Todd English’s Green Pan

The other day I was in Target, shopping for odds and ends, when I remembered to check the cookware aisles. I’ve been needing to beef up my supply of stove-top cookware, and have been window shopping for the perfect items to fill in the gaps in my artillery. I happened to stop when I saw a powder-blue and grey skillet. It was 12″ with high sides. I almost moved on because of the non-stick coating, but then I noticed the name: Green Pan.

It was one of the pans that National Geographic’s Green Guide recommends. I checked the price: $39.99. Not bad. I was in the market for a wok and an 11″ skillet, but it occurred to me that this would suit both purposes adequately. So far I’ve cooked Indian curry, eggs, turkey meatballs, and pancakes in it, just so I could test out its performance range.

Things to love: According to the packaging, you can use this pan on any type of cook top surface (gas, electric, flat, coil) and it is safe up to 800 degrees–which is pretty safe. The high-temp tolerance means that the pan won’t emit fumes or leak toxins into your food the way other non-stick pans do when heated past their idea temp (usually less than 500 degrees, I believe). The green technology that Green Pan utilizes greatly reduces their carbon emissions during different steps of the manufacturing process and they use less packaging than most (just a bit of recycled paper).

The pan heats evenly and cooks beautifully. At $39.99, that’s a bargain for a great, multi-purpose piece of cookware.

Less than perfect: I can already tell I’m going to have to be careful not to scratch the non-stick coating. My bamboo cooking spoons and my silicone spatula are the only things that are coming near this. I also wouldn’t feel comfortable sticking it in my draining rack. I wash and dry it by hand. But that’s what you sign up for when you buy non-stick cookware.

Final analysis: Pretty, functional, human and eco friendly. Sold! I plan to stock up on a few more of their products.

Posted by: Catie

A link to help you know your size.

If you’re unfamiliar with how designer denim sizes convert, check HERE. Not only do they match up your normal pant size with your designer jeans size, they also give you the low-down on the individual designers … such as which brands run smaller or larger, what kind of fit you can expect, etc.

Posted by: Catie

Chantelle bras

I read an article last year in Domino about finding the proper bra. It emphasized a supportive band v. supportive shoulder straps. I decided to have a fitting done at a lingerie boutique (not at Victoria’s Secret) and discovered that I was a cup size larger and a band size smaller than I had previously believed myself to be.  I bought a Chantelle T-shirt bra, and tried on their Chantilly lace bras as well.

Things to love: Great support! The boning in the band of the T-shirt bra and the seaming in the cup of the lace bra both give great support–which is crucial to having a good “base” upon which to layer your clothing. My roommate wears them as well, because her physical therapist recommended them! If you’re a C cup or larger, I think you’ll be surprised at how much support your body hasn’t been getting once you try on one of these. It’s like a mini body makeover–you look taller and leaner and your back feels better. Both bras are very attractive and comfortable to wear–even the lace.  And really, what woman doesn’t need black lacy undergarments?

Less than perfect: They’re not cheap. If you wash them weekly and rotate them daily, you can get away with only having a few bras and they will last, but the initial investment might be a barrier. I suggest waiting for sales at figleaves.com. Also, if you’re between cup sizes in the lace bra, go up a size–otherwise you’re likely to experience a little pinching. (Ouch) The T-shirt bra is not invisible under T-shirts, unfortunately. I’ve noticed that the rims of the cup do show under fitted tees.

Final Analysis: Owning a Chantelle bra has made me realize just how little support I was getting in my other bras. For an A or B cup, this isn’t really as much of an issue, so I’d say save your money and find something that looks and feels good, but don’t spend $80 on it. For those of you who don’t have the luxury, go get fitted at a proper lingerie store (and try on some of the Chantelle bras to double check your size) and wait for the sales to hit figleaves.com. While this isn’t my perfect bra, it’s world’s better than 75% of what I had in my lingerie drawer before (other than my Biofit, which I’ll blog about another day). If nothing else wins you over, know that it is so satisfying to have such lovely undergarments. It’s like having an empowering secret with you all day.

