Back from vacation and still trying to unpack my bags and my stories.  They will be coming soon.  Coming back from the west coast to the east coast can really make me tired but I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to head to the farmers market.  I picked up these tomatoes and peppers.  You can guess what I’ll be cooking with this week.

I love these orange tomatoes because they are so sweet.  So the first thing I made was a BLT.  Oh and to brag on luck, the cherry tomatoes are from my own garden.

These peppers will go into my pasta for dinner along with the Roma tomatoes, some capers, red wine, yellow squash and mushrooms.  Add in a little garlic, fresh basil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

I also picked up some corn on the cob, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatillos and beets.  I’ll be using the beets in my smoothie tomorrow morning.  I need to go back and search on the ideas for the beet greens.  I don’t want to waste anything.

I also received a wonderful gift of POM juice from POM.  I can’t wait to start playing with it.  I love it in my smoothies but I want to bake with it, make sauces, and I will have to give Shirley’s gluten free easily’s Pomerdoodle Ice Cream a try.

I picked up some arugula this weekend too so I’m going to try some of the recipes shared last week on Friday Foodie Fix.

I’m also going to sort through my menus and pictures of food from my trip and try to recreate some of those great meals.

Now if you want a list of ideas for each day of the week, check out this week’s menu from last year- July 27th.

Have a great week!  I hope you will join in on for this week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix- Whipped Cream!

More menus available on Orgjunkie.

Wow, it seems so strange to be back to a “normal” blogging routine.  In case you totally missed it, from April 26th through June 4th there was a really special event going on.  30 Days to a Food Revolution.  There was so much amazing information shared.  I’m still sifting through it all and making sure you have all of the links on our dedicated page up at the top here, 30 Days.

It’s taking me days to sift through all of the tweets, comments and newsletter sign ups to draw winners for the cookbooks being given away.  I’ll be announcing those winners later so keep watch on Twitter, Facebook and here!

Tomorrow I have a treat for you.  Just in case you are already missing the 30 Days to a Food Revolution, not to worry.  Every Tuesday, for as long as I can, will be a guest blogger sharing their recipe and tip as we continue our 30 Days to a Food Revolution!

Make sure you check in on Friday to learn what the Secret Ingredient will be for Jun 18th when we start back with that weekly event.  If you have never participated in that event, well now is the time.  Check out our dedicated page to Friday Foodie Fix at the top of this blog for all of the details and past Secret Ingredients.

mushroom, spring onion, spinach, yellow squash, red onion, tomato, Old Bay seasoning, Daiya Cheese-mozzarella & cheddar (gf,df,sf)

Monday- Garlic Scapes Stir-fry with Salmon and Quinoa

Tuesday- Pork Tacos with stewed pickled  jalapenos, tomatillos, onions, and mushrooms, side of beans

Wednesday- Homemade Hamburger Helper

Thursday- Chicken Chow Mein

Friday- Farmer’s Market Veggie Pizza

Saturday- Leftovers

Sunday- Individual Lasagnas with homemade pasta

For more menus visit OrgJunkie.

Welcome to day 21 of 30 Days to a Food Revolution.  Today’s guest blogger is Karen.  Karen Schuppert is a Certified Nutrition Educator and Natural Chef in the fertile land of the Napa Valley. Karen blends her lifelong focus on sustainable food with inspiration she gained while managing the St. Helena Farmers’ Market and applies these principles in her teaching and culinary practice.

While the core of her work centers on whole foods wellness, Karen brings to the table her skill as an accomplished chef with sensitivity to factors that often derail our health. She has taught many cooking classes at Whole Foods Napa and in private kitchens on the benefits of SOUL Food: Seasonal, Organic, Unrefined and Local. To support her commitment of promoting seasonal eating, she created the website “Cook 4 Seasons,” offering healthy recipes and techniques for the busy person, fresh from the farm to your table.

Karen’s recipe-  Curried Cauliflower

Karen’s tip- How to bring more locally grown food into your lives

In case you haven’t heard…there’s a revolution going on!  It starts in the ground, is grown to feed the earth and to nourish its inhabitants. Food.  A precious yet vital source and the key to sustainable health.  For some, access to food is more difficult than others.  Here in the Napa Valley, we live in a climate that is temperate and suitable for planting a variety of crops.  Sure, we’re known for our grapes, but there are so many possibilities for additional food production that we are just beginning to uncover…

This week I am honored to be part of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang’s Food Revolution where 30 fellow bloggers have come together to continue the momentum Jamie Oliver has created, ‘saving our health by changing the way we eat.’  And as a matter of fact, the Napa community has answered that call by launching its first annual “Napa Local Food Forum,” which was held April 28th at the Expo Fairgrounds.

This event was the brainchild of a diverse group of people led by our Agricultural Commissioner with a common vision: to ensure our local food system is socially equitable, environmentally sensitive and economically stable, by producing more food locally and providing access to all.  That means from individuals like you and me, to institutions like our hospitals and schools.

Getting there is no small task and now is when the real work begins.  Through a rich network of panelists, the discussions were loaded and lively.  The range of topics included:

*Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities in Napa County
*Small Scale Food Production
*Sourcing Local and Sustainable Food
*Distributing Food Locally
*Matching Local Foods to Institutions

There was an informative presentation by our County Public Health Officer who laid the groundwork on our current ‘un’healthy state of the union ; a local, seasonal lunch provided by many generous donors throughout the Bay Area, followed by a public town-hall platform where many could express their interests on how to move this agenda forward.

You might be asking how this applies to you…or better yet, how can you get involved?  The challenge is open to anyone who wants to see healthier food in your home, your community.  It can be as easy as planting an herb garden, to an entire acre of tomatoes and beans.  For example, I have just begun the process of replacing our lawn with planter boxes of leafy greens and root vegetables to accompany my oregano and parsley.

