stem+leaf

avoiding genetically modified foods

2009-07-07T09:52:00.006-04:00

Genetically modified foods (or GM foods) have made big waves in the news lately, ruffling the feathers of public interest groups and environmental organizations across the globe. But what, exactly, are they, and how bad could a “modified” food really be?

A genetically modified food is any food whose genetic makeup has been artificially engineered. Some are designed for “pest resistance”, others are artificially beefed up with vitamins and minerals they wouldn’t otherwise possess. Both animals and crops can be genetically engineered (for example, in 2006 a pig was ‘modified’ to produce omega-3 fatty acids). On paper, it sort of sounds like a good idea: nutrient rich food that’s less susceptible to pestilence must be great. Right?

Well, consider the fact that GM foods not only alter the natural genetic makeup of an organism, but that they all companies to trademark and therefore own these organisms, regardless of where that organism might wind up. Because these foods are modified but sold as traditional meat and produce, there is a high potential for allergic reactions in people. As there is no way to prevent GM seeds from cross-breeding with non-GM seeds, the potential for mass spreading of modified foods is very high.

Mostly, though, is the simple fact that these organisms – organisms that have survived just fine for thousands of years without any technological interventions – don’t need modification. They have their own built-in ways of dealing with everything from bugs to drought, and each new hurdle thrown in nature’s way has proven to be a learning point from which plants and animals have developed their own natural resistances. Tinkering with their natural makeup puts our world’s food source in a very dangerous place, leaving it prone to any number of mass illnesses they would not be able to defend themselves from. Genetic modification is putting our foods and our bodies at great risk, and they are being distributed at an alarming rate. GM foods have been banned everywhere from Switzerland to Sri Lanka, but in the U.S. they are widely available and unlabeled.

What can you do about it? For starters, get informed! Research the foods you’re buying and the places you’re buying them from. Vote with your fork – what you consume and the money you spend on it is just as important as how vocal you are about why you’re buying it. Finally, let someone know how you feel! Write to your congressperson, your parents, your grocer, your friends. Let people know why you want non-GM foods and the lengths you’re willing to go to in order to get them.

Here are some helpful links to help you learn more and take action:

Ban GM Food – An activist group that aims to, well, ban GM foods!
Food Navigator – Keeping you informed on what’s happening in U.S. foods
World Health Organization – 20 Questions on GM Foods
Organic Consumers Association – Lots of great information and ways to get involved in your foods

a tale of two granolas

2009-07-07T09:03:00.011-04:00

My love for the bulk section at Commodities and my general disappointment with boxed cereal leads me to this...

Orange Cardamom Pistachio-Date Granola
Makes About 6 Cups

5 cups organic rolled oats (thick or regular)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½-1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½-1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons organic orange oil/flavoring
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
½ cup chopped pistachios
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1/3 cup chopped almonds
½ cup chopped dried dates
1/3 cup chopped organic apricots
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 tablespoons wheat germ
½ cup melted virgin coconut oil or organic canola oil
¼ cup local honey (use agave or maple as vegan substitute)
¼ cup dark agave nectar
1-2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients and nuts and fruit together.
3. Stir in the oil and sweeteners until well combined.
4. Spread the mixture out on one or two sheet pans and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a rich golden brown and the mixture seems to have dried out.
5. Remove pans from oven and allow to cool on counter for at least 30 minutes before transferring granola to airtight container.

Note: This makes the dried fruit rather firm and a bit crunchy. If you prefer, you can add the dried fruits in after the granola has baked. Or do half and half, like I do!

Your All Purpose Fruit + Nut Granola
Makes About 9 Cups

5 cups organic rolled oats
½ teaspoon sea salt
dash each of: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
¼ cup wheat germ
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
½ cup chopped apricots
½ cup raisins
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup walnuts
½ cup melted virgin coconut oil or organic canola oil
1/3 cup dark agave nectar
1/3 cup local honey
¼ cup local grade b maple syrup
2-3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
2 T flax seeds, lightly ground

1. Follow instructions as above, except add flax seeds after you've baked the granola. The beneficial oils in flax seeds are burned off if heated.

Note: Be flexible with this recipe. Use whatever dried fruit and nuts strike your fancy. Add more spices if you like. Have fun!

As you can see, these recipes make big batches. That's good for you because granola keeps well for a long period of time so long as properly stored, or, according to Joy of Cooking, you can freeze your granola for extended keeping, about 3-4 months. I personally like to give granola as presents. It looks great in a glass canning jar or in a cute bag with a bow!

Most store bought granola is incredibly expensive, has a bunch of cane sugar in it (if not worse), and is low on all the fruity and nutty bits-- and once you see how easy it is to make your own customized granola, you'll never go back to store-bought!

green 1 thing: fill up

2009-07-02T13:21:00.008-04:00

Maybe you haven’t stopped buying plastic water bottles just yet, but you can stop throwing them out every time they run dry. TapIt, the water bottle refilling network, provides New Yorkers with ‘water on the go’ by partnering with local establishments who promise to provide free water to the public, regardless of what they do or do not buy. From Amy’s Bread to Zanny’s Café, TapIt is helping New Yorkers reduce their waste, visit local establishments, and even save up to $500 a year.

See what other people are saying about TapIt here, here, and here, or just visit them online at www.tapitwater.com.

michelle obama continues to be awesome.

2009-06-30T21:04:00.013-04:00

Out to the West! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...Michelle Obama, building a playground!

Flanked by California First Lady Maria Shriver (and any number of secret service agents posted up on the roof of an elementary school), Ms. Obama was one of 600 volunteers who painted, hammered, and busted their butts off to put up a new playground at the Bret Harte Elementary School in San Francisco.

Kicking off the Obama Administration’s “United We Serve” initiative, this playground construction was one of several organized KaBOOM, a not-for-profit that brings communities together to build their own playgrounds. Parks, people, and a noble initiative? Sign me up!

To learn more about United We Serve, please visit their website at www.serve.gov.

Images by Christina Amini.

how green is your gov?

2009-06-26T15:41:00.004-04:00

Greenopia.com, a web directory of eco-conscious resources, recently set about researching the green policies of every governor in the U.S. Utilizing statistics from VoteSmart, OnTheIssues, and information from the governors themselves, Greenopia ranked our states' leaders from Holistic Honchos to Seal-Clubbing Sovereign. Coming in first was Bill Ritter of Colorado, followed by the Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. See how your state fared by visiting www.greenopia.com.

stem + leaf: bolder, brighter, better than ever!

2009-06-23T10:06:00.001-04:00

It’s been a silent spring here on stem+leaf, but (thankfully!) that has hardly been the case our in the real world! I’ve been a busy little bee these past few months, whirling my way through kitchens new and old with a madwoman’s speed and loving the glory that is summer in NYC. I’ve begun cultivating a green thumb, growing my own goods right here in my wee Brooklyn apartment! I have also gotten deeply involved in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg, Brooklyn community (which I’ve now called home for over five years!), attending and participating in community-based events, such as the It's My Park Day, Williamsburg Walks, the North Brooklyn Compost Project, The Greenmarket, and more. I even founded my very own organization, the North Brooklyn Runners, which I am proud to say now boasts over 120 members!

In spite of the flurry of activity going on in my life, I decided to give stem+leaf a facelift. You’ll now find the website revitalized and infused with new eco tips, book reviews, news links, and updates on the amazing White House Garden! stem+leaf will also continue to provide you with valuable advice to help you organize and inform and, not least of all, new and healthful recipes galore. So dig in and stay tuned! stem+leaf is back!

green shopping - a few new links

2008-10-13T19:04:00.001-04:00

Being that these days I am not in love with sitting in front of the computer for hours at a time, I go on Internet binges and read all of my various e-newsletters and subscriptions as once, as well as catch up on my assorted favorite websites and blogs. This often means I find a bunch of links at one time that are fun and I want to share them with you! Here are a few good ones for finding cool gifts or fun things for yourself.

MapTotes: Cute, affordable sturdy canvas totes with simple, silk-screened maps of major cities around the world in 'natural' and black.

RePlayGround: New York City based sustainable graphic, packaging, and industrial design company that sells DIY 'ReMake' kits to make envelopes out of magazines, trivets of wine corks, and lamps of bottles. Additionally they host parties and workshops so you can do it with your friends or kids! They also take your old junk like bottle caps, credit cards, sheet music, or anything else you might throw out in large quantities.

Water Purifying Wand: For those bottled water junkies who do it for the clean, pure water, save your money and some plastic and pick up one of these small, portable personal water purifiers. Swirl it around in your glass and the wand adds negative ions to your water, ridding it of chlorine and chloramines. Pretty neat, if you ask me.

Sustainable NYC: Cool store in the East Village (Ave. A at 9th) I stumbled upon last weekend. They've been open for a few months, and sell a little bit of everything that you would normally get from the drug store, or say a K-Mart, but only in eco-friendly, fair-trade, sustainable versions, including lots of locally made products. So, non-toxic nail polish and cleaning products, biodegradable 'plastic' bags, vegan shoes by Simple, recycled greeting cards, and more. Word on the street is they are soon moving halfway down the block to a bigger location. Hooray! They also host workshops and have lots of info on composting via the NYC Compost Project. I bought some SoapNuts. But more on those soon.

Static Eliminator: Came across these chemical-free dryer sheets somewhere online. Apparently they're "As Seen on TV" which is very exciting. I'm curious to try them, as I don't appreciate static cling, and that's the only reason I ever really use dryer sheets. Though usually I use Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lavender ones, because they smell really pretty. These last up to 500 loads and are said to be great with those with sensitive allergies. They also sell dusting mitts and pet gloves, which is neat.

go scrub yourself!

2008-10-09T18:44:00.000-04:00

I like exfoliating as much as the next person, and I find myself running low on a free tube of body scrub I scored at an event earlier this year. But continuing with my new tradition of DIY products, I have come across a few remarkably simple, cheap, and easy solutions.

