The Green Phone Booth

Going Green...Facebook Style!

2012-02-01T23:59:00.000-08:00

Depending on where you live, sometimes the best green community you can find will be online. Yes, it is all too easy to waste time reading tweets and status updates. But if you live in a green desert (such as *cough, cough* Mississippi), sometimes tools like Facebook are the most effective community to be found. On Facebook I can ask for advice or read statuses and messages to discover:

1. Which vendor at the farmer's market is running a special on no-spray blueberries.

2. Who has an extra potty seat that they are giving away.

3. Where the municipal glass recycling facility has moved to. (That's right. My city won't tell me, but Facebook will!)

4. When my local used children's clothing store is having a big sale.

5. Who has a great homemade holiday gift idea.

...and much more!

The Kelly Green Giant wants to know - how does Facebook strengthen your green community?

Wordless Wednesday - No Coat Required - With Linky!

2012-02-01T01:43:00.000-08:00

From Emerald Apron's Sandbox

It has been incredibly warm for winter in Connecticut! We've been soaking it up, so there's no time to write a post. Please link up your Wordless Wednesday if you have one on your own blog!

Green Frustration

2012-01-31T18:47:00.000-08:00

As you may already know, I live in a small rural town in Oklahoma. Our town got single-stream curbside recycling a few months ago, as you can guess I was so excited.

Now fast forward a few months and while I still get excited every week when I put my bins out, I'm also frustrated. See, each trash morning I look around my neighborhood and see a tiny handful of people have their bins out and even those that do have very little in them, but their trash cans are full. This makes me sad.

Tomorrow morning is our trash day and while trash cans are slowly making their way out tonight I counted only 5 bins out on two blocks and this is an improvement. From what I have heard around town I think people are still confused about the new trash system and that more education is needed. I do plan to bring this up at the next local recycling coalition (which I'm a member of) meeting.

My other frustration this week is the fact that a neighbor has fluorescent tubes sitting in their trash can. I don't know if I should go get them out or leave them. The house is up for sale so the owners are never there so I can't talk to them about it. There seems to be a fine line between being a good citizen and getting into other people's business. Around here the line is even finer.

So do you ever have green frustrations like this? If so, what do you do about them?

The Muppets, Environmental Literacy, and Brainwashing

2012-01-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

A suburban greenmom spends too much time on Facebook when she should be studying...

Okay, you may have seen this one: it's been making the rounds. Apparently Fox Business News got themselves all worked up about how the Liberal Hollywood Machine is trying to brainwash our kids by making movies with the rich oil baron as the Bad Guy. Because, actually, you know, he's supposed to be a role model for American children. And the oil companies are, like, you know, good guys.

Here's what Kermit and Miss Piggy had to say about that:

What I find particularly interesting is this other headline I discovered today:

How Oil Money is Corrupting Our Children's Education

So while Fox is screeching about "Why can't those liberals leave our children alone?"--anti-climate-change-science groups are pushing for legislation to mandate denial being taught in our schools.

So really, what the fight seems to be about is who gets to brainwash our kids.

Hmmm.

Pimp my pooch

2012-01-28T04:50:00.000-08:00

In which Going Green Mama inevitably ticks off a pet owner.

Growing up, I always considered my dog part of our family. And she thought she was people too.

Today, it's taken to a whole new level.

Our pampering and giving ourselves what we "deserve" doesn't stop with us. Our four-legged friends are getting better treatment than you'd believe. Manicures. Massages. Bling. Imported wool sweaters to keep them cozy. And being medicated with their own flat-screen TV to alleviate boredom while at doggie day care.

Spoiled pooches are nothing new. But I was shocked to read yesterday that pet owners spent $51 billion - yes, that's with a b - on pet stuff last year. That's far more than meals and a cozy bed or house to sleep in.

In fact, "That's more than they spent -- combined -- on movies ($18.5 billion), video games ($25 billion) and digital music ($5.2 billion)," the reporter wrote.

Have we lost so much of our senses and become so obsessed with crap that we need to overwhelm our pets as well? Where does it all stop?

What if we took one tenth of that excess and gave it to supportanimal shelters or programs to stop animal cruelty? Or heaven forbid, help people in a time where at least one in 10 of your neighbors is still out of work?

So today, I'm pitching an idea: Hold off on a tiny piece of excess. Maybe it's the designer doggie treats. Or a people treat if you're a non-pet owner. Take that $5, that $10, that $20 and use it instead to make a difference. Just imagine the impact we could make!

Readers: I'm challenging you to do this - and share how this little change helped our world!

Five Life Lessons I Learned From My Car

2012-01-27T00:31:00.000-08:00

From the bean of Green Bean

Back in September, I traded in my minivan for a Prius. Almost immediately, I went through withdrawals - as evidenced by this post. I missed the ability to schlep dozens of kids and some random piece of furniture picked up at a garage sale. I missed the cavernous interior which put the kids out of kicking the back seat and hitting each other range. Heck, it nearly put them out of ear shot which, depending on the day, was a good or bad thing.

A few months later and you couldn't pay me to get back in a minivan or SUV. My driving habits and outlook have done a 180. What follows are life lessons that I learned from driving a Prius:

1) Small Is Beautiful. Size does matter and bigger is not better. Bigger means less parking spaces and more dings and dents. It means that fire hydrant is closer when you are backing up. Smaller means I can squeeze in just about anywhere. I can have a meaningful conversation with my kids or ask them to do something with them actually hearing me. It means there is more space in the garage and that nothing goes to waste.

2) Life is a Journey. Not a Race. My Prius (and I believe most hybrids) has a handy monitor that continually displays miles per gallon (MPG) and whether you are in gas or electric mode. I confess that I used to gun it off the line and when getting on to the freeway. No more. I ease on the accelerator from stoplight or stop sign, watching just how much gasoline is being used. That may mean that I don't make it to the fast lane if I'm on a short freeway trip. That's cool. Life in the slow lane is sometimes more interesting anyway.

3) Silence Is Golden. At stoplights these days, I often look around. Who is making all the ruckus? Seriously. I'm over here enjoying a song on the radio or a conversation, cruising in electric mode. Which means I'm enjoying the peace and quiet.

5) Coast When You Can. Going up hill can burn some serious gas and, let's face, life throws us some hills now and then. So coast when you can. Take it easy, take your foot off the accelerator, and just cruise.

6) Try No to Lose Momentum. Sometimes, we hit road blocks in life and on the road. And, as we all know, once you've lost momentum, its hard to get up and moving again. Same goes for our cars so I hit the brakes way before a stop light and coast in, hoping it will change for me.

7) We All Are a Bit Granny, A Bit Race Car Driver. I take the straightaways at 25 and the curves at 30. I finally understand (kind of) hypermiling thanks to the MPG display. Just ease off the brakes and take that curve like a mad woman. You'll come out of it faster, with momentum, not gasoline, propelling you.

You Don't Need to Own a Hybrid To Learn These Lessons. Sure, the MPG monitor is super nifty. And I really think we'd all drive a lot more fuel efficiently if every car had one of these. Hypermiling, though, is something anyone can do as is coasting, taking it easy off the line, and just watching your foot on that accelerator. And size? After years of bigger, bigger, bigger, I think we are finally coming out the other side.

We only need what we actually need. What we'll use. Efficiency feels awesome!

* Note the "Best" MPG. Prius has this feature too so that those of us competitive sorts can compete with ourselves and trot our our numbers with other hybrid drivers. I do quite a bit of city driving and very little driving on the freeway, which results in a lower "best" MPG than the advertised 51 MPG. Still, much better than the 16 or so MPG I used to get from the ole van.
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Plastic-Lite Bread Storage Hack

2012-01-26T00:15:00.000-08:00

I started making my own whole wheat bread about a year ago.

At first, I stored my bread in plastic bags that I'd kept from store-bought bread. One of the benefits of homemade over store-bought is that you can use reusable rather than disposable packaging.

But I didn't like using the plastic bags. For one thing, they aren't really made for long-term use and aren't particularly durable. Also, it's actually a bit of work to undo a twist tie and untwist a plastic bag to take out the loaf so you can slice it. And then you have to put back the loaf, twist up the bag, and put on the twist tie again. So I started looking for a container. Eventually, my sister gave me a plastic CD container (#5 polypropylene) to store the bread in. It was the perfect size and the lid was easy to take on and off. I could easily do it one-handed.

But after a while, I started to wonder about the plastic. Almost all plastics have mysterious undisclosed additives Plus it seems like they are adding triclosan to all kinds of stuff these days. And my bread container wasn't even intended for food storage, so who knows what it had in it. So I started looking for alternatives, hopefully something plastic-free or almost plastic-free.

I checked out My Plastic-Free Life to see what solution Beth Terry had come with. She puts bread in a cloth bag and then puts the bag inside a metal popcorn tin. That's a great idea, and it's plastic-free, but way too cumbersome for someone slicing bread lots of times in a single day with hungry children waiting.

Ideally, I was looking for a glass or stainless steel container -- a plastic lid was fine with me. But no one seemed to make a container the right size. I thought about a steel bread box, but it seems they aren't air tight at all, and are more for looks (keeping all bread products neatly tucked away in their respective plastic bags) than for utility. Eventually, I found a glass container with plastic lid at our local container store that looked promising. Sadly, it was just a little too short to work.

I was feeling pretty stumped. I even asked the other Boothers for advice. And then one day, the solution just came to me.

Now I store my homemade bread on a wood cutting board with the old plastic CD container inverted on top of it. So I'm still using plastic, but the plastic isn't touching my bread at least. Not plastic-free, but perhaps we could say plastic-lite. When the loaf is partly used up, I'm able to turn the loaf cut-side down. This is not an airtight system, but it keeps out enough air to keep my bread fresh and yummy for nearly a week, which is as long as a loaf ever lasts at my house anyway.

P.S. I bake bread 4 loaves at a time. I freeze 3 of them.... in plastic bags. No solution in sight.

How do you store your homemade bread?

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Homemade VapoRub!

2012-01-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

Fromthe laundry basket of the Homegrown Mama

I just got yet another winter weather advisory on my phonethis afternoon. Yesterday, the forecast was for today to bepartly sunny and 46 degrees. The weather this winter has been all overthe place and yet my children have remained remarkably healthy. I'mready, though. Weather this warm tends to breed all sorts of illness andeveryday I hear about another one of my friends' children and respiratoryinfections, croup, and even pneumonia. This is the time of year that highdollar coupons for VicksVapoRub are in the newspaperon a weekly basis.

The ingredients in Vicks are as follows: Camphor 4.8%,Eucalyptus oil 1.2%, Menthol 2.6%, Cedarleaf oil, nutmeg oil, specialpetrolatum, thymol and turpentine oil. A lot of people in the motheringcommunities feel that this is a safe product and is relatively natural. Icannot get past the presence of petrolatum, or petroleum jelly.

Do you know what petroleum jelly is? It is simply asemi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons. It does not oxidize with exposure tothe air, and is not readily acted on by chemical reagents. It is insoluble inwater. It is soluble in chloroform, benzene, carbon disulphide and oil ofturpentine. Petroleum jelly is a byproduct of oil drilling. Oil drilling, you know, the kind of oil that winds up in gasoline. Nope. I'm not going to put a cousin of gasoline on my baby's skin.

Considering how absorptive our skin is and even more so ourchildren's tender skin, it's imperative that we are careful what we put on ourbodies. I made my own vapor rub cream using organic coconut oil andeucalyptus essential oil. Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature, soI measured out 2 Tablespoons and warmed it until it was a liquid in the microwave(about a minute and a half). Then, I added in 20 drops of the eucalyptusoil and mixed with a spoon. Once the mixture has returned to a solid, itsmears on the skin just like any other cream. When Liam had a nastysounding cold prior to Christmas, I put on his chest before bed and the nextmorning, all was well!

Not that I want to keep using this on a regular basis, butit's just nice to know that there is an alternative to the standard care forchest colds. When your kids are sick, what do you do?

Taking Money from the Enemy

2012-01-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

Non-profits often struggle for money, right now seems to be worse than ever, but should they take that funding from just anyone? What if the funding comes from a group that seems to be the enemy? Well, some groups seem to be looking the other way when it comes to the practices of the groups they are associating with.

This is not a new story, this has been happening for a long time. You have cancer organizations taking money from products that are linked to cancer, the Sierra Club has joined up with Clorox, and in my own town a cement plant is funding a green expo. This seems to be going on everywhere and the latest one to come to light is the National Wildlife Federation joining up with Scotts Miracle-Gro.

Yes a group that's mission is to stop climate change and "safeguarding America's wildlife and wild places" has teamed up with a corporation that makes billions of dollars a year selling pesticides and other chemicals, including Roundup, which is owned by Monsanto. How is this going to "safeguard" our "wildlife and wild places"?

So is what Scotts has to offer worth the price? According to Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of NWF, it is. He had this to say in a press release from Scotts.

"National Wildlife Federation and Scotts are committed to getting millions more children to play outdoors on a regular basis. This relationship is a win for American childhood, because together we will help families raise healthier and happier children who have a lifelong commitment to protecting wildlife and the natural world."

Sounds nice, I agree that kids should be outside more but do you want your kids playing in a yard that was sprayed with Roundup? And how can a company that makes products that harms wildlife and "the natural world" be committed to protecting it?

Let the National Wildlife Federation know how you feel about them teaming up with Scotts.

Call NWF at 1-800-822-9919, they are open M-F 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST
Post a comment on NWF's Facebook page
Leave a comment on their website
Tweet a message to @NWF

Update: NWF and Scotts are replying to posts on FB. Here is the NWF reply-

"I'm really sorry that you're disappointed with this. Please know this isn't an endorsement of all Scotts products, but an endorsements of environmentally sound products within the Scotts line to ensure the continued growth of their organization in a more environmentally friendly manner."

Scott's reply on one of the comments-
"I work for ScottsMiracle-Gro and can assure you that this partnership in no way means that NWF endorses our products. I can also tell you that we have no intention of influencing NWF’s Certified Wildlife Habitat program, which we greatly respect and support."

I feel people will take this as an endorsement and how can Scotts support something their products couldn't be apart of? Seems like a classic case of greenwashing to me.

Photo Credit: Valley_Photographs

Lentil Barley Risotto Recipe

2012-01-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

a suburban greenmom accidentally discovers an amazingly easy cheap delicious vegetarian dinner

Remember last week, when I put my desire to lose weight and eat better (no Slim-Fast shakes here!) out there in print, to keep myself a little more accountable?

Well...it's going fine so far. I've found myself craving big crunchy salads, eating less of everything but what I'm eating has a really high percentage of Good For My Body stuff, drinking tea by the liter. Gallon, practically. It's good. (Except that my body is telling me I need a little more animal protein; I'm starting to feel that "off" way I did when I was completely vegetarian for a few months. But I'll do it right.)

I'm in the middle of a nasty virus, and last night I totally didn't feel like cooking anything at all. But we were hungry. And Saturday night we'd caved and gotten Chinese (mostly because, diet or no diet, our local place has this amazing hot spicy noodle soup that hits the spot when I'm sick--clears my sinuses right out), so I didn't want to do crap again.

So I threw some things in a pot. And ignored them for 40 minutes. And dinner was amazing.

You gotta try this:

Lentil Barley Risotto/Soup

Saute a small onion and some garlic in a little olive oil
Add a few ribs chopped celery and a couple of chopped carrots, saute a little longer
Add a can diced tomatoes and 1 quart vegetable (or chicken) broth; bring to boil (Toss in a teaspoon or thyme or a bay leaf if you want.)
Throw in half a cup each pearl barley and rinsed green (or brown) lentils; bring back to boil (use less of each if you want a real "soup."
Lower heat to slow simmer.
Stir every so often to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom, over the next 40 minutes or so. (Stir more as it gets thicker and closer to done (you may want to lower heat even more).
Correct seasonings, add a little salt and pepper if it needs it, and serve with a little Parmesan if you want.

This was really good stuff. And crazy-cheap. Most people don't know that barley, like arborio rice, will give off its starch as it cooks and make a nice creamy risotto-like texture. And it made a lot, so I'm bringing it for lunches as well.

--Jenn the Greenmom

Cell plan searching

2012-01-21T05:26:00.000-08:00

In which Going Green Mama is breaking down and possibly getting a data plan...

My "dumb phone" is dying.

As it approaches its third year of life, my phone - which can barely receive my Twitter repsonses for my work account, let alone send photos or surf the web - is dying, making the sound of battery death more and more frequently and dropping off the the network completely. And my work duties really mean I should have a data plan. (I suspect, too, that my husband would like an upgrade too!)

And so we've started the hunt for a new smart phone.

My biggest issue about smart phones - other than the much higher costs - is that I'll likely use it far more frequently, and our exposure to radiation, however small, could be a concern. I realize that the jury may still be out on the link between cell phones and cancer, but I recognize that the device would be tucked in my pocket or purse for hours a day, and there's no harm in limiting risk.

So I checked out the Environmental Working Group's list of top 10 safest phones, which to my dismay wasn't updated since December 2010. Since new phones are released all the time, I'm surprised this hasn't been updated in more than a year. I was also able to find a list of smart phones (undated), which I may be able to cross-reference once I find a finalist or two from the functionality end.

With no clear answer on what my next phone will bring, how can I limit my exposure? The Environmental Working Group has some ideas:

Text instead of talk, as it emits less radiation (and data use).

Use headsets or speakers.

If you have fewer bars, limit your use, as it takes more radiation to make it to the tower!

Limit children's cell phone use - ideally to emergencies only. Is Angry Birds really worth it?

Giving Up Kraft Dinner: Life Change Check-In

2012-01-20T00:30:00.000-08:00

From her Canadian perch on the Atlantic coast... EcoYogini

Two weeks ago Andrew and I decided that instead of the typical "New Year's Resolutions" that always make me feel guilty and inevitably fail (mostly because I forget about them), we carved out one small lifestyle change (and I art-ed about a few Life Journey stuffs I wanted to realize).

Pre-made meals (such as zoodles, Kraft Dinner, frozen pizza) only ONCE a week.

Previous to that we were averaging about four of these bad boys a week, and my dry compost pile (and ridiculous amount of gross preservatives and unhealthy nutrition) was piling up. It was just so much easier to have a meal in 10 minutes (KD) than 45min. That and a few other obstacles (check out the post for details) meant it felt like a daunting task.

Surprisingly, these past two weeks have been a fabulous success! We stuck to our 1 pre-made meal (ordered pizza on Sunday) and we've survived. A few things that I feel have helped so far:

Sitting and chatting about this life change together. Sometimes I get excited and make all these changes or plans without consulting Andrew. As a result, they often feel like "my" goals or plans, placing the onus solely on myself. I feel burdened, stressed and guilty and ultimately it fails. This time we sat down around coffee (fair trade organic!), chatted about what we'd BOTH like to change and made a decision together.
Meal planning. So far each Sunday we've sat down and planned what we'd like to eat for the week. Then (after some coffee) we head out to the market and grocery store to purchase what we need.
Choosing some easy meals and some more involved meals. Tonight we had chicken quesadillas. Easy peasy that I used to make during my undergrad.
We make our meals together. I can't emphasize enough how much easier cooking healthier meals can be when I have a cooking partner. We both take on important roles and do our fair share of the work. Then we thank each other for the lovely meal. :)

It went well enough that I thought I'd share one of my favourite recipes of this week with you!

EcoYogini's Ginger Beef (modified from Chef Michael Smith's "Chef at Home" recipe)

Ingredients:
cubed beef (if you can find grass fed beef that would be ideal- confession, we didn't...:S)
1 knob of ginger, thinly sliced
1 cup of organic beef broth (or broth you made yourself! we are not that crafty yet, small steps!)
1 jar of orange marmalade (again, if you made this yourself that is seriously fab)
1 cup of orange juice
1 tbsp of 5 spice powder
1 clove of garlic, chopped.
Kosher salt

Prior to searing, salt the beef (Andrew used Kosher salt). In a large-ish pot (we used our awesome Green Pan dutch oven-y thingy), heat the pan and using tongs sear the beef (Andrew flips them once to sear two sides: "It's a lot of beef").
Take the beef out and put it aside.
Add the ginger with the beef juices (ick) until it softens, then add the garlic.
Re-insert the beef and add the liquids (and marmalade and the spice powder).

Put on a tight fitting lid and let simmer for about an hour.

Serve with rice and veggies of choice! It tastes so deliciously like yummy spicy citrus. We had enough left over for my lunch today as well. Here's to hoping this meal planning, sans boxed healthy eating lasts past the one month mark!

Why Backyard Chickens are Good for the Earth

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Kelly Green Giant has a fairly brownish thumb, but she knows how to raise little boys, rosemary plants, and backyard chickens.

When I found out that I was going to need a risky brain surgery early this summer, I asked my husband if we could get chickens if I made it through the surgery. Needless to say, he couldn't really say no to my poultry desires, and we have been enjoying our seven Easter Egger chickens ever since. Any day now, they should begin laying multi-colored pastel eggs. In addition to being fun, they are also good for the environment. Why?

1. Chickens can eat a lot of food scraps and food that would otherwise be wasted.

I sure don’t want to eat my son’s soggy Corn Chex soaked in almond milk – but my chickens love it! They also love food that falls on the floor, peel from fresh produce, grapes that have gone just slightly too mushy but not yet bad, and so much more. With the exception of a few things (citrus fruits, raw potato peels, avocados), chickens will eat just about any kitchen scrap you can spare.

