God is Great, Wine is Good, and Flying in Thunderstorms is Crazy December 4, 2009

Hello groggers, hope you all had lovely Thanksgiving feasts.  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, with its food-centrism and thankful-heart vibe.  I am still recovering!

My topic today is green funerals.  A bit morbid perhaps, but interesting nonetheless.  

I am feeling morbid for 2 reasons:  1) I attended a relative’s funeral this past week, and 2) I had a near death experience on a stormy plane trip home.  It got me thinking…what are the environmental implications of a traditional burial?  Cremation, embalming, ornate casket vs. pine box, religious beliefs, emotions of the surviving family members; death and funerals are a tough thing to talk about.  We certainly don’t want to think about it, I don’t even want to make plans for it because if I don’t make plans, it’ll never happen.  Ha!  

I went online and found many links to information on green funerals.  The National Funeral Directors Association has a nice Q&A on their website.  Here is their explanation of a green funeral: 

“A green funeral incorporates environmentally-friendly options in order to meet the needs of a family requesting a green service. A green funeral may include any or all of the following: a small gathering in a natural setting, use of only recycled paper products, locally-grown organic flowers, carpooling, organic food, no embalming or embalming with formaldehyde-free products, the use of sustainable biodegradable clothing, shroud or casket, and natural or green burial.”  -www.nfda.org 

This would be your last and most lasting way to contribute to your planet, your last Environmental Hurrah.  I like the idea, but I’m so used to traditional funerals, it might be hard to change.  Much of what we do is to provide comfort to the dead person’s surviving family and friends.  That is important to consider, too.  And I think we all want to go out with dignity, if at all possible, and a biodegradeable cardboard casket doesn’t seem very dignified.  I think it would basically seem like a cardboard box, and while eco friendly, is it how I want  to see my loved ones in their final moments?  Maybe a better compromise would be a bamboo casket.  Simple but attractive.  But then again, what does it matter, really?  It’s going to be buried in the ground!  Never to be seen again.  I don’t know, what do you think? 

As I think about it, I realize the question for me often is “how green can you go?”  There are different shades of green; I have moved down the spectrum to the darker shades but I still am probably in the middle.  I do try to challenge myself to the greener end.  

As I mentioned earlier, I am quite certain that I was close to the end on the bumpy flight home from up North.  I am also quite certain that I was probably the only one to feel that way.  In fact, my husband told me that relatively speaking, the bumps were really “not that bad.”  I am what you might call a “white knuckler”, and have what you might call “panic attacks” on airplanes from time to time.  The panic attacks have been known to include “sweaty palms”, “negative thoughts”, “elevated heart rate”, “embarrassing need to cry” and “getting right with God.”   For the past few years, though, I had been doing quite well, with attacks mild to none, and no medication.  With children to distract me, my husband to explain every noise and minor detail of the flight, and reading material, I had been fine.  Apparently, I have only been on smooth flights for the past few years.  

Never again will I fly without medication.  The plane bumped up and down, side to side, perhaps did a couple of flips.  I felt the panic rising, awaiting certain disaster.  The glass of wine came none too early, I put on headphones to listen to Everybody Loves Raymond on the plane TV, and started writing.  I couldn’t even drink the wine without spilling, it was so bumpy (I was very motivated, though, and could now participate in the Olympic Bumpy Plane Ride/ Wine Drinking event.)  With my son deep into a book and clueless that his mother was a wreck, I started writing to try to focus my thoughts away from crashing planes.  I titled it, “These Things I Know To Be True”, rather bizarre but that’s what came to mind.  Here is an excerpt: 

“1.  I will never fly again without medication.  2.  Panic is not an option when you have children.  3.  God is great, beer is good, people are crazy.  (thanks, Billy Currington.)  4.  My Happy Place is a massage room in the Savannah Day Spa.  5.  Does Everybody Really Love Raymond?  6.  I don’t really care if gay people get married.  7. I am glad I’m not Tiger Woods or married to Tiger Woods.” 

I actually had 38 things I knew to be true.  It turned out to be a fantastic writing exercise.  I didn’t think, I just wrote madly, focusing my thoughts, and found a surprising clarity.  So, creative writing teachers, take your class somewhere, give them a glass of wine, make them face death on a plane ride through some thunderstorms, and you might get something interesting. 

I was so glad to be on the ground.  And now I’m so glad that I am home and writing about green funerals rather than being a guest of honor at one.  Here are some other green funeral links I found to be interesting: 

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/funerals/funerals-tips.html 

http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2004-02-03-green-funerals_x.htm 

http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/ 

Hope I gave you some food for thought today!  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about a green funeral.

Take care,

Katie

Happy Green Thanksgiving! November 19, 2009

Good morning, all.  I am coming off of one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time.  We celebrated my mother’s 60th birthday with a family beach weekend.  My dad rented us a wonderful beach-front house.  My sister-in-law Martha and I took her to the spa for a massage and nails, and had lunch at a ladies’ lunch kind of place.  I’ve since decided that my biggest job search motivator is now to fund my yearning for a monthly massage.  Forget bills and debt reduction:  I’ve now got a massage addiction to feed!  If only I could figure out a way to get my health insurance to cover them; surely a massage is cheaper and better for you than Xanax.

Later, we watched football and my brother Matt, Martha, Scott and I cooked a tailgate feast in her honor.  Martha had come up with this brilliant idea months ago, to cook her dinner based on her life:  things she liked as a child, things she likes now, things that represent places she has lived.  Don’t you love it?  So the family got together and came up with ”This Is Your Life in Food.”  She loved it and it was so much fun to do.  We did an updated version of her 2 childhood favorites:  a peanut butter sandwich via peanut butter bread pudding, and an updated Krystal hamburger via organic beef sliders.  We had food to represent Mexican food, a family favorite growing up;  sweet and spicy pecans and peach salsa to represent GA; sweet tea vodka and shrimp to represent SC;  a beautiful roasted beet salad and NC bbq gourmet’ed up as a pork tenderloin slider with NC wine.  We ended the feast with my grandmother’s gorgeous and delicious caramel cake, Mom’s birthday request.  We had a ball doing it, and full bellies afterwards.  Happy 60th, Mom!

