Green Being

Save the Bees! Go Native!

2009-01-09T11:32:00.001-08:00

A couple of days ago I read an article about how people are still trying to figure out what happened to all the bees (you know, colony collapse). The article mentioned how people can help by planting NATIVE flowering plants. This will either attract more honey bees, or at least attract other pollinating critters (like butterflies). Either way, it is a good thing because if the bees won't come back, we need other pollinators to pollinate the crops. Honey bees are critical to crop pollination. 1/3 of the human diet in the United States comes from insect-pollinated plants, and honeybees are responsible for 80% of that pollination.

Another huge plus to planting native species is they require little to no watering because they are native to the area where they are planted, so they are evolved (yes, evolved) to survive without sprinkler systems. You can find out what plants are native to your area using the drop-down menu here: http://www.plantnative.org

You can also help the bees by eliminating your use of pesticides and fertilizers at your home. One thing scientists are finding in these abandoned bee hives is huge amounts of chemicals from pesticides, leading some to think that colony collapse disorder could have been caused by people using too many pesticides in their home gardens. So, go organic - it is better for literally everyone. Well, except for the people who make money selling the chemicals, but they've profited off that for long enough. You can learn more about organic lawn care here and organic gardening here.

You can attract butterflies to your garden by planting butterfly host plants. Just make sure the plant is native to your area, otherwise the butterflies it is supposed to attract won't be around. Milkweed is the host plant for monarch butterflies, and I have seen first hand how many will come to a garden with only a handful of milkweed plants. You can watch the larvae turn into caterpillars which eat the leaves, and then turn into pupa, and then butterflies! It is awesome.

New (Personal) Blog

2008-12-28T12:53:00.001-08:00

I'm moving to Denver on Monday to start an internship at Earthjustice, a non-profit public interest environmental law firm. This is a majorly big deal for me, as readers of this blog will know, a dream come true. Minus the part about moving to Denver.

Anyway, while I'm gone I'm going to write a personal blog about what I'm up to there. I anticipate it including many posts about how I hate the cold and how I'm lonely and bored. But, there will probably be some less-complainy stuff too. :)

The new blog is called Fourteen Weeks, and you can find it here: http://somewhereimadeawish.blogspot.com.

Since I won't be taking law school classes, I'm hoping to update this blog more often too. 2009 should be a good one. Tell your friends.

Eco Driving Test + Hypermilling

2008-12-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

I just read this little snippet in onearth, Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) magazine, about an online eco driving test. You drive a virtual car and then it tells you if your driving is eco or not. I've kind of mentioned stuff like this on here before. Good things to do are don't idle, accelerate slowly and consistently, don't drive too fast, keep your tires inflated, etc. Adam is basically the master of this - the mileage he gets on his Volkswagen Golf is close to that of a Prius, just by obsessively following eco driving tips. I'm not as good as him (partly because my car is automatic, partly because I'm not as consistent), but I have been getting a lot better gas mileage since I started thinking about the way my driving habits relate to gas consumption.

So, head over to www.ecodrivingusa.com and read up on what you can do (and what you're already doing) to be an eco driver. Click "virtual road test"on the left to take the test. You can also watch a video from our great Governor Schwarzenegger.

There is also this whole crazy thing called hypermilling, where people meticulously keep track of their gas mileage in order to get different rankings of hypermilling status depending on how much their gas mileage is above EPA standards. This is how Adam became an awesome gas saver. If you google hypermilling you can find all kinds of info on how to get the maximum gas mileage from your car.

Spoiler Alert: You don't need a hybrid to get awesome mileage. This site has some good tips for beginners, that don't involve modifying your car's body or anything hardcore like that.

Here are some that I like and can actually remember to do almost all of the time:

Don't drive over the speed limit. 55 is ideal, so even going 65 is wasting gas.
Stop accelerating (foot off the gas) as soon as you see the cars ahead slowing down.
Try to avoid coming to a complete stop when you can - like if you see the light ahead is red, and you are going to be the first car, just slowly coast up to it so you don't get to the intersection until it turns green.
If you are at a complete stop, let your foot of the brake and let your car roll as much as it can before using gas. It takes a lot of energy to get a heavy car from a stop to a roll, so let gravity (or inertia, or whatever - I'm no physicist) do the work for you.
Use cruise control to accelerate. It will accelerate more consistently and slowly than using your foot on the pedal, and that will save gas.
Don't gun it. Ever.

Some of the tips you'll find are dangerous - don't even bother trying those. An example is tailgating semi-trucks really close. The idea is not to almost die to save gas. Use your judgment.

Once you start using these tips, you'll see that it just becomes a habit and you don't even have to think about it. For example, over the summer I got to school to take a final and realized I didn't have my computer with me. I had to rush home, get the computer, and rush back without being late for the test. So, I was driving 75-80 on the freeway - something that I hadn't done for many months. It was so crazy, it felt like the most dangerous thing in the world to be going more than 65!

Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy Recipe Review

2008-11-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

I recently realized how rapidly Thanksgiving is approaching (especially since my family is celebrating the weekend before true Thanksgiving to save me from traffic hell). So, I commenced a search for the most delicious vegetarian gravy recipe ever. I've never made veggie gravy before, I always just buy it from the store. However, sticking to my new tradition of making everything I can home made, I decided the time had come for me to make my own gravy. I think one of the things that has stopped me is I had an unfortunate first experience with making a roux. I still don't know what I did wrong, but it is actually a piece of cake to make.

I found the recipe for the best vegetarian gravy ever at a lovely little site called Vegan Yum Yum. All of the recipes look amazing, but this is the first one I've tried. The gravy is mushroom, I recommend using cremini mushrooms. I also reduced the celery by half, and omitted the thyme because I hate thyme. It was the best gravy I've ever had. The recipe makes about 5-ish servings. The recipe is one part of a recipe for deconstructed green bean casserole, so scroll down a bit to find it.

We had our gravy with the best mashed potatoes I've ever made and my world famous vegan meatloaf. It was heavenly. I'm asking my mom to make the gravy for our pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving.

What are your fave vegetarian Thanksgiving foods?

Energy Saving Gift Idea For Wii-ers

2008-11-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

With wired controllers for video game systems being a thing of the past, new wireless controllers use are using batteries to keep gamers gaming. I wouldn't call myself a "gamer", but I am a person who plays video games (my favorite being the Pikmin series for Nintendo Gamecube - besides Arkanoid). When we first got our Wii about a year and a half ago, we quickly realized we needed to do something about the wiimotes draining our batteries surprisingly fast.

So, we picked up a Wii remote charger at the local Game Stop. We chose the Nyko Wii charger (pictured), they cost about $35 at Game Stop, or you can get them for about $25 at Newegg.com. The downside is you have to take of the wiimote skin to charge it, but we don't use the skins, so it isn't a big deal. We've had ours for a bit over a year, and it still works perfectly.

There are countless other Wii remote chargers out there, Amazon.com has a bunch. Some of them look pretty sketchy, so I woudn't recommend just going for the cheapest one.

We have an Xbox 360 on its way, does anyone have an Xbox controller charger to recommend?

Elevator Energy

2008-11-15T10:05:00.000-08:00

I hurt my ankle pretty bad last December (my one year anniversary is coming up), and I made it worse by playing soccer and Gaelic football. It also doesn't help that I haven't seen a doctor. So, for the past semester I've been taking the elevator at school because for some reason walking up stairs is the thing that hurts my ankle the most - even more than playing sports. Besides making me feel lazy, taking the elevator so much made me wonder how much electricity is being wasted because of me. So, I Googled it. I found this blog, where the author calculated out how much energy various elevator trips consumes, and then compared it to the energy common household stuff uses. The conclusion was an elevator doesn't use thaaat much energy - so I don't need to feel too guilty.

Still, if you aren't injured, take the stairs. It's for your health!

Why My Mom Hates Plastic Bags

2008-11-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

This happened a few months ago, but I keep forgetting to tell the tale:

My mom went to the auto mechanic to get some stuff on her car fixed. After inspecting her car, the mechanic told her that a plastic bag had gotten wrapped around some part of the car's wheel and it had sliced through some very important part that I can't remember now. Apparently she had driven over a wayward plastic bag one day, and it got wrapped around the inside of the wheel . Then, from heat and what-have-you, the plastic bag morphed into a wire-like thing and sliced right through this important part I can't remember. Of course, this important part is also very expensive.

Several hundred dollars later, my mom has another great reason to hate plastic bags! (And litterbugs.)

I tried doing some research to see if the internet has documented this happening to other people...that got annoying real fast though, I wouldn't recommend it. Anyway, I was able to find one discussion thread about having plastic bags sucked into the exhaust system, and the smell of burning plastic that results (and lasts for several weeks).

Moral of the story: DON'T USE PLASTIC BAGS!

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Now playing: Head Automatica - Brooklyn Is Burning
via FoxyTunes

Awesome Wrapping Paper Alternatives

2008-11-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, I am impressed by all the great, creative ideas on wrapping paper alternatives you guys had! To summarize, for anyone who happens upon this blog and would like to know some AWESOME alternatives to wrapping paper:

Ashley: I always use paper grocery shopping bags. I cut them open flat and on the clean/no print side I stamp it everywhere with this decorative stamp I have with gold ink. Then i tie a strand of raffia around it. It looks cute!

Little Miss Shortcake:

tell the person you're giving the gift to to close their eyes, and then produce the gift that you had stashed away while simultaneously shouting some christmas cheer.
give a gift card and skip wrapping all together.
i got a gift wrapped in a throw blanket one time.

Jennifer C.: I like wrapping with part of the gift. For a quilter wrap w/ fabric. Winter gift wrapped with a scarf. Earrings in a jewelry box. I wrap small gifts w/ my scrapbooking paper scraps. I've seen people wrap w/ old calendar pages.

David:

Put gift in green bag that they can use for grocery shopping.
Have a gift treasure hunt with clues.
Put in decorative storage containers.
Put gift in a DIFFERENT product's box. Surprise person that they are getting something that is not shown on the box. Start saving these faux gift boxes all year!!
Wrap gifts in dollar bills!!
Put everything in a basket or container.
Put gift behind your back and ask person to guess which hand!

Haleyroze: I like to save my christmas cards from the year before (or buy some from the ginormous clearance wracks they have post christmas because people are obsessed with overstocking merchandise for the holidays) and cut them up. All you need is a glue stick to decorate the homemade paper (not patience, or art skills).

Excellent ideas, everyone! Keep 'em coming and I will update this list accordingly. This is officially the best alternative wrapping paper idea list on the internet!

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Now playing: The Get Up Kids - My Apology
via FoxyTunes

Tis the Season

2008-11-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

Tis the season to fill landfills with a bunch of crap! The holiday season is the busiest time for landfills for three reasons - wrapping paper, packaging, and newspaper ads/flyers. I'm just going to focus on wrapping paper here.

I know this goes against everything you were raised to hold dear, and it may even be borderline un-American, and it is definitely Scrooge-like, but wrapping paper is a complete waste of money and paper. Yes, it looks festive and brings back childhood memories. But, what's wrong with making new memories and changing what we think of as "festive"? The problem here is a lack of creativity. I tried Googling wrapping paper alternatives, since I am not creative enough to think of anything original, and I was surprised to find that it doesn't look like anyone else (at least anyone easy to find) has thought of anything particularly original either.

I found these (in my opinion boring) ideas:

Newspaper comics (so Kindergarten)
Plastic bags (blech - seriously who even considers that "wrapping")
Used wrapping paper (so old lady)
White "scratch" paper decorated with drawings (I suck at drawing)

I also found a couple of more creative ones:

Reusable boxes/tins
Other examples of using another gift for the wrapping - like stuff put into a handmade hat, etc.

There are "green" wrapping papers available, made with recycled paper and eco-friendly inks, but I don't count that as a wrapping paper alternative - plus they are expensive, and it seems so wasteful to spend that much money on something that will just get thrown away...which is the whole thing we are trying to avoid here.

So, I'm begging anyone with creativity to think of some awesome alternatives to wrapping paper. Because, with the ideas listed above, no one is going to want to change their ways! We need something that is festive, looks good, is inexpensive, and doesn't require a professional artist to pull off. It has to be so good that people will be comfortable with giving up wrapping paper - a feat that seems impossible to pull off, people are quite sentimental when it comes to wrapping gifts. It makes me sick to think of all the waste created by wrapping paper, but even I am not totally excited to have a wrapping paper-free holiday - so it has to be good!

Any ideas in the comments will be GREATLY appreciated, any ideas posted on your blog will be posted here. Thanks a million. And don't try to pretend you aren't creative, I know you are.

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Now playing: Further Seems Forever - New Year's Project
via FoxyTunes

Indian Fry Bread

2008-11-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon & sugar fry bread. I love that dinner & dessert have the same main ingredient. For the record, we ate dessert first.

Yesterday I decided that Indian fry bread is one of my favorite foods, even though I'd never had it. Just do a Google images search and you will know what I mean. Don't ask why I was doing that. Anyway, I decided to give a recipe a try, and it came out awesomely. There are roughly a kajillion Indian fry bread recipes, so this is by no means "the" recipe. And, I've never had these before, so I don't know how authentic or unauthentic this recipe is (same goes for the Indian taco recipe at the bottom). I just know it is tasty. I modified the method for the recipe I found online a tiny bit, based on the "Secrets to Perfect Frybread" and this is what I came up with:

Makes four 5"-7" pieces, which doesn't seem like enough at first. It turned out to be the perfect amount for two people (one taco, one dessert each). You'll have to double/triple the recipe to feed more than a couple.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon powdered milk
1/2 cup water
vegetable oil (for frying)

Method:

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and powdered milk. Add the water and stir with a fork until it is combined. Then, use your hands and mix it until it is a nice ball, but don't knead it. It should be more wet than a normal bread down, but not super sticky. The test from "Secrets" is to squeeze some dough in your hand over the bowl, then put your hand out as if you were going to give a stiff handshake. The dough should "crawl" down you hand.
If you have time, put the dough in a plastic baggie and store it in the fridge for 2-4 hours. If you don't have time, just go to step 3.
Heat about 1" of oil in a large cast iron pan (or other pan suitable for frying, if you don't have cast iron). You want your oil at about 350 degrees. If a tiny piece of dough starts to fry when you drop it in, you're good.
While your oil is heating, divide the dough into four pieces, and form into 5"-7" diameter disks with your hands. Perfection is not necessary. They should be about the thickness of a pencil (a woman's pinky finger is about right). (Mine were way thinner than that, but they still came out great, so I don't know how important the thickness is).
Gently place the dough disks in the oil, be careful not to splatter the oil. When it is golden brown, flip and fry the other side. It took me about 3 minutes each piece - maybe less.
Remove from oil and drain.
Top with taco ingredients, or butter & honey, or powdered sugar, or chocolate, or...whatever you want.

Indian Tacos My Style:

Dinner. I don't know how I lived this long without trying this. Favorite food, confirmed.

Top a piece of Indian fry bread with the following, in this order: Cheese (while the bread is still hot so it gets all melty), cooked pinto, black, or refried beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sliced avocado, sliced black olives, salsa and/or hot sauce, and a dollup of sour cream.

It is called an Indian taco, but it really looks more like a tostada. As promised a thousand years ago, here is a picture of how messy I get when eating tostadas - or Indian tacos.

The hot sauce was burning my face so bad while waiting for Adam to take this. I actually don't look as bad as I thought I did :)

How to Cook Dry Pinto Beans

2008-11-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Look, another use for all those glass jars you've been saving!

Over the past year or so I've been trying to make as much homemade food as I can, rather than buying pre-made packaged stuff. The three main reasons are: homemade tastes way better, I don't want to eat stuff when I don't know what it is (Have you read an ingredients label lately? Yikes.), and packaged foods fill up our landfills with unnecessary waste. I think the main reason people don't make as much homemade food nowadays is time. Obviously, it takes longer to make a batch of soup than it does to open a can. Lucky for me, cooking is a hobby not a chore, so that makes it easier.

Here is a how-to on turning dried pinto beans into something that is not only edible, but really tasty and much more healthful than sodium/preservative packed canned beans. Dried beans are super cheap, so stock up. Once they're cooked, the beans will keep in the freezer for a long time, so plan on making a big batch. Note: This takes about 5-6 hours.

Ingredients:

pinto beans (you can use as many as you want, they will just about double when cooked - 2 cups dry will become 4 cups cooked)
diced onion (optional, use as much/little as you'd like)
minced jalapeno (same as above)
minced garlic (same as above)
salt (don't add until the last hour of cooking, or the beans will get tough)
water

Method:

Sort and rinse beans. Take out any little rocks or weird looking beans. (I've actually never found any rocks, but supposedly they could be there).
Place beans in a large pot. Your cast iron dutch oven is perfect. Cover beans with at least 3 inches of water.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Keep the pot covered, turn off heat, and let the beans sit for one hour. In the meantime, chop any veggies you are going to add to the beans and saute them, if you'd like.
Drain beans in a colander, put them back in the pot, and cover with 1-2 inches of water.
Cover, bring to a boil. Simmer for four hours. Check the pot every now and then and add water to keep them covered, if you need to.
After three hours of simmering, during the last hour of cook time, add any veggies you are using and salt, to taste. I usually just keep adding salt until the water tastes salty, but not SALTY.
Beans will be done when they are tender. Taste them to find out, just because they are fork tender doesn't necessarily mean they are as tender as you'd like them to be. The longer you simmer them, the more tender they will become, so feel free to keep cooking away if you like your beans soft.

The finished pinto beans can then be used in any recipe that uses pinto beans. My favorite use is pretty boring, though - tacos, burritos, and taco salad. You can also experiment with adding other seasonings and spices while cooking, but you should wait until the last hour to add anything. The first time I made dried beans I used a recipe that included cumin and ground coriander, and I hated it - so don't get discouraged if you don't like this recipe, just mess around with things until you find what you like.

Store the beans with the liquid, or they will dry up really quickly. Same with freezing, keep some liquid on them.

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Now playing: Rocky Votolato - Suicide Medicine
via FoxyTunes

Naturally Right Plug

2008-10-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Steph from Those Corwins just did a guest blog at Naturally Right (which I had actually never read until today), and she made a recipe that I had posted on my blog! I was so overcome with excitement at being mentioned in another blog, that I had to take a couple of minutes and post about it here.

I do have a few ideas that I have been wanting to write about, but I haven't had a millisecond of time. I'm hoping to do a few posts soon though!

What I've been up to: School, CA Bar Environmental Law Conference in Yosemite, working as legal intern at San Diego Coastkeeper, trying to find A JOB! Possible big news coming soon...