Why pay the big bucks for fancy salt or sugar scrubs, when the main ingredients are just salt or sugar, oil and/or vegetable glycerin, and fragrance? You deserve baby-soft skin on the cheap!
Even if you go organic with the ingredients, and I recommend you do, it's still more affordable than some of the ingredient-heavy products you find out there. Not to mention you can use that sugar, salt, and oils in the kitchen too!

Here are a few 'recipes' I found on Care2.com.

Sea Salt Glow Formula
2 cups fine sea salt
4 cups grapeseed, apricot or almond oil (olive, avocado, or jojoba oil would be fine alternatives)
20-30 drops essential oil of choice

1. Place salt in a widemouthed jar and cover with grapeseed, apricot, or almond oil. Scent with essential oil.

2. To use, dampen your entire body. Using either your hands or a loofah mit, vigorously but gently massage the salt and oil mixture into the skin. Begin at the feet and work upward in a circular motion. Be careful to avoid any scratched or wounded areas. When you have massaged the entire body, rinse with warm water. Finish with a dry-towel rub.

This recipe makes quite a bit, so jar up small amounts for gifts and your own future use, or make a smaller batch using the same basic ratios.

Super Simple Sugar Scrub
1/2 cup sugar
Enough cold-pressed oil (olive, wheat germ, peanut, corn, or sunflower) to dampen the mixture

Gently massage this exfoliating scrub all over your body and face before you shower with a light soaping and rinse. Repeat once or twice a month.

Click here for a few more sugar scrub recipes from Care2.

Do you make your own body care products? I would love to try out some more!
Post your recipes in the comments!

a few articles

2008-10-07T20:33:00.008-04:00

I just read a slew of short articles and blogs I found pretty interesting, entertaining, and/or enlightening. I hope you do too! In no particular order...

Local fall produce at a glance!

How to keep that produce fresh, brought to you by RealSimple. (I've been using these to put my produce in at the market and store them in them in the fridge. Rinse them out and use again. Love it!)

Skip that toxic dry-cleaners and read about how to 'wet clean' your delicate silk, rayon, and wool items.

An enviro-blogger's response to the Corn Refiners Association recent pro-High Fructose Corn Syrup ads (yes, seriously.) And his re-response.

The Top 10 items you should keep out of your house to reduce your risk to these super-toxins.

The love of dusting and cleaning with highly reusable microfiber cloths.

Someone other than me ranting about the ridiculousness of plastic water bottles.

If you're fooled into thinking Clorox's newish Green Works line is all that, think again. Get the dirt on top mainstream cleaning product companies. (PDF)

Healthy Dinner Tonight: Epicurious' daily healthy dinner recipes! With full nutritional analysis!
(Orzo with Feta, Tomatoes, and Dill featured in the photo. Yum!)

Confused about BPA? Read about how it interacts with the body.

green 1 thing: give your shoes new life

2008-10-06T18:13:00.006-04:00

If you have an old pair of running shoes or other sneakers lying around, dying, or just some sneakers you bought with good intentions but never wear, don't let them be destined for the landfill. In addition to many sports and running stores often taking your sneaker cast-offs to be donated to those in need around the world, there are several organizations that will make use of your old shoes-- some with drop-off locations near you!

Here's two:
One World Running, based in Colorado, takes new or near-new shoes and sends them to Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and other countries around the world to promote an awareness of health and fitness and nutrition.

Nike Grind, Nike's Shoe Recycling Program, takes old sneakers (of any brand) and recycles them into athletic play surfaces, like basketball courts, tennis courts, and running tracks.

Those worn out trainers have life in them yet!

September Newsletter: Make Change!

2008-09-28T17:55:00.004-04:00

Hey Y’all, Happy Fall

One morning very, very recently, I woke up and realized it was Fall. "Fall?! Already?!" I certainly wasn't ready to give up summer, but I guess the time of year has other ideas-- wind, rain, cooler temperatures, and the hint of change in the leaves.
Change. A small word with many different meanings and I think this time of year is the perfect time to reassess, and do things differently.  And different doesn't have to be drastic, but it can definitely be important.

What kind of change are you hoping for?
Personally, I'm hoping that the people of the United States are feeling awake and motivated, because this is the year that we can make change together.
How's that? you ask? By VOTING. So I am pulling this directly from one of my most recent blog posts, but it is that important, it's worth mentioning again.

If you are a US citizen and 18 or older, you really, really need to be registered to vote.
I can't say I'm overly patriotic, but I do generally like living here, and the U.S. needs our support and voices. Does it strike you as odd that in some countries (many in Europe), that the government fears their people? That a simple and strong uprising of voice and opinion can invoke... change? Imagine that!
We live in a democracy. We have that power.

