Frank Mentesana, Facilitator of EcoSPACES

Imagine a school that has a 4500 sq. ft. rooftop garden where kids not only learn about growing food sustainably, but grow food that is used in their lunches - all while making the connection between farming, food and healthy nutrition . . .

With the help of faculty like, Frank Mentesana, St. Philip’s Academy in Newark, New Jersey has created such a program and they call it EcoSPACES (Eco-St. Philip’s Academy Cultivating Environmental Sustainability).

Frank is a former food stylist and co-founder of Manhattan restaurant, Once Upon a Tart. As a father, he got involved in his son’s school by helping them create a garden and when he heard that St. Philip’s Academy was developing a program to help teach better nutrition and farming to the kids, he jumped at the opportunity to get involved.

Since getting involved in 2008, he has turned the once-ornamental rooftop garden into one that produces food and has helped teachers develop plots relevant to their curriculums. For example, as third graders learned about Native American history, they planted a “Three Sisters” garden of corn, beans and squash and used their harvest to create traditional meals.

Tonight the Green Divas will be talking with Frank Menesana about what’s going on at St. Philip’s Academy and what’s next on the menu . . . Don’t miss tonight’s show!

Thursday, March 11, 2010
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

We welcome posts from guest ‘green divas’ and this one is from Amy Evers in Austin, TX. She is adorable, honest and has a great sense of humor – she is a perfect geen diva!
 

Twenty plus years ago I moved to Austin Texas.  Almost immediately I gave up my New Jersey hair spray and bought myself a pair of Birkenstocks.  I worked at a small coffee shop and rode my bicycle to work.  I was a supporter of the hippie feel, and laid back lifestyle.

Then arrived my first child, and along with her a minivan and a multitude of equipment.  Still wore the Birkenstocks, but my lifestyle changed.

Forgive me Mother Earth for I have sinned.  I have over the years been guilty of using paper towels, paper plates, and store bought diapers.

The convenience has been too tempting for me to resist.

Now that I am at the age where all of my children are out of diapers and I am not yet in them, I have become a more aware of what is going on outside of my own little universe.

I remember a commercial back in the 1970’s that showed a Native American by the side of a littered highway, he looked on in disgust as the collective “we” have soiled his land.  A small tear falls from his eye.

That campaign was so successful that recently when my sixteen-year-old daughter was driving and the car in front of her threw a plastic bag out of their window she was appalled. She honked her horn, and when the offenders did not react, my daughter did.  She pulled over, got out of the car and picked up the trash herself.

So how come everything else about going green seems so difficult?

I want to help the earth be around for a few more millennia.  Barring the Aztecs are wrong, and no immediate asteroid is on its way for a visit.

I began doing some research.  With the help of a friend and my fiscally responsible brother we, as a family have made some changes.

I have replaced most light bulbs in the house.  We no longer buy paper towels.  And most recently we have become champions of unplugging.  Anything that holds a charge gets completely unplugged when not in use. 

I try to buy organic fruit, but always balk at the price.

My neighbors have compost, and I have looked into making one myself, but does that truly make a difference? 

I am fortunate that I live in a city where we have curbside recycling. Each house was given a very large bright blue bin with wheels (were they recycled themselves?).  This bin hold two weeks worth of paper, plastic, glass, cans, anything with the numbers one through eight on it inside the little triangle.  No sorting, no washing.  Throw it in, and voila!  Be a good citizen.

There are certain “green” things I absolutely will not do.  I will not now, or hopefully ever use an item called a Diva Cup for my monthly flow.  I am nowhere near that evolved.

It is a fact that my thumb is black.  I can’t grow anything.  I have tried.  I am not much of a cook to begin with, planting my own garden would be pointless.  I have no more idea what to do with rosemary than admire the smell.

I shop at thrift stores, out of necessity rather than consciousness.

When Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, came out I watched it waiting with anticipation to see what changes I can make at home.  I was saddened with each new scene of Big Al getting on his private jet.  At least I waste fuel in economy.

More disappointing was the only suggestions made were during the credits.

I am taking baby step, starting with Birkenstocks, and maybe someday ending with making my own soup stock.

So Meg calls me one day and says, “Jen I got this amazing crate of fresh fruit to try from The FruitGuys.”  “There’s so much here – more than my family can eat.  I’m going to drop off a  box for you.”

Well, I’ve never seen such a beautiful array of fresh fruit – kiwis, avocados, mangoes, blood oranges, tangerines,bananas, pears and apples.  Each piece was picture perfect, blemish free and aromatic!

