eat and be green

Raw: to be or not to be?

2009-06-09T22:17:00.004-05:00

A friend emailed me a link to The Raw Mom Summit. The organizer's of the summit promise to bring together "some of the most inspirational health leaders in the world" in the same place (turns out this place is the internet) and deliver answers to questions like:

What is Attachment Parenting?
Which natural remedies to use when your children are sick?
How to feed a meat-eating partner if you are vegetarian or vegan?
How to get kids excited and involved in their own food-prep?
How to shrink our Carbon Footprint?
How to get picky eaters to crave their veggies?

and many more questions that I did not include -- some of interest to me and some not at all.

I will admit, I am not that interested in a Raw foods diet. It may be the best thing for me and for L, but I have to believe that we can live well and be pretty healthy while still heating (uh, cooking) our food over 116 degrees.

However, the list of resources and contributors for this summit looks promises.

The website is a bit confusing and I was annoyed at having to scroll through so much information before getting more details about the summit, so I'll sum it up for you:

The summit takes place June 22- June 30.
The experts will be interviewed and these interviews will be posted online.
You can register for free (at rawmomsummit.com) and will received an email each day with links to audio recordings of that day's interviews. The interviews will only be available for free for 24 hours after initially being broadcast.
If you want unlimited access to the interviews, as well as a bunch of other resources (another long list to scroll through), you can upgrade to a paid summit package for $97.

There does not appear to be a schedule of interviews or a list of actual topics, so I won't be subscribing for now. But, some of the questions that they promise will be answered are intriguing to me. So, I have registered and will look for my email on June 22. Can't hurt, right?

stuff I like: snackTAXI

2009-04-24T22:08:00.004-05:00

I saw these reusable snack bags on the Oprah Earth day show.

I already use Tupperware containers for Lucy's lunch. I have small ones for applesauce, yogurt, veggies, etc. And I have larger containers designed for sandwiches and wraps. But, I do still sometimes use zipper type plastic bags for miscellaneous lunch items, and while I rinse these out and use them over and over at home, I can't seem to get Lucy's teachers to stop throwing them away at school. These reusable snack and sandwich bags from SnackTaxi are a very cool solution.

I can't wait to get them!!

An added bonus: these are hand-made in the US!

stuff I like: Indigo Wild

2009-04-08T22:04:00.004-05:00

There is a company in Kansas City that I love: Indigo Wild. Someday I want to own a company just like this one. They make fabulous smelling bath and body products with all natural ingredients, they bring their dogs (all rescues) to work, and they stop work and production every day to eat lunch as a group. How cool is that?

Or maybe I'll just move back to KC and get a job at Indigo Wild.

You can find their soaps and some other products at stores like Whole Foods and Central Market, but for the best selection, shop their site.

My favorite product is the Zum Rub. I use it on my hands (feet too) and lips all year long. I usually have 3 or 4 laying around- by the bed, in the car, purse and laptop bag. Can't have too many!
Also check out the goats milk soaps, zum oil and soy candles. This is zum yummy stuff!
_________________________________________
Some interesting facts from their website:

Did you know stores sellout of the F&M Zum Bar in an average of 4.5 days after receiving it? (referring to their Frankincense & Myrrh soap)
Did you know some days we have as many as 16 dogs in the building?
Did you know some days we have as many as 16 dogs in the building?
Did you know "Zum" is a made up word? This was where the few bottles of inspiration came in.

Our Earth Hour(s)

2009-03-30T13:44:00.005-05:00

My family participated in Earth hour this past Saturday night. It wasn't exactly like I'd pictured: it was too cold and windy to sit outside and look at the stars and I didn't talk to Lucy about it that night-- she was already asleep.

It was still enjoyable though. I turned out the lights just before sitting down to dinner with my Mom, brother and sister-in-law. My mom was slightly cranky about serving dinner in the dark, but we all enjoyed our candlelit meal. My brother even noticed that we all spoke more quietly in the dark too. Interesting.
After a brief break with lights to clear the table and wash dishes, we went back to candles for the rest of the evening and had some great family conversation. No lights, no TV, no music. very nice.

And, I did talk to Lucy about Earth hour the next morning. We talked about how we had turned off all the lights to help take better care of the Earth. She and I discussed all of the things we can do to use less power: turning off the tv and lights when we aren't using them, keeping the refrigerator door closed, washing only full loads of clothes and dishes, etc. Mission accomplished.

See video of Earth Hour 2009 in the Americas.

Turn off your lights for Earth Hour: March 28

2009-03-24T11:32:00.004-05:00

Here's an easy way to be a little greener and start some dialogue with your family about being a little nicer to the earth:

Sign up and participate in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28th, at 8:30pm. Just turn out the lights, turn off the TV, computer, etc. Use candles (safely, please) or flashlights.