The main problem is that not enough of us are taking advantage of the system we live in. And sure it has its own issues, but ignoring it is not going to make anything better is it? Could even make it worse. I'm urging you not to stand idly by!
Make your voice heard. Stand up for something. Vote for action, for change, for a better future, and a happier now. What issues move you? Health care? Global warming? Sustainability? War in Iraq?
Let's not just focus on what's not right, what should be better, who we like and who we don't. Let's not just stand there. Let's not be all talk and no action. Do something.
You can make change. We can make change. We can change. We can be better and stronger and healthier. And happier.

Voter registration deadlines are coming up as soon as October 4th in some states, so NOW is the time to take action. 
Check the deadlines in your state.
And if you're already registered, take this opportunity to ask your circle of family, friends, and colleagues if they are, and if not, help them get registered.

A few resources:
Vote411 - Everything you ever wanted to know about voting
Rock the Vote - Because voting is cool
VoteGopher - Excellent issue-centric election resource so you can get educated on candidate views
Caucus - New York Times Politics Blog

NEWS FROM AJA  
A Committment to Composting.
I recently adopted the phrase "upping my game" and as a part of that upping, I am committing myself not only to composting my own household scraps, but also the scraps from clients, and other catering jobs as much as possible. Some of the other residents of my building are also into composting and we've discussed getting a vermicomposter, which I hope happens!
I'm also super psyched about the fairly new North Brooklyn Compost Project happening in my neighborhood.
Learn more about composting here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
In Season: September is Harvest Month! Get the market and chow down on the best of the summer and early fall: yellow cauliflower, apples, pears, summer AND winter squash, broccoli, late berries, hearty greens, and you can still even get melons, nectarines, tomatoes, and peaches. Make the most of and with it!

Cool Recent Blog Posts: Check out Sabrina's Guest Blog on Carbon Footprints and Offsets.

Things I Made This Summer: Here are a handful of things I made and photographed this summer. The item with the most requests via blog comments will earn a recipe post!

Guest Blogger Opportunities: I’m always looking for interested individuals to write guest blogs for Stem+Leaf about green and
healthy-lifestyle related subjects, from your own perspective. No need to be an experienced writer-- just enthusiastic with something to say!
Please contact me for more information.

Spread the Word: If you know of anyone who would enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to pass it far and wide! Or, they can sign up here for the
for the monthly mailing list.

Live your dreams wide awake.

product placement: midel honey grahams

2008-09-26T23:44:00.001-04:00

I've used these Midel Honey Grahams a couple of times to make low-sugar graham cracker crusts for clients, which is when I first discovered their tastiness. Okay, let me not give you the wrong idea... I love these, but I tend to like sweets that are not very sweet. These are sweetened only with honey and unsulfered molasses, which gives them a faint sweetness that goes great with tea, fruit, nut butter, or just on their own as a snack or dessert-- which is how I usually eat them! They are also made with 100% whole wheat, which gives them a heartiness that I find, unless I am especially hungry, prevents me from eating too many. So really, with it's high fiber, decent protein, and low-sugar counts, it's almost like a healthy cereal in cracker-cookie-biscuit form. Maybe I'm not selling it hard, but I'd be right to say they're probably not for everyone. But they are very much for me. Yay.

*Midel also makes really yummy gluten-free cookies. I love their Gluten Free Ginger Snaps.

things i made this summer.

2008-09-24T12:38:00.002-04:00

I'm just beginning to get caught up with my summer and it's already over! I had a lot of food projects in mind for the summer, but as it always goes by faster than you anticipate, many didn't (yet) get accomplished. However, here are a few photos of a handful of things I made this summer. If I get enough interest via comments, maybe I'll even post a recipe for the crowd favorite.

sweet organic vegan cornbread with homemade fig&thyme jam and consider bardwell's vermont chevre.

fire-roasted tomatoes.

vegan lavender cornmeal local nectarine upside down cake.
(inspired by the cover recipe of july's martha stewart living.)

my version of angelica kitchen's 'dragon bowl': steamed sweet potatoes, kale, and broccoli atop short grain brown rice with a little salad of sprouts, mint, and cilantro on top. dressed with a mixed herb-lemon-sesame-shoyu dressing.

corn tortilla 'pizzas' with homemade roasted tomatillo and poblano salsa, black beans, roasted corn, cilantro, and raw milk white cheddar. and a side market greens salad.

doughnut plant canapes with vanilla bean ronnybrook creme fraiche and local berries.

rafetto's fresh basil-parsley and lemon parpadelle with sauteed local organic fava beans and maitake, crisped natural proscuitto, in an orange olive oil, orange juice, and orange zest 'sauce'.

all farmer's market salad of local purslane chopped salad with heirloom cherry tomatoes, kirby cucumbers, sugar snap peas, fresh corn, red onion, lemon juice and segments, pomegranate molasses and love.

vote. register to vote.

2008-09-23T12:01:00.001-04:00

If you are a US citizen and 18 or older, you really need to be registered to vote.
I can't say I'm overly patriotic, but I do generally like living here, and the U.S. needs our support and voices. Does it strike you as odd that in some countries (many in Europe), that the government fears their people? That a simple and strong uprising of voice and opinion can invoke... change? Imagine that!

