Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Why Not Tortillas?







A similar post has appeared in our blog addressing how we got started in the tortilla business.

When people ask us how we got into the tortilla manufacturing business, they are often searching for some explanation regarding a certain ethnic background. It only makes sense, right? Well, we don't have any Central or South American background. Our background is living on a farm in the San Joaquin Valley, driving tractors through the fields, and flying airplanes. What we do have is a knowledgeable dietitian on staff and an interest in health.

Typically, people with our background, don't make tortillas. Created Whole is nothing typical. We are breaking stereotypes. We are going to big manufacturers who tell us that what we are doing is impossible, but we know it's possible. We have people that have grown up eating "mama's tortillas" tasting ours and telling us Created Whole Tortillas are incredible! A product like this has to go to the masses. We are determined not to waste the potential at our fingertips and what God has blessed us with.

Wheat tortillas are the fastest growing product line, not only in the tortilla industry, but in the entire grain products industry. 62 percent of the food industry, both commercial and non-commercial businesses, reported using tortilla products in their operations. People are requesting whole wheat tortillas in restaurants and food establishments. People are expecting great tasting products that are also healthy. Tortillas are versatile and consumable. They are eaten at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as an appetizer, entree, dessert, or snack. With our background in health, along with an exceptional product, and industry timing, it's only natural that we should enter this market.


So maybe instead of asking "Why tortillas?", we should ask, "WHY NOT TORTILLAS?

Friday, December 17, 2010

Get To Know The CEO

With his contagious laughter and "kid-at-heart" personality, he's more than just fun to be around. He can be an all out riot! He's easy going, but far from lazy. He's sharp and determined, displays strong character and kindness in all that he does and pursues. He's the owner. He's the tortilla recipe master. He's Tim Mulder.

Tim Mulder is a professional pilot, lover of the outdoors, and a health enthusiast. Before he was old enough to drive a pickup truck, he was driving a large wheat harvester in the dusty wheat fields of the San Joaquin Valley. Early on in his married life, Tim became captivated by a study of the ancient scriptures and the health secrets found in them. Combining this study and the science of health he began living and sharing what he discovered.

Convinced that if people would live more closely to the way God made the foods found in nature, he dreamed of one day creating a food company that lived and practiced in their manufacturing methods the health principles that he found to be true and that he practiced in his own life. With the abundant refining of grains and cereals in the American diet, he was sure that manufacturers needed to reduce the use of preservatives and the refining of wheat.

"For years I felt a need and urge to manufacture food the way you would if health were your primary value instead of shelf-life or simply profit," Tim explains. With this in mind, he dreamed of creating his own food manufacturing company. So, with the encouragement of his wife Brenda, daughter Kara, and son Bryan, Tim began tinkering in the family's kitchen, perfecting and scaling the whole wheat tortilla recipe that he had been making in his own home for over 25 years. A simple, yet nutritious recipe became "Created Whole". Tim's dream of becoming an industry leader in freshly manufactured food products began moving towards reality. The journey is only beginning, and Tim believes that someday, through Created Whole, he and his family will be able to touch many peoples' lives with the truths of health in countries all around the world.


Tim's life is more than just tortillas. He also enjoys working in his garden and tending to his orchard of fruit trees, and recently became a certified grower, which enables him to sell produce at farmer's markets. He loves to backpack, windsurf, play tennis, hang glide, and spend time with his wife Brenda. He's an amazing man, an amazing husband, and an amazing father. As the CEO of Created Whole, this company is in good hands!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

There's A "Super Mom" Behind Every Super Tortilla


Brenda Mulder is known for her caring and loving spirit, laughter, and her amazing ability to multi-task. (Some have nicknamed her "Super Mom". I'm still trying to figure out how she does it all). She is not only one of the main cheerleaders in the business, but also the inspiration and go-to-gal when it comes to Created Whole and anything nutrition. Brenda's interest in health and nutrition, that started many years ago, has laid the foundation for Created Whole. Read on to get to know more about her!


Brenda Mulder is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for helping people achieve their lifestyle goals. With a background in health and wellness and a personal commitment to apply positive lifestyle principles in her own life, she encourages her clients to take care of their health and live well. Brenda's background includes work as a Clinical Dietitian in the Hospital setting and in Long Term Care, Health Education and Wellness, and Nutrition Consultation for individual clients.


Currently: The owner of Quality Life Design, where she specializes in consulting individuals on healthful living principles that will give them an improved quality of life. She also enjoys her new "mini vacations" with her recent job addition and adventure of being a flight attendant for SkyWest Airlines.


Hobbies: Loves to cook. Has cooked healthy foods for family for over the past 30 years. Enjoys being creative through art, sewing, and crafts. Likes the outdoors, hiking, camping, and loves to travel.


Loves to give, help others, and be a blessing to those around her. Brenda has a desire to make a difference in this world. She feels that one way she can give back is by encouraging people to follow healthy lifestyle principles that will be a blessing in their lives.


She tweets about nutrition and health @BrendaMulder

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Didn't Realize Tweets Could Be That Sweet?

Social media has given marketers and businesses a whole new way to quickly and quite effectively reach an audience that, frankly, doesn't have the time or interest to be reached. When we started Created Whole, we put up the website, made a Facebook page, began this blog, and shortly after, began Tweeting on Twitter. The website definitely needs help, but it does what we need it to do for now, which is directing customers to a place where they can place orders and contact us. Facebook has been an instrumental way for people to find us if they search for Created Whole Tortillas in the Google search engine. The blog is a way for us to give you more of an inside look at what is going on, as well as being one more platform of introducing people to "the best tasting tortilla."

But, what I am raving about right now is Twitter. Twitter is such an interesting and unique social media platform. It's a way to tell the world what is happening right now. Twitter lets you know what your favorite celebrity, gourmet food truck, or friend is doing at that moment. It's a way to have quick conversations with complete strangers. I started a tweeting for Created Whole Tortillas (follow us @BestTortilla). Without fully understanding how twitter could be used as a marketing tool, I purchased a book to help. Right now, I pretty much think twitter is the best thing ever! It's not only effective, quick, and easy, but also fun. Because of twitter, we have been able to connect with people on a much shorter timetable and in more of direct way. Instead of phone calls and leaving messages, or writing letters and never receiving a response, we've had success with an 140 character tweet. Recently, twitter has helped us get noticed. In our society where people can't live without their blackberrys and they don't have time to read billboards, let alone blogs, twitter is a very effective way to communicate.


So, start tweeting by going to twitter!!!

Follow us at @BestTortilla

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Why don't you sample with Salsa?

We have had some customers ask or wonder why we do not sample our Create Whole Tortillas with some great tasting filling like salsa, humus, scrambled eggs or tofu.

Well... During our testing we found that even a horribly bad tasting tortilla is acceptable if you cover the flavor with a good enough filling. Sure our tortillas are fantastic with scrambled tofu, salsa or humus, but when we go head to head with nothing but the tortilla taste as the standard of comparison it is a more accurate test of quality.

