Art | Resources
Big Spoon Roasters
Handcrafted nut butters, made from scratch to order, all made with high quality ingredients. Their basic peanut butter, for example, is made from fresh-roasted peanuts, honey, sea salt, and a bit of organic coconut oil for a very smooth texture. But the really interesting thing is all the unique flavors and combinations. Hot Peanut contains chili peppers. Then there’s peanut cashew, peanut pecan, and peanut cocoa. Then almond cocoa, almond ginger, vanilla peanut sorghum (made with fresh vanilla beans) and more.
Review Of Cork Fabric aka Cork Leather
In the last few months I’ve suddenly started seeing many products made from “cork fabric” or “cork leather” and also “vegan leather.” I ignored this vegan leather for a while because in the past vegan leather often mean PVC vinyl, which is not a good substitute, but when I found out it was actually cork, I took a look at it.
You’ve probably seen cork in many consumer products such as wine stoppers and bulletin boards.
The cork used to make cork fabric is thin cork shavings obtained directly from the bark of the cork oak tree. These shavings are glued to a fabric backing to make a fabric that feels very much like leather, but is plant-based.
I called a manufacturer of cork fabric and asked them about the process of making it. The thin layer of cork is “laminated” to a fabric backing using an “environmentally-friendly” adhesive. The standard backing fabric is a polyester/cotton blend.
The company I talked with did not have much information about the laminating process for me to evaluate. This material is apparently made to a vegan standard and has some environmental benefit, but it doesn’t appear to be made with a nontoxic intent.
I have a sample of this fabric, sent from a retailer of products made from it. I just have a small swatch, but even that piece has enough odor to it that I can’t recommend it as being nontoxic. It smells like some kind of fabric finish. I actually had to take the swatch to my garbage can outdoors, and get it out of the house.
So if you see products made from this material, now you know what it is
Bao Cultured
Fermented condiments—catsup, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and pickles filled with probiotics. Also cultured vegetable slaws and relishes, and flavored kombucha. “Each bottle is packed full of organic ingredients and vibrant probiotic bacteria.”
Salts of the 7 Seas
A whole website dedicated to the best of the basic seasonings salt and pepper. Unusual sea salts and blends plus peppercorns. Samplers allow you to learn about salts and peppercorns and choose your favorites. “Salts of the 7 Seas was founded to bring the beautiful and healthy world of whole mineral, all natural sea salts to people everywhere who love to cook and eat. Produced in exacting standards with attention to purity, wholesomeness and respect for the environment.”
Leaves & Flowers
A beautiful and unique selection of handcrafted herbal infusions and premium small batch teas. “Our inspiration comes from the plants themselves – the mythology of their medicine, their potent leaves, delicate flowers, and the intoxicating aroma and flavor they release when infused. At its conception, Leaves and Flowers established a close community of local farms who provide us with exceptional herbs for our herbal infusions. Our accompanying tea collection is sourced similarly to our herbal ingredients, with an ever-changing selection procured from small tea farms in regions of China, Japan and Africa. These farms have been implementing sustainable farming practices for generations, and provide us with teas of extraordinary quality and flavor. We feel fortunate to collaborate with farmers who live in such close relationship with the land. Our farms are either certified organic or apply sustainable farming practices. No chemicals or pesticides are used in the cultivation of our herbs or teas.”
Wild Zora
Snack bars made from 100% natural meats and organic vegetables that are minimally processed. “We make for you only real food that we give to our own children, family and friends.”
Ora Organic
Plant-based supplements made from real whole organic food—and they are designed to taste great too. “We wanted to make the supplement experience enjoyable (not just tolerable), so we brought on an in-house Chef to make our products taste great. No more giant horse sized capsules or pinching your nose to down something that tastes like a handful of dirt and grass.” Just a small collection now of multivitamins, protein, probiotics and omega-3s, but I love the concept of supplements actually being foods that taste good! And they do! I’ve tried them.
SaltRox
A pink Himalayan salt cooking plate, manufactured to the safe for cooking, grilling, and baking. This plate enhances and seasons your food with before and during the cooking process. No need for cookware—you heat the slab of salt and cook food directly on it.
Curio Spice Co.
Organic spices and exotic spice blends from around the world and the USA. Spices are sourced direct from origin whenever possible, “with the highest standards in organic and fair trade agriculture. Sourcing from origin highlights the “terroir” of spices from specific regions (just like wine), adding edible luxury, creativity and intense flavor to food, cocktails and more. Simultaneously, Curio’s dedication to direct sourcing and the highest standards in sustainability allow for a premium product and improved farmer livelihoods.”
Millions of Children Around the World Breathe Highly Toxic Air
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a report last week that shows more than 300 million children around the world are exposed to outdoor air pollution at least six times the level considered to be safe by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Clear the Air for Children is a 100-page report that shows the sources of outdoor air pollution, the impact of air pollution on the health of children, the unique vulnerabilities of children, how to protect children from air pollution.
Though the greatest numbers of children affected by the worst air quality is in India, Asia and north Africa, these same pollutants are found in indoor and outdoor air here in the United States and affect our children’s health in the same ways. And our own health as well.
UNICEF: Clear the Air For Children
THE NEW YORK TIMES: 300 Million Children Breathe Highly Toxic Air, Unicef Reports
Satellite image of areas in the United State with excessive particulate pollution in outdoor air.
