To Prep or Not to Prep

A while ago the New York Times ran an article about prepping, as in preparing for disaster, whether it be environmental or economic, saying:

"Prepping is the big short: a bet not just against a city, or a country or a government, but against the whole idea of sustainable civilization. For that reason, it chafes against one of polite society’s last remaining taboos — that the way we live is not simply plagued by certain problems, but is itself insolubly problematic."

This is true, and maybe this is why no one talks about it. But today, I'm talking about it at the Green Phone Booth, wondering what we should be doing to prepare our lives for an uncertain future. Check it out.

Trying to Shop Eco-Consciously

I'm over at the Green Phone Booth today sharing my seemingly contradictory approaches to shopping for new clothes. On one hand, I get most of my clothes for free from friends, or used at thrift stores. But I'm also willing to spend a lot to buy high quality items now and then. Both are part of my attempt to reduce resource consumption. Read on to find out the challenges involved (hint: shopping is hard and clothes don't always fit) and why it's important in light of the garment industry's ethically and environmentally questionable practices.

Turning Up and Down the Heat

In past winters, Crunchy Chicken has encouraged people to join a Freeze Yer Buns Challenge to lower your thermostat as much as you're comfortable. I always wondered, given the opportunity to control my heat, if I would keep my home cold.

Now, for the first time in my adult life, I have an apartment where I get to control (and pay for) my own heat. What I've found is that because our heat is not that expensive, my selfish desire to be warm wins out over my recognition that it's an indulgent consumption of more resources that I need.

Head over to the Green Phone Booth, where I reveal how much I pay for heat, to set off a discussion about the costs and temperatures of our homes during wintertime.

Reducing Plastic

I was recently reminded by an article in the New York Times about the dangers lurking in plastic. It highlighted a study which "found that endocrine disruptors that are sometimes added to PVC plastic cause mice to grow obese and suffer liver problems"...suggesting that endocrine disrupting chemicals such as BPA and phhalates may be related to American obesity epidemics, among other health issues.

What you may not know is that these endocrine disruptors are found in everyday products all around us, from BPA in plastic water bottles, aluminum can linings, and grocery store receipts to phthalates in plastic wrap, PVC building materials, shower curtains and even children's backpacks (ahem, Disney).

Meanwhile, it was promising to see another study showing how quickly people were able to reduce their levels of BPA and phthalates by avoiding them for just three days. While I try to limit my own exposure to canned foods, I have been using plastic quite liberally for food storage. I've decided that one of my 2013 resolutions is to reduce plastic in my life. Read on for  in post at the Green Phone Booth to learn more about how I'm planning to kick plastic to the curb.

Why You Should Follow the Frog

People want to know what they can do to help protect the environment. They fear that their personal actions are not making enough of a difference. But, all of our small actions do add up and we can only make change by starting at home.

The organization I work for, Rainforest Alliance put together this (very amusing) video to explain that you don't need to go to the ends of the earth to protect the planet - you can start by "following the frog." By purchasing goods like coffee, tea, chocolate, and juice with the Rainforest Alliance frog seal, you can rest assured that your dollars are supporting farmers who are earning a good wage and growing responsibly in a way that protects the environment and wildlife.

And you can know that your purchasing decisions are contributing to a transformative impact. For example, in just a few years, the Rainforest Alliance has trained over half a million small holder tea farmers to adopt sustainable practices and has certified nearly 10% of the world's tea. So you see, the decisions we make every day about what to buy - whether you look for organic or local or Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade or FSC or some other sustainable label - can make a difference around the world.

A Blue Dream

For my trip to Costa Rica, we stayed at a hotel that has worked with the Rainforest Alliance to put good environmental and social practices in place. Hotel Sueno Azul felt like an oasis within the rainforest in the Sarapiqui region of Costa Rica, about two hours across the continental divide from San Jose. To reach its remote location, our tour bus lumbered down a dusty road through farms and dropped us at a footbridge to cross onto the hotel property. However, the hotel was not as rustic as I expected - we enjoyed a full-service open air restaurant and bar looking out onto a pool and lagoon, and each room had air conditioning and private bathrooms, demonstrating that ecotourism doesn't always mean roughing it as much as my past experience.

