Sorbetto.

Talenti's Roman Raspberry Sorbetto

Sorbetto.

Sorbetto. Period.

I wish I could stop there knowing that you would automatically understand and appreciate the admiration I have for Talenti’s Roman Raspberry Sorbetto. . . the way you “know” the taste of ice cold beer on a hot summer day, or chocolate chip cookies just out of the oven.

But I fear you may not know of this love of mine. So, I will do my best to make you crave it. . .

Before June 2010, I did not give ice cream much thought. Growing up we went to Dairy Queen once in a while or had sherbert on a rare summer day. (Remember sherbert? That sad little mix of lime green/pale orange/light pink?) Anyway, so a year ago I moved to a new city. One of the few things I knew about this new city in advance was a little ice cream shop that had a cute name and great ice cream. I went for ice cream within my first week in town. Turns out, I love [GOOD] ice cream.

So how did this one little shop convert me? Simple – and it goes along with the theme of this blog – this place makes REALLY GOOD ice cream. Really good/ well-done/ best-of . . .bingo!

The shop is not in my neighborhood, so I don’t go that often, but knowing that I was now into ice cream, I started spending time in the ice cream aisle. I’ve tried just about every brand available. There’s some tasty stuff out there, but none of it holds a candle to the frozen goodness found at my nearby ice cream shop. EXCEPT FOR Talenti’s Roman Raspberry Sorbetto!!!!! Thank goodness this stuff is widely available because you’re going to want to add this to your grocery list!

First of all, there may be something wrong with you if you’re not floored by the color of this stuff. Talenti makes many flavors and you may have a variety of gelato and sorbetto options to choose from. But the deep red raspberry color of the Roman Raspberry Sorbetto is a treat for your eyes!

And then wait till you get home and grab a spoon!

The flavor is deep. The creaminess and “raspberry-ness” live deep within every lick, bite, and swallow. It is rich. It is beautiful. (If you don’t want to take my word for it, check out Talenti’s ingredients and attributes on their website. “No details are ignored and no shortcuts are taken.”)

It may be because it’s so rich and flavorful that you will be satisfied with a sophisticated, small amount of it. Remember the scene in Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts is with Richard Gere and his clients at a fancy dinner and she is offered a small dish of mint sorbet to cleanse the palate? That’s the size I’m talking about. (And if you don’t follow my reference, we’re talking the size of a little clementine, if that.)

Natural. Kosher. Gluten-free. Pure this. Fresh that. Real. Good.

Before you head out for your grocery shop, do check out the Talenti website to make sure you hit a store that carries the line. (http://www.talentigelato.com/StoreFinder.aspx ) And while I don’t think you’d be disappointed with the brand’s other flavors, the Roman Raspberry Sorbetto is what you’re looking for!

And now for a little bonus: you can order Talenti products online! While putting this blog entry together, I learned of IceCreamSource.com: http://www.icecreamsource.com/ . Holy cow – you’ve got to check it out! In addition to Talenti, you can order Babcock Hall ice cream, (a little shout-out to University of Wisconsin readers!), among other fantastically named and possibly equally delicious brands.

On IceCreamSource.com, Talenti’s Roman Raspberry Sorbetto is $7.99 per pint. I scored it at my local grocery store for $3.99 per pint last week!

Hip hip hooray!

Lips Like Sugar

the lip scrub, by Sara Happ

Do you make any of your own cleaning products? Or beauty products? Got some sort of homemade remedy you swear by?

Want to know how to garner some attention for it? How to grab E’s attention and get written up in this here blog (ha!)? Well…

1. Concoct something simple, yet super effective

2. Put it in very simple, yet stylish packaging

3. Sell it in a cute store

That’s what Sara Happ did. She invented “the lip scrub.” And then she put it in a tiny little brown box with a tiny little white ribbon, and used a very simple font. And then I found it on display in a sweet little tea shop in New York City. Of course I bought it! (I’ll say it again: I’m a sucker for good packaging!)

I’m sure I thought I was going to gift it to someone. That would make sense since it’s all tidy and wrapped up to begin with. But….I figured I should try it out first. You know, review it. And then I fell in love.

Yes, you could make some version of this at home using Vaseline and sugar. I love to think that I would do that. But do I ever actually get around to doing it? No. I wonder, though, if a homemade version could be as effective. Sara Happ nails it on her ratio of petrolatum (the Vaseline-like stuff) and exfoliating sugar granules.

Oh, by the way, when you read “the lip scrub” aloud, “the” should rhyme with “me.” It’s the lip scrub (says E). It’s that good!

