Jon Bon Jovi’s “Pay what you Can” Soul Kitchen
December 12, 2011 by admin · View Comments
Soul Kitchen is a new restaurant opened in Red Bank, New Jersey, by Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea. The establishment offers a “pay what you can afford” payment model, and serves wholesome, gourmet food made with fresh ingredients grown in the restaurant’s garden, and other local produce.
On the website, they explain that Soul Kitchen is “A community restaurant with no prices on the menu; customers donate to pay for their meal. If you are unable to donate you may do volunteer work in exchange for your family’s meal.”
But as NJ.com reports, this is no soup kitchen serving up desperation and gruel. “The décor is upscale. Patrons don’t wait in line — they are waited on.”
Beth
Positive Quote Wednesday - on Thanksgiving
December 10, 2011 by admin · View Comments
A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen.
Kin Hubbard
An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.
Irv KupcinetDear Lord; we beg but one boon more: Peace in the hearts of all men living, peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving.
Joseph AuslanderEven though we’re a week and a half away from Thanksgiving, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Richard RoeperFrom too much love of living, From hope and fear set free, We thank with brief thanksgiving Whatever gods may be that no life lives for ever; that dead men rise up never; that even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea.
Algernon Charles SwinburneGratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.
Henry Van DykeI celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.
Jon StewartI love chicken. I would eat chicken fingers on Thanksgiving if it were socially acceptable.
Todd BarryIf you think Independence Day is America’s defining holiday, think again. Thanksgiving deserves that title, hands-down.
Tony SnowIt is now common knowledge that the average American gains 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
Marilu HennerIt’s like being at the kids’ table at Thanksgiving - you can put your elbows on it, you don’t have to talk politics… no matter how old I get, there’s always a part of me that’s sitting there.
John HughesIt’s so warm now, and Thanksgiving came so early - is it just me, or does it not really feel like Ramadan?
David LettermanMy cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor.
Phyllis Diller
Beth
Eco-Friendly Eats: 13 of the World’s Greenest Restaurants
July 8, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Food & Health. ]
How green can a restaurant be? Many eateries around the world have tried to answer this question with hyper-local, seasonal, and vegetarian menus and enough sustainable design details to make your head spin. These 13 restaurants include pop-up shipping container cafes, reclaimed airplanes and treehouses as well as more conventional dining establishments outfitted with solar panels, recycled materials, on-site vegetable gardens and other green features, serving up ethical food with an ultra-light carbon footprint.
The Grey Plume, Omaha, Nebraska
(images via: thegreyplume.com)
America’s greenest restaurant isn’t in New York or California as you might expect, but in the seemingly unlikely location of Omaha, Nebraska. The Grey Plume received the top honor from the Green Restaurant Association as it became the nation’s first three-star ‘Sustainabuild Certified Green Restaurant’ (it has since earned a fourth star). Not only does the restaurant feature a menu full of seasonal, locally-grown produce and farm-to-table meats and dairy products; it has also incorporated highly efficient appliances, solar-powered hand sinks, LED lighting, recycling and composting programs, non-toxic cleaning materials and eco friendly to-go products. All wood used to build The Grey Plume is FSC-Certified, and many of the other materials were recycled or sustainably sourced.
Singapore Take-Out Pop-Up Shipping Container Restaurant
(images via: inhabitat)
A custom mobile shipping container restaurant has launched a world tour, leaving its home of Singapore to take the country’s cuisine to places like London, Paris, Moscow, New York, Dubai and Sydney. The 20-foot used shipping container opens to display a mouth-watering assortment of Singaporean foods, and will also be used as a demonstration kitchen to show off Singapore’s culinary talent and food brands.
Acorn House, London, England
(images via: inhabitat)
Billed as London’s first truly sustainable restaurant, Acorn House serves seasonal food in the Shoreditch area of the city. The restaurant composts and recycles all of its waste, buys only organic and fair trade products as well as seasonal local foods, uses boxes that can be sent back to suppliers and picks up produce in its biodiesel car. Acorn House also boasts a training program that prepares local youths to become sustainability-minded chefs.
