Grab Bag Diversion:

Alright, alright… so it’s not Sunday the 15th…..

Noting that I was away from my keyboard last week entirely, and a full day late with this week’s post, one might wonder what the heck I was up to. My grandson visiting, that’s what!

Now 2½ months, the child is, of course, a physical specimen and a mental prodigy. I just stared at him for 10 days. Grandchildren are the best…. all the sugar, none of the salt 😆

Grab Bag Sweet Spoiler:

Many of us, myself included, have embraced agave nectar products as a sweet salvation, assuming the lower glycemic index gives it a clear health advantage over traditional sweeteners.

At the risk of bursting yet another bubble, if you consume more than a very small quantity of agave nectar in your diet thinking you are giving your insulin reaction an advantage, please click on this article by Dr. Mercola for more in-depth information on agave and fructose caution in general. Real maple syrup or raw, unprocessed honey in small amounts may be preferable where sweetener is necessary.

Remember…. sweet occurs rarely in nature, as it should in our diets. Keeping fructose consumption to a low level may be an important consideration in keeping our natural systems in balance.

Grab Bag Spud Striptease:

This is pretty cool… looks like there’s more than one way to skin a potato.

Many thanks to mi hermana for this link.

Grab Bag Sweatpant Surrogate:

My friend Jacqueline showed up at my house a few weeks ago in some GREAT looking bootcut jeans, which I immediately coveted.

“They’re stretch pull-ons”, she cried. “No way!” I screamed.

“Even better”, she whispered, “I got them at Saks Off 5th. Fragile stretch pull-ons!”

My next trip towards Sacramento had me pulling into the Folsom factory outlet of Saks Off 5th and picking up a pair… and another for Jacqueline, and one for my daughter. They are so great looking BUT, more importantly, they are beyond comfortable. They’re stretch leggings in disguise. One button, no zipper, but they look like the real thing. UPDATE: These pictured below DO have a zipper… others are true pull-on leggings, which is what mine are.

While I can’t seem to find those exact ones online, I did find the same brand and a similar pair at Sears of all places… these are only $25… the Saks ones were $70. Worth a shot, for sure.

Grab Bag EVOO 101:

Choosing a quality olive oil among all the choices adorning the shelves these days is a daunting task. Dr. Andrew Weil suggests purchasing small bottles (you don’t want to keep it around too long after opening) of high quality oil to ensure the maximum health benefits (antioxidants and high percentages of healthy monounsaturated fats). While Costco’s Kirkland makes a pretty good tasting olive oil, if you can’t get through the bottle in 8 months- a year (think cool, dark storage), go elsewhere.

But he also suggests seeking organic olive oil. I’m not 100% on board with that. While it is clearly more desirable for the planet, the price difference is significant. If your organic dollars are finite, best spend them elsewhere, as olives don’t rank on either the best or worst lists as far as pesticide retention goes.

Below are some oils that are often mentioned as favorites by numerous sources on the internet. Please click on the “Leave a Comment” link at the bottom of the page and share YOUR favorite.

COALVITA

COLUMELA

LUCINI

TRADER JOE’S SPANISH

SANTINI

RAVIDA

MCELVOY RANCH

GOYA

DAVINCI

WHOLE FOODS 365

COSTCO’S KIRKLAND

Grab Bag Funny Stuff:

Real signs of the times…thanks to mi otra hermana for these: