After months of suffering under 5 foot drifts of snow, all those perennials I broke my back (and bank) planting last summer are peeking their brilliant little green fonds through the layers of rotting leaves and dried grass. There are even a few odd crocus bulbs blooming in the front rocks (I planted them 2 falls ago and had all but given up on the little buggers).
And along with all these sweet signs of spring come the vicious thorns of weeds. It seems as though the thistle, dandelion and ground ivy have taken off more vigorously than most anything else in the yard. So - I spent my sunny Sunday morning plucking more weeds than a cross-dresser does eyebrow hairs to give the new shoots a fighting chance. Let's say I went about it the old fashioned way.
My neighbors, however, do not seem to appreciate this hands-on approach.
As I walked Affrey home from a rousing game of Chuck-It tennis ball chasing at my local elementary school, I noticed one of my neighbors walking through her front lawn, auspicious green and yellow spray bottle in hand, targeting her nasty lawn pests with a sharp spray of noxious chemicals. On her sidewalk, just above the street drain, is a friendly reminder to "Do not dump. Drains to Poudre river."
Never mind the run off from her chemical laden lawn.
But what are we gardeners supposed to do? Fight the weeds every Sunday, armed with only garden gloves and one of those fork things to dig dandelions up by the root? What if I want to camping instead ... will the Columbines be forced to battle the ground ivy, unaided?
Not so! There are green alternatives to those nasty sprays you'll "round up" at the local Home Depot. Look for these earth-friendly (and pest-fighting) options:
Bioganic Home & Garden
Bioganic is naturally derived blend of Thyme, Clove, and Sesame oil that is safe around children and pets.
Deadeye
Natural and environmentally-safe weed and grass killer made with all-natural products, commonly found in home kitchens, so you can use it with peace of mind.
WOW!
Contains no lingering synthetic chemicals, so your family, friends and pets can enjoy your lawn right after you apply it! As it suppresses weeds, WOW! slowly releases nitrogen to keep your lawn green and beautiful.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
Bagging Plastics
The remorse over buying those damn plastic baggies at Target is still looming in me.
With my stomach growling, I reached into my lunch bag for the mid-morning snack I had planned: Organic Wheat & Flaxseed crackers with Organic Peanut Butter. I was pretty excited to get to the treat as I was remembering the buttery deliciousness of the crackers from last night.
I gingerly pulled the first cracker from zip top plastic baggie it was stored in, schmeared it with PB and popped it in my mouth. Something did not taste right. I tried a couple more crackers to confirm the off-taste. Did the crackers taste plastic-y? Yes, it was a distinct plastic taste on my crackers.
The new baggie had leached its noxious scent and taste onto my deliciously organic snack!
So, I did a little research on the toxicity of plastics (hey, things are slow at work) and I couldn't find much on sandwich bags being bad (other than for the environment since they take up to 1000 years to break down and because we reuse our bags pretty much indefinitely, I'm feeling OK).
But, as a person who brings lunch (and an assortment of snacks) with me to work everyday, I was interested to learn the following about those trusty Tupperware containers:
Some types of plastics can leach traces of chemicals into foods and beverages. These chemicals include suspected carcinogens or endocrine disruptors, which have been linked to reproductive system harm. Plastic used for containers can be identified by their recycling codes, as listed below. Most wraps on pre-packaged foods lack identifying symbols. As a precaution, you can unwrap these foods and store them in nontoxic glass, ceramic or steel bowls, or Ziploc bags (made of LDPE). Heat promotes leaching: To be safest, never microwave or heat foods in plastics.
Plastics to avoid:
#3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or vinyl)
Grocery stores commonly use PVC to wrap deli meats and cheeses. Reynolds cling wrap is PVC. Appalachian Mountain spring water and some vegetable oils are bottled in PVC. And PVC's manufacture and incineration produces highly toxic dioxins, as does the PVDC used in Saran Wrap
#6 Polystyrene (PS or Styrofoam)
Yeah, hi - I thought these went out in the early 90s when even McDonald's opted for a paper Big Mac box.
#7 Other Resins, including Polycarbonate (PC)
Most clear plastic baby bottles and 5-gallon water bottles are made of PC. Bisphenol-A, an EDC in PC, has been found in water and heated infant formulas bottled in PC, as well as food cans lined with a plastic film.
(info can be found on TheGreenGuide.com)
With my stomach growling, I reached into my lunch bag for the mid-morning snack I had planned: Organic Wheat & Flaxseed crackers with Organic Peanut Butter. I was pretty excited to get to the treat as I was remembering the buttery deliciousness of the crackers from last night.
