Little Bites

of art and technology illuminating the way to the New Year...

I probably should call this post "Movie Madness". We had no power for a few days due to an ice storm followed by a "thunder-snow" and after huddling in a 40 degree house, opted to go to a really warm movie theater and see both "Lincoln" and "Les Miserables". They are fabulous...exquisitely acted and emotionally engaging.

So much so that one thing led to another and from these movies, especially "Lincoln", I learned volumes about my own family...people and places I had never heard of before. There were some truly stunning discoveries.

My family is fortunate to know a lot about many. While there have been some avid geneologists, they missed a huge part of one branch of the family that I unearthed.

I learned that the state where I have been living for over 27 years and thinking there was no familial connection at all, has hundreds of relatives who have been here since the early 1800's. I learned that this line goes back to a Dutch merchant who arrived in the New World in 1624 and was one of the first land owners in "New Amsterdam", now my beloved New York City. I learned, sadly, my family had slaves until the late 1700's, maybe beyond. Because some stayed in the North and some came South, they most likely fought against each other in The Civil War. I learned my great-grandfather's grandfather was one of Napoleon's grenadiers and his personal bodyguard. And there is so much more...all because of art and technology: the movies, an old family lithograph, an inquisitiveness about any possible ties to Lincoln and the incredible access to information on the web...one little bite after another.

All this has given me pause and thoughts for the New Year. There was a beautiful interview that aired on Christmas with CBS's Scott Pelley and Nazi death camp survivor and Nobel Laureate, Elie Wiesel. Technology allows me to hear these poignant words whenever I want to and need to...to have a reminder, to illuminate the way. When asked how to create peace, Mr. Wiesel said start with ending humiliation and taking small daily steps...little bites of peace, one at a time.

Getting ready to welcome in 2013 and all of its discoveries, here are my New Year's little bites...

May peace be with you and your families this coming year and always!

Green Goddess Saves the Day and the Party!

I feel their pain. Yesterday the nontoxic product line I love launched its new website...or tried to. I got a test link to the new site late Wednesday night and wow...what a beauty!! It was up for awhile yesterday morning, then crashed. I am not sure what the issues are...servers, brower compatibility? Goodness knows I have trouble enough just launching one blog post a day. Navigating this technical world can be rough going. "Open the pod bay door, Hal" is right!

And so, I thought it best today to be completely supportive and reboot my post from yesterday...my first blog party/contest with a big prize for the winner. The website may have its new look...or not. Doesn't matter. At the end of the post is this very appropriate dip that I got from The New York Times...green, clean and soothing. Green Goddess to the rescue!

And so, from yesterday....do frogs get Internet? Receive daily briefings? Have an agent? Well, someone or something tipped them off and they redefined loud last night. My backyard was roaring all-night-long. Even the air conditioner could not drown out their croaks and bellows. I got very little sleep.

Lucky Kitty

Once awake, I tossed and turned, tossed and turned. Is it morning yet? Is the cat out of the bag (I am on a bit of an animal tangent today!!)

Yes, it is!!!! And it is beautiful! Click here (and actually the new site may not be glitch-free but the party is on!)

And so today, here's what I am going to do. Have a Blog Party!!! Hey, even rhymes with frog!!

Whether in my backyard or yours, "It's a Party Out There" where you can actually go shopping and saving on this beautiful new site! In addition to helping create a safe, green, clean environment for your backyard plants and animals and the people you love that play there, here are 4 great ways to win:

Number 1. Check out the site here and email your list to me: pennyrudder@yahoo.com I will enter your order into the party, pay your shipping and give you a $5 voucher towards your next order. Value: around $12 plus, depending on the shipping fees. What are you out of? How about your Summer Essentials...shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, shower gel, lip balm, the best "itchy skin" spray on the planet?

Number 2. Shop yourself here and although I am unable to pay your shipping, I will give you 2- $5 vouchers towards your next two orders. Value: $10. Please enter in Party #2978 when you check out because...

Here is the best part...Number 3...

From one of you who order, I will draw a name out of my fish bowl and crown "Party Hostess" which means FREEBIES for our hostess. Could be YOU! Value: between $25 and $200 in free products. You must have placed an order to be eligible. You will be able to select these products once I close the party June 29th at midnight and tally up the exact amount of your FREE-BUCKS.