There is one other issue about sampling. What filling will we use? Some might not like the sample because of the ingredients we have chosen. By sampling just the tortilla we have a better chance of gaining the customers confidence of our quality product.

Created Whole Tortillas... the original "eat it straight" tortilla.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Full-Time Tim

Tortillas eventually, or more like, initially enter most social conversations. It's so hard not to talk about Created Whole for us, because this company is something that we are so passionate about.

Tortillas travel everywhere with us. A couple of weeks ago, the flight attendants of the family (Brenda and Kara), were grabbing lunch at Baja Fresh at LAX, and the young woman in line just happened to ask, "Do you ladies know if they have whole wheat tortillas?" Smiling, Kara says, "No they don't, but I do," while rapidly explaining about the tortilla business, and frantically trying to find a business card. Not having any business cards and only two tortillas left, she handed over the tortillas with the website written on a napkin. This business has comical moments to say the least.

Tim received a phone call last week from a woman who says she's praying for us to get into Trader Joe's and praying that we will be successful. She loves the tortillas. Stories like this have been happening for us everyday. From the random people we encounter, to our regular customers at farmer's market, we need these affirmations.

This past week, Brenda was in Santa Barbara for work, and Tim was in Utah or somewhere, and Kara was enjoying the wonderful island of Oahu. Our lives are a little nutso. It's a challenge to build a business when there isn't someone dedicating all of their time to just tortillas. Three months ago, we set a goal that Tim would be our full-time employee by the end of the summer. We've needed him full-time for awhile, but he hasn't wanted to let go of the security of his job. So, it's the end of the summer.

Every time the three of us (Tim, Brenda, Kara) get together to talk about the future of tortillas, each one of us has a, "You'll-never-guess-what-just-happened-to-me-story." There some pretty exciting opportunities "in-the-works" right now that can't be shared at this time on such a public forum, but the one thing I can say, is that things look good. There's a lot to be done. So much so, that we had an intervention with Tim, and he's done working for anyone but Created Whole.

Congratulate Tim on his new position as full-time Director of Operations/Production!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Eat Pray Love

I went to see the film Eat Pray Love last night starring Julia Roberts. Based on the bestselling book it tells the story of Liz, a middle aged writer, who reaches a crossroads in her life, realizing that she does not like the life that she is living. Realizing she is unhappy in her marriage, she divorces her husband, and embarks on a year long journey of travel and new experiences in an attempt to feel alive again. Beginning in Italy, she lives, eats, learns Italian, and finds snippets of happiness, but still she is incomplete. Liz travels to India to learn meditation from the great Guru, and is frustrated cause she cannot still her soul. Ending her year in Bali, she faces her fears of opening her heart again to love.

Liz's experience is like so many people. We want to be happy. We want to experience life to the fullest. We want to feel complete. We want to be loved. And, we want to find rest. So often, we think that when our lives are not how we expect or what we want, we must change something outside of ourselves. We need to get away. So we plan a trip, change jobs, move, break-up with a significant other, and for awhile, we are ok again. But, that feeling of not enough, of something missing, returns. Because the problem is not outside of us, it's in us. There is a saying that goes, "Where ever you go, there you are." You can never leave yourself.

I'd like to suggest that we look in all the wrong places for the peace and stillness and completeness that we all desire. It won't be found in success, wealth, beauty, thinness. In the book, Desire of Ages, it says, "Living faith in the Redeemer will smooth the sea of life, and will deliver us from danger in the way that He knows best (White, 336). Jesus tells us "Be still and know that I am God." Ps. 46:10. Here alone, can true rest be found.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

This Frustration Can Be a Good Thing

"Dad, these tortillas...they are SO salty. Why are they so salty?" I question mid-chew, as I sit in the backseat of the car. He asks for a piece to try, and then he is quiet for a moment. He begins to shake his head back and forth, in a sense of confusion and mutters how this salty tortilla could be. Mom and I begin to question, "Did you forget that you put in the salt and then added extra unknowingly? Did you measure too much? Did the recipe mix unequally and it only is this dozen that is unreasonably salty? He shakes his head more vigorously, and replies, "No. No. I measured everything right. I made the recipe exactly right." He's just as stumped as we are. We go about the day, but every hour or so, we return to the topic of the salty tortilla. We are all very bothered by this occurance.

Come to find out, the whole batch is ruined, all 56 dozen. And, come to find out, it has nothing to do with a mistake that we made or anything that we really had control over. It was the bakery owners that made the error, and even though they admitted to adding more salt without our consent, they were unwilling to refund us or make another batch "on the house." In all points of business, the people involved must be honest and willing to make amends for mistakes made, however costly they may be. There are different ways to learn in life, and one is by seeing how NOT to do things. Created Whole will always be committed to honesty, quality, and integrity, unlike some in the business arena.

The frustration with the current bakery we are working under has risen significantly over the last year. The owners have increased the price per dozen that we pay to make our tortillas at their facility, a price that is unreasonably high. The going rate gives us little added benefit. We are only able to make tortillas on their schedule, and at their convenience. The relationship seems fragile, breakable. We are caught in a tight-rope, scared to make a misstep that could send our baby business plummeting to sudden death.

The three of us (Tim, Brenda, and Kara), share equal responsibility (for the most part), for the decisions made within our business, but as the daughter (Kara), I look up to my father as the leader. He is intelligent and extremely capable, and it's really because of him that this business began. I have been at the point of breaking for quite awhile, not wanting our business to continue like it has. We are stuck in limbo, because without production, we cannot grow. Without growth, in all honesty, it's time to ask the question, "What the hell are we doing?"

I hate it when something happens with our tortillas, because I am so emotionally attached to the success and the quality of Created Whole. I think one makes better decisions when there is not the emotional attachment, but the attachment is an indicator of how much I care. We all care. I think, somewhat ignorantly, and it's easy for me to say, "Let's grow." I don't know the feeling of debt. I don't really know what it's like to fail. To jump completely in, with nothing and no one to fall back on and not look back. To me, the concept of just diving head-first into waters that are murky and with depth unknown, seems much more rewarding than hanging out in the kiddie-pool with rubber duckie arm bands. Sometimes, I think that Dad is just fine with the kiddie pool. I become angry that he's not doing anything (which is a completely unfair and a wrongful accusation. People are not the most rational when angry.) But, I see that he does care, maybe even more than I do.

With the latest bakery frustration, I feel thankful. Maybe this will be the last straw for Dad. Our goal was for him to be the full-timer in our company by the end of the summer. It's almost the end of the summer, and I think that we are all at the end of our patience with our current situation. So, this time, the frustration that we are experiencing may just be the catalyst to take us into the big markets that we keep dreaming of. So, maybe this time, this frustration can be a good thing.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Supply = Demand

I was never a fan of college economics class. There's the supply and demand models, something about elasticity and price, and yada, yada, yada. The concepts are vaguely familiar, but if you asked me to teach a class on the subject, my poor pupil would very likely receive an F. (For the record, my final grade was something like a B+ or A-, but unfortunately, grades are neither an indication of understanding nor future success.)

