As I mentioned, I'm going to Portland, Oregon at the end of September. I know nothing about the city except that according to lots of people, I will love it. What foods should I eat, what bars should I go to, what sights should I see? We will have a car so we can do day trips. Share your Portland tips with me!...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Why do I use baking soda instead of shampoo? Well, as most people don't realize, personal care products like shampoo, makeup, soap and lotion are not regulated. The FDA does not assess the safety of personal care products or their ingredients, and less than 20% of cosmetics chemicals have been assessed by the industry's safety panel. So companies freely use harmful chemicals in products that we slather on our bodies multiple times a day. Lipsticks commonly have lead in them, while shampoo and toothpaste contain parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate,...
Monday, August 29, 2011
Among my 25 things list were goals to use homemade body products. I'm waiting until my current store-bought deodorant runs out to try my hand at that, but I have successfully been shampoo-less aka "no-poo" since March by washing my hair solely with baking soda. Maybe I have low maintenance hair (straight and fine), but unlike some people who go through a greasy transition period, my hair has always felt clean and the same after a baking soda wash...
Sunday, August 28, 2011
I decided to spend Hurricane Irene weekend upstate at my parents' house, although it turns out I didn't need to leave Brooklyn since the flooding was apparently minimal and the power didn't even go out. Flooding is going to be more of a problem in my journey through New Jersey to get back to the city tomorrow. With a lot of time on my hands, I cooked dinner for my parents on my second night here: a zucchini parmesan casserole and cantelope sorbet...
For a birthday party on Friday, I was requested to make an interesting hearty muffin-like cupcake, rather than a plain, light and fluffy cupcake. Hence the chopped cherries and whole wheat flour for texture. The apricot flavor was subtle and you want to make sure you find some sweet delicious cherries, since I was tricked by cherries that looked tasty but were actually lackluster. I know this picture is terrible, but my kitchen has terrible light...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
I’ve talked about no sew napkins here before. I’ve made some myself, which weren’t as cute as those, but just an old pillowcloth cut into squares. They are definitely frayed and not necessarily fit for company but serve just fine as multipurpose rags/napkins. But now, my new roommate (who is also my best friend – yay) has a sewing machine, which means I can finally try sewing projects like cloth napkins. I went to Mood Fabric, and was disappointed...
Sunday, August 7, 2011
A guest post from my sister Lisa. Last summer, she wrote in from Costa Rica, and now she writes from Oregon, where she is a botanist for the Bureau of Land Management and spends her days looking and identifying plants: finding "special status species," assessing recovery following wildfires, determining the sustainability of livestock grazing activities, and collecting seeds for restoration projects. I'll get to see some of this in person, since...
Monday, August 1, 2011
Another apartment, another plant setup. This time on a fire escape, where there's room enough most of the plants I started in my former back patio this spring. Parsley, mint, rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, basil (which I grew from seed and is just now starting to take off), cosmos (one of my favorite wildflowers) and two tomato plants. I gave away several tomato starts and left behind the lavender....
Tomatoes are finally here! Went a little crazy buying some things as special treats to enjoy the height of the summer. Milk and cream for making (coffee) ice cream. Peaches for smoothies. Tomatoes and basil and garlic and sourdough bread for bruschetta. Grape tomatoes for snacking. Scallops because I haven't cooked seafood in too long. Yellow watermelon for dessert. Swiss chard, onions, potatoes, and corn will make their way into dinners somehow...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
