Revenge of the Paper Towels

You may remember that in March, I reviewed Seventh Generation paper towels and toilet paper. And I was not a fan. But, because I have been using fewer paper towels, I didn't run out of them until this week! They have just been sitting there for almost 4 months, annoying me and waiting not to absorb things. I've cut down on paper towels a lot, but I find that for things like cat vomit, it's invaluable to have a few around.

That's why my annoyance has grown. Over the past week, I have attempted to buy paper towels several times, but have found no recycled options at any of the three grocery stores I normally frequent. Green products are all over the place these days. I even noticed organic cotton at Target, and clothes with recycled fiber content in Old Navy. Is a recycled paper towel too much to ask for?

If green products are too hard to find, then people's excuses grow: "Well, I was going to buy recycled, but they didn't have any, and I didn't have time to go to another store." Let's make it easy to be greener, grocery chains!

Luckily, the cat has not vomited this week.

FOOD

In my family, we like food.

When the cousins get together, reminiscing invariably turns into discussions of great restaurants, great dinners, and great celebrations. Uncle Doug might talk about the perfect margarita. We might mull over the merits of gingerbread pancakes vs. buttermilk. Having scattered throughout the U.S., there are various regional cuisines to talk about.

Almost all of our family gatherings, of course, center around food. Grammy's potatoes and beef Wellington, Nanny's piroshki with fried bananas for dessert (that's the cuisine of the Russian-Guatemalan connection, in case you were wondering) my mom's Grittibanz at Christmas (it's a bread in the shape of a boy), and almost anything my Aunts Deb and Lisa can whip up. Big dinners with philosophical toasts are our specialty. I am pretty sure that the cousins will develop their own traditional recipes as well.

While my dad came from humble beginnings (his tales of roll throwing and miscooked okra stick in my mind) he developed a passion for cooking when I was in high school. My favorite dish of his was "Thai peanut chicken" which involved a sauce made of peanut butter and salsa. I know it sounds bizarre ... but trust me, it was awesome.

So ... where is this talk of food going? Well, it's hard to be even a little bit green without considering where our food comes from. I know that this is a hot topic right now, with the documentary Food, Inc. coming out, featuring Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food. In case you live under a rock and haven't heard: the food industry is a major contributer to our environmental woes and our ill health. If you're interested, watch this clip of Pollan on Real Time with Bill Maher.



Even if you're annoyed with those vegetarian pamphlets that get passed out at community festivals, this vid is worth watching, if only for its discussion of the way the development of agriculture screwed with the development of humankind, and Pollan's discussion of the durability of Twinkies. Pollan, however, is refreshingly undogmatic about food, and admits that some food processing, such as canning and freezing, is necessary. In this video, they also discuss meat production.

I am not a vegetarian.

I'd just like to get that out there, because here in Texas, my eating habits are viewed as extreme. And extremism is seen as difficult, radical, unrealistic. While I do not view vegetarianism as extreme (although it is sometimes difficult in Texas) I eat poultry and fish, but no mammals. And that's mainly for reasons of sustainability - the production of beef has a major impact on the environment. But I have nothing against the occasional eating of cow or pig. I simply don't indulge in it, because after 16 years without eating red meat, I get sick if I try to eat it.

You may have noticed that recipes have been making an appearance more often than craft ideas lately. That's because I've been thinking a lot about food, and trying to reduce the amounts of processed/refined foods (particularly refined grains and sugars) in my diet. Let me tell you, it's not easy, particularly for someone who spends much of her time traveling. But I'm beginning to see that it's worth it. Here are a couple of reasons, just from my personal observations:

1) Food tastes better. Probably because processing cuts out a lot of the nutrients, it also cuts out a lot of the taste. And while I'm not gonna lie, I LOVE white flour, adding whole grains like bulgur and quinoa -- along with more fresh herbs, fruits, and veggies -- has added whole new taste sensations to my diet. And isn't that what the food industry is trying to manufacture -- new taste sensations? It's all because they took the taste out in the first place.

2) Food is more fun. It takes a lot more organization to eat consciously, but that also means spending time thinking about food, planning recipes, and shopping for organic and unprocessed goodies. The bulk area of my grocery store is my new playground, as I try to decide what new things to try.

3) Food is healthier for me. Yes, unprocessed/minimally-processed foods have more nutrients. And just anecdotally, I can say that my skin looks better, and I feel better when I eat this way and cut back on total calories. Am I always successful? No way. Like I said, white bread is my friend. But she's a fickle friend. While she is glamorous and I want to be around her, I know she's no good for me. I struggle daily to make choices that are healthy, but by making incremental changes, I hope to make a real difference in my own health.

4) Food is healthier for the planet. Cutting out red meat consumption, though I did it without much conscious thought, made a big shift in my diet toward one that is more sustainable. Now, I'm trying to shift again, toward more organic, seasonal, and local foods. This is tough, and it's not always cheap. It means time, and as I said, organization. This type of eating, however, is going to be better in the long run for the entire world. And if you think that going organic is a luxury of the wealthy nations, check out this NPR story on how industrialized agriculture has created problems for the Punjab, and how organic agriculture is one solution.

Eating mores sustainably is something that can begin in small ways: for example, switching from yogurt with artificial colors to yogurt without. After making one small change and adapting, another can be made. It doesn't have to be about one huge transition. I'm hoping that with the current media attention on food, that this choice is one that more people will start making.

Coming up soon: a recipe for homemade hummus, an Auntie Chronicles article on the perfect baby shower gift, and more.

Updated Links List

Hey! Just wanted to let you know that I've updated the links list at right. I've been visiting lots of cool wesbites and realized that none of them are listed here. Check out some of the goodies.

And here's a pretty picture of the sky over the waters off Galveston, TX, just for fun.

Galveston is still recovering from Hurricane Ike, which devastated much of the Gulf Coast last year. As you probably know, greater-intensity hurricanes are one of the projected consequences of global warming. Just another reason to go green.

Strawberry Basil Granita - Something Cool For a Hot Summer Day

We're in the middle of a heat-wave/borderline drought. Days and days of 95+ degree heat. I've been loving ice cream, iced tea, and everything else that involves ice. Low-fat ice creams, however, often involve lots of preservatives. So here's an organic, icy dessert I created to beat the heat - strawberry-basil granita.

Here's what your strawberry-basil granita will look like when it's finished.

Granita is the Sicilian version of Italian ice. It's a little like a fancy sno-cone (or what we call raspas in Houston). It combines water, sugar, and flavoring. Back home in Washington state, granitas are made in margarita machines and sold at espresso stands. Most espresso stands sell a coffee version and a fruit version; in Italy, coffee granita is often eaten for breakfast with brioche. Yum!

Here's how to make my version. I used organic fruit and herbs; if you use conventionally-grown strawberries, be sure to wash them completely to avoid a big mouthful of pesticides. I also used organic agave nectar, rather than sugar. Agave nectar is great when sweetening iced teas and desserts, because it doesn't have to be dissolved like sugar.

A similar process to the one described below can be used to make granita from any fruit.

Step 1:
Put the following items into your blender:

1 qt. water
1/2 pound organic strawberries
3-4 sprigs of organic basil
Juice of one line
1/4 cup agave nectar (if you like your desserts a bit sweeter, use a more)

All the ingredients in the blender.

Step 2:
Blend it up, until the strawberries and basil are tiny.

Step 3:
Pour the liquid mixture through a strainer several times until the large pieces have been removed.

Step 4:
Pour the liquid into a metal baking pan. Put it in the freezer, being sure that the pan is sitting flat. After one hour, run a fork through the liquid. Every half-hour after, run the fork through again. After about 4 hours, or when the granita has a flaky, or sno-cone texture, it's ready to serve.

Step 5:
Serve in a small cup or bowl with a sprig of basil.

If you want to serve this dessert after it has been fully frozen, just put it in the refrigerator for about and hour, then use the edge of a spoon to scrape off a serving.

Starting An Office Recycling Program

As you may remember, I've been occasionally frustrated by the fact that we do not have recycling at my office. Recently, however, my co-workers decided to start recycling.

Starting a recycling program is worthwhile (save a tree every time you recycle about 120 lbs of paper!) but it takes planning. Here are some steps you can follow:

Step 1: Find out if anyone is interested. If no one at your office cares, your attempt will end with you glaring disdainfully every time someone throws a piece of paper away. Most importantly, ask your boss if she will let you start a program.

Step 2: If folks are interested, do some research. Find out a) what you can recycle; and b) where you will need to take it.

Step 3: Set up collection areas around the office. It's nice to have those blue plastic bins, but really, a cardboard box works just as well.

Step 4: Label your bins according to what you are going to take. If you are me, you will need to make cute signs to go on the bins. Cute signs build excitement, and make people want to walk the extra steps to the recycling bin. It's true!

OMG! That sign is so cute! I wasn't going to recycle, but now I am, because I want to look at that cute sign!

