When He Wants to Spend $100 on a Tree Stand

Let him.

Last year our stand leaked and we didn't catch it for a day or so. It soaked several board feet of our bamboo flooring and Mensa Boy had to replace it. 

So he searched high and low and came up with this super-de-duper stand with a foot pedal you use to lock the tree in place, and a FLOAT that tells you the water level! It's the Krinner Tree Genie XXL, and I won't have to put water in until it tells me to!

Does This Seem Wrong to You?

Me too. 

Don't. Just...Don't.

Low-impact packaging, non-toxic ingredients. Got to be a good switch for us, right?

Wrong.

First Taylor mentioned that he has been using dryer sheets because otherwise his clothes smell.

That made me think, "Hmm...maybe it's not me. Maybe it's my clothes."

Then Bob apologized for the stinky-ness of his workout shirt one day. "All of them smell this way now," he said. "Maybe I need some new shirts. They just don't seem to get clean anymore."

I threw out half a bottle of this stuff and went back to All Free & Clear. Re-washed all our laundry in hot water.

Problem solved.

Now, I do have to say, I switched to this one just because the packaging. For a couple of years I've used Charlie's Soap (image from their website), and loved it. I bought it at Earth Fare and it used to come in drawstring bag.

But the bags went away and all there was left was this hard plastic bottle.

Bragg Liquid Aminos-a new favorite product

photo from Bragg.com

So here's a product I discovered a couple of months ago and am I glad I did! I adore soy sauce. When we order Chinese food, or I make it at home, I always use a ton of the stuff. But the sodium really throws my system out of whack. First there is the night-long thirst, then there's the swelling in my fingers. It's like eating an entire large bag of potato chips by myself. It always seems to take 48 hours for the effects to wear off.

I started noticing Bragg Liquid Aminos in recipes. They would call for soy sauce or BLA. Since this product is not sold in regular grocery stores, I'd never heard of it and couldn't find it when I went looking. But I did see it at Earth Fare. I decided to try the small spray bottle. It was not cheap...about $4 or $5. But it sure has been worth it. I believe the first time I tried it I used it in a gravy recipe. The gravy (vegetarian) was fantastic, so I branched out to stir fry and now use it to spray on Chinese take-out. I fully expected it to be an "acquired taste." I figured there would be a funky aftertaste, as is the case with so many things we use as substitutes for stuff we are used to. Not the case at all with this.

The Bragg.com website reveals that liquid aminos are not their only products. They have a range of items from vinegar to olive oil to seasonings and put out a newsletter, as well.

"You are what you eat, drink, breathe, think, say and do. Take control to live a long, vital, happy life!" Patricia Bragg

Cold Busters

Everyone has their own way of coping with colds. Copious amounts of orange juice, hot tea, water, chicken soup, over-the-counter-medications, sleep, etc.

I get bored. At least my taste buds do. I get tired of having my mouth taste like the bottom of a birdcage for days. Orange juice and birdcage taste don't really work for me as a winning combination. I like hot tea but there's the whole caffeine thing. And of course I put sugar in there. So between the sugar of the orange juice and the sugar AND caffeine in the tea, I end up feeling kind of worse. Chicken soup is good, but can be a bit dull on the tastebuds too.

I pretty much don't use any otc meds for colds unless I absolutely can't sleep at night. I've always ascribed to the theory that letting the cold run its' course is better than beating back some of the symptoms only to have them rage back worse than before. Sinus stuff is notorious for that.

I stopped using sinus stuff a couple of years ago when we got hooked on neti pots. We each have our own (mine is a special one...green ceramic...theirs are plain white boring ones). Here is a link on WebMD about them. My Dad has used salt water to clear his sinuses for as long as I can remember. But he puts table salt in his palm, adds water, and sniffs it up. That's waaaay more painful. I like to use sea salt in my neti pot. For some reason it seems to be milder on my nasal passages. Mensa Boy adds a little baking soda to his with the salt. But I think he still uses table salt. I use the neti pot whenever I'm stuffed up or if my nose is running and I feel like I'm sniffing a lot. I could be wrong, but I feel like I'd rather rinse that junk OUT than sniff it IN. So when I start sniffing, I do another rinse.

This time I've also taken to using a sinus rejuvenation oil that came with my pot. It was there in the box and I just never seemed to think I needed it before. Last night as I got ready for bed I decided to give it a try. BETTER THAN VICKS! The oil contains green myrtle, inula graveolens, rosemary verbenone, eucalyptus dives, peppermint, spike lavender. I don't know what the second stuff is, but I don't care. You just tip the bottle on your fingertip and then touch just inside each nostril with your finger. You get a menthol-type of feeling down your nasal passages at first. I was able to get to sleep quite well with my nose clear and unclogged. Drug free, too. The bottle says you can do it 3-4 times a day so I've done it each time I've used the neti pot today. The oil is by a company called Baraka, which is the company that made my neti pot.

I've also switched up the tea drinking. Instead of just black tea, I've been drinking some Yogi tea that Yogi Liz gave me yesterday. She gave me two teabags each of the Cold Season and Throat Comfort teas. The Throat Comfort tea is very nice, but I wouldn't say that there is anything that sets it apart from the Twinings herbal teas, which are less expensive. But the Cold Season tea...now that's a different story. The blend of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and clove really give the tea a heat that helps with the bronchial and nasal discomfort. I liked that. But dang, that stuff is expensive. I seem to remember that it's about $7 a box! Another tea I like, that Yogi Liz also hooked me on, is Stash's chai green tea. This tea also has that winning combination of cinnamon, cardamom, clove and ginger, along with some other goodies.

So all this got me to thinking that it might be time to try the Yogi Tea recipe in the back of a Kundalini yoga book I've been reading. Here is the recipe:

• 2 quarts water
• 15 whole cloves
• 20 black peppercorns
• 3 sticks of cinnamon
• 20 whole cardamon pods (split the pods first)
• 8 fresh ginger slices (1/4" thick, no need to peel)
• 1/2 teaspoon regular or decaf black tea leaves (approximately 1 tea bag)
• Dairy or soy milk and honey or maple syrup to taste

Preparation:

Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then pull back the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, add black tea, and let cool. Strain and store in the refrigerator. Reheat when you want a cup and add milk and honey to taste.

This is great stuff! Whole cardamom can be hard to find. I buy mine from Penzey's online (because we don't have a store), but I'm thinking you could probably locate it in Indian or Asian grocery stores. Also, Yogi Liz suggests keeping the spices that you strain out. She makes another smaller batch with that as a way to stretch the bucks. I've put all but the ginger slices into an old Penzey's spice jar in the fridge.

So that's what I'm sipping as I write this. I think the black pepper really kicks this up to a whole new level of immunity-boosting. I don't add milk. I may try that. But I'll add it one cup at a time.

So. The soup. The chicken soup I've always made when someone has a cold has always been just run-of-the-mill. Simmer a bird, add onions, celery, carrots, bay, salt, pepper. Then add noodles or rice. blah blah blah. If your mouth already is bored, this soup, while good, is not really going to wake it up.

So I went back to the ginger. Mensa Boy hadn't gotten home with the ginger root for the tea yet, so I pulled out the minced, jarred ginger I have in the fridge. I whisked in a good heaping teaspoon-worth. Then I crushed up three big cloves of garlic and tossed in a pretty good-sized helping of red pepper flakes. I could actually TASTE this soup. This time we just poured it over basmati rice in our bowls. I didn't bother with the carrots and celery. I didn't hear any complaining!

So that's what I did today. Oh, and the sleeping. Lots of sleeping. And the cookies. Did I not mention the cookies? I end up munching on cookies periodically through the day when I have a cold. Birdcage-mouth, you know.

MUbamboo Towels

MUbamboo Towels
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

These are my latest favorite thing in my kitchen. I stumbled upon them at Kitchen Window in Minneapolis this summer. I was just wandering through the store when I reached out to touch these towels that were arranged in a wooden salad bowl. Immediately I was struck by how soft they were. I mean, they were so soft you could barely feel them! I could see from the tag that they were made of 80% bamboo fiber. Mensa Boy talks about hemp and bamboo quite often, so I decided to give them a whirl. I bought myself a dishrag and kitchen towel, and then another set for my friend Julie.

Once I got back home and started using them, I was impressed by how they just refuse to smell! I mean, even if SOMEONE (who shall remain nameless) insists on leaving the rag bunched up on the sink, they don't get that sour smell. The rag is very absorbent and thin enough that it wrings out well. The towel, while soft, is still quite absorbent.

So I decided I needed more. That was no easy task, I tell you. I searched Sur la Table, Williams Sonoma, Macy's, and on and on. Could not find them. I started Googling and found MU towels at Bed Bath & Beyond online. I ordered 7 different sets in different colors.

They were not the right ones. The ones that came were very thick and made of a polyester microfiber. I've seen more and more of these microfiber towels and rags and have been pretty sure that I wouldn't like them. And I did not like these. I only opened the red set and I'll be returning all the others. The fabric is very thick and doesn't wring out well. They are absorbent, that's for sure, but then it's like you can't get the liquid back out well enough to feel like you can use it more. It's kind of like how you think it would be to use velour.

So I went back to the drawing board...the internet drawing board...and found them at an online store called Linens Are Us. And they were cheaper than the wrong ones. I bought several sets of matching towels and cloths for $11.99 per set. Shipping was reasonable, too.

Bamboo fiber is supposed to have natural anti-bacterial qualities, which is why these don't seem to smell. And when I launder them, they come out of the dryer with a very faint bamboo smell (you might not notice it if you use scented detergent or softener).