2. Chickens make their own compost!

After chickens eat all that delicious food, they make lots of great compost. Don’t apply chicken poop directly on your garden beds, though, because it is a little too potent. Put it in your compost pile, let the compost pile work its magic for a few months, and then shovel it onto whatever garden bed needs some serious nutrient enrichment.

3. Backyard chickens create high-quality, complete protein that is about as local as it gets.

Eating local food, and especially producing your own food, is great for the environment, because it takes much less energy to transport the food from its origins to your plate. And even if you don’t have a green thumb or don’t have enough sunshine for a successful vegetable garden, you can easily produce a lot of eggs and trade with your friends and neighbors!

What are you producing in your backyard?

Changing for Climate Change

2012-01-18T00:31:00.000-08:00

The topic for this month's Green Moms Carnival is Climate Change Resolutions. A topic that is so big and overwhelming and yet so very very urgent. Many consider it the defining issue of our time and yet every one approaches it in a different way.

Some of the Booth bloggers are targeting food as a way to lessen their impact on Climate Change. Retro Housewife Goes Green has resolved to reduce food waste and, both she and Eco-Novice, plan to make more food from scratch this year.

Eco-Novice and Emerald Apron both take aim at energy use. Emerald Apron resolves to line dry some laundry this year, as she and her family have been making excuses about using the dryer for a long time. Similarly, Eco-Novice swears to turn off the power strips at night - something she's been meaning to do for years.

The HomeGrown Mama plans to "get her act together" and remember her reusable grocery bags. That, of course, might mean that she does not attempt to grocery shop with two children, sale flyers and coupons.

Green Bean resolves to move beyond personal environmentalism to activism - whether on the city level, at a Keystone Pipeline action or even just talking more about Climate Change amongst those in her personal circle.

What actions do you intend to take this year to address Climate Change? To read what the women of the Green Moms Carnival are doing, check out Strocel.com on January 23.

Healthier Banana Bread

2012-01-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

It's the first of the year so most of us are most likely trying to eat a bit healthier. This banana bread still has a fair amount of sugar but calls for sucanat which is an unrefined sugar that is better for us and whole wheat flour instead of white flour. It's very quick and easy and very yummy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sucanat (could cut this a bit and/or replace some with honey)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 medium ripe bananas (1-2 cups mashed)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup hot water

Direction

Mix the melted butter, sugar, mashed bananas and eggs very well.
In a separate bowl, stir together flours, salt, and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to banana mixture, alternately with hot water.
Oil the pan.
Scoop the batter into the pan.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Test with a toothpick (or cake tester) to make to make sure it’s done.

(The picture is old, I no longer use any non-stick pans. :) )

Eco-conscious weight loss?

2012-01-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

a suburban greenmom decides it's time to lose the baby weight from her last pregnancy 6 years ago...

Okay, it’s time.

I went to see the doctor about how my “sprained” ankle fromalmost 2 months ago is still painful at certain angles, got an order for an x-ray, and we of course talkedabout my general health and some other little issues. And she gently mentioned that a lot of things mightoverall improve for me if I lost a little weight.

Crud.

She’s right, of course—I’m about 30 lbs overweight, havingslowly put it on a few pounds at a time over the last couple of decades. There was the high-stress, no-time-to-cookjob at age 30, then the first baby, then the second baby, then the high-stress,no-time-to-eat-right working mom stuff I’ve been in for the past 9 years or so.I’m happy with myself, I don’t hate my body, my husband still thinks I'm gorgeous and sexy, and I don’t think my worth as a humanbeing will be increased if I get rid of my belly bulge and amply paddedderriere. But…

My ankles hurt when I get up in the mornings and try towalk. I get headaches. I get winded if I try to run for trains,something that happens fairly often given that the North line has a habit ofperpetually being 4 minutes late, while the West line to which I need totransfer always departs on the dot, and I keep missing my train. I just plaindon’t feel as well. And I remember last time when I did successfully lose about 10 lbs., pretty much all of that went away.

So…for the first time in years, I am about to make a concertedeffort not to just reduce portion size, eat only good healthy foods, only eat when I’mhungry and pay attention to cues, all the other stuff I have done from time totime—no, I’m going to try to actually Lose Weight. And so is my husband. Godhelp him.

Crud.

I know the basics of how it should work—more veggies, morefresh produce, less processed food (which I eat very little of anyway), less white flours and sugars (which I eat a lot of). Avoid fastfood like the plague unless I buy already prepared really healthy stuff. Greensmoothies. Fruit. Fewer grains, all of them whole.

The hard part is that at the same time as I want to do this, I’malso dealing with a) an insane schedule (no time to exercise beyond the 2-ishmiles I do 5 days a week between trains and school) and one less income in thehouse than we used to have. Options for heading over to the local Whole Foodsto buy a salad for lunch are a little less practical given that our income hasdropped by about 35%. That $1.49 bagel looks really good at that point. I pretty much don’t ever eat conventional produce any more, and buying organic saladfood daily is going to break the bank if I try it.

So what do I do?

I have a few ideas, and I seriously hope y’all Boothers willbe kind enough to offer a few more if you have ever been here. For one thing,homemade soups will be staples of my life (and my husband's, God help him) forthe next few months. Those I can make flavorful, veggieful, and low-cal ingreat quantity and enjoy them without feeling deprived.

I’ll alter our favorite cheap-feed-a-family pasta night (a bagof pasta is $1 and a jar of sauce that lasts 2 weeks is $4—beat that!) by sautéinga bunch of vegetables like peppers, onions, spinach, and shrooms in the sauce and halving the amount ofpasta I eat. My husband (God help him) will by default do the same.

I may shift my breakfast-lunch habits a bit and maybe have aprotein-y egg for breakfast and oatmeal and fruit brought from home for lunch—oatmealis way filling and I can cook it in our office microwave. (I have mentionedbefore that Idon’t really much like breakfast.) Since I don’t have time during theschool day to go buy anything most days, and since I’m too broke to afford itanyway, that’s an area where the frugality could be a big win.

Of course the biggie is portion control, always a tough onefor me. And there also frugality should help…because, duh, we’ll have to buyless. Although my husband (God help me) is really difficult to convince on thatfront, and I have a hard time controlling minewhen he doesn’t want to control his. He views deprivation of any kind as a hugepersonal insult, so that part may be tough.

So…anyone have any tips or hints for this? Aside from thewhole “eat food not too much mostly plants” and “don’t say you won’t eat any ofthis because then you’ll crave it more” and standard stuff we already know?

What does a greenweight loss plan look like?

--Jenn the Greenmom

Circle of Friends

2012-01-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

When I first began my eco-journey, I was certain I was alone. After all, I had grown up in a home with cloth napkins, homemade bread, line-dried laundry and almost no processed foods with no friends like me. I had heard my mother complain how difficult it is to be different. I knew first hand how many conversations can go awry when someone doesn't understand your need to eat locally produced foods. Since I knew that no one in my immediate circle of friends was going to want to spend time discussing pesticides in conventionally produced foods, I turned to the internet.

Through the internet and the wonderful world of blogging, I've made friends, learned new skills and am now actually becoming connected with other mothers who as I've started to talk and ask questions I've found are actually from the same town as I am! Can I just say how refreshing it is to actually be able to sit down and have a cup of coffee with another mom who is on a mission to improve their family's life? Finding these real life friends is akin to that first bunch of asparagus from the Spring farmer's market for me. Thank goodness for Facebook, right?

In the meantime, if you're waiting for your new eco best friend to show up, here are a few places I like to frequent for reference, answers and support:

http://www.thecrunchychicken.com/
http://naturemoms.com/blog/ (bonus for me: this blog is written by a mom in Ohio)
http://www.mothering.com/
http://www.treehugger.com/
http://sarasnow.com/
http://healthychild.org/
http://www.grist.org/
http://www.localharvest.org/
And, of course, the Green Phone Booth and all the wonderful Eco-Super Heroes personal sites!

I call it "finding your tribe". It may take a while to locate people that you can feel a kinship with while you are making changes in your life. But once you make those connections, either online or in person, they can be life changing. I'm on the fence about whether or not to make the switch to cloth for my bathroom needs. In the last month, I've found 3 women in town who use cloth either in place of toilet paper, menstrual pads or a combination. Knowing them and being able to bounce logistical questions off their experiences may just be that last push I need to add more cloth to my home!

No winter blahs in this garden!

2012-01-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

From the garden of Truffula, who might or might not admit that she planted new seeds just last week.

Despite what the calendar year tells me, my "new year" felt like it began back in October. After the summer harvest, my attention turned to starting over. My lofty goal: to make our property more productive. Here's a progress report:

Step #1 = Construction of berms and swales, the planning of which began back in July, and for which the supply-gathering happened in September.

I'd thought about where to site the swales, but before we dug anything out, I had to determine the yard's contours, and mark them. I identified the contours with little A-frame which Mr. Truffula made me from scrap wood.

Bricks, rocks, and stray mugs were all pressed into service as swale and berm markers

Our soil is hard clay... Mr. Truffula's muscles came to the rescue, which made the excavation process zip right along. Otherwise, I'd probably still be at it, hopping ineffectively on the shovel in vain effort to drive it into the ground. As he turned the soil and sod from the swales onto the berm area, I placed those clods into the position I wanted. I leveled out the top into a sort of plateau.

Next, it was sandwiching time! I soaked newspaper in rain barrel water. I then covered each berm with generous, overlapping layers of paper. The wet paper went down with satisfying plops!

I covered the newspaper with several inches of composted manure. Another layer of wet paper went down on top of that. This second installment of paper likewise received a few inches of manure on it.

Finally, I covered the finished mounds with a nice dose of straw. The straw had gotten rained on (torrentially!) right after I got it home. That actually made it easier to slap onto the sides of the berms.

A "cut-away" of my berm construction = soil + manure + newspaper + manure + straw

Coarse wood chips went into the swales. (In the future, I hope to inoculate the chips with mushroom spore.)

I intended to allow the berms to rest over the winter. But, I visited a friend doing a similar project in her yard, and saw her adorable kale and arugula seedlings coming up, I had to follow suit.

Step #2 = Low tunnel construction

I moved on to my next research project: figuring out my season extension. I immersed myself in Eliot Coleman's books, the finer points of floating row cover, and the how-to's of making low tunnels (or hoop houses).

In the end, I bought Agribon-19, a fairly light-weight fabric. Coleman points out that you want light, air, and moisture to pass through your row cover,and that it is the soil which stores the heat in those chilly times. That made me decide against heavier fabrics. They would have afforded a few degrees more of frost protection, but have blocked out more light from getting to the soil and warming it.

My frugal inner gardener also debated whether I should install row cover alone, plastic sheeting alone, or a combination of both. Coleman convinced me to try one low tunnel of row cover only, and one combined one.

The hoops for the tunnel are 10-foot lengths of 1/2-inch metal electrical conduit. A friend has this hoop bender, and Mr. Truffula and I used it to create hoops.

There are a few options for setting up the hoops. I put them directly into the soil, sinking them in as far as the clay would allow (read: a few more inches in would have been helpful).

We did the hoopin' last week -- it was a family affair, with all TruffulaBoyz and TruffulaParents on deck. Of course, we did this on what was until then the coldest day of the season. It was also windy, requiring choreography to avoid a full sail imitation on the part of the plastic sheeting. The bad part of this weather situation was that our hands so became so chilly that we could hardly move them. The good part was that we could immediately feel the difference provided by the sheeting + row cover combo on the second tunnel. It felt downright balmy in there as soon as body parts were out of the wind, and benefiting from the passive solar heating.

My finished low tunnels.
The left one has only row cover on it. The right one has plastic sheeting with an inner row cover layer.

I'm using a combination of clips and double-bagged rocks to keep the row cover in place on the fabric-only tunnel. I'm especially pleased with those bags! I repurposed newspaper sleeves, and in the summer, it will be fun to look at the ones with Christmas ads on them. The rocks are ones I fished out of the soil as I was working with it. I'm so happy to put them to beneficial use!

So far, the plastic sheeting is staying in place just from the tension I put at either end of the tunnel. I gathered the plastic, tied twine around it, and attached it to a stake.

Sorry, I could not resist showing off my precious kale seedlings... aren't they cute?! Ideally, they would have been near maturity before the short winter days kicked in. Nevertheless, they are holding their own, and some will find their way into the pot very soon as thinnings.

Book Review -- Plastic: A Toxic Love Story

2012-01-12T00:15:00.000-08:00

Eco-novice gets educated.

Interested in learning more about plastics?

Pick up a copy of Plastic: A Toxic Love Story.

I checked out a copy from the library a few months ago and was planning to mostly browse the book (I mean, how much does anybody really want to read about plastics, for heaven's sake?). But I ended up reading almost all of the chapters in their entirety. Through the lens of iconic plastic products (the Bic lighter, the frisbee, blood bags, plastic beverage bottles, plastic bags, etc.), each chapter explores the history and issues surrounding a certain aspect of plastics. I found the chapters on plastics in humans, plastic in the oceans and the rise of disposable products, and plastics recycling especially interesting. A few favorite passages from the book:

Almost invariably, when an epidemiological study reports a risk associated with phthalates, the group [the American Chemistry Council] counters with a press release pointing out that the study shows a correlation only, not proof of a causal effect. Which is true – that’s precisely what epidemiological studies do. Still, the correlations highlighted by epidemiological studies have long been the gold standard for assessing risks to public health. The insistent focus on the flaws of each individual study ignores – and obscures—how each may be contributing to an increasingly disturbing body of evidence. . . It’s a strategy taken straight from the tobacco industry.

[M]ost worrisome of all is plastic pollution of the oceans…One expert estimated as much as 1.6 billion pounds of plastics ends up in the oceans each year…A key question researchers are now asking is whether that plastic – and the toxins it can carry – is getting into the food chain. Is our plastic trash winding up back on our dinner plates?

Initially, [disposable] products were a tough sell – at least to the generation that had come up through the Depression…The ethos of reuse was so deeply ingrained that in the mid-1950s when vending machines began dispensing coffee in plastic cups, people saved and reused them. They had to learn—and be taught – to throw away…We learned to throw away so well that today half of all plastics produced go into single-use applications.

For much of the United States’ history, Americans produced relatively little trash. Packaging, now one of the largest portions of the waste stream, scarcely existed. Most food and goods were sold in bulk…Reuse was a daily habit. Women cooked food scraps into soup and fed leftovers to the pigs and chickens most households kept. Old clothes were mended, disassembled for rags, or made into new outfits. Broken objects were repaired, dismantled for their parts, or sold to itinerant peddlers, who in turn broke them down and sold the metals, glass, rags, leather, and other materials back to industry…Things that could not be used in any way were burned [for heat, cooking fuel]. ..These kinds of informal recycling systems began to fade in the early twentieth century…the products and materials entering American lives increasingly had just one final destination: the garbage can. Waste was no longer a source of potential value or opportunity; it was a problem.

[T]he greening of Plasticville will require more than just technological fixes. It also requires us to address the careless, and sometimes ravenous, habits of consumption that were enabled by the arrival of plastic and plastic money…It means grappling with what historian Jeffrey Meikle called our ‘inflationary culture,’ one in which we invest ever more of our psychological well-being in acquiring things while also considering them of such low value ‘as to encourage their displacement, their disposal, their quick and total consumption.’

If you haven't got the time or inclination to read an entire book on the history of plastics, try watching the documentary Bag It. I watched it after reading Plastic: A Toxic Love Story, and found that it covered many of the same topics, although with less depth of course. For practical tips on how to eliminate and replace plastic products, stay tuned for the soon-to-be-released book Plastic Free by Beth Terry of My Plastic-Free Life.

I'll close with a quote about plastics (found in Plastic: A Toxic Love Story) from Joel Tickner, associate professor of environmental health at the University of Massachusetts:

"I’d rather change the rules so people don’t have to worry about this [toxins in plastics] than spend all my time worrying about it.” Joel Tickner, assoc. professor of env. Health at U. of mass.

In light of that sentiment, if you haven't already, please sign and share this petition asking Congress for desperately-needed toxic chemical reform. And maybe someday, we'll all be able to spend less time worrying about plastic.

A virtual playdate with the Homegrown Mama

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

From the laundry basket of the Homegrown Mama...

Hello! I'm so excited to be sharing my journey to sustainability from the trenches of motherhood in Ohio! As a long time reader of The Green Phone Booth, I cannot tell you how much fun it is to don my own cape and participate with everyone!

I grew up in a home that was eco-friendly in the sense that it's often the most frugal lifestyle. I often laugh that we didn't use paper towels until I was in high school! I have a Bachelor of Science in Biology and after my graduation from college, I became a Biologist for the Toxicology department at a contract research lab. Many of the studies I worked on required that Tyvek suits and respirators be worn at all times. At some point during the first year of my employment, I experienced health problems and became curious about the studies I was working on and a possible connection to my health. What resulted was an intense desire to rid my home of chemicals and a personal need to become less reliant on conventional products.

So now, here I am, 5 years and 2 kids later. My determination is to live a natural life. This desire for a life that is as free from waste and toxins as possible is fueled by my hope to make sure my children get the benefit of a healthy childhood to be the cornerstone for their amazing lives. We cook from scratch and cloth diaper. We play outside and are a little antsy to get our garden started. We live the way we do because my husband and I truly believe it's better. Not better in the I'm-awesome-and-you're-not-sense, but better for our lives, or children and our world. And if I'm really being honest, I like living this way!

This year, I'm working my way through a list of Eco-wishes:

Plant our garden! I'd like to produce a sizable amount of our food both for consumption and preservation, so I'm working on plans and writing out my seed orders. Since I am hoping to keep the garden producing up to the last frost, I'm going to have to learn a little bit about succession planting, too!
What we don't produce in the garden, I hope to find from local sources. Sometimes, it takes some work, but I love knowing that the food on my table was produced within an hour of our home!
Host another Low Impact (First) Birthday for my daughter in April. We will be hosting it at the local Children's Museum, so I will have to plan ahead since everything will have to be transported to the site.
Successfully switch our food storage over to glass or stainless steel. This includes the containers for my freezer cooking and the kids' dinnerware.
Since we moved to this house, there's been no landscaping and I hope to plant some native shrubs and ground cover in addition to some fruit trees!
And finally, starting this spring, I plan to line dry all our laundry (with the exception of disaster laundry loads or laundry that gets caught in a rainstorm). Last summer, I only used the dryer 5 times in the month of August (considering that I do roughly 7 loads of laundry a week, this was huge) and the impact on our electric bill was significant enough that even though I had been running the stove daily for canning and we had fans and the air conditioner running due to the miserable heat, our bill only went up 2 dollars!

This year, I'll be checking in with you twice a month with my updates on the garden, new ideas for our natural homes and hopefully have some posts that give you a new or interesting perspective on our everyday lives!

Eco-Friendly Organizing

2012-01-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

I've been on an organizing kick and thought with it being a new year there are likely a lot of you out there on the same kick. I have been finding if you read organizing blogs, magazines and such you will find lots of plastic products, which is not the greenest way to organize. So what do those of us trying to be green do to get our houses organized? Here are a few tips.

Purge! Most of us have way more stuff than we need, so the first step should be to try and get rid of things you aren't using. If you can donate the items, if not see if you can recycle them.
Clean and organize before buying boxes and things, this way you know what you need.
Use what you have. Look around for boxes and baskets you already have that can be used to organize.
Go DIY. Pinterest has all kinds of ideas for ways to make cute organizers out of things from your recycling bin. Just search around there and Google and you are sure to find some great ideas. For example cereal boxes can be cut and wrapped in pretty paper to make a magazine holder.
If you have to buy look for good quality containers made from greener materials like natural fiber baskets, bamboo, eco-friendly wood, or at least stainless steel or recycled plastic.

So what are your green organizing tips? Have you found any good eco-friendly organizing products, if so share below.

But the bushes say spring...Enjoying our "winter" weather in the garden

2012-01-07T04:02:00.000-08:00

Going Green Mama is itching to get dirty today.

Fifty-eight degrees, Indiana and January. Typically, the only way those words are thrown together in the same sentence are "I hate January in Indiana and want to go __where it's 58 degrees."

But a fortunate blast of warm air has treated us in the last day or so, going from a week starting with frosted windshields and snow-dusted lawns to a welcoming weekend where I can actually comfortably let the kids play outside without too many arguments over clothing.

Heck, the blueberry bushes and trees even think it's spring. The tiniest of buds started displaying right around Christmas.

I'm sure soon enough we'll pay the price for unseasonably warm weather, but for now I'll take advantage of it with long walks, an afternoon at the park, and even some garden work that doesn't involve me longingly flipping through catalogs or marking my favorites on Pinterest.

Yes, I figure now's the time to start thinking about some early garden preparation. There are few things more disheartening than a few hours of garden cleanup when what you really want to do is plant those spring peas, so you might as well whittle away at that list now.

So what can you do on a mild January day in the Midwest? Here are a few ideas:

Make progress on your weeding. Those weeds are enjoying the springlike weather too!

Clean your garden bed if you haven't already. Unless it's a perennial plant, yank it up and compost (provided it's not diseased), or you've created a haven for pests.

