Tag: arista pasta

Homemade pasta, FREE Fr. Barron DVD set . . . UPDATED

UPDATE:  The $50 prize is now gone!  

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I posted last week about Arista Pasta’s kickstarter.  A lovely Catholic homeschooling family of seven (the co-founder, Benjamin Herreid, is the brother of John Herreid, who designed my book’s cover, and the other brother of Bill Herreid, who is married to my sister!) is selling delectable handmade pasta products made from local, sustainable ingredients at their farmer’s market.

They want very much to expand their production, become more self-reliant, and bring their exquisite food to a bigger audience.  But there are only 12 days to go, and they have a long ways to go to meet their goal.

So of course you’d throw a few bucks their way, right?

NO?  It’s okay, I understand.  It sounds like a worthy cause, but you just don’t have the money to spare, unless you get something back for it.

Of course they offer some of their wonderful products and other gifts to thank donors — and they now offer to ship their amazing food.  Last night, my husband and I feasted on their incredibly flavorful mushroom ravioli, which was bursting with juicy chunks of savory mushrooms and seasonings.  I’m serious, the whole house was filled with a fragrance that would bring a tear to the eye of the most hardened ascetic.  So with added shipping, now non-local donors can also enjoy their choice of extruded pasta or ravioli or homemade pestos.

Here’s my part:

I have three audiobooks of The Sinner’s Guide to NFP to give away.

Just donate $25 or more to Arista Pasta, and note on your Kickstarter donation form that you would like the audiobook.  No raffle this time — just the first three donors of $25 or more get an audiobook (and, for extra shipping, Arista Pasta will also send you some of their lovely pasta products).  The audiobook is going for $17.46 on Amazon before shipping, so this is a nice deal.

For a larger donation, I have something really magnificent:  Catholicism: The New Evangelization by Fr. Robert Barron.

This is the four-disc set and the spiral bound study guide.  Going on Amazon for $41.00.  I only have one of these, so I will give it the first Kickstarter donor of $50 or more.  Again, that is in addition to the Kickstarter thank-you gift. Remember to note that you want the DVD set when you donate.

So if you were thinking of maybe giving the audiobook or Fr. Barron’s DVDs as a Christmas gift, this is a great chance to get these items plus help out a lovely family business.

When these prizes are claimed, they are gone, so act fast! I expect the Fr. Barron DVD set to go like *that.*  I will update this post at the top when the prizes start to be claimed.

Even if you have $5, please consider supporting Arista Pasta!

Arista Pasta!

Arista Pasta!  Isn’t that a great name?

My brother-in-law’s brother Benjamin Herried (yes, the same family who produced John Herreid, who did my book cover!  Ridiculously talented bunch of people) has been selling fabulous handmade pasta products at their local farmer’s market, using local sustainable produce.  Delicacies like Caramelized Fall Pear and Gorgonzola Ravioli and Sweet Potato and Roasted Garlic Gnocchi.

Pardon me, I need to mop the drool off my keyboard.

So, it’s been very popular, and they could be doing so much more, but the only have use of a commercial kitchen once a week.  If they could find their own kitchen and get some equipment, they could really take off.  But starting a business in Washington State is an expensive and cumbersome process, I hear.  Lots of fees from state and local goverments, lots of hoops to jump through.

So they’re launching a Kickstarter Campain to raise some funds for Arista Pasta. Check out this video, that begins with a still of one of their five lovely kids enjoying her daddy’s pasta, with the lovely jumble of family life behind her, with the lovely rosary draped down the side. (If the video isn’t showing up, you can see it here. It’s short and sweet!)

 

I only made pasta once in my life, with the Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas, and it was not an elevating experience.  Ben Herreid, though, is all about detail, all about doing it right.  For instance, he’s using these gorgeous bronze pasta dies for the best texture:

Sorry, I’m immoderately fascinated by the bronze pasta dies. I want some.

Benjamin’s wife Anne Marie told me,

I want people to know that if they contribute even five bucks they’ve made our day, we aren’t looking for massive bank breaking support.  We’re hoping for a bunch of little support and of course prayers. I really loved the recent reading about the guy who goes and bugs his neighbor for a loaf of bread in the middle of the night to feed a visitor, and how he relents cause it’s just so annoying. That’s us.

How can you resist?  Arista Pasta!  And they have lovely gifts for donors at various levels.  And please, even if you can’t contribute, say a quick prayer for their success — and spread the word!  Thanks.