Spotted at the Outdoor Cafe

"Cups made from plants make a difference."

This Greenware cold drink cup is not only environmentally-friendly, it's made in the USA.

P.S. See more in the Spotted... photo series.

The American Pastime

My wife's Boston Red Sox baseball hat

 

Today's post is courtesy of my husband, Dan, the Yankees fan. (Yes, you read correctly.)

 

What's more American than baseball? My thoughts exactly. An American sport calls for an American-made hat.

From Farm to Table

Rabbit, served up in Heath Ceramics

Last week, a few girlfriends and I went out to eat at Print Restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. This restaurant is not original in the growing trend of farm-to-table dining, however, it is NYC's first to have a full-time staff member solely devoted to seeking out local and seasonable items to put on the menu. My girlfriends and I had a great night, and Print didn't disappoint.

American-Made Halloween Candy

Are you all set for Halloween trick-or-treaters? In my neighborhood, we don't get to pass out candy. Most children go early to parade around in their costumes and get treats from the local businesses. I kind of miss the tradition of scaring little children passing out candy. If you do get candy for your neighborhood kids, here are five great options for American-made candy for Halloween:

Banana Bread Muffins

Banana bread muffins fresh from the oven in vintage EKCO muffin tins

Maybe it's a sacrilege to mess with a recipe from James Beard, but that's how I roll sometimes. The original banana bread recipe was originally published in Beard on Bread 40 years ago and it makes the best banana bread I've ever tasted. I got my own copy of this cookbook from my mom 10 years ago (probably after calling for the recipes from hers too many times) and this is the recipe that is the most used from this book. It's a great way to make use of overly-ripe bananas and I bet James Beard would approve of my rendition.

Stripes and Plaid

Just a quick selfie to show off some things I've been loving lately, including the combination of plaid flannel and navy stripes:

Store Spotlight: Red Wing Shoes

The other night, I was on my way to dinner with my husband and a couple of friends. We had a few minutes to kill before our reservation so I decided to have a peek inside the Red Wing Shoe store in Sunnyside, Queens. The displays beautifully show off their shoes as well as photos of some of the U.S. factories and workers.

Five Other Ways You Can Use Q-tips

So, apparently you're not supposed to put cotton swabs inside your ears to clean them. (Cue Girls OCD-like comments below.) Uh huh, that's right. Cotton swabs, however, are useful for lots of things. I keep a container on my dresser and never travel without them. I buy Q-tip brand cotton swabs, made in the USA, in bulk at Costco.

Here are five "other" things you can do with cotton swabs:

American-Made Weekend Links

It's amazing how sobering the news has been of late. I am constantly reminded of both of what amazing and what tragic things are occurring in the world right now. It's sometimes hard to focus on the positive when there's a government shutdown, children are still working in terrible conditions in sweatshops around the world, and corporate greed still fuels so much of what we see. And then along comes something that just makes me smile and feel like the good really can overpower the bad.

Stay positive.

Here are a dozen articles and videos you need to see if you haven't already:

The Most Exported Made-in-USA Product

There is one product in the United States that is still 100% American-made, one of our top exports, and coveted all over the world. In fact, most of this product in existence right now (as much as two-thirds) is exported. And demand is still growing. Do you know what it is?

Laundry Day

Yesterday, I finally got around to doing some laundry that I had put off for an embarrassingly long time. Since I live in an apartment building that has community washer and dryers in the basement, it's necessary for me to have a laundry bag to carry my things down to the laundry room.

National Manufacturing Day

At Borough Furnace in Syracuse, NY

Today, is National Manufacturing Day. With a skilled labor shortage and advancements in technology, there are lots of reasons why people should get acquainted with the manufacturing industry in the U.S. There are lots of events planned and ways in which you can get involved.

Spotted at the Nail Salon

Lanel Professional Nail Dryer

This makes going to the nail salon even more worth it, right?

P.S. See more in the Spotted... photo series.

Leggings: Beyond the Basics

A few years ago, I solidified my love for leggings. While I have a ton of leggings for Pilates, I also have some that are just for when I want to wear something comfortable: after work, on the weekends, and when I am traveling. There are so many options for American-made basic leggings. And now there are lots of options for those who want something that's a step up from the basics.

Top Posts for September

A thanks to all your emails, tweets, comments, and messages in support of my work on the blog the past month. It's great getting your feedback.

The top five posts for September 2013 are: