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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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 was delighted to find out the source of all these goodies is the Welsh Garden in Warrenton Virginia.

A sustainable lavender farm.  I am big on supporting local small business and micro-enterprise and I am thrilled to get my lavender fix from Virginia and nearby Virginia too.  They are at the Thursday White House Market, Saturday Silver Spring Market and Sunday Palisades Market.  They have an online Order Form for their products here, but now they have one up-ed themselves by opening a store in the main hall of Union Station, so go check them out and you can sample their products too.

I particularly like the lavender shortbread cookies, which are great tea dunking cookies.

Photos courtesy of their website.

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But this Penguin by Soda Stream USA is not being posted for my obsession, but for that of a friend.  My friend Warren loves sparkling water.  And this little guy turns regular water into sparkling water pronto!  He can also make sodas.

The great thing is he does all this without batteries or electricity.  So my friend Warren could even take it on his sailboat.  You can add flavors or juices and you can control the level of fizz.  So on a hot day you could add a twist of lemon or lime without any cutting.

And the reusable glass bottles save you from buying plastic bottle after plastic bottle.  I tend to drink more water if there is a splash of flavor or some fizz, don’t you?

Available at many places like William Sonoma, Amazon.com and etc.  And no, Warren, this isn’t your wedding gift from me, but you should register for it.

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Williams Sonoma can still guarantee standard shipping in time for Christmas if you order by 9am on Tuesday.

They even have some good deals still like this:

I know so many people who could use a decent knife in their kitchen.  So many people have knives that just don’t cut it, literally.  Wusthof knives are classics that stand the test of time.  And a sanotoku knife is really a handy knife.  I prefer chopping a lot of my veggies with a sanatoku over a chef’s knife.

Or EVEN better: Cutlery and More has FREE delivery until midnight on many wonderful items, like these:

I love Chef’s Choice, it is the knife sharpener that I have and use for everything, but my Shun and Global knives.  It keeps your knives nice and sharp.  This one not only comes FREE, but it comes with a free 7″ sanaktoku knife, as well.  That is 2 gifts with free delivery for $150, not bad.

Or not one, but two Calaphalon skillets for $50.  I have this skillet in a smaller size and can attest that it works very well.

Last, but not least the mini-keg dispenser.  My husband would have really liked this, and at $100 it is a real steal, since it originally listed for $400, but alas Honey, sorry I already ordered your gifts.  I don’t know many men that would be disappointed to open this gift.  Again with FREE shipping guaranteed by Christmas from Cutlery and More.  They have lots of other great gifts like an electric water kettle, or stove top smoker, so if you are still looking for that great gift and like me hate paying for shipping, give this place a browse.  I have always found their prices to be the most competitive for really great products.

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I have lots of books I have read that I could pass on, or jewelry from Grandma (all those clip earrings I don’t wear).  I have made spiced nuts in the past or cookies.  I have given presents of cleaning and organizing closets.  Unfortunately sometimes, especially when you are moving around a lot for school or just starting out, you don’t have a lot of things or time.  But don’t worry you can still find some cool sustainable finds:

Decking the Halls

Recycled Paper Garland- what a neat and colorful Christmas decoration.  My family always had particular garlands that we used around greenery and this one would look great with all the colorful nutcrackers I hang on my garland.  Available on Etsy, here.

I love making beaded jewelry for people at Christmas.  One of my favorite necklaces is made from paper beads that my stepsisters made.  Paper Beads is a great blog for learning to make paper beads, and then using the paper beads for different uses.  Below are Paper Bead Ornaments you can make with instructions on the Paper Beads Blog, such a neat creative site, definitely check it out! If you aren’t up for making them yourself, you can already buy ready made ones at another great Etsy site here- upcycling paper and reusing it, very sustainable, while supporting small artists.

Upcycled Gifts

Beer has always been a treasured thing.  But perhaps not all those empty beer bottles.  Luckily now many of them are recycled, but here is another cool use- drinking glasses.  Unlike the above beads, I suggest not trying to make this at home, but check out this Etsy Shop with many different beer bottles to choose from.

Need a more flowery find?  I absolutely love the jewelry made from old spoons.  The details that went into old silver spoons are just incredible.  This ring is beautiful and a bargain.  I don’t know why I am even posting this, now it will be sold in no time.  Luckily this artist has lots of neat spoons to continue making really neat things.

