Happy Friday, everyone!  Is it me or are the weeks FLYING by?  I’ve got some new favorites to share!

 

neat-os

I am crazy about these neat-os bags.  Rachel, the founder of neat-os, came to one of my cooking classes and gave me a bag to try.  I loved it so much, I bought a bunch more.  As you know, I don’t like plastic bags at all, but these are different.  Neat-os are made with food safe BPA-, PVC- and phthalate-free materials.  And they are washable and reusable.  If the thought of throwing away another Ziploc bag makes you cringe, you should take a look at these.  You can use them a hundred different ways, but I use them for storing clean produce or for small items that get lost in the drawer.  I am in a habit of washing my greens when I get home from the market, and after I do, they go right into a neat-os bag.  My crisper has never looked so organized!  I also take neat-os for snacks when we travel.  The bad news is that they are a little pricy, but I asked Rachel if she would give my readers a promo code and she said yes!  Use promo code PAMELA for 15% off any purchase through October 31st.  Here’s the website.

 

tarte bb amazonian clay tinted moisturizer with spf

I’m all about sunscreen on the face, as I mentioned in last week’s Friday Favorites.  So it just makes sense for me to use a moisturizer with built-in SPF.  Sometimes I use a foundation before using blush and sometimes just a straight moisturizer.  But my favorite is this Tarte Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20.  It’s very lightweight and gives a very natural finish to my skin so that I have an overall uniform look, but I don’t look like I’m wearing a lot of makeup.  I am also very picky about making sure all my beauty products are free from scary chemicals.  I also love that this product has no parabens, sulfates or phthalates and it is oil-free.  I bought mine at Macys, but you can order it from Sephora.

 

 seasonal produce: pomegranates

I love, love, love pomegranates and so my kids!  It is a joyful day in our house when I come home from the farmers market with the first pomegranates of the season.  Only the pomegranate seeds, or arils as they’re called, are eaten.  And admittedly, they are kind of a pain to separate.  I just make my son do it, naturally.  Click here for my favorite way to remove the seeds.  All that work is well worth it though considering pomegranate’s multitude of health benefits.  Pomegranates are well known for their high polyphenol content. Polyphenols boost the ability to reduce inflammation, protect against heart disease, normalize blood pressure and help prevent certain cancers.  Pomegranates are also very rich in Vitamin C

They are also thirst-quenchingly delicious!  Pomegranates are crunchy (you eat the entire seed) and juicy at the same time.  I eat them out of hand, in salads, on hot porridge, with yogurt and granola or with grains.  I love these recipes on my site:

Butternut Squash Salad with Pomegranates and Pumpkin Seeds

Kiwi Salsa

Harvest Chopped Salad

Fennel and Green Apple Salad with Pomegranates

And this Quinoa, Fennel and Pomegranate Salad from Bon Appetit looks amazing!

 

superfood:  maca powder

Maca is a root vegetable grown in the Peruvian Andes. It was sacred to the Incas and has been used as a food and medicine in South America for centuries. It is well known for its ability to help enhance strength and endurance. In fact, Incan warriors would often consume maca before long journeys and battles. Maca contains calcium, magnesium and potassium and is known to help boost fertility, balance hormones and give a natural energy boost (I can vouch for this one!)  I know several people who say that maca helped with symptoms of menopeause.

I think maca tastes like a smoky peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  That’s the reason I pair it in smoothies with nut butter like peanut, almond or cashew.  Some people think maca tastes a little butterscotch-y, but it has a nut butter quality to me.  Besides smoothies, I also added it to my Peanut Larabars.  I use the Navitas Naturals brand, which I buys at Whole Foods, but it is also sold on amazon.

 

mini wine bottles

I’m not a big wine drinker, so I don’t usually have half-full bottles of wine laying around.  And I hate to open a new bottle of wine just to get 1/2 cup for a recipe.  So I was thrilled to find this 4-pack of GLASS mini wine bottles at my local Ralph’s supermarket.  Now, whenever I need a small amount of wine for a recipe (like for risotto or a sauce or stew, I only need to open a little bottle.  Opt for glass bottles instead of plastic.  Looks like you can also buy it at Walgreens.

Cheers!  Make it a great weekend!