Make sure your mulch is up to snuff for when the winter weather does strike. (If you've been slow to dispose of that Christmas tree, pine needles do work!)

Turn your compost pile, if you've been lazy about it during the hectic holiday season. (And make sure to keep it sponge-like damp if you're going through a dry stretch like we are!)

Plant bare-root trees or plants.

Consider trying to plant short-term winter crops, like spinach, bok choy, radishes, carrots or winter lettuces. That sprinkling of extra seeds could have some unanticipated payoffs!

Test your soil if you haven't done that in recent years, and add any amendments that you may need. (Compost is always welcome!)

As for me, while my children are racing around outdoors, I'll likely do some weeding, rework my compost pile that hasn't composted quite as well as I thought it should and probably tempt myself to plant some seeds, guaranteeing we'll soon get the first big snow of the year!

How is your weather? Are you taking advantage of warmer temperatures to get a head start on spring?

Bonjour from Canada! Why I'm an EcoYogini

2012-01-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

Brought to you from the snowy lands of Canadiana- EcoYogini

Hello! Bonjour! I am so excited to be writing to you all from my warm Canadian apartment as the snow gently falls outside my window. I've been a reader of The Green Phone Booth almost since I started blogging and I feel honoured to be sharing my "Eco Journey" amidst such fabulous Boothers and wonderful readers.

(On my dad's lobster boat this summer to watch the boat races. I love the Atlantic Ocean)

A tiny snippet of who I am: I'm an Acadian Speech-Language Pathologist (I work mostly in French with preschoolers) who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. My dad is a lobster fisherman, I'm married to a wonderful man and I have a weakness for sparkly things.

Recently I've had a few experiences that have made me pause and question why exactly I do all the little (and big!) things I do for our planet. You'd think that Yogis would be all a bunch of tree-hugging hippies.... but that is so far from the truth. When I first started reading blogs I was shocked at how many yogis would go on about ahimsa (non-harming) and all that woo-woo stuff then switch to all the pvc, disposable yoga-lifestyle crap they've purchased/used/want. Now with the Americanization of Yoga, I'm less surprised by all the "non-yogic" behaviours and wasteful habits that go along with the Industry Machine called Yoga.

However, just because I'm not longer shocked when a Lulu-lemming drinks her unethical, slave labour coffee out of a disposable cup while lounging in her Made in China Lululemon clothing and her PVC (or better yet, greenwashed "biodegradable") yoga mat, doesn't mean I've given up.

Yes the consumeristic industries that make up our lives may be too big for me to change alone. Yes Canada has had THE worst year yet for the environment under the ridiculously shameful reign of Stephen Harper (Kyoto what?). And yes it would be inappropriate for me to bully every single person I meet into being as eco-cool as we, us Eco-Peeps, are...

But then, cultural change never happens overnight eh? (I give you permission to superimpose a silly uber Canadian accent on that sentence, even though my accent is more "francophone" IRL :) ).

(Our matching foot wear: My rubber boots since it torrential downpoured and Andrew's purple socks!)

My husband and I do the "eco" things that we do because:

It's the cool thing to do and we are hip
I care about what toxins and chemicals that I put in my body. I've had too many family and friends get ill and/or die from cancer (or other illnesses) to be ok with pesticides in my food.
We're happier and healthier living this way.
It meshes with my spiritual and political ideals.
This is our One and Only Planet and we plan on having children one day. These children will need a safe, healthy and clean place to live. Why would we want to trash the only place that our future children could call home? I want them to enjoy clean and healthy forests, to be able to walk outside and breathe air freely, to not worry about skin cancer, unstable weather formations or where they can find clean drinking water or safe food.

Interestingly enough, despite the "environmentalists" sometimes getting a bad rap for being hardcore, intense and even "judge-y": we all come from a place of love (more foo-foo for ya). We do this because we love ourselves, our health, our children and our planet. And we Care.

So, Un Gros Gros Merci to The Green Phone Booth for welcoming me into their superhero fold and I look forward to all the eco-fun we're going to have over the upcoming months!

Safe Snacks for Kids

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

One of my greatest fears is that someone will give my child a goldfish cracker.

My son was recently diagnosed with a severe dairy allergy, and it really made me look much more closely at the food we eat. We were never big on fast food or processed food, but now we can't even stop for McDonald's french fries in a pinch - they are not dairy free. So many processed foods have tiny traces of dairy that could make my son very sick, in addition to having many ingredients that I can't even pronounce or recognize. Most loaves of bread in the grocery store have milk. Many brands of pretzels and crackers and chips and cookies have milk. Most jars of spaghetti sauce have - you guessed it - cheese! Margarine contains milk. Even many soy cheeses and yogurts include small amounts of dairy amongst their ingredients. So often, we may not even pay much attention to what is in our food until it really matters.

In many ways, I think that our departure from eating whole foods and from spending time outside in the sunshine has made us sicker. Incidence of food allergies is rising steeply, especially among children. In one interesting Australian study, food allergy rates are correlated with latitude, suggesting that increased sun exposure seems to have a protective effect against developing food allergies.

But besides spending more time out in the sunshine making vitamin D, and besides putting more whole foods in our bodies, how can we address the existing allergies? Most importantly, as a good rule of thumb, don't serve any food to any child without asking their parent first. If possible, avoid processed foods and serve either homemade treats, or serve the best snack of all - fresh fruits and vegetables, with a big glass of water.

My son's favorite dairy-free snacks include veggie chips with hummus, sesame blue corn chips with salsa, strawberry and blueberry shish-kabobs on toothpicks, homemade oatmeal-peanut butter cookies with vegan chocolate chips, and pasta with tomato sauce, which he would be happy to eat 24/7. However, many of these snacks wouldn't be safe for other food allergies.

What are your favorite allergy-safe snacks?

Book Review: Tractor Mac - Farmer's Market

2012-01-04T01:15:00.000-08:00

From Emerald Apron's Library

Tractor Mac is my son Joshua's favorite series of books, by far. "Read Tractor Mac!" is a common phrase heard in our home, and 21-month-old Joshua squeals with delight any time he spots a book with the friendly red tractor on the front. We received the first Tractor Mac book as a gift, and since then we have been growing our collection. It turns out that author and illustrator Billy Steers lives in our state of Connecticut and publishes the books independently under Tractor Mac, LLC. I love supporting a local author when I buy these books, too!

Tractor Mac Farmer's Market is by far my favorite book of the series (though Joshua seems to like them all equally). In this story, Tractor Mac and the other animals on the farm teach the pigs about good, healthy food and take them for a visit to the farmer's market. The farmer's market showcases all of the foods that are grown locally, and since the author is from Connecticut it includes all foods that are grown here. I literally was in tears when I finished reading this book to Joshua for the first time because it conveys messages that are so important to me: supporting local farmers and eating real, healthy food.

Tractor Mac Farmer's Market was written in partnership with Plow to Plate Initiative, which was founded in October 2006 by a chef and a pediatrician in partnersip with New Milford Hospital. Plow to Plate's mission is "To promote the joy, health and econommic well-being that comes from a community united in support of local farmers, who give us real food, harvested and sared with friends and families."

In addition to the story and beautiful, colorful illustrations, the book has recipes from a Chef Anne and the Plow to Plate Youth Chefs for sauteed kale, applesauce, Connecticut blueberry muffins and basil pesto. There is also a page from Dr. Diane and Dr. Evan about making healthy food choices like eating breakfast, opting for whole grains, eating a rainbow of color and choosing locally grown foods. Finally, there's a diagram of Farmer Bill, Tractor Mac's owner, with labels to his different important body systems and information on which foods to eat to keep them healthy, for example: "heart - red & purple fruits and veggies like red grapes, cherries, berries, plums. Lean meats, peas, beans, spinach & O.J. Exercise."

The other day one of my friends, who is mother to two tractor-loving boys, and I were discussing Tractor Mac. She told me about Tractor Mac's facebook page and that there is a real Tractor Mac, or really, a Farmall converted to look like him. Tractor Mac and author Billy Steers make appearances at different Connecticut agricultural fairs throughout the year, so I'm planning to take Joshua to meet them and get a book signed. You can also visit Tractor Mac on his website http://www.tractormac.com/.

Author Billy Steers dedicated Tractor Mac Farmer's Market "to stewards of the land and sea and tillers of the soil, past, present and future." I really just love this book and can see it being a part of our library for many years to come. I've already read it to Joshua twice today.

Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation for this review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Always Room for One More

2012-01-03T00:31:00.000-08:00

The Green Phone Booth is a funny place. It doesn't look that big on the outside but inside, it's like one of those Harry Potter tents. Roomy and spacious, cozy and welcoming and, here, there is always room for one more. Or, three more as 2012 would have it.

The Booth is thrilled to welcome the following new writers to our magical eco-tent this year:

EcoYogini

Fighting Climate Change from her Canadian perch, EcoYogini uses “Yoga Fire” and other such various moves to protect our planet. By day she's a Francophone Speech-Language Pathologist, but by night her Mudras emerge to reveal an apartment dwelling, lobster loving, Kick-Asana Eco-Heroine!

EcoYogini can be found in her favorite pose, here at the Booth, every other Friday. She posts regularly at her personal blog, EcoYogini.

Kelly Green Giant

The Kelly Green Giant seems somewhat normal on the surface, but underneath she is a bionic wonder of modern science. Her skull is held together with titanium screws put there by a neurosurgeon who tried to
fix her brain but couldn’t quite get all the green out. She spends her days chasing her preschool-age son and usually another boy or two she collects along the way, hanging loads of laundry on the clothesline,
feeding compost to her backyard chickens, taking every freelance writing opportunity that comes her way, and studying to be a nurse.

Kelly joined the Booth in mid-November and will be lighting up the Booth every other Thursday in 2012. She writes regularly at her personal blog, MissKellany.

The Homegrown Mama

By day she’s just another mom wiping noses, playing trains, changing diapers, and reading lots of stories. But during those precious moments when her children sleep, she’s researching and fighting; fighting for a world with fewer toxins at every turn. When the little ones awake, The Homegrown Mama teaches them to appreciate the world around them by getting out in nature and living. Together with her family, she strives to learn how to keep adding one more step toward sustainability, one local adventure at a time!

The Homegrown Mama dons her cap every other Wednesday here at the Booth or regularly at her personal blog, Pug in the Kitchen.

Please join us in welcoming these fabulous new women to the Green Phone Booth.

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-24T05:23:00.000-08:00

The Green Phone Booth is celebrating the 12 days of Christmas! We will resume posting in January.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The bloggers at the Green Phone Booth

12 Green Resolutions for 2012

2011-12-21T23:59:00.000-08:00

The Kelly Green Giant looks for greener pastures...

As the year draws to a close, I am thinking about the ways my family could possibly grow even greener in the year to come. We are pondering a few big changes to make, such as going to a cash-only budget and making a year-long pact to not purchase anything new (except food, medicine, and toiletries).

If you are feeling adventurous, for 2012, consider making 12 eco-resolutions. Each month, try on a different way of lowering your environmental impact. If it works, great! Keep it up and make it part of your family’s daily life beyond that month. If that particular resolution is a flop, never fear. There is always a new resolution to try on next month!

Here are a few eco-resolutions for your consideration. Some have already been a part of my family’s habits for years. Others we would like to try out this year.

1. Buy only used

My husband and I are thinking about making a pact to only buy used this year. We will make exceptions for food, medicine, and toiletries (and possibly for an occasional textbook that I can’t find used). But if we need clothing, household items, toys, and the like, we will look for them at yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment sales, or we will make do, or we will do without.

2. Plan a weekly menu around farmer’s market finds

Instead of thinking about looking for food at the farmer’s market that fits your menu plan, consider going to the farmer’s market, stocking up on local, seasonal produce, and then making a menu plan for the week to put that produce to its best use.

3. Stick to a strict cash budget

Spending less money is often better for the environment, since it means you are spending less money on things you don’t need. It is much easier to overspend on unnecessary purchases while using credit cards. We’re thinking of finally taking the plunge into a cash-only budget this year, after making excuses for a long time. Along the same vein, we are also considering implementing a day or two as spend-nothing or drive-nowhere days (unless, of course, there is an emergency need to do so).

4. Barter more

Instead of spending your hard-earned cash for things like yardwork or home repairs or house cleaning, if you have any marketable skills yourself, consider a trade. You fix your neighbor’s computer, and they install new weather stripping around your front door! I don’t have a lot of free time at the moment, and I don’t know my neighbors all that well, but I would love to make this happen more someday!

What are your eco-resolutions for the coming year?

DIY Green Wrapping

2011-12-20T15:04:00.000-08:00

We are dealing with a virus around here so thought I would share some quick tips today. This video has great green wrapping ideas for all those gifts you still are waiting to wrap.

I also share some ideas on my personal blog, Greener Holiday Gift Wrapping. Hope everyone is staying well and have a very happy holiday season!

But...I love my silicone bakeware!

2011-12-19T18:51:00.001-08:00

...a suburban greenmom realizes it's evening and she forgot to post...

Just this evening I came across this on Grist: (thanks to Crunchy Chicken for posting it!)

Ask Umbra: Is Silicone Bakeware Safe?

Check it out, of course, but the bottom line is, "well, maybe not so much."

This breaks my heart, although it's one of those questions I have carefully ignored in my own baking life. Because until I got my silicone bakeware, I never once successfully got a bundt out of its pan, I had split muffins all the time, and my birthday cakes were exercises in reconstruction. I didn't want to know.

But now I do...

Honestly, I will probably continue to use them. Much of the concern around this bakeware seems to revolve around high heat and/or high fat baking, and generally I'm just kind of cooking muffins at 350. So it's not a big whoop. And I have them--they are mine, I get that carbon footprint stuff whether I use them or not, so it's not like replacing them will negate that from my slate.

Anyone else use silicone? What do you think of it?

And anyone have any wisdom to offer about how to get bundt cakes out of the pan without leaving half of the thing in there, for when I do try using other pans?

--Jenn the Greenmom

Read up! Gift ideas for the locavore or gardener

2011-12-17T03:33:00.000-08:00

Going Green Mama shares her favorite books she's acquired in the last year or so:

Looking for a gift for your local food lover or gardener? Look no further than your bookstore. There are several great ideas for your friends and family who love to enjoy homegrown or home-cooked local foods.

Cookbooks I'd recommend are Emeril Lagasse's Farm to Fork and Daniel Orr's FARMFood. Both put a priority on locally grown produce, evident in the variety of ingredients used. These aren't your boring iceberg and romaine lettuce salads here - think watermelon, feta and arugula, or a corn, tomato and lobster combination.

Gardeners will drool over the new book, Heirloom Life Gardener, by Baker's Creek's owners, Jere and Emile Garrett. You know them by the tome they produce each winter, filled with oversized photos with a rainbow of produce. My bright husband pre-ordered this gift, so it arrived just days before my birthday. He's definitely on my nice list. This doesn't disappoint.

A bit more academic in tone but great reads, Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth or Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman are great ways for gardeners who want to complete the cycle of life to better use their gardens throughout the year and save seeds from year to year.

Happy reading!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas season,
Robbie @ Going Green Mama

Handmade in a Hurry

2011-12-15T00:31:00.000-08:00

From the seasonally harassed bean of Green Bean.

There are only 10 more days until Christmas. My wallet is hurting. My bank account feeling faint. And my green conscience? Not so great after all the Legos we've purchased. I've still got stockings to fill, a White Elephant to outfit, teachers and babysitters and Toys for Tots and so on and so forth. I resolve, however, to finish my Christmas gifts in accordance with my beliefs - and my bank balance.

SECOND HANDS

As a young adult, I shuddered at the idea of re-gifting. But economic and ecological times have changed. In fact, this tongue-in-cheek infographic indicates that carbon footprint of gifts far outweighs those of wrapping paper, travel, food combined. So how to regift without being tacky?

The adults in my family do a White Elephant exchange in lieu of gifts for everyone or even picking names. Acceptable gifts must either be something you already own or costing under $15. We usually get a good laugh and all end up fighting over the six pack of beer while ducking the dreaded "gold cat" - which makes the rounds year after year.

Giving my kids closets and cubbies the once over often yields toys ready to re-gift. This year, I uncovered a brand new board game, still in the original shrink wrap, that we'll donate to Toys for Tots. My sister is giving my son a gift that would have cost $200 new but, as it has been used and outgrown by her kids, it will cost her nothing and make my son quite happy.

And I never, of course, overlook thrift stores. Ours always has a plethora of great books, games, toys, and decorative items. Often, new or nearly new items can be found there for a song.

HANDMADE IN A HURRY

Every crafty one of us has half-finished projects lurking around our house. The half knitted poncho. The almost complete rag rug. The partially sewn blanket. After wading through my projects this year, I discovered a nearly done knitted owl. As luck would have it, my niece is very into owls this year. A few stitches, a little stuffing and some safety eyes and she's getting handmade for the holidays!

My knitting is moving along quite nicely this year which means I might even end up with a few spare evenings for knitting. I'd love to give handmade to everyone in my family but I don't have the time for a full-blown plush owl for everyone. I could, however, whip together a few small creations. Last year, I knit an acorn keychain up for my mom in an afternoon. The year prior, I churned out baby-knit trees in an hour or two. There are dozens of ideas for quick projects out there for every crafter.

PREFERRED CONSUMPTION

The holidays are a time of over-indulgence. But the type of consumption I'm promoting doesn't fill a shopping cart at WalMart - though it will fill your belly! I've got a few "handmade" tricks in my kitchen this late in the game. A jar of homemade jam or granola, home canned tomatoes or dried persimmons will not impact my wallet or my carbon footprint. And yes, I could also whip up some hot cocoa mix, cookies or peppermint bark - most from the contents of my over-stuffed pantry. Have you got some home-brew? Homemade beef jerky? Canned peppers? Or homemade cookies? These items low impact in one way but high impact in another. Seriously, who but someone you really like would get a jar of the canned tomatoes that you slaved over all September long?!

SUSTAINABLE STOCKINGS

I did say that I still needed to stuff stockings, didn't I? In addition to including the obligatory orange (which my kids always faux grimace over) and a handful of fair trade candy, I'm also stuffing the stockings with necessities: a fun toothbrush (a break from our usual Preserve), some character bandaids (which will inevitably be needed in a house full of boys), and a flash light.

How do you stick close to your values and your money this late in the season?

** This is a Meaningful Memories Post. If you would like to share your greener holiday traditions in a guest post, please email us atgreenphoneboothATgmailDOTcom.

Real World Consequences

2011-12-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

As I have talked about before, I live in a small rural town in Oklahoma. Being a small rural town we sometimes get stuck in our ways and don't keep up with the rest of the country, and our trash service is one of those things. We still had twice a week trash pick-up and you could use any trash can or just put your bags on the curb, anything and everything would get picked up for just $17.90 a month.

This laissez-faire attitude has consequences and we are now feeling them. Our landfill is almost full, how many years are left depends on who you ask, I've heard anywhere from 5-12 years. Building a new landfill isn't easy. There is a lot of cost involved and finding somewhere that you can build it is difficult.

The city has known for a long time that this was an issue. A few years ago the city said that we would be switching to a poly cart system and once a week pick up. People weren't happy about this change and due to several kind of bazaar things it never happened. One source told me that the reason some wanted this change to happen was to slowly ease the citizens into what was an inevitable change that would have to happen due to the landfill issues.

After a fair amount of time past I found out at a recycling coalition meeting that the city was once again seeking bids to use a private trash company to prevent us needing to buy a new landfill or find another landfill we could use. The recycling coalition decided this was the perfect time to talk to the city about curbside recycling. Surely the consequences of our vast amounts of waste were very clear right now and real solutions were needed.

Coalition members talked with city council members and asked to at least get curbside recycling included in the bids. I would say we were hopeful but not terribly optimistic. We had been shot down in the past when we brought up curbside recycling and were unsure of how much support we had.

We learned shortly before a city council meeting in August that the new trash service was on the agenda and the council was set to approve a bid. Several recycling members went to the meeting to speak to the importance of increased recycling, which can be achieved through curbside recycling. We gave stats and personal stories and then held our breath as they voted, and cheered the moment it passed with not a single council member voting no. It was a wonderful moment, our hard work was paying off. However, this victory didn't come without problems.

The new service started December 1st with little warning. I received a text one day in November with a friend saying they received a poly cart and recycling bin. This was a surprise because the day before this I was a recycling meeting with the mayor and no one knew when the trash service would be starting. Also nothing had been in the newspaper or on the city website telling people the trash was changing. Only the people that had heard through word-of-mouth, Facebook, my site Green Oklahoma or had been at the council meeting knew about it.

This confused people, a lot. Inside the bins there were instructions and it told everyone what day of the week their trash would be picked up but it didn't have a date so people assumed it started right away. This caused a lot of people to not get their trash picked up and a lot of recycling went in the trash since curbside recycling hadn't started either.

Now people are complaining about anything and everything with the new trash service. The poly carts are 95 gallon but people are still saying they are to small and I have seen trash sitting on top of the poly carts and next to them. Many people don't want to have to pay for a second poly cart for their extra waste. Two citizens even went as far as to get put on the city agenda to speak about how mad they are with the changes. And some people are getting very rude and hateful with city workers.

