get that christmas tree outta here

Good morning on the eve of a new year! Wasn't sure how my family & I were going to mark the occasion. We have several great options, including a First Night celebration in our quaint little town. Or invites to hang with friends. But as I settled in at the breakfast table eating a fabulous omelet my husband made, an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer caught my eye. The gist of the story was to use your dried out Christmas tree to feed the birds. Not the actual tree, mind you. This is where those little people running around your house complaining, "I'm bored!" come in. I promise not to get sidetracked with all the toys they could be playing with or the thank you notes which aren't going to write themselves. Round 'em up the best you can, including any stragglers hiding in front of Wii & start 'em stringing cheerios, cranberries & peanuts in the shell. If you are feeling especially ambitious, pine cones can be dipped in melted suet & rolled in black oil sunflower seeds.
Off I go to gather my supplies & rally my troops. Wish me luck on re-trimming our tree!

If you are feeling moved to action as well, here's a link to the article....

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20101231_A_new_way_to_recycle_your_Christmas_tree__and_other_ways_to_help_backyard_animals.html

action

Okay, fess up. You may not be obsessed, like half the country, with Kate Gosselin & all her kids, but unless you live under a rock, you have seen a picture or two of her bad weave. I have no idea if any other nation is as celebrity centric as the US, but standing in line at the grocery store it seems like all we do is gawk at one star or another.
I am somewhere in the middle of the celebrity overload. I know who the “Situation” is but don’t really care to watch how badly he & his crew wreck Seaside Heights or New Jersey’s image (hmmm, that may have already been wrecked). Lindsay Lohan….nothing to say, really, nothing. And on & on it goes. Everyone deserves their 15 minutes of fame, right?
Alright, enough cynicism. My point of this particular tangent is celebrities who use their power of fame & pretty faces to do good. And for our purposes here, green good. So, hang onto your hat, what follows is a refreshing list of good deeds by an eclectic group of famous folks (and handsome!).

1. Ed Norton. Remember him in “Fight Club”? Well, after running the NY marathon to raise $ for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust in 2009, (a bit of a side note here…”60 minutes” just aired a story on this area & the Great Migration of Wildebeest 2 days ago. It was truly a compelling story, I promise.) Edward decided to create a website CrowdRise, which allows users to create a profile & raise cash for organizations that are important to them. One tagline… answering the call to service, raising money for charity, and having the most fun in the world while doing it. Worth a look-see!
2. Leo. The Titanic hunk, not the lion. But funny you should mention lions. Ok, it’s really tigers but let’s not get technical. Mr. Dicaprio just pledged $1 million to the World Wildlife Fund for this year’s Save the Tigers Now campaign. The goal is to double the number of endangered tigers in the wild by 2022. He is quoted as saying, “By saving tigers, we can also protect some of our last remaining ancient forest and improve the lives of indigenous communities”. Not just a pretty face!
3. Pearl Jam. These guys have been around the block, no joke. The whole Seattle grunge movement may have started with Nirvana but Pearl Jam quickly outsold them. All those years ago, they famously boycotted Ticketmaster for its monopoly on ticket sales and these days they speak out on homelessness, pro-choice and environmental issues to name a few. This year to offset the carbon footprint of their 32 date tour 33 acres of trees were planted in the Pacific Northwest, where they hail from.
4. Ryan Reynolds. Seriously, what is not to like?? Before I get all sidetracked with the “sexiest Man” thing, let’s focus on his mind. He produced a documentary about Luna, the killer whale, which follows a whale as he comes in contact with humans and the consequences incurred. Reynolds also narrated a clean energy public service announcement for the Natural Resources Defense Council to highlight the true cost of a gallon of gas. He was driven to become involved after flying over the Gulf of Mexico during the BP fiasco and even worked to maintain eco-friendly initiatives on the set of the “Green Lantern”. All this & he married Scarlett Johansson, smart man!
5. Kevin Costner. Of “Field of Dreams” & “Tin Cup” fame, the actor has also had his share of
failures. “Waterworld” & “The Postman”, ring a bell? Yikes. Well, he has a lot to be proud of these days though. BP has purchased 32 centrifuges from Costner’s company Ocean Therapy Solutions to help with the gulf oil spill. The machine is supposed to separate 97% of oil from water. Maybe there was more to that water movie than just bad wardrobe. Hmmm.


So, I don’t know about you but these guys are inspiring me. I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year than reflecting on all the great ways people are thinking outside the box & paying attention to the world. I am sure you know someone right in your backyard working in big & small ways to make a change. What will you do?

the big backslide

Wow, we are so far away from the bounty of august. My little plot of dirt is just that, dirt. Well, really frozen dirt. And visions of heirloom tomatoes are a long way off. So what does a green girl wanna- be do during the long winter months? Backslide. I mean come on…the excess of the holidays, the chill in the air. I have to confess…my countertop composter has been idle (Tom has been using it way more than I, if that tells you anything!) and we really don’t even want to lift the lid on the backyard composter, yuck! My food choices haven’t been all organic & local, more like convenient carbs (read: cookies). And I did send holiday cards. Call me old fashioned or consumerist but I like getting & receiving Christmas cards. Generally they are a big fat waste of time, energy, money & paper. But come on, who could pass up showing off their kids or dog, even if most of my cards haven’t even been sent…yet. And to top it off, I wrapped my presents in a mountain of paper, coordinated paper but still paper that will end up best case scenario in a recycling plant, worst… a dump. There is no doubt that a true blue “greenie” would have me drawn & quartered for all my digressions. But just like a diet or new exercise regiment, there are often times false starts. The guilt associated with this backslide, however, is huge. And here’s my take on why…the only way to feel guilt is to be aware of wrong doing, right? So with good old-fashioned, glass half-full sensibility, I am once again getting back on the horse, setting my cart on the straight & narrow, making a fresh start…need I keep going with the list of clichés? I think you got the point.
The New Year for me is always a chance to start anew. So with restored energy & curiosity, I am once again delving into the great, green unknown to find healthy answers for my family & Mother Nature. At this point, I can only be thankful for the progress I have made & all the amazing support bestowed upon my by some pretty great people. I am always awed by the power of friendship & the way the universe works.

So Happy New Year & Happy Clean Slate!

Whew! Just when I should have been posting more pictures of beautiful produce & waxing poetic about all my "green" advances, I got outta dodge. Plenty of fun, vacation photos & silly memories but my garden was a little disappointed with my behavior & acted out. Green & wax beans took over the joint. As did some seriously, mammoth, white marigolds. This left my one, lonely eggplant woefully sun-deprived. One, measly eggplant does not a baba ganoush make. And don't even get me started on the biggest trouble maker of the bunch...my tomatoes. In the end, I planted 5 different varieties. My Rampapo gave me a handful of early summer beauties. Now, however, it mocks me with a few pieces of green fruit. Last summer I threw some pots on the patio with tomatoes & we couldn't eat them fast enough. So, did my absenteeism cause this revolt or the relentless, sweltering heat? To ease my troubled mind, I am choosing the latter.
In the meantime, I have plans. There are the "BIG PLANS", prohibited by time, energy & a baseball diamond in my backyard. These are the stuff of my daydreams. Greenhouses, brambles, garden paths...all set for a fluid time in the future. And then, the little plans. Step by step, lesson by lesson. Planning for the height of each plant a bit better. Moving a sprinkler a hair to the right. More carrots (they were absolutely fabulous!).
One thing is for certain, I will not give up that easily.

show off

While everyone is talking about the crazy housewives, new jersey or new york...does it matter? (yes, I've indulged!) I am currently obsessed with The Fabulous Beekman Boys on planet green. It's a new docu-series which just sprouted in June. Want a little drama? Follow a former Martha Stewart V.P. & a drag queen turned ad man on their adventure from new york city slickers to organic farmers.

Josh & Brent are just like most married couples I know. Opposites. Josh seems to prefer life a little more loose & carefree (could be the drag queen in him), while Brent has a list a mile long always at the ready (martha, martha, martha). He even cleans the pigs off before a party. And, of course, they bicker. About money, chores, & their "kids", just to name the basics. Add into the mix a crazy llama, herd of goats, escaping piglets & a real life farmer and you get a very funny look at some pretty cool subjects. Sustainability, eating organic & local, raising animals humanely, connecting to the earth & your neighbors. What more could you want? "Skinny girl" margaritas? Ok, I get that. Have one while you watch.

I look forward to seeing what these boys do next...Think they will adopt me? Probably not. I"ll just have to settle on shaking their hands at Terrain on July 10th. Curious? It's a reading, book signing & conversation about their book...The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentleman Farmers

Oh, I almost forgot, for more drama you can visit the website...

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/the-fabulous-beekman-boys/the-fabulous-beekman-boys-leave-the-city-behind-in-a-new-reality-show.html

One of their friends is James Frey. Remember the author that Oprah made cry? Yup, that's the one. He writes a little bit about his dynamic duo buddies after each episode. Fact or fiction, you decide.

stops & starts

My garden is in the anticipation stage. And, oh, boy are we ever!

Just back from a waterlogged camping trip, I ducked out the back door to check on my green babies. Some didn't fair well. RIP my lovely strawberry plant. You will be missed. But this loss was off-set by all the promising green. The Rampapo tomato is taking over the far end of the plot giving the string beans a run for their money.
Peppers are prospering! And lots of leafy lush-ness is spilling out & over the sides of my raised bed. Carrot & beet greens continue to climb skyward. We have even harvested some bush beans. And hidden under all the promised bounty a little purple gem...eggplant. It's so cute. I am a proud momma.

Now back to work!

not so green

My poor strawberry plant didn't have as much fun while I was away as I did. Stating the obvious here. It was a good little plant too. Plenty of plump, ripe berries eaten right off the vine with plenty of red-stained fingers to prove it. This plant was to be the grandfather to all our future generations of berries. Big plans were hatched in my head for a strawberry patch, bushel of blueberries & bramble of raspberries. Dream big or go home, I say. Piece of advice...when dreaming don't forget to insert a back-up watering plan in with the visions of grandeur!

Well, I guess it's all part of my learning curve. Next year strawberries are going right in the ground. And Tom will (fingers crossed) be busy building me another beautiful raised bed to start everything early. And I have my mind set on a watering wizard...real, not imagined. In the meantime, we are taking better care of his younger sibling!

friend or foe

Well, if you ask me foe! The current state of my garden is a bit sad. With the warm weather & lettuce bolting. But the worst of it... I lost 4 plants to a little covert operator. He started out so tiny, it seemed impossible for the polka dot holes all over my broccoli & brussel sprout plants to have been created by him. But he had family stop by for the feast! I picked about 4 isty-bitsy green caterpillars off & carefully brushed all the little black dots, which I had learned from one of my garden gurus were eggs, yuck! Not pleasant business, I tell ya. But necessary for the survival of my brassica oleracea (ha, I looked it up!) plants. And I was done with that or so I thought.

Still more holes appeared & more black specks so my hunting expedition continued. I had to pull plants for fear of widespread damage. And when I thought all were vacated into the vegetative waste barrel, a rogue was spotted. He tried to make his escape by rolling down into the soil but I wasn't having it!! My fingers were poised for proper squashing when a reprieve came.

My sweet William felt such reverence for the fat-off-my-garden caterpillar he created quite a bug oasis in a not so old sidewalk chalk container. The container was quite new actually, but had been upended in haste on our basement floor to accommodate the leaf munching maven. It was a Greenpeace moment in my very backyard. I apparently played the part of big corporation, that's irony for ya.

Not sure the life expectancy of these invasive pests but our little buddy hung around in captivity for a few days until Will decided to set him free. I told him he could only be released far away from my little cultivated plot. Will & his shadow of a sister made their way to the end of the block to accommodate my wishes. I worried about someone else's broccoli but needlessly. Poor guy was already dead for his march :( Will saved this information only for me, as he knew his sister would have been truly upset. Like I said sweet.

stop the mail chatter

A friend & I were talking about the whole excess catalog issue today (other topics were discussed. But what happens at the coffee shop, stays at the coffee shop!) Not only am I drawn to spend more money when these glossy marketing mavins grace my mailbox but the recycle bin becomes too heavy to get to the curb. Yes, I have not been to the gym lately but come on.

You may remember my inital efforts to stop the multiple catalog madness. And now all but a trickle of catalogs remain in the post. For full discolure though, I admit to have a stash of the old ones in case of emergency. And frankly, with the internet, they haven't really been missed.

Currently I am working on expelling the last of the tenacious little buggers. Feel free to join me in a little precycling by visiting the above sites. (if I did the whole techno-link thingy right)

cup o joe

Synergy. That's all I can say. I am the lucky recipient of a collaboration between weather, illness & a chance encounter. Does this sound intriguing or just downright depressing? Well, while you think about it let me explain.

My little one, Elise, has been running a fever for a full 24 hours. Never fun, right? But behold the power of Motrin (the cvs brand, folks. I do stay informed about recalls)) & on demand movies. So that is under control. At least for the moment.

The weather happens to generate an inner dialogue (global warming anyone?) with all it's blustery frigidness & now the rain. But again coupled with a "under the weather" kid, I get a pass to stay in pjs all day, do laundry & catch up on my dvr-ed shows.

Now for the key ingredient. The reason for finding myself delighted in the face of a not so ideal situation. Coffee. Not just the random bag stuffed at the back of my freezer in case of brain fog or general malaise. This elixir came from a fragrant brown bag of glossy whole beans on offer at the headhouse farmer's market.

I was lucky enough to visit the market this past sunday, mom's day. My stop at the coffee stand was really by gravitation pull. I was in line to acquire a couple of loaves of bread from Wild Flour Bakery. The asiago cheese & sundried tomato polenta loaf is amazing! It went perfect with our free range london broil & local asparagus. Oh & the salad greens from our garden (let's hope everything in my garden grows as beautifully!) Bonus my husband cooked it all!!

But back on subject. The recycled brown bags of Joe's coffee stood shoulder to shoulder waiting to be deployed into service. Not only did I walk away with a cup of freshly roasted deliciousness but also a bag of El Salvador & even Market Day canele. It just kept getting better. Joe's coffee is organic, fair trade and sustainable with minimal compost-able packaging. And the taste. mmmmmm, mmmm. The simple pack states "floral, chocolate frangrance & honey". I say heaven!

So even though I miss the cast of characters & lively conversation in my local coffee shop, I am just fine. Sitting here warming my hands on my favorite mug of joe.

bounty of green

There ain't nothing like a salad from your very own garden! Dressed with a good olive oil & balsamic, freshly grated cheese & homemade croutons. Yeah, it was that good. Plenty to share!

ps. mouthwatering pictures by a very cool friend! Thanks!!

knowledge is power

Just back from a jaunt to my local library. Very fruitful trip. Books & the words in them feed my soul almost as well as a meal cooked with love. I typically like to own the book I'm reading. Not sure why exactly, maybe it's the feeling of seeing all I have read on my bookshelves or to be able to lend my most recent favorite to a friend. Hmmm, let's put the inner workings of my brain aside, otherwise we could be here awhile.

So, I borrowed an armful of books (one of the R's by the by- reuse) & put a copy of FOOD, INC. on hold. The books are for my bedstand (check it out over yonder->) or if I'm really lucky (mother's day is coming) an afternoon spent in the hammock. Just the thought of luxuriating under the shade of my big oak tree relaxed my shoulders a bit. Ah.

FOOD, INC. by the way, is a life changing documentary. I had the opportunity to watch it last night with a like minded friend. We were both moved to tears at one point & had to cover our eyes several other times. If you were like me & procrastinating the sit down with this eye opener, I totally get it. I also realize I'm not motivating you any better, yet. But hold on...in the end this movie is all about the power. Not the power only 4 meatpacking companies have over virtually all of us in the U.S. but the power we, as consumers, have over our food chain. It was truly inspiring to know that I get to vote "three times a day" with "every bite". In the end, I came away with a more clear sense of mission. A connecting-of-the-dots happened in this visually rich hour & a half I hadn't grasped until last night. So,watch out big business, there is a food revolution coming to town & I am a card carrying member!

in search of taste

Well, I did it. I actually got my sleepy self out of bed this morning & went to, not one, but two farmers markets. And if we are being honest here, I was a bit like a kid on Christmas morning. I kept peeking at the alarm clock every 15 to 20 minutes. Crazy right? All in the search of the perfect tomato plant.

I even had a co-pilot for my mission, William. He was just as excited to go as I. A little suspicious, I'll admit. But promises were made for no whining & plenty of patience and off we went. Upon our arrival, I discovered the reason for my sons enthusiasm...all the immediate pleasures on offer. Soft pretzels, cider donuts, kettle korn & his favorite, peach cider. Yup, I am that kind of mom. I let him have his fill of the bounty. It was just he & I and not a whimper of complaint. Definitely liked being the yes woman for once.

Ok, so back to my enthusiasm. The promise of juicy, jersey tomatoes, tart rhubarb & fresh herbs danced in my head. The morning was bright & full of promise. I was downright gleeful. And we found "Ramapo" tomatoes. Not the fancy heirloom plants I had hoped for but something all together better.

See unless you had a grandpa or aunt saving the seeds of their harvest to plant new tomatoes year in & out, true jersey tomatoes have been a dying breed. They have been hy-breed & otherwise tinkered with to hold up during shipping & handling. And if you remember driving home from the beach all hot & sandy (wave your shoobie flag proud!), there was usually a stop at one of the markets to pick up corn & tomatoes. No way was I allowed to hold the precious cargo either. True jersey tomatoes have very thin skin and juice to spare. You can actually leave a fingerprint on 'em when they are perfectly ripe.

So lucky for my kids (& their kids) Rutgers NJAES (NJ Agricultural Experiment Station) decided it was high time for these tasty beauties to make their return. Not sure if they found the elusive seeds ( my hope) or did their own tinkering. But it worked. The market was brimming with plants of all kind and the Ramapo tomato was highlighted thru out. Very cool to see. I'm hoping to be part of the authentic jersey tomato comeback. Send all you green thumb energy my way, I'm going to need it!

collingswood farmers market

So I have been trying to figure out how to get my hands on some heirloom tomato plants. Yeah, I could have grown them from seed but I spaced out. Also, I recently read about last years blight (which stalled my tomato plants as well as everyone in South Jerseys) and I'm taking the very logical advice to heart. Diversify. Works on the financial scene, why not in my back yard? It seems the opportunistic blight had an easy time spreading from plant to plant while most of the "Big Boys" hung out together in a grow house waiting to be shipped to your local Home Depot.

Several options have come to light to procure a "striped zebra" or "brandywine". Berlin farmer's market has a guy with plants all season & summer long but if you are in the know (oh-so-garden-speak-easy!)show up within the first few weeks & you can get some heirloom varieties to pump up your planting portfolio. I haven't heard of a password or special knock, just bringing some cash should do it.

This Saturday, however, I will be exploring option number one. Collingswood farmers market. Just checked out their most recent newsletter (you can too. click on the title above) and I'll be heading over bright & early. Once I have dusted off my reusable market bag, that is. A girls gotta be prepared. And prepared I am for some growers "extras". I'll keep you posted, so to speak!

back story

It's funny, I think I may have mislead you a bit. Funny ha ha or peculiar...you can be the judge. As I was brainstorming my next post, I went back to see what I've been ranting about since carving out my little corner of cyber space. I am truly all over the green map. But my journey didn't just pop up on March 18th with my first post.

So a little back story... My mom & grandmother started me on this path when I was a wee lassie ( a bit heavy huh?). Even though I wouldn't necessarily label either lovely ladies as environmentalist, both are absolutely animal-loving, naturalists. My childhood was full of animals (local & exotic) with tons of adventure walks through the woods. Nature has always been my playground. Whether camping, horseback riding or paddling down a windy river in the Pine Barrens.

And like any self respecting parent, my mom taught me manners. Beyond please & thank you, I was taught to leave a space, indoors or out, better than before I was there. To let the lake newts, my brother & I were obsessed with catching, back where we found them instead of carting 'em away in a plastic cup. Trash, on the other hand, was absolutely carted away! So you can see, from a young age it was instilled in me to be respectful of the earth & all it's animals. Even my pesky cat, Kramer, who attacked my feet as I walked by unaware. I miss that crazy cat!

So many of the lessons I learned from these smart ladies have trickled into my daily life. I now take my kids on walks through the woods & call them back from racing ahead to see a fern unfurling on the mossy ground or a tent-like nest of caterpillars. We usually pick up trash along the way. I always forget the handi wipes & a bag but we manage anyway. It's nice to take these moments together to make discoveries & enjoy ourselves.

In this blog & in my life, I am working out ways to leave this big beautiful ball of green & blue better than before I came. There is a native american belief that any action we take today will be felt for 7 generations, good or bad. I am hoping for the good for my kids & the nature walks they will take with their kids.

smile

Happy Earth Day...can't blog today communing with nature! see you on the flip side.

water week

The reviews are in & we're spreading the word. Waterweek is cool. In the Gramigna house it's been "kid tested /mom approved". And just in time for our school's trash free lunch week (earth day, people). One word to the wise, you can pick them up at Home Goods stores for half the cost but act fast. And one more word (I'm full of them, aren't I?), I am ordering the kids size this week because the tall bottles are messing up the fridge mojo and take up more than their fair share of real estate in the lunchboxes. The big ones will come in handy for sports outings & the big kid playdates. No more lawn littered with water bottles & capri sun packs.

click on the title water week to start shopping & maybe your kids will think your cool too. Good luck.

Food Inc.

PBS is airing this academy nominated documentary on April 21 (check our local listings for time). Just watching this film will be an informative & perhaps shocking journey on it's own. But if you are like me, I'm thinking of making it a night truly about food. Sustainable potluck that is. Check out the link above (click on the title Food Inc) for how to host your own potluck & maybe score some free loot.

Also, just take a peek at this trailer. It's an intriging 2 minutes, I promise you!

progress

We are having fun checking the progress of our little patch of cultivated goodness. The kids & I were celebrating the arrival of radish sprouts this morning. WooHoo! The lettuce is almost to pretty to cut. But I think I need to get back out there & do it. Maybe we can spread some lettuce joy by delivering it around the hood. Kinda like "ding, dong, ditch" for the veggie set.

mocked, yet again

once again, mother nature is screwing with me. Even a neglected bird feeder is sprouting near the garden. Or wait, could it be a simple case of the grass is greener? Maybe the poor saturated seeds have been admiring from afar all the sprouting going on in our sturdy (read... hurricane grade) garden box, it has willed itself to do the same. No, I think this post is about my mind going to seed!

come on last frost

The glint in my eye is somewhat diminished. I would like my counter tops, laundry room & even the top of the piano to be freed from oppression. The seedlings need to go outdoors & soon! I have already learned root vegetables ( they are in the garden germinating as I ruminate, hopefully), are best sown directly in the garden. Belles of Ireland (cool flower which is overpriced in the supermarket) are another finicky character which doesn't like to be transplanted...the packaging at the garden center made me do it! And i have no idea if my measly looking tomato plants will ever bear fruit. But my cucumbers are still indoors & looking mighty fine, if I say so myself. There are plenty so if you find a coffee cup on your doorstep with a leafy vine tumbling out, consider it my pay it forward in veggie speak. My zinnias & cosmos also look promising but found out through my info search that both would have done just fine sprinkled on the ground.

Hmmm, this has certainly been an adventure in wrong steps. But I am trying to take it all in & do it better next year. In the meantime, I am waiting for the last frost which is supposed to be April 17th, today!! But the garden center gurus have warned not to plant before Mother's day. I plan on splitting the difference.

it's in the bag

Unless you've been living under a rock, you are aware of the cloth shopping bag phenomenon (it's as popular as tabloid stars getting their extra 15 minutes of fame on Dancing with the Stars. No offense Mrs. Gosselin). Conveniently available at the cash registers of almost anywhere you shop, including places like tar-jhay" and all kinds of grocery stores & pharmacies. Usually for a scant 99 cents. I even purchased one at a garden center. And if you are like me, you have accumulated quite a stash. In spite of all my good intentions though, I inevitably forget the darn things hanging on the hook right inside the back door. A lot of good that does me, right? So, as penance for a faulty memory(and more than my fair share of consumption in other areas), I now make all sorts of bag free purchases. And the reactions I get run the gamut from gracious to slightly annoyed to down right bewildered. It's just a bag people. Or lack thereof, anyway.

p.s. a plastic bag takes 500 to 1,000 years to break down, that's crazy right?

it's working, people

The grand plan to get green & get my kids to eat more green is really starting to blossom. (insert an annoying smiley face here).

I just harvested the first batch of lettuce from our little patch out back. And my kids kept trying different leaves, speckled & red. And the bright green. Most were spit out, mind you. But I am buoyed by the eagerness with which the sampling was repeated. Of course, William was very theatrical about his discards which cracked his sister up. He also requested some crunchy lettuce. Maybe there's still time to get romaine in, if not there's always next year!

spring fever

Tom (my other half) was working in the yard this past week & was downright gleeful! He is a runner, golfer & yard-straightening-junkie so our "snowmageddon" winter had him couped up & possibly cranky.

I knew the winds had changed when I came home from errands & this lovely arrangement greeted me. It's made up of clippings from our yard, Martha better watch out! I also heard the rambunctious chatter of boys, young & old, coming from the backyard. My husband is the pied piper of the 'hood so we usually have a game of baseball, football or basketball going on. Returning home to these comforting sights & sounds made me so thankful for spring. Woo hoo!

planting the seeds

Once again my foodie world & green worlds have overlapped. This past week I started culinary classes at The Restaurant School in philly. Nothing fancy, just a 6 week course on knife skills, basic sauces, etc. As I drove up to 42nd & walnut, I had a bad case of nerves. First day of school, ugh. Will the cool kids like me? But upon arriving I noticed a gentleman with a similar look of nerves & confusion (where the heck is the door???). We made fast friends. We were both early, out of breath from all the steps & in our totes was an over-abundance of kitchen tools.

As we started the preliminary chat about why we were here & how we like to cook (on a wing & a prayer), I found out he works for Fairmount park in the construction division. One thread of the conversation lead to another & I asked about community gardens in the park, another interest of mine. He said many gardens have come & gone because a facilitator/organizer really needs to helm these projects to keep the momentum going. But apparently there is or was a huge garden in the northwest part of the park. Not sure if the neighborhood is still considered koreatown but he & his crew watched the hardworking bunch harvest a cornucopia of foreign vegetables. Pretty cool was his final word on the subject before we were whisked into serious kitchens to perfect our cookery skills.

Further I went into this garden meets girl conversation (in my head, people!) while checking the Fair Food Farmstand website this very morning. If the picture of the fresh produce wasn't enough to get me seeing green then it was the shout out to urban farmers. The dept of parks & recreation is looking for a greenthumb to operate & manage small plots of commercial, chemical-free farms in Fairmount. The projects goal is to foster sustainability & urban agricultiral businesses in philly while supporting Philadelphia Food Chapter & Greenworks Philadelphia. Now there's a garden for the communtiy!

detour

Finally, yesterday was the day. I packed my three year old & adventurous mom into the car & off we went in search of the green depot in philly. My plan was to purchase reusable sandwich bags for William's lunch & possibly some cleaners. This was not to be. First we couldn't even find the place. And my mom & I pride ourselves on a good sense of direction. We called & realize we had driven by it 3 times.

A huge building supply place on state road called Marjam (2 brothers started it, the wives started green depot) houses the pot of green. Except there wasn't any leprechaun at the end of this rainbow, just an office full of somber salesman taking calls about traditional building supplies. I'm not sure I would have been anymore uncomfortable if I was tap dancing in the nude!

Our only reprieve was in the form of a nice young lady finishing up her call. She politely asked us if we needed any help. Apparently a lot. It turns out the green depot in philly is just a showroom tucked in the back of a colossal, thriving building supply company. In the interest of follow through, we made the trek to the back of the building & up a less than welcoming stairwell. We still ended up with a few cleaning supplies (couldn't make the poor girl open up the place for nothing).

After all this effort, I was a bit bummed out. But after mulling it over, this place was still very cool indeed. If you are designing or building in the future, there are a ton of cool eco-friendly products available & why not start in our own backyard.

small triumphs

I think by now you know I'm just an average mom getting up everyday & trying to manage the chaos. Some days I feel like "I am woman, hear me roar" & then others I feel like the lion left the building. Adding in my green mission has had the potential to throw the precarious balance (or multiple personalities) out of whack, but so far so good.

The most recent victory came in the form of a natural colored garment bag. I had started to pull those annoying paper shawls (you know the ones, they have the name of your dry cleaner printed on them, like you might forget) out of the pile of plastic dry cleaning bags stuffed in our bedroom trash to recycle them. Again in the interest of total disclosure, it was a mountain of plastic bags. A color came to mind, purple...the exact opposite of green! I needed a plan. Eliminating dry cleaning all together sounds about as practical as getting rid of our TVs( I have threatened this but not in the name of green). So, what else...the bags, definitely the bags. On the scene happens a multi hanger cloth garment bag. My dry cleaner lady, Katie, was very amiable to my new idea. One of these beauties hold 7 blue oxfords (joking, he wears stripes & plaid in blue as well). And a bonus I hadn't foreseen, no more paper bits proclaiming we "heart" our customers. I didn't mind the love, just the paper.

So we are on our way to being plastic & paper-free in this area, anyway. And I have been returning my hangers each week for a while now, not sure where this all puts me on the sliding scale of eco-ness. But I feel better.

here, there & everywhere

Today was one of those days. A lot going on. We've all had 'em right? For me there was a reoccurring theme though, besides whiny kids. Green. I am not kidding. Around every corner. I know what you are thinking, of course she's seeing green, duh. Like when you pick a new paint color for a room and suddenly all you see is that fabulous color everywhere. been there.

But seriously, I picked up a copy of Parenting magazine in my son's dentist office today & it was filled with recycled art projects. Some were very cute indeed-check out the butterflies made from egg cartons. Then I moved onto Philly mag for April. Grown up projects like shopping at Urban Jungle or reading the column on "Eco-friend or Eco-faux" (I actually chuckled, it's a good thing SpongeBob was on!) or having a beer at Yard's new tasting room (eco-friendly & refreshing) or reading about philly being the epicenter of a health food revolution-yup, I said philly.
Then back at home folding laundry & mindlessly listening to the TV, I was told to tune in at 11 to find out which water filtration systems had made the cut in their special report.

More importantly, though, was the symbolic green. My son, Will, saw me put some food scraps in our kitchen composter & he started digging in his backpack. He remembered the orange peels in his lunchbox & offered them up to help the cause. Cool, right? Or my conversation with Tom about CFL light bulbs at his golf club, again pretty cool. Or transplanting more of my seedlings into recycled coffee cups. All cool.

The best part of the day (not quiet though, remember whiny kids) was sitting outside for dinner & noticing how incredibly green one of our trees had become overnight. I am enjoying all the "greening up", hope you are too.

sweet discoveries ahead

After a crazy-busy, bunny & candy centric day, the kids are finally in bed & I have time to catch my breath. Whew!

I have so much swirling around in my head. The horizon is filled with many amazing events & discoveries. The 40th anniversary of Earth day is April 22. I'll keep you posted on my earth day project, once I think of it!!. I'm hoping to get my family of four involved. Cross your fingers. The more the merrier though, if you catch my drift.

Collingswood Farmer's Market opens May 1st and that hip, little enclave is hosting it's second annual Green Festival. This sounds right up my alley! There are going to be recycling bins for everything from sneakers to rechargeable & button batteries. Seminars on composting (residents can get a discounted bin), rain barrels (again with the discount) & all sorts of cool, "green" stuff. They are also rolling out a new Bike Share program. Get it rolling out. I crack myself up, at least. And, if that wasn't enough, Collingswood is the first town in Camden County to offer recycling on #3-7 plastics. Just so darn cool. I gotta talk to those folks, get some ideas & see if I can create a greener shade of life in Happyfield. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right?

After mother's day, I get to put in all my little vegetables. They have already come a long way (excluding the unfortunate root vegetable incident, sorry guys) and my laundry room is starting to get very crowded! It's so hard to be patient. I'm dreaming of beautiful heirloom tomatoes!

So much research to do. Like watching Food Inc. an academy award nominated documentary that reveals shocking truths about what we eat & how it's produced. I heard through the grapevine PBS will air it sometime in April. Still trying to find out a time & date so I can set my dvr. It will be right next to Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution.

Product testing for waterweek. My son is the actual tester. I figure if it meets his approval maybe your kids might like it too. We'll let you know. Books & websites to read. Okay, I've got to go get this started but first just a few jellybeans.

lights out

Not sure how it goes in your house, but in mine, I am the light patrol. I knew this position existed but thought my step-father still held the title. What's the saying? With age comes wisdom. Or bills & responsibility, anyway. So now with my crown & scepter(and responsibility), I roam far & wide (to the third floor, at least) extinguishing lights. Sometimes, tv's, ipods & radios as well.

Through my cyber research I have been bombarded with numbers but here's one about lights. Compact flourescent light bulbs can save you on average $30 over the lifetime of the bulb, just one bulb! Pretty impressive, no? They also last 8-12 times longer than incandescent bulbs. I don't know about you but if I wasn't replacing a light bulb every time I turned around, I'd have more time to _______(fill in the blank). Right? Wouldn't you? Also, if you consider your household average, you probably have about 45 lightbulds in your home (I have 57, oops). Replace them all with "green" light bulbs & you could save yourself $180 a year.

So they save time, energy & money. Kinda easy. Now if I could just get everyone to turn 'em off when they leave a room. Not so easy.


Go to CBSNEWS.com to a story on "Green" light bulb buying guide. It'll help you get started, if you are feeling it.

welcome back mister sun

ok, too much rain, not enough sun! My backyard has been a lake for the past few days. Truly not fun for anyone, especially my poor lettuce. It looks like the rest of us have felt, wilted & meh (this is quoting a funny friend, only word that fit!). Now that the sun is finally out, I went to assess the damage. After getting rid of the battered & broken bits (into the compost they go), things were looking optimistically hopeful again. But maybe it was the sun on my back as I worked.

small steps

My three year old can undo a room in 60 seconds flat! I'm not kidding, you should see our playroom. So it wasn't any surprise to see toilet paper all over the floor after she was in there "all by myself".

This got me thinking of a tip I read on a green website about toilet paper. Double rolls. It was that simple. The idea being a double roll eliminates more of those cardboard do-dads your kids use to play pirate with. I think there will still be plenty leftover for jr's art projects. But how simple? It also saves on packaging, a bonus. Now if you have the space & inclination, you can grab a big, 20 roll pack of Marcal small steps brand in just about any local grocery store & you'll be one step closer to green utopia. It's made from 100 percent paper not trees. And are you ready for this...you could be considered locovore-ish. It is manufactured in Elmwood Park, NJ. "a small, easy step to a greener earth". Not a bad slogan. Not bad at all.

Recently at a dinner party with a very funny cast of characters, I asked if anyone knew that there are male & female cucumber plants. As you can imagine, the responses were all over the board. From sincere to downright raunchy. After the ruckus died down, I explained that I had been present for a conversation in which an experienced gardener consulted a newbie on the lack of fruit from her cucumber plants. The problem had been beautiful blossoms but no fruit. In the words of this obi-wan of all things green, you have to have male & female plants or they won't bear fruit.
Well, I am here to clear up the confusion. Yes, cucumbers have both male & female blossoms on the same vine. The male flowers develop first, grow quickly & drop without bearing fruit . The next flowers will be a combo of male & female, these are pollinated and, hopefully, will bear fruit. So while my source was technically right, she was also wrong. There was likely another problem, watering or sun, maybe. But I'm no obi-wan. Just a newbie trying to get her cucumbers to reach maturity & not talk back.

the bell un-rung

Have you ever run into a friend & gotten some news that inconveniently needed to be addressed sooner than later? How about listened to your messages & decided to put off returning calls for the time being (this excludes moms. we always call our moms right back).
In some ways this is how I feel about being green. It can, at times, feel overwhelming & time sensitive (just think Al Gore). We all make decisions every day about what is right for our families & ourselves. Is little Jimmy watching too much TV? Did I do enough for a sick friend? And the list just goes on & on. And those decisions hold enough guilt without the whole green aspect.
I am a first born AND libra. Balance is a tricky endeavor for me. Boy, do I see both sides to every story & I'd like to "please" both sides. This is where the green thing gets confusing in Tina world. My goal is to be somewhere in the middle range of green-ness. Not to give away my all my earthly possessions (I really like my creature comforts) & live off the land freegan style (an anticonsumeristic ethic to eating) or a do nothing, think of no consequences little bubble boy. Don't get me wrong though. I "get" them both. Well, sort of.
So, since the metaphorical bell cannot be un-rung, I am going to do the best I can one day at a time.

ta-da!

Well, all that can go in, is in. It ain't pretty...yet. If you squint your eyes real hard, you may be able to imagine the lush lettuce, tall brussel sprouts & the now bare trellis full of sweet peas. All of this, of course, depends on how many friends the rabbits invite over for a house party.

glad you asked

So here is the recipe for delectable cauliflower dish my kids gobbled up. I keep a copy of food network kitchens cookbook on my counter. Their version of the recipe is slightly swankier than mine but worth the effort if you have a few extra minutes. But if you are like me & just need to get the food to the table before a meltdown occurs (kids, mine or husbands), here's the abridged version.

Cauliflower with buttered bread crumbs.

you will need:
*head of cauliflower,
cut into bite size florets (cooks more evenly & a bit faster this way)
*6 tsps of unsalted butter ( if you have salted just use less salt to season)
* breadcrumbs (don't panic about the omission in amount, I'll explain)
*course salt & fresh ground pepper.

next:
* get your oven started, 425 should do it.
* melt butter.
* add bread crumbs in slowly, stopping to stir & check consistency. You want the final product to be crumby looking. You'll be better off with a fork as it goes to really muss them together. This makes a good amount of breadcrumbs, you can adjust for your families love of bread & butter. We use 'em all.
* Now toss with the cauliflower with the breadcrumbs & season with salt & pepper.
* drop the whole kitten kaboodle on a shallow roasting pan.
* Done in about 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.
(if you're not worried about a little extra something, something...you can add parm cheese with the breadcrumbs for some more flavor.)


Now here's their version:
Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (see Know-How, below)
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the cauliflower on a baking sheet and scatter the garlic on top. Melt the butter in a medium skillet and toss 2 tablespoons with the cauliflower and garlic; set the rest aside in the skillet. Toss the cauliflower with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Roast until the cauliflower is quite tender and the edges are starting to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a serving bowl.

Reheat the remaining butter over medium-high heat until brown. Add the bread crumbs and cook, swirling the pan and tossing, until they are brown and crisp-this should take less than 1 minute. Pull the pan from the heat and toss the crumbs with the parsley and the remaining 14 teaspoon salt. Spoon crumbs over the cauliflower and season with pepper. Serve warm or room temperature with lemon wedges on the side.

Know-How: Sometimes it's the little things that can make the difference in a dish being spectacular or so-so-like using homemade bread crumbs versus store-bought. Crumbs made from quality bread are easy to make. Simply tear up bread, with or without the crusts, and grind it in a food processor-1 (2-ounce) slice makes about 1/2 cup of crumbs. If you want moist crumbs-as you do for this crispy topping-start with fresh, not stale, bread. Stale dry bread is better for crumbs used in stuffings or as a binder because the crumbs absorb more liquid.

speaking of

The lovely Vanna-esque shot of Elise holding my newest BPA free container in the previous post apparently wasn't good enough. While I was typing away I heard her behind me chatting away & away. Little did I know she had been busy working on her own plastic installation. Great minds.

paper or plastic

By now you are getting to know more about me. Some things you may like, others not so much. Let's see how this one goes.
You have probably heard the debate about plastics. Either from a new mom feeding her little love with a glass bottle or a crunchy, granola cousin extolling the evils of BPA (bisphenol A). This lovely chemical is purported to cause all sorts of nasty health issues, mostly to us ladies. Breast & uterine cancer are the scariest ones I read about.
This is what I have read. The plastics industry (including Saran wrap, which has reformulated to appear more environmentally friendly) & government agencies in the U.S. & abroad maintain that there is no serious health threat in using plastic products. Consumer & environmental groups disagree. They both agree on the lack of evidence but use this deficit to support their individual interests. Food safety experts recommend consumers proceed cautiously when using plastic wraps to cover food while heating in the microwave, the two shall not touch. Because here's a little note of monkey business. The FDA acknowledges that chemical compounds can leech into food at microwave temperatures from plastic.

This is what I know. I will continue to use BPA free plastic containers to store leftovers because using a plastic bag seems wasteful on a few fronts. I will try really hard to remember not to heat the suckers up in the microwave ( even when the container says microwave safe). Who knows if I can get the whole household on board with this or keeping the dirty, little recycle-ables out of the dishwasher. (Again think heat, leech, yuck!) My husband hates doing dishes only slightly less than I do.

let's get real

Over some wine & outrageously, addictive snacks last night, I spoke with a group of long time friends who happen to be amazing moms. They brought up one of the biggest obstacles "living green" has to overcome. And it's a BIG one...cost. I remember watching Alice Waters (of Chez Panisse & edible schoolyard fame) on 60 minutes. Leslie Stahl directly asked her about how "real" people could afford to buy organic. I believe her response went something along the lines of.."some people spend a lot of money on shoes, leslie." You can check it out online at CBS.com.

I promise to come back to this subject again (& again & again) it is close to my heart. In the meantime, I will continue on my quest to find family friendly, cost effective & less time consuming ways to eat healthier.

I'm honored

Just a quick shout out to my peeps (that's you, not the sugar coated variety). Thanks for all the feedback! This has really been fun & I'm glad to have you along for the ride.

all in the name of research

I need help, really I do. The indoor seed starting had mixed results, if you will recall from my first entry. Successful, as of now anyway, are the peas, green beans, cucumbers & flowers. Even the smothered tomato shoots are showing promise. But there have been funerals, I'm not going to lie. The root veggies went into the compost pile ( a term I use very loosely right now, but may in fact be a squirrel smorgasbord!) with a lesson learned for next year.
My immediate dilemma is lettuce. Mesclun greens to be exact. I have transplanted my wimpy, little seedlings into the garden. To be honest, I have no idea what they need. It reminds me vaguely of when my son was born. After 5 glorious days recovering in the hospital, we were on our own. No manual, no money back guarantee. Just the slowest car ride ever with frequent stops to check he was still breathing. He's 8 now, there has to be hope for my greens as well.