Not that I understand the exact terminology of what Created Whole is experiencing, but it's somewhere between a slow, but steady increasing demand, paired with an inconsistent and flat lined production level. Even I know that doesn't equal.

Sometimes I think people get the idea that we are a big company, manufacture a lot of tortillas, have a great distribution network, and increasing vendor agreements. To put the record straight: We make tortillas at a SMALL tortilleria in Wasco, CA at about 55 dozen each production run. How much we can produce is limited to the schedule at the tortilleria, and we only make tortillas when inventory is low to gone. Our cost per dozen tortillas is what I term, "Pretty astronomical," and we, those directly involved, are not making an income yet. We can be thankful that the business is not in debt up to this point.

Created Whole Tortillas are in a store (as in one), in Bakersfield, CA, one store store in Culver City, available online at TheBestTortilla.com, and the tasty round goodness shows up weekly at the Redondo Beach Farmer's Market where 12-26 dozen "fly" off the shelves (I say "fly" with an edge of sarcasm). If we only focused on our overall sales, we would pack our wheat, throw out the other 3 ingredients, and say "there's no point to this." But, we see the potential in the market and the potential of our product thanks to our customers. The "good jobs" and "keep making these tortillas" and "I hope you guys do really well" reminds us of what we have and why we are in business. (Seriously, thank you guys for the encouragement). We are also reminded everytime we bite into a Created Whole Tortilla. Just this morning for breakfast I was eating a tortilla straight up, and said, "Wow Dad! How did you make such a GREAT tortilla?"

Tortillas are beginning to fly with Allegiant flight crews. Everyday of work last week I toted tortillas in my rollerboard. 15 dozen tortillas went to various airline employees this week. Tortillas are now a favorite for "Crew Breakfast". Crew Breakfast consists of peanut-buttering up a tortilla, add a sprinkle of chocolate chips, pop it in the aircraft oven, and add banana slices after heated. The smell of hot and fresh tortillas wafts through the galley and flight deck, taunting the passengers while poor-thems crunch through cardboard box snackpacks. (Oh the benefits of being a stew.)


Another Crew Breakfast

As demand increases, our big question is, "Are we going to have enough tortillas?" Currently, we are exploring new options for production. Once we have a consistent production level, we will be able to approach establishments like Whole Foods and Chipotle. From consumer comments, we see that demand is there. One diehard fan wanted to take his Created Whole Tortillas into the restaurant and eat them instead of the tortillas that came with his fish taco dinner. That's what we love to hear:) Keep eating!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Not The Enemy

Have you ever heard people say, "I can't eat that. Too many carbs." We sometimes hear people say, "Sorry. I can't try your tortillas. I'm not eating carbs." A human body needs carbohydrates to run efficiently, and whole grains are a great source of energy.

The recommendation is to make one half of the day's grains whole. Nearly nine out of ten Americans aren't aren't choosing whole grains often enough to meet the minimum recommendations. On average, Americans consume less than one serving per day. Even more astonishing is that four out of 10 Americans consume less than one whole grain product during two weeks of their usual eating habits. Consumers are showing a strong interest in whole grains and one survey revealed whole grains as one of the top three foods that respondents were likely to choose for their own health. Data also showed that four out of five people are trying to eat more whole grains and two out of three people are trying to reduce their refined grains intake.

According to Mintel, just last year, manufacturers launched more than 3,000 new products with a whole grain claim-to-fame. The largest growth areas are bakery, breakfast cereals, and snacks. Registered Dietitian, Tina Miller, states, "Carbohydrates are not the enemy; just choose them wisely."

(for more information about this entry, please visit http://www.todaysdietitian.com/

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

A Wonderful World

Today, I went to play at Disneyland for a couple hours. I perused through Downtown Disney, giggled through 3 minutes on "The Tower of Terror", and sat eating a PB & J while listening to four performers sing oldies songs acapella style.

I watched a group of about 20 people, various ages, all wearing shirts that said the "Smith" Family Vacation 2010. They were snapping pictures, smiling, and enjoying the day. How many millions of people have smiled, laughed, and made beautiful moments because one man dreamed HUGE?

It's amazing to think that all of these various people, from various locations around the globe, could not experience "the magic" if Walt did not pursue his dreams and have the determination to build "The Wonderful World of Disney." He built a business from just an idea, on a piece of land that was just an orange grove. His creativity, imagination, vision, and leadership have gifted so many with wonderful memories and precious moments.

Someone once told me that "we must manifest the un-manifest." We were put on this Earth to bring to it "something" special. To create what has not yet been created. It is our responsibility to reach our highest potential because if we do not, the world is less.

So how can you create a wonderful world?

Thursday, June 3, 2010

"In your face" marketing...

Talked with a delightful woman at the Redondo Beach farmers market that had an interesting story to tell. We have developed a habit of presenting a platter full of tortilla samples for the passing shoppers perusing the market. After what I think was the second pass by the booth, she tried the sample. Based on that sample, she bought her first dozen.

The next week, she talked with Brenda at the booth and bought her second dozen of the famous Created Whole tortillas. This past Thursday, I was there for her third purchase, another 1 dozen tortillas. She says Created Whole tortillas are so good we eat the whole dozen in nearly one meal. She also said; "He [Tim] just stuck the samples "in my face", so I had to try it. I love them!"




Sometimes a little "Holy" boldness is good for business!




Commit to a little boldness this week, and then share your own story!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Trust, Hope, and Haiti

I went to Haiti last week. My flight attendant benefits and fairly flexible schedule allowed me the opportunity to join my Uncle, and his family, along with a group of medical volunteers at the Adventist hospital located just outside Port-au-Prince.

I was hoping that I could be useful in some way, even without any medical training. Selfishly, I was also hoping that the trip and whole experience would be personally life altering. In a sense, I came back disappointed because I don't feel like I was able to contribute much, and I haven't had any life changing epiphanies yet. Yet...

I have a lot of questions. I question how my existence can make a difference in this world. I question how God can just watch so much distruction, so much pain. After four months, piles of rubble, tent cities, chaos, and brokenness is. It just is...

I asked Joseph, one of the translators, what it is like to be Hatian. "You have to be strong. You must be a soldier. You have to fight for yourself. Look out for yourself. Have your own weapons. Sometimes, maybe, someone will help you. But usually not. You just must be strong. Because you are alone."

The woman at the clinic says she can't eat. The nurse inquires to why. In creole, she says she doesn't have an appetite. The woman then turns and points to a large pile of rubble right behind the makeshift clinic. "My daughter is in that rubble."

Reggie says if he could take it all back he would. His english is perfect. It's because he grew up in Miami, having moved there from Haiti with his mother when he was five years old. He's back now, and not by desired choice, but due to other life choices. He was convicted in the United States and deported. He's only 26. Along with the time Reggie spent in an American prison, he spent 21 days in a Hatian prison. Hatian prisons are a whole nother hell. A small space becomes a place to sleep, a bathroom, a shower. The only source of food is if the prisoner's family brings it to them. If the prisoner has no family to bring food, the prisoner has three options; another prisoner shares his food, starvation, or fight someone for their food. Reggie says you can't blame people for fighting. It's just about surviving. In Haiti, survival is about looking out for oneself.

It strikes me how strange it is that I am walking past tent cities and garbage studded dirt streets with a convicted felon. A country with no sense of safety, and me, with no sense of direction. Ironically, I feel a sense of protection from a person that I would not easily trust on the streets of LA. But, I trust Reggie. Sometimes, you must trust people. But I wonder who can the people of Haiti trust? Can they trust that they will see the benefits of the 1 billion dollars in aid money and supplies that have been sent? Can they trust that their babies will be fed? Can they trust that their homes will be rebuilt? Can they trust that there lives will improve? Can they trust in their Voudoo gods? With no infrastructure and no leader, they have learned that they can only trust themselves.

Sabrina's clinic is constructed from tarps and poles. Everything about it is mobile. The "pharmacy" is divided between four suitcases that lie on the dusty ground. The "exam room" is made up of the 90 degree converging of a brick wall and a vertical hanging tarp. It's Sabrina's Clinic because it is organized and continues to run due to the efforts of an amazing 20-something, nurse-midwife named Sabrina. For 4 months leading up to the January quake, Sabrina searched unsuccessfully for a nursing job. Even during the recent shaky economic times, nurses have still been in high demand, but Sabrina's search proved fruitless. She felt strongly that God must have some reason for her unemployment and she leaned on the faith that God was going to do something in her life. A couple days after the quake, she got a call from someone asking if she could be at the airport in an hour and a half. She was needed in Haiti.

I ask her if she gets lonely in Haiti. Her family is not with her. She's young. She's learning Creole and French. Everything is so different. She thinks for a moment and then replies, "No. Not really. Since I came here, I believe that God has been telling me that I need to go to Him first. Not a boyfriend. Not a best girlfriend. Not my family. Instead, I need to rely on Him completely and tell him everything first. So, no. I'm not lonely." Sabrina speaks with strong conviction and a calm peace. In Haiti, she has found something to trust. In Haiti, she has found the only thing to trust.

Click here to see pictures from my trip

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Blueberry Buzz

This week at Farmer's Market, we added something new; Vegan Raw Cheesecake. The flavor of the week was White Chocolate Blueberry, made by Wendy Naus, owner of Nature's Market & Juice Bar, and masterful creator of all kinds of vegan raw delicacies.

We have been introducing new items at farmer's market, not because are tortillas aren't selling, but because the compliment products actually improve our overall appeal. It definately creates more buzz around the Created Whole booth.

We also have been putting up more signs. This week, we needed to a sign for the cheesecake. Brenda created a masterpiece in her painting studio, aka, the trunk of the toyota corolla. Here are some pictures and a short video of the experience.




Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Inspired

There is way to shake hands.
To look people in the eye.
To do what's right.
There is a way to ask what if until it becomes what is.
There is a way to take on impossible opportunity.
To replace hassle and haggle with learn and listen.
To make people look forward to the process of buying.
And to make it less of a process.
There is a way to replace no we can't with yes we can.
To fix problems even before they arise.
To be bold and humble.
To go from good to great.
To never look back.
There is a way to pour everything we have into everything we do.
There is a way to treat people better.
There is a way to make a better tortilla-
Created Whole. "Eat it Straight".
Period.

(adapted from a magazine ad)

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Straight Up Goodness

A popular brand of tortilla on the market today claims on its package to be "The finest ever made!" Flour that has been stripped of almost everything needed for good health is sometimes referred to as "fine" flour or "refined" flour. Maybe Created Whole should call theirs the "coarsest" tortilla ever made. "Coarse" flour with all the vitamins, fiber and nutrients found in the whole wheat berry is definitely superior in taste, quality and health benefits.

Check these ingredients of the major Whole Wheat Flour tortilla brand manufactured by La Reina, Los Angeles, CA.

Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, water, soy bean oil, salt, baking powder (corn starch, sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum sulfate, monocalcium phosphate), Mono and Diglycerides, calicium propionate, and bicarbonate, guargum, and dough conditioner (L-Cysteine).


The ingredients in Created Whole Wheat Tortillas:
Wheat, water, oil, salt.


Fresh. Simple. No surprises.
The only "eat it straight" tortilla!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Fabulous Fat

Some people have passed by Created Whole Tortillas because they glance at fat content or see what type of oil that we use. The following is from a section of the book Core Performance Women by Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams

Contrary to popular belief, fat will not make you fat. Unfortunately, thanks to the aggressive anti-fat marketing campaigns of the 1980s, most people believe that if you eat fat, you become fat. There's some truth to that, of course. Not all fat is good, and too much of anything will contribute to additional body fat. But fats are crucial to good health and the makeup of cell membranes. Fats are needed for the absorption of certain vitamins and antioxidants: vitamin A (immune function and wound healing), vitamin D (bone health and general well being), vitamin E (involved with the workings of vitamins A and C and helps to protect the cells), and vitamin K (normal blood clotting function). Fats release energy slowly, keep the body satiated and regulating blood sugar, thus lowering glycemic response to other foods. Research also confirms that fats send signals to the brain that then make us feel full. Good fats provide powerful nutrients for cellular repair of the joints, organs, skin, and hair. Special fatty acids, specifically omega-3s (EPA and DHA), found in fatty fish, fish oil, walnuts, flaxseeds, and flaxseed oil, also help with cognitive ability, mental clarity, mood, PMS and memory retention, and they have strong anti-inflammatory properties. These essential fats are often overlooked. The fact that their name incorporates the word essential means that they must come from the diet. I cannot stress too much the importance of incorporating these fats into your diet on a daily basis or choosing a fish oil or omega-3 supplement to complement your diet.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

Today marks the first anniversary of Created Whole Tortillas. May 1, 2009 was the first day that we made tortillas. It was so nerve racking because we didn't know if the recipe would work on the machine, and in a larger scale, and also so exciting because we were finally seeing the product that we wanted so badly to come to market actually being made. I am realizing and believe that start-ups are a combination of the most rewarding and stressful ventures to be involved with. To be in business after a year is milestone. Hearing the positive customer feedback, receiving more online orders, getting into our first LA store, and a new farmer's market that is starting in Bakersfield have been so encouraging. Encouragement that we, as business owners, have needed. The successes have come in between struggles.

Having full time jobs and also an "entrepreneurial baby" is often overwhelming, and would be impossible without the dedication of those directly involved. Tim and Brenda showed dedication once again this past week by waking up at 2am, and driving five hours from Vegas back to Shafter to set-up tortilla production. Lately, a lot of craziness like that is happening, but if that's what it takes right now, that's what we are going to do. It's great to be able to say Happy 1st Birthday Baby Company. We'll keep making our wishes and working to get there!

Friday, April 30, 2010

We're in the Big League's Now

I'm really excited to announce that you can now buy Created Whole Tortillas at Rainbow Acres Natural Foods on Washington Blvd in Los Angeles. This is our first store location in LA!!!

The store in unpretentious from the outside. Inside, there is a deli and large vitamin and nutrition section, along with groceries and health foods. On Tuesday, May 4, we will be sampling Created Whole Tortillas between 11a-2p. So, go visit Rainbow Acres for your tortillas!


