OLOVES are the New Olives
Eating olives on the go has always been problematic because most olives are sold in a marinade within glass or plastic containers which guarantees airport security will confiscate the Mediterranean fruit. Even if travel is by car or train, transporting olives is difficult because fishing olives out of a jar is not the easiest task while sitting in a passenger seat. Then there is the problem of what to do with the pit. Enter OLOVES, a delicious ready-to-eat packet of olives with no pits and no liquid. A natural healthy alternative snack, OLOVES come packaged in 30 gram (1.1 ounce) packets that are easy to take along anywhere. Read more 
“The Laughing Policeman”
Mass murders seem to be an American specialty. And the compendium gives some plausible theories as to why it is so…the glorification of violence..the career-centered society. The sale of firearms by mail order …
The Laughing Policeman was written by Maj Sjowall and her husband Per Wahloo in 1970 although the book could have very well been written in the 21st century and still be relevant. The setting is Sweden, a small Scandinavian country in northern Europe that borders Finland and Norway. With a population of about 10 million, Sweden is widely considered to be a safe country (there were only 18 homicides (0.19 per 100,000 population) by firearms in 2010 while the United States recorded 11,078 firearm homicides (3.6 per 100,000 population)) the same year. So when a “person with a Suomi sub-machine gun model 37 fires 68 rounds of ammunition into nine people on a public transportation bus on a cold November night in 1967 on a deserted street in downtown Stockholm, the people of the country are shocked. Mass murders are not supposed to happen in Sweden. Read more
The Yumiko Yasu
My friend, Matisse, a professional ballet dancer introduced me to Yumiko, a line of high-quality, great fitting and beautifully designed dance and fitness wear. For women, the very reasonably priced clothing is divided into three categories: Read more
Oats Any Time
In a small town in central Maine just west of Bangor, a company called Oats Any Time (O.A.T.) makes whole grain oat tarts with real fruit filling and a crumb crust that taste rich and scrumptious and there isn’t an ounce of butter, eggs, or dairy used to make these treats. Gluten-free and vegan, the O.A.T. Fruit Filled Crumb Tart is a moist, delicious, and satisfying confection that can be eaten for breakfast or enjoyed as a snack or dessert. Read more
Wild Garden Hummus Dip
This post should be dedicated to United Airlines who is responsible for me learning about Wild Garden Hummus Dip. On a recent flight, I ordered the “Tapas” snack box which had a variety of snacks but most importantly Wild Garden Hummus Dip. Before opening the single serve packet of hummus, I read the ingredient list and was impressed because the dip contains chick peas, sesame paste (tahini), water, sea salt, natural spices, and citric acid. And, then I tasted the hummus dip and found it delicious – no overwhelming garlic flavor (because there is no garlic) and not too salty – with a smooth creamy texture that was easily spread on chips or crackers. Read more
“The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit”
There were really four completely unrelated worlds in which he lived,…there was the crazy, ghost-ridden world of his grandmother and his dead parents. There was the isolated, best-not-remembered world in which he had been a paratrooper. There was the matter-of-fact, opaque-glass-brick partitioned world of places like the United Broadcasting Company and the Schanenhauser Foundation. And there was the entirely separate world populated by Betsy and Janey and Barbara and Pete, the only one of the four worlds worth a damn.
Tom Rath is an unhappy 33-year old married man, father of three trying to figure out what to do with his life. Raised in his grandmother’s once grand estate in Connecticut after his father’s untimely death and having returned from the war a changed man, Tom finds it difficult to live in the present because by his own admission, he is either brooding about the past or worrying about the future. Read more
Rethinking the Lunch Box and Thermos
Every so often, a product is redesigned in such an innovative way that people reconsider its use. There was the brown paper bag for lunch which led to the iconic lunch box and thermos – all of which were staples in our society for those who wanted to bring lunch from home. When my daughter announced she was going vegan and would be preparing her own lunch to bring to school, she quickly realized the challenges of not only making fresh tasting food but of transporting and storing it so that the food looked and tasted just as good as when she first made it. The preparation was relatively easy; the transporting wasn’t which is how we found Black + Blum – a company that makes innovative and functional soup carriers, salad boxes, and meal holders, bags, and utensils. Read more
GIN GINS
For a chewy, not too sweet and just a tad spicy adult candy, consider Gin Gins – a new type of candy that is natural, stimulating and deliciously different. Touted as “a soothing travel treat” because of ginger’s queasy-quelling properties, Gin Gins are used by many to fight off nausea while flying, boating, or driving on a winding, bumpy road. But, Gin Gins are more than a travel aid; they are a refreshing chewy candy that brings warmth and the good flavor of ginger to your senses. Read more
Rau Om
Years ago when we were living in Spain, my daughter would often order a cheese platter for dessert and devour the 4 or 5 piece selection, much to my surprise as most kids order cake or ice cream for dessert. She just happened to develop a deep love of cheese (especially goat) at a young age and was an adventurous eater. Now that she is a vegan, life has changed as has her diet.
By definition, a vegan is a person who avoids using or consuming animal products so cheese is no longer on the menu. In its place is a product called Tofu Misozuke – an all natural miso-cured tofu that has been aged for two months. Rich, creamy and slightly tangy, Tofu Misozuke is the centuries old Japanese answer to cheese and a cheese-lovin vegan’s choice when a craving for the forbidden fruit beckons. But, Tofu Misozuke is also a delicious alternative to cheese that non-vegans should consider trying. Read more
“Half Broke Horses”
Painting the word “dog” on the side of a pig don’t make a pig a dog.
These words were spoken to Lily Casey Smith, the resourceful, no-nonsense heroine in Half Broke Horses by her husband, Jim Smith after she buys a used hearse and paints the words “School Bus” on the side. That hearse may not have technically been a school bus but for Lily – who could see past its intended purpose and envision piling children in the back – those painted on words let the world know she was a force to be reckoned with. If she wanted a hearse to be a school bus, by God it was going to be a school bus. Read more
Paddock Post 