While there are a lot of bugs that need worked out and the city and the trash company did a poor job informing people of the change, this is the consequence of our wasteful attitudes. The city was left with few choices when it learned that the landfill was getting full. We could have, and still can, extended the life by increasing recycling rates and encouraging people to waste less. This is a real life lesson that when you throw something away, it's not really going away and it will catchup to us.

I'm currently working on gathering information about trash services to compare them. If you have time please fill out this short survey to help me get the information I'm seeking. Thanks!

Photo credits: D'Arcy Norman

Back from the Mouse House (Walt Disney World review from a Greenmom)

2011-12-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

A suburban greenmom gets back from Disney World...

Wow.

Four full days at Orlando theme parks. Exhausted. Nuts. Nonstop sensory bombardment. Lots of theme park food served in lots of disposable containers. And of course lots of rides you can't get out of without walking through a gift shop on the other end.

Now, anyone who knows me, or the Booth, should know that I'm anything but Disney's typical guest--I'm on the hippie fringe of life in general, so if you wandered here from elsewhere looking for a disney review, just be aware of the source. So:

First of all, I have to say, despite the slight chip I have about anything as super-perky as Disney, I had a fabulous time. No one does wish-fulfillment, childhood fantasy made good, and general production values like Disney World. Except possibly for Universal Studios across town; close call there, because they are very different. Really amazing places. The energy consumption of both is unreal from a green perspective, but the flip side is that the technology is just unbelievable, what they are able to do with all that energy...

That said...we were able to make some adjustments to the "ordinary" expected way of doing things that reduced the whole carbon imprint thing maybe a tiny bit.

For each day in the park we planned to purchase maybe one snack and one meal there. We were able to get to the local grocery store for bread and milk and bananas, we'd brought a box of cereal, fruit, a jar of nut butter and one more of apple butter, and tea bags from home (figuring the fairly small amount of Stuff we would buy to schlep home could then go into the space vacated by the food), and lots of granola-ish bars. We had breakfast in the room each day, took sandwiches and bars to the park with us (you're allowed to do that at Disney, which is nice), and then ate one actual meal in the park. Some of those meals were better than others. We should have also brought a few mugs, bowls, and silverware of our own for the room, not realizing that all the tableware in the food court would be disposable. That part bugged me a lot. (If Panera can do silverware and plates, why can't Disney?)

For those staying at the Value Resorts--just be warned, the food court food there is slightly more dreadful/processy than you'd hope it might be. And just as expensive. Bypass it if you can. The good news is that you can buy bagels, bread slices, milk, juice, and such there too--much cheaper, much better on all fronts. And you have access to toasters and hot water and basic condiments--in individual little packets, of course, but what can you do?--in the food court, and I noticed no Toaster Police making sure the only stuff you put into it had been purchased there, so our bagels and bread got heated up there a lot.

Downtown Disney has some fairly decent restaurants where you can be a little more flexible. And the parks have some decent variety, and each one has at least one fresh fruit stand--expensive compared to grocery store, and not organic, but in a pinch it'll work. There are lots of water fountains. We used Disney's transit system to get around (except for our day at Universal), so at least our footprint that way wasn't so bad.

(Speaking of Universal...Harry Potter World at Universal was amazing, and the park as a whole was superb. Truly incredible. Probably my favorite day of the trip. I don't know anything about their eco-practices beyond what I've found here and here, but their production values were every bit as good as Disney's, and in some ways they were better.)

The one big thing that happened that upset me is something I am contacting Disney about; I will report back on any results I get from the company here. On our second day, I passed around the bagel sandwiches, unwrapped them from the napkins I'd wrapped them in, and paused while everyone else dug in. My husband and son pretty much munched through them in about 7 seconds flat, and my daughter had a few bites and then started whining about how it tasted funny...when I took a bite of mine, I realized they tasted sort of icky, like soap or detergent or something. I smelled the inside of the bag we brought them in (the plastic bag we'd bought the bread in), and it smelled like soap and the fakey-perfumy stuff that's in antibacterial soaps and stuff. I thought my husband had used the bag to transport a bar of soap or bottle of lotion or something, but he insisted he hadn't. It was two days later before I realized that the napkins I'd wrapped the sandwiches in were treated or scented with something. I have no idea why or what that's about, and I've written to the company about it, because that's just wrong--treating paper intended for use with food with antibacterial stuff? Nuts. (Although it also occurs to me that it's possible that we got something from a carton of napkins that maybe was sitting next to a spilled vat of soap or something, it soaked in and then dried, and no one knew about it? Could that be what happened?) So we shall see about that.

All in all: I feel like I'm sort of betraying my Green Self saying this, and I know many folks have told me about some questionable Disney employee practices and social/political attitudes (and I want to research Epcot's claims for amazing sustainable agriculture, which sounded a little greenwashy to me--lots of talk about "developing" plants with specific characteristics but never actually saying "genetic modification," stuff like that), but I loved the trip, I really did. I would even...go again. There, I said it. :-)

And when I think about it, crazy-expensive and resource-heavy as it all was, if these 5 days began to teach my children that the truly valuable things in their lives will be their memories and experiences, the time spent doing once-in-a-lifetime things with the people they love, andnot about Buying Stuff and Having Stuff, then this week was worth it.

--Jenn the Greenmom

(p.s. I take the review a little further on my own blog, if anyone's interested...)

Enough

2011-12-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

In which Going Green Mama raises the white flag...

We are approaching the hallowed week of "birthday Christmas" in our house, that magical seven days where we celebrate the birthdays of my son and Christ. For a soon-to-be four year old, it's a blissful time, a sleepless time, a can't-hardly-stand-to-wait time.

But for parents, who are suddenly shopping for the two biggest days of the year for a child, it's a challenge. Instead of spacing out gifts that account for growing bodies and evolving tastes, I'm challenged to find things that might hold his attention for 360 more days.

It's helped that early on I established the "three gifts rule" - three gifts from the parents for birthdays and Christmas, and that I often include clothes or books in the mix. But then there's Santa. And sibling presents. And brainstorming ideas for the family who seem him only once or twice a year.

Because my little guy's birthday comes at Christmastime, I worry at times that he'll feel shorted - that somehow his day was lost in the shuffle of the season. So we stretch his birthday as much as we can, celebrating with treats at daycare and a special dinner (read: hot dogs) on his big day, and doing a family or friends celebration in January.

But, despite our planning, early shopping and limits on purchases, still the small mommy voice inside questions question whether I did enough. Will he care that mom and dad got him a lot of clothes since he just shot up a size overnight? That he's not getting many toys this year? That his "big boy" booster seat and Cars2 movie that he was getting for his birthday was pulled out during a stomach bug? That Santa's stash for him and his sister differ in the stocking? Do I add a toy? Repackage something that was for Christmas for his birthday instead? Let it be? Have I become one of those parents who worries about making sure we have equality in gift-giving, even though I know in my heart that my children are unique?

The truth is, I doubt I will hear many "no fair's" come Christmas day, or his birthday for that matter. My little guy is thrilled to open something, to enjoy his red velvet cupcakes (I've trained him well) and enjoy the magic of the moment with the people who love him most.

St. Nick's Dilemma

2011-12-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

In which Truffula writes these words to you by the light of her new LED Geobulb...

St. Nikolaus found his way to our home again on December 6. The children in our church congregation were so well-behaved in the past year that he stopped by there, too.

Our family visit was easy: our tradition is that we put out empty plates before we go to bed. Overnight, St. Nikolaus leaves his usual, delicious, they-will-never-be-quite-the-same (because he, ahem, doesn't use a formal recipe for this) bread men. He was thoughtful to bring a grain-free equivalent for our younger TruffulaBoy.

In our congregation, the conventions are little different: in addition to getting a bread man (Weckmann) after Mass, each child also gets a red apple from St. Nikolaus. And, that is where the dilemma began...

I had volunteered to help St. Nikolaus with his apple procurement. In the past, I'd bought apples from a farm down the road from us. This time, I had the opportunity to do one better, to get apples which were local AND organic. I typically buy second quality apples for my own family, but splurged on firsts for this purpose. The price was comparable to the sale price of grocery store varieties. The bags arrived, and I put them into the garage for safe-keeping until they were needed. The garage filled with apple aroma, and I inhaled happily whenever I went out there. Until...

Two days before the Big Event, I retrieved the apples and prepared to count out the number St. Nicholas had specified. Now, it was the kitchen which smelled fantastic as I worked. For quality control :-), I indulged in a sample... Mmm... Their taste and texture matched their wonderful smell.

Less wonderful was the apples' appearance. Each one's peel was speckled with varying amounts of black spots. I wiped the apples carefully to remove as much schmutz as I could. My heart sank further with each apple because most of the spots would not budge. They were on the peel's surface, and could easily be excised with some judicious knife work The fact remained: these were not the cover girls of the apple world.

Ay! What to do?! Should I race out to the grocery store to buy more attractive replacements? Should I make an announcement to the congregation to explain that dear St. Nikolaus was bringing ugly apples with him but to please overlook this shortcoming because they were local and organic? That would possibly ruin the magic of the visit.... Would an announcement be a teachable moment in which I could also mention that apples were at the top of the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and vegetables, and that the EWG recommendation was to always go organic on those? But, would anyone really give two hoots about that? Or, was more less, and should I say nothing and keep the apples I'd already gotten?

In the end, I stuck with the organic option. The apples weren't high-gloss, uniform Red Delicious, but were cleaned up, scrumptious Fujis. I skipped making an announcement, and presented the apples as attractively as possible, layered carefully in wicker baskets.

Did anyone turn up their nose at St. Nikolaus' gifts? In the wake of my anxiety over the apples, I am left to wonder that myself. After the Mass and visit, I immediately went into a rehearsal for the Christmas play. By the time that was done, the church was cleared out. I collected the empty baskets, hoped for the best, and headed out into the day.

And that's the news from Truffula-land, where the slice-of-life is not always clear-cut, goin' green invokes ticklish decisions, and the apples are pretty darned delicious.

Apples awaiting distribution by St. Nikolaus

Vegetarian Holiday Recipes

2011-12-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

photo credit

It is much easier on the planet to eat lower on the food chain by eating less meat. Large animals such as cows and pigs actually contribute to global warming through both carbon dioxide and methane emissions. If you want a more environmentally conscious holiday, you may wish to create your celebratory meals with less meat. Here are a few of my favorite holiday recipes to get you started.

Cream of Pumpkin Curry Soup

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped garlic clove
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 cups water
3 vegetarian bouillon cubes
2 15-ounce cans pumpkin
1 cup half and half

Melt butter over medium heat and add onion and garlic in soup pot. Cook 3-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in spices. Cook for 1 minute. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cook for 15-20 minutes. Add pumpkin and half and half. Cook 5 minutes. Serve as is for chunky soup or blend in food processor/blender for smooth soup.

Vegetarian Christmas Pie

Pie Crust:
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

½ cup white flour
3/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons paprika
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
1 finely chopped onion
1-2 crushed garlic cloves
5 cups chopped mushrooms
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs (I use mix of Italian seasonings)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cub fresh white bread crumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Topping:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons wheat flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 ounce grated parmesan cheese
3 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1 egg, separated

1. For the crust, knead crust ingredients together until it makes a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.
2. For the filling, melt butter in pot. Cook onions until tender. Add mushrooms and garlic, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Pour off liquid. Stir in herbs, parsley, bread crumbs, and seasoning. Let cool.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put a baking sheet in the oven. Press pie crust into 9-inch pie pan, making a narrow rim around top edge. Chill 20 minutes.
4. For topping, melt butter in a pan. Stir in flour. Cook 2 minutes. Add milk. Bring to a boil, then simmer 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, mustard powder, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Whisk egg white until it holds soft peaks. Then fold egg white into topping.
5. Spread dijon mustard over base of pie crust with a spatula. Spoon mushroom filling in and level it out.
6. Pour topping over filling. Bake 35-45 minutes in the oven on top of the preheated baking sheet. Pie is ready when top is golden.

(Modified from The Cook's Encyclopedia of Vegetarian Cooking)

Orange Vegetable Casserole

This is supposed to be made entirely with sweet potatoes. But I was cleaning out the refrigerator. So I used a combination of sweet potato, butternut squash, and carrot, and it was AWESOME. Sadly, we're trying to track down a possible dairy allergy this year, so there will be no cheese involved in my holiday meal.

Casserole:
4 jumbo sweet potatoes, peeled, chunked, and boiled
(or substitute in other orange veggies)
1 large egg
3 cups grated cheddar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Topping:
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
tiny pinch ground cloves
2/3 cup melted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup packed brown sugar

Mix casserole ingredients together, put in a casserole dish. Mix the topping ingredients together and spread evenly over the casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

(Modified from The Grit Cookbook)

What are your favorite meat-free holiday dishes?

For more green holiday ideas, visit the Kelly Green Giant's Green Holidays Guide.

The Tale of the Magic Trash Cans

2011-12-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

These Magic Trash Cans live all over the world but rarely are reported as using their powers outside of Oklahoma and parts of the surrounding states. They are pretty common creatures but it's hard to find one using it's powers because they are a very secretive species.

Some people have learned of the Magic Trash Cans' powers and enjoy the benefits they give to them. They are able to put their trash in these Magic Trash Cans and with very little effort on their part the trash will soon disappear. Or that's what some people believe.

Are these Magic Trash Cans real? If so, how do they work? Well they are very much real and are found all over, you have seen many in your life time but you likely know them as pick-up trucks. It is also true that if you put your trash in the back of a pick-up truck and drive down the highway your trash will likely disappear but it's not magic or even really gone. It's wind and the trash is now all over the highway and sides of the roads. So now that the truth is out there we must spread this message and put a stop to this harmful practice.

And yes people really do this around here. No I don't believe they really think the trash is disappearing, they just don't care where it is going as long as it's gone.

Photo credits: fryske

Off to Mouseland

2011-12-05T06:40:00.001-08:00

A suburban greenmom packs the luggage for the Ultimate Cliche Family Trip...

This is going to be an interesting week. Hopefully also amazingly fun.

We are going to Disney. Our first time as a family, and very possibly our only time--even going at a less expensive time of the year, using frequent flier miles, and being as frugal as possible, this isn't something we will ever be able to afford on a regular basis. And honestly, I'm not sure we really should, even if we could.

I have mixed feelings, to tell the truth--on the one hand, my kids are 6 and 9 and the place is the epitome of magic and fantasy and childish excessive wish-fulfillment. I remember going when I was a kid, and even though the Disney World of 35 years ago wasn't a tenth of what it is today, I still remember it as this amazing fantastic experience. They will never forget it.

On the other hand--conspicuous consumption always sort of ticks me off. All those lights. All that buying. All that garbage generated, no matter how well and thoroughly it is cleaned up. (And this website doesn't exactly make me go "Woohoo! Disney ROCKS the green!) All those fireworks. Every. Damn. Day. (And don't even get me started on the sanitized It's A Small World view of the rest of the world Epcot presents in its different countries pavilions...) And the sensory overload that is All Things Disney--I start to max out after a while.

But...we're going. And while there, I'm going to try to be a kid again, enjoy it, sink into the magic with my kids. And also, hopefully, eat real food, not generate much garbage, and not spend like crazy on meals.

The biggest part of our strategy is around food, and the basics are as follows: We have stocked up on healthy snack-y and breakfast kinds of things to take with us, figuring we'll go with food packages and come home with that much space in our luggage to bring back other stuff. This is the only time I will stoop to instant oatmeal, since that can be made with hot water from a hotel coffeepot. We'll bring some organic fruit as well, apples and oranges, that are portable and easy to eat, and a jar each of almond butter and apple butter. A box of cereal. Dried fruit. Emergen-C packets. Once there, we have a friend who can shuttle us over to the grocery store for stuff like bread and milk, so we can have some basic provisions for the fridge in our hotel room. (If one has a rental car, this is easier, but we're staying on Disney property.) Our plan is to do breakfast in the room, probably take snack food and lunches with us to the parks (which Disney allows, something I heartily applaud), and purchase one "real" meal per day. Not only will this save us a boatload of cash, but our digestive systems would scream at the shock of eating nothing but fast or restaurant food for most of a week; I wonder how many people who get totally wiped out and exhausted from a few days at places like this consider that some of that exhaustion might be around eating the wrong foods as much as the overstimulation?

We'll bring our own water bottles, and use them for most of our beverages throughout the day. I hate giving my kids soda to drink--crazy-expensive artificially flavored carbonated HFCS water, who needs it? We cave every so often, but--consider that for a family of four, buying sodas with a meal ups the bill by $8 or more. No way.

That's about all I can think of to do to try to normalize things for us a bit while still taking advantage of this very cool and rare opportunity for our family...anyone else been on a trip of this kind who has any other ideas?

(And please...don't jab and turn the knife in the comments by saying things to the effect of "I wouldn't ever pay money to support this company because of _____ and just wouldn't go"--my soul is twisted enough on this as it is, and the tickets are all paid for, so please don't make me feel worse...)

--Jenn the Greenmom

Reflecting on the month of "NO"vember

2011-12-03T03:10:00.001-08:00

Today the Booth welcomes guest poster Kenna Lee, who reflects on a month of just saying "NO."

Don’t ask me how I was so lucky as to be the one to receive this divine revelation, but there I was, racing down the road of my overly-scheduled, hectic life, when I suddenly saw this mental billboard: November starts with N.O.

Like most great discoveries (electricity comes to mind), it’s been there all along. No. Nooooo-vember. A whole month of “no,” just waiting for someone to come along and grab it. And guess what? That same month comes around every year. Just when you need it most.

This year we needed it more than ever, as this is the year that I finally embraced my inner environmental activist and started running around getting arrested at the White House and hanging up big signs at community events, doing teach-ins, and generally spending too much time posting updates on the Keystone XL pipeline for all my Facebook friends. Not to mention my usual school garden volunteering, which included the rash promise to post recipes every week on a school garden blog. Oh, and also not to mention my full-time job as a night nurse. And did I say I’m a single mom?

Each week this fall, I would lie down on my chiropractor’s table, finally exhale, and say the same thing: “I never stop.”

So in late October, I declared that November would be a whole month of N.O. Long exhale. A whole month of freedom. No activist events, no craft fairs, no social events that we don’t all absolutely positively want to go to. No going to the farmer’s market where I always spend too much money, no going out to eat. No throwing parties. No calling the White House or my senator, no keeping petitions to sign in my inbox, no responding in any way to mass emails. And no guilt.

I’ve been busy, and I’m taking a month off, and all these no’s mean I have some big yeses for my kids. Not very visible ones, but we all feel them: yes, I can help you with those moccasins you started back in August, yes, we can make chow-chow and can it, yes, we can sit on the couch and read, yes, we can build a door for the hole you cut in the wall. Yes, we can stay in our pajamas all day. No looking through catalogs for good deals or gift ideas—straight to recycling, along with every single one of the direct-mail pleas for end-of-year donations. I usually keep those, stack and sort them according to priority, and try to send what money I can. But if I think about it, I know which charities I want to donate to, and I know how to donate online, and I don’t need the clutter or the attendant guilt that I haven’t sent the donation in yet.

The most radical “no” has been this: no grocery shopping. This was not part of my original plan, but honestly, all the running around in the past few months had my bank account in scary territory.

How to recover in time to buy an organic turkey for the holidays: stop shopping! We get a veggie box from our CSA farm each week, and honestly, often I end up letting a few items get old and rot. The CSA box comes with milk, half & half, and butter, and I can pick up a loaf of bread at the farm when I pick up my box. Funny thing I noticed: when I’m not supplementing with other groceries, nothing gets old and rots. Hmmmm. During all the other months, when any given foodstuff runs out, I replace it. This means that behind the front layer of dry and canned goods in my pantry there is a collection of dusty, seldom-seen items. These got taken out and dusted off right after Halloween this year, thanks to a food drive at the kids’ school. Unnoticed by me, most of our canned goods had collected small rust spots, past-due expiration dates, or some sticky coating resulting from a leaking, improperly preserved jar of marinated figs. Which obviously rendered them unfit for donation to the food drive. And once I’d noticed, I couldn’t really put them back into the pantry. Stacking a bunch of aging cans of kidney beans, hearts of palm, and coconut milk on my counter turned out to be a powerful motivator to get out of my cooking rut, get creative, and get rid of the cans. So for a month, we have survived on fresh vegetables and random canned food. Surprisingly, the kids have enjoyed the more creative meals, even if there have been occasional complaints about the dearth of quesadilla ingredients in the fridge. Plus, as a total surprising bonus, none of us got botulism (whew!).

As for the “no activities,” it’s not that we didn’t do anything all month, it’s just that any offers that came along had to be compelling enough to override the automatic “no.” So, although we skipped many, many cool and interesting local events this month, I did go to see my friend’s lamps at a pre-holiday craft fair, and even bought one. But I didn’t have to go. The lamp is funky and captivating, hanging in a previously too-dark corner of my living room, its light shining out through multiple layered images of an apple with one bite taken out of it. For the artist, the apples refer to our local apple producers and the “eat local” imperative (which is also emblazoned across the lamp), but to me, it’s more a symbol of how often we succumb to the temptation to take one more, and one more, and one more bite, until we have more than we can chew. Furthermore, the lamp has a switch, as a reminder that anytime I want, I can turn it all off.