Recycle that Wrap

My brother in law wraps his Christmas presents in Newspaper, my brother wraps his in Trader Joe bags.  Both are great ways to save paper, and then that paper is of the type that is normally recyclable too.  I save my ribbon all year long to use again at Christmas.  Another great embellishment is to stamp them with a cool Christmas stamp.  Since we don’t get daily papers I steal them from recycling downstairs where they stack them in big piles.

Plan the Party

Here in Virginia there is a lot of wine to love, and how better to show off the benefits of staying sustainable than practicing what you preach.  Keep your party hopping with local wine, and keep it fresh with beautiful, unique bottle stoppers;  I like this one made from recycled materials.  Find it here.

Dress up your sweet treats with these vintage reusable cupcake toppers!  You could also use them as reusable toothpicks.  Just make sure you have a small basket for them to be discarded in, so you can wash them and reuse.

If you live out in the country you can even buy a Christmas tree with the roots and plant it afterwards.  My friend Suz’s family did that one year.

So even if you feel the need to buy gifts try to buy local, buy recycled goods or buy things that you can turn into something neat.  I turn to Etsy because I like their artists, but a quick search and you can find other places with recycled goods.  But don’t forget your own merits.  You don’t have to be a jeweler or baker, give someone some hours of your computer skills, or teach them a skill you have they might enjoy.  Giving someone your time and company is always the best gift.

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Readers these Totally Bamboo products are dishwasher safe, food safe, made from renewable, sustainable products and naturally anti-microbial.  I got a beautiful bamboo cutting board from here for the MIL to be for this reason.

Now you can get one too at 20% off. They also have free shipping on orders over $50.

They have trays, plates, cutting boards, frames, bowls and even kitchen and bar carts.  See some of my favorites below:

Green-lite Large Oval

Malibu Groove

Soft Zebra Small Plates

And the nifty bar cart, perfect if you have a large house, lots of events and an extra $1,000.  So obviously not a need of mine, but McLeaners any takers you have HUGE houses where you may need an extra bar?  It is by far cheaper than building an extra bar.

Anyway readers Totally Bamboo has awesome high quality products that are a good price, even before the discount.  I really recommend them.  What other wood cutting board is naturally anti-microbial, dishwasher safe and harder than maple?  These really are superior than any other wood, plastic or other material for cutting boards.

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We have an older version of this Teavana tea-maker.  Quite frankly, I don’t know if this one looks better or not, it only makes 4 cups.  Ours says it makes 8, but really in a mug makes 4, but a tea-maker is nice and handy.  You can add sugar or honey to the carafe and then put over ice to make iced tea.

I think a tea-maker of some type that you can put loose leaf into is essential for good tea, even if it isn’t this super duper fancy expensive one, that has a timer like a coffee pot.

I think one of the reasons I am minimally tea obsessed is that tea is a gesture of love:  iced tea in a nice pitcher for family, hot tea when you aren’t feeling well, and if you are English the tradition of tea in the afternoon with friends.

So if you don’t have the moola for that one think about this one, the bonus is it is beautiful and much cheaper so this is my pick, if I broke my tea-maker tomorrow.  You don’t even have to have a pretty teapot or carafe, because it is pretty.  Imagine it with the flowering bloom teas (the ones that when put in steeping water unfold into a pretty flower).

Next up is the tea itself.  I like the looseleaf variety Wegman’s has, I think it gets good turnover, Teavana of course is really good and then there is also Teaism, as well as, a host of small places and online stores.  I highly recommend the Peach White Tea at Wegmans for the best iced tea when added with a little honey when it’s warm to dissolve the honey . Jasmine pearls are also another favorite for hot tea.

So remember coffee is coffee, but tea is versatile, flavorful and something all enjoy, or even pretend to enjoy with stuffed friends at a table,  from the time we are little girls till now when we are still little girls at heart.  Enjoy.

P.S. If you want to really give a special little someone in your life a good experience the high tea at the Four Season’s in Georgetown or the Mayflower is really nice, a truly Madeline-esqe experience.  I want to take my two little cousins when they come and visit over the summer.

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