Posted by: Catie

Burt’s Bees Soapbark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream

Stop the presses. After raving about Bee Ceuticals products (which I still love, fyi) I found a product to supplement my skin care regime: Burt’s Bees Soapbark and Chomomile Deep Cleansing Cream. While Bee Ceuticals is very gentle, and nice for daily cleansing, sometimes you need something with more oomph! I use a microdermabrasian system, but I’m talking about something that feels like it’s cleaning deep down in your pores, and this does. I have sensitive, combination skin, and this is what I think of it.

Things to love: The cool, tingly way it makes your skin feel. You can tell it’s really working. It cleans so well, I don’t have to remove any of my makeup before I use it. It’s also 97% natural, which isn’t bad. My sensitive skin doesn’t react to it at all. And the price is great. A six ounce tube is approximately $8.

Less than perfect: This won’t be my twice-a-day-every-day cleanser because it dries out my skin a little. When I don’t use it every day, it’s great–like a cleansing booster. I recommend following it up with a very hydrating moisturizer or a night cream.

Final analysis: For the price and results, I love this product. When used to supplement my regular skin-care regime, it’s perfect for me so far.

Posted by: Catie

Nic’s Sticks.

Last week I was lamenting the fact that I haven’t found a cheap and easy way to keep my nails done as I agonizingly painted and repainted them. Then, my sister introduced me to this product: Nic’s Sticks, by OPI. It’s nail polish in a tube that you apply with the applicator brush-tip. Brilliant! I applied two coats to one hand and one coat with a top coat to the other to see how it held up over the weekend.

Things to love: Fast and easy application. In one coat with my sister’s bright red polish I got an smooth, even layer of polish. The color saturation is very good, so even on the hand with one coat plus a top coat, my nails looked great. OPI is a solid brand, and I always like their products. There’s also a lot of color variety, from funky to understated.

Less than perfect: The polish chips easily without a top coat — too easily. You’re also paying the same price for the stick as you would for a bottle, but getting approximately 30% less. (Both bottles and Nic’s Sticks run about $7).

Final Analysis: I don’t wear nail polish very often, but this would be a fun product to have around for date nights or events. It’s easy enough that I just might start wearing polish more often.

Posted by: Catie

BeeCeuticals Organics

I have been searching since I was twelve for a cleanser that I love. I was told that you have to stick with something nine months to see results (not true, by the way). I dutifully stuck with drug store, boutique, and health-store cleansers for nine months to a year and a half, hoping against hope that I would find something that works. Everything I tired dried my skin out, or left it oily, or didn’t help with my scattered breakouts, or made them worse. After all this time, I’ve found a line that I love: BeeCeuticals.

I heart BeeCeuticals. From the picture of the happy honeybee on the packaging to owners Julie and Richie Gerber’s mission, to the results of the skin care line, these products are great. BeeCeuticals is an all-natural, totally eco-friendly skin care line that uses honey as a primary ingredient. I’ve tried the cleanser and toner so far, and I’m ready to stock up on the rest of their products.

Things to love: This product is good for your eco-conscience. BeeCeuticals is a totally carbon neutral operation! They use Green-e certified wind and solar power and they offset their shipping emissions with carbonfund.org. As far as what the line does for your skin, my roommate said it best when she said that the products aren’t too much. In fact, they promote new cell growth! I have extremely sensitive skin, and I’ve never had an issue with them. The product are, of course, non-toxic, which is a bonus if you have kids that like to get into your stuff. This is also a gender neutral skin-care line, though men might feel that the packaging is a tad femme. Another huge plus? It’s also way cheaper than my previous skincare regime. I’m accustomed to paying $20 for a bottle of cleanser, $15-20 for toner, and a lot for moisturizer. At my natural grocery, the products range from $7-25 and come in large sizes so they last.

Less than perfect: I don’t know how this works with major complexion problems–my skin is generally pretty well behaved excepting some blemishes on my chin area. It may be that it’s not quite enough for someone with heavy acne or lots of blemishes or blackheads.

