The HopeFULL Muse

The HopeFULL Company is offering a opportunity to join our small, mission based company during an exciting time of growth! 

Seeking an integral part of our team this summer to assist with all aspects of executing public relations campaigns across the health and wellness industries, including working on exciting projects involving hospitals, schools and of course delicious and nutritious popsicles - yum!

We are looking for dependable candidates with media savvy and superb writing skills. If you’re looking for a career in public relations or social media, this is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge and experience. We require a commitment of 15 hours per week, ideally three 5 hour days. We office in an art studio in Lowertown St. Paul where creativity thrives!

Breakdown:

6 weeks of non-paying internship.
Evaluation and payed internship at week 6, depending on results.
6 weeks paid internship.
Evaluation and possible employment, depending on results.

Ideal Candidate:

• Communications, Marketing or Journalism Major
• Skilled writer/communicator
• Organized and dependable
• Ambitious, positive attitude, and a desire to build a career in PR or Social Media
• Understanding of the public relations field and eagerness to gain hands-on experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pintest (we need an avid social media user!)
• Mac user ideal (must have own macbook or laptop)
• Amazing research skills
• News junkie – must be passionate about current news and trends surrounding healthy  food and nutrition. 
• Lives a healthy lifestyle of their own
• High energy, with a desire to come up with fresh ideas
• Ability to identify a target market and “speak” to that consumer through social media

Responsibilities:

Create and update media lists, assist with developing media materials and press kits, brainstorming, write news/feature stories for company website and pitches, develop monthly PR reports, research and develop social media content, manage social media outreach and research local events (ie: trade shows).

We expect experience with social media on a personal level, but experience on a business level would be great. You must be able to think strategically and see how social media fits into a business’ marketing strategy, not just “selling” to our customers, but building long-lasting relationships by providing value to them. Our Intern must be able to assist in formulating social media plans (once ample information is provided to you), and then carry them out (with our assistance). You must be able to measure and document the impact of social media, and then suggest action-steps to increase impact.

Benefits

• School credit as arranged through school internship program
• Great opportunity for paid internship and employment
• Receive written or verbal recommendation/referral upon completion of internship
• Gain knowledge of both the PR and Social Media fields in a fun, professional, mission-based environment
• Wear jeans to work, eat a lot of yummy popsicles, laugh a lot, hang out in trendy Lowertown...need we say more?

To apply, demonstrate your writing skills in an email addressing why you are interested in the internship and what you feel you could offer The HopeFULL Company. Email Jessica Brekke at jessie@thehopefullcompany.com. Feel free to include an additional writing sample of your choosing. Please attach your resume to the email in jpg or pdf form. 

We hope to hear from you soon!

Jessica & Stephanie

Ahhh, take a break here... P.S. That's Steph's head.

Ariel view. See, you'd have your own desk!

It's a great space - kitchen, living room, skateboard and bike racks...

And we're just as silly as we are serious about helping those who are having trouble eating!

I’m going to make this post short and sweet (no pun intended). Some of you may know that our BellyFULL Recipe Book contains a recipe called Monkey Business. It quickly became a favorite of ours as well as a favorite of little kiddos across the land. We often say “It’s our healthy version of the Fugsicle!” 

Recently Steph took the time to look up the ingredients that make up the Fugsicle, and ohhhh boy. We figured you’d want to know what they are.

Fugsicle: 

Nonfat milk, sugar, corn syrup, whey, high fructose corn syrup, water, palm oil and cocoa processed with alkali, tricalcium phosphate, mono & diglycerides, cellulose guy, guar gum, malt powder, salt, polysorbate 80, poplysorbate 65 and carrageenan.

I won’t even get into what these ingredients really are...that’s a whole other blog post. (But go ahead, Google alkali.)

So what's in our Monkey Business popsicle?

Bananas, rice milk, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, honey and walnut oil.

Which would you rather eat? Which would you rather put in your child’s body? 

I rest my fudge lovin’ case. 

xo, jessie

Did you know that March is National Frozen Foods Month? (The 30th anniversary, in fact!) If you’re like me, you didn't. 

I love that we have random commemorative months, such as National Horseradish Month (July), Movember (my favorite, because I'll always crush on Magnum P.I.) and the National Pomegranate Tootsie Roll Pop Awareness Month (September - I’d love to hear the story behind this one). But in all seriousness, it’s important to have these commemorative months to raise awareness on important topics such as autism, Alzheimer's/dementia and cancer. 

Back to March. What do you have in your freezer? Be honest. A few things in mine are; bag of Trader Joes frozen berries, edamame beans and of course Royally Yummy BellyFULLs. I must admit my freezer also holds Gogurt, Hashbrown patties and State Fair turkey corn dogs (hey, just keepin’ it real).

