Give a gift. Change a life.

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Your wish list likely doesn’t include a goat.

Ornament-Set-LG-FY13-2But if you are living in a Third World country, a goat is a gift that keeps on giving, providing children with fresh milk.

Through World Vision, you can give the gift of livestock, fresh water, clothing and other necessities. In return, you receive a small memento to remind yourself and others to share the joy.

The World Vision Gift Catalog offers more than 250 items that help fight poverty and save lives in the United States and around the world. Donations buy the kinds of staples people need to be healthy and grow, including school supplies, seeds, and such life-changing gifts as a foot-powered water pump.

With a gift of $150 or more to the international Maximum Impact Fund  you will receive a trio of handmade Zakale  ornaments crafted from wire and beads in Nairobi. (Fair market tax deduction: $30.)

Zakale crafts are made from recycled materials by Kenyan artisans, who received a loan from World Vision to grow their business and lift themselves out of poverty. The collection includes three animals native to Kenya: a giraffe, an elephant and a water buffalo. Hang them on your tree and make a wish for a world where every kid who wants a goat gets the gift of a nanny.

Herbacin, a treat for tired feet

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The Christmas stockings are still in the attic.

300But it’s not too soon to think about the goodies you will put into the stockings for the holidays — which just might include a pampering treatment your loved one will use on the skin that goes under every-day sock and stockings.

We like the Herbacin Foot Care Starter Kit Tin. With a MSRP of $16.99, this cute little tin is packed with five products to pamper feet and legs. The goodies include:

  • Leg Lotion (1.0 fl. oz. / 30ml)

Intense moisturizing, great for leg massage.

  • Warming Balm (1.0 fl. oz. / 30ml)

Long-lasting feeling of warmth for cold feet.

  • Foot Peeling Lotion (1.0 fl. oz. / 30ml)

Natural salt from the Himalaya mountains smoothes skin and calluses.

  • Foot Cream (1.0 fl. oz. / 30ml)

Intensive moisturizing for sensitive feet.

  • Cooling Gel (1.0 fl. oz. / 30ml)

Refreshing gel for hot feet and tired legs. Absorbs quickly, no stickiness.

Moms and other gals who need a bit of pampering will enjoy Herbacin. It’s also a special treat for people with diabetes, who often struggle with foot and leg problems.

Made in Germany, Herbacin is available at drugstore.com, Amazon.com and other retailers.

 

Making soup by the book

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It snowed this morning, fat, white flakes that melted as soon as they hit the lawn.

the-soupmakers-kitchen-how-to-123813l1-240x300Those first flurries are a reminder that it’s soup season, time to scour fridge and pantry for ingredients to blend into a pot full of warmth and flavor.

Soup truly is magical food. I have seen the aroma of chicken broth lift my husband’s feet from the floor and carry him to the table.

The Soupmaker’s Kitchen, a cookbook by Philadelphia journalist and chef Aliza Green, is bubbling with inspiration. As might be expected, Green shares more than 100 recipes for potages, broths and bisques. Beyond, she offers savvy, kitchen-tested tips for organizing your own work space and reducing wasted food.

But what about stock, the Mount Everest of soupmaking? Whenever I think of stock I recall Peggy Morgan, a gifted writer and colleague at the Courier-Post, the newspaper that is and ever shall be South Jersey’s leading daily. Peggy, an exceptional home cook, confessed to having planted a flag at the summit only twice in her life. “Once for each marriage.”

In The Soupmaker’s Kitchen (Quarry Books, $24.99), Green demystifies stock and shares techniques that even a chowderhead can master. You will be amazed and gratified when you discover the depth of flavor stock adds to dishes.

Plus, you will be a good steward of the kitchen, making good use of peelings, scrapings and bones that otherwise might be tossed. Thus, the subtitle of the book: How to Save Your Scraps, Prepare a Stock, and Craft the Perfect Pot of Soup.

 

Talking turkey at Acme

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Every November, we have the Great Turkey Debate.

imagesWhich tastes better: Fresh, frozen or free?

The answer is simple. Free turkey is always best, you silly goose.

Last year, Acme was the clear loser in the turkey shootout in Supermarket Land. The chain offered a dodo bird of a deal, a mere discount on the Thanksgiving favorite while the competition handed out free poultry with combined purchases of as little as $300.

This year, Acme is bringing it with a super deal on turkey. This grocer got game. Or at least domestic birds.

Shoppers can bag a free with turkey by spending a mere $100 in a single transaction. Customers can choose from a Shadybrook frozen turkey weighing 12-19 pounds, a turkey breast of 5-7 pounds or an Empire kosher frozen turkey, which averages 12-16 pounds.

The only downside is you have to make room in your freezer well before the holiday. The deal ends Nov. 7.