I decided to turn this rocky start into a true experiment. Seed starting vs slacker- plant buying at the depot. By the way, most big name garden centers have lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower & a strange but intriguing kohlrabi plant all for the taking right now. And all can be planted in containers, if you'd like to get your hands a little dirty & reap a late spring harvest.

I grabbed the perfect cohort-in-crime for the half hour drive to MY FAVORITE GARDEN CENTER, Terrain at Styler's farm. My friend had never experienced this magical oasis & I was truly excited to share it. Some great conversation, a little traffic & we were there. From the moment we stepped out of the car, we were both kids on christmas morning. Visually, this place rocks! ( a side note: urban outfitters/antropologie took over this center a few years back. They earned a best of philly 08). Even when I go for very specific reasons, like today with my lettuce mission, I always get sidetracked with the lighting, cookbooks, furniture, candles & so on.

When I was able to re-focus, I headed outside to grab the much hardier looking (than mine anyway) baby mesclun. No luck but they did have a good amount of other choices & a surprise, brussel sprouts. Now don't turn up your nose. These are not the steamed balls of mush our mother's tried to get us to eat by loading each one with a olfactory numbing dose of vinegar ( when overcooked brussel sprouts take on a sulfurous odor, yuck). I am hoping they grow up to be beautiful, compact shoots which I will roast with pancetta. Yum! A bonus would be getting my kids to eat them as well. I may have a chance. Last week I found purple cauliflower & roasted it with buttered bread crumbs, not a crumb was left! Maybe it was the butter??

the paper trail

I am a tactile buyer & learner. I need to see it, smell it, turn it over in my hands, etc. It's just the way my mind processes incoming info. So, while I do like to peruse a good catalog or search a website, I typically make my purchases in person (airplane tickets, hotel reservations & staple groceries are exempt). If you know me, you would have already guessed this. In addition to checking out the goods, I like to talk to people. My one friend has a word for this..."pesty?" I share the description with her preschool age daughter. :) My chatting it up slows down progress, I guess. I see it differently. I enjoy my interactions with the good & the bad, I always learn something new about the world at large or just myself.

The "hands on" hang up actually helps my husbands argument about keeping our newspaper subscription. While it pains me to see sooo much in our paper recycle bin, I can respect the paper & cup of coffee ritual.

This has lead me to figure out other ways to reduce the paper mountain. About 2 years ago, I signed up on a few different lists to stop my junk mail. Well worth the effort! (google it) Now I am ready to take the next step, my catalogs. This is actually a multi-front attack. Catalogs are vehicles for spending. Whether the front is sporting cute, little kids or beautiful rooms you'd like to be sitting in...all are trying to separate us from our dollars & bring more stuff into our homes. The backlog of catalogs is another time suck ( I don't need any more minuses in the time dept!). Who needs to be sorting catalogs to see which one is the current season? Lastly, all that paper. No matter how "environmentally" friendly the paper is it has been printed on, it is ultimately a waste. My mailman will even thank me for lightening his load.

So adios, filler in my mailbox, temptress of spending! If I need a fix, I can always go online.

The Promise Land

Standing outside with my nose pressed against the window, I really wanted to enter what looked to my "green" dabbling eyes as the promise land.

A little back story...my dear friend & fellow nyc-ophile, Chris & I had been all over lower manhattan for the better part of the day. We had discovered ricotta & prosciutto balls (2 for a dollar & beyond heavenly!) in little italy and stumbled into chinatown for the last stirrings of the chinese new years (WOW!). And as our last mission of the day, we were headed up bowery in search of a single restaurant supply place open on sunday so I could purchase a pan I had been dreaming about. The shop was only open for 15 minutes & I froze...so many choices of unfulfilled culinary dreams...

Ok, ok before I lose you. The aforementioned land of plenty was The GreenDepot . And it was calling my name but I realized we'd have to wait to rendezvous at another time, the store & I that is. For my fellow traveler & I needed to prop up our feet & have a nice cocktail. Which we did. And that's another story for another time but back to The GreenDepot.

I have not been back but have visited online @ www.greendepot.com . And all I can say is wow. This 3,200 sq foot eco-superstore sells all things organic, recycled & sustainable. One reviewer likened the building & goods to a "green minded Ikea". Probably minus the swedish meatballs?! The website touts services to help serious green machines with overall projects. Adrian Grenier (aka Vinnie Chase of HBO's Entourage) sourced a contractor & green materials, including recycled denim insulation for his Brooklyn townhouse (now if they'd source the delivery address, we'd really be in business!). But I believe even the newbie-greenie would be just as at home choosing from products like chemical free cleaning supplies, LED light bulbs & the ubiquitous reusable water bottle of this worthy movement.

I am on a mission to get to the little sister store On New State Road in Philadelphia. Any co-pilots?

just a little more eye candy

This is my little helper, Miss Elise. She was so proud to be posing in the new "garden" with a strawberry plant direct from union square in nyc (Thank you, Auntie Chris!). I actually found the plant in her room an hour later. She was carrying it around like a pet!

By the way, you may not be able to discern the amount of dirt covering her from head to toe in this picture but a neighbor thought she was wearing a grey shirt not white! That's my girl.

the box is built

So as you can see, my husband, Tom, pulled it off. He constructed a beautiful raised bed for me to get planting in.



We had 3 yards mix of compost, soil & in Tom's words "mushroom stuff" delivered this past saturday (there was PLENTY of extra). The delivery guy was apparently very proud of how well he mixed the three. Boys are funny.

Now I am feeling a huge amount of pressure to make sure I grow a kick butt garden. My little peas plants are looking awful lonely & really wimpy in the 10 x 4 plot. The even tinier mesclun shoots look kinda pathetic to be honest. As you can imagine I was feeling out of my depth, so I walked away.

You'll be happy to know I didn't go far but needed a moment to regroup. As I was mindlessly cutting back a hydrangea bush (poor plant!), I formulated a plan. I will go to my favorite garden center, Terrain, and grab some baby plants a more experienced gardener started & see which do better. My little weaklings or their green, lush promises. Hmmm, I don't sound very optimistic do I. Let the games begin!