We live in a democracy. We have that power. The main problem is that not enough of us are taking advantage of the system we live in. And sure it has its own issues, but ignoring it is not going to make anything better is it? Could even make it worse. I'm urging you not to stand idly by!

Make your voice heard. Stand up for something. Vote for action, for change, for a better future, and a happier now. What issues move you? Health care? Global warming? Sustainability? War in Iraq?

Voter registration deadlines are coming up as soon as October 4th in some states, so now's the time to take action. Check the deadlines in your state.

A few resources:
Vote411 - Everything you ever wanted to know about voting
Rock the Vote - Because voting is cool
VoteGopher - Excellent issue-centric election resource so you can get educated on candidate views
Caucus - New York Times Politics Blog

guest blog: on carbon footprints

2008-09-22T12:20:00.000-04:00

Sabrina Hu is a yuppie working the corporate world in Atlanta, GA. She thinks that Bill Gates should run for some office and work his “creative capitalism” edge on sustainable enterprises. In her free time, she sits and ponders about her environmental footprint as well the as the internally displaced children and child soldiers in Uganda, while dreaming about blue skies and white beach sands.
Please contact me if you are interested in writing a topical guest blog.

Way back in July, I hopped myself from my current residence of Atlanta, GA to Honolulu, HI to attend my roommate’s wedding. Okay, it wasn’t quite a hop, a skip, or even a jump. In fact, the distance between the two places is a grueling 9-hour direct plane ride to cover some 4,494 miles. I think this flight was harder to get through than my trans-Pacific experiences and thankfully, I had my good friends Harry, Hermonie and Ron to keep me company.

Throughout the planning phase and the actual vacation, I noticed many discussions about conservation of island resources, and the in-some’s-opinion, lack of efforts in environmental preservation of the beautiful state of Hawaii. Since returning back to the Mainland, I’ve been mulling in the back of my mind what to do about my very large carbon footprint. During my vacation, I tried to be conscientious of my water and electricity use. After all, the signs in Maui’s NorthShore hostel were right… I didn’t need to have the water running when I lathered up. And who really needs AC when the temperatures are a pleasant 70 degrees in the evening? So I began to think about how big of a carbon footprint I had left. After all, I did fly from Atlanta to Honolulu to Kahului and back-- not to mention the rental cars, hotel room AC, and laundry. I decided made a quick visit to TerraPass.com to calculate the impact of my plane flights alone. Oh. My. Take. A. Look.

And Carbonfund.org had this to say about my trip:

Dare I add in my business trip to Boston from the week before? Or last summer’s trip to Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei. I. Think. Not. (Though having corporate support for carbon offsets based on employee travel is an interesting idea, but I digress.)

Sabrina to Hawaii = A LOT OF CARBON lbs.

Stunned, I furiously put my fingers to work to hunt down a suitable way to offset my carbon footprint. Along the way I came across some articles that made me ponder: “Where is my money going?”; “How are these companies really offsetting my carbon footprint?”; “Is there a DIY way?” and finally, “How are they calculating my footprint anyways?” I decided to focus on the first question: “Where is my money going?”

Carbonfund.org uses funds for carbon offsetting in three ways: by planting trees, subsidizing wind and solar power, and purchasing credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange. It is a not-for-profit organization and allows users to choose which method they would like to use to off-set their carbon footprint. To offset my trip, I would have to spend a total of $16.76 on Carbonfund.org.

TerraPass, a for-profit organization offers similar options to those looking to purchase carbon offsets. My carbon offset on TerraPass would run me $17.85. All these websites of blue skies and lush green fields… would I take the plunge?

Not convinced, my attention turned towards a search for news articles discussing the concept of carbon offsets. A 2006 New York Times article summed it up best. Was it fair for me to just buy my way out of the pollution I had collectively helped to create? The articles I read all seemed to have the same conclusion: It is currently unclear how much of an impact carbon off setting programs create.

Ultimately, I decided not to make a carbon offsetting donation. I haven’t convinced that donating my money through a website was going to do any good- and it definitely was not going to bring me any personal satisfaction of becoming carbon neutral for my plane rides. Instead, I decided that there were more tangible and immediate ways through my day to day activities for me to make my impact-- from recycling to limiting electricity usage to general conservation-- which is more than I can say for watching yet another electronic transaction load in my browser.

Editor's Note: Sabrina mentions her CarbonFund offset would be about $17 though the image shows roughly $45. She says this is because she had checked 'Radiative Forcing' option, which is to compensate for the different effect on greenhouse emissions at higher altitudes, and increases the suggested cost to offset carbon emission.

a technological vacation

2008-09-21T23:32:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to quickly write to apologize for my lack of blog presence. I attempted to keep you satiated by 'Green 1 Things' and 'Product Placements', but they ran out before I got back around to the computer. Chalk it up to the compulsory August business vacations that are rampant in New York, or to moving and working a heck of a lot so that my time on the computer was essentially nil.

