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4 Reasons to Eat Seasonally and Locally This Summer

July 11, 2020 0

If you shop at the farmer’s market, are a local CSA member, or frequent the “local” section of your grocery store’s produce aisle, you are well aware that fruits and vegetables come into and out of season. Depending on the climate where you live, you may have a wide variety of fruits and veggies to choose from year-round, or you may notice that summer is truly a more abundant season for produce. Wherever you live, eating seasonally has its benefits. If you’re not already doing so, here are four reasons to eat seasonally.

#1: Fresher, More Nutritious Produce
Produce that doesn’t have to travel long distances to get to you will be fresher when you purchase it because it’s been harvested more recently. Also, since seasonal fruits and veggies are harvested when they’re ripe and grown outside, in their natural environment, they’ll contain far more nutrients and flavor than produce that’s grown in greenhouses or prematurely harvested and required to ripen off the parent plant.

Produce that doesn’t travel long distances will be fresher since it’s been recently harvested.
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#2: Supporting the Local Economy
Farmers harvest and sell what’s abundantly in season. By purchasing seasonal, local food, you’re supporting local farmers and therefore your local economy (you’re supporting yourself in many ways when you think about it!).  By supporting local farmers you’re not only helping people but also encouraging sustainable, green farming practices because local farmers will plant and grow only what is suited to the soil and climate where they live.

#3: It’s Cheaper
Fruits and vegetables that are in season are more abundant and therefore end up being cheaper than foods that aren’t in season. Buying foods out of season means paying a higher price to cover the transportation of the food and growing fruits and veggies in artificial conditions.

Produce that’s in season is more abundant and ends up being cheaper than foods that aren’t.
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#4: It’s Eco-Friendly
Buying produce that doesn’t require transportation means that less gas is being consumed and less exhaust is being emitted. Additionally, fruits and vegetables that have to travel long distances (like strawberries traveling from Mexico to Wisconsin in January) require far more chemical-ridden sprays and treatments in order to stay fresh long enough to make it to the grocery store. By becoming a member of your local CSA or buying at the farmer’s market, you’re buying directly from a local farm where transportation and preservation time is minimal—many times you’ll purchase produce that was harvested the same day as you pick it up.

As you can see, eating seasonally and locally has some amazing benefits! I love sampling seasonal fruits and veggies when I travel because chances are I’m visiting a state or country with a different climate, ecosystem, and sometimes season—there’s so much variety to be experienced!

YOUR TURN: What’s your favorite local, seasonal recipe for summer or fall?

The Perfect Green Cocktail for Summer: Frozen Organic Gin Lemonade

July 10, 2020 0

Looking for the perfect drink for your pool party! The mister whipped up a batch of his famous Gin Lemonade recently and I was reminded how much I love it this time of year! Be careful though, they are strong – one is all you need. Ha!

What you will need:
  • juice from 5 organic lemons
  • 1 1/2 cups of organic sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup organic gin (you can also use vodka)
  • 8 cups ice

Directions:

Whisk the lemon juice and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the gin and whisk again. Then, add the 8 cups of ice to a blender with the gin-lemon-sugar mixture and blend until smooth. Add lemon slices for garnish and enjoy.

How to Make Oven Roasted Organic Pumpkin Seeds

October 20, 2017 0

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Have you carved your pumpkins yet? We carved ours last night. Eben’s favorite part was scooping out the pumpkin goop with his bare hands. We saved all of the pumpkin seeds, washed and dried them, then baked them in the oven with a little bit of olive oil and sea salt. Yum. Do you roast the seeds from your pumpkins?
If not, you should give it a try. Here are our 6 easy steps:
1- Scoop the pumpkin goop.
2- Rinse and dry the pumpkin seeds.
3- Mix the pumpkin seeds with a generous amount of olive oil and sea salt.
4- Spread the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet.
5- Bake at 300° for  30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6- Enjoy while you catch up on your favorite fall sitcom.

31 Simple Eco-Friendly Ways to Celebrate October

September 30, 2017 0

31 Simple Eco-Friendly Ways to Celebrate October

Can you believe that October begins tomorrow? October is one of my favorite months – not only does it mark the beginning of fall, but Halloween is right around the corner. I have been making a list of all of the fun, eco-friendly activities that I want to do with Eben and the mister this month. We decorated our home last night and tonight, we will start the month off right by reading our spooky stories by candlelight and since the hurricane shutters are still on – it will be super spooky! I can’t wait! Read on for 30 more eco-friendly ways that we will be spending October – and share your favorite fall family traditions and links in the comments – I would love to hear what you have planned.

