Are You a Composting Pro?

Take the Are you a Composting Pro quiz on the Planet Green website and find out.....

Are Paper Napkins More Environmentally Friendly?

Read this post by Pablo Paster, San Francisco on Treehugger.ocm: Are Paper Napkins More Environmentally Friendly?

The answer might surprise you....

Sale at Amy Adele

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your consumption of residual hormones, chemicals, antibiotics, & pesticides by drinking organic milk.

Reuse: Reuse “handles” from cupboards, drawers, old furniture, etc to make a coat/purse/bag holder: Creating Pretty Hooks for your coats and bags

Recycle: Recycle your gently used blankets, books, and stuffed animals with your local police department.

It is unfortunate but true that many times police are called to a scene in which children are present. Providing small items such as blankets, stuffed animals, & books is a wonderful way to make the children feel comfortable, lessen the stress, and provide a security item for them to cling too.

Last year my son’s class assembled ~160 “comfort kits" (baggies filled with a gently used blanket, stuffed animal, book, and picture) and presented them to our local police department. The “comfort kits” were placed in the trunks of police cars and handed out as needed.
What a great way to recycle!

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Don't be Dumb. Chew Glee Gum.

Is the oh so clever slogan that my 8 year old son made up about chewing Glee Gum.

Probably not the kind of slogan the gum makers would endorse but when combined with this pose

it makes my daughter laugh.

Uncontrollably.

And there is nothing sweeter to a mother's ears than hearing her children laughing together!

So for that reason alone I am happy to buy them Glee Gum .

Besides laughter and clever slogans, here are a few other reasons why I buy Glee Gum for my kids:

• All natural chewing gum
• Made with sustainably harvested rainforest chicle (see below)
• No artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners (no aspartame)
• No preservatives
• Minimum processing with no chemical pesticides
• Made in the USA
• A 1% for the planet member
• Minimal packaging in a recyclable box (no plastic over wrap like other gums)
• Child friendly size

What is chicle?

According to Glee's FAQ page: Chicle is the sap from the Sapodilla (pronounced "Sap-oh-dee-yah") tree, which grows in the rainforests of Central America. Chicle was the original basis for all chewing gum, until synthetic gum bases were developed. By using chicle, we support chicleros, the workers who tap trees for chicle. We also create a use for the Sapodilla trees, which otherwise have economic value only as lumber. Read more.

Glee Gum comes in many flavors: Tangerine, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Spearmint, Bubblegum, and Triple Berry. My children's favorite flavor is bubblegum (probably no surprise there).

From their website I see that you can buy Glee Gum in bulk. Seeing how much of this gum that my children eat I will have to purchase a few of these bulk packages for them.

Although my children love the gum and I am happy to buy it for them, I am not a big fan of it myself.

• The size is perfect for children (1 piece for my 4yr old and 2 pieces for my 8 yr old) but too small for adults (I had to chew 4 pieces and at 99 cents a box, I would rather save them for my kiddos)


• It is very sticking and actually sticks to my fillings and caps (which I am sad to say I have a lot of). My kiddos did not have this same problem.


• The flavor fades quickly. (Once again this is fine for the kiddos cuz they don't usually chew gum for long periods of time like I do.)

I do like the flavor, I just wish it lasted longer. As long as my children like it that is what matters to me ;-)

Their website is also full of great information like this very informative From Tree to Glee editorial.

P.S. Glee Gum's real slogan: Don't be glum ;-( Chew Glee Gum ;-)

Emeril's Homemade Granola Bars

I was clicking around the Planet Green website when I came across this: Emeril's Homemade Granola Bars.

I am not sure why this recipe caught my eye because it was an Emeril recipe or maybe because of the obnoxious amount of granola bars that my family eats but either way I stopped to check it out.

It seems like a pretty doable recipe so I thought that I would share it with you.

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats


• 1 cup slivered almonds


• 1/2 cup honey


• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter


• 1/2 cup chopped dates


• 1/2 cup golden raisins


• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease an 8- or 9- inch square baking pan and line with parchment. Lightly grease the parchment and set aside.

Place the oats and almonds on a large baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F.

While the oats are toasting, combine honey and butter in a small saucepan and heat until butter is melted and honey is hot.

When oats come out of the oven, transfer to a large bowl and add hot honey, dates, raisins, brown sugar, salt, and almond extract and stir to thoroughly combine.

Transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan.

Cut a piece of wax paper and place on top of the granola mixture.

Using your hands, press the granola mixture very firmly into the pan.

Remove wax paper and discard.

Bake the granola for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

Remove from the pan by pulling up on the edges of the parchment.

Using a sharp knife, cut into 10 (or desired number) even bars.

Wrap in plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Yield: 10 to 20 servings, depending on the size of the bars

I have not had a chance to try it out yet but when I do I will let you know. Or, if you try it before I do let me know how it worked for you.

Drawing my eco-line at mice

Apparently mice like these

A lot! I guess the basket we kept in our pantry filled with Cliff bars was just too much for the mice to resist.

