There is a book that came out recently about our obsession with bottled water called Botllemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It. In it, the author talks about our reliance on bottled water and how tap water is generally as pure or more pure than bottled water.
Americans are getting away from bottled water, but it isn't because of this new book. Apparently bottled water is just too expensive, and in an economic downturn it's one of those luxury items that gets cut. This report from CNN.com interviews several people who have switched to tap water as well as a few calculations of how much you can save by cutting out bottled water.
The report also briefly mentions the environmental aspect of this trend. Refusing to buy bottled water helps cut down on the plastic bottles, which we've been told for years is what we need to do. Are you cutting back or cutting out bottled water for economic reasons?
A recent study found that cherry tomatoes grown in salt water can turn out tastier and heartier than ones grown normally, partially because the plants have to fight harder to fight the environmental stress and produce more compounds to help them cope. These compounds contain antioxidants like Vitamins C and E, which have healthy effects on those who consume the fruit.
The solution only contains 20% seawater. Unfortunately, not all genotypes of tomatoes react in the same way to the salt water. Some die because they cannot counteract the free radicals from the solution, so don't try to do this with larger tomatoes; it probably won't work. In the study, the water was constantly circulated and the pH controlled by a computer, so the researchers promise that the tomatoes won't taste salty.
The researchers, based at the University of Pisaone in Italy, are encouraging the growth of tomatoes in brackish water, because it will not only lead to juicier, healthier tomatoes, but will help to preserve our freshwater supplies.
I'm always cold. My mom worries that this is do to some circulatory problem. I think this it is due to me being a woman.
I have often wondered why ice comes in every drink I order. In the winter I've typically just come in from the outdoors and I'm freezing. The last thing I want is ice. In the summer, air conditioning is often so strong that I'm freezing indoors and again I don't want ice.
I'll tell you when I want ice - when it's hot! I like ice when I'm working or playing outside and sweating.
Mark Twain was quoted as saying, "The only distinguishing characteristic of the American character I've been able to discover is a fondness for ice water."
Do you like ice? Why do you think Americans like their ice so much?
I had heard about this project and completely forgot about it until I was looking at some other food blogs tonight. I'm glad I was reminded though, because the Tap Project is worth remembering and supporting.
If you plan on dining out this week, until March 22, look for a restaurant that's supporting this project. Participating restaurants will collect a $1 donation for each glass of water ordered. All the money goes to UNICEF, the United Nations group which works to help children. The collected donations will be going toward getting clean drinking water for children in disadvantaged areas around the world.
If you're not sure where participating restaurants are you can always donate directly to the drive. Hopefully you can have a nice evening out this week and help make the world a little better at the same time.
If the posts that Ellenand I wrote earlier this week about the International Berkeley Water Competition got you thinking about the quality and taste of your own local water, then our friends over at Green Daily have a whole bunch of stuff for you to read. They have put together a feature that tries to answer the question, "What's in our water?" They explore what's safe, what's not and what you can do about. If these are questions that have been plaguing you, head over and give their piece a scan. I'm certain that you'll find it enlightening.
Every year I make food resolutions. Oh, sure, there's the inevitable "eat better, exercise more, lose weight" resolution that 98% of us make, but I'm talking about resolutions that have to do with specific foods and specific eating habits. Here are some of mine for 2008.
1. Drink more alcohol. Yes, that's right, more alcohol. For some reason I haven't had much in the past year or two, but alcohol (especially red wine) has a lot of health benefits (as long as you don't overdo it, because too much will negate the benefits you get). So, 2008 will become the Year of More Alcohol for me. I think this is one resolution that will be easy to keep.
Stories like this make me happy I don't like ice in my cold drinks.
The Chicago Sun-Timestested 49 different restaurants and fast food places in the area and found out that not only did 1 in 5 have ice cubes that had high levels of bacteria, 21 of the 49 had toilet water in the Sun-Times restroom that had less bacteria than the ice cubes. The paper actually names the restaurants.
Now, this either means the restaurants aren't handling their ice cubes correctly (or there's something in the water), or the urinary and digestive tracts of Sun-Times employees are unusually clean.
I remember I worked in a restaurant that had a large sink behind the bar that we just filled with ice, and it was left open. I can imagine what could have fallen in there or how clean the sink was when the ice was put in.
One of my worst habits, or lack of habit, to be more precise, is drinking enough water. Now that it's on my list of "Make sure you do this," along with taking vitamins, eating more fiber, and cutting down on table salt, you know I'm going to go to my usual OCD addictive extreme and drink too much water.
Sportline's Hyrdo Water Bottle is like a portable water drinking coach that reminds you to drink water because you're carrying it with you, and tells you how much water you really need with a built-in "hydration calculator." Based on your height and weight, you may find that the optimal amount may not even be 8 to 10 glasses. The "Sip Tracker" feature can track how much water you're taking in over the course of the day, so you don't over- or underdo it.
Available from the HydraCoach website for $29.95. For that much cash for a water bottle, you better believe I'll be making good use of it!
Imperial Exclusive Vodka from Emperor Brands L.L.C., made in France, is 40% abv. / 80 proof. This super premium vodka is made from a secret recipe that has been handed down for generations. This is a very clean and clear vodka made from the finest French grains and ultra pure and smooth Normandy water, then distilled five times. Many vodkas have as much taste as a glass of pure medicinal grade alcohol. In other words, none. They have had every trace of taste filtered out until there is no character left. That is not the case with Imperial Exclusive Vodka.