Step 5: Communicate! Send an email to your colleagues, letting them know what they can recycle and when you will empty the bins. Nicely express your expectations (for example, it is OK to expect that people do not put soda cans in the bin without rinsing them and drying them first) but if they don't meet your expectations, communicate directly. Under no circumstance should you leave a post-it note with a veiled message to your co-workers warning them of the consequences of continuing their impolite behavior. You don't want to end up on passiveaggressivenotes.com. Ask if anyone else wants to volunteer to help you, but be prepared to do the work yourself.

Step 6: On the appointed day, collect all the recycling. Take it to your car. Go forth and save the planet - or in other words, drop the stuff off at the recycling center.

This is a couple of week's worth of recycling at my office. All of those boxes are full of paper. I figure that we easily saved 1 or 2 trees with this load. Can you believe we were throwing that away?

Some Things I Like

Nothing fancy, just some Light Green stuff I'm liking right now.

First up, this notebook from greenroom.

I don't really need more paper products in my life, but I saw this at Target and I got it anyway. It's definitely only light green - 60-70% recycled content. It is, however, printed with soy-based inks. And it's lovely, with its chrysanthemum theme. I'm into chrysanthemums right now.

Next up, Burt's Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub.

Do you know those old NBC PSA's, "The more you know ..." and a shooting star would travel across your TV screen (admit it, you hear the song in your head right now)? Well, the thing about being Light Green is, the more you know, the darker green you start to become. Once you glance at the back of a beauty product label, and see a line up of chemicals that you can't pronounce, it's hard to then slather that on your face.

So, I started looking for some more natural beauty products, although I haven't been particularly lucky quality-wise. I've enjoyed this scrub, however. It has ground peach stone for an exfoliant and willowbark extract, which is a natural alternative to salicylic acid. Back in our family's hippie days, my mom always used facial scrubs made with ground peach or apricot pits, so the scent of this product is nostalgic. And while many times you pay double for natural vs. conventional, the cost of this scrub is about the same as less-natural products, between $6-8 for 4 oz.

I also like this gift certificate from Kaboom Books, here in Houston:


Yes, it's the cover of an old book, and the gift certificate is handwritten on the back. What a cool and stylish way to reuse! I haven't used it yet, though, because I'm thinking about some books I might want. Any suggestions?

Finally, I like this:

When my neighbors moved, they left behind a bunch of cacti. I do nothing to promote the growth of these guys, figuring they get enough water in humid Houston. The last few weeks, one of the cacti has been blooming.

It reminds me of that old Joni Mitchell song "Cactus Tree." You can watch a live performance from 1970 below.

Cute Cat Pictures

This week, I've been a bad greenie. I've forgotten my re-usable grocery bags every single time I've been shopping. I even forgot to bring them into the store when I had them in a car. Of course, I'm going to reuse the plastic bags, but still ...

So forgive me. I'm going to put up some cute cat pictures to make up for it.

Wily in his little house.

Wily looking at me skeptically. He's mad because I keep forgetting my grocery bags.

Cell Phone Recycling

Friday night the UPS man brought me by brand new Sidekick LX. I carry a Sidekick, rather than a more "adult" phone such as an iPhone or Blackberry because I, a) love my T-mobile service; and b) I have the same level of sophistication as a 12-year-old cheerleader.

Notice, I chose the purple phone, and as soon as I got it, I added a butterfly background. Yes. I'm 12.

Sleek new Sidekick LX, next to old Sidekick 3. Good-bye Sidekick 3. I will miss you. You were awesome when, in the Season 2 finale of Veronica Mars, you saved Veronica's bacon on that rooftop. I got you just because you looked so cool when Veronica used you to solve mysteries. And -- did I mention I love T-mobile, although they do not pay me to advertise their wonderful service, particularly the service provided by that one guy in Mumbai I talked to that one time I had a problem? Sidekick 3, you were rad.

So, I really like Sidekicks, and I really like T-mobile. But now I like them even more, because they have a cell phone recycling program.

I did a bit of research, and it turns out that most cell manufacturers and carriers have recycling plans, in part due to the EPA's Plug In to eCycling program, which promotes the recycling of electronics. Now, you might wonder if recycling a cell phone really makes a difference -- they're so tiny compared to, say, a computer monitor or a Ford F150. Does a cell phone in a landfill really take up that much room?

I'm glad you asked. Think about how many times you've upgraded - 2? 3? 5? What did you do with your used phones? Now think about everyone else in America and how many phones they've been through. Only 10 % of cells are recycled. That's some landfill.