Last week my husband (luckily it was him and not my daughter or I cuz there would have been a lot of screaming and maybe even some tears) saw a mouse scurry out of our pantry, across our kitchen floor, and up under the cabinet. Ugh!

We removed everything from our pantry, cleaned the shelves, looked through all the food, discarded everything the mice had gotten into (apparently they also like wheat thins and 4 year old gingerbread houses), repacked as many items as we could into glass jars and plastic containers (that use to contain things like peanut butter & mustard but now contain things like beans & cheddar bunnies) and put everything back on the shelf.

On a positive note, my pantry shelves look great! Nice and clean and organized.

My husband then did the same in the garage.

I was hoping that by getting rid of their food source we would get rid of them. This was not the case.

So we went for the trap. (The non catch-and-release type trap)

I know what you are thinking and I will apologize now but I draw my eco-friendly line at disease infested rodents. Sorry. I just couldn't do it.

For those of you who may have a mouse problem but would prefer the catch-and-release traps I have since researched some and found this one:

Humane Mouse Trap

You use your own bottle with it (nice reuse of a bottle). I admit, I liked it cuz of the cute piece of cheese. I figured that if we/you are going to have a trap lying around it might as well be a cute one.

I also did some research on how to keep the mice from coming back (or at least try to keep them from coming back) and here is what I found out; steel wool and peppermint oil.

Apparently mice don’t like either of them (Unlike peanut butter. Which they love).

Spreading peppermint oil around areas that mice travel or leaving a cotton ball soaked in peppermint oil in places like a pantry will keep them out. Since peppermint oil smells good to me, I didn’t mind rubbing it on my pantry shelves. (Let’s hope it works).

Plugging the holes under the cabinets with steel wool will prevent them from coming in (or out which, now that I think about it, might be a problem) because they don’t like the feel (or taste) of steel wool so they won’t chew through it.

I also found a nice blog posting about the same topic Eco-Friendly Mouse Control

If you have any tips you would like to share on how to keep a mouse out of a house (I love Dr. Seuss) please feel free to share.

Curiosity Quest DVD Review and Giveaway

Are you tired of watching Dora, Diego & Scooby-Doo?

Have your kids ever asked you how donuts are made, where your trash and recyclables go or how milk jugs are turned into Green Toys?

If you answered yes to any/all of these questions, then have I got the perfect giveaway for you!

Curiosity Quest DVD.

Curiosity Quest is an award-winning PBS show, designed for the whole family, which is now available on DVD!

Curiosity Quest is an upbeat educational program for the whole family that explores subjects that viewers are curious about. (From Pet adoption to living in the circus)

In each show, host Joel Greene, ventures on a quest to answer viewer's letters. Each quest takes the audience on location for an unscripted, hands-on, educational exploration.

Curiosity Quest also has a special series called Curiosity Quest Goes Green that has explored Water Treatment Facilities, Landfills, and the Recycling of bottles, cans, plastic, glass and turning them into new products (such as Green Toys).

Thanks to the kind folks at Green Toy, my family and I were able to watch these fascinating and educational shows on DVD. (Thanks Green Toy)

We learned:

• The difference between a dump and a sanitary landfill
• That methane gases are actually captured and processed
• That landfill's don't have the manpower to separate all the recyclables from the trash which is why it is very important that we separate our recyclables at home!
• That 5% of the world's population produces 40% of the world's waste (Sadly, that 5% would be the residents of the USA)

My 8 year old son loved the show. He was actually disappointed when it was over. He said that it was too short.

The host, Joel Greene, is entertaining and funny. The show itself combines fun facts with upbeat music and topics geared to inquisitive minds, both young and old(er). I would highly recommend tuning in.

Now you and your family have the chance to win the Curiosity Quest Goes Green DVD and learn for yourself all about composting, recycling, water treatment, and much much more!

To Enter: Visit the Curiosity Quest website, click on any of the images to learn about the green quests, come back here and leave me a comment telling me something you learned.

Don't forget to include your e-mail address (if your profile does not have it listed)

Giveaway Ends: Sunday July 19th.

Extra Entry: Blog about this giveaway and post the link here. Subscribe to Over Coffee -the green edition.

Good Luck!

Post from the past: My first trip to an all natural store

This weekend was my first shopping trip at an all natural store.

Oh sure, I have popped into a Trader Joes once or twice before to pick up an item or two but never to do my grocery shopping. So this was an all new experience for me.

Walking up and down the aisles I was totally amazed at how many products they had to offer and at the variety of brands they carried. I was also intrigued by the totally different look and feel of the store. I can’t really explain it besides saying that it was different. The one thought that flashed through my mind was, “this must be how children feel the first time they step foot inside Toys-R-Us.”

After I got over the “ahh” factor I really started to look at the store in a pro-vs-con kind of way.

Pros: Healthier, organic, natural, lots of local products, 10 cents off for each reusable bag including reusable produce bags (all pretty obvious).

Then I started looking at the cons and the #1 con...the price.

I really don’t understand why organic, natural foods cost so much more than “regular” foods. I am willing to pay a little more for organic/natural products but these prices were way more.

