yep, its made here. 14 'made in american' products for your KITCHEN

thursday!

i have another installment of 'yep, its made here.' i am really enjoying this series.

each week, i will be showcasing a number of awesome items that are made here, in the united states.

today? 

14 rad items to use in the KITCHEN!

1) [you guys, this is SO awesome!!] bee's wrap! its like saran wrap or aluminum foil, BUT its reusable and made from muslin & beeswax! online, they sell them individually & in packs. 

here

2) yummi yogi cookie cutters! you get all 5 cutters ; each in a different pose. i think these are hilarious. and so awesome!

here

3) you cant have a bad day when you are drinking out of bright mugs, right? 

you get all 6 mugs ; i love them!

here

4) how about a crack & peel?! do you know what this is? you put the tool [made from yellow birch] on top of a head of garlic. you push down, the head splits into cloves & they are super-easy to peel.

here

5) oh my gosh ; items like this make my heart race. isnt this tea pot beautiful?! you MUST check out out their website ; their items are unbelievably beautiful! this tea pot is a bit pricey [$200], but i believe in buying high-quailty pieces one-at-a-time, over time to build up your collection.

here

6) a popcorn popper!! hello, this is awesome. you can take it camping OR use it on the stovetop. we love camping & throwing some seeds over the fire would be an awesome way to end a night of hiking. also, jacob bromwell makes some really awesome products!

here

7) awesome local company alert! // meyer textile co makes these cool, heavy-duty canvas aprons. they are super-affordable [$29] and are unisex! 

here

8) preserve food storage set! preserve makes toothbrushes from recycled yogurt cups [which we love]. they also make food containers ; everything from reusable picnic-ware to storage containers. these are made from recycled plastic, are cute [hello, bright green!] & are BPA-free.

here

9) yay for soapbox soaps! this company is awesome. they use gluten free oats, organic shea butter, everything is vegan & is paraben-free. the coolest part? each bar YOU buy, they give another bar to a child in need. you can order individual bars OR a soap subscription. 

here

10) these beautiful rugs are hand-loomed in vermont. they come in different lengths & colors. my grandma made loom rugs when i was a kid & i remember watching her & her machine for hours.

here

11) how cool is this cheese [or butter] board? i love the design!

here

12) need new wooden spoons? [daphne has eaten 4 of our wood spoons...] these spoons are made in montana & come in a variety of wood finishes.

here

13) a 15' ceramic pizza stone ; these are so great. i use to have a pizza stone, but it was lost in a cross-country move.

here

14) and finally, because there is *still* snow on the ground ; how about a snowflake pancake pan?! nordic wear is based here, in minneapolis. actually, its right on the bike trail. they offer tons & tons of awesome kitchen pans & accessories.

here

check out the past two 'yep, its made here' posts here & here.

see you tomorrow!

yep, its made here. 10 awesome food items that are made here in the USA

in the past couple of months, blake & i have become much more aware of our purchasing power. 

i want to support small, local businesses that are doing good things HERE, in our country. 

when you buy something that was made here in the us, you are supporting jobs, families, education, and the american dream.

i strongly believe that every person deserves a fair wage & to be working in an environment where they are being treated well. i am sure there are factories here that could be doing better, but it is next to impossible to uncover the REAL conditions & factories overseas where our products are made.

i hate to think that some child is sewing my sports bra for a dollar a day & the US company that hired her has NO need for transparency or disclosure. it makes me sick to think about. 

humans deserve more.

i am starting a new feature here on the blog called 'yep, its made here', where i will be showcasing awesome [& affordable] products that are made here in the US. everything from food to furniture. 

know of an awesome product or want to know where to find a certain item [bras, kitchen spoons, watches, ect] ; let me know. 

today, we are starting off with FOOD [duh!] 

1) wine & chocolate gift set from mama ganache! 

wine from california & organic, fair trade chocolate handmade in US.

this would be a great mothers day gift!

here

2) love beer & pretzels? india pale ale + a crunchy pretzel are in this caramel bar from obsessive confection disorder. i reviewed some of her stuff last year here.
beer & pretzel caramel here

3) *AWESOME LOCAL BUSINESS ALERT*
sea salt caramels from painted turtle chocolatier here in plymouth, mn [a mpls suburb!]
they have tons of awesome products! [sea salt + caramel is one of my favorite flavor combos]
caramels here.

4) *ANOTHER AWESOME LOCAL COMPANY* [and more sea salt + caramel]
B.T. McELRATH makes super delish chocolates here in minneapolis. most of the co-ops & whole foods sells their stuff. the salty dog is my favorite.
here

5) following the paleo diet? 

paleopax is a monthly subscription box that sends you a box full of paleo-approved snacks.

as far as i can tell, all of the snacks are made here in the us. [personal disclaimer : i have not tried this out, so i cant pinky-swear everything is us-made]

also, there is a waiting list for the box ; looks rad though.

sign up here.

6) coop's hot fudge [there is a vegan version, too!]. and hello, isnt this packaging awesome?!
hot fudge on top of [veg] ice cream is one of my favorite treats. check out here for where to buy.
hot fudge here.

7) seriously, i love chocolate. and bikes. and charity.

do you know theo chocolate? they are based in seattle & offer tours [hello, awesome thing to add to my 'to-do in seattle' list]. we buy theo chocolate at whole foods quite often.

this bar supports kids, aid workers & adults in rural africa learn to use & build bikes. i am such a strong believer in bikes ; they really can change lives. 

world bike relief chocolate bar here.

8) beer lover? i think these candies are so cool. 

hop candy is made from hops [duh]. dont tell blake, but there might be a box of these waiting for him..

find them here.

9) beans & grains ; two things that we eat a ton of. we buy a lot of rancho gordo products. this gift basket is awesome ; comes with 5 pounds of beans + a bean cookbook + a reusable shopping bag.

here.

10) seven sundays [yet another awesome MN product!]. do you eat muesli? we love it. if you live in the minneapolis metro area, a few storescarry these, otherwise you can purchase them online, as well. i love their packaging & their commitment to sustainability.

buy here.

yay!

i think buying food from US companies is pretty easy. living in a larger, progressive city makes it SO easy to support small, local companies.

purchasing other items such as electronics, clothes & appliances are a bit trickier, but we will tackle them in upcoming posts.

what 'made in the us' products are you loving?

AND what items would you like to see here?