Now that NO-vember is almost over, I am looking forward to adopting the same practice every year. Without any further effort than the implementation of “no,” we are all rested, our house has less dust bunnies than it has since my youngest was born, we have multiple craft projects racing toward completion, my pantry is clean and spare in readiness for the holidays.

And to me, the space created by saying “no” echos with a resounding “yes.” Yes to NO-vember. Now that seems like a tradition worth keeping.

Wintergreen Icing

2011-12-02T01:15:00.000-08:00

From Emerald Apron's Kitchen

I have fond memories of wintergreen iced cupcakes in my great-grandmother's kitchen. They were very pale pink, since wintergreen berries are pink, and had the perfect hint of wintergreen flavor. It's a recipe that she didn't leave behind in her volumes of hand-written journals, and so over the years I have tried to duplicate it. I think about my great-grandmother, and other loved ones who I have lost, around the holidays. I always miss them, but I reminisce the most this time of year. Isn't it wonderful that a flavor or a scent can be so strongly tied to a memory?

2 cups confectioner’s sugar
3-6 Tbsp milk (this will depend on humidity... so start with 3 and work your way up!)
1 tsp wintergreen extract
1 drop red food coloring

Stir all the ingredients together and use the icing to top your favorite white cupcakes (from a box or from scratch). This is also a tasty way to top gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, a gingerbread house... or on anything else you want to ice. Including your fingertip!

Is Homesteading Just a Hobby?

2011-12-01T00:31:00.000-08:00

From the home-preserved bean of Green Bean.

It has been a busy fall. A race against winter to get the garlic in, lay down the sheet mulch and plant the last of the cover crop.

Not everyone I know, though, feels so under-the-gun these last few months. You mean you can host a play date? You went to a yoga class or to work while the kids were are school? You didn't need to run home to paint the chicken coop roof before the rain came?

Those of us who homestead - a sizable step beyond gardening to growing food, keeping some livestock and/or preserving the harvest for the winter - take our tasks quite seriously. All spring, summer and autumn long, I keep a list on the desk and tic off the jobs as I go. Put Coddling Moth Worm Traps on Apple Trees Before Bud Break. Check. Plant Pollinator Garden by March 15. Check, check, check. All the way to Process Green Tomatoes. Check. And figure out if it is too late to put in the potatoes. Check.

For nine months of the year, I'm trying to out-strip mother nature's clock. As much as I enjoy doing all of this, I am motivated by something more than simple joy. Planting, harvesting, and processing is an effort to feed my family food fit, well, for my family. Food that is locally grown without a significant carbon foot print. Food free from chemicals, preservatives and stuff that I can neither pronounce nor spell. Inexpensive organic food. Of course, the truth is, I could manage most of those things without homesteading.

Certainly, some people homestead because they have to financially. My family is lucky enough to be able to afford to buy food and to have access to a year round farmers market. Sure, that would still leave the processing but last year, my CSA offered preserves from a local company as well as pastured eggs. I could do that again and go on a walk with a friend instead of clean out the chicken coop.

Perhaps, then, homesteading is just a hobby. Many folks I know consider what I do as a hobby. It is lumped in with scrapbooking, marathons and knitting. Oh, wait! The last is also a homesteader's skill.

But you get my drift.

Of course the doomer in me - yes, she does exist - thinks it wouldn't be a bad thing to know how to produce my own food if and when harder times come. In the face of economic collapse or as the climate changes. As food prices climb ever higher and as food becomes less and less food.

Maybe homesteading is not just a hobby after all. Honestly, I don't know. I only know that I can't stop doing it.

** I'm linking to the Homestead Barn Hop for this post.

** Please join our Facebook page to stay in the loop around the clock.

The Happiest Christmas Tree

2011-11-30T00:14:00.000-08:00

SustainaMom celebrates memories at Christmastime....

I guess I've decorated at least 30 Christmas trees in my life. And there is one ornament that stands out above all others. It has been my constant favorite since I first started decorating trees.

I still look for the 35-year-old ornament on my parents' tree every year. It is a tiny wooden train: a little black engine pulling a bright yellow car, a bright green car, and a perfect little red caboose. And I love the memory associated with the train — even though it isn't my memory.

My parents bought the ornament on their honeymoon. They eloped on Christmas Eve. They have only one picture from their wedding night, and I don't know if they have any pictures from their honeymoon. But each year the little train reminds us of a special anniversary that tends to get lost in the holiday season.

Nine years ago, my husband and I were married in a small, perfect ceremony surrounded by friends and family. We have two dozen professional photographs in an album somewhere, and another small album of snapshots from our honeymoon. I can't remember the last time we looked at any of those pictures. But when we decorated our tree last week, a tiny red and white lighthouse ornament brought back memories of our wedding and honeymoon. And our son was enchanted by the lighthouse!

SustainaKid began asking the story behind every ornament. Some were gifts, some we had made. And several are vacation souvenirs.

In fact, the first ornament on our tree this year was the memory from this year's staycation. I was surprised a 5-year-old went for the sedate museum building instead of the dinosaur skeleton ornament, but a memory is a memory!

He loved the alligator ornament from his first trip to the beach (which he does not remember!):

He did remember choosing an ornament at Disney last year:

In Jamaica, we couldn't find any Christmas ornaments, so we have a keychain hanging on our tree!

And my husband and I have our own little train ornament to remind us of our 30-something mile hike along the Gold Rush trail in Alaska. We rode the train back to the start of the trail and I have never been so grateful to see a form of transportation in my entire life!

This simple train ornament brings to mind the amazing scenery along the trail in Alaska and Canada. It reminds me how my wonderful husband helped me finish the hike that I was so not prepared for! And it makes me hope that I can get in shape to do the hike again when my son is old enough. It also makes me wonder if I'll be telling my grandchildren about this train ornament when it is 35 years old!

As we strive to reduce the clutter in our home and focus on the things that matter, this vacation ornament tradition that I picked up from my parents' train ornament helps our family strike a great balance. When we go on vacation, we can choose souvenirs that will hold a treasured place in our home for many, many years. We're not wasting money on junk that will go straight to the landfill, we're not filling space in our home, and we are mindfully honoring the memories that are important to our family.

** This is a Meaningful Memories Post. If you would like to share your greener holiday traditions in a guest post, please email us at greenphoneboothATgmailDOTcom.

Shopping Locally for the Holidays

2011-11-29T19:26:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's almost December? Maybe it's just me but this year seemed to go by so fast. I have done some of my Christmas shopping but not all. While I will be doing a lot online on stores like Etsy.com I have done some at local stores and plan to do a bit more at local stores. This video does a great job giving all the reasons shopping locally is so important.

So will you be shopping locally this year? Have you already done some local shopping?

** This is a Meaningful Memory Post. If you would like to share your greener holiday traditions in a guest post, please email us at greenphoneboothATgmailDOTcom.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe Roundup

2011-11-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

a suburban greenmom needs to deal with the fridge...

In the past few days I have come across an embarrassment of riches where Thanksgiving leftover recipes are concerned...so please indulge me as I create a post putting them all in the same place! (And check out Lisa's post of a few days ago, she's also got great ideas!)

By now the Thanksgiving goodies in the fridge are getting to that "fish or use for bait" point--if they aren't eaten soon, they won't be fit for eating much longer. And at the same time, "Thanksgiving Dinner Redux" is beginning to lose its charm. So, short of just freezing them all (which is an excellent option, by the way--sliced cooked turkey frozen on a cookie sheet or something and then transferred to a container is something easy to pull out and thaw for tacos or tetrazzini or whatever), here are some interesting ideas:

There are the easy expected standards like turkey tetrazzini, turkey chili, and shepherd's pie...there are a gajillion recipes for each, and you'll doubtless find your favorite if you don't already have one. And there's really no need for recipes for things like turkey quesadillas or tacos, right?

Potato soup is also a really lovely way to use mashed potatoes--there are any number of recipes to follow, but basically you add broth or milk to mashed potatoes, heat, and stir. Add grated cheese if you want. Barely even needs a recipe, honestly! Neither does the idea of taking a good dollop of whatever candied sweet potato recipe you use (my cranberry-sweet potato bake was amazing like this!) and stirring it into your morning oatmeal. Yummm!

And we assume that you will probably plop your turkey carcass into a large slow cooker or stockpot and turn it into a lovely rich turkey stock that you can use for all kinds of soup, potato and otherwise, throughout the winter. And if you're not onto the secret already--toss a little leftover gravy into your turkey stock either before you freeze it or just as you're turning it into soup--it gives it a lovely rich depth. (Especially if, like me, you basted your turkey with port wine!)

Okay, this is a new one for me: Potato Turkey Balls, in which you encase some chopped up turkey in a ball of mashed potatoes, coat in breadcrumbs, and bake. How cool is that? It's part of an assortment of kid-friendly recipes from lil'sugar.com... Martha Stewart's list is pretty long, but most of them seem to involve cooked turkey plus a whole bunch of other ingredients. (These would be ones I'd use my frozen cooked turkey in!) TreeHugger's list is short but smart--especially the idea of a frittata; I could throw the leftover green beans and some potatoes into that as well as the turkey. ) My own family has a predilection for dark meat, so we rarely have any leftover, but if your family is the reverse, you might try pulled turkey sandwiches...these look delicious. It might work with a mixture of light and dark meat, but white meat alone won't quite do it, I suspect.

The New York Times has a "Radical Rethinking" of Thanksgiving leftovers, neatly listed by which ingredient they are recycling, that actually looks pretty fabulous--if we had any stuffing leftover, I'd've been happy to try one of their recipes for it. (Although, when you think of it, a recipe for "savory bread pudding" out of leftover stuffing? Isn't stuffing itself basically savory bread pudding, but without the egg?) Best of all, these "recipes" aren't even really recipes--most are a couple of sentences just sort of telling you what to do.

Anyone find any other good sites we should link to here? I'd love to remember this post next year maybe the day before Thanksgiving, so I'm not scrambling as the leftovers get questionable!

--Jenn the Greenmom

Emerald Apron's Favorite Snowball Cookies

2011-11-26T01:15:00.000-08:00

From Emerald Apron's Kitchen

Snowball Cookies

3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup confectioner sugar

Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar and vanilla, and pulse to combine. Add flour and salt and pulse until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto foil or plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice log into about 24 disks, then roll into balls. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly golden. Dump confectioner’s sugar into a pie plate. Briefly cool cookies on a rack, then roll in confectioner’s sugar. Return cookies to rack and cool completely. Roll in confectioner’s sugar again.

This post is part of the Christmas Cookie Recipe Swap Blog Hop, hosted by my alter-ego Farmer's Daughter. Please join in the fun!

Preventing Food Waste on Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving often means lots of leftovers which can mean a lot of waste. There are ways to use your leftovers to prevent wasting food. Here are some ideas.

Turkey leftovers have endless uses. Turkey sandwiches are an easy way to use up some of your turkey, turkey pot pies, turkey tetrazzini, soups, omelets, and even turkey broth from the carcass are great ways to use every part of the turkey. Click here for more options. Turkey also freezes well so you can make these things later if you have had your fair share of turkey for awhile.

Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite leftovers. I like to make potato soup with them, I just put them in a pot with some milk (and or broth), seasoning, and cheese. It's yummy and super easy. Mashed potatoes can also go on some casseroles like shepherd's pie.

Cranberry sauce is a good leftover for breakfast, put a little cream cheese and cranberry sauce on toast for a yummy breakfast treat. Cranberry sauce is also good on pancakes. I personal also enjoy it on my turkey sandwiches.

Rolls can be used for your turkey sandwiches, can be frozen and used with meals at a later time, and can be used with just about any meal.

Making pies and other desserts can mean leftover egg whites, click here for some recipes that use just egg whites so you can use them up (they also freeze very well!).

Gravy is something I don't care for and not something that saves very well. Anyone have good ideas for this leftover?

Veggie leftovers are great for soups, casseroles, and even green smoothies if they are plain.

Dessert leftovers are easy, just eat them! Don't let desserts go to waste. If you don't have a sweet tooth like me some desserts can be frozen for another time.

Do you have more ideas for leftovers? Share your ideas and recipes in the comments below and together we can help reduce food waste this Thanksgiving.

** This is a Meaningful Memory Post. If you would like to share your greener holiday traditions in a guest post, please email us at greenphoneboothATgmailDOTcom.

Photo credit: hildgrim

My first experience with arnica

2011-11-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

homeopathic wonderings with a gimpy suburban greenmom...

Okay, so Saturday I'm walking out of the kitchen to the garage, down the 3 steps I walk down several times a day. Only this time I am one step down and have one of my "look! something shiny!" moments of distraction, cease to pay attention to my feet, and come down right on the edge of step number 2. Ankle turns out, I fall down the remaining step and somehow clock my hip on something (maybe my car's license plate holder? Whatever it is made a very small, very painful bruise.) and wind up on my butt on the floor leaning back on the car grille, with my legs facing the other way up the stairs.

I didn't actually hear anything go pop, but I felt these three little twin "give" moments in my ankle/foot somewhere. The pain was large but vague, all over the foot. And familiar--I sprained the hell out of my ankle a few years ago, and it was pretty much just like this.

The good news was that there was no place I had to go or be the rest of the day (unlike last time, when I was on my way to a gig, so it was another 4 hours before I got it elevated or iced), so I immediately was able to take care of it. A bag of frozen blueberries in a towel makes a great ice pack, I discovered. And when my husband went out to get me an Ace wrap for it, he also stopped at Whole Foods and got me some Arnica--both the tablets and the gel--on the advice of a friend.

I blogged about homeopathy in general a couple of years ago, and while it is still sort of a mystery to me, I have been using some of these remedies fairly regularly. The main one I keep around all the time now is oscillococcinum, which I now take at the slightest sign of any cold or flu symptoms. Whether it's actually that or if something else in my lifestyle has changed, this woman who two years ago normally averaged about 4-5 complete colds/flus per season has been able to cut that to maybe only one or two per year--and when I do get sick, and keep taking the stuff all the way through, the progress of the virus moves way more quickly than it ever used to. So...anecdotal evidence, as always, but there it is.

But I'd never tried arnica. And this time I did. Again, anecdotal, but there is almost no swelling on my foot this time, compared to sort of huge poofiness last go-round. Maybe it's just a milder sprain? Or maybe the arnica works pretty well? In any case, by 24 hours after the fall I was able to walk on one crutch, which involves putting partial weight on the bad foot, and by 36 I was able to walk on the foot without a crutch at all. Still hurts considerably, especially if I wiggle my toes or shift my weight on my foot once I'm down, but it's healing much more quickly than my last go-round.

So this is, at the very least, enough to give me a little confidence in keeping some arnica gel and tabs around the house.

Anyone else ever try it? What was your experience?

--Jenn the Greenmom

(p.s. yes, I know that if it still is hurting in a few days I should totally get it xrayed in case it's broken, and I will baby it well until I'm sure a sprain is all I've got...it just didn't seem worth it to rush to the ER on the weekend when my doc wasn't around, and it's so much better today I think I'd rather just wait and see what happens...)

2011-11-20T05:03:00.000-08:00

In which Going Green Mama gets a bit nostalgic...

The last time I remember visiting my grandmother's house for winter holidays, I was still in school. But what always struck me about her small home was the large life packed in her kitchen.

Her old wooden table was stretched to the limits with extension after extension, aided by a few card tables tucked at the sides. Cousins and aunts and uncles (and we had a lot of them) sat shoulder to shoulder through the meal, and even then there wasn't much room to manuever once you got up.

We rarely did make the 16-hour drive up to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving and Christmas - weather was always the deciding factor - but it was always worth the drive, the elbows in the back seat, the hours of bright sun shining in our faces, even the arguments maong us cramped kids in the car.

So today at the Booth, I'm passing along a few of my grandmother's holiday dinner favorites, along with other Boother's choices for sharing at the Thanksgiving table. Enjoy!

Grandma Johnson's Giblet Dressing

Overnight Rolls

Crusty Rolls

Apple Streudel (If you knew my Grandma, you know streudelis a food of love!)

And if you're like us, and start your Christmas cookie baking Thanksgiving weekend after the dishes have cleared, check out my archive of Grandma's cookie recipes, including our fifth-generation sugar cookies.

Other Booth Thanksgiving Day favorites:

Need a change from marshmallow-coated sweet potatoes? Check out Green Bean's recipe for Peanut Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans.

Need another vegetarian option? Green Bean's also sharing Spicy Squash Salad with Lentils and Goat Cheese fromv the Smitten Kitchen.

Eco-Novice shares her recipes for Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Spiced Carrots. I am definitely going to have to bring the carrot recipe to the table!

Tired of BPA-laced canned cranberry sauce? Check out Retrohousewife's Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe. I think it could be easily tweaked for diabetics, too.

What special dish are you bringing to the table Thursday? Share your favorites and post links to any recipes below.

A Boother Asks: Battling Bugs

2011-11-18T02:58:00.001-08:00

In which Going Green Mama is stumped by traditional medicine....

Several of us at the Booth have been battling bugs of varying kinds recently. In our home, it's our poor daugher who's suffering -- from a nasty cough and congestion that has dragged on since September. Traditional medicine has failed her. Despite several appointments that have deemed her chest and lungs clear, a round of antibiotics to clear a supposed sinus infection (which did give some relief for a few days, though nothing completely went away) and more OTC cold medicine than I normally buy in a year, my poor kid is still routinely miserable. And even more so because her friends are complaining about her coughing in class.

As a parent, I'm stumped. I've always shied away from natural remedies for children because many have not been proven to work (except for that echinacea is fabulous for spiking my blood sugar levels.) And while honey does sooth a cough for a short time, the logistics of sending her to the school office for honey every time she coughs is a bit of a logistical issue.

So today I ask our readers:: Wht natural remedies have actually worked for soothing these winter annoyances? Is there anything in particular that has worked - and is safe - for your child?

T'was the Season Before Winter

2011-11-17T00:31:00.000-08:00

From the bean of Green Bean.

T'was the season before winter, and on the homestead
Jack-o-lanterns were rotting, the zucchini was dead.
The sheet mulch was tucked round the pear tree with care,
In hopes that next year's pumpkin patch would be there.

The hens all nestled all snug in their coop,
Dreaming of laying eggs and not becoming chicken soup.
And I in my boots and dirt covered pants
Pulled out the last of the tomato plants.
When back in the yard, there arose such a clatter,
That I sprang from the raised beds to see what was the matter.

Away from the cover crop, I flew like a flash.
Dropping fresh picked bok choy in my mad dash.
The red fallen leaves on the unswept patio
Gave the luster of pandemonium to the objects below.
Two naughty squirrels digging up my winter bed
Chomping bulbs and making me see red.

I may be forty but I'm still lively quick.
I knew in a moment, they were after my garlic
More rapid than eagles, I sprang down the stairs.
I shouted and stomped and shooed them from there.

As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
Up to the fence-top, those rodents they flew
With a mouth full of garlic and tulips too.

I spoke not a word but returned to my work,
Mulched the fruit trees and then turned with a jerk.
And laying a hand atop the garden gate,
And giving a nod, I knew it was late.
I swung the gate closed, and to myself give a whistle,
Hoping the mulch would prevent weeds and thistles.
But I did exclaim, ere the garden disappeared out of sight,

"Happy fall to all and to the garden, good night."

** I'm linking to the Homestead Barn Hop.

** Keep up with us through the seasons. Like the Green Phone Booth Facebook page for in-between post updates, links, photos and more.
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Building a Greener Wish List

2011-11-16T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Green Phone Booth is super excited to welcome the Kelly Green Giant as its newest superheroine! You can find her here twice a month.

The Kelly Green Giant reveals all…

When you are compiling a wish list of your greatest green desires for Christmas, it can be difficult to create a straightforward list that would be easy to send to the relatives who are asking for some gift giving guidance. What if you want a flatbed truck from Organic Bug, organic coffee from SERRV, handmade cloth napkins from Etsy, a recycled silk scarf from Taraluna, and an apricot tree from the Arbor Day Foundation?

Fortunately, there are a few different websites that allow you to make a comprehensive gift wish list for the holidays – or for other gift-giving occasions – populated from any store that sells items online. So you can support local family businesses, small environmentally friendly companies, makers of homemade gifts, used bookstores, and even some charities such as Heifer International with your wish lists.

Amazon is one such all-in-one wish-listing source. Just download a toolbar from their wish list page, and then you can add items from any other website onto your personalized green wish list. And you can also browse Amazon itself for wide-ranging eco-items from organic tea to recycled plastic mixing bowls (and so much more!).

Another easy site that works in a similar way, with you downloading a toolbar that allows you to add gifts to your list from any website, is My Registry, a site that could be used for anything from a wedding registry to a green Christmas list.

Are you still undecided about this year’s green gift dreams for yourself or others? For more green holiday ideas to fill your great green gift wish lists, visit the Kelly Green Giant’s Green Holidays page.

What is on your green gift list?

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

2011-11-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not feeling very good today so I'm going to share a video about extreme weather and climate change. Oklahoma has had a year of record breaking weather events making this all the more interesting.

Has your area had extreme weather events lately?

Domestic Bliss?

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

A suburban greenmom gets all domestic...

I can’t remember the last time I spent a weekend being this domestic.

Saturday driving past our local farmstand I happened to see a sign saying “Saturday: Last Day!” and my car just sort of…pulled in. A pumpkin, some acorn squash, a quarter bushel of tomato seconds (all they had), and assorted other veggies later, I came home.