Example: $5.95 for a dozen free range antibiotic free brown eggs.

It is really difficult for a family of 4 on a tight budget to be able to shop at this store on a regular basis.

When we got home my husband and I analyzed our purchases. We realized that we could buy some (definitely not all but some) of the same items at our local Wal-mart super store and for much less.

Example: $2.95 a dozen for the same brand of free range antibiotic free brown eggs.

Our Wal-mart does not have the organic apples, the local bread, or the organic cheese that we bought (and loved cuz they were so yummy and are already gone) so now the question becomes, do we shop at 2 different stores?

What about the time and gas that would be spent shopping at 2 different stores that happen to be across town from each other?

Is purchasing just a few items (yogurt, cheese, bread, fruit) at the all natural food store “good enough”?

Pesticide Fast Facts

Fast Facts by Organic Valley:

1. More than one billion pounds of pesticides are used annually in the U.S.


2. Public health costs associated with pesticide-related acute poisonings and cancer alone, add up to an estimated $1.1 billion dollars per year.


3. About 70 percent of conventionally grown fresh fruits and vegetables contain pesticide residues.


4. 82 percent of U.S. households use pesticides, with an average of 3-4 different pesticide products used per home.


5. The majority of the U.S. population has detectable concentrations of multiple pesticide residues in their bodies.


6. Switching children to organic food dramatically reduces their pesticide exposure and risk.


7. Pesticides approved for organic farming are much less toxic compared to conventional pesticides.

To read more about the persistent problems of pesticides click over to Organic Valley's website and read:

Persistent, Poisonous, Problematic: Pesticides
by Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D.

Another use for my almond oatmeal facial scrub....

to sooth poison oak.

My son has a very bad case of poison oak. All over his poor little body. And it itches. Really really badly.

Nothing that we were giving him/rubbing on it was helping with the itching.

As I was searching through the drawers to find some Benedrly cream I saw my Brittanie's Thyme Almond Oatmeal Facial Scrub and decided to try it.

I am very glad I did (and so was my son). It soothed his itching, dried out the bumps, and gave him a restful night of sleep.

Thanks Brittanie's Thyme!

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your pedicure waste.

Take your own flip-flops, nail file and toe separator. Or save the ones the pedicurist gives you and bring them back with you next time. You may also want to take your own natural nail polish with you if your pedicurist does not carry natural polish.


Reuse: Reuse birthday candles.

After the birthday boy/girl blows out the candle, wash off the icing and save it. In my cupboard is a basket filled with numbered candles as well as candles in all shapes and colors. Whatever the occasion I am sure to have just the right candle. I have even let others borrow the candles. No need to buy new ones, I have plenty to share!


Recycle: Recycle #5 plastics (like yogurt cups, hummus tubs, sour cream containers)via the Preserve Gimme 5 program.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Lemons. Oh My.

When you start talking green cleaning these 3 little words come up all the time: Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Lemons.

When I was younger I remember my grandmother placing caps of vinegar around the house (specifically behind pictures so they would not be seen). She told me that the vinegar soaked up odors (I didn’t believe her).

I also remember my grandmother adding vinegar to the water when she washed drapes. She said that it not only removed smells but it also whitened the drapes (I didn’t believe her).

A quick Google search will bring up hundreds of sites listening hundreds of ways to use the natural magical ingredients; Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Lemons (oh my).

It turns out my grandma knew what she was talking about! (I totally believe her now)

Since I am a girl who likes to know why, I preferred the howstuffworks articles about Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Lemons.

I have not used lemons for anything but I have used vinegar and baking soda and I can tell you, they work!

Instead of fabric softener and bleach, I use white vinegar. I pour a cap full in the fabric softener dispenser of the washing machine and let the natural magical cleaner do its thing. It works wonders and doesn’t leave a smell. What surprised me the most though was how well it worked on controlling static cling. Who knew? (I bet my grandma did)

©2006 Publications International, Ltd.

Add some vinegar to the wash to soften your clothes. Click HERE to read how.

I have also used vinegar to kill the clover in our yard. I poured it straight on clumps of clover and within days the clover was dead. I am tempted to use it on the lawn where the clover is mixed in with the grass but haven’t been brave enough to try it. Yet.

I have also poured vinegar around the toilet bowl and scrubbed it with baking soda. This did not work as well as I had hoped but I might not have left the vinegar on long enough. I will have to try this one again.

I have already talked about using vinegar and baking soda to clean out the drain, the sinks, the tubs, and the shower.

Vinegar can improve the smell of the bathroom. Click HERE to read how.

Another thing I remember my grandmother doing was sprinkling baking soda on the carpets before she vacuumed. She told me that it helped get rid of smells (do you think I believed her).

Can you guess what I do now?

Yup. I sprinkle baking soda on the carpets before I vacuum (Only occasionally though cuz luckily our carpets don’t really smell).

One of the suggestions that I read that I hadn’t tried but am going to try is, “After emptying the garbage, sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom of the garbage can; this will neutralize the food odors”.

Judging from everything that I have read, learned, and tried, Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Lemons truly are natural magical ingredients.

And to think, my Grandma knew this long before Google did.

Clean and Green Winner

Since my first pick did not respond I had to pick another one....

Congratulations to the winner of Clean & Green's Auto Odor Eliminator, Cleaner, & Stain Remover :

greengirl said...
We have definite pet issues in our home, so this sounds like it is worth a try! The Clean & Green products are non-toxic, non-flammable, non-corrosive, non-carcinogenic, VOC free and more!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Click over to simply green for your chance to win this great looking Eco-drive watch from Citizen

Runs continuously on any kind of light (sunlight or artificial) for a lifetime of use. Fueled by light, it never needs a battery.

Entry is really easy too: leave a comment giving one easy tip that helps the environment and is quick to do.

I know you all have quick and easy tips to share!

I must warn you though, I entered to win too and right now I am on a role at winning giveaways :-)

Good Luck!

Today is the deadline....

to submit posts to The Green Mom Review for submission in July's Great Green Post Awards.

"Every month we could all give an award to the writer of a post that we really liked, found inspiring, learned something from etc—you know…really GREAT green posts!"

One lucky submitter will win their choice of a reusable shopping bag OR three coupons for free HAPPYBABY Fresh Frozen Organic Baby Meals!

If, in your green bloggy travels, you have come across a posting that you really liked, found inspiring, or learned something from why not give the writer a reward.

A year in review

It has been 1 year since my family and I made the conscience decision to “Go Green”.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step”

I could not have said it better myself!

Our green journey has definitely been one of single steps but when I look back over the past year I am absolutely amazed at how far down the green road those small steps have taken us.

Traded SUV in for smaller car (~37mpg, ~6000miles per oil change), Replaced broken washer & dryer with front loading energy star ones, Changed to phosphate-free laundry detergent, Use vinegar instead of bleach, dryer sheets, & fabric softener, hang dry most clothes (as compared to some), Compost dryer lint, Painted daughter’s room with low VOC paint, Bought organic sheets and comforter for her bed, Clean with eco-friendly, natural cleaners, Use biodegradable wipers, Switched to CA baby, Tom’s toothpaste, & Burt’s Bees lotion for the kids, Let the yellow mellow, Baking soda/vinegar combo instead of Drano,Clean with Twist cloth instead of sponges, Reuse bath water to water plants, Replaced regular TP with recycled brand (except in master bathroom), Open winds and use ceiling fans more than AC, Gather hair for composting, Replaced our Dove soap with Slab soap, Use natural face cleaner, Purchased (and use) reusable bags including produce bags, Buy organic, local grown, natural food (as much as possible), Switched from disposable napkins to cloth napkins, Recycled unbleached paper towels, Pack reusable lunches, Reusable water bottles, Compost, Grew an organic garden, Used worm-poop as fertilizer, Vinegar for clover killer,Recycle #5 plastics with Preserve, Upcycle breakfast bar wrappers with TerraCycle, Collected used tennis shoes for Nike’s Reuse-a-shoe program, Started this blog, Share my journey with everyone who will listen, Use phosphate free detergent in the dishwasher and vinegar instead of Jet Dry, Started shopping at a natural food store, Switched to Method hand soap, Read & Learn about Going Green, Solar lights outside CFL inside, Shop at consignment stores and thrift stores, Cancelled catalogs, Reusbale coffee mugs, On-line bill paying.

Wow! What a list.

I might have missed a thing or two but I think that you can see just how quickly those small steps have added up. And this was just in 1 year. Imagine what we can do in 5 years!

I hope my reflection has helped to inspire you to take a step toward a greener, healthier lifestyle.

One small step for you, one GIANT leap for Mother Earth.

Organic Almond Oatmeal Facial Scrub Review

Recently I had the opportunity to try some wonderful, all natural products from Brittanie’s Thyme. One of the products that I tried was Brittanie’s Thyme Organic Almond Oatmeal Facial Scrub

From the website: Finely ground natural oatmeal and raw almonds help exfoliate dry skin and smooth rough spots, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth. Excellent for use on rough elbows and knees, yet gentle enough for the sensitive facial skin. Great to use before our French Green Clay mask.

I definitely agree with the leaving the skin soft and smooth part!

I was amazed at how soft my skin felt after just one use.
Another surprising feature was how well it worked on the oily areas of my face.
Even though my teenage years are far behind me, I still have occasional break-outs, specifically on my chin and forehead. The day after using the oatmeal scrub the pimples were gone! And so were the oily spots. That alone is worth buying the scrub for!

How to Use: Place a 1/2 teaspoonful of the mixture in palm. Add several drops of water or plain yogurt and blend with fingers. Wet skin area and gently rub the mixture in a circular motion when using on the face, avoiding the delicate eye areas. Allow to sit for ~5minutes Rinse with warm water and dry. Use once a month.

I have only used the scrub with water (2 times now) but I think next month I will try it with yogurt. I really liked how a little bit went along way.

I also used it on my hands. While I was waiting the 5 minutes I just kept rubbing my hands together. It was actually kind of therapeutic. My hands felt just as soft as my face. Now I am wondering if I would get the same results on my feet too. Hmm. I will have to try it.

Brittanie’s Thyme has monthly specials and guess what product is the July Special

Yup. The Organic Almond Oatmeal Facial Scrub. For the whole month of July you can get a jar of this amazing facial scrub for only $4! (that is 50% off the regular price).

I would highly recommend picking up a jar (or 2, you can always give one as a gift). Your face will be glad you did!

Loganberry Cobbler

From This

To TheseTo This

And This

Loganberry Cobbler is quickly becoming my staple dish at the July 4th BBQ.

I used a combination of frozen (picked at the beginning of the week) and fresh (picked right before) very ripe, just ripe, and not quite ripe (for a bit of a tangy taste).

This year the berries tasted especially yummy! (if I do say so myself) It was the perfect combination.

Next weekend we are going to pick organic blueberries and I think I am going to try and make the 2nd type of cobbler with them. Wish me luck!

P.S. When freezing berries (without skins) I would suggest the following:

Pick off stems, place a small amount of berries in a strainer, wash well using cold water, pat dry or lay out to dry, place on wax paper on a cookie sheet, place in freezer until frozen (maybe a couple of hours), place in storage containers.

If you know what you are going to use the berries for (such as loganberry cobbler) you can pre-measure and store just the right amount. Remember to write the measurement on the storage container.

Post from the past: My Adopt-A-Road Experience

This weekend I participated in my first Adopt-A-Road clean-up.
7 of us spent 3 hours picking up litter on a half a mile stretch of roadway. I have to say, this was a very positive, fulfilling, and eye-opening experience for me. One of the ladies compared it to vacuuming,“immediate gratification and satisfaction”. I thought that was a very good analogy!

Here are a few of the things I learned from my Adopt-A-Road experience:

1. Don’t wear too many layers of clothing: (bending over will be nearly impossible)


2. Wear boots and gloves that you don’t mind getting muddy and mucked up.


3. Spending 3 hours walking 0.5 miles up and down hills while carrying a bag of garbage and continually bending over then standing up again is very good exercise which will leave you sore the next day.


4. There are no “good” parts of town. We were in a part of town that many would consider “good” yet we still found 2 syringes.


5. Apparently smokers think that the side-of-the-road is their personal ashtray: I was amazed by the number of cigarette butts we found within the first few steps we took so I started counting how many I picked up. My final tally = 1149. (This amount does not include what the other 6 people picked up) Let me repeat that I picked up 1149 cigarette butts in a half mile stretch. Am I the only one who finds this incredibly disturbing? That means that over 1000 times a smoker drove by this small stretch of road and flicked their cigarette butt (undoubtedly still lite) out their window. Unbelievable!
6. We did not find bottles or glasses: My state has a deposit on these items and every grocery type store has recycling centers at their facility where you can bring these items back and get $ for them. (might I suggest instituting the same for cigarette butts)

It was a well spent 3 hours!

I was out in the fresh air, getting exercise, meeting new people, giving back to my community, making a difference, doing something that is good for the environment, animals, and people who live in the area. (we got a couple of Thank you's and a couple of honks with thumbs up)

Overall my experience was a very positive fulfilling one. I am glad that I participated and can’t wait to do it again. I would highly recommend participating in an Adopt-A-Road program in your area.

P.S. If you are a smoker and happen to be reading this blog posting, please don’t throw your cigarette butt out your car window! Pretty please!

New Vegan Candy Bars

I received this e-mail from my favorite candy store that I thought I would pass along to you!


Introducing the latest entrant to the natural candy category—Go Max Go Foods and their brand-new line of vegan candy bars.

Inspired by the classics, the cleverly-named Mahalo™, Jokerz™, Twilight™, and Buccaneer™ satisfy candy bar cravings with no dairy, no hydrogenated oils, no trans fats, no cholesterol, and nothing artificial! Buttery-tasting caramel, fluffy nougat, crunchy dry-roasted nuts, and a creamy rice-milk chocolately coating come together in four irresistible flavor combinations:

• Mahalo™Coconut center + roasted almonds + chocolatey coating (think Almond Joy®)
• Jokerz™ Roasted peanuts + caramel + peanut nougat + chocolatey coating (think Snickers®)
• Twilight™ Chocolatey nougat + caramel + chocolatey coating (think Mars® bar)
• Buccaneer™ Chocolatey nougat + chocolatey coating (think 3 Musketeers®)

Regular candy bars contain loads of animal products (milk chocolate, butter and cream in the caramel, egg-whites in the nougat), not to mention partially-hydrogenated oil and artificial flavors.

Now vegans, those with lactose intolerance, and candy bar lovers avoiding junky ingredients are all in for a real treat with these delicious bars!

BUY GO MAX GO CANDY BARS NOW

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce the amount of fruit you throw away by using it to make dishes like banana bread and fruit tarts.

Reuse: Reuse popsicle sticks as markers in your garden.

Recycle: Recycle hangers and dry cleaner bags back to the dry cleaner

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

As of July 1st, 2009 Topping Off is against the law in the state of Oregon (my home state).

I never realized the negative effects topping off had/have on the environment. I guess it just goes to show that you really do learn something new everyday!

Why Drink Organic Milk

Did you know that June is Dairy Month?

Hmm. Me neither.

I do now!

Those that have read my blog for a while know that I am a kind of short, sweet, to-the-point, give me just the facts kind of reader/writer. Give me a list with a short sentence or two on why and I am one happy girl.

That is why this article caught my attention:
Seven Reasons Why Kids Should Drink Organic Milk
From: SOURCE Organic Valley Family of Farms

In recognition of June (Dairy Month) Dr. Greene is offering the following seven reasons why families who drink milk should choose organic:

1. Organic milk comes from organic cows that have not been treated with antibiotics, so it doesn't contribute to the growing problem of bacterial resistance.


2. Organic milk does not have added synthetic hormones used to stimulate the cows' milk production which is then passed on to the milk drinker.


3. Organic cows are fed food grown without chemical pesticides. (again, keeping pesticides from being transferred to the milk drinker)


4. Many organic farmers rely upon pasturing and give their cows fresh green grass which means that organic milk often has a high CLA content because it comes from cows who pasture has higher CLA content. (CLA is Conjugated Linoleic Acids i.e. the “good fats”)


5. Excellent source of calcium. (This is true for all milk)


6. Organic milk is a natural, wholesome beverage that does not contain artificial chemical ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame and/or artificial chemical dyes
   
7. Organic cows must have access to open air. Organic cows are allowed to graze freely in organic pasture when it is in season. This kind of farming is kind to animals, supportive of wildlife, healthy for rural communities, respectful of our air, water and soil, and healthy for children.

"Parents need to practice the precautionary principle when it comes to the foods they feed their families," advised Greene. "This is especially true when it comes to eating higher on the food chain where pesticides and other toxins are stored in fatty tissue. By choosing organic milk, butter, and cheese, however, families can avoid this exposure."

Now we know.

For the full article click over to The Organic Consumers Association website. (A good source of short, sweet, to-the-point, info. In my opinion)

I wish I had read this article (or better yet, had a printed copy of it) so I could have responded to the lady behind me in the check-out line who was making rude comments about me wasting my $ on organic items when they were just the same as regular items…..

I am on an eco lucky roll

Remember the other day when I won this beautiful reusable bag?(Which BTW I received and love! It is a lot thicker and prettier in person and Sara sent along a very cute coffee cozy. These bags would make great presents but I digress)

Look what else I won this weekOver on Prissy Green I won a set of 6 eye pencils (I got to choose which 6 too which was very nice of them). This was perfect timing too cuz my "regular" eye liner is on its last leg and I wanted to replace it with an eco one. Now I can!

and then at SimplyGreen.com I won this recycled glass decorative rod set by Studio
At first I thought I would use it for my daughters room but now I am thinking I am going to use it in our living room. Now I have to find just the right eco curtains to hang on it! (if you click over to simplygreen.com he is giving away a shag carpet made from recycled water bottles. I am thinking the carpet would go really well with my curtain rod)

I am so excited! I never win anything (I guess I can't say that anymore) and now I am winning all over the place (mental note, buy lottery ticket on way home).

The cool part about it (aside from getting to try out some green products) is that I don't enter lots of giveaways (I usually have more fun hosting the giveaways) so when I do enter it is just for things that I really want/need/could use/or know someone else who could use it.

I guess that is what makes winning so much fun.

Thanks to Red Owl Designs, Prissy Green, and Simply Green!

Carolina Pulled Pork

Summer is synonymous with Bar-be-cue. I'm not talking about grilling, I don't mean throwing a steak or piece of chicken on the grill, (which I love by the way). But by bar-be-cue, I mean low and slow. And what better way to cook something low and slow than in your crock pot?

I know, I'm committing bar-be-cue heresy, just bear with me. Unlike most of my Texan neighbors I do not own a smoker, (yet). I'm one of the few out here with a propane gas grill. And while I can make a mean rack of ribs on it, pulled pork and brisket are just not feasible. I cannot justify the amount of propane it would take to cook something for at least twelve hours. I also don't enjoy the summer heat and humidity here is Texas, so am glad to make this indoors. So I turn to my crock pot the night before I want to serve this, with very delicious results.

I adapted this recipe for my crock pot from an authentic smoker recipe and started making it when I lived back in California for catering. It is so easy, and makes so much, it's really a no brainer. Many, many people have asked for the recipe, and are shocked to find out it is as easy as it is. They too think they're going to have to be standing guard all night over a smoker, and are delighted to find out they get to sleep through the work.

There are actually four parts to this recipe, but don't let the number of components worry you, each one only takes about five minutes to complete.

The Pork:
~6 lbs. Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

The Rub:
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons (packed) dark or light brown sugar
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

How to Put it All Together:

Mix the rub ingredients together in a small bowl to combine. Then "rub" over the Boston Butt. No I don't know why it's called "butt" if it's from the shoulder. Anyway, place pork in your crock pot, and drizzle vinegar and Worcestershire sauce over the meat. Cover with the lid, set on low, and go to bed. Sleep in, the meat can wait. The great thing about this dish is the meat can be ready for lunch, or just keep it going until dinner. It's very forgiving. When your pork looks like this . . .spoon the extra juices off the meat and any fat. The pork will give off a lot of juice and you don't want your pulled pork swimming in it. I take out as much as I can with a ladle, some extra moisture left behind is fine. Especially if you're going to keep the pork in the crock pot on "warm", or whatever setting your crock pot has, until everything else is ready. Take two forks to the roast and shred the meat.

You now have delicious pulled pork.

Since this is Carolina pork we're talking spicy and vinegary. Not the sweet sticky Kansas city stuff, (which I also love). So this bar-be-cue sauce packs a punch. I usually also serve a good bottled sauce on the side, especially for the kids who like the sweet stuff. But if you're going to go authentic, make your own sauce.

The Sauce:
1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon (packed) light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Simply combine all the ingredients until the sugar and salt dissolves. The sauce can be made a couple of days in advance, and it keeps well in the refrigerator.

The coleslaw is also Carolina, so again, we're talking tangy and sharp. Not the sweet stuff you get at your grocery store deli counter. It only has three ingredients, and if you made you're own sauce, you're already 1/3 of the way there.

The Coleslaw:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Bar-be-cue Sauce
1 2 1/2-pound green cabbage, quartered, cored, very thinly sliced (Or you can use the preshredded stuff)

Whisk the mayonnaise and bar-be-cue sauce together to combine well. Add the cabbage and toss to coat. You may add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least two hours and up to ten before serving, tossing occasionally.

The cooking method may not be authentic, but the classic Carolina Pulled Pork is served sandwich style on a soft bun, topped with the coleslaw with just a drizzle of the tangy sauce. Especially good served with a spear of dill pickle and some crunchy chips, (potato or corn, you decide). And there you have it, Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches, and you didn't even have to sweat away in the blazing summer heat to enjoy some tasty summer, (or anytime of the year) bar-be-cue.

This recipe easily serves 12 hungry people.

50% off sale at reusablebags.com

I love a good sale and this is definitely a good sale!

It is never too early to think about back-to-school shopping. Check out the reusable lunch totes and water bottles!

Limited quantities on overstocks & closeouts. Shop early for best selection!

Review & Giveaway: Clean & Green Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, Pet Odor Eliminator & Stain Remover

This giveaway is closed. Thank you to everyone who entered. Congrats to the winner!

Review By Dawn (contributing writer):

I was asked if I would like to give these new pet products by Clean & Green a try, and my initial thought was "sure, I'll try them". I live in a new house, and wouldn't say I have a problem with pet stains or odor, but I have been puppy sitting and puppy foster "momming" a couple of times since moving in.

Unfortunately my virgin carpet has been despoiled.

I also have three cats and a dog, and while they're all house trained, incidents do occur. Clean + Green Carpet Upholstery Cleaner, Odor Eliminator & Stain Remover claims:

• To work instantly and easily
• Be all natural and pet safe (non-carcinogenic & non-toxic)
• Be an eco-friendly product (safe for people, pets, & the planet)

This is a "Deep Action Formula" is supposed to "Penetrate deep into carpet, area rugs or upholstery. Works on contact. Just spray - no need to soak or scrub" What could be better?

My first victim was a spot on the carpet, that I believe came from a puppy. There was no odor, just a slight spot, I thought I'd go easy at first. I followed the directions on the can, spraying directly on the spot until damp, not soaked, and walked away. I came back later, and the spot was still there. And to this day it is still there. It's slight, but it's still there.

My next victim was a spot on my couch. Now I don't believe it came from an animal, it's probably a juice spot from one of the kids sippy cups leaking, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway. I have one of those microfiber couches, that cleans up pretty easily anyway, so I thought the cleaner could handle it. Once again I sprayed as directed, and allowed the spot to dry. The stain is lessened, but still there. Another fail.

On a whim I thought I'd tackle a true nasty pet stain. My female cat must have decided she really doesn't like our dog, I don't know why he is the best dog ever, but she has decided to use his dog bed as a new place to relieve herself. She's about to find herself homeless. But anyway, the bed had two spots, both stinky and obviously urine and feces. I sprayed the spots and walked away not hoping for much. When I came back, I was shocked to find both spots gone. Gone! No smell, no stain. I was amazed!

So here is my take. This truly is a pet product, not just for any stain. So for my juice and mystery spills I would definitely go to my old stand-by cleaning product. But for those nasty pet stains that it seems nothing can help, especially the odor, I would make the separate purchase and buy this product.

Clean & Green has a wide range of products (auto, furniture, wood flooring) for a wide range of animals (dog, cat, ferret, bird) including a de-skunking product!

Now you get the chance to try: The Auto Odor Eliminator, Cleaner, & Stain Remover on your pet stains.

To Enter: Visit Clean & Green's website, look around, read a bit about the company and their products, come back here and leave me a comment telling me something you learned.

