Brands and Stuff That You Love (Emphasis on Quality)

[Darcy]

Hey keith,

I was just about to do that!

For those who don't know, Keith sent a box of his amazing Thoughtful Harvest pasta sauce to our Seattle factory. Everyone wanted a jar, and when the dust settled, I made off with the Flame Roasted Red Pepper variety. It is really, really good. Like, you don't know it came from a jar good.

It came at the perfect time, too - I've been really good about using my weekly farm share since May, but things have gotten increasingly busy in the last few months with the Field Journal Notebook debut and some changes (that we'll be telling you about soon) and I just haven't had the time to deal with making stuff from scratch. This pasta sauce tastes like I made it from scratch, except it tastes better than when I make pasta sauce from scratch.

Keith.. if one were feeling ambitious, what sauteed vegetables would they add to complement the Roasted Red Pepper pasta sauce?

[flitcraft]

We just were shopping for bookcases and came across Mako Furniture. They do both stock and custom furniture in sustainably harvested alder and pine from North America--some wood is Canadian and some US. They craft their furntiture in Surrey BC. You can order their stuff finished or unfinished. Good quality stuff and good folks...

[Darcy]

We just were shopping for bookcases and came across Mako Furniture. They do both stock and custom furniture in sustainably harvested alder and pine from North America--some wood is Canadian and some US. They craft their furntiture in Surrey BC. You can order their stuff finished or unfinished. Good quality stuff and good folks...

I actually have two small pieces of Mako furniture - it's, just as you said, good quality stuff. I appreciate the choice of stain: I prefer light wood, which can sometimes be oddly hard to find.

[Katy]

Hey Darcy,

maybe we can get our Thoughtful Harvest Products on your great products list??

thanks would be cool...I ma eager to place a HUGE Tom Bihn review and recommendation on our great stuff page on Harvest Eating...

Best
Keith Snow
http://www.thoughtfulharvest.com
http://www.harvesteating.com

Darcy was generous enough to snag me a jar of the Flame Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. I made some ravioli tonight and gave it a try. I am blown away! It definitely does not taste like it came from a jar. It was one of the most delicious sauces I've ever had.

I'm quite critical of sauces and Italian food. One of our close family friends in the town I grew up in in Ohio has a Italian Restaurant/Pizzeria. I remember it being the best Italian food I've ever had. Nothing has ever come close to the level of deliciousness until I tried The Flame Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. It really is amazing!

Thank you for the thoughtful and delicious gift!

[ex machina]

Wool Socks - icebreaker.com

Ibex makes really nice merino wool (wool from New Zealand) clothing for men and women.

I recently purchased several pairs of merino wool socks from icebreaker.com and I must say they are a wonderful garment. These are my first wool socks so I have no control to measure against for comparison to other wool brands, but I will say they beat the pants off of my old cotton socks.

I was inspired in part to buy wool socks by Tom Bihn. Seriously. I was looking at Packing Cubes, and also read about Tom's socks (shown in the cubes), which led me to look at the manufacturer and eventually led me in a search for a wool sock I could use which landed me at Icebreaker.

[bchaplin]

Having owned a Kindle 2 and now a Kindle 3, I'm a big fan of Oberon's leather covers. They are "book-style" and makes it easier to hold the kindle without dropping it, as well as well as being more pleasant to touch than glass and plastic. The covers well out-last the devices they're meant to protect.

They are a small family business that makes everything in-house, and they have some beautiful designs.

[bltkmt]

The previous few threads reminded me of this:

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance

I can't rave enough about this food... they are the first to publish 100% of their ingredients, and even have an all organic formula (which we use.)

Our Italian Greyhound eats the same amount that she did per day with her previous food... but she gained the final 3/4 of a .lb she had been missing (and this for a "skinny" breed.) Essentially, she is getting more nutrition from the same quantity.

They also have specific food allergy blends. I sent them a note thanking them for their quality product, and they mailed me a bunch of coupons. Really great company, and very HIGH quality product.

-B

Our new Vizsla (Floyd!) eats this food and loves it. Vizsla's can have food allergies and this food was recommended to prevent allergy issues. Luckily our local pet store has it too!

[Margot]

Fellow dog lovers and home makers, this is for you!

Thanks to the landlord's dog peeing (a lot! 18" spot) on my new sisal rug, I discovered the most amazing product: Host Dry Carpet Cleaner.
http://hostdry.com/do-it-yourself/do...rself-products

After reading that sisal is impossible to clean - any liquid, even water stains it - I was not very optimistic (stupid purchase!). I tried dry products like baking soda and salt, which did nothing. As you may imagine, I was eager to remove both the odor and the stain to avoid repeat incidents. Then dear Martha Stewart came to the rescue. At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, this is the most amazing product (green, too!) - it actually worked, even on sisal!

[bltkmt]

As it turns out my new Vizsla puppy is quite a chewer, I found these dog beds which have proved to be incredibly well made and very tough. Great people to work with too.

http://www.k9ballistics.com/index.html

[dorayme]

What a great thread Darcy. I would like to add Mohop sandals. I recently found them after searching flicker pictures for Tom Bihn bags of all things. They are hand made in Chicago and sold through Etsy. Annie, the maker is branching into RTW and those are MIC, but you can still buy her custom shoes made right here in the USA. Great travel shoes, they are very comfortable, and with a few ribbons they transform into many different looks.

Another alternative, and one that I love with a cause is Sseko sandals. Similar style, Ugandan made by women to fund their education.

[Maria]

As it turns out my new Vizsla puppy is quite a chewer, I found these dog beds which have proved to be incredibly well made and very tough. Great people to work with too.

http://www.k9ballistics.com/index.html

Oh a Vizsla! How gorgeous! My sister wants to get one...and she knows I am a fan of the breed. I won't tell her that they can be chewers! Well, she knows all puppies are that way!

Thank you for the link, as I've never heard of this brand and I like the photo of the Great Dane on the largest size bed...so at least I know they will fit!

Here is another great dog bed:

http://kuranda.com/

[Flinx]

Kershaw Knives offer, in my opinion, the most bang for your buck for good quality folding knives. There are tons of models and price points to choose from too.

I'm on my second pair of gortex-lined hiking boots made by Vasque in the last 12 years... The first pair lasted over 9 before the gortex lining finally cracked, and the second pair is still going strong. I wear these daily too; they're not just weekend wear!

I'm new to an e-reader, but my new Kindle 3 is looking like it'll be on the bedside table for a looooooong time to come!

[jannilee]

Derek Alexander bags

For those of of us who need a more dressy leather purse, Canadian Derek Alexander is fabulous. I have used his leather bags for years. They are thoughtfully designed and have the form follows function idea down as well as Tom does. They have pockets and slots and multiple compartments that mean no organizer pouches are needed.The bags are made from beautiful soft leather died with vegetable dyes. There is also a line of nylon purses that are intended for travel, but I prefer the quality of the leather. I have a sling bag that is 10 years old and one of the zipper pulls is getting a bit worn but the rest is in perfect condition. I also have several other dressier organizer bags (Of COURSE I would have a number of them!). Sigh.... I love things that are well made and well designed!

[casun]

i'm revivng this old thread with an addition: mitchell leather company. made in milwaukee. best wallet i've ever owned:
American Cowhide Money Clip Wallet

[Orangeboys]

As long as we're here, I have a question about merino. On the "Tom Bihn of Clothing" thread, many folks mentioned Ibex and Icebreaker clothing. What about SmartWool? I love their socks, but have not tried their other clothing. What do you all think? Is there a reason it did not get mentioned in the Merino discussion?