Van's Blog
Better Living, One Blog at a Time.
Back
-
What we loved at BlogHer2012!
Posted on August 17, 2012 by Robin Plotkin, RD, LD
Whew! Lobelia Miller, Associate Brand Manager for Van’s Natural Foods and I are just back from an exciting weekend at the BlogHer2012 Conference. BlogHer2012 is the premier blogger conference for women, bringing more than 4,000 bloggers, brands and consumers together to discuss everything from food, parenting and social change to technology, humor and business. The collective social reach of the blogger attendees…A mere 37 MILLION!
Here’s a quick recap of our top faves along with a few pictures for your viewing pleasure!
- Soy Sauce Ice Cream from Kikkoman? We nearly walked right by it, as it sounded less than appealing. When the chef told me that soy sauce was “Umami”, a Japanese term meaning delicious, I stopped to listen a bit closer. Umami is the 5th taste, along with salty, sweet, bitter and sour. As an ingredient, it’s a natural flavor enhancer and, in this case, it was supposed to make the ice cream taste like salted caramel. I was intrigued but still hesitant. After reviewing the ingredients (eggs, brown sugar, heavy cream and soy sauce), I decided to give it a try. Guess what? It DID taste like salted caramel. Very impressive. Maybe the Food Network should feature soy sauce as the next secret ingredient for Iron Chefs. What will they think of next? Want to try making this ice cream? Here is the actual recipe.
- The American Cancer Society’s More Birthdays booth was widely popular and one of the most
colorful attractions at the event. Eleven million cancer survivors will celebrate another birthday this year, and the American Cancer Society wants to create a world with more celebrations, more laughter and more birthdays for all. Who doesn’t!? ACS reps told us they were blown away by the support received from the blogger community at BlogHer2012. We quickly offered our support as well. As the American Cancer Society says, “Why are birthdays so awesome? To us a birthday is also a victory. Another year that cancer hasn’t won.”
- The National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell℠ nutrition program booth was bustling with bloggers who were
interestedin learning about this program that helpsthe restaurantindustry offer healthier meals for children. In partnership with Healthy Dining Finder, Kids LiveWell works with108 brands (including Chili’s, Corner Bakery, Outback Steakhouse, Applebee’s, Joe’s Crab Shack and Qdoba) that currently participate in nearly 30,000 locations worldwide. Download the Kids LiveWell mobile app to locate participating restaurants near you.
- We were blown away by the Duck Tape booth! Check out these mannequins - all decked out inprom date duck couture! Little did we know that duck tape now comes in dozens of colors AND it’s available in sheets (think contact paper)! No need to struggle with the silver roll anymore. I grabbed a few of the sheets to send to my 12-year old niece. She is a duct tape artist and creates purses, wallets and hair accessories. The representatives told us that duck tape is every 11-year olds craft du jour. Seems my niece is right on trend!
- One of the major highlights of the conference was a keynote from award-winning journalist, TV personality and New York Times best-selling author Katie Couric. In a relaxed question and answer format with BlogHer co-founder Lisa Stone, Katie fielded questions tweeted by the audience. She answered openly and honestly about everything from parenting teenage daughters and being a windowed single mom (her husband Jay died in 1998 at the age of 42 from colon cancer) to having her colonoscopy aired
on national television and how she got her “guns” (referring to her strongarms). “I’m a mesomorph!” She does her part to stay healthy by “kinda-sorta” doing Weight Watchers and regularly attending her spin class.
She’s premiering her new show “Katie” in September. It will bring smart talk to the daytime talk show format and showcase a variety of topics that impact women’s lives. Exiting news for bloggers: Katie will feature two live bloggers each day in her audience! Tweet @katieshow to find out more.
Robin Plotkin, RD, LD, knows the challenges of getting a fast, healthy and tasty meal on the table. As a registered dietitian and a mom, Robin provides realistic tools and resources for families in need of stress-free meal times. Follow her blog at: http://www.robinsbite.com.
- Soy Sauce Ice Cream from Kikkoman? We nearly walked right by it, as it sounded less than appealing. When the chef told me that soy sauce was “Umami”, a Japanese term meaning delicious, I stopped to listen a bit closer. Umami is the 5th taste, along with salty, sweet, bitter and sour. As an ingredient, it’s a natural flavor enhancer and, in this case, it was supposed to make the ice cream taste like salted caramel. I was intrigued but still hesitant. After reviewing the ingredients (eggs, brown sugar, heavy cream and soy sauce), I decided to give it a try. Guess what? It DID taste like salted caramel. Very impressive. Maybe the Food Network should feature soy sauce as the next secret ingredient for Iron Chefs. What will they think of next? Want to try making this ice cream? Here is the actual recipe.
Authors
- Alysa Bajenaru, RD, CPT
- Amie Valpone of TheHealthyApple.com
- Bree Hester of bakedbree.com
- Eric, Van's CEO
- Kimberly Bouldin
- Lauren Jones-McLain, CPT
- Robin Plotkin, RD, LD
- Sarah, Director of Marketing
- Shannon Carino of BentoLunch.net
- Silvana
- Silvana Nardone of SilvanasKitchen.com
- Suzanne Miller
- Suzanne Rostler, RD
- Van's Natural Foods