Monthly Archives: May 2008

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Method Home Marketing

May 29, 2008 in general

I’ve never kept it a secret that I love Method cleaning products! In fact I pretty much adore them!  I love the playful attitude, the great packaging, the wonderful scents – and primarily I love how well the products work!

Last night I was lucky enought to be invited to a focus group of sorts to talk about Method’s dish soap.  Honestly they couldn’t have asked me to participate in a better group because I have tried and had issues with the dish soap.  The current dish soap design:

  • is an awkward shape and slips with wet hands
  • clogs up at the top – all kinds of gunky dish soap piles up in the spout
  • is an awfully big bottle
  • hard to control the amount that squirts out
  • works great!
  • smells great!

So it works great and that should be enough, right?  Well it was a deal breaker for me.  I had to retire the soap to under the sink and I replaced it with a lovely bottle of Seventh Generation I have no complaints about – except that quite frankly, it isn’t Method.  When Method contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I would participate I was only too happy to agree!  They even let me bring a friend – how fun!

I hadn’t participated in a focus group or marketing research group before.  It was so fascinating to see what types of questions they ask about thematic words, thoughts about cleaning products, thoughts about the brand, the bottle shape, etc.  FASCINATING!  I guess its a good thing I’m in marketing afterall, huh?  ;-)

No verdict was produced but they gave us a very generous goody bag with some of my Method cleaning favorites.  I was most excited to find a bottle of their new baby body & hair wash!  I don’t have any kids but I have another friend who couldn’t join the focus group who will be more than happy to test it out with his munchkins!

Why am I posting about this here?  Well I want to promote one of my favorite brands.  I love their eco-consciousness and their goal to be a different company with fresh perspective.  And I LOVE that they listen to their customers and what we think.   So give Method a try!  You can find them at Target and many specialty shops.  Or order online.  And let me know what you think. :)

Some of my favorties are:

  • the counter sprays (I love the holiday scents even though it is almost June!)
  • the Mint window spray
  • Little Bowl Blu’ – toilet bowl cleaner that makes cleaning a toilet *almost* fun
  • the new bathroom cleaner – even comes with a sponge – super strong on grime and soft on my body.

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CSA Box, May 21, 2008

May 21, 2008 in CSA

I’ve created another brief video of my CSA box contents this week. Such wonderful produce! I hope you enjoy!

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Recipe: Sesame Turnip Greens

May 16, 2008 in recipe, vegetable

Turnip greens are a bit of a rarity unless you have a garden, frequent your farmer’s market, or get a CSA box with fresh turnips. This was the first time I have been so lucky as to have the turnip greens still attached and so healthy looking that I *HAD* to eat them! If you do not have turnip greens, this recipe will work perfectly for kale, swiss chard, or even spinach.

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 handfuls of cleaned turnip greens, torn to bite size pieces
  • 1-2 t. canola or grapeseed oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 t. sesame seeds
  • drizzle of sesame oil
  1. Bring a saute pan to medium high heat then add your canola oil. When this is hot add the greens and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Stir often so they are nicely coated in oil and can cook evenly.
  3. When the greens are getting close to being finished (turning limper and a very dark green color) sprinkle the sesame seeds over them.
  4. Finish cooking to desired doneness and remove from heat. Drizzle with sesame oil, mix well then serve.

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Recipe: Umeboshi Rice

May 15, 2008 in grain, recipe

This rice is quite special – and even moreso because it tastes as though it took a lot of effort but it is extremely simple! Especially if you have a rice cooker – then it might become one of your new favorites. ;-) This recipe is straight from Simply Ming by Ming Tsai – a cookbook I am only just now fully appreciating!

So let’s get to it, right?  What is an umeboshi? It is a pickled plum, Japanese style. I found them at my local grocery (Rainbow) but I am certain Whole Foods or many groceries with an “Asian” aisle would stock this as well. They were sold either in jars or in a small tupperware flat type container. I think there are about 20 little pickled plums in my box, but I only used 3 for this recipe. So they go a long way!

The flavor of the umeboshi in the rice is subtle but distinct. And it added a great hint of sourness that perfectly suits the slight sweetness of both the salmon and its miso glaze. The green onion adds a hint of freshness as well. And although I loved this paired with the fish & greens, I’ll be eating the leftovers like a rice salad dish. At least I think I will. If they last that long. 8-)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/5 c. sushi rice
  • 2 c. water
  • 3 umeboshi, pitted and finely chopped
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  1. Add the rice & water to your rice cooker and tell it to cook. Otherwise just follow the instructions to cook your rice on the stove.
  2. When the rice is cooked, combine 2 cups cooked with the umeboshi and green onions. Combine well & serve.
  3. Really, that’s all there is to it! :)

Note: originally served with Miso Glazed Salmon

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Recipe: Miso Glazed Salmon (with Umeboshi Rice & Turnip Greens)

May 13, 2008 in fish, recipe

Dinner tonight was fantastic! And I love the fact that at 7p on the west coast, it is still bright and sunny outside for me to enjoy while I type. Hard to beat!

Miso Glazed Salmon sounds super fancy, but frankly, it couldn’t be easier! Adding the sides are virtually no work, though having the ingredients on hand is the trick. Yesterday I picked up a lovely piece of salmon and today I was browsing through my copy of Simply Ming by Ming Tsai. It is really a fantastic cookbook and I haven’t (yet ;) ) spent as much time with it as I should have considering I have owned it for years! Several salmon ideas popped out at me but the light pink Umeboshi Rice swayed me towards a miso glaze on the fish. I threw in the turnip greens because, well, it wouldn’t be dinner at the Wheat’s without a green on the plate. ;-)

I modified Ming Tsai’s recipe for the fish quite a bit, but I’ll share with you the way I made it. I hope you give it a try – let me know how it goes! The recipes for the rice & greens will be following.

A few hints & ideas:

  1. You don’t have to use salmon! I’ve used nearly the same marinade on many white fishes, but in particular black sea bass is delicious.
  2. Line your baking sheet or broiler pan with foil & spray with a touch of cooking spray before putting the fish on it. This will help keep clean up simple and the fish in one piece.
  3. If you like sauce, boil the marinade after removing the fish. Boiling it for a few minutes will thicken it and ensure the sauce is safe to eat. You can drizzle onto the fillets when they are on the plate or just serve the sauce table side & let folks help themselves.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 c. Mirin (sweet)
  • 1/4 c. soy sauce
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 c. light miso
  • 1-2 T. fresh ginger, minced or shredded on a microplane
  • 1/2 c. canola oil
  • 2 salmon fillets
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the mirin, soy, lemon juice, miso, & ginger. Stir well. Slowly add in the canola oil while whisking.
  2. Pour the glaze over the salmon and refrigerate for about 4 hours. (You can do this a bit longer or shorter, but try not to go too long because the acids will cook the fish a little bit)
  3. When ready to cook, turn the broiler to high. Arrange your oven rack about 4-5″ below the broiler. Place the salmon face down (skin side up) on a broiler pan and cook for about 5 minutes. If the skin begins to burn either turn the broiler heat down or lower the rack. Flip the salmon and continue to cook for another 2-4 minutes until the fish is just cooked to the doneness you like.
  4. Serve immediately & enjoy!

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Large Leeks

May 11, 2008 in CSA, general

I forgot to photograph all the veggies in my box this past week, but I do have a picture of the leeks I mentioned. They are huge and gorgeous! I had to top them in order to put them in the fridge. Enjoy! :-)

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