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.

A couple of good reasons to switch to an eco-friendly, green cleaning service. Conventional cleaning practices utilize . . .

• 8 billion pounds of chemicals that are hazardous to your health and to the environment
• 4.5 billion pounds of janitorial paper products, consuming tens of millions of trees
• 1 billion pounds of tools and equipment, filling 40,000 garbage trucks headed to landfills

Yikes! These statistics are found on the website of EcoMaids, a greener professional cleaning service company. EcoMaids offers residential and commercial cleaning services, but is committed to using healthier cleaning products and more eco-friendly practices in general.

Often, this is one of the first things people do when beginning a more ‘green’ lifestyle. Using biodegradable, environmentally friendly and non-toxic cleaners is a great way to reduce dangerous and unhealthy chemicals in our lives and in our environment. EcoMaids uses the Options for Life non-toxic cleaning product line and offers the products to their customers as well.

In addition to offering a full-line of standard cleaning services, EcoMaids also offers Truly-Green Wash & Fold Laundry service . . . It all appeals to me!

EcoMaids is a relatively new cleaning service franchise with operations in several States (see EcoMaids locations here). Those of us fortunate enough to live in northern New Jersey, have access to the first EcoMaids based in Essex County.

The owner is willing to travel outside Essex . . . I’m going to give them a try!

eat. blog. be merry!
gd meg

The Green Divas will have Lisa Fahay and Peter Troast back on the air tonight to talk about the value of monitoring our energy usage and how easy it now is to do.

We first met Peter and Lisa about a year ago just after they shared their family’s energy consumption through the Internet for a week (I think it was a week). They live with their kids (and their Jack Russell Terrier) in Maine, and run a wonderfully informative website – EnergyCircle.com – and business that offers detailed, EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND advice on creating home energy efficiency. They also provide the tools to do the job from the products to great vidoes on installation and energy efficiency how-to’s.

Green Dude Scott and of course, GD (silent) Jessie will be in the house and as always we’ll have some fun music so tune in and turn on a friend!

Thursday, January 28, 2010
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

Sitting here toe-tapping and grooving to christmas music, surrounded by the many holiday craft projects the girls and I have started (but not exactly completed yet), I am inspired to finally sit and write the post I’ve been promising . . . the one with some ideas for greener gift giving.

GD Meg’s holiday rant
First let me begin by saying that the focus on the material and commercial aspects of the season is wearing thin for me and not just because my purse is thinner this year either. I personally just don’t need any more junk (BTW, good food and handmade gifts do NOT count as junk) to figure out how to use, store, recycle or re-gift without hurting any one’s feelings. Either people are lying to avoid my ranting, or most of my friends and relatives are feeling similarly.

I’m afraid to get started on the whole decorating thing . . . Look, I love little white twinkling lights and the smell of fresh pine and there is nothing like a sparkling christmas tree with the lights low and the fireplace glowing warm. But, what the heck is going on with these houses and yards covered in lights and every christamas character ever invented lit-up, with the exception of Jesus and his folks of course. And if I never see a blow-up Mickey Mouse santa bobbing and weaving on some one’s front lawn, I’d be a very satisfied scroogette.

Perhaps I’m a little bitter because we had a flood last year and almost ALL our decorations were destroyed. It was kind of hard to say goodbye to the stocking that was knitted for me when I was born and all the tacky and wonderful ornaments and things that were collected and gathered over the years going back to childhood. Oh well . . . a heavy sigh . . . letting go and moving on.

Now is my chance to practice the minimalist/simplest holiday I’ve been working towards.  For the past couple of years we’ve put up one REAL pine wreath on the back door (sometimes I breakdown and put one on the front too). We love the smell of pine, so I use pine boughs and garlands all over inside the house and leave the lights for the tree. The girls and I sometimes paint the huge windows in our room where the tree is.

Okay enough of ranting.

Simple, thoughtful and perhaps more sustainable gift ideas

Make It
We’re not all Martha Stewart, but if I can come up with reasonably easy and fun gifts to make, a baboon could do it. Trust me. Here are a few crafty gifts my tolerant family and friends have received from me over the years:

