Talk of the West » COTW Products

Made My Day

Alicia — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:47:10 +0000

Some days I really question why we work so hard (usually it’s right when I’m coming down with a cold). Then we get a “friendly reminder” that makes it all worthwhile.

Today’s came in the form of a handwritten letter from Oregon, which read, “Thank you for continuing the supply of Cream of the West!” Arnold, who is 96—just two years younger than Cream of the West—went on to describe how he and his sister would walk past the Cream of the West plant on their way to the Kate Fratt Memorial School in Billings in the 1920’s. Memories like that… and the people who take the time to share them… make me proud that we’re still a thriving Montana business. Thanks for the kudos and the memories, Arnold. You made my day!

New Facebook Ad

Susan — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:27:56 +0000

We’re unveiling our new Facebook ad today – featuring Cream of the West’s beautiful gift items. Order soon to guarantee Christmas delivery for everyone on your list!

Think Tin-Tin Celebration (the duo is a GREAT buy) for hostess gifts…or dorm gifts…or office party gifts! Think Outdoorsman’s Breakfast for your favorite camper. Think Come And Get It for busy moms, providing her with full-sized packages of our Montana Crunch, 7-Grain Buttermilk Flapjack Mix, and Cowboy Seasoned Breading Mix – complete with dinner bell! Think Christmas Crate for those hard-to-buy-for inlaws, featuring a sampling of our favorite products and locally made honey and syrup! And think Chuckwagon, a whopper of a gift that says, “I love you Mom & Dad!” or “I’d really love that promotion!” or “Missing you and our chats across the fence!”

We’ll enclose a beautifully designed Cowboy Christmas Card highlighting your personal sentiment and drop ship anywhere.

There! You’ve just completed ALL your holiday shopping…and we did all the thinking for you!

Enjoy a blessed December and we look forward to hearing from you! (And let us know if you come across our Facebook ad )

mt.gov Economic Development Facts

Susan — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:37:29 +0000

Harlowton’s Cream of the West is being featured on the State of Montana’s website in their business section. Go to this link to read up! And don’t forget to watch us tomorrow on QVC (3pm local time)!!

Press Release

Susan — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:35:19 +0000

Harlowton Hot Cereal to be Featured on QVC

Cream of the West, makers of the iconic ‘cowboy’ hot cereal in Harlowton, Montana, will feature some of their products on QVC on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 3:00 PM Mountain Time. It’s a big step and increased exposure for the nearly 100 year old Montana company.

“We almost didn’t make it!” said Alicia Moe, one of the owner/operators. “We were initially slated to be on QVC in November of 2010, but our tractor trailer load of products was caught in a big snowstorm back East and we missed our initial time slot.” It could’ve been disastrous; Cream of the West had produced and shipped 2,000 special packages, designed exclusively for QVC. The company learned of the new March time slot via an email just last week.

Cream of the West started making their 100% whole grain cereals in 1914. The company moved to Harlowton in 2002, and has expanded their offerings to include Flapjack Mix, Breading Mix, Snack Mix and a line of 100% organic products in addition to their 100% natural whole grain cereals.

Meet some of the team from Cream of the West at the Made in Montana Marketplace at the Great Falls Civic Center on March 25 and 26, 2010, tune in to see their products on QVC at 3:00 PM Mountain time on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, or visit Cream of the West online at www.creamofthewest.com for more information.

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Smoothies anyone?

Susan — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:14:15 +0000

What a perfect meal – the SMOOTHIE! I’ve been experimenting with ingredients: almonds, flax seed, wheat berries, Cream of the West Roasted Wheat and Roasted Ranch Oats, yogurt, buttermilk, fruit, vegetables…and the list goes on. (I haven’t actually tried vegetables yet, but wouldn’t a sweet carrot or garden-fresh cucumber be good?)

Yesterday’s concoction included: a tablespoon of brown flax seed, a small handful of whole almonds, and a spoonful of soft white wheat berries all ground together in the bottom of the blender. I added three big spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt, some frozen cherries and blueberries, buttermilk to thin, and a couple ice cubes to keep the whole thing frozen…YUM! (Did you know that buttermilk is a really great compliment to yogurt?)

So get busy creating your own favorite combinations for a quick and satisfying breakfast – or start with our basic recipe for Flaxseed and Berry Smoothie. And keep watch on our website for the introduction of our new line of organic grains and flours. You’ll find us to be a unique source for everything you need for the healthiest (and tastiest) of smoothies!

4th Of July

Courtany — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:02:58 +0000

Howdy! I am hoping all of you guys have found yourself well over this 4^th of July weekend. The Cream of the West family had an array of events planned for this weekend: we had our annual 4^th of July Rodeo which means the cowboys filled this town in no time; our parade which is always surprising; and our breakfast at the Midtown, which is our only grocery store in town. I know that your mouth might be dropping if you live in an actual city but please contain your shock.

Reason for the Fundraiser

The Rodeo is always a good time no matter if you are a cowboy or not! The extravaganza consists of bull riding, roping and my personal favorite, the calf chase. Not sure if the “calf chase” is the actual name for it but it basically consists of ribbons being pinned to the calf while the children run around chasing the calf to win the ribbons. The ribbons are worth five dollars so you can see why children are anxious to participate. Last year was a more entertaining experience because of the mud that filled the arena. You can already imagine chasing the calf looking redneck. Add on the mud you got yourself a whole new type of redneck fun!

We also have our Harlowton Annual Parade both July 3^rd and 4^th that always includes some of the most interesting things. We have golf carts, swathers, tractors, semis, old fashioned cars, and horses of course; plus many other things that prove we are true Montanans.