Slowpoke Espresso Cafe, Fitzroy, Australia
(images via: dezeen)
The walls of the Slowpoke Espresso Cafe in Fitzroy, Australia were turned into a rich tapestry of weathered wood by designer Anne-Sophie Poirier of Sasufi, who was working on a tight budget. In fact, Poirier used only recycled and reclaimed materials in the design, the wood scraps coming from local furniture makers. The warmth of the wood contrasts with bright white walls. Everything from the desks and lamp shades to tiles, vases and the street sign were sourced second-hand at flea markets.
Runway 34, Recycled Airplane Restaurant
(images via: inhabitat)
Airplanes aren’t typically sought-after destinations when it comes to dining. Then again, Runway 34 isn’t your typical airplane. A Soviet-era plane has been reclaimed as a restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland, allowing diners to sit beneath the plane and gaze up at its underbelly; inside the the cabin is a cigar lounge with a vintage vibe that recollects first-class cabins. Appropriately aviation-themed, the restaurant features ‘in-flight magazine racks’ and servers dressed as flight attendants.
Plant Cafe Organic, San Francisco, California
(images via: theplantcafe.com)
Designed by CCS Architecture, San Francisco’s Plant Cafe Organic has been named the city’s top vegetarian restaurant as well as its greenest eatery. With two locations renovated from historic warehouses and fronting the San Francisco Bay, Plant Cafe Organic stands out with a menu full of tasty dishes that are almost entirely organic and locally sourced.
Tang Palace Bamboo Restaurant, China
(images via: freshome)
Sustainable, fast-growing bamboo was used to create the stunning interiors of the Tang Palace Bamboo Restaurant in Hangzhou, China. Atelier FCJZ wove bamboo into a shell-like interior structure that flows throughout the space, enhancing privacy and fostering a sense of intimacy.
Say the designers, “The waved ceiling creates a dramatic visual expression within the hall. The hollowed-out bamboo net maintains the original story height and thereby creates an interactive relation between the levels. We also wrapped the core column with light-transmitting bamboo boards to form a light-box, which transforms the previously heavy concrete block into a light and lively focus object.”
Bloodwood Restaurant, Sydney, Australia
(images via: designdodo)
Reclaimed, recycled and recyclable materials were used to create the warm contemporary interiors of Bloodwood Restaurant & Bar in Sydney, Australia. The owners of Bloodwood commissioned designer Matt Woods to create a space that reflects their dedication to sustainability, which is also reflected in the restaurant’s largely seasonal menu. Salvaged doors, reclaimed timber and railway sleepers give the space a sense of age and history. The restaurant is lit with LED lights, the wine bottles are re-blown, and the kitchen makes use of scraps in order to reduce waste as much as possible.
Bamboo Sushi, Portland, Oregon
(images via: bamboosushipdx.com)
The world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant is in Portland, Oregon. Bamboo Sushi uses only the freshest ethically sourced fish, meats and produce available. Bamboo Sushi also purchases 100% of its power from renewable energy sources, offers reusable chopsticks and fully biodegradable take-out containers, and strives to compost or recycle all waste. “We maintain transparency and accountability for our customers through our multiple, nationally recognized certifications and rigorous, independent, third-party audits,” states the restaurant’s website.
Greenhouse Shipping Container Restaurant
(images via: greenhousebyjoost.com)
Joost Bakker’s Greenhouse Restaurant has a long list of eco-credentials that lodges it firmly within the world’s top eco-friendly eateries. The traveling Greenhouse Restaurant, which began in Sydney, Australia in 2010, is a follow-up to two similar projects by Joost including a pop-up version and a permanent version in Perth, also called Greenhouse Restaurant. Designed to be easily dismantled and recycled, The Greenhouse is made of used shipping containers; greenery covers the exterior walls and produce is grown on the roof. All incoming ingredients and supplies are delivered in reusable, returnable containers to eliminate waste, and many are locally produced. Food scraps make the soil in the rooftop garden richer, and oil from the deep fryer is turned into biodiesel to provide the restaurant’s electricity. The Greenhouse has traveled to Milan, Berlin, Brussels and London.
Wind & Solar Powered Burger King in Germany
(images via: inhabitat)
On a list of sustainable restaurants, a fast-food joint like Burger King definitely does not belong. Or does it? One location in Germany is powered entirely by on-site wind and solar energy, with waste heat providing the energy to heat water, energy-efficient LEDs to provide lighting and a broiler that reduces gas consumption. It also boasts a solar-powered electric vehicle charging station and rainwater collection to keep the landscaping green. However, it’s still Burger King, serving unsustainable and unhealthy food. If only these green efforts carried over into the company’s regular operations.
Treehouse Restaurant, New Zealand
(images via: yellowtreehouse.co.nz)
A pair of wooden cocoons dangle yards above the ground at the edge of a redwood forest. The Treehouse Restaurant in New Zealand is accessed by an elevated walkway and can seat 30 to 50 diners at a time. Made of sustainably grown poplar and pine, the restaurant has won multiple awards for its stunning design. While it’s now closed to the public, this unusual concept will undoubtedly inspire additional treehouse restaurants.
Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio, Napa Valley, California
(images via: fokal.com)
A vegetarian restaurant with an attached yoga studio in California’s lush and laid-back Napa Valley, Ubuntu serves a creative seasonal menu and sources its wine from biodynamic and sustainable vineyards, which are presumably plentiful in wine country. The fresh produce that makes the restaurant’s dishes so healthy and colorful is harvested from a local biodynamic garden and orchard. Designed by Apparatus Architecture, Ubuntu stuns with contemporary décor set against a 19th century stone wall.
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Vegan Summer: 15 Delicious Dairy-Free Picnic Recipes
July 4, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Food & Health. ]
Take your cruelty-free cooking to the park, the beach and wherever else you’re picnicking this summer. Loaves of bread stuffed with veggies and vegan pesto, spicy tempeh sushi rolls, fruity strawberry cocktails and coconut custard pie with spicy papaya sauce are just a few of the dairy-free dishes you could be enjoying on your summer adventures. From appetizers to dessert, these fresh, flavorful and creative vegan picnic recipes will impress even your most skeptical omnivore friends and family.
Antipasto-Stuffed Picnic Loaf
(image via: dailymail)
Stuff a partially hollowed-out loaf of bread with all of your favorite fillings, wrap it up and refrigerate it overnight with a heavy weight on top for condensed picnic sandwiches that won’t fall apart when you try to eat them. This version by The Daily Mail layers pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, artichoke and mozzarella – omit the cheese, use soy cheese or grilled marinated tofu instead or substitute another favorite vegan ingredient like avocado, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers or hummus.
Blueberry Mint Lemonade
(image via: expatrecipe)
Sweet and refreshing, this super-simple recipe for blueberry mint lemonade is the perfect accompaniment to a vegan picnic spread. Sugar and mint leaves are cooked down into a syrup, mixed with lemon juice and served over ice cubes and a handful of tempting ripe blueberries. Use raw sugar instead of white sugar to make it 100% vegan-friendly. Two more delicious non-alcoholic vegan options: canteloupe agua fresca and green apple sparkler.
Fresh Flavorful Pasta Salad
(image via: fat free vegan)
Pasta salad appears at practically any summer event, yet it’s almost always hiding a dairy product, whether mayonnaise, butter or cheese. Vegan versions, however, can be just as flavorful. Check this vegan pasta salad recipe from Fat Free Vegan, which utilize fresh summer produce of all sorts, spicing it up with garlic and cider vinegar. Another version, from Serious Eats, punches up the flavor even more with olive tapenade and capers (omit the anchovies, of course!)