In addition, cell phones are made with precious metals, copper, and plastics. When these materials are recycled, it reduces the effects of mining and manufacture, and saves energy. Also, phones in good working order are often donated to help those who need them, particularly soldiers overseas. So, it's pretty much happiness all around if you recycle your phone.

Partners in the EPA's project include: AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, Office Depot,Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Staples, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless (info courtesy of the EPA).

Like I said, however, I really like T-mobile. If you log onto their website, several banners urge you to take part in greening your account, by moving to paperless billing and email notifications (I checked out the other major carriers - they did not advertise their environmental messages, although Verizon did have a tiny recycling sign next to their paperless billing button).

Digression: And yes, I realize that most companies who have to bill their customers want you to switch to paperless billing not only for the environment, but also because it saves them money on postage and printing and envelopes with plastic windows. So what if their motives aren't pure? I love it when market forces and environmental forces meet and make a baby that won't be accepted by either family. Paperless billing, you are the bastard child of commerce and tree huggers, and we light greenies adopt you as our own.

In addition, T-mobile didn't just tell me I could recycle. They provided me the means to do so:

My new phone came with this envelope to send in my phone. Yaay! I love it when it's easy to be green. Kermit would have loved to live in the green era!

DIY Sunday: Fashionista Edition

See. I had this skirt.

This plain black skirt from Target.

And the skirt was sad. It hung in the closet for months, just waiting for someone to love it, smushed in between a couple of shirts. And the other skirts got to go out and see the world, but this skirt just sat there.

And then I got an idea! I was going to transform that plain ol' boring skirt.

It's kind of a full skirt, a little 1950's, so I thought about creating an ironic version of a poodle skirt. I'm not a fan of poodles, though, but I do like owls. And so I kicked around the idea of adding a cute applique owl to the skirt. You know, those goggle-eyed little owls that are basically four circles arranged around a triangle, the kind you see all over craft websites. But as the idea bounced around in my mind I knew what I really wanted: an owl gliding silently down upon some unsuspecting prey. Cute!

That was way more than my meagre applique skills could handle, so I did some exploring in the craft section of BookPeople in Austin, and of course, through the hallways of Interwebs University. I settled on stenciling as a means of decorating the skirt. However, the owl-about-to-kill-kill-kill stencil is (oddly enough) not available commercially. Therefore, I created my own stencil and here's how I did it:

Big reveal of the finished skirt is at the end of the post.

Step 1:

Find some clip art or draw a simple image for your stencil. I used Microsoft Office to find clipart. They have a category called "Black and White" which contains hundreds of images that are bold and simple enough to be turned into a stencil. (You want an image that has clear contrasts between colored areas and a plain background. Think of stencils you might have used as a kid, or as a cheerleader making banners for Pep Con - that's what the cheerleaders did at my school, anyway. With a stencil, you can't be as detailed as you would be with a stamp or screenprinting.) I found the ideal picture of an owl and enlarged it in a Microsoft Word document. Then I printed it to a printable transparency.

Here's the printed image of the owl. Watch out field mice! This owl is coming to get you!

Step 2:

Using a razor or Xacto knife, cut out the black portions on the printout. Those become the painted areas in your finished product. Work slowly and smooth out any rough edges by running the edge of your razor along the plastic, sort of like filing down a nail.

Step 3:

Practice using your stencil on paper. For this step you will need:

Fabric paint and something to put it in (the trays from frozen meals work well)

A stencil brush, sponge, or large paintbrush

Cardstock or heavy paper

Put your stencil on top of your paper or cardstock. If you want, tape it down so it won't move around. Pour some of the fabric paint into your container and spread it out so it's not too thick. Too much paint is the enemy of stencilling. Then, with a DRY BRUSH, pick up some paint. Dab it onto your stencil. It's OK if you get it all over the stencil. It should only go through the openings you've cut. If the paint bleeds or you get blurry edges, you're probably using too much paint. Practice until it turns out the way you want it. You may need to refine some of the edges of the stencil with your Xacto knife.

Here are my supplies, as I get ready to practice with my stencil. I played around with a few different brushes before I got the effect I liked.

Step 4:

Prepare your garment. A solid-colored, cotton garment works best. Make sure you have read the directions on the fabric paint (for example, it might say not to use fabric softener when you prep the garment). Start with a clean, ironed garment. Put a piece of cardboard in between the layers of the fabric so the paint doesn't bleed through. You can tape the cardboard in place. Lay your garment out on a flat surface and smooth the fabric so your image doesn't become warped. Then carefully place your stencil where you want it, and tape it down.