The air conditioning had my skeptical about the hotel's level of sustainability, until the owner started explaining all of their efforts. For example, they employ mostly workers from the local town and contribute to the local elementary school. They started a women's association that tends a botanical garden and creates natural soaps and products used in the hotel spa as well as jewelry sold in the hotel store, offering these women an independent source of income and improving their self-confidence. A solar dryer for laundry, which looks like a greenhouse from the outside, cuts down on energy usage. They've also begun monitoring their electricity usage so they can improve upon it.

Most importantly, the hotel property includes more than 700 acres of protected forestland. Together with several sustainable lodges in the area, they are conserving important forests to create a buffer zone adjacent to the Braulio Corillo National Park and extending biological corridors where wildlife can roam. As an added plus of the local biodiversity - a healthy bat population mostly kept the mosquitos at bay.

While tourism may not jump to mind as a path to environmental conservation, in fact, these small actions add up. Tourism operations offer a great way to provide jobs and income in small communities without having to clear forestland. Something to think about on your next trip... If you're planning to travel to Latin America, a good starting place for eco-friendly options is here.

Why I didn't strike for May Day

Today was May Day, the day that the Occupy Wall Street movement called for a General Strike - no work, no school, no banking, no shopping. However, I didn't strike because I work for an environmental nonprofit, where I'm proud to work every day to achieve goals that the Occupy movement has set forth as below. The Rainforest Alliance not only promotes environmental conservation - we also seek economic and social sustainability, to ensure that people around the planet can earn a decent living and have access to dignified housing, education and healthcare while stewarding our planet for future generations. We envision a new economy, where large companies value rather than exploit our natural resources, where it's easy for consumers to make ethical choices in the marketplace, and where producing communities enjoy a good quality of life. As a member of the fundraising department, I'm helping the 1% give back to the 99%.

(from the Occupy May Day facebook event)
GENERAL STRIKE AND BOYCOTT CALLED!
FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
FOR AN END TO ALL WARS
FOR ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND LABOR RIGHTS
FOR PEACE WITH JUSTICE
FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES AND AN END TO THE POLICE STATE
FOR HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND HEALTH CARE AS HUMAN RIGHTS
FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUITY

Protests are useful for drawing attention to issues, but where do we go from there? The Occupy movement has generated a lot of talk and continual rallies (several more days of action are planned for mid May in New York), but I do wish there were more specific actions coming out of it. There are lots of existing nonprofits and initiatives, both large and community-based, that are working to change our society for the better, where people could get involved. A couple examples of organizations that are encouraging us to move beyond the current big bank economy are Center for the New American Dream and the New Economics Institute and Move Your Money. Find a nonprofit you believe is making a difference and volunteer or make a donation you can afford. Or take small personal, local and community actions. Shop according to your values and buy locally or sustainably produced goods (like products with the Rainforest Alliance certification seal). Join a a food cooperative or a CSA or a community garden. Put your money in a credit union or try investing some of your money in socially responsible funds. Organize a skillshare or a community resource pool with your friends. What other ideas do you have for fixing our broken economy?

That said, I did slip out of work right at 6pm today to catch up with the main protest as it marched down Broadway so I could lend my presence to the more than 10,000 people calling for a change. Unfortunately I threw out my poster during my move last weekend, but it said "Wake up to the corporate lies that are all around us." Don't accept the life that advertisers have convinced you that you need, because we can't afford it -- our consumption culture is perpetuating low paying jobs, making us go into debt, and constantly exposing us to toxins, while depleting the natural resources on which we all depend. We can change this, but we have to do more than protest, don't you think?

(the views presented here are my own and do not necessarily represent those of the Rainforest Alliance)

Fueled by Fries

I know I promised cupcakes next, but I come bearing hot dogs instead. My friends have started up a food truck business called Snap that serves Chicago hot dogs and avocado fries and other tasty foodstuffs. They spent the last year selling at various food and craft markets in New York, and now they've launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the last bit of money they need to get their truck on the road. They bought a truck that they are converting to biodiesel so the used frying oil can be used to power their vehicle, in a brilliant form of recycling. They're also using locally sourced ingredients and actually plan to compost their compostable cutlery (that stuff won't just break down in the landfill). So not only is it delicious, it's also responsible and smart business.

If you're in the New York area, consider helping them out! They have another $5,000 to raise by next Monday. Kickstarter pledges come with free hot dogs and other goodies once the truck is running this summer.

Make Your Own Deodorant

This looks like a photo of regular deodorant, but it's actually my homemade deodorant. I'd been meaning to try this out for a long time as part of my general trend toward eliminating personal care products and their associated risky chemicals from my life. In fact, back in 2009 I considered going deodorant free, but that never happened (probably for the best). But I recently realized that even the natural deodorant I'd been using, while free of aluminum, still had a low rating on the Good Guide due to a questionable ingredient called propylene glycol. This fall when this deodorant finally ran out, I decided to follow my successful homemade replacement for shampoo and make my own deodorant.

It was as easy as mixing coconut oil, baking soda and corn starch. I left out essential oil since coconut oil itself has antibacterial properties and I like the scent of it. I started out with Crunchy Betty's recipe of 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and 5 tbsp coconut oil but found that I had to add a little more of this and a little more of that until I got a consistency that was solid enough to refill my deodorant container. Winter is a good time to try this out, since coconut oil is only solid below 76 degrees Fahrenheit. I would prefer to use a little glass jar rather than a plastic container, but since I need to carry my deodorant with me for bike commuting, it's better for the container to be lighter. I also figured I would be able to roll it on like I was used to, but the homemade stuff doesn't hold together as well, so I scoop out a little and rub it on with my finger. I don't even necessarily have to worry about washing my hands afterward since the ingredients are all safe and edible.

Do I smell? I don't think I sweat or stink anymore than I did on regular deodorant. I don't shower after biking to work, I just reapply this and I'm good to go. My boyfriend said he would warn me if I smelled too much and that hasn't happened. Now, I just smell slightly of coconut, which I find pleasant. My roommate is impressed and wants to try it out, so I need to remember to make her a sample soon.

Wear it out

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

When something starts to break, people go around saying they "need" to buy this item of clothing or they "need" to buy that household object, but there is a difference between want and need. Mindful consumption is about evaluating whether you truly need it, and whether it will be worth the expense not only in terms of your bank account, but also in terms of depletion of natural resources, pollution, and unfair labor.





For example, this was my old backpack. When a hole first started appearing over a year ago, most would run out and replace it with a new backpack right away. This particular backpack company also offers a lifetime warranty where you can send backpacks to be repaired, but when I called to ask about the specifics about this, it was very unclear as to whether the rips in mine fell under their warranty policy or not, and I wasn't willing to go a month without a backpack to find out. Instead, I repaired the hole with needle and thread, and later when the mended stitch no longer held, with safety pins, and eventually just went around with a giant hole in my backpack. Was it unsightly? Yes. But was it still functional? Actually, yes, it was. As long as I had an umbrella when it was raining. Finally, I decided that it was time, and that I wanted a new backpack that would carry my groceries more securely. My old backpack saw me through high school AP textbooks, treks lugging my computer and notebooks around my college campus, and NYC bike rides weighted down with a lock and groceries, so it lived a long life, and it got a second life when I donated it to the textile recycling stand at the Greenmarket.

Likewise, I got a new computer this winter. My previous computer was an 8 1/2 year old dinosaur purchased for my college freshman year. Over the years, it was repaired with a new keyboard, motherboard, and hard drive. But for probably the last three years I had it, it was plagued with slowness, frequent freezing and poor internet connectivity. I dealt with this by using my then-boyfriend's computer (which he wasn't too happy about) or getting things done on my computer at work, or simply having patience. I resisted getting a new computer, since I recognized that I didn't absolutely need one. I originally planned on waiting until it died a nasty death. I finally decided it was time this winter, when I wanted to be able to blog easier and do demo recordings of my music. I went with a refurbished macbook, which is rated as having adequate environmental controls. Luckily my old laptop was a Dell, which you can recycle at Staples, but Staples will also accept non-Dell electronics for a $10 fee. Electronics Takeback Coalition has a useful guide to electronics recycling here.

The delayed gratification involved in mindful consumption also makes me appreciate it all the more when I finally buy something new. How do you feel about mending broken goods and making do?

Elements of a Minimalist Bedroom

I am a minimalist in that I don't like buying and owning too much stuff. Just the idea of it weighs me down. The more things you have, the harder it is to clean your home and to move homes. It doesn't make sense for us to deplete the earth's resources so that we can acquire things that we don't really need and that force us to have larger homes to house all that stuff. Each time I move, I take it as an opportunity to figure out what else I can get rid of. I've also learned a few tricks over the years on how to manage with fewer things in smaller spaces. I will admit I have many kitchen things, but in general I aspire to minimize my belongings. This is how I live in a 70 square foot room. (Note: many of these photos are from my previous apartment, which had better light.)

- While keeping my mattress on the floor means I lose storage space under my bed, I also like the simplicity of it and not having a bedframe to move around when I change apartments.

- A storage container doubles as nightstand, covered by an attractive sheet.

- Rather than use a duvet, which I find cumbersome to remove for washing, I just keep my comforter between two sheets.

- I don't have a desk. In the past, I used a tray table, although my current room doesn't have room for that, so I usually bring my computer to my bed or the living room coffeetable.

- I don't own many books (since I do my reading via library loans), I don't own any DVDs (that's what the internet and netflix are for); and I recently made sure all my CDs were burned onto my computer so I could recycle them all at Best Buy.

- You can just see the black suitcase standing hidden behind the door, which serves as storage and also doubles as extra surface area in a room short on it.

- In the past, I have also used boxes for storage instead of buying more shelving furniture.

- I like to hang a plastic bag rather than having a garbage can. You're going to have a plastic bag inside the can anyway, so why bother buying another piece of plastic just to keep it in?

- I try to keep as many of my appliances as possible plugged into one power strip, that can easily be turned off whenever leaving home to avoid using phantom power.

- I periodically reevaluate all my clothes to give away anything I have determined that I no longer like to wear or consider useful. 

Do you have any tricks for simplifying your home and eliminating unnecessary furniture and "stuff"?

Why stop using shampoo?

Why do I use baking soda instead of shampoo? Well, as most people don't realize, personal care products like shampoo, makeup, soap and lotion are not regulated. The FDA does not assess the safety of personal care products or their ingredients, and less than 20% of cosmetics chemicals have been assessed by the industry's safety panel. So companies freely use harmful chemicals in products that we slather on our bodies multiple times a day. Lipsticks commonly have lead in them, while shampoo and toothpaste contain parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, petrochemicals, etc linked to cancer, reproductive health, asthma and other health problems.

Unlike most women, who use an average of 12 of personal care products a day, I have limited mine to a locally made bar of soap, baking soda, Tom's of Maine toothpaste, aluminum-free deodorant and Burt's Bees lip balm. No, I almost never wear make up or lotion.

You do not actually need a multitude of products. This is a lie that corporate advertising campaigns have perpetuated. They hae convinced us we are not pretty enough and need a regimen of products like shampoo to make our hair shinier, makeup to look prettier, lotions to make our skin softer, perfumes to make us smell better, nail polish (the most toxic of them all) because bare feet are not classy enough, and so on. (Literally, I was in an elevator once with my coworkers who talked about bare toenails not being classy while I was standing right there in my sandals. But it's "okay" for me because I'm the eco-exception.)

Meanwhile, I often get comments from people telling me my skin looks great and asking how do I do it. Here's how - by not putting anything on it but water and occasionally soap. From my own perspective, I have as many pimples as the rest of them, but we tend to be more self-conscious and pay more attention to our own blemishes than other people actually do. What's more important? Your health or meeting a false standard of beauty?

On a positive note, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 was introduced this summer in the House of Representatives. If passed this bill will give the FDA the authority to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful substances. You can learn more about all of this by watching The Story of Cosmetics video below, checking out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and discovering whether the products in your own bathroom are good or bad at the Good Guide.

Going shampoo-free

Among my 25 things list were goals to use homemade body products. I'm waiting until my current store-bought deodorant runs out to try my hand at that, but I have successfully been shampoo-less aka "no-poo" since March by washing my hair solely with baking soda. Maybe I have low maintenance hair (straight and fine), but unlike some people who go through a greasy transition period, my hair has always felt clean and the same after a baking soda wash as it did with shampoo.



The idea is to combine baking soda and water into a paste to apply to your hair. There are different approaches. I fill a small jar with baking soda and then add enough water until it forms a paste that I can easily scoop out with my hands and lather into my hair. You could use an old shampoo bottle or cup and a higher ratio of water for a more liquid-y solution that is easy to squeeze onto your hair. Some people also like to do a rinse with white or apple cider vinegar afterward as a conditioner, but my hair feels the same whether I use vinegar or not, so I don't.

If you miss the scents of shampoo, you could add something yummy smelling, like a drop of lavender essential oil, cinnamon sticks or vanilla extract, to either the baking soda or vinegar, but I go plain. One jar lasts about a couple weeks, and since baking soda is readily available for about $2 a box, it is much cheaper than shampoo. This also helps me reduce my use of plastic.

Why stop using shampoo? To avoid the multitude of unpronounceable and potentially hazardous chemicals listed in shampoo ingredients. Stay tuned for my next post about the personal care products industry and why you should care about what's in your bathroom.

Dystopia

When I saw YACHT play many years ago, it was one guy dancing around the living room of my college housing coop to music he created and played off his laptop. It felt a little silly and not quite memorable. YACHT has since gained a second person and some notoriety since then, so I thought I would give them another chance and check out their newer music. I was surprised to realize this song "Dystopia (The Earth is On Fire)" is not only a catchy danceable tune but also offers an apt and timely commentary on the state of our society's relationship with the environment. It's rare for musical artists today to address this kind of issue, so I thought it was worth sharing their message with you here. Enjoy!


Every day the sky gets lower,
And every day the tide is blacker,
And every day the flames get higher

We live like lions, we live our lives
With no more husbands, No more wives,
We let our children multiply ’cause we’re afraid of dying.

The Earth, the Earth is on fire!
We don’t have no daughter,
Let the motherfucker burn!
If we cut off the water
Then the jackals would return.
- YACHT

Download "Dystopia" here

Going Almost-Vegetarian Part 2

A year and a half ago I wrote here about my difficulty in sticking to a diet relatively free of factory-farmed meat. I've been having a lot more success with this lately. Partly because I no longer live with a meat-eater and have more control over what I eat, but also partly because I experienced a mental shift toward vegetarianism.

For years I lived with an avid carnivore and consequently ate plenty of meat. At home I cooked a lot of quality grass fed/sustainably raised meat from farmers markets. Braised lamb shanks. Meatballs. Bison steak. G rilled pork chops. Perfectly crisp bacon for curing hangovers. And so on. For dinners out, I often ate at Brooklyn's many new-american-local-seasonal restaurants where I was happy to order meat. But I also found myself at average restaurants with lackluster vegetarian options or at family or friend's homes where I felt bad turning down non-vegetarian food they'd prepared - which is where it got tricky.

When I started cooking for just myself several months ago, I decided to eat less meat - only when my body craved it for nutrients. However, I realized that I rarely crave it. Instead, I'm eating a lot of roasted vegetables, eggs, cheese (pizza!), and beans, which satisfies me. When I go to the farmers market, I have no desire to buy meat for myself, nor do I want to spend the added expense on it. Moreover, I've even found that when I try a bite of a friend's sandwich or sample a free meat and cheese plate at work, it doesn't taste as satisfying as I expect - for the most part. Every now and then I'll still enjoy meat, like Fette Sau barbecue last week, which is oh so good and comes from organic and small family farms.

I don't think it's realistic for everyone to become a vegetarian. I just think we should be more conscious about where the meat on our plate comes from and eat less of it. So many people go to a deli and mindlessly order a turkey sandwich without thinking about all the implications.

On top of all the water pollution, excessive antibiotic usage, deforestation, and methane and carbon dioxide emissions related to factory farming, I also recently learned that meat eaters intake higher levels of carcinogenic chemicals called dioxins - industrial byproducts that end up in the air, water, and soil, and in higher levels in animals because they are bio-accumulative. Something to think about next time you're ordering lunch at the deli.

Knitting and Thinking Harder about Handmade

On average, I knit about one scarf each winter, using the most basic knit pattern, which is the limit of my knitting skills. This year I got a headstart and already completed one scarf for a birthday gift. In the past I have simply picked out yarn from a store based on cost, color, and feel. However, while making homemade gifts and buying handmade items has become a rallying cry and an important way to keep money out of corporation's pockets and support small businesses instead, sometimes simply handmade is not enough. In fact, one of the benefits of handmade is that you can exert more of a direct influence over the materials used.