A pumpkin scrub that’s sweet as pie

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It’s autumn, a transitional time for Mother Nature — and our skin.

s_pumpkin_spice_polishThe goal is to keep our skin soft and supple like spring leaves. Not dry and brittle like the autumn leaves that are falling from trees in locales that are blessed with changing seasons.

Skin care expert Peter Lamas makes a scrub that reminds us of fall but is a year-round treat for skin. Exfoliating Pumpkin Facial Scrub ($24) contains pumpkin enzymes that penetrate deep into pores to wash away dirt and excess oil without leaving skin feeling stressed or parched, unlike heavy-duty exfoliating products that make your face feel like it’s been, well, smacked with a big, fat pumpkin.

Take it from me, a gal who is passionate about skin care. I personally tested the scrub, which was provided by Peter Lamas. After exfoliating my face, I rub the scrub over the backs of my hands so they feel soft and refresher, too. A twofer!

The scrub includes fruit-infused ingredients that brighten the complexion: pumpkin oil, apple and almond acid and apricot grains. Vitamin A helps to neutralize free radicals and protect skin from cellular damage.

Peter Lamas also offers a go-to every-day wash, which leaves skin feeling clean and soft. Detoxifying Citrus C Facial Cleanser ($20) is an ultra-hydrating cleanser packed with Vitamin C, which stimulates production of collagen, the stuff that plumps up skin and makes it elastic. Like the pumpkin scrub, the cleanser  is gentle, with chamomile to calm irritated skin. Think of it as a soothing cup of tea for your skin. The goal is to wash away the cares and cosmetics of the day, without stripping away moisture.

 

A spirited cocktail for Halloween

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rszagwabottleshot300dpi2Hosts can bring an otherworldly glow to their Halloween festivities with AGWA de Bolivia, literally “Water from Bolivia,” touted as the world’s original coca leaf liqueur.

It’s a truly international blend. Choice coca leaves are plucked high in the Andes and shipped to Amsterdam where Dutch artisans quickly macerate the leaves into tea and blend with Chinese green tea, ginseng, Amazon guarana and African mint for a 60-proof herbal liqueur that is a striking bright green in color.

(MSRP: $31.99 for 750 ml)

When frozen for four hours, AGWA forms ice crystals, which concentrates the color and transforms the liquid into a green glow you would be proud to serve to Martians. Fiendishly clever!

Here’s a recipe for your Halloween sipping pleasure.

Green Angel

Ingredients:

8 basil leaves

12.5ml limoncello

37.5ml gin

25ml AGWA,

25ml pure apple juice

Vanilla sugar

 

How to Mix:

In a chilled cocktail shaker, place 7 basil leaves, fill with crushed ice, drizzle limoncello and stir.

Strain off limoncello, add 3 other liquids and stir to taste.

Rim a chilled martini glass with a lime wedge and vanilla sugar. Strain contents into glass, garnish with remaining basil leaf and serve to spirited applause.

 

Building happy kids with K’NEX

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It’s 63 days until Christmas and we are already thinking about Toy Land.
product_image.phpA go-to resource for moms and dads who want to buy innovative, unique and fun construction-based playthings that kids can build themselves is K’NEX, a socially and environmentally responsible company based in suburban Philadelphia. Great thoughts, great toys.

K’NEX has fulfilled that seemingly impossible mission of getting kids to love things that are good for them. Their engaging building sets are as healthy as broccoli — and as sweet as ice cream.

This year, K’NEX has added four fab roller coasters to its hot Thrill Ride line of sets, ranging in price from $49.99 to $249.99. We checked out the Thunderbolt Strike coaster set, which we expect will be a Big Guy in Roller Coaster Land this holiday season.

51587-Thunderbolt-Strike-lead-with-boy2The fans spoke. And K’NEX listened. The set includes more than 800 American-made, classic K’NEX rods, connectors, cross-ties, and tube-track for lightning striking fun, all selected according to fan requests.

And that’s not all. This puppy is outfitted with a motor, vertical chain lift, two cars and two fully articulated K’NEXmen™ figures. It’s packaged in an iconic K’NEX suitcase. Suggested for kids age 9 and up. MSRP: $119.99. (10% of sales from K’NEX direct go the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America.)

Feeling lucky? During the K’NEX-A-Day Giveaway, you can log on to knex.com and enter for a chance to win a K’NEX building set. The contest is open to K’NEX fans ages 7 and up through Oct. 28 and participants can enter once each day. For more information, official rules or to enter visit http://www.knex.com/knex-a-day. No purchase necessary.

 

A peek inside a show house

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image001Ever drive by a grand home and wonder what it looks like inside?

Design lovers in Wilmington, Del., can do just that at the Oxford Arts Alliance Decorator Showhouse & Gardens in tony Westover Hills.