This skirt is ready. (The stencil is blue because I used blue paint to practice, but I'll use white for my finished skirt.)

Step 5:
Stencil away! Using the technique you practiced on paper, fill in your stencil. Fabric will probably need more than one coat of paint. Follow the directions on the paint label.

Here's what my stencil looked like after I applied the paint. You can't see the image right now, but that's OK. It will be there when you lift the stencil. You gotta trust the craft gods and goddesses.

Step 6:

Carefully remove the stencil so the paint doesn't smear. Voila! You should see your desired image.

Step 7:

Finish the fabric as directed on the paint label. It will specify drying time, how to heat set if necessary, etc.

And now ... the result!

I love my owl skirt. You just can't tell, because I'm using my disaffected prepster expression. It matches my polo shirt.

A Digression - Judge Sotomayor, Truth, Justice, and the American Way

You didn't ask, but here's what I think about the reaction to our Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.

(And no, this has absolutely nothing to do with the environment - although some of Judge Sotomayor's rulings have dealt with environmental issues - but I have something to get off my chest, and why have a blog if one can't rant every now and again?)

I'm not going to comment on all of the people who have called Sotomayor a racist. There have been plenty of comments about that.

What I am interested in is the use of the word "justice."

Take, for example, this commenter at the Houston Chronicle site, who is concerned about "the prospect of Sotomayor becoming the next Supreme Court justice. For the rulings of hers that I have seen, Sotomayor is dedicated to the prospect that justice is an arbitrary thing and decisions are based on her personal sense of what she prefers."

Let's just pretend that "personal sense of what she prefers" isn't redundant.

Here are some definitions (courtesy of one of my fave websites - dictionary.com) of the word just:

1. guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness: We hope to be just in our understanding of such difficult situations.
2. done or made according to principle; equitable; proper: a just reply.
3. based on right; rightful; lawful: a just claim.
4. in keeping with truth or fact; true; correct: a just analysis.

I cringed the first time justice was mentioned in reference to Judge Sotomayor. Folks are concerned because of her statements that "a wise Latina woman" would make a "better" decision than an old white man, concerned that she thinks justice is arbitrary. I think she has simply reached the conclusion that justice has been defined by white men for so long that we can no longer determine what is true, reasonable, just, or fair.

Sandra Day O'Connor hoped that a wise old man and a wise old woman would make the same determinations of justice. That seems to deny what the 20th Century taught us: that truth, reason, justice and fairness depend at least somewhat on the story we tell.

There are principles upon which we have built our society. I don't deny that. I'm not a complete existentialist. I don't believe that truth is an illusion. How well we conform to our society's guiding principles, however, is a matter of narrative. In a court of law, we listen to the stories of two opposing narrators, and attempt to determine which tale better fulfulls the requirements of law. Sotomayor's statements suggest she realizes that white men have written our story. They have defined what is true, reasonable, just, and fair. They have been the arbiters of what stories conform most closely to the principles of our democracy.

Is it any wonder that women and minorities might not view the stories of white men as conforming to their truths?

Well, you might say, truth is truth. It shouldn't change in the perceptions of the viewer. An old white man and a Latina woman should see the same thing.

To cite a truth that many conservatives might understand: Jesus saw that a sinful woman was full of love and so forgave her, while the Pharisees saw only a prostitute. While there are many layers of meaning in this section of the book of Luke, Chapter 7, one interpretation is that the one who has lived a life of privilege, believing to know the law truly, has little sense of the spirit of that law. While Jesus, though he was an outcast in the larger society, understood deeply the truths at hand.

It seems then, that truth may not be what we have supposed it to be. Or in the words of Mark Helprin:

"Who said that justice is what you imagine? Can you be sure that you know it when you see it, that you will live long enough to recognize the decisive thunder of its occurrence, that it can be manifest within a generation ... ? What you are talking about is common sense, not justice. Justice is higher and not as easy to understand - until it presents itself in unmistakable splendor. The design of which I speak is far above our understanding. But we can sometimes feel its presence."

We are human. We cannot define justice at any level other than our human understanding. In this light, Sotomayor's comments make perfect sense. We cannot know justice. All we can know is our experience. We do the best we can. But it's time that we recognize the stories of women, minorities (all minorities, not just minorities defined by race) have been interpreted through the lens of a legal system defined, for too long, by straight white men. Changing that system is going to be painful, and will involve many debates like the one that we are involved in now. This pain, however, is worth it, if we can expand the definition of "justice" to encompass the experiences of all of those who live in our country.