Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

And the MARY’s secret ingredients full year subscription winner is…

February 27, 2016 by Mary 2 Comments

Congratulations to Marilyn Scarboro! You’ve won a years subscription to MARY’s secret ingredients. That’s 4 seasonal boxes and the first box of 2016, the spring box, will begin mailing on March 25th.

I know you’re just going to LOVE the spring box. I can’t give too much away, but I will say that the next box has some of my favorite ingredients we’ve had so far plus an extra special handmade surprise!

If you didn’t win, don’t worry, there will be other chances. In fact, this coming Friday, March 4, at 1 pm EST, MARY’s secret ingredients is hosting a Twitter party! We will be giving away 3 spring boxes then. And I will be there to answer all cooking questions. We’re sure to have a lively discussion as we always do. You have to RSVP to win a box. You can enter here.

This is what all of our surprise subscription boxes looked like last year. Full of new gourmet ingredients you’ve probably never heard of but you need to know about. I test all of the products before any of them are allowed in the box. None of them have any unpronounceable ingredients – in other words, no preservatives, no chemicals, no hydrogenated oils. I create recipes using each product and email them directly to you. We have a lot more fun things planned for this year as we’re always challenging ourselves as to how we can inspire your healthy cooking even more, so stay tuned!

We provide items that can easily turn a ho-hum dinner into one fit for company. For example, take a look at this Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Nutraw Pistachio Crust recipe, a totally new way to use a raw bar and an ingenious way to provide a crispy crust on chicken for gluten-intolerant folks. It’s delicious no matter what!

And for our latest announcement, go here to become a new M Club member and buy a full year subscription (4 seasonal boxes) for only $108.00 including shipping plus, all of the other additional perks. Very soon, our MSI Community Cookbook will be available, but only for M Club members.

And remember, every purchase helps in our partnership with Feed The Children. We believe no one should go hungry. Together, let’s wipe hunger off of the face of the earth! YES!!

My Gift to YOU in the Name of LOVE!

February 10, 2016 by Mary Leave a Comment

Our day is coming – on Sunday – St. Valentine’s Day! The day we celebrate LOVE in all ways. And as a gift to you, I’d like to offer a full year subscription to MARY’s secret ingredients to one lucky reader, as long as you live in the continental US. That’s 4 seasonal boxes of gourmet, healthy products and one handy kitchen tool, you’ve probably never heard of but you need to know about.

Each box has only “MARY-approved” products. I test every one to make sure it’s great, tasty and never has any unpronounceable ingredients. Some products have been turned down and we’ve helped the manufacturer make adjustments and then they’ve gone back in the box.

This was our winter box. Full of sweets and spices and everything nice!

The spring box mails on March 25th. The contents of each box are a surprise to you! We have so much fun searching for new, unique items that will inspire your home cooking and delight your family and friends. Remember, good cooks never lack friends!

Here’s what you need to do to enter – follow the prompts in this entry form. There are 7 ways to enter on the various social media channels and you can enter seven times! Spread the word and tell all your friends – the more the merrier!

LOVE – the secret ingredient Valentine's Day Giveaway

You may want to give this as a gift for Valentine’s Day. If that is the case, right click and save this certificate to print out.

Good luck to everyone and have a very Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

With LOVE, Mary

MARY’s secret ingredients is moving forward with crowdfunding

February 28, 2015 by Mary 14 Comments

I want to eradicate hunger on this earth.

I know, a pretty big, bold, audacious statement. But I think we can do it with your help, using MARY’s secret ingredients.

We’re on a mission – by supporting new natural food manufacturers and giving them an outlet to showcase their products AND giving you the opportunity to sample and try while I suggest new recipes to inspire your cooking, we can make enough money to give back to Feed The Children to tackle this hunger problem. Hunger is not about a total lack of food. It’s a distribution problem. It’s a poverty problem. It’s an education problem. Money is needed to solve these problems. We are now on a crowdfunding mission.

Did you know that we, in the United States, have the highest percentage of hungry people of any developed nation, a rate closer to that of Indonesia than that of Britain?

The simple fact that anyone, anyone in our country should go to bed hungry or any child not be able to concentrate in school due to hunger is an absolute crime in my book.

We need to fix it.

