My Favorite Pot

lovingly used since 1996

Elizabeth of Gracefruit found a heavy cast iron pot she fell in love with and asked her readers to photograph their favorite pots and describe why they like them.

I have a few.

I like my easy going teflon frying pan that is lightweight and really easy to clean. I wish I had a 5 quart sautee pan like that. The one that I can cook anything in, though, is my Le Creuset large stock pot. My husband and I asked for Le Creuset when we were getting married. We got pots, pans and a teapot all in FLAME. Love it. It boils water faster and it cooks everything evenly. The biggest problem I have with the darn stuff is that it is heavier than a three year old and when you are trying to maneuver the thing around and your thumb gets caught in the handle while your turning it...well, it feels like it would be too easy to break my digits.

The other drag about the cast iron is that you can not leave the pots or pans soaking in the sink. They will leave a rust stain. Best thing to do is fill it on the stove and leave it there overnight to soak.

pot of water getting ready to boil and accept my bag of edamame
notice the teapot behind the pan


So what is your favorite pot?

Short Weekend Sale At Product Body!!

We are having a weekend sale at Product Body so if there is something you have been craving, get it now while the coupon is good! Use this code:

bigbadblog

Everything except gift certificates are on discounted if you use the code. 20% off !

Have a great weekend!!

I'm A Bit Like A Roomba

With holiday gift sets and scents brewing at work, I can say that I have been a little busy. Not only am I trying to get orders out, I am trying to THINK, which is difficult when I am in go-go motion. It's kind of like when you lay out your children's lunch bags, and as you fill each lunch box with the same items...plop...plop...plop, blip, blip, blip, then someone comes up to you asks you to check a math question. Okay. Stop. Think. Finish checking (which actually takes me a little time because I am not quick with the math), then before I zip back into my assembly line of lunch goods, I have to readjust my brain to that mode and it does take a few seconds to return to normal. I feel like sometimes I'm like a Roomba. Ever had one of those? Well I had one once until I ran it into the ground and burned out the motor I loved it so much.

A Roomba is a self propelled, self taught, space ship-looking vacuum cleaner. It used to be that I could turn it on, leave the house and return home with the first floor pretty close to being dust free, or hairball free, whatever. Unfortunately, half the time, the thing would get caught under the same chair and beep for 30 minutes before shutting itself off. I think mine was mentally challenged because it didn't LEARN to not go under that dumb chair every day. So I guess I'm saying I sometimes feel like a Roomba, because I'm moving along doing a fine job, I hit a wall, stop, do a turn, adjust myself and move along, and I keep doing that until I get stuck under the stupid chair.

Ever get information-laden and feel sopped up and need a moment to let it absorb deeper?

Lather Up The Troops

The Troops package has NOT gone out yet. I've been in touch with my contact in Iraq and it is between 80 and 130 degrees on any given day there. They have running water most of the time, but we aren't talking tubs and sinks and showers with heated water. Not a bunch of luxuries. So, with this in mind, I was trying to think of what products I could send that wouldn't melt. Initially I thought conditioning facial mask, that I could send in powder form, but my husband gave me that eye-rolling-you've-got-to-be-kidding-look. "You think soldiers are going to sit around and make facial masks for themselves?" Okay, he has a point. There are probably not many metrosexuals there and the ones who like to take care of their skin don't want to scream it from the roof tops. I get it.

So. I've decided I am going to make batches and batches of salt soap and ship it over along with washcloths and some other dried goodies. I really did think it would be cooler out there and our creams, butters and scrubs would be nice for them, but I will have to create this wondrous package with the unmeltables.

If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I'm all ears. The package will go out in about 6 weeks, when all the soap batches we make finish curing.

Posh Mama Award

We won in March! I know, I am so on the ball! Did someone say it's September?

See Posh Mama's website - A GREAT RESOURCE FOR MOMS

The Heat Remains

It's mid September and it is still 92 degrees in the middle of the day, and still over 90 at 5pm. For me, being from NY, September is a time for coolness and weather change, but here? Not even close. September can be the hottest month. Product Body will be offering our Whipped Shea Butter beginning October 1st. If it's still icky hot here, we'll just have to make due.

My peeps need the hydration!

Whipped Sugar Scrub With Sugar On Top

Everyone here really liked the sugar scrub scented with Brown Sugar + Fig, but we won't be using in the Product Body line because we have created our own scent blends for the holidays. What does that mean for the few sugar scrubs we made that are sad not to have a home? Put them on my Etsy shop, of course! This scrub is emulsified and not drippy at all. Washes off cleanly and is more than 99% natural (scent is a fragrance oil).

It's hard to start preparing for the holidays, but it's necessary. I still am loving my pink grapefruit, yuzu, lemon and sweet vannilla mango scents at Product Body. I don't care what people say, I love those citrusy and tropical scents year round. They aren't seasonal for me.

Now That Is Big

These look normal, right? uh-uh. The little one is 4.75 ounces and the big ones are 12.50 ounces. They are bigger than a tennis ball! In fact, they are almost the size of a softball! I recently got this great stainless steel mold to make these huge balls of fizz. I'm thinking they make great gifts. Hmmm. Maybe I'll sell them on Etsy.

These are scented with Brown Sugar and Fig. Oh yummmmm. Perfect for the holidays....

On The Rise Award

Thank you to whoever voted for Product Body at stylebakery.com for the Reader's Choice Award for "beauty product designer". How fun is that?!?

Zucchini Muffins A La Nina

I was very constructive yesterday, which is a real feat for me on Saturdays in general, but yesterday, I made some creamy formulations for Product Body and also cooked in my kitchen with my daughter, Nina. I decided to make zucchini muffins, because A) I love zucchini bread and B) it gets actual vegetables into my family, fat and sugar and all.

I took a recipe from Smitten Kitchen to use as a base and created my own recipe from it.

They ended up r e a l l y good.

not martha

I think I love Megan Reardon who writes not martha, which is a blog I love and read every day. She wrote all about Product Body today and I am super excited, thrilled and still catching my breath from her blush-inducing comments!

See about not martha's give-away and Read her review of Product Body here!



....there is much more in her review...this was just a screen shot.

Don't you love Megan, too??

Thank you!!!!!

Wick Size Does Matter

Has this ever happened to you? This is called tunneling of the candle. This occurs when the wick size is incorrect for the wax that is used. The core of the candle will burn straight down, eventually suffocating the flame due to lack of oxygen.

I thought I bought the right wick size for the container I used, but the wick that was recommended by the vendor was for beeswax not soy wax. I hate wasting wax, time and shipping costs.

Back to the drawing board...

On a good note, the scent is wonderful! It was a creamy floral.

I'll let you know when I make candles that are burn proof. ;)

It Might Make You Fat

Tartlette's Raspberry Dreams...



Tartlette is one of my favorite foodie blogs. Helen, who makes everything and takes these amazing photographs, generously granted me permission to share her images with you. Please go visit her site to see what she's up to and tell her I say hi. Fair warning: it might make you fat.