A swat team of decorators and artisans descended on a 1927 Tudor-style mansion that needed a boost and transformed it into a palace of high style. Think dreamy, yacht-like master bedroom, a serene home office, and intimate dining room with extravagant moldings and millwork. Explore gardens, a charming greenhouse and, my personal fave, an outdoor sitting room decorated in safari style.

The Oxford Arts Alliance Decorator Showhouse & Gardens runs through Nov. 3. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Extended hours on Thursdays until 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at oxforddecoratorshowhouse.com or at the door. Check the website for details on parking.

In addition to the arts alliance, the event benefits four other nonprofit organizations: the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Child Inc., Wilmington Flower Market and Delaware Children’s Theatre.

Getting reacquainted with jane iredale

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It’s always a pleasure getting reacquainted with an old friend.

17800And one of the best friends a woman can hope for is a tried-and-true line of cosmetics. One pal you can count on is jane, as in jane iredale, a producer of skin-friendly makeup. There’s a real-life Jane Iredale, the mother of mineral makeup, who introduced her line in 1994.

Alas, jane and I had fallen out of touch in recent years. Happily, we got reacquainted when I interviewed a number of makeup artists for an article on bridal beauty I wrote for Delaware Bride magazine.

One of the brands that got a consistent thumbs up from the pros is jane iredale, which is available at a number of better salons, as well as online.

image009I write often about beauty, so naturally I keep my antennae up for tips and tricks. I’m also a product junkie who is always looking for for elixirs that enhance our skin, accent our nails and revive our tresses, the niceties of life that help us to look our very best — except younger and fresher.

Here are some of my faves from jane.

Fixation ($30) is a lip stain that lasts all day long, which makes it a great pick for brides as well as busy women. It won’t dry your lips and comes with a complementary gloss so you can oomph the shine factor. You can build layers for more saturated color without worrying about feathering. Fixation comes in lots of shades. I think the yummiest is Passion, a clear, true red that is teamed with a clear gloss.

image011Pure Pressed Base ($52) is an awesome brush-on foundation that comes in a classy gold-tine compact. It gives skin a natural semi-matte finish, rather than a flat matte look. It covers minor imperfections and minimizes pores and fine lines. Even better, it protects your skin from the sun with an SPF 20. It’s water resistant and stands up to humidity.

Active Light Under Eye Concealer ($27) diffuses light, which hides dark circles. The concealer contains cucumber and white tea extract, which reduce puffiness. It’s also great for one of my all-time best makeup tips. Smooth a little concealer on your eye lids and your shadow will stay put for hours. No creasing or running. Honest. Thanks, jane!

 

Daring pairings

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I’ve long thought of Alamos wines as a culinary chum. Food friendly. Good character. Exceptional value.

alamos-seleccion-malbecIn fact, I have recommended Alamos often to fellow shoppers in the liquor store at Costco, a trusted resource for wines and spirits.

So I was happy to be invited to a five-course tasting of Alamos wines and dishes at Ela, the hip and innovative bistro in Philadelphia’s Queen Village whose edgy chef, Jason Cichonski, is as hot as his grill.

It was a memorable night for the noshing press as Jimena Turner, a charming and knowledgeable ambassador for Alamos, guided diners through four reds and a white produced by Argentina’s most prolific winemakers.

Chef Jason created a stellar menu of pairings, starting with Alamos 2012 Torrentes, a fresh white with citrus notes, teamed with spruce smoked amberjack with preserved lemon, capers and brown butter. (I’m now in the process of preserving lemons at home in the hope I can pull together a dish even half as memorable as complex melange of freshness, savory and salt.)

jason_headshot1The 2012 Malbec, my go-to red at Costco, played nicely with an earthy tartare of roasted beets with celery root, creamy house ricotta and crisp pumpernickel pita chips. It tastes way more expensive than its price tag of $7 and change, especially with an expert pairing.

Homemade spaghetti with bone marrow and wild mushrooms served with a hearty 2012 Red Blend proved a rhapsodic and rustic twosome.

Our favorite of the Alamos offerings is the 2011 Seleccion Malbec, whose round, lush and sophisticated fruit was an ideal match for the richness of wagyu beef with pumpkin, smoked potato and black garlic. It’s deep garnet color is so lovely you might be tempted to take it straight to the paint store for a match. (At less than $20 a bottle, it’s the most expensive and an affordable splurge.)

The mocha notes of the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon were a natural with dessert, a soft mound of chocolate with rosemary, raspberry and pistachio.

Chef Jason, who showed us the elaborate Ela tattoo recently inked onto his mightily muscled thigh, is focused, intense and even hunkier in person than he is on the current season of Top Chef, set in New Orleans.

I’d root for him naturally, simply because he grew up in Northeast Philly, right across the Delaware from Palmyra, N.J., my home town. After tasting his food and his skill at coaxing the best notes from the wine, I’ll stand up and cheer.