Product Review: Burt's Bees Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo

2008-09-09T13:58:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago Adam and I started using Burt's Bees Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo. That's right, we share all the same showering products. At first, I was skeptical that it would work as well as "regular" shampoos - my hair has a tendency to get oily if I don't wash it everyday (or at least it did in high school and since then I have not given it the chance to prove me wrong) and my hair is very fine and not at all voluminous. So, a good shampoo is important for me to give my hair a little extra body umph, while keeping my hair not-oily looking.

However, after going through the bottle, I can say I was very pleased with this shampoo. It comes out of the bottle surprisingly thin (like the consistency of shampoo if you get down to the bottom and add a little water to stretch it until you can get more). But, it worked perfect. It rinses clean, has a good scent, lathers well, and added volume.

You can get it for $6.38 here, they also sell it at a lot of drug stores and grocery stores.

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Now playing: The Audition - Heaven For The Weather
via FoxyTunes

What it is: The IPCC

2008-09-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

If you read other articles and blogs about environmental issues, chances are you have come across citations to the IPCC - the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But what the heck is that?

Al Gore & IPCC Chair Dr. Pachauri

The IPCC is a scientific body that was essentially formed by the United Nations in 1988. (To be exact, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) formed the IPCC.) The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Prize with Al Gore, although he got all the glory. Their purpose is to look at scientific information regarding human-induced climate change, the impacts of climate change, and what we can do to mitigate the damage we continue to do. Only member states of the WMO and UNEP can be a part of the IPCC.

The IPCC doesn't do any research themselves, but basically just evaluates and analyzes other published research about climate change, and then issues a report on their conclusions. The scientists that are a part of the IPCC volunteer their time and are not paid other than their regular salaries from their "real" jobs. Partly because they aren't paid by the Bush Administration, enviro's pretty much consider the IPCC to be the leading authority in climate change.

So, the next time you see the IPCC quoted in an article, you can know it is legit.

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Now playing: The Secret Handshake - Pictures
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"A Rind is a Terrible Thing to Waste"

2008-09-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

A new development at the tiny house (my apartment) this summer was that Adam and I started saving our greens waste for composting. He has an internship at an organic urban farm, and they have a pretty sweet compost pile going that is in constant need of more greens for the microbes to eat. Since we started, we have cut down the amount of trash we throw in the dumpster incredibly - I don't even know exactly how often we have to take out the trash, but it is practically never. We're able to either recycle or compost all the waste we create - except any plastic that is not #1 or #2 because San Diego is lame and will only recycle those plastics. An added bonus is the trash never stinks because there is never old food in there. Just remember to store your green waste in the fridge - it took us a week to think of that, and the fruit and veggie peels under the sink attracted fruit flies...it was kind of a disaster.

Compost pile at the farm.

I'm no scientist, but from what I understand a compost pile (or heap, or whatever) works like this: One piles a 50/50 ratio (different ratios can be used too) of "browns" and "greens" into a heap, either mixed together or layered. Water is added to the pile to get things working. Browns = stuff like tree branches, dry leaves...other brown stuff. Browns have the carbon that is necessary for a good compost pile. Greens = stuff like vegetable peelings, cut grass...other green stuff. Greens have nitrogen. Then, through a process I do not fully understand, microbes break down the browns and greens, the pile gets really hot, and the ultimate growing substance is created - hummus. Not the kind of hummus you eat. It is dark brown and moist and warm, and it is just what the doctor ordered for growing stuff.

If you want to find out more about composting, which you probably do since my description above leaves something to be desired, check out this site: http://www.howtocompost.org.

Some cities even offer curbside green waste collection (San Fransisco, of course). Other cities offer free composting classes where you can buy compost bins for a reduced price - the best way to find out about these programs is to Google "compost workshop (your city)". In San Diego and L.A., the compost bins are sold for about $35 dollars at these events.

*The title of this post was stolen from San Diego Food Not Lawns t-shirts.

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Now playing: Count The Stars - First Time
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New Name!

2008-09-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

I've changed the name of my blog to "Green Being." I didn't intend to leave it as "It's Not Easy Being Green" (way too cliche and over-used) for so long, but I couldn't think of anything good and didn't have the time to make a custom header.

The photo is from a summer trip to Limekiln State Park, CA.

I'm Back Baby!

2008-09-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

After a nearly two-month long hiatus, I'm back! I'm still super busy with school and work, but I am going to try to squeeze in as many posts as I can as a way to take a break from the madness. My first post back had to be something that doesn't require research - a recipe!

This recipe is for DELICIOUS vegan pumpkin muffins - yes, vegan! I have been dabbling in vegan baking and the results have been great! Of course, this recipe is also perfect for people with milk or egg allergies.

For more ideas on how to replace the egg in baking recipes, check out this site.

This recipe was taken from this site. They have lots of other vegan baking recipes, so
check them out!

Ingredients:

1¾ cups flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
1¼ cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ teasp salt
1 teasp cinnamon
½ teasp nutmeg
½ teasp ginger
¼ teasp allspice
⅛ teasp ground cloves
1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can)
1 tbsp soy yogurt (I use vanilla) *note* this is what replaces the egg in a lot of vegan recipes.
½ cup soymilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp molasses (you could sub maple syrup - real maple syrup, not the corn syrupy stuff Eggo makes)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease muffin tins with vegetable shortening or cooking spray.
Sift together dry ingredients (flour through cloves). (I don't have a sifter, so I just stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl).
In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (pumpkin through molasses).
Pour wet into dry and combine. *Important: Only stir this the minimum that you need to combine it, it is okay if there is still some un-combined dry ingredients. Over mixing will ruin a muffin.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way. Bake for 15-20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Now playing: A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide
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How Enviros Socialize: Green Drinks

2008-07-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

Green Drinks is "an organic, self-organizing network" of environmental people who get together to talk green, have some drinks, and hang out. Generally, Green Drinks groups meet once a month. I don't know how it works everywhere, but in San Diego, usually a different environmental organization hosts each month, and there are free drinks (until it runs out) and sometimes free food. The Houston, TX one has a different informal guest speaker each week.

The cool thing is it is a great way to network with people to try and find environmental jobs in your 'hood - which, if you've ever tried finding an environmental job before, you know is basically the only way to get a job around here. It is all about who you know, so if you are looking for work, try schmoozing it up at Green Drinks. Or, if you are just looking for a place where you can hang out with people who don't think you are crazy because you recycle like it's your religion, Green Drinks is for you.

To find the Green Drinks nearest you, click here and then click on your country. And, yes, there is even one in Ohio!

Fans vs. AC

2008-07-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately - I have been super busy with school and work and stuff!

This doesn't even count as a true post, because it is more like just an extended link. Ask Umbra, one of my favorite columns on Grist, wrote about the pros and cons of using a fan vs. using an air conditioner at home. I thought this was topic that readers of this blog would be interested in, so here is the link:

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2008/07/07/index.html

Umbra herself.

Ask Umbra answers all kinds of environmentally-related questions, so I would highly recommend adding the column to your Google Reader!

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Now playing: The Audition - Make It Rain
via FoxyTunes

Adam's Urban Farm

2008-07-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Photo from Down(town) on the Farm.

I few days ago I sort of mentioned how Adam is working on an organic urban farm at his school this summer. His school is in downtown San Diego, so it pretty much defines "urban" farm. The farm has a blog: http://downtownonthefarm.typepad.com

So, you should head over there and check it out. They just started (there are pictures of how it looked before they got to it - awesome) and it is going to be really cool once they get everything in. Plus, it is going to be a great example of how people can turn any open space into a little farm, and how people can grow their own food. The blog even has some tidbits of info on plants and gardening.

You may even find some pictures of me (I helped last Saturday), and you will definitely find some pictures of Adam!

One Hun-nerd Posts

2008-07-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

This marks my 100th post! As is customary in the blogging world, I will commemorate this occasion with a list of 100 things about me. So, now is your chance to learn more about me than you can glean from my other posts.

I'm going to be 26 on July 28.
My name is Leslie.
I grew up in Canyon Country, CA, which is in Santa Clarita.
Southern California is my favorite place.
I was President, Secretary (or was I Treasurer?), Spanish Consulate, and Member 001 of Movie Club in high school.
Movie Club only had two members.
I live in San Diego, CA.
I'm on a soccer team.
We always lose.
I hate losing.
I'm on a Gaelic football team.
We are going to the National Championships in Boston this summer.
I'm afraid of heights, and by heights I mean being more than one foot off the ground.
I hate cilantro and can't eat anything that has cilantro in it.
I am an official whiskey taster - certified at the Jameson Old Distillery in Dublin.
When I was 4, I got a concussion by running into the kitchen after it was freshly-mopped because I was planning on eating butter straight out of the container.
I prefer to pronounce "hundred" as "hun-nerd."
I have two younger bros.
When I was told my mom was pregnant with my brother Jesse (I was approx. 3 or 4) I remember throwing a fit because I wanted to name him Bingo, and my parents wouldn't let me. My second and third choices were Bert or Ernie - also not accepted. I got the last laugh though - now I call him Bird.
I wish I had a backyard so I could have a garden.
I officiated my friends' (Chris and Ashley's) wedding.
I love all board games.
My favorite foods are all-in-ones - like burritos, sandwiches, and pizza, for example.
I was a ski lift operator in Mammoth Lakes, CA for a year.
90% of the posts to this blog were written while I was "supposed" to be doing something else - like homework or paying attention in class.
I'm a third year law student.
Except for our mattress and futon, all of our furniture was received in used condition.
"Our" means Adam and me.
Adam is my boyfriend. Not to be confused with my brother Adam, who I call Bear Bear.
My daily DVR tapings are: Jeopardy!, Chelsea Lately, Ellen, Larry King Live. I always watch Jeopardy!, I don't always watch the other ones.
I spend a good chunk of my free time looking up the cost for various dream vacations I have in mind.
I have no interest in ever going to London.
I own my own bowling ball.
And shoes.
My ball has "Fear Me" engraved on it.
I'm not good at bowling.
I love music - but not all music.
I love Kurt Vonnegut.
I have two Kurt Vonnegut-related tattoos.
One is his line drawing of an a-hole. Fellow fans will know what I'm talking about.
I wish I could have an aquarium filled with sea horses and sea dragons.
I got e.coli during that outbreak from spinach last year (or was that two years ago now?).
I don't understand how most people don't care about the environment at all.
After seeing An Inconvenient Truth I couldn't sleep for at least four days and I had a bad stomachache. I couldn't stop thinking about drowning polar bears.
I started this blog to make that stomachache go away - I knew I had to do something more than recycle my soda cans.
I get really mad when anyone says anything bad about Al Gore. Even if it is true.
I have a season pass to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.
I don't go as much as I'd like to.
I think war is stupid.
I like this Gandhi quote: "I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."
My favorite ethnicity of food is Mexican.
Second place is Italian.
I really dislike Indian food.
My favorite Baskin Robbins ice cream flavor is Gold Medal Ribbon.
My favorite movies are the Lord of the Rings movies.
My next favorite movie is There Will Be Blood.
My next favorite movie is The Big Lebowski.
I went to Lebowski Fest in Vegas.
I always forget my favorite drink is a White Russian - I always think it is a Bloody Mary.
My favorite punctuation mark is the em dash. It is supposed to look like two of these -- except with no space in between. Blogger doesn't get rid of the space though so I just use one - on here. I don't think the length really matters that much.
I didn't know it was called an em dash until a couple of months ago. I also learned that it is one of the most under-used punctuation marks that there is. I'm trying to make up for everyone else's under-use.
My favorite band is Alkaline Trio.
I still listen to the music I listened to when I was 16. It isn't a phase.
I was an excellent Pogs player in my day.
I didn't always want to be an environmental lawyer, it is just the most recent thing I've wanted to be.
My ultimate goal is to work as a lawyer for a non-profit environmental group.
I used to work at Washington Mutual.
I broke two fingers by closing the huge metal vault door on them.
Snowboarding is my favorite thing.
I broke my shoulder snowboarding.
I blame Bear Bear, who threw a snowball at me right before I fell.
I wouldn't want to be anything but the oldest child.
I've been in school for 21 years, but I hardly know anything.
I think I should be an expert in at least one thing by now. I should definitely be able to speak more than just English fluently. Actually, I should at least be able to speak English perfectly.
I think the U.S. education system is a joke.
I've learned more from the Internet and T.V. than from school.
I used to sell clothes on eBay.
I used to work at a movie theater.
My biggest fear is having a job that I don't love.
No, my biggest fear is that a job that I love actually doesn't exist.
I wish I could get paid for this blog.
I'm a Dodgers fan, of course.
I love living 3 blocks from the beach.
I am afraid to try surfing.
My favorite gambling game is Blackjack.
I love my Wii.
I play Wii Fit.
I plan on living until I am at least 100.
I like almost all of the meatless "meat" products I have tried - the only ones I can think of that I don't like are all of the deli meat style ones - but, I don't like meat.
My oldest friend is Carrie. We've been friends since 9th grade.
I was in her wedding, but have almost no memory of it for some reason.
I love camping.
This summer I'm going camping in San Simeon, CA with some of my best friends.
I think all of my friends are my best friends.
I've never been promoted.
My favorite dessert is Chocolate Cake.
I remember that dessert has two s's because "you always go back for seconds".
I worked as a scary character at Six Flags Magic Mountain's Fright Fest one year, and hated it.
I love to read.
I love learning as much as I can about all animals.
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Now playing: Sunny Day Real Estate - Shadows
via FoxyTunes

Who Invited the Vegetarian!?

2008-07-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

In case it is too small to read: "Each year, Steve had to keep reminding himself not to invite his vegetarian coworkers to his annual barbecue."

You're all set for a nice big BBQ - you've got the potato salad, chips, watermelon, and a stack of burgers and hot dogs that will surely last the night. The ultimate summer BBQ iPod mix you worked on all week seems to be getting good reviews. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, until you turn to one guest and ask "Do you want a burger or a hot dog?" Your guest replies, "It's okay, I'm a vegetarian." Visions of your fun, relaxed BBQ turning into a political debate on animal cruelty race through your head as you try to casually move in front of your enormous stack of meat - maybe the vegetarian hasn't seen it yet? Is this guy going to try to show us some PETA videos? I'll have to say my computer is broken if he asks...I wonder if he eats chicken, I think we have some chicken in the freezer...I know we have shrimp... You somehow manage to say "Oh..." as you scan the backyard for the guilty party....who invited the vegetarian?

If this hasn't happened to you yet, chances are, it someday will. After all, there are over 19 million of us (vegetarians) in the United States. But, a vegetarian at your BBQ doesn't have to ruin the fun. In fact, it won't. Vegetarians are people too, you may be surprised to know. And like all people, we come in all types - fat, skinny, rude, friendly, democrat, republican (or so I've heard, I've never actually met one), bossy, shy, etc. We aren't all hippies. We aren't all bleeding heart liberals who would leap at the chance to get on a soapbox at your BBQ. And, no, we don't all work for PETA. Actually, not all of us care about animal cruelty at all - lots of vegetarians don't eat meat because it is healthier not to, or because they just don't like the taste.

Dilbert

Here are some tips on what to do if a vegetarian shows up at your gathering:

If the vegetarian lets you know in advance that they don't eat meat, DO NOT go through a lot of trouble to make a ton of vegetarian dishes. Just like all people, vegetarians don't want to be a bother or make extra work for their host. (This usually ends badly anyway, with the host making some weird tofu dish they've never tried before, or flavorless steamed veggies.) DO try to include a couple of side dishes that are meat-free (which you probably already had planned anyway). Vegetarians are perfectly happy to eat side dishes, in fact, side dishes are one of our best friends. Just remember to replace things like chicken broth in mashed potatoes with vegetable broth, and to keep the meatballs out of the marinara sauce.
Don't make a special seafood dish for the vegetarian. Most vegetarians don't eat seafood, and you will make them feel awkward if you offer them a special dish you made, and they have to tell you that they can't eat it.
On a related note, assume the vegetarian doesn't eat any animals - including chicken.
If the vegetarian didn't tell you in advance that they don't eat meat (most won't - we try to avoid that stigmatizing look we get when we tell people we don't eat meat), then DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. A vegetarian will find something to eat, we're used to it. Seriously, don't worry. You don't even have to apologize for not having any veggie burgers. But, if you want to be on the safe side, you might want to keep a pack in your fridge because you never know when a vegetarian might show up - the worst that will happen is you'll lose $4. I guess you could also face some pretty severe taunting if you happen to live in Texas.
Don't worry about eating or preparing meat in front of the vegetarian - I've never met a vegetarian that can't stand to see someone else eat meat. If they are offended by that, then that is their problem so don't worry about it.
Don't assume that the vegetarian is a stereotypical vegetarian - hippie, liberal, pretentious.

Here are some tips for vegetarians who have been invited to a gathering that will include a meal:

Don't tell the host that you are a vegetarian unless you are certain that they won't make a big deal about it, and you make sure you tell them not to make anything special - specifically tell them no tofu. If they ask, then of course tell them. In Texas, don't tell them you are a vegetarian under any circumstances, unless you are in Austin which I've heard is being kept weird, or if you want to be uninvited. :)
If it's a BBQ, bring a veggie burger or veggie dog to throw on the grill for yourself. This is what I normally do. Chances are, few people will even notice.
Offer to bring a side dish - then, you are guaranteed to be able to eat at least one thing, plus it is a nice thing for a guest to do.
If you are sure there will be no veggie food (I can't think of when this would happen - I guess anything called "Meat Fest" should be avoided), and you're going to be there for awhile, eat before you go and then just hang out at the party. There will pretty much always be something you can eat - you might just want to eat a little something first so you don't have to eat chips and dip for the rest of the day.
Don't show any PETA videos, don't ask anyone if their shoes are leather, and don't say anything else that is going to make the other guests or the host feel bad or awkward. However, if someone tries to argue with you about the facts on being a vegetarian (for example, they try to say the meat industry is not bad for the environment) then feel free to fire back - that person picked the fight. Also, feel free to talk about why you are a vegetarian if people are interested - just don't be a jerk about it.

I hope this helps demystify the vegetarian guest. The main rule of thumb is just don't worry about it - vegetarians have been going to parties for generations, we're used to it.

Home Depot Recycles CFL Light Bulbs

2008-06-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

CFL light bulbs are compact fluorescent lamp light bulbs - you know, the "new" light bulbs. If you're still using incandescent light bulbs, you need to switch to CFLs. CFLs use 75% less energy than old light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, produce 75% less heat, and are available in virtually every size and shape to fit whatever light fixture you have. Thus, using CFLs reduces greenhouse emissions, and saves you money on energy to light your home, replacing light bulbs, and cooling your home.

Use this chart to determine which CFL light bulb you should use - always look for the Energy Star symbol to make sure your CFL is up to their standard.

CFLs do contain a very small amount of mercury - about the amount that would cover the tip of a ball point pen. As long as the light bulb is intact (not broken) there is no danger of mercury contamination. However, as CFL light bulbs are thrown in landfills, they are broken and the mercury vapor that is not bound to the light bulb (11% of the total mercury that was in the light bulb to begin with) then contaminates the air and, potentially, water sources. Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFL light bulbs, this wouldn't have a major impact on the world - if every single CFL sold in 2007 was put into a landfill, it would only make up .1% of all the mercury emissions caused by humans. However, any risk of contamination could be eliminated by recycling CFLs, which just got a whole lot easier...

Now, you can take your old CFLs to Home Depot, and they will recycle them for you. You can also buy CFLs there that have even less mercury than other CFLs. So, head to Home Depot and replace any incandescent light bulbs you still have with CFLs, and when they burn out (this will take a really really long time) recycle them!

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Now playing: Less Than Jake - The Space They Can't Touch
via FoxyTunes

Honey Peach Bran Muffs

2008-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Photo by Adam.

This summer, Adam has been working on an organic urban farm at his school. One of the farmers there rescues bees, and gave Adam a bottle of his local OB honey. I was trying to find a recipe to use the honey in when I remembered that one of my favorite muffins are honey bran muffins. Then I found this recipe for honey peach bran muffins, and peaches are one of my favorite fruits, so I gave it a try. I've historically had bad luck with homemade muffins - they never come out right, but these were perfect! This recipe was adapted from the recipe I found on RecipeZaar.

Photo by me!

Honey Peach Bran Muffins - Makes 12

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 teasp. baking powder
1 teasp. baking soda
1 teasp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 egg white
1 cup peach yogurt
1 teasp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey (room temperature)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 ripe or almost ripe fresh peach, peeled and diced

Method:

Preheat to 350.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. (All the dry ingredients.)
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients - egg white, yogurt, vanilla, honey, vegetable oil, and diced peach. (All the wet ingredients.) It is important to mix the wet and dry ingredients separately at first (this is known as the "muffin method").
*This is the most important step.* Make a well in the dry ingredients bowl, and add the wet ingredients. Mix until just wet - it is okay (good, even) if there are wisps of dry ingredients showing, don't worry it will come out delicious. Over-mixing is a sure-fire way to ruin a muffin - the texture will be...bad.
Pour into muffin cups. For the regular sized muffin cups, use a little bit less than 1/4 cup of batter. If you like your muffins crispier on the outside, don't use muffins cups, just spray the muffin tin with non-stick baking spray.
Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. If you can never tell when a baked good is done (like me), a muffin is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean - some people (like Emeril) say not to do this, but it is the only way I can tell!

Nutrition facts for 1 muffin, if you make 12:
Calories: 123
Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 18mg
Carbs: 19g
Sugar: 9g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 1g

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Now playing: Less Than Jake - This One's Gonna Leave A Bruise
via FoxyTunes

BBQ Side Dish: Pasta Salad

2008-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

This vegetarian pasta salad makes a great side dish for summer BBQs - no mayo = no poisoning people on a hot day. It tastes best if you make it a day in advance. You can add whatever other veggies you want into the mix - raw broccoli is traditional, but I don't like raw broccoli. The following recipe is enough to feed tons of people, but this makes really good leftovers too.

Ingredients:

1 pkg spiral pasta, tri-color if you can find it. (You can use any small pasta you like - penne, shells, farfalle, etc.)
1/2 huge cucumber or 1 small cucumber, small dice.
1 zucchini/squash, small dice. I like to use Tatuma (a.k.a Mexican) squash.
2 small or 1 large bell pepper, small dice. Red, yellow, or orange are best.
1 small can sliced black olives.
1 small yellow onion, small dice.
2 tomatoes, diced.
1-2 Tbsp. McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning
1-2 Cups of your favorite Caesar/Italian-ish salad dressing.
Fresh ground black pepper

Method:

Cook pasta in well salted water according to package instructions, rinse thoroughly with cold water, and drain well. Place pasta in a large bowl. Put it in the fridge while you chop veggies so it gets cold.
Chop all the veggies, and add them to the bowl of pasta.
Add the rest of the ingredients (olives, Salad Supreme Seasoning, black pepper, salad dressing) to the bowl of pasta and veggies.
Mix well.
Add more seasoning, salad dressing, or veggies if it looks like it needs it. There shouldn't be tons of dressing, just enough to coat - it shouldn't be really wet. There should be lots of veggies.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, the longer the better. Making this a day in advance is best.

Tatuma, or Mexican, Squash

BYO: To-Go Containers

2008-06-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

If every family in the U.S. brought their own containers the next time they ate out, more than 5 million pounds of waste would be kept out of landfills. That is the same as if 1,700 households did not generate any trash for an entire year. Making ONE stryofoam clamshell container takes 400 watts of energy - enough to run a refrigerator for 40 minutes.

You can easily cut down on waste by bringing your own to-go container to restaurants - eliminating the need for a "doggie bag", which is usually a styrofoam container placed inside a plastic bag. Your standard Tupperware container will do the trick just fine.

Also, try to eat at a restaurant instead of getting a to-go order. Eating there will create less waste than bringing your food home. Just think about all that packaging that comes with your to-go order - bags, napkins, plastic utensils, stryofoam or paper containers, little ketchup packets that you don't even need, etc. If you absolutely must get your order to go, ask the restaurant if you can bring your own containers for the food - just make sure it is very clean, or the restaurant won't be able to handle it.

The best way to create less waste, however, is to just make your own meals at home. (No emissions created by driving to a restaurant, no paper/plastic waste from to-go orders, no paper/plastic waste from fast food places (why do they have to individually wrap your food in paper, then put it in a bag, then put it on a tray with a paper place mat on it, and give you a huge handful of napkins?)...plus, you'll save money and calories). However, it is unrealistic to expect someone (or yourself) to never eat out - being green isn't all about giving up every single thing you like to do, it's about being conscious of what you're doing and the impact you're making.

So, if you're going out, bring your own containers for your leftovers; eat at the restaurant instead of bringing your meal home; and make an effort to cut down on eating out - bring your lunch to work and skip the fast food - if you eat out, at least make sure you're getting a delicious meal out of it!

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Now playing: Less Than Jake - Summon Monsters
via FoxyTunes

Solar Cooking

2008-06-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Jennifer just sent me this link to a post on Crafster about solar cooking. This person cooked a chicken curry dinner using just the sun in 2.5 hours. All she needed was one of those car sun shades (extra large), a black pot with a glass lid (you can do it without a lid too), a cake pan, reynolds oven bags, a bucket, and some clothes pins (to keep the sunshade in a funnel shape).

For more plans on building all kinds of solar cooking devices, check out this site. The plan for this type of solar oven is here. It looks like it would be really really easy to make, and super cheap too. Plus, you save money on energy AND you don't have to heat up your house with a hot stove/oven. Some recipes can be found here, here, and here.

Even if you don't solar cook for every meal, I think this would be a cool experiment to do, just to see how it really works, especially if you have kids!

Thanks to Jennifer for inspiring this post.

The Truth About Idling

2008-06-19T13:54:00.001-07:00

If you want to save gas, and money, and reduce your emissions - don't idle your engine!

If your car will be idling longer than 10 seconds, turn it off. It takes more gas to idle for longer than 10 seconds than it does to turn your car off and back on. And, no, it isn't bad for your engine to be turned on and off. In fact, it is bad for your car to idle excessively. When idling, fuel is only partially combusted because your engine is not up to its peak temperature. Thus, fuel residue builds up on the cylinder walls, which can them damage engine components and increase your fuel consumptions - which means you will be losing more money to the gas pump.

Also, it isn't necessary to let your car idle for five minutes during winter to "warm up." No more than thirty seconds of idling will do just fine. Actually, driving a car is the best way to warm it up. So, starting your car then going back inside to read the paper and drink your coffee before heading out is not a good idea.

To cut down on your idling, go inside instead of using drive-thru windows; turn your car off when you're waiting for someone or picking someone up; don't "warm up" your car...the bottom line is turn off your car if you are going to be stopped for longer than 10 seconds! Oh, and when you turn your car back on, don't step on the accelerator while you turn the key -- just simply turn the key.

Information gathered from the Consumer Energy Center, here.

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Now playing: The Gaslight Anthem - Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
via FoxyTunes

Tea Time Tip

2008-06-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

An upcycled tea set by designer Christine Misaik

To use energy more efficiently, instead of boiling a whole pot or kettle of water to make a couple of cups of tea, just boil the amount you are actually going to use. If you just want one cup of tea for yourself, just microwave a mug of water.

Also, make sure you turn the water off once it comes to a boil (or as hot as you want it) instead of letting it continue to boil on the stove.

While cooking, once water comes to a boil, turn the stove heat down to the lowest possible temperature that keeps the water boiling. Boiling water at the highest heat level is just a waste once the water comes to a boil - the water can't get hotter than it already is, so turn it down.

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Now playing: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - A Jackknife To A Swan
via FoxyTunes

Fill Your Fridge

2008-06-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

An intimate look inside our fridge. You can learn a lot about someone from looking at their fridge, and this picture actually does a good job of summing up Adam and me (click it for all the juicy details). Our fridge is tiny (perfect for two people) and it is right next to the stove - which is really bad, but it's an apartment so we have no say in the matter.

Quick Energy-Saving Tip:

A full fridge needs to use less energy to stay cold than an empty fridge. So, fill 'er up!

That doesn't mean go and buy a bunch of crap just for the sake of filling your fridge up. But - maybe you have some soda, or beer, or other stuff that you normally keep outside the fridge, until you're about to use it, but could just as easily be stored in the fridge. Adam also recommends filling your fridge with jars of water when you go on vacation to save energy - finally, a use for all those glass jars you've been collecting without really knowing what you were saving them for!

Fellow bloggers, show us the inside of your fridges, share your link in the comments, and I'll link to you on the sidebar! It is more fun if you take the picture of your fridge in it's natural state - my pictures were not staged - that means, no matter how dirty, clean, full, empty, boring, or embarrassing it is!

The outside - for good measure.

(That messy side of the bedroom in the first picture is my side, I accept all blame for my mess.)

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Now playing: Alkaline Trio - Calling All Skeletons
via FoxyTunes

Stop the Madness!

2008-06-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I opened my front door to go to work, only to find one of the worst things I could find -- a phone book. And, a phone book in front of every single apartment in our complex. Ugh. What a waste! So, I looked into this issue.

540 million phone books are distributed in the United States each year -- yes, that is roughly 240 million more phone books than there are people. People, not homes. So there are enough phone books going around for all the babies to have their very own. Why does a baby need a phone book? I don't know. But, I do know why there are so many - it is part of a "saturation distribution" where phone companies want to make sure EVERYONE gets a phone book. Back in the good old days, only people with landlines got a phone book. But, since so many people only use cell phones now, phone companies have to drop 540 million phone books to make sure no one is going without.

This is so frustrating. Everyone I know has a computer, and the Internet, and is capable of looking up whatever they want to know about online. Yes, I understand that some people can't afford computers, or the Internet, or just can't understand how to look stuff up online. But, do those people warrant 540 million copies of the phone book. I think not.

Seriously, I can think of only two times I have used a phone book - once when I was a kid and my brother and I wanted to order Chinese food from this place, but couldn't find the flyer for it. I think the phone book expedition was unsuccessful in this case because we didn't know which Chinese place it was. The other time was when I lived in Mammoth, where I would look through the yellow pages just because I was bored - never to actually look something up.

What can you do? Go to the Yellow Pages Paperless Petition website, and sign their petition to opt-out of the Yellow Pages distribution. I don't know if this actually works, because I signed this petition about a month ago, and still got the phone book yesterday, so maybe it just takes more time? Either way, your name will be counted as someone who wants to stop this madness.

You can also call your local phone company and tell them that you don't want any more phone books, or at least just one per year. You can look up their phone number online, or in your phone book. **Update: Adam tried doing this yesterday - he was as mad about the phone book as I was, so while I was at work he was working on stopping our phone books from coming. After an extensive Internet search (the number to call is harder to find than it may seem), he found a number, which led him through a series of button-pushing, and when he finally pushed the button to cancel the phone book, it disconnected him! So, it seems we may be powerless against them.

Also, once again, Google is the smartest thing ever. Now they have "Goog 411", which I had never heard of until I started looking this stuff up. You just call 1-800-GOOG-411 and it is TOTALLY FREE and it is basically the same as regular 411, BUT you can do extra stuff if you call from your cell phone, like get directions texted to you, or get a map sent to your phone. Check out the minute and a half video below for a demonstration from the Google people.

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Now playing: The Cab - I'm A Wonder
via FoxyTunes

Upcycling: Turning Trash Into Awesomeness

2008-06-12T08:00:00.001-07:00

Upcycled old t-shirts, cut into strips and crocheted together = washcloth/potholder. Buy one here.

Upcylcing basically means taking something disposable (trash) and turning it into something more useful and valuable than it was. It is sort of like recycling and reusing, but the "up" comes from making it into something better. Upcycling is great for people who are crafty because it is possible to turn lots of things that would otherwise be thrown away into something cool - if you have some crafting skills. There are a lot of cool upcycled things on Etsy*, which is where everything below came from.

The picture above is one example of upcycling. The person who made that "Creamsicle Scrubbie" just cut t-shirts that her daughter grew out of into strips and crocheted them together to make these useful scrubbies, that can now be used as washcloths or potholders. Another example are these super-creative "Plant A Flower" gift tags. They are made from handmade recycled paper, and have wildflower seeds embedded in them. So, when you are done using the paper as a tag, you can plant it and grow wildflowers! I love this idea.You can also make some really cool jewelry by upcycling. Garbage of Eden Design takes trash, and turns it into bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry. The bangle bracelets above are made out of plastic bags - like the kind newspapers are delivered in.This awesome little owl pendant was made out of a upcycled Scrabble game tile! The seller, Pieces Of Me Pendants, has a bunch of other cool little Scrabble tile pendants available, and there is a buy two get one free sale going on now. There are actual quite a lot of these Scrabble tile pendants on Etsy, including the owl pendant above. (Sold by Its All About the Print - also having a special, and also has a bunch of other really cool pendants).Last, here is a sling tote bag made out of upcycled vintage Star Wars sheets. Another great idea!

It is true that upcycling a Scrabble tile isn't going to keep tons of trash out of landfills. But, that isn't the sole purpose of upcycling. It is more about an idea - the idea that we are connected to the resources we use, and we can make those resources more useful instead of just getting rid of them. Plus, upcycled stuff is a great environmental conversation starter. For more upcycled gift ideas, just go to Etsy and search for "upcycled."

If anyone knows how to make any cool upcycled stuff, and you'd like to write a guest blog about it, let me know! Or, if you have something on your blog about how to upcycle, let me know and I'll link to your post. Also - let us know about any other upcycling ideas you have!

*Etsy is a website where people can buy and sell handmade items. "A crafty cross between Amazon and Ebay."

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Now playing: RATFE - Image Is Nothing, Lobsters Are Everyting
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Wastewater Recycling - Support It Or Go Thirsty!

2008-06-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Looking super awesome at the Fountain Valley water recycling facility.

Last week, Arnold declared that California is officially in a drought. I predict Californians will be hearing a lot about water conservation and plans for new water sources soon. Two of these "new" water sources will be desalinated sea water and recycled wastewater.

The major problem with desalination is that it is extremely energy intensive -- it uses tons and tons of energy, which makes tons and tons of greenhouse emissions. It also isn't a very efficient way to get water -- 100 million gallons of seawater will only make about 50 million gallons of drinkable water, with the other 50 million gallons of super-salty water being discharged back into the ocean. So, desalination in California is pretty much the most expensive way to get water, especially with rising energy costs. There are also other environmental impacts. Marine life is killed as it is sucked into the desalination facility, either being squashed by the membranes meant to filter the water, or, things small enough to get through the membrane are killed as they go through the desalination process. The hyper-salinated 50 million gallons of water that is discharged into the ocean also affects marine life. So, when you hear about the desalination plants that are going to give Californians more water than they know what to do with, keep these negative impacts in mind. Also, these negative impacts could be mitigated in a bunch of different ways, so investigate any desalination projects near you to see that they are doing things the right way, not the fastest, cheapest way.

Recycling wastewater is one of my favorite ideas. Yes, wastewater includes what you flush down the toilet. Recycling wastewater is not as energy intensive as desalination because it is a more efficient process -- a wastewater recycling plant I visited last week turns 100 million gallons of wastewater into 85 million gallons of drinkable water, with only 15 million gallons of waste. The problem is public perception - people don't like the idea of drinking "toilet water." That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. If people really knew how messed up our water supply is, how polluted the Colorado River is, how much we have destroyed by taking as much water as we can from anywhere we can, the impacts our water use has on poor farmers in Mexico, and the impact that wastewater has when we dump it into the ocean -- I don't think anyone could honestly say that wastewater recycling is a bad idea.

Recycled wastewater is actually more pure than the water you drank today. The process to clean wastewater is much more thorough than the process our drinking water goes through. First, the water goes through a microfiltration process - twice. Then, the water goes through a reverse osmosis process. Last, the water is treated with UV exposure to kill anything else that might have survived the other processes. In the end, the water is amazingly clean. And yes, I drank the water from the plant I visited, and it was delicious. Wastewater recycling is also great because if the water wasn't recycled it would just be dumped into the ocean (and then sucked up by desalination plants, and treated with the same process - but this is somehow not gross to people? I don't get it.) And, the technology is getting closer and closer to allowing us to turn the sludge leftover from wastewater recycling into energy by utilizing the methane gas -- so, a wastewater recycling plant has the potential to provide enough energy to run itself. If you aren't convinced, look up your local wastewater recycling facility and see when they give tours, then go and see for yourself.

So, when the time comes for you to vote on how we are going to get more water, keep this in mind: The best thing is water conservation - it reduces the amount of runoff going into waterways, and doesn't cost anything! The second best thing is wastewater recycling. If you think its gross, get over it. It isn't grosser than the water you are already drinking and has huge environmental benefits. Desalination is in last place because it uses too much energy, is expensive, is inefficient, and has adverse environmental impacts. Before you vote for a desal plant, demand that the plant be constructed with the best technology available to avoid environmental damage.

Here are some photos from my tour of the wastewater recycling facility:

Random buildings working hard to clean water.

The "purple pipe" that takes recycled wastewater to be used for irrigation-type applications. It is purple so people can tell it apart from the "drinking water" pipes.

The wastewater at its final stage - drinkable quality, cleaner than tap water. However, this water is not used for drinking, it is just put into the ground to stop saltwater encroachment in orange county. Hopefully that will change soon.

UV-exposure machinery.

The darkest water is after microfiltration, the middle water is not as dark and is after the reverse osmosis process - this is the quality used for irrigation (and other non-potable applications). The clear water on the end is super clean and drinkable.

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Vegetarian Oven-Baked Chimichangas

2008-06-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

Wheat Flour Tortilla Chimichanga

There are two problems with chimichangas. First, it is impossible to get one without meat, unless you go to a vegetarian Mexican food place, and if you ever do find one without meat you will be constantly craving it. Second, they are deep fried so you can't satisfy your craving as much as you'd like to. This basic recipe solves both problems! It can be modified to suit your taste (just don't stuff it full of meat!) and you can easily make a lot, or make a few -- I was home alone tonight and making one worked out perfectly.

Ingredients:

Flour Tortillas
Refried Beans
Cheese
Hot Sauce
Olive Oil (or whatever oil you have)
Additional Toppings, Like: Rice, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato, Salsa, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Onion, Cilantro, Etc.

Method:

Microwave your tortillas for about 20 seconds. If you don't, they will not be as easy to fold. Pre-heat your oven to 350.
Put some beans, cheese, and hot sauce on a tortilla, as if you're making a burrito. The key is to NOT OVERFILL your chimi. I use less than 1/2 a cup of beans for a regular-sized flour tortilla. I suppose you could put veggies in it too, but I don't like the thought of hot veggies, so I just top my chimi when it's done baking.
Fold your tortilla into a burrito shape. If you don't know how to fold a burrito, check out this totally creepy video. (It is 3 minutes long, but I found that I couldn't stop watching it, asking "Is this a joke? Is this serious? Did he get paid for this? Did he just say disconcerting?) If you aren't down with the video, this site has a burrito folding diagram. Also, you have to fold up both sides so it is a fully enclosed burrito. This is a crucial step because if you have a leaky burrito, you will have a messed up chimi and a messy oven.
Brush your chimi on all sides (yes, even the bottom) with oil. It takes about 1 tsp. per chimi.
Place the chimi in a 350 degree oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until it is golden brown and crispy. *The chimi pictured was made with a wheat flour tortilla, you don't want a white flour tortilla to come out that dark.*
Put some more cheese on top if you want, while it is hot. Top with veggies and anything else you can think of.

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Now playing: Park - Cover Up
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Lentil/Bean Soup

2008-06-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Pre-Soup Lentil/Bean Mix

I love lentils. They are cheap, and packed with nutrition - great for poor vegetarians! Lentils are high in fiber, protein, folic acid (more than any other food), and iron but are low in calories. So, I've had a bag of lentil/bean mix in my cupboard that I got at Henry's a couple of months ago, and today I finally re-found it and put it to use!

I know it's June, and it's supposed to be basically summer, but in San Diego we are having a case of June Gloom and I feel like eating some soup!

This recipe for lentil/bean soup - you can use purely lentils, or purely beans, or a mix of both, or one of those bags of 16 bean soup they have at the store, or whatever - was inspired by Alton Brown's Lentil Soup recipe, and modified by what I had in the kitchen.

Time: 30 minutes prep, unless you have a food processor; 45 minutes cooking.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 of a small onion)
1/2 Cup finely chopped carrot (about 2 small/1 large)
1/2 Cup finely chopped celery (about 1/2 of one bunch)
2 tsp. salt
1 lb. uncooked lentils or beans (2-ish cups)
1 Cup peeled, chopped tomatoes (use canned if you don't have homegrown/farmer's market quality)
2 Quarts (8 cups) vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper (or black if its all you have)

Method:

If you have a food processor, congratulations, you just saved yourself a lot of time! Finely chop the onion, celery, and carrot.
Heat the 2 T. olive oil in a 6-qt pot on medium heat, then add the chopped veggies from step one and 2 tsp. salt.
When the onion is translucent (approx. 6 minutes), add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. (Lentils/beans, broth, tomatoes, spices).
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer until the lentils/beans are tender (about 35-45 minutes).
If you have a stick/hand blender, use it to blend the soup to your desired consistency. If you don't have a stick/hand blender, let the soup cool, and then transfer however much you want to a regular blender, blend, and transfer it back to the rest of the soup.
Serve with some crusty bread (of course - no soup is complete without bread), or - even better - a grilled cheese sandy.

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Now playing: Less Than Jake - Just Like Frank
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Some of My Fave Kitchen Gadgetry

2008-06-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

A good kitchen tool can be such a time saver, or just make cooking more fun, or make cooking look cooler (which is also important). Here are just a couple of my favorite kitchen gadgets, that I like enough to share:

Chef'n Palm Vegetable Peeler

The Chef'n Palm Peeler comes in handy (get it?) almost every day in our kitchen. Whether he is peeling cucumbers, carrots, or taters, this little guy gets the job done in no time, and looks great doing it. You just put your finger through that little finger slot, and the peeler fits into the palm of your hand - it is way easier and faster than using a traditional peeler, and never misses a spot. I found mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond, also available on Amazon. Cost: About $5.

Hamilton Beach 6-Cup Food Processor

I was able to get one of these beauties for free, and it was one of the greatest things I have ever gotten. It has saved us SO MUCH time chopping vegetables, it is amazing. It makes short work of salsa, dutifully chops veggies in a flash, and can even shred cheese! I love this machine. I was using a little vegetable chopper before, and I have no idea what I was thinking or how I went so long without this processor. Available at Target and other similar stores. Cost: About $30.

Non-stick Toaster Oven Size Baking Pans

We only have the 11" L x 7" W cake/brownie pan size of these (the one in the picture with the rack, but without the rack in it). But, it is one of our best purchases ever. These are specially made for toaster ovens - an apartment dweller's best friend! Since we are a party of two, these pans are the perfect size for making baked meals without millions of leftovers, and without having to heat up the big oven. We use this pan for lasagna, roasting veggies, cakes and cobblers...basically everything one would normally cook in the big oven. This is the only gadget featured in this post that has an environmental component - these smaller pans save lots of energy because instead of heating up the whole oven for one small meal, we only have to heat up the little toaster oven. These pans are non-stick, and basically perfect in every way! 3-pack of a cake/brownie pan, muffin tin, cookie sheet, and rack is available at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $16.99.

**Environmental Note: Consuming consciously is an important part of changing our habits to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Thus, buying stuff for the sake of having more stuff is not a good idea. However, if you are in the market for one of these items, then these are the ones I recommend. The way you buy stuff also has an environmental component -- for example, if you order something online it is going to come with lots of extra packaging material and will create greenhouse emissions while it is being transported to you. But, if you drive an extra x-miles to get an item in-store, then you're creating extra emissions as well. You can reduce your shopping impact if you're ordering online by ordering everything you're getting from one store, so it all comes packaged together instead of in a bunch of separate boxes. If you're driving on a shopping expedition, plan your route so you drive as little as possible, and try to run all your errands at the same time instead of making separate trips several times a week. Then, try to use the boxes your stuff came in around the house - for storage, kid's forts, other kid-friendly craftiness, or whatever else, just as long as it is not going into a landfill. If you can't use it, recycle it!

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Now playing: The Audition - Ether
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My Claim to Fame

2008-06-05T14:29:00.001-07:00

I'm now official - with a legal intern bio on the San Diego Coastkeeper website. To see my life boiled down to four sentences, click here. You can also compare me to the other interns - fun!

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Now playing: Scary Kids Scaring Kids - Faces
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Vegan Bagel Topper

2008-06-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

This week I tried topping my bagel with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. I give it a high recommendation. It looks like cream cheese, tastes like cream cheese, has the texture of cream cheese - but is dairy-free. So, if you're looking to cut out dairy where you can, pick up some Better Than Cream Cheese. It's available at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and other similarly styled stores. I'm not sure how it would work in recipes, but the Tofutti website has a recipe for Vegan Jalepeno Poppers that looks awfully tempting.

If you have a favorite animal product-free food, please share in the comments. And let me know if there are any vegetarian/vegan products you'd like me to review.

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Now playing: Rushmore Academy - This Is What You Wanted
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No More Excuses - Use a Sigg

2008-06-03T14:09:00.001-07:00

**Update: I got my Sigg bottle yesterday, and it is the best bottle ever! The 1.0 liter is the perfect size, it is amazingly light, and I love everything about it!

Unless you live under a rock, I'm sure you've heard about all the bad chemicals you are likely consuming when you use reusable (or one time use) plastic water bottles. And, of course, babies aren't immune to this one either - their bottles are made out of the same material. Which brings me to reason number two for why you should quit using water bottles and get yourself a Sigg bottle: It takes a lot more resources and energy to produce those one-time use water bottles than it does to make a reusable Sigg bottle. Yes, even if you recycle - recycling takes energy too! The numbers: 2.5 MILLION water bottles are thrown away every HOUR in the United States.

But wait, what is a Sigg bottle? I'm glad you asked. Sigg bottles are made in Switzerland out of aluminum. Their liners are taste and scent neutral, so they won't end up smelling like whatever you drink out of them. They don't leach any chemicals into your drink. When tested against a 100 lb. cannon blast, they didn't break -- thus, they are the "world's toughest water bottle." And, they are super light weight.

Due to a huge demand, they only have two bottles for sale on their website right now. I just got the one pictured above, which was made by stopglobalwarming.org. However, you can buy them from other places, such as R.E.I., and you can get them in-store at Patagonia, L.L. Bean, and Whole Foods. That R.E.I. link even has a kid's water bottle so your kids won't be poisoned anymore! Amazon has a baby size (.3 liter) water bottle. Plus, you can buy a grip to help your kid or baby hold their Sigg. They also have a thermos, so your coffee can be eco-friendlier. If you're interested in what else Sigg has to offer, just do a little googling!

Once you are hip to the Sigg, you will start noticing lots of other people have them too -- or maybe you have already noticed? Join the club, get a Sigg! If not to cut down on chemicals and waste, then just do it to be awesome!

For more info on plastic bottles and BPA, read this.

Get Your Tote On

2008-06-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Per Carrie's request, here are a bunch of websites where you can purchase reusable tote bags. Remember, although using any reusable bag is better than using plastic bags, the best bags include one or more of the following traits: Natural, organic, sustainable, recycled.

EcoBags: A wide variety of bags, including canvas totes, produce bags, string bags, woven bags, and more. 1-3 recycled canvas tote bags go for $6.50 each and you get a discount if you buy more.
Juicebag Solar Canvas Tote: If you've got about $250 to spend, you can get this canvas tote bag with solar energy panels on the sides. You'll never have to deal with a dead cell phone or ipod again...
CafePress: Lots of designs, or you can design your own! Most bags are around $15.
GreenFeet: Not tons of choices, but some cool designs.
Baggu: These cool colorful bags can hold 3x as much as a plastic bag and fold up to a 5"x5" square. 3 bags cost $22, and you can save more money if you buy more.

You can also get reusable bags in most stores (grocery & retail) nowadays for a couple of bucks. I know there are tons more sites out there too, any favorites I left out?

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Now playing: Permanent Me - Setting Off The Beautiful
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It's Easy Cleaning Green

2008-06-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I just started my internship this week, and am still adjusting to working after "just" going to school for two years. I'm mainly trying to figure out how to go to work all day and then not be too exhausted to do anything else by the time I get home. Suggestions?

I've blogged before about green alternatives to cleaning chemicals, but I didn't include alternatives that you can make in the comfort of your own home. These cleaning concoction recipes are easy, inexpensive, and a lot better for our environment than the chemicals you find in stores. And, they really work!

Cleaning chemicals are bad for the environment for lots of reasons. First, it can't be good be breathing those chemicals when you really have no idea what they are or how bad they could be. So it doesn't really make sense to slather those chemicals around your home, especially if there are kids and/or pets around since they are smaller and therefore more likely to be harmed by breathing chemicals. Also, manufacturing cleaning products creates lots of waste and uses a lot of energy. Thus, making your cleaning products at home kills several birds with one stone.

Antibacterial Spray: Add tea tree oil to vinegar/water solutions and spray on mold
Bleach: Hydrogen peroxide
Drain Cleaner: ½ cup of white vinegar + ½ cup of baking soda. Cover tightly 1 minute then flush. Next ½ cup of salt + ½ cup of baking soda + 6 cups boiling water. Let sit several hours then flush with water.
Floor Cleaner: 1 cup of vinegar to 2 gallons of water
Metal Cleaners and Polish: Apple cider vinegar and baby oil for polish
Mildew Remover: A paste made from equal parts of lemon juice and salt
Roach Repellent: Chopped bay leaves + cucumber skins or place borax in cracks
Rug or Carpet Cleaner: 2 cup cornmeal + 1 cup borax - sprinkle, leave for about 1 hour then vacuum
Scouring Powders: Baking soda or salt
Silver Polish: Place in container: 1 quart warm water + 1 tbspn baking soda + 1 tbspn salt + piece of aluminum foil
Tub/tile cleaner: ½ cup of baking soda + ½ up of white vinegar, or drop 1000mg Vitamin C, leave overnight then scrub
Window Cleaners: 1 cup of vinegar to 1 quart of warm water
Wood Polish: 3 parts olive oil and 1 part white vinegar

Know some more? Share.

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Now playing: Name Taken - Hold On For Your Dearest Life
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Saving the World, One Sip at a Time

2008-05-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

100% biodegradable coffee cup, a.k.a. "ecotainer." Not available at Starbucks.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters' goal: To provide an environmentally sound, socially just, and undeniably delicious coffee experience. Green Mountain works to use sustainable coffee -- both for the people who grow it and the ecosystems that support it. Additionally, 5% of pre-tax earnings are donated to environmental or social causes.

While researching Green Mountain, I learned about the Coffee Crisis, which I had sort of heard of before but still knew virtually nothing about. Coffee prices fell dramatically in 2002, which enormously impacted coffee farmers throughout the world -- people who, consequently, were already living in some of the poorest parts of the planet. This coffee prices collapse was (and still is) a big deal because there are 25 million coffee farmers in the world, and over 100 million people working in the coffee industry. So, due to the Coffee Crisis, all those millions of families have been unable to afford basic necessities -- like food, clothes, and medical care. Farmers were faced with the option of abandoning their sustainable methods of coffee farmers in order to grow illegal crops that would make more money. Green Mountain provided those farmers with a way to continue sustainable farming coffee while still making enough money to support their families.

You can learn tons more about Green Mountain Coffee Roasters on their website, which includes information about all of their coffees -- for example, the National Wildlife Blend is on offer this month and is a blend of fair trade and organic coffees from family owned shade-grown coffee farms in Central and South America, where the coffee farms provide an important habitat for songbirds.

And, if you're one of the few weirdos like me who don't drink coffee, they have tons of other cool handcrafted items you can buy on their website as well.

Unique Clothing Company: nvohk

2008-05-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

Today I found out about this rad company, nvohk (pronounced "invoke"), that is starting an eco-clothing company with a unique idea. People can sign up on the website to become members, and when there are 3,000 people signed up, an invitation will be sent to those who signed up to join. Then, prospective members will pay $50 in exchange for being a member which entitles them to a 25% discount on clothing, the ability to vote for things like logo, designs, advertising, and who the company will sponser (athletes and musicians), a share of the profits in the form of points that can be used to buy clothes (35% of profits will be divided between members at a one point for one dollar ratio), an exclusive co-founder t-shirt, sticker, and "plant-a-tree" seed pack, and more stuff that I am probably forgetting. Only 40,000 members can sign up total.

Plus, nvohk will donate 10% of profits to eco-charities (another thing members get to decide on -- who gets the donations). I think this company is such an awesome idea, especially since I dabbled in selling clothes before. Oh, and if you have graphic design skills you can upload your own designs to be voted on for the logo - if you are a member. You even win cash if your design is chosen.

Anyway, I signed up as a prospective member and I hope this company does well because I think it is awesome.

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Now playing: The Human Abstract - Channel Detritus
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Taking Action, Taking Pictures: Environmental Photography

2008-05-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

Photo by Subhanker Banerjee of an Inupiat Cemetery, from his "Inupiat and The Whales" collection.

I just watched an episode of "Big Ideas for a Small Planet" featuring a piece on environmental photographer Subhanker Banerjee, who photographs the artic and the indigenous people there to show the impact that climate change is having on that part of the world. I had been thinking about the way photography impacts the environmental movement recently because the photo challenge on Exposaroonie last week was "Nature's Softer Side," and the entries really reminded me how much I love nature and the way photographs can inspire people to learn about things that they might not think about otherwise.

Photo by Chris Jordan, from his "In Katrina's Wake: Portraits of Loss From An Unnatural Disaster" collection.

This inspiring quality of photography is used by environmental photographers (also called environmental impact photographers, or environmental activist photographers) to bring attention to environmental issues -- whether that is showing how beautiful a flourishing wetland is (and, thus, inspiring people to care about protecting it), or showing the negative effects of deforestation (inspiring people to make changes in their lives to reduce their paper use). Or, photography can be used to document indigenous people struggling to hold on to their culture in the face of climate change, as Subhanker Banerjee does. Chris Jordan uses photography to comment on American consumerism, sending a powerful message about just how much we waste.

Although I'm no "photographer" myself, I enjoy taking pictures, and greatly admire those who photograph nature with the purpose of impacting viewers' ideas about the environment and the role of humans in the environment. If you are interested in learning more about how to pursue a career (or make a few extra bucks) in environmental photography, check out this article by Randy Beacham, "Environmental Photography: Blending Art and Activism". Also, I happened upon Jim M. Goldstein's blog about nature photography and the environment while I was looking at environmental photography websites. Check that out here: Landscape, Nature, and Travel Photography. For some awesome examples of environmental photography, check out Subhanker Banerjee and Chris Jordan at the links above. And, even though the photos were not necessarily taken with intentions of raising environmental awareness, check out the "Nature's Softer Side" entries at Exposaroonie -- you just might be inspired to take some environmental photos yourself.