Rainbow Acres on Washington Blvd






Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Perilous Times of Farmer's Market

Farmer's Market is always adventurous. This week, I battled moderate LA traffic to make the drive to Shafter to pick up Tortillas, Pomegranate Juice, and Veggie Wraps (Thanks Nature's Food Market). New fliers, organizing, errands, random here-and-there tasks...I have literally been two hours past departure time for the last two days. Good thing this isn't an airline. I'd be fired by now. That being said, I did make it to Farmer's Market on time.


Wednesdays before market are usually really busy and turn into a late night. Thursday morning comes bright and early; 5:30am. My morning exercise has turned into carrying ice chests up and down stairs and lifting them in and out of cars. The trusty little Toyota can sure fit a lot of stuff.





Someday, maybe we'll invest in some tortilla transportation, but until then, airlines and mini-mobiles, and even bicycles are doing the job. I had to include the trunk picture because I didn't have time to take my bike out and put it together before I left in the morning. It definitely adds a dimension of fun.


Anyone care for a ride?

Over the last couple of days, Redondo Beach has been blessed with hurricane force winds. The trashcans, in the alley behind my apartment, added an element of interest to my day.
Here's a photo of my cute little Thursday morning abode. Someday, along with a new Gringo-mobile, we'll invest in a more user-friendly tent. I am getting more efficient at the one-woman assembly. Still, every week I hope a knight in armour will valiantly ask to assist me. Maybe, I just need to move my abode to Disneyland. Mickey likes whole wheat tortillas, right?
This week, I changed the set-up a little bit and also added more signs.

Until we get a printed vinyl sign, the acrylic paints and posterboard are very unique.


This metal beverage basket turned into a nice way to display the wraps and pomegranate juice.

I used my Union College business degree to the max through the promotional pricing strategy of whole wheat tortillas and veggie wraps: buy whole wheat tortillas and receive a dollar off the price of a wrap. Thanks Union College.

After clean-up and moving everything back into the garage, the market day ends at about 2:30p. Today was enjoyable, even though it was a bit treacherous towards the last due to the gale force winds. Thankfully, the tent didn't experience lift-off, which is always a plus. I'm looking forward to next week being just as positive, minus the wind, plus more customers.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Tortilla Talk


It's a little bit small as the upload, but I was working on a half-size flyer for the farmer's market. This is what I've come up with so far. I still have another side to finish. I haven't decided yet if this will be the front or the back. The whole point of this flyer is to get the people that see us at the market to become connected with Created Whole online. The goal is for people to like us on facebook and read our blog, AND we are Twittering as BestTortilla too. So thanks to all of you that are connecting:)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Cheers! Let's Drink To That

What if by grabbing another drink you would increase your energy levels, improve the quality of your skin, keep your muscles and joints lubricated, improve your overall health, make you look younger, and prevent you from overeating? Well take a sip of water, cause water is the magic potion that does all that. With all the technological advances no one has come up with a better liquid, but we tend to replace are water drinking with sodas, coffee, and alcohol.

Proper hydration regulates appetite, because often, when people think they are hungry, the signal is actually thirst. Being properly hydrated can also help you accomplish 25 percent more. Drink 2 cups of water first thing in the morning. This will re-hydrate you after a night of sleep and prepare your digestive juices for a yummy breakfast.

Often, during your day, if you don't have a water bottle with you, you'll not get enough to drink. Invest in a stainless steel bottle that you can refill during the day. I love my Klean Kanteen and take it everywhere. It helps me stay hydrated, and I'm also helping the environment by not using plastic bottles that add to the landfills. The bottles come in a variety of colors and sizes. You can find them at REI or buy them online at http://www.kleankanteen.com/.


So, this week, drink more. Your body will thank you!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Whole-y Communion

Our friend Gerard drove down to help with the market this week. He brought with him pomegranate juice to sell. He is a farmer's market veteran, and it was so great to have him helping. Our sales have been slow, so I was very appreciative of all the advice and tips he had.

Pomegranate juice has amazing health benefits, and contains more antioxidants than most other fruit juices, red wine, and green tea. Antioxidants are nutrients that help fight and rid the body of free radicals- the gremlins that cause untold damage to your body. You can read about some of the benefits of Pomegranate Juice here.

With the pomegranate juice and tasty tortillas, it was like partaking in Holy Communion. Take a look at the video and some of the market excitement.

People are giving us rave reviews about the tortillas (which is so awesome). Gerard says that we have a goldmine of a product. The feedback we have received is so encouraging. Thanks everyone for being a part of this dream and supporting us. You guys rock!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Has Anyone Told You How Special You Are?

There's an interesting article about how specialty food product sales have swelled this past year. Sales within the specialty food market are still growing, even with the economic times. This is good news for our extra special tortillas. Retailers are also buying local. Another plus. They reported that 23.4 percent of the foods they sell are local, made within 250 miles of the store. The article has other interesting facts about growth trends and opportunity. Take a look at the article here.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Logo Brilliance


We're excited because we finally have a logo!!! Yea! Gary Manly, who is a creative genius, designed the logo for us. Let us know what you think!


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Goals

The other day I was looking over, updating, and revising the business plan. Towards the beginning of the business plan, we have our company goals and objectives. Just wanted to share them with you:

Created Whole Goals and Objectives
  • To create a movement of public demand for more natural, healthful, and nutritious food manufacturing methods
  • To improve the quality of life, health, and financial status of our employees and customers
  • To be innovative and forward thinking
  • To serve our employees first and customers second
  • To create a culture that is fun, uplifting, and one that people want to work in
  • To offer job opportunities for men and women with past criminal records
  • To positively impact our customers and community
  • To practice sustainable business, "go-green", and have low impact on the environment
  • To make the best tasting, highest quality tortilla on the market
  • To expand our line of whole wheat tortillas to include additional products
  • To become a household name
  • To be sold at a national level that includes accounts with stores like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Costco
  • To have Created Whole Tortillas used in fast food establishments like Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Veggie Grill.
  • To establish joint ventures with frozen burrito manufacturers like Evol Burritos
  • To have agreements with Starbucks and other cafes where Created Whole Tortillas are used for pre-made wraps.
  • To be part of Allegiant Airlines "Buy on Board" program as sandwich wraps.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Letters to God

I went and saw Letters To God this afternoon. It's the story of an eight year-old boy who has cancer. He writes letters to God, and through his letters, lives around him are changed. It was a touching and powerful story. It's also very sad. I'm not sure I left with more hope, but I left feeling like I have so much to be thankful for.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Bananas

I rummaged through my closet this afternoon looking for a t-shirt to throw on. I pulled a turquoise, flowy tank out, and right then, my "Banana" tee caught my eye. I smiled. My banana tee has a story behind it.

One morning, a few years ago, I remember complaining because we had nothing in the house for breakfast. I specifically made the biggest deal that we didn't even have bananas. When I got home late that evening, there was this ginormous box of bananas on the counter! A huge box completely filled with bananas! Not squash, not potatoes, not apples; BANANAS. Apparently, the grocery store had just received a fresh shipment, so the produce manager gave my mom this box, for free.

