Cheaper, Chic-er Upgrades You Can Make This Fall
The secret to green tea, adult show & tell, and a wool-cotton fleece to replace your plastic Patagucci
I read somewhere about how middle class communities have more microplastics in their blood compared to both the poor and the rich. I haven’t been able to locate the source, so I don’t know how valid the study is, but I wonder!
When you think about it, so much of what’s marketed to the middle class is packaging and convenience. I’ve long enjoyed the palak paneer from Trader Joe’s, but no mom of six on a budget is microwaving individual portions of TJ’s frozen rice.
I’m not trying to romanticize poverty. Social determinants of health are very real, and poor communities bear the brunt of the negative health outcomes of plastic pollution.
For example, if you’ve been following the Bennington water pollution saga, drinking water in Vermont will be polluted by PFAS for centuries… thanks to a now defunct, multinational plastics company that coated fabrics with Teflon (like Gore-tex). The downstream effects are now affecting rich neighborhoods as well… it’s almost as if we all live on one Earth!
Anyway, we all know immigrant moms out there who cook healthy meals from scratch, and they’re not the Lululemon salad influencers. In that vein, a list of things I find chic…
In case you missed it:
Simmering Dried Beans
I often crack a can of garbanzo beans to make a quick breakfast fatteh for two. But what’s healthier is simmering dried beans from scratch.
You avoid hormone-disrupting chemicals from the can’s liner and produce less waste. There are cans that say “BPA-free,” but BPA is just one chemical, what’s it being replaced with? There’s robust research on BPA’s estrogen-mimicking effects in the human body and links to infertility.
The common replacement, BPS, is now shown to be possibly worse than BPA, with “obesogenic effects,” according to this literature review:
“In summary, dietary exposure to the BPA replacement known as bisphenol S, or BPS, is likely more toxic and seems to cause more pathologies in the reproductive system than the original BPA or any of the other BPA analogues.”
It’s a pain to watch over a simmering pot for hours, so I pressure cook beans in the rice cooker with a bay leaf and some salt. Then I portion out servings into glass containers for the fridge and the freezer.
One cup of dried beans is like two cans, so it’s cheaper… plus, you save pantry space.
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Wool Dryer Balls
If you worry about microplastics but buy sheets of plastic to heat-coat all your towels with, well, microplastics… I have good news.
Wool dryer balls last years. Your towels will get so fluffy! You’ll cut down on drying time! No waxy residue hardening on your clothes, causing you to buy more “fabric softener.”
If you want a nice scent, add a few drops of essential oils to the dryer balls— I love rosemary and eucalyptus.
BYO-Cup Party
When Nour suggested guests Bring Your Own Cups to a venue for his birthday party, I was resistant.... What a hassle! I wanted to bring glassware, but we were already rucking jars of pre-batched dirty martinis and negronis for 40+ guests.
Did you know adults love a low stakes show-and-tell? To my surprise, a lotta friends relished the chance to bring their own cups! I guess there aren’t enough opportunities to brag about something you own without feeling like an asshole (or a salesman).
Someone with a wine glass was like, “Jane, watch this!” while gulping down red wine. Then she squished the glass in her hand like a magic trick! I gasped, at both the chugging of red and the flexible glass. Turns out it’s a silicone wine glass she takes camping.
We saw ceramic goblets, concert cups, an enamel mug! As for the folks who couldn’t bother (me), someone brought leftover compostable cups.
Loose Leaf Tea
The trick to brewing delicious green tea: don’t steep it too hot or too long.
The color should remain delicate green instead of turning brown and bitter. Nour heats the water to 75°C (167°F), whereas I just eyeball some cold water to boiling.
After pouring the green tea from our French Press into our mugs, Nour adds cold water to the remaining tea leaves and decants it into a large jar. Then I have chilled green tea in the fridge whenever I feel like it!
If you own a French Press, check inside to ensure that the filter and rod are not plastic. Expensive doesn’t mean better: this $130 French Press advertises a stainless steel interior, but the plastic filter is steeping in your hot liquids.
Vintage Grandpa-core Sweater
I’m still enjoying the sweet, sweet breeze of AC, but sweater season is around the corner! Brands are already marketing knits like this $300 J. Crew grandpa-core cardigan, which is 50% acrylic.
For a tenth of the price, here’s a vintage, electric blue graphic sweater ($34) that’s also an alpaca-blend.
And below are 9 lush sweaters, all made in Italy with 100% Shetland wool, for feeling like a character from When Harry Met Sally.
Grey Shawl Neck Cardigan Women’s S
Rose Print Sweater Women’s M/L
Retro Sweater Men’s S
Red Cable Cardigan Men’s M
Blue Cable Sweater Men’s M
Preppy Sweater Men’s M/L
Grandpacore Sweater Men’s L
Ivory Cardigan in Men’s L that’s giving Harry (after he met Sally)
Graphic Red Sweater in Men’s L
Will you snag one? I bought this sweater in a L for $40. Hopefully it will look cute with some pants.
Natural Fiber Fleece
