Fair and Sunny

For almost every afternoon the past month, my friend and I have sat and chatted over coffee. She rang me up around the end of April and said she'd be in town for a few days. Those days turned into weeks...really long ones for her. Yesterday she left. Put the pedal to the medal and high-tailed it out of here. I will really miss her.

Our conversations centered around her reason for being here and what an emotional and physical roller coaster ride that was but we also covered every other topic imaginable from our deepest beliefs to our dreamiest wishes (conversing in French in France and Kate Middleton's wedding earrings!)



Drool

We met couple of years ago over our mutual interest in fair trade and even contemplated working together with a group she was already involved with in Zimbabwe. She is way ahead of me on that issue and now actually owns a fair trade store in Savannah, Go Fish!

Fair-Traded Shea Butter

And so, you can imaging how giddy I was to learn that a new product I recommend on this blog uses a fair-traded ingredient. I was over the moon!!!!

Why is that so important? Because "pretty is as pretty does" and there is a very ugly side to the beauty industry that I don't want to be a part of. Once I began to "know", I began to say "NO!" more.

While defining fair trade needs broader clarity, it amounts to this:  no one is getting hurt or cheated for the benefit of making a product. Nothing comes from a sweat shop. Children are not being abused or worse, "pimped" out for the sake of an procuring an ingredient. Fair-traded purchases enhance life all the way around.

Maya Spaull of Fair Trade USA had this to say, "...buying fair trade, that is changing a life!" 

I am really happy to be a part of that. I mean...really, really happy. I love it that what I recommend has as clean an inside "back story" as it does a finished product coming out of the tube!

The product I am talking specifically about is the new SPF 30 plus sunscreen I posted about last week.  It uses just six incredible ingredients, one of which is Vitamin A and Vitamin E-rich fair-traded organic shea butter. This sunscreen is both ultra-protective, ultra-moisturizing and ultra-safe! To order yours, email me and I will share my specials for Our Green Table readers. You can also click fair and safe sunscreen and go to "Products" to check things out. The sunscreen is under "Body".

 

I love it that somewhere else around the world, there are faces smiling. Now, that's a fair and sunny day!

Feeding our Children

Many of you have asked about food for little ones. Before I really launch into the post title, I want to give a Red,White and Food shout-out to Richard Scarry. It would have been his 92nd birthday last Sunday. My kiddos grew up with his delightful characters; Lowly Worm, Huckle the Cat and all the gang in colorful Busytown. Such a precious place Busytown was. Here is Google's interpretation to commemorate the day...

When my children were little ones, I was the DIY Mother Extraordinaire...made all their food and even the dog's too. Living far from relatives, they were born just before the brilliant idea of "play groups" took hold, and so we spent many delicious, delightful afternoons together eating those goodies and reading Richard's magical books. Thank you, Richard Scarry, for popping in every afternoon, nourishing my children's imagination and whetting their appetite for more. You fed them well! Happy Birthday! xoxoxo 

Chilling...

I feel sure that what you put out there you get back and so I am not going to put out there how *** I was this weekend. Or what the thermometer read in my car. Instead, I am going to put on my Summer game face (although it is still Spring, right?) and put out thoughts of this...

Jumping for joy!

Now, I feel better and so excited that it is *warm* enough officially to be salad season...all kinds of salads season.

I went to our new farmers market over the weekend and got the prettiest potatoes. Little pink-skinned beauties. Saturday would have been my dad's 88th birthday and he loved new potatoes. I remembered that my mom made a fab potato salad and decided to whip one up myself. 

Here it is. I used green onions and gorgeous eggs from the market, too. The dressing from the Grilled Romaine Salad post on May 23rd made a wonderful marinade and I loved the little burst of lemon that popped through. This is a very simple potato salad...I will post my mom's later. You can doll this up with a number of extra ingredients which I didn't have on hand. Also...I am not a big fan of really mayonnaise-y salads. Feel free to add more to suit your tastes.

Spur of the Moment Chilled Potato Salad

Early in the day, boil 3-5 small red-skinned potatoes until just fork tender. Slice and drizzle with Caesar Dressing. Marinate in 'fridge for at least 6-8 hours or better yet, overnight.

When ready to serve, toss in sliced green onions, about 3-4 and 2 hard-cooked eggs. Toss with a little mayo, if desired, or more dressing. This recipe serves 2-3.

Today is for Rick

On a personal, extended family note, part of May was miserable. Hardly "merry". We mourned the passing of Dadaji. My mom had a surprise and scary fall with me on the phone doing "long-distance calming" til help arrived, my brother had two mini strokes and his daughter, my FB pal Mer, was hospitalized as well. Rick is having a procedure done today. My heart is with him. I wish him more health and less meat. Goodness me. Oh Canada...do your stuff and do it well.

Rick and "our" doll, my childhood Flamenco Queen

Anyway, I am sharing one of his favorite marinade recipes... continuing on like the trooper I am with the barbecue focus. Rick does a mean 'cue. One big request...spare the animals

and marinate tofu, seitan, tempeh or just plain veggies. Your life and theirs will thank you.

Love you, sweet brother Rick. Heal and heal WELL, your Pen. xoxoxox

Rick's Magic Marinade

Grated peel of 2 lemons
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Combine all in a glass jar, give a good shake and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes one cup.

Searing memories

Yesterday I was in the grocery store and saw a gal checking out at one of those DIY checkout kiosks. Her back was to me and even with sunglasses on, I winced at the sight of her sunburn. She was literally purple. Brought back a lot of painful memories. She looked kind of like this stock photo...

I was part of the baby oil and iodine generation. But you have red hair you might be thinking...what were you doing out in the sun? Frying myself until I blistered. Trying in vain to get that California Glow the Beach Boys sang about and made all us Northern gals long to have.

I would even sit in a tin foil "house" to reflect even more sunlight on and into my skin. Starting in March, while all my friends went to Florida, I went to my backyard with yards and yards of Reynolds Wrap and cardboard. I also used sun lamps to clear up my face in time for the weekend. Oh, mercy. If I only knew then what I know now. 

Sunscreens were awkward then...heavy and thick, smelly and weird fake flesh colors. No one used them. Now there are tons on the market and if you have been reading all the articles about how harmful some of them are...how they contain ingredients that increase skin cancer risks, can create their own chemical burns and expose little ones (and adults!) to a host of harmful chemicals their little bodies don't need, you are probably really concerned.

Sticking to my promise to you, I have found a sunscreen without harmful chemicals, with an SPF 30 plus, no nano-particles (HUGE safety factor) and made with just 6 lovely ingredients, organic and fair-traded to boot. Interested in having some safe fun in the sun? Let me know and I will get you some. Please, whatever you do...don't leave home without it! Practice safe sunning....my dermatologist is over-booked!!! xoxo