Share a little love with Martha Stewart

So you love locally made food products? You've got a chance to do them some good, by casting your vote.

A bunch of N.C. products made the list of finalists for the Martha Stewart American Made Awards. You can vote six times a day online through Oct. 17 and the companies with the most votes win. (How American, right?)

Go to www.marthastewart.com/americanmade to find the nominees and cast your votes every day.
While the categories also include crafts, design and style, the food categories are our interest today. And there are some very sweet N.C. food products in the running:

Queen of Oats, Cornelius. Regulars at the Davidson Farmers Market will recognize Kelli Swick, who makes protein bars, granolas and breakfast cookies with no added refined sugars.

Muddy River Distilling, Belmont. Robbie and Caroline Delaney make rum, including the popular local rum Queen Charlotte.

Blue Kudzu Sake Company, Asheville. (Man, I get around, but I missed the news that we have an N.C. artisan sake, one of only six micro sake makers in the U.S.)

Elizabeth's Pecan Products, Turkey, N.C. Pecan-based candies and other products.

No Evil Foods, Asheville. Vegan crafted "meat" products.

Smoke Signals, Marshall. A wood-fired micro bakery with naturally leavened bread and artisan pies.

Carolina Wild, Pink Hill. They're making muscadine juice (and thank them for being sponsors of "A Chef's Life," the PBS show about Kinston chef Vivian Howard of the Chef and the Farmer).  

Videri Chocolate Factory, Raleigh. Bean-to-bar chocolate in Raleigh's Warehouse District.

Little Black Dressing Co., High Point. All-natural salad dressings.

Mae'd Bakery, Carrboro. All-natural treats, including a dessert bar to eat after nursing.

White Whale Bold Mixers, Durham. Exotic-juice and herb cocktail mixers.

Piemonte Farm, Burlington. Cheese, jams and breads.

La Farm Bakery, Raleigh. Home of artisan bread by the talented Lionel Vatinet.

Raleigh Cake Pops, Creedmoor. 

Sugar Island Bakery and Supplies, Surf City. 

Goat Lady Dairy, Climax. 


And not to miss S.C.: King Bean Coffee Roasters and Callie's Charleston Biscuits, both of Charleston, are on the list, too.