The Simple Thrill of Bread and Jam

Why is it so freaking magical to eat a slice of crusty bread topped with a killer jam?  Maybe it's because most toast and jam we're offered in restaurants is treated as cheap commodities, made of low-grade ingredients and delivered hostilely to the table in a cold basket.   And maybe it's because most loaves of bread sold at the grocery store are squishy loaves of immortal sandwich bread that toast evenly into a scratchy square of monotony.  So when we do happen upon a fresh loaf of artisan bread that was sliced by hand and a jar of fresh jam we get weak in the knees.     

What makes a winning toast with jam are the following characteristics:

Baby-Led Weaning: Size Matters

Today I wanted to test out foods in different sizes to see which Goose preferred. The Baby-Led Weaning book recommends cutting foods into 2" long spears for easy grabbing. I speculated that maybe smaller bits would be easier to handle.  Guess what? 

Tykes on a Plane: Flight-Friendly Toys

I'm so sorry for the other 187 people boarding our Virgin America flight, but we're taking Goose on a 5+ hour cross-country plane ride next month.  I spent the last thirty years of my life hating people who do that. Now here we are.  I'm actually starting to get cotton mouth thinking about this trip.

The best way to overcome a fear is to go online shopping, right?  I'm preparing now for what I expect will be the longest flight of my life by buying Goose a couple of new toys to play with on the plane.  Here's what I dug up:

How Safe Is... Microwaving in Plastic?

After I looked into the safety issues with freezing in plastic baggies, a friend asked me what I found regarding microwaving in plastic bags, specifically those plastic veggie steaming bags that are jamming the freezer aisle at the grocery store.  A popular brand is the Birds Eye Steamfresh, but there are others in the same category.  I'm going to pick on Birds Eye here, though, since there is more research out there regarding it.

Here's the word: 

Are Communion Cups Recyclable?

Since we're still in the "getting to know me" stage of this blog, I should let you know that I'm a Lutheran.  That's a branch of protestant Christianity founded by this guy:

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

What does this have to do with being green? I'm getting there. 

Each Sunday, our church offers the option of "common cup" or individual cups of wine during communion.  This decision always makes me feel uneasy.

How Forks Over Knives Kicked my Bacon Habit

When I was about eight years old, my mom picked up a copy of PETA magazine and soon switched our household to a vegetarian diet cold turkey. I kind of hated the new diet because it was forced upon me and I couldn't wrap my head around the animal rights rationale. I thought, pigs are cute and slaughter houses are cruel, but humans NEED meat.  So, of course, as soon as I headed off to college, I fell off the wagon and immediately got hooked on the bad stuff:

The Skinny on Non-Organic Cotton

A couple of weeks ago, I read Skinny Bitch: Home Beauty & Style.  And by "read," I mean I flicked through the book while standing in Barnes & Noble waiting for my table to open at the restaurant next door.  But, in that six minutes of flicking through the book, I landed on the chapter about fabrics and the importance of knowing where the fibers come from that make your clothes.  This got me thinking...

Baby-Led Weaning: Day 20ish

Here's an update on how Goose is managing on the Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) diet.  SPOILER:  It's going REALLY well. 

This week we are experimenting with textures. 

What's In... McDonald's Shamrock Shake?

TRUTH: I've never actually had a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's.  I know! And now that I don't really do fast food or cow milk, I don't think I ever will drink one.  Really I'm researching this so that I know what's in them before Goose is old enough to ask for one.  So, here goes...

Why I Hate on Gluten

Well, for starters, gluten is icky.  Or so says my lower intestine.  I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease back in 2002 and have been on a gluten free diet since.  By now everyone should know that this disease makes me intolerant of gluten protein found in wheat, barley and rye.  Oats are guilty by association because they are raised and threshed in close proximately with the other no-no grains on most farms.

The Dirty on Paper Towels

Oh, great. Now what?!  Sorry to ruin everyone's day, but I made the mistake of looking into what paper towels are made of and how they impact our health and our world.  Surprise, surprise - they kind of suck.  Especially the non-recycled (virgin fiber), heavily bleached varieties that tend to be most readily available at large retailers.

Bathroom Cleaners that Don't Need Restraining Orders

I have to make a confession.  It's so embarrassing, I can barely utter the words.  Ugh.  Here goes: until about a month ago I had a very long-term relationship with Scrubbing Bubbles by SC Johnson.

You know that tall green aerosol can of foam that sprays on, eats soap scum on contact and makes bathroom cleaning a snap?  Since I'm getting it all out there, I'll even tell you that I loved Scrubbing Bubbles SO much, I bought the cans in bulk at Costco.  Eek! I KNOW!  My cheeks are bright red.   

I came to my senses after watching this video made by Method about what kind of pervy, assaulting bubbles Scrubbing Bubbles really are.