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Misc Blogging Stuff
Apr
16
Mi-Bags
Filed Under Green Products, Household Gear | Leave a Comment
Several years ago I started a little collection of reusable shopping bags to take to markets and grocery stores. The collection is mostly Trader Joe’s cotton bags, some large LL Bean and Land’s End totes and some medium bags about the size of a regular plastic grocery bags, as well as a couple string bags. I keep them folded up in the back of the car, ready to haul out when I hit the market. They are great, solid, reusable, and never wear out, but they all don’t fold and pack up well, plus my kids have played with the string bags until they’ve given out. I decided to look for something that would fit into my purse or diaper bag, handy for any time I needed it.
When I saw these cute Mi-Bags on Mummy’s Product Reviews I knew I wanted one. Vicky, who is also a DC Metro Moms blogger, was having a giveaway, and I won one of the bags, a brown bag with an artsy cat design (pictured). I have to say I’m impressed. It arrives neatly folded up in its small attached pocket, and at just 6×7 inches, it’s a perfect size for tucking away in a purse, but it opens to a large 18×23x7 inches. It has large handles that work great over the shoulder, and the bottom is gusseted to allow for expansion. The bags are made of ripstop nylon and very lightweight, yet pretty durable enough for daily use.
It did a great job with my groceries then folded right back up into my purse, so I’ve found it very handy. The price is more than other market bags, but in this case you are paying extra for the beautiful design and convenience with the attached pocket. The materials are not organic, so you will need to look elsewhere if that is a factor for you. I would not use this bag to carry any sharp objects, but for everyday use it’s great.
The bottom line:
Pros: lightweight, durable, folds into a small attached pocket, artsy designs
Cons: material is not organic, costs more than other market bags
Designs available: zebra, elephant, cat, birds
Cost: US$24.00 + shipping if ordering online
Where to buy: ID-A Designs (online), various retailers in California and Seattle, WA
Company website: ID_A Designs
Apr
13
The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
Filed Under Cookbooks | Leave a Comment
How often do you find a cookbook that is so chock full of good recipes that you want to make every single one of them? That day? That’s how I felt when The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy arrived in my mailbox. I grabbed the package and took it along in the car when I went to pick up the boys for school, knowing I would have a few minutes to browse while waiting for them. A few minutes was not enough because I found myself pouring over the pages. Many of my cookbooks have sticky flags on the pages with recipes that I like or want to try, but for Murphy’s book I didn’t even bother because I will eventually make everything in it, and the things that I have made so far have been fantastic.
Murphy is the chef and owner of Sweet Melissa Patisserie in New York City, a popular bakery considered one of the best in the city. I spent some time on the bakery’s website, wishing I had a spot in my neighborhood with food that good so I could take the laptop and hang out there on my mommy days. The menu is so tempting and her wedding and specialty cakes are breathtaking. Murphy has some baking podcasts available on PodCastGo.com, which are now on my iPod. I plan to take a trip to New York City sometime, and one of my first stops will be Sweet Melissa, especially if it has WiFi.
Because my favorite meal is breakfast, I started in the “Dessert for Breakfast” chapter with her Sweet Muffins recipe. For both her sweet and savory muffins, Murphy encourages variation by not specifying particular fruits or cheeses and vegetables within the text of the recipes, but saves the suggestions for tasty combinations for the end. I made the sweet muffins while Michael’s parents were visiting a few weekends ago, and added apples, cinnamon, and dried cranberries. The muffins were a hit, and it’s a good thing I made a double batch that morning, otherwise there would have been none left for me to photograph. They were perfect right out of the pan, no butter or jam required, with a slightly crispy crust and moist crumb, and the vanilla sugar on top added a sweet, aromatic crunch. Read more