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

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

Burning questions: Are organics better for us? What up with White House sludge? Will my cooking ever look like the cookbook pic? August 3, 2009

I missed you guys last week!  Sorry, but I was out of town and then played catch-up all week!  But I’m back and ready to roll.

It seems that the debate rages on as to whether or not organic food is more nutritious than conventionally farmed food.  I question the validity of the studies because it does not seem that many of the studies are done by non-biased groups.  And then you have many seemingly non-biased experts saying that the research is inconclusive.  So what are we to think?  We need good research that will give us some answers.  There are still other good reasons to buy organic:  it is still better for the environment and it is better for you for what it doesn’t have- pesticides.  A gentleman in my small town was in the paper for wanting to get city/county council approval to use his property for an organic farm (I think it was a zoning issue or something like that.)  He stated his reasons were that his child’s cancer had shown a link to pesticides, so he wanted to grow organic food for his own purposes as well as to sell to others.  The council approved it; I’m not sure how they could have said no to that.  But it makes you think.  Why aren’t we hearing about any good studies?  Is a special interest group from the conventional food industry preventing pro-organic research from coming out?  Or is it bad news that the organic industry doesn’t want to get out?  It just seems like organic food would be more nutritious, because it often looks better and tastes better.  But seeming is not believing.  What’s a Green Mama to think?  Do you know of any good research for either side of the debate?  Please let me know!

Did anyone else see the news that Michelle Obama’s White House organic garden has hit a snag?  Seems like the garden’s soil has high levels of lead, reported to have resulted from sewage sludge used as fertilizer during the Clinton era.  I know, and you know, there was definitely lots of sludge in the Clinton White House, and I’m not talking about the lawn!  Drum:  Ba Dum Bum.  I mean, the Clintons have now figuratively and literally left the Obamas with their s___.  I could go on all day, couldn’t resist, I still haven’t forgiven the guy his personal transgressions, and took it all very personally since his was my first ever Presidential vote.  Anyhoo, the sludge was and is legal fertilizer, but is understandably controversial and just sounds nasty.  So, we’ll have to see how Mrs. Obama handles this situation.  I wish her well and hope she will find a new, better location for the White House organic garden.  But geez, if their soil is contaminated at the freaking White House, what must mine have in it?  Guess I better get it tested before working on a fall/winter winter garden.  Have you guys had your soils tested?  Let me know how it turned out!

Food Highlights of the Week:  New Jersey pizza!  New Jersey sweet corn!  I just returned from a visit to hubby’s relatives in NJ and wow, that pizza is truly superior.  The crust is perfect, light and airy and crispy- how do they get it to do that?  And that corn.  So sweet and Green Daddy grilled it to mouth-watering status.  It is so much fun to eat food in another region of the country, food that the folks are proud of and specialize in, food that you can’t get just any ol’ day in your town.  I have even been taking pictures of food.  Note my picture of the dish I tried valiantly to make look like the cookbook picture; alas, the food stylists won that battle.  Mine still tasted good, but how did they get that lovely browning? 

Also, thanks to BFF’s mom, Joan B., for the homegrown tomatoes and SC peaches.  Very delish.  I have officially gotten only 2 cherry tomatoes off my tomato plant.  Green Mama may not have a very green thumb, but she will keep on tryin’.  There is a debate in my family over GA peaches vs. SC peaches- care to weigh in?  I don’t know that I can tell a difference, but I live in GA and grew up in SC, so my loyalty is divided!  What do you think?  Vote for your favorite peach below!

Have a great week!  It’s my last week of summer, so we’re sleeping late and playing hard! 

Love yo’ Green Mama

Lovely cookbook pic

My dish...

New Jersey, baby!

So. Cooking + Indigo Girl + Award-Winning Chef + Local, Organic Ingredients = My New Fave Restaurant (and other tidbits…) July 20, 2009

Good afternoon!  My Monday morning blog will just have to be my Monday sometime blog.  It appears that Sunday nights are not as good for writing as I had thought.

Hope all is well with you.  It has been a good week for growing green.  First of all, my good friend and fellow green mama Melissa F. has started a new blog, so feel free to click on her link on the right.  She actually has some expertise in the green world and is also writing about her family’s experience going green.  She has more of a city-girl slant and we will be pairing up to discuss similar topics but from different perspectives.  We can learn a lot from her, and she from us, so check it out!

Remember Michael Pollan?  The In Defense of Foodbook?  Let’s go back and find out more of what he has to say.  Why should we listen to him?  Here are some stats on him- NY Times Magazine writer, past editor of Harper’s Magazine,  and professor at UC Berkeley.  This book won the James Beard award for Best Food Writing, and his 2006 book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma:  A Natural History of Four Meals also “was named one of the ten best books of the year by both the New York Times and the Washington Post. It also won the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, the James Beard Award for best food writing, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award”  (www.michaelpollan.com.)  He is in that  Food, Inc. movie that I am anxious to see.  Anyone seen it?  

 I think the IDOF book so far is very thought provoking.  I have been reading Pollan’s take on the whole margarine debacle.  Isn’t that a bit scary?  If they hadn’t been trying to make a fake food to be “more nutritious” than the real food, we wouldn’t have the trans fat/margarine issue.  And Pollan believes that is what they try to do.  To convince us that the engineered food is better than the whole food.  Some states used to dye butter imitations pink so that you wouldn’t confuse the two.  Up until the 70’s, the word “imitation” had to appear on labels of products that were non-traditional foods.  Of course, industry did not like those rules.  So industry and the FDA decided that as long as the engineered foods were as nutritious as the real foods, then no imitation label had to go on.  And that is when the government decided that food was nutrients and nothing more. 

He goes on to talk about how as a result of increased cancer rates, the food industry continued to reengineer thousands of food items.  All kinds of additives started to appear in most food products and the food scientists were on a roll.  They figured out how to breed leaner pigs and cattle, and feed flaxseed to hens for higher omega-3s in the eggs.  However, it was much harder to change the nutritional content of a whole food.  Produce can get left out in the nutritional wasteland because there are no nutritional labels on bananas, but Cocoa Puffs has a label that has a big “whole-grain goodness” on the front.  Really, now!  Doesn’t that irritate you just a bit? 

But the reality is, that my family has high cholesterol, and my husband’s dad has heart issues, and we want to do the healthy thing.  So now fake butter is even worse for you than the original villain Real Butter.  So what’s a family to do?    For the record, we eat real butter in moderation, and try to use healthier olive oil whenever possible.  But what about my mom and grandmother, who worry about butter even in moderation?  And what about the fact that many families can not keep up with making every single thing they eat from scratch?!  I like to cook, but I need some help with shortcuts, whenever I can get it!  I will keep reading and let you know, because I’m anxious to get some answers. 

Food Highlight of the Week:  Watershed, Decatur, GA

I finally got to Watershed, the restaurant owned by Indigo Girl Emily Saliers (they hold a BIG place on the soundtrack of my life), and chef’d by James Beard award winner Scott Peacock.  I have been wanting to try it forever, having read about it here and there.  And it did not disappoint!  Everything about it is unpretentious but still casual fine dining.  It is gourmet Southern food that happily reminded me of home and wide open spaces at the same time.  

We were trying to stay on our new one-income budget, so it took FOREVER to make our selections.  Our friendly and patient waiter Gazi brought us a sample of the squash soup “because we were first-timers.”  I loved the soup and that they do that!  I ordered the okra pancakes with squash, cucumber salad, and sliced tomato.  The pancakes were like a big-a__ fried okra + the best hushpuppy you’ve ever had with okra all through it.  So yummy.  Gazi said they pan fry it, but how do they get it so crispy?  I liked putting a bite of the beautiful homegrown tomato with a bite of the pancake- mmmmm!  Green Daddy (my supportive granola-hubby) ordered the pork chop, mac and cheese and summer salad.  This pork chop was HUGE, like a steak and so delish.  The mac and cheese had something tasty in it that we could not identify, perhaps it was crack, because we could not stop eating it.  And the summer salad had gorgeous tomatoes of various colors, cukes and onions that were marinated in vinegar- refreshing and scrumptious.  I’m running out of synonyms for delicious, so that tells you how much I enjoyed this meal.  And none of it was very heavy, although we were too stuffed for dessert.  That will be my excuse to go back!

Gazi, our waiter, has worked there for 10 years and was so nice to us, and graciously talked with me about the food.  He answered all of my obnoxious questions and I could tell he was proud of his workplace.  It is so nice to go to businesses where the workers are pleasant and happy!  He told us that they shop early down the road at the organic Morningside market (Atlanta) for their fresh ingredients, so you know I was happy about that.  They have been written up in the NY Times, Newsweek, among others, and Scott Peacock cooked for President Obama’s inauguration.  And now, Watershed has really hit the big time by gracing the hallowed pages of Green Mama’s blog!  Watch out, Watershed, you may need to expand for my tens of readers who are on their way!  You must try it, if you haven’t already.  They are my new fave restaurant.

Recycling Update:  We got a bigger container for the kitchen.  We had to upgrade and I love how much less trash we are putting out. 

Chicken Poop Update:  It was a disaster.  Green Dog has climbed in the garden fence and dug up my hydrangea so that the roots are now exposed.  She is no longer to be called “Green Dog.”  I don’t know what to do with her; she is definitely thwarting my green efforts- could she be a big business CEO in disguise?  

‘Til next time, friends!  What green things did you do this week?  What green things are you struggling with? 

Love yo’ Green Mama

Check out “Local Flavors” by Deborah Madison July 14, 2009

So I’m a little late with my Monday morning blog this week…maybe I’ll change it to a Tuesday morning blog.  I’m still trying to get over today’s Oprah interview with Elizabeth Edwards.  I was kinda hoping at the end that Oprah would give John a piece of her mind, or at least a punch in the face.  But on to happier marriage talk…

I had a busy weekend at my cousin Joe’s (shout-out!) wedding!  Green Mama sends her Best Wishes to Joe and Lauren (shout-out!) for a happy, healthy marriage!  A fun time was had by all.

As a result of this blog, I have had so many nice green conversations recently.  Shout-out to my cousin-in-law Gates, who has provided me with many cool ideas for my blog.  Perhaps some field trips are in Green Mama’s future?  I am working on researching green building techniques, and Gates has some expertise in that field, as well as personal experience with her new modern home.  She has implemented some green building techniques in her new home and I am hoping to get out to her house asap.  Plus, my cousin Michael (shout-out!) always gives me great new CD’s, AND their kids are adorable and can entertain mine!!  And they like to eat like I do. 

Speaking of eating, did someone say “eating?”, I’m thinking this entry may very well just be about food.  I would love to recommend the cookbook, “Local Flavors” by Deborah Madison.  It was written to help people cook seasonally and to have new recipes for veggies.  You know, so if you join a co-0p and bring home a bunch of stuff you don’t know how to cook, then you just open this book and you’re set!  I haven’t joined a co-op this summer, but I have cooked some recipes from here and they have been really tasty.  It also is just a beautiful book, and it’s like a book inside a cookbook.  There are little stories about different farmers’ markets around the country that Madison has visited and it’s just cool to see what people do in other parts of the country.  I also found out about an organic farmer’s market in Atlanta, the Morningside market.  That would be another lovely field trip to take soon.  If you’re bored with cooking veggies, and seriously, aren’t we all sick of boiled/steamed veggies?, you will love this cookbook.  Try the Short-Term Cucumber-Onion Pickles that my mom (shout-out) introduced me to.  Really easy and yummy.  Also, I made a version of the Shell Beans and Summer Vegs Stewed in Their Own Juices.  I just used fresh green beans, carrots, and onions and cooked it on low for about 45 min. in thyme/bay leaf/garlic/wine- like a vegetable braise.  Wow, it was so good and I love the picture of the whole dish in the cookbook so much, I can’t wait to make the real version.  I’ve barely scratched the surface and there are so many good sounding veg recipes for all seasons.  I found out about this cookbook in Cooking Light magazine.

At least there has been some good that has come from my layoff- our meals have improved.  BTW, Jackthe8yearold told his friend that I was fired.  So I quickly tried to clarify, in case he told his parents, and heard myself using words like “layoff” and “downsizing” and “there will be no one doing my job.”  They just kinda looked at me, and I finally said, “yeah, I got fired but I didn’t do ANYTHING wrong!”  They seemed satisfied with that.  I guess these days layoffs are so common, that no one would assume you were looking at porn at work, or you failed a drug test; I’m hoping that’s the case, anyhow. 

My other food highlight of the week:  wedding cake!  The reception had a HUGE spread of all kinds of incredible goodies.  But that wedding cake was a treat, some kind of strawberry filling with really good icing.  I do love a wedding cake.  I’m sorry to say that I did not get any of the groom’s cake, which was very disappointing.  The only thing better than a wedding cake is 2 wedding cakes! 

Thanks, guys, for bearing with me as I take a break from writing green.  Never fear, I’m not taking a break from BEING green.   One green project that I’m working on is to become a minimalist.  Stop consuming so much and get rid of that crap that piles up in my house.  This project will help the environment as well as my bank account.

Questions for you guys:  What green projects have you been working on?  Does anyone know about the Capri Sun recycling program that gives money to schools?  Should I worry about eating gluten if I don’t know what it is? 

Please don’t be shy about commenting.  I love to talk to you kids.  If you have something to say, say it!  We can even disagree and be friends, as my 12th grade English teacher always said.  

Love yo’ Green Mama

Green Mama Goes to the Go Green Expo! June 29, 2009

I have so much to tell you!  So let’s get right to it. 

First of all, I attended the Go Green Expo in Atlanta this weekend with my 8 year old sidekick, we’ll call him “Jack.”  And “Jill”, we’ll call my 4 year old, was sick AND has a 4 year old attention span, so she stayed home with Dad.  It was a great event to take an upcoming third grader to learn about taking care of the environment.  We both learned so much.  Let me hit the highlights…

 *After realizing that I drove my SUV to the Go Green Expo, I was relieved that they let us park and enter the Expo!  Whoopsies!  It was not even graffit’d or vandalized, which shows that we were dealing with true professionals at the Expo. 

 *Jack made sure that we entered EVERY free drawing, so I’m looking forward to all of those telemarketing phone calls.  I actually wouldn’t mind winning one of those electric scooters or the eco-trip to Costa Rica!

 *It was such a nice change of pace to meet CEO’s/owners of these small businesses who were so unlike the image of the greedy big business CEO’s you read about in the paper.  You know, those execs who drive a company into the ground and then leave with millions of dollars.  My husband was laid off from one of those companies several years ago.  While we were stressing about paying our bills, the CEO and other execs were living the high life.  I still wonder how those people can sleep at night.  In contrast, these folks at this event were super nice and aside from the stress of owning their own business, they must sleep well at night.  No one was a used-car salesman.  They were all helpful, professional, and knowledgeable.  They were all providing business services and products while helping the environment. 

Green Mama’s Expo Awards: 

*Coolest Educational Booth:  Mohawk Carpet

Jack really enjoyed the stop at the Mohawk Carpet booth.  It was very cool.  They have carpet that is made from recycled soda bottles, and some made from corn!  Their display was very well-done and their reps were interactive and knowledgeable.  For more information, check out www.mohawk-flooring.com.

 *Most Creative Recycle:  Mr. Ellie Pooh

What 8 year old wouldn’t love Mr. Ellie Pooh, a company in NYC that makes paper out of elephant pooh.  “100% recycled, 75% pooh, and 100% fun!”  We had to buy some, of course.  We bought bookmarks, notepads, and a children’s book…family and friends, Christmas is right around the corner, so look out!  If you’re interested in this kind of thing, the pooh is sun-dried, then boiled into a pulp, then dried into paper.  Believe it or not, it was really lovely!  You, too, can have some pooh at www.mrelliepooh.com. 

*Most Attractive Green Products:  Nature’s Cork

This company is out of Fernandina Beach, FL and had some of the prettiest handbags, totes, wallets, and belts.  Everything is made out of cork, but really looks as nice as leather.  Their items are also very durable.  They showed us part of the bark of the cork oak tree where they get the cork, and showed Jack how they make the cork.  The trees are not damaged by the bark harvesting at all, and each tree can be re-harvested every 8 years.  To learn more, check out their website at www.corkfashions.com. 

*Best Free Food Samples:  Larabar

Okay, you know we were scoping out the food section as soon as we arrived.  There were plenty of booths in the food section, from Publix to Cascadian Farms.  Bob at the Publix booth was very patient with me as I asked many a question about organic sales, etc.  One thing he mentioned was that sales in the Southeast were about on par with the rest of the country, which surprised me.  Their headquarters are solar powered in Florida; who knew Publix was so green?  They had some great freebies:  bags, organic magazines, wildflower seed bookmarks.  But anyway, on to the food.  I had never tried Larabars before, but I know they are in that too-overwhelming-section in the grocery with a million other bars.  I have tried some of the others, I don’t remember the brands, but they were not good.  So I tried the Larabars with some hesitation, and was very pleasantly surprised.  They each have only 3 or 4 ingredients.  We liked the lemon, cherry pie, and peanut butter cookie.  The peanut, for example, literally has 3 ingredients:  dates, peanuts, and salt.  It is high in protein, cholesterol free, has Omega-6 Fatty Acids, gluten, dairy and soy free.  A winner in mine and Jack’s book!  They cost $1.49 each at the grocery store, but are good for those days that you are on the run and need a quick, healthy snack.  Check them out at www.larabar.com.

 *Best Real World Ideas for Moms Like Me Who Are Busy and Tired:  Tie between ZiptoGreen and PlanetSafe Planners

-ZiptoGreen is out of Decatur.  Their website will give you a plan for your family on how to reduce your energy usage and costs.  That is an idea that I can wrap my brain around!  Their site goes live on Sept. 1.  You can get information now at www.ziptogreen.com

-PlanetSafe Planners is a small operation out of Massachusetts.  I met the owners/inventors at their booth after they offered me some free candy- those spearmint gummie things, you know?  They had me at gummie leaves!   But seriously, they were so nice and they have invented calendars/day planners, etc. that are 100% biodegradable, recyclable and compostable.  The ink is soy and the laminate film is non-plastic and is made I think from a wood byproduct…sorry, I should’ve written more down.  I got a desk calendar for $5.  You can look at their products at www.planetsafeplanners.com. 

So much more I didn’t even get to look at, as Jack got very cranky after the Larabars wore off.  He did agree to contribute to my blog, with no complaints; but he is, shall we say, a man of few words… 

Guest Blogger:  “Jack”  on Atlanta’s Go Green Expo:

1.  The Mohawk Carpet was the best.
2. Nothing is that boring.
3. Definitely visit the food section!
4. Have fun!! 
5. I highly recommend going!

Thanks, Jack!  Maybe the Go Green Expo will inspire you to have your own green business idea someday! 

Let me quickly tie up a few other loose ends.  Sorry this blog is so long- thank you, Mom and Dad, for continuing to read on!  I wanted to start my product ratings this week.  I wanted to consider price in the rating, but lost my receipt from Whole Foods, so I know, this is not very professional.  As my friend Suzie (shout-out!) says the teenagers say, “This blog is so bootleg!”  Which I think means lame, or that’s how I’m using it, in any case! 

I had a whole bunch of stuff from Whole Foods to test, and it’s just going to have to wait until I can get it together a little better.  The only thing I can really strongly recommend is Climate Change Dark Chocolate by Bloomsberry, Inc.  It is so delicious, not too strong, just right.  A square or 2 will do you.  A bar will last several days, unless you are PMS’d, it will absolutely not last 5 minutes.  They have partnered with Terrapass, who will purchase 133 lbs. of verified carbon offsets for each bar purchased.  They also have a cute wrapper with green tips all over it.  I have no idea what it cost, for all I know, a week’s salary, which would then make this recommendation moot.  If you find it does not cost a lot, then buy it!  I know, bootleg, right?

*Compost Update

Still in research phase, or more like, in-my-head-that-sounds-like-a-good-idea phase but I’m still holding out that someone will do a guest blog, anyone, anyone???

 *Chicken Poop Update

Dog climbed through fence into garden and dug it all up.  No further comment at this time.