Then, number 4...I will donate a portion of the proceeds of this party to the organization I featured Wednesday! Party with a purpose...Win-win-win and win!!

Be sure to enter party number #2978 when you check out!!! I will get your coupons ready for $5.00 off your next purchases and I think I may brew up some "Zen" or chamomile tea and just slip a little into that pond water! Happy shopping...it's a beautiful day and night...and will be even better once the techno gremlins cooperate!

And now, here is a green party munchie...

Green Goddess Dip (The New York Times)

1/2 cup packed fresh dill
1/2 cup packed fresh mint
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley
1/3 cup packed fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise, optional (I use Vegenaise)

Raw chopped vegetables or pita chips, for serving.

Place dill, mint, parsley, basil, garlic, scallions, lemon juice and salt in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated. Add feta and process until smooth; pulse in yogurt. Taste dip and add more salt, if desired. If you like a creamier, richer dip, add mayonnaise and pulse to combine. Serve dip immediately with vegetables or pita chips or cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

One Big Heart Creates a Ripple

Shortly after I adopted "Daphne" last Tuesday in honor of our children, I got this terrific email from The Farm Sanctuary. For every turkey adopted until November 25th, there is a benevolent sponsor who will match each adoption. For $30, you can save two turkeys. Here is the link, http://www.adoptaturkey.org/

This The Red White and Food post is a tribute to the power of one person, Ady Gil, stepping up to the plate, literally, to create a ripple effect of compassion. Here is the email I got from The Farm Sanctuary...

No sooner had we e-mailed you on Monday than Farm Sanctuary received some exciting news! We were contacted by Ady Gil, a generous supporter of Farm Sanctuary and our Adopt-A-Turkey Project.

Ady is very concerned about the suffering of turkeys this holiday season and wants to join with Farm Sanctuary supporters in saving as many of these birds as we possibly can. So he has offered to sponsor an additional turkey for every one adopted by friends like you by November 25, Thanksgiving Day!  Each of your sponsorships will be matched with another adoption. You’ll receive a special adoption certificate in your name with a color photo of and fun facts about your adopted turkey. Best of all, you’ll get the warm holiday feeling that comes with knowing that you’re supporting the care of the rescued turkeys and other animals at Farm Sanctuary, and helping us advocate for farm animals everywhere.

Thank you, Ady.

From a Natural State of Hope to Think Before You Pink

Post #2 (There is a note to subscribers at the end of this post.)

Pink in nature is naturally hopeful. Think of a gorgeous pink morning sun filling up the sky with a new day. Think of a beautiful pink evening sun setting up the night for sweet dreams. Think of radiant pink flowers, birds and fish that share their wonder. It is easy to think that pink is the natural state of hope.

Perhaps that is why pink is the color for Breast Cancer Awareness. In its natural state, it is the perfect choice.

Beyond what occurs in nature, think before you pink.

For an excellent guide to pinkwashed products in skincare, use this link... http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=749 

This just released 100-plus page report outlines the scientific data on environmental causes of breast cancer, including exposure to chemicals found in household and personal care products, plastics, air, water and food. It also includes tips for prevention:
http://www.breastcancerfund.org/assets/pdfs/publications/state-of-the-evidence-2010.pdf

And for de-pinking foods, read, read, read the labels. Many allergens like carmine are used to tint all kinds of products pink, like the yogurts sporting the pink lids. Avoid farm-raised salmon for many reasons but germaine to this post, so that you avoid the dyed flesh from becoming part of yours. Stores and magazines are flooded with pink products.

Just think first before you pink.

The next best shade of pink other than what's found in nature? A color called "Tickled Pink"...a state we all can achieve by becoming as educated, informed and proactive as possible about the choices we make for what goes in and on our bodies and our brains.

Empowered. Now that's a natural state of pinkness that you cannot wash off.

For the "What One Person Can Do Guide", email me: pennyrudder@gmail.com

Also: For those of you who subscribe to Our Green Table, I noticed that the videos do not come through in the posts you receive every day. First I thought it was a fluke but now it seems to happen every time. For Bill Clinton's interview, go to post on October 12th, for Bob Harper's,  go to yesterday's, October 19th. You can pull up both by going to "The Red White and Food" tab under Featured Recipes. Don't know what happens in cyberville! I guess this also means you missed the full effect of the post on Saturday Night Fever...sigh.

