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Have a Lovely Weekend + A Few Green Things

September 17, 2010 0

Hello, Friends! How was your week? Can you believe we are already halfway through September? Are the leaves changing colors where you live?

Tonight, Eben is having a sleepover at his school with all of his classmates. A sleepover at school? I know, right? I have never heard of such a thing, however – it does sound like a lot of fun. They will be playing team building games, eating tacos, watching a movie with popcorn and waking up to a pancake breakfast. Can I go?

While Eben is having a blast, Mr. Sweet Greens and I are going to have an adults night out with his mother and step father – who are in town for the week. We were thinking maybe a little dinner and dancing. What do you think? What would you do if you have an entire evening to hang out with the adults only?

While I ponder my choices for the evening, here are few green things I have been wanting to share with you:

– The new Tom’s wedge looks pretty cute.
– I wonder if Flour Pot has organic breads. The packaging is divine.
– A little kitten love to brighten your day.
– Do you live in Portland and want to green up your school?
– Because your little one would love a wooden mustache teether.
– What a fun way to measure your child’s growth.
– Isn’t the above beach picture fantastic – it reminds me of part of my weekend to come.

I hope you have a great green weekend! I can’t wait to see you on Monday.

xo,
Sweet Greens

photo credit

Let’s REDU our Current U.S. Educational System

September 16, 2010 0

REDU stands for rethinking, reforming and rebuilding our current U.S. educational system. It is a movement that is designed to encourage everyone to start talking and thinking about education reform. It provides the resources to learn how we can help and a community to connect with each other.

Thankfully, Eben goes to a private Montessori program that still offers art, science, playtime, field trips, music and math in a fun, loving and safe environment.

Can you image what it would be like if all public schools provided everything that children need to love to learn and grow up wanting more and more.

What type of school does your child go to? Are the public schools in your area still offering all of the above referenced programs?

Let’s do it together.

Exciting News – I am Going to Cascadian Farm

September 16, 2010 0

I spoke with my editor at Cascadian Farm several weeks ago about an upcoming trip to Cascadian Farm that he was trying to arrange for me. I am excited to announce that I will be visiting the Farm October 1-3. I have been to Seattle in the past visiting fantastic friends, however I have not been to the Skagit Valley where Cascadian Farm started. I am excited to meet some of the other Cascadian Farm team members, including Craig, my editor and Janice Croze, a fellow Cascadian Farm blogger. I am also excited to visit and explore the farm and learn about organic farming from Cascadian Farm’s head farmer, Jim.

Note: I have to admit when I was first approached to fly clear across the country to visit Cascadian Farm for the weekend – I declined. I felt guilty about the prospect of traveling all the way across the country by airplane, especially for such a short trip. My editor talked to me about the importance of visiting the farm and how much they wanted me to be a part of the trip. How lovely. Who could say no to that? I will be visiting Cascadian Farm and I will also be offsetting the carbon emissions with my TerraPass.

Popcorn: To Microware or Air Pop?

September 15, 2010 4

We love family movie night! It usually involves making your own pizza followed by a big bowl of popcorn to share. In fact, I just don’t think that movie night would be the same without our huge antique cabbage shaped bowl full of popcorn.

However, if your movie time snack is the microwavable version, then beware! It may contain a dirty little pop secret. Some microwave popcorn contains chemicals that can cause major health problems. We have all heard of popcorn lung, right?

The chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PTOA) has been found to cause both cancer and lung disease and Diacetyl is responsible for popcorn lung disease.

So, next time your family decides to snuggle on the sofa for movie night, pop your own popcorn. It is easy, simple and very affordable. All that you need is a large deep pot, a few tablespoons of organic canola oil and a cup of organic popcorn kernels. When the popcorn starts to pop, just shake the pot gently so that the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom – continue until you can count slowly to five in between pops.

If popping your own popcorn sounds more like work than fun, consider purchasing an electric popcorn maker. My lovely mother gave my family this one a couple of years ago and we enjoy it weekly.

Does your family enjoy popcorn?
Do you make your own? Or do you chance it with the microwave version?

photo via Janice Croze

Nuts and Seeds – Not Only for Squirrels and Birds

September 15, 2010 0

nuts-and-seeds

Do nuts and seeds make it into your daily meal plan? Just a small handful of these amino acid packed snacks can have a huge impact on your health. Nuts and seeds can help fight heard disease and high blood pressure. They are also known to slow the symptoms of aging by fighting the decrease in muscle mass and cognitive and sexual decline.

At Casa de Sweet Greens, we each nuts and seeds everyday in our dinner salad. Mr. Sweet Greens tops our salads with a mixture of nuts (usually almonds), seeds (sunflower and pumpkin) as well as dried cranberries and soy beans. It is a fantastic way to incorporate these little goodies into your daily meals – while tasting delicious at the same time.

Do you eat nuts and seeds? Which are your favorites?
Do you add them to your salads or other dishes? Which ones?

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