journey of life

Feeling inspired after my regular dental checkup (no cavities again!) I decided to give Crest Pro-Health toothpaste a whirl. Now, this stuff isn’t cheap. It’s going to run you about $4.00 a tube regular price, but if you use a coupon when it’s on sale, it’s not outrageous. Since it is still new you can find it on sale just about everywhere.

Now, Crest claims that Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste is the “first toothpaste recognized by the American Dental Association, aka ADA, to protect against all these areas: Cavities, Gingivitis, Plaque, Tooth Sensitivity, Tartar Buildup and Stains, and it Freshens Breath!” Now, that’s a mouthful! If you do your research, you will notice that most of the toothpastes on the shelves, including many of the whitening ones, are not approved by the ADA.

To be honest with you, I didn’t know how we’d like this new toothpaste. I’m not so picky, but Matt is very particular. He only likes Crest Cavity Protection paste. However, we are both raving about this new toothpaste. The cinnamon flavor was surprisingly refreshing and not over-powering, as I had suspected. I’m looking forward to buying some of the mint to try it out as well.

Happy Brushing!

Lush…how can you resist ordering items from a company named Lush, especially after reading their “beliefs” (see below).

A LUSH Life

We believe in making effective products out of fresh organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics, without animal ingredients, and in writing the quantitative list on the outside.

We also believe in buying only from companies that test for safety without the involvement of animals and in testing our products on humans.

We believe in making our own fresh* products by hand, printing our own labels and making our own fragrances.

We believe in long candlelit baths, massage, filling the house with perfume and in the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again.

We believe that our products should be good value, that we make a profit and that the customer is always right.

*We also believe words like “fresh” and “organic” have honest meaning beyond marketing.

I’ve ordered a solid shampoo bar and some foot cream. I figure that the shampoo bar will be great to have for that next camping trip or to throw in our carry-on the next time we fly and the foot cream will be dreamy to use on my dry feet during the fall and winter months. I’ll post a product review when the goodies arrive!

Most of us enjoy a good pot of ham and bean soup, but often we don’t have a ham bone on hand or the time to soak and simmer dried beans. Minced prosciutto instantly transforms chicken broth into a ham-flavored soup base. Italian sausage reinforces the pork flavor and makes the soup satisfying and substantial. Canned beans work as well as dried ones, and mashing some of them thickens the soup and gives it body.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausages
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, minced
2 medium onions, cut into medium dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
2 medium celery stalks, cut into medium dice
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 quart chicken broth
3 cans (16 ounces each) canned great northern or other white beans, undrained

Heat oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausages and cook, turning once or twice, until well browned on all sides, about five minutes (sausage will not be fully cooked). Remove with a slotted spoon: when cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Meanwhile, add prosciutto, onions, carrots, celery, and thyme to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are well browned, eight to ten minutes.

Add broth and sausage. Smash 1 can of beans with a fork, then add to soup with remaining beans. Cover, and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, to blend flavors, about twenty minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for ten minutes to let flavors develop.

Return soup to a simmer and serve. Serves 6.

Notes: Instead of canned great northern beans, I use cannellini beans. You can use bacon instead of prosciutto, or omit it all together.

Recipe courtesy of:
Anderson, Pam. Perfect Recipes for Having People Over. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005.

Looking for something to do next weekend? On September 30, 2006, the Smithsonian Institute and other museums across the United States will be offering free admission to visitors.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet’s name, and current street name)
   
   Slick Grey

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your mom’s side, your favorite candy)
   
   Edna Snickers

3. YOUR “FLY GIRL/GUY” NAME: (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your last name)
   
   L. ME

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
   
   Blue Dog

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
   
   Lynn Salem

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters of your last name, last 3 letters of mother’s maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet’s name)
   
   Meaeryeme or Meaerylyn

7. JEDI NAME: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom’s middle name spelled backwards)
   
   Nnyl Skoorb

8. SUPERHERO NAME: (“The”, your favorite color, the automobile you drive or want to drive)
   
   The Blue Acura

After dabbling into photography for several years, we decided to take it to the next step and try photographing a wedding. I believe we did a pretty good job and we are wanting to do a little more than dabble. Check out Mead Photography to see a sampling of pictures and let us know what you think.

Are there any other coupon clippers out there interested in coupon swapping? I could collect coupons for brands that you use and mail to you and vice versa?