Go Ahead: Commit Me

I was shopping in the grocery store yesterday (no shocker there!) and saw a friend that I hadn't seen for several months. She was in the middle of a rant and her wild-eyed gaze caught mine. Fuming, she wheeled her cart over to me and let it rip...

Here is what had set her on fire. There was a sign above a bin of apples that said "local" and when she asked the produce person where they were from, he said, "I don't know." Poof...those words ignited her flame. Then, he poured gasoline on her wrath by also saying he wasn't sure if "local' meant Arkansas. Fireworks. This friend works in food policy and local sustainability (thank you, thank you, thank you!) and so you can imagine her reaction. Smoking hot, she said how disgusting it is that marketers are joining the "local" bandwagon without truly having local products, ie: "local washing".

It was obvious how upset she was and the produce person excused himself. Maybe to call Security? No, to his credit, he came back over to us a few minutes later and said he had checked and the store bought apples from 3 local Arkansas farms near Little Rock, 2 south of the river and one north. She calmed down some until now riled, I launched into my own tirade. 

This weekend is our Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and our city and more goods than I can count are swathed in pink labels, wrappers and ribbons. And companies, too...boasting pink lights and logos everywhere.

Saddens me as much as it maddens me. Many, many of those products are "pink-washed". They are really full of junk, worse than junk...health hazards...that stoke the flames of all disease. It just makes me sick how these companies get away with this and make millions from it. It is one thing to be "local-washed" but to market to, er...prey on...people who are sick or who have lost loved ones to breast cancer with products full of known and suspected carcinogens is beyond shady.

It is cruel.

Besides the food on your fork, my biggest passion is skin food: women's skincare and cosmetics (men's and kid's, too). The heartache of Dirty Stuff drives me. PLEASE, if you do nothing else, before you buy the newest pink shade of Estee Lauder's or MAC's (same company) lipstick or slather on a new night cream, check out what you plan to purchase on http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/. Or, send me your selections and I'll send you the hazard data. If the company is not a signer of Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, leave that product on the shelf and tell the clerk why. If they are signers but the hazard scores are above 2, I say leave it alone and write the company that you hope they will clean up their act. Check out a better, less toxic choice. I can recommend skincare, cosmetics and hair care that score "0", as in toxin-free.

Everything on this site is as clean as I can find it with not just my word, but also a third party certifier and "full discloser" behind the label. No Dirty Stuff. No pink washing or washing in any color for that matter.

See below for a quick link to the Estee Lauder brand.

More on this from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website:

"Pinkwashing: A term used to describe companies that position themselves as leaders in the fight against breast cancer while engaging in practices that may be contributing to rising rates of the disease.

We’ve all seen personal care products (and about 600 other kinds of products) decked out in pink or pink ribbons to "raise awareness" ...about breast cancer. Unfortunately, many of the corporations using the pink ribbon continue to use chemicals that are linked to cancer and hormone disruption. We need to shift the conversation toward disease prevention- and we can! We can use our voices, our dollars and our votes to support organizations, companies and elected officials that promise not to allow harmful chemicals in cosmetics and other products.

*That* is a real commitment to women's health."

Yes, it is. Go ahead...commit me. For life.


Go see for yourself...
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/company/Est%26%23233%3Be_Lauder/


and don't stop with Estee Lauder. Check 'em all out:  Avon, Arbonne, Beauticontrol, Clinique, Dior...and on down the line so that you know for a fact and not a wish that what you are using really is pure, beneficial and healthy...for life.  A tip for using the Cosmetic Database website: you have to click on the company name to find out whether they are a "signer", a commitment that is really key to cleaning the bad stuff out of our skincare. Get ready for some shockers.

See the post below for pink done right...from the very best of nature...

Table Talk with Doug and Even Whispers from Bill...so We Can Shake Things Up!

