Planning a Garage Sale? Have Items to Give Away?

then remember to visit our Free Market website & keep those items out of the landfill!  Sorry, Mountain Lakes residents only.  Just follow the link in the second box in the column on the right.  Questions? Email Susie Laker.

Green-o-Ween!

This is copied from Low Impact Living.
Make Your Halloween Less Scary

Posted by Lisa Borden

Some things are scary: ghosts, goblins, vampires and bats.  And some things are really scary: Genetically modified foods, toxic face paint, and insane piles of garbage.  
And then there is the combination of all of these into one massive event: Halloween.

Halloween produces more boos, eeks, screeches and ding dongs than I can now handle…so, in an attempt to make sure my kids don’t hate me, my neighbours, family and friends don’t ridicule me (although I have gotten used to this by now), I inspire each of you to have a less scary Halloween.

I am pleased to share a few of my own simple initiatives/suggestions for a smarter Halloween. I hope you’ll read, adopt as many as possible and pass them along.

1. Since Halloween involves community…support yours. Buy your organic pumpkin at a farmers market, or better yet, pick your own. Growing a pumpkin takes an awful lot of pesticide and pumpkins take up lots of space in landfills and release greenhouse gases as they decompose. Make full use of your entire pumpkin by roasting the seeds (yummy and very healthy), make a soup or pie, and compost the pumpkin when you’re done.
2. Walk, do not drive. Stick to your neighbourhood…talk to your neighbours and enjoy the crisp fall air. It’s a bonus to get some exercise into your busy day.
3. Use a costume you already have in your possession, or borrow one.
4. If you do not have costumes already, make your own costume (and NO face paints – check all makeup at the Environmental Working Group’s  Cosmetics Safety Database!) Remember dressing as a ballet dancer or hockey player? Easy. Plus, I really cannot understand choosing to put on an off-gassing, store-bought, made-in-china, phthalate laced, over packaged mask!  Some costume ideas that are bright, easy and comfortable: a Whiteboard (all white clothing with a pen on a string around your neck and people can sign…now that is interactive!), a Compact Florescent Lightbulb (again, all white clothing with skinny white balloons in twisty shapes on your head), a Ghost (with an organic cotton sheet of course), a Jelly Fish (dressed in pink while opening and closing an umbrella).
5. Instead of turning on every light in your house, use old cans (Eden Organic uses cans that are bpa-free for their non-acid foods by the way) and punch holes in them, fill them with organic soy or beeswax candles and see what you can create (all reusable year after year…just keep adding to your collection).
6. Treats are treats. Kids love treats. You love your kids. What to do??? Every store has those colourful boxes lined up on shelves ready for us to buy (think of the resources wasted right there!). I shudder to now think of the artificial colours and flavours, refined, over-processed ingredients and dyes (that I know will be banned someday), that I put into my body. Try these: Glee Gum or Yummy Earth Lollipops – natural + even nut-free! Or how about giving away pencils made from recyclable materials? (Stop rolling your eyes!)
7. Of course, use a reusable bag. (you can always use a pillowcase too). And, if you do not yet have one, get a RuMe bag already! They are gorgeous, and it’s a reusable bag that even a man will use, imagine that! There is a size for everyone in your family from mini to macro, they fold right up to tuck away into your purse, briefcase, glove compartment or drawer and you’ll use them throughout the year.
8. Walk around with a solar charged, crank powered or shake and shine flashlight. A fabulous range of products powered by alternative energy that every household should have anyways in case of emergency (think solar energy powering your blackberry and shortwave radio).
9. Beware of phantom power. It’s sucking the life out of your bank account and the environment. You thought your electronics were all off at home? They are not really off, they’re just on stand-by. Exorcism procedure: Unplug stuff! (or use a power bar and shut it down completely).
10. Reduce everything, reuse as much as possible and recycle the balance (which is, hopefully not much).

So, be scary, but don’t spook our cherished kids and precious planet. A Happy, healthy and safe Halloweening to you all.

An after/other thought:

We know it’s not “safe” to give out unwrapped treats + fresh foods, but how is an over-packaged, over-processed piece of candy any safer?

About the author: Lisa Borden is an eco-advocate and mother of three, whose business is a direct reflection of her commitment to better, more responsible living. Her full-service marketing firm, Borden Communications + Design Inc. is based in Toronto and takes great pride in being an ethical business providing exceptional ideas.

Meatless Monday

We've already talked about the importance of eating locally.  After a season of enjoying the flavorful difference in locally grown & organic produce, I feel the choice to be a no-brainer:  I get superior taste and freshness, the local farming industry gets a boost and my household carbon footprint is lessened.  In fact, I've been feeling a bit smug until I had a chat with my friend who has been a vegetarian since Oprah had her run-in with the cattle industry.  She pointed out that, not only was some beef raised under questionable conditions, but that it was a major contributor to greenhouse gasses.  Recently, Carnegie Mellon researchers said: "We suggest that dietary shift can be a more effective means of lowering an average household's food-related climate footprint than 'buying local.' Shifting less than one day per week's worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG reduction than buying all locally sourced food."

I've been hearing about Meatless Mondays but was surprised to learn that it was the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that came up with idea to support their "Food will Win the War" campaign in 1917!  Back then, they needed the food to feed our soldiers overseas.  These days, we wage war on our dependence on foreign oil AND global warming.  In her 1971 book, Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappé states that "it is possible to implement an end to the gross waste of literally millions of tons of high-grade protein" and "to enjoy nutritionally sound protein from the richer and far more abundant sources that the earth provides."  Eating meatless one day a week also has significant health benefits.  All that is well and good, but at the end of a busy day, it has to be a dish that is quick to get on the table and the family has to like it! I'm going to commit to Meatless Mondays and to posting good recipes when I come across them.  Here's one I tried last week which I found in the Sept. '08 issue of bon appétit (p.64).

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro
4 TO 6 SERVINGS
PREP: 25 MINUTES TOTAL: 40 MINUTES
Recipe by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
September 2008
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped white onions
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup quinoa,* rinsed, drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
Crumbled Cotija cheese or feta cheese (optional)
PREPARATION
Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 14 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cilantro; cook uncovered until heated through and liquid is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and cheese, if desired.
*A grain with a delicate flavor and a texture similar to that of couscous; available at natural foods stores.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
One serving contains the following:
Analysis is based on using 1 ounce crumbled Cotija cheese per serving.
Calories (kcal) 391.35
% Calories from Fat 30.3
Fat (g) 13.16
Saturated Fat (g) 5.07
Cholesterol (mg) 25.23
Carbohydrates (g) 53.04
Dietary Fiber (g) 10.24
Total Sugars (g) 5.56
Net Carbs (g) 42.79
Protein (g) 16.20

Two notes:  1) I didn't have black beans so I substituted a can of Amy's medium chili (made with tofu) and it was wonderful, 2) this dish is a good way to sneak in more vegetables (zucchini, carrots) than is called for.

Plastics are Forever

We could all do with a little less plastic in our lives. All plastics are made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource, and produced under extremely energy-intensive conditions. The matter is further complicated by the fact that nothing in nature, not even sunlight and oxygen, can break apart the bonds that hold plastic together, so they linger on our planet indefinitely. Rather than biodegrading, plastic photodegrades into dust, winding up in soil and in the air. In bodies of water, the plastic particles become a kind of toxic sponge, absorbing other harmful chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the pesticide DDT. Those particles then get eaten by fish, which wind up back on our dinner plates.

RECYCLING PLASTIC:
Despite the problems with plastic, virtually all types can be recycled and used a few times before losing integrity (when the material has become too weak to recycle any more). However, confusing municipal recycling laws and limited access to recyclers who accept all types of plastic have kept recycling rates low and the amount of plastic waste in landfills high--and getting higher. In 2006, a mere 6.9 percent of plastic garbage we generated was recycled.
On a positive note, more stores are beginning to accept plastic bags for recycling, and other companies are offering to take back used plastic products. For instance, Styrofoam packing peanuts can be taken to any UPS store for reuse, and Stonyfield Farm accepts all its #5 PP yogurt cups and tubs back, reselling them to Preserve, a company that manufactures toothbrushes and reusable plastic dishes from the discarded cups.


WE CAN ALL DO OUR PART TO REDUCE PLASTIC USE:
Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping:

-Do not buy/use single-use water bottles! Purchase reusable and widely available #2 plastic or stainless-steel bottles.

-Avoid single-use, non-recyclable disposable packaging, such as Styrofoam meat trays, and clam-shell containers. Instead buy items in bulk and portion them out into reusable containers.

-Buy food in glass or metal containers (both 100% recyclable) whenever possible.

-Take your plastic grocery bags to a local Wal-Mart or Whole Foods to be recycled or check to see if your local market recycles them.  Better yet, bring your own shopping bags with you wherever you go!

-Bring your own containers to restaurants, if you think you might have leftovers and don’t take plastic cutlery or condiment packets unless you really need them.

-Avoid plastic cooking tools; use stainless steel or wooden utensils instead.

-Buy household items, like detergent and cleaning supplies, in concentrated forms so that you get more product per package.

-Avoid all items wrapped in excessive packaging.

-Whenever possible look for products and packaging made from recycled materials. The higher the percentage of recycled content, the better.

-Pack school lunches in reusable containers and bags.

-Encourage your favorite coffee shops to provide reusable containers and enjoy your cup of coffee sitting down!

-Always recycle the plastics that you do use either at the recycling center, Swap-Shop or with ML FreeMarket. Example: toys, furniture, garden supplies.

By consistently following just a few of these suggestions you will make a difference!

Green Remodeling

Did you know there now are guidelines for green remodeling?  Clicking the box above will take you to the website for the U.S. Green Building Council which will help you understand things like LEED-certification and hydronic heating systems.  Their 2008 Residential Guidelines can be found here.  More and more new homes are being built with energy conservation and health in mind.  A green remodeling project will not only reduce your energy consumption (and, eventually save you money), it can also make your home more competitive should you decide to put it on the market.  You win, the U.S. wins, and the world wins!

CSA update and Planet Green

Here's a picture of yesterday's share from the CSA that a few of us belong to (here's a link to an entry about our first visit).  Included goodies are:  summer squash, carrots, lettuce, celery, swiss chard, corn, cucumbers, green beans, peaches, asian pears, sweet and hot peppers, new potatoes, baby beets, onions, tomatoes, basil and edamame.  Most weeks there are pick-your-own opportunities as well (including flowers), and there are cut herbs available.  Having had my own veggie patch in the past, I've always appreciated that fresh produce has so much more flavor than store-bought, so that was no surprise.  I am amazed at the variety of vegetables that have been available and my friends and I have had more than a few how-do-you-prepare-this phone calls when a new-to-us veggie has appeared in the week's harvest.  I do find myself planning my meals around what's available and that has helped me to expand my culinary skills (which my husband really appreciates!)

After supper last night (which included one of those wonderful tomatoes!), I took a break from my marathon Olympics viewing to catch up on a couple of episodes of my favorite shows that I DVRd from Planet Green.  The first show I'd like to recommend is Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff (produced by ABC news) which is a weekly news show that digs deeper into environmental topics.  The other show I'm really enjoying is Supper Club where a "green" chef cooks for celebrities and authors who discuss environmental issues (both pros and cons) over their meal.  Here are two interesting but random items from the show I viewed last night:  

• Author Tom Kostigan offered a tip he'd just learned.  If you are at the grocery fish counter and you can't remember which fish is a healthier and/or sustainable choice, you can text "30644 fish X", with the X being the name of the fish you are wondering about, and you'll get a text right back with the pertinent information.
  
• Author Sophie Uliano (Gorgeously Green) while debating whether the individual can truly make a difference or only governments can solve global warming stated, "You vote with your dollar."  This just struck me to be very true.

Give your clothes a vacation

....from the dryer!  Summer is the perfect time to reduce your carbon footprint by using solar power to dry your clothes.  According to the State of California, the use of a clothesline can save 1,000 mw/day of electricity and they are encouraging residents to use clotheslines to help prevent brownouts there.  They estimated that by hanging out just 1/4 of your laundry, you'll save $30 per year.  The EPW Blog states, " There were more than 88 million dryers in the US in 2005. 'If all Americans line-dried for just half a year, it would save 3.3% of the country’s total residential output of carbon dioxide, experts say.' 3.3%! That’s huge if you think about how much CO2 all the households in the US emit. As for the impact on the wallet, the average clothes dryer costs about $160/yr to run. "

Other benefits of hanging out:  clothes smell great, less shrinkage, the sun kills germs, and clothes last longer (all that lint is worn-away fabric).  I like it because I'm more aware of the outdoors--I have to be aware of the pollen count and plan for rain, although I do have lines strung in my basement for winter use.

I use an umbrella style clothesline which doesn't sag the way a line stretched from tree to tree does.   Generally, I hang clothes upside down to prevent clothespin marks on my shoulders and things I don't want to fade get turned inside-out.  I fold right off the line to smooth out any wrinkles but dressier clothes might need 2 to 3 minutes in the dryer on the "wrinkle release" setting.  More tips can be found on the GardenWeb which has forums on all sorts of interesting topics!