• Cranberry Chutney – if you want the recipe, you’ll have to write me for it (and I’ll have to dig it up), but it was relatively easy and everyone loved it (and it came in handy for holiday party gifts too).
• Kaluha – Yup. Made it from scratch. Back in my alcoholic days, I found a recipe and all I remember is that it involved a lot of vodka and sugar. Something about vanilla beans . . .
• Family Recipe Book – This was an ordeal 25 years ago when I did it, but with the advent of the Internet, email and cell phones, I think it will be a little easier to gather the best recipes from all the far-flung aunties, etc.
• Family Event Calendars – My sister started this one and did it by hand for years. With all our birthdays listed, I still managed to forget someone. I tried it by computer a few years ago and it was fun.
• Antique Tea Cup Candles – I had a few random old tea cups that were beautiful but chipped and I decided to buy some wax and make some candles in them. I collected more from garage sales and antique shops – the broken or chipped ones are cheap.
• Handmade Ornaments – We did this before it became as popular as it seems to be now! Fun to do with the kids.
• Handmade Soap – Gotta love Michael’s craft store – everything you need to make the basic soap. I added some things from the garden. You can get all kinds of healthy ingredients. Get creative.
• Knitted Stuff – My family got a lot of scarves and hats last year since that was all I knew, but with the right yarn and a little creativity, you can make these warm fuzzy gifts work. There are lots of patterns for useful items and people seem to LOVE them. Visit my knitting inspiration and friend, Yarny Old Kim for great ideas.
• Baked Stuff – I suck at the cookie thing, but I have a few baked items I’ve begun to master, so I’ve armed myself with some cute small loaf pans with lids and my unsuspecting friends and family will find out what that is about in a couple of weeks.

Share It
Instead of giving ’stuff’, perhaps giving to those in need is the best way to honor the reason for the season. Here are just a few of my favorite ways to share in some one’s name:

• Heifer International – The gift of livestock!
• Habitat for Humanity – Donate money, shop at one of their awesome ReStores
• FeedingAmerica – Formerly Second Harvest – A great way to help those that might be hungry this season
• E+Co – Healthy energy for developing nations
• Local Giving – Find you favorite local charities and keep it close to home!

If You Have to Buy It . . .

Where to find it

• BuyGreen.com - One of my favorite green shopping sites. They have a great rating system that helps to understand the sustainability of a product from end-to-end. Check out the English Retread bags, the Vy & Elle bags, Mandala Record Bowls, and the many products for family, home and office.
• UncommonGoods.com- A great place to find unusual and crafted recycled and re-purposed goodies. Unique gifts for anyone. Love the organic cotton Pooh quote pillows and while we’re on the topic of poo . . . check out the Horse Poo Paper journals.
• VivaTerra.com- One of my very favorite places to shop for beautiful eco-friendly gifts. I buy natural crystal ornaments and give some of them (I keep some too) every year. They have great jewelry too.
• TerraCycle.net – This innovative company has found a way to turn garbage into great products. In addition to their signature worm poo fertilizer, they have a myriad of products for kids and adults made from old juice box and food packaging. Lots of very sustainably made gifts for home and office.
• SweetOrganicsandNaturals.com – A nice selection and variety of gifts, eco-friendly wrapping options.
• PeopleTowels.com- A new concept in personal hand-washing/drying. Great stocking stuffers!

Well, this could go on indefinitely, but I’ll quit there for now. May your holidays be filled with hope, great food, good friends and relatively sane family fun.

eat. blog. be merry!
gd meg

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 anywhere near Union Square NY (Manhattan) this week, you will definitely want to stop in @ Paragon Sports to check out Icebreaker’s line of sport apparel and get a 26.2% discount AND a free pair of their wonderful socks.

This is fabulous, natural apparel — great for running (supposedly doesn’t get stinky, but I haven’t tested that aspect yet). Really great for NY weather and the base layer offers protection for those winds coming off the Hudson.

Icebreaker is an extremely sustainable sports apparel company based in New Zealand. Most of the clothing is made from merino wool and when you purchase Icebreaker products, you get to meet your sheep! Read more about Icebreaker . . .

I have no idea how they will do this, but if you bring your old synthetic running top with you, they’ll turn it into a reusable shoe bag for free!

Make sure to bring in this coupon to get this great discount.

Promotion starts today, October 5 and runs for a week until Monday, October 12.

See you there!

eat. blog. be merry.
gd meg

The Green Divas will ask John Fox, CEO of Innovative Fuels these and other relevant questions on tonight’s radio show. If you have specific questions about biodiesel or biofuel, please make a comment here or email us before or during the show at info@thegreendivas.com or IM us at the station (instructions are on the HGR website).

The musical theme is ‘mother nature’ and if we have time, you’ll hear some fun tunes.

So, tune in and turn on a friend tonight!

Thursday, September 24, 2009
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org

We had a chance to put together a Way Basics shelf recently. It really was as easy as they represented – at least it was for Woody the wonder dog and my two daughters Mary and Jessie.

I read about Way Basics and was intrigued. I needed some simple book shelves and figured I’d just go to a garage sale and find something, but it just hadn’t happened yet – didn’t realize how prized these things were! So, I was thrilled when they sent me a sample to play with.