I gingerly pulled the first cracker from zip top plastic baggie it was stored in, schmeared it with PB and popped it in my mouth. Something did not taste right. I tried a couple more crackers to confirm the off-taste. Did the crackers taste plastic-y? Yes, it was a distinct plastic taste on my crackers.
The new baggie had leached its noxious scent and taste onto my deliciously organic snack!
So, I did a little research on the toxicity of plastics (hey, things are slow at work) and I couldn't find much on sandwich bags being bad (other than for the environment since they take up to 1000 years to break down and because we reuse our bags pretty much indefinitely, I'm feeling OK).
But, as a person who brings lunch (and an assortment of snacks) with me to work everyday, I was interested to learn the following about those trusty Tupperware containers:
Some types of plastics can leach traces of chemicals into foods and beverages. These chemicals include suspected carcinogens or endocrine disruptors, which have been linked to reproductive system harm. Plastic used for containers can be identified by their recycling codes, as listed below. Most wraps on pre-packaged foods lack identifying symbols. As a precaution, you can unwrap these foods and store them in nontoxic glass, ceramic or steel bowls, or Ziploc bags (made of LDPE). Heat promotes leaching: To be safest, never microwave or heat foods in plastics.
Plastics to avoid:
#3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or vinyl)
Grocery stores commonly use PVC to wrap deli meats and cheeses. Reynolds cling wrap is PVC. Appalachian Mountain spring water and some vegetable oils are bottled in PVC. And PVC's manufacture and incineration produces highly toxic dioxins, as does the PVDC used in Saran Wrap
#6 Polystyrene (PS or Styrofoam)
Yeah, hi - I thought these went out in the early 90s when even McDonald's opted for a paper Big Mac box.
#7 Other Resins, including Polycarbonate (PC)
Most clear plastic baby bottles and 5-gallon water bottles are made of PC. Bisphenol-A, an EDC in PC, has been found in water and heated infant formulas bottled in PC, as well as food cans lined with a plastic film.
(info can be found on TheGreenGuide.com)
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Breaking the habit
Some habits are hard to break. Like smoking. Or drinking Diet Coke.
For me, it's shopping for common household goods at Target. Last week, I had a list of items we were out of: dishwasher detergent, trash bags and lunch baggies. The thought to shop for these at my local natural grocery never even entered my mind. Seriously. I always shop for this stuff at Target - it's ingrained in me.
And so, I walked over to Target on my lunch break, happily picked up my items and placed them in my canvas Wild Oats tote bag. I didn't even think about the implications of what I bought until several days later when I popped a detergent cube in the dishwasher.
I could have easily opted for earth-friendly Seventh Generation recycled plastic bags and Ecover Dishwasher fluid when I was grocery shopping (plus saved myself an extra trip) - but it isn't in my buying habits to shop for household goods at Wild Oats or Whole Foods. It's a no-brainer to buy the organic-labeled foods, but when it comes to other goods, I haven't trained myself yet.
So, what do I do now - with my pantry full of toxic goods? Can I take back the unopened box of trash bags (which, it turns out we didn't need anyway)?
I guess I will learn my lesson and hope to do better next time.
For me, it's shopping for common household goods at Target. Last week, I had a list of items we were out of: dishwasher detergent, trash bags and lunch baggies. The thought to shop for these at my local natural grocery never even entered my mind. Seriously. I always shop for this stuff at Target - it's ingrained in me.
And so, I walked over to Target on my lunch break, happily picked up my items and placed them in my canvas Wild Oats tote bag. I didn't even think about the implications of what I bought until several days later when I popped a detergent cube in the dishwasher.
I could have easily opted for earth-friendly Seventh Generation recycled plastic bags and Ecover Dishwasher fluid when I was grocery shopping (plus saved myself an extra trip) - but it isn't in my buying habits to shop for household goods at Wild Oats or Whole Foods. It's a no-brainer to buy the organic-labeled foods, but when it comes to other goods, I haven't trained myself yet.
So, what do I do now - with my pantry full of toxic goods? Can I take back the unopened box of trash bags (which, it turns out we didn't need anyway)?
I guess I will learn my lesson and hope to do better next time.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Green-gos in Mexico
So, I took a month off of blogging ... but that doesn't mean I've gone back to my brown-life living ways. Nope, just working away and took a little holiday to visit our neighbors to the South ... which brings me to today's Welcome Back Blogger topic: eating organic on foreign travels.