Final analysis: I’m in love! I can’t wait to try all the rest of their line. I’ll update when I try out the moisturizers to let you know how I like those.

Posted by: Catie

Atlas Original Italian Pasta Machine

A few months ago, my significant other and I had a huge group of people over and made fresh ravioli. To expedite the process, we enlisted the help of the Atlas Original Italian Pasta Machine which we borrowed from some friends. We loved it so much that I bought one for his Christmas present (sh! don’t tell). I did some research and Atlas seems to be the gold standard in pasta makers. This machine is entirely stainless steel and has a regular set of rollers and two other settings: fettuccine and vermicelli. The machine consists of the base with rollers and cutters attached, a removable handle, and a clamp to secure the machine to a counter or table top.

Things to love: This machine is sturdy, made in Italy, and fairly compact. It’s incredibly low-tech, which is always a bonus for me; the simpler the better, and this machine is simple. Once you get the hang of it, making fresh pasta doesn’t take much longer than boiling packaged pasta since the pasta cooks so quickly. The regular set of rollers adjust in thickness. At $76.99 on Amazon.com (I found mine a lot less expensively with some internet time), this is a good price for a sturdy machine. (A Kitchen Aid pasta attachment is upwards of $100!) The dough came out smoothly and we had no problem using the cutting attachments–something that my friends tell me is an issue with many pasta machines they’ve tried.

Less than perfect: Not the easiest thing in the world to clean. I would always recommend running a batch of test dough through the machine to make sure that it’s cleaned out ahead of time. Also, the clamp is too small to attach to my kitchen counters (which are a fairly average thickness) so you’ll need another spot to roll out your pasta. You need both hands or a friend to help when using this machine: one to turn the handle, the other to keep the dough from piling up and getting stuck together. Getting the coordination down might take a couple of tries.

Final analysis: This is a great machine for the money. We were very impressed and had fun using it. I can’t wait until Christmas so I can hijack this!

Tips for use: Run the dough through the plain rollers a couple of times, even if your plan to use one of the cutting attachments. This ensures that the dough is the right consistency. Also, get yourself a pastry brush and reserve it for cleaning this machine only. You can’t use water on it, and you’ll need something to help get in all the nooks and crannies.

Posted by: Catie

Via Tribunali

For my birthday this past weekend, my grandmother took me out for dinner.  Based upon a coworker’s recommendation, we went to Via Tribunali, a locally-owned authentic Italian pizzeria.  The owners’ goal was to transport diners straight to Italy.  Even the oven itself is made of bricks from the ash of Mt. Vesuvius, and the wine list was fully imported.  To read about what makes authentic Italian pizza “authentic,” be sure to read about it at the restaurant’s website.  No heavy American pizza here!  The “sauce” is made from freshly smashed tomatoes or simply of olive oil, and the fresh mozzerella was sparsely scattered around the pie.  Some of the imported topping included artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, prosciutto, Italian ham, salame, basil, argula, anchovies, and many others.  The menu also includes a couple of calzones and some salads.  Everything that came out of the kitchen looked great!

Things to love: Besides the great food, I was particularly impressed by the atmosphere of the restaurant.  There was low lighting and plenty of candles without feeling too dark.  The restaurant was full and music played in the background, but at no point did we ever feel that it got loud.  In addition to food and atmosphere, we loved the prices!  Pizzas go for $11-16 each, and each feeds two women – my grandma and I even had some of our pizza left over.  We ordered a half liter of house wine, which also ran about $16 but gave us two glasses of wine apiece.

Less than perfect: While I loved the food, I was disappointed by how it reheated.  I microwaved my leftovers for just a short bit, but the crust came out very chewy and tough.

Final analysis: I highly recommend this restaurant for a date or an evening out.  It has the feel of a very nice restaurant without too steep a bill.  I should also note that it is kid-friendly and we saw several families dining together.  There are three locations in Seattle, and you can find the addresses on their website.

