Gwyneth Paltrow + Mario Batali

Have you heard about their new PBS series about food? We don't have cable so I don't watch any food programming but I might be tempted by the prospect of seeing a peppy, funny Gwyneth eating; she's normally so serious. They all look like they are having fun in Spain.

In tangentially linked news, I have four coupons for a free month of Netflix (they have a food and wine section!) that are currently going to waste so if anyone is interested, just shoot me an email to coconutlimeblog @ gmail . com and I will email you the activation code.

Tomatoes!

We went to Market Day at the Cylburn Arboretum with the always delightful Danielle and her equally delightful boyfriend today. We braved the mud and rain and ended up with about 6 different varieties of tomato plants. I'm most excited about the Yellow Pear and the Rugter varieties, which I've only had from the farmer's market before. I tried to get the tallest of the plants available so I am hoping for an early harvest and sturdy plants. One of the plants even has a tiny tomato on it so that's a pretty good sign! Matt's going to get them in the ground tomorrow. I don't think we're going to grow much more in the way of vegetables this year (we also bought a chile which is described as chocolate brown and smoky tasting) because we only had okay luck with the zucchini and eggplant last year and we've already planted 3 blueberry bushes this year. We already have a plum tree, plans for a possible fig tree and a blackberry bush that had quadrupled in size from last year to concentrate on.

What's going in your garden this year?

Reusable Ice Cubes

Okay, you all know my feelings about water. Now, I must reveal something else: I also dislike ice. I drink slowly, so my drinks quickly become either really watered down from the melting ice or appetizingly warm from my refusal to use ice. My solution? These slightly cheesy reusable ice cubes. I recently bought a big bag of martini, lime and butterfly shaped cubes at Target for about $2 so it is an affordable luxury and they last for years. Anyone else use reusable ice cubes? I find they work just as well, if not better than regular ice cubes and they are more festive.

Mushroom Recipe Contest

Marxfoods is hosting a recipe contest. Get details and enter here.

"Green" Clean

I really like using as natural a product as I can for cleaning. Generally I stick to Method products for well, everything but recently I've tried Shaklee concentrated dish detergent, scour off paste and wipes. While I prefer unscented things for general cleaning (love Method's go naked line) the Shaklee products are pleasant and not overwhelming. They also really get things clean, which is important to me and my constant kitchen clean up. I hate rewashing and scrubbing and I find that some "natural" products just aren't up to the task.

What do you use?

On the lookout for: popcorn salt

I love popcorn and always use popcorn salt. I've had the same container of Morton's popcorn salt for a long time and it recently ran out. Now I can't find it to buy again. The website says that it isn't available at any stores in a 50 mile radius, but that could be wrong. I know I have bought it locally in the past. Has anyone seen popcorn salt for sale lately? I'd rather not have to order it off the website because it is only available in a 4 pack (and one shaker lasted me about 2 years, even with frequent use) and the shipping is almost $8.

Yogurt Ickiness

Just opened a fresh carton of Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt and it was moldy! Despite the clingfilm still being attached and it being well before the sell-by date. Now I'm scared to go get more.

One to avoid: Crystal Light

In my quest to eliminate plain water from my diet (especially while I am waiting for a refill for my beloved edition one seltzer/soda maker) I tried these Crystal Light on the go drink mix packets. Each package flavors one glass of water. It was a big disappointment. The flavors do not taste all like what they purport to be (either in the tea or "enhanced" varieties)but instead taste threateningly medicinal. They also remind me how much I dislike artificial sugars as they not only have a bitter aftertaste, they are bitter going down. I couldn't even manage to get one full glass of any of the flavors down despite the flavors being things I like: mango, pomegranate etc. My suggestion: rework the powders using actual sugar or agave nectar. The quantity needed to flavor a glass of water is so small, the calorie difference would be negligible and the flavor might even be palatable.

Align Winner...

The winner of the 3 month supply of Align is...Bebemiqui! Thanks to everyone who entered!

Picnic Basket, Anyone?

Does anyone really use a picnic basket when they picnic or are they just bought and forgotten? I have to admit I am tempted by this one which is part of the new Cynthia Rowley collection even if the furthest I'd probably take it is my own backyard.

Flip & Tumble Reuseable Bags

I have amassed quite a collection of reusable grocery bags but none have impressed me as much as the ones from flip&tumble. It is made in such a way that it folds into a tiny ball (about the size of the palm of my hand) that is the perfect size to stick in your pocket or purse. Which is exactly what I've been looking for. Sometimes I don't know I will need a bag when I head out for the day and my other reusable bags are all rather bulky-they almost take up as much room in my cart as my groceries-so I don't end up using them as often as I'd wish.

I also find that the non collapsible bags are not very convenient to schlep about in general, they have a tendency bang into things and people. I like to use reusable bags for non-food shopping so often I'd have them in various shops and ones that say "Wegmans" are bulky and conspicuous, this one looks more like a regular bag. Even unfolded, it is a lot less bulky than most bags and has an over-the-shoulder strap which I prefer to the handle style.

And they come in pretty colors!

Win a Three Week's Supply of Align

Align is a probiotic suppliment which is supposed to have what you need for a strong, healthy digestive system. I'm going to take it for 3 weeks to try it out and will like to give one of my readers a supply so they can try it out as well. Leave a comment here to enter and feel free to share this contest on your own blogs. Make sure you leave an email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. Drawing to be held on April 26th.

Check out other blog giveaways here.

Hansen's Natural: Dragonfruit

I've been eyeing the Hansen's Natural line of soda (sparkling fruit water?) for a while now, but for $4.99 for a 4 pack, I resisted. What if I didn't like it? At the Safeway today, however, they had them buy one get one free so I picked up a pack of the dragonfruit and one of the blueberry pomegranate. I haven't tried the pom one yet but the dragonfruit one is pretty good. Sweet, but so are actual dragonfruit, and there is no icky HFCS aftertaste just the clean finish of actual cane sugar. It actually tastes like dragonfruit (sort of tropical and floral, if that makes sense) and contains real dragonfruit extract in it, not some amalgamation of other juices like some "dragonfruit" drinks I've come across. I'd buy it again (especially if it was on sale, $1.25 per can is a little steep for a multipack soda) and maybe try it as a mixer?

New Favorite: the Knork

As someone who prefers to use the tines of her fork to cut up her meal rather than using a knife (sorry, Emily Post) I adore the knork . Oh, yes the knork: a knife/fork hybrid. While it can cut through most foods (even meat!) it isn't sharp-the end tine is angled in such away that it can cut through things easily. I think it would be perfect to have on hand at work or in the car for those times when you are out and need a utensil unexpectedly. Or maybe that would only happen to me back when I worked outside of the home. I hate digging plastic utensils out of communal bins. The thought of all of those strange fingers touching something I eat with-ick. Anyway, I think it is pretty neat and much more functional than the spork.