Giveaway Ends: Sunday July 5th.

Extra Entry: Blog about this giveaway and post the link here.

Good Luck!

Winner of Brittanie’s Thyme Giveaway

Congratulations to the winner of Brittanie’s Thyme Organic Insect Repellent & Bug Bite Relief Giveaway:

Stacy said...
The biting bugs love me this year so I am trying out all the bug repellent, itch relief I can find, I love that these are organic….

I hope these help with keeping the bugs away as well as giving you some relief from the bug bites you already have ;-)

Who says first entries never win…

Thank you again for all who entered the giveaway. Come back tomorrow for another great organic product giveaway!

Preserve's Gimme 5 Recycling Program

Preserve is a line of products; Personal Care (toothbrushes, razors, toothpicks), Tableware (plates, cutlery, tumblers) & Kitchen (mixing bowls, cutting boards, storage containers), made from 100% recycled materials by a company called Recycline.

Specifically recycled #5 plastics, (such as yogurt containers, hummus containers, and sour cream containers) which are typically “difficult” to recycle.

In 2001 Preserve and Stonyfield Farm partnered to keep (literally) tons of plastic out of landfills by collecting yogurt cups and scrap plastic from Stonyfield’s manufacturing facility and using the plastic to make high quality products.

Preserve also established a means for those of us who enjoy Stonyfield Farm yogurt to help turn our used yogurt cups into Toothbrushes, Tongue Cleaners and Razors.

That means is called Gimme 5:

• Preserve accepts any CLEAN whole plastic items with a #5 stamp on the bottom. They also accept Preserve products, & Brita pitcher water filters.


• All #5 plastics sent to Preserve must measure no more than 2’ x 2’ x 2’


• All #5 plastics must be clean (the cleaner the plastic, the cleaner the recycling process)


• Plastics should be sent via ground shipping (as opposed to air). Reuse a box if you can!


• Shipments should weigh at least 5 pounds and no more than 50 pounds


• Include your return address on the box and add your name and email address inside the box


• Send Gimme 5 shipments to:
  Preserve Gimme 5
  823 NYS Rte 13
  Cortland, NY 13045
  

You can also drop off your clean #5s at a Preserve Gimme 5 bin (available in select Whole Foods Market stores). Click here for a list of locations.

Why should you send Preserve your #5 plastics? Making products from 100% recycled materials, saves energy and natural resources (win-win) and I think it is pretty cool to know just where your recycled materials are going , what they are being used for, and that they are actually being recycled.

Watch a video of the Recycline process and see for yourself (I have always enjoyed watching these kinds of videos. My favorite is when Mr. Rogers took us to the crayon factor. I still remember that show to this day. but I digress)

Post from the past: Instead of Drano

Use baking soda and vinegar to help keep your drains flowing freely.

Quite a few people have told me about this combination (including my mother) but I had never tried it, until recently.

The water had been draining very slowly after my daughter’s bath so we finally tried the following:

• Removed the grate from the bathtub drain
• Poured baking soda into the drain until it was full (~ a small box)
• Slowly poured ~ 4 cups vinegar into the drain
• Let the bubbling combination sit for ~ 10 min
• Poured ~ 4 cups of boiling water down the drain to wash away the baking soda & vinegar
• Cleaned the drain grate & replaced it
  

I could not believe how quickly the water flowed after bath time! (Ta-Da)

I have to say, I was quite surprised at how well it worked. (I guess mom really does know best)

We did the same with our shower drain and it worked just as well. The added bonus in the shower was that it cleaned the floor around the drain.

Go Green: Before you pull the plug on your bath, use the water to water your plants.

Are You Willing to Go Six Green Feet Under?

I recently read this pretty interesting article about green burials that I thought I would share with you:

Are You Willing to Go Six Green Feet Under?
By Rachel Pritchett (Contact)
Saturday, June 13, 2009

Another aspect of "going green" to ponder...

3 R Friday

Welcome to 3 R Friday

A weekly series of simple tips geared toward helping you darken your shade of green. Easily.

Reduce: Reduce your post-it note usage.

I use a lot of sticky notes at work so I am always looking for ways to reduce the amount I use. Here is what I do; I try to use the smallest ones whenever possible, I cut the bigger ones in half whenever I can, I save ones that contain messages that I tend to use over and over again and reuse them. I also recycle them when I can (our paper recycling now accepts post-its!)

Reuse: Reuse hair and dryer lint for composting material.

I keep a small bag in my laundry room and every time I empty the lint catcher I put the lint into the bag. When the bag gets full, I had the lint to my compost bucket. I do the same for all the hair that I remove from my hairbrush and my daughter’s hairbrush. You would be amazed at how much hair and lint you can collect in a week.

Recycle: Recycle ink and toner cartridges at OfficeMax.

My son’s school keeps a box up all year where parents and staff members can deposit their used/empty cartridges. The school earns credits for the cartridges they return which they use to buy supplies for the school. Win for the environment and a win for the school.

Hope you found these tips helpful. Feel free to share any tips you may have.

Have a Great Green Weekend!

Do You Know Green?