January 7th, 2012

Nutrition Cottage, Juice & Coffee Bar, Fresh Juices, Smoothies, Protein Shakes, Health Foods, Gluten Free Products, Organic Wines, Delray Beach, Florida, Palm Beach County

Is early in the morning and I wonder if I am writing this post out of guilt.  Well, I have to admit it; I fell off the New Year’s resolution wagon yesterday.  What could I do?  My son asked me to go to Nicola Pizza, right here in Rehoboth Beach.  I couldn’t say no.  I also could not let him eat that well done pizza with sweet peppers and onions all by himself.  I went willingly; no twisting of the arm there.

But today is a new day and I am back on the saddle again.  I have to be kind to myself.  I started analyzing my pizza.  Vegetable, cheese, bread.  That’s not so bad.  Well, 3 pieces is a little too much.  My confession is that even though in our household we eat gluten free, pizza is one thing that has not been perfected if you are on a gluten free diet.  Sorry, but there is nothing better than a regular pizza.  When you have not had it for some time, believe me, it’s heaven.  So, enough of that and on with the post.  It’s good to get it off my chest.

What brought me to Nutrition Cottage in Delray Beach was the fact that I was having trouble finding gluten free products in the area.  It has been about 3 years since my husband started eating gluten free and believe me, you learn a lot while going through the process of adjusting yourself to another way of eating.  The restaurants and grocery stores in South Florida have come a long way, but there is still work to be done.

That’s why it was a breath of fresh air when I found Nutrition Cottage, right on Atlantic Avenue.  The address is 407 E. Atlantic Ave., tel. 561-272-8571.  The store in Delray has been there for over 12 years.  There is also another location in Boyton Beach at 1815 S. Federal Highway, tel. 561-734-4626.  That store has been in that location for over 20 years.  The website?  http://www.nutritioncottage.com.

When you first see the store from the outside you might think that it is not that big; believe me, it is deceiving.  It goes all the way to the back, ending with a Cafe/Bar area where you can order, smoothies, fresh juices, protein shakes, sandwiches, salads and one good cup of coffee.

I heard someone said, Do you need any help?  I really was browsing for a lotion.  I was already taken care of by Brenda.  Anyway, he introduced himself.  He was Mark Stowe who is the owner of Nutrition Cottage.  He has been a licensed nutritionist for 32 years.  He was also past President of the Natural Products Assoc.  He is available for private nutritional counseling by appointment.  If you are interested give the store a call.

He told me that his wife Karen does all the special orders for the Delray store and that if I ever needed anything to give her a call, as well. 

I asked if I could take some pictures for my blog and he graciously agreed.  I then went my own way checking things out.

The moisturizing cream I bought was from a company called Mountain Ocean from Boulder, Colorado.  The line is called Skin Trip (Coconut).  I love how quickly your skin absorbs it; no greasy feeling.  The coconut smell is so nice too.  If you want to know more about it, check www.mountainocean.com.

A corner with cosmetics from a line called Gabriel.  They are 100% natural ingredients, no synthetic chemicals or animal by-products and no testing is ever done on animals.  The colors looked nice.  I do have friends who are allergic to a lot of the products used on make-up, so this might be something worth trying.  The website is www.gabrielcosmeticsinc.com.

Even though my concern was looking for gluten free items, the store has an abundance of nutritional products and groceries.

For the person interested in gluten free items you will find pastas, sauces, cookies, pancake mixes, cookie mixes, cookies, brownies, crackers, dressings and so much more.  There is a freezer with plenty of gluten free breads to choose including French baguettes.

The staff is very knowledgeable so you will not have any problems, whether is a gluten allergy or any other related food allergy or concern.

Nutrition Cottage has award winning organic wines. 

For the ones that one to pick out something for take out, there is plenty to choose from.

Check their website.  It is a wellness reference library in itself, with recipes, information, events, coupons and links.  I signed up and get coupons right to my e-mail.

That one cup of coffee…..it was so good; no kidding….I grabbed my cup and parked myself in one of their outdoor tables….people watching, warm weather, sunny day, palm trees….couldn’t complain.

Note:  Nutrition Cottage has Blood Analysis.  For more information on what this entails, please call the shop at 561-272-8571. 

Have a beautiful day…talk to you later.

November 1st, 2009

In Delray Beach, Florida…you will find Nutrition Cottage…12 Years Delray’s Local Health Food and Nutritional Center…

As I have mentioned before, we eat gluten free in my household.  So, I am always looking for the types of stores that will sell gluten free products.  In Rehoboth Beach, I have Rainbow and I have already posted about them on this blog some weeks ago.  In Delray Beach, I have found Nutrition Cottage.

Nutrition Cottage is not a new store by any means.  They have been in business since 1967.  Twelve years  alone in Delray Beach.  Right on Atlantic Ave.  To be exact, it is 407 Atlantic Ave., tel. 561-272–8571.  The website is www.nutritioncottage.com.

For the past year, every time I am in Delray I stop in to see what new products they have to offer.  Believe me this store is big and complete with all kinds of helpful information.  The owners have been in the nutrition business for over 30 years.  R. Mark Stowe is a licensed nutritionist and his wife Karen has been in this field for over 35 years.  She does all the ordering for the Delray store, including special orders.  Give her a call if there is something you need.

If you have a gluten allergy, you know that finding the right baked goods is a quest.  There is a lot on the market but some of the products do not taste very good.  At Rainbow in Rehoboth Beach, I have found the Grainless Baker products and they are amazing.  Pizza, breads, muffins, you name it.  Here, at Nutrition Cottage, I have bought the French bread baguettes from a company called Against the Grain Gourmet.  Their website is www.againstthegraingourmet.com.  I have not used it for French toast but by itself, and warmed up in the oven, is fantastic.

I also have bought pastas, cookies, soups, bread crumbs, crackers, wheat free buckwheat flour and other items that I use in my daily cooking. Organic wines and organic sulfite free wines are available in this store, as well.

Inside the Nutrition Cafe you will find the Cottage Cafe Express where you will be able to get organic smoothies and juices, salads, wraps and sandwiches.  Their organic coffee is very good.  You can enjoy all their goodies by the juice bar and cafe in the back of the store, or just sit in one of the tables available on the sidewalk and just people watch.  If you know ahead of time what you want then call in your order to 561-272-8571.  If you are just passing by and in a hurry, and need something quick, then just pick something already made up from their refrigeration area in the back.

In order to learn more about what this company is all about, definitely visit the website above mentioned.  In it you will find healthy recipes, a reference library, health tools, a news room which contains articles chosen by the store for you, among other things. 

In their recipe section you will be amazed with how many they have.  Some are time savers, others easy and elegant, even macrobioitic recipes are included.

Again, visiting Delray Beach is always a treat.  If you are in this town during your vacation, or you reside here, this will be one of those stores you will want to come again and again.

And, since the holidays are around the corner, I just want to mention that gift cards are available. 

Talk to you later; tomorrow.