want to give you 25 different options to mix, so some foods such as cheese, bacon and eggs which could fit into multiple categories will only be placed under one.
​
By mixing the ingredients in the chart below you should be able to put together a simple, quick and delicious meal that tastes even better when you’re running late for work or school. 

Calcium​

Iron

​B-Vitamins

Protein

Fiber

Broccoli
Cheddar Cheese
Spinach
Sweet Potato
Spring Onions
Brown Rice
Dried Apricots
Molasses
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Feta Cheese
Cottage Cheese
Salmon
Banana
Avocado
Bacon
Breakfast Sausage
Eggs
Peanut butter
Ham
Black beans
Apple
Almonds
Blackberries
Pears

​This mix and match list can be used to find a perfect match or create dozens of favorites if you are the type of person who enjoys diversity in your life. A little rule of thumb when assembling your Toastilla is add something that will bind your ingredients. For example, if you are craving apples, you might want to add peanut butter and molasses. Or, if you want to go traditional, cheese is a great way to keep ham eggs and avocado together. 

Here are a couple combinations we came up with for inspiration...

Click on any of the pictures below to be taken to our video where we'll show you just how we made these recipes.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Sweet Lovers
Apple
Peanut Butter
Almonds
Vegetarian
Brown Rice
Avocado
Black Beans
Meat Lovers
Bacon
Egg
Cheese
​Comment below and let us know what some of your favorite Toastilla favorites are. 
0 Comments

February 16th - Almond Day!

2/16/2018

0 Comments

 
Almonds…’nough said.

Almonds are the peanuts of the 21st century and as you try to work out the kinks of your grocery cart wheels you may be amazed at how many of the products you pass down the grocery aisle are made with this fragrantly delicious nut. Just think about this for a moment; Almond milk, flour, pasta, butter, oil and meal (flour ground with the almond skins). So, what’s behind the fascination with almonds aside from their deliciousness?

Well, it’s also about the health. Nutrition experts love the heart health of this nut which contains calcium, vitamin B, vitamin E, magnesium and fiber—five vitamins and minerals that will keep you young and full of energy.
​
So, with all the hoopla about almonds, you better believe that this little jewel of flavor has a few interesting facts bouncing around the web for us to relay to you. Here are eight of our favorites.
Picture
  • You would think that as globally-loved as almonds are their orchards would be spread throughout the world. But, while they can be located in countries such as Spain and Australia, around 80% of the world’s almonds are actually grown in California (Yay! Go Cali!)
Picture
  • No bees, no honey almonds. Almonds are 100% reliant on honey bee pollination. Because of this, almond farmers will either contract with beekeepers to bring hives to the orchard, or they will bring in their own hives resulting in one of the largest costs incurred for almond farmers. So, the next time you try to stomp on a bee just remember you are costing the world both honey and almonds. 
Picture
  • In the store, almonds appear to be nature’s perfectly shaped food. Yet, off a tree are individually unique and fuzzy like a peach.

More fun facts about almonds...

  • Almonds are not nuts. They are a seed in the rose family which happen to be on a tree called an almond tree. Wait, not a nut—wha? 
  • Almonds can regulate your cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure which is why they are considered one of the best foods to eat for heart health.
  • 90% of fat in almonds is unsaturated which means you can eat them, without worrying about fat. (Woohoo!)
  • Almond flour is gluten free.
  • For those who love chocolate, 40% of the world’s almonds are used by chocolate manufacturers. Surprised? How about Almond Joy, Hershey’s Bar with Almonds, Snickers Bar with Almond and the beloved Toblerone. 

​Figgy Almonds Recipe

​Now this recipe is inspired by an Italian friend whose grandmother would make halved figs topped with goat cheese, an almond and then drizzled with honey. Sounds delish! But, we here at Toastilla, couldn’t help by try to put our own touch on this seemingly “old country” recipe. We exchanged the goat cheese with cream cheese for personal preference and since figs are usually a seasonal fruit—June to October—there are a couple fruity alternatives. 
Picture
Click on image to watch us make the Figgy Almonds recipe
Ingredients:
  • 1 Tortilla
  • ¼ cup Cream cheese
  • ¼ cup Almonds
  • Fill to your liking—Figs, or another dried fruit such as prunes or apricots
  • Honey
​Directions:
  1. Mix cream cheese, almonds and fruit in a small bowl.
  2. Add to the tortilla, fold and toast.
  3. When toasting is complete drizzle with honey 
​This is a great recipe if you are looking for a quick appetizer, or a little energy boost in the middle of the day. But, of course, it can be eaten anytime you want, you know…because it’s a Toastilla family recipe!
0 Comments

Five Places You May Not Think to Bring Your Toastilla, But You Should!

