5 Things We Love is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. What are you loving this week? Send a brief description of your latest favorite thing, where to find it and how much it costs, along with your name and contact info to features@staradvertiser.com.
1. Crostini brings crunch to soups, salads
I bought a bag of crostini from Whole Foods on a whim. I had some cheese at home and thought the crunchy little baguette slices might pair well. It was delicious. Since then, the crostini has found its way into my salad as a crouton replacement and next to my soup mug to liven up my lunch. At $5.99 a pound, it sounds pricey, but the crostini is so light that a bag of 11 slices was just 78 cents. Find it near the soup in the prepared foods section.
—Donica Kaneshiro
2. Strapless device makes monitoring easier
The ePulse2 strapless heart-rate monitor is much easier to use than traditional ones that wrap uncomfortably around your chest and rarely stay in the proper position. Powered by a rechargeable battery, the monitor is worn on the forearm and multitasks as a pedometer and calorie tracker. It’s priced at $89.99; visit impactsports.com to find out where to pick one up.
—Nancy Arcayna
3. Dammit Doll helps beat life’s annoyances
How do you relieve stress all the livelong day? It’s fine and well to have a pau hana glass of wine, but what if your blood starts boiling in the middle of the workday? Get instant relief from the Dammit Doll. Read the label and go to town. Find this survival gem for $17.50 to $42.50, depending on size, at Chelsea in Manoa Marketplace; Cinnamon Girl offers one size for $14. Visit www.dammitdolls.com.
—Joleen Oshiro
4. Slush freeze is a light, cool treat
One of my favorite local treats is a slush float from Rainbow Drive-In at 3309 Kanaina Ave. in Kapahulu. There’s something about the mix of ice cream and strawberry slush that hits the spot after a long day at the beach or on the golf course. It also goes great with any of the delicious plate lunches on the menu. As I’ve gotten older, however, I’ve been forced to pay more attention to my health. And that means fewer opportunities to enjoy a slush float. That is, until Rainbow introduced Slush Float Freeze desserts, available in the drive-in’s logo store. If you remember eating ice cakes as a kid, you’ll get what Rainbow is trying to do here. It looks like a slush float and tastes like a slush float — but it’s frozen. Scrape at the block and you’ll get soft, flaky spoonfuls of goodness that really hit the spot on a hot Hawaii day. And with each serving just 2 ounces, I’m not sucking down all the sugar and calories of a 16-ounce slush float, which makes my doctor happy. Flavors like root beer, lilikoi, orange and lemon-lime let you try something new or mix and match until you find your perfect blend. The freezes cost just $1.75 for a 2-ounce serving ($3 for two)
—Jason Genegabus
5. ‘Men at Work’ offers DIY tips
Americans are masters of the "work around," but some do-it-yourself solutions belong in the "dumb and dumber" category. "Men at Work: Why Women Live Longer Than Men" (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $14.99) shows dozens of improvised solutions to everyday problems at home. Some of them make sense — a wood screw and pliers subbing for a corkscrew, a space heater used to toast bread, a stop sign repurposed as a basketball backboard — but others range from odd to bizarre, and several are strictly "do not try this at home" stuff.
—John Berger