Did you also know that many obese people, of whom there are plenty of in this nation, are actually malnourished? Yes, they’re eating just a ton of fatty, processed crap with no nutrients. They are actually starving. They don’t cook or eat real food.

So MARY’s secret ingredients seeks to solve both problems, by introducing new natural food products from our box to add excitement to your cooking, including the crazy recipes that I create, and then also donating a percentage of profits to Feed The Children.

We have been growing rapidly but we’d really like to ramp it up to solve the hunger problem so we can give oodles of money to Feed The Children. In order to enlarge our community and prove just how big this concept can be to our investors, we have launched a crowdfunding campaign. You can make an investment in exchange for an exclusive gift from us.

Please visit and invest what you can. Besides, I’d love to meet you in person and have you over for a cooking lesson, a brunch or even a dinner. Here is the link: http://smallknot.com/marys-secret-ingredients-1

Please tell all your friends and share on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. to get the word out.
Thank you for all that you do. 🙂 Let’s have fun while we all tackle this problem together!!

MARY’s secret ingredients Fall Box Revealed

October 8, 2014 by Mary 6 Comments

We really are having such a grand time with MARY’s secret ingredients! The fall box shipped out on schedule on September 25^th so everyone should have theirs by now. We hope that all of you who ordered one were just as excited as we were with the mix of ingredients this season. This box is full of wonderful things to spice up your cooking and make preparing a gourmet meal a breeze with all the interesting flavors and the two very exciting new tools enclosed.

A very big thank you to all of you who purchased, as every box sold adds to a contribution to Feed The Children. We will donate 10% of all profits to that global organization at the end of this year. No one should go hungry.

And now our lovely Marie, who will be performing in the premiere of a new opera in November here in NYC, (we’re so excited!) introduces the products to the tune, HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS IN THE MORNING from the musical “Rich, Young, and Pretty”, written by Cahn & Brodzky, and made famous by Dean Martin and Helen O’Connell.

We’re having so much fun!

CALPHALON

Calphalon is a leading manufacturer of professional quality cookware, cutlery, bakeware, kitchen electrics and accessories for the home cook. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Calphalon is a part of Newell Rubbermaid’s global portfolio of leading brands.

Nylon Solid Turner: This spatula is smartly designed with a unique serrated edge to cut food, and the low-profile head is angled to slide under food for easy turning. Crafted with heat-resistant soft-touch silicone accents, this utensil gives you a perfect balance of comfort and control. Dishwasher safe, heat resistant to 400° F, and won’t scratch nonstick cookware. Full lifetime warranty!

FALKSALT

Falksalt sea salt flakes are extracted from pure, clean Mediterranean Sea water using traditional methods. It’s harvested in Cyprus and sold by Swedish Salinity Food with 180 years experience in trading salt. It’s a 100% natural product with no chemicals, no anticaking agents and all natural additives. Falksalt offers a wide range of natural and flavored sea salt flakes.

Falksalt Crystal Flakes Citron: These light flakes add a burst of bright lemon flavor to everything from fish and vegetables to ice cream and chocolate. Bake, cook or just top off your favorite dish before serving. Be daring!

PRODUCT OF CYPRUS BY WAY OF SWEDEN

HARMONIAN

Harmonian is a Greek brand established in June 2013. The company’s aim is to bring a new understanding of “healthy and taste conscious” food to the market.

Kalamata PDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil : Olive Oil is the true “juice of life” and is a secret shared by people at the Mediterranean basin for ages. The land of Messenia, at the southwestern end of Peloponnese in Greece, produces the fine oil of the “Koroneiki” olive variety. Harmonian selects only its top quality crops and embottles their most precious extracts with the utmost care. This oil is silky in texture, keen in flavor and rich in aroma, extra virgin, high quality. It can be enjoyed both raw and cooked.

KIND

KIND® was launched in 2004 with the aim of inspiring people to do the kind thing for your body, your taste buds, & your world. From its delicious foods made from ingredients you can see and pronounce to its commitment to social entrepreneurship, KIND® is focused on making the world a little kinder one act (and snack) at a time.

Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond bar: A brand new flavor! Dark roast coffee and whole almonds blended with honey and drizzled in dark chocolate to form a bar that, with just 5g of sugar, only tastes indulgent.