Posted by: Lynnette

Clif Bars

I’m a BIG fan of Clif Bar & Company.  They’ve done great things to create sustainability, promote eco-initiatives, provide healthy programs for employees, support their communities, and engineer a variety of organic & sustainable products for consumers.  Read all about Clif Bar & Company in their 2007 Aspirations Report.  You’ll become a big fan, just like me!

I’m a hypoglycemic, lactose-intolerant vegeholic* (*my definition: someone who can’t seem to get enough fruits & veggies but could really live without meat).  As a result, I need a consistent supply of protein to regulate my blood sugar levels but don’t naturally get it due to the lack of dairy and meat in my diet.  Clif Bar products to the rescue!  Clif Bar products do not use dairy sources, no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated fats, and contain high levels of protein.  Each Clif Bar product has a different purpose and benefits, and you can find out the details for each at the Clif Bar website.  Here are some thoughts:

Clif Bar: The Original: These all natural energy bars are a conglomeration of all kinds of natural goodness.  They average 230 calories per bar and contain 23 vitamins & minerals.  They come in a large variety of flavors, so if you don’t like one be sure to try some others!  Some people don’t like the mish-mash ingredients, but it warmly reminds me of a hearty cookie…  These bars now also come in minis!!!  You can’t buy them everywhere, but the minis are 100-110 calories apiece, perfect for any girl’s (or guy’s) pre-workout energy boost.  For the girls (and guys), there are also Clif Luna Bars below with other girl-friendly considerations.

Luna Bar: At 170-190 calories per bar, these are designed as the perfect fuel for active women who don’t want the calories of the average energy bar.  It contains 23 vitamins & minerals in a combination just for women, including high calcium and folic acid, as well as 9-10 grams of protein and 3g of fiber.  They come in a wide range of tasty flavors that don’t have that typical energy bar taste.  I usually keep a small stash of these around for when I’m having a sugar craving but want my calories to count for something.  These always hit the spot!

• Luna Bars also come in 3 specialty varieties: Luna Sport, Luna Teacakes, and Luna Sunrise.  I have not tried the Sport or Teacakes.  I have tried the Luna Sunrise, which comes in more breakfasty flavors than the original.  Sunrise does not have as many vitamins, contains more carbs, and fewer grams of protein than the original.  However, if you like these flavors better, you’re still giving your body a healthy boost.

Clif Mojo Bar: “The Sweet and Salty Trail Mix Bar” The biggest snacking surprise of the year!  I had low expectations of this bar, since I’ve tried many fruit and nut snack bars in the past and have never been particularly impressed.  If you have the same feelings, you should really give this a shot!  The glycemic index of this bar must be incredibly low.  I normally need to eat at least every 3 hours, but after eating this bar I was fully satisfied for over 5 hours!  Wow.  This bar does not contain the same number of vitamins & minerals as other Clif Bars, and each bar has around 200 calories.  But if you’re looking for sustained energy, this may be it.

• Clif Mojo Bars also come in a Dipped variety, which I have not tried.

Clif Nectar Bar and Nectar Cacao: This is how I bribe my husband into eating his daily serving of fruit.  Each bar contains two full servings of fruit, is made from 100% organic ingredients, and is a serious source of fiber.  These are pure decadence and might as well be eaten for dessert. We’ve tried every flavor, and they are delicious!!!  While these are an expensive way to get your fruit, they are a guiltless indulgence.

Clif Builder’s Bar: This bar claims to be the only all-natural protein bar, and it has 20g of protein per bar which means the glycemic index is very low.  It’s marketed toward men, but I’m a big, big, big fan of this one!  (Oh, and the hubby like it too!) There are about 270 calories for a full bar, so I like to eat one bar in stages throughout the day between meals to keep myself fueled. I was particularly impressed with the texture of this bar, which has a layer of “clif pro” (rice and soy puff stuff) and a layer of thick protein-y goodness, all dipped in a coating. (Sorry for the poor terminology!) This is simply a delight to eat, and I like it with a cup of coffee.  However, I’ve only tried the Vanilla Almond flavor so far, so the others may still be suspect.

