Have you tried...? February, 2010

—by Katharine Holden

Hampden Park Co-op sells great stuff. Let me tell you about a few products you and your family might enjoy.

Neti pots, and more neti pots

HPC now carries four different neti pots, including an ugly but practical plastic pot for traveling. Neti pots are trendy right now, but they are old standbys at any co-op.

The purpose of a neti pot is to flush out irritants and mucus from your nasal passages and rehydrate those passages. The process helps with allergies, cold and flu congestion, and dry winter air. The pot itself looks like a small, slightly squashed teapot without the lid. You put warm water in the pot, add some sea salt, and put the spout of the neti pot in one nostril and let the water drain out the other nostril. Then repeat process on the other side.

At HPC, you have your choice of the aforementioned ugly travel model and three ceramic models, including a pretty, blue, speckled one that I covet but can’t buy because my current neti pot has survived every drop into the sink.

Note: The Indian lady on the box looks attractive and serene while using her neti pot. You, on the other hand, will look stupid and get water all over your chest. If you should peer through my kitchen window, you will see that I shuck and peel before using my neti pot.

Gluten-free muffin mix

Namaste Foods offers a gluten-free muffin mix made in a dedicated factory. Product of Idaho. Find more information at www.namastefoods.com.

[Editor’s note: Namaste products are expensive, so whether HPC continues to carry them depends on whether customers are willing to buy them.]

Field Day organic dressings

Darned good dressing. Varieties include balsamic vinaigrette, French, classic Italian, lemon tahini, and ranch. For those of you cutting back on your soy intake, be forewarned that these dressings contain soybean oil, though. Product of USA.

The Diva Cup

The box contains one menstrual cup, an alternative to pads and tampons. For those of you who have had unfortunate reactions to rubber or latex, you’ll be glad to know that the Diva Cup is made of top-grade silicon—no rubber, plastic, latex, or BPA. There’s a cotton carrying bag, too. The Diva Cup also comes with a lapel pin so you can show your love of the Diva Cup to all you meet. My suggestion: try the cup for your next period, but treat yourself to a nice vintage brooch.

Udi’s gluten-free bread

On Holden’s Compressed Pocket Lint Taste Scale, Udi’s gluten-free breads get a Not Too Bad, especially when toasted. Gluten gives taste, structure, and consistency to bread. Without gluten, it’s nearly impossible for a commercial baker to make decent-tasting, un-lint-like bread. Udi’s makes a good attempt. These breads are also dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free. HPC stocks the wheat bread and the sandwich bread as well. You’ll find them with the gluten-free breads in the freezer.

Chia seed

In the bulk section with all the other Frontier spice products, you’ll find whole chia seed. Chia seed is high in Omega-3s and fiber, and contains vitamin C and other nutrients. You can mix a scoop into a beverage and drink it down (I gagged on water with chia, but did better with cranberry juice and chia). Or you can make a sort of paste from it and add it to foods. I’m almost certain that ingesting chia seed will not result in green grass sprouting all over your body, but you might want to read up on chia seed before use, just in case.

Barley teabags

Barley tea is a staple in Japan. It’s caffeine-free. This product is made of light and dark roasted barley blended together. These teabags can be steeped in cold water or boiling water. Product of Japan.

Magazines

It’s easy to miss the magazine rack. It’s in the entryway immediately to your left. On most days, you will find BUST, Mother Jones, Yes!, mothering, Shambhala Sun, and UTNE Reader.

[Katharine Holden has had a few small freelancing assignments, so the job world may be coming back to life. That full-time marketing communications job remains elusive. Unemployment gives her ample time to work through her Books I Think I’ve Read But Really Haven’t list. She can be reached at holdenltd@msn.com.]