Tea Time
I am typically a coffee drinker, but when it is cold and flu season, I reach for tea (especially when I start to get the sniffles and scratchy throat myself). In addition to the natural soothing effect typically associated with drinking tea, it also has many health benefits (thanks to the natural antioxidants and minerals).
However, don’t just grab the nearest tea bag. Just like fruits and veggies, it is important to choose organic teas (here are some specific reasons why). Also keep an eye out for ones that are fair trade.
As for me, I like teas from The Republic of Tea (available at World Market amongst other places.) The Republic of Tea offers organic and fair trade varieties, and also keeps the environment in mind. (The packaging is a reusable tin, and all tea bags are unbleached and free of staples and string.) If you are interested in also helping a cause, look no further than their “Sip for the Cure Tea” and “Man Kind Tea”, which raises money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Prostate Cancer Foundation, respectively.
Guilt-free Egg Nog
On Saturday, I went to Christmas on the Farm at Traders Point Creamery. The winter market, farm fresh breakfast and organic hot chocolate were all delightful, but the real star of the show was the Traders Point Creamery’s new organic traditional eggnog.
Made with the milk and eggs from their very own cows and chickens, this organic eggnog is guilt-free not because of fat or calories, but because of the care that was taken in the making of it. Proving that you often don’t have to look very far to find traditional holiday flavors, that are made organically and locally.
All Hail Kale
A lot of people are unaware of just how good green leafy vegetables are for you and what an important role they play in your diet. A member of the Brassica family, which also includes a variety of other cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, and mustard greens to name a few, Kale is a wonderful source of Vitamins A, C, and K, beta-carotene and calcium.
I’ve already mentioned one easy way to squeeze in a serving or two of raw leafy greens through juicing or even smoothies, but it is also very simple to use kale as the base of a salad. I’ve seen a few recipes using kale this way and at the heart of most of them is the essential “kale massage.” Massaging chopped kale with olive oil and a little salt helps soften and break down the stiffness of the leaves, making it more suitable to eat raw by bringing out the moisture from within the cell walls.
One of my favorites is a kale and avocado salad which calls for chopped kale leaves massaged with olive oil and a little salt, then a second massaging of the kale with an avocado, all topped with chopped tomato, a dash of cayenne pepper and a few squeezes of lemon. It’s so quick and easy, I can make it before work and take it with me. Check out this excellent video by Karen Knowler for step by step directions.
An Organic Buzz
Like organic fruits and veggies, there are many benefits to drinking organic wine. According to The Green Book, a bottle of conventionally produced wine can contain up to 250 different types of chemicals. And my recent edition of the Sierra Club magazine states that nearly 30 pounds of pesticides are applied to fields of conventionally grown California wine grapes each year.
However, when choosing an organic wine, the different labels affixed to the bottle might cause your head to spin (before you even pour a glass.) For example, in America, wines with added sulfites cannot display the “USDA organic” label, even when the grapes are 100 percent organic. Labeling confusion doesn’t stop there. When looking for organic wines, you will find some bottles bearing the USDA organic seal, some that are labeled as “Made with Organic Grapes” and some labeled “Biodynamic”. (You can read about the different classifications at The Daily Green.)
Needless to say, the history of organic winemaking is one worth reading about. E/The Environmental Magazine did a cover story on the subject in their November/December 2006 issue. The article (which was most helpful when researching this post) covers the topic of sulfites, labeling, the history and challenges of organic winemaking.
So pour yourself a glass of your preferred organic wine (such as the La Marouette Merlot shown in the photo above) and enjoy all the healthy antioxidants wine has to offer — minus any toxic additives.
One Local Turkey
Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite holidays, so I am excited that this year will be my first turn to prepare the Thanksgiving Day feast. Luckily, we have a small, easy-going group of family and a few friends coming over so there is not too much pressure! I have been brainstorming this week about what I will serve; I would like to have the traditional Thanksgiving dishes but since this is our first time hosting, we can start our own Thanksgiving traditions and keep it as healthy and as local as possible.
Most Thanksgiving Day meals revolve around turkey, so I thought I would set the local theme by making a Maple Glazed Turkey using a free-range bird ordered from nearby Misty Knoll Farms in Vermont. The rest of the (preliminary) line-up consists of a Cranberry Chutney using local apples and a local honey as a natural sweetener, a Smoky Root Vegetable Gratin, maybe a squash something or other, (can I squeeze in a Chestnut Stuffing too?) and, of course, Pumpkin Pie using a real pumpkin, rather than the canned stuff, and this crust so I can take advantage of my whole wheat pastry flour from upstate NY.
Wow, that seems like a lot now that I have all laid out there. Which brings me to some tips and resources I’ve come across while planning for next week:
- Plan in advance! Come up with a menu, if you haven’t already, by the end of this week.
- Go local! Use this helpful article to help formulate a local menu. Or adapt some of your current Thanksgiving staples to use more local ingredients. Browse around the farmer’s market this weekend to see what is in season, (or find out using this state by state guide) and then go online to search for recipes here. No one says it has to be 100%, but every time you choose local, you are making a difference.
- Once you have determined your menu, formulate a shopping list, time-line, and think through all the recipes to confirm you have enough pots and pans, plus space in the oven, refrigerator, and on the counter top. Also, think about what can be made in advance to ease the stress and cut back on your time in the kitchen.
- Don’t forget to save all the leftovers for new dishes like this one.
So with one week to go, let the fun begin. We would love to hear about what you are serving this Thanksgiving, how you might be incorporating local foods into your Thanksgiving Day traditions and any green tips you may have to share.
Pomegranate Power
When it comes to a healthy fruit, people can’t stop raving about pomegranates. And rightfully so — considering this deep red fruit is not only high in vitamin C, potassium and iron, but is also bursting (sometimes literally) with antioxidants. Studies (detailed here) have also shown that the antioxidants found in pomegranates (and/or their juice) have been proven to help ward off cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging!
One of the trickiest parts about this fruit, is actually getting to the fruit itself. I choose to just take the extremely careful route, cutting and cracking open the outside and eating out the juicy seeds, however there are much better ways to eat it, especially since this juice leaves the most impossible stain (trust me).
Pomegranates are in season right now, so next time you are at the grocery store (or farmers market if you live near the west coast), pick out a good one, carefully remove the seeds, and eat them plain, or find some really great recipes here or here.
Tofu Trick
It’s not just for stir-fry and smoothies, I slipped tofu into these cookies this weekend for a football party and no one even noticed. Tofu has numerous health benfits as it is great source of iron and protein and low in fat and calories. It takes on the flavor of other ingredients in a recipe which makes it incredibly versatile and is often used in vegan recipes to replace eggs.
I found this recipe for the Chewy Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies at the G Living Network. I’ve never tried tofu in baking so it caught my eye as it seems a little healthier replacing the usual eggs with tofu and calls for whole wheat pastry flour (which I still had on hand from our going local challenge). They turned out great the first time and everyone was surprised to learn there was a secret ingredient.
Got Nut Milk?
We’ve already talked a little about raw milk and mentioned organic milk, so what’s left? Nut Milk! For those of you who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or just wanting to try something new, nut milk is a healthy and tasty alternative to cow’s milk.
One of my favorite types of dairy free milk is Almond Milk, which is like having all the healthy benefits of almonds whipped up into a delicious milk that you can drink straight up or over cereal. It even works well stirred into oatmeal and in recipes like pancakes and waffles! It tastes really smooth, has a hint of almond flavor and can be a little sweet depending on what else is added. Other varieties of dairy free milk include hazlenut, oat, rice, soy, and hemp seed.
Finding it is fairly easy, I like Almond Breeze and Pacifica brands which I find in health food stores, the co-op and occasionally in the regular grocery. And while I haven’t tried it on my own, I hear it’s fairly easy to make at home by blending 1 part almonds to 3 parts water then straining through a nut milk bag. You can even take an additional step to sweeten it up by further blending it with vanilla or a couple of pitted medjool dates.
Tricks for (Green) Treats
Ever thought of the serious amount of calories kids take in after a long night of “trick or treating” around the neighborhood? Not to mention the amount of trash created by everything from the mini candy wrappers, to face masks and costumes, that all get tossed by November 1st anyway. So, with Halloween lurking around the corner, I thought I would throw out some tips to help send the ghouls and goblins off your doorstep with something a little more healthy and environmentally conscious. This year, consider the following:
- Chocolate? Try some fair trade certified treats like Endangered Species Chocolate, which come in a convenient little bite size collection.
- Sweet? Pick up some honey sticks this weekend at the Farmer’s Market or here.
- Fruity? Toss in some organic fruit leathers by Stretch Island Fruit Company, nothing artificial and no added sugar!
- Something different, but fun? Try Ginger in hard candy or great little ginger chews.
- Homemade? You’ll be in the kitchen for days if you try to do this for all your little visitors, but make these candy bar knock offs to treat yourself while you answer the door and while I’ll admit that they may not be super calorie friendly, at least you can control what’s in them and cut back on all the processing and packaging!
- And of course, you could chuck the whole candy idea and hand out some non-edible goodies like these.
Check out some more tips from some of the experts here and here. Oh, and make sure your own little ones nix the disposable bags in favor of reusable totes (or even the old standby pillowcases), get creative with your own costumes by using what you have (or swapping with others), and find a creative way to use all those leftover pumpkins!
Homestead Growers
While I have become more adventurous about trying things in the kitchen, I still think that some things are best left to the experts. Unlike Liz, my mushroom-making skills are fairly limited, so I was delighted when I saw that Homestead Growers (regulars at Farmers Markets around the city and a great place to get local mushrooms) made and sold “LocalFolks Foods” Mushroom Patties — made with three types of their local mushrooms, bread crumbs, herbs and spices.
Served on organic ciabatta bread, I topped mine with fresh mozzerella, while my husband chose to add the Garden Herb Fromage from Traders Point Creamery to his “burger”. We couldn’t decide which one was better… they were both equally delicious!
So even if you aren’t a master chef, don’t shy away from the produce stands at your farmers market. You never know what ready-to-serve surprises they may have already whipped up for you!
