The Daily Beet

Our friends Sylvia and John Avey are amazing chefs in their home kitchen.  Completely self-taught, the Aveys have developed a passion for creating amazing meals (a wonderful result of the journey they began while enduring an assignment in good old Waco, Texas).  We got the chance to assist during our recent visit to LA.  To gather up the ingredients, we were so excited to check out the Farmers Market at the Grove, where we found grass-fed lamb shanks fresh from New Zealand.  Add some braising liquid, delicious veggies, and a few hours in the Le Creuset dutch oven, and we had a delicious meal.  Here’s the Aveys’ recipe:

Lamb Stew with Rosemary and Cannelini Beans
5 pounds lamb shanks, trimmed of fat
1T olive oil
2 t kosher salt
1 t Herbes de provence
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
pepper
2 c red wine
2 c beef broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 onions, diced
6 carrots, chopped
2 cans cannelini beans

Rub lamb shanks in olive oil, herbes de provence, salt and pepper.  In a large dutch oven, brown in olive oil; to keep from crowding, this might need to be done in batches.  Add red wine, beef broth, minced garlic, onions, and rosemary.  Cook at 350 for 2.5 hours.  Add carrots and cannelini beans.  Cook for another 45 minutes.

December 31st, 2009 | Category: Recipes | Comments (2)

Thanks to our good friends John and Sylvia Avey we had a wonderful time visiting LA recently.  Lots of laughter, catching up, and of course, great food!  We had the pleasure of eating at Koi in Hollywood, enjoying delicious Asian fusion sushi.  Dishes like Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna, Salmon Carpaccio, and Rock Shrimp Tempura were simply delicious.  Not only was our food superb, but the service was impeccable.  Our server never wrote anything down, was ready with suggestions, but was not overbearing.  She was there when we needed her and invisible while we dined and caught up.  Even the drinks were so creative - Shawn enjoyed his wasabi martini!  Koi is a great experience I recommend for your next trip to LA.

December 8th, 2009 | Tags: Los Angeles | Category: Indulgence, Restaurants | Leave a comment

I’ve recently become hooked on carrying water with me everywhere I go.  Not only does it spare the need for plastic bottles, a lot of the time I do not have the order water in a styrofoam or plastic cup at lunch; I simply pull out my water bottle.  I get a little ribbing from my husband, who calls me “the camper.”

Now that we’ve found our superb Moccamaster coffeemaker, we determined that we must carry our own coffee to work each day rather than drinking the swill brewed at the office.   I did some research to find a stainless steel coffee mug.  Naturally Shawn was skeptical, but he loves our solution.  It holds almost 3 mugs of coffee and keeps it hot for hours.

The containers we use are stainless steel and very stylish, from Earthlust.  I think the stainless steel is better than aluminum; it doesn’t give the water a metallic taste and there’s no question on its safety.

Feather Coffee Mug - 20 Ounce

December 7th, 2009 | Tags: reuse | Category: Causes, Cool Products, Lifestyle | Leave a comment

Sometimes the fresh stuff I get excited about has nothing to do with food.  Today it’s a great new service called Minted, which creates custom stationery and cards with designs from talented people all over the world.  They have eco-friendly paper options and their designs are so modern and fresh.  I really like the ones that are reminiscent of the wood block print style posters.

Check them out:

Minted. The Freshest Designs on Paper

November 15th, 2009 | Category: Cool Products | Comments (1)

Recently while in Portland, Maine, we stopped into one of my favorite stores, Planet Dog.  We had been looking for a new collar for Molly and just hadn’t found anything that struck our fancy.  Lo and behold we stumbled upon a great collar by a little company called English Retreads, who makes accessories and bags out of old tires.  This might at first sound a little boring, but check out what great things owner Heather English is able to do with old worn out tires.  Here’s a quick pic of the dog’s new digs.

October 4th, 2009 | Tags: dog | Category: Cool Products | Leave a comment

Recently Shawn and I were in the mood for Asian.  It only took a glance at the grocery store to confirm that I was not going to find anything with high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated something.  I recalled the sauce offered at our local farmers market in Rockland, Maine.  At my next opportunity, I picked up a bottle of Ginger Teriyaki Sauce by Crooked Birch Kitchen.  Made by a small company New Hampshire, this sauce is handmade in small batches out of only natural ingredients.  And it tastes really good!  They offer a variety of sauces, salsas, jams, and flavored oils.  If you strive to eat real food, give this a try.  Their online store goes live in October.

September 15th, 2009 | Category: Cool Products, Lifestyle | Leave a comment

Body + Soul Magazine has a great website called Whole Living.  They recently featured a great series on Greening Your Home, including tips to green your kitchen, living space, and bathroom.  While it may not be practical to implement every idea, just choosing one is a great way to start.  Check it out by clicking here.

August 24th, 2009 | Category: Lifestyle | Leave a comment

Recently I had the opportunity to attend a education event on the Dr. Hauschka skincare line at Rheal Day Spa in Rockland, ME.  I have been using Dr. Hauschka products for about three years and have been extremely impressed with the company’s holistic approach to skincare.  Dr. Hauschka manufacturer WALA Heilmittel relies “exclusively on healthy, ecologically and socially responsible sources for our ingredients.”  It “supports sustainable, ecologically sound agricultural practices by obtaining as many of their ingredients as possible from certified Biodynamic and organic sources. Biodynamics is a holistic, sustainable form of ecologically responsible agriculture that predates the organic movement. WALA owns and operates its own Biodynamic garden and farm, which provides a number of the ingredients used in its healing remedies and Dr. Hauschka Skin Care line.”

A great example of its holistic approach is like treating like, as in the Normalizing Day Oil.  I use it every day on my oily skin, and defying logic, this product calms the skin’s own oil production.

The Dr. Hauschka website is very helpful, providing an overview of their philosophy, clear descriptions of all their products, and also steps you through a series of questions to determine which of their products are appropriate for your skin type.

August 23rd, 2009 | Tags: skin | Category: Cool Products, Holistic Medicine, Lifestyle | Leave a comment

Suzuki Sushi in Rockland, Maine, creates art on a plate.  We got the chance to try their locally grown Japanese field green salad with pineapple vinaigrette, apples, and toasted pumpkin seeds.  It was so beautiful with flowers on top I had to take a picture.  Our plate of sushi was delivered soon after and did not disappoint.  We got locally caught toro in both a sashimi and in a roll with scallions.  It melted in our mouths with a delicate taste.  Owner Keiko serves extremely high quality food and turns fish away that does not meet her standards.  Service is exceptional as well - we enjoy visiting with our waitress who also works at nearby Lily Bistro (another article, soon!).  She always remembers our favorite sake.  If ever in Maine, visit this little gem which has been featured in the Boston Globe.

August 22nd, 2009 | Tags: maine | Category: Eat Local, Indulgence, Restaurants | Leave a comment