Doomsday Kitchen: “Meals in a Jar” Cookbook

October 11, 2013 by 5 Comments

meals in a jar cover

I’ll admit first off that I thought Meals in a Jar sounded like a FANTASTIC idea, sort of along the lines of Dream Dinners. I imagined a book of step-by-step recipes that would end up in a jar, only to be brought out sometime later when I run out of fresh ingredients and I want to prepare a quick meal that was home-prepared without all those pesky chemical preservatives.

That’s what I got. Sort of. And so much more.

I’ll admit also that this book is not for me. But since I’m not the only person who reads this site, I had to share it with you because a) you might be interested and b) I thought it was fascinating that there are people who do these things in real life.

Meals in a Jar by Julie Languille is not just a cookbook. Oh no. It is also a very lovingly prepared instruction manual for how to feed yourself and all of your nearby survivors in the event of an apocalypse. It’s impressive – Languille teaches you how to can and dehydrate food and how much to prepare and how long it will last. She includes recipes like Cream of Asparagus Soup and Braised Chicken and Mushrooms and White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies.

I was disappointed, actually, because I kind of want to make Tamarind-Braised Pork Ribs, but I don’t want to make it for 8 people three weeks after a massive zombie attack. I would rather travel to Languille’s house on Whidbey Island in Washington state with what’s left of my family’s canned goods as a peace offering and hope she invites us to stay for dinner. I suppose that after the power goes out we will need a sailboat. My husband will come in handy there.

Okay, I suppose I shouldn’t be so flippant about it – next year is the 20th anniversary of The Big One – the Northridge Earthquake that turned the power off for much of Los Angeles for quite a while. If I had a bunch of meals in a jar, a stash of propane, and a full 50-gallon water drum, we would be just fine.

And Languille does publish the meal planning website DinnersinaFlash.com, where “normal” recipes like Healthy Apple Chicken can be found for free and a lot more is available to members.

If you live in a place that is at risk of hurricanes, floods, and blackouts, AND you are not afraid of phrases like “retort pouches,” then this is the cookbook for you!

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Reusable Sandwich Bags are For Real: Lunchskins

September 16, 2013 by 13 Comments

I’m no greenie, so I’ve been using plain old zip-top plastic sandwich bags for the kids’ lunches (and my husband’s lunch too, because I got all old-school domestic when I saw how much he was spending on his lunch every day) ever since they started going to school. But this year I had a chance to try the reusable sandwich and snack bags made by Lunchskins, and I have to say, I’m impressed.

They’re super cute:

R-ELEPH-LS2-1308-2 R-SHARK-LS1-0911-2

They’re functional. There’s no rocket science involved in using them. You put a sandwich or a snack in, and you seal the Velcro closure. Which isn’t kidding around, I might add. The Lunchskins employ some serious high-quality Velcro that does not open all by itself. Then you put the bags in the kids’ lunches and off they go!

UPDATE: Below I complain about washing the Lunchskins but I didn’t realize then that they are dishwasherable! Which is totally a word now. So today the used Lunchskins are in the dishwasher. Yay!

The kicker is they have to be cleaned. This should not be a big deal. And it isn’t really. My kids eat PB&J’s every single day – they’re easy like that – and if I make sure the PB and J don’t leak out the sides of the bread, the Lunchskins don’t get very dirty. During the first few weeks of school this exercise was not hard – I had a lot of energy, I was super-motivated Mom setting the coffeemaker every night and washing the lunch bags AND the Lunchskins out every day. But then over this last week reality set in and I forgot to set up the coffeemaker at night, I started taking shortcuts in the morning, and I procrastinated washing the Lunchskins.

Good thing they sent me two sets for each kid.

The bottom line is that I highly recommend them if you can get your kid to NOT throw them away after he or she eats his sandwich or snack. This is what I worried about with my boys. They’re forgetful and easily distracted especially at snack and lunchtime when there is playing to be done and the last thing on their minds is conservation.

The snack bags are $7.85 and the sandwich bags are $8.95, and I suggest getting two of each, per kid, so that if you forget (or are too lazy) to wash out the set one night, you have a backup. No more empty plastic bags to throw away every day. It will ease your conscience AND save money.

I received this product free to facilitate this review.

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iPhone Cases For the Rest of Us

September 12, 2013 by 12 Comments

Yes, I know the new iPhone is coming out soon. I’ve received at least a dozen pitches wanting me to cover the brand new cases for the iPhone 5. But here’s the thing: I’m not getting an iPhone 5. Because I have an iPhone 4s that works just fine, thank you.

Lucky for me iPhone case makers are still selling cases for the iPhone 4 and 4s. I sampled a few and here are my thoughts:

MAPi Tion iPhone 4/4s Leather Wallet Case

MAPi Trion iPhone 4s case

What I love about it: It’s red, one of my favorite colors. It’s stylish, made of leather, and feels good. The two slots for cards or cash on the back make it easy for me to just bring my phone/wallet with me on a quick dash out of the house. On one recent night it was all I brought with me to meet the girls for drinks at Adobe Cantina. Some of the ladies ooh’ed and aah’ed at my cute new phone case.

What is meh about it: See how the leather curves up and around the home button on the front of the phone? It frames the screen nicely, but sometimes it gets in the way of my big thumbs when I am texting, so my autocorrect goes insane. I may or may not have texted the phrase “Nora my butt is good” to someone who is not named Nora.

Verdict: At $45, the Tion is a good value for the price for its attractive look and extra function.

Pursecase

pursecase

What I love about it: The whimsy! I mean, this is really cute. It’s a phone, it’s a purse! Under that little golden clasp is a stretchy slot for cards or cash. Also, the ladies who design and sell these cases are rocking their social media presence and they are very charming and helpful. I didn’t realize until I posted this photo on Instagram that this color case actually glows in the dark, because one of the founders added that in a reply.

What is meh about it: For me this is a “special occasion” phone case. I wouldn’t use it every day, and this color is a little too bright for my plain Jane sense of style. You also can’t stick it in your pocket when you’re going out for a run or a bike ride.

The verdict: At $42 (with free shipping during the month of September) the pursecase is a splurge but would make a great gift for that iPhone-addicted fashionista in your life.

I received both products for free to facilitate this review.

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