Unlike National Pomegranate Tootsie Roll Pop Awareness Month, National Frozen Foods Month catches The HopeFULL Company’s attention because we’re in the business of healthy frozen popsicles. But National Frozen Food Month is also a good time to review important information regarding freezing foods in an effort to keep our families healthy. 

Jules Clancy from Stonesoup offers some great tips on the frozen foods topic. She gives her “7 Golden Rules” of freezing foods, a list of foods that love to be frozen and a list of foods that don’t freeze well in this fantastic blog post.

7 Golden Rules

• Don’t refreeze raw food
• It’s OK to thaw food, cook it and then freeze
• Cool your food before freezing
• Freeze foods ASAP
• Choose appropriate packaging /containers
• Allow for expansion
• Freeze smaller portions

Things that love to be frozen

• Bread. Just slice it first!
• Soups, stews and stocks
• Cooked rice
• Meat & fish – although they will loose some moisture upon thawing
• Bacon
• Bananas
• Berries
• Pastry
• Fresh chilli, horseradish, tumeric & ginger
• Herbs. While they will loose their fresh appearance, the flavor will still be great 

Things that don’t freeze so well

• Dairy products – except for butter
• Whole eggs – because they crack on expanding
• High moisture fruit & vegetables – like celery or lettuce. When the water expands it damages the vegetable cell walls which turns them to mush when they thaw out
• Jam. The pectin which causes the jam to gel breaks down at freezing temperatures
• Mayonnaise.

Of course our favorite things to freeze are HopeFULLs and BellyFULLs! You can get your kits HERE!

Freeze on!

The holiday’s are about family tradition. I met a woman recently who is honoring her  family’s tradition in a delicious way - through homemade baklava. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know this woman and she’s truly inspiring. She truly has a giving spirit, and her baklava is simply out of this world. It’s so good I just had to share her story and give you a chance to have a taste of her family recipe. 

Nicola Kountoupes learned to make baklava at the age of 12, at the elbow of her Aunt Kiki in Detroit. The recipe, native to the small Greek village of Manganiti to which Nicola’s family traces its roots, inspired Kiki’ Baklava. Nicola currently sells the flaky honey and nut pastry by the pan, pound and in cute little ounce-measured baggies of bits.

Each pan of Kik’s Baklava features more than 50 thin sheets of phyllo, layered between artful brushstrokes of melted butter. The repetitive construction process is both meditative and deeply enjoyable, says Nicola. The ingredients used in Nicola’s baklava reflect the region of Greece where her family originates. To further honor the recipe’s origins, she always chops the walnuts and squeezes the lemons by hand just before using them, to ensure optimal freshness of the oils. Wixson Honey on Seneca Lake supplies the main ingredient in the sweet syrup that coats each serving. 

Visit Nicola’s Facebook page to learn more about how you can get ahold of her family’s delicious baklava recipe. But beware, you just may become addicted!

Enjoy!

November 10th is our 2nd Anniversary! It’s hard to believe that two years have passed since we launched The HopeFULL Company and became social entrepreneurs. These twenty four months have been all the things that starting up a small business can be...exciting, stressful, rewarding, exhausting, and amazingly fun.

We’ve learned so much about ourselves in the process. We’ve learned that while some aspects of running a business come naturally to us, other times we’re feeling our way around in the dark. We’ve learned to be patient and persistent. We’ve discovered that we have big ambitions and that we’re willing to sacrifice a bit of ourselves to leave our world a better place for our children. 

Since launching The HopeFULL Comany we’ve had the honor of being invited into many people’s lives. We get to hear how our products have helped someone’s sister eat when she’s going through chemotherapy. We celebrate with families when their children move from a feeding tube to our frozen meal pops. We get to hear about the father who’s now putting on weight with our products after struggling with Alzheimer's. 

We are so grateful to be on this journey with you - it’s such a hopeful one! We are hopeful that our business will continue to grow, allowing us to bring joy and nutrition to thousands, not just hundreds, of people struggling to eat. We’re hopeful that our products will become vastly available through the retail industry this coming year. We’re hopeful for opportunities to expand our product lines. And we’re hopeful that we might someday influence the health care industry to serve healthier foods in hospitals. 

On the week of our two year anniversary, and just weeks from Thanksgiving, we’d like to thank you for supporting The HopeFULL Company. Thank you for cheering us on, liking us on Facebook, voting for us in contests, contributing to our Kickstarter campaign, buying our kits and referring our products. Because of you we are inspired to continue the journey. Because of your support we have the courage to take on tough challenges in an effort to bring about big change. Because of you we have helped hundreds and will soon be helping thousands. THAT is success, and it it’s not only ours - it is yours, too. Thank you for being HopeFULL along with us!

