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.

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.

Going Organic in SLC

My aspiring "Go Green" husband did me proud tonight.

Marc is in Salt Lake City for part 2 of his 3-part business adventures. He and Tera dined at the Red Rock Brewpub / Restaurant tonight, and I was given a surprisingly lively recount of the meal promptly following its conclusion (something I actually look forward to when Marc's on the road. Yes, I'm a foodie nerd).

For the appetizer, Marc wisely selected the Organically Grown Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella & Prosciutto, served with fresh basil and Dijon vinaigrette, which he proclaimed was the "best caprese salad" he had ever eaten. And he's eating a few to know.

What was even more exciting than his decision to choose the Organically Grown Tomatoes off the menu, was his beverage of choice: an organic beer! When I asked him if it was good, he responded with, "Yeah, it was great. It tasted just like regular beer."

I guess that's all you can ask for ....

Face It

The average adult uses nine personal care products every day, typically containing more than 100 unique chemical ingredients. A survey called Skin Deep, done in June 2004 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) —a leader in the drive to detox personal care products—found that:

• 89 percent of the 10,500 ingredients used in face and body products have not been evaluated for safety by either the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or cosmetics manufacturers;
• one out of every 120 products contains known or probable carcinogens.

The EWG’s Skin Deep survey found that dozens of products—including hair dyes, tanning lotions, nail polish, the works—contain chemicals that are known or suspected to cause cancer or birth defects, or affect hormone function.

So what's a girl to do?

I'm no different than the average woman. Let me count the products: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, face moisturizer, face wash, deoderant, foundation, blush, mascara, eye shadow, lip balm and/or gloss, hair gel, styling pomade, toothpaste, saline solution ... and if I hit the gym at lunch this ionized water stuff scented with "pure essential oils." That's 18 products on the average day! Oh, and nail polish. I'm so ashamed ...

I've made the switch to natural shower items and body lotion, but pretty much all my face and hair styling stuff is from Aveda. Which, compared to some of the other conventional brands isn't quite so bad (rated Moderate Concern by Skin Deep) ... but it's got its share of nasty toxic stuff. Although I should note that there are a number "low concern" ratings for some of my Aveda favs, including Rosemary Mint shampoo.

What got me to thinking about all this was the 2 hours I just spent at my local Aveda salon getting highlights and lowlights put in my hair. As I inhaled the burning fumes of chemicals being layered into my scalp I wondered ... am I reversing all the good things organic foods do for my body by dousing myself in color-coated beauty? So, I checked out the Skin Deep rating on hair color. While it's not exactly "natural" Aveda hair color treatments are #9 on the list with a Moderate Ranking, compared to the High Ranking of my previous box treatment by L'Oreal. Yet another fine excuse for spening $100 on highlights at the salon.

Check out Skin Deep and take a toxic tour of your bathroom cabinet. Find out what's known about the potential health risks from the personal care products you use everyday and learn about safer options.

World's Most Perfect Food is ...

Peanut Butter.

Ok, I admit it: I'm addicted to peanut butter. Sweet or savory, peanut butter satisfies. Marc first wooed me in the Sierra Trading Post breakroom some 6 years ago with his (now legendary) Tofu with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce and Spinach. Oh, how I loved that tofu.

I later adapted the recipe for backpacking
(using baked tofu, dehydrated veggies and quick-cook brown rice), which led me to the finalist round of the REI Camp Stove Cook-Off in Denver (see picture). Ultimately I was beat out by some lame fried dough thing stuffed with pepperoni. Apparently, the backpacking world wasn't ready for our bold combination of sweet and spicy. Or maybe it was the tofu. Either way, the dish has since been used to satisfy a number of hungry hikers.

I eat peanut butter several times a day as a condiment to so many things beyond your basic slice of bread. My favorite medium for eating PB right now is a crisp organic Jonagold or Braeburn apple. When I'm feeling particularly frisky, I sprinkle on some dried cranberries, too. Sadly, I have been out of apples for a couple days now, and tonight I resorted to dipping my baby carrots in the sweet treat. Let me tell you ... that was delightful!

We buy organic Marantha peanut butter in massive 32oz. double packs at Costco because:
1. Price is unbeatable ($6 for 4lbs. of organic peanut butter? forget it.)
2. We eat a LOT of it.

Sometimes, like this week, we are out of the super-sized jar of PB, so I am forced to buy the (what seems to be) puny jar of organic peanut butter from the store down the street. This smaller container seems to highlight just how quickly we go through the stuff. Although I have to admit, this new invention, Stirless Organic Peanut Butter, is ingenious. No more oil slicks down the side of the jar or dried out spots at the bottom. It's almost worth investing in the smaller size. Almost.