Here are additional ways :

Plant an herb garden. This doesn’t require much time or space. You can use a box or several pots. And you can buy the starts at nurseries or farmers’ markets.

Buy produce in season – you’ll get maximum flavor, nutrients, and bang for your buck.

Support your local farmers – right now is the beginning of peak season at the farmers’ markets.  If you don’t have the space or the time to grow your own produce, at least you’re supporting agricultural diversity and keeping transport to a minimum.

For those with land who want someone else to manage it, there a wonderful resource called Farmlink that will connect landowners with aspiring farmers.

Become part of a community garden, or start one of your own.  There are many tips on how to go about it.

If you do have the inkling to reconfigure your personal landscape - check out this video by a family in Pasadena who has turned cement into a green cornucopia.  They now produce much of their own food on less than 1/10th of an acre!

Let your voices be heard in schools.  I think we all know how processed foods have infiltrated kids’ lunches…but it takes a village to demand fresh choices and affect change.  Just look at all the comments that Jamie Oliver receives, in addition to offering recipes and other resources for healthy lunches.

If you would like more information on the Napa Local Food movement, please visit us here.  We are working on a permanent site, complete with additional resources and networking opportunities.

Recipe – Curried Cauliflower – Serves 4

Tip – Support SOUL Food = Seasonal, Unrefined, Organic and Local

Cauliflower is in ‘bloom’ at the farmers markets and now it comes in glorious colors.  They all have the same flavor and will take on whatever spices you add in cooking.  I love curry for its exotic taste and its anti-inflammatory properties.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups cauliflower florets, washed and dried
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup organic coconut milk
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté onion, garlic, and ginger for about 3 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin and sauté for an additional 3 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add cauliflower and lime juice and stir-fry on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat, add coconut milk and broth or water, cover partially, and simmer on low heat for about 5 more minutes, until cauliflower is crisp-tender. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

This recipe was inspired by nutritionist James Rouse.

Read more about a Local Food Revolution.

Don’t forget:

In order to be entered to win one of 7 cookbooks, here’s what you need to do to gather entries into the drawing.  The more you do, the more chances you have to win!

1. Leave a comment on this blog on as many of the 30 guest food bloggers as you like.  Each comment is an entry.
2. Sign up for The W.H.O.L.E. Gang newsletter.
3. Visit that guest blogger’s site and leave a comment there too.
4. Tweet about this project using both of these in your tweet so I’ll find you  #30days2 #foodrevolution

When the initial 30 days of guest posts are over on June 4th, we’ll pick the winners.

CSA Week 7

When I picked up my bag today at the Wine Seller, the owner had crates of ears of corn from her neighbor too and said I could take some if I like.  I love fresh corn and grabbed 4.

I also made a quick stop on the way home to the local Hispanic grocery store.  I really want to make some new dishes with different chili peppers and I knew they would have a great selection.  That was a great side trip and I’ll tell you about all the cool things I found another day.  But I did grab some Poblano Peppers and decided to use one in this dish.

The ingredients in this dish can be adjusted to whatever your harvest is either at the farmer’s market, your CSA, your own garden or the grocery store.  Another great thing about this dish is how little it costs to make.  If you are looking for more ideas, check out  Pennywise Platter over at the Nourishing Gourmet.

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn

1 onion sliced

1 poblano pepper sliced

1 orange tomato diced

2 large Swiss chard leaves diced

1 large roasted red pepper diced

1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 links of chorizo -gluten free

1 tsp mexican oregano

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp cilantro

Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Ground Black and White Pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Begin by gathering your ingredients and prepping them.  I like to do this on one large cutting board with everything except the corn.  To get the kernels off the cob without making a huge mess, take a large bowl and place a smaller bowl inverted at the bottom.  This will give you a flat surface to stand the cob on.  Using your sharp chef knife, run it down the ear-of corn, not yours- keeping it close to the cob.  All of the kernels will fall into the big bowl.

I used a roasted red pepper in a jar so pull that out and dice it along with your tomato.  Slice up your onion and poblano pepper.  Wash the swiss chard and chop up the leaves.   You can use the stems but I didn’t want to in case they were spotted in the dish.  I wanted the taste to win out before the question of what is that?  I sliced my chorizo on the diagonal just to give it a more interesting shape than round and it makes the pieces bigger.

Now you are ready to get cooking.  Heat up your pan with oil and brown the corn first.  Take the corn out and back into the bowl and give it a little salt and pepper and mix in the red peppers while it hangs out and waits for the rest of the veggies to join it.  Next toss in your onions into the pan and when they just start to brown add in the garlic and poblano pepper.  Once that has cooked a little add in the swiss chard and your seasonings.   At this point add it all into the big bowl and mix in the tomatoes.

The dish is a great vegetarian/vegan meal on it’s own.  I added a can of red beans for my son and he really enjoyed the meal.   You can also purchase vegan chorizo and use that in the dish too.

If you are having the chorizo cook it up now.  It only takes a few minutes to brown.  Once it’s brown add the veggies from the bowl back into the pan with the chorizo.  This will help spread the flavor of the spices in the chorizo throughout.  Spoon it onto your plate and all you need is a nice glass of Riojo wine to accompany it.

CSA Week 6

Week 6 of my CSA (community supported agriculture) and I’m having fun.  Can’t wait to eat the corn and tomatoes.  I think I could make one meal with everything in the bag.  Well, minus the flowers. This week I received: new potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, pole beans, peppers, sweet corn, eggs and flowers.  Now the only thing I’m really not to sure about are the pole beans.

