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Have a Lovely Green Weekend + A Few Green Things

January 25, 2013 4

Hello, Friends! How was your week? I was under the weather most of the week – however, the clouds are finally starting to part. Hooray for the weekend! Tonight, Eben and I are meeting our good friends for an afternoon of fun at the park – it really is the best way to kick off the weekend.

Tomorrow, we are going to go strawberry picking again! We are going to visit the mister’s grandfather and on the way to his house, we pass Bedner’s Farm – so we plan to stop. Then, on Sunday, I am thinking of making strawberry mimosas to go with homemade whole-wheat waffles. Yum!

– Tide agrees to remove cancer causing chemical 1,4 Dioxane from their laundry detergent! Great job to Lori at Groovy Green Livin for her petition!
– Equal Exchange is hiring on both coasts – check it out! I kind of want the Trike Rider position!
– Ben and Jerry’s just committed to labeling GMO and source from non-GMO ingredients.
– Inhabitots is giving away a Lotus travel crib and portable play-yard!
– Proof that whales are the sweetest! This pod welcomed a deformed dolphin into the family.
– A city on an Italian highway bridge – not for me, I am afraid of heights!
– Are you as concerned with the additives in your child’s food as I am?
– I want to make an organic version of these adorable cupid cupcakes for Valentine’s Day!

I hope you have a beautiful weekend – with a little sunshine, I will see you back here on Monday.

xo,
Sweet Greens

photo credit

How to Make Stamps Out of Wine Bottle Corks

January 25, 2013 2

Every time we celebrate an occasion with a bottle of wine, I toss the leftover cork in a large jar in our kitchen, before recycling the bottle. Over the years, we have amassed a nice little collection — and since cork is so versatile, I use it frequently in different projects. Most recently, Eben and I carved a little set of recycled wine bottle cork stamps to give to a friend. My son is older, so he was able to do the carving of the designs into the corks himself. However, if you have little ones, you will want to do the carving, and reserve all of the stamping for them.

These little cork stamps can be wrapped up perfectly with a soy ink pad and set of recycled plain cards, as a thoughtful homemade gift. Or you can also keep the stamps for your child to play with. Jump over to Inhabitots to learn how to make a set of recycled wine bottle cork stamps in less than 30 minutes.

How to Make Organic Chocolate Peppermint Candies

January 25, 2013 1

During the chilly winter months, my family has movie night once a week. We love to snuggle up on the couch under a big cozy blanket, and watching a film together is also the perfect excuse to indulge in one of my favorite movie-going snacks: Junior Mints. The problem is, traditional Junior Mints contain modified ingredients, artificial flavors and a couple of ingredients that I have never even heard of.

So before we pop in a DVD, I spend a few minutes making a quick batch of organic chocolate peppermints with my son. We almost always have the four ingredients necessary to make them in our kitchen, and my son can do almost all of the work by himself. And guess what — they taste almost exactly like the real deal! If you want to give these little yummy gems as a hostess gift, you can roll the balls yourself – imprinting the holes as you go to prevent cracking — and you can carefully pipe the chocolate in so they look perfect! Jump over to Inhabitots to learn how to make these simple organic chocolate peppermint candies with your children. Then, choose your favorite movie to enjoy while you have a sweet treat!

How To Bake Homemade Organic Strawberry Shortcake

January 25, 2013 0

When we got home from our strawberry picking adventure last Saturday – I went straight to work whipping up a homemade organic strawberry shortcake. I was a little worried that it wouldn’t taste as good as one that could picked up from the bakery – I was wrong. It was a huge hit, Eben and the mister were both impressed. Honestly it didn’t taste long to put together, however it bakes for an hour and then needs to cool for a couple more – so make it well in advance if you are taking it to a party or serving it for dessert. Read on to get started:

What you will need:

  • 1 cup organic cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups organic sugar
  • 12 large organic free range egg whites (or substitute)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons organic vanilla
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons organic lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon organic cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • organic strawberries

For the whipped topping:

  •  1 cup organic coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon organic honey
  • 1 tablespoon organic vanilla

Directions:

Step 1: Whisk It!
Heat oven to 325°. In a bowl, whisk the organic flour and 3/4 cup of organic sugar.

Step 2: Mix It!
In your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat egg whites on low speed until they begin to froth. Add the organic cream of tartar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt and continue to beat on medium speed. Add the other 3/4 cup of organic sugar a little at a time until it has all been added, then mix until soft peaks form.

Step 3: Fold It!
Gently fold in the flour-sugar mixture using a spatula, pour into a 9 inch pan (preferably with a removable bottom). If not, line it with parchment paper first.

Step 4: Bake It!
Bake it for 60 minutes until under the top is golden brown and will spring back when you press it.

Step 5: Cool It!
Immediately remove it from the pan and let it cool for several hours.

Step 6: Cut It!
Cut with a serrated knife.

Step 7: Serve It!
Serve topped with organic strawberries and homemade organic whip cream.

Organic Strawberry Picking: D and D Family Farms

January 24, 2013 5

Last Saturday was especially chilly and breezy here in Florida. Instead of hitting the beach, we took a drive to our local organic farm to check out the animals and pick strawberries. I was in the mood to make homemade organic strawberry shortcake and strawberry picking is a fun, family activity that we enjoy every winter.

D and D Family Farms is located in Palm City, Florida and is one of the largest you-pick farms on the Treasure Coast. They have been naturally growing for over 33 years and have a huge variety of fruits and vegetables to pick including; strawberries, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, eggplant, beets, hot peppers, lettuces, squash, cucumber, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

They also have a lot of different animals on the farm; pigs, goats, roosters, cows, chickens, a donkey, and this adorable baby goat. Pure sweetness!

If you live in the area it is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

+ D and D Family Farms
5059 SW Citrus Blvd
Palm City, Florida 34990
Phone: 772.463.1330

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P.S. Is it just me or is Eben growing up too quickly! 

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