With only a single piece of Birdland Bread left in the bag (I'm saving it for my morning toast with PB and honey tomorrow ... have you ever experienced how delicious peanut butter tastes when paired with your morning coffee?), and all the baby carrots long gone ... I'm considering what my next move will be. Corn tortilla? That doesn't seem right.

Perhaps just a spoon would satisfy my PB tooth for tonight.

For the Dogs

Affrey is, in my mind, the best dog in whole world. She's smart, cuddly and incredibly cute, but she is not without her fair share of problems (aren't we all?).

For the past 5 of her 7 years, Affrey has suffered with chronic ear infection. We've been to see the finest vet dermatologist money can buy at CSU and she's been doused and shot up with every sort of concoction you can image ... and yet, she continues to suffer with itchy, smelly ear issues. In the last two months, the infection had gotten so bad, it started to impact a nerve in her neck that has her eye completely swollen over. Our new vet recommended Affrey get a deep cleaning on her ears to remove all the yeast and goo, so we could start a fresh at tackling her allergy problems.

So, last Wednesday, Affrey went under for her ear surgery. She came through it just fine and we celebrated her freshly cleaned pink ears with a designer dog bed from DogZooks. Now we start on the precarious road to what we hope will be long-term relief from her ear infections.
When Affrey was 2 yrs. old we went through the whole food allergy testing, trying strange dog chow like Venison and Potato or Duck and Sweet Potato. The vets at CSU determined Affrey was allergic to mold and various other Colorado allergens, but not common pet food. We were cleared to go back to the classic Iams formula, which she has been eating for the past 5 years (what an exciting life she has).

It wasn't until recently, when I started swapping dog allergy stories with co-workers, that I started to think Affrey's ear problems could be a result of her diet - not just the environmental factors. Several of my cube mates have dogs who have been diagnosed with yeast infection in the ears (just like Affrey), and have been going through a series of non-productive topical treatments (just like Affrey), when they started reading about the health implications of the preservatives and additives used in conventional dog food.

It turns out - most dogs with allergy issues are having a reaction to the added crap in dog food, not the protein source. One woman I work with said her Jack Russel's yeasty ears cleaned up within a month of switching to all-natural dog food, and the people at Pet Promise pet food have a thousand similar stories they've shared with me (although my office mate's experience holds considerably more weight with me at this point).

Newman's Own also makes an organic dog food, which looks kind of interesting. Their formula feature probiotics and Ester-C, as well as parsley to help with "doggie breath."

So, along with the rest of the Angelo family, Affrey is going organic, too. We've made the switch to Pet Promise Weight Management food and I'm hoping the combination of the newly cleaned ears and the clean, all-natural food will be Affrey's opportunity to live a happy life, free of head-shaking and ear scratching.

Pet Promise's food is about as clean as it can get for pets. According to their website Pet Promise promises that:

Our ranchers never feed their animals antibiotics or added growth hormones, and we refuse to use rendered fats, chicken meal, meat meal or byproducts in our foods. This insures that the ingredients you are feeding your pets are pure and beyond natural.

Sure, it's a little bit more expensive - $22 for a 16 lb. bag (I think Iams is $16 for 20 lbs.) but I think it's worth a try. Affrey is part of our family and she deserves to have food that is healthful for her and the earth.

We're all living here together, after all.

Dinner Dilemma

Last night, after work, I co-hosted a "man-friendly" baby celebration for one of my cube mates who's wife is expecting triplets (yikes!). We each brought snacks to share, had a cooler full of beer and plenty of hideous streamers to go around. I made a deliciously healthy (and organic) spinach-artichoke dip, served with organic blue corn tortilla chips, organic baby carrots and organic broccoli. A "green-eater's" perfect snack! But as I contemplated munching on the olive/cheese skewers, classic tortilla pinwheels and brilliantly blue-colored cupcakes, I wondered how tightly I should adhere to my organic eating principles. While I didn't actually "buy" the conventional snacks, am I still supporting the industry by eating the stuff? I'm definitely not doing my body any favors by eating the blue dye #7 (or my waistline, for that matter).

And here we are at Friday again. The night Marc and I commonly go out for dinner, drinks and general revelrie. There are only a handful of restaurants in town that feature "organic greens" on the menu, let alone an entirely organic meal. And organic wine? Forget about it - our wine rack is filled with our conventional favorites from Napa ... and I've yet to see Bonterra Biodynamic wine on any list around here.

So, what's an organic-eating girl to do? I'll continue my organic, all-natural buying ways for home consumption and for those rare happy hours or dinners with friends, I'll choose the most natural options available and enjoy it!

I ate the cupcake, by the way.