Okay, okay...

I know, I've been bad. But it's hard to let myself post when I'm procrastinating on my honors thesis so much!!! I'll have a bunch more recipes on here soon, and some more bungalow pictures.

So, happy belated Valentine's day! Here are the tulips Dan got me and the flowers I got him:

Garlic Tofu and Japanese Eggplant

Ingredients:
-1 T canola oil
-1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained cut into 1-1.5" long strips* (see note)
-3 Japanese eggplants, cut into 2" long strips
-1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
-4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed
-2-3 T Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki** (see note)
-1 T water
-1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

Heat the canola oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the tofu and cook on one side until it is golden. Carefully flip over each piece individually and cook on other side for a few minutes until golden. When you're confident that the tofu won't crumble, add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion is glassy. Add the teriyaki sauce and sauté for one minute. Add the eggplant strips and water and stir well. Sauté until the eggplant is thoroughly cooked (you should be able to bite through the peel). Add the basil, stir, and leave on low heat for 3-5 minutes. Serve with Jasmine rice.

*I used Trader Joe's extra-firm tofu and found it to be much firmer and tougher than other "extra-firm" versions I've used in the past, such as Nasoya.
**Other teriyaki sauces just don't measure up! This really is the only sauce you need: it has tons of sesame seeds, garlic, and ginger.

L'Occitane en Provence

"Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want." Anna Lappe


I went into L'Occitane for the first time a few weeks ago with my mom. They were having a huge 30%-50% off sale, and we spent quite a while in there. I bought orange soaps...


beautifully intricate green tea soaps...


exfoliating almond soaps...


a beautiful lip gloss trio...


and my mom got me a French market basket that I use at the grocery store...



After spending about an hour in the store, I noticed that I didn't get a terrible headache from all the fragrances like I do in Bath and Body Works, Sephora, or Yankee Candle. I immediately understood that it must be because they use very natural ingredients, and decided to do a little research at home.


The company was started by Olivier Baussan in 1976. From the beginning, they have chosen not to test on animals (an issue close to my heart)--and why would they need to? According to the website, they...

- use plant ingredients, organic whenever possible.
-control both their quality and origin by buying from local suppliers who use sustainable harvesting methods wherever possible.
- use no animal products (except for beehive products: honey, royal jelly, and propolis).
-prefer to use plant oils, as opposed to mineral oils, in their face care formulas.
-limit the use of silicones, chemical sunscreens, and paraben preservatives (which have been shown to cause cancer).


All their ingredients from A-Z are listed on their website; there is truly nothing to hide from their consumers. You can learn more about the benefits and origins of many of their ingredients in their true stories. My favorite is the story about shea butter, and there is even an in-depth video with the women in Africa they buy their shea butter from, who keep all the money they earn from shea butter production for themselves, which is why it is called l'or des femmes, or "women's gold."



L'Occitane has even taken into account the effect of packaging materials, which no other major company that I know of has recognized: "Both our products and the materials used in our stores are designed to respect the environment. We limit the use of packing material and the cardboard, paper and wood that we use comes from sustainably managed forests. Our production factory also sorts and recycles its waste and limits its energy consumption."

L'Occitane also uses braille labeling on most of their products, with the philosophy that all of their customers should be able to make informed choices. I am so happy to have found a company I can feel good about giving my money to, and whose products I can feel good about putting on my body.

All images from L'Occitane.

Japanese bento boxes

My housemate, Alex, got the cutest thing I've ever seen in the mail today...


She also got her boyfriend, Timothy, a "men's" bento box:


They come with different compartments for rice and other food, as well as chopsticks. Naturally, I investigated the matter further on Ebay, where she bought hers. I don't need one right now, but I'm secretly hoping I'll need one in grad school. Unfortunately, they're rather expensive and small. I doubt most of them would hold enough food to fill me!


Seriously, is this not the cutest lunch box you've ever seen? It's also a lot bigger than the ones that follow...


"Yume Usagi"


"Akae"