Items for the Home - Sensory Delights

In this time of the lockdown, it’s the little things that count, whether that means a frothy cup of cappuccino or a heavenly scented shower. Focusing in on and being mindful of the sights, sounds, tastes, textures and aromas of different items in your home can take you away from this world that’s in dissarray, even for a little bit. The four items below are ones I highly recommend for their sensory delights. 

PowerLix Milk Frother Pro — There are so many things many of us who have been living under lockdown for 2+ months miss, including a cup of espresso with frothy milk. (And that’s especially the case if you don’t live anywhere near a coffee shop, and you don’t have an espresso machine at home.) One way to get a similar taste and texture sensation is to brew your coffee using a moka pot and then then foam the milk — including non-dairy such as almond or soy — using the Powerlix Milk Frother Pro. This relatively inexpensive device looks very delicate but it foams almond milk to a cloud-like texture in just 30 seconds. 

Rituals - Energizing Shower Scrub, Sweet Orange and Cedar Wood — Why not bring a bit of a spa experience into your home? This shower scrub, which is made of almond and avocado oils along with essence of orange flowers and cedar can be part of your morning mindfulness routine in the bathroom. The sugar in the product makes for a light skin exfoliant while the fragrance of orange flowers and cedar offers an invigorating aroma to luxuriate in. 

L’Occitane - Citrus Verbena shampoo — With all the time sheltering at home, I find it’s important to be mindful of pleasant scents, something that can bring a hint of pleasure to an otherwise boring day. This shampoo is made with extracts of lemon, orange and grapefruit, citrus fruits that offer refreshing scents that are reminiscent of summer. The shampoo is gentle, leaving your hair clean but not damaged even when used daily. 

Ginger Lily Farms - Apple Pear Hand Soap — With all the hand washing that needs to be done in the era of the pandemic, I needed a hand soap that was not going to irritate or dry out my hands. During the first month of lockdown, my hands became so dry, the skin began to crack and bleed. Luckily I heard about this vegan liquid hand soap that’s made with fruit extracts. Curiously, despite all the hand washing, my skin never felt so soft and the fragrance is pleasant but light. It only comes in a one gallon but it’s worth it. No need to search for liquid hand soap for quite some time. 

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Healthy + Flavorful Food Items While Sheltering At Home

As we in New York continue to socially distance and remain in our homes, going out (wearing masks) only when necessary for vital groceries or medication, it’s become more and more difficult to order groceries online, whether from Amazon, Pea Pod, Fresh Direct, to name a few, that require scheduling at odd hours or making scheduling attempts over and over again, often to no avail. Yet, as we are sheltered at home for what seems like forever, we crave healthy and flavorful food and beverages. Below are some small companies that take the frustration out of ordering specific items while also offering plenty of sensory stimulation.

Angelic Bakehouse  produces a variety of wholesome breads, including the Sprouted 7-grain with 3 grams of fiber per slice. The ingredients include sprouted red wheat berries, quinoa, oat groats and rye berries.

Elmhurst 1925 is noted for their plant milks, such as unsweetened almond milk that, unlike most every other almond milk on the market, contains only two ingredients: almonds and water. Among their myriad plant milks are: cashew, oat and hazelnut.

Devocion Coffee works with farmers in Colombia where the beans are dried and then shipped to the roasting facility in Brooklyn, NY. Their network is so efficient that just 10 days or so elapses from the point of origin to the cup. The result: a flavorful brew.

La Tienda is a source of tasty Spain-sourced marcona almonds, including the no-salt, oven roasted product that contains 3 grams of fiber per 1 ounce serving. For anyone not familiar with marcona almonds, they have a different flavor, texture and shape compared with traditional almonds. Anyone who has traveled to Spain will delight in these nuts and, for those who haven’t, they’ll get an introduction to a healthy, tasty nut.

Cook Unity is a company delivering healthy, nutritious, flavorful meals prepared by private chefs. You tell them what you like — such as fish — and what you are trying to avoid — such as sodium. Each week you’ll an aesthetically pleasant set of meals arrives at your door in a zippered, insulated and chilled shopping bag. You’ll even be able to track the delivery vehicle as it approaches your neighborhood and leaves it at your door.

