UncommonGoods

I try to keep my posts food or animal rights-related, so when I was contacted by UncommonGoods (an online retail store) about reviewing some of their products, I wasn't sure what to do. But then I saw this: "Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, UncommonGoods is an privately-owned retailer that endeavors to feature unique designs and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people."

That last line got me. And then I found out the company's founder is vegan, and they have lots of food-related gifts. So it seemed like a good fit. I was asked to pick out a couple of items from their vast online store to review. But there were so many things I wanted! Rainbow unicorn mug! Musical wine glasses! Beer jelly! It was hard to narrow down a couple items, but I finally did. I'll be reviewing two of those items tonight, and I'm saving the third item for it's own post because I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

I settled on this Tea To Go travel infuser.

Here it is out of the package.

It's a glass tube, and you stuff tea bags or loose tea on one end. Then you pour hot or cold water over the tea, and it infuses. Then you can have your tea on the go. Now, I've said before on here that I'm not a hot tea drinker. But I live for iced tea! I am a Southern girl, you know. I like my tea unsweetened and cold, so this is perfect. I've been taking it to work everyday. Sometimes, I stuff it with tea bags, like these Jasmine Green Tea Bags.

Other times, I opt for loose tea, like this Rose Petal Tea.

And I've even used the infuser to make Citrus Water. Just stick an orange or lemon slice in one end and fill with cold water.

I absolutely love this thing! I will say that, if it's hot tea you're after, the Tea To Go doesn't work quite as well. I tried making hot tea with it once, and I found that the glass gets so hot from the hot water that it burns your lips a bit. But this is ideal for iced tea drinkers. When I bring this to work, I leave the tea in all day and keep pouring cold water from the office cooler in, so I get about 9 cups of tea off of a couple of bags or a tablespoon of loose tea. Click here to see the infuser on their site.

Next up, I tried this Soup and Sandwich Ceramic Tray Duo.

How cute is this? It's made of a heavy, quality ceramic, and there's just enough room for a bowl of soup and a hearty sandwich (or a bowl of ice cream and a slice of cake!). Since we're entering soup season, this is just perfect for those warming fall meals. I broke this set in with a bowl of my Granny's home-canned vegetable soup and a vegan grilled cheese made with Field Roast's Chao Cheese (have y'all had this? OMG, full post coming soon!). Click here to see the soup/sandwich tray on their site.

Anyway, I think UncommonGoods would be an excellent source for some early holiday gift shopping. To make it easier on you, they have a gifts for women and gifts for men page, but if you're like me, you're friends are all pretty androgynous in their tastes. It's a good veg-friendly company (they do sell some cheese items, but most things are vegan), and they pay even their lowest paid seasonal workers 50 percent above the minimum wage. About half of what they sell is handmade, and the next review I've got planned will feature one of those handmade products (hint: it's edible!).