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Now playing: My Superhero - Another Kind
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the bald eagle

2008-05-24T11:02:00.001-07:00

this picture was stolen from my friend jennifer, who is in alaska right now. she took the picture, and i think she is so lucky for being in alaska and seeing bald eagles that close up. if you have dreams of some day going to alaska, check out her blog (and her sister's blog) to see awesome photos that will make you want to go there even more!

so, jennifer's photo inspired me to write about bald eagles, which are considered by many to be an endangered species success story. bald eagles are extra unique because they are the only species of eagle that are only found in north america -- hence, they are the national bird of the united states and were declared the national emblem of the united states waaaay back in 1782. today there are about 70,000 bald eagles, half of which live in alaska -- in the early 1700s there were an estimated 300,000 to 500,000. the bald eagle was listed as endangered in states below the 40th parallel in 1967, there were less than 500 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower forty-eight states at this time.

of course, the bald eagle's population decline was caused by humans -- people shot them, agricultural pesticides poisoned them, their food, and their water, land development destroyed their habitat, and DDT caused their egg shells to become thin, and they often broke during incubation. fortunately, the bald eagle has since recovered and was delisted as endangered in 2007 - they are still protected under the migratory bird treaty and the bald and golden eagle protection act. still, their population levels are not even close to what they once were and they are still injured or killed by human activities, even though it is illegal. currently, there is not enough funding to ensure the conservation of bald eagles while enforcing the laws that are meant to protect them. (how stupid would americans look if we extincted our national emblem?)

although the conservation of the bald eagle is not perfect, the comeback of the bald eagle from almost extinct in the wild to being taken off the endangered species list is encouraging and proves that efforts to save endangered animals are not hopeless.

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chance to win under the canopy organic bedding

2008-05-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

because a couple of you mentioned organic bedding in the comments to my post about organic cotton, i'm sharing this under the canopy organic bedding giveaway post from eco-chick. all you have to do is visit that link, and leave a comment on which organic bedding design you like best. you'll be automatically entered to win a free top of the bed duvet - $325 value!

but hurry, this offer ends may 31.

here is the link again: http://eco-chick.com/2008/05/13/under-the-canopy-organic-bedding-giveaway/

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Now playing: Thrice - As the Crow Flies
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of cotton and chemicals

2008-05-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

i know i've (briefly) written about how bad conventional cotton is chemical-wise before, so here are some statistics to back me up:

25% of all pesticides used in the world are used for growing cotton -- that is the more than any other crop in the world.
5 of the top 9 chemicals used on cotton in the united states are known to cause cancer. all of them are category i or category ii, classified by the epa as the most dangerous chemicals.
it takes the u.s. 8-10 years to make a new pesticide (and $100 million). it takes pests 5-6 years to develop immunity to pesticides. i'm no mathematician, but this doesn't make economic sense!
46% of counties in the u.s. are susceptible to groundwater pollution caused by agricultural fertilizers and pesticides.
californians - you know when you are driving through san joaquin valley and see those crop dusters flying by? only 25% of those crop dusters' dustings actually hit the crops.
it takes ten years to ban a pesticide under the current process.

besides using tons of chemicals in the growing process, even more chemicals are added to cotton in order to turn it into fabric -- including the dyes, which end up polluting water sources.

to help solve this problem by not contributing to the problem, you can learn more about organic cotton and try to only buy organic cotton (be a conscious consumer!), and write to your government representatives to let them know you don't want all those chemicals in your clothes (or your baby's clothes).

green tv

2008-05-19T15:10:00.001-07:00

adam and i recently came out of the "dark ages" (my mom's words) of tv and got more than just basic cable. now, with all these channels and a dvr (not just any old dvr - we have an "advanced" dvr) i am finding out about all these cool environment-related shows that i never had access to before. the only two i have watched so far are "get fresh with sara snow" on fit tv and "big ideas for a small planet" on sundance. i really like both. it is cool to see stuff that i normally only read about online put into action on tv -- like, a family who has turned their front and backyard into an organic food garden, rather than having a lawn; the sonoma county landfill, which has a garden made with composted "trash" and a "recycletown" where people can get stuff that can be reused instead of ending up in the landfill - they even use the methane gas that the landfill creates as stuff decomposes for energy; and a company that makes handbags and accessories using old product packaging that would otherwise end up in the dump.
sundance channel's environmental programing is called "the green" and they have a bunch of different environmental shows that i haven't had a chance to see yet. big ideas for a small planet is part of the green, and i especially love that show. check out the green's website, there is tons of stuff on it - enough to keep you busy for days.

i know there are a lot more shows like this out there, but i haven't had a chance to see them yet. if you know of any others, share by leaving a comment!

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Now playing: Alkaline Trio - In Vein
via FoxyTunes

endangered species day

2008-05-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

yesterday (may 16) was endangered species day, and i didn't get around to posting because the weather here is too nice and the beach was calling me. so today is endangered species day around here!

in celebration of endangered species day, i urge you to take the following steps to protect endangered species: (adapted from this site)

learn about endangered species -- they are some of the coolest animals ever! examples: the hairy-eared dwarf lemur, sumatran tiger, sea otter, polar bears(just recently listed as threatened under the endangered species act (finally!), giant panda, humpback whale, and one of my all-time favorite animals, the three toed sloth (pictured - i love how they look like dr. seuss characters).
visit a national wildlife refuge, national park, or open space preserve. find a park near you: www.nps.gov
don't use herbicides and pesticides - these affect wildlife at all levels, moving up the food chain.
recycle your cell phones and only buy a new phone if you truly need one. a mineral used in cell phones (coltan) is mined in the african mountain gorilla's habitat.
don't support the illegal wildlife trade. this includes turtle shells, coral, and ivory.
if you're looking to donate money to protect endangered animals, try the endangered species coalition, or the world wildlife fund. you can even "adopt" an animal!

if you'd like to take action by writing a letter, or if you'd like to learn more about current species conservation issues, i recommend checking out the world wildlife fund's "take action" page.

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Now playing: The Human Abstract - Self Portraits Of The Instincts
via FoxyTunes

Biofoam Surfboard

2008-05-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

a couple of nights ago i saw this thing on t.v. about these biofoam surfboards. i hadn't thought about it before, but traditional surfboards are made 100% out of toxic materials -- from the petroleum based cores to the chemical resin. a traditional surfboard will not biodegrade, and will sit in the landfill for forever. plus, the people manufacture the surfboards get sick from working with all those toxins, which is what led ned mcmahon to start making biofoam boards -- his friend was killed by cancer after manufacturing surfboards for many years.

biofoam boards use soy oil instead of petroleum based stuff for the core. they are wrapped with sustainable fabric -- like hemp, and the resins are biodegradable as well. about 50% of the board is made from agricultural products (biodegradable). one thing i liked about the interview i watched with ned mcmahon was that he made sure to mention that these boards are not the perfect solution, and they aren't "green" boards -- although they are an important step in that direction. home blown usa (the company that makes the biofoam board) is continuing to research new ways to use sustainable, biodegradable materials to make a surfboard that can truly be called "green."

so, if you're in the market for a new surfboard, get one of these!

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Now playing: Less Than Jake - Descant
via FoxyTunes

my google reader

2008-05-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

my parents are coming to town this weekend, and i can't think of anything to write about that won't require some research time - so, i'm being lazy and saying to check out some of the articles i am sharing from my google reader ------->

(that arrow means: see the sidebar for the google reader links)

i first found out about google reader just a few days ago when i saw it on another blog, and it has made my environmental news and blog reading so much more organized! i love finding out about and using google apps! another one i just recently found about is google analytics, which i first read about on ashley's blog here. no one has reached my blog via any strange searches yet, but i am glad to see that people are getting here from links on your blogs (you know who you are, linkers). if you haven't already, i'd recommend using both of these google apps starting now!

my favorite food

2008-05-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

i have entered the above photo in the "bad habits" photo contest on exposaroonie - a photography website that my friend ashley co-runs. please click here and vote for the best photo.

i am a french fry lover, through and through. i've decided that fries are my favorite food. like most people, i wish i could love something healthy as much as i love fries -- but nothing can compare to their salty fried goodness. the french fry's less-than-healthful qualities are the reason i chose to enter a picture of chili cheese fries for the exposaroonie bad habits contest. luckily, i only get to have them when i eat out, and even then it has to be a burger place. and a lot of times if i have a choice of fries or salad, i will choose salad in an attempt to eat healthy. so fries are rare for me. which might be another reason why i love them so much...

but, now i have developed the ultimate oven-baked french fries recipe, so they are not so rare, but also not quite so unhealthy:

ingredients:

regular old russet potatoes (not actually old ones, fresh ones)
vegetable oil - enough to lightly coat the potatoes, but not so much that they are dripping
secret ingredient: mccormick grill mates spicy montreal steak seasoning (this is also what i use on portabello mushrooms)
lawry's seasoned salt (optional)

method:

preheat the oven to 425.
wash the potatoes, but don't peel them. that would be a waste of perfectly good nutrients.
cut the potatoes into fry-shaped pieces. don't make them too thick or they won't bake right. as you cut, place the fries into a bowl of warm water. this gets some of the starch off, which makes them get crispier (i think).
drain the potatoes and dry them with a clean cloth towel - no need to waste paper towels here. the dryer the better, or the oil won't stick. using a salad spinner would be great.
put the fries in a dry bowl and drizzle with vegetable oil. i use about 1 tbsp. for a packed-to-the-brim baking sheet of fries. just enough to coat is perfect. add a good sprinklin' of the steak seasoning, and some seasoned salt (you don't need a lot of seasoned salt here), and stir it all around. if it looks like it doesn't have enough seasoning, add some more and mix it up.
put the seasoned, oiled fries on a baking sheet or stone. i prefer stone. bake for about 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees. check on them every ten minutes or so, and move them around to make sure they aren't sticking.

the picture above is these fries with my secret recipe vegetarian chili and, of course, cheese. needless to say, they were delicious.

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Now playing: Bayside - Don't Call Me Peanut
via FoxyTunes

finally - a blog about plastic bags

2008-05-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

today is my oldest friend (not age-wise, but length of friendship-wise) carrie's birthday. because i enjoy reading her blog, i am using my blog to announce her birthday gift. carrie: the above pictured tote bag is on its way to you (i got the cheapest shipping though, so it is going to be awhile). happy birthday!

i really hate plastic bags. really, really hate. before i even knew the extent of their environmental impact, i hated them for taking up entire cabinets of space, just waiting to explode out if an unsuspecting passerby opened the wrong door. before i rid my life of the lowly plastic bag, i hated recycling them because the entire trunk of my car would be filled with stupid plastic bags, and of course i always forgot to drop them off at the grocery store, so they would sit there for sometimes weeks at a time before i got them into the recycling bin. and by then i had another cabinet full of them! to be cliche, plastic bags were the bane of my existence. ugh.

but, oh how my life has changed since i started using reusable bags for shopping! not only do i get compliments from the people who help me put my groceries in the bags (what are they called? not bag-boys, that is sexist...oh well, i can't think of it), but i also have an entire cabinet that is now free to be filled with something much more useful, the trunk of my car is plastic bag free, i get a nickel off my purchases from henry's, AND i am no longer contributing to all the horrible things plastic bags do to the environment!

i know some of you readers know what i am talking about here - it is truly liberating to be plastic-bag free! i've been PBF for a little over a year now. i used to forget my reusable bags, and would end up having to use plastic bags -- but, i made a new year's resolution to always have some reusable bags in my car and in adam's car so that we will never forget again. so, this year we have been totally PBF.

i really could go on and on about plastic bags, which is why i haven't written about them until this point -- i knew it would be never-ending. so i'm going to break this plastic bag dilemma down into several posts.

how you too can be PBF:

buy a bunch of reusable tote bags (like the awesome one i got carrie). a lot of times you can get these for free if you donate to environmental groups. you can also get these from most grocery stores (at least in CA). or, you can google around online and find some cool ones that fit your personality (www.reusablebags.com has a lot). it is best to get organic cotton or hemp ones if you can (no chemicals were used to make your bag), but as long as you are reusing something instead of using millions of plastic bags, that is good.
put them in your car and any car that you use to go to the store so you don't forget them. if you have a lot, hide some in the extra otherwise-useless compartments in your car so that even if you leave your bags at home, you will have a back-up supply. if you leave the bags in your car once you get to the store, just do what my mom does: pay for your food and put the groceries back in the cart, then bag it up once you get to your car.
after you bring your groceries into the house, leave your bags by the door so you can put them back in your car the next time you go out. (or just take them straight to the car -- i am far too lazy for that option.)

good luck on your PBF quest and stay tuned for more blogs about how horrible plastic bags are. if you can't wait, just google it!

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Now playing: The Audition - You've Made Us Conscious
via FoxyTunes

unilever and palm oil

2008-05-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

the video above is from the greenpeace website.

those of you who are regular readers know that i wrote a paper about the deforestation of borneo for palm oil plantations. i doubt anyone read the paper, and i don't blame you because i wouldn't read it either. so i am going to give you a quick synopsis of palm oil and deforestation, which i also wrote about here.

the primary rainforests of borneo, the third largest island in the world, are being destroyed in order to make room for palm oil plantations. the palm oil is then exported to developed nations, such as the united states and the european union where it is used in snack foods (palm oil replaced partially hydrogenated oils when everyone became obsessed with avoiding trans fats), biofuels, cosmetics, soaps, and other products that use a vegetable oil that is high in saturated fat -- a unique trait of palm oil. the exotic rainforest wood that was cleared from the forest is exported as well, mainly to china, where it is turned into furniture and picture frames, and then sold to the united states. (so don't buy rainforest wood furniture!)

my paper focused on the effect of deforestation on the indigenous people of the malaysian part of borneo - the penan. the impact of deforestation on the highly endangered orangutan is the focus of most of the media regarding palm oil plantations in borneo.

today, however, i am bringing this up again because i just read that greenpeace was able to convince unilever (you know, the company that makes practically everything, including dove products), a company that uses 5% of the world's palm oil, to support a legal moratorium on the destruction of borneo's rainforests. this is a major step in giving malaysia and indonesia time to implement regulations on the deforestation of borneo.

however, i would like to voice a couple of concerns. first, as i mentioned in my paper, it would be unrealistic to have malaysia and indonesia completely halt their production of palm oil because it is a major part of their economy, and without palm oil the people of both countries would plummet into poverty. this is why sustainable palm oil is the key -- palm oil that was not grown on land that was a rainforest. second, the reason these countries aren't able to enforce the environmental regulations they have is because they are trying to become developed nations, so they desperately need the money, plus the government officials are corrupt and the logging companies have tons of money so they are able pay their way into doing whatever they want. to solve the problem malaysia and indonesia need to have enough money to make effective enforcement possible - which isn't going to happen if the only step towards improvement is a bunch of companies calling for a moratorium on deforestation. and, finally, there isn't actually a moratorium in place -- unilever just said that they would support a moratorium if there was one, so it was easy for them to say that without actually doing anything about it.

in the end, though, it is a good thing that unilever at least sort of admitted that their use of palm oil is having negative impacts in other parts of the world, and the story will raise awareness of the issue for more people. while it isn't perfect, it is definitely better than nothing!

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Now playing: The Gaslight Anthem - I'da Called You Woody Joe
via FoxyTunes

american bison vs. montana

2008-05-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

my friend jennifer ~~is obsessed with~~ loves bison, and she recently wrote a blog about how the state of montana kills wild bison each year because they are (supposedly) a threat to cattle. now it is one thing to kill a few bison here and there, but the rate montana is currently at is shocking: 67 bison were killed in the winter of 2006-2007, this winter 1601 were killed.

so, check out jennifer's blog about this issue, and take action by writing to one of the people she lists in her blog.

http://donotfencemein.blogspot.com/2008/04/american-bison-slaughter.html

tons more info on the bison slaughter can be found here, including videos and photos.

before printing this email

2008-05-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

you may have seen some emails with this at the bottom:

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

this is an easy way to ask others to reduce their paper waste - especially for office people, who print more emails than non-office people. (as a non-office person, i don't ever print any emails and don't fully understand why anyone would want to). this signature is easy to add to your email because the picture of the tree isn't a picture, it is the letter "p" in webdings font. if just copying and pasting the above won't work for you, you can try copying and pasting the html for the signature, which can be found here. (i'm not patient enough to figure out how to put the html code on here without blogger changing it into the text.)

if that little "please consider the environment" text isn't cool enough for you, think of something original with the same purpose, and use that instead. (and also email it to me so i can post it on here and use it myself!)

some facts and figures about paper:

Average U.S. office worker prints 10,000 pages per year. (that is seriously crazy to me.)
56% of people between age 45-54 print internet pages for their archives, while only 33% of people ages 18-34 do so. (like i said, i never print emails and rarely print anything else from the internet...it must be because i don't have an archive.)
The U.S. uses enough office paper to build a wall 10-feet high and 6,815 miles long (NY to Tokyo) -- every year!
Paper waste has RISEN since e-mail was invented. Global paper products consumption has tripled in the last 30 years and is continuing to grow.
It takes 13 oz. of water to make ONE SHEET of office paper.

besides adding the "consider the environment" text to your email signature, you can help reduce office paper waste by reusing your waste paper by doing things like printing stuff like driving directions on the blank side of an already-printed-on sheet of paper, using already-printed-on paper for your fax machine, cutting up already-printed-on paper into squares to be used as "scratch paper" for things like phone message or shopping lists. when you can't find another use for your waste paper, make sure you recycle it. you can also help by trying to only purchase office paper that is made from recycled paper - the higher percentage of post-consumer paper, the better. and, lastly, don't print stuff that you don't actually need -- turn your archives into an electronic version and just save your files on your hardrive!

paper towels

2008-05-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

i just read a segment on grist.org that tested various paper towels with eco-claims to see which is one is the best buy. i recommend reading the article, but if you refuse, the winners were: 365 by Whole Foods and Seventh Generation Natural. using ec0-friendly paper towels is important because we waste tons of paper -- the paper industry is the third largest contributor to climate change. the most important things to look for in paper towels (and most things, actually) is that they are made from recycled paper and don't have chemicals (unbleached). at my apartment, i have been using unbleached 100% recycled (80% post-consumer) toilet paper and paper towels made by nature's balance. i used that brand because it was the cheapest unbleached/recycled kind at vons. i have no complaints about either product, they work great for my needs.

an important thing to remember, however, is that using less paper towels (whether they are eco-friendly or not) is an important part of reducing your paper consumption. for example, a dish towel would be a better option for things like drying your hands, rather than using paper towels. ever since earth day 2008, i have switched from using paper towels to using skoy -- reusable towel-like/sponge-like cloths. each skoy replaces 15 rolls of paper towels. they are made of natural materials (natural cotton & cellulose from trees) and are biodegradable, but most importantly, they can be used over and over and over again. just pop them in the microwave or dishwasher to kill any bacteria. you can order a 4-pack for about $7.70, including shipping. if you think about it, that is actually a great deal since a 4-pack will save you (and the earth) 60 rolls of paper towels!

one last thing you can do to reduce your paper towel usage -- when you're in a public restroom, just use your pants!