2/12/2018

0 Comments

 
​Up until now you’ve probably thought of your Toastilla as a nice addition to your kitchen. It’s portable, fits nicely in a drawer, and does a great job helping to create hundreds of tasty snacks and meals. But, let’s think outside the box for a moment. Have you ever thought about taking your Toastilla cuisine outside of the house? That’s right, the Toastilla was not just made as another kitchen tool, but also something to help you keep those same comfort foods with you as you explore the world. While our short list is by no means exhaustive, we would like to share with you some ideas on how to use your Toastilla outside of the house. We’re willing to bet you’ll have that, “why didn’t I think of that” moment!
Picture
  • College Dorm: Okay, we’re going to ask for a mulligan on this one because if you haven’t thought about it already, you may have read about it on our Toastilla literature. The Toastilla makes a great gift for your college-bound teen. Basically, a mini-fridge, a toaster and the Toastilla will save your student’s midnight-cravings, keep them away from fast-food joints and get them plenty of hungry friends who stop by at all hours of the day to share notes and get a bite to eat. 
Picture
  • Work: I think you’d actually be surprised at the number of people who don’t think about bringing their Toastilla into work. Most workplaces have toasters and refrigerators. Your small work break area is probably a home away from home for you. In fact, most people spend more waking hours at work than they do at home. So, don’t you think it only makes sense to bring a little home back to the workplace? 
Picture
  • Hotels: Who hasn’t been awake in a strange city in the middle of the night trying to figure out which restaurant delivers after 10:00 PM? Answer everyone, and the number of places that deliver that late? None. That’s just how it is. But, what you will find is that most hotels do offer a breakfast of some sort and they also leave their toasters out overnight for you to Toastilla-the-town with. And if you forgot ingredients, a lot of hotels will still have bananas, apples and peanut butter packets sitting out. Voila! Late-night snack served!
Picture
  • Road-trips: Who hasn’t dreamt of that epic road trip cross-country, skipping the hotels and campsites. Well, putting aside all those greasy fast-food places, one thing you may have forgotten or not known is that all those truck stops and convenient store gas stations you’re passing by have toasters. Seriously, all of them. So, put your ingredients in a small cooler and keep your Toastilla within arm’s reach, because portable no longer means from drawer-to-toaster. Portable now means from San Francisco-to-Miami. 
Picture
  • Glamping: I thought about camping for a longtime and perhaps someday we will come out with a campfire Toastilla, but for now, your Toastilla experience may be better suited for glamping. To be transparent, glamping is kind of a new thing for me. It is essentially luxury camping and often comes with electricity. You know what that means. Where there is electricity, there can be a toaster. It looks like your glamping experience just got a little more glamorous. 
​We’d love to hear some of your great ideas on where you take your Toastilla when you leave the house. Please contact us or comment on this post. We’d love to do a follow-up with some of your great ideas!
0 Comments

Kid’s Lunch Combinations

2/9/2018

0 Comments

 
​Okay, okay, every “bad” parent gets it. We feed our kids processed mac and cheese and chicken nuggets from two-years-old until we boot them off to college at 18. I’m pretty sure that is the American dream. But, in our household we do like to try and eat healthy. Sure, we might slip a bit, but for the most part we really do try to eat healthy – even though it’s so much more fun to be bad! Green Bay Packer fans get it, am I right? Cheese curds…mmm!
Anyway, it can be difficult to convince your children that eating healthy can be just as tasty as living off Spaghettios (with meatballs…we aren’t savages you know). With kids, there will always be a learning curve to find out exactly what works. The good thing is that, just like watching Moana, once your child finds that special combination they will eat it over and over and over…parents, you get it. 
Adults like to eat something that looks nice, we all do. But, with kids, looks will always dictate what they feel is edible. Even if chocolate cake doesn’t look right they won’t touch it. A good example is a friend of our who needs to add pink food coloring to every bowl of oatmeal, pancake batter and mac & cheese he makes for his four-year-old daughter. You can probably figure out what her favorite color is. 
​The thing is, you need to make it look kid friendly and of course they should help you make their own Toastillas. That’s always important! So, here are a few kid combinations to ease your child into a world healthy options. To start, we suggest using puree (tomato, spinach, etc.) or whole wheat tortillas. 

The BLT

Picture
The BLT is a classic sandwich and contrary to popular belief bacon is actually pretty good for you. You’ll have to trust me on this. Simple, right? Bacon, lettuce and tomato…and mayo – ehhhhh! (That’s my buzzer sound). Yes, that mayo, while it works perfect with this combo can be criticized for its calories and fat content (you know because it is all fat). One way to improve on the BLT is to prepare a mix of Hidden Valley Dry Ranch powder and sour cream. Add only enough powder to the sour cream for taste and then let your kids dip away instead of adding it to the toastilla. Because of the tomato and lettuce, you might want to cook this Toastilla at a half-setting than normal. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Roasted Chicken with Wild Rice

Picture
This is more like a Thanksgiving Toastilla, but just like your after Thanksgiving thought of cooking a turkey every month, you can actually have it year round. Grab one of those small roasted chickens from the grocery store, and layer in cooked wild rice. Then fill a ramekin with a prepared cranberry sauce – light on sugar, heavy on taste.


Beans and Franks

Picture
Okay, so you’ll have to be a little secretive with this one and swap out your everyday hotdogs with veggie hotdogs. Trust us, your kids will probably have no idea. Then top with Bush’s Baked Beans. Yes, there are additional calories in the baked bean sugars, but did you know that a half a cup of beans a day is linked to significant longevity. In fact, beans are the cornerstone of Blue Zone diets. The blue zones are the parts of the world that have abnormally high rates of people living to be 100-years-old or older. 


The Apple Pie

Picture
This version of an apple pie has just enough natural sweetener for your kids to maintain their energy, as well as get a tasty and healthy after-school snack. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on the center of your tortilla and then layer with thin slices of apple. Sprinkle cinnamon on the apples and dribble a little honey before folding and toasting. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

The Spaghetti Toastilla

Picture
The Spaghetti Taco was made famous by the kids TV show iCarly, but it was Rudy who brought it to Toastilla. We suggest using a tomato tortilla. Spread pasta sauce on the tortilla, and then layer spinach veggie spaghetti and parmesan cheese before folding and toasting. It’s pretty darn good and if you want you can fill a ramekin with warmed pasta sauce for dipping. 

0 Comments

Top 5 kitchen gadgets to supplement a Toastilla kitchen

2/5/2018

0 Comments

 
​The first thing I want to say is how much we love our Toastilla users. And one of these days we’ll come up with a name for all of you. Maybe something like the Toastilla-nators, the Toastilla-dors, or even Toasteos… well, the last one sounds more like a cereal. Anyway, I’m running on a tangent here. What I really want to say is that we appreciate you, your business and the referrals that you’ve been spreading. 
​So, lately… okay, maybe a little longer than lately, we’ve been watching all these infomercials, QVC, HSN and really any show that talks about kitchen accessories. Those fun kitchen gadgets are great, aren’t they? I mean you can probably find a gadget that will peel a clove of garlic, juice a lemon and milk a cow all at the same time. Now that’s convenient. Okay, so kidding aside, kitchen gadgets, tools and accompaniments are really a chef’s dream. So, we got to thinking, “What kitchen tools and gadgets would accompany Toastilla?” Well, after hours of research (okay five minutes in our kitchen) we came up with a list of our top five kitchen tools and gadgets everyone should own to become an official Toastilla-nator. The best thing is that you probably have all of these items and if not we know you want them.
​So, how did we decide on this list? Well, first off, we use our Toastillas all the time, so, if we aren’t using the tool more than a couple times a week then it won’t make the list. Second, it must make sense. Sure, we’d love to toss a fresh ginger grater on the list, but how often do we put fresh ginger in a Toastilla? Well, not enough to make this list. Lastly, we really want these items to fit in a small area, like those little nooks that people make for their K-cup machines, cups and K-cups. So, if you’re looking for a brand-spankin’ new meat slicer, you won’t find it on this list. Although that does sound like an awesome tool to have in the kitchen. 
In short: useful, relevant and small.
​
With no further ado – and in no particular order - here’s our list of the top 5 kitchen gadgets and tools for your Toastilla kitchen: 
Picture
Toaster: Alright, so this is a big duh moment for, well, for everyone. But, outside of quality tortillas and ingredients your toaster is the most critical part of the process. Toasters come in a variety of shapes, sizes and abilities. They also have a huge difference in cost which is nice because you can invest $20 in a Hamilton Beach Toaster from Target that will likely last to your grandchildren, or you can invest $400 (Yep, ya read that right) for the Wolf Gourmet 4-slice Toaster from Williams Sonoma. Whichever route you go, your toaster will be the most critical tool you’ll need in your Toastilla kitchen.
Picture
Paring Knife: With such a huge selection of knives out there, why would we suggest a paring knife? Well, simply, they are small, maneuverable and great with nearly anything you’ll put in a Toastilla. Whether you are slicing a tomato or breast of chicken you can do everything with this one knife. What we do suggest is choosing a paring knife with some relative heft to it to provide more versatility in what you are cutting. After all you will be slicing more than you will be de-skinning a pear. While you can spend upwards of a couple hundred dollars for beautiful and amazing paring knives such as the Shun Hikari 4”, you can also find them as inexpensive as $10 for a knife that will do the trick. 
Picture
Picture
Cheese Shredder: You will find, if you haven’t already that cheese is a common staple for Toastilla lovers. A strong cheese grater with several grating options is ideal. Luckily this is one item everyone has whether it’s tucked away in a cabinet or part of a collection proudly displayed on your center-island. While items such as toasters and knives can be costly for higher-end options, cheese shredders tend to be relatively inexpensive while offering good quality. At $15 a simple grater like the Oxo Softworks box grater is great, and that’s even a higher-cost hand grater at Target. 
Cutting Board: The cutting board just makes everything easier. While you might be tempted to go out and purchase a thick and heavy wooden board, for the purpose of Toastilla, we find that several sturdy, yet thin plastic cutting boards work well, especially if you use the Toastilla multiple times a week. ½ inch boards like the Farberware 3-piece set tend to be an inexpensive $10. They make for convenience and easy cleanup. 
Picture
Picture
Ramekin: Last, but certainly not least is one of our favorite Toastilla accompaniments, the ramekin. We do love our dips and sauces and whether you make a sour cream and sriracha sauce or nacho cheese, you can’t go wrong having a set of ramekins for your dipping pleasure. For only a couple dollars you no longer have to dip out of a cereal bowl – you know, so you can look all fancy and stuff when company comes over. 
0 Comments

