Happy Greener Halloween!

From candy to face paint to candles, Halloween can be a “toxic” holiday.  There are simple ways however, to make Halloween greener without spoiling the fun!

Face paint, play make-up, lipstick and nail polish contain chemicals and lead that are harmful to kids and linked to hormone disruption and cancer.  Instead try natural cosmetics.  You can check the safety of your cosmetics at cosmeticsdatabase.com. Skip the colored hairspray, which contains harmful chemicals and fragrance that kids can easily breathe in.  Wigs, hats or funny hairdos work too.

Rather than buying a cheap, synthetic costume, why not get one from a resale shop or borrow one from a friend?  Return to simpler times and make one using items you already have. Those are the ones your child will remember.  I have a vivid memory of being a ghost made from an old white sheet!

Synthetic facemasks and fake teeth are made from plastics and unlabeled materials.  Putting plastic teeth in your mouth or breathing the chemicals from the plastic masks doesn’t seem like a good idea for young developing bodies and can be harmful.  Try making your own mask from a paper bag or use a half-face mask instead.

Traditional paraffin-based candles (made from petroleum by products) give off toxic compounds.  Use fragrance-free ones made from soy or beeswax.  Avoid  plastic pumpkins and other cheap Halloween accessories.  Fall gourds, pumpkins, corn stalks, and even leaves make beautiful natural decorations.

Kids look forward all year to Halloween candy, but there is a steady stream of holiday candy from Halloween through Valentine’s Day.  Why not give out healthier granola bars, puffed rice squares, or bags of popcorn or pretzels? Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s sell less sugary candy.  With my kids I would “buy back” a portion of their Halloween candy and then let them buy a new toy with the money. (I always over paid them but it was worth it to limit the candy.) They actually loved spreading their candy out, sorting and counting the candy and deciding which to give back and which to keep.  It was a good math game too.

As with all holiday indulgences, moderation is the key.

Some information compiled from Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org.

Fireworks, Drought and the 4th of July

Fireworks #1 (Photo credit: Camera Slayer)

4^th of July and fireworks – It’s hard to imagine one without the other.  Cities across the country put on fabulous fireworks shows. People celebrate with their own fireworks display and kids “write” in the sky with sparklers!   The Boston Pops performing John Phillip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever followed by an incredible fireworks spectacular over the Charles River is the quintessential 4^thof July celebration.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, extreme drought conditions are gripping Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Colorado.  Severe drought is occurring in much of the west with parts of the South and the East under abnormally dry conditions.  Out of control fires are blazing in many states.  It’s frightening.

Severe drought conditions have forced at least 40 counties in the Midwest to issue burn restrictions and bans; many of these bans include fireworks. From Utah to Indiana, state and local governments are calling off annual fireworks displays and urging residents to not to use fireworks, Roman candles and sparklers.

Fireworks are not exactly “green” to begin with, but this year, under such dry conditions, it’s best not to set off your own and go instead to your local fireworks display.  Celebrate at home with colorful streamers and other decorations.  If you do set off your own, use fireworks rich in nitrogen.  They can cost a little more, but they put out less smoke into the environment.  And, be extra vigilant.

Don’t forget to have a green cookout too.  Click here for ideas.

With a little more consideration for the earth, you can  have an even happier 4^th!

Information compiled from www.accuweather.com, http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/, www.cleveland.com, inhabitat.com, and earth911.com.

 

Have a Green Memorial Day This Year!

English: Barbecue Bosanski: Roštilj Deutsch: Grill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This Memorial Day weekend, make your cookout eco-correct.  How?  It’s easy….

Think outside the burgers/hot dogs/potato chips box and focus on healthier options instead – turkey tips, wild fish, grilled tofu, grilled veggies, grass-fed beef, free range chicken, sweet potato chips and lots of different salads made with organic fruits and vegetables.  Farmer’s markets aren’t up and running yet, but you can still buy fresh, seasonal, and somewhat local fruits and vegetables. Perhaps you have lettuce ready for harvesting from your own garden.  Add delicious and nutritious vine ripened tomatoes and watermelon to your meal – they contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, which may also help ward off sunburn!

