Thursday, January 24, 2013

Range of Possibilities

I needed a new stove. I knew I wouldn't be purchasing one until after the first of the year, and that meant it had to be made in the U.S.A.  Not difficult if you have $6,000+. There's Viking and Thermador, but I didn't have that kind of money. I did my research and found there were other options...



Professional Line & 6 Burners at about 1/6th of the price! and...



Today, Peerless-Premier is a complete manufacturer, designing and making its own tools and dies, stamping parts and applying porcelain enamel to the raw steel parts and then assembling those parts into modern gas and electric ranges in 20", 24", 30" and 36" widths. The facilities are housed under one roof, taking up an area of two square blocks in the city of Belleville, Illinois.

Read more here...
http://www.premierrange.com/history.php

Purchased through this great company offering free delivery & no tax
http://www.appliancesconnection.com

Probably will be my biggest purchase of the year and proud that I was able to stick to my mission.
I'll let you all know how it works as I am baking a cake tomorrow :)

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Food for Thought...

This part of my journey will be an easy one. For the most part, I try to stay away from processed food, very lucky to live in California, and LOVE to garden (seriously, there is nothing like the taste of a tomato straight from the garden!) I do know, however,  I will have to be cautious even when buying produce, we get a lot from Latin America. I guess this year, if I can't buy it, I'll grow it :)

Here's an amazing recipe I made with my garden fresh kale...

http://kitchenconfidante.com/simple-sundays-cranberry-walnut-kale-salad-with-fresh-cranberry-vinaigrette-recipe#.UOykTpTcS6I.gmail


And, for the icing on the cake (made from scratch or course, love to bake) how lucky am I to work for a company that fits right in line with my philosophy? Not sure I would go so far as to quit my job in order to achieve my goal of only buying U.S.A, but proud to be part of a company that sees the benefits of sourcing locally.

Check out the following link if you'd like to learn more...

http://www.hyattfood.com/serving-communities

Bon Appetit! (I think it's o.k. to use foreign terms, right?)

Sunday, January 13, 2013

"Toil"etries

My quest: Toiletries & Cleaning Products

I mentioned not wanting to be an "ugly" American, but I certainly don't want to be a "dirty" American.

I do a lot of Target shopping and have found a lot of their "up & up" products are made in China. Today I needed to re-stock on a lot of toiletry & cleaning products so I set out on what I thought would be a difficult task. It was not....


Any compromises? Well, yes, I had to buy a product I said I would never buy since the horrible ads they had in the 80's (yes advertising works, and I put the "adverse" in advertising). Actually 3 items...

1. Crest, only because I was a life long user of Colgate
2. Snuggle fabric softener (is it wrong that I want that little cuddly bear to suffocate in the dryer?)
3. Charmin (I'll squeeze it if I damn well please Mr. Whipple)

My toilet paper of choice is Scott, but the packaging says made in the U.S.A. with domestic & "imported" products. Target's "Up & Up" proved to be, well, on the Up & Up - or do they just not get so technical?

My favorite buy was the Old Dutch cleanser (not sure where Comet is made, but at .50 cents how could I turn this one down?) Not only is it made in the U.S.A., but check this out...


I was using Ivory soap for a while, but it wasn't a difficult switch back to Lever 2000 & my Caress body wash is also from the same company. My favorite body wash, carnation scent, from Hove Parfumeur is from New Orleans (even better since it's a mom & pop shop instead of a big corporation, see link for perfume, body wash & massage oils  http://www.hoveparfumeur.com - I love it, you actually have to call in your order or fax it)

Didn't have to switch deodorant or shampoo - yay!  Q-tips are more expensive than the generic brand, but I prefer them and would buy them anyway.  (oh, and the borax is because I'm going to attempt to make my own laundry detergent - am I taking this too far?)

Overall it was a great experience and added confidence that I can make this work!


Friday, January 11, 2013

Red, White & Bluetick....

I did do a little research before I started this mission of buying American made products, but who knew the dog I ended up adopting from a rescue shelter would meet my new lifestyle to a tee....

http://www.vetstreet.com/dogs/bluetick-coonhound#overview (see under Other Quick Facts)

Meet Darla Rae...





Monday, January 7, 2013

Alternative shopping....

So, I've been looking for a cabinet for my kitchen, and everything I like is either made in China or India and really expensive. Today, however, I found another alternative when I can't find something made in the U.S.A....dumpster diving!
behold...

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Mission Impossible?

My first challenge with buying American this year was looking for one of those cardboard envelopes to send a CD to a friend (I'm sure the CD was made in China, but I already had it). The envelope I wanted was by 3m - that's an American company - good, recycled materials - good, made in Mexico - damn!

So I started looking at alternatives and found a bubble mailer by Scotch (a part of 3m) and it was made where?...In the U.S.A! woohoo!  Now just a couple of pieces of cardboard cut to size and my CDs will be safely on their way....

Mission Impossible? I think not!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

The Cost of Buying American....

The most common question I'm getting in my new endeavor is "do you have to get rid of things you own that are not made in America?" - A resounding NO! That would be wasteful, unaffordable & certainly not green. I will however start a log of the cost of what I buy that is American Made vs. the alternative. At the end of the year, I will see how "expensive" it really is to buy American....

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Everything is New Again

I thought of starting a blog a few months ago based on one a friend of mine started. She decided to go a year buying only used items (see http://poshparsimony.blogspot.com). From that, I decided to buy only products made in the U.S.A. I researched some of my usual items to see how hard it would be; and, although it will be a challenge, I think I can really do this.

This wasn't about being an "Ugly American" with the mindset that it's only good if it's made in the U.S.A., but a belief that this is a way that I could actually help the economy - Hey I buy stuff, maybe that stuff should be from my fellow Americans.

It really doesn't matter if you're Republican, Democratic, Independent or even Libertarian. The thing that connects us all is that we are American. I really believe that you do what you can, with the tools you have.

My goal is to attempt to make all my purchases only from products made in the U.S.A.. From toilet paper to toothpaste (already had to switch from a lifetime of using colgate - made in Mexico, to Crest - made in Greensboro, North Carolina); clothing to computers (luckily I already have one); food to furniture. Read your labels and do what you can.

I invite anyone to come along for the ride, even if it's just to live vicariously through me and my feats... and failures.

Robin