Suit up and let the games begin

I knew the minute the Selk'bag arrived, embarrassing photos would end up of me online. I decided to take the priest’s advice from a completely unrelated confession, and “roll with the punches.”

The Selk’bag Sleepwear System is like a sleeping bag with legs that’s as good on grass as it is the football stadium. I sampled a puffy purple one designed for our lighter Southeast Texas weather and tried this head-to-toe masterpiece on, much to the delight of my family, especially my visiting sister. I admittedly looked a bit like an Easter bunny, so I grabbed a basket and willingly posed for photographs. My sister just about split a gut laughing. All week she doubled over in laughter again when she thought about it. But she admitted that the laugh will be on me when the weather turns cool.

The company’s web page shows bagged wearers looking like they’ve just suited up and dropped down for a map on the desert landscape or wherever. The product is well-made and worthy of attention. It was the story that hooked me:

“The Selk'nam (meaning “men”) as they called themselves, were nomads who lived in Chile’s austral extreme. This area was previously known as the Land of Smoke and now the Land of Fire, or Tierra del Fuego, due to the numerous bonfires the natives would light at night to ward off conquerors passing in the open seas. Hunters and gatherers, the Selk'nam were characterized by their tall height, physical strength and toughness in adapting to the most hostile and extreme environments. Their silent resistance to freezing temperatures, fatigue, hunger and thirst won them respect from Europeans and fear from their enemies and neighbors.” Look up the rest of the story and suit up with me.

Be “board” with these games

To be honest, my Easter guests enjoyed Endless Games without using the provided board. We laughed all evening playing games and not keeping score with “Flipin’ Out, which called for players to flip over discs of letters that begin the words of certain categories. Tropical fruits, things that go in a garden and the great state of Texas were some fun categories. The example in the rules shows how silly you can get. When you name something sharp, you could flip “s” for scissors, “k” for knife or “c for cheddar cheese. More fun ensued with Name 5, with challenges like movies with Bradd Pitt, allergy symptoms, super powers and fruits or vegetables beginning with the letter A. We have found the first few are easy, but reaching five can be challenge with some categories.

GreenPan an Earth Day pick

Going green with GreenPan is my idea of healthy all the way around. Yes, it is possible to cook with very little or no oil and my past week of breakfasts have proven it. If you haven’t seen GreenPan on shopping TV, let me summarize the non-toxic line’s benefits. GreenPan’s Thermolon natural surface is different from traditional non-stick pans that are created with PTFE (PolyTetraFluoroEthylene) and PFOA (PerFluoro0ctanoic Acid) classified as a “likely human carcinogen,” according to GreenPan makers. They are Belgian, well-made and worth a little investment to replace cheap pans that have become wobbly and flaked over use. I pledge to not overheat these pans so I can continue to produce fabulous food with the easiest clean-up ever.

A paper towel is all I needed to clean up a round of eggs. Visit

www.green-pan.us for more information on how these pans address a very valid health concern.

ddoiron@panews.com