So there you have it. An entire entry on the mundane subject of kitchen towels and dishcloths! And I tell you...I think I'm going to do more searching around for bamboo stuff.

Product Review: Kashi Granola

KashiGranola
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

I had a pleasant surprise this morning. Breakfast in my mailbox! And it was delicious, too!

I do not normally eat cereal for breakfast, but this, as I find all Kashi products, was excellent. The right amount of crunch, the right amount of chewiness. Just a great way to start the day.

Product Review: Brown Basmati Rice

Brown Basmati Rice
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

I have to admit I've had this a while. Okay...months. I did a pot of it when I bought it, stuck the bag in the cupboard and forgot about it again until last week.
My family loves Basmati rice. I buy it at Sam's Club in 25-lb bags. If I do happen to run out, Taylor will mention it. "What's this rice, Mom? It doesn't have much flavor," he'll say of regular long-grain rice.
I thought maybe I'd step up the fiber by trying this brown variety. I don't remember how much it was, but I'm quite sure it was significantly pricier than the other. I've bought Lundberg stuff before and liked it. I think I've even reviewed it, but I'm too lazy to do a [rather simple] search of the blog.
Anyway, great stuff! Takes a loooonnnnng time to cook though. Like most brown rice.

Product Review: GFIC Dark Mayan Chocolate

GFICDarkMayanChoc
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Heaven.

I'm in heaven.

"Bloomin' Idjut!"

He was too nice to say that, but I did find out from Dr. Adam Cooper, chiropractor, (signs his emails 'ACDC') that I've completely mis-diagnosed and consequently done every single thing wrong with my shoulder.

The left shoulder has been troubling me a lot in the last two weeks. But it was kind of nagging at me for about a month. I thought I was sleeping incorrectly. That the muscles were getting knotted up from improper sleeping. And so I was stretching it, working it, rubbing it...trying to work out what I perceived to be tightness.

Finally the soreness had morphed into a severe burning sensation across both shoulder blades and I was worried enough to seek medical attention.

Sure. The muscles are tight, but the underlying problem is a strained muscle.

"Feels like it's the muscle that goes across my shoulder blade."

[twist, turn, rotate] "hmm. Is it this way or that way?" he asked.

"YOW! That's it!"

"Strained supraspinalis," he muttered.

"What's that?"

"The muscle that goes across your shoulder blade."

And then I learned that I should be resting it, icing it, not exercising it. No weights.

"So basically, I've been stupidly doing exactly the wrong thing for this."

"Well, I wouldn't put it thaaaatttt way!" he said.

And so I was introduced to this fine product:


It is pure menthol. You only need a tiny bit. Very gelatinous. In fact, if you aren't careful, it will just fall off your finger and plop to the floor. The smell is menthol, but wears off within a couple of minutes. But man! Is it COLD! It's like putting an ice cube directly on your skin. That sensation seems to last about 10 minutes.

I did not tell ACDC about dropping my own camera on my head last Sunday.

Product Review: R.W. Garcia Spicy Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips

These? Were not bad. At first I thought they seemed a little bland. Not spicy enough, not salty enough. But kept eating them over the course of a week (I don't eat many chips in one sitting...I CAN eat just one Lay's potato chip...),they kind of grew on me. I still don't think I'd call them spicy.

The flaxseeds do get lodged in your teeth, though.

Product Review: Fage Yogurt

FageYogurt
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

I've never known before that there was such an animal as Greek yogurt. Well, of course there would be Greek yogurt, but I didn't know that it was more special than any other kind.

Until I read this month's Prevention magazine.

There are several recipes for Greek foods, such as Souvlaki, Village Salad with Feta, and Tzatziki, a yogurt and cucumber dip.

The Tzatziki calls for Greek yogurt. Never heard of it, so naturally I googled. Greek yogurt is touted as being creamier than most, and that creamy-ness is attributed to a "centuries-old process that involves straining to let the whey drain out."

Hmmm...sounds like what I do when I want to use yogurt cheese. When I have a recipe that calls for yogurt cheese, I'll buy plain yogurt, line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth, dump the yogurt in there, and let it drain into a bowl for a few hours (while in the fridge). The result is yogurt that is much less watery.

The author of this Prevention article says that she uses Fage Greek -style yogurt. Googling that, I found all kinds of warnings about how expensive it is, and hard to find. So I prepared to buy the regular plain stuff and strain it for my Tzatziki.

But there was Fage (pronounced "Fah-yeh") at Harris Teeter, costing about 40 cents more per container than Dannon. Sounded reasonable to me.

Here's the recipe for Tzatziki from Prevention, August 2007.

2 C Greek-style yogurt (I used whole, but it comes in 2% and nonfat too)
1 C peeled, grated cucumber, spun dry in a salad spinner
4 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 tsp ground red pepper

Mix it all together and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with warm pita bread.