Who are The FruitGuys?  The FruitGuys, a green and sustainability-focused company, delivers farm-fresh, organic and conventional fruit to offices and homes across the country. The FruitGuys works very closely with local farmers to help them succeed and employ green practices. During peak season 70-90% of the fruit mixes offered are locally grown within the regions they serve (East Coast, Midwest, West Coast) and go from the farm to home or office within 3-4 days.

Videos of select farmers The FruitGuys works with can be seen here.  Also, all fruit is packed in earth friendly crates, constructed with recycled cardboard and printed with soy based inks.

Here in the Northeast it’s a temperate climate.  It is recommended for optimal health to eat mainly cooked fruit in the colder months.  So, I decided to make a pear and apple crisp. It was a winter weekend and we all were craving something warm and sweet.  Topped it with some vanilla soy ice cream and boy was it yummy!  Here is the recipe:

Pear & Apple Crisp

6 – 8 cups pears and apples sliced (I leave the peel on – could be 6 or 7 pieces of fruit)
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of each allspice, nutmeg and ground cloves
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
5 TBSP melted butter
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Combine sliced fruit in 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle with sugar. Mix together remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Sprinkle over top of fruit and pat into place. Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until top is crisp and light brown and fruit is bubbling. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Here in the Northeast, it has been cold and dry for many weeks now.  This can create problems for the sinuses.     I find that the key is keeping them moist and free of dust and irritants.

My 2.5-year-old, Benjamin,  and I have both been suffering with sniffles and irritated noses for the past week or so.  Here’s what I do to make him more comfortable:

• Keep the humidifier running in his room overnight.
• Make a massage oil from sweet almond oil (1 oz.) with a drop or two of Thyme essential oil.  I rub this on his chest, back, a bit under his nose and a drop behind each ear morning and night.
• A daily bath with a drop of Thyme or Eucalyptus essential oil in it.
• Or, make the bathroom steamy by running the hot shower for a few minutes, then sit and play in the bathroom for 15 or 20 minutes.
• Try to avoid mucous-producing foods like dairy and wheat and sugar.
• Get 15-20 minutes of fresh outside air when it’s not below 20 degrees or too windy (which we’ve had a lot of this year).

Here’s what I do for myself:

• Clean sinuses with saline water at least twice daily using the Neti Pot. This can be a little awkward at first, but once mastered very effective.
• Use Xlear, xylitol nasal spray.
• Drink lemon tea – take half a lemon, squeeze juice into mug and drop whole piece of lemon in to the mug, cover with boiling water and let steep 5 minutes, add a teaspoon of good local, raw honey.
• Drink a blended herbal tea or infusion of Nettle, Rose Hips and Mullein.
• Keep a pot of water simmering on the stove (sometimes with a cinnamon stick and a few cloves) to moisten the air.
• Sleep propped up on pillow to avoid post-nasal-drip coughing.

Most health food stores will carry the Neti Pot, sweet almond oil and the essential oils mentioned above.  All can be found online of course.  My favorite resource for herbs and oils is Mountain Rose Herbs.

Happy New Year and happy breathing.  GD Jen

Over the past few years many new products have emerged touting antibacterial and antimicrobial  properties – liquid hand soaps, bar soaps, disposable wipes, laundry detergents, even floor cleaners!

In light of the recent concerns about H1N1 flu and other flus and viruses of the season, more and more people (including myself) have become almost fanatical about hand washing. This is not a bad thing, but  I am skeptical and concerned about commercial antibacterial soaps created with chemicals that have been proven to be harmful to our health.  Is killing the bacteria helping anybody?  The reality is that bacteria is necessary for proper health. I feed my body every day with probiotics – good bacteria to help my digestive system stay healthy. So, is eliminating bacteria necessary or even possible? And what are they doing to our water supply! The fact is that we could be even more susceptible to illness by using these soaps.

For myself and my family I choose to use hand soaps that contain ingredients with  natural antiseptic properties – like Tea Tree oil or Thyme.  My favorite at the moment is from Jason called Tea Tree Melaleuca. Others that I plan to try try this season include sanitizers from CleanWell, which utilizes the antiseptic properties of the herb Thyme and staSAFE Hand Sanitizer which uses a unique silver-zinc complex to coat the hands providing ongoing protection.  These are other examples of all-natural, biodegradable, non-alcohol and non-toxic (do not contain benzalkonium chloride or Triclosan) soaps that kill germs and do not harm you or the environment.  Check them out! — In peace and good health – Green Diva Jen

If you are like so many who are trying to avoid the swine or ANY flu this season, you may be on a handwashing frenzy. I find myself feeling terrible about using so many paper towels in my increased number of hand washing adventures in public bathrooms.