I’ve used it the same way from the get-go:

1. Before getting in the shower, I rub a bit of it in little circles all over my lips.

2. Then, I rub my lips together for about a minute or so. Helps the exfoliation.

3. By the time I’m washing my face, most of the little sugar granules have melted away and I’m left wish super soft lips. See - no dryness or chappiness here! (And just to be clear - - there were no enhancements, touch-ups or lip balm used in the making of this photo. Real, plain lips here! Thank you, Sara Happ!)

As Sara Happ herself states in her marketing: “Wonder how you ever lived without it.” Exactly!

Visit Sara Happ’s website to find out where to buy “the lip scrub”: http://www.sarahapp.com/index.php If you’d rather shop for it online, the website provides links to stores that sell it online. A 1oz. container retails for $24 (cute little brown box with a tiny little white ribbon, included). Several flavors available (E loves almond crème).

I close today with a shout-out to Echo & The Bunnymen: Thank you for writing a song that’s bound to be stuck in at least one reader’s head all day. It’ll keep “the lip scrub” top-of-mind!

“Lips like sugar….sugar kisses….”

- E

Position yourself

www.SeatGuru.com

I begin with an apology: I am sorry (and embarrassed) to have skipped a week of posting. I didn’t think that would happen so early on. I don’t have a decent excuse either. Pathetic!

Onward. . .
_________________________________________________


I don’t remember the last time I sat in a middle seat on an airplane.

I’ve never missed a connection because I’ve been so far back on a plane that it took too long to get off.

And most of the time, I’m pretty happy with my seat.

First-class flier? Not lately. Lucky traveler? No, not really. I just take my travel planning seriously – down to my seat assignments for every leg of a trip.

You see, not all planes are the same and not all seats are created equal. So I just can’t rely on some agent to assign me to “an aisle or a window.” Here’s an example of why: Seat 17D on an “American Airlines Canadair CRJ-700” is a window seat in the very back of the plane. Whereas, seat 17D on a “Delta Airlines Boeing 767-400” is a middle seat toward the front of a middle collection of seats in a coach section with two-aisles.

So how do I avoid a seating nightmare? As soon as I pull up my go-to travel search website, no sooner do I also pull up http://www.seatguru.com/ . (I’m sure there’s some “app” out there that does all of this, too. But I don’t do “apps.” I kick it old-school and visit websites.)

The SeatGuru tagline is “The ultimate source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities, and airline information.” Yep! Ultimate is right!

It’s incredibly easy to use! You open the site and right there, front and center, is a box that asks you to enter your flight info (airline and flight number), which eventually leads you directly to a page for the specific aircraft that will be operating your flight. From there, you will learn oh-so-much about your plane.

Just below some wordy text about your aircraft you’ll see icons that highlight some on-board amenities. And just below that, a lovely diagram of your vessel. And letters, numbers, and colors – oh, my! The Seatmap Key off to the side provides the answers to that stuff. The real fun comes when you hover your mouse over all of the little seat boxes. Some seats will be listed as a “standard economy seat,” while others have “some extra knee room but not necessarily more legroom” or “limited recline” or “can get very cold at the exits during the flight” or “passengers seated here will be the last to be served and to disembark.” See what I’m saying?!?! You spend time and money putting itineraries together, so spend time thinking about where you want to spend your time in the sky.

The only thing I can think of that SeatGuru can’t do for us? Guarantee that we won’t end up next to Chatty Cathy or Smelly Stan…..

Hook yourself (and your travel companions) up with decent seats! Knowledge is power, folks. Enjoy your flight!

- E

E's Breakfast Bowl, Part 2

Trader Joe’s Dried Pomegranate Seeds &

Trader Joe’s Unsalted Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces

You start with oatmeal. You might choose to add some milk. Perhaps you can’t go without brown sugar. My favorite oatmeal toppings right now? Trader Joe’s Dried Pomegranate Seeds and Trader Joe’s Unsalted Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces.

Pomegranate Seeds

I can’t remember how I heard about these.

When I lived in New York City, there was a gourmet grocery store that sold fresh pomegranate seeds (from ½ a pomegranate) in a tiny plastic container for something like $8.00. Convenient, but pricey. But oh how I loved those tangy, gorgeous seeds. So when I heard that Trader Joes’s carried dried pomegranate seeds, I couldn’t get there fast enough.

I almost missed them at the store, though; they’re not easy to spot. They’re in with other packets of dried fruit, near the nuts. (By the way, I’m not talking about the chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds!)

But these aren’t exactly plain, either. The ingredients listed on the back of the bag: dried pomegranate seeds, sugar, citric acid, pomegranate juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate, high oleic sunflower oil. Tanginess comes from the pomegranate seeds (and juices, I’m sure). A subtle sweetness comes from the sugar. And I believe the chewy yet crunchy thing has something to do with the oil.