For the PB Bread Pudding recipe, visit http://southernfood.about.com/od/breadpuddingrecipes/r/bl61020a.htm?r=et.

For the BBQ sliders, visit http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/03/earlyshow/contributors/bobbyflay/main3326565.shtml.

I would give you my grandmother’s caramel cake recipe, but then I’d have to kill you. 

Green Thanksgiving Tips:

This being the week before the holiday, I thought I’d pass on some green Thanksgiving tips.  I just discovered a “Planet Green” channel on DirecTV, I think it’s 286.  There were some good looking shows on there, and I watched some “Emeril Green” and it had some great tips.  I’ll report back on “Living with Ed”, the Ed Begley show and a show with Bob Woodruff that looked good.  They have a nice website too, with the following green Thanksgiving/holiday tips:

1.  Send Evites or invitations printed on recycled paper.

2.  Shop farmers’ markets for local, in-season produce.

3.  Decorate with organic flowers, or bouquets made from your yard (adding rosemary or lavendar makes for a lovely arrangement.)

4.  Remember to recycle any trash or compost leftovers.

*for more tips, visit http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/thanksgiving-day/thanksgiving-day-tips.html

Green Thanksgiving Decor:

Check out this cute idea for making holiday placemats out of your recycling bin; watch the video, it’s short!  I found it here:

http://www.mnn.com/family/education-activities/blogs/diy-stylish-holiday-place-mats

Healthy Houseplants List:

I found a great article on healthy houseplants.  Over the years, I have killed more houseplants than I care to admit.  The poor plants at the nursery see me coming and instead of a 30something mom, they see the Grim Reaper!  I HAVE done well with the pothos plant; thankfully, there is at least one houseplant that doesn’t need to compete with the humans, dog, and turtles for my attention.  Of course we all know that houseplants are good for the air, but this article talks about a recent study by the UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA (go Dawgs!  Woof Woof Woof!) and lists specific houseplants that are especially good air purifiers:  English ivy, Areca Palm, Gerbera daisy, Peace lily, and green spider plant.  I also just noticed there is a link there on the left to an article about a sex change operation on a papaya…I gotta check that out!   http://www.mnn.com/the-home/gardening-landscaping/stories/can-houseplants-save-your-life

Alright groggers, I am out of here.  It’s too beautiful of a day to sit in here with my computer any longer!  I will take next week off, but will be back the next week.  Oh, one other tip for Thanksgiving:  remember to give thanks.  I know I will.

Thanks to you all, for reading my grog!

Katie

“I got a roof over my head, the woman/man I love laying in my bed, and it’s alright, alright, I got shoes under my feet, forever in her/his eyes staring back at me, and it’s alright, alright, and I’ve got all I need, and it’s alright by me.  It’s alright by me, yeah, yeah, when I lay down at night, I thank the Lord above, for giving me everything I ever could dream of…”  Alright by Darius Rucker

Food, Inc. Reviewed November 10, 2009

It’s been a big week for this Green Mama.  First, I was featured on Southern Living’s website as their Mama Blogger of the Week!  (see link on the sidebar)  So very exciting and a big thanks to all readers who commented on the site, and kept me from looking like the Loser Mama Blogger of the Week!  Also, I officially finished my first Race!  Woo hoo!  I actually ran a real race, a 5K, did not collapse, somehow won 3^rd place in my age group (still pretty sure there were only 3 women in my age group in the race), and had NO breathing issues.  This was a big deal for me after the asthma mess over the past few months.  I just felt so healthy running that race and finishing it, and having my kids there to see me, and my husband there to cheer me on.  I might get addicted now.  It was such a rush.  Kudos to Martha C. for winning 1^st place in the 60 and up women’s division!  You are an inspiration for all ages!

 This entry I’m about to write is a bit more daunting than the usual green blogs (grogs?) I’ve written.   I just finished watching Food, Inc. and I’ve now got to put it into words.  And as my 4-year-old would say, I did not make a good choice for dinner tonight:  microwave popcorn and Whoppers.  Only I would have a crappy dinner the night I was watching a healthy food movie and writing a healthy food blog.     

I knew, though, in the movie store when I held the box in my hand, that it would change me to some degree.  I even put it back on the shelf for a few minutes, asking myself, do I want to do this?  What about that great little Jennifer Aniston flick?  But I went back and got it because I felt like it was time.  And because I know that I can’t keep being ignorantly bliss, no matter how much I would like to.  None of us really can.  Sometimes you bury your head in the sand because you just can’t take anymore.  I have days like that, too.  But this scary food stuff is out there, whether you want it to be there or not.  If today is one of those days that you just can’t take any more, then stop reading.  I totally understand.  But when you’re having a better day, come back and read, or go get the movie yourself.  I think you’ll be glad you did. 

One thing that I appreciated about this movie is that they actually provide a To-Do List at the end.  Don’t you hate it when you read or watch stuff and they tell you all of this bad stuff and then they don’t even tell you what you can do about it?  After I give you the rundown, I will definitely provide you with their To-Do List so you won’t feel completely demoralized. 

They start out by saying how our industrialized food system has changed dramatically for the worse over the past 50 years.  The fast food “Drive-In’s” brought the factory system into the kitchen, where each worker did one job over and over again.  The labor was cheap and easily replaceable.  The three most important ideals for food became uniformity, conformity and cheapness.  Today, McDonald’s is the largest purchaser of beef, potatoes, chicken, lettuce, and even apples.  Their demand is for big suppliers, which has led to 4 large corporations controlling 85% of the market. 

They show how chickens today are twice the size of chickens from the 1950’s, and because of a preference for white meat, they now have Pamela Anderson breasts.  The movie makers interviewed a Tyson chicken farmer, whose chickens never see the light of day.  He was going to let the cameras into the chicken houses, until Tyson stopped him.  Tyson did not comment in this film, so the average consumer like me won’t know their perspective.  Carole, a Perdue farmer, was so beaten down by the situation that she elected to show her houses, knowing that Perdue wouldn’t be happy.  Her houses did have open windows, but her chickens were so large, they couldn’t carry their own weight.  Not that they could go anywhere anyway; there were so many chickens on top of one another, there was nowhere to go even if they could move.  These farmers are in so much debt to the big corporations, that they have virtually no say in their own businesses.  The companies make production demands to make more money, regardless of the consequences to the farmer, the illegal immigrant workers, or the chickens.  Not surprisingly, Carole’s contract with Perdue was terminated not long after she participated in this film.  The movie showed that the average farmer borrows $500,000 to set up a chicken farm, and earns an average of $18,000 in a year. 

Then they move on to corn and soy.  They said that either corn or soy is in 90% of processed food products in the grocery store.  Because corn is subsidized, they try to grow as much as possible and sell it cheaper than production costs.  The farmers feed the cows corn, although they are actually wired to eat grass.  But corn is cheaper than grass, and fattens them up.  Their corn diet also has created the E. coli problem.  The cows stand around in ankle-deep feces and still have manure on their hides at the slaughterhouse, which gets into the food supply.  The runoff from these farms puts E. coli in crops, which is how it got into products like spinach.  The regulatory agencies that are supposed to protect us are run by people affiliated with the big corporations.  And here we are, one big country-sized dysfunctional food system, with the chickens, cows, and humans getting fatter.      

According to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, all they had to do was feed the cattle grass and most of the E. coli problem would be fixed.  Instead, they decided to cleanse the meat in ammonia.  Someone actually thought that was a fantastic idea.  I’m sure it’s cheaper to do that.  The ammonia guy surely got a promotion.  They showed the ammonia-washed beef, which did not even look like meat, or any food product for that matter.  Yikes!  They mention how powerful the beef industry is and how they sued Oprah…remember that?  They will sue you if you disparage their product.  Let me take a moment to mention that if you are reading this and you are a beef industry exec, please do not get  your panties in a wad…this blog is only read by a small handful of readers, many of whom are faithful carnivores!  Oprah won that suit, by the way, only a mere $1 million dollars later.  So, um, maybe there’s no time like the present to say how I do love a good Five Guys!  (nervous laughter…) 

They discussed how ridiculous it is that unhealthy food is cheaper than healthy food.  I have wondered why that is for many years.  The movie says that the cheap food is the subsidized food, which is how it is cheaper, but we are paying in more ways than dollar bills.  It is awful that chips are cheaper than carrots.  How many of us, right now, have to make that difficult choice:  a whole fast food meal, or a bag of broccoli?  Winter clothes for the kids, or organic foods?  Tough choices for tight budgets. 

Now, the big companies are buying up profitable organic brands.  Will the organics’ integrity remain intact?  Time will tell.  And I’d never be so idealistic to think that these companies have had a moral awakening; the Wal Mart execs in the movie state plain as day that their decision to sell organics was customer driven.  So you see, it does matter what you buy.  You make a statement every time you go to the grocery store and the companies do notice what makes them money.  The average consumer feels powerless but they are not.  It is good for Wal Mart to sell organic products, even if you hate Wal Mart and don’t shop there.  

I believe Wal Mart was the only corporation who had representatives in the film, which I think was a very good move.  Tyson, Perdue, Monsanto (soybean company), and Smithfield were all dragged across the coals, but none of them had a comment.  Why?  Why not defend yourself to some degree?  That bothers me.  The movie asks if they will eventually end up the way of the tobacco companies.    

“But, Katie, What Can I Do,  Now That You’ve Gotten Me Completely Depressed and I’m Drinking Whiskey Straight From The Bottle?” 

Put the bottle away, and focus your energies on Food, Inc.’s To-Do List:

1. Buy from companies who treat workers, animals and the environment with respect.
2. Choose foods in season.
3. Buy organic.
4. Know what’s in your food, i.e. read labels.
5. Buy local, and shop farmer’s markets.
6. Plant a garden (even a small one.)

For more information, visit www.takepart.com/foodinc.

I welcome all comments, challenges, and perspectives on these topics.  You can help this blog become so much richer by adding your 2 cents!

Thanks for reading my grog!  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Katie

Money Can’t Buy Me Love or Creativity November 2, 2009

I believe I mentioned I’m on a budget, right?  We’re down to one income and we’re tightening things up a bit.  Just as many, many other Americans are doing right now; I know we are not alone.  I got to thinking about how sometimes a tight budget, while constraining in many ways, can also help your creativity blossom.  I have had to get super creative lately and thought I would share a few of my recession-inspired ideas.  I would love to hear from you guys, too, on what you’re doing to combat the supposedly-ended-but-where-are-the-jobs-recession.   

I confess, these ideas are not really new, and I’m thinking our grandparents probably already had these, and more,  ideas.  My grandmother will probably read this and think, “been there, done that,” but that’s okay.  Necessity is the mother of invention, and while I feel fortunate to have avoided the Depression by being born in the 70’s (the disco and bell bottoms were a better cross to bear than a Depression, for sure), I now see the relevance of those old school ideas firsthand. 

The main thing I’ve been doing is creating meals from whatever is in the house, rather than going to the store every 3 days because I’m in the mood for something in particular for dinner.  I know, lame, right?  Our pantry used to get so stuffed with random foods, because I didn’t take inventory before shopping.  It is a true creative challenge to look in the pantry and make a meal that you didn’t specifically shop for.  First of all, I have a new favorite go-to meal:  an egg scramble.  I’m not a skilled omelet maker, so I do a scramble instead.  You can take any leftover veggies, throw them in with some beaten eggs and you’ve got a tasty dinner.  I like to sauté onions and peppers, scramble the eggs until they are just setting, throw in some greens, cooked bacon/leftover deli meat, some cheese- it’s so good.  This is a meal I will always have in the rotation, no matter what the economic environment might be. 

Next, go veg more often to keep your budget in line.  Don’t forget, it’s also good for your health.  Make a homemade alfredo sauce, just butter, flour, skim milk, salt/pepper, and parmesan cheese.  Throw in cooked pasta, some greens, leftover zucchini, or broccoli, mushrooms would be good, sprinkle some nuts over the top, and you’re good to go.  It’s very satisfying and filling.  The dairy is your protein, plus the nuts.  You won’t be hungry later. 

Okay, for school projects:  send your kids to your recycling bin.  Don’t go out to the craft store and spend your whole paycheck.  You can make them be more creative, and it’s amazing what they will come up with!   I think the teachers appreciate the creativity and hard work involved.  And, it’s good for the environment, which they can mention in their presentation.  

This same idea goes for holiday decorating.  For Halloween, we made ghosts out of white garbage bags and hung them in the trees.  The kids had a ball, and they looked great!  For this idea, I must give credit to Scott, who is both my husband and my McGyver.  Believe me, we will be doing something similar for Christmas.  I’m no Martha Stewart, but I love to decorate for the kids, so this is a way to still be festive and not break the bank.   

How about you guys?  Any other good suggestions?  You do get extra credit if you’re idea is budget savvy AND green!     

I’d also like to give a shout-out to a hometown restaurant, the Redneck Gourmet, in Newnan, GA.  When I was there over the weekend, I noticed that they have a recycling bin in their kitchen.  Way to go, Redneck proprietors!  Your commitment to the environment makes your food taste even better to me now!  Of course, it was really good before that, too.  So go there, Bloglanders!  Downtown on the square!  

Last but not least, real quick, wanted to say a belated Happy 41^st Birthday to my cousin, Michael D.!  He threw a top-notch party, with DJ’s and sponsors, at a HGTV-esque, roof-top party locale with a view of Atlanta’s skyline.  It was quite a thrill for this suburbanite to attend such a hip soiree.  Check out the link to his charity to buy an “edutainer”, or school made out of a shipping container, for children in South Africa.  Sounds very cool and can’t wait to hear their progress. 

Take care, all! 

~Katie

 “You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run.  You never count your money, when you’re sittin’ at the table.  There’ll be time enough for countin’, when the dealin’s done. “  Kenny Rogers, The Gambler

 “I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love.”  ~The Beatles, Can’t Buy Me Love

 “If I were a rich man, Yeh bu dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum, all day long I’d biddy biddy bum, if I were a wealthy man.  I wouldn’t have to work hard, Yeh bu dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum, if I were a biddy biddy rich, Yidle diddle didle didle man.”  ~Tevye, If I Were A Rich Man

My Rainy Day, Go Back to Bed Blog October 27, 2009

So, one of the perks of being unemployed is, when it’s a cold, rainy day, you CAN get back in the bed.    And that’s what I did, after taking the kids to school.  I felt guilty, but it was a guilty pleasure.  How many days did I wish I could do that, on the way to work on a rainy day? Was it my American-ness that made me get up, after a short hour, asking “why did you waste that time when you could have been productive?  Look at this house,  there are dishes in the sink, you need to finish painting that bathroom, laundry is overflowing, go find a job, oh and don’t forget that blog you’ve been neglecting!”    I’ve got to learn to enjoy it more.  So here it is,  my rainy day, go back to bed blog…

Veg Garden Update: 

Not so sure my spot is a good idea.  After much thought and discussion, I have decided that my garden spot is not a good one.  It is in kind of a random spot, and will tear up the yard in a place that will look strange.  It is one of the few sunny locations in my back yard, but I don’t even think it has enough sun.  I’m considering using some attractive containers in my front yard flowerbeds, where we get the most sun.  My planters by the garage do so well, I even had vinca come back from last year, I did not do a THING, not even water, and they have done better than anything in my yard! 

Health Update: 

Had a physical earlier this month, and my cholesterol was FINE, so much better than I expected.  I think my healthier eating has really helped.  So I am grateful for that…health is your wealth. 

Anyone need a tennis or race buddy?  I have gotten back to running, after my crappy asthma spring/summer, and am doing some goal setting.  I know that I need to run a race, to stay motivated.  I still have quite a competitive spirit, left over from my high school basketball days, and would love to one day care about my running times; however, right now, I’ll be happy if I finish the thing!  Running has been a great stress reliever for me.   Running and tennis are relatively cheap ways to exercise, and get you outdoors.   

Speaking of, have you noticed the push lately for vitamin D?  That’s the stuff you get from the sun when you’re outside.  Babies who are born in wintertime, like my son, often have a deficiency of vitamin D.  He had to have supplements when he was a baby.  That was the first I’d heard of it, but apparently, lots of people are having problems with their vitamin D levels- proof that we all need to spend more time outdoors!!  Kids are inside a school building most of the day.  Adults go to work and might not get out in the sun all day; we certainly don’t get vitamin D from the florescent lighting!  Makes more sense to go outdoors, instead of having to pop a pill.  There is something to that old school “sun bath.”  Small doses of sunlight ARE good for you.  Don’t you think work places should have recess?  And schools should allow more than 15 minutes for recess, which is what my children get.  That is ridiculous.  Surely they can spare thirty minutes to give them time to run off some steam and get out in the sunshine and fresh air. 

Another thing I’ve found is Fit TV.  It’s on Direct TV.  I’ve DVR’d several shows, so I always have a variety of exercises to choose from.  I’ve belly-danced, yoga’ed, and pilate’d, and there are more I want to try.  When it is raining, or I don’t want to run, I can put Fit TV on, and it’s really fun and free.  If you don’t count the Direct TV bill.   The belly dancing, by the way, was HILARIOUS, but not sure how much of a workout it really was.   

40^th Birthday suggestions? 

Scott and I will be turning 40 in the next 16 months…so I’m trying to think of a good idea for us to do together to celebrate.  I really want to have a limo involved; I am about to be 40 and have never ridden in a limo! 

I must go now and practice what I preach; Fit TV calls.  Not sure what I feel like doing today; wish there was a Zumba show, I’ve heard that’s fun.  I hope you are well and finding some good ways to stay healthy where you live. 

Take care!

Katie

Brain Drain October 1, 2009

So Blog Readers, now I know what writer’s block is.  I’ve had it now for a couple of weeks and I kinda feel like I’ve been drugged or something.  The synapses aren’t firing as they should.  And I think it only gets worse as I go, like a stopped up toilet.  The less I can get out of my mind, the more it gets clogged, you know, I need my mind to drain from all of the stuff that goes in there.  So who knows what will come out of this blog, probably will be the worst one ever, but it’s for a good cause…my brain drain. 

I wisely have left my home, to the stimulating outside world, or as some like to call it, Panera.  I do like to write at home, at my cute desk in my “Inspiration Corner.”  My inspiration crap is my fave books, random quotes, Gone With the Wind pictures, family pictures, a globe, etc.  But sometimes when my brain is clogged, the internet cafes are my Drano. 

Your brain would be clogged, too, if you were job hunting.  Let me tell you, it sucks!  Half of the job listings are on craigslist, and seriously, most of them are scary.  No company name, no salary, no benefits info, just an email and sketchy job details.  And since people have been killed from answering craigslist ads, they are going to have do better than that to get my resume.  When you do find a legit listing, you can spend hours writing the perfect cover letter and filling out the perfect application and hear absolutely nothing back.  And it just goes on and on.  Yes, I’ve heard the recession is ending/has ended and that is wonderful news.  But people still aren’t hiring, and I can only imagine it is an even more difficult job market for people like me who are changing careers.  

And if you haven’t had to go down to your local unemployment office, I suggest you stay away unless you just enjoy being depressed.  I am grateful for the benefits, for sure, but that place was packed, with wall to wall people.  They give you an appointment, but it’s an appointment for a spot in a classroom with 25 other unemployed people.  They give you instructions on the paperwork, and how to claim your benefits each week.  But you have to tell your “story” and ask personal questions in front of these strangers, many of whom are just like you but some of whom may very well have a gun in their pocket- my county has an unemployment rate over 10% and is very rural, so who knows if someone might be really PO’d?  I guess the DOL has to do it that way, with so many people applying for benefits.  So many people hurting, so many people hurting way worse than me and my family- it was a reality check for me. 

Are you depressed now?  Sorry bout that.  Reality bites.

So I am rather stagnant and income-less, and my brain is clogged.  I am still volunteering, which I do enjoy, and that helps the brain to not completely freeze up.  And I know that all of this, too, will pass, as these times always do.  I’ve been here before and I know that.  However, lately, this roller coaster ride has been off the rails and it’s a real effort right now to get it back on. 

My Green Update today:

Check out a cool website, www.mnn.com.  Supposed to be the green CNN.  Lots of good information.  There is a link at the bottom, under most popular, “The 10 most toxic places to live” and thankfully, Atlanta was not on there, but it is truly disgusting to see what humans have done to some areas of the world.  There is one picture of children swimming in the polluted Yamuna River in India.  Unacceptable.  Why isn’t that on the front page of the paper?  There is also a picture of the plastic island floating in the Pacific Ocean- thanks to Gale K. (mom) and my uncle John D. for bringing that to my attention earlier.  Holy cow, I know we can do better than this!

Also, check out Newsweek’s “Greenest Big Companies in America”, Sept. 28^th issue.  They ranked companies based on environmental impact/worldwide footprint, green policies/environmental initiatives, reputation (poll of CEO’s, environmental officers and other green experts), and greenhouse gas emissions.  The #1 company was Hewlett-Packard- yay for me because we happen to have an HP computer and yay for Sue B., who works for them!  The other top 10 were Dell, Johnson and Johnson, Intel, IBM, State Street, Nike, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Applied Materials, and Starbucks.  A few others that I liked seeing in the top 30 were Wells Fargo, Kohl’s, McDonald’s, and Avon.  Walt Disney was #34 and Coca-Cola was #36.  Wal-Mart was ranked ahead of Whole Foods, at #59 and #67 respectively, so how about that?  So let’s support these companies and help them make money while taking care of the planet, too. 

Take care of yourselves and each other! 

Green Mama

“Make cupcakes, not war!”  www.johnnycupcakes.com

Cans for Causes September 15, 2009

It’s officially fall and ain’t it great that football season is here?  I can say that this week because my team, the DAWGS, won.  As relieved as I was, honestly, SC could use some positive news, what with their political leaders’ recent headlines.  I could not believe how this week was exhaustingly full of grown folks behaving badly.  First it was Rep. Wilson.  Then it was Serena Williams.  And THEN, Kanye West, but really, that doesn’t even count because he always pulls that crap.  It just makes me think about that book of yesteryear, “All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” or something like that.  Joe, Serena, Kanye, here’s a refresher:  “Stay in your seat”, “If you think you’re going to talk, put your pointer finger over your mouth”, “Show respect for others.”  A little self-control goes a long way, guys.  Just ask a kindergarten teacher.

Speaking of kindergarten, here’s a green idea that your kids might even be interested in: 

 Cans for Causes is a great green program that actually does double duty (www.aluminum.org.)  Collect cans to recycle, bring them to the organization to sell to the recycling center, and you’ve helped the planet as well as your organization.  How cool is that?  My son’s scout troop is doing this for their service project, and their cans are going to our local Habitat for Humanity.  Habitat had already set things up with Cans for Causes, so we just had to pick up boxes, find a place to put them, and then collect the cans once a month.  If you want to set it up from scratch, go to the website and they will walk you through it.  

Some fun aluminum facts from novelis.com:  (okay, maybe fun isn’t the right word… but interesting, for sure!) 

Aluminum beverage cans:

• Get colder faster than any other food or beverage container.

• Can be recycled over and over and over again.

• Go from recycling bin back onto shelf at the grocery store in as little as 60 days filled with your favorite beverage. 

• Are 100% Recyclable. 

The Benefits of Recycling Aluminum Cans:

• Recycling one can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours or a 100-watt light bulb for four hours.

• The energy saved each year through recycled aluminum beverage cans could light the city of Washington, D.C. for almost 4 years.

• Americans earn nearly $1 billion dollars annually from recyling aluminum cans! Think of how much could be made if everyone recycled.

Some Fun Facts about Recycling

• Over 120,000 aluminum cans are recycled every minute in the United States alone!

• Americans drink an average of 370 beverages in aluminum cans each year. Thanks to those who do recycle, the recycling rate for aluminum cans is now 50%…That’s a lot of cans!

• If Americans recycled all the aluminum they throw away it would be enough aluminum to build the entire consumer airline fleet EVERY three months!

•  In 1972, 53 million pounds of aluminum cans were recycled. Today, we exceed that amount WEEKLY…Keep up the good work!

On the aluminum website, they have an article about a guy who put his 4 children through college on the money he made from recycling.  They estimate about 3 bags of uncrushed cans equals about $10, depending on what aluminum is going for.  So it adds up quick!  If I don’t get a job soon, that will be our college savings plan! 

Just thought I’d share all of this in case you guys might need a fund raiser for your organization.  The kids are super excited about using the CAN CRUSHER…that would be a good WWE name, right?  Also, in my research for recycling info for kids, I was underwhelmed.  What are some good green websites for kids?

Got a green idea to share?  Post it here so we can all benefit!

Talk to you soon!

Love yo’ Green Mama

Labor Day Eat-In: A Day of Eating, Talking, and Being Green September 8, 2009

Good morning!  I hope you all had a nice weekend, resting from your Labor.  We did very little resting but instead, Labored on home improvement projects.  We are tired and sore but very happy to have cleaned, painted, mowed, and organized.  (As long as I blocked out all thoughts of having a Corona on a beach like other Labor Day’ers, I really was fine!  Maybe next year…)

 I did take a break from my Labors to attend a local Labor Day Eat-In, sponsored by Slow Food USA (www.slowfoodusa.org), and hosted by Melissa K. of Linda’s Playhouse in Peachtree City.  The purpose of the Eat-Ins was to bring attention to the Time for Lunch Campaign.   The campaign’s goals are “to give schools the ability to serve real food at lunch and to link local schools to local farms. The Eat-Ins that take place on Labor Day will rally support for the cause by organizing communities, getting some media attention and thereby sending a clear message to Congress: It’s time to provide America’s children with food that benefits their health, not food that makes them sick.” (http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/blog_post/labor_day_potlucks_with_a_purpose/)  

My friend Melissa owns Linda’s Playhouse (www.lindasplayhouse.org ) , a children’s museum in Peachtree City, and she organized her local Eat-In because she is in the business of educating children, and also a concerned parent.  In attendance were other concerned parents, as well as Beth Pullias, a parent and a candidate for PTC City Council Post 1, and Scott and Nicole Tyson, parents and owners of 180 Degree Farms.  I went to get information, after having read about other groups of parents organizing at the local levels to try to get better food in their schools.  I also went to eat!  The Eat-Ins were all potlucks, of which I am a huge fan, and all groups were to eat healthy food together while discussing healthy food.  I, for one, am glad that food was on hand because I knew I would get hungry if we were going to be talking about food.  It was a lovely and healthy spread.    

But on to the meeting…as Melissa pointed out during her presentation, it is important to note that there are some good things going on with school lunches, and each school is different with what they serve.  This group wants to try to do better, and offer some healthier alternatives.  I believe that we could do better, with more fresh fruits and vegetables, more organics, and better meat quality.  I have seen some of the meat that our school serves and I don’t know that I would eat it.  I would be interested in our school’s dietician’s perspective; perhaps they are frustrated, too?  I don’t know what their issues are, and I don’t eat there on a regular basis, so I should do more research.  Another issue that was discussed is that there is a lot of choice for kids in the lunch line.  They don’t have to take the fruit or the vegetables; they choose what they want to eat, even if it is just the fried corn dog and the fried tater tots.  Maybe if they had to take a fruit or veg, they would eat it because it was on their tray.  They definitely won’t eat it if it’s not on there!  It would be an excellent time to learn about the Food Pyramid and they could still have a choice, but between a fruit and a veg.  Maybe teachers do that already?  My children love to eat in the lunchroom, and I always ask them if they chose a fruit or veg, but who knows?  We compromise and eat some days in the cafeteria and bring a lunch some days.  For some children, school lunches are their best, or only, meal of the day.  What lunch issues do you see at your schools?  

Slow Food USA is advocating that $1 more per student be spent on school lunches.  Melissa noted that small changes could be implemented first, such as using whole grains instead of white bread/pasta/rice, and organic canned vegetables.  Attendees Scott and Nicole Tyson are in the process of starting up an organic family farm and would like to help provide schools with “clean foods”, which are organic and have no pesticides or hormones.  Their son was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a form of cancer that their research found to be linked with pesticides.  As a result, their life’s mission is to provide their family and community with clean foods and education about clean foods.  Their goal is to supply food banks and schools, as well as to sell their produce to individuals.  They plan to be up and running in Spring 2010.  Look for their website soon, as well as upcoming workshops.  Theirs will be the only organic farm in Coweta County.  I hope they will pave the way for more!  

This event was very interesting to me, and the first political grassroots thing I’ve ever participated in.  It was a great time to share food, ideas and solutions, and it will be exciting to see what happens as a result of the Eat-Ins.  I saw some coverage in the Atlanta Journal of the Atlanta Eat-In, and no, I did not dress up like a vegetable and march in a parade, but to each their own!  I was glad to be a part of this event, and to show my support for children’s health and well-being.  I saw this quote on someone’s email and liked it (thanks, Nicole E.):     “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”   -Margaret Mead 

Soil Test Results In!

We need more phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.  We’re good on calcium and zinc.  We also need lime.  No clue what this means exactly, but the good thing is, they put exactly what we need to get and how much.  We’ll just take these results down to the local nursery and hopefully they’ll lead us to what we need to get.  We’re getting it started next weekend and hope to plant by the end of September.  A Newsweek article stated that there were 20% more home gardens in 2009 than in 2008.  7 million new gardens!  And about to be 7 million and one!  I am looking at this fall garden as an experiment, and hoping to learn from my mistakes to be ready for spring planting.  Nicole Tyson from 180 Degree Farms convinced me that I can compost in an area in my yard, no fencing or expensive containers necessary (ok, Green Daddy, you were right!)  So as long as my Non-Green Dog is kept away, we should be good to go.  I also got some advice from watching Curious George on PBS…some kids were composting, and I figure, if they can do it, then I can too!  :-) 

Food Highlight of the Week:  Just had to include the recipe for Suzie H.’s awesome salsa, because it’s delish, healthy, easy, and cheap to make…I love a quadruple threat recipe!  It’s a can of black-eyed peas, a can of black beans, a can of corn, a can of Rotel, and ¼ bottle of Italian dressing.  She suggests adding whatever else you want, like maybe some sliced green onion or chopped green pepper, and the green does make it pretty.  Great for football tailgating…and so good!  Suzie, you rock! 

Also try Joan B.’s (Suzie’s mom, it must be in the genes!) Ziploc freezer baggie omelets…simply put 2 eggs into a Ziploc FREEZER bag (very important to use freezer bag and not just regular sandwich bag) with a splash of milk, and any omelet add-in’s (we had ham, cheese, green onions and tomatoes), squish it around to mix, seal the baggie and write your name on it, and then put the baggies in boiling water for 13 minutes.  And it comes out perfectly!  The kids especially love it!  All of us at the breakfast table lamented the lack of Greenness in this recipe, with using plastic baggies and all, but I am including the recipe in this green blog nonetheless.  I never said I was perfect.  Plus we all know it’s really a food blog, too.  And if you’re really worried about the baggies, you can go buy some carbon offsets! 

Happy Beginning of Fall, Y’all!   Love yo’ Green Mama

Bonjour! Boeuf Bourguignon, Bebe! August 24, 2009

Well, I am sitting here in Barnes and Noble, a free-wifi first-time user, writing my blog and channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw/SATC.  My inner Carrie B., however, wears flip flops instead of Manolo Blahniks, t-shirts instead of couture, and is drinking a smoothie instead of a cosmopolitan.  What do you expect, I’m sitting here in small town Georgia, and she writes in Manhattan!  I may be less fashionable, but I’m definitely more comfortable and thoroughly enjoying myself!

As I look around me at the other people in the B&N café, I’m really wanting to write about the scene here, but I have too many other cool things to write about, so I will try NOT to digress.  As I am about to write this next sentence, I admit I have a bit of a smug look on my face:  I successfully cooked Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon!  Yes, Saturday night, I fed my family a lovely meal of Julia’s brilliance.  As I reported last time, I loved Julie and Julia, the movie and the book, and My Life in France.  After seeing the movie, I knew I had to try the Boeuf Bourguignon.  They made such a big deal about it in the movie, and after seeing it on the big screen, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. 

Let me first say thank you, out there in Internet land, to Julie Powell and Julia C, may she rest in peace, for inspiring me to cook that dish.  Honestly, if Julie P. hadn’t tried it and put it in a blog, and a book, and a movie, I don’t know that I would’ve tried it.  I’m really more of a 30-Minute Meal kind of girl.  But I have seen the light!  The whole 5 hours I worked (yes, 5 hours, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.), I kept wondering, “are all of these steps necessary??  Why do I have to cook the bacon twice?  Is it really going to be that much better than the usual beef stew?”  Well, I must say, from the bottom of my soul and belly, it truly is better and really, it’s insulting to call it a beef stew, zut alors, c’est Boeuf Bourguignon, n’est pas, ooh la la, ma cherie amour!  

According to the movie, this is the recipe that got her cookbook published.  My family LOVED it.  My son actually had some appreciation for the work that went into it.  Green Daddy even took the kids out for an hour so that I could finish cooking in peace.  If you like to cook and eat, give it a shot.  It is the best beef dish I’ve ever eaten, and it is the best meal I’ve ever cooked.  When you invest that much time, there is some panic involved…what if it tastes like dog food?  What if I did something wrong?  What if I really do have to have the bacon rind, which Kroger does not carry?  I only cut corners where I absolutely had to, because I wanted it to be as much like the recipe as possible.  

Like Julie P. in the movie, I did it up, too.  I bought French wine to go with it.  I set the table with fine china and crystal, because it just seemed to need it.  However, I was, again, wearing my sweats and t-shirt, and hadn’t washed my hair, but who has time to put on pearls and fix your hair when you’re cooking the whole day?  It’s hard to believe that women did that in the 50’s/60’s.  I guess when you’re not working outside the home, you have time to cook Boeuf Bouguignon and put on pearls and wash your hair.  (Um… I just remembered that I, too, do not work outside the home.  Okay, forget that I said that, I have no excuse and no longer have that smug look!)  Anyhoo,  I do realize that this blog is a huge copycat of Julie Powell, but imitation IS the best form of flattery.  This blog is my ode to her and her inspiration, Julia C.  Because it was a HUGE accomplishment for me to make that dish a success.  And I love to make food that makes people happy! 

While I’m on the topic of food, and yes, I WILL get to green topics momentarily, another big THANKS goes to my friend Wendy F. for the recipe for NJ pizza.  Green Daddy and I made it together and neither of us has filed for divorce, so that’s reason enough to call this recipe a do-over!  But also, it is NJ pizza in Georgia, without having to travel to NJ!  Seriously, it was awesome.  You have to make the dough and let it rise, and then heat up your pizza stone in a 500 degree oven.  You slide it on to the stone from your “pizza peel”, which again, Kroger didn’t carry, so we used our wooden board, which worked fine.  It makes the crust so crispy on the bottom, but it doesn’t burn.  Then you put your toppings on and melt the cheese.  Really not that hard; of course, I can say that now!  We thought it was really close to the real thing.  Thank goodness I have a friend who loves NJ pizza as much as I do; Wendy, you ROCK!  

Green Vocabulary Word for the Week:  Renewable Resource- I bought a bamboo cutting board and they say bamboo is better than wood, because bamboo is a renewable resource, and saves our forests.  They claim that bamboo grows 8 ft in one day. 