Bootleggers Alley beach after a storm

I am happy as a clam that I finally met Doug a couple of weeks ago. I had read about him in a magazine and thought his work in community nutrition education was incredible. He is well past retirement age and yet so full of desire to help others lead happier, healthier lives that he exudes the vitality of someone half his age. And so, as you may guess, I looked up his phone number and called him. "Hi Doug, we haven't met..."

Several years ago, he and his wife began to gather people around their kitchen table to talk about ways to eat better and create more physical and mental well-being through better nutrition...uncomplicated, you-can-do-it stuff. He has a passion for food and people put right out there on the table. I mean...just that combination of food, people and a table is reason enough for us to meet! Now, years later, their volunteer work is blossoming and because of their efforts, people are changing their lives for the better around their own kitchen tables. How wonderful!

His work has grown into an organization with a nationally renowned board, including some docs from The Cleveland Clinic, the #1 hospital for heart health. Doug's group sponsored the Wellness Workshop I took Mom to a couple of weeks ago. Hundreds of people were there. He and I had a chance to talk and I told him I want what he is serving for my own health and I want to share it with others. We talked some more last week and yesterday and are working out a plan for me to be a part of this and "bring it home". Keep your fingers crossed. 

This The Red, White and Food shout out is for Doug and all his passion for helping others is creating. Doug and his Wellness Foundation choose to "be the change you wish to see in the world", another favorite Gandhi quote. And, because I am so ignited by both their visions, here is what I did.

Last Saturday morning, instead of "teaching" parents about good nutrition for themselves and children, we sat in a circle and had a "conversation". I laid out the principles of eating well for optimal health and then we talked about it for about an hour. Everyone participated, asking questions ranging from why their daughters are developing so young to sharing tales of a former job in a pork processing plant. Oh, my. The co-ordinator of the program called me later in the afternoon and asked, "What did you say to the parents? They all seemed so relaxed and so appreciative of the fruits and veggies we served!''

Pay dirt! I think I will conduct "workshops" like that from now on!

And here is a video of former President Bill Clinton on his dramatic weight loss. Listen in. He starts his day with a shake, just like I do...Presidential stuff! The doctors and studies he talks about are the same ones I have been talking about on this blog and all these doctors mentioned are the very ones on the board of Doug's Wellness group. I am so hopeful I can bring this here!!!



Here is a shake recipe from Doug's group...

Blue Dynamite Smoothie

1 cup water or almond milk
1 frozen banana
2 handfuls of kale* or 1 handful of kale and 1 handful of baby spinach*
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 scoop protein powder (I add this..so does Bill. I have some great powder rec's if you need them)

Blend and enjoy. Serves 1.

*The addition of greens is not as odd perhaps as it seems. Greens do not really add much flavor but they add body and a nice "chew" to the shake. I used to use a "green" powder and once I switched to fresh greens, I was hooked! Give it a try before you pass this recipe by!

Be a Peacekeeper: "Do No Harm"

Today is Gandhi's birthday and in 2007, the United Nations declared October 2nd "International Day of Non-Violence". Do something to create peace for yourselves and as importantly, create peace for others today. These "peacekeeper" roses are for all of you...

For more info, check out these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Non-Violence and http://www.un.org/en/events/nonviolenceday/index.shtml

There are also scads of Gandhi quotes available. Here are two of my favorites:

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”

 

“We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it.”

For dinner tonight, you may want to go to Whole Foods (there is one near all of you I think) and grab one of their fabulous lentil/barley veggie burgers or make up any of the many peaceful, "do no harm"  plant-based, vegetarian recipes on this blog. Gaze into your own beautiful sunset or the ones I have posted pictures of, listen to the sounds of nature and Peace Out xoxoo.

Summer Lovin' had me a blast

With Mother Earth.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked for your input on ways you were saving energy this summer. My list is on a post called "Sea-ing What I Can Do" June 9, 2010, under "environmental impact" on the sidebar. I have one amendment to add to it; I am now using petroleum-free, toxin-free, made-in-the-USA skincare. I am always on the lookout for safer, better solutions.

Here is a terrific list of what all of YOU are doing and for all those who contributed, a big The Red White and Food shout-out. Did I miss anyone's? If so, email me, pennyrudder@gmail.com. Fall's coming. Let's keep adding to this list!