I searched the Internet for recipes with photos of pole beans.  Not much out there.  Found 2 non-photo recipes on RecipeZaar but nothing on the food blogs I follow.  I even searched the  Food Network and nothing.  The beans  are big and gnarly looking.  We’ll have to see what we do with those.  If anyone has any good recipes other than throw them in a pot with bacon please let me know.  I have a feeling that is what I’ll be doing.

I love the orange tomatoes that came this week.  Even the cherry tomatoes are orange.  They taste like candy!  Did anyone watch the Next Food Network Star finale?  Each contestant had to make a pilot episode.  Jeffrey Saad made a great looking steak sandwich with arugula and used yellow tomatoes.  It looked delicious.  He however didn’t win, Melissa d’Arabian won.  She’s a home cook with her own show now.  How cool is that!  I think they need a gluten free dairy free cook on there too.  Hmmmm

CSA Week 3

I am having a lot of fun with my weekly CSA (community shared agriculture) regular share from Potomac Vegetable Farms.  Each week I can’t wait to open my bag to see what new foods I’m going to find.  This week here is what I received: sweet onions, fresh garlic, thai basil, asian eggplant, shallots, swiss chard, chocolate mint, squash, and blueberries.  I don’t think I’ve ever eaten asian eggplant and I’m really looking forward to that.  I’m not a fan of mint so I never knew there was even such a thing as chocolate mint.  I’m going to have to give that one a try.

More swiss chard to eat and I’m looking forward to you sharing your recipes with me tomorrow on Friday Foodie Fix.  I’m adding mine to a soup today.

I’ll also be using some of my favorite spice blends from Penzeys Spices.  For those who keep asking about Shallot Pepper, Bouquet Garni, Parisien Bonnes Herbs, Fox Point, Sunny Paris and all of the other individual spices and herbs I use, here is the catalog where you can order some for yourself.  They also have many store locations around the country.  Find a location near you or order online or by calling.  Just an FYI, they don’t pay me to share this information of give me free products.  Any opinion I share on this blog is my opinon and I have lots of those.

Happy Summer!

©Diane Eblin

I love when the farmers markets open and the local fresh vegetables start showing up.  Fresh lettuces and tasty little cucumbers.   Of course the herbs and vegetables you grow yourself are organic and as local as it gets.  They’re also priced right.  This salad was created by what was available at the farmers market, my tiny garden and leftovers in my freezer.  This was a fast and easy meal, low cost and so fresh.  The trick to this salad is to load up on the veggies and then shred the meat to make it look like there is more than what is really there.  This way you can cut down on the meat, calories and cost.

Have you made a trip to your local farmers market?  Do you know where they are located?  Well if you’re not sure check out the sidebar of my blog.  Just below the listing of Categories you’ll find a Farmers Market Finder created by Culinate.  Just type in your zip code and you will be taken to a map showing you just where you can buy local.

If you start or continue to buy local you can join the ranks of the Locavores.  What is a locavore?  A locavore is someone who pays attention to where their food is grown and buys their food from local farmers as much as possible.  This doesn’t mean you have to buy all of your food this way to be a locavore.   If you would like to read up more on eating local check out the sites  Eat Local Challenge and Enjoymentland.  If you happen to have an iphone, check out this cool iphone app that will let you know what’s in season where you live,  so you’ll know what to expect when shopping.  Doesn’t it feel good to support the local farmers in  your community and eat fresh foods!  That’s what I call a win win.

Ingredients:

©Diane Eblin

mixed lettuce

arugula

parsley

red onion diced

carrots shredded

cucumbers diced

tomatoes diced

organic bacon

organic turkey shredded

raw sunflower seeds

Champagne Dijon Vinaigrette :

1-2 tsp dijon mustard (I like Annie’s Naturals  gluten free)

1-2 tsp champagne vinegar

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tsp water

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix the mustard and vinegar together.  Whisk in the oil until it emulsifies.  Add in the water, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust.

For more gluten free recipes today, check out What’s For Dinner Wednesday.

Buffalo Sausage with Mushrooms ©Diane Eblin

Whenever I cook vegetables for my husband I have to do a good job of either hiding them or making sure they are part of the dish.  They do not over power the dish with their taste and texture.  I guess that’s the same thing as hiding them.  I’m really working on getting more vegetables, fruits and safe grains into our diet and cut down on the meats.  One meat I’ve been noticing gaining more interest is Bison or Buffalo. I thought this would be a great addition to this evenings meal.

Recently at one of my local farmers markets I came across Cibola Farms selling Buffalo meat and free-range pork.   Hmm, that got my attention real quick.  Time to investigate.  I grabbed a handful of their brochures and asked the first question I always ask, are your products gluten free.  The reply was yes.  Everything is labeled.  If there is anything with any gluten it will say it on the label.  Cool, they knew what I was talking about.  Then I asked what else was or was not in the meat.  This is taken right from the brochure, “Cibola Farms Meats are free of growth stimulants, steroids, growth hormones and antibiotics.  No chemical or animal bi-product is fed to produce these 100% natural meats. ” Now they really had my attention.   I read more of their information, asked more questions and looked through their scrapbook to see what their pastures and livestock looked like.  Impressive.  But, what would it taste like?  So I bought a few different types of sausages, hot dogs and some ground buffalo.  I also bought some of their pork products.

National Bison Association Nutritional Chart

I wanted to know more about the nutritional values of this lean meat and found information and a table comparing the fat, calories, protein, B-12 and iron content to other proteins.  The National Bison Association website also provides cooking tips and more information on health benefits.

I also ran across the KC Buffalo website that shared this information on buffalo.  “Buffalo meat has as much calcium as a 6 oz. glass of milk, as much potassium as a medium banana, and contains vitamins B6 and B12.” This is sounding like a better choice for me than beef.

Tonight I pulled out the Italian sausage thinking it was buffalo and realized it was pork.  Threw that back and grabbed the next package becuase I really wanted buffalo.  This just sounded great and let me tell you, tasted great.  Buffalo, Cranberry & Wine Sausage with Pork.  The flavor was complex with layers of wonderful tastes.  The aroma was amazing.

So I cooked dinner and we served this dish with a nice glass of red wine.  However, Brad took one look at it and said, “What am I having for dinner?”  My reply was That Fish.  We’re still working on his taste for vegetables.  The real test was going to be my husband.  This dish does have a lot of vegetables and pasta and only a little bit of meat.  He loved it and said it was company worthy.  That is high praise around here.  Anything good enough to serve to company means, please make this again.  So Buffalo was a hit and it will be on our table again!

Ingredients:

4 links  Buffalo Cranberry & Wine Sausage with pork -Cibola Farms

1 organic yellow onion sliced

1 organic yellow squash sliced

1 organic zucchini sliced

12 cremini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

12 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

2 cloves garlic chopped

5 fresh sage leaves chopped

8 sprigs of lemon thyme or plain just taken of stem

handful fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (roll up the leaves and slice to give you chiffonades)

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1 cup mushroom stock (can sub other)

1 tsp arrowroot to make slurry

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Virgin organic coconut oil

Extra virgin olive oil

2 large handfuls of cooked spaghetti (mine is quinoa)

Directions:

Prep all of your vegetables.  Next heat up your wok or large frying pan with sides.  Add in the oils and toss in your onions.  When they turn translucent add in the squash and zucchini.  After they cook down add in the mushrooms.  Now everything should start to brown a little.  Add in the garlic, thyme, sage and caraway seeds.  Combine well.  Now with my wok I pushed the vegetable mix to the sides and placed the buffalo sausage that was cut into chunks into the bottom of the wok.  I let that cook up and brown.  Keep it moving so it doesn’t burn.  Now I added in the cooked spaghetti and get everything combined.  Again, make a space in the bottom or middle of your pan to add in the mushroom stock.  Once that starts to boil, add in your arrowroot slurry.  This is made by mixing the arrowroot with cold water and stir well.  Once you add this to the liquid in the pan keep stirring or clumps can form.  It will thicken fast.  Now toss in your basil and combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  That means add it and then taste it before serving.

Empty your pan onto a nice large serving platter and serve.  If you eat dairy a little shaved parmesean would be a nice topping.

©Diane Eblin

Today’s Food section from The Washington Post is the one I wait for all winter long.  In today’s section is a Guide to Washington Area Farmers Markets.  This list covers The District, Maryland and Virginia.  I highly suggest you take it from the paper and post it on your refrigerator.   Nothing beats locally grown produce that is picked fresh for you.  Most open in May while some are open year round.  Check out the listing to find one near you.

The Washington Post also has an interactive map online.  It is a great way to see where the markets are located and get driving directions.  When you click on the marker, it gives you all of the information on name, location and hours.

If you don’t happen to live in my area but want to know where you can find your local farmers market, check out Local Harvest.  Either way start planning when and where you’ll be heading to get that fresh produce!

My friend the Robin ©Diane Eblin

My friendly Robin that visits me each day.

There are now so many great resources for eco-friendly living.  Here are a few I’ve compiled.  There are associations, resources to help you live eco-friendly and products and services to use.  If you have a good resource to add to our list please leave the information in the comments.  Thank you!

Begley’s Best

Living With Ed

Bottled Up Designs

Do Something

Earth 911

Eco Labeling

EcoExpress: Uncommon gifts for the common good

Environmental Working Group

Gaiam

Global Footprint Network

GoGreenGift: Your Eco Start Kit!

Green & Clean Mom

Green Living Consulting

GREEN NEST

Grist

IDEAL BITE

NRDC’s Great Green Gift-Giving Guide

Planet Green

Recycle Me Organic Tees

Reusablebags

Sierra Club

Terra Furnishings

TerraCycle

TerraPass

The Green Parent

TreeHugger

Real Goods website

Children from a Washington, D.C.  school will help Mrs. Obama dig the garden.  The First Lady says that the whole family, including the President, will help weed the garden.  I’m looking forward to seeing those photos!
Reading through the article I was very excited to see that Mrs. Obama thinks there are many ways to make food changes in addition to gardening.   “You can begin in your own cupboard,” she said, “by eliminating processed food, trying to cook a meal a little more often, trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables.”

The website is the Natural Resources Defense Council.  If you check under the Issue tab and check out Health you will find information on Eat Local. Living in Virginia can get cold and snowy during the winter months.  There is not a lot growing out in the ground at that time but neighboring states such as Tennessee and North Carolina have produce available. If the food at your grocery store does not list what state it came from, ask.  If they don’t know there are many grocery stores that are happy to share that information.

If you live where it’s warm all year long you obviously have a much longer list of in season foods than Virginia girl here, but still check into what is in season.  They are still flying foods from all over the world to your supermarkets.  Farmers markets are a great way to buy local produce.  If you’re not sure where the farmers markets are around you or where you might be headed for spring break or summer vacation, check out Local Harvest.  Buy fresh local in season foods and your body, your local farmers, and your planet will thank you.

Eat local and eat in season!  Here is what’s fresh in Virginia.

What’s Fresh in Virginia: Late March
* Greens
* Spinach

Other produce available in bordering states:
* Gourds (Tennessee)
* Herbs (Tennessee)
* Honey (Tennessee)
* Indian Corn (Tennessee)
* Leafy greens (North Carolina)
* Mushrooms (Tennessee)
* Peanuts (North Carolina)
* Sorghum Syrup (Tennessee)
* Sweet Potatoes (North Carolina, Tennessee)

Flown in
* Asparagus (Peru)
* Bell peppers (Netherlands)
* Tomatoes (Netherlands)
* Blackberries (Chile)
* Blueberries (Argentina)
* Cherries (Chile)
* Raspberries (Chile)
* Peaches (Chile)
* Nectarines (Chile)
* Papayas (Brazil)

What is vinegar and what should we do with it?  According to Wikipedia, vinegar is made from the oxidation by acetic acid bacteria of ethanol in wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice, or nearly any other liquid containing alcohol.  You may be familiar with the many types of vinegar.  White, balsamic, white wine, red wine, rice, apple cider, malt, coconut, cane, palm and black just to name a few.  Many of these are found in your condiments and are used in cooking.

But I want to talk about that old bottle of white distilled vinegar and how you can use it to clean up around your house.  Now you can forgo buying all of those chemical cleaners and even spending money on the eco-friendly ones.  Vinegar is a lot less expensive.  A 32 ounce bottle can cost around $1.25 and clean as much as a few bottles of cleaners.

So let’s see how many ways we can come up with to use vinegar.

• Clean your fruits and veggies- mix 3-1 vinegar and water, put into a spray bottle and use to wash up your food.  Make sure you rinse at the end.
• Clean mineral deposits from glass, coffee makers and other surfaces.
• Mix with baking soda and clean up that bathroom tile with a small brush (I use an old toothbrush)
• Use malt vinegar and a newspaper to clean up your windows.
• Weed killer- spray straight vinegar on weeds.
• Fabric Softner- add ½ cup to the rinse cycle.
• Toilet bowl cleaner- full strength it on to get rid of the rings.

Well that’s my list, but for 1001 uses for white distilled vinegar check out mizkan.  Their topics include cooking, gardening, cleaning, heath, laundry, automotive and pets.  Anything you can eat, clean with and use on your car is something worth looking into.

Please add your vinegar tips in the comments section.

Currently at the farm they are planting the first seeds of the season.  They planted lettuce, celery, parsley, and three brassicas (cabbage, kale, kohlrabi). I find this particularly exciting because to my knowledge I’ve not eaten kohlrabi.  I am looking forward to cooking with this.  If you are already a fan of this vegetable and have used it in recipes please share.

If you have not joined a CSA check in your area to see if there are any still offering shares.  If not you can always visit the farmers markets and plant your own, either way get your fresh vegetables locally!

Fall at the Potomac Vegetable Farms Stand

If you’ve not checked out Reusablebags I suggest you do.  They have great items and at the top of the site is a running total of how many plastic bags have been used this year.  It’s amazing how fast that number increases as you watch.

Top 10 Tips

10   Ditch the dryer sheets for dryer balls
9    Bring your own cup- I love my “I’m not a paper cup” thermal porcelain mug.

8    Use reusable utensils.
7    Bag the sandwich baggies- we use the wrap a mat.  Love these!
6    Kick the energy drink habit- have no idea if these are gluten free
5    Say “no” to gift wrap
4    Reuse a plastic bag- dry your bags on a bag & bottle dryer. This is on my list to purchase.
3    Bring a bottle- Just purchased these New Wave Enviro resin bottles.  I really like mine.
2    Pack a sustainable lunch with a reusable lunch box or bag.
1    Carry a reusable shopping bag with you- I love my Chico’s bags.  They stay hooked on my purse.  These are great for any shopping, not just groceries!

This container is compact and great to carry your lunch.  I want to try it out for leftovers too.  New Wave Enviro is the company that makes these little gems.  They should be available at Whole Foods soon.  You can search on the website by zip code to find a store near to purchase your very own.  This company also makes stainless-steel water bottles, water filtration systems, resin individual water bottles in addition to 1 and 2 gallon containers.

This is going on my grocery list for my next trip to Whole Foods.

What about you?  Do you like vegetables?  Maybe not but you think you’ll try and eat more so a CSA sounds like a good idea.  Well here are the guidelines for people who should NOT join a CSA:

* Anyone who is away on vacation many weeks (it’s your responsibility to have someone pickup your share if you are gone).
* Anyone who thinks this is a good way to save lots of money. It isn’t. We offer good value at a fair price.
* People who don’t really like to cook or who don’t eat at home often.
* People who don’t like vegetables or who don’t like trying new foods.

After reading this if you still feel like giving it a try you better get on the stick.  These sell out fast at farms all over the country. Find one near you.  Now this summer I have only one week of vacation so I need to find a friend who will take my share of vegetables, eggs and flowers I’ve ordered.  I’m guessing one of them will contact me after reading this.  Better make it fast!

MOM’S – My Organic Market, has released its recycling numbers for 2008.  According to their numbers they diverted over 1,721,459 pounds, or 860 tons from the landfill last year. Some results include 875 gallons of batteries, 150,000 pounds of produce trimmings, 29,000 pounds of commingled items, and 1,497,600 pounds of cardboard.  That’s just a partial listing.  To see the full list of what they recycled, visit their website.
MOM’s is completely dedicated to the health of our bodies and our planet.  Their produce department is 100% exclusively organic with a large selection and variety.  They do not even offer plastic bags in the store.  They really practice their beliefs that if you take small steps you can make a big impact.

I suggest you visit their stores and their website and read up on who they are and what they do.  I love stories where a 22 year old kid takes $100 in 1987 and now has 5 stores in the Washington metro area including: Rockville, MD, College Park, MD, Alexandria, VA, Columbia East, MD, and Frederick, MD.  How cool is that! Follow your passion and you can change the way people live.

I think it’s time for another field trip!  Do you live close to one of these stores and shop there often?  Please let us know your impressions of MOM’s.

Thank you to Robin Shreeves at A Little Greener Every Day blog for writing about Eco-Steal.
  Great find! This company only sells one eco-friendly product at a time but at a discount of 40-80% off retail.  Oh and did I mention these products are premium green, eco-friendly and organic?  How cool is that!  You can sign up for email alerts so you don’t miss out.  As they say, once the product is gone, it’s gone and on to the next one.   For more eco-info they also have a blog.  Who doesn’t?

Check it out and let me know if you make any great eco-steals.

The Wall Street Journal ran an article today titled How To Go Green In Hard Times by Yuliya Chernova and Sari Krieger.  In there they offer up 10 ideas with how much they will cost as well as the payback time.  Read the article for the full details on how they arrived at their numbers and see if you agree, but here is the short list:

High-Tech Thermostats cost $50-$150, payback about a year.
Smarter Water Heating cost $500-$700 plus $100 for installation, payback around 5 years.
Sealing Air Leaks cost around $20 a door and $10 a window, payback about 2-3 years.
Low-Flow Fixtures cost around $30 for shower head and $2 for a faucet aerators, payback for aerators is almost immediate and shower heads a few months.
Leasing Solar Panels cost anywhere from free to $2000-$5000, payback immediate to a while.
Air Filters cost around $10 for central systems, payback less than a year.
Compact Fluorescent Lights cost about $3 a bulb, payback 3 – 7 ½ months.
Lighting Motion Sensors cost $50-$60, payback under a year.
Window Treatments cost $5- $150 a window, payback just under a year to 4 years.
Attic Insulation cost $500-$700 for an average 2000 sq foot house, payback 1 ½ years.
Also on WSJ.com/Reports you can listen to a podcast with Yuliya Chernova discussing some of the energy-saving investments she has found that promise a relatively quick payback.  Read the full Energy report for more information.

What about you?  Do you have any great green tips?  Have you considered planting a garden this year?  For the cost of some seed or plants you can have a supply of fresh veggies all summer long if you plant accordingly.  That means your food would not have to be flown in from other countries and you don’t use the gas to go and purchase it.  Check out Plan Garden for tech ways to figure out what, where, and how to have a garden.

What about really simple things like opening the blinds for light in the room instead of turning on the lights?  Sounds simple but see if you automatically turn on that light.  Are you using cloth napkins instead of paper?  Do you use low electric crockpot or solar ovens to cook in?  What about that free rainwater or compost fertilizer for your garden?  There are so many little things that when added up can make a huge difference.  Many will save you money and our environment.

Please share your lean green ideas with us.  If you have a blog post with ideas please post the link under comments and I would love if you would link back to this post too.  Let’s see how many great ideas we can come up with.

Many of these farmers will have designated drop off days and locations so you don’t need to travel to the farm but of course that will cost extra.  Check with your local farmer.  

Now keep in mind you need to be a family that cooks regularly and likes vegetables.  Also you need to be able to accept change.  Sometimes different crops have a larger bounty and others not so much.  Either way you will have a weekly box of fresh food to eat.

Oh, and in case you’ve not heard, eating locally grown produce is good for both your body and our earth on so many levels.  This is a great way to support your local farmer and have fresh produce all season long without you doing all the work of growing it yourself.  If you’re like me the only place for a garden would be my front lawn and the homeowners association frowns upon that.

From my experience I always seem to miss out because I wait too long to sign up and they are all sold out of subscriptions.  Check with your local farm for the dates when they open up subscriptions.  The Washington Post ran a listing of the local CSA farms in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania which is very helpful.
If you live outside that area you can search anywhere in the U.S. at Local Harvest.

Please let us know if you sign up with a CSA this year.  If you have already experienced this please leave a comment with your impressions.  Thank you.

Cleaning vs. Disinfecting by Living Green, Gluten Free, Life in General
Do you know the difference and how to use each product?  Read this post.

Want to learn how to warm up during these cold months with spices?  That sounds great right now as I am stuck in the house due to the ice storm. Read Alana Sugar, C.N. on the Whole Foods blog.

Would you like easy to do tips on how to live a little more “green”.  Check out Ideal Bite.  You may have seen them on the television show, The View.

Do you live gluten free, casein free and soy free with kids?  Then check out this blog from Erin Chase who brings you $5 Dinners.

One more tip from me.  When dealing with all of this ice and snow think about what you are throwing on your driveway and walkways.  What does that do to your environment.  There are alternatives.

No recipes from me tonight.  I treated my husband to a night out at a wonderful restaurant in D.C. I choose Nora first because it gets rave reviews and second I like the fact that they buy from certified organic farmers and producers who do not use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones or GMO’s.  

The meal was wonderful and their triple filtered water terrific.  They were able to accommodate making me a gluten free, casein free and rice free meal that was delicious.  I started with an arugula salad and went on to have the river sturgeon with a mix of fresh vegetables. Scott started with a Maine Johan Crab Salad that contained a ton of crab and then had the duck confit and potato gnocchi.  A special treat for me was getting to have dessert.  I had a trio of sorbets: sweet potato with a smoked vanilla, pineapple which was very tart and then a chocolate and chili that was my favorite.  You first had this wonderful chocolate taste to enjoy and then just as you were savoring that you were treated to an explosion of hot chili pepper.  It was not overwhelming just amazing.

We really enjoyed our meal there and would recommend you check out Nora in NW Washington, DC.

Here is how they describe their process:

Green Living Consulting (GLC) believes in a holistic approach to helping your business or household achieve realistic and cost effective green goals. The GLC process of “getting green” will help you seamlessly adopt sustainable practices and technologies while creating a culture of green in your daily life — at work or at home.

Working closely with you, GLC will develop a green plan that:

* incorporates your goals and objectives
* maps realistic actions within your budget and timeframe
* guides implementation
* tracks, measures, and reports results

In evaluating your day-to-day operations, GLC can provide ongoing, personalized direction toward a more sustainable work or home environment. GLC is your personal eco-guide for “getting green.”

So if you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to live “greener” well this is a good resource.  Check out their website and look for events and workshops that can help you keep that promise you made to yourself and our planet.  Check out their blog and for great ideas delivered to your inbox sign up for their newsletter.  From their latest newsletter I’m interested in their eco-assessment for my home.  The more I know the more choices I have.  Let me know what you think is the most helpful to you and if you use their services for your home or business.

I had a little garden this summer with cubanela peppers, herbs and arugula.  The arugula was very easy to grow and produced through the first frost.  I had flowers in the garden too but next year it will be all kitchen goodies.

So, if you want to eat organic and save money, grow your own.  Plant a garden in your yard, in pots and planters and anything you can find.  Just plant that garden.  Need help figuring out your plan check out Plangarden.  And while you’re planning that garden this winter let the president know you think it’s such a great idea he should do it too.

Check out Global Footprint Network and take their quiz.  I just took it and right now I need 4 planets to support my lifestyle.  Yikes!  They offer ideas on how to reduce that amount.  The ideas were very attainable and did not suggest I go live on the farm down the road.  However getting my food from there will greatly decrease my footprint.  The quiz was fun and didn’t take long.  You create an avatar and as you answer questions it builds a photo of your life.

As we approach the end of this year and think about how we want to live our lives in 2009,  what changes do you want to make?  What information do you need to make those changes?

Start planning now, 2009 is only 29 days away.

There are many events all over the country on this holiday.  Check out your state and see if one is near you.  If not create your own.  Grab your kids and go meet your neighbors.  Talk to them about one thing they could recycle that they’re not.  Can you imagine the impact if everyone on your block recycled more.  You could change the planet.   Take the recycling pledge now.

So have fun on this day of recycling and share with us what you are going to start recycling now!

Fix it – If you can fix it don’t trash it and buy a new one

Adjust the thermostat- well we didn’t have central air but in the winter if I was cold I put on a sweater and in the summer we wore summer clothing because it was hot and there was no air conditioning.  Winter keep the thermostat at 67 or 68 and in the summer don’t go below 70.

I didn’t live in a barn- I grew up in a house with doors and they were meant to be closed to keep in that warm air.  So don’t leave your doors open like a barn door unless you actually have one and it should be open.

Storing leftovers- we always used the glass containers food came in. Washed them out and used hot water and vinegar to get the labels off.  We didn’t buy plastic ones.  No plastic to seep into our food and do us harm and the containers were already paid for.

Lower Cost Meats- Buy those cuts and cook them slowly in a crockpot.  This saves energy too.
Make it from scratch- my mom is a great baker and cook.  She can open the refrigerator and make a meal out of anything on hand.  I’m so glad she taught me that one!  Making your meals yourself with ingredients that cost less and knowing what you are eating is a gift.  I’m guessing you don’t have all those extra chemicals, preservatives and food dyes around to cook with. Make your own food.

Dish Towels- Don’t use a paper towel when a dish towel could do the job and not end up in the trash.

Newspapers- we recycled them into logs for our winter fireplace (would love to have that cool device I used to make those logs)

TV off- there were only 3 main channels and couple of upper channels that all went off at midnight. (OK I’m showing my age) There was no remote control so there was no vampire electricity because there was no sleep mode for appliances.  We didn’t spend hours with the TV on or a computer (no pc’s) using extra electricity.

Clothes Line- In the summer we hung our clothes out to dry with clothes pins. 

Now many of you may still practice these lessons and if you do I would be proud.  If not I hope this has reminded you that we all have choices to make.  Don’t be concerned about what we don’t have in life but what we do have and how we can save what’s around us.  This will save both your money and our planet.  We need to take care of our world so our children can inherit it.  Be mindful of how you live, your children are watching.  It might take a while to sink in like me, but it will.

Thanks Mom and Dad

I’m very excited about a new way to connect with others.  Shelfari is a gathering place for readers, bloggers, authors, publishers and anyone who wants to connect about the published word.  They’re based in Seattle, started in October 2006 and acquired by Amazon.com in August 2008.

Once a member (free) you can:

• Build your own virtual bookshelf
• Join a group like ours and share ideas
• Discover and learn from people with similar reading tastes
• Interact with authors

If you’re like me I’m always searching for new information to spark creativity or just tell me how to do something.  Things like new gluten-free recipes, great new organic finds or how to recycle my old bike.  You probably have many areas of interest and your bookshelf can reflect that.  Then you can join the groups that share those many common interests.  If you blog you can even put your bookshelf on your blog.  They walk you through creating your own widget.

I’m excited for you join our group and share your great book finds, join in the discussions and start some new ones.  You can rate your books, write a review, add tags and mark books that are your favorites.   We can all learn from each other and what better gift to give.

Please check out The W.H.O.L.E. Gang Group and let me know what you think by either leaving a comment here or on the book group discussion board.

1.  Check the county you live in or with your trash service. If you live in Fairfax County Virginia you quickly find out that there are many restrictions.  Their website offers many resources including a pictorial cheat sheet to show you what you can and cannot recycle at the curb.

2.  Follow their guidelines. Rinse the containers, flatten the boxes and if it’s a bottle take off the lid.  I have been told some facilities will throw out your bottles if they still have lids on them.  Check with yours.

3.  Drop-off sites.  When recycling things like batteries, yard care products and hazardous household waste that is not picked up curbside, find your county’s designated drop off sites.
4.  Styrofoam- mail it to be recycled. You know the foam packing material around an appliance (polystyrene or EPS) well AFPR is one company that will recycle that.  EPS can be identified by the # 6 plastic resin identification code. Many types of foam plastic are not clearly marked. If you have questions please contact AFPR at (410) 451-8340 for clarification.  AFPRdoes not accept meat trays, cups, egg cartons or other disposable food service items for recycling.

