1. Zest tea blends take place of soda
I’ve been trying to kick my soda habit, and thankfully, I came across Zest teas. Each cup has about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee or three cups of regular tea. I’ve been enjoying the Blue Lady Black Tea, which is a mixture of South Indian black tea, cornflower petals, hibiscus, orange, lemon, passion fruit and caffeine. If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, it tastes good served hot or chilled. A tin of 20 tea bags costs $12.95 at getzesttea.com.
—Nancy Arcayna
2. Peruse eclectic selection of sci stuff
Technology geeks, nostalgia freaks and inquiring minds will enjoy perusing a catalog from American Science & Surplus or exploring its website, www.sciplus.com. The company sells an eclectic assortment of items — classic toys like Silly Putty and drinking birds, camping equipment, lab supplies, military surplus items and serious scientific gear such as binocular microscopes, Tesla coils and triple-beam scales. The descriptions of the items are written in a clear but humorous style that makes them entertaining reading even if you’re not in the market for LED shoelaces, a dashboard zombie or miniature motors.
— John Berger
3. Cooker makes perfect medium-boiled eggs
I enjoy medium-boiled eggs — the yolk is soft but not runny — but rarely eat them because they are difficult to time perfectly. The MarkCharles Misilli Egg Cooker solves that problem. Besides being cute, it cooks a perfect medium-boiled egg in about nine minutes and can deliver poached, soft- and hard-boiled eggs, and omelets (although the whites of the poached eggs I made were a little rubbery). Just pour in the appropriate amount of water, push the button and wait until the cooker automatically turns off. The hardest part: pricking a tiny hole (needle provided) in the bottom of the egg prior to cooking. I was afraid I would crack the egg, but as it turns out I stabbed six eggs without any problems. The 6-inch round cooker, which comes in five colors, can make up to six boiled eggs, two poached eggs or one omelet at a time. Order it from qvc.com for $22.47.
— Michelle Ramos
4. Rat Race tee returns at Crazy Shirts
I’m not a shopper and rarely buy anything unless it’s on a list I’ve been given, but when I saw the Rat Race T-shirt displayed at the Ala Moana Crazy Shirts store, I knew I had to have it. The drawing of running rats, first released in 1972, was my all-time favorite T-shirt back when I was a gangly, pimple-faced high school runner. None of my friends on the cross country and track teams had ever seen a running related T-shirt and the toking rat in the corner was a definite wink at our mid-’70s Kailua High School social scene. The T-shirt, one of the company’s most popular, was discontinued in 1975 and while it was briefly re-released in 2002, I missed out on buying one. But this December, Crazy Shirts printed 219 shirts as a $29 souvenir for Honolulu Marathon runners. As of last week, there were only 53 left at the Ala Moana and Waikiki stores. That makes mine the ultimate throwback, but with one glaring exception: It’s two sizes bigger than my first one.
—Mike Gordon
5. Cookbook starts kids in the kitchen
The "National Geographic Kids Cookbook," by Barton Seaver (National Geographic Society, $19.99), presents kid-friendly recipes for each month — Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta for a New Year’s party in January or Roasted Eyeball and Brains Bruschetta (Grapes and Cheese) for Halloween. The book is interspersed with eco-friendly ideas (make a reusable lunch bag, plant an herb garden) and fun facts (ancient Romans used butter to dress wounds) presented with the bold National Geographic Kids-style visuals that make the magazine so appealing to youngsters. As the book points out, there are only about 6,570 days from birth to adulthood, so now is the time to get out of the drive-thru line and into the kitchen.
—Donica Kaneshiro
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.
