Things I'm Obsessed With Right Now

 Note: You are getting two posts in one day!  Lucky you!  I inadvertently forgot to hit post on this last week.   So, my forgetfulness is your gain. 

I bet if I did a word count on this blog, obsess would be near the top of the list.  I can't help it...I'm a planner...obsessing calms me.  So, this week, I thought I'd do a wrap-up on Things Sarah Is Currently Obsessed With.

1.) Josie Maran's Argan Oil Collection

I've been thinking for awhile now that, since I've become more aware of eating organically, shouldn't that same awareness extend to things I put on my face, .i.e. beauty products and cosmetics?  I am a total beauty junkie and there are probably some products I won't be able to give up (Bare Minerals foundation, Dior Show mascara, Nars blush), but for everything else, I thought I would slowly make the switch to organic as I run out of my current products. 

First up, my face care regimen.  All the hormone craziness of the past few years made my skin revert to its thirteen year old self which is why I've been using ProActiv for some time now.  I decided to take a massive risk and try switching to a new regimen to see what would happen.  I've heard some good reviews of Josie Maran's skincare line, so I decided to switch to the Argan Cleansing Oil, along with an Origins moisturizer. (I use the same moisturizer for my face and eyes...a dermatologist once told me that the formulas are the same; it's just a marketing scheme to get you to buy two products.)

Honestly, I thought AT BEST my skin would be the same as it was with my previous regimen and at worst, well - I'd be crawling back to ProActiv.  Surprisingly, my skin has never been clearer or felt better...and typically during the winter, I have horribly dry skin so that's saying something. It's been about six weeks now and no breakouts (although I'm sure I'm jinxing myself now).

2.) Cast Iron Skillets and Le Creuset Cookware

Again...more thinking about the chemicals I'm putting in my body.  I love my nonstick cookware for its ease of use, but there's no denying the research that shows the coating put onto these pans is not good for your body when it flakes off into the food.  And for as much as we cook/use the nonstick pans, it was time to make a switch.  I was lucky enough to recieve several cast iron pieces from my mother-in-law, Rose for Christmas, as well as a perfectly sized Le Creuset pot from my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Becky and Tim (I'm thinking it's 3.5-4 quarts). 

The great think about cast iron is it is super inexpensive and you can get it preseasoned (which basically just means repeatedly oiled).  So far, most everything tastes better when cooked on the cast iron (now I know why everything Grandma Ruth cooked tasted so good!) and the Le Creuset pot is the perfect size.  Obviously, Le Creuset is more of an investment, but as much I've used it, a worthy investment.  I also have a very large Le Creuset dutch oven but it's quite a bit bigger and works well when I need to double a recipe or I'm roasting a chicken.   The smaller size I have now is great for daily use.

More importantly, I cook almost everything in coconut oil now which in addition to being incredibly good for you makes food taste better, I swear.  I've been putting organic chicken breasts in a cast iron grill pan with just coconut oil, kosher salt and lemon pepper and it is amazingly good.  Nick thinks I'm a genius and I don't intend to tell him differently.  I've also cooked fish, eggs and other proteins in the coconut oil with equally good results.  It has a very mild sweet taste that sort of caramelizes when using the cast iron. 

3.) Phone/Web apps - Grocery IQ and EverNote

I get 90% of my recipes from the web.  I print them off and theoretically, put them in the appropriate place in a binder.  Except, there's this...

That is the pile of recipes that I have yet to file...and frankly, it's probably not going to happen.  I've been looking for ways to go paperless in general and after reading several other bloggers' experiences in organizing their recipes, I decided to blatantly copy their methods.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

So, I'm currently in the process of converting all of my paper recipes to EverNote.  EverNote is a web-based application that also can be synchronized with your Iphone or Android.  Essentially, you create various notebooks to house 'notes'.  In my case, the 'notes' are recipes.  I have one notebook where all of my recipes are contained; EverNote also gives you the option to tag whatever notes you are making so I've tagged this recipe "lasagna soup" as both a soup and a favorite (Nick requests this at least once a week)

It's kind of a slow going process, but I'm trying to just catalog everything as I can.  What's brilliant about EverNoteEverNote and it does it for you.  It's like MAGIC.  Only like cool Houdini magic, not weird David Copperfield magic.

The other app I've switched to is Grocery IQ.  I really dislike going to the grocery store.  And I dislike it even more when I don't feel organized.  It's rare to find me in the grocery store without a list organized by aisle of the store.  However, I'm currently doing it all manually on an Excel spreadsheet, so if I forget the spreadsheet at home, I'm up a creek.  Enter Grocery IQ.  I can enter everything on my list (and choose which store I'm shopping at) either on a web application or via my phone.  Then, I open the list from my phone and check things off as I make my way through the store.  What I particularly love is that you can set up a 'favorites' list (for us - this is staples like milk, bread, bananas, cheeze-its...you know - the basics!)  and pre-populate my list for the week with favorites.

4.) Weighted Utensils
Another Christmas gift...this time from my mom - these Joseph Joseph weighted kitchen utensils.  Nick and I routinely argue over these, so you know they're good.  It solves the age-old (at least for me) problem of making a mess all over the counter by putting the spatula/spoon/whatever I'm using to cook with down.  I suppose I could get a spoon rest but I have enough stuff on my counter.  Anyway...love.

Okay, your turn.  Tell me what you're obsessing over lately so I can add it to my list.