World Nutella Day – Feb. 5, 2018

2/2/2018

0 Comments

 
​There is no way for us to sit here and list out for you all of the amazing ingredients you can put inside of a Toastilla – and trust us, we’d love to. I really just don’t think we have enough room in our house to stack the countless notebooks we’d have to stack up. But, what we can do is give you little hints at what some of our favorite ingredients are, although we’re pretty sure that by now you know a few of them. 
Picture
Picture
​We know you’ve seen Rudy getting messy with cheese. It’s kind of his “thing” now, and I love him for it. And of course, we have the peppers that we use our Toastilla to roast in the toaster—great idea, by the way. And if you have keen eyes, you’ve likely noticed that our Sriracha bottle is often spitting out the last splashes of red nectar. That’s always the best ad for food—the food being gone. 
Picture
​But, let’s put all those other foods aside and talk about one of our favorite sweets—Nutella. It so happens that about a week ago, Nutella was all over the French news, and not because it is just amazing (Although, that might have been part of it). Rather, Nutella was on the news because it was at the source of several supermarket riots. Yes! You read that right. Throughout France, Intermarché supermarkets offered a huge 70% discount on Nutella. The price went from €4.50 to €1.40. If you’re a little slow with your Euro-to-dollar calculator that is $5.62 to $1.75.
Picture
​According to one customer "They are like animals. A woman had her hair pulled, an elderly lady took a box on her head, another had a bloody hand…" and when store employees tried to split up the chaos they were simply tossed aside. Now, we love Nutella as much as the next family, but really people, where is the humanity? Well, the humanity is in a small Italian town of Alba, where Nutella was created by a humble man named Pietro. We won’t go into the history of Nutella, but you can read more about it here!
​According to BBC, Nutella is eaten in nearly 160 countries and the amount eaten last year is comparable to the weight of the Empire State Building. So, yeah that’s a lot. 
​From humble beginnings to mass riots in France we really wanted to bring to light a special day for our family and for those who love chocolate and hazelnuts. February 5, 2018 is recognized as “World Nutella Day.”
​Now, what we find unique is that World Nutella Day did not come by way of petitions and acts of congress. Rather it was started by a blogger, Sara Rosso, on February 5, 2007 because she was crazy in love with Nutella (The French get it). So, she blogged about it and her fans loved the idea. Through social media word spread, just like smooth Nutella from a fresh jar. It wasn’t long before the word spread throughout the world and since that day, the phenomena of World Nutella Day only grows. 
Picture
​Much like World Nutella Day, it’s your time to turn to social media and launch a new campaign to show the world your awesome Nutella creations using Toastilla! Post pictures on Instagram, tell your friends on Facebook and share your recipes on Pinterest. We want to see you reach out and share what it is you love about Toastilla and Nutella. 
Picture
Picture
​To celebrate the day, you can be sure we will be enjoying our family favorite “Nutella and Strawberry Toastilla.”
​And don’t forget to leave your mark #Toastilla and #WorldNutellaDay.
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
Picture
Buy Online

Return Policy
​

​Contact Us
Copyright © 2017 DI Works LLC, All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Shop Our Store
  • Blog
  • What Is Toastilla?
    • Introduction to Toastilla
  • What's In Yours?
    • Recipes >
      • Savory
      • Sweet
    • Instructions for Use
  • Toastilla Spotting
    • Where's Toastilla Now?
    • What are People Saying?
  • Customer Support
    • About Us
    • Contact Us >
      • Return Policy
    • Our Team