Teavana Cast Iron Tea Set: Elephants and green tea

After months of research and one failed attempt I finally found my ideal tea set, Teavana's Elephant Cast Iron Teapot and Hobnail tea cups. "The Elephant is a symbol of the strength of the mind in Buddhism teachings, as well as astuteness, strength and stature, wisdom, patience, courage and luck."

Teavana Elephant Cast Iron Tea Set

My review: * * * * * (5/5 stars). The elephants remind my husband and I of Tanzania, the country where we met. The detailing of the family of elephants and mix of red/black color is very well done. The pot is heavy as cast iron is supposed to be, plus I wanted something that would lasts years without breaking. The pot keeps tea hot for at least 1 hour. The steel mesh does not go all the way to the bottom of the pot so if I need to make less than 30-40 oz I use disposable tea filters. The hobnail design on the tea cups makes them much easier to hold/grip than the others I tried out. 

Teapot Product description : Enameled on the inside for years of use, preventing rust and oxidization, and is equipped with a stainless steel mesh infuser for use with loose-leaf tea, the ideal way to brew. 40oz (1.2L) capacity. Made in Japan
Tea cup product description: These cast iron cups feature a traditional Japanese hobnail design, which symbolizes strength, and is painted on the outside and enameled on the inside with a 3-ounce capacity. Made in Japan. 

Beautiful but full of lead

What I've learned from this whole saga is to be extremely wary of products containing lead - I tried to go the exotic traveler's route at first. I purchased a tea set in a local market in Akka, Israel for about $30. One seller warned me that the cheaper products contain lead. We ignored him, assuming he was trying to get us to buy his more expensive ceramics. However when we returned to NYC the lead test was positive (we used 3M-LeadCheck Swabs). Guess we'll be using the beautiful ceramics as decoration only :(

Teavana has multiple locations (http://www.teavana.com/retail), but I visited their store on Lexington and East 87th.
1291 Lexington Ave.
New York, 10028

Omega VRT350 Juicer over Breville, lettuce over carrots

Omega VRT350

After a year of debating if it made sense to purchase a juicer and as my love of Blue Print Cleanse's Green Juice (at $10 a pop) grew, I decided to buy an Omega VRT350 Juicer.

I posted "What juicer should I buy?" on Facebook and 2 teams quickly emerged: Team Breville (centrifugal juicers) and Team Omega (masticating juicers). After reading tons of reviews and speaking to my friends/relatives here's the recap:

Team Breville: Juices 2-3x faster (65,000 - 125,000 RPM), $100 cheaper, awesome for fruit based juice, can handle leafy greens but you need to ball them up, wastes more pulp, fast speed causes the juice to oxidize (not a problem if you drink the juice right away, but not good it you want to refrigerate leftover).

Team Omega: Much slower but also much quieter, gets more juice out (less and drier pulp), more expensive but longer warranty, handles leafy greens better, slow speed (80 RPM) means no oxidation allowing juice to be stored for up to 72 hours without degradation.

My husband and I decided we prefer quality juice over speed. The first juice we made I went a little kale crazy and ended up with bitter tasting juice. Note to self: do not put more kale then carrot & celery. The second time I learned my lesson and made a delicious lettuce-kale-apple blend (1 head of lettuce, 1/2 bunch of kale, 2 golden apples). The whole process (set-up, juicing and cleaning) takes about 20 minutes and makes 20oz. Next time I'll probably double the ingredients to have some for storage. I also learned that carrots produce tons of pulp/waste whereas lettuce is extremely efficient for a base.

the Omega VRT350 makes 24 oz with little waste

Garmin Forerunner 210 = combining my love of running and data

I used part of my tax return to purchase a Garmin Forerunner 210 with heart monitor at JackRabbit Sports (my favorite sports store). And I'm very happy with my purchase :). As someone who is obsessed with Excel (I have spreadsheets for everything) and loves running this watch was made for me.