Clif Kid Z Bar and Twisted Fruit: I haven’t tried these, but my hunch is they’re good!  They’re marketed as a healthier alternative to granola bars and fruit snacks.  According to Reader Ashley (see her comment below), she eats the Z Bars for dessert.  I’ll just have to try that myself…

Clif Shot: This is Clif Bar’s line for performance atheletes, and I haven’t tried any of them.  (I guess I’m just your average runner…)  There are 4 options: Shot Blocks is a pack of 33 calorie cubes to pop while on the course; Shot Gel is a packet of liquid carbs for an on-the-go boost; Shot Electrolyte Drink is a mix to use in your water bottle for before and during performance; and Shot Recovery Drink is a mix that contains all kinds of body-nourishing nutrients.  Once I try them, I’ll let you know.

I hope you turn out to be a big Clif Bar fan just like me!  Feel free to share your thoughts and comments, especially on the products I have yet to try.

Posted by: Lynnette

Cleaning products: round-up of natural home care.

I like to think I’m a minimalist. Part of being a minimalist is finding what works best for you and eliminating everything that doesn’t. I’ve been trying to trim down my household cleaning supplies to a few manageable, non-toxic items that I can store under my sink. I only use products that are cheap, safe, and hardworking. I want to save the planet and my wallet without skimping on the cleanliness of my home.

The following is a list of products that I’ve discovered by trial and error. It’s everything I use to keep my house clean! Anything that you can’t find at your natural grocery or pharmacy, you can buy on Amazon.com.

• Bio-Kleen’s Bac Out: this product is my go-to, all-purpose cleaner. It deodorizes and disinfects everything from trashcans to toilets, cleans stains out of carpet and fabric, can be used for an extra cleaning boost in your laundry, and leaves a pleasant, plant-like scent in it’s wake. Dilute it, and it becomes a great thing to mop your floors with.
• Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap. makes dish washing an aroma therapeutic experience and gets dishes clean and crud-free.
• Mrs. Meyer’s Stainless Steel Spray: smells lovely, leaves metal squeaky clean and super-shiny.
• Bio-Kleen’s All Temperature Laundry Liquid: gets laundry clean, even in cold water, so you can save money on the electric bill and don’t have to worry about faded clothes. It’s also hypoallergenic.
• Ecover Stain Remover: the applicator top comes with flexible plastic “bristles” so that you can scrub the product over the stain. Brilliant!
• Baking soda: mix it with essential oils to create a vacuum-friendly carpet deodorizer or sprinkle it on a surface after spraying it down with an all-purpose cleaner and it’s a scouring agent. You can also throw it in with your laundry.
• Essential oils: I keep lavender and lemon oils around to make carpet deodorizer, linen water, and furniture polish.
• Vinegar: I use this for glass cleaner and furniture polish concoctions.
• Extras: olive oil, lemon juice, rubbing alcohol (for my cleaning recipes)

Recipes (cheaper and more effective than the store bought equivalents)

Furniture Polish

• 2 T. white vinegar
• 2 T. olive oil
• a few drops of lemon essential oil
• 1 q. water
  Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake before each use and use like commercial furniture polish.

Glass Cleaner

• water
• white vinegar
• rubbing alcohol (optional)
  Combine ingredients in equal parts in a spray bottle. Use like commercial glass cleaner. (Hint: Use crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels!)

Linen Water

• lavender essential oil
• distilled or purified water
  Combine in a small spray bottle. Shake before each use and spray directly on fabric.

Carpet Deodorizer

• 2 c. baking soda
• several drops of essential oil
• 1 T. lemon juice
  Add ingredients to a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine and sprinkle on carpet. Leave for as long as possible up to twelve hours (though even leaving it on your carpet for a few minutes will help) and vacuum. Can be stored for later (preferably in a glass jar).
  

Recommended extras: at my house we also love Mrs. Meyer’s scent diffuser in lavender, her basil-scented dryer sheets (click here for my review), and her all-purpose cleaner for mopping the kitchen floor (primarily for the lovely scent it leaves behind). I don’t have a dishwasher, so if you have a favorite dishwasher powder or liquid, let me know!

Posted by: Catie