Let me close by first apologizing for talking so much about poop.  I would also like to give you some Go Green Tips from the 92.9/DaveFM booth, also one of the sponsors of the event:

1.  Avoid using plastic bags and opt for reusable ones.
2. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs when your incandescent bulbs burn out.
3. Find out where to recycle just about anything by going to Earth911.com.
4. Buy only what you need and shop locally for food items.
5. Conserve water by turning it off when you are brushing your teeth and by doing only full loads of laundry and dishes.
6. Instead of bottled water, try using gallon or larger jugs, or install a water filter on your faucet.
7. Find good homes for your unwanted things, donate to charities, have a yard sale, or sell your items on ebay.
8. Pay bills online and cancel paper statements; visit newdream.org to begin the simple process.
9. Unplug appliances and electronics that are used infrequently; they drain electricity even when they are turned off!

 For more information about the Go Green Expo, visit www.gogreenexpo.com.  It was tons of fun and very educational.  Let me know what tips you’re using at your house to go green! 

All the best from yo’ Green Mama

p.s. If you or someone you know is looking for a green job, go to www.GreenEnergyCouncil.com and click on “Green Jobs Corps” to find out more!

Happy Green Papa’s Day! From Green Mama June 22, 2009

So I’m wondering how my green blog has evolved into a food blog?  The two topics do go hand-in-hand for me.  I joked that I could be writing a blog on current events in Iran and it would evolve into a food blog.  What can I say?  I do love food.  I have actually teared up while eating a hot Krispy Kreme.  Not that I’m especially PROUD of that, but I thought it was best for you to know who you’re dealing with.

I just visited my family for the weekend, and they all love a good meal.  They truly enjoy sitting around the table with good food and good company.  Most of us also enjoy cooking- even the men!  We had a lovely food weekend, with everything from fried chicken and fixins, with Mom’s homemade pickles, brother Matt’s nearly famous baby-back ribs, and grandmother Kiki’s “Aunt Johnny’s” one-armed chocolate pound cake (she’s recovering from a broken wrist but didn’t let the cast stop her from baking that scrumptious cake!)  Dad’s recovering from neck/back surgery and was off grill duty this time.  Even when we’re a little under the weather, we can still kick up a good spread.  Am I lucky to be in this family or what?  And every bit of that food was made from the heart and soul.

Also had delicious fish tacos and decadent dessert crepes in the NoDa section of Charlotte.  I highly recommend this part of town for eating.  Has a funky vibe and seems like everybody fits in.

By the way, I am taking requests from friends and family to write a guest blog.  If you have something to say about going green, the environment, healthy eating, or awesome splurgie eating, I would love to feature you on my blog site.  Please send me an email (andersonkek@yahoo.com) if you are interested!

I am currently testing some organic products and will be reporting my results in future blogs.  Hopefully it will be another tool to help you in your attempt to go green, with common sense.  My friend Holly J. (shout-out!) and I went to Whole Foods and I honestly had to rule out MANY interesting products on price alone!  Especially the bath products.  Oy vey!  (Shout-out and thanks again to Melissa F., this blog’s official Jewish Green Mama!)

My mom is composting and I hope she will give me good advice on that, and maybe a guest blog as well.  Mom, what do you think?  I realize I have so much to learn still.  So much to do for the environment, so little time to research it!  We are looking to buy a compost barrel (or whatever the terminlogy is) but they seem pricey.  But I am assuming our dog will live in the compost pile if it’s not all contained, and seeing as how this same dog sleeps in my bedroom at night, well, some things are just worth spending the money.

Which reminds me of another stinky topic…I can’t belive I bought chicken poop.  Spent my good, quickly diminishing, hard-earned money on chicken poop.  Or as Miracle Gro calls it, ”Organic Plant Food.”  For my Knockout Roses, gardenias, and hydrangeas.  I hope it’s worth it!  Cause I keep hearing my grandmother’s voice saying, “my mother would roll over in her grave if she knew people bought dirt and water.”    Sorry, great-Grandmama, but I did, I bought chicken poop.  This poop better work or I’ll be calling “Bullpoop!”

Well, readers, that’s all for now.  Looking forward to hearing from you.  I will close with a quote that reflects on my family time this weekend:

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy.  They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” 

-Marcel Proust

(no, I did not read Proust this weekend…I got that from a Trader Joe’s greeting card…gotta love it!)

~Green Mama