I’m not sure these guys are as high up on the “good for you” nutrition scale as, say, those raw, pricey numbers I found in NYC, but hey, a sprinkling of them on your oatmeal isn’t a bad thing! At $2.99 for a 6oz bag, a sprinkling a morning will last you a while! Trust me!


Pecan Pieces

Pecan pieces. Unsalted. Dry Toasted. Pretty self-explanatory.

My aunt loved pecans. She turned me on to them when I was a kid. Now I love them. Seems like walnuts are paired with oatmeal usually. But try pecans. Different. Awesome!

Also awesome is the price. Nuts can be expensive, so if you ask me, $3.99 for an 8oz bag seems reasonable!





And……that’s how E does breakfast!



- E



p.s. I know Trader Joe’s isn’t everywhere yet. Such a bummer! I have a friend who doesn’t live near a Trader Joe’s, but is such a fan of so many of their products that she’ll visit stores when she’s in other states for work, fill a box, and ship the box of goodies to her house. She doesn’t mess around!

Here’s a link to their website so you can find one closest to you: http://www.traderjoes.com/

E’s Breakfast Bowl, Part 1

Old Fashioned Quaker Oats

Next time you grocery shop, meander through the aisles the way you do, filling up your cart. Pause when you get to the oatmeal section. Then - - look down. Bottom shelf. There – where sundries go to wait out their expiration dates – that’s where you’ll find that familiar cardboard tube. Old Fashioned Quaker Oats. Bend down and grab it. It’s time to get re-acquainted!

I know this is not an introduction. I’m 99% sure that when you had oatmeal growing up, it came from this tube. But I have a feeling that most of you oatmeal-eaters out there are pouring it out of cute portion-controlled “packets” these days. . . those convenient little fun-flavored packets that come five or six to a box. . . those boxes that have taken over the oatmeal section. . . am I right?!?! Actually, to be fair, it’s not that these boxes of flavored oatmeal packets have taken over the oatmeal section; they actually created an oatmeal section! And I’m actually not entirely opposed to those boxes and packets. Some of them are quite tasty.

I just feel bad for the tube. Relegated to the bottom shelf, hanging out with “off brands” and bulk items like those bags of cereal. You know about grocery store real estate, right? Nothing about placement of products in the grocery store is random. Top shelves generally go to regional and specialty brands. Anything on the prominent eye- or hand-level shelves has the best chance of making it into your cart. Bottom shelf is everything else – store brands, oversized items, and leftovers. AND, some of the best deals! (You’re going to get more oat for your dollar buying the tube!)

And here’s another little secret: there’s nothing tricky about the plain old oats from the tube. You don’t even have to get the “instant” kind. The regular Old Fashioned Oats will do you just fine. I’m going to break it down for you: Old Fashioned Oats-making 101:

1. You lift the lid off the tube of oats. (You do this instead of opening a box to get a packet out.)

2. You either go with the measurement suggestions on the back of the tube, or eyeball the amount of oatmeal you want in your bowl. (A tad more work than dumping the packet in a bowl, but you’ll get the hang of it.)

3. You add water. (Same goes for the packets)

[3.5 You can add the tiniest pinch of salt at this point (I think it somehow helps the oatmeal absorb the water??), but you can omit if you have a salt problem.]

4. You put your bowl in the microwave. (Same)

5. You eat it. (Same)

Not so bad!

But it’s not as portable, you say. That’s what baggies and Tupperware containers are for, I say.

But your kind is so plain, you say. That’s what toppings are for, I say! Toppings that you have total control over. (In Part 2 of “E’s Breakfast Bowl” – to be posted tomorrow – you’ll find out what E puts on top. . .)

Plus..... can you make a batch of oatmeal cookies with those flavored packets? Nope. Can you make 4 dozen “Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies” using just 3 cups of Quaker Oats from a tube? Yep!!!

E loves her “Old Fashioned” Quaker Oat Man. You’ll recognize the face. It’s the tube that sets this stuff apart.

- E

The nose knows

Molton Brown's Warming Eucalyptus Bath & Shower Therapy

I’m nervous about this post. I went back and forth on this one all week. The product itself, I love. I really, really do! It’s just that, well…..I’m about to suggest you consider gifting this product to your mother for Mother’s Day. I actually did just that a couple of years ago. And . . . Mom didn’t care for it. Oops! I love great gift-giving so it pains me to get it wrong.

But over the weekend I remembered that this blog is about me reviewing products I love. Got the love part covered. And any good review will include everything you need to know so you can decide whether or not you want to buy it, right?! Right! So here we go. . . Molton Brown’s Warming Eucalyptus Bath & Shower Therapy.