Before they call, I will answer. While they are still speaking, I will hear.
Isaiah 65:24
Bananas is a good reminder to me that there are answers. That there is One who hears. One who hears the little things, even when it's in the form of a complaint. No matter in what form we come to Him, He always hears. Today, "Bananas" reminded me that He is hearing us in all of our questions and concerns with the tortilla business.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

What's Your Louis Vuitton?

I think working as a flight attendant is fun. I meet really interesting people. People are just fascinating, and when they get on a plane, it's like Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwiches; an odd and unusual combination that really doesn't mesh...but it works (for some people).

I use the personal reminder of, "These folks are not professional travelers" to calm annoyances that I feel during a work day. Yesterday, I went to Northwest, Arkansas-LAX turn. On the way back, there was a gentleman that boarded the aircraft, looked in his mid-thirties, carrying an expensive duffel bag.

Throughout the 3 hour flight, one of the other flight attendants, and myself, chatted with him and the woman sitting next to him. The two of them were funny, and they made us laugh. Toward the end of the flight, He got up, and we had the following exchange (more or less):

Gentleman: "I just have a question. I have my $1500 Louis Vuitton bag, and I don't want it to get crushed in the overhead bin when I travel back to Arkansas, cause it's really nice. Is there another place you have to put bags?

Kara: "No, not really. Pretty much under your seat or the overhead bins. Maybe in crew stowage, but probably not. It would depend on who was working if you could put it there."

G: "I mean cause I usually fly first class, and when I fly first class, they put my bags in a different place.

K: (smirking) "Well, uh...obviously Allegiant doesn't have first class." (teasingly) "So you're VIP or something, huh?"

G: "No, I'm not trying to be difficult, it's just my wife and I like nice things, and have nice things, and it's a really nice bag. I could have brought my $3000 Louis Vuitton, but I brought my $1500 one."

K: (definitely trying not to laugh). "Well, hmmm...maybe for next time, bring your $5 bag." (and now laughing).

G: "oh, well...alright. How bout you just bring me that Bacardi?"

And of course the three of us "stews" had a laugh about that one. I just kept thinking are you serious? People are just ridiculous. Spending that much on something just to put stuff in? Is it really important? How many people could you help in this world with $1500? How many lives could be changed with $3000.

But, then it got me thinking: What's my "Louis Vuitton"?

What do I have in my life that I put so much value, time, money, or energy into that is in reality, insignificant? Is it that I think I am better than this gentleman because I didn't spend $3000 on a bag? But really, am I any different? If I did have extra money just to spend, how might I spend it? It might not be a $1500 bag, but I'll admit, it would be on myself.


How could I change the world around me if I stopped with so many of my own "Louis Vuittons"?

Earlier this month, I visited ADRA's Gift Catalog. ADRA is an organization that improves the lives of people around the world. The agency searches out deprivation, social injustice, and need, and then searches out ways to eliminate them. Through the gift catalog, you can browse gifts by program, region, price, or view them all. Did you know that it only takes $2.25 to feed a street child in Brazil?

I know how it is for some of us: college students, college grads with loans, making chump change as flight attendants. But, I want to challenge you (and myself), to give more. To stop with so much of the "Louis Vuitton purchases." Let's give, whether it be our money or our time, and see what happens.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Where We Gonna Go From Here?

Mat Kearney sings a song, and there's a line of the song that repeats,

"where we gonna go from here"
That line has been repeating in my head all morning. As of now, the bakery doesn't want us to make tortillas there any longer. What I posted yesterday was more appropriate than I realized about trusting in God to bring us through "that great wilderness." Pray for our business, because it seems we are at an impass.
"And try Me now on this," says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."
Malachi 3:10
Now, I need to halt the tears, get myself together and go to work. Another Northwest Arkansas trip.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

That Great Wilderness

Have you ever had the feeling of being completely overwhelmed? Uncertain and unsure? All the thoughts of, "How is this even possible?" Then, the hopeless statement follows: "There's just no way." In one word your mind says, "insurmountable."

Mine has. Mine does. It did this week.

Not knowing what to do next brings my stress level up to medium high and compounded with minimal sleep, that shoots me over the moon. Welcome to the first week of April.

Happy April Fool's?

The "insurmountable" this week brought something beautiful along with it. I had an intensely precious moment with God. Just me, God, and my tears.

This is what He said to me:

And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you...[He] who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8

Saturday, April 3, 2010

And The Winner Is...

Thanks to all of you that took a guess on how many tortillas were in the suitcase. Most of the guesses ended up being a significantly large number.

So the magic number was 24 dozen. I'm almost a little embarrassed because most of you think this business of flying tortillas here and there is a large operation. I should have made myself clear: the tortillas were in a carry on suitcase. You may think 24 dozen is a small amount, but let me tell you, that bag is SO heavy. I can barely lift that darn suitcase when there are that many tortillas in it. Thank goodness there are no weight limits for carry ons.

Anyway, there is a winner. Jessi guessed the amount exactly. Congratulations! You will receive your tortillas next week. And thanks again to everyone that participated!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

One no Closer to YES

I glance at my watch. Ughh, two more hours. Looking up, I chirp, "Would you like to try a whole wheat tortilla? They're really good!" I'm like a song on repeat. That favorite song you unintentionally over play. Fantastic at first. Gets a little annoying after the nth play.

Sometimes they look at me and say "No, thanks." Sometimes they pretend I'm not there. Sometimes they think I say "Holy", and look at me with questioning eyes. Maybe "Whole" and "Holy" are interchangeable when a tortilla tastes this good.

I've developed a love and loathing relationship with Farmer's Market. I look forward to the social interaction. I like when people say, "These tortillas are so great!" I like that people are coming back every week for "their" tortillas. I like that I am part of this business. I like feeling like I have a purpose here.

On the other side of the coin, I have to get used to letting the "No's" go. Sales trainers say that one needs to be excited about each no cause that means one no closer to yes. I'm working on that excitement level. The gurus also tout putting a monetary amount to the No and mentally say, "Cha-Ching! Thanks for the no cause I just made money off of you." Right now, my thought process follows the path of, "Please! Can I just beat last weeks sales?"

I had a certain amount of "Yes-es" I wanted today, and I didn't get em' all. But, I did receive some. There are a handful of households in the Southbay that will be enjoying their first Created Whole tortilla dinner tonight. Cheers to that! It didn't rain today, and it was supposed to. Another plus. I made it through another market alone. Sigh of relief. We got our health permit for the next quarter. Fantastic! And, I'm given another week to prepare myself for all of next week's...
YESES!!!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

You Can Win Free Tortillas!!!

You know that game people play at parties or family-get-togethers where you guess how many jellybeans are in a jar? Well, how bout' a little twist on that game...

How Many Tortillas Can a Flight Attendant Fit in a Rollerboard?


This is the actual image of my little Briggs and Riley rollerboard chalked full of Created Whole Tortillas.