So I started to think harder about the source of my scarf materials. If it's wool, what were the conditions of the animals raised for wool? Did the wool travel halfway around the globe to get to me, from Australia and New Zealand, which are the leading wool producers? If it's cotton yarn, what about pesticides? If it's acrylic, it's manufactured with polycrylonitriles, which may be carcinogenic. And then there are the dyes, probably laden with toxins rubbing up against your chin as you try to keep warm.


This batch of yarn came from happy sheep upstate, care of Catskill Merino, a farm that sells lamb meat and hand-dyed wool at the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturdays. You may have noticed their gorgeously colored natural-dyed skeins while passing through the market. This fascinating Osage and Logwood color looks gray-green indoors with highlights of lime green in sunlight. The yarn is soft and I loved working with it. It wasn't that much more expensive than "nice" wool at a regular yarn store, so I felt it was worth it. There are many other eco-friendly yarn options out there, and alternatively, you could also check out your local thrift store for yarn or unravel an old sweater to reuse.


I like that kniting lets me relax and feel productive at the same time. It's a welcome way to slow down in this busy era of life when I feel I should always be accomplishing something with my time. The repetitive process is a meditative kind of multi-tasking, knitting while sitting around the living room watching TV with roommates or chatting on the subway.

I've got more yarn leftover from a lazy scarf fail last year, so I think a friend or family member might find a scarf under their tree this December. Who wants one? I'm considering expanding my repertoire to add some kind of pattern this time. This holiday season, I challenge you to also not only buy or make handmade gifts, but to think harder about handmade.


hanging yarn photo via flickr

Virgin Islands Campground

I sought out eco-lodging in the Virgin Islands because I think it is important for tourism dollars to support independent places with minimal impact on the natural environment, rather than corporate resorts. I also don't mind roughing it a bit, if it means I get to have an ocean view and a place to prepare my own food, all for less than I'd pay at most hotels. My other criteria were easy access to scuba diving and a relatively car-free vacation where I wouldn't need to rent a car or take a taxi all the time.
I ended up at the Virgin Islands Campground on Water Island, a short ferry ride from St. Thomas, which fit all of these qualifications for a peaceful, eco-sensitive trip. It's not camping as you know it, but luxe camping with conveniences: private wood-frame-canvas-screen tent-cottages tucked into the trees, each with a comfortable bed, deck, electricity, and even wireless for iPhiles. To make up for lack of air conditioning, there are fans and the magical feeling of sleeping in a treehouse. There is also a hammock and a cooking pavilion that is a wonderful place to have coffee and eggs and read in the morning light, or to enjoy a breeze while grilling dinner in the evening and chatting with fellow campers.







I was impressed by several sustainable measures at the campground: electricity powered by onsite wind turbines, composting toilets (which didn't smell!), captured rainwater that is filtered for drinking and heated by solar energy for showers. Water is also conserved by spring-loaded faucets and pull-cord showers, which is especially smart because conservation is built into the design and doesn't require any extra thoughtfulness on the user's part.



Water Island is small, peaceful, relatively undeveloped, and sparsely populated, with only about 150 full time residents who are on the friendly and laidback side. People drive around in old jalopies and golf carts, and will sympathetically offer a ride if you are walking along the road in the hot sun.



The island is home to the aforementioned Honeymoon Beach, which has it all: A shallow sandy bay that feels like a warm saltwater pool. Decent snorkeling - in one afternoon you can swim with a sea turtle, see a school of fish, and a stingray. Palm trees and picnic tables for shaded spots to kick back. Joe's Beach Bar for drinks (the closest thing to nightlife on the island), and Heidi's Honeymoon Grill truck for lunch as well as a weekly gourmet dinner, which was the best meal of the trip.



The campground is a fairly easy half mile walk to both the beach and the landing where a commuter ferry shuttles back and forth to St. Thomas every hour or so. In less than ten minutes, the ferry docks at a marina with a restaurant, grocery stores, and a great dive shop, Blue Island Divers. I only needed cabs for trips to and from the airport and an excursion to St. John, which made me especially happy because squishing into stuffy and sweaty taxis there was not fun.



