Looking for a holiday gift idea for the green guys and gals in your life? Better yet need to pass some hints re: what you’d like onto others? Add this new cookbook from the Skinny Bitch franchise to your list (I just did!)
Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes That are Good to the Earth and Great for Your Bod by Kim Barnouin is available in bookstores and online now.
The lengthy book title is a mouth-full but I’m hopeful this book will live up to the hype!
Check out my co-blogger with the “Skinny Bitch” in the flesh here.
WHYY and The Independent Television Service in cooperation with The Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia are presenting a free showing of Deep Down on November 17th.
Deep Down is a documentary exploring mountaintop removal mining in an Appalachian Kentucky town. The film depicts the struggle of two life-long friends, Beverly May and Terry Ratliffe, caught in the center of the debate dividing their town. This debate revolves around the removal mining specifically. And, in broader terms – who controls, consumes, and benefits from our planet’s shrinking supply of natural resources?
Despite our very best efforts to be environmentally active sometimes it’s tough to motivate. The problems can seem too big or too far away from our individual lives. Sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed I look to “enviro-celebs” to inspire me…
Alexandra Cousteau is one of these celebs I speak of. Cousteau is founder of Blue Legacy, a non-profit movement to bring water to the forefront of society’s issues. Further, Blue Legacy aims to motivate people to act on these critical issues.
Alexandra’s family is rooted in environmental advocacy. She’s the grand-daughter of activist and National Geography contributor Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Her parents were bringing her on expeditions when she was just a few months old.
While venue hunting for my wedding, I had a moment of pure disappointment while discussing stemware (of all things.)The wedding coordinator at an unnamed venue in South New Jersey informed me that they only use plastic cups for all beverages served at the open bar. What?! I’m certain my disapproval showed on my face, as the wedding coordinator announced she would direct this part of the conversation at my fiance.
Here’s the thing… I’m not trying to call any friends or family out but our crew will certainly toss back a few spirits at the wedding. Let’s say we invite 150 people and each guest enjoys 3 beverages during the 5 hour reception – that’s 450 cups! (Assuming that people don’t reuse their previous cup and I certainly wouldn’t expect them to remember to do so.)
So, suffice to say that place was out of the running. As mentioned here re: save the dates my fiance and I – like many GPB readers – are trying to keep waste at a minimum.
This interaction got me thinking …When it comes to your food and bar menu what are the best options?
Here’s a few tips:
Researchers took samples of umbilical-cord blood of ten babies and found 285 industrial chemicals present. Scary, right?
Common food we ingest, cleaning products we use, and personal care products such as shampoo, toothpaste, and lotion we use on a daily basis ALL contain potentially dangerous chemicals.
Lucky for us, Greening Your Family is a concise reference guide that gives us safer alternatives to everyday products. Author Lindsey Carmichael, MPH, outlines what chemicals are dangerous (and how they’re listed on labels) and specific brands that are safe. Easy to read, this book has tables, product lists, and additional references if you need more info. Whether you’re starting your green journey or already have most of your house green, it’s convenient and easy to sort your green product needs. Thanks to Lindsey, I made the switch to Tom’s of Maine toothpaste & cut the Parabens from my shampoo & conditioner.
We asked Lindsey a few questions about her book: (Read the full interview & ONE lucky commenter can download the app for free after the jump!)
Welcome to Part I in a series we’re featuring on greening the “Big Day” (as they call it.)
As a recently engaged woman this subject is becoming high on my radar. My experience thus far isn’t unique. I want the day to be exceptional, fun, beautiful and authentic to my fiance and I. But… I’d like to do what I can to keep the waste that can come along with a wedding at a minimum!
One of the steps that comes fairly early in the process is the traditional save the dates. You book your venue, hem and haw over your guest list, point out that you have no clue who 10% of the people on your significant other’s lists are and voila it’s time to get crackin.
So, how can you make this part of the process greener?
Guest Blogger Clay’s Recommendation: Gasland on HBO
Written and Directed by Pennsylvania native Josh Fox, Gasland paints a bleak picture of a booming industry that exploits people and the environment to cash in on North America’s natural gas reserves. Startled by the recent development of natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania, Fox heads
Last night, I enjoyed a lovely evening out for the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Planet Earth Live show at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. Images of wildlife, seasons, Mt Everest, and the tundra were beautifully accompanied by the Orchestra’s music. Some of the most beautiful scenes were of caves (who knew you could skydive into some of them?!?) and the polar bears playing were definitely drawing ‘oohs & ahhs from the crowd. Composer George Fenton set up each piece by previewing why each location was significant and what we’d be seeing next.
What was more fitting was that this show took place in the open air Mann Center on a beautiful summer night… and the Mann recently launched a new green initiative to celebrate 75 years of music in the park!
Green changes the Mann has implemented include:
The recent heat waves have me humming Will Smith’s “Summertime” and The Lovin Spoonful’s “Hot Summer in the City” embarrassingly often…
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest it’s time to share some summer appropriate bbqing advice…
Grill wisely : Choose a electric or clean-burning propane grill over the charcoal variety. Charcoal is a major cause of poor air quality. If you must use charcoal go for brands harvested from sustainable forests.
Feast on earth-friendly eats…
Books from childhood (some read by teachers) have the power to stay etched in our memories forever. For me it’s books like Where the Wild Things Are, the Amelia Bedelia series and Little Women to name a few that I can still quote lines from to this day.
The Greenzys by the reputable children’s author Danielle Mentzer just hit shelves on Earth day 2010 and is a story with a message worth remembering. Greenzys is an “eco-friendly, literary-based brand” that parents and teachers alike should be happy to promote.
When GreenPhillyBlog was given an advanced copy of Greenzys to review I was pretty stoked. I love reading – kids book included! My take on the Greenzys book?
