cooking away

While spring is my favorite season (blooming flowers, first signs of local produce, and the hope of warm sunny days after months of snow), fall is my favorite cooking season.  Flush with veggies and starting to crave jeans & sweatshirts, I can't think of anything I want to do more than cook.

Beyond that, cooking is also my way of decompressing and dealing with my over-active brain.  The mindless chopping and peeling and fussing are the perfect balm for my anxiety.  Plus, I'm not so bad at it so the results tend to be as enjoyable as the process.

This weekend, full of summer and the fair and weddings and otherwise over-committed days, I found myself longing for my kitchen.  So I've spent the better part of the past 24 hours in full-on cooking, baking and exercising my kitchen modes.  Thankfully my better half is an avid and enthusiastic cleaner upper and is the organized, recovery to my cook-and-destroy.  So he's been a great partner in my maniacal cooking fest.  Plus, he loves food and loves to cook himself so he's a truly willing participant.

Other benefits of my weekend onslaught included inspiration for our Christmas gift planning (we're doing all-homemade gifts this year - together) and making productive use of the abundant farmer's market. But mostly it tweaked the creative side of my brain which, quite frankly, feels as if it's been dormant for a few weeks.  Rushing through life headlong gives me that "just subsisting" vibe.  And that makes me even more anxious.  Riff on this recipe.  Tweak that spice mix.  Dream up a delicious cocktail.  And enjoy it all with the one I love.  Cooking is just good therapy all around.

I'll be posting recipes as I get a few moments here (I actually wrote them down for a change!) and taking a break here and there to, well, eat.  Therapy you can devour.  Delicious.

a giant leap forward

The past few weeks have been a jumble.  Summer, a little travel, an illness requiring medication, lots of sleep and gallons of water to try to reinflate me to my usual form, some events, a ton of board work and some still-developing shaping and reshaping of my work life.  It's been nuts.  Part of me knows that when I get too crazy and have too many plates spinning, the inevitability of some sort of unintended slowdown lurks just behind me ready to whack me over the head with one of those precious plates.  It's been this way my entire life, and especially in the past 10 years or so.  I have learned to be better in tune with myself and my limitations, but let's face it, I still go too fast, in too many directions, all at once.  It's just how I'm wired.

I've been working on refining my existence as a consultant and what that means for how I work. And part of this process has made me sit myself down and figure out all this running around.  It's too much.  I love my Segnavia Creative clients and spending time with them is one of the most beneficial parts of how I engage.  But I'm doing it too much - I am simply not funded to travel all over town and sit with whomsoever I'd like, as much as I'd like to believe that I am.  I have recently engaged with my first (as yet, potential) client out of state.  Which begs the question: If I can do that, can't I do this other stuff differently?  Better?  Do I really need to meet with everyone, so often, all the time, all over the place?  Do I need to be one more car on the road?

Which brings me back full circle to a dream that I started poking around last summer - could I live without a car?  There are lots of reasons why this is a crazy thought.  A car is mobility!  Flexibility!  Freedom!  Heck, a car is pretty much expected, is it not?  A car is one of the first noticeable outward signs of success - is it a nice car?  A clean car?  A cared for car?  A car is one of the most obvious external indications of who we are, what our personalities are, what our style is.  We're weird Americans, aren't we?  A car is an indicator of my personal worth or success?  Who the hell decided that?

As I continue on my own personal journey toward building and living this best life (for me), I have come to realize that I don't want a car.  I don't want the entanglement, I don't want the expense and I don't want the parking hassles.  (This summer construction season is grating on me, without doubt...let's see how I feel at 10 degrees and no seat heaters, eh?)  Because while cars are all of the things noted above, they're also many not-so-good things.  A car is expensive!  A car requires maintenance!  A car bears a heavy "green" load!  And let's face it, my bike is way cuter.

I've done a lot of research.  I've crunched the numbers.  I've played with the bus schedule - mapping things and timing things, to and fro.  I've thought about running errands and hauling stuff.  But the reality for me is that I'm ubermobile without a car.  I live and work in my downtown loft and can easily access all the bus lines (2-3 blocks), several HourCars (3-4 blocks), there's a Budget rental on the corner, I have my bike (which can go on the bus too!) and for that matter, I am perfectly capable of calling a cab in an emergency.  I listed out all the pros and cons of the car-free lifestyle I was considering.  And the end result was that I was happier with the list of pros.  I'm pro bike, pro public transportation, pro eco, pro shoe leather, pro car share.  I'm also pro being better organized, focused and thoughtful about where I'm going and how.  And I'm pro $700 each month to do other, more interesting things with.  Yea, I'm definitely pro that.

So I've done it.  As of noon yesterday, I am no longer a car owner.  I am car-free.  I am free.

And I'm exhilarated by possibility.  I fully recognize that there's a fair amount of test driving and trial and error that are going to happen here.  I know that some days taking the bus or arranging a car are going to feel like a pain in the ass.  But having the ability to choose,and the flexibility that comes with not having that car payment?  That's pretty fantastic.  And it's one more step towards creating the life that I want for myself.  One big step, actually...in very comfortable shoes.

a little spring clean up

Fully 2 1/2 months of the year have passed us by already...how did THAT happen!?  More and more over the past 3 weeks, I've realized how completely disorganized my life has become.  While embarking on serious relationships with both my health and a new fella (old fella, well, it's a long story) - which are both going amazingly well and feeding my spirit - I have completely lost the rest of my way.  Sure, there's an issue of balance going on here but there's also the (wonderful) issue of being busier than ever with Segnavia Creative.  So, this is me not complaining...well, maybe just a bit.

If nothing else, the past few weeks have made me step back, look intently at how I'm spending my time and then hone in on how to be more productive and less frenetic.  Instead of taking things as they come (my natural and slightly procrastinating state of being), I need to find a way to get more proactive.  Gain some semblance of control.  You know, if that's possible.

And there's no denying that spring is the time to consider things such as organization, fresh starts, clean ups, clear outs and generally making life a bit tidier.  And since this is a blog that's about my work/life integration, you can bet my entire world is fair game.  Here's what I'm thinking about:

• Generally detoxing my home.  I wrote about this for Simple, Good, and Tasty (a website about local, sustainable, organic and fair trade food and the people who love it) back in January which you can read here:  kitchen, bath/laundry, rest of the house.  And I'm happy to say, I've taken a lot of these steps including reducing the number of non-homemade cleaners I use around here, adding plants to the house, using up old candles to make a complete switch to all-soy, getting organized (a bit more about that in a second), and re-enlisting many things around the house to serve new & improved purposes instead of just buying new.  There's constantly room for improvement, but I'm feeling good about just getting started.
• Putting better organizing systems in place, which inevitably has to start with some purging, recycling and an honest consideration of what my needs are.  I know there are a bunch of things that either aren't working or weren't well set up when I re-launched my business last year.  And you know, you just feel like, "Eh, I'm not that busy.  I'll figure out a "real" system once I have more to organize."  So many flaws in that logic, I can barely type it without blushing.  So I'm re-dedicating my dining room as my office (no really, this was an intentional decision last year as I realized that I honestly hated working in my office...and quite frankly, everyone gathers around the kitchen island to eat, anyway) and finding better systems for sorting out business operations,  typical home stuff and an awful lot of recipes.  My curse and my joy.
• Being more and more paper-free.  I sit on two boards and, let me tell you, we produce a lot of paper.  As the boards are becoming more dedicated to sending out digital versions of our minutes, agendas, and other materials, I'm just going to haul my laptop in and read through things on screen.  It's not brain surgery, but it does make life a bit less complicated when all of these theories align to keep the paper down.
• Treating my body to a regular cleanse and also a shift in my eating habits.  I started off the year with a month-long detox; I'll probably continue to do that detox once or twice a year because it's my old standby.  I know it works for me, and I know I can choose it without feeling deprived.  Next, I'm test-driving a 3-5 day juice cleanse from Organic Avenue in NYC.  Well, I wish I lived in NYC because you can just buzz over there and pick up your day's worth of juices, shakes and food to line up with whichever cleanse you've chosen.  But from spring thaw-y Minnesota, I'm going to follow the version publicized by Gwyneth Paltrow in her GOOP newsletter.  (Sure.  She's always going to have that air of "my life is infinitely better than yours" but I think that's mostly because her's probably IS better than mine.  And 99% of other humans as well!  But I can't hate her because she's talented, happily partnered and raising beautiful children, fit & healthy, drop-dead gorgeous and connected.  I (*gushes*) sort of love her even more for it.)  Anyway, she was kind enough to use her connections to get a download on the program, the recipes and after I read this NYT piece about another woman who gave it a go, I decided I'd try it too.   I'm only on Day 2 so I'll spare you any half-baked reviews at this point.  If you get real excited, you can follow Organic Avenue on Twitter here.
• Carving out time to write.  This is one of my true passions and is also an area that needs practice and refinement.  I get that - first and foremost - from just sitting down and writing.  This blog, my personal blog, whatever.  I also get it from writing for my clients (Simple, Good, and Tasty being my biggest blogging commitment at the moment).  But I'm also hungry for feedback, so I have a couple of classes in mind from The Loft in Minneapolis.

Most of all, I'm looking forward to spring.  It's - by far - my favorite season and the continuation of my January 1st fresh start is warmly welcomed.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings.

Back at the beginning

I'm on another adventure...this time, dealing with my health and well-being. Not unlike many other women (and men, for that matter) I have hit a point in my life where I am starting to feel the cumulative effects of many years of eating well, sitting at a desk, traveling for business, not being active enough, and trying desperately to find some sort of equilibrium in my life.

Yep, that sounds just like life, right? And add to it, in the five years past I have earned a check mark for almost everyone of those “top stressors” in life: divorce, job loss/change, moving (three times), death of a parent and – not inconsequentially – working with a couple of the least well-balanced people imaginable. Stress: been there, done that, starred in the made-for-TV movie.

As a result, I’ve seen my weight go up rather dramatically. Ok, maybe it’s not dramatic to you, but an additional 20+ lbs – though I can wear it pretty well – puts me comfortably over the edge into “not so healthy land.” Further, as I’ve started to peel away the layers of what’s really doing damage here, I have also seen some of the baseline wellness checks coming back less than perfect. And did I mention that my pants don’t fit?!?

A little more than two years ago, suffering mightily with some new fangled allergies that I hadn’t experienced before, I decided enough was enough. (And by that I mean enough Minute Clinic visits for sinus infections and definitely ENOUGH ANTIBIOTICS – I’m allergic to most of the big ones and really want to keep my usage to dire conditions.) I decided to call on a naturopath.

My initial consultation was pretty unique. I am very much an alternative medicine/holistic approach sort of girl, so the idea of this kind of assessment, diagnosis and treatment appealed to me. After hearing all of my complaints (weight gain, stuffy allergy head, poor digestion, etc) and doing some rather unconventional assessments, the first thing she did was place me on a very serious detox plan. Suspecting food allergies, we set about eliminating anything and everything that was potentially allergenic and went from there. Result: definitely wheat, maybe dairy. My naturopath also suggested to me that a periodic detox (1-2 times per year) could help keep my system functioning better.

Results were great. I was already engaged in Weight Watchers and throughout the summer lost just over 20 lbs. I felt much better. And then life took hold yet again – a serious relationship ended, a crazy job began and then during the winter, my dad passed away quickly from an aggressive form of cancer. Before you knew it, the tenuous hold I had on my own health and wellness started slipping. Five pounds became 10. I struggled through some pretty serious blues. Nothing much felt good. Ten became 20 again. All in all, 2008 was really not good for me at all. I made a painful job change the end of the year and vowed to start 2009 in a better place.

And I did. But I still hadn’t put my hands around what EXACTLY needed to happen to bring me back around to healthy and well again. The weight was killing me. After I got myself back to my fighting weight the year before, I got rid of everything that was more than a size up. I just KNEW I would never go back there again. Yet, there is precisely where I found myself.

There has been one positive and changing force that has been woven throughout all of this, and that is my passion for food and being a bit greener. Together, those pieces of me have set me on a path toward awareness and excitement for the efforts around local and organic food, and about limiting the toxins in my life. As you may know, this is not about perfection. This is about a journey and I’m happy to say that I’m well into mine. Which has helped spring me forward…

…to a new space and time. I went back to the books and studied hard. I read Jillian Michaels’ new Master Your Metabolism. I re-read Dr. Weil’s 8 Weeks to Optimum Health and Natural Health, Natural Medicine. I revisited Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food. Then I went to my doctor and had a few tests run to see just where I was at. Today? Total cholesterol is a little high, but good cholesterol is great (maybe to do with all that sushi?!); triglycerides are slightly elevated; alarmingly, blood sugar is also a little higher than it should be. And I’m still kicking around a virus that has been hanging with me since late last year. So I sat back, checked all my references and put myself back on track. Combining the learnings from these books about dealing with hormone levels (insulin and cortisol, anyone?), anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory diets with my already developed knowledge for the benefits of certain kinds of foods, along with my naturopath's suggestions, I’m off like a shot.

Here’s what’s happening:

• First, another detox. I’m spending about 3 weeks this time (as long as my supplemental powder holds out) cleaning out the stuff that’s bad. YET, I’m not being insane about it either. I am not chasing a food allergy this time, I’m just trying to give my liver and a couple of other vital organs a break. Key for me is the food choices, and limiting my wine. And those are: no caffeine, no sugar, no wheat, no dairy, no meat other than fish. I’m keeping eggs this time and paying attention to the glycemic load of my fruits, veggies and rice.
• Daily exercise. We bought bikes a few weeks ago and have been enjoying trying to get out and about in our town. I’m also walking a day or two a week with friends, and as much as I can in the course of my day (it’s fab living downtown and being able to walk everywhere). And last weekend we even spent 2 hours paddling down the St. Croix in a canoe. I realized that – for me – it’s all about keeping it fresh and fun. I neeeeeed to be outside in this glorious late summer weather we’re having (it’s crazy) and I need to stay engaged and not get frustrated. We’ve signed up to do a little golf tournament next month. I’m just trying for 30-60 minutes of something or another each day.
  
• Supplements. This is where many people think I have gone ‘round the twist. But amping up my vitamins and supplements are important to my detox and also to the idea that I’m trying to kick my metabolism and immune system in the ass. I haven’t run on a healthy immune system since high school and therefore pick up and carry around every bug known to mankind. I need my immune system to rebound, shake off this virus and support me going forward. So yes, I choke down nearly 30 pills a day – everything from the standard multivitamin, fish oil, additional D, C, calcium to Astralagus and Lysine and a few other oddities. I’m also trying to take bitters again before meals…this one is less convenient but it sure is good for your digestion!
• Portioning. This is actually easy now. It’s just a decision. Eat half, add a salad.
• Cooking. I haven’t been spending quality time in my own kitchen for some time. Dating a chef means – unsurprisingly – that he doesn’t necessarily want to cook at home. He wants to go out! See what’s new! Try something different! All of which is very, very good but the by-product is that it has disconnected me from my kitchen. I’m back now.
• Shopping as local as possible. Most of you know that I’ve been helping Lee over at www.SimpleGoodandTasty.com and using that as a big fat excuse to avail myself of many more local delights than I was before. I’ve always been a HUGE farmer’s market fan and visit mine weekly. But I’ve also joined a co-op this year and taken a crack at a CSA for half the season. So I’m experimenting and feeling more inspired in my food choices.

I’m just one week in so far. I’ve lost 3 lbs. And I know my system is running – ahem – cleaner already. I’m almost through my caffeine/sugar withdrawal headaches, but feeling a little under the weather again. I know the allergens aren’t helping matters (must deal with those next), but I’m feeling like the tides are shifting.I’m in the groove now and I’m getting lots of support from those around me (much appreciated). Now we’ll just keep on in a forwardly direction to being a healthier, happier me.

Here's to wellness!

happy green day!

It's Earth Day! This year, more than any that I can remember in the past, there has been a lot of attention and focus on Earth Day in the mainstream - retail, media, internet chatter. I can personally say that I understand many non-Americans when they wonder why every day isn't Earth Day here in the United States. I often wonder that too. Just looking at Japanese and European lifestyles, I'm still surprised where we are today. We're slow to the party. But I feel like we're warming up quickly.

For me personally, I have always been a recycler. My mom has always had a productive garden. But moving into my loft three and a half years ago, I started taking other greenie causes more seriously. I don't know what it was about living here - perhaps the smaller foot print, the attention paid to green building, the lack of storage space leading to creative lifestyle changes, me and my social circle simply paying more attention to our surroundings, I'm not sure. But I know that I have taken many new (to me) principles to heart. And I know I have a long way to go.

This year, I'm making several Earth Day commitments to myself, my community and our planet. Are they revelatory? Perhaps not. But if this blog ever has a message it is that you can start anywhere, anytime and feel good about it. There's no measurement for your success as an individual, eco-freak, or what have you, other than the satisfaction you take from taking baby steps and moving forward at your own pace. No one's looking for a radical lifestyle change off the bat. But, as I've learned, once you start paying attention and learning the basics, it's awfully tough to turn away.

So Earth Day, for me, is about celebrating my own steps forward, assessing where I am in my journey, and putting some actionable goals out there in front of me for the coming year. This isn't just a day; it's a commitment. Mine happen to be:

1. continuing my education about food - I've been shifting focus to sustainable, local, organic and intend to keep moving in that direction
2. figuring out how to bring composting to my neighborhood (all condo and apartment dwellers...so this is a challenge)
3. making my own non-toxic cleaning products wherever possible
4. getting smart (and then reducing)my own carbon footprint - figure out all of these PCs, appliances, and the car...and use them in a cost- and energy-efficient manner
5. paying attention to the ingredients list on my skin care products and cosmetics
6. supporting local farmers, retailers, service providers through things like the farmers' market and the 3/50 project (a fun blog - new to me - that is written my a local fella and former colleague: http://www.simplegoodandtasty.com/)

Happy Earth Day everyone. Won't you give some thought to what you might do?

get it gone

Ok this might end up sounding like more of a rant than anything helpful but I have acquired a fresh perspective in the past 24 hours. My beau asked me to help him sell a few things on craigslist.com, and of course I agreed. I have done a lot of eBay, etc in the past and am more comfortable than he is on the PC, internet, basically most technology. He's better in the kitchen. It's a fair trade. In the end, shopping through craigslist - like eBay, thrift stores, my mom's shops (see below for another gratuitous plug) - is the ultimate in recycling. Nothing goes to waste, nothing ends up in the landfill and if you play your cards right, you get a hefty commission for selling off someone else's stuff...oh wait...maybe that's just me? Anyway, it's a good, green (and green$) thing to do.

I'd never used craigslist before but, because of our little vintage resale business I have lots of eBay experience and more than my fair share of garage and estate sales under by belt. So I'm laughing a bit because he definitely thought I was nuts when we got started documenting things for the sale. But I knew a couple of things:

1. people will buy freaking anything
2. it's nearly impossible to sell stuff without decent pictures
3. lots of details help

I know it sounds duh-intuitive but just take a gander at craigslist and see how many BAD listings there are and you'll get my meaning. So there I was, staging a photo shoot for practically every item, taking 6-10 pics of each even though you can only list 4, measuring everything to within an inch of its life. I was a online selling madwoman. He was sitting there thinking "no one is going to buy that" and I went into overdrive as everyone and their uncle started emailing me with interest. This morning I listed the last 4 items but already I have commitments for $1150 and another $650 in sales pending. So I'm feeling pretty keen on this whole craigslist thing!

I also realize that my experience here matters so I'm going to share with you just a couple things that I think made my online selling go smoothly.

• get the description line right - There's plenty of room there so include relevant details like the diameter of the table or the height of the cabinet or - gasp - brands and model numbers! You'd be pained to see how many listings start "wood table" and make you click into the listing to get more. Not super enticing. Oh and if it works, say so. I guess people sell stuff that doesn't.
• clean it - For the love of god, do not try to photograph or sell a microwave with baked on food in it. Dust off the stuff that's been in the basement, give everything a good polishing up. You'll drive good prices if it looks nice.
• take key pictures - Yes, one of the whole item. But also close up shots of details like the back or seat of a chair, the inputs on the back of the TV, the manufacturer label (as long as it's legible of course), the intricate carving work on a statue. You get the idea.
• measure! - adding exterior (and in the case of our chest freezers, interior) measurements can help a lot. I saved myself some quality patio lounging time NOT having to meet someone who wanted to make sure his home brew keg could fit inside the freezer. Between my measurements and his link to the keg specs, we determined that it wouldn't fly and I could quickly move on to the next interested party.
• be nice, respond to everyone and keep good track - The uplifting high of "someone wants to buy our junk!" throws you in a frenzy, particularly if you have multiple listings. You'll get a lot of karmic credit just for nicely replying to someone and letting them know if there's an interested party ahead of them in line, apologizing if they weren't quick enough to get the item, getting back to them when you say you will. No, there's no rating system on craigslist but take the brownie points and be grateful when you need to go back to an interested party because your "I'll take it" guy flaked out.
• and before you list, ask your people - I sold a ton of stuff to qualified, trustworthy and honest buyers: my friends. I uploaded all the pics to flickr.com, sent an email with the details and link to the pics and voila. Instant venue for selling, no listing and dorking around with strangers showing up.

There you have it.

Now if you want to see some really cool stuff that's had the hand of my mother, Queen of Clean, touch it, pop over to one of her stores and look for the booth that says "Pretty Things" at the top. It will be the one with the bright vintage household goods, old school Hawaiian shirts, fancy ladies scarves, and more.

Mall of St. Paul - Selby & Fairview
Sophie Joe's - West 7th, just outside of downtown St. Paul

green eats

This weekend I had the very unique experience of catering a dinner at the home of a prominent - indeed famous - businessman who has probably done more for the organic, natural, green, and even standard beauty industry than anyone. I've mentioned the name in passing but I'll refrain from either doing that or providing any private details here out of sheer respect. My point in telling the story is that my beau's restaurant was contacted to create the menu and provide the dinner, with the twist that it be as organic as possible. Twisty twisty indeed!

Now, let's also mention here that the restaurant in question is a fabulous Japanese restaurant (obvious bias intended) with a quite loyal following. But it's certainly not professing itself to be green. The food of Japan may have its green tendencies, but preparing and selling it in the Midwest isn't always as ecologically sound as one might hope.

In my time together with the chef, I have learned a lot about Japanese cuisine. Lest we think me an expert, however, know that this particular well runs deep. It will probably take me years to figure it all out. The culture and food of this amazing country is thousands of years rich, but recently we've all become more aware of the health benefits inherent within. My limited study of books such as The Blue Zones and Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother's Tokyo Kitchen has highlighted the benefits of eating this way. My personal experience with Japanese food has revealed a very nice alignment with my own beliefs about food: quality, fresh ingredients; simplicity in preparation; beautiful presentation; plant-focused with fresh fish and so forth.

The trick here - as with so many other facets of our lives - is reconciling our values and intentions with the availability of ingredients. Or in the case of running a restaurant, stepping up and stomaching the transition and ongoing costs of being greener. The nature of a Japanese restaurant doesn't lend itself well to using local food suppliers, as we're not catching bluefin in the Mississippi these days (uh, yuck). But there are small steps restaurants can make. And it all starts with awareness. Sound familiar?

A few little examples of how we started: Two of our event chefs shopped at a local organic co-op for produce and other standard ingredients. A third chef availed herself of organic sweet potatoes from Whole Foods. I went about finding sustainable - and beautiful - bamboo chopsticks that would hold their own in this amazing gallery home. We brought a load of our own towels to eliminate the need for paper towels. We checked to be sure the fish was sustainably farmed or caught. It was a start. But we had to ship in top-of-the-line traditional Japanese ingredients (think kombu, bonito, nori) that can't be found here. Thankfully they are dried and light as a feather, so not as carbon-footprint-impacting to ship. Yet, the fish came from afar.

But the real revelations happened later. My chef gleefully admitted that even though the price was considerably higher, the organic goods simply tasted better. And this man has a palate for food, wine, sake, etc that I can't even contemplate. So I knew that he really meant it. We both laughed as we packed up the food and supplies that we were about to alight in this man's very green home with all this plastic packaging and wrap and perhaps they'd just take the food and chuck us back out past the security gate. We were more than just a little aware at that moment. I think you'd call it ashamed.

In his beautiful commercial kitchen we found only green cleaning products, his own line of hand cleansers, and under counter bins for recyclables and compost. There were paper towels and napkins, but primarily there were lots of washable linens. Organic aromas were sprayed throughout the house. The whole place just felt green. I felt a little greener for just having showed up.

I think we all walked away from the experience with some questions in our heads. Could we do better? Could the restaurant? There's lots to learn and again, I'm intrigued enough to go further. I can't wait to learn more. And I'll see if I can get him in a bamboo chefs jacket soon...


Found a couple of great articles by way of the Green Restaurant Association:
A Tall Order of Green
Going Out to Eat, but Staying Green


(Disclosure: am I a caterer? No, I'm really not. I was mostly doing this to help my boyfriend. Can you say cheap labor?! But I did work for a catering company during college and have more experience in every facet of that business than I'd care to admit or even clearly remember. I also have done my fair share of event planning throughout my marketing career. And let's face it, I'm a picky biatch. I can plan the details to the nth degree and crank out a beautiful table. I simply love entertaining. With these wonderful chefs around me all the time, I get very tempted to go back that way again.)

in the zone

I suspect we're about to be faced with a phenomenon. I've been enjoying my library copy of The Blue Zone for a week or so now, and wondering: why have I only learned about this recently?! The hardcover version of the book was published in January of 2008, and despite the fact that I have an interest in this type of living/learning/eating genre and that the author Dan Buettner lives here in my very own Twin Cities, there wasn't a lot of splash for this book locally. To be fair, maybe I missed it. I spent the better part of the months between traveling, working exessively, being absent. So, there are a number of things that I've missed, without doubt, not the least of which was my very own life. This book is wonderful though. It just makes so much sense to your emotional, intellectual, food-loving, life-living sides. It's a holistic approach to understanding why life and longevity are quite positive in certain areas of the world...and what we mere mortals can learn from these studies.

To cement his ubiquitousness, Buettner appeared today with Dr. Oz on Oprah. And oohhhh, the Oprah effect! (PS, the softcover version of the book is coming out in just under 2 weeks)

Buettner and his team identified 4 places in the world that have more centenarians than any other. And it sounds as if they're getting ready to announce a 5th Blue Zone. Interesting, indeed. His book is lush with scientific facts and personal stories telling why and how life is just that good in these places. They looked first at the stats - where the most people live to be 100. Then they sent in a bunch of smart people who could analyze the conditions in the area, the behaviors of the people, the lifestyle. And so now tons of information supports the nine lessons that we can incorporate into our own if we want to live longer, healthier, more enriching lives. Here's a quick synopsis from the book, but I have to tell you, reading the book is much more informative and helpful than just a quick run down...I've simply paraphrased.

• Lesson 1: Move Naturally - the idea here is that you can just make physical motion part of your day. No earth-shattering suggestions here but if you have fun, eschew modern conveniences (cars, elevators, blenders?), be social in your motion, plant a garden, do a little yoga, you add some beneficial movement into your normal routine.
• Lesson 2: Hara Hachi Bu - as I've been getting more and more interested in Japanese cuisine and have already bought into the social aspects of French and Italian eating, this makes so much sense to me. In theory, the idea is to stop eating when you're 80% full. As you have undoubtedly experienced the PAINFUL fullness after a big meal, you can relate to this concept. Realizing that your brain and your stomach need time to confer, the longer dining rituals - eating more slowly, with mindfulness and respect for the food, and being present with others at the table - lend themselves well to this idea of stopping before Tums become a necessity. In addition, serve yourself away from the table, use smaller plates, buy realistic packages (although this may seem counter to some of the greener initiatives), weigh yourself regularly (read: not obsessively), and for the love of Pete, SIT DOWN!
• Lesson 3: Plant Slant - this is easy. As Michael Pollan advised: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Eating 4-6 servings of fruit and veg each day is a no brainer theoretically, but less simple to enact. It's a real decision to make each and every day - eat 2 servings per meal, use meat as a side/accent, love legumes.
• Lesson 4: Grapes of Life - a daily drink provides benefit, but the key here is consistency and moderation, says Buettner. A daily glass or two of wine, sake or whatever helps to keep heart disease - the biggest killer of men and women in America - low. But too much puts one at higher risk for other diseases. So have one or two a day, not 14 on Saturday night. Sigh. Days of yore coming back to haunt... But the bigger issue with the daily cocktail isn't just the alcohol itself, but the ritual of sharing that "happy hour" (or apéro) with friends and family.
• Lesson 5: Purpose Now - "why I wake up in the morning" is a key and crucial element of contendedness, healthfulness and happiness in those studied. The first recommendation is to craft a personal mission statement, and as you know how I'm such a proponent of understanding your own personal branding, this concept speaks to me loudly. Next is to find a partner you can share your purpose with, whether this comes in the form of a spouse, family member or friend. And finally, keep learning...because this keeps you sharp!
• Lesson 6: Downshift - this is as much to do with being social as it is about being alone. Finding your personal happy place where there is little congestion of tv, emails, and other blah blah clutter. As Buettner says, "Most electronic entertainment just feeds mind chatter and works counter to the notion of slowing down." Well said. He also underlines reducing stresses that you can control like being on time. And making room - phyiscally and otherwise - for meditation.
• Lesson 7: Belong - faith, community, tradition, ritual. Not much explanation needed there, I feel.
• Lesson 8: Loved Ones First - coming from a divorced girl with no kids and a small immediate family, it may sound weird. But I understand the notion of putting family first, maybe because it hasn't always been a strong suit of mine. But this lesson also talks about living in smaller, more connected homes and respecting our ancestors, which I absolutely love. My favorite part of this lesson, and one that I have fought hard to create in my own life, is that of creating rituals. In my family, we didn't always fuss about with holidays or celebrations. If Thanksgiving happened on another day, so be it. As an adult, I've practically arm wrestled my mom into pulling people together for Easter (we're not really Catholic), Thanksgiving (despite the fact that a turkey is a hell of a lot of work) and all manner of other events, mostly because I just love bringing everyone to a single place, enjoying each others' company and indulging in our food and wine habits together. Thankfully my boyfriend also shares this intention and we've tried to establish a regular "sashimi and sake night" ritual that we can always go back to. Lovely.
• Lesson 9: Right Tribe - this is simple. Surround yourself with the people who know, understand and exhibit your own personal values. Be positive, attract likewise. And be diligent about allowing time with this "inner circle" of people.

Simple. Straightforward. Sensible. Get the book and read it. Better yet, live it!

to market, to market

I went through an almost euphoric moment of enlightenment when I realized that it's already April! And that means the Farmer's Market is officially opening! But then I thought, wait a tick. It's supposed to snow this weekend and that's just wrong, wrong, wrong. Then I remembered: Farmer's Market doesn't officially kick off their summer season until the first weekend in May. Sigh.

In the meantime, my market is open shorter hours each Saturday morning so it's not as if I'm totally left out in the cold (and snow). I haven't been visiting yet this season - please don't ask me why - but I think I'm going to run down there tomorrow. I'm excited to see what kinds of dairy, cheese (because I'm almost back on the cheese wagon - yay!), chicken, etc they have on hand. I got my April issue of Cooking Light magazine yesterday and was overly jazzed that their content is based in local, seasonal and artisanal wonders. I can't wait to try some of the recipes in the issue, particularly the ones that complimented the feature on a fabulous creamery in Alabana called Belle Chèvre...because this creamery produces my favorite cheese on the planet: goat cheese. I'm in heaven and going for these:

Berry Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing
Grilled Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese Spread in fact, I'm sort of considering bathing in this herby, yogurt-based, goat cheesey goodness. What? Is that wrong?

My food frenzy is hitting a new high these days, which is in turn fueling the continuing work that I've been doing on my career. I haven't found quite the perfect niche to attack, but I'm beginning to think it's time to take my heartfelt love for food on the road. What does that look like? Well, of course it probably looks a lot like my own skills and experiences, only with a new twist. I'm also feeling a bit of puffy chestedness when I realize that some of the PR that's being done in this town (for restaurants that I know well, ahem) is weak. I may not yet have the network or the contacts, but I have a lot of passion for this area of the market and believe that the time is right for us Midwesterners to pay more attention to what's going onto our plates and into our mouths. It's a trend, as you all know, that's blossoming nationwide. Just ask the people at Cooking Light, Bon Appétit, Gourmet and other foodie magazines if you don't believe. Combined with this current green evolution, food is well-positioned to be the poster child for good living in the US.

As much or more than that, I also realize how the absence or availability of nutritious food affects many living creatures in our country, not the least of which are families. There are so many wonderful people out there doing so many incredible things to help put food in the hands of school children, hungry families and even rescued pets. That abundance sharing and pitching in to help others resonates with me to the core. And focusing on food is something that I can incredibly excited about. I want to see how I can help.

So right now I'm thinking about:

• dinner clubs
• farm-to-table food raves
• bake sales
• herbs, herbs and more herbs
• natural and organic dog food
• bringing restauranteurs together
• Cooking Light also has a REALLY COOL thing going on where people are signing up on their bulletin boards to do a bag swap. Essentially, you pick up a resuable shopping tote from a local store and swap with someone in another part of the country with whom you've been paired. Everyone gets a neat new bag and a great story to tell. How fun is that? How many other social food connectedness ideas are out there?

We'll see where this all goes.

review: Green Clean & recipe

In my ongoing research for safe, effective and yes, natural ways to clean my home, I found a book at the library (love the library - how thrifty AND green!?) called Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home and found it intriguing enough to pick up. First, the form factor: an eco-friendly book printed on a non-recycled paper?! Whaaaa? Well yeah. It's actually printed on a synthetic paper that makes it waterproof, stainproof and therefore infinitely durable. It's also resistant to tearing (shhh, yes, I checked). It's called a DuraBook™ in fact, which seams to suit the material perfectly. I like this concept quite a lot, particularly considering the abuse softcover books tend to take in library environments. Long live the library!

Anyway, I found the book to be a straightforward, helpful guide. There was some excellent reference and educational information, some basic housecleaning tips turned green, and lots of recipes. This probably isn't a book for an already-educated, hard core green household, but an excellent starting point if you're just beginning this phase in your life. And, as the book describes, you can just store it right in your cleaning bucket next to your products. It won't fall apart under the pressure!

Here's a recipe I'm going to try...(directly quoting from the book)

Vinegar of the Four Theives
Legend has it that grave robbers during a plague outbreak rubbed this on themselves to prevent illness.

2 quarts organic apple cider vinegar
Small handfuls of dried lavendar, rosemary, sage, rue, mint
Large jar (about 2 quarts) with a screw-top lid

Mix all ingredients in a jar and cover tightly. Let sit for at least four weeks and strain out the herbs. Pour into a spray bottle. Spray anywhere that's ripe for germs - such as places where lots of hands have touched, or in a sick room.

going blue

In combined fit of guilt for watching Biggest Loser while drinking wine, and wanting a good solid kick start to getting my health and wellness back on track, last night I committed to a girlfriend to avoid meat and all but nonfat dairy for a month. Starting today. No sense drawing out the anticipation, as god knows where that kind of craziness can lead. She and I are both locked in.

For me, this means I'll be testing the edges of a mostly-vegetarian diet that I've been wondering about for awhile. As I've mentioned before, the more I learn about the care, feeding and upbringing of the animals that make up our diets, the less I've been interested in eating them. I'm not going - ahem - whole hog here, though. I don't see myself ever giving up milk, cheese, eggs, etc. But to aid the progress on my scale and to address my friend's recent bloodwork results, we thought that eliminating most of the animal fat would be good. She's keeping chicken and turkey; I'm not. I'm keeping eggs. We're both keeping fish. Regardless of how you mix and match, this should push us toward lean, healthy proteins, less cholesterol, and good fats.

Twice last week, I found myself intrigued by a book called The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest which talks about the common elements in the diet and lifestyle choices of folks who live well and long in certain areas of the world. And there are common elements, whether in Okinawa, Costa Rica, California or Sardinia, ideals such as physical activity, grain-laden vegetable-based diets, rich social lives and low stress. Huh. Makes a hell of a lot of sense, no. I've done a lot of studying about anti-oxident rich and anti-inflammatory diets (as in, way of eating, not weight loss regimen) and they're awfully similar in nature. But I really like the way the book addresses your outlook and the tribe of people you hang out with as part of the assessment. It does matter how you are wired and how you handle stress. It matters who you surround yourself with. Feels right to me.

I wondered how well I was doing. I haven't had my cholesterol checked in awhile and I know my yo-yo weight over the past 2.5 years won't have helped. So I went to the Blue Zone website and checked out their Vitality Compass. I had to sign up for a free account with them to proceed, naturally. But it took 3 seconds and only required my name, zip code, a user name, password and my email address. Pretty straightforward. Then I took the quick little quiz about my habits around eating, exercise, drinking and social interaction, height/weight, etc and it churned out my age, life expectancy, disease-free live expectancy, and how my habits have affected my biological age. Oh, and the fact that I could add another 8.5 years to my life if I changed a few things. Here we go:

• Biological age - 35.4 years (real age: 37.4)
• Life expectancy - 86 years
• Disease-free life expectancy - 75.2 years
• My habits have added 3.8 years to my life expectancy
• I could add another 8.5

Then the system churned out a little report. My key issues are around my Outlook area: I've been worried, tense and anxious lately and I felt better about my health a year ago. No big shocker there. 20 lbs lost and then regained will do that to a girl. In my Eat area, I don't eat a lot of whole grains and I enjoy my wine too much. I have a wheat allergy which takes out all but my most favorite bread products and the rice I eat is primarily white. Hmm, need to work on that. The wine is a no brainer. In my Move area, I get a pretty decent amount of short-spurt movement (20 mins), but not a lot of sustained movement (60 mins). Easy to fix with some springtime walks. I probably sleep too much with my 8-10 hours a day, but I think this is related to my stress/outlook issues and will likely right itself when I start getting more movement into my day. In my Belong area, I don't have a regular outlet for spirituality and I'm not satisfied with my work today.

