On the birthday of one Adam (my brother) I am posting an ode to another Adam: Adam’s Steak Rub.  Not that my brother isn’t all that he is quite the Adam.  It’s just that this other Adam is fairly essential to my cooking, and not available in very many places.  I first came across this essential commodity where all essentially great things seem to be able to be acquired, the SF Ferry Building.  I bought it mainly for the name, one for the aforementioned Adam and one for me.  I used it on all sorts of things, steaks, chicken, pork loin and other meats.  It is a really, really good all-purpose rub.  Now I am out, and very distraught.  Thank goodness for online ordering.  This stuff turns normal meat into a really great piece of meat with very little work.  I don’t know why it is so much better than normal meat seasoning, or something I have made myself, but it is.  So if you run across it buy it!  Or order it from their handy, dandy online store….

(And if you follow them on facebook there are sometimes specials.)

Well this was supposed to be published on my brother’s birthday… so much for technology.  Oh well, better late than never.

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People always comment that Max has an extraordinary soft and white coat.  Part of that is the Bichon/Maltese mix, and that I keep him brushed.  The other part is Buddy Wash.  I found it at my local pet store when he was little.  I use not just the shampoo, but also conditioner, which is a good conditioner.  If you have a dog with a longer coat the conditioner is really important, it helps brush them out after and keep their coat from drying out.  Max gets a bath often- he likes to swim, romp and none of that fairs well with pure white, but Buddy Wash returns him to good as new.

It keeps him cute, white and soft.  It also is natural and safe.  And it smells so good, of course I am a lavender fiend.

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I love my DSLR.  I don’t love many camera bags.  Even the cute ones look, well like camera or diaper bags.  I have found a couple on Etsy that are pretty cute, but why buy another bag when you could buy an insert, for less money, that will fit into: oh say a Louis Vuitton tote, or a simple leather bag, or whatever your favorite tote or shoulder bag is, or one that you like, but isn’t your everyday bag anymore.  Thanks to Darby Mack you can!  (She also has the cutest camera bags on Etsy.)

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With absolutely everyone, their Mother and Brother having stainless steel appliances it is fairly important to find a great cleaning product.  Especially for those stovetops which are well used.  Inevitably there is oil, cooked on tomato sauce, and other things lurking on my stove top that just don’t want to come off with a quick spray and wipe.  For these jobs I really like Bar Keeper’s Friend.

I personally like the powder which I think works better for caked on things, but there is a liquid I am now trying out because my regular source didn’t have the powder, it works well too, but takes a little more time for really messy things.  Bar Keeper’s Friend works on stainless steel, cooper, ceramic, porcelain, etc.  It removes rust, minerals, and other stains without harming some delicate surfaces, like your stainless steel stove top, knives or Le Crueset dutch oven.  While I haven’t found it at my local Wegman’s or Giant, they claim to sell at those places, but William Sonoma and Bed, Bath and Beyond seem to always carry it, so just keep your eye out for it at most hardware, home or grocery stores.  This is one of my favorite all purpose cleaners, especially for things that need a good scrub that you generally are not supposed to scrub.

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I love me some food gadgets and cookware.  I don’t need many of them because basically I am a home cook that barely has enough time between work and other obligations to cook dinner most nights and throw some parties when I can.  AND the two bedroom condo with limited cabinetry really keeps me in check.  If I had a kitchen the size of my Mother in Laws, oh man, I’d go nuts.  I would have so many awesome wonders of food geekery.

BUT today I did buy some new things to make life a little better in the kitchen from a very reliable source I have touted in the past Cutlery and More.  First up was the isi Stainless Steel Creative Whip, for whip cream, mousse, foam, sauces and other fun projects.  I am especially interested in recreating some Ferran Adria recipes from his cookbook The Family Meal (which is a spectacular cookbook).  For the small price difference I went with the 1 pint.  I really can’t wait for this to arrive!  And of all the whip makers I could find in the usual places this was the best deal I found at $93.95.

 I got the Calaphon Unison Slide Nonstick Skillet set for $59.95, 8 and 10 inch respectively.  These will replace my well worn skillets that have fared well, but are now not meeting the challenges put in front of them.  Reviews on these have said they are very sturdy and reliable which is good, they will be worn hard in this house.

A while back the lid to our steamer pot broke, when thinking about replacing it, I decided instead to get this silicone steamer insert.  There was also a metal oxo good grips brand one, and although that brand normally has excellent gadgets, the silicone won’t scratch my pans, is adjustable and should be very durable, all at $10.95, and it should take up very little room in my pantry and is cheaper than lid or pot replacement.  Next up was a sturdy bread knife.  I have a beautiful one from Simon Pierce, but it is a bit complicated and our relationship just hasn’t gelled.  It isn’t your normal knife and is just a bit funky.  So I ordered a simple but durable Henkel’s Gourmet Bread Knife, I could probably have found something cheaper, but at $24.95 it isn’t too expensive and should be really durable.