CHELSEA MARKET BASKET – Kalk Bay Food Smoulder

Their founder’s passion for inspired specialty foods, and thoughtfully designed gifts, led to the creation of Chelsea Market Baskets in 1993. Owner David Porat continues to search the world for innovative products that are distinctly high quality, fresh, unique, and have a certain indescribable charm. Chelsea Market Baskets’ ultimate goal is to delight their customers through their Chelsea Market retail shop in New York City, their mail order gift business, and their wholesale imports. They believe in product integrity and a high level of customer service. Their mission is to heighten each and every customer’s experience with these core values.

Smoulder Spice Grinder – Elements Of Spice By Kalk Bay Food : Warning: Smoking Is Addictive! A few grinds of this mix will conjure up barbeque fun. Everyone’s favorite spices, artisanally cold smoked over beech chips, make the perfect seasoning for meat on the braai. Kalk Bay Food, based in Capetown, South Africa, blends spices from around the globe into unique and delicious combinations. They are known for the quality and freshness of their products. From rare single-origin salts to inventive spice blends, Kalk Bay Food will enhance the flavor of whatever is on the dinner table.

THE PANTRY CLUB

Founded in 2010, The Pantry Club is part of a family business established by Matt and Alicia Webb. It offers ten gourmet-quality dip mix flavors that are made from natural ingredients, are MSG-free, nitrate-free and are gluten-free (with the exception of Bacon Cheddar which has gluten in it). The dip mixes can be made with the classic recipe, or they can be used to create a wide variety of meal ideas; for sauces, soups and marinades – creating hassle-free cooking that is simply delicious.

Spinach Mix Dip (Gluten Free): This special combination of seasonings not only has incredible taste, but it is a delightful complement to fresh vegetables, crackers, baked potatoes, seafood or pasta salad, or use dry as a seasoning.

TOVOLO

Tovolo believes time spent cooking should be fun, and they are honored to be a part of this experience in your home. They challenge themselves to improve the performance, function and appearance of kitchen tools. They obsess over every detail to ensure their product will out-perform expectations. However, performance alone is not enough; they want to put a smile on their customer’s face as well. They strive to add a colorful element of fun to each of their items.

The Perfect Poach: Finally, a solution to make a perfect, delicious poached egg EVERY SINGLE TIME without oil or butter! These handy bags take the guesswork and mess out of poaching eggs. Simply crack an egg into the pouch—use one pouch for each egg—immerse in simmering water, and remove after four to six minutes. Slide your perfectly poached egg onto a plate and enjoy. Bags can only be used once but they are recyclable, biodegradable, and non-stick.

Our Gluten-Free summer MARY’s secret ingredients Box!

July 2, 2014 by Mary 10 Comments

Our summer MARY’s secret ingredients box was mailed last Wednesday, so all of you who ordered should have received it by now. We love these products and as it turns out, they are ALL gluten-free, even the toaster oven liner! And a big thank you to all of you for supporting our mission to eradicate worldwide hunger, as your purchase helps to support Feed The Children.

We have great items to eat and drink, just as they are, at any of your upcoming picnics or BBQ’s, and as I did with the spring box, I will provide inspiration and recipes using all of the ingredients here on this blog over the next two weeks, so please stay tuned.

Check out the video below of our lovely Marie opening a box to the Frank Sinatra tune of HOW ABOUT YOU.

LOVE, Mary

Or you can check it out on youtube here.

ZUKALI MEXICAN GOURMET Big taste, small beginnings. Zukali Mexican Gourmet was born out of a passion for making food and salsas at cookouts with friends and family in their hometown of McKinney, Texas. At Zukali, flavor is foremost.

Cilantro Pineapple Salsa: Inspired by tacos al pastor, this tangy love story of cilantro & pineapple is sure to arouse your tastebuds. We roast fresh peppers over an open flame, we toss in pineapple, and steep it all in a special blend of spices to bathe your mouth in salsa bliss.

