By Vanessa Brown •
July 2, 2009
My family loves to cook together; we all love to pretend do be chefs and put on “cooking shows.” If you drive by my house at any given time don’t be surprised to see us lying in the grass, flipping through recipe magazines or reading a cookbook. The girls have been asking me to make “Nutty Jumbles” for a while. We eat a lot of nuts in our home for snack time and this is a fun way to spice up the same-old, same-old snack. I am careful with the amount of sugar we eat as a family but I figure if I’m lucky enough to have two little kids that will eat so many healthy things, they deserve some sugar… “just an itty bit,” as my daughter would say.
By Vanessa Brown •
July 1, 2009
For almost two years we’ve been eating vegetarian or vegan twice a week and seafood twice a week. I guess you could consider us part-time vegetarians. Eating this way keeps us from overloading our diets with too much meat or dairy and cuts down on our grocery bill. It forces us to eat more fresh produce and to shop locally so the produce actually has flavor.
It is extremely eco-friendly to eat vegetarian twice a week; eating meat takes a toll on the environment big time. The beef, poultry and pork industrial farms notoriously contribute to water pollution, use large amounts of fossil fuels and generate prodigious amounts of greenhouse gases. The United Nations has actually issued a call for citizens of the world to go vegetarian one day a week to curb global warming.
My girls love fresh veggies and fruit on their own, but I also like to puree it and add it to other meals. I’m not trying to hide it but it’s another great way to add more essential vitamins to their diet. When my girls were babies I made their baby food and always used organic ingredients. Their teeth came in quickly and they moved onto solids sooner than later, so both times I ended up with extra bags of frozen cubed baby food. I started adding the pureed butternut squash into their grilled cheese for lunch and whole grain pancakes for breakfast. During that time two cookbooks were released dedicated to adding pureed fruits and veggies to favorite recipes!
By Gina Munsey •
May 22, 2009
For days, the rain hasn’t stopped tumbling out of thick woolen clouds. Slowly crawling across the monochromatic canopy, these persistent clouds wrap their heavy grey fingers tightly around the leafy crowns of the brilliant rain-soaked trees. Even when I push back the patterned curtains as far as the window frame will allow, no light comes through the glass. The sound of raindrops crashing against the rooftop is periodically punctuated by sharp jarring claps of thunder.
Outside, brave little seedlings are gasping for breath while new blossoms hold their eyes tightly closed against the rain. Shoots of bright green grass struggle to keep their slim heads above water. I see an orange cat dart across the street. He struggles to maintain aloofness, but it is clear that the weather has taken a severe toll on his dignity. The mail retrieved from the streetside box is soggy and lifeless, the adhesive on the envelopes succumbing to the humidity. Even inside, newly washed clothes hang limply, moisture stubbornly clinging to the threads and fibers.
On a day like this, what better thing to do than to curl up with a book? I just received a brand-new copy of Vegan Rustic Cooking Through the Seasons, authored by Diana White of the UK’s Vegan-Organic Network, an organization whose fascinating farming methods go a step beyond traditional organic farming.
By Heather Dunham •
April 26, 2009
After years of experimentation, I have come up with the perfect recipe for easy, hearty, healthy, stick-to-the-ribs tasty chili, right in the slow cooker. And I’m going to share it with you.
But first, let’s talk about what you can do to make your chili — and all your cooking, really — more “green.”
By Vanessa Brown •
April 13, 2009
This is my daughter’s favorite food in the entire world. I have even heard her whining, “Little Cupcakes” in her sleep. I usually make a large batch and divide them into sections to freeze for a later date. These are the perfect healthy, organic and tasty little treat to make with your children!
She helped me make these this morning, here is the recipe:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded/grated carrots
- 1/2 cup ground nuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup flax seed
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 1/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
By Carlota Bindner •
March 20, 2009
In her article, “The Essential Resource for Green Family Life: Healthy Child Healthy World“, Jennifer Lance mentioned the Healthy Child Healthy World’s advice on getting rid of Teflon in your kitchen. Teflon is the DuPont brand name for polytetrafluoroethtylene, or PTFE, a type of PFC that is used as a non-stick coating for most cookware. A PFC means that it is a chemical compound composed of fluorine and carbon atoms If you walk down the aisle at any store that sells pots and pans, or even in your pantry at home, I am sure you have noticed those wonderful non-stick pans that make cooking and clean up a breeze. Yes, they are wonderful because you do not need to use as much butter, oil, or whatever else you add to prevent food from sticking to the pan but have you ever wondered what happens as that nonstick coating scratched? What exactly is it that you could be adding to your food?
By Vanessa Brown •
March 5, 2009
As a family, we love to cook together, it is a wonderful time to have fun and bond as a family. Cooking with your children has numerous benefits: It teaches your children mathematics, gives your child a sense of pride and accomplishment, will help your children try new things and they are also more likely to eat what they help make. In our home we have a silly tradition of “dolling” ourselves up for cooking together. We wear fun bright aprons, put on our favorite lip gloss and dance around to our favorite music.
By Vanessa Brown •
February 26, 2009
All-Natural Homemade Glue is a simple recipe to do along with your children that can keep for weeks in the fridge. My girls enjoy using it for all of their weekly art projects and I don’t get worried if my baby takes a taste or two! You simply mix 1 cup of flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 1/2 cups of water (you might need a bit more or less) and 1 tsp of vinegar. Then you warm it up on the stove till it thickens a little bit, let is cool and it is ready to use.
By Jennifer Lance •
February 4, 2009
Editor’s note: The following post was originally published on Green and Clean Mom. “Green & Clean Mom can inspire you to try a little harder, be a catalyst for change and to offer you some new tips and news on how to be the green, sexy and sassy mom…I know you are!”
I like to watch those shows where the mom has this amazing pot roast ready when everyone comes home for dinner. The mom that can throw it all together perfectly and have the table set with cloth napkins.
I’m laughing a wicked mean laugh right now because I’m not sure who this person is or if they exist in real life.
Everyone I know is trying to make everyone happy, eat healthy and organic and not lose our minds! Take budget concerns into account, snacks and lunchtime food, it can be too much. Grocery shopping is not my favorite thing to do but I’ve learned that keeping the staples on hand from the local health food store make life much easier.
By Becky Striepe •
February 3, 2009
Cutting back on animal products in your diet is one simple step that can have a huge environmental impact.
A recent report from Greenpeace Brazil
attributed 80% of the amazon’s deforestation to cattle production.
Cincinnati is even encouraging residents to eat less meat to help combat climate change! Switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet is a tremendous way to help reduce your impact on the planet. If cutting out animal products all together seems a little extreme for you, even just reducing the amount of animal products in your diet can make a difference. Here are ten delicious ways to eat lower on the food chain!
By Jennifer Lance •
January 16, 2009
Editor’s note: The following post was originally published on Green and Clean Mom. “Green & Clean Mom can inspire you to try a little harder, be a catalyst for change and to offer you some new tips and news on how to be the green, sexy and sassy mom…I know you are!”
Winter is long where I live. Long. Snow and cold weather lingers from as early as October to possibly March. A long winter can translate into long days inside which leads to restlessness, more television, boredom, eating and more pounds…for the entire family. To help make the winter more active and healthy I have begun to employ some new tactics that help everyone watch less television, eat better and get some activity.
Winter sports and activities can be the cure. I don’t like winter and I don’t like cold or snow but it’s where I live and the other months are gorgeous.
I’m trying to embrace the season with a more positive attitude. With a snowy winter there are many healthy active sports that the children and I can enjoy. They get us out of the house and mean physical activity.
