new products

TerraCycle, the company behind organic and eco-friendly home and garden products stored in plastic bottles, milk jugs and the like, has several new products out, including:

-The Urban Art Planting Pot made from 100 percent reused plastic, mostly discarded electronic equipment and wrecked automobiles

-An effective, affordable deer repellent made from natural ingredients and sold with a fine mist sprayer

-An all-natural worm poop fertilizer line, which is made from waste (organic waste fed to worms that make worm poop) and packaged in waste (used soda bottles collected across the country by school children) with a hose attachment on top.

-Environmentally safe cleaners, including the all-purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner and glass cleaner.

The Home Depot and Wal-Mart sell the TerraCycle line. The cleaners will be introduced at Target late this summer.

Used soda bottles for TerraCycle products are collected through the "Bottle Brigade" program. TerraCycle distributes collection bins to various schools and nonprofit organizations, where used soda bottles are dropped off for free shipment back to the company, which donates 5 cents to the organization per bottle collected.

— Real Living

coffee cozy

Think about this every time you reach for a cardboard coffee cozy: It can be replaced easily with a handmade version. Keep it in your purse or at your office, always ready for action.

1 Fold fabric in half, inside out. Open a template made out of a cardboard coffee cozy and lay it on the fabric, cut around it so you have two pieces. Then turn right side out.

2 Insert cotton balls, flattening as necessary, between the layers; sew two rounds of zigzag stitches around the edges. Sew all around the center for a quilted effect. Sew the Velcro on each end for a closure.

—Kathy Cano-Murillo, Gannett News Service

real simple

Cherry Country of Rickreall was recognized in the May edition of the national magazine Real Simple.

Real Simple presented favorite recipes developed by five growers around the country who sell at farmers markets. Cherry Country's recipe uses organic Oregon Bing cherries in a savory sauce that accompanies pork chops and fresh shallots.

Despite the unusually cold temperatures earlier this spring, Cherry Country expects another good harvest of its organic cherries, although perhaps a week later this year, beginning around July 12.

Cherry Country is a regular vendor at several farmers markets, including the Portland Farmers Market (Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Pearl District), Beaverton's (Saturday) and Corvallis' (Saturday).

— Real Living