COMMUNITY SPICE COMPANY Community Spice Company was founded by nurse Janis Callon in 2010. She comes from a family of foodies. Her father, Stanley, was an executive with Del Monte and her mother, Donna, was a registered dietician. Distressed by the poor quality and the outrageously salty spice blends typically found in the stores, she became adamant to make a healthy low sodium flavored spice blend line that used premium ingredients with realistic labeling for serving sizes.

barbi Q: A perky spice blend that is Community Spice Company’s signature flavor! It is fun, friendly, and the life of the party. Perfect on steak, salmon, ribs, burgers, chicken and home fries.

ka Bobbii: Light and luscious. Lemony with a stimulating twist.
Perfect pick up to fish, chicken, couscous, lentils, & quinoa.

SNP 400: Flexible blend with national appeal. Fantastic with roast chicken, burgers, soups & chili.

mz. Curri: Exotic and confident. This blend takes no prisoners nor will you! Great on veggies, chicken, pork, prawns, fish and onions!

SIMPLY7 The idea behind Simply7 was born because most of the food you are eating everyday is made with ingredients that most people don’t recognize and can’t even pronounce. Simply7 decided to make sure that every ingredient in their products is not only natural but is SIMPLE. Everyone should be able to identify the raw vegetable, fruit, grain, or legume used as ingredients in their products.

Sea Salt Quinoa Chips: All of Simply7 Quinoa Chip flavors are designed to deliver all the flavor and nutrients of the ancient super grain, quinoa. Sea salt is our “original” flavor and truly brings out the slightly nutty flavor of quinoa. You might expect sea salt to be similar to the flavors of other basic salted snacks but it is so much more. The unique flavor of quinoa and the light dusting of sea salt makes for a snacking experience that will keep you reaching for more.

CHEF’S PLANET Chef’s Planet makes life in the kitchen easier. It also offers other innovative, problem-solving kitchenware. They believe you can balance cooking with a busy life, so they are constantly thinking of new ways to make cooking simpler and more enjoyable!

What exactly is an ovenliner? Well, it’s a time saver. A drip and crumb catcher. No need to use chemical cleaners. Chef’s Planet toaster-ovenliner can be easily trimmed to fit on the rack. And, best yet, it’s MADE IN THE USA!

JAXN’S TWICE-BAKED POTATO STIX® The Bodacious Food Company, committed to providing fresh, great tasting premium baked products, created Jaxn’s Twice-Baked Potato Stix® in 2009 as their gluten free and all natural baked snack. Jaxn’s introduces a new, unique concept in better-for-you snacking.

Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper: Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper is a perfect duo of century-old flavors. Experience our snack’s robust blend of cracked pepper and natural sea salt. We sprinkle our flavorsome spice recipe on each twice-baked stix, providing “ingredient conscious” snacks bite-after-bite. Bye bye fries!

BRUCE COST GINGER ALE Bruce Cost Ginger Ale was founded in 2010 by Bruce Cost, author of an award-winning cookbook, a chef and a ginger lover. The original recipe was first created as part of a medicinal dinner. Several years later, after amassing a cult following for the beverage, Cost began bottling it with his partners, entrepreneurs Joseph and Terry Tang. In 2014, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale opened its very own factory, bringing the brewing process to Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Ginger Ale Original: Proud descendent of the first soft drink, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale is delicious, sparking and rich with whole ginger. Made with only fresh ginger (no extracts or oils) and pure cane sugar, this is a fundamentally simple, delicious and spicy beverage. Unfiltered with rich ginger particles, it provides iron and a little vitamin C as well as refreshment. MADE IN BROOKLYN

CLEAN, LEAN AND SEXY Clean, Lean and Sexy was inspired by a mother’s mission to transform her daughter’s health. Suzie Carpenter, a Certified Nutrition and Peak Health Coach founded Clean, Lean and Sexy to provide great-tasting whole food energy products in the form of simple, gluten-free healthy snacks.

Coconut Cashew All Natural Whole Food Energy Bar: Healthy snacks without hidden ingredients are hard to find. Clean, Lean and Sexy Whole Food Energy Bars are made with only pure, all natural, recognizable ingredients; and they taste great! They are made with real coconut and without gluten, corn, soy or dairy ingredients. There are also no processed sugars or artificial sweeteners. Indulge, enjoy and be free (now that’s sexy)! It’s a No Grainer!

2 COUPONS

Please note: Mortar and pestle are a part of MARY’s secret ingredients trademark and are not items included in the box.