When I first tried this spirit I immediately noticed the aroma. Faint but very evident hints of butter, sweet caramel or toffee, the slightest trace of vanilla. I was trying to place the exact scent when it struck me. It was like the faintest touch of the best part of the aromas from the gorgeous movie theaters I vaguely remember from my childhood. Not the cookie cutter places that have two dozen tiny theaters crowded under one roof that you find today. Perpetually grimy and lacking soul. No, I mean the grand old places that only played one movie for a week or two before the next came along. The ones that were spotlessly clean, had comfy, red velvet chairs to sink deep into; and ushers to help you to your seats. Walls decorated with hand-painted murals and thick velvet curtains thirty feet high that spread across the walls right before the lights dimmed to soften the acoustics of the room.
For the past couple of years, there has been a growing interest in getting local foods whenever possible, largely because it is perceived as helping the local economy, being better for the environment and better for your health (assuming the local food is organic, etc., not factory-farmed). There is one food - a drink, actually, that has strongly resisted this trend, where "'distance and exoticism are marketed as advantages": bottled water. Fiji, one of the more expensive store brands, is now the number 2 selling premium bottled water in the US.
At $1.50 and up per bottle, Fuji is not cheap. Some will say that a thing is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it, but others wonder how much the water is really worth. A reader asked Triple Pundit what the true cost of a bottle of Fuji water was. Sustainability Engineer Pablo Päster responded, calculating the (approximate) production and materials costs of a 1L bottle, travel/shipping expenses for shipping both full and empty bottles and, of course, the water itself. In the end, it comes down to a cost of approximately $.22 per bottle, leaving a $1.28 (or more) profit for the manufacturer and retailer.
All sorts of safety issue plague parents and children these days. Playground equipment and activities are carefully monitored and toys are painstakingly screened, especially if, unlike video games, they involve movable parts that the kids might play with too vigorously, thus injuring themselves, or eat, injuring themselves further. When it comes to food, most safety issues have to do with concerns about food allergies, but perhaps in light of the burns allegedly caused by Starbucks hot chocolate in the hands of a very small child, some groups are looking to ban hot drinks altogether, rather than supervise their consumption.
The Pat-a-Cake Playgroup, which meets at a library in Rawmarsh, South Yorkshire in England, has been "banned from serving tea and toast on health and safety grounds." The risk for burns is, apparently, far to high for the city council's liking, so the parents running the group have been told that they cannot boil water in the room where children are present, and that adults must drink their hot drinks in a separate area, far from the children, if not a separate room entirely.
As you can imagine, the parents are considering disbanding the group to escape from the oversight of the council before they demand that children be outfitted in protective gear at all times to avoid papercuts.
In the loving spirit of Valentine's Day, Whole Foods wants some of their customers to know just how appreciated they are by offering a new product, Aquamantra's I AM LOVED in stores in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.
Described as tasting sweet by consumers, the liquid affirmation is natural spring water that "resonates with the energy and frequency of well-being" - seemingly due to the "powerful messages" delivered by the bottles' labels: I AM HEALTHY, I AM LOVED and I AM LUCKY.
Do I sound skeptical? As much as I loved the Stewart Smalley sketches on Saturday Night Live, I don't really think that affirmations alone - especially ones that come from the labels on bottles of spring water - are going to make people feel loved. That being said, it probably wouldn't hurt to pick one up for your significant other before Valentine's Day because that affirmation will mean a whole lot more if it is coming from someone special, even if it is arriving on a bottle of water.
Of course, if you go for chocolates instead, you won't need an label for your S.O. to figure out why you chose it as a Valentine's Day present....
Bottled water is big business and so is marketing to kids. Combine the two and you get several new lines of kids' bottled water. You have bottles like Poland Spring's ( a Nestle Corporation) Aquapod. The Aquapod is a "fun shaped bottle" in an 11 ounce size that fits well in a kids hand and is a sporty, modern shape. Their slogan is "change the shape of what kids drink." I guess since the bottle has a sort of football, rotund spaceship/submarine shape it could be used as a toy and tossed around. You could squirt your buddies with a well aimed squeeze, and even bean your friend across the room with a nice toss. Hey, what's not fun about that? Mom's across the country this summer discovered that the bottles float, even when full, something the Nestle folks didn't even plan. So they write their kids names on them and toss them into the pool so their kids can sip and swim, keeping nicely hydrated without having to be dragged out of the pool for a drink. They even have website tie-ins with the Aquapod Squad computer game.
Soups and stocks are some of the easiest and tastiest ways to get into the world of cooking, but there are still tips that can make the experience even easier.
I had heard about this project and completely forgot about it until I was looking at some other food blogs tonight. I'm glad I was reminded though, because the Tap Project is worth remembering and supporting.
Every year I make food resolutions. Oh, sure, there's the inevitable "eat better, exercise more, lose weight" resolution that 98% of us make, but I'm talking about resolutions that have to do with specific foods and specific eating habits. Here are some of mine for 2008.
Stories like this make me happy I don't like ice in my cold drinks.
For the past couple of years, there has been a growing interest in getting local foods whenever possible, largely because it is perceived as helping the local economy, being better for the environment and better for your health (assuming the local food is organic, etc., not factory-farmed). There is one food - a drink, actually, that has strongly resisted this trend, where "'distance and exoticism are marketed as advantages": bottled water. Fiji, one of the more expensive store brands, is now the number 2 selling premium bottled water in the US.
All sorts of safety issue plague parents and children these days. Playground equipment and 
In the loving spirit of Valentine's Day, Whole Foods wants some of their customers to know just how appreciated they are by offering a new product, 
Bottled water is big business and so is marketing to kids. Combine the two and you get several 
Cheese Course: Brebis Pardou
A transcendent summer tomato salad
Sliced bread turns 80 today
