We had a number of family members in town this past week for a little get-together. One day before they arrived, our dishwasher ran its last cycle — and I don’t mean for that load. No, this was the end of the road for our dishwasher, one that was less than 4 years old. Surely, it could be repaired, we thought. And, surely, the repairman told us it could — but at a cost that made more sense to buy a new one. Such is the throw-away society we now live in.

Even without a working dishwasher, we somehow survived. We simply reacquainted ourselves with the dishcloths, the hand towels and an array of scrubbers we found under the sink. Wash. Rinse. Dry. Put away. Those were the tasks my siblings and I did in front of the kitchen sink after every meal in our childhood home. Those memories reintroduced themselves this past weekend — and they brought a few more with them.

To minimize the number of dishes we would have to wash, we broke out the “paper plates.” Yes, the flimsy disposable tableware that seemed to be in every home a few decades ago but now is often relegated to picnics and parties.

The inventor of the paper plate was a New Hampshire man named Martin Keyes. He was trying to make a pie plate out of “molded pulp” and, in 1904, acquired a patent for this paper plate-making machine. His paper plates were becoming quite popular, especially due to a new demand caused by fires and earthquakes in San Francisco. Next he produced egg cartons, bottle packs, light bulb packaging and more. Keyes’ company still exists today, known for producing the Chinet brand of disposable products.

Today, paper plates and related products come in a variety of materials — paper, paperboard, corrugated fiberboard and Styrofoam (gasp!). Some are coated — mostly with plastic — to improve the fight to withstand liquids or grease from soaking through. And, some are better at this than others.

My mom was the frugal type. Spending extra money on those fancy coated paper plates was wasteful, in her mind. So, she bought the 500-packs of the uncoated, 9-inch plates that most everything soaked through to the point where the plates would collapse. As such, we would use several plates, often not by choice because they stuck together. Fortunately, today, my wife opts for the upgraded versions, which came in handy this past weekend with our dishwasher dilemma.

In recent years, environmental concerns made many people switch from paper products back to traditional dishes. Overall, that is probably a good thing, even though paper plates are made with molded pulp, which is created with recycled newsprint. As such, those of you who have concerns about newspapers forcing their opinions down your throat may be right. Because, if you are using paper plates, they still kind of are.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman 
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

Best Local Furniture Store

1. Homemakers

2. Huckleberry Home

3. Redekers

The sesame balls that C Fresh bakes are stuffed with mung bean paste. It's really difficult to eat just one.

Bon Appetit’s current “Design Issue” has a story that touts recipes that emulate famous works of art – Helen Frankenthaler’s abstraction becomes a falafel burger; strawberry rhubarb cheesecake bars relate to Kendra Vaculi; Agnes Martin by burnt scallops in lemon infused spinach sauce; Judy Chicago’s “Let It All Hang Out” is represented by a salad of radishes and soft boiled eggs. And of course Wayne Thiebaud’s famous “Cake Slice” is here as a Neapolitan cake.

POLITICAL MERCURY
Sand urges Democrats to listen to other Iowans, not scold

By Douglas Burns

Rob Sand knows the outcome at the polls next year depends not just on how Iowans respond to him, the gubernatorial candidate atop his ticket, but Democrat voters themselves. Do voters see everyday Democrats down the street as kind, reasonable and approachable, or hostile and impossibly entrenched?

In one of the first stops of Sand’s fresh campaign for Terrace Hill, the Iowa auditor, and only elected statewide officeholder from the Democratic Party, urged the thousands of Democrats who will, in effect, represent him with other Iowans, to extend grace to Republicans and independents who may have voted for President Trump and other elected officials seen as responsible for poor economic policy or other failures. ...

Pampered pets
Residents share how they go the extra mile to spoil their pets.

By Joe Baumgarten

Many pet owners view their animal companions as part of the family — deserving of the best care, lots of attention, and at least a few perks. Besides the usual walks, pet beds and toys, some of these pampered pets get extra special treatment: pup cups from drive-throughs, birthday parties, paw soaks and a special place in those important days of their owners’ lives — as well as in their hearts.

Teacher’s pet
You wouldn’t blame Miriam Woods if she had an inferiority complex. Every place she goes, all she hears is “Where is Ricky?” “We just came to see Ricky.” “Why didn’t you bring Ricky?” Just recently, her square dancing club sent her back home to bring Ricky to class on the one night she thought she would leave him behind. ...

These celebrities were born on this date: Alexandra Stewart · Ben Daniels · Bridget Kearney · DJ Qualls · Elizabeth Hurley · Faith Evans · Frankie Faison • Kate Upton • Greg Marks

SUBMIT: Send your local birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to the last riddle: Why did the boy take a bicycle to bed with him? HE DIDN'T WANT TO SLEEP WALK! - Gail Tomlinson. Or,  It was his "Guardian" angel! (There is a brand of bicycle, Guardian, that is only sold online.) - Carolyn Rogers

Today's riddle: : Did you hear about the environmentalist who went down the same bicycle route twice?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or Ankeny, Altoona or Bondurant Living magazines, contact:

Angela Ossian
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 307
Mobile: 515-979-5585
angela@iowalivingmagazines.com

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