by Sandra Crittenden

As originally seen in the June 2018 issue of Galveston Monthly

During my visit to Paso Robles, I didn't just taste wine, I also went for a tour and tasting at Pasolivo   Olive Oil Ranch . Located in the heart of Paso Robles' western hills, the scenic 45 acre ranch has 6,000 trees planted, mostly Tuscan varieties. I was interested to learn more about olive oil production. I've read numerous articles in recent years about mislabeled and counterfeit oils that are imported and sold in America. I had not realized that neither the FDA nor the USDA enforces labeling rules for extra virgin olive oil. Since learning this, I have been purchasing California olive oil that has the California Olive Oil Council or COOC seal on it. Pasolivo Olive Oil Ranch carries that seal and is in the process of becoming certified organic. After the tour of the orchards, the mill and the production line, I went into the shop for a full tasting of their oils, vinegars and seasoning. The olive oils were all big and bold, some were more peppery, some fruitier an...

As someone who enjoys cooking, I have maintained a small herb and vegetable garden at my home for years to complement my kitchen endeavors. In the Houston area, we have a long growing season but we do deal with excessive heat in the summer and some freezes in the winter. I have a lime tree that produces well and I am able to grow different vegetables all year long. While I keep my array of herbs going pretty strong throughout most of the year, I do have some problems. In particular, I struggle with maintaining cilantro in the summer and basil through the winter. After years of pondering the AeroGarden system, I received one for a holiday gift last month. I have the classic design LED seven pod AeroGarden Extra. I set it up with the basic herb seed pack. Within two weeks, I had growth across all seven seed pods. It is just as simple as the advertising suggests. I would recommend carefully considering placement of this indoor garden in your home. The bright lights can disrupt your...

I'm still using this towel and I'm still loving it! As originally seen at RelaxedYoga.com I received this towel* for review purposes from Shandali's marketing department on Friday, October 24, 2014 right after I got home from teaching my yoga class. I opened it up, looked it over and thought it looked like the towels my husband uses to wipe off the cars-only bigger, I put it aside until my next class. I do like to use mat covers or yoga towels so I was excited to try it even if it didn't look particularly special on first sight. The next week, I used it for the first time in an over air-conditioned class so perspiration problems weren't in play, I did not get to test it for that purpose. I thought it felt nicer than I had expected. I decided I liked the dark gray color as well, I felt that it wouldn't get dirty looking. The next time I used it was in an over heated class so I can vouch for its non-slip ability; it is absorbent, your hands and feet s...