March, 2009
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Saturday, March 28th, 2009


At our house, and no doubt many others, there’s a difference of opinion regarding “green” personal products. One of us prefers the environmentally-friendly, low-chemical brands while the other insists that the products actually work.
Every Man Jack hair and body products are groundbreaking in that they’re both at once.
Every Man Jack packaging uses 100% recyclable materials. Their products contain no parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, dyes, phthalates, synthetic fragrances or testrasodium EDTA. What’s more, they never test on animals.
And… they work! (According to the man of the house.) The shampoo effectively cleans, the body wash efficiently cleanses, and the lotion really does moisturize.
Now we need an Every Girl Jane. Please?
Posted in Products | No Responses »
Tags: body wash, environmentalism, green, lotion, shampoo
Monday, March 23rd, 2009

It’s been fruit, fruit, fruit and more fruit lately. I think I’m ready for spring and summer.
This Raspberry-Orange muffin recipe and photo come from Driscoll’s. They are quite orange-y tasting which set them apart from other orange muffins I’ve had in the past (which have tended to be more orange colored than orange flavored).
Raspberry – Orange Muffins
My oh-so-typical substitutions: Whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour; walnut oil instead of canola oil; plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
1 6 ounce package Driscoll’s raspberries
1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup walnut oil
2-3 teaspoons grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
¼ cup orange juice
1 large egg
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
3. Rinse and drain berries. Pat dry with paper towel.
4. Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl.
5. Combine sour cream, brown sugar, oil, zest, juice and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour until partially moistened. Add raspberries and stir in gently until evenly mixed. Do not over-stir.
6. Divide batter evenly between muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
7. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Serve warm or remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.
Posted in Breakfast, Fruit, Recipes, Snacks, Sweets | No Responses »
Tags: muffins, oranges, raspberries, walnut oil, whole wheat, yogurt
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Everyone always talks about wishing they ate more healthy food, but it seems less common to change certain habits that are dietary pitfalls.
Consider for a moment staff rooms and our workplaces. If someone brings in food to share, or if it’s someone’s birthday, or if you’re celebrating something as a group, what type of food do you have? Cake, cookies, chips, candy or soda, right? I’ve noticed that often this leaves us feeling lethargic and guilty, evolving into a discussion about wanting to eat healthier.
The FruitGuys is an awesome company that strives to change this experience across staff lounges, dorm rooms, and kitchens across the country. They work closely with farmers all over the country to ensure that they buy fruit local to the regions that they serve. 70-90% of their fruit mixes are locally grown within the three regions they serve (East Coast, Midwest, West Coast). There is a great variety of fruit offered which makes the box colorful, exciting and likely to please anyone.
What’s more, their boxes are moving from 70% to 100% post recyclable and can be “eaten” by the earth in the same way their fruit is eaten. All of the insulation and padding in the crates are made from cornstarch and can be degraded easily and properly.
Posted in Products | No Responses »
Tags: dorms, fruit, healthy, nutrition, work
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

Happy Vegetable Reusable Bags in Red by Seattle-based Wunderthunder are a fabulous idea. It seems Meagan and Sasha have thought of everything:
This is a set of four reusable vegetable bags including a bonus herb bag. Made from preshrunk recycled cotton muslin with an organic cotton drawstring. Drawn and screen-printed at our home with water-based ink on preshrunk and recycled cotton muslin. A great biodegradable alternative to plastic bags! Easy and fun to use! Entertain your local grocer!
Take to the farmer’s market to bag your apples, cabbage, limes, lettuce, snap peas, or radishes without that horrible plastic bag guilt. Perfect for the bulk aisle of the grocery store for lugging home a bunch of bulk cereal, rice, pasta, flour, or even gummy sharks and chocolate bits.
Use the little herb bag to purchase cheap bulk herbs or teas. Take it to your local herbalist store and bring home some medicinal herbs to clean out your liver!
They won’t effect the scale at the grocery store either!
The large bag weighs .75 oz, the medium .45 oz, and the small .25 oz. The largest bag will add .001 lb.
In your set of four you will receive:
Large 10” x 12”
Medium 6” x 10”
Small 6” x 5.5”
Herb 3.5” x 5”
All sizes have a drawstring except for the little one!
Machine washable, tumble dry.
Etsy, $20 for the set of 4 bags (purchase here)
Posted in Cupboard Staples, Kitchenware | No Responses »
Tags: bags, bulk foods, environmentalism, Etsy, fruit, groceries, herbs, independent artists, produce, Vegetables
Monday, March 16th, 2009

I have been a very happy snacker lately. Kopali Organics Dried Mango (above) and Dark Chocolate-Covered Mulberries (below). Mangos and mulberries both are fruits I love but don’t eat too often. (Notice I said nothing about not eating chocolate often.) The pouches are a handy size for throwing into your purse, backpack or gym bag.

Posted in Products | No Responses »
Tags: chocolate, dried fruit, mango, mulberries, organic, Snacks
Sunday, March 15th, 2009

I bought this pickled ginger at Chelsea Thai Wholesale inside Chelsea Market (NYC).
The price was right, $1.99, though the taste was not as sweet as I was expecting. It was also thicker than I am used to.
I guess I am more accustomed to Japanese pickled ginger from sushi restaurants. That stuff I can eat a lot of. I always ask for extra.
Posted in Products | No Responses »
Tags: asian, chelsea, ginger, japanese, new york, nyc, pickled, thai
Saturday, March 14th, 2009

My cousin is making my wedding cake in a few weeks and this is a trial run of the first two tiers.
She is not a professional baker, though she might as well be!
This cake contains: 30 whole eggs, 36 egg whites, 13 pounds of butter, half a gallon of milk, over 10 pounds of flour, 2/3 of a cup of vanilla and 2 cups of espresso. Total servings: 123. Total Weight: 44 pounds. Total Time: 15 hours (approx.)
I am a lucky, lucky girl. And indebted to my cousin for the rest of my life!
Posted in Ingredients | No Responses »
Tags: butter, cake, egg white, eggs, espresso, flour, milk, vanilla, wedding
Friday, March 13th, 2009



Pick Your Nose Cups are the best thing I’ve seen this week.
Who knows how to liven up a party? YOU do! Each of these photo-?realistic paper cups comes emblazoned with a new nose. When ?you tip your head to take a drink – voila – you get an instant nose ?job, and a chuckle from the crowd. Remember, never turn your nose ?up at a good laugh!
- There are 24 12-oz. cups in each pack, evenly ?divided between male and female proboscises (errr, noses).
- Packed ?in a nice clear box.
Sirtified, $9
Posted in Beautification, Dinnerware, art | 2 Responses »
Tags: cups, fun, humor, identity, nose, paper, party
Thursday, March 12th, 2009

I love this illustration (found on a blog called Toy): Tea – Howies by David Sparshott.
I think I have the foreground mug, and it’s from Starbucks.
(via Design Milk)
Posted in Blogging/Websites/Technology, art | No Responses »
Tags: blog, David Sparshott, illustration, mug, starbucks, Tea, Toy
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

One day last week I was feeling kinda blah. You know how that is.
I got back to my apartment and had a package waiting for me. Inside that package was a bounty of organic apples shipped from independent family orchards in Washington state via myECOfarmer. My mood lifted.
The apples were of two varieties: pink lady and fuji. Both were absolutely crisp and delicious, and tasted as though I had picked them myself moments earlier (a taste I recall from October’s apple picking adventure).
My Eco Farmer offers various memberships and giftboxes. Seasonally, they also ship pears and cherries.
Posted in Ingredients | No Responses »
Tags: apples, delivery, orchard, organic, produce, Washington