Marc and I (along with 8 fabulous friends + 2 babies) spent the last week soaking up the sun, surf, sand and our share of cervezas in Sayulita, Mexico - a sleepy little town north of Puerto Vallarta. Basically, I discovered it's impossible to eat "organic" in Sayulita. There are no artfully drawn chalkboards listing the day's organic produce at the store like you'll find at Whole Foods, but considering the ever-changing abundance of tropical fruit and vegetables available in the tiny tiendas every day, I figured it had to be coming from local growers. And in my mind, eating local produce is the next best thing to organic.
One day, Molly bought camarones from a cooler on the back of an old Ford truck in town. While this might sound absolutely disgusting to most people, we knew that the shrimp had been plucked from the ocean that very morning, from the waters right out our beachfront villa door. It doesn't get any fresher than that ... and with Lamia's spicy touch, we feasted on the best tasting shrimp I've ever had. We supported the local fishing economy, shrunk our footprint on the earth by buying locally (less fossil fuels used to transport the food) and enjoyed WILD shrimp, not the farm-raised crap pumped with man-made food and added coloring. Big win for green living!
Marc and I (along with 8 fabulous friends + 2 babies) spent the last week soaking up the sun, surf, sand and our share of cervezas in Sayulita, Mexico - a sleepy little town north of Puerto Vallarta. Basically, I discovered it's impossible to eat "organic" in Sayulita. There are no artfully drawn chalkboards listing the day's organic produce at the store like you'll find at Whole Foods, but considering the ever-changing abundance of tropical fruit and vegetables available in the tiny tiendas every day, I figured it had to be coming from local growers. And in my mind, eating local produce is the next best thing to organic.
One day, Molly bought camarones from a cooler on the back of an old Ford truck in town. While this might sound absolutely disgusting to most people, we knew that the shrimp had been plucked from the ocean that very morning, from the waters right out our beachfront villa door. It doesn't get any fresher than that ... and with Lamia's spicy touch, we feasted on the best tasting shrimp I've ever had. We supported the local fishing economy, shrunk our footprint on the earth by buying locally (less fossil fuels used to transport the food) and enjoyed WILD shrimp, not the farm-raised crap pumped with man-made food and added coloring. Big win for green living!
Marc and I took the task of hunting down local food even further when we joined Captain Ching-A-Ling on the mighty barco "Nemo" for an afternoon of Dorado fishing. We (Marc) reeled in 2 massive fish that we (Me) turned into a gorgeous spread of ceviche and grilled Mahi tacos for our bon voyage dinner.
So I didn't dine on organic spring green salad with biodynamic red wine dressing, but I also didn't bring it all home in toxic plastic baggies and I had the freedom to walk to and from the market every day - talking with Carmen, the tamale lady, herself and asking Ching-A-Ling's wife, Vicky, her favorite way to prepare Mahi.
And that, my friends, is green living at its finest.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Observations on Dining Alone
I just came off of #3 of 3 solo dining experiences here in the Windy City. This time at a nuveau vegetarian joint called the Green Zebra. Delightful small plates - including fresh burrata cheese, warm blue cheese tart with pea tendrils and caraway gnocchi with Brussels sprouts and a sweet pickle garnish. Don't even get me started on the mind-bending apple bignets with Riesling reduction sauce.
But, in enjoying this amazing gourmet meal, I realized the absolute worst part about dining alone is not the tiny, conspicuous table the host always seats a single at in the center of the room ... but rather, that I didn't have someone to share the dishes with. I would gladly have given up half of my apple bignets to Marc in exchange for half of whatever delicious dessert he would have ordered ... probably the dark chocolate cake thing.
But, in enjoying this amazing gourmet meal, I realized the absolute worst part about dining alone is not the tiny, conspicuous table the host always seats a single at in the center of the room ... but rather, that I didn't have someone to share the dishes with. I would gladly have given up half of my apple bignets to Marc in exchange for half of whatever delicious dessert he would have ordered ... probably the dark chocolate cake thing.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
The Sweet Allure of an Organic Cocktail
This morning I managed to get a reservation at a restaurant I've been dreaming about for months (maybe even a year or more) - Frontera Grill. I've seen Chef Rick Bayless on Iron Chef America, hosting his show on PBS and we've even featured his menus on WildOats.com more than once. I'm a sucker for celebrity chef-type restaurants and even more so for Mexican cuisine, so a stop at Frontera was a no-brainer.