5. Sell it. The Recycled Plastic Markets Database allows you to search for buyers of a wide variety of plastics. For more information, visit the American Chemistry Council.

6. Search for facilities that will take items not picked up curbside. Our trash service currently does not pick up plastics with #3, #4, #5, #6, #7.  Search on Earth 911 to see where in your community these items and many others can be recycled.  Call to confirm before you head out the door.

Well yesterday morning I set out to find where I could take plastics #5 (yogurt containers) and #6 (egg cartons, Styrofoam meat trays) to be

Vancouver Art Gallery Recycling

recycled.  After spending 3 hours researching on the web and talking to 12 different people at the county office and local companies, I finally found Jim Langemeier. Jim is the general manager of Capital Fiber.  This facility is a joint venture between the Washington Post Company and Canusa Corporation.  According to their website in addition to processing the waste fiber generated by the Washington Post and its affiliate printing operations, this plant processes fibers and commingled containers from other area suppliers, including local municipalities.
Right now where I live every neighborhood, town and county is doing its own thing.  Sometimes they all work together, follow the same guidelines but not often.  This was the reason I was told they didn’t know but call this next person. This led me to Jim.  First he told me where to drop off my recycling.  Next he shared some exciting news that his company is building a new state of the art facility that is a full line single stream recycling center.  This means no more sorting your recycling.  Everything will be sorted as it is processed.  Jim said his current facility processes 17,000 tons a month.  This new facility will be able to process 30,000 tons a month.  This facility will also process plastics coded #1 – #7.  That’s all of them!  He expects the new facility to be up and running in January 2009.  They will offer 3 days of open houses for anyone to come and see exactly what they do so I will keep you posted.
Many cities and towns across the nation already use single stream recycling.

If you live in such a place please leave a comment on how your program has worked for you.

In the mean time try not to buy items with the recycle codes of #3, #5, or #6.  Not sure, turn the item over and check the code on the bottom.  If you must, and there are just things we must, reuse them or clean them to be recycled.  Remember every time you throw something out it has to go somewhere.  So every item you can keep out of the landfills is a small victory for our planet.

Information was presented about how veal calves, pregnant pigs and egg laying hens are raised.  In each case Lisa Ling visited two farms showing two different ways to raise these animals.  Free range chickens that were released to roam around the farm or tightly caged chickens.  I thought Lisa was going to lose her lunch at the farm with over filled cages with chicken covered in their own feces.  She visited farms with free roaming veal calves that could nurse from their mother outside and pregnant pigs also roaming around a large farm nursing their piglets.  Then the starkly different tightly crated calves and pigs that couldn’t move.  By not move I mean they could get up and down but that’s it.

Both types of farmers defended their positions.  The main point of contention in California is Proposition 2 which will be voted on in November.  This would require farmers to increase cage sizes for egg laying hens, pregnant pigs and veal calves.  The new regulations would require cages to be large enough to allow these animals to be able to stand up, lie down, turn around and to be able to fully extend their limbs without touching the side of an enclosure or other egg-laying hens.  If passed it would go into effect in 2015 giving farmers time to make these changes.

Each side sited humane and economic arguments.  Farmers raising caged animals state that people won’t pay the prices for products raised free range.  Most of us don’t live in California but if we vote with our purchases the prices for these items will decrease. The bigger the demand the more farmers will shift to these ways of raising animals.

I don’t know about you but why would anyone want to eat meats and eggs that were raised in these cruel conditions.  These animals need to be given antibiotics to counter balance the gross conditions.  Half of all the antibiotics made in the US each year given to these animals as quoted in Skinny Bitch.  Check out that book if you really want to read what these conditions are like for raising and slaughtering the food we eat.  It will change your feelings about what you eat.

So what about you?  Do you seek out organic meats and free range eggs or just pick up what is on sale?  Do you go to local farms that do not raise animals in these cruel conditions or warehouses where you have no idea where their pork and beef came from?  If you already purchase those free range eggs, wonderful.  Now find out about the rest of what you are eating.  Ask the butcher where the products came from and how they were raised.  If they don’t know search your area for a store that knows.  It’s up to all of us to make conscious choices about the food we eat. Are you?

Pro Bowl 2008

I’m very excited that the NFL football season started this week.  Our family loves football but especially me.  I even manage a fantasy league that has extended family and one of my son’s friends.  Sundays and Monday nights are all about game time and for some reason football games means game time food.

Every year I have a different set of parameters around the food.   One year I would make food from the opposing team’s cities that played on Monday night.  Every city has its own take on certain foods and its own traditions.  Some are obvious like Jambalaya for the New Orleans Saints and a Philly Cheese steak for the Philadelphia Eagles.  Other towns you need to do your homework on the internet. So this year, of course, the theme will be organic, wild caught, local and within the bounds of what we can eat. Here are some ideas that are great for any game:

• Homemade tortillas filled with beans or shrimp and avocado, turkey with peppers and onions, or beef brisket.  The possibilities are endless.

• Old Bay Fries — no brainer.  Bake off your favorite fries and sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning!
  

• Guacamole and chips and Salsa
  

• Amazing Toasted Nuts & Chickpeas
  

• Popcorn Mix
  

• Jalapeno Pepper Poppers Gluten Free
  

• Turkey Legs
  

• Beef Brisket
  

• Gluten Free Cheese Steak
  

• Black Bean Cakes
  

• Dairy Free Corn on the Cob 5 ways
  

• Quinoa muffins
  

• High Protein Salad
  

• Bananas Foster

So if you love football and enjoy tailgating at home or at the game know that you can make great organic foods that are not processed, full of sugar or food dyes.  You’ll be the one that always gets invited to the game.