I made a batch of this for our Posse Party last night and it was virtually inhaled by every person there. (Which is good, because I'm sure all of us are exhaling garlic today.) Even the picky eaters ate this stuff. We decided it would be a good salad dressing or baked potato topping as well. I made beef kebabs with an Indian-style marinade, and the beef pieces were quite good dipped in Tzatziki.

I used fresh-pulled, non-aged garlic, so I cut back to 3 cloves. I also didn't spin the cucumber. I put it and the garlic in my mesh sieve and pressed the juice out with a paper towel.

Apparently this yogurt dip is considered to be a necessary condiment for the table in Greece, much like ketchup is to the American household.

Product Review: Grainy Pastas

GrainyPasta
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

The markets are becoming full of whole-grain products now. As my friend Jenny says, "Now is a great time to be on a diet." There are so many high-fiber, low-fat products now. I'm still skeptical about sugar content, but I haven't really done much investigating in that area yet.

In response to the fact that most Americans like their pasta smooth and white, several manufacturers are making blends of white and whole wheat. This Barilla line, called "Plus," is kind of a happy medium between Mueller's Whole Grains and Creamette's white, highly-processed products.

Here's a mini-comparison of three kinds of pasta. I'll just compare calories, fat, fiber and sugar for one serving (56g or about 1/2 cup):

Mueller's Enriched Macaroni-Cal 210, 1g fat, fiber 2g, sugars 2g

Barilla Plus Penne-Cal 210, 2g fat, fiber 4g, sugars 2g

Mueller's Whole Grain Rotini-Cal 190, 2g fat, fiber 5g, sugars 4g

So the whole grain is the lowest in calories, but the sugar content is twice as high. I suspect to make it more palatable to the average American consumer. But you do get 1g higher fiber and lower calories, which drops the Weight Watcher's point value:

Mueller's Enriched-4 points

Barilla Plus-4 points

Mueller's Whole Grain-3 points

The kids liked it. Actually, I should say they didn't dislike it. Ok...they didn't say anything at all. But neither did I. I assume they noticed...especially Taylor, who has a heightened sense of smell and taste, as well as being the most observant member of the family. I did not volunteer that the pasta was different and they did not comment that it was. So I passed that test.

I made a dish from "Cooking Light" magazine that had spinach, asparagus, bacon and parmesan in it. They gobbled it right up.

The Mueller's Whole Grain pasta was good, but a little too Euell Gibbons for us. Even for me, I thought. It was pretty dense and somewhat chewy. I like chewy in my pasta, but I thought the texture was just a little too apparent. I like my pasta to be a vehicle for the sauce...a background singer, if you will. I don't want the pasta itself to make any statements of its own.

Both pasta were more expensive than the regular stuff. Like about 50 cents higher per box. But I'll buy the Barilla Plus stuff a lot now. When I'm not busy making my own, that is.

Product Review: Lifestream Waffles

LifestreamWaffles
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

My new favorite breakfast. I found these first at Earth Fare, our fun grocery store. I went there on a quest for waffles made of hemp. Yup, hemp. I read about them in Prevention magazine and Mensa Boy and Taylor wanted to try them.

Since then I have found these at my regular grocery store. Interestingly, they never have the hemp ones at the regular store, but they do have these Fig+Flax ones and I haven't tried these Pomegran Plus ones yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

They are all wonderfully flavorful. And not too sweet. I schmear them with all-natural peanut butter and then have milk or orange juice. That pretty much rounds out a big breakfast for me...around 530-550 calories. Lots and lots of fiber.

I know I'm luckier than most because when I count calories, I'm counting to be sure I get enough, not that I'm getting too much. Because I'm a jittery devil.

So I'm not sure if I'd recommend this to folks who are trying decrease their caloric intake...at least maybe leave the peanut butter off? I do have to say that they are so flavorful, I could easily see eating them plain, with nothing at all on them. Or maybe a sliced up fresh peach or some blueberries or something like that.

They are stupendous!

Gone to Carolina Archive: Nathan's Hot Dogs

Tonight we are having hot dogs for supper. Our family likes hot dogs. Even though we do have fairly sophisticated meals most of the time, hot dogs are a "change of pace" meal for us.
When we first moved here, I went to all the local grocery stores looking for Hormel Wrangler hot dogs. Hormel brand items were in all the stores, just not the Wranglers.
This is a bad thing.
You see, when you have hot dogs only occasionally like we do, you want to go for the gusto...go for the juiciest, coarsest, fattiest hot dogs you can find. In Minnesota, that was the Wranglers.
I complained about it to everyone who would listen. And one day, my friend Dave said "Well, have you tried Nathan's?"
Oh. My. Gosh.
I think they're done. Bye.