The past two days have been miserable in terms of eating organic here in the Windy City. Last night's meal was the greasiest fish and chips I've had since I lived in Swansea, Wales and I washed it down with 3, (count 'em - 3!) Crown and Ginger cocktails - courtesy of a vendor who was "treating" me. Today was a whole lot of HFCS-laden candy supplied at the conference and no lunch.
With a wee bit of a headache nagging me all day, I swore I would NOT drink at dinner tonight. Dessert, perhaps ... but I promised myself it would be a bubbly Pelligrino with dinner. Tomorrow is my big presentation at the conference, so I wanted to make sure I would feel tip top for it.
That is, until I flipped open the Frontera menu to discover a delightful concoction called a Blood Orange Margarita that featured fresh ORGANIC lime juice. How could I turn down my first opportunity to have an organic fruit? So, I went for it .... and man, was it delicious. Not too potent, so I'm not worried about ruining my speaking career tomorrow ... must have been the positive effects of the organic citrus outweighing the negative effects of Cointreau and Tequila.
Oh - and I actually caught a glimpse of Chef Bayless himself, winding through the narrow rows of tables. I thought maybe he would feel sorry for me, being the only person in the 20-table restaurant sitting alone, and stop by to greet me ... but he didn't. Heartless bastard.
So - cocktail was great (and I refrained from ordering a second round - yeah for personal restraint!) and dinner was amazing. Caramelized onions and poblano peppers is my new favorite addition to fish tacos. The bad news was that after all but licking the fresh mashed guacamole off my plate, I was too stuffed to order, let alone enjoy, the Tres Leches cake on the menu. Next time, I'll get a to-go.
The past two days have been miserable in terms of eating organic here in the Windy City. Last night's meal was the greasiest fish and chips I've had since I lived in Swansea, Wales and I washed it down with 3, (count 'em - 3!) Crown and Ginger cocktails - courtesy of a vendor who was "treating" me. Today was a whole lot of HFCS-laden candy supplied at the conference and no lunch.
With a wee bit of a headache nagging me all day, I swore I would NOT drink at dinner tonight. Dessert, perhaps ... but I promised myself it would be a bubbly Pelligrino with dinner. Tomorrow is my big presentation at the conference, so I wanted to make sure I would feel tip top for it.
That is, until I flipped open the Frontera menu to discover a delightful concoction called a Blood Orange Margarita that featured fresh ORGANIC lime juice. How could I turn down my first opportunity to have an organic fruit? So, I went for it .... and man, was it delicious. Not too potent, so I'm not worried about ruining my speaking career tomorrow ... must have been the positive effects of the organic citrus outweighing the negative effects of Cointreau and Tequila.
Oh - and I actually caught a glimpse of Chef Bayless himself, winding through the narrow rows of tables. I thought maybe he would feel sorry for me, being the only person in the 20-table restaurant sitting alone, and stop by to greet me ... but he didn't. Heartless bastard.
So - cocktail was great (and I refrained from ordering a second round - yeah for personal restraint!) and dinner was amazing. Caramelized onions and poblano peppers is my new favorite addition to fish tacos. The bad news was that after all but licking the fresh mashed guacamole off my plate, I was too stuffed to order, let alone enjoy, the Tres Leches cake on the menu. Next time, I'll get a to-go.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Forgive Me Mother, For I Have Sinned
My niece's 4th birthday is next Sunday. She likes presents. And candy. I like to make her happy ... which I haven't seemed to figure out how to do in an environmental "green" sort of way, yet. At our wedding last year, Maddy was the first to take a whack at our pinata, which she seemed to get a great deal of joy out of (see picture). So, I thought it would be fun to put together a pinata for her birthday party friends to take turns with.
While I'm not too concerned over the thin paper mache pinata itself ... what I chose to fill it with brings me some concern. Sponge Bob SquarePants bubbles, Skittles, Bubbalicious Gum, Twizzlers, LipSmackers lip balm ... if it's not encased in plastic, it contains toxic Red Dye #40, high fructose corn syrup, petroleum by-products or all the other nastiness I am working so hard to remove from my own life.
I'm feeling really guilty for buying these cheap treats for Maddy's birthday friends. The trash I've created and the horrible toxic sugar rush I'm going to "treat" these kids to next Sunday is weighing heavily on me.
Or, maybe it's the 2 Twizzlers and bag of snack size Skittles I just munched that's making me feel so miserable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