Organic Veg Garden Update:  I finally took my soil to the Extension Agency to be tested.  We want to do a fall vegetable garden.  You have to take 6 samples from the area you’re aiming for, and dig 4 inches deep and put your dirt in a baggie.  Fill it half full, and mix it up.  If there’s a lot of moisture in it, leave it open to dry out.  Under the grass, our yard is basically GA red clay.  No black soil going on there.  Then I took it down to the county office and paid $8, and they will send it to UGA.  I should get an email in 7-10 days with the results.  They’ll tell you what your soil needs to grow certain veggies.  I’m so excited to get the results and will let you know.  It was much easier to do than I expected.  Once we get the results, we can start digging.  I am a bit concerned that our spot won’t get enough sun, but it’s the best spot we could find.  I hope they don’t find anything really bad.  Like the Obamas found in their garden! 

Green Project Alert:  Lastly, I found out about a Habitat For Humanity green project that might interest you, as well.  My son’s Scout troop is going to do this project.  They give you boxes to put in the community for people to recycle their aluminum cans.  The Scouts pick up the contents monthly and take them to Habitat, where they crush the cans with some kind of contraption (Jack is super excited about that part.)  Habitat then gets money for the cans.  So you’re helping the environment, and helping a great program like Habitat!  It’s two for the price of one.  Gotta love it.

 Sorry this was so long, but I’m making up for missing last week.  This Carrie B.-Wanna-Be needs to do some other work for now, but I hope you guys have a great week!   Au revoir, mes amies!

 Amour, Votre Vert Maman

 

Green Mama and Julia August 10, 2009

Good morning!  We are back to school and are pretty happy about it.  Jack and Jill are in decent spirits about it all.  Except when the alarm clock goes off. 

I want to start by saying that this blog has been so great for me.  I have enjoyed hearing from my friends and family, who may or may not comment here on this site, but have contacted me with green thoughts, ideas, and information.  Please keep sending me your info, and we can discuss them here.  That’s what this blog is for!  It has helped me become better informed, and I hope it has helped you, too. 

This week I will focus on researching for a green project.  It will either be a compost pile or an organic veg garden.  I would like to have my soil tested, and will call about that this week. 

Other than that, I haven’t had any big green things going on this past week.  So, I thought I’d tell you about going to see “Julie and Julia.”

I highly recommend the movie!  My friend Holly and I went to see it last night, and we loved it.  I had read the book, as well as Julia Child’s book, My Life in France.  I highly recommend both books, too!  I had read MLIF first, and then soon after picked up J&J, and really enjoyed it.  Julie Powell feels like Julia Child saved her and helped her find joy in her life again (not to mention a book and movie deal!)  For me, it wasn’t quite that dramatic, but after reading MLIF, I, too,  was inspired by Julia’s life.  She didn’t even start cooking until her late 30’s.  She surprisingly had kitchen disasters.  She and her husband Paul seemingly had a great marriage.  She was very passionate about food, eating and cooking.  And she was passionate about life.  She was cool, and I didn’t really realize it until I read that book.  And then Julie Powell goes and writes a blog and a book about her and her recipes.  And then a movie is made.  How crazy is that? 

Julie is funny and honest about the challenges she faces while making Julia’s recipes.  She has a few kitchen disasters and a few kitchen meltdowns.  I have had plenty of my own, and over much less challenging dishes!  But I love it that she tried them all, and she did have lots of successes.  I will have to try the Boeuf Bourguignon, because they made a big deal out of it in the movie- I guess it’s the recipe that got her cookbook, Mastering the Art of  French Cooking, published. 

For me, the moral of the movie is about being joyful.  There is plenty of crap that we all have to contend with, either at work, or in our personal lives.  We all get in the rat race and joy can fall to the bottom of the priority list.  This movie and book remind us to find what makes us joyful and to do it as often as possible.  That sentence makes me joyful.

Yesterday, I read an AJC interview with Virginia Willis, Atlanta chef/food writer/cookbook author.  She had met and cooked with Julia Child in the past.  Concerning this movie and book, she said that she didn’t like Julie Powell’s “tone” and felt that she disrespected Julia C.  She also said in her own blog that just because someone eats food and then blogs about it doesn’t make them a critic, or an expert.  And that got me kind of fired up.  I think she is wrong and I think that if you eat, and most of us do, then you can be a critic.  We are the restaurant goers.  We are who these chefs are cooking for.  We, the non-chefs, CAN have food opinions.  I don’t claim to be a food ”expert.”  But I can blog about what I eat, and for that matter, Virginia Willis, I can blog about whatever I want to blog about.  It certainly doesn’t mean you, or anyone, has to read it. 

Julie Powell’s blog and book were interesting to me because she was an ordinary person who liked to cook.  And I didn’t think she disrespected Julia C.  Her blog/book were an ode to Julia C., with her realization that no matter how hard she tried, she would never be as perfect as she thought Julia C. was.  Apparently, Julia C. agreed with Virginia and didn’t like Julie P.’s blog, either.   Which must have crushed Julie P.  Did Julia feel used, like Julie asked?  Who knows?  Julia Child became synonomous with culinary perfection, people imitated her funny voice and aspired to be Julia Child in the kitchen, much like the often used (pre-prison term) “Martha Stewart”  home perfection reference.  I didn’t know Julia C. personally, but we all feel like we knew her from her tv show.  I didn’t feel like Julie P. was mean-spirited at all.  And I just don’t care for snobby chefs that think their palate is the only one that matters.

Whew!  I WAS fired up!  Glad I got that off my chest. 

Food Highlight of the Week:  Cooking with the extended fam at home, Greek Tilapia Gyro Lettuce Wraps- this was a Cat Cora recipe I got from Oprah.com.  Grilled fish, tomato/onion mixture on top with tzatziki sauce.  They had a whole list of family weeknight recipes from Cat Cora, Tyler Florence and another Food Network guy.  They are really great recipes, very doable, healthy, and kid friendly.  Thanks to all who helped with the group cooking and cleaning up efforts- Mom, Dad, Green Papa, and Kiki! 

Last Week’s Poll Results:  SC peaches won in a close vote!  Congrats, SC!

Have a great week!     

Love yo’ Green Mama

“Just speak very loudly and quickly, and state your position with utter conviction, as the French do, and you’ll have a marvelous time!” -Julia Child, on how to survive a French dinner party, from My Life in France

“Her first attempts were not altogether successful…” -Paul Child, Julia’s hubby, from My Life in France