the largest irrigated crop in the united states

2008-05-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

lawns cover over 40 million acres of the united states. but what for? have you ever wondered what, exactly, is the big deal with lawns? i have very, very rarely seen anyone actually enjoying their lawn -- reading, sunbathing, or playing on it. yet, people dutifully water and mow their lawns, putting an average of $517 per year into their small plots of grass. where this obsession with lawns came from, i'm not sure, but i do know that i am ready to see it go.

according to food not lawns, grassy lawns first became popular with french aristocrats in the 1700s. they planted grass around their huge estates to show that they were so wealthy and had so much land that they could afford to waste some of it on growing grass, while french peasants without enough land were starving.

to me, the environmental impacts of these 40 million acres of lawns outweigh any benefit they might have. yes, i like to play soccer on grass, at a park. but, like i said, people don't use their home lawns to play soccer or other sports, they have lawns just because everyone else does. and wouldn't one lawn be enough for the average person's lawn needs? why have a lawn in the front yard and the back yard? because an american dream house would look weird without a front lawn. that answer is not good enough.

in addition to the emissions created by lawn mowers, all these lawns use enormous amounts of chemicals and water to maintain at the level americans are used to -- a greener than necessary (or normal) level. see, if everyone maintained their lawns correctly, this wouldn't be such a big problem. but, homeowners tend to over-water and over-fertilize their lawns. oh and people hate weeds, so they need to use a lot of pesticides to get rid of those too. these chemicals are then washed into our water sources, and these chemical-ladden lawns don't sound like a safe place for kids to play either.

so, what can you do?

take care of your lawn responsibly, and enjoy the lawn you have -- don't put all that money into something that you don't even use.
if you don't use your lawn, don't have one. get rid of your lawn and be the coolest (and most environmentally responsible) one on your block by using "naturescaping" around your house - plant native plants that don't require a lot of water to maintain, but still look great.
plant organic vegetable gardens instead of grass. they still use water, but don't use as much as an over-maintained lawn and at least you are getting food out of it. plus, no chemicals will be going into your yard or your body!

you may be thinking it is easy for me to go on about how horrible lawns are, when i don't even have one and don't have to deal with nasty looks from neighbors who don't approve of a lawn-free home. but, mark my words, when i have a lawn someday i promise i will either do my best to make sure it is as environmentally friendly as possible, and use it, or i will fulfill my dream of having an awesome organic vegetable garden. and i don't care who looks at me funny.

cheesy broccoli rice casserole

2008-04-30T11:27:00.001-07:00

here is a simple recipe for cheesy broccoli rice casserole -- the perfect vegetarian dish to bring to a potluck. (do people still do those?) if i had more friends that lived in san diego, i think that vegetarian potlucks would be fun. if you don't like one or more of the ingredients, just omit it or replace it with something you do like. that is the beauty of casseroles.

ingredients:

2 broccoli crowns, rinsed and roughly chopped (as big or small as you like)
1 package of rice-a-roni broccoli au gratin rice (or you can use your favorite kind of rice and add shredded cheese)
1 small can of french's fried onions
1 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup blue cheese dressing and/or 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (i just add the dressing because the rice-a-roni is already pretty cheesy)
freshly ground pepper
casserole dish
(if it doesn't look moist enough, you can add a can of cream of mushroom soup)

method:

cook the rice-a-roni according to the package instructions, but turn it off 5 minutes early.
while the rice is cooking, blanch the prepared broccoli in salted water, or steam it until it is just barely cooked - it will cook more in the oven. heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the mushrooms and onion.
when that is finished, mix the rice, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, and blue cheese dressing and cheese (if you're using them) together in a bowl. add freshly ground pepper to taste. you probably won't need salt because the rice-a-roni is salty, but taste it and add whatever else you think it needs.
put that mix in a casserole dish and top with as many french's fried onions as you like.
bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until brown -- turn up the heat if it is taking to long to brown.
let stand 10-15 minutes before serving, if you can wait that long.

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Now playing: Alkaline Trio - I'm Dying Tomorrow (Live)
via FoxyTunes

high quality = less waste

2008-04-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

last month, i wrote about how i needed new sandals, and how i support the company ocean minded because they use recycled/sustainable materials and donate money to groups like surfrider. well, i have been shopping around since then, and i wasn't able to find ocean minded sandals that would match almost everything i have (so i can wear the sandals no matter what my clothes are). then it was time to go to vegas for my soccer tournament, so i no longer had the luxury of shopping around - i had to get new sandals before i left. i ended up getting rainbow sandals. there was a tag on them that said "eco-sandals" -- at first, i thought this was very annoying because the sandals are not made out of recycled or sustainable materials, and the company does not donate any money to environmental groups, so how are they eco? the tag said "because they last so long." i bought the sandals because they looked like really good quality, and they are guaranteed to last and last, and that is what i wanted, but i was still annoyed that they claimed to be "eco" when they obviously just put that to get people who are obsessed with buying green to get them (see greenwashing).

however, as the weekend wore on and i grew to LOVE my new sandals (so comfortable!) i thought more about how they "last so long." it reminded me of an important aspect of conscious consumption. if we, as consumers, pay the extra money to buy higher quality goods that will last longer and not need to be replaced as often, rather than buying cheap, poor quality goods that fall apart, we can reduce the amount of waste we create. thus, buying stuff that will last forever is much better for the environment than buying stuff that will need to be replaced often.

i think this is especially important to remember with furniture. with all the interior design shows on tv, seriously EVERYONE thinks they are an interior designer. for some reason that means buying all new furniture waaaaay more often than is actually necessary, instead of just re-vamping the stuff you have, or fixing up used furniture. it is better for the environment to buy higher quality furniture that you will keep for a long time, to buy furniture made from sustainable resources, and to fix-up used furniture rather than buying a house full of new stuff from wal-mart twice a year -- think of all the trees that are being tossed into landfills for no good reason other than an interior designer's whim!

back to the sandals -- it is still annoying that the rainbow sandals claim to be eco-sandals, even though they didn't change anything about the way the sandals have been made for 25 years, but at least now i can understand how they get away with saying that.

and the most important thing to remember: buying the higher quality stuff only has a positive impact if you actually keep using it for a long time. for example, if i got new sandals next year, i would be defeating the purpose of buying sandals that "last so long." these will be my sandals for life!

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Now playing: Junction 18 - Granite Street Knife Fight
via FoxyTunes

save our lives, have respect for our culture

2008-04-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

yay, i am finally done with this semester! and i have six whole days before my summer classes start! i know i said i'd be back on the 25th, but i have a soccer tournament this weekend so you won't be seeing the likes of me until tuesday -- sorry.

to hold you over until then, i have uploaded my final paper for my international environmental law class, for your reading pleasure. it is 28 pages, so that should last you until tuesday. you can find it here: "save our lives, have respect for our culture": the penan tribe's fight against deforestation in malaysia as the demand for palm oil increases. the formatting is all messed up because that is what google docs does to word documents, and i don't care enough to take however long to figure out how to fix it. it is still perfectly readable, it just doesn't look as good as it should. and be sure to read the footnotes -- there is a lot of extra info there.

i pretty much guarantee my dad will be the only one to read the entire thing. at least read the introduction so you have some idea of what i spent the last four months of my life on.

the pictures below are: a nomadic penan child crossing a river with all his possessions on his back -- holding a pet monkey; a penan elder (dressed traditionally) standing by a penan barricade; the borneo rainforest. (will someone please take a hint and tell me how to add captions to pictures!)

well, he has worn a green tie at least once...

2008-04-17T00:56:00.001-07:00

you might have heard that bush gave another speech about climate change yesterday. the only thing i can do is quote the author (david roberts) of a blog about the speech that i recommend reading:

I hate to be the party-pooper. But we've been here before. How many times does Lucy expect us to try to kick this football?

the blog ("same as it ever was") lists three things you should know about the speech, and makes it easy to understand whether or not anything he said matters.

this article from the san fransisco chronicle is also worth reading, if you're interested in what this speech means for the environment, complete with quotes from various people, such as:

The president's plan to have America stand by while greenhouse gases reach dangerous levels and threaten America and the world is worse than doing nothing - it is the height of irresponsibility. -- Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

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Now playing: The Impossibles - Intermission
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some info about soda

2008-04-15T10:55:00.001-07:00

i recently wondered which is better for the environment -- aluminum cans, or 2-liter bottles?

after a quick google search, i have concluded that the answer is 2-liter bottles. the two main reasons are (1) the 2-liter bottles come with way more soda, so you are getting more soda for the energy and petroleum it took to make the container (it would take 5.6 cans of soda to equal one 2-liter); and (2) 5.6 cans of soda weigh more than one 2-liter bottle, so more energy is used to transport aluminum cans to the store.

however, both aluminum cans and plastic bottles use a good amount of energy and petroleum, so it is important to remember to RECYCLE whichever soda vessel you use. americans only recycle about 30% of the plastic that is used, but recycle over half of aluminum cans. personally, i can't imagine throwing an aluminum can in the trash - i consider it to be highly taboo. also, we should consider it our duty to recycle because, unlike billions of not-so-privileged people living in developing countries, we have easy access to recycling facilities. if you still aren't convinced, here is a final factoid: recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a t.v. for three hours, or a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. if you STILL don't see why recycling is important, then you are beyond help.

for more info about the production of aluminum cans and plastic bottles, check out these articles: (the last two are sciency, so reader beware!)
Ask Pablo, Plastic Bottles v.s Aluminum Cans
Aluminium's Life Cycle (yes, aluminium! i think americans are the only ones that say aluminum)
American Chemistry Council - Life Cycle of a Plastic Product

p.s.: coke zero changed my life and is the best soda ever!
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get closer to nature

2008-04-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

today was my last day of my international environmental law class, and as a final thought for the semester our professor reminded us to get outdoors and enjoy the environment, not only as a "last chance" thing, but because the more we are disconnected from the environment, the less successful any environmental movement will be.

i think that last part is an important thing to remember. most of my best memories of childhood are from family camping trips, playing outside on the "mountain" behind my house with my brothers, going to the beach, and doing other stuff outside. however, it looks like today kids are more and more content to sit around inside -- there's just so much to do indoors! my friend carrie is the only person i really know that has kids, and she is a good mom because she is always blogging about taking her kids to various parks and to play outside in the snow. if you have kids, teach them to appreciate the great outdoors.

so, today i'd like everyone to remember to go outside -- not only will you appreciate your environment more, but you'll feel better too. (read this article about the positive effects of negative ions, if you want to boggle your mind).

this website lists hikes near metropolitan areas, check it out and have fun! trails.com also has tons of info on nature-related stuff do to all across the united states, and you even get a 14 day free trial!

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check out my guest blogger post!

2008-04-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

today i was a guest blogger on my friend ashley's blog. i wrote a super interesting blog about conscious consumption -- check it out and comment so i don't look like a boring nerd!

http://ashleyforrette.blogspot.com/2008/04/making-your-dollars-make-sense.html

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the best ten minutes of my day

2008-04-08T12:25:00.001-07:00

so i'm sure all of you have at least heard the term "ecological footprint" or "carbon footprint" before, right? right. the group redefining progress has created an all new ecological footprint quiz, which is the best and most accurate one out there AND it is fun and easy to complete! just go to www.myfootprint.org and follow the links to take the quiz.

once you get your results, and along the way, you can learn more about what you can do to improve your ecological footprint. another really awesome feature is that if you donate $5 at the end (there is a link - you can't miss is) you can get a poster that has your ecological footprint graph and pie chart (it compares you to the rest of the country) complete with things you can check off to try to consume less energy and resources. you can also write in what you hope your ecological footprint will be next year, and then take the quiz again to see how much better you are doing!

i thought i was doing pretty well, i was waaaay below the country average at least, but at the end of the quiz it tells you how many earth's worth of resources we would need if everyone on earth lived the same lifestyle as me. i was pretty shocked to see that we would need 2.24 earths!

my total footprint was 86.99, how did you score? (try checking off that you are a vegetarian, even if you aren't, just so you can see how much that would reduce your footprint -- it shows your score as you fill each thing out, you can then change it to whatever you truly are.)

my goals are to: (1) reduce my water use even more, (2) shop almost exclusively at natural food stores and the farmer's market, (3) use a power strip to turn off all the electronics that are on "standby" when they aren't turned on (anything that has a little light on it when it is off - it is still using energy), and (4) donate money to offset my emissions at the end of the year...if i have any money left by then.

world health day: climate change causes serious health problems

2008-04-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

in celebration of world health day, here are some sobering facts about climate change. hopefully this isn't news to anyone, but climate change causes serious health problems. to name a few:

warming temperatures = more mosquitos = more disease, like malaria, from mosquitos.
massive storms (like hurricane katrina) kill people (over 1,800 people died from katrina).
heat waves are killing people (an estimated 70,000 people died due to heat waves in europe in 2003).
flooding destroys sanitation systems, mixes sewage with drinking water, leading to disease.
changes in climate affect the growing season, leading to starvation and malnutrition.

you can check out the world health organization's website here to learn more: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr11/en

climate change is happening. what are you doing about it?

go green, live rich?

2008-04-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

a new book called, "go green, live rich: 50 simple ways to save the earth and get rich trying" is about to be released (april 11, i think) by best-selling author & money coach david bach. the skeptic in me says "yah right. this guy is just trying to cash on the green craze." however, after going to the website i think that he may have some good ideas. for example, by making small changes in your life (like not buying a latte from starbucks every single day) you will be reducing waste and saving money which you can then invest. (invest? yah right, i have new sandals to shop for!)

anyway, i think the website is worth visiting and if you are interested in the book please pre-order it because $1 of all preorders will go to the National Water Alliance, which San Diego Coastkeeper is a part of.

http://finishrich.com/books/go_green.php

fool me once...shame on....shame on you? fool me...you can't get fooled again!

2008-04-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

today i was looking at all the environmental nerd websites i look at each day, and the cover story on grist.org was about AL GORE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. obviously, for me this would be the ultimate dream come true. (yes i know it already happened, but shhh..trust me, you don't want to hear my opinion on politics). immediately, tons of things start running through my mind like: this can't be true - please let this be true, how will this effect the democratic campaign so far, will the democrats end up being so divided that republicans win, etc., etc.

then i realized it was a NOT FUNNY april fool's day joke. fine, maybe it was funny. but i really hate april fool's day jokes! unless i am the one doing them.

in other (true) al gore news, he has announced a $300 million, three-year campaign to mobilize americans to push for aggresive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. this will be the most costly public advocacy campaign in u.s. history. but will it work? if i could get that much money, and had already tried everything else that al gore has tried, i'd give it a go.

sandals season is upon us!

2008-03-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

it has been so nice in san diego lately, and i've been wearing my old sandals to school a lot. i have to park an average of 1/2-1 1/2 miles from school each day...it can be a long walk. (i say i have to because i am not willing to pay $12 to park EVERY DAY, and the free spots are far). my old sandals are not giving me the support i need for such a walk, and i kind of hate them because they are pink and black and i don't think they go with any of my outfits. i want brown ones.

so anyway, i was at this surf store the other day looking at sandals and i found a brand called "ocean minded." the tag said they use sustainable materials, which is good, so i came home and found out more about them. the company is built on the principles of "protecting our beaches, respecting the environment, and an overall love for life," which are three of my most favorite things! plus, their sandals are also cool and comfortable (at least they look like they would be). their website also encourages visitors to pick up ten pieces of trash when visiting their favorite places -- i think that is such a good idea, and wouldn't be too hard to do either. so, the next time you go to the beach, or the park, or the mountains, or the desert, or wherever you love to go, pick up ten pieces of trash to keep things looking nice for the next person.

if you're in dire need of sandals like i am (or just want new ones), check out the ocean minded website and support a company that uses sustainable materials for their products AND encourages people to keep our oceans clean! if you're going to be spending $20-50 for sandals you should also be able to feel good about where your money is going! plus it would be totally awesome if we all had ocean minded sandals -- like an earth-loving, sandals-wearing army of sorts. minus the violence.

i think i like the ones in the picture above, but i can't decide!

and i never talk about music except to have the little links like the one below, but music is another one of my favorite things and the song that is there today is one of my fave songs right now so check that out too!
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tostada time!

2008-03-28T17:53:00.001-07:00

i'm hoping this post will help demystify the vegetarian diet. when people find out that i don't eat meat, the first question they ask is (shocked) "what do you eat?" i guess people think meat is the only edible thing in the world. so, here is a common non-meat thing that i eat:

tostadas have been one of my fave foods since i was a kid (especially the ones from del taco, mmm). nothing really beats a homemade one though. i've been having major cravings for these recently because last week our friend jennifer was in town and i made tostadas for a quick lunch at my parents house and remembered how delicious they are. tostadas are also good because you can pretty much put whatever you want on them, just set up a toppings station like you would for taco night and have at it (adam even put a fried egg on his today -- weird).

if you have no idea what a tostada is, click here to find out.

i like mine with a refried beans/black beans combo, vegan chorizo (soyrizo), fat free cheddar, fat free sour cream, avocado pico de gallo, homemade salsa, and a generous drizzling of valentina's extra hot sauce. just layer everything on top of a tostada shell (store bought or homemade) and you are ready to chow down! i usually make mine too big to be consumed like a civilized person, so these are good to eat in the privacy of your own home, where you are free to be as messy as you want. adam wouldn't let me post the picture of my face after eating the tostada pictured -- he said i would lose all my fans. (what fans? haha.)

how to make canned beans more like homemade:
you'll need a can of refried beans (i like rosarita fat free vegetarian) and a can of black beans. pour some, but not all of the liquid out of the black bean can. empty both cans into a medium pot, and mixing and heating it up. now you can add whatever else you want to make it extra good -- i like to add some salsa or chopped jalepenos and a little bit of ground cumin.

how i make homemade salsa:
you'll need about 5 nice fresh ripe tomatoes, a jalepeno, 1/4-1/2 an onion, 1 clove of garlic, salt, pepper, and one lime's worth of juice. just throw it all in your food processor, and mix it up until it is how you like it. you'll need a lot of salt, so taste it and keep adjusting it until it tastes good. we go through countless batches of this, especially in the summer when the tomatoes are really good.