Mary Wallace and Linda Lannon have devised a simple and great solution – PeopleTowels! These little 100% organic cotton AND fair trade produced personal hand towels are a wonderful and sustainable way to save trees AND water while drying your hands in public places.

With great hang-tags for easy attachment to purse, backpack or belt, these little beauties are washable and built to last – and they come in 6 different cool designs. I’m partial to the one above!

In addition to playing some musical requests from some of our favorite listeners, we’ll be talking to Linda Lannon on the show tonight, so please tune in!

Thursday, November 12, 2009
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

The county park staff in my area are growing more and more talented!  On a recent visit to the Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Center in Boonton Township with my two-year-old, Benjamin, to participate in Nature’s Little Explorers yielded much more than we expected a couple of weeks ago.

The class theme was ‘Digging in the Dirt’.  We learned about and put our hands in buckets of soil, sand and rocks and then took a short hike with little shovels in hand to look for the same in the woods.

After our hike,  Miss Janis, our instructor for the 6-week course, said she had a special treat for all – some ‘edible’ dirt!  She made this yummy vegan chocolate pudding and had some for everyone to sample.  My Benjamin was not impressed, but Mommy was thrilled!  It was delicious.  She said that she makes vegan treats because kids today have so many food allergies.  So it was not made with eggs, dairy or sugar.  AND she shared the recipe which I promptly attempted at home about a week later to the delight of my husband and older son, James!

Here it is.  It’s quick and easy and very delicious! Oh, likely low-fat and low-sugar content as well:

1 cup soft tofu

1/4 cup oil  (I used Canola)

1/2 cup sweetener (I chose Agave syrup for it’s low glycemic index)

4 Tbsp cocoa powder  (I used Green & Black’s organic)

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend everything together in the food processor until smooth and enjoy!

The Green Divas are thrilled that the kids are back in school . . . I mean thrilled to speak with author, Jodi Helmer about some tips on ‘greening’ the school experience. Jodi writes and blogs on the topic of simple green living and has authored a couple of books, including The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can do to Make a Big Difference, which has a lot of the material we will be discussing tonight.

Green Dude, Scott Rousseau will be in the house and we’ve got some serious blues with Howlin’ Wolf and my favorite crazy Scotsman, the Proclaimers burned and ready to play.

So, tune in and turn on a friend!

Thursday, September 3, 2009
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

It was a happy day that the package arrived at our front door with our Soup to Nuts lunch kit from Citizen PIP.

My little guy, Benjamin was at the door to receive the package, swiftly opened the box to reveal the contents and immediately adopted them for his own.  He is most fascinated with opening the zipper on the lunch box.

Mom is thrilled to know that this whimsically colored set is eco-friendly — the lunch bag made from recycled materials and the containers all lead-free, BPA-free, PVC-free and phthalate-free — rather than made or lined with teflon, plastic or aluminum.  I  have a clear conscience when packing lunch or snacks for both of my boys.

This awesome lunch kit includes:

• • 1 insulated lunch bag with nametag and carabiner that   easily attaches to a backpack
• • 1 stainless steel water bottle
• • 1 stainless steel insulated food jar
• • 4 BPA-free airtight food containers
• • 1 stainless steel fork + spoon set
• • 5 100% cotton napkins

Here’s what all the pieces look like:

citizenpip makes it easy to go green with products that are designed to be fun and stylish for kids, and practical and convenient for parents. munchgear reusable lunch kits by citizenpip come with everything you need to pack a waste-free lunch.

Nancy Masotto, Executive Director of the fast-growing Holistic Moms Network, will be on the show with the Green Divas tonight. The Holistic Moms Network is a national non-profit organization that aims to help connect, inform and inspire parents (not just for moms!) about holistic, natural and green parenting.

As one of the earliest members and founder of the Morris County chapter, Green Diva Jen has been part of this wonderful network of conscious parents and has seen it grow into an amazing national network.

We are thrilled to have Nancy, who is extremely busy as a mother and the nurturer of this wonderful organization.

We have a guest green diva in the studio tonight – Leslie Joy of Joy Organic will sit in for Jenifer.

Thursday, April 30, 2009
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

Send in questions via comment here or IM us during the show. IM instructions are on the upper left corner of the homegrownradionj.org website.

eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg