Quote of the day

Buttercup Farm by Clearly Ambiguous via Flickr

A culture like ours—that views plants and animals as inanimate piles of protoplasmic structure to be manipulated however cleverly we, in our hubris, can imagine—will soon view its citizens and other cultures in the same kind of disrespectful way.

~Joe Salatin, Farmer


Click here to read more from his interview by Yes! Magazine

Resolve your own battles, be your own WARRIOR

There are three warrior poses, this is warrior 2

When I hear the word "warrior" I think of romanticized war heroes and the hard-core reality of what the results of the battle are. I see nobel native heroes from the Americas or Africa fighting for their land; I see blood, gore, and chaos. This is the physical warrior. The warrior we talk about and connect with in yoga class is a little different.

The warrior we call forth in yoga class is our own inner warrior, the essence of ourselves that is strong, focused, and sharp, yet all the while fluid and graceful. It is the warrior that is victorious over duality, bringing to light the ever present harmony and unity all around us. Our inner warrior is calm in the midst of chaos. She/he allows us to solve problems and cut through challenges like water carving its path in the river bed. Our inner warriors live in our most inner still-point, from which our most effect actions arise.

Weekend of Raw Kale Chips

Happy Monday! I had a great weekend filled with jogging, swimming in the pool and at the beach, washing puppy dogs, and going to the movies (have you seen Limitless, yet?).

Though, one of the most satisfying events was the making of raw kale chips.

Photo by Nick Saltmarsh

What you'll need:

• 1-2 bunches of kale, washed and stems removed, torn into bigger than bite sized pieces  

 
Dressing:

• 1 scallions
• 1 clove garlic
•  2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup sesame tahini
• sea salt 

 Blend all the dressing ingredients together. Place the kale in one very large bowl or two large bowls. Spoon the dressing over the kale. Massage the dressing into the kale.

Spread the kale on dehydrator sheets. Dehydrate at 135 degrees for approximately 6hrs.

YUM! They practically melt in your mouth!

Prunes! They aren't just for old people

I've been munching on fruit and nuts a lot lately and have re-fallen in love with prunes. Many people won't go near them, because of their association with relieving flatulence and constipation; or because they think only old people eat them. I say, that's just silly.

Go eat a prune, they're delicious, sweet, and succulent!

I love sticking a fork right into a Newman's Own bag of prunes and munching 'til my hearts content.

Puddin'

Allow me to introduce the marvelous Miss P, pictured here on her favorite out-door chair with a rainbow catnip toy.

Miss P. is very distinguished, her full name is Pudding, though she goes by any of the following (and more):

• Puddin'
• Nubutts
• Pud-pud
• Queeny
• Miss P.
• Nubies
• Donkey
• Princess Puddin'
• Queen Puddin'
• Puddy-cakes

Unique characteristics and likes:

• Crosses her paws while seated or laying down
• 6 toes on each paw
• Says the word "milk" (pronounced meowk)
• Sleeping in a cardboard box with brown packing paper
• Walking on the dinner table during meals, just because she can
• Hops down the stairs like a bunny rabbit
• Licking plastic 
• Prefers drinking water by reaching her paw into your cool glass of water and licking the droplets OR licking the condensation/raindrops off of windows or from where it's collected in the sliding glass door rail

• Catnip pillows

•  Crafting, or rather relaxing on your crafting spot and then falling asleep

 Puddin' takes her morning sun and evening air in the same spot; sitting on the chair on the patio. If the sliding porch door is shut in the evening, she will make noise until it is opened and she has had her time to take in the fresh evening air.

Basking in the morning sun

Pud Pud is a force to be reckoned with....

 and is occasionally mistaken for a wild jungle cat.

Best way to spend a Monday....in the Everglades National Park!

My weekend went a little longer than usual, extending an extra day. The regular weekend days were awesome - celebrating a birthday in Miami, going to the movies, hittin' up Miami Beach. However, it is Monday that wins. After spending the morning picking tropical fruit - carambolas, sapodillos, and jabuticaba. I spent the afternoon watching wildlife in the Everglades National Park.

I'm fascinated by certain bits of American history and take every opportunity at museums and parks to satisfy my intrigue. Today, I learned that the Everglades National Park was created, because the glades were (and in fact still are) disappearing. The Audobon Society, in 1901, was first to take an interest in protecting the area, because of the incredible bird diversity. However it was in 1916 that conservation efforts really picked up under the eyes of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs; and it was a long road until 1947 when Presiden Truman made the national park official.

Who's watching who? A bird is checking out the distant tourists

Water supplies, flow, and cycle are major concerns for the continued existence of the park. Human water use up North causes low water levels in the park, thus making room for more salt water to mingle with fresh water throwing off the ecological balance from two directions - water level and salinity. 

Fun Facts: Everglades National Park

• first national park formed to primarily protect it's biological diversity vs. it's scenic splendor
• 1,506,539 acres make it the 3rd largest national park in the lower 48 states ( Yellowstone and Death Valley are larger)
• sometimes called the "endangered national park"
• orchids grow on oak trees in the Everglades
• many plants in the Everglades are found nowhere else on earth

Camouflaged gators, can you see both of them?

Greenwashing's new friend.....Greenmuting

 

I was just introduced to a new term, “green-muting.” Green-muting is when a company doesn’t disclose anything about the sustainability initiatives they have underway; it’s the opposite of green-washing, which is when a company makes mis-leading or false claims about sustainability in relation to themselves, their products or their services making them sound more environmentally friendly than they really are.

One could interpret “green-muting” as a company being humble and “green-washing” as a company being confident. Unfortunately, there’s less innocence behind the exhibition of these terms than the exhibition of human emotions. It’s possible for green-muting and green-washing to be accidental, but most of the time they are calculated PR strategies.

Corporate green-washing plus individualist consumer based "change" with a dash of sexism thrown in the mix, Photo and caption by Jonathan Mcintosh

 A company may choose to “green-mute” if they are concerned about any of the following:

• sustainability is new to them and they have a lot of work to do to implement green principles into business practices 
• losing mass appeal if they “go-green” 
• they like their niche market and don’t want to differentiate themselves based on “green” issues

Green-muting and green-washing often enter the discussion when eco-labeling and certifications are called into question. Eco-labels and certifications such as FairTrade, Rainforest Alliance, and USDA Organic are supposed to add environmental and social credibility to a company and product. The trouble is that there are now so many labels and certifications out there that it’s hard to know who to trust.

Ultimately, sustainability and environmentally friendliness come from within an organization. They come from the mission, vision, goals, and actions taken. The labeling and certifications are there to help consumers sift through the jargon and the hype that companies present us with. If a company is truly sustainable do they need to certify that or shout it from a mountaintop? If a company is not sustainable, why shouldn’t they just keep quiet?

Enter the words TRANSPARENCY, AUTHENTICITY, ACCOUNTABILITY. These three words are key to creating socially and environmentally responsible organizations. 

Photo by Sjors Provoost

 Transparency – Companies report on their activities and business practices to share-holders and consumers. They state what they are doing well and what they are doing not so well. Interacting with a company and it’s employees is like getting information by looking through a newly cleaned glass window, streak and residue free.

Authenticity – A company cuts the crap and just is and does what it states.

Accountability - Companies exhibit responsibility for standing behind their marketing schpeels, their words, and their actions. They exhibit this responsibility transparently to all concerned.

We all can play a role in changing the way business is done. Educate yourself and make conscious consumer choices.

Additional resources:

http://www.safecosmetics.org/

http://www.organicconsumers.org

http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/

Beading: My new craft endeavor

As you may have already gathered, my newest craft under-taking is beading. I've found the beauty in beading. It's a combination between knitting and sewing, but on a smaller scale (generally) and easier to take traveling.

Here are a few of my completed projects:

Two beaded bracelets and a necklace

Finally, something to do with my shell collection!

Woven denim and chain necklace inspired by a $42 version in a Lucky Brand jeans store

 

 

 

Future project? Maybe in a few years....

Birthday

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday.  

I saw something like the below pictures in an Anthropologie store and thought, "Wow, my mom would love these; and I could totally make them!" So, I did; and now you're looking at a one-of-a-kind eye-glass chain. 

You might recognize some rolled paper beads in there, similar to last Friday's blog post....

Weekend Project

I had a great weekend, even though it slipped by so quickly! 

My primary activity was creating this crazy-beautiful monstrosity........

.....I can't wait to make more!

DIY: Make your own beads

I've been having lots of fun crafting my heart away. One of the projects I undertook was bead making; I learned to roll my own beads. You can make rolled beads with lots of different materials - leather, fabric, soft plastic - but the easiest way to start is with paper. Once you learn the basics, the possibilities are endless; you can coat them to make them glossy, paint them, glitter them, you can do anything you can imagine!

Supplies:

• Paper - try experimenting with different kinds ie. old magazine pages, construction paper, candy wrappers
• toothpick
• glue

Step 1: Cut long isosceles triangles (remember that word from elementary math?)

Note: the longer the triangle the chubbier the bead; the wider the triangle, the longer the bead

Step 2: Roll the paper around a toothpick, starting at the wider end and finishing with the point

Step 3: Put a dab of glue on the last bit of the point as you finish rolling the paper

Finale: Slide the paper off the toothpick and VOILA a bead!

Look what you can do with paper beads

These purses are from FORRESTgold, check out her shop

Bracelet courtsey of www.paperbeads.org

Honey for your health!

Honey is one of nature’s candies. Plus, it’s good for you!  Except, when it’s heated above 120 degrees, important enzymes and amino acids start breaking down rendering the honey less healthy.  So, make sure the honey in your cupboard is raw!