I've wanted a GPS watch for 2+ years but $250 - 500 price tag always scared me off. Last year I used Nike+ Sensor, a $19 small device you put inside your Nike shoes (or if like me you're not a Nike shoe wearer, attached to your shoe laces). The device was ok, it gave me a general idea of my pace and ball park estimate of my distance. However, anytime I changed my running route I had to use an online map to make sure the mileage was correct. Switching the device between my sneakers and vibrams was cumbersome and threw its stats off. Plus, you can't replace the battery and its lifespan is so short I had to replace it 2x to get through my marathon training.

After 1 month of researching numerous GPS watches and talking to JackRabbit Sports' salesreps, I decided on the Garmin Forerunner 210. I wanted a watch that didn't require a foot pod. After reading numerous negative reviews, I decided against a watch that uses a touch bezel around the edge. The newest Garmin 610 watch with the fancy touchscreen was too much money for me. Also a touchscreen would mean removing my gloves to operate it during the winter. The Virtual Racer and vibration features on the Garmin 610 are very cool but were not enough to sway me.

Garmin Connect (their online database) is brilliant! Below is a screen shot from my 10-mile run around Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery yesterday. The GPS automatically maps my route for me. I can view charts of my pace, heart rate and elevation. It also displays my splits (avg pace for every mile). You can export reports into excel or set goals and workouts.  The most amusing/flashy feature is the "player" mode. Watch a video of my run here. It "plays" out my route so you can watch how my heart rate, pace and elevation climb changes over time.

GUNAS: luxury vegan handbags

Since giving up on leather products I've tried numerous bags....everything from bags made from recycled bottles to cloth. Trying to save money I stayed within the less than $100 range. The bags looked good and served their purpose for about 9-12 months. Then something would break or get damaged. This time I decided to embrace my  appreciation for products that are high quality with a classy design and socially/environmentally friendly. I then discovered GUNAS (pronounced goo-nas).

Gunas bags use high-tech, lightweight fabrics that are built to last, as well as quality components (like Italian zippers) and custom hardware. No more than 250 pieces of each style are produced per collection in standard colors worldwide. Encouraging people to not buy by fads and instead focus on 1 quality item that will last for years. Inspired by its love for animals, the company also donates part of its proceeds to a host of charities, including Earth Matters Foundation's ongoing effort to revive the worldwide tiger population.

This review describes their bags perfectly:

Gunas' Chopper bag

"Gunas’ line of leather-free satchels and totes can go from boardroom to downtown without skipping a beat. These covetable carryalls keep it simple with clean modern lines and urbane color palettes. Plus, they’re made entirely from Greenguard/LEED-certified manmade fabrics that are as cruelty-free as
they are light on the earth."

So far I am loving my Gunas' Chopper laptop bag. It looks just as good if not better than leather. The design is super classy with beautiful details in the buckles, pockets and weaving. Plus they have the BEST customer service. The first bag I ordered wasn't what I wanted. One of their reps worked with me to help me find my ideal bag, receiving the return and shipping a new one within a week. Definitely worth the price tag :)

Veggie Fish from May Wah!

Two food accomplishments last month - 1.) Finally made it to May Wah 2.)Tried and enjoyed veggie fish

May Wah is a vegetarian supermarket specializing in packaged/frozen veggie "seafood" and "chicken" etc. I first heard of them because of a NYC restaurant that uses their products. For awhile I have had May Wah on my list of places to try out and I finally made the trek last month. Their "Vegetarian Golden Fish Fillet" (which I'm pretty sure is vegan) tastes really good pan fried then served with sweet chili sauce for dripping.

They ship across the US so non-NYers can enjoy tasty veggie seafood as well

213 Hester Street
New York, NY 10013
http://www.vegieworld.com/

Baha'i Fast 2012 - Day 1

 

Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! These are the days whereon Thou hast bidden all men to observe the fast, that through it they may purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment to anyone but Thee.
~ Bahá’u’lláh

Today is day 1 of the 19-day Baha'i fast. For the next few weeks no food/water when the sun is up. My husband and I had a lovely pre-sunrise breakfast, nourishing food and prayers. 

Breakfast Menu

• Tofurky's vegan Kielbasa sausage (tastes good with mustard & ketchup)
• Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Golden Flax Cereal (really love this cereal, especially the way it absorbs milk) 
• Sunsational Sunflower Milk (I have been on a "try every nondairy milk"mission. Sunflower milk is alright, number #4 on my list. In order I prefer: Almond, Soy, Flax, Sunflower. Next shopping trip I plan to try Hazelnut.)
• Licorice tea - Licorice helps the body retain water which can be good during the fast. However, it also can raise your blood pressure and cause hypertension so moderate your use.
• Tangerine Juice
• Water

Butternut Squash Ravioli

On a whim I decided to try out Butternut Squash Ravioli. Whole Food's version wasn't vegan so I picked Rising Moon's. Paired with my favorite tomato sauce by Rao's, it was love at first bite.  My lunches at work just got that much better :)

Vegan Nog

Tried out two vegan "egg" nogs this week.....

• So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog- My favorite: thick, deliciously blended, coconutty with a hint of nutmeg.
• Earth Balance Soy Nog - A reasonable Nog alternative, however the sweetness tasted oddly artificial.

Since we liked the Coconut Nog better we used that one for drinking and made vegan french toast with the Soy Nog. Earth Balance's recipe was absolutely delicious. 

Vegan French Toast
Ingredients: Serves 6
2 very ripe bananas
2 cups Earth Balance® Organic Soy Nog
1 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. vegan butter or oil, divided
12 slices day-old multigrain bread

Directions:
Blend first four ingredients in a blender. Pour into a shallow bowl.
Melt 2 Tbs. Buttery Spread in pan over medium heat.
Dip bread into mixture, so both sides are covered.
Cook both sides until golden brown. Repeat until the bread is gone.

Re-Case: Miniwiz's iPhone case 100% made from recycled trash

I had been delaying buying a case for my new iPhone. Then I read about Miniwiz's Re-Case cover made from 100% recycled agricultural waste and post-consumer plastic on TreeHugger and was instantly sold. 

The case fits snug providing reliable protection. I really like the look of the material. The light cross-hatch pattern and ridges on the sides provide an excellent grip. The only negative is it is really hard to get off once it's on.  

To read the product details see Miniwiz's site here or order it on Amazon.

Madecasse - beyond fair trade chocolate

"70% of the world’s cocoa comes from Africa but less than 1% of chocolate is made there. Instead, farmers sell whole cocoa pods to the first of many middlemen who eventually export the cocoa beans to chocolate makers in Belgium or France. Tim McCollum and Brett Beach--introduced to Madagascar and each other while in the Peace Corps--founded Madécasse in 2008 to keep more economic benefit within the island nation. The company partners with 45 cocoa farmers in the Ezaka cooperative and a factory in Antananarivo to move from bean to bar in one month and then onto shelves in Whole Foods and boutiques internationally." (Fast Company's 50 most innovative companies article)

 

Hosting the entire process in Madagascar generates 4x more income than fair trade cocoa alone.

  

I am actually eating the 'Sea Salt & Nibs' bar as I type this....perfect blend of 63% cocoa and salt...mmm. Madecasse reminds of the event I went to this summer featuring Ali Hassan Mwinyi, former President of Tanzania. When asked what he thinks Tanzania and African countries need the most, Mr. Mwinyi said they needed to do more production in country. Less of just exporting raw materials to other countries for a tiny percentage of the overall profits. He mentioned bananas, mangoes and Tanzanite as possible ideas. I 100% agree. It is really disappointing that even though Tanzanite can only be found around Tanzania it is often processed in Asian countries. At least Madecasse is challenging the current cocoa production trends.

Dekalb Market (a perk of living in Brooklyn)

I first heard about Dekalb Market from Wada-Africa, my favorite NY based African print dress supplier's website....then when I ran by it on this morning's 16-mile run I considered it fate. So my husband, dog and I decided to visit the market this afternoon.