1. cook more, eat out less
2. switch animal proteins to vegetable proteins (Yay!)
3. brown bag lunch to work
4. buy local first, state second, USA third, overseas if it's a necessity
5. drink water from tap
6. walk to work
7. ride bike to work
8. no a/c in car for errand hopping (Phew...I am with you there. It won't be cool soon enough!)
9. use public transportation
10. car pool
11. bundle errands
12. use "air dry" cycle in dishwasher
13. use cloth napkins
14. use cloth dish towels
15. multi-use for oven; bundle meal prep
16. careful choices with plastics
17. no Styrofoam
18. no "disposables" for picnics/outdoor unless eco-friendly
19. no petroleum-based detergents
20. use "air dry" cycle or clothesline for clothes
21  unplug appliances, tech stuff aren't using, especially phone and computer chargers
22. don't print or when do,print on both sides of paper
23. don't flush every time
24. use less hot water
25. compost
26. recycle
27. recycle pet's water to water household plants
28. BYOB to grocery store
29. buy more fresh, much less ready-to-eat, plastic packaged foods and deli foods
30. buy less, DIY more
31. grow it myself
32. vote with time, dollars and ballot

Thanks so much for doing and sharing! xoxoxo

And here is a breathtaking shot from a friend of the beauty Mother Earth had in store for Little Peconic Bay this morning...I hope my mom saw this. xoxoxo

Not a "Chick Flick"

There's your dinner and now, the movie...

Choosing wholesome foods can be challenging enough. Just when I think I've got that licked, it's time to take a bath, wash my hair or face and I have to look with an eagle eye at the "food" my skin is gobbling up. I have searched long and hard for wholesome skin and body care that is safe, honestly labeled and does the tricks I need it to. No more "green-washed" products for me. I want the real stuff.

My search has unearthed some amazing, truly healthy products that are working just as hard on my outside as the foods I eat. Health is a whole package deal, inside and out.

While not showing at Cannes, this blockbuster movie by Annie Leonard made its debut this week. Take 9 minutes and watch it (even though I cannot seem to format it correctly!) It is definitely not a "chick flick"!



For more power, information=power, visit this link , www.safecosmetics.org and if you are inspired by this movie, please sign the following petition:

http://www.ewg.org/kid-safe-chemicals-act-blog/sign-petition-b/?utm_source=houseintronosign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=first-link&utm_campaign=kscapet

Plastic Surgery by the Numbers, Part 1

One of the topics of conversation at the potluck last week was which store had the most delicious "cold case"...portion of the deli that has ready-to-go salads, cooked entrees, etc. And while, we gals may be used to turning over dinner dishes and bowls to see what the pattern is or who the artist is, we (at least I) don't look often enough on the flip side of those plastic deli containers and other plastic food bottles and jars. I need a refresher course. Below is a handy by the numbers guide to plastic containers...and I was shocked in a store recently by some of the 3's and 6's I found, even on children's food containers!!

I am going to do two things with "by the numbers"...

1. Pay closer attention to the numbers on the bottom of containers.

2. Pay closer attention to the number of plastic containers I use and use less.*

When I am with Mom, one of the truly great things is that each household has to sort and schlep its own garbage and take it to the island dump. There is no garbage pick-up service, ever. Sounds gross and it can be, but it really makes you see and feel your "load" of waste.  And so, when I have to do the dump run, and the car is full mid-week, I know to cut back and rearrange some of Mom's shopping (I'll talk about that later). At home, our garbage is in the alley...a little bit out of sight, out of mind, and picked up every Tuesday like clockwork. I am not nearly as aware of the trash I create as I should be. But, I am on it and getting better.

                                      

Here is the cheat sheet, current as of the latest info:

#1: Safe to drink out of once. Do not reuse. Recyclable. (Water bottles)

#2: Safe. Do not reuse. Recyclable. (Milk jugs, juice bottles, butter tubs)

#3: Avoid. It is vinyl or PVC!! Not recyclable.  (Be careful here...think phthalates: some peanut butter jars, baby bottle nipples, shrink wrap, coffee containers)

#4: Safe. Recyclable. (frozen food bags, sandwich bags, squeeze bottles)

#5: Safe. Recyclable. (yogurt, syrup, catsup, straws)

#6: Avoid. Some can be recycled. (This is the Styrofoam, classic take-out, clam shell group.)