So enough of the excuses, but I'll just say... I didn't miss being on the computer all the time. This is only the third time I've been on the computer in a week, and you know, I kind of like it. I'm going to consider this an experiment in energy and productivity efficiency, as well as allowing myself more opportunity to interact with other humans face-to-face, and spend quiet time alone that doesn't involve the LED glow of a monitor or cell phone screen. Try it for a day, a few hours... you might like it.

That being said, I still intend to keep this blog happy and alive. So don't you worry!
(But if you're interested in writing a guest blog for Stem+Leaf, I probably won't say no.)

green1 thing: pay bills online

2008-09-08T16:20:00.000-04:00

Still getting those annoying and bulky monthly statements in the mail from all of the assorted entities that say you owe them money? It's highly probable that you can reduce that to zilch in just a few minutes by signing up for online statements-- most banks, credit card and utilities companies are urging you to do so. They'll email you your monthly statements, you can pay online, or still mail in a check if you need to, and you can save all that paper. Do your filing on your computer and you don't even need to print out records 'for your files'. Easy peasy.

green 1 thing: fetch the e-paper

2008-09-01T16:09:00.002-04:00

Read the paper online!
Personally, I love taking a leisurely 15-30 minutes to read the paper online with my breakfast when I can, and am glad my attempt to buy and read the Sunday New York Times every week was a passing phase. Yes, I used to complain about the difficulty of reading long articles online, and even now I still only skim or read about half, but, with many papers featuring boosted online interactive content, it's more fun to get your news on your desktop, and easier to find the news you're interested in reading. Sign up for your favorite paper's email alerts or daily headlines and skim the paper in your email.

In addition to saving trees, gas from shipping trees, manufacturing the paper, printing the paper and delivering it to your doorstop or corner store, you'll also save money, dirty fingertips, and can 'clip and save' your favorite articles by bookmarking them or adding them to your delicious account.

More reasons to read the paper online.
If you have a lot of old newspapers sitting around the house, you should of course recycle them, or first reuse them in one of these ways!

product placement: chico bags

2008-08-26T18:28:00.000-04:00

In another impulsive Whole Foods buy, I purchased a Chico Bag in a really fun orange color ("Mango"), because I thought, "being so tiny and weightless, at $6, it's kind of hard to resist!"

While I'm known among my friends for my fairly wide assortment of canvas tote bags, which I use almost daily for more than just lugging groceries around, I was happy to add a reusable bag to the mix that weighed even less, folded into its own cute pouch, and could fit really easily in my purse everyday or even a pocket-- and the strap is even long enough to wear on my shoulder, but not too long that if I hold it in my hand, the bottom of the bag is dragging on the ground!

In fact, one of the reasons I was excited about getting this bag was this idea I had of waking up early, going for a run, stuffing the folded up bag in one of the pockets of my running shorts, and ending the run at the Union Square Greenmarket. And within a couple days of purchasing it, I did just that, excited to be able to have some of my grocery shopping and exercising for the day already out of the way by 9am.

I've had the bag for about a month now and we've become nearly inseparable-- I can't believe I didn't own one sooner! While I have noticed a little bit of wear along the bottom seam already, I don't doubt it's because I've abused it's suggested 25-pound weight limit. But if it can pass the trials I put it through multiple times a week with my own groceries and clients' groceries being lugged around, I know it's a good find!

You can even recycle any reusable bag through Chico Bag's Zero Waste Program, functional or not, and it will either be given to low-income families to help them drop the plastic bag habit or repurposed by The Grateful Thread.

Check out the "Plastic Bag Self Test" on Chico Bag's website.

green 1 thing: let the sun shine in!

2008-08-25T16:03:00.002-04:00

Instead of depending on overhead or lamp lighting all the day long, open your blinds or use sheer curtains to let natural light seep in and keep your space well-lit, or relocate your reading chair or desk to a sunnier area. This will save energy and bring a little of the outside in! Soak in that Vitamin D!

Let a little sunshine into your nighttime as well, with this super cool Sun Jar!

product placement: sweet and sara vegan marshmallows

2008-08-19T16:14:00.000-04:00

Let me just say this: I am not a marshmallow person. Never really have been though I have enjoyed the occasional S'more or Rice Krispy treat. After trying some Sweet and Sara Vegan Marshmallows... consider me converted.

Recently, I was considering having a bake sale and was pondering the different fun treats I could make. I like to do a lot of my baking vegan when possible, but at the same time, being that it's summer and most NYC apartments aren't air conditioned, baking seemed kind of like an awful idea. In brainstorming with a friend we thought of Rice Krispy treats and wondered if you could make them vegan. (Marshmallows are not vegan because gelatin is one of the key ingredients). Never having done it, I wondered if vegan marshmallows would melt and hold up the right way and also looked into alternative recipes, most containing corn syrup or other syrupy sweeteners. After a few failed attempts of making the treats without a marshmallow product and just enough Organic Puffed Brown Rice left in the box, I shelled out the $7 and bought a container of Sweet and Sara's Toasted Coconut Vegan Marshmallows at Whole Foods. I've had my eyes on these for awhile and was pretty excited because they are made locally in Queens.