I am going to check off each fun thing we do this year!

  1. Read spooky stories by candlelight
  2. Take a fall camping trip
  3. Make organic caramel apples
  4. Make organic pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
  5. Visit the pumpkin patch
  6. Go on a hay ride
  7. Visit a corn maze
  8. Host a Halloween party
  9. Carve an organic pumpkin
  10. Take a fall bicycle ride
  11. Make organic hot apple cider
  12. Visit the farmer’s market
  13. Host a spooky movie night
  14. Take a fall family hike
  15. Make recycled Halloween decorations
  16. Make pumpkin cards to send to the grandparents
  17. Roast organic pumpkin seeds
  18. Visit a local organic farm
  19. Take a night walk to see the Halloween decorations
  20. Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
  21. Make pumpkin milkshakes
  22. Make pumpkin pancakes
  23. Decorate our home for Halloween
  24. Bake organic pumpkin whoopie pies
  25. Donate essential items to our local shelter
  26. Make organic apple cider donuts
  27. Boo a neighbor
  28. Make vegan spiced pumpkin lattes
  29. Visit an apple orchard
  30. Take a family ghosthunting trip
  31. Trick or Treat

4 Eco-Friendly Spring Activities for Teens

June 5, 2017 0

As inquisitive as kids can be, they will drill you with dozens of questions on a daily basis to understand your every decision, every move, and every choice you make. And if they are growing up in an eco-friendly family, they will slowly adopt and comprehend the benefits of such a balanced lifestyle, when explained properly.

However, teens are a whole different story – many of them are rebellious by nature and they are eager to be different from everyone and not follow the herd. As a mom of two little nestlings, I’m striving towards instilling an eco-friendly mindset into my kids throughout their adolescent years with the help of these simple activities, but even if you’re a newbie in the green world and wish to pass this wisdom onto your teen kids, these could be true life-savers!

#1: Contribute to cleanliness
I’ve noticed that our little rascals are eager to help around the house, especially when we make things interesting with some music and healthy snacks. Suddenly, cleaning up the room and washing the dishes no longer feel like chores, but like fun family time! Kids have also been asking me where I spend my Saturday mornings, and when I explained that I go to clean the local riverside with a few other people, they actually yelled: “Mommy, we want to come, too!”

Since modern societies still have much to learn in order to build this awareness as a norm, you have a chance to encourage your teenagers to take part in causes that matter to them and that will allow them to make a difference and thus, be different. You don’t have to chaperone them, but treat them as responsible adults and support them in their search for the right local activities to keep your community clean.

#2: Green exercise and transportation
Our little nestlings can spend hours playing in the garden, helping their dad make a birdhouse or playing with our pooch, but teens yearn for independent activities that will reflect their core beliefs and every choice they make is a statement. My husband and I have been using eco-friendly Gitane ebikes to work out and ride across town, and our kids have noticed that these bikes are different from the majority of those they see on the streets.

It’s natural that teens have increased self-awareness about their looks and their values, and supporting their efforts to be fit, healthy and confident with the help of an eco-friendly method will help them stand out in the crowd even more. Plus, they will reap the rewards of a healthy lifestyle and start early with maintaining their green habits.

#3: Green fashion
If our little girl already knows she adores green tees and absolutely despises yellow skirts, then I can only imagine the level of detailed commitment a teenager is willing to invest in their wardrobe. What they wear is yet another form of authentic self-expression, and they wouldn’t be caught dead in something they find ordinary or conformist.

And what better way to appeal to their inner rebel than by introducing them to an eco-friendly line created by none other than a teenage girl? Maya Penn is a young entrepreneur with tremendous ambitions to create sustainable, fashionable clothes. Although not many youngsters will be eager to make their own line of clothes, you can encourage them to design their new spring outfits by using sustainable materials and thus support the local economy.

#4: Everyday choices
If my kids are proud of me for hosting lectures on eco-friendly choices in our community, and the global teenage population prides themselves on individuals such as Ann Makosinski and her energy-efficient inventions, then your adolescent kids certainly do not lack sources of inspiration in this day and age.

Not only can you help them stay informed and learn about their peers who are literally changing the world, but you can also lead by example in your own home without imposing your beliefs. Small deeds such as shopping in your local market for locally grown goods, or more involved ones such as organizing green food drives for the homeless, hosting seminars and volunteering are more than enough to inspire your kids to make a difference and have fun during spring.

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