FOOD SLAM 2010: Tea, Tequila and Cheese

Though Food Slam is equal parts food tasting and silent auction, sometimes, the food component carries over IN to the silent auction. Case in point: today’s featured auction items.

1. RISHI TEA’S BIG BUNDLE OF CHAI AWESOMENESS
Not to be confused with other famous teas like “Mister” and “Ice-,” Rishi Tea is Milwaukee’s very own environmentally responsible, socially conscious, award-winning tea company. Over the last few years, they’ve become a community-supporting force to be reckoned with, popping up as proud sponsors of everything from small film festivals to Global Union to us! So it should come as no surprise that they’re generosity continues with our Food Slam silent auction. This year, Rishi is donating a large glass pitcher, some chai concentrate (yum), a super-soft and beautiful chai t-shirt, 3 loose leaf chai teas (yum again) and a Rishi tote bag to carry it home in. If you’ve yet to experience the beverage magic that is Rishi, consider this your starter kit. And if you’re a proud Rishi Tea-junkie like I am, consider this the biggest score of your October 2 weekend.

2. MARTITA’S MIXERS GUILTLESS MARGARITA GIFT SET
I know what you’re thinking: “Why would anyone ever feel guilty about enjoying a Margarita?” Frankly, I don’t know. Or I didn’t, anyway, until I looked up how many calories are in one of those delicious bad boys. The answer? Click here. Terrifying! Cue the Superman theme song, though, because Martita’s Mixers is about to save your salted-glass day. This locally based company makes a Guiltless Margarita Mix is only 5 calories per 5 oz. serving. And when you add that to 1 oz. of Tequila (roughly 75 calories, according to Martita’s site), you get a delicious beverage that has almost 1/3 of the calories that the traditional one we looked up does! I can hear my waistline shrinking already! I can also hear you  getting excited about the fact that, at Food Slam, you could bid on their fantastic donated prize pack: two bottles of Martita’s Guiltless Margarita Mix, a bottle of Tequila, and four Margarita glasses!

3. CABOT CREAMERY COOPERATIVE = CHEESE!
Frankly, I don’t need to work too hard to get you all excited about this one. I mean, I’m lactose-intolerant and even I think this is pretty sweet. Plus, you’re supporting the 1,200 farm family-dairy cooperative that is Cabot Creamery Cooperative.  Which means you’re actually doing something good and responsible for the world by eating this cheese. What cheese, you ask? Well, check out this wild list of items our new friends at Cabot are donating to the Food Slam auction:

• 1-pound Cabot Vintage Choice Waxed cheddar cheese
• 1-pound Cabot Private Stock Waxed cheddar cheese
• 2-pound Cabot Sharp White cheddar cheese
• 1 (8-oz.) bar Cabot 50% Reduced-Fat White cheddar cheese
• 1 (8-oz.) bar Cabot Sharp White cheddar cheese
• 1 (8-oz.) bar Cabot Extra Sharp White cheddar cheese
• 1 (8-oz.) bar Cabot Seriously Sharp White cheddar cheese
• Wooden cutting board
• Embroidered apron

Word on the cheese street is you might be able to sample some of their sharp cheddar, and nab a brochure for all your holiday ordering needs. But let’s just keep that between us. Otherwise, those samples will be gone before you get there.

Let’s part ways here, ladies and gents. This is more than enough to keep you from using actual billable hours today. But check back this week for more Food Slam auction item previews, as well as a paragraph or two about the featured restaurants you’ll be sampling when you attend. And you will attend. (Note: that was a Jedi mind trick.)