So 1 bowl, 1 small pot, some additional shredded coconut, and a couple of tablespoons of virgin coconut oil later, and about 1 hour of 'cooling' time later... a vegan crispy treat feast was had with comments of "this is the best rice crispy treat I have ever had" shared all around. Success! (Let it be known that I ate one of the marshmallows on their own, and was very very pleased.)

Thank you Sweet and Sara! <3

basic recipe: vegan coconut crispy treats
This is dangerously easy to make. It makes me a little happy that the marshmallows a little expensive, because that's the only thing keeping me from making these once a week.

3 cups puffed brown rice cereal
2-3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (could substitute vegan margarine or organic canola oil)
1 7.5 oz. package Sweet and Sara toasted coconut vegan marshmallows (use plain if you prefer)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened), optional

Place the cereal in a large bowl.

In a small pot, gently heat the oil and the marshmallows until they melt. Pour into the bowl with the cereal, add the coconut, and gently mix with a spatula until well combined.

In a 9x9 baking pan lined with parchment, pour in the crispy mixture, and press gently to even out. Allow to cool on the counter for 1-2 hours, if you can stand to wait. Cut into squares or other desired shapes and sizes, and enjoy.

Dip in or pour on some melted chocolate if you are feeling really crazy!

green 1 thing: bottle your water

2008-08-18T15:52:00.005-04:00

Because getting 'going green' can be daunting and overwhelming, this is a new series I'm publishing here once a week with quick tips to make your life a little greener. Bit by bit, you'll have gone green before you know it!

BPA scares aside, it is a far nicer thing for the planet to forgo your bottled water habit. Instead, grab that sports bottle gathering dust in the back of your cabinet and bottle your own water from your tap, or splurge on a sassy SIGG bottle. Refill it at work or on the go as needed, and you'll never go thirsty again. Not to mention you'll save yourself money and reduce the demand for petroleum based plastics. That's worth raising your glass over isn't it?

product placement: smooze! fruit ice

2008-08-12T15:29:00.000-04:00

Unless I am very hungry or feeling spendy, I can usually control those impulse buys on unfamiliar products at the grocery store. But as soon as I spotted Smooze! Fruit Ice in a floor display at Whole Foods a few weeks back, I picked it up and only delayed in throwing it in my basket because I was deciding on a flavor. These vegan, coconut milk based ices are all-natural, preservative free, and sold in the aisle, but are meant to be eaten frozen. They're imported from Singapore, and I think they're just now becoming available in the US.

Coconut + Pink Guava is what I picked and what a taste sensation! Sweet and flavorful and creamy and just plain good on these hot summer days. I have since also tried the Coconut + Passion Fruit flavor, which with its tart sweetness reminded me of a yummy summer cocktail.

See if you can find them near you, 'cause I for one am totally smitten and more than ready to try the other two flavors, Mango and Pineapple. YUM. (I'm also hoping their coconut drinks will be available here soon!)

a few things i learned about honey

2008-08-08T07:56:00.001-04:00

I don't talk much here about honey, and all things being equal, I don't use it a lot. But then, I don't add sweeteners to much-- not tea or cereal, which are the things I consume most often that would be susceptible to sweetening. But I do really love honey. The smell, the look, the taste, and the little cute bumblebees that make it.

I recently had a nice chat with Andrew of Andrew's (Taste Bud Bursting) Local (Wildflower) Honey (Fairfield County, CT) at the Union Square Greenmarket, asking him about his (raw, organic, unheated) products and what he does and all of that. Hmm, that makes it all sound very official. It was more that I was breezing through the market on a particularly nice day and was feeling chatty. Friendly smiley Andrew, noticing my bee necklace, and as usual, generous and quick with the samples, handed me a spoon with some whipped honey on it, and on a sugar high just looking at it, I just let the questions fly.

The 'creamy' raw honey you see in stores in a ploy!
People think that creamy look means it's unrefined and more 'raw' than the amber colored syrupy honey, but no! It has to be whipped to get to that consistency, therefore increasing the volume of a smaller amount of product-- honey comes off the comb all pretty and drippy. More visual volume means they can charge you more for less! Andrew does sell whipped honey but it's labeled as such and it's for those who want to be able to spread their honey or don't want to deal with messy honey drips. Oh, and if you like the honey with the 'bits' of stuff in it, that's added in too-- bits of pollen and honeycomb.

Bee pollen is a, erm, 'pick me up', for the gentlemen.
Andrew commented that he gets a lot of older ladies purchasing bee pollen from him for their husbands. Aside from that, it's also a good antioxidant and energy booster. I guess they say 'busy as a bee' for a reason. I've always wondered what people do with those yellow bits. Andrew says he just lets a little dissolve on his tongue and then chases it with juice, but a lot of people don't like the taste so you can also mix it in your cereal or yogurt, or dissolve it in some juice or a smoothie. I've also seen this sold in capsules in the vitamin aisle. (Hey! You could make your own bee pollen vitamins by buying empty vegetable capsules).

