the budweiser owned PURUS, out of italy, is the latest organic spirit to hit the market. PURUS is made with locally harvested organic italian wheat and water from the italian alps to create an organic vodka, that they claim, is without rival. i say, the more organic spirits on the market, the merrier! right mike?

ECO PROMOTION:
one sapling tree will be planted somewhere in america for every person who registers on the PURUS website and plants themselves a tree in the PURUS virtual forest. this is so cool! AMERICAN FOREST will plant up to 100,00 trees in of areas of need in California, Texas and Florida. at the time of this post there had only been 168 planted — so get plant away my zodiacal intoxicants!

DISSECTION OF PACKAGING:

• PURUS boasts that their bottle is 100% recyclable glass. that does not mean it’s RECYCLED at all, and actually, ALL glass is 100% recyclable! that’s one of the best things about glass… it can be recycled over and over again without loosing any quality whatsoever. this is not always the case, as many products degenerate after each lifecycle. take paper for instance, it can be recycled about three times and that’s about it. at least when it does become completely unrecyclable, it will biodegrade. now let’s take PET plastic, which is an example of downcycling. once plastic is recycled into a PET plastic product (which is infinitely better than sending it to landfill), it can never be recycled again. that is the end of the product’s lifecycle. it’s not really getting the most out of a material. which brings us back to glass and the fact that there are several factories right here in the USA all ready making recycled bottles.

• TREE-FREE LABEL, meaning recycled, meaning no precious rainforest was chopped down, meaning one more arangutang gets to live. yes, in case you haven’t heard, the extinction of polar bears is old news. now its the orangutangs who will be gonzo in twenty years. this is because they’re being evicted from their habitat due to logging ancient forest. save the orangutangs!
and see who’s choppin it down…

• SOY INK PRINTING. yes, this is good. however, low impact ink or vegetable ink would be better. reason being, soy ink is invarioubly made with non-organic soy, which means GMO soy, which means, it’s killing bees, monarch butterflies, silkworms, and most likely-us. give it a few decades, i guarantee they’ll figure it out. stay away from anything GMO if you value your health. that’s not easy though…. GMO (genetically modified organism) products do not have to be labelled. unbelievable yes, but true none the less. the only sure way to know you are not ingesting manipulated DNA is to eat strictly organic. organic products must be GM-free.

• WATER-BASED ADHESIVE… well, being a vegetarian, i love this of course for obvious reasons. but the not so obvious reason is that using animal products is one of the worst things you can do to the environment. HERE’S WHY: the methane gas from the animals is no good for the ozone, unless it’s captured and turned back into energy, which a rare farm actually does. also, animals require gross amounts of land, water, energy, fossil fuel to grow and transport. and the animal, once slaughtered, must be stored in freezers and transported, requiring yet more energy. eating lower down on the food chain will lessen your carbon footprint. as will of course, using water based adhesive.

HERE’S MY MEAT ADVICE, in case you were wondering (ha!):
buying meat from smaller, local or organic farmers, usually means the animal has had a decent life. it also enables a small business to exist. family-run farms are on the verge of extinction, why not support them? abstain from purchasing factory farmed meat, because more than likely, the animal lived a life devoid o joy. factory farmed animals spend their miserable existence in small indoor cages or over-crowded feed lots; barely able to move, and forced to eat an unhealthy diet. for example, cows are made to eat inordinate amounts of corn which is not at all native to their system at all, leading to chronic illness. pigs, chickens, and calves are not even aloud to turn around in their cages! and just for the record, PIGS ARE SMARTER THAN DOGS? would you allow your dog to be treated this way? and let’s not even talk about the possibility of diseases like E. Coli! bottom line, the best choice is to limit your intake of meat, and use water-based adhesive.

–SUSTAINABLE CORK CLOSURE. now that’s just impressive. harvesting cork from forests that moniter the harvesting to make sure the forest is not destroyed.

PURUS is available now in NY, RI, DC, DE, MA, MD, NY & NJ.

PORTA PONG

SHOT GLASS CHECKER SET

MORTAL PERIL DRINKING GAME (like spin the bottle).

see HOME WET BAR for more ridiculous drinking games.

if you have an architect, designer, or all-around style junkie on your list this holiday season, might i suggest NEW BAR + CLUB DESIGN by BETHAN RYDER. particularly if they’re one of those who enjoys patronizing the hippest and most fantastically outfitted watering holes and eateries. if i’m describing your secret santa, this book should be in their stocking. page after page of breathtaking interiors showcase the most creatively designed establishments in the world, along with the history of each’s creation. from, the increasing use of recycled materials, to calling upon the latest technology in LED lighting, to revisiting the past by retrofitting for nostalgia. this coffee table book, second in it’s series, is as well researched and beautifully designed as the spaces it depicts.

here is an excerpt: “Trends aside, it’s apparent that when it comes to nocturnal venues designers are continuing to let their imaginations run wild. Wether these bars and clubs manage to glow for a decade or burn brightly and fizzle out after one year, they are alll a weird and wonderful testament to the limitless creativity inspired by the pursuit of pleasure. This book salutes them all.
below: WOMEN, a bar / brothel in Terrasa, Spain.

kind of interesting… the iraq 1/2 dinar note contains an illustration of an astrolabe, an ancient instrument used to measure planetary movements for astrological purposes. i believe this note is still in circulation today.