All of these make sense to me and yes, I realize it's simply an online tool that doesn't take into consideration my family health history, the crappy economy, etc but it's a pretty decent down & dirty litmus test. And apparently they're now testing a Vitality Coach program: for $9.99 they'll start with your initial results, ask you to pick 3 things you'd like to work on in the next 60 days, and then send you notes each day. Based on your responses to the questions in these notes, they'll adjust the plan as needed. I'm totally intrigued! For now, I'm searhing the library for the book so I can check it out. Can't wait to read this and feel good about my meat-reduced ways this month!

sparkly

About a 100 years ago, I was one of those avid "I make my own home cleaning products" dorks mostly because I really wanted things that smelled pretty. I can't say that I was driven to reduce the toxic chemicals in my home; there really wasn't any decent smelling products on the market at the time. The nontoxic, earth friendly versions weren't widely available and cost too much. Of course, since then we've undergone an evolution in home cleaning.

Favorite brands like Caldrea and Mrs. Meyer's have wrapped my home in yummy goodness for years now. Seventh Generation, Ecover and other less mainstream brands have become commonplace in Target and Walgreens. All good things. Best yet, I feel like my skin doesn't suffer as much when I use good stuff in the cleaning water or in the laundry. But I've always reverted to basic Windex to clean so much of my bathroom and kitchen since it really just does such a good job of dealing with every kind of sticky, greasy, icky mess. With no streaks! Well I won't say that I've found a really great alternative for that yet, but it's only because I haven't really tried. Lately, in an effort to be cost-conscious while getting greener (which sometimes seems like two opposing efforts), I decided to try making some of my basic household cleaners once again. If you'll forgive me the pun, I've been scouring around the web and other resources to find the best formulas out there.

If you haven't gotten my joke yet, I tend not to just put a pile of links or whatever on this blog. I really try to give you recipes, resources, books, lipgloss, etc that I've already tried and can feel good about recommending. Of course, sometimes I'm yearning for something I haven't actually used yet, but I believe in adding value to this process. Any fool can post a bunch of links. On the other hand, sometimes things just speak to a person and a list of resources can be a great way to quiet an inquisitive mind or kill a good 20 minutes of office time. Whatever moves you. So there will be a list of more links and resources coming at you once I have a chance to check them out and give them the Trixie Stamp of Goodness.

In my chilly day funk, I decided that a bath, some candles and a nice green tea were in order. So, in a slight bastardization of a recipe from The Naturally Clean Home, I just mixed up a little scrub for the tub consisting of 1 part castille soap (I used Dr. Bronner's tea tree scent), 2 parts baking soda and one ground Vitamin C tablet for every 1/4 c baking soda. I smooshed it all together in a travel sized squeeze tube I picked up at Target the other day and I gave the tub a quick shine. I also tried out a 100% biodegradable sponge that I had picked up last fall. It's from Twist and made of a material that will completely biodegrade. And how cute is this: they've designed the cardboard sleeve that held my Euro Sponge to turn into a bird feeder with a little crafty effort. How can you not love a fun product like this?

Well, it certainly helped quickly remove 2 weeks of bathroom remodeling deritus and smelled delish. And I'm not at all worried about whether or not I rinsed every gritty bit out of the tub...a considerably different experience from when I use Soft Scrub with Bleach! I very well may need to keep that bleach product handy for other purposes but I'm guessing that with a little more research, I can come up with a perfectly fitting replacement for just about every task in the house.

I'm working to use up what I have first so this won't be a wholesale switch. But I'm having fun adding the tools of the naturally clean trade to my loft. My goal: spring cleaning this year using at least 80% natural products. For now, if you'll excuse me, I have a nice warm bath waiting for me.

seedy business

Everyone's talking food these days. Eating better, eating at home, eating cheaper. Mark Bittman recently posted a small piece about growing garden-like items from seed and got a number of really great comments. According to the USA Today, seed sales are already cranking for the year, signaling a return to homegrown and thrifty. I get caught up in this condundrum: I love the concept of growing things but never seem to conjure up the dedication to keep said green things properly fed and watered throughout the summer. I set out with the best intentions and then things just fall miserably by the wayside. Nine of the last 10 summers have started off with me buying little pots of herbs and tomatoes to grow. I totally skipped last summer because I couldn't deal with the guilt. Now traveling 3 weeks out of each month probably contributed to my gardening lethargy, so perhaps life will be different now?

My mom keeps a large vegetable garden, as she has each year since that same plot of dirt was turned and planted by her father. We have a ritual each year that it's my job to taste the very first cherry tomato of the season, thus promising us a bountiful harvest. Or something like that. And in the last 8 or so years, she's started composting which has helped us both by turning out rich soil (really good for pot planting if, like me, you don't have a garden) and by absorbing the scraps which are an inherent part of being a good green girl. But even her passion wanes over the summer. By the time I'm all wound up about having fresh basil and tomatoes, she's over all the weeding and picking that needs to happen daily. Somehow this year, we have to do better together. Otherwise those farmer's market bushels of tomatoes are coming home with me again for fresh tomato sauce...and that just seems dumb!

Yes, I'm a city dweller so don't exactly have the perfect growing conditions at the loft. But truth be told, I have some SERIOUS sunshine available on my deck. I have direct light from about 9am in the summer until about 7pm. This is both a blessing and a pain as with direct sun in that duration comes fried out, dried up green things. You really have to water each and every day. (Last year was a successful year with cacti and succulents, if I may say so myself.) But this year, I want green things to eat. I can do a lot with the downtown farmer's market being just blocks away, and with my mom's garden 3 miles north. What I really want is herbs here, at my fingertips.

So I'm going to start a little research. I have no interest in, nor space for, those stupid greenhouse lights so I am not sure if I have the right conditions to start things from seed. But they're so damned cheap that I'm definitely going to look into it. Right now, the $2.99 per package of fresh herbs is killing my sensibilities. I won't live without the fantastic flavors, so I've gotta figure something else out. Will report further...

swallow it down

Many of you know that there was a day in the not-so-distant past when I put a ton of time and energy into starting a business. A retail business focusing on natural and organic bath, body and cosmetics. However, due to many contributing factors, that business never came to be. I have, however, harbored a lot of passion and attraction for this type of business. I really wish I could have done it three years back!

Which is why I'm both SUPER excited and not just a little jealous to tell others about a new retailer on the prowl. Housed in the still relatively new Ecotique on Grand Ave (right by the Lexington-end Caribou Coffee and the cutest little shoe shop called Shu), the Nature of Beauty has recently opened its doors. They're featuring cosmetics, skin care, hair care, baby and a number of other categories of product culled together with a firm adherence to some simple values: no bad for you ingredients, no animal testing, and a wonderful operational policy that keeps them greener than green. Primarily an e-tailer, they have an outpost in Ecotique - a great concept that allows for some physical presence without having to staff or stock an entire store. I won't say I didn't consider that very idea myself! It's a great way for a startup particularly to get going, economically and greenly (hmm, now I'm making up words too). I think it makes such sense for retailers to combine efforts when they can. Collaboration is my middle name!

I share this with you for a couple of reasons. One, I have a undying love for entrepreneurs, particularly women, and want to support their efforts. Sure, there are other places to buy these types of products but why not support the our local chicks if we can? Two, I can't help but support the foray into green business. This is the wave of our future and I'm BIG on it. Three, I'm all about providing information...and if that information just happens to intersect with someone getting their hands on a great new lipgloss, well, that is the burden I must carry.

Speaking of, I am dying to try this product: Lip Delivery Nutritional from Intelligent Nutrients. You remember our friend Horst? After divesting himself of the salons and the Aveda brand, he's still busy making fantastic products right here in MN. This one looks particularly num and, as the site alludes, when you think about how much lippie we consume (ick-worthy, yes, but where on earth did you think your lipgloss was running off to?), it makes an awful lot of sense to ensure it's made of things that won't do harm.

If that's not enough, there are a ton of resources to be found within their site. Check out the Press page, and blog. Thanks NOB! Can't wait to give this fresh sprout the ol' college try.

chow down?

Ugh. I'm disgusted.

And this feeling comes in waves every time I dig in and try to learn more about greener practices and healthier food. I've always joked that I'd really just like to believe that hamburger magically shows up on the shelf in the grocery on a nice styrofoam plate, wrapped in plastic. Because if I knew more, I'd be the quickest vegetarian convert in town! And then it sinks in, and the whole concept embarrasses me. I'm not kidding, my face is red and warm as I type this paragraph. I read a quote last night in a great green book called Gorgeously Green about how in Nazi Germany "the road to hell was paved with indifference." Well, yeah.

The author was using the quote to draw a parallel to how so many of us choose not to get involved with issues of organics, sustainability, global warming, what have you. We all have our reasons for doing what we do, and that's fine. Sophie (the author, you know, like we're friends now) is quick to lay out the theory of her own greening: no judgment, no guilt for the past, no being anything less than gorgeous (which is more of a life concept and less of an appearance thing).

The companion book in my current green education is called To Buy or Not To Buy Organic and I've actually been picking my way through this one for about a year or so now. And I thought I'd give you a little relevant bite of it here, but then I got side tracked into reading about how conventional meat moves through the consumer lifecycle before it ends up on our plates. And I'm back to being horribly embarrassed about my own apathy. Sigh. I have theories about hormones in our foods contributing to larger baby weights and earlier menstruation in our children. Yep, that's an entirely different blog subject that someone much more educated than I should write.

The truth is, food is one of my passions in life. And honestly, women's health issues has become a really big one for me growing up and becoming one myself. You walk 180 miles for Breast Cancer, you start thinking seriously about your role. And yet, between those two things, I can't help but feeling more than just a tiny bit guilty about the decisions I often make about what goes in and on my own body. To Sophie's point, I will just acknowledge that I can do better and line up my values and my actions. That's the whole point of this blog anyway, right? Moving forward?

So for today, I'll focus my attention on dreaming about the coming months' bounty of fruits and vegetables, and on how we can afford all of this luxurious food. Because, let's face it, eating green takes more greenbacks. And today, that requires choices, people. Choices.

In To Buy or Not To Buy, here are the 12 foods that author Cindy Burke calls the "dirty dozen" - meaning, if you eat them, make the effort to buy organic:

• strawberries
• red/green bell peppers
• spinach
• cherries
• peaches
• nectarines
• celery
• apples
• pears
• grapes
• raspberries
• potatoes

And the "clean fifteen" - you can go ahead and buy conventional here:

• asparagus
• avocado
• bananas
• blueberries
• broccoli
• cabbage
• garlic
• kiwi
• mango
• onion
• papaya
• pineapple
• shelling peas
• sweet corn
• domestically grown watermelon

I read a quick piece yesterday about how 3 families cut costs during this economic downturn, and one of them was committed to organic foods. Honestly, I didn't find it all that helpful. The big organic-related revelations: if you can't give up your pricey supermarket, commit to going half the time; if it has a peel, you don't need to buy organic; use your slow cooker. Hmm. Now, I adore my slow cooker but I think we already know that the peel concept doesn't hold. Potatoes anyone? The list above helps me pick and choose better than these lame directives.

So, I'm going to continue to study this and figure out how to make some impactful decisions. I'll let you know what I find out. Right now, I'm going to stick with juicing from my little neighborhood "crash & smash" produce store and visit them often to see what's come in. And I'm going to stick with organic, hormone-free milk or almond milk. And I guess I'm going to figure out where that cow came from.

Here are a couple of interesting things I found poking around the internet today. First is the blog of my favorite cookbook author of all time. He also has a new book out about more conscientious eating called Food Matters; I haven't checked it out yet, but it's on the list. He's a total idol of mine. The other links I just found worth the read. Enjoy!


Mark Bittman: Bitten Blog
5 Ways to Buy Organic on a Budget
Top 10 Reasons to Support Organic in the 21st Century

party: girls dinner

One of the coolest things I get to do is get together with an amazing assortment of women that I am blessed to call friends. Eight or so years ago, long before book clubs and cooking clubs were all the rage, a handful of us who worked together decided to start a “girls dinner” night once each month. And although we took some time off during the past year or so, we have been regularly meeting each and every month since then. It’s truly become part of the fabric of my life.

Our original group was made up of cooks and non-cooks alike, as is the new incarnation of this girls dinner group. We’ve broadened the focus a bit and opened up the guest list. And as we’ve grown up, our group has too. We focus less on bitching about men and our jobs and more on meeting new friends and genuinely connecting as women in this crazy world. Good food, good drink, and just being together – some of the truly elemental and basic parts of life. Our group exists to honor those ideals.

Oh but do we have fun, too. Those that cook, get in the kitchen and wow. Those that don’t aren’t pressured to perform. A theme helps us tie everything together and rotating venues makes the commitment easier to manage. This month’s theme is Mexican and we’ve come up with a great menu – fajita/taco/tostada bar, margaritas and a batch of my world famous (or just in my head) sangria. I’m also attempting to whip up a dessert on the fly: Mexican chocolate cake (spiked with coffee and cinnamon) with ice cream, caramel and a Kahlua chocolate sauce.

Practical lesson learned today: when sleepy Saturday baking, measure carefully. Adding 2x the vegetable oil will bring a whole new meaning to the term “molten lava cake.” And this, folks, is where marketing comes in. I picked this up by watching the Food Network show “Chopped” – sell it. As long as it tastes good, no one will ever know what you MEANT to make. All anyone will remember is the fun, the conversation and feeling like part of the group. Oh and the sangria.


Make:

• Vanilla scented sangria: dry red wine, vanilla vodka, Grand Marnier, mango juice, raspberries and a vanilla bean. Let base ingredients mingle for a few hours. Strain out berries and replace with fresh when ready to serve; leave vanilla bean in for pretty factor. Mix 2 parts base with 1 part sparkling water.
• Chicken & steak fajitas: we followed Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Fajitas recipe
• Mole chicken: roast chicken breasts (or nab a rotisserie bird) and shred meat. In a small sauce pan, thin Dona Maria mole sauce with chicken broth until soupy. Mix with chicken shred until it’s all coated with sauce.
• Mexican chocolate cake: adapt any good chocolate cake recipe by adding 1 tsp good cinnamon. I used Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake recipe and amped up the coffee flavor by dissolving another 1 tsp espresso powder in the coffee. Then added the cinnamon. Serve with store-bought caramel sauce, cinnamon/coffee/dulce de leche ice creams and the chocolate sauce.
• Chocolate sauce: melt ½ package bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (depends on your preference) with ½ tsp espresso powder and 1T Kahlua.

Gather:

• Tostada shells, flour tortillas, hard shells for tacos
• Avocados, tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, green onions
• Mexican crema and/or sour cream
• Queso fresco, Monterey jack, sharp cheddar
• Tortilla chips
• Salsa
• Guacamole (or if someone has a good recipe, make this by hand)
• Good margarita mix, tequila and Cointreau

Green tip: Although it takes a storage commitment, stockpiling appetizer-sized plates, basic tumbler glasses and cloth napkins keep the bulk of the post-party refuse to a minimum. I make liberal use of thrift stores for juice-sized glasses that can be used for vino, cocktails, margaritas, water, etc. Over the years, I've picked up a ton of old china plates. I try to stay with a simple color palette - cream with gold trim - so that I can combine a number of different patterns, eras, styles together on the table.

itchy scratchy

Full disclosure: I have very tempermental skin. And right now, it's had enough of winter, thank you very much. Another disclosure: I am a complete bath fanatic. And these two counterparts of my physical happiness do not always get along like kindred spirits. In fact, conspiring against me happens to be their favorite activity.

This starts every year around November and doesn't let up until I can open the windows in my home on a fairly regular basis. This building was constructed like a vault and is possibly hermetically sealed against any and all moisture getting inside. The good news is that it's very efficient, and the bad news? Well, you can do the math.