The honey is 'flavored' by the flower pollen the bees primarily gather.
Andrew, like most beekeepers, keeps bees close to the blossoms he wants to encourage them to gather from, ranging from buckwheat, to acacia, to blueberry, but hey, we can't control where the bees go, and they fly up to several miles away from the hive to collect pollen. Andrew samples the honey straight from the hive and determines whether it is potent enough to have a specific flavor. If not, it gets labeled as wildflower, which to me, is just as delicious and tasty, and tastes a little different and special every time!

Local honey and other bee products help alleviate seasonal allergies.
Okay so I already knew this one, but it's such a fun tip! If you suffer from seasonal allergies or want to keep them at bay, including a bit of local (it must be local!) honey, bee pollen, or other bee product will greatly improve your body's ability to tolerate the allergens. Not a bad excuse to have a little something sweet. (Check the labels to see where the honey comes from, some labels say 'local' but if you're buying it from a supermarket, it might not be your 'local'.)

I didn't buy anything from Andrew that day as I already have a cute honey bear filled with his Wildflower honey at home, but I did try a couple different 'flavors' of his honey, including one I can't remember the name of that was kind of cinnamony and spicy. YUM! I could get used to that sweetness. Andrew and his taste-bud bursting honey is at the Union Square Greenmarket on Wednesdays.

If you're interested in learning more about bees or beekeeping, go to your local farmer's market or find a local beekeeper near you to find out about classes or other learning opportunities-- it's possible to keep bees on city rooftops, suburban backyards, or in wide open spaces. The Permaculture Institute also offers beekeeping and permaculture workshops in New Mexico, and other beekeepers and organizations teach workshops across the country-- look for one in your area. In your garden or yard landscaping, you can also plant to encourage honeybees, which with the mystery honeybee crisis (or, Colony Collapse Disorder) we're seeing around the world right now, would be a really nice gesture to the bees to say 'thank you for everything you do.'

restaurant review: bubby's pie co.

2008-08-03T18:48:00.001-04:00

New York is a food town, that's for sure, and I could spend a lifetime eating at different restaurants several meals a week, but like everyone, when I go out to eat, it's generally to the same few places. Or, the places I would go to again are either out of the way or out of price range.

Bubby's has been on the list a long while. Best known for their pies, but also reknown for the pancakes they serve during weekend brunch, it seemed like the perfect post-half marathon brunch spot, where I could get my carby breakfast on, and take my pie to go.

I guess the main reason I haven't gone here yet is proximity-- even with two locations, they are in neighborhoods (Tribeca and DUMBO) little frequented by me and my regular dining cohorts-- because my love for pie and pancakes certainly isn't in question here. But the half-marathon ended in lower Manhattan, making Bubby's the perfect option.

Everyone else thought so too, because arriving a little over an hour after opening, the place was already abuzz with runners and their supporters, but luckily my running buddy and I got a spot right away. And not knowing much more than this is the spot for pie, I glowed more and more excitedly while reading the menu...

THREE kinds of pancakes! Grass-fed beef from ONE partner-farm. Their own house-made to-order soda using organic cane juice. A special of LOCAL bluberry johnnycakes. ORGANIC, SHADE-GROWN, FAIR-TRADE coffee*! There was real maple syrup on the tables. Wow! I was very nearly overwhelmed. Mostly though I was tired and ready to celebrate the run with something carby and delicious.
*If you are a connoisseur of environmentally and socially sustainable coffee, you know that to find coffee that is organic, fair-trade, AND sustainable is pretty rare.

We ordered the Sourdough Pancakes (!), Local Blueberry Johnnycakes (like pancakes, but made with cornmeal), a side of scrambled eggs. What tastiness!

The sourdough pancakes surprised my tastebuds-- imagine pancake batter mixed with a little sourdough bread dough, and cooked on a griddle. A little weird, pretty doughy, but what an inventive and successful idea. I'm excited to go back to try the Sour Cream Pancakes and the Sauteed Banana Walnut Pancakes. They also had a quite a nice looking egg and sandwich menu.

To go was the local and in-season special Peach and Blueberry Pie and the Mile High Apple Pie, one of their regular items. I ate my pie with tea and a movie later that night and was really pleased not to bite into anything cloyingly sweet. Not only does this let the fresh fruit shine, it also is a testament to the bakers knowing they are using fresh, delicious, high-quality ingredients. Anything can be overly sweetened to disguise mediocrity, but this was a tasty tasty slice of summer that was worth running 13.1 miles for.

Other perks? A black and white photo booth and Mrs. Pac-Man arcade console in the basement, outdoor seating, and a fairly recent pie cookbook with all their secrets!

Let it be known that I grabbed these photos from TimeOut and Amazon.com, respectively.