I baked the pumpkin for about an hour. I cut one of the the squash in half, filled it with apples, currants, and spices, and baked it alongside the pumpkin. (I should have covered it with foil or something...the top got a little too done.) In the meantime I cut up some apples and cooked them in the crockpot for a few hours to turn them into applesauce.

We cleaned off the seeds from the pumpkin and the squash, tossed them with a little melted butter, oil, and salt, and roasted them. Amazing. (I was almost disappointed that there were so many seeds and so few guts—I wanted to try making this fascinating recipe for “pumpkin guts bread.”)

When the pumpkin was done and cooled, I scooped out the pulp, pureed it, and froze it in 12 little muffin-tin-sized lumps; now I can take out pre-measured half-cup portions of pumpkin all winter for breads or pies or oatmeal or whatever.

Sort of at the same time, I washed off my new tomatoes, dunked them for a few minutes in hot water so the peels would slip off, and made Going Green Mama’s divine recipe for fresh tomato soup. I didn’t have oregano, but I had cubes of fresh-frozen basil, and I made up a little over 2 quarts of lovely lovely soup. And froze the rest of the tomatoes for another batch later.

Oh, and I also made up a little container of mulling spice, and put some into another crockpot with some apple cider to which I’d added a splash of orange juice. (Okay, and a splash of port wine. And a splash of brandy.)

Today? I started up a batch of artisan bread dough, and while it was rising I finally made the previous day's applesauce into a pot of Caramel Apple Jam—heavenly stuff! I also took advantage of having the canner going to reheat and divide some of the apple butter I’d made last weekend into jars to preserve them too. Then I made a foccacia to take for lunches for the next few days and a homemade pizza to eat while we watch the football game.

I should be exhausted, but I feel sort of great. When I’m spending all these hours away from home during the week (and this week was worse than most), I need this homey stuff to sort of ground me. Somewhere in me there’s a post about feminism and domesticity, but not for tonight…I’m going to watch the football game with my husband now. I have lunches for the week, provisions in the freezer, a dog on my lap, and a beer next to me on the end table. Hard to beat that.

--Jenn the Greenmom

The Christmas List

2011-11-12T03:51:00.000-08:00

Going Green Mama dreads the day when video games are on the lists...

As a kid every August, I and my brother would love the day the Sears Christmas catalog arrived. We'd pour over the phone-book size directory of things to buy; write a lengthy list and at some point get admonished by my mom that they'd only spend $100 that year.

Those catalogs may be long gone, but the thrill of presents is still here for another generation.

But the funny thing is, if you ask my kids what they want, their list is strangely short. Until they stumble on the Target catalog in the newspaper ad piles (quickly siphoned off to the recycle bin) or (whoops) pass by the toy aisle after buying some replacement sheets. Then the dreams quickly widen with a string of "I wants" -- but are strangely forgotten by the time I get home.

I guess I'm lucky. Not once has these exposures lead to a longer Christmas wish list. I suppose that time will come, but right now I can consider myself lucky.

I'm in the strange position as a parent, as a consumer and as someone trying to lead a lighter life. I'm struggling to find ideas for my kids for Christmas for other people who ask what they want. And it feels strange, even contradictory to principle, to ask. After all, getting is not the point of Christmas.

I'd love to share with far-off family members who love to buy toys that what they really ask for is karate class or playing basketball. That they play with art supplies and balls more than Barbie. But I know the idea of experiences seems a bit difficult to wrap - though easy to ship - and there's that delay of gratification. But there's nothing wrong with that.

My daughter, who was bummed because fellow Scouts in her class went to Disney on Ice, will find her uniform under her tree - with the Disney on Ice princess show patch sewed on. Another Scout mom, who has three princess-loving daughters, initially passed on the idea, until she realized the girls could attend for the cost of a princess toy under the tree. They'll get tickets instead. My coworker, who was stumped on what to get her daughter, is doing the same.

This coworker wants instead of things to buy experiences this year for her family. While many families don't think twice about swapping gifts for a trip to Disney World, you can do this on a much smaller scale too.

Sometimes, the best gifts aren't things. They're memories. My children love their family. But what they want most of all, beyond the bows and baubles, is the gift of time. Playtime with their grandparents, their aunts, their uncles. And you can't just wrap up that with a bow.

How are you handling gift giving this year? Are you bypassing things for special memories?

This is The Green Phone Booth's submission for the December Green Moms Carnival hosted by Citizen Green on December 10th. Pop over and read how green moms cope with the holiday season.

Expanding into mushroom culture

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

In which Truffula branches out into new gardening territory...

Some weeks ago, two friends and I pooled our resources and invited a local permaculture expert for a consultation. We're all trying to redo our yards and gardens to be more edible and sustainable.

As our little group walked our property, we talked about various plant options. However, it was the shade -- yes, really, the SHADE -- which really excited the consultant. He found it ideal for considering... mushroom culture! I smiled politely, and kept taking notes on my clipboard because, of course, I didn't know the first thing about how to proceed with that variety of, er, crop. When I learned that he was offering a 'shroom workshop, I signed myself up, taking TruffulaBoy the Elder with me for good measure.

My son and I were quick converts. The workshop began with Paul Stamets' TED Talk on "6 ways mushrooms can save the world. (If you've got 18 minutes to spare on this, it's worth your time.) What an eye-opener! After a short discussion on mushroom basics, we headed outside to make mushroom logs to take home.

We began with a section of poplar log, about 4 or 5 inches in diameter, and about 40 inches long. Drilling was the first order of business. We needed to riddle the logs in a diamond-shaped pattern, putting the holes 4 to 6 inches apart. My trusty TruffulaBoy partner eagerly volunteered to wield the tools.

The drill bits had depth stops. These allowed us to easily make the holes the perfect size to receive the "plug spawn." The plugs were bits of dowel impregnated with mycelium. Mycelium is the "network" which makes up the mushrooms. No doubt you already had all of that vocabulary at the tip of your brains. ;-)

Drills were traded in for hammers. A plug needed to be inserted into each hole. The arrow is pointing to TruffulaBoy's stash of plugs.

The final step was brushing melted beeswax over each plug to seal it in. The wax smelled lovely! Voila! The log was finished!

We drilled-and-filled to create our log. "Totems" are another method for inoculating logs. Here, sawdust spawn is used instead of plug spawn. A layer of sawdust is spread between the log pieces. The log is then enclosed in a plastic bag. It spends a few months in a garage or basement, and then goes back outside.

Now, we wait. Our log, impregnated with oyter mushroom spawn, has a special place in the back yard, nestled on a pallet. Yes, it is resting in the shade. It's way too early to expect any visible signs of 'shroomy goodness. Those are months away. Still, I cast an expectant eye its way when I visit the adjacent compost piles.

The next part of this project is putting in a mushroom patch or two. Those will be on the ground, using hardwood chips.

If you want to see more immediate results, or try your hand at indoor mushroom culture, the Back to the Roots Mushroom Garden Kit will get mushrooms onto your plate in days, rather than months. An enviro-bonus is that its made using recycled coffee grounds. Green Phone Booth readers can sweeten the deal with coupon code mushrooms4me10 for 10% off the kit price, and free shipping if you buy two or more.

Stay tuned for more on our ongoing garden adventures!

The Stroller Brigade for Safer Chemicals is Today!

2011-11-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

Eco-novice urges you to get involved!

As most green-minded folks can tell you, federal chemical regulation in the U.S. is abysmally outdated and frighteningly ineffective. Today's Stroller Brigade is a chance to join with other like-minded parents to send a clear message to elected officials: pass the Safe Chemicals Act already! This national bill, reintroduced in April, is currently stalled in Congress, but the good news is that states have started to pass their own more effective regulations for toxic chemicals, in part due to public showings of support such as the previous stroller brigade in August.

It may be too late for you to attend a real-life stroller brigade (click here to check for locations and times), but you can still be a part of the digital stroller brigade on Twitter and Facebook today! That's where I'll be showing my support.

A few other steps you can take to stay informed about the campaign for safer chemicals:

Follow Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition (email list). I mostly get emails from this organization when something politically relevant is happening (for example, the Safe Chemicals Act is up for a vote and I should contact my representatives and tell them I want them to support it). I always sign their petitions and fill out their email forms to my elected officials. It's an easy way to stay involved and make sure my voice is heard.

If you are participating or already participated in the stroller brigade, I'd love to hear about it!

Thoughtful Gifts for Teachers

2011-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to be back in the Booth for a Meaningful Memories post! Unfortunately, the {wholly self-proclaimed} Queen of Handmade Holiday Gifts has been experiencing a bit of a crafter's block these days. As in I haven't made a single gift yet and it's already November. EEEK!

I thought I'd dig out all of my supplies over the weekend and kick that mental block to the curb, starting with a gift for our teachers. Between my three kids, we have 8 (!) teachers we make gifts for at Christmastime. While I can't even begin to put a price on what these amazing teachers are worth, I can tell you that our budget for them in disproportionately small. (Where have they heard that before?)

Having a husband in education, I know a lot about the common types of teacher gifts he receives...

And while he is honored that someone would spend their hard-earned money on a gift for him, let's just be honest, a person can only use so many #1 Teacher mugs at a time. Instead, we wanted to make something heartfelt and meaningful. We ended up with these...

Using unfinished frames, Mod Podge, scrapbook paper, and some other bits from the craft room, I created these personalized frames with photos of the kids and their teachers on the first day of school this year.

To make one of these, begin with an unfinished frame, found at any craft store, or use any frame from a second-hand store. I used Mod Podge to affix scrapbook paper to the front of the frame and put a quote about teachers on top of that. This great crinkled brown paper was packing material from a package I received months ago. I just couldn't let it go!

I used some tags found at Goodwill, felt from a second-hand wool sweater, old buttons and yarn. I'm really pleased with the way they turned out and hope the teachers like them too. I have a reputation to uphold at school as a good gifter!

In addition to the frames, our teachers will be receiving jars of homemade apple butter I made a few weeks ago.

Looking for other ideas for your favorite teacher? Try the On-the-Go Utensil Wrap, a Heat Therapy Bag, or - one that always gets rave reviews - Brown Sugar Body Scrub.

I find that a thoughtful gift, given from the heart, goes a long way.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

2011-11-08T16:46:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving coming up I thought I would share my recipe for homemade cranberry sauce. If you have never made cranberry sauce don't worry, it's easy. This cranberry sauce is not only much better than store bought, it's also free of HFCS and BPA which store bought can contain. You can also change this recipe up for your families tastes, if you like it a bit more tart just use less sugar or a bit more orange juice. Some people like to add other fruit to their cranberry sauce as well so play around with it.

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan.
Bring to boil
Simmer until berries pop and if like me you like your cranberry sauce less lumpy just cook until it’s the texture you like. (be sure to stir every once an awhile)
Chill until ready to serve. (thought I end up eating a few spoonfuls while still warm)
Optional: If you aren't a fan of whole cranberry sauce just run it through the blender after it cools.

** This is a Meaningful Memory Post. If you would like to share your greener holiday traditions in a guest post, please email us at greenphoneboothATgmailDOTcom.

Vaccines and hoops and intelligent conversation

2011-11-07T09:45:00.001-08:00

a suburban greenmom opens the taboo subject...

I have never considered myself to be too far off the deep end where natural health is concerned, although to many I might seem so. I rarely take anything stronger than Tylenol, I have a fairly large pharmacopeia of herbal tinctures and homeopathic remedies, and when my kids have a cough they drink tea and take elderberry syrup. I am among those for whom the jury is still out on the vaccine safety question; there are enough fairly intelligent arguments on both sides of the issue that I don't believe it has been truly settled yet.

What I become more and more frustrated over, however, is the fact that it's become such a polarizing issue that it is difficult to have reasonable conversations about it. And that there are so many legal hoops to jump through where vaccinations are concerned, and that those hoops usually do not come with intelligent conversation and common sense, and that they do come with considerable financial or other incentives to keep them in place. Frustrated when even broaching the question degenerates into "OMG how dare you even mention that, you'll endanger my kid" and "Oh good heavens you're one of those anti-vaccine idiots"--even mentioning the question of safety, whether one comes down on one side or the other, brings out these tirades. It's nuts.

I've had two vaccine encounters recently, both fairly minor but illustrating the point in a small way: my daughter, last year, started kindergarten. She had at the same time been diagnosed with some sensory perception issues, so I was a little leery of subjecting her body's system to anything that could disrupt it. I “get” the whole herd immunity thing, and so with most of the vaccinations I'd kept her on a drawn-out but meets-the-letter-of-the-law schedule. However, she had never been vaccinated for chicken pox. And I didn't see any reason why she should—it is not a life-threatening illness, and the risk-factor seemed to favor just leaving it quietly alone. In order to let her remain unvaccinated for this fairly minor disease I had to jump through lots of hoops and eventually obtain a “religious exemption” for it. Which was successful, and she remains unvaccinated. Another kindergartener (a vaccinated one, I might add) came down with the disease later that year, so my kid was apparently exposed to it at that point. She never got sick. I will have her titered when she's a little older to make sure she's indeed immune and that point revisit the question of vaccinating her, but in that moment it seemed like the wiser choice, and I stand by it. Other parents might have made different choices, but I stand by mine. The point of the story isn't really the choice itself, it's the fact that a parent has no real recourse or ability to get solid information on either side of the issue without facing a lot of pressure and even bullying from the school/legal system to do it their way.

A second example, also fairly minor: I started graduate school this fall. I no longer have my childhood vaccination records following me around, so I needed to get a blood titer to check my immunity. I knew what it would show: immunity to mumps and rubella, no immunity to measles. This has been the case in the past; measles vaccinations for me just don't take. Was there any way to address this? No. I had to be vaccinated again for measles, twice. And by the way, measles vaccines don't come separate from mumps and rubella, so I had to be vaccinated for all three. Twice. At $63 each time. There is no room for common sense, conversation, individual cases—everything is regimented and official, and there is pretty much no way to be part of society without entering the Machine and becoming one of its cogs.

And don't even get me started on the proposals for mandatory HPV vaccines for middle school girls—I find that one absolutely appalling, and the very concept to be a complete violation of my parental rights.

I'm not saying all vaccinations are bad. I'm not even saying for sure that any are—I lack the data. But so do a lot of people, many of them medical professionals, who spout absolute truths about them day in and day out. Where does one go to find real answers? Are there any? And we keep getting shots while we wait for those answers.

I'm just not sure about any of it. I don't have the answers. I just wish we could ask the questions and have some hope for getting stuff out onto the table.

(Okay, y'all, please don't fill the “comments” section with “OMG it's proven there is no danger in vaccines!” or “OMG it's proven that vaccines are dangerous” arguments—there's a lot of data out there for both sides of the issue, and every parent and individual has to make their own choice. And the opinions expressed in this post are from the author not the Green Phone Booth at large, etc. and so forth disclaimer stuff.)

--Jenn the Greenmom

Seeing green on Black Friday

2011-11-05T02:56:00.000-07:00

Going Green Mama is slowing her holiday spending...

I can't remember a year when I didn't spend part of Thanksgiving Day pouring over the Black Friday ads--and only one year when, pregnant and miserable, I just stayed home.

Yes, it's a bit ironic that a Black Friday junkie is writing about being a green consumer in your holiday shopping. Everything about Black Friday, on its surface, is about more, more, more.

More sales. More early hours. More lines. More stuff that you didn't know you needed. More waiting in lines and driving circles around the parking lot. I can see why it turns a lot of folks off.

But my Black Friday shopping has evolved in recent years, particularly since my family has grown. I've transitioned more out of the "buy everything...now" mentality to using it as an opportunity to buy things my family did need at a deep discount. Like replacement items, winter clothing or tools for the home.

But recent years and my shift toward being more sustainable have cut my Friday-morning sales even more.

By planning better, I'm able to find gently used clothing and books for my children throughout the year at a fraction of the price of even those fabulous Black Friday sales. Are they new? To them.. (I admit I can't always find what I need at a resale shop or sale, but it helps dramatically.) And my daughter, a new "chapter book reader," as she calls it, is getting a shoebox full of animal books for Christmas, bought for just a few dollars.

By listening more, I've found great ideas for gift-giving, instead of just buying something so that I can check that person off the list. My brother? Desperate to figure out how to landscape his shady scrap of land. I found the perfect book on shade gardening, at a library sale. I doubt I would find it if I'd waited until December, even on Amazon. My brother-in-law, a new dad? Literally wants a nap. So I'll give him free babysitting time during their visit.

By sharing more, I will have helped others and my family. We have always adopted someone for the holidays, no matter how tight things are. But the last few seasons, instead of racing to buy things, I've gotten more creative in my gift-giving there too. Last year, our daycare adopted a family with a little boy my son's age. I'd just gotten a huge bag of train tracks and accessories at the used children's store, and divided them up among my son and this boy. Sure, the boy got a new Thomas too, but it was a way to stretch my resources and bring more joy. My son never missed what he didn't have. This year, the daycare is adopting two little girls whose mother is a college student but can't find work. I posted on our employee classifieds that we're looking for clothes in their size, and people are coming through. And my children, bless their hearts, have always come through with my requests to "be a Santa" and donate an outgrown toy to a child in need.

This year, I suspect my shopping outlay will be even smaller than before. Many of my gifts this year have leaned on the practical, spiritual or creative sides. And I've encouraged my family, whom I still know will buy the toys, to subsidize experiences for my children this year.

Will I still go out for Black Friday? Yes, and here's why. My mom and I have, since I was little, created a tradition of early-morning (I said morning, not middle of the night) shopping followed by breakfas t and a few other mixed errands. I'd miss that one-on-one time too much to go without it. But maybe this year, I'll leave my wallet at home.

This post is part of the Green Mom's Carnival on green consumerism, hosted by Betsy at Eco-Novice.

October Unprocessed Wrap Up

2011-11-04T01:15:00.000-07:00

From Emerald Apron's Kitchen
Well, it's November and the October Unprocessed challenge from Eating Rules is over. I am so happy that I took this challenge publicly, not just in the blog world but I told my family, friends and colleagues about it as well. I got tons of support from everyone I care about. Though I had a few slip ups, like eating candy on Halloween night, I still felt positive change. As in, I didn't stock the house with candy and eat it all month long. And you know what? I didn't miss the candy either. I lost 3.5 lbs without even trying, without limiting portion sizes. I'm a girl who likes to eat.

I really want to keep some parts of the challenge and see them as realistic for my lifestyle. For example, homemade bread with the bread machine is simple. However, there are some processed foods that I'm welcoming back with open arms. I really missed bottled salad dressing, ketchup, barbecue sauce and the like. I also missed the occasional iced tea, since I don't drink coffee or tea or anything except water really, iced tea is a nice treat for me every now and then.

What I won't be bringing back are diet soda, packaged snacks like granola bars or cereal bars, pretzels, packaged side dishes like flavored rice, or dry cereal. I do believe in using moderation, so those items aren't gone forever, but they're not going to be as common in my diet as they used to be.

Did you do the October Unprocessed Challenge? How did it go?

Grateful Is as Grateful Does

2011-11-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

From the bean of Green Bean.

Halloween is over. Lost in a mass of non-fair trade candy wrappers and rotting pumpkins. November - and Thanksgiving - occupies that space between the party of Halloween and the party of Christmas. It lounges there, full of obligation and severity. But really, who has time for Thanksgiving. The meal is fine and another pumpkin pie is always welcome! The days off of work and school are met with joy. They give us time to shop early for the "real holidays". And seeing family? It's all good but, seriously, we'll see plenty of those folks between now and the end of the year.

So, what does Thanksgiving and the bleak month of November offer besides an onramp to the winter holidays?

Gratitude.

The thankfulness. The importance of pausing. Of relishing. Of savoring. Our family. Our homes. Our jobs. Our food. Our ability to cloth ourselves and to give and receive something this holiday season.

Gratitude is something often overlooked. Shoved aside in our rush to the Christmas tree. But I believe November was put here for a reason. It offers us the opportunity to realize how fortunate we are.

Photo Credit

Every year, in our house, we do a gratitude tree of some sort. The kids and I cut out leaves from colored construction paper. As the days tick by, we write down things we are grateful for. The leaves can be taped on a drawn tree. Tied to a garland. Looped over a branch brought into the house. Stowed in a box. On Thanksgiving Day, we read the many people and things we've remembered and for which we are grateful and truly embrace the meaning of the day.

Other Ideas for Developing Gratitude

- Write what you are grateful for during the month of November on small strips of paper. In December, turn those strips into a paper chain and let gratitude wrap your Christmas tree or decorate your mantel.

- Place a kernel of corn on each Thanksgiving plate. Everyone states what they are grateful for before eating Thanksgiving Dinner.

- Check out my Pinterest board on Gratitude for more ideas and visuals.

** This is a Meaningful Memory Post. If you would like to share your greener holiday traditions in a guest post, please email us at greenphoneboothATgmailDOTcom.

Have Yourself a Very Recycled Christmas

2011-11-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

The Conscious Shopper pops back into the Booth to share some ideas for free Christmas gifts.

In October every year, the church that I attend organizes a day where we gather to make a variety of inexpensive crafts that can be given as Christmas gifts. This year, the women in charge asked if I would head up a free gift - perhaps something made of recycled materials. Ah, my reputation precedes me.