Here are some fun facts about bees…:

·      Bees communicate by dancing – moving certain ways to describe their intentions

·      One been produces about 1 tablespoon of honey in its life time

·      There are three types of honeybees in a hive – queen, drone, worker

·      There is only one queen bee per hive, she lives 2 to 4 years and can lay up to 3,000 eggs per day

·      Drone bees are the male bees, there are 100 to 200 of them in a hive, they live 1 to 2 months and help the queen reproduce, they don’t work and they don’t have stingers

·      Worker bees – there are over 60,000 of them per hive, each with a specific jo to do based on their age, they live 2 to 3 months or until they sting something

…and their honey:

·      Consuming local bee pollen helps build immunity to allergies including hay fever

·      Naturally antibiotic, honey fights infections

·      Antiseptic qualities of honey can help heal cuts and burns

·      Anti-inflammatory properties help sooth coughs, sore throats, and other respiratory problems

·      Nearly 80% of honey sold in America is imported, partially due to the decline of the U.S. honeybee population

·      It takes 3lbs of nectar to make 1lb of honey, that’s approximately the nectar of 2 million flowers

What can you do with honey?

·      Use it as a substitute for sugar in drinks, oatmeal, cereal, on toast – anywhere!

·      Mix it with turmeric to create a paste to heal sore throats and respiratory problems

·      Stir it in warm water and drink it before bed to stimulate drowsiness and relieve insomnia

 This information comes from the wonderful people of www.worldsfinestrawhoney.com

First Weekend in March

Another weekend, another market, I went to the Green Market in Boca Raton on Saturday. I've realized why all the markets around here are "green markets" instead of "farmers markets;" there are very few farmers to be found at the markets. Most of the produce tents are wholesalers. There's plenty of room for a local organic farmer, I haven't found even one, yet!

At the market this weekend, there was:

• local honey (purchased!)
• fresh baked goods (a mascarpone and peach filled croissant, think peaches 'n' cream = YUM!)
• doggie treats
• cookies
• produce (we found one organic tent, but not local)

Other weekend highlights:

• dancing in the rain
• hot chocolate, popcorn, snuggles on the couch, and movies
• jewelry inspiration and craft supply shopping at fabric stores and bead shops

Vegan Mac'n'Cheese

I LOVE cheese. I love cheese with bread, cheese with noodles, cheese with vegetables, cheese in any way I can get it. Thus, before trying the recipe below, I was very skeptical of the possibility that vegan mac 'n' cheese could resemble anything comparable to the real deal. 

Fortunately, my love of trying new things won out over my cheesy skepticism. After the first bite, I was impressed. It seemed like a miracle that the ingredients could transform into the gooey cheese-like deliciousness gracing my mouth.

Even the die hard omnivores I ate with went back for seconds!

The following recipe comes from vegweb.com. It is in it's original form with my suggestions in (brackets).

Vegan Mac 'n' Cheese

1 1/2 pounds pasta, preferably macaroni

    "Cheese" Sauce:
1 1/2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk (I used home made almond milk; just soak almonds for 1-6 hrs. and puree them in a blender)
    1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast
    1 cup canola or vegetable oil
    1 cup water
    1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
    1/4 (12 ounce) block firm (not silken) tofu
    1 tablespoon garlic powder (I used the full amount, but if you are leery of garlic, use less; I certainly will next time)
    1 tablespoon paprika
    1 tablespoon vegesal or in lack of fancy product, just use salt (salt is perfectly a-ok, I used it, what the heck is vegesal anyway?)
    1 dollop mustard, optional (didn't try this)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Boil water in a big pot and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Add all of the "cheese" sauce ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Once pasta is cooked, drain and put it in the baking pan (about the size of a brownie pan) (I used an 8x11 dish). Pour the "cheese" sauce over the pasta. (I sprinkled a layer of panko bread crumbs over the top, definitely recommend that little touch)

3. Bake until the top of the pasta looks slightly browned and crispy, about 15 minutes.

This is very simple and tastes amazing! If you are cooking for yourself, it will last about 5 days if you eat it for all three meals of the day.

Serves: a lot; Preparation time: about 8 minutes; Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Monarchs March Forward

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.  ~Rabindranath Tagore

 

Monarch numbers in Mexico just about doubled this Winter! Although, if every cloud has a silver lining, I suppose the reciprocal is also true. This years’ numbers still mark the fourth lowest count since census workers started keeping track in 1993.

Millions of butterflies migrate 2,000 miles each winter, traveling from Canada through the U.S. to central Mexico. Agriculture and land management practices in all three of these places effects the longevity of the Monarch butterfly. Modern farming practices in the U.S. are crowding out milkweed, the caterpillar’s food supply; and illegal logging in Mexico is destroying their winter homes.  The longer term threat for these gorgeous butterflies is climate change and the severe winter weather that comes along with their cross continental flight.

Photo credit: Time Hamilton

Information sources: Reuters, enn.com