Way Basics use their own zBoard, which is made from post-consumer recycled paper into extremely light yet strong boards. They’re ‘keep it simple’ philosophy includes basic designs and colors all sustainably sourced with low-impact materials. I was drawn to the whole ‘no tools’ message . . . and so was Wayne. You can buy pre-designed packages or get creative in a number of ways.

With a cradle-to-grave thoughtfulness, these versatile cubes are also recyclable, so when their time comes, they go back into the cycle of sustainable life. Of course, I’m no where near ready to put mine in the recycling bin!

For all I can tell, this company really lives and works the values they represent, being members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, they have taken many steps to ensure a low-impact office as well as sustainable manufacturing practices. And if that isn’t good enough, they also work to give back by offering contributions to folks who may have serious needs for furniture, such as natural disaster victims or women and children rebuilding their lives from domestic violence. Read more about this ‘way’ great company and their concepts.

Prices are very reasonable starting with the basic cube @ $20. But they have an awesome sale going on so visit waybasics.com to get your sustainable shelving now! I’m going to purchase more to go with my lonely little cube.

eat. blog. be merry!
gd meg

It was an interesting week to say the least. By the time the Lexus pick-up team arrived to retrieve their prototype, I was clear that I would likely measure all hybrid vehicle test drives by this first one. This was not my first hybrid test ride, nor do I hope it is my last, but I found myself more attached than I wanted to be as I saw its sleek yet short silver body reflect brilliantly for the last time. Yes, I am waxing (or waning perhaps) poetic for a car . . .

I come by it naturally as my father had a love for cool cars and gadgets – the Lexus HS 250h hybrid presented a satisfying blend of both.

A few of the ergonomic and gadget-type features that I loved had little to do with the hybrid or eco-factor. However, a couple of things in particular stuck with me and I suspect will be incorporated to some degree in most hybrid cars – or they should be for at least one model generation:

1.  The in-dash computer screen showing the live-action drivetrain and energy consumption value screens was highly educational and helpful in retraining driving habits to conserve fuel. I know Toyota does this, but I’m not sure if all of them include this nifty, informative feature.

2.  The gauge that replaces the normal RPM gauge also helps to moderate driving to accommodate a more fuel conservative approach to acceleration from a light or dead stop.

It became somewhat of a personal game to see the green light come on the dashboard ‘EV’ indicating I was, for the time the light was green, not burning fuel or emitting carbon dioxide.

As you can see/read from my posts, I’m not well-versed in the technical side of hybrid vehicles, nor do I really want to be. I want to have a comfortable, safe ride that offers a better deal for the environment than many cars available today. The Lexus 250h may not be the most efficient of the new eco-tech cars coming out, but it is a great transitional vehicle that is likely to be dependable as it is backed up by a major car producer. I’m all for these wonderful new independent companies that are emerging with fresh ideas, but for now, I think many folks just need a low-stress vehicle to cross the bridge as new companies and technologies emerge on the far, but not too distant horizon.

BTW, my average mileage was 30.9 MPG. It only made it to the open highway once and I probably had the air conditioning on the ENTIRE time, so I have no doubt I could’ve done better. I was told the vehicle can get into the high 40s, but I didn’t get there in 5 days.

The number one question out of everyone’s mouth was, ”How much?” I didn’t know at first and we all tried guessing. I would’ve guessed between $45 – 50k. I was impressed when I found out it was just under $35k for the base model, which I believe has most of the bells and whistles I got to play with.

Look for this fun eco-ride by the end of next summer . . .

eat. blog. be merry!
gd meg

Green Diva Meg's family playing in the driveway

On day 4, I was inspired to actually lift the hood (or bonnet, depending on what type of english you speak) to see if the engine was as new and space-age as the interior of the vehicle and to see what 187 horsepowered hybrid engines looked like.  My co-worker, Eric who is somewhat of a gearhead and was very anxious to see the goods under the hood, and I were both a little mystified – of course, I come by this naturally when it comes to car engines. This car, being a prototype and brand-spanky new, had a sparkling clean status that seemed surreal. But, most of it was covered pretty securely in a message we both took to mean, “you have no idea what you are really doing or even looking at, so whatever is beneath here, you don’t need to see.” Eric, who drives a sporty Audi TT, spun it around our large building and parking lot a few times and while he is a man of few words, his grunts and various sounds were those of positive impression. His pleasant surprise of its power to move and smooth ride is an impressive endorsement to anyone who knows him. You’ll just have to trust me on that.

Other engine stats include:

2.4-liter Atkinson Cycle inline-4 (presumably this is fancy jargon for peppy 4-cylinder)

DOHC, four valves per cylinder with Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i)

Electric Drive Motor – High-output, permanent-magnet electric-drive motor

Front-wheel drive

187 Horsepower

Electronically controlled continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT)

Still had a half-tank of gas.

More on the final days . . . stay tuned.

eat. blog. be merry!
gd meg