After pondering their request for only fifteen minutes, I knew exactly what craft I wanted to teach: recycled paper beads. You may have seen tutorials for these beads around the interwebs, but if you haven't made any yet, you have no idea how cool these beads really are. You start with a paper triangle, twist it around something tubular, glue the end, and voila! you've made something that looks from a distance like a real plastic bead.

But it gets even cooler! The color of your beads depends on the recycled paper that you choose (magazines, maps, posters, scrapbook paper), and unless your paper is a solid color, each bead will be unique. You can also vary the length and width of the paper triangles you start with, creating long beads, tiny beads, fat beads, and skinny beads. You can string the beads on elastic to make a bracelet, on cord to make a necklace, or add store bought beads for a more polished look. So many possibilities, and all with materials you have lying around your own home!

You can find a full (illustrated) tutorial for making these beads here. Or if you are not the crafty type, you can also purchase recycled paper beads from Mzuribeads, a cooperative of Ugandan women who handmake the beads.

For the activity at my church, I taught a class on how to make these beads and also set up a display table filled with other things I've made by repurposing what I already have. Although I'm a pretty sad sewer, I pull out my machine every now and then, and I've come to view many items that most people would throw away as a gold mind of fabric, especially shower curtains, sheets, jeans and other pants, and wool sweaters. You've seen my shower curtain produce bags before, and here are some napkins I made out of an old sheet. I also displayed a jeans quilt that my mom made out of my old jeans when I was a teenager - it's one of my most prized possessions.

Finally, I provided the class with a long list of ideas of other things to make out of trash. Maybe you'll be able find an idea or two in the list. Get ready for some scrolling!

Wool Sweaters

How to felt wool: http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2009/09/recycled-sweaters-wool-felt-projects.html

Sling purse: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/11/re-purposing-sweater-into-sling-purse.html
Slippers: http://sewgreen.blogspot.com/search/label/slippers
Mittens: http://www.purlbee.com/felt-mittens-with-knitted-cuff/
Hot pads: http://www.purlbee.com/felt-hot-pad/
Hat: http://www.craftstylish.com/item/28927/how-to-make-hats-from-recycled-sweaters
Christmas stocking: http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/11/25/crafty-christmas-felted-sweater-stocking-tutorial/
Sunglasses case: http://littleecofootprints.typepad.com/little_eco_footprints/2009/01/for-my-mum-handmade-felted-wool-camera-case-sunglasses-case-and-makeup-purse-.html

Jeans/Pants

Utility Apron: http://blog.betzwhite.com/2007/07/by-seat-of-my-pants.html
Baby shoes: http://www.prudentbaby.com/2010/01/diy-baby-shoes-recycled-from-old-jeans.html
Reversible boys' vest: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/01/re-purposing-reversible-boys-vest-from.html
Sandwich bags: http://www.noodle-head.com/2010/03/tutorial-recycled-reusable-sandwich-bag.html
Craft organizer: http://www.allfreecrafts.com/sewing/denim-organizer.shtml

T-shirts

Braided bracelets: http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2011/03/v-and-co-how-to-jersey-knit-bracelet.html
Braided headbands: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/06/repurposing-tshirts-into-5-strand-braided-headbands.html
Little girl's skirt with yoga-style waistband: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/02/repurposing-shirt-into-skirt-with-yoga.html
Drool bib: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2009/10/re-pursposing-drool-bib.html
Little boys' lounge pants: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2009/08/repurposing-boys-lounge-pants.html
Pleated scarf: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/01/pleated-knit-scarf.html
Scarf: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/01/knit-scarf.html
T-shirt yarn: http://mousechirpy-polkadotpineapple.blogspot.com/2008/03/tutorial-t-shirt-yarn.html

Sheets/Pillowcases

Pillowcase apron: http://www.readymade.com/projects/what_a_sham_pillowcase_apron
Braided rag rug: http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/02/braided-rag-rug.html
Woven rag rug: http://www.craftpassion.com/2010/03/recycle-tutorial-woven-rag-rug.html?pid=237#picgallery
Maxi dress: http://projectsbyjess.blogspot.com/2007/01/maxi-sheet-dress-sewing-pattern.html
Microwave heating pad: http://tipnut.com/make-your-own-microwave-heating-pad/
Superhero cape: http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/2010/07/pillowcase-super-hero-cape-tutorial.html
Lunchbox (or scripture case!): http://vintagesheets.blogspot.com/2010/05/vintage-pillowcase-lunch-box.html
Pillowcase dress: http://mayamade.blogspot.com/2008/08/lace-dreams-tutorial-for-pillow-case.html
Pirate map: http://alphamom.com/family-fun/holidays/diy-pirate-maps-for-talk-like-a-pirate-day/

Miscellaneous

Epsom salt luminaries from canning jars: http://craftsbyamanda.com/2010/12/epsom-salt-luminaries-some-winter.html
Advent calendars from toilet paper rolls: http://mayamade.blogspot.com/2008/11/countdown-calendar.html
Faux metal wall art from toilet paper rolls: http://www.suzyssitcom.com/2010/12/feature-friday-faux-metal-wall-art.html
Stamps from bottle tops: http://mama-jenn.blogspot.com/2011/06/diy-bottle-top-stamps.html
Storm trooper helmet from a milk jug: http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/10/milk-jug-storm-trooper-helmet.html

** This is a Meaningful Memory Post. If you would like to share your greener holiday traditions in a guest post, please email us at greenphoneboothATgmailDOTcom.

Johnson & Johnson in Deep Water

2011-11-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Back in 2009 bloggers and environmentalist were talking about Johnson & Johnson products containing ingredients that are known to cause cancer but it wasn't until the Campaign for Safer Cosmetics released the latest study showing the ingredients are still there but only in some countries, that the media has taken notice.

Now the story is viral and parents are pissed. This news has parents wondering what they can use on their babies instead. Here are just a few options that will be safe and gentle for your baby.

Earth Mama Angel Baby is a trusted brand that carries many different baby products as well as products for mom.

Soap for Goodness Sake has a very gentle lavender soap that is great for babies and mom.

Nurture My Body not only carries safe baby products but you can also choose to have them put in glass containers making them even more environmentally friendly.

You can find even more safe baby products on Skin Deep. All of the products listed here rank 0 on the site meaning they are the safest products. If you have favorite safe baby care products be sure to list them in the comments below.

Where did autumn go?

2011-10-31T06:23:00.000-07:00

A suburban greenmom laments her lost autumn

We kind of blew it this fall.

It's probably the hardest thing about trying to live sustainably and to sustain that sustainability—the fact that life doesn't seem to sustain anything like a regular pattern. There's no such thing as a typical autumn for us.

Last fall we were totally on top of things—we raked up not only our own leaves but those of all our neighbors. We hauled manure from the local stable. Our yard was awesome in its fall prep, to the extent where there wasn't very much we had to do then in the spring to ready it for planting. Well, okay, that's not exactly true...last fall and spring were the bulk of our Grand Landscaping Endeavor, wherein we killed a bunch of lawn and created a big perennial zone in the rear third of our yard. So in the spring we did have to haul a lot of dirt and wood chips. But we didn't have to feed the ground much at all, because there was this lovely winter-old layer of decayed plant food we'd put down in the fall.

But still, in the autumn we were ready. Suddenly I realize it's the last day of October and we've done basically bupkiss. I cut back the crazy-wild roses I hadn't pruned back enough last spring, trying not to do too much because they still need some living plant to survive the winter. I for the first time ordered bulbs to plant in some of the more early-barren areas of the yard (and am grateful that cool dark storage enables one to not plant them right away—because I just haven't had time). Somehow there just aren't as many leaves this year to rake and use for mulch; I'm not sure why. And our giant overgrown privet hedge is going to have to wait for spring, to be cut back, which I now read is the best time for it anyway.

So...since I have very little to report—on this last day of October, what are your autumn garden rituals? What do y'all readers do in the fall to get ready for next spring? How does it work for you? (And please be sure to include where you live—when people talk about their “fall planting,” it makes us Northerners feel very inadequate unless we know you live in South Carolina or something!)

Jenn the Greenmom

Fall bucket list

2011-10-29T04:52:00.000-07:00

Going Green Mama is hoping for a full fall.

The last few autumns have blinked by for us, largely a result of the weather, but partially because my kids were just beginning to be old enough to truly enjoy the season.

This year, inspired by a "fall bucket list" craft I saw, I decided to write my own bucket list for my family. It's simple, but encompasses what we want to do most this time of year: stay in touch with nature.

Pick too many apples from the apple orchard.

Finally take the kids to the fall festival at a local dairy. They've been begging for the last two years to go.

Go for long walks, and watch our kids choose the "biggest" leaves that have fallen and carry them around the neighborhood.

Open the windows at night to let the cool breezes tempt us into sleeping in the next day.

Take a hike or two.

Plant another round of carrots or peas and try to beat the frost.

Bundle up for chilly Saturday-morning visits to the farmers market. Scour for treats we can tuck into Christmas presents.

Make the first batch of my husband's chili or homemade chicken noodle soup on a cool evening after work.

Hit up the fall festivals in the small towns in the area.

Interestingly, none of the "must-dos" include Halloween activities; my daughter's fear of the macabre (even trick-or-treaters can frighten her at times) means we're sticking to the natural world and shying away from city traditions like the non-frightening hours at our children's museum's haunted house or the ZooBoo. But the funny thing is, I'm OK with that.

As the days start to shrink, how are you extending your season? What's on your "bucket list" this fall?

Even Eco-Heroes Need a Sabbatical...

2011-10-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

Wherein SustainaMom hangs up her cape....

I love this blog. I love the bloggers here, and I love the readers and all of your comments. I have learned so much by being a part of the green blogging community, and it saddens me that I need to take a break from blogging.

Ironically, I need to stop blogging for the same reason that led me to this community in the first place.

I began a personal green blog in the spring of 2008. I had been reading about toxins in our homes. It all started when my son's feeding issue was diagnosed. His occupational therapist said the feeding issue was related to sensory integration dysfunction. So I read quite a lot about sensory integration dysfunction. I read how it might be related to toxins in our homes. So I read quite a bit about toxins in our homes. I was determined to eliminate these dangers from my home. I wanted to create a healthier environment for my family.

After a couple of months of reading about healthier homes, I wanted to share everything I was reading with family and friends and any one else who worried about toxins in our homes. So I began blogging. In the three years since I started that (now-defunct) blog, I've learned so much about creating a safe home for my family — and I've also learned to lessen my impact on the environment and to consider global implications of purchases, my thermostat level and the number of miles I drive.

While I see everything through a green lens now, I know I have so many more steps to take in my green journey. But this won't be the year that I research which apple trees to plant or even improve my knitting. My son's sensory issues are creating new challenges, and they are consuming all of my spare time for research. I've pulled out all of my books about sensory integration dysfunction and I'm reading them with a view beyond the feeding challenges and I see how much I've missed. I see how his quirks are part of a bigger picture and his sometimes-challenging behavior could be a sign of something beyond 5-year-old rebellion.

Just as I immersed myself in green books and green blogs, I need to immerse myself in the books and blogs — and doctor's appointments — that help me understand what my son needs. So I'm stepping out of the Green Phone Booth, sans cape. I'll be in the kitchen, tempting my son with new foods. I'll be at parent-teacher conferences, advocating for my child. I'll be at the library, reading about sensory diets. I'll be doing all the things that good moms try to do. I'll still be agonizing over decisions about plastic, cleaning with vinegar, and planting a garden. I just won't be staying up late to write about these things.

As I leave the Green Phone Booth, I want to thank the ladies of the Booth for their inspiration, and I want to thank the commenters who've helped me this past year. From recommendations for new foods to offer my son to information about the Feingold diet, you've been a source of great information and encouragement. I've needed both. Thank you!

No-Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam

2011-10-27T00:15:00.000-07:00

This season has been the first season during which I have attempted preserving and canning. The very first thing I tried was freezer jam, since it's so easy. And it really is incredibly easy. I really wanted to try to make some strawberry jam without any refined sugar and without any heating/cooking (to preserve nutritional value as well as the delicious taste of fresh strawberries). I used Pomona Pectin and followed the instructions in the package for making freezer jam with honey.

The good news is, it worked. I used a little less honey than the recipe called for so it wouldn't be so runny and so the honey flavor wouldn't overpower the strawberries, and the mixture did "jam" (thicken up into a jam-like consistency), although not quite as much as the strawberry jam with sugar (my friend made a batch with sugar, while I made a batch with honey, which made it easy to compare). It also ended up being quite economical. Four or five open pints of organic strawberries (I bought a half-flat for $8 at the farmer's market), plus a buck or two for honey and pectin yielded 10 cups of jam, which means I paid less than a dollar per cup for organic strawberry jam. Not bad.

For those even more novice than the Eco-novice, here are the simple steps involved. Although I made this jam with a friend late at night after our kids were in bed, you can see that this is a very kid-friendly process. I can see even a very young child helping with the mashing, blending, stirring, and pouring into jars.

Prepping the strawberries.

Mashing the strawberries to desired consistency: Before

Mashing the strawberries to desired consistency: After

Blending up the pectin and water into a gel-like thing. No expertise required.

After adding the pectin mixture to the strawberries and honey -- it's jamming!

Using a funnel to get the mixture in the jars.

Freeze immediately.

Defrost in the fridge and enjoy!

Yummy on homemade whole wheat bread.

If you have never canned or preserved before, I heartily recommend you give freezer jam a try. If your family likes fresh jam, that is. My jam turned out quite well, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, I have since realized that my family does not eat enough jam to even make it through the one-cup containers before the jar goes bad. I'm more of a toast and butter kind of gal, and while the fresh strawberry jam would be delicious on french toast or whole wheat pancakes, I, myself, prefer maple syrup or whipped cream with fresh fruit. Perhaps if I had used sugar or made cooked jam with frozen grape juice concentrate (another refined sugar alternative, but only for cooked jam), the jars would last a little longer in the fridge. Also, I wish I had mashed the strawberries more so that the end result was more smooth less chunk, which is what my kids are used to. Oh well. No worries - it's not going to waste. My sister and her housemates have been enjoying it lots.

Do you have a favorite freezer or cooked jam recipe? Please share!

Meaningful Memories: Pumpkin Patch Edition

2011-10-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

From Emerald Apron's family farm

I grew up on a small farm in New England, so I spent every weekend during the months of September and October in the apple orchar or pumpkin patch, hopping on the back of a horse drawn hayride or baking a tray of pies. I have fond memories of playing in the hay maze with my cousins, making cider with my parents and brothers, and dressing up to scare people during our haunted hayrides. My childhood on the farm is a big part of my identity and I'm very hopeful to share those experiences with my son Joshua.

We don't live on the farm anymore, but we are only a few minutes down the road. We visit every weekend and Joshua has a blast with his extended family. He pretends to drive the tractors, knows how to shine an apple on his pant leg and loves to load pumpkins in a wagon.

We've started a traditional costume party at the farm so Joshua can share the fall fun with his friends. Our guests come dressed in their costumes, we spend time looking at the animals in the petting zoo and sharing snacks, then we go for a half-hour hayride through the apple orchard, by the pumpkin patch, through the woods and over a covered bridge on the farm. I love these parties because I feel like a tourist! As a child, days spent at the farm were work days sprinkled with bits of fun here and there. But now, as a mom, I no longer wait on customers or bake tray after endless tray of pies. It's all fun and no work!

I look forward to sharing harvest season traditions with Joshua and our family. I have started a fall scrapbook and intent to add a few pages every year, so we can get it out every year to look back at costumes and share memories. How does your family celebrate autumn?

Naturally Beautiful

2011-10-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

Take a moment and think about when you got ready this morning. How many personal care products did you use? Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, perfume, nail polish, make-up, etc.. The list can get pretty long. Now do you know what's in those products? Did you know almost 90% of the ingredients in personal care products haven't been tested for safety? Scary, right?

You don't have to give up all your personal care products to be safe. There are safer products out there that you can use. Here are a few of my favorites.

Everyday Minerals is a great natural mineral make-up made in Texas. They have sample kits so you can find your right shade before you buy a full size container. You can also mix shades if they don't have your perfect match.

Lipsticks and lip glosses from Honeybee Gardens come in beautiful shades and have the great coverage you want without the nasty chemicals.

Honeybee Gardens also has beautiful nail polish that is water based and free of; FD&C colors, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, xylene, and formaldehyde.

Pacifica perfume is made from natural and essential oils. It's also made in the USA and comes in recycled and recyclable packaging.

Soap For Goodness Sake's shea butter creme is my favorite moisturizer. It's plastic-free and works so well.

Nurture Your Body's shampoo bar is another great plastic-free product. It's made from natural and organic ingredients and leaves your hair clean and soft.

100% Pure products are a favorite in my house. We love their body washes. They come in lots of great natural scents and use natural and organic ingredients.

What are your favorite natural personal care products?

"Making" Halloween Costumes...the lazy way

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

A suburban greenmom really has issues with all the Halloween stores and ready-made costumes everyone now seems to wear...A day late for the flashback, but what the heck?

Okay, yeah, I realize at the outset that this small rant is going to make me sound old. Because When I Was A Kid (there it is!), Halloween costumes were something you made yourself out of whatever you could find around the house. Creativity and originality were the benchmarks for a "good" costume. (One of my friends used a Hefty bag and made herself into a raisin. Adorable.) Mad scientist, gypsy, wizard, Army Guy--these were our costumes. The whole thing of going into a Spirit store or whatever and paying $20 for a cheezy fall-apart pre-made costume feels like a...violation somehow. So I hate them with a passion.

I am not a great seamstress; I know the very basics of sewing, but I don't terribly enjoy it, and I rarely have the time to spend on it. But this year I discovered the wonder of reconstructing thrift store clothes into costumes--someone else has done most of the cutting and measuring, the hemming, the lining, what-have-you--all I have to do is chop things down or up to size. Those places are a gold mine.

My son wanted to be young Anakin Skywalker this year. My sewing skills are rudimentary at best, but I know how to make a basic Jedi costume--it's not too hard. Baggy pants. Kimono-type top. Cloak over it all. No big deal. Unfortunately, it's a "no big deal" that nonetheless requires a few hours of time put in, and that's time I just don't have this year. So I was about to bail on the whole thing.

Then it occurred to me...the local thrift store. Wonder what they have? I came home $10 later with a light beige linen pants-and-top set, women's size small, and a knit mock-neck tunic shirt, size xxl. Killed me to cut up this perfectly

good piece of linen, but I figure this is the makings for years of future costumes, and the situation was dire since the school halloween party is really early this year.

So here's what I did: I chopped off the sleeves right above the cuffs and put a very quick hem in there. Cut off the collar, folded the main part of the front fabric in, and sewed around the whole thing to make the wraparound vee-neck thing. (That way I can take the sewing out later and make a RenFaire shirt out of it or something; this is less irrevocable.) I cuffed the pants up about 8 inches and cut off and re-sewed the waistband with new elastic and some lazy pleats (this sounds harder than it is--I just sort of folded and pinned until it didn't fall down his butt, and sewed it around, and then when it was still a little loose I took a piece of elastic and stretched it out while I sewed it again, so the elastic then cinched it in a little. If you didn't even want to do this, pins or suspenders would totally do it.), and bingo, a Jedi uniform. He wore a sort of grey tie-die shirt under it. And I sliced the brown tunic down the front, chopped off the sleeves to his length, and then was delighted to realized that the remainder of the sleeve fabric was enough to open into two rectangles which I could sew together along two sides, sew the bottom onto the tunic neckline, and lookee there's a hood.

Here's the "after" shot:

Not bad, huh? And I maybe spent a total of half an hour actually chopping and stitching to make it happen. And we've now survived two of the four Halloween events of the season, and it hasn't fallen apart yet and looks tons better than any of the other little Jedi out there, if I do say so myself.

So if a particular Halloween costume request comes up, before either hitting the Spirit store or throwing up your hands in defeat, consider hitting the local Goodwill or Salvation Army store...go in with an open mind, and come out with a willingness to start hacking away and a knowledge that even if you screw up, you're not out that much money, probably less than if you'd purchased brand-new fabric and tried it from scratch. In fact, the bedding departments at these stores are gold mines for cheap fabric in the form of old sheets and blankets; you can make cloaks, robes, nightgowns, or just have plain old fabric with which to experiment and learn. Not to be cavalier about screwing up and throwing out, but if there's a seamstress anywhere who didn't have to make a lot of mistakes before getting the hang of it, I'd love to meet her--it's part of the curve, so might as well do it on fabric that's already had its day in the sun, right?

So give it a shot! Happy Halloween, all!

Phonebook Flashback: Halloween Edition

2011-10-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Phone Booth Flashback, where we take a trip down memory lane so you can catch up on posts from the Booth's past. In this post, we take a look at past Halloween posts, as part of our Meaningful Memories Holiday Challenge.

2008

Simple School Party: Olive S. Oyl shares easy ideas for a simple and green kindergarten Halloween party, after deciding that you don't need to go high maintenance to compensate for no sugar.

The Real Deal: Green Bean discusses why DIY Halloween costumes are the most memorable and most meaningful.

2009

Pumpkin Delight: The Greenhabilitator shares a delicious-looking recipe for pumpkin muffins and swears that she will never again buy pumpkin in a can.

Getting Trashed on Halloween: Green Bean reveals the fun of making robot and bat costumes from trash, the recycling bin, and Freecycle.