this thanksgiving, i had a full house. actually, it was severely overfull in a wonderful way : ) my sisters and their families, including babies and puppies flew in from across the country, and my mum’s family even graced us with a visit from the UK. the perfect chance to review that bottle of DH KRAHN gin waiting patiently on my bar. as with most brits, my uncle is a hard core Gin & Tonic drinker. this thanksgiving holiday i concocted several specialty libations, including a pumpkin pie martini, a cranberry sauce fizz, a mojito, an appletini and a rose gimlet. he politely tasted them all, but pretty much stuck to tippling his good ‘ole G & T. as i mentioned, D H KRAHN had conveniently sent me a bottle, and so i asked my english uncle to review this american gin. hi admitted to quite liking it, and i think it hurt him just to say that! he noted that it was more flavorful than the British gins to which he was accustomed. his only negative comment was that the shape of the bottle made it difficult to squeeze out every single last drop without rolling the bottle around to get it. now that’s a true brit for ya if ever there was! bottom line: it was smooth and palitable and the bottle was empty at the end of the day.

are you and your pooch looking for something to do this friday night? how about clinking glasses (or water bowls) with howard stern’s BETH O, and their bulldog? countless celebrities and their “well-mannered” dogs will convene in new york city for the second annual DOG CATEMY AWARDS GALA. All proceeds to benefit the NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE; friday, november 29th; tickets $350 a head-or tail.

the saying, you can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink, is certainly not true of the centaur. adding the half man onto the half horse turned this animal into quite the drunkard. sagittarius never needs a second invitation to accept a tipple. the ultimate party animal, at the core of their very being lies an unbridled gusto for all things fun, extravagent, and delicious. you know those sins… the seven deadly ones? well, this wild stallion has broken every one of em at least twice. sagg will take it to the limit–and beyond in any given category–all though drinking, eating and spending money seem to be favorites. makes me kinda upset i wasn’t born a sagittarius!

the chestnut is a sagittarius. see the real one above from my mum’s chestnut tree and a realistic imposter below from UNCOMMON GOODS. the perfect christmas gift the sagg in your life! ($350)

UNBRIDLED (CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT ALEXANDER)

1 1/4 oz chestnut-infused brandy*
1/2 oz dark creme de cacao
1 oz ORGANIC cream or soy creamer

cook chestnuts by boiling, steaming or roasting. peel shell and skin and chop coursely. place into 750 ml liters brandy and let sit in cool, dark place for one to three weeks. strain into final storage container.

HOW TO COOK CHESTNUTS VIA RECIPE SOURCE:

Roasting chestnuts is often a tradition during the holidays. Storage conditions have to be just right, not too dry and not too damp. In dry air, they dry out and lose quality. In warm, damp air, they mold. Store fresh chestnuts in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with a few ventilation holes punched in it. Chestnuts can be cooked by roasting, boiling or steaming. To roast over an open fire, use a long handled popcorn popper or chestnut roaster. To roast in an oven, try a temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. Before roasting, puncture each nut once or twice with an icepick or a knife. If you fail to do this, pressure from steam building up inside the shells will cause the nuts to explode, either before or after they come out of the oven or roaster. To boil chestnuts, place them in a shallow pan with water that just covers them. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and boil gently for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and partially cool, then remove the kernels using a sharp tine of a table fork. The longer the nuts cook, the mealier the kernels become and tend to crumble when removed from the shells. For especially dry chestnuts, soak them overnight in water before boiling in fresh water. For steaming, carefully cut fresh, moist chestnuts in half and cook them in a vegetable steamer over boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Most kernels should fall out of the shells during cooking. Steamed or boiled nuts can be dipped in melted butter and salted, if desired, or used in other recipes. Store cooked chestnuts in tightly sealed jars in the refrigerator for a month or two or in the freezer for up to a year.

thanks to WHAT’S ON MY PLATE for hosting WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING #110.

here in the states we all know the day after our food-stuffed thanksgiving is black friday, the busiest shopping day of the year and unofficial kick off to the frenetic holiday shopping season. a new holiday has happened on my radar and it’s strategically celebrated on the same day. BUY NOTHING DAY is on the 23rd november in the states and 24th november internationally.

obviously, the two holidays are polar opposites of each other, so let’s take libra’s lead shall we and balance the two. how would the diplomatic sign honor these occasions? they would gracefully compromise and buy beautiful second hand gifts. libra, with an eye for style can spot a treasure a mile away. i’m no libra, but i did manage to find a few oldies but goodies… not quite a sterling silver shaker with my zodiac animal inscribed, but nice just the same ; )

antique glass muddlers (8 for $100) on EBAY

40’s cocktail shaker ($38) on RUBY LANE

1971 Playboy Bar Book ($20) on RUBY LANE

30’s coasters with retro ladies ($28) on RUBY LANE

vintage travel bar set ($68) on RUBY LANE

amethyst shot glasses ($25) on RUBY LANE

catalin cocktail shaker ($1680) on LIFE’S A PARTY

VIA TREEHUGGER

happy thanksgiving, DAILY OM style:

“Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.

It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.

We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Tuning in to our breath and making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances.”

well, apparently they believe in astrology pretty hard over in russia. art is alive and well in moscow, evident in these creative & whimsical astrological street lamps. pisces is shown below, but check out all twelve sign lamps on ENGLISH RUSSIA and i bet you didn’t know russia is an aquarius did ya?