[photo by mattel]

not that i would buy specialty barbies or anything, but these dolls based on the characters of the tv show mad men are far more appealing to me than my 70s revisionist barbies & kens i grew up with. additionally, these dolls are at least in my same industry.

food & wine

[photo: 365daysofkale.com]

i know i’ve been on a crazy kale kick. i just planted 2 varieties in the garden after watching my mom’s kale plants last right through the entire year. then, a friend posted this link to 365daysofkale.com dedicated to kale recipes, so i have an endless supply to try. [thanks @zoetica].

can-free cooking made easy: avoid BPA and save money at the same time. i have been buying dried and sprouted beans from some farmer’s market sellers [and sprouting my own] mostly just to support local food, but greenlagirl.com has a point, BPA is found in many canned foods, and a great way to avoid them is to eat fresh and make your own preserved foods in glass jars.

dale cruse continues his get to know a grape series with bluebell and bobal. he also suggests this super-cute moleskine wine journal as a helpful way to keep notes on what you’re tasting.