#7:Other=questionable. Bisphenol A included here labeled as PC, and is not recyclable. I would label as a must avoid. Plastics made from sugarcane, corn and potato starch (PLA) are also in this category, safe but not recyclable. They are compostable and used in smart delis! But, this #7 is a landmine because it is labeled "other"; it can be a mixture of good and bad!

* The Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation estimates that more than 1,000,000 birds and over 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die from eating plastic cast-offs and an untold number get tangled up and are severely injured...like an omnipresent oil spill.

Now, if all this has you bug-eyed with bags under your eyes, relax and chill out with this soothing eye mask. Then, have a look at your "numbers".

Cucumber and Chamomile Eye Soother

2 slices cucumber (use big ones here and munch on a mini...delicious!)
2 chamomile tea bags


Make 2 cups of tea the way you like it, remove tea bags and chill them down in 'fridge. Sip on relaxing tea while bags are chilling, then place chilled tea bags on eyes for 10 luxurious minutes.


Now, take 2 slices of chilled cucumbers and place them over closed eyes for another 10 minutes. Twenty minutes of heaven!

"The very tigers and lions of our era...."

The cover story in The New York Times Magazine today is about the "fate of the bluefin tuna, the oceans and us", written by Paul Greenberg. Here is the link http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/magazine/27Tuna-t.html

As a kid, I went with my family several times to the docks at Montauk to see the fishing fleets come in at dusk with their day's catch. The waters off that part of Long Island are (were) prime fishing grounds for all kinds of fish, including the bluefin tuna. I remember seeing those gorgeous fish hanging from big hooks. One time my dad and I saw a man walk up to a tuna, scoop out some flesh and eat it. Next thing we knew, the fish came down off the hook and was gone. He did that with several that day. I asked my dad what was going on and up until that point, I had no idea what sushi was. Nor did I undertand the impact of what I was seeing.

There were several other stunning articles about whales, fish and the oceans in the paper last week. Here are two more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/weekinreview/27angier.html?ref=weekinreview

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/business/26salmon.html?src=me&ref=generalis

Sea-ing what I can do

I love the sea and have found some of my most peaceful and inspirational moments there. The sea has a beauty and a life that captivates me. Not just because I am a Pisces either. As a little girl and the daughter/grand-daughter of salty sailors, I grew up around water. Leaving it was painful. I would load up bottles of sea water and tuck them into secret places in the car and hope my parents wouldn't find them. I also tried once to hide a bucket of live scallops and hermit crabs, but after a long drive back to our home in Pennsylvania, the smell gave my sea treasures away. I used to jump the waves and pretend I was Flipper. I had a mermaid club. I tried to convince my grandparents that I had to go to camp on a sailing ship. I still dream of studying marine biology. 

I cannot even put my head around the BP disaster. Never having gone to the Gulf Coast beaches, I can only imagine their beauty and the lives that the people and animals have built on their shores. I have thought about what I can do because I am in part responsible for this tragedy. The answer...I am already part of the solution in a small way and will continue to do more and share it on this blog. In every way, from the foods that I eat, to the skin and body care products I use, to the energy I consume, I am looking at ways to lessen my personal dependence on petroleum. Maybe others will join me and find what I am doing helpful.  Maybe they have ideas to share to help me do better and together we can do more. How we live matters now more than ever.

The biggest thing I am doing, becoming vegetarian, has been a huge adjustment for me. I am a big eater, not a nibbling kind of gal and meat was a big part of my plate and palate. Now I know what giving it up will mean, fuel-wise. It takes 50 times more fossil fuel to produce a meat-centered diet versus a meat-free one. 50 times.

I am also on the lookout for as many personal care/beauty products as possible that are petroleum-free (see Lip-smacking Good post from yesterday) and I am making every effort not to use as much energy as I once did. I am not going to use the air conditioner in my car this summer. I love finding shops that make and sell vintage goods...recycling a beautiful story to be enjoyed again. There are more things I am doing, too...I came up with my own checklist, "What One Person Can Do". That's the goal...doing my part to help the beautiful story of the land and the sea endure to be enjoyed again and again.