Mr. Holmes Flipping Our Cream of the West 7grain Buttermilk Flapjack

We donated about 35 pounds of flapjack mix to Midtown Market who was having a fundraiser of sorts for our firefighters. The money was being raised for their annual firework show down at our park. The flapjacks were such a hit at the event that we had to call Stacy to go get us some more at 9 on Sunday morning. We might not always strive for moments that are this unexpected but they are the moments that encourage us that we have a product that is liked by customers at any given moment of the day.

I hope this gives you a glimpse into Cream of the West and what we experience living in Montana. I know that you will never truly appreciate life in Montana without letting yourself enjoy all of the beauty, redneck extravagance (not truly an oxymoron) and of course our good home-grown

Cream of the West Montana products.

Green Barn Organics ready to roll…

Susan — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:50:51 +0000

At Cream of the West we have officially introduced our new line of organic flours and grains. We begin our foray by offering our line to natural foods stores in Montana…so kudos to the Good Earth Market in Billings for being our very first GBO customer!

Mission Statement!

greenBarn organics (GBO) is the brainchild of Richard, Alicia, Steve and I, and we have all worked very hard bringing these “Montana-made”, and to a certain extent “Montana-grown”, flours and grains into your home. Bobby and Stacy, our production crew, have labored tirelessly getting our plant in “organic” order, which involved some remodeling and much re-organizing. And our office manager, Liane, has been chugging away seeing that nutritional labels are being generated, customer sheets are being designed, and our inventory system is up to date. Our certification from Montana’s Department of Agriculture came to us in May, and since then we’ve been narrowing down the product list, setting prices, and finally, FINALLY, we are ready to introduce you to greenBarn organics!

meet Green Barn Organics!

Richard and Alicia made the delivery to Good Earth Market last Thursday, so you should be able to head straight to their bulk bins and stock up on some organic and Montana-made grains! Please stay tuned as we expand our list of Montana natural foods outlets, and be sure to keep watch on our website for retail offerings, nutritional information, recipes, and more!

Alicia delivering our first GBO order!

Coming Soon!

Susan — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:18:59 +0000

Cream of the West has received approval to handle organic products! We’ll soon be offering a wide variety of healthful, Montana grown grains and flours. Keep watch here for news and our June unveiling! In other exciting news, we are rejuvenating the look of one of our most popular products. Stay tuned for the particulars!

Recently, Alicia has been busy peddling our wares. Last week she attended the spring Sysco show in Billings and earlier, she and I took part in the “Made in Montana Marketplace” in Great Falls.

We’ll keep you posted…

Health Benefits of Honey

Susan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:36:51 +0000

I’ve recently been interested in the health benefits of honey. In the course of my research, I’ve noticed several, consistent reasons why we should incorporate more honey into our diets – besides its yummy taste! Since we have an excellent source for honey here at Cream of the West, I thought I’d share my discoveries.

Honey possesses large amounts of friendly bacteria, including Lactobacilli, which aids in inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria.
When compared to other sweeteners, honey may improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity.
Honey-based diets (versus sugar-based diets) have been shown to help reduce weight gain and body fat percentage.
Honey has been shown to be an effective cough suppressant in children.
The use of honey has been found to be an ergogenic (performance) aid in athletes.
Used topically, honey can be used as a wound healing agent.
Daily consumption of honey has been shown to raise levels of protective antioxidant compounds in humans.
In a series of experiments, honey reduced total cholesterol and increased HDL (good) cholesterol in healthy subjects, decreased total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol in patients with high cholesterol, and significantly lowered the rise in blood sugar in subjects with type 2 diabetes.

So find yourself a local source for honey, and start enjoying it’s healthful benefits (or order Bear Luv-Un Honey direct from Cream of the West.)

Start incorporating honey into your diet by trying some of our scrumptious recipes, like Honey-Mustard Salad Dressing!

Recent Flu-Prevention Articles

Susan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:16:18 +0000

Heading into the heart of flu season finds us searching for preventative measures. Read on for a list of recent immune-boosting articles.

Prevention – 9 Power Foods That Boost Immunity – Oats and barley, number 2 on the list, appear to have a type of fiber, beta-glucan, with more antimicrobial and antioxidant punch than echinacea, says a Norwegian study. For the sake of your good health this winter, order extra supplies of “Montana Crunch”, a tasty, nutritional, and possibly flu-fighting, oat and barley snack. Pair twice a day with number 1 yogurt for a double boost of immunity!
Suite 101 – 10 Ways to Boost Immune Health – Squeeze lemon juice into your herbal tea, cut back on sugar and caffeine, don’t skimp on protein, nurture yourself, stock up on raw fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water (no brainer), and GET OUTSIDE!
Fox News – 9 Ways to Boost Your Immune System – Massage, relax, listen to music, laugh, sleep…this is my kind of immunity building! Bottom line – reduce stress and eat healthy.
World of Mysteries – 12 Vital Foods to Boost Your Immune System – We’re seeing many of the same flu-fighting foods over and over. This article adds pumpkin (or pumpkin seeds), ginger, oysters, and turmeric. I’m thinking pumpkin bread made with freshly grated ginger and a pinch of turmeric – pretty, too!
CNN – Arm Your Immune System to Fight Flu – This article advises lean protein, healthy fats, an array of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and plenty of rest.

Brilliant detective that I am, I see a pattern beginning to emerge. Eat a variety of healthy, whole (never processed) foods, exercise daily (preferably outside), drink plenty of water, and pamper yourself!