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Art, Food, Cocktails and Coffee in Kingston, New York

Many of my friends and colleagues assume that I only travel to far-flung locales. In fact, I'm all about discovery, whether it's along an alley I never strolled along in New York City or a neighborhood that's just a day trip away from Manhattan. That's why I decided to take bus to Kingston, New York, a mere two hours away. So close but a town I never had the opportunity to visit. Though I only spent two days, I could've easily have enjoyed the myriad coffee shops, restaurants, bars and street art for far longer. Below are just a few of the art-centric discoveries I made recently in Kingston, a city that's broken up into three sections -- Downtown, Midtown and Uptown -- that together make up a more than two-mile walkable expanse. Among the must-dos: stay at The Forsyth B&B, where the owner, Tamara Ehlin, is warm, welcoming, and can cook and bake up a storm, and present it all in an elegant manner, no less. You never know what will come out of the kitchen. There's no need to look for another accommodation when The Forsyth B&B has availability. To not stay here is to miss out on Tamara's elaborate breakfasts that included apple cider, yogurt with homemade granola and freshly cut pears, cheddar/scallion scones, and sweet potato hash with eggs any style. Another must is dinner at Wilde Beest, a locavore-centric, minimalist eatery with a slim menu that radiates creativity. I'm no fan of kale, yet I ordered the "I'm Kale" appetizer that came with crumbled kale, pickled peaches, golden raisins, fried millet, porcini mushroom powder and cashew dressing. I could've had seconds. And, in Kingston, I may have found my favorite coffee shop of all time: Rough Draft Bar & Books. Sitting at the corner of an intersection where each of the four buildings dates back centuries, this establishment is a coffee shop, bookstore, cafe and wine bar. As a writer who spends my time working in coffee shops, you couldn't have asked for a better, more atmospheric place to spend an hour or a day. I was lucky to grab a stool at the picture window and watch snowflakes fall as I gazed at the holidays lights strung about this area. Finally, I'm very finicky about bars. They can't be too loud or too bright or too pretentious. Crown, a just-opened romantic lounge in a centuries-old stone building, provides a perfect intimate environment to sip a fine wine or a well crafted, seasonal cocktail.

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Laos In Pictures

Journeying along the Mekong River that courses through Laos, and driving along the rough roads that rise and dip through the lush interior, I found a wealth of treasures: riverside villages where women wove traditional textiles, wonderful coffee shops in Luang Prabang, the UNESCO World Heritage city, charming waterfront chalets and restaurants in the town of Vang Vieng that's noted for its adventure sports and much more. This short YouTube video slideshow provides a window into my two-week trip in Laos. 

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Radio Show: Colombia: Who Said It's All About Crime?

Why would I venture to Colombia? Because everyone told me not to go. And, after I recently published an article in the Huffington Post on 20 reasons to visit Colombia -- there were actually many more but I decided to limit it to 20 -- my friends are now rethinking whether Colombia should be on their list of top places to go. In fact, many of the comments reflect a delight in finally being able to read an article that shows off the country's first-rate side.

Below is my interview with Terry Boyd at KPAM 860 radio in Portland, Oregon, where I discuss why we need to look at Colombia beyond the activities we typically associate with this country, namely drug trafficking, kidnapping, and terrorism. If you love coffee, you'll definitely want to listen in.



   

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An Eco-Conscious Coffee Plantation in Mexico

Whenever I walk into a Starbucks - which is as infrequent as possible - I often wonder why they can't make a good cup of coffee. (Obviously, I'm in the minority considering their huge sales figures and the number of stores that pop up on every other corner in Manhattan where customers flock to the counter for high-fat frappuccinos and overly sweet caramel macchiatos.) But, as a coffee lover, I'm always determined to find the perfect cup. So, it was to my delight when I spent several days at the Argovia Finca Resort, a sustainable and organic coffee plantation in the mountains of Mexico's Chiapas province.

I just wrote about my stay at Argovia for National Geographic Traveler - Intelligent Travel. After reading this, you'll never wonder again what makes a great cup of coffee. (It takes a lot of care, work, knowledge, and thoughtfulness, qualities that are in abundance at this coffee plantation.)

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