When it comes to grilling, a charcoal chimney is an easy way to start your grill and much safer than lighter fluid if you don’t have a gas grill.  Make sure you use natural, hardwood charcoal instead of the conventional briquettes.  Try filling at least half your grill with produce.  Produce is not only healthy and low-calorie, but also doesn’t produce the carcinogens that can form on grilled meats.  Always cook over a low-to-medium flame and avoid over-charring; flare-ups and smoking oil create carcinogens.  Marinating or basting with oil, honey or a barbeque sauce will provide a barrier and help prevent charring.

I prefer reusable dinner plates and utensils, but if you are having a crowd disposable is easier; just make sure they are compostable or made from recycled, BPA-free plastic.  Whole Foods carries a good selection of biodegradable disposable plates, cups and utensils.  Cloth tablecloths and napkins are a nice touch, but you can easily find recycled paper napkins and cloths at most supermarkets.

Organic, chemical free sunscreen and insect repellents are a much healthier and safer alternative to conventional products.  Consider spraying your yard in advance with a garlic spray to ward off mosquitoes. Start your cookout after peak sun time, between 10 and 2, and provide shade for your guests.

Organize activities to get your guests moving and not eating and drinking so much.  If your cookout is near the water, swimming and kayaking are fun. If not, set up a volleyball/badminton net and get the teens involved in a tournament.  Croquet appeals to all ages and a nature walk or an outside scavenger hunt is a great way to get the kids interested in the outdoors.

Compost leftover fruits and vegetables, and, don’t forget to recycle cans, bottles and other recyclable items!

Whatever you do to honor the start of summer, make sure you are good to the earth.

Happy Arbor Day!

With Earth Day over (though everyday is really Earth Day), it’s on to Arbor Day. The last Friday in April is Arbor Day, a national holiday dating back to 1874 when J. Sterling Morton, a journalist and editor of an important Nebraska paper, founded it. (Arbor Day does vary in some states based on the best tree planting time.) His idea was to set aside a special day for tree planting; it is estimated that more one million trees were planted that first Arbor Day in Nebraska.  The tradition began nationwide in 1882 and continues today with individuals and groups celebrating trees and nature.

Tree (Photo credit: Adnan Yahya)

Planting new trees and caring for existing ones is more important than ever as we battle exotic invasive insect pests, air pollution, soil compaction and contamination, limited water and nutrient availability and the overall effects of extreme weather conditions and climate change.  Trees are much more than just a beautiful big plant; their social, communal, and environmental benefits are numerous.

• They manufacture oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.
• They provide shade in summer and windbreak in winter.
• The beauty and serenity of trees have been shown to help hospital patients recover more quickly.
• Trees reduce crime in low-income urban areas and increase property values.
• Trees help us save energy, improve air quality, conserve water and provide homes to wildlife.
• Trees offset our carbon footprints.
• Large and majestic trees are a major asset to any community.

This Friday, Arbor Day, plant a tree, learn how to care for a special tree in your yard or neighborhood, read a tree identification book, conduct a big tree search, or simply take a walk and appreciate their beauty, especially this time of year.  For group activity ideas, go to arborday.org.

 

 

The Grand Canyon

My husband and I are at the Grand Canyon! No doubt you have seen countless pictures in books and periodicals, and perhaps you have seen Ken Burn’s fascinating documentary on the national parks, but when you first glimpse the Grand Canyon in person, it steals your breath.  It is so vast, so complex, so majestic, so geologic (if that ‘s a word), and well, so grand in the true sense of the word.  It doesn’t even look real.  Viewing 2 billion year old plus geologic layers of rock is a sight to behold.

Image via Wikipedia

Expecting the Grand Canyon park to be completely touristy,  I was pleasantly surprised to find that it really wasn’t.  The park places a lot of emphasis on environmental sustainability and crowd control.  Recycling bins are everywhere.  They encourage reusable water bottles and offer water bottle filling stations with fresh canyon spring water.  The shuttle buses run on clean compressed natural gas.  Scenic roads are actually closed most of the year to individual cars to limit pollution that could affect the views.  They have installed solar and wind energy sources. The restaurants and lodges use biocompostable beverage containers among many other green practices.  The National Park Service is clearly trying to preserve the Grand Canyon for future generations to enjoy.

Make it a point to visit here at some point in your lifetime!  It never hurts to be reminded why we need to take care of our incredible world!