They had two DJs spinning music that spoke to my heart....Fela Kuti, jazz, rap, R&B and reggae :) Lots of the vendors are stationed in salvaged shipping containers. The outdoor food court has free WiFi and is dog friendly. I ate two delicious vegan Caribbean patties from Nile Valley. The ackee patty was my favorite, but the callaloo patty was a close second.

And Wada-Africa, my favorite NY based African print dress supplier was there, so a purchased another dress.

Turkish Coffee

It all started 2 months ago when my husband and I went to a hookah bar downtown. The bar had a 1 drink minimum in addition to the hookah and I don't drink alcohol. So we ordered Turkish coffee and Persian tea. I actually don't like coffee but I was curious so I gave it a try.......instant obsession. The texture of the Turkish coffee was more like hot chocolate and it was full of rich flavor...mmm.

For the next few weeks, I kept craving Turkish Coffee and talking about it to everyone and anyone who would listen. So to feed my new obsession, I purchased an Ibrik (copper pot), glasses and Maatouk's Brazilian Arabica coffee with cardamom. Yay!

Sahadi (for coffee)
187 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11201-5696

The Oriental (for Ibrik and glasses)
170 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY

Tempeh Maple Bacon sandwiches, my new favorite quick lunch

In general I don't like tempeh. I've tried it numerous times and the only time I liked it was when I tried a sandwich with tempeh bacon. So I decided to try Tofurky's Smoky Maple Bacon Marinated Tempeh. You just saute the slices in oil for 2-4 minutes for deliciousness. Add some vegenaise on toasted bread and it's done (or add some tomato and lettuce for added measure).

I like it so much I made it for lunch 3 times this week. Then I quickly went to whole foods to buy another package. Mmmm.

Nuun: Electrolyte Hydration Tablets

Loving Nuun's hydration tablets.... it's cheaper and more environmental friendly then buying bottles of "sports drinks" plus the flavor is more subtle and taste purer.

It's hot in NYC now....and was even hotter this past week in Atlanta. Run safe (click to read NY Road Runner's summer safety tips)

"Nuun’s special formulation of electrolytes helps increase the amount of water that’s absorbed into the blood stream. That means more of the water you drink is actually used to hydrate you instead of being eliminated because the electrolyte balance wasn’t right"

• Tabs quickly dissolve in your own water bottle
• Easy to take with you
• Absorbs quickly
• Zero sugar
• Important electrolytes
• Under 8 calories

Honey Stinger: Natural Engery Chews and others

As I increase my mileage for marathon training it gets harder to just wake up and go running without consuming something. So I've been testing out some energy chews and jelly beans.

In order of best to worst......

1.) Honey Stinger Energy Chews. I've tried the pink lemonade and pomegranate passion fruit flavors and both taste great. More importantly they chew/dissolve well and leave me feeling ready to go. And they use all natural ingredients :)

2.) GU Chomps. Tried the Cranberry Apple flavor which was so-so. However, these chews don't go down so well. They are really sticky and my stomach needs an extra 30 minutes to adjust before I can go running.

3.) Honey Stinger Energy Gels. The flavor of the strawberry honey one was good. However, I am not a big fan of consuming tons of honey. It took me awhile to eat the syrupy mix.

4.) Sport Beans = never again. Maybe I am just not a true fan of jelly beans but it felt and tasted like I was consuming candy right before a run. I threw out the package after eating only 4 beans.

Vegan sugar cookies

I normally make all my desserts from scratch but I discovered Cherrybrook Kitchen's sugar cookie mix (vegan) and have fallen in love (click here for the vegan recipe I used to use). Another Whole Foods win. I still make the icing myself as I prefer homemade icing. I have made these cookies for our Ayyam-i-Ha party and for a fast breaking potluck....both times people gave rave reviews.

Vegan icing:
1/4 cup melted vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 cup melted non hydrogenated shortening
1.5-2 cups of confections sugar (sifted)
0.75 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup soy milk

Beat together butter and shortening until completely blended. Sift in sugar. Beat for 2 minutes. Add milk and vanilla. Beat again. If you want thicker icing add more sugar.