Love, 

Jessica & Stephanie

The HopeFULL Company  

I love this time of year. It’s romantic and cozy and nostalgic. Come about September 15th every year I get this gust of wind under my wings, making me feel like wonder woman - ready to conquer the world (or at least a meal plan!). I recently read a fantastic blog post by my friend Eila (Full Plate Blog/Meals in a Snap/Swell Mom) entitled “September is my New January” and totally related to her idea of this season marking a “New Year”. Perhaps it’s because I’m a parent with school aged kids? Perhaps l’m just welcoming change more as each year comes and goes; 

Changes to our daily routines, the colors of the leaves and new recipes to try, using delicious earthy foods found at the market this time of year (visit Jeanette's Healthy Living on Pinterest for some amazing recipes!).

My kids tend to resist change. They crave routine and stability, and I strive to offer that for them when I can while attempting to teach them that change is unavoidable and good, too. This time of year is a little rough for them though; entering a new grade at school, adapting to new expectations (and new bedtimes!) So I try and add familiarity when ever I can. 

My son is on a traveling baseball team this fall, so I brought a few batches of frozen BellyFULLs for them to enjoy as a familiar “treat” in between games. I’ve made them for sports snacks in the summer, so I thought I’d continue to offer BellyFULLs in the fall to this new group of boys. The boys gobbled them up, passing on other snacks (like chips and cookies) to have seconds. The kids and their parents were surprised at how good acorn squash, bananas and yogurt can taste together!

Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD, LD of Real Mom Nutrition offers an amazing “Snacktivism Handbook” on her website which offers great resources if you would like to take charge of changing the way your kids snack on the sidelines. I encourage you to check it out!

So next time your kiddo has a ball game, make frozen whole food BellyFULLs to hand out to their team. Offering BellyFULLs on the sidelines is one change your kids will welcome!

To download our BellyFULL Recipe Book for just $4.99 click HERE! 

Music is powerful. We have soundtracks for our movies, for the chapters of our lives, even our relationships. Music sets the tone to our exercise routines, too, and in my opinion a good playlist is particularly essential for a good, steamy yoga session. 

I’m embarking an a new chapter in my life, so I felt inspired to come up with a new yoga playlist to celebrate it. I have to remind myself that I don’t need a membership somewhere or beach at my toes to nurture my inner yogi. I can choose to start my day with some deep breathing in bed, or take a moment to simply strike the dancer pose while looking out my window at the city. Sometimes thats all it takes for me to get centered and feel present, and to see the beautiful blue skies ahead...

Namaste, 

Jessica

Blue Skies Yoga Playlist

hide and seek - imogen heap

blank pages - the album leaf

awake my soul - mumford & sons

house of cards - radio head

how come you never go there - feist

trip - vacationer

ritual union - little dragon

i wanna go - summer heart

punching in a dream - the naked and famous

moment of truth - gang starr

matches to paper dolls - dessa

set adrift on memory bliss - p.m. dawn

color blind - counting crows

one - U2

fragile - sting

glósóli - sigur ros

breathe me - sia

by your side - sade

midnight souls still remain - M83 (11:07 - perfect as a final mediation or savasana) 

Kale + olive oil + sea salt = healthy, crispy bliss. It’s really that simple. And what expresses simplicity more than a haiku? So here’s my attempt at a poem (which you'll probably hate) followed by a super-easy kale chip recipe (which you’ll probably love). :)

farmer’s market joy

will he eat crispy kale chips?

ah, a salty smile

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh local kale, washed and thoroughly dried

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Remove the ribs from the kale and rip into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Toss kale with olive oil and salt and spread on baking sheet. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food. Yum.

love,

jessie

Today my son turned eight years old. It seems like just yesterday that he was born a sweet, soft little bundle of joy. Now he can breakdance, fit in my tennis shoes and do a farmer’s blow. It’s amazing how the time flies. 

I find so much fulfillment in watching him grow up. I love when he finds joy in the things I embraced as a kid - playing baseball, marvel comics, painting... and I enjoy falling in love with new things because of him - hockey, legos, video games...(ok, maybe not the video games so much.) I would do anything for this green-eyed, silly, passionate kid. He truly is my Hero!

One of the things I love to do for my kids is introduce them to new combinations of healthy foods, so today I presented the Birthday Boy with “Marvel-ous Pudding” (which was what was left at the bottom of my blender after making BellyFULL Pops to snack on later). The smooth, creamy texture was a fun change from the frozen-on-a-stick form I typically serve my kiddos, and since it turned out to be a hit I thought I’d share the recipe. Try serving your Belly/HopeFULL recipes in “pudding” or smoothie form and see how it goes over with your family - it’s fun to switch it up!

Cheers!

Marvel-ous Pudding

3 medium bananas

1 large ripe avocodo

3/4 c vanilla yogurt

3 Tbs honey

Blend and pour into two HopeFULL molds (or pop trays). Makes about 16 pops BellyFULL Pops. Add spoon-sticks and freeze for 3 hours. 

*measurements are approximate. ;)