So, for all of you tortilla lovers out there, this is the task:
  1. Take a guess of how many Whole Wheat Tortillas (just tell me how many dozen) were in this suitcase
  2. Email your guesstimate to createdwhole@gmail.com, along with your address.

The person that either hits the number right on, or is the closest, will recieve 2 dozen Created Whole Tortillas FOR FREE!!!!

Rules include:

  1. Tell all your friends
  2. 1 guess per person
  3. Guesses must take place on or before, April 1st, 2010. Winner will be announced April 2nd!
  4. There will be only 1 winner so if more than one person has made the same numerical guess, the email that was received first will be taken.

Have fun!!!




Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Tortilla Love

My friend Enrique told me an interesting tortilla tid bit this week. I asked him if I could share what he said:

Hey, since you're in the tortilla business, I thought you'll find it interesting
to know that tortillas play an important role in romance in Mexico.

First, you need a little background info to understand. In Mexico, people don't really buy tortillas at the store. People buy warm freshly made tortillas daily from "tortillerias" you find everywhere. They take their own towel to carry and keep the tortillas warm. Usually in every household, it's the young girl's job to go for the tortillas while the mom is finishing with the cooking. Here's where the opportunity for romance comes in. For young girls with really strict parents, this is the only chance to be out of the house by themselves.

When a boy asks a girl, "So, what time do you get the tortillas?" That question means a lot more than a simple inquiry about the tortillas. A girl can reject him or let him know when and where they can meet, so he can walk her to get the tortillas and get to know each other. This is a beautiful custom in Mexican courtship. At lunch and dinner time you find nervous boys all over the country getting ready to escort the young ladies.

I was lucky enough to experience it one summer in Mexico when I was 14. Her name was Violeta, and I was so nervous to ask her, but I did and walked her to get the tortillas almost every day that summer. We Mexicans are passionate and hopeless romantics. I'll never forget that experience.

I still get a smile when I think about the phrase, "So, what time do you get the tortillas?"It's a staple in my culture's romance. Sometimes guys still use the phrase, even if the girl is older and independent. They use it to break the ice, and to make their intentions clear. I bet you never knew tortillas could be so romantic...

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Natural Products Expo West

March 12-14, 2010 was the Natural Products Expo West. Held in Anaheim, California, this is the world's largest natural, organic, and healthy products trade show. With over 3000 exhibitors and 53,000 industry attendees, the show can seem a bit daunting. It is sensory overload with all of the milling people, the flashy booths, and the free samples of the latest and greatest in the natural products market.

Most vendors go hoping to be noticed by Whole Foods, Costco, Trader Joe's, or other big wholesalers. Noticeably, anything gluten free that doesn't taste like card board is hot commodity, as well as anything organic, and can we say, "Go green?"



It was definitely a fun experience seeing the creativity and marketing genius of the various companies. Rudi's Organic Bakery used a VW Bus as a "meeting room" for part of their exhibit.




Walking through the Expo, I thought of how fun it would be to work for one of these companies and be part of trade shows like this one. The next thought was, "Oh wait, I am part of a company that will be at this expo someday, and right now, I get to see what to expect, and I get to see all of this for free."



Best Chocolate Fudge Brownies Ever! Yum
Visit your local Whole Foods Market so you can bake your own today!


I had a fun time parousing and filling my bag full of free goodies. (I was also scoping out the tortilla competition, and I'd like to say they have nothing on us:). Now, I'll just take a minute to note a few of the exhibitors.




There were Pirates handing out Pirate's Booty



LaraBar introduced 4 new flavors at the Expo: Carrot Cake, Chocolate Chip Brownie, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Lara Bars are raw food bars, with short and natural ingredient lists that include things like dates, cashews, almonds, or apples. LaraBars are great for the average flight attendant, and I have to say I'm definately a fan of the new flavors.

On the last day of the Expo, some exhibitors will sell the products. I bought two Klean Kanteen's, a pretty purple bottle, and a 12oz insulated bottle, which is one of the newest designs. Claiming to keep things warm or cold for 6+ hours, I had a chance to test it out last Thursday. I put chocolate soymilk, with some ice cubes in my insulated bottle at 6am, before farmer's market. The bottle was in the sun all day and when I finally drank my chocolate soymilk at 7pm, the ice cubes were still there. uh-MAZING!!!



Dr. Karl was at the Expo. He started an eco-friendly company that makes handmade journals, stationary, crafts, scrapbook/photoalbums, and various grades of paper made from none other than elephant pooh. Creative, save the environment, AND cute! The pooh comes from Elephants in Sri Lanka. Dr. Karl gave me the cutest elephant pooh pin. I sported it for the rest of the day. To get your own pooh pin or to see all the other cute stuff, visit the Ellie Paper Pooh online store, and you can learn more about The Ellie Pooh story here.


Overall, my first Expo West Experience was fun, and I hope next year that it will involve Created Whole!! Yippee:)

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Nature's Food Market & Juice Bar


If you are wondering where you can buy your Created Whole Tortillas, you have options. Besides buying online, fax, or at farmer's market, you can swing by Nature's Food Market & Juice Bar. Located in Bakersfield, California, husband and wife team, Wendy and Chuck Naus opened their market in the hopes of reaching the community through providing healthy alternatives. Wendy loves to make raw vegan desserts, and these sweet treats taste AMAZING. At the market you can also enjoy fresh fruit or vegetable juices, while buying foods to stock your pantry. You can find Created Whole Tortillas in the freezer section, but be sure to look in the refrigerator for the veggie wraps that Wendy makes fresh daily. Combined with a fresh squeezed juice and raw dessert, your tummy will thank you:)



Saturday, March 6, 2010

Major On The Major

By: Kara
Yesterday, I had the day off. That means that my co dependant cell phone relationship is broken for 24 hours, I venture a little farther away from LAX, and I'm not obsessed with checking the company website every five minutes to see if I am scheduled to fly. Instead, I spend my day hiking in West Hollywood, riding my bike around Redondo, do some blogging, and tortilla promoting.

The promoting count this week includes handing out about 5 sample packs. On Thursday, a pack went to The Green Temple, a vegetarian restaurant in the Riviera Village of Redondo. Still waiting on the outcome of that one. Yesterday, one went to Planet Earth EcoCafe in Hermosa Beach. Another wait. And another sample pack was intended for the Hermosa Beach Market Manager.

I knew the answer before I even asked the question about becoming a vendor at the Hermosa Beach market. The crossed arms and scowl on her face were already telling signs of a big "NO." I'm not even sure the words that came out of my mouth because instead of thinking about what I am saying, I'm only think about how this is not going well. I've talked with her before. This time she tells me, "I already have someone who sells tortillas." I asked if they make them fresh. She says that the vendor buys the tortillas from a store. Then I ask her another question, "So, what did you think of our tortillas." "They are great! There's no question about that!" I walk away thinking that she makes no sense. We are great, and she knows it. Win for us. She doesn't want a great product at her market? That's a little strange.