Humidifiers help. As does drinking about a freaking gallon of water a day. But I've also found a magical recipe to making bath time a happy event versus one which I want to peel my skin off afterwards.

First, the tools of the trade:

• SIGG water bottle - this has become my new favorite thing in the past year. I originally bought it to use at my former office but now lug it all over my house. The designs are absolutely beautiful and make me feel like a very stylish eco-citizen indeed.
• Arm & Hammer baking soda - what doesn't this stuff do? Besides taking that funky smell out of laundry that I've left a day too long in the washer, making my favorite cookies go poof, and inexplicably, giving me something to gently scrub my face with (mix equal parts with Cetaphil cleanser)...baking soda also makes an awesome bath. Add about 2-3 cups. Don't be shy.
• Epsom salts - doesn't matter what kind but Walgreens seems to make a nice private label one that is quite economically sensible. Again, a couple of cups.
• Japanese bath salts - I'm not sure how to tell you how or where to buy this other than to say that I found a grip of different kinds at the Japanese market outside of Chicago. The colors are insane and the scents an assortment of florals, earthy scents and just simple minerals. I've found that when I mix the baking soda, Epsom salts and bath salts together I get the perfect blend of pretty soft color and scent and massive skin softening power.
• Something lovely on my iPod. Today it's Lisa Shaw: Cherry. Swanky and lovely.
• Oh and sometimes I add a cocktail. Or a glass of wine. Or a cup of tea. I still can't understand why Jacuzzi didn't make a ledge big enough on my tub to hold one of these within proper arm's reach, but oh well.
• And don't forget a very serious application of lotion when you get out. I've recently been into both Eucerin's Calming Itch Relief formula and Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Body Lotion (plus, sheesh, what a nice website they have).

Because I'll be damned if I'm staying out of the tub.

pucker up

In honor of the holiday and, again, because of my feverish quest for all things springy, I had to mention the luscious lipgloss I scooped up recently.

To set the background on this, a few years ago I set out to put together a little retail shop featuring primarily organic and natural beauty, bath and similar girliesque products. And I road tested a LOT of stuff. One of my favorite finds at the time was a beautiful little pot of lipgloss from Lucy B. Cosmetics. Lucy B. specializes in using yummy botanicals and essential oils in the creation of a very well-edited line.

My first experience was Nudie, a most perfect pinky-brown gloss that smells like a sugary confection. I was in love. Then, just a week or so ago I snagged a little Lucy B. threesome with a fresh pot of Nudie, the clear and lovely Stung Lips Lemon Myrtle Lemonade Balm, and finally - the answer to my cabin fever - Pink Bikini. This is a very cheeky chicky pink balm, sheer but with just enough pink color to make me feel like I should be on a beach sipping something with an umbrella in it. So delicious. With a generous dose of my M.A.C. Mineralize Skinfinish (mine's called Petticoat; think shimmery pearly bronzer), I almost feel like I've had that sunny mid-winter break that I so desperately need. Shhhh...don't ruin my daydream.

Happy Valentine's Day. Mwwwwaaah!

queen of vintage

Adding to my disdain for the late winter drag, signs of spring are starting to pop up everywhere. Granted, not the signs we really love: tree buds, fresh grass, the first tulips fighting their way through the thin remnants of snow. Instead, we're bombarded by spring clothing hitting the racks, fresh colors in every retail store in the mall, and even the Food Network is featuring citrusy deliciousness. It's a conspiricy! For my mom and I, the first hints of spring arrive in the form of...you guessed it...SALES! Garage sales, estate sales, and before long, yard sales.

Because, you see, mom & I have a little vintage resale business that we feed. And maybe a little bit of a "sale-ing" itch that demands to be scratched. Chicken, egg, what have you.

About 8 years ago, while laid off and between jobs, I started going to sales with my mom during the spring and summer months. Shabby Chic was getting hot in California then and I kept saying things like, "All it needs is a coat of white paint! So easy! People would buy this!" And the next thing you knew, her garage was full of furniture and accessories, she filed the relevant paperwork, I got out my paint gun and we were in business. Over the years, she's been running this sweet little operation and getting some help from me, despite the fact that I periodically had to return to gainfully employed status. Such a bother.

We started out having a sale or two ourselves, borrowing garages in hot neighborhoods and eventually partnering up with a couple of ladies who were having occasional sales in their cute little barn in Oakdale. We created some hype and did pretty well. We started selling to local retailers. Then mom decided to take the full retail plunge and signed on the dotted line for a spot at a local antiques/vintage shop. Bringing us to today and we are just getting her set up in a second shop! It's been a wild ride.

I'll be posting some pictures here as the blog develops and show off some of the nifty mid-century vintage goods that she's now specializing in...the fact is, the design of these lovelies is über-fresh and modern looking. Just right for so many of today's homes. Since moving into my somewhat modern and industrial-tinged loft 3 years ago, I have loved having some of her amazing finds as part of my ever-revolving décor.

Tomorrow we're kicking off our spring sale-ing. Personally I'm hoping for some fun kitchen items in a disgustingly beautiful shade of yellow. Bring me that sun.


Green Tip: At the end of the day, buying vintage is one of the greeniest things you can do. Stylish recycling! Not to mention the very fashionable prices.

Come visit Pretty Things, located in:

The Mall of St. Paul

1817 Selby Ave.

(corner of Selby and Fairview)

Sophie Joe's Emporium

453 W. 7th Street

(same side of the street as Cossettas, heading west from the Xcel Center)

We've also been known to sell on eBay (id: prettythingsshop) and will be back on there again soon. If you want to see something mildly entertaining, check out the eBay Guide I wrote a couple of years back about packaging things for shipment. I rocked the packaging.

well, why shouldn't wine come in a box?

Listen, don't be judgemental ok? I know that many of my friends (at least the ones that maybe don't know me well enough to know that I cry at Biggest Loser) think I'm some sort of perfection-driven, Martha Stewart-esque gourmand. (Shut up already. I am NOT!) But I do love to throw a good party and I am all about making things 1) beautiful, and 2) easy on myself. This, after suffering through the Worst Party Known To Mankind, aka, my wedding reception, which I thought I could simply manage on my own and with, yes, Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres book. I've gotten much smarter since then. Frankly, so has Martha.

So while you're all sitting there wondering if I have an overpriced sense of wine or something, let me assure you: I have spent the past 10 minutes disemboweling a box of wine. You know, when you get to the bottom and it requires a lot of massaging and/or cutting open of the bag? We've all been there. Right?

But let me say without question, the box wine at Target/SuperTarget is by far the best value on the market. (Yes, I've tried. Ok?) The "Wine Cube" that is distributed uniquely for Target is a compact, simple design which holds either a) 4 bottles (~$17), 2 bottles (~$10), or 4 adult juiceboxes (also ~ $10). They are truly cubes, which leads to efficient storage and, well, prettily designed perfect squares. So cute! My experience tells me that the cab/shiraz blend is infinitely drinkable, the sauvignon blanc makes me crave summer, and the pinot grigio juiceboxes are going to be my answer to "the public park doesn't allow alcohol." Oh, and the "dammit, I dropped another glass in the bathtub. Why can't Jacuzzi just make a properly sized ledge, already? WHY?"

The big bummer is that we don't sell wine at Target here so for the Twin Citians reading, do what I do. Make that 17 mile journey to Wisconsin. For the rest of you, acknowledge and appreciate your "wine with grocery" benefits. While 17 miles isn't all that far, it can be a long road when you're just wanting a sippable, inexpensive pour that won't go bad in 24 hours after opening. You know, like when you have wine left in the bottle?

Green Tip: Boxed wines are still transported a long way from their source, but the boxes are actually quite efficient. Less packaging per liter, you can recycle the outer box, and the remaining bag is flat as a pancake.