Back-tracking for a second . . . the reason I’m offering up a Mother’s Day gift idea now is this:

• Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8th


• This stuff isn’t super easy to get your hands on, so you may need to order it online.


• If you want to order it, receive it, add a personal greeting card, and then ship everything off to Mom, you need this much time!

All of the above. . . that’s just what I did a couple of years ago. The Molton Brown folks are good at packaging. I was able to forgo wrapping on my end because the brown bag and bow they put the product in was lovely on its own. (Complimentary gift box when you order online.) “Mom will love this, I know!” So I thought. Bless my mother for being thankful and trying it out.

The truth came out when I was visiting several months after-the-fact. She confessed and said she knew it was a special product, she knew I chose it carefully, and knew I liked it. And then…..she gifted it back to me! All’s well that ends well!

Earlier this week when I told Mom that I was thinking of writing about this stuff but worried about the irony of the whole thing, she was quick to say, “Oh, tell them that I really wanted to like it! I loved the bottle, and it came packaged so nicely!” Cute!

So what’s so great about this stuff, aside from pretty packaging? Did you catch the name – Warming Eucalyptus Bath & Shower Therapy?! Already, we’ve set ourselves apart from run-of-the-mill bath gels! (It is considered a body cleanser/ bath foam.) And the smell is just so intoxicating! It’s great to have on-hand if you have a cold or sinus issues. Or maybe you’re just stressed out? I guarantee the aroma in a hot shower or will make you feel better!

I like to lather up my shower puff. Get my first few whiffs. And before you know it all the olfactory cells in my body start high-fiving each other as if to say, “YES! She used the good stuff today!” And the celebration lasts throughout the morning because the scent lingers, just so, on your skin.

Clearly, I L-O-V-E this stuff! But the scent is strong; not everyone will love it. A lot of people will, though! Both before and after my gifting failure of two years ago, I’ve gifted it to friends. And I know my best friend has turned around and gifted it to others.

Other people worthy of “the Therapy”:

• It would be nice for a new mom (surely, she needs pampering).


• Certainly for someone who’s sick.


• Super easy for a guy to give to a friend/sibling/spouse because it’s “manly” enough looking, and thoughtful.


• Great for a friend who works out a lot. Really great for someone who just competed in a super athletic event (like a marathon or regatta).


• And yes, for Mom for Mother’s Day. I stand behind my endorsement.

Here’s where you find it: ($28 for 10 fl.oz. Splurge, people!) http://www.moltonbrown.com/bath-and-body/bath-and-shower-gels/warming-eucalyptus-bath-and-shower-therapy.html

FYI – I do not currently have this product in my shower. And there’s no reason for anyone to buy it for me. Should you accidentally hit “Qty: 2” when ordering this online, we can arrange for you to ship one to me. Cool? :)

-E

Basil in the bathroom

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Potty talk: I’m not a fan.

But what I am a fan of are cleaning products that make cleaning fun. Well…actually….fun is an exaggeration here; nothing about cleaning a bathroom is fun. It’s a chore. (Chore is a funny word, isn’t it?! Say it out loud a few times…chore….Chore….CHORE…..)

Wow, back to the point of all of this. . .

Increasingly, over the last decade or so, “natural” and “green” products have infiltrated the marketplace. Lots of “this is safer for you/your kids/your pets” being thrown at us, right? Well, I don’t know about you, but all of that marketing totally works on me! I’m easily convinced.

So I’ve gone out and bought a lot of these “safer, gentler” products. Some are great. But some are completely ineffective! Sometimes life calls for Clorox, darn it! When someone’s been sick, after a well-attended party at your place, or because you simply love the smell of a community pool: in these cases, by all means reach for bleach!

But for your everyday (or weekly, or bi-weekly, or monthly) toilet bowl cleaning, I say Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Toilet Bowl Cleaner – Basil scent – is the way to go!

The bottle has the narrow, angled spout, so crucial to under-rim cleaning! And I don’t have to scrub any harder or any different than I do with the “harsher,” more well-known products. For about $4.99, you get 32 fl oz of plant-based ingredients in a recyclable container. (You’re on your own for figuring out how many cleanings you’ll get for your dollar.) As for the scent, I vote for Basil because I like my bathroom to have that “Ah, it smells pleasant and fresh in here” kind of thing going on. It’s a little more universal than, say, strong florals. The subtle scent is casually drifting into my living room as I type this and it reinforces my enthusiasm for this stuff!

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products are widely available these days. (I vouch for the Basil-scented toilet bowl cleaner, but they’ve got tons of other stuff to choose from.) Here’s a link to the company’s website: http://www.mrsmeyers.com/. In the top left-hand corner of the home page, you can enter your zip code for a quick list of stores in your area that carry the line.

Ok, we’re done here. Toilet time over.

- E