VALENTINE’S DAY QUOTE

Image by patrizia-ferri Flickr.com

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”

Charles M. Schulz, “Peanuts” cartoonist

This Valentine’s Day, indulge  ——– in a little chocolate, dark, organic, fair trade chocolate that’s actually good for you and good for the planet!  Click here to read more.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!!!♥♥♥

NEW YEAR’S QUOTE

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. 

~Benjamin Franklin


This year, make some of your New Year’s resolutions “green”.  You and the earth will be better for it!   Simple steps really can make a difference….

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2012!

ORGANIC SPIRITS FOR THE NEW YEAR!

The benefits of organic foods are well recognized.  Now organic beer, wine and some liquors are available!  Organic wine is made from certified organically grown grapes, or grown without pesticides, herbicides and chemicals fertilizers. Conventionally grown grapes are one of the most heavily sprayed crops, and the chemical residues can end up in the wine.  Organically grown grapes are better for the soil, the plant and the wine drinker.

French organic wines consistently rate among the top ten best wines of regions where they are represented, possibly because they have more natural resistance to poor weather or pestilence and therefore tend to perform better in poor vintages than non-organic ones. Additionally, many organic vineyards hand pick their grapes, which allows only the ripest and healthiest bunches to be picked with the minimum amount of stress/damage to the vine, fruit or soil.

Organic beer is made with at least 95 percent organic ingredients. The barley and hops are grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides.   Anheuser-Busch produces two organic beers called Wild Hop lager and Stone Mill pale ale under the label Green Valley Brewing Co.  Peaks Organic Beer from Maine is another good one and it’s local!

For your New Year’s celebration, give organic spirits a try!  Most liquor stores carry some selections.  Imbibe healthfully and responsibly!

 

 

HOLIDAY SHOPPING QUOTE

Image by Peter Wild

“Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money.”

 ~Author Unknown

So……..now it’s time to stop shopping and spending money.  Enjoy time instead with your family and friends, visit a poor or lonely person in your life, bake holiday treats and think about all the green changes you have incorporated and will incorporate into your lifestyle.  Have a very happy holiday!!

A QUOTE ABOUT EATING

“To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy Meals.”

Benjamin Franklin

The holiday season doesn’t have to be a time of overindulging on fattening, processed, nutrient-poor foods.  You can serve healthy, organic, delicious and satisfying holiday treats instead.  Here are a few recipes for foods that are actually good for you.

Spicy Carmelized Pecans

From Jane Brody’s Good Food Gourmet

Use this healthful and easy to prepare treat in a salad, as an hors d’oeuvres, for a snack, or a homemade holiday gift.

• 2 cups pecan halves
• Water to cover
• 2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil)
• 3 tablespoons organic sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon or more cayenne, to taste

1.  Place the pecans in a large skillet or saucepan with water to cover.  Bring the ingredients just to a simmer over high heat.  Drain the nuts immediately, and set them aside.

2.  Melt the butter in a large skillet.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar, salt and cayenne.  Then add the nuts.

3.  Return the pan to medium-high heat and cook the nuts, tossing them constantly with a spatula, until they are a caramel color.  Remove from the pan to a platter, and let them cool in a single layer.  Store the nuts in layers separated  by wax paper.

Swiss Chard, Hummus and Avocado Hors d’oeuvre

I sampled this creative and oh so healthy hors d’oeuvre at Whole Foods the other day, and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was.

Smear fresh swiss chard with hummus and add slices of ripe avocado.  Roll us and slice into bite-sized pieces. Simple!

 

Cranberry-Banana Bread

From The Wilson Farm Country Cookbook

Quick breads are just that, as well as nutritious, and make a perfect holiday gift or a delightful addition to a holiday brunch, luncheon or dinner.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

• ¼ cup butter or coconut oil, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• 2 eggs
•  1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup mashed banana (one)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup coarsely chopped organic cranberries
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup water
•  ½ teaspoon cinnamon
•   ½ cup chopped nuts

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Beat in the eggs with an electric mixer.  Stir in the banana, cranberries, water and vanilla.  Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together and stir them into the batter.  Add the chopped nuts.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 55 minutes.

Dark Chocolate

Fill your  Christmas stockings or your bon bon dish with dark chocolates – the health benefits  are becoming well known.  Click here to read more.

You can indulge this season with the right foods!  Enjoy!!!