My first reaction is to feel a little angry and frustrated. Then I am struck by the thought that it's not about the markets. What really is our goal with our tortilla company? To be in farmer's markets? NO! The farmer's market is simple the vehicle to take us to our bigger goals with Created Whole. Maybe the Hermosa Beach market is not the market that will reach the crowd that could catapult us into stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Our success is not dependant on one market manager telling us no (And it's only no for now).

I am reminded again that it's not about the market. It's about focusing on the long term goals during the short-term ups and downs. It's about staying committed. It's about hearing the part about our tortillas being undoubtedly AMAZING, instead of the no. It's all about majoring on the major, meaning focusing on what counts.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Perseverance. Patience. Positivity.

Yesterday, around 12:45p, while mom and I were just finishing up Farmer's Market, my phone rang. I looked at the unrecognized 661 number, and thought, "It must be a potential pilates client or someone with a wrong number." I answered and was completely surprised that the voice on the other end belonged to the Assistant Business Editor of The Bakersfield Californian. He was in need of a response that was to be published in Friday's business section of the newspaper, and he needed it immediately.

It's pretty amazing that I actually answered my phone at that moment, because usually at the market, my phone doesn't ring, I don't hear it, or I'm just too busy to answer. The only reason the Editor knew about Created Whole was because of something that happened 2 months ago. Around the beginning of January, I had sent out press releases to writers at The Bakersfield Californian, and also to local TV stations.

Earlier Thursday morning, I had been thinking about our business and I rememberd that I had sent out the press releases. I frowned and had thought something along the lines that the things I do for the business are a waste of time and my press release must have sucked. Pretty negative.

Fast-forward again to the call. The only reason the Editor knew about Created Whole was because I had sent out the press release! It was in his inbox, in front of him. We were a solution to his deadline. Right there when we needed to be:)

Often, I expect life to happen on a specific timeline. I expect people to respond in a certain way, and events to unfold when I determine. Thinking this way is ridculous. The Editor calling reminds of a few things.
  1. Keep Working: You don't know when it will pay off. Perseverance.
  2. Keep Believing. Know that the work you do will have rewards. Patience.
  3. Keep Hoping. When things are not what you expect, have the attitude that it will. Positivity.

It's so important for me to be reminded that what feels like rejection may not be, to keep working because I believe in what we have, and stay positive even when it feels like nothing is happening.

Read the press release and the business feature!

Happy Weekend to All!

Kara

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A Votre Sante

It's a fact that Created Whole Tortillas are essential for your health. Whole Wheat is one of five foods that you should eat everyday. When you eat refined white flour products, 90 percent of the nutritional value is lost, so it's important to choose whole grain foods whenever you can. People are concerned about watching carbs, because one diet or another has said carbs cause weight gain. First of all, your body needs energy in the form of carbohydrates to get through your day. And to end any confusion about carbs and weight gain, a recent study shows that a diet abundant in whole grains actually flattens your abdominal region by reducing fat storage in your stomach area. So eat your whole grains, and we say, "What better way to get your essential servings than from tortillas?"

Whole grains also contain fiber, and fiber is an important part of a healthy nutrition plan. Fiber helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and blood cholesterol levels, improves proper bowel function, and keeps you satiated longer. Recommendations say that adults need to consume 20-35 grams of fiber per day. Created Whole Tortillas are a good source of fiber, with 5 grams per serving.

To help you out with increasing your consumption of whole grains and fiber, you will find a few ideas below on how you can use tortillas at anytime of the day.

Breakfast
Tofu Scramble Breakfast Burritos
  • 1lb firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
  • 2 tsp liquid aminos or soy sauce
  • 1 tsp parsley flakes
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp tumeric
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt.
  • Created Whole Tortilas
  • Avocado
  • Salsa
Rinse and drain tofu. In a bowl, mash tofu with a fork. Mix in other ingredients. Simmer on a non-stick sprayed skillet for about 20 mins, stirring frequently. Put avocado slices, tofu scramble in a whole wheat tortilla. Add salsa if desired. Serves 4.

Lunch
Wrap-a-Tillas

For a quick lunch, warm a whole wheat tortilla on the stove. Spread with hummus and fill with your favorite veggies. Things like shredded carrots, spinach, avocado, sprouts, mushrooms, TJ's veggie meatballs are great in wraps. Great served with soup.

Dinner
Tortilla Tacos with Veggie Fajitas
  • 1 cup mock duck or reconstituted soy curls
  • 1 TBSP soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 cup sliced onions
  • 1 cup green peppers, chopped
  • 2 TBSP oil

    Rinse mock duck and drain well. Tear into pieces. Place in bowl with soy sauce, lemon juice, seasonings, and sugar. Marinate for desired amount of time (best if 1 hour or longer). Saute onions and green peppers in oil. Add mock duck mixture and cook briefly until hot. Serve as tacos with tortillas and salad. Also, great with brown rice and refried beans.

Dessert

  • Tortilla
  • Margarine
  • Cinnamon and Sugar
    Place tortilla on skillet over medium heat. Spread margarine on one side (the upside), and then sprinkle tortilla with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Heat until crispy. Enjoy!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Taking Flight


Last Thursday was an eventful day. It marked Brenda's return home from Skywest flight attendant training. Her month of training was filled with long days, typically 10- 12 hours. With only two days, off over a period of 24 days, she was excited to be through the rigourous training. When asked what she wanted to do with her week off before she leaves for her Denver base, all she said was, "sleep."

Some people may think it's a little crazy to become a flight attendant after you're already a "Grandma." Brenda is just hoping that now she'll get to fly to Alaska more often to see her cutest granddaughter in the world.
Now, all of us fly in some way or another. I think Tim and Bryan were the two that planned on it, and Brenda and Kara stepped into it on a calculated, well thought out, whim. Either way, here we are, all taking flight.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

California Dreamin'

A common question you guys ask us is, "How did you come up with the idea of starting a whole wheat tortilla company?" Well, besides tortillas being a 6 billion dollar a year industry, read on, and you will find out.

Brenda started cooking healthy meals long ago. It's a known fact that she made Vegan "hot" and Carob "cool." Obscure health foods that one can now easily find on every grocery store shelf were staples in the Mulder household back in the 80s.

Trendsetter Brenda, whipping up a concotion in some nice duds

Tim was all about having a healthy lifestyle. Fresh air, exercise, water, rest (can we emphasize REST?), and nutrition. He too, helped in the kitchen. Tim and Brenda made a great team!

Jumping for en-JOY-ment:)

When Tim was growing up, he and his older brother, Steve, would have burrito feeds. Tim and Steve love burritos. When they were in high school and college, they would go to Taco Bell and each would order 1 of EVERY item on the menu. (The menu was a lot smaller back in the day, but still...)

Since Tim is a thinker, he figured if he created the MOST amazing, BEST tasting tortilla in the WHOLE world, he could have all the burritos he would want for the rest of his life.

What Tim looks like when he thinks

And that's the shortened version of how the dream was born in the little agricultural farm town of Shafter. Nothing compares to Shafter, and nothing compares to 100 percent whole wheat, Created Whole Tortillas.

California Dreamin' in Shafter Paradise:)