Superhero Secrets: Greenhabilitator has a list of ideas to help you use up all those candies and wrappers from trick-or-treating.

2010

Avoiding the Halloween headache of consumerism: Going Green Mama discusses ways to reduce the wastefulness of Halloween while still letting your kids enjoy the festivities, including creating costumes from what's in your closet, DIY treat bags, and alternative treats to candy.

My Frivolous and Green Halloween: Lisa from Condo Blues writes a guest post on her favorite holiday. She offers tips on incorporating natural items into one's Halloween decor and embracing reuse for Halloween costumes.

Reclaimed Halloween Costumes: Going Green Mama provides last-minute inspiration for creating Halloween costumes using reclaimed items from your closet or thrift shop.

A Simple, Green Halloween: Guest poster Yancy of Five Seed shares ways to decorate, eat, dress up, celebrate, and trick-or-treat in green and simple ways.

Halloween Costume Parade: Conscious Shopper hosts a virtual parade of homemade, thrifted, and recycled Halloween costumes from the Green Phone Booth community that could provide your inspiration for this year's costume!

2011

And in case you missed Going Green Mama's recent Halloween posts: DIY Halloween Costumes and I've Created a Monster.

Join our Facebook page for in-between-post conversations.

Herb harvest - What to do with the bounty

2011-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Going Green Mama is mourning the death of her garden.

I can't argue with a forecast of 30 degrees. So this week, before our quick trip to the grandparents, I did what I had to do: Harvest my herbs.

Down went the bushy basil and oregano, both of which had rapidly spread in our cool October weather. Down went the chives, standing tall in my pots. Down went the last of my mint that hadn't previously toasted in the September heat.

Normally I'd be on a cooking frenzy, or busy freezing or drying herbs, but a planned trip meant my evenings were numbered. So instead, I whipped up an extra batch of spaghetti sauce in between my loads of laundry and took on new projects that I had not yet tried in my kitchen:

Basil oil, which I've seen recently in several farm-fresh cookbooks. I love the fact that I can freeze it in 1/4 cup measurements in my muffin tin - just the right amount for a dinner meal. (I'm tempted to pair it with a recipe for garlic vinegar that I found for a fall salad.)

Chive butter, an idea I borrowed from a friend. Can't wait to use it as an alternative to boring Country Crock!

The mint I chose to enjoy as hot tea (great for my recovering self) opted to freeze the rest to preserve the oils but am on the hunt for ideas on what to do with it when I return!

What are your favorite ways to squeeze the last bit of enjoyment out of a season's herbs?

October Unprocessed Update

2011-10-21T01:15:00.000-07:00

From Emerald Apron's kitchen

It's now been almost three weeks since I joined the October Unprocessed Challenge and vowed not to eat processed food this month. In my last update, I shared that I felt great and I still do! Despite an incredibly busy few weeks, I feel fantastic. My days are packed full and my nights include lots of wake-ups with my son, but I still feel energetic at the end of the day. Placebo effect? I don't care, what the reason is.

I've been cooking up a storm. Homemade bread is a must, along with lots of fruits and veggies still. As the harvest season winds down, I'm still getting what I can locally like apples, butternut squash, and some beautiful eggplant that I picked last weekend on my family's farm.

I have had a few slip ups. I had pizza and pumpkin pie at my brother's house. To say no would have been rude! And there have been a couple of times when I was too busy to cook so we opted for convenience, but it was always a very conscious decision. I've got a forgiving nature, and I forgive myself and move on with it. I'm thinking that in order for this to be a long-term change, I need to go in with a 90/10 philosophy. If I avoid processed foods 90% of the time or more, I'm doing well.

The most amazing and unexpected part has been the weight loss. In 20 days, I lost 3.8 pounds. To me, that's just amazing. I'm now 5 pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight, and it's been probably five years since I weighed this amount. I haven't limited portions or anything typical of dieting, I've just been eating nutritious foods when I'm hungry. I'd love to see the trend continue but I doubt I'll lose too much more. We'll see!

The hardest part of the challenge by far has been figuring out what to eat for snacks. Carrots and hummus or guacamole have become staples, but I miss my favorite processed carbs: pretzels, granola bars and crackers. If you have any homemade, whole wheat, naturally sweetened recipes for those please share!

Are you doing the October Unprocessed Challenge? How's it going?

Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health

2011-10-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

I can eat less meat. But cheese?

Did everyone already hear about the Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health, published by Environmental Working Group in July earlier this year? So it's kind of old news, but I've been meaning to write about it ever since, and sort of chewing on what it should mean for my family's eating habits.

The report has an impressive methodology: "EWG teamed up with CleanMetrics, an environmental analysis and consulting firm, to calculate complete lifecycle assessments of the “cradle-to-grave” carbon footprint of 20 types of conventionally raised (not organic or grass-fed) meat, fish, dairy and vegetable proteins, counting emissions generated both before and after the food leaves the farm. These assessments included every step of the food cycle, from the pesticides and fertilizers used to grow animal feed through to the grazing, processing, transportation, cooking and finally, disposal of unused food" (from news release).

For those who haven't had a chance to check out the guide for themselves yet (the link lingered in my bookmarks for months before I browsed the full report), here are some highlights:

Eating and wasting less meat (especially red meat) and cheese can simultaneously improve our health and reduce the climate and environmental impact of food. Amazingly, meat that goes into the trash accounts for more than 20 percent of all meat-associated emissions!
When you do eat meat, eat smaller portions and opt for meat from organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed animals. There are many compelling health, environmental and animal-welfare reasons for doing so.
Making significant cuts in emissions will not come solely from individual action, but also citizen action. Reducing meat production’s negative impacts on soil, air and water will take stronger regulatory enforcement and better policies – in addition to significant changes in meat consumption habits.

A really cool feature of the report is the Eat Smart graphic, which compares how food choices affect the climate. I need to print this out and paste it to my fridge. The report also includes quick aids such as At-a-glance brochure that summarizes the full report; interactive Lifecycle Graphic; Tips for Meat Eaters; Meat Quiz ("How much do you know about the meat you eat?"); guide to Decoding Meat and Dairy Labels; and additional resources. You can also sign a pledge to go meatless one day of the week (a la Meatless Monday).

For me, it was no big surprise that:

Beef generates more than twice the emissions of pork, nearly four times that of chicken, and more than 13 times that of vegetable proteins such as beans, lentils, and tofu.

But I was kind of bummed to learn that:

Cheese has the third-highest emissions (more than pork, fish, and poultry!). Less dense cheese (such as cottage) results in fewer greenhouse gases since it takes less milk to produce it.

At my house, the only meat we regularly eat is organic chicken and ground turkey. We occasionally eat pork, fish, and even more occasionally grass-fed beef purchased through our CSA. We regularly eat beans and tofu. So I feel OK about the progress we've made in the meat-eating department since we began our green journey. But the sad truth is, while I can imagine someday eating vegetarian, I have a hard time imagining giving up dairy. I love my milk, yogurt, ice cream, butter, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, and, yes, CHEESE. I love cheese. Parmesan cheese, extra sharp cheddar cheese, havarti cheese, mozzarella cheese. Recently, I did switch over from conventional cheese to almost all organic cheese, and the significantly higher sticker price has made me more aware of how much we are eating (and far less likely to let any of it go to waste).

I would say that at least one-third of our dinners around here are meatless. But you know how I compensate for that? Cheese. Or sour cream. Especially with beans (the tofu dishes tend to lean more towards vegan). In addition to sprinkling a little less cheese on my meatless dishes, any suggestions for cutting back on the cheese without too much pain and suffering?

How has your consumption of animal products changed since you began your green journey?

A Zero Dollar Holiday?

2011-10-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

From the bean of Green Bean.

Cruising the Internet the other day, I came across a woman endeavoring to spend zero dollars on Christmas this year. Zero dollars!

On one hand, I love this idea. Focus on experiences rather than materials. Save money and put an end to the consumerism of the holidays. However, these all or nothing challenges always intimidate me.

Plus, I don't think we could do a Zero Dollar Christmas at this place in my life. But that doesn't mean that this doesn't give me some ideas.

For instance, I might be able to pull off a Zero Dollar Halloween. In fact, I almost did it one year. The ideas for DIY Halloween costumes coupled with handing out leftover goodie bag treats to trick or treaters means that I could do it again.

Or a Non-Material Advent Calendar. We've done this in years past and I've seen loads of fun ideas for this on blogs and on Pinterest. Kids open the doors to find promises of experiences - baking cookies with mom, sledding with dad, movie night with popcorn, walk to see the Christmas lights, and even an iTunes song. Hey, a downloaded song is not material, too.

Maybe a Nothing New Christmas would be fun. We almost made it to a Nothing New Christmas one year. We got things off of Freecycle, put the word out with friends (one of whom came through with a giant bag of Legos that her friend's son had outgrown), bought at the thrift store and, my favorite place of all, antique stores and fairs. The great thing about buying used is that the items you give are so unique. Over the years, I've given my boys an old cap gun, a 1970's troll, a light up human body, a vintage nutcracker and more. For grandparents or even parents, give something that was yours when you were younger - or something that the recipient once gave you. My parents do the former - gifting my boys old toys and books. My grandmother did the latter once I was a young adult - giving me back little ceramic artifacts that I had once given her and photo albums that she had put together of me as a young child.

With the advent of local eating, a 100 Mile Thanksgiving almost seems too easy to be a challenge. This year, for the first time ever, my CSA is offering heirloom, local turkeys. Of course, I'm a vegetarian so I'm only tangentially interested. Still, I'll bring something totally local to our Thanksgiving celebration.

Of course, Spend Nothing Stockings is a much more manageable alternative to the Zero Dollar Christmas. I might actually do this one this year. Every year, I hand-make my kids something special. One year, it was knit light sabers. Last year, it was knit owls. This year? Any knit Harry Potter ideas? The stocking can also be stuffed with homemade treats and passed down treasures.

I'll definitely propose a White Elephant Exchange for my family. This is an on again, off again tradition amongst the adults. It is laugh out loud fun when we do this. Year after year, a golden ceramic cat made the rounds until someone, ahem, no names, donated it to a thrift store! (Look! It or one just like it turned up at a local antique store!). Who knows what treasured heirloom will be in the pile this year.

Finally, there is the possibility of a Handmade Holiday or one focused on Recused, Recycled or Locally Made or even only USA Made Gifts. Northwest Edible Life wrote, just yesterday, on a Handmade Holiday and has a whole host of great gift ideas as well as inspiration.

I'm not sure what we'll do this holiday season but I do thank the Naked Gardening lady (who wrote about the Zero Dollar Holiday) for making me think twice about ways to make it more meaningful, less expensive, less consumeristic and, well, just better!

** This is a Meaningful Memory post! If you are interested in guest posting on greener holiday traditions at The Green Phone Booth this year, please email greenphoneboothATgmailDOTcom with your ideas. Meaningful Memory posts run every Wednesday (and occasionally on other days) between now and January 1.

** Dial in to our Facebook Page for in between post updates, photos and links.

** I'm linking this post to Well Made Wednesdays over at An Oregon Cottage, Thrifty Thursdays at Thrifty and Fabuless, Frugal Fridays at The Shabby Nest, and Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Fair Trade Chocolate

2011-10-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

In my last post I talked about Fair Trade Month and a common theme in the comments was chocolate. This is not really a surprised but made me think a post all about Fair Trade chocolate was in order.

The annual world consumption of cocoa beans averages around 600,000 tons per year. That's a lot of chocolate. Do you know where your chocolate comes from? Well, 70% of the world’s chocolate comes from the Ivory Coast where most of the chocolate is farmed using child and forced labor. Don't worry, thanks to Fair Trade you can have your chocolate and support fair labor. Fair Trade certified products ensure that the product is made using fair wages, fair labor, and is sustainable. Here are a few of the great Fair Trade chocolate brands out there for you to try.

Camino

Other brands include Green & Black, Theo, and Sweet Earth Chocolates. Do you have other brands you like? If you haven't already tried Fair Trade chocolate are you going to now?

The Phone Booth Leaves a Voicemail for the NYT

2011-10-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Jenn the Greenmom addresses the New York Times Eco-Economy article

A few weeks ago, the Green Phone Booth's bloggers were happy and encouraged to have been invited to be interviewed by a New York Times writer for an article about being green and sustainable in the current fairly stinky economy. We thought (or at least, I thought—I can't speak for everyone) “Hey, cool! At last someone is catching on to how being green and living sustainably are about much more than buying cool eco-gadgets, that there's this whole world of people out there really embracing the 'reduce' part of 'reduce, reuse, recycle' and discovering that green living doesn't necessarily mean getting rid of everything we have and buying 'greener' versions of same!”

Unfortunately, after several of us spoke to the reporter, it seemed that his goal was to write an article about how it's too bad the currently fairly stinky economy means that people can no longer afford to buy cool eco-gadgets or get rid of everything they have and buy “greener” versions of same.

Our knee-jerk response (mine. I really shouldn't say I speak for everyone!), honestly, was to kind of snort and go, “hah! Clearly he is Part Of The Problem! The enemy! A complete and total jerk! He just doesn't get it!” None of which is probably accurate. (Especially the jerk part; he seemed actually like a very nice guy.)

Except the last part. He just doesn't get it. Like so many other people just don't get it.

Because let's face it, for an awful lot of us, the main way we learn about what's going on in our little corner of the universe is –you guessed it—public media. Newspapers, TV, and marketing, marketing, marketing. No one is out there marketing one part white vinegar to three parts water with a few drops of essential oil as a better and safer household cleaner than anything you can buy from any company anywhere. No one is marketing that riding your bike or walking or even moving to a home within walking distance of practically anything you need is more sustainable than buying a Nissan Leaf or Prius. That shift of perspective really only comes from living it, and from dialoguing with people who have been there and are working through some of this stuff themselves.

So several of us, independently of one another, proceeded to dialogue poor Steve into probably near catatonia. And once the final article came out, he had clearly begun—just begun—to move beyond his original perspective and way of thinking.

But we still kind of agree that he doesn't really get it.

So the three of us on the Booth who spoke to him would like to take this opportunity, on this forum of ours, to put out there some of what we said that didn't make it into the article. We especially welcome the perspective of retired Boother Erin the Conscious Shopper, whose lovely face and wise words actually did make it into the article, though she's less than thrilled with the way they were presented and the spin they gave:

The Conscious Shopper:

My big pet peeve with this article is the ending, so let me start there. I want it known for the record that I am not now nor have I ever been in a good enough financial position to be able to run out and buy a new car just because I felt like it. That quote had nothing to do with cars but was about shopping in general, and the whole quote went something like this: “Like most Americans, I had the mind-set that if I wanted something new, I could run out and get it. But I've since learned to make do with what I have, to make things last as long as I can, and to buy quality products so they will last a long time.”

The other really important part of our conversation that Kurutz left out was our discussion about the question “What does it mean to be green?” Is green living all about buying green products and supporting green companies, or is there more to it? Perhaps making your own cleaners and shopping at the thrift store can be just as green as, or even more green than, buying bamboo sandals. (The bamboo sandal thing cracks me up because he made reference to it in the article and a couple times when we talked, as if bamboo sandals are symbolic of green living.)

I feel like Kurutz spun the quotes from me and the other people he interviewed to make it seem like we were giving up something or being less green when we started focusing on DIY or driving less or shopping at the thrift store or gardening. But in my case at least, discovering the frugal side of green living was an epiphany. Green living does not have to be expensive – that's a myth. You can be green without spending a lot of money. And often the green products that cost more upfront will pay you back in the long run.

Jenn the Greenmom:

Seriously, he's not a jerk at all. Very pleasant. And I was very pleased that he initially was able to shift his thinking even a little to include in the article the whole DIY side of sustainability, though I still get the feeling he thinks living green is mostly about buying green. I did say two things in my interview, though, that I wish had gotten in at least in concept if not as actual quotes.

Both grew out of my own story of cutting back and being more sustainable in the process: he was talking about people not being able to afford to make the big pricey sustainable choices, and I related my own recent situation: I just started school a good 35 mile commute each way from my home. My immediate thought was, “hey! I would save a ton of money if I bought a Prius!” (I have total Prius envy, I do not deny it.) I did the math, and calculated that a Prius would get double the mpg of my current beloved 12 year old Subaru, and exactly how much money I would save on gas over the next couple of years if I had the Prius instead. But then I also started thinking...what if I took the train. Way more sustainable, and cheaper as well, even not factoring in the cost of actually buying a Prius. (Used. I would get it used. I love Priuses...) So I'm now taking public transit back and forth. My Subaru gets filled up maybe once a month, and I make sure I drive it at least once a week so the battery doesn't die.

The two points I tried to make with this story: First, I think we in our current culture are programmed by marketing and media to want the Next New Shiny Thing. Oh look! There's a new model whatever, and here are all the reasons I need to get rid of what I have and get something new. It often takes a really deliberate and conscious decision to break out of that mindset and ask what we really want or need, and what would really bring us a better life. Second, just up and getting rid of the old to buy the new doesn't necessarily mean a more sustainable choice, even if it's a new sustainable thing you're buying. My lovely little Subaru is already built, it already has its own carbon footprint, and that's on me and here in the world whatever I do with it; buying a Prius won't erase it, it will only save in terms of the gasoline I won't buy in the future. And that Prius has its own footprint as well—its building, its parts, its design, the shipping of various pieces hither and yon. It's not as simple as just Buying Something Green. Life is complicated, and shifting to lighter living is no less so.

Sustainamom:

I appreciated being invited by the NY Times writer to share my thoughts on this topic. Unfortunately, I had no time for a phone interview. I mulled over the topic at midnight and put together an email. I'm not surprised that I didn't make the final cut since I was not able to do an interview, but I would like to share the two important points that came out of my late-night email.

1 - One point I wanted to make (though I'm not sure I made it well) is that I do spend extra on some stuff because I have realized that the cheap stuff is dangerous. For example, I can't buy cheap sunscreen after reading the EWG Skindeep site {http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/}. That isn't so much "green" in terms of eco-friendly as it is concerned for the health of our families, so it didn't really fit his article. However if you're going to look at the cost of greening our lives, I'd say these decisions to keep our children safe are the places we parents do spend more as we green our lives.

2- I think research time slows down the greening process as much as budgetary constraints. When I first started my green journey, I had no idea how many aspects of my home would be touched by green decisions. Once I began to realize it, I accepted that I couldn't make all the changes at once. Even without the recession, I couldn't afford to install extensive edible landscaping and a mini orchard. And even if I could afford to make all the green changes at once, I needed time to do the research to make the best decisions. It is a process. When times are lean, we should focus on the green changes that save us money, whether it be light bulbs or growing our own food. When/If our bank balances are more robust, we can invest in the bigger changes, whether it be an eco-friendly car or solar panels. It takes me a while to choose light bulbs — I can't imagine when I start researching a new car....

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The Muppets, Environmental Literacy, and Brainwashing

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Five Life Lessons I Learned From My Car

Plastic-Lite Bread Storage Hack

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Taking Money from the Enemy

Lentil Barley Risotto Recipe

Cell plan searching

Giving Up Kraft Dinner: Life Change Check-In

Why Backyard Chickens are Good for the Earth

Changing for Climate Change

Healthier Banana Bread

Eco-conscious weight loss?

Circle of Friends

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Book Review -- Plastic: A Toxic Love Story

A virtual playdate with the Homegrown Mama

Eco-Friendly Organizing

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Bonjour from Canada! Why I'm an EcoYogini

Safe Snacks for Kids

Book Review: Tractor Mac - Farmer's Market

Always Room for One More

Seasons Greetings

12 Green Resolutions for 2012

DIY Green Wrapping

But...I love my silicone bakeware!

Read up! Gift ideas for the locavore or gardener

Handmade in a Hurry

Real World Consequences

Back from the Mouse House (Walt Disney World review from a Greenmom)

Enough

St. Nick's Dilemma

Vegetarian Holiday Recipes

Cream of Pumpkin Curry Soup

Vegetarian Christmas Pie

Orange Vegetable Casserole

The Tale of the Magic Trash Cans

Off to Mouseland

Reflecting on the month of "NO"vember

Wintergreen Icing

Is Homesteading Just a Hobby?

The Happiest Christmas Tree

Shopping Locally for the Holidays

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe Roundup

Emerald Apron's Favorite Snowball Cookies

Preventing Food Waste on Thanksgiving

My first experience with arnica

A Boother Asks: Battling Bugs

T'was the Season Before Winter

Building a Greener Wish List

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Domestic Bliss?

The Christmas List

Expanding into mushroom culture

The Stroller Brigade for Safer Chemicals is Today!

Thoughtful Gifts for Teachers

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Vaccines and hoops and intelligent conversation

Seeing green on Black Friday

October Unprocessed Wrap Up

Grateful Is as Grateful Does

Have Yourself a Very Recycled Christmas

Johnson & Johnson in Deep Water

Where did autumn go?

Fall bucket list

Even Eco-Heroes Need a Sabbatical...

No-Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam

Meaningful Memories: Pumpkin Patch Edition

Naturally Beautiful

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Phonebook Flashback: Halloween Edition

Herb harvest - What to do with the bounty

October Unprocessed Update

Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health

A Zero Dollar Holiday?

No winter blahs in this garden!