Okara and Courage burgers

Discovered a lovely vegan burger this week...with an even better name...Courage Burger!

A very tasty meat alternative by the company SoyBoy. "Rated the number one meat-replacement product in Eating Well Magazine’s Veggie Burger Challenge"

The burger has this ingredient I've never heard of called "okara". (Okara or soy pulp is a white or yellowish pulp consisting of insoluble parts of the soybean which remain in the filter sack when pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk. It is part of the traditional cuisines of Japan, Korea, and China) I give it * * * * *.

Seventh Generation

We already use their paper and cleaning products. However I still smiled reading this article that tree hugger wrote on them, click here.

Seventh Generation uses packaging with 96 percent post-consumer recycled content.

Plus, I had no idea some detergents don't make your clothes brighter by cleaning better but by leaving chemicals in your clothes......"the chemicals permeate fabrics, causing them to selectively absorb and fluoresce light to appear more white or vibrant."

Alo Awaken and Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Two (vegan) products that I've happily discovered.

Alo Awaken: A mix of water, aloe vera juice and pulp, wheat grass and NATURAL sugar....Ever since I discovered aloe juices I've been a huge fan of the taste and aloe vera pulp. However, most products have too many artificial ingredients and unnatural versions of sugar sources (inverted sugar, high fructose corn syrup etc). I love wheatgrass shots but often am too cheap to order them at shops or buy a juicer. The two together equal my new favorite non-tea drink. And yay for a real sugar ingredient i.e. cane sugar. So far I've only seen this brand at Whole Foods, $5 for 51 oz. (* * * * *)



Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, is a vegan and less sugary version of Nutella. Having not purchased Nutella since college I didn't realize there is milk in it. However, Justin's version is mostly organic with ingredients like real sugar :) cocoa and palm fruit oil. One serving of Nutella has 21g of sugar while Justin's has 7g. And if you're wondering, Justin's variety IS still just as good (* * * * *). It's semi-expensive $10 for 16 oz although I purchased a jar on sale for $8 at whole foods yesterday.

Road ID - wearing my ID while I run

In April, I switched from an after work runner to a pre-work runner. This means I’m often running while the sun is rising and it’s still relatively dark (see the picture I took before last week's run). Whenever I mention running under the morning stars to people their first concern is safety. Luckily Prospect Park is always full of avid runners regardless of the rain or dark. So I feel somewhat safe in numbers. However, I never carry ID with me. And I should in case there is an accident etc. So when I saw Road ID’s advertisement in Runner’s World magazine I went to their website and ordered one. (This is really rare for me. I previously worked in advertisement for a quick and painful 6 months so I tend to avoid ads.)

I ordered the classic wrist ID for $19.99 plus shipping. You can customize 6 lines of text to engrave on the surgical stainless steel ID tag. I included

1. my name
2. my city/state
3. (Husband’s name), phone number, Husband
4. (Mom’s name), phone number, Mom
5. (Father’s name), phone number, Father
6. Mungu ni Adhimu (A shortened Baha’i prayer “God is Sufficient/Significant" in Swahili)

I’m listing Road ID’s top ten reasons why their product is useful to summarize………
1. If you can’t speak for yourself, Road ID will speak for you.
2. Road ID enables First Responders to immediately contact family members and friends.
3. Road ID enables family members to provide additional details about your health or give consent for potentially life saving procedures.
4. Road ID enables hospital staff to locate vital medical records.
5. Road ID can communicate medical conditions or allergy information to medical staff.
6. Road ID can prevent serious delays in treatment by saving crucial time during the “golden hour” of medical treatment.
7. It’s far better to have Road ID and not need it than to need Road ID and not have it. It’s not just a piece of gear, it’s peace of mind.
8. Accidents happen far more than you think they do. Each year approximately 450,000 of us are taken to hospitals unconscious and without identification.
9. Road ID looks good on and makes a statement about your athletic lifestyle – not to mention that studies would probably prove that people that wear Road ID are considerably smarter than those that don’t.
10. Road ID can save your Life. Period.