Or do like I plan to: sit outside and enjoy the quiet and the stars (if you are lucky enough to see any).

Check out this cool video about Earth Hour and Turn Off this Saturday at 8:30pm!

Garden Goodness Veggie Chick'n Breasts

2009-03-23T21:35:00.000-05:00

Vegetarian or not, these veggie Chick'n breasts should be on your shopping list!

They taste great (even have a chicken-like texture) and are easy and quick to prepare. At less than $2 per serving they are easy on the wallet and with only 3 grams of fat/160 calories/26 grams of protein, they are very easy on the diet! (only 3 ww points)

I found them under the Garden Goodness label at Costco. They come in a box with six individually wrapped breasts for under $10 ($9.xx) and cook in less than 2 minutes in the microwave (even a 2 year old can wait that long). They have a tomato Tuscan marinade and are great with noodles, rice or on a salad. (Okay, and we have them mac and cheese frequently too.)

Made with Gardein (a trademarked vegetable protein), you can find similar products at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's if you are lucky enough to have one nearby. Apparently the Morningstar Farms Meal Starter Chick'n Strips are made with the same stuff-- I knew I liked these.

Like doing laundry when you run out of socks, I time my Costco trips based on when I run out of Garden Goodness Veggie Chick'n Breasts-- that or dog food.

Enjoy!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2009-03-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

Pick your eco reason for making your own laundry detergent. It is ecologically friendly in that it doesn't have all of the petrochemicals and additives (fragrance and dye) found in commercial detergents. And, costing only pennies per load, it is very economically friendly.

I have been making this laundry detergent for almost a year and love it. I got it from a mom on a local forum and have seen several variations on other websites.

Here is the recipe that I use:

Homemade Laundry Detergent
1/3 bar of Zote or Fels Naptha Laundry Soap, grated
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda
a 2 gallon or larger bucket

In a large pot, heat 2 quarts (8 cups) of water and add soap flakes, stirring until they dissolve. Stir in washing soda and Borax until they're dissolved too. Transfer to the bucket and add another 1-1/2 gallons of water and stir thoroughly. Let sit overnight and it will gel (to an egg drop soup consistency). Transfer to empty detergent jugs or leave in bucket and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
Use 1/2 cup per load -- slightly more for heavy soil.

Tips:

Zote/Fels Naptha and Borax can be found in the laundry aisle at most grocery stores. I had to look for the washing soda, but found it at Kroger. Note that this is washing soda, not baking soda. Washing soda is sodium carbonate where baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.
Both Borax and washing soda are great non-toxic cleaners that you can use all over the house and garage.
I double this recipe each time.
You can one whole bar of Ivory soap instead of 1/3 bar of Zote or Fels Naptha.
I use a plastic 28lb. cat litter bucket that I got from my mom. It has a nice fitting lid, and is a good way to recycle/reuse the bucket. I don't bother transferring to other containers-- I just keep the large bucket on top of the dryer and scoop directly out of it.
Put some detergent in a spray bottle and use to pre-treat stains.
Please note that this is a non-sudsing soap. You won't see bubbles, but it does get your clothes clean.
For an extra brightener, use 1/2 cup peroxide.
In lieu of fabric softenenr, add 1/2 cup baking soda or 1 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Happy cleaning!

Eat and Be Green!

2009-03-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

I have been a vegetarian for 10+ years (quit eating red meat 22 years ago) and have been "green" since before that term was coined. I don't claim to be perfect at either. I am not vegan- I eat dairy, eggs and cheese and even eat sushi every once in a while. (So, for those of you who want to get technical about it, I am a pescetarian. ) And, I have recycled since long before there was curbside recycling pick up, but I do love Sonic drinks which come in evil styrofoam cups.

I took the "what kind of shoe defines you" quiz on facebook today and the result was this:
You are defined by KEENs
To you are more concerned with global warming and not leaving a carbon footprint than wearing the latest trends. You understand some species are becoming extinct faster than designers change their lines each season. You are a voice for the environment and world we live in, you are a micro-super hero!

My first thought was, "Yeah, but..."
Yeah, but KEEN doesn't make vegan shoes, and I don't buy leather. And, yeah, but I do like cute strappy heels too.
Turns out KEEN does have one style of vegan shoe (they're men's) but no strappy heels. KEENs probably do define me better than high heeled sandals though. As a friend says, "I am about half crunchy." Maybe more than half.

So, in this blog, I will share things from my crunchy side. Look for green and veggie tips, recipes, favorite products, etc.