And any order over $49 gets free UPS Ground Shipping, so… it should all arrive within 2-5 business days.  I am very excited!  I can’t wait to make lots of desserts, with my whipper, from The Family Meal and test them out on Hubby for a future party!

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I recently was at a fantastic baby shower where after the main part of the shower we played the board game Encore.  It is so much fun.  The main point of the game is to form teams and be able to sing at least eight (or six) words of a song with a particular word in it.  You go back and forth until a team can’t think of any more songs with that word.  Normally people are a little nervous about singing, but once they get started other players join along and it really isn’t about how good you can sing, it’s about the lyrics you can remember!  I really think you could even play this game without a board, but it makes it a bit easier.  When the word “love” was up I was very glad I had such a strong love affair with everything Beatles for years when I was younger.

Then we were up at Autumn Glory in a rental house.  I am sure if we looked around there would have been a board game, instead we played a game similar to Apples to Apples without the board.  It was super easy to do just on a whim.  First we thought up a list of category/questions e.g. What shouldn’t you say to a cop? OR What’s your favorite Disney Movie?  Each turn there is a reader, who doesn’t play that round.  We let them think up the category/question after the first few practice rounds.  You then write down your answer.  Then the reader collects the answers from people and reads them aloud twice.  Then the participants clockwise from the reader try to guess whose answer matches who.  The reader doesn’t re-read the answers until the turn comes back past them after one round.  If you guess someone’s answer they are out for that turn, and you get to guess again.  If you guess incorrectly your turn is done if and until it comes back around and the reader has reread the remaining answers.  People try to set up other people or just have outrageous answers and it is pretty funny.  You get one point for every answer you get correct on your turn and five points goes to the person who wins the round.  It is great because you really learn a lot about your guests.  And you just need some paper and pencils.

Neither game is overly competitive, and it is a great laugh so it keeps the mood light.  And remember when playing games it normally is best not to put couples as team because that can cause tension, and guests don’t have the opportunity to get to know other people.  Hubby and I were so happy to have such fun occasions to be able to relax and play games and laugh with our friends.  We are so busy right now I think it’s going to be a while until we get that kind of time again and it’s just so fun.

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What I think I like about her designs so much are that they are organic and while well made and not simple, they have an easy-ness to them that I find really appeals to my sense of style.  So readers here is what I am currently drooling over:

There is also a gorgeous necklace that matches the flower pieces above, that I couldn’t find a postable image of.  I really love her stacking rings, I have really wanted stacking rings, but I want a unique design that isn’t something just anyone would wear and I think these definitely fit that bill.

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I just love her products they use fruit and plant oils, butters and natural botanicals, which means they are great for all skin types.  And they smell like real plants, not something artificial or over the top.  And they fit in well with my lavender obsession.  This weekend I purchased the Lavender Lotion Bar, Laevender and Eucalyptus Body Butter and the Salt Scrub.  I had the best intentions of giving at least one of those items as a gift, but that didn’t work out.

I do crossfit, and I garden, and cook to the point where I really wreck my hands quite frequently; the Lavender Lotion Bar provides deep moisture to restore even the tough areas like hands, feet, elbows and knees.  But it is light enough that you can use it on your legs and arms too.  It isn’t messy and it is really easy to apply.  The fragrance is just phenomenal and just makes me think I am running my hands through my lavender bush.

But the Body Butter, which is more like a really hydrating lotion is what I use more day to day, after a shower, type of thing.  Again- phenomenal scent.  And it keeps my skin hydrated, even with this weird weather, for a whole day.  When we stayed out at the Royal Palms in Phoenix there was Eucalyptus all around, and this smells just like that memory.

The real coup d’etat is the salt scrub.  This has been featured in Allure magazine, even.  It really makes your skin smooth, without then covering it in too much oil which would make you break out.  It is easy to use and apply.  It is a really well made product that I like so much more than anything you can get in a drugstore or body product shop.  All the products are really nicely packaged and made by hand with care.  And they make great gifts- if you can bear to give them away.

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I happened upon these fantastic kits from The Cheswick Company and I immediately thought about our santas.  These are really neat kits and the end products are so cute.  These would make a great project with someone you enjoy spending time with.  Or a great homemade gift for someone worth some effort.  They have holiday themes, or themes from novels, or just cute little characters from nowhere in particular.

And last but not least, this adorable little monkey:

With the weather cooling down I am thinking how fun these could be for a weekend project.

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Origami Bowl from tea bag wrappers:

Origami Paper Swan:

Pleasantly Plump Origami Swan:

Origami bigger bowl:

It’s correct in color Origami Swan:

Stationary is just not very original compared to these cool works of art.

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