“Spending time with family, friends and Comfort Crunch. That is how I want to make a difference,” states Lambie Stout.
Coincidentally, days before Lambie Stout was diagnosed with breast can- cer (she is now in remission), she had received boxes of gourmet pecans from Smith College, her alma mater. Stout had intentions of selling them as the college’s historic annual fundraiser. However, af- ter her diagnosis, Stout found much com- fort in making her first “Merry Mix.” Her daughter, Elizabeth, found that she liked the green and red M&M’s best. Soon the snack became a necessary staple in their household. Unlike traditional comfort food, one handful contained just enough “protein, fiber, and antioxidants,” to make her feel better after chemo treat- ments.
Comfortably healthy
Comfort Crunch was first created in December of 2007, as a healthy must- have, the perfect pick-me-up with beautiful packaging. Each of the four combina- tions began with a vegan base of fruit and nuts. “Hand picked ingre- dients inspire better health and gift giving.” The Pepita Pick-Me- Up mix adds pumpkin seeds and candied ginger to the original base. With chunks of crunchy chocolate, the Toffee Talk mix infuses an old world taste while ginger coated in chocolate makes the Ginger in a Snap mix re-freshingly sweet.
Comfort Crunch debuted at Sophie’s Sister, a local contemporary women’s clothing boutique in November of 2008. It sold out within the first day. “This is a great, exciting time for me and for Com- fort Crunch,” says Stout. This past Octo- ber, someone gifted the Today Show with Comfort Crunch as a corporate gift, and a few days later Stout was receiving orders from New York City, D.C., Los Angeles, and most recently a Hilton Hotel in Sara- toga Springs. A health-conscious spa has also picked up Comfort Crunch in Utah. Other local distributors carrying Com- fort Crunch include Meig, Georgette’s, Churchill’s, and Bumble.
Local love
Stout was part of a local team that raises money for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and gives five percent of Comfort Crunch proceeds to charities including The American Cancer Society, MD Anderson Cancer Institute, and the locally based Victory Center, a non-profit center for cancer patients, their familes and caregivers to receive group therapy and massage “to alleviate pain and dis- comfort.”
“Some people have group therapy but Comfort Crunch is my therapy,” states Stout, who makes work fun by laughing with her staff and taking things one day at a time. “Comfort Crunch is a gift you can feel good about giving. Beyond taste, our products have a feel-good sentiment.” To find out more about Comfort Crunch visit www.comfortcrunch.com.