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a quick quote

2008-03-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead (1901 - 1978)

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amazed and horrified

2008-03-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

i read a new york times article today that was really interesting, and, in my opinion, totally true about the nature of human behavior and why most people agree that climate change is happening, but do nothing about it. the author first wrote about how people will devote hours to choosing a new cell phone or tv, but most people spend less than an hour choosing a pension plan. in short, as humans, "we’re not good at making immediate sacrifices for an abstract benefit in the future."

that is precisely the problem with climate change -- the effects of climate change will kill every single person on the planet if things continue as they have been. but, that won't be in our generation, or even or children's generation. but what about their children? their great-grandchildren? whenever it happens, it will be a long time from now, so the majority of people aren't bothered about it. that way of thinking must change right now, and the difficulty in making people realize that is painfully frustrating to me.

but, all hope is not lost. one especially interesting part of the article that illustrates how "with the right prompting, we’ll make sacrifices for the common good and perform acts of charity that we’d never do for any amount of pay. we’ll reform our behavior strikingly to conform with social norms." translation: if being eco-friendly is a social norm, people will conform to it. a study was done in california, where the electric bills of all the houses in a neighborhood were made public. so, everybody knew how much everyone else was consuming. the above-average homes (the heavy users) reduced their consumption substantially, but the poor households (the frugal users) increased their consumption substantially -- they all just wanted to be doing what they thought everyone else was doing. then, the usages were made public but a smiley face was drawn next to the homes with below-average consumption and a frowning face was drawn next to the homes with above-average consumption. the above-average users then dramatically reduced their consumption and the below-average users remained low. because of a smiley face! i am daily amazed and horrified by what strange creatures we are.

the article discusses several ways to get that smiley face effect to make all of society change their wasteful ways. you can check it out here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/science/25tier.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin

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eat a little arti, eat a little arti, eat a little artichoke

2008-03-25T10:25:00.003-07:00

the title of this entry = the lyrics to a song i invented while cooking an artichoke, and now can't get out of my head.

artichokes are my favorite food. every time i eat one i don't know why i ever eat anything else. besides being the best-tasting thing ever, they are also high in antioxidants, fiber, vitamin c, magnesium, and potassium, but low in calories (only 60 per arti!). eating artichokes also promotes fat digestion and metabolism!

the mighty artichoke ranked 7th in total antioxidant capacity in a single serving out of over 100 foods, in a study done by the united states department of agriculture. artichokes were the top ranked fresh vegetable that was tested -- even more than spinach or broccoli! i find this very exciting, don't you?

what to look for in the perfect 'choke:

heavy for its size.
compact center leaves.
healthy green color - fresh-looking.
in winter, blotchy white spots on the outside. this means the artichoke is "frost-kissed" and was exposed to cold air while it was growing. artichoke aficionados, myself included, believe these frost-kissed arti's have the best flavor and tenderness.

so now that you have the perfect artichoke, i suggest cooking it by the easiest method, which also happens to be the method that preserves the most nutrients -- steam. some people use fancy contraptions, there are even artichoke holders for steaming, but i just use a good old fashioned pot, lid, and water. first, you must prepare the artichoke: with a sharp knife, cut the top 1/4-1/2" and the stem (all the way up to the bottom) off the artichoke. using scissors, snip the tops of any leaves that have thorns. wash it and pull the leaves so the water gets all in there. you can put lemon juice on it to stop the cut parts from turning brown, but i don't. next, put about an inch of water in a large pot (with a lid) and heat it until it is steaming. put the artichokes in (i do artichoke bottoms on the bottom of the pot), put the lid on, and adjust the heat so it continues to steam. leave it for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size. to test it, just pull off a leaf and see if it is tender yet. i also put some garlic powder and other random herbs in the pot while the artichoke steams. some people like lemon while steaming too.

now, you should probably know how to eat a steamed artichoke. you just pull off the leaves, dip in the sauce of your choice (i like melted butter and/or mayo with garlic powder mixed in) and scrape the meat off with your teeth (scrape the side that was facing inward). this sounds weird and confusing, but it is fun and delicious. as you can see, the children in the picture are having the time of their life. discard the rest of the leaf into a bowl. once you get down to the super tender leaves, you will find the "choke." you can't miss it. scrape this out, and you will be left with the most delicious treasure in the world -- the heart of the artichoke! eat the heart with the sauce you like and you will be in foodie heaven. if you still don't get it, watch this super-short video:
http://www.oceanmist.com/html/press/video/eat_artichokes_video.aspx

click here for 77 additional artichoke recipes from oceanmist (also the site where i got most of this info) and eat a little arti, eat a little arti, eat a little artichoke!

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choose to reuse: gigo it!

2008-03-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

i found a link to this really cool give-away-your-stuff site on the environmental news network website. it is called gigo it, and it is a free online service where people can sign up for an account, and then list stuff that they don't want anymore and search for stuff they need. i just signed up and listed a broken apple bluetooth keyboard and a broken digital camera that someone could either fix (maybe?) or use for parts, or something -- if someone can use them for anything it saves me a trip to the electronics recycling place and keeps it out of the dump. i'm going to list an old printer that was on its way to the electronics recycling place.

i think this site would be especially good if you were moving, or just moved, and needed to find or get rid of furniture that is still perfectly good but unwanted. i guess the site is sort of like a more mainstream freegan type thing. except instead of being anti-consumerism, it is more pro-environmentalism.

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air travel & offsets

2008-03-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

it's no secret that air travel creates tons of carbon emissions, which is tragic because if i had the money i would like to be traveling non-stop. the stockholm environment institute has created a consumer handout for "flying green," so potential passengers can educate themselves about what kind of environmental impact their air-travel will have and then make an informed decision. i think education is the only silver bullet for fixing any of the world's problems, so i like this handout because it is easy to read, makes sense, and offers solutions.

The average American is responsible for the emissions of about 20 tons of CO2 annually. If you fly to Europe and back from the US, you'll add about 3-4 tons to your (already large) carbon footprint. With one flight you will have caused more emissions than 20 Bangladeshi will cause in a whole year. Unfortunately they are the ones who will lose their homes and livelihood once sea level rise inundates their low lying country.

some highlights from the handout on how to reduce your carbon emissions while traveling:

avoid flying if you can -- examples: video conference for work meetings, vacation closer to home.
fly the most direct route possible. take-offs and landings create the most emissions.
fly economy class -- the more people they can fit on the plane, the less emissions will be created per-person.
buy carbon offsets (this is controversial for some environmentalists - i think mainly because there are questions about how effective it actually is. but, if you must fly, i think buying carbon offsets is better than doing nothing.) the website lists carbon offset companies they have researched and recommend. more on carbon offsets in a later blog.

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san diego coastkeeper

2008-03-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

this week, i accepted a job offer from the non-profit group san diego coastkeeper to work as a full-time legal intern this summer. to celebrate, check out their website! you can see what kind of stuff i'll be doing on the environmental law & policy clinic section of their site. the primary focus of san diego coastkeeper is protecting our water-related natural resources. since pretty much everything we do has the potential to end up polluting the water, coastkeeper is involved in basically all aspects of environmental advocacy -- everything from low-impact development to marine reserve research.

here are a couple of tips on how you can reduce your impact on waterways:

when your car is leaking fluids, get it fixed. those fluids will be washed into the sewers, and will then make their way into our oceans, lakes, and rivers.
don't litter! especially if you live near water -- your trash will end up in the water and will kill marine life.
participate in beach clean-ups. if you don't live near the beach, participate in local clean-ups wherever you live. you can find out what is going on near you here -- your local "keep america beautiful" affiliate will help you get involved.
donate money to non-profit environmental organizations. your donations will be used to challenge those who violate environmental laws and to work towards environmentally friendly legislation. (because coastkeeper is a non-profit group, i will not be getting paid for my internship -- that means a donation to me is a donation to coastkeeper :) ).

awesome usb batteries

2008-03-19T16:46:00.001-07:00

these usb cell batteries are one of the coolest things ever! they can be recharged from ANY usb port (on your computer, tv, game system, car...lots of weird things have usb ports nowadays). so, there is no need to have a separate charging station for rechargeable batteries. they can be recharged hundreds of times, and will work for several hours from a few minutes of charging...i couldn't find where it says how long it takes to fully charge, but it is faster than with other rechargeable batteries. they cost about $17.50 for a two-pack, and right now they only come in AA. but, they are going to make AAA and 9V varieties soon. check out the website at www.usbcell.com.

in somewhat related other news, here is an article about the history and future of electric cars and car batteries. it is from the economist, so it is kind of boring but still interesting: http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10789409

read a book, plant a tree

2008-03-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

have you ever wondered what environmental impact your favorite hobby (reading) has? if not, you are now. each year 20 million trees are chopped down in order to provide virgin paper for books. that is just in the united states. besides going for used books, you can also offset your impact by planting a tree for every book you read. but, put your car keys down, -- you don't have to rush to your local nursery to buy a tree to plant. like most things today, you can plant your trees via internet. but, if you really want to you could get down and dirty and really plant a tree.

eco-libris runs a website where you pay a small fee to plant trees. they start out at $5 for 5 trees, and get cheaper as you buy more trees -- not a bad deal if you ask me. so far, eco-libris has been able to balance the production of 24,000 books. with your help, they hope to reach their goal of one million trees for one million books by the end of 2009. added bonus: with your donation you get a sticker for every tree you plant that you can put in your book, saying that you planted a tree to balance that book's impacts.

and, spread the word!

free endangered species ring tones

2008-03-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

the center for biological diversity has set up a website where you can download free ring tones. the ring tones are the sounds of endangered species. all you have to do is give them your e-mail, and then you can unsubscribe from their list if you want to. i think these would be a good conversation starter -- plus, it's better to have some nice natural sounds rather than the annoying ring tones that most phones have.

check it out: http://rareearthtones.org/ringtones/

international breakfast: frittata & patatas bravas

2008-03-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

i like food from all other countries -- except indian. and i've never had anything african that i can think of, but i think i'd like it. although i can't afford to travel the globe right now, i can at least experience other cultures through cooking and food. i encourage you to do the same.

inspired by my friend ashley's blog, i made an awesome asparagus/roasted red bell pepper/olive/green onion/cheese frittata for breakfast a few weeks ago, but never got around to posting about it. it was my first attempt, and it actually came out really well (good?). if you'd like the recipe, go to ashley's blog.

i quickly realized that my cast iron pan was a lot bigger than the one she used -- i ended up using 4 whole eggs and 7(!) egg whites...so there were leftovers, and i can say that this re-heats well. i also used fat free milk, the veggies i already mentioned (basically everything i had in the fridge that sounded good), and sharp cheddar cheese. it was really easy, and if you want to do something special for breakfast or brunch, this would be great. it would also be good dinner with a salad.

i also made patatas bravas (translation: fierce potatoes) to go along with it, which is a spanish dish of roasted potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce on top. i know frittatas are italian, but they remind me of the spanish tortilla, so i thought this would go well with it, and it was perfect. click here for the recipe i used. if you google 'patatas bravas' a million other recipes will show up, so you can find one that is perfect for you.

also, a quick note on eggs: you may have seen PETA videos about messed up conditions at some egg farms. since you don't really know what the conditions are like where your eggs come from, i recommend buying eggs from small, local egg farms -- they are more likely to use higher standards. adam went on a field trip our local egg farm for an environmental science class, so he was able to give it the okay as far as the living conditions of the chickens went, and they sell the eggs at one of the groceries stores here so it's perfect!

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just 20% makes a BIG difference

2008-03-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

"Gidon Eshel, a geophysicist at the Bard Center, and Pamela A. Martin, an assistant professor of geophysics at the University of Chicago, calculated that if Americans were to reduce meat consumption by just 20 percent it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan — a Camry, say — to the ultra-efficient Prius. Similarly, a study last year by ... Japan estimated that 2.2 pounds of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the average European car every 155 miles, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days." -- Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler, NY Times

inspired by the information quoted above, i hereby challenge you all to cut your meat consumption by 20%. i did some rudimentary calculations, and if you eat meat every single day, then reducing your meat consumption by 20% would equal 73 meat-free days per year. (and fish IS meat, so don't try any funny business!) 73 meat-free days per year would mean that you have one meat-free day one week, then two meat-free days the next week, and continue to alternate like that. i decided that would be too confusing to keep track of, so i am saying your goal should be two meat-free days every week, and then that will leave some room for mess-ups. and, if you do manage to do two meat-free days per week you will be reducing your consumption by something like 32% (i really hate math), which is way better than 20%. this will result in a double whammy of feeling good -- not only will you be reducing your impact on the environment, you will also be eating healthier and therefore feeling better!

if you need more inspiration, read the new york times article i linked to above. it's not too long, is easy to read, and has a lot of interesting information. the author, a non-vegetarian, also wrote a book called "how to cook everything vegetarian -- simple meatless recipes for great food". you can get it from half.com or amazon.

st. patrick's day recipes

2008-03-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

here are my favorite things to make for st. patrick's day:

rumbledethumps: i love the name of this dish. i tried it for the first time last year, and it is now my favorite irish food...i think this is actually be scottish though. basically a casserole of cabbage, potatoes, and cheese. click here for the recipe from recipezaar.

frizzled cabbage: another great name. yes, rumbldethumps already has cabbage in it, but i don't care! this is too good. extremely easy too. click here for the recipe from recipezaar.

irish soda bread: traditionalists will tell you that if your irish soda bread has raisins or yeast in it, it isn't authentic. so, here is an authentic irish soda bread recipe (also from recipezaar). one of the best sandwiches ever is this bread, with a scoop of rumbledethumps, some frizzled cabbage, and hot mustard. mmm..i can't wait until monday!

end of the rainbow irish apple cake: i've actually never made this, but it sounds like it will be my new favorite dessert! click here for the recipe from henry's markets.

low-fat potato and leek soup: i haven't made this one yet either, but i had this in ireland and it was really good, so this recipe will probably be good too.

smokey cheddar and amber ale fondue: i don't have a fondue pot, but this will be the first thing i make when i get one. you can never go wrong with cheese and bread! click here for the recipe.

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greenify your pets

2008-03-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

i worked for a few months at a dog stuff store/bakery a couple of years ago. they are out of business now, so i am feeling free to share their top secret recipe for honey peanut butter dog treats (click this link). consider yourself very lucky. (many dog treats are made from meat classified as "4-D" which transaltes to "dead, dying, diseased, disabled." you wouldn't eat it, so don't give it to your pet!)

there are millions and billions of ways to have a pet and be eco-friendly. for starters, get your pet from an animal shelter -- 3-4 million cats and dogs are euthanized each year because they don't have a home. for the most part, breeders are in it for the money and raise as many purebred animals as they can for profit. as a result, some breeders practice over-breeding, inbreeding, provide little or no veterinary care, and allow the animals to live in inhumane, overcrowded conditions. (but don't feel bad if you already have a breeder dog! i'm no saint -- i've bought a dog from a breeder too.) check out this site for a homeless pet near you: www.petfinder.com (you can enter in animal type, breed, size, age, gender, and location...it is awesome!)

next, make sure you spay or neuter your pet. this goes back to the problem of having way too many homeless animals. over 5,500 puppies and kittens are born every HOUR in the united states -- if you have a purebred dog, get it spayed or neutered as your penance and all will be forgiven. plus, it is a lot healthier for your pet.

here are some other handy tips, including links for your convenience:

pick up poop in biodegradable bags, and ALWAYS clean up after your pet.
buy collars, leashes, and toys, made from sustainable materials -- like hemp and recycled material. these tug toys are made from recycled rubber liners used to milk cows, apparently dogs find the smell irresistible... even better (and cheaper) combine your crafting skills and recycling skills and make your own toys out of stuff you don't want anymore!
use natural pet-care products.
keep your cats inside. 2 out of 3 veterinarians recommend keeping cats indoors for their own safety -- an indoor cat has a lifespan of 15-18 years, while a roaming cat's lifespan is only 3 years. plus, besides habitat destruction, cats kill more birds than anything else does. domestic cats kill more than 39 million birds each year -- in wisconsin alone!
use swheat scoop, or another eco-friendly cat litter.
check out this site for more cool green pet stuff.

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the heat debate: gas or electric?

2008-03-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

thanks for the inspiration ashley!

which is better, heating your home using your central heater (gas) or a space heater (electric)?

from my internet-based research, it looks like the short answer is gas because it is less expensive and more efficient. the longer answer is, it depends. if you are just in your home office, it is more efficient to use a space heater for that one room than to heat the whole house. the following website explains it in more detail, but it started talking about maths and i got confused and made the decision to just link to it rather than try to translate it: Which is better: Gas or Electric Heat?

and here are some other tips on how to save energy and $$$ while cooling/heating your home from www.powerscorecard.org:

Be careful not to overheat or overcool rooms. In the winter, set your thermostat at 68 degrees in daytime, and 55 degrees at night. In the summer, keep it at 78. Lowering your thermostat just two degrees during winter saves 6 percent of heating-related CO2 emissions. That's a reduction of 420 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home.
Insulate your walls and ceilings. This can save 20 to 30 percent of home heating bills and reduce CO2 emissions by 140 to 2100 pounds per year. If you live in a colder climate, consider superinsulating. That can save 5.5 tons of CO2 per year for gas-heated homes, 8.8 tons per year for oil heat, or 23 tons per year for electric heat. (If you have electric heat, you might also consider switching to more efficient gas or oil.)
Plant shade trees and paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color if you live in a cold climate. Reductions in energy use resulting from shade trees and appropriate painting can save up to 2.4 tons of CO2 emissions per year. (Each tree also directly absorbs about 25 pounds of CO2 from the air annually.)
Clean or replace air filters as recommended. Energy is lost when air conditioners and hot-air furnaces have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. Cleaning a dirty air conditioner filter can save 5 percent of the energy used. That could save 175 pounds of CO2 per year.

other ideas are to dress accordingly -- don't keep your home so warm in the winter that you are walking around in shorts while it is snowing outside. also, try to keep the cold/hot air from getting inside by caulking the windows and using something to stop air from coming in below the door -- like a towel.

i'm lucky because we don't need to use heat or air conditioning at our place. it gets unbearably hot at night sometimes in summer, but we don't even have air conditioning so it isn't an option. when i someday have a house i will definitely faint when i get the utility bills.

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weird, but SO GOOD!