As for the daytrip to St. John, I shelled out more money than appropriate to rent a car for a death-defying tour of the island. The harrowing hair-pin turns had me so nervous we would drive right off a cliff. I was so relieved when I finally touched back down at Water Island at the end of the day. My recommendation for daytrippers: save your money and just take a safari cab to one of the beaches nearest the main town on St. John.



Ironically, St. John is supposed to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but it was the hottest day of the week and I had a hard time finding comfortable shady spots on the national park beaches, so I traveled all the way there just to wish I was back at Honeymoon Beach, which I think tells you how much I enjoyed staying on Water Island.


For those of you who have been enticed by my tale and are interested in a trip of your own, I found this website to be the best listing of Caribbean eco-lodging.

Garden Update: Adding Color

Phase two of the container garden was adding some flowers for color. I picked zinnias and marigolds for their brightness. They like full sun, so we'll see if the yard gets enough rays to keep them alive.




And impatiens, which like shade and did well here last summer.



Also, bee balm! It's a favorite from the wildflower gardens of my childhood, so when I saw this plant at the farmers market I had to get it. It won't bloom till July or August, but it's a beauty and bees love them. With bees still on the decline, it helps to grow native flowers and herbs, including lavender and bee balm, to attract pollinators.



The swiss chard and arugula are growing faster than the herbs.





So far the mixed greens are the only seedlings coming up...



...if you don't count the weeds.



Although I'm not offcially composting, I have created a leaf and soil heap. I'm afraid that if I add vegetable scraps it will attract unwanted wildlife, but I can handle collecting all the fallen leaves in a pile where it will hopefully decompose over time.

Going Glamping

You may recall me agonizing over where to vacation this spring. I finally settled on the St Thomas area. It seems a litle silly to be heading to a tropical location just as the weather is brightening up in New York, but it's what made sense for me. In just a short while, I'll be "glamping" it up at an eco-friendly tent-cottage at the Virgin Islands Campground on Water Island. Scuba diving (I'm nervous but forcing myself to try something new and fun), hiking, island hopping, and lounging on the beach. Oh yeah, and there's a pizza boat that floats around the island. Yes please. Let's also hope I can bring a fresh and carefree outlook back home with me to replace my all-too-stressball attitude of late.

P.S. Party recipe recaps have been scheduled to continue while I'm away.

April Farmers Market Hauls

I haven't been posting as many recipes lately because I've been cooking super simple meals. Things like roasted vegetables mixed with beans; sauteed spinach and roast potatoes as a side to grilled pork chops; eggs scrambled with ramps and other spring vegetables. Simple is often the best way to prepare high quality farm fresh ingredients, and it certainly makes my life easier to prepare tried and true recipes. Rather than bore you with the same meals over and over again, I'm going to try to share my weekly farmers market hauls as a record of the seasonal produce we're enjoying. I also think this will help me be more accountable when it comes to buying enough produce and actually eating fruit and/or vegetables every day (something I need to work on).

Here's what I took home in April. What's in season at the markets where you live? Can you suggest any dishes involving these ingredients? Maybe some new recipes would help kick me out of my cooking rut.

April 17, 2010:
spinach, asparagus, radishes (first of the season for these veg!), carrots, Wilklow Orchards ramps, Milk Thistle milk, Phillips Farm ketchup. Also, lavender sachets as a gift for my boyfriend's mom - from a new market purveyor, Lavender By the Bay grown on Long Island with such a wonderful smell. They also make baking lavender which I hope to try soon.



April 24, 2010:
spinach, asparagus, leek, blue potatoes, eggs, Milk Thistle milk, Cayuga Pure Organics black and navy beans, Phillips Farm zinnias and marigolds, Evolutionary Organics impatiens, Wilklow Orchards pork chops*. Not pictured: Cayuga Organics wheat berries, Evolutionary Organics bee balm plant.


* I heart Wilklow Orchards. The couple that runs the stand are so sweet and friendly, and their pork chops are the bomb. Plus, you can follow them on twitter and get a preview of what they'll have on sale (great use of social media). Wilklow sells meat and various fruits, vegetables, and baked goods depending on the stand at the Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn Borough Hall, Fort Greene, and the Staten Island Ferry/Whitehall markets.