2008-03-09T14:05:00.001-07:00

three days ago i tried out a new recipe for meatless meatloaf i got from vegetarian times magazine. it is my new favorite food! it was so, so, so easy to make too! i finely chopped the veggies in my food processor, threw everything into a bowl, mixed it up, put it in a loaf pan, and it was ready to bake. it seriously only took about ten minutes to prepare. the instructions say to sauté the veggies first, but i forgot to do that and put them in raw -- it turned out GREAT, so if you want to save extra time, skip that step. i put the unbaked loaf in the fridge for about two hours until we were ready to cook it. it is a super fast and easy make-ahead meal that will even impress meat lovers.

the recipe says to top it with regular ketchup, but i made an extra small bowl of ketchup mixed with balsamic vinegar, microwaved for about 40 seconds. i didn't measure, but just put in however much vinegar you think looks good and mix it until it is fully combined. it gives the ketchup a little something extra, and the extra sauce is perfect on the meatloaf.

we ate our loaf with homemade mashed potatoes, vegetarian gravy, and we shared an artichoke (my favorite vegetable). it was so good. we are now on day three of eating leftover meatless meatloaf, and i just had a meatloaf sandwich....mmm....i want another one just thinking about it.

please try this recipe, i give it my highest recommendation, and i was wary of it at first!

click here for the recipe from vegetarian times (i also stole the picture from them, which is why it looks so professional):
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10244

nutrition info (1 serving = 1/8 of loaf, which is a lot):

yogurt & berries

2008-03-08T10:57:00.001-08:00

here is a quick and cinchy breakfast idea: just put a single serving cup of non-fat yogurt, a handful of berries, and handful of cereal in a bowl. yummy! i use brain buds cereal, which is actually called bran buds. i call it brain buds because the first time i bought it was the night before my first set of exams in law school, and i was at the store looking for something healthy to eat in the morning. i thought the box said 'brain buds', which, of course, sounds like the perfect thing to eat before a test. i didn't find out they were actually bran buds until several months later.

nutrition info: 190 calories, 0 fat, 210 sodium, 47 carbs, 15 fiber, 25 suger, 9 protein, 80% vitamin c, 50% calicium, 110% iron.

fish fridays are no good for the planet

2008-03-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

the world's supply of fish is at a critical point, and over-fishing is directly linked to consumption. but, no matter how many times it makes headlines, people don't really seem to care that the planet is quickly running out of fish -- global demand for seafood continues to grow. the united states eats 5 times more fish than it did 100 years ago.

a long, long, long time ago (11th century) the catholic church decided catholics were banned from eating meat on fridays as a show of penance. but, fish was okay. why they decided fish was not meat is beyond me. anyway, the church continued to add similar restrictions to other days of religious observance, raising the number of fish-only days each year to over 100. then, in 1966 the pope got rid of the meat ban, except for fridays during lent (the 40 days before easter). i'm sure you've noticed, but this no-meat fridays thing is still a big money maker people who sell fish -- almost every fast food place i can think of advertises their fish sandwich relentlessly before easter.

so, to summarize: consumption of fish has lead to over-fishing and the world's oceans are running out of fish -- fast. the catholic church says people can't eat meat on fridays during lent, but they can eat fish. lots of people are catholic and practice fish-only fridays during lent, eating more fish than they normally would. therefore, it follows that this part of catholic faith contributes to the depletion of world fish stocks in a significant way.

the current pope has said that catholics need to protect creation. creation includes fish. so, it would make sense for the pope to say that the fish-fridays thing is killing the planet and therefore is no longer necessary since catholics are supposed to protect creation...right? hmm...something to think about. i would argue to catholics that, based on your beliefs as i understand them, a vegetarian diet and green lifestyle would increase your chances of getting into heaven because the pope says you have to protect creation.

i won't even address why saying fish aren't meat doesn't make sense -- too much of religion in general doesn't make sense, so that arguement would be pointless.

for more info on this issue, check out this article, where i got most of this from: http://www.science-spirit.org/news_overview.php#news653

freeganism: legitimate movement, or another name for bum?

2008-03-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

From the Urban Dictionary website:
Freegan: Somebody who abstains from contributing to the economy and salvages society's wasted food and resources rather than purchase more themselves. Often pertains to a VEGAN (somebody who doesn't eat/wear animal products) who only makes exceptions when dealing with otherwise wasted items.

My definition:
Freegan: A type of environmental activist who is anti-globalization, anti-consumerism and are best known for making political statements by getting unspoiled food out of dumpsters and either eating it themselves, or feeding others with it. A freegan does not pay money for food, or anything else -- besides dumpsters, they use barter, trade, shoplifting, wild foraging, etc. to get what they need. Not really completely associated with veganism, many freegans see vegans as still contributing to environmental degradation by purchasing food. Not taken seriously because they are too weird, too alternative, and the line between freegan and worthless bum is too vague for the masses to see -- but, they don't really care because they feel they are doing the right thing for their lives.

An anti-freegan view from the Urban Dictionary website: "People who aren't vegan but want a word for their diet to pretend that it means something. They're often seen eating meat and cheese. Usually associated with anarchist activists, traveler kids, alcoholic punks, and other embarrassing subcultures."

From Wikipedia: Freegans claim that people sincerely committed to living the "cruelty-free" lifestyle espoused by vegans must strive to abstain not only from eating, wearing, and using animal skins, secretions (e.g. milk and its by-products), flesh, and animal-tested products, but must attempt to remove themselves from participation in the capitalist economy altogether as workers and consumers.

Main points about Freegans: (from http://freegan.info, apparently, their official site.)

Freeganism is a total boycott of the capitalist system.
Use "waste reclamation" to get food out of dumpsters that would otherwise go to waste (like stuff from grocery stores that is past its sell-by date, but is still edible), thereby removing themselves from being a part of the consumer-driven economy, and proving that the food is fine.
The group Food Not Bombs uses salvaged food to make vegetarian and vegan food for the homeless, or anyone else who wants it.
Use things that have been discarded, but are still good to use.
"Squat" in abandoned buildings because they believe that housing is a right, not a privilege.
Believe in sharing and community, teaching each other how to forrage for wild food (like berries), and practice "freecycling" - giving things they no longer need to other freegans.
Use impact-free modes of transportation (skating, biking, walking), but when they must use a car they use biofuel.

The freegan manifesto is a pamphlet called "Why Freegan?", allegedly written in 1999 by Against Me! drummer, Warren Oates -- I was unable to fully confirm that claim. You can check out the pamphlet here: http://freegan.info/?page=WhyFreegan

mac & cheese with broccoli

2008-03-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

this is a good way to make a serving of boxed mac & cheese more filling, while also getting some veggies in there. just make the mac & cheese according to the directions on the box (i like it with white cheddar spirals), or however you like to do it, and then throw in some cooked but still crisp broccoli -- overcooked broccoli is the worst, so watch it! i make my broccoli like this: put about an inch or so of water in a small pot, bring it to a boil, put the broccoli in, cover, turn it to low, and wait about 2 minutes. it should be bright green and not soggy. i hate plain broccoli so this is a good way to trick me (and kids, probably) into eating it. make this a bigger meal with some bruschetta.

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have americans stopped guzzling?

2008-03-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

u.s. gasoline consumption has dropped by an average of 1.1% since 2007 -- that's the most sustained drop in at least 16 years (not counting the drop that followed katrina). the reasons for the drop in gasoline consumption is a combination of factors, such as unbelievably high gas prices (another record for crude oil was set on monday -- over $103 per barrel), the weak economy (people have less money to spend in general, and they are choosing to buy food instead of gas), people using more efficient cars, people moving closer to their workplace, and people just driving less.

the extra-good news is that analysts think this drop may be a long term trend, rather than a one-time thing. hopefully, that turns out to be true. you can read an article about this here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/mar/04/using-less-gas/

here are some tips to reduce your gas consumption, any other ideas?

take care of all your errands at the same time, or once you're already out (like on the way home from work/school) rather than making trips everyday.
if you're buying a new car, buy one that gets AT LEAST 5 miles more per gallon than your current car -- it doesn't have to be a hybrid, it just has to be more efficient.
use public transportation. if you're in sf or nyc, consider yourself lucky on this one.
ride a bike or walk when you can.
carpool.

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amphibian ark

2008-03-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

"Amphibians are an important component of the global ecosystem, as indicators of environmental health and contributors to human health. They watched the dinosaurs come and go, but today almost half of them are themselves threatened with extinction. Addressing the amphibian extinction crisis represents the greatest species conservation challenge in the history of humanity." -- www.amphibianark.org

i recently saw jeff corwin on tv talking about this website, so i checked i out and learned a lot about why amphibians are so important to our ecosystem. currently, amphibian species are facing extinction faster than they ever have before. because they have thin skins, which helps them breathe and drink, they are especially susceptible to contaminants. a disease caused by the chytrid fungus is currently causing a massive decline in amphibian populations.

so why should we care? for one thing, frogs eat millions and billions of bugs that will take over if the frogs disappear. without going into too much detail, the food chain depends on frogs eating all these bugs, and we need them to eat the bugs so we don't get the diseases that the bugs carry. plus, scientists have discovered all kinds of medicines in amphibians. the austrailian red-eyed treefrog has a compound in it that prevents HIV infection. one simple, painless way you can help is to go to the amphibian ark website and electronically sign the petition. slightly more painful ways to help include making a donation on the website.

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another whale victory

2008-03-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

remember when i posted about how a lower court federal judge rejected bush's attempt at allowing the navy to do sonar testing, regardless of any environmental impacts, in whales' migration paths as a matter of "national security"? if not, the post is here.

well, on friday the federal court of appeals upheld the lower court's ruling. translation: the navy cannot do their sonar testing unless they make sure they won't be doing it when whales are in the area. which is awesome for two reasons: (1) no whales will have to die for the navy's testing and (2) MORE judges are standing up to stupid bush! for more on this story, click here.

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my perfect on-the-go snack

2008-03-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

i think i've mentioned before that i have a major salt-tooth. when i get these uncontrollable salt cravings, i usually end up getting into something unhealthy -- like chips, which i love but force myself to avoid. i invented this trail mix recipe so i would have something to eat that would give me energy while snowboarding in mammoth. it's tasty, healthy (in moderation!), and salt-tooth satisfying!

all you do is mix the following ingredients together. you can change it up however you want, which is the beauty of trail mix -- just try to skimp on the m&m's! the nutrition info is for a 1/4 cup serving.

3 cups roasted peanuts
1 cup roasted cashews
2 cups yogurt covered raisins
1 cup dried cranberries, sweetened & unsulphered
3/4 cup dried blueberries, sweetened & unsulphered

my grocery store has all that stuff in bulk bins, so it is super easy for me to get the amounts i need, and the nuts are not as salty as the jarred kind (even though i love salt, i prefer the less-salty ones here.) so, if you have bulk bins at your store, you pretty much have no excuse not to make trail mix. even if you're allergic to nuts, there are still tons of dried fruits available to make a fruit trail mix.

i also have some great news -- people who eat nuts weigh less than non-nut-eaters. there currently isn't a consensus on why, but it is probably because a handful of nuts will make you feel full, so you end feeling satisfied and stay away from junk food. yes, nuts have fat -- but it's the 'good fat', providing an energy source (which also makes you feel like you don't need to eat as much.) and, again, moderation is the key -- it would not be a good idea to eat an entire container of nuts in one sitting...and you will pay for it later, trust me (you don't want details on that). a good portion size is a small handful. if you have a choice, go for dry roasted rather than oil roasted nuts, which have more calories and fat. nuts are also good for a nice healthy heart!

i try to keep a little bag of trail mix in my backpack and purse, so that no matter where i am when hunger strikes, i have a healthy snack that will also give me an energy boost. i'm going to throw in a cup of dried cherries for the next batch, any other ideas?

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winos, get your corks together

2008-02-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

did you know that that little cork that is stopping you from getting to the bottom of that wine bottle is harvested from the cork oak tree? why yes, it's true. and stuff from trees can pretty much always be recycled and turned into something else, which leads me to my next point -- save those corks and recycle them!

it is hard for me to drink wine without making a face because it is so disgusting. but, to each their own.

this website has all the info you need to send your corks away to cork reincarnation camp, where they will be turned into some exciting and useful new thing. please, don't deny the corks that give you so much pleasure the chance to live on in a new form. and, even better, this organization will donate the money from the recycled corks to children's charities. everybody wins! just collect your corks and mail them to:

Korks 4 Kids Program
c/o RECYCLE CORK USA, LLC.
510 Wynwood Road
York, Pennsylvania 17402

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8 important veggie foods

2008-02-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

if you are seriously considering a vegetarian diet, and you're wondering how you will get all the nutrients that you are currently getting from animal products (iron, b-12, calcium, protein, etc.), here is a must-read article that explains 8 foods that are essential to a vegetarian diet (guess what -- lentils are on there!): http://www.vegetariantimes.com/features/editors_picks/387

i learned from the article that, apparently, i need to eat more seaweed. which for me means more veggie sushi, yay! the article is from vegetarian times magazine, which i also recommend. there's no need to subscribe either -- everything in the magazine is also on the website, so you can save money and trees! they have tons of yummy recipe ideas on the site as well.

another thing a vegetarian needs is a way to keep track of their daily nutrition. for this, i use www.slim-fast.com, which i would also recommend. it is totally free, and easy to use. you just put in what you eat throughout the day, and it adds everything up so you can make sure you are getting enough protein, fiber, and vitamins but not too much fat and calories. there are also recipe and fitness ideas on the site. if you're interested, you can add me as a buddy on the site. e-mail me for my buddy name.

burger time

2008-02-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

veggie burgers have come a long way. i used to hate them. the first one i had was dry and tasted like cardboard...or how i would imagine cardboard tastes. that was a million years ago though (at least 13). but, i refused to eat veggie burgers for a long, long time, which really limited my options at restaurants. i was known for ordering grilled cheese sandwiches everywhere i went -- but that was also because it was my favorite food.

but now, there is a great variety of veggie burgers out there, and all of the ones i have tried are good. my favorites are gardenburger original and boca all american grilled. does anyone else have a favorite veggie burger they'd like to share?

as far as restaurants go, my favorite veggie burgers are from hodad's here in ocean beach, ruby's blues burger, the bluenami from islands, and the blue ribbon burger from red robin. so i guess now is a good time to admit i love blue cheese, since i am basically left with no other choice.

the other night adam and i had boca burgers, and they were so good! we used kaiser rolls and put sautéed portabella mushroom, cheddar, gorgonzola, tomato, romaine lettuce, and mixidoodle on them. mmm...i want another one now. yes, we were indulging by using so much cheese, but you could always leave that out. we planned the rest of our meals that day so we could eat cheeseburgers for dinner guilt-free.

oh, you're probably wondering what mixidoodle is. it's pretty much a condiment made of sautéed onion, ketchup, mustard, and a bit of garlic. the recipe from food network is here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31601,00.html. it's not called mixidoodle on the site, it is just called onion relish. but on tv the guy (michael chiarello from easy entertaining) called it mixidoodle, and that is much more fun than onion relish.

(the burger picture was stolen from the boca burger site, mine look much messier than that one!)

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riots and rainforests

2008-02-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

last month, brazil announced that they were (finally) going to start seriously cracking down on illegal logging in the rainforests. this includes using the army to conduct inspections of companies' operations to make sure they aren't using illegal timber, and fining meat processors and soy buyers who purchase products originating in deforested areas. good news, hopefully it will work.

my main concern is that the root of deforestation is poverty -- the local people have to survive, and the only way for them to do that is to sell timber to rich people (like the u.s. and europe). so, this "solution" doesn't really target what i feel is the actual problem. but, it's better than nothing, i will admit.

so far, it looks like brazil is keeping their promise. this weekend, 500 trucks full of illegal wood were seized by over 450 troops. sawmill workers were rioting and protesting environmental inspectors that were trying to look at the facilities, so the troops had to be called in. the wood will be sold to raise money for rainforest protection. the people rioting were just normal, poor, workers just trying to survive --not the big businessmen who are really behind the logging. so, this is an example of how poverty is the real problem here. "we don't want a confrontation with the people," said brazilian president luiz inacio lula da silva. "we're fighting criminals, and these people unfortunately manipulate the local residents."

click here for a guide to avoiding wood from rainforests -- you can check it out by species, company, country, or product. consumer demand for this wood is what fuels deforestation -- educating yourself about what you can do to save the rainforests is as easy as a mouseclick -- do it!

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fun with fungi

2008-02-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

this is one of my favorite meals, and (luckily) it is also one of the healthiest meals i eat regularly. portabella mushrooms have been described as "meaty" or "beefy." i don't understand those descriptions because i hate meat, but i love these. i think those words are used to trick meat-lovers into eating these mushrooms. i'm from the school of thought that no trickery is needed -- these are tasty! i like to try to have these at least once a week.

the health benefits of mushrooms are that they are low in calories (only 25 per shroom!) and high in potassium, which is an essential mineral needed to regulate water balance, levels of acidity, blood pressure, and neuromuscular function. the nutrition info to the left is for one portabella.

my mom got me started making grilled portabellas -- she and my brother were addicted to them for a time. to make these grilled portabella mushrooms, just brush the mushroom (top and bottom) with an olive oil/balsamic vinegar mix and sprinkle with your seasoning of choice (top and bottom). i use steak seasoning, which you can get in the spices/rubs section of the store. then throw them in a cast iron skillet at med-high heat or on a grill if you are lucky enough to be a barbequer. they take about 7 minutes on each side, but keep an eye on them and turn the heat down if the seasoning starts to char. adam and i like to eat these with brown rice and roasted veggies or salad and a generous amount of A1 on the side (yes, the steak sauce).

for more info on portabella mushrooms, like how to pick out a good one, click here. that's also where i stole the nutritional info from.

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lentil lovers unite

2008-02-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

it's been stormy the last few days here, so i decided last night that i would make stew today. so, of course, today it is back to being sunny! but i already had my heart set on stew, so i made it anyway.

not only is this lentil stew a cinch to make, it is healthy and delicious too! the basic recipe can be found on recipezaar, here: http://www.recipezaar.com/20064. from there you can change it up as you see fit. i add celery and more garlic to mine, and i use cremini mushrooms. the longer you cook it, the more stew-like it becomes as the lentils and potatoes break down -- my picture looks more soup-like, but i couldn't wait anymore to eat it. bake up a batch of french bread, and you'll be all set for a cozy night at home! (even if it is actually a beach-weather day.)

lentils are an important part of a vegetarian diet because they are chock full of protein, iron, and folic acid (they have more folic acid than any other unfortified food). they also have tons of fiber, and few calories (115 in a 1/2 cup of cooked lentils) so they "fill you up, not out." lentils are very inexpensive too! check out this article if you'd like to know more about lentils (its kind of weird and boring, but you can just skim to the parts that are about nutrition and preparation): http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52

there are tons of different kinds too, but the ones i see most often in stores are red and green lentils. you can find the other ones at specialty stores, or you an order them online if you are a hardcore lentil lover -- which i am well on my way to becoming. tattoo design ideas, anyone? (kidding -- unless it is really rad.)

to sum up: lentils are a low fat, low calorie, nutrition-packed, inexpensive food -- they're basically perfect! i'm thinking about inundating this blog with lentil-related recipes and posts until you all give in to my peer pressure and try them...yes that's a threat.

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