Strawberry-Lime Cupcakes
(image via: sushi♥ina )
Strawberry lime is one of the most delicious flavor combinations of summer. To create a vegan version of tasty strawberry-lime cupcakes, substitute lime juice for the vinegar in the vegan strawberry cupcake recipe at Eggless Cooking and slather on some vegan ‘buttercream’ frosting. Garnish with strawberry and lime slices. You can also punch up the flavor by mixing a teaspoon of lime zest into the frosting recipe.
Veggie Pinwheels
(image via: norwitch nuts)
Vegetable pinwheels are a fun alternative to plain old wraps and sandwiches and can be made with any of your favorite veggies. You just spread a mixture of vegan cream cheese and finely diced vegetables onto wheat lavash or tortillas, roll them up, slice them and wrap each resulting ‘pinwheel’ individually. Another option switches out the cream cheese and diced raw vegetables for hummus and grilled veggies.
No-Chicken Salad
(image via: midwestveg)
Missing the mayo-soaked tang of chicken salad? You can recreate it with zero animal ingredients, either with ‘mock chicken’ or chickpeas. Try simply substituting vegan mayo and a faux chicken product like Quorn in a standard chicken salad recipe, or check out this chickpea salad recipe which pairs soft spiced chickpeas with the satisfying crunch of celery and the sweetness of red grapes.
Vibrant Vegan Potato Salad
(image via: nikki l)
Pretty much any potato salad can be made vegan by omitting dairy-based mayonnaise – be creative! Many potato salad recipes use vinaigrette and/or mustard instead of mayo to dress the veggies, or you could just use vegan mayonnaise. Try adding dill and pickles for a flavor boost, and toss in any veggies you have laying around.
Mushroom Pate
(image via: vegancooking.com)
Vegan Cooking demonstrates how to make a super-easy mushroom pate with onion, garlic, sliced mushrooms in the variety of your choice and sunflower seeds. A little nutritional yeast deepens the flavor and adds plenty of B vitamins. This spread would be delicious with crackers or toasted baguette rounds.
Dairy-Free Banana Bread
(image via: ilovemypit)
Post Punk Kitchen offers up the ultimate vegan banana bread recipe, which comes out sweet and moist with a chewy crust. Try slathering it with vegan double chocolate sauce or dairy-free vanilla frosting.
Chilled Israeli Couscous Salad
(image via: fat free vegan)
Israeli couscous is similar to common couscous, but with a larger grain, so it’s a little heartier – perfect for chilled salads. This recipe from Fat Free Vegan balances sweet and savory with cucumber, baby greens, herbs, tomato, avocado and sliced ripe apricots.
Spicy Tempeh ‘Sushi’ Rolls
(image via: suzettesuzette)
Want to get a little fancier than sandwiches and salads? It would be pretty impressive to present some vegan sushi rolls at the beach or on the trail. Post Punk Kitchen stuffs spicy tempeh, green scallions and sushi rice into sheets of nori to produce flavorful finger food.
Ripe Tomato Basil Bruschetta
(image via: michael_spencer)
So fresh, so simple, so evocative of summer – what’s not to love about bruschetta? Chop three medium-sized tomatoes, 1 vidalia onion and 2 heaping teaspoons of fresh basil leaves. Toss with a tablespoon of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar; salt and pepper to taste. Spoon this delicious mix onto sliced rounds of toasted baguette.
Strawberry Fizz Cocktail
(image via: re-ality)
Another perfect summery beverage to pair with vegan picnic food is the ‘Strawberry Fizz’ cocktail by barmaster Mike Ryan of Chicago’s Sable Kitchen & Bar. Gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup and a strawberry is all it takes to whip it up.
Raw Vegan Pesto with Zucchini Ribbons
(image via: la.blasco)
A video by Renegade Health gives you step-by-step instructions for making this nutritious raw vegan pesto made with basil, pine nuts and olive oil. Serve it over pasta or zucchini ribbons, or as a dip with crudites.
Coconut-Lime Custard Pie with Papaya Sauce
(image via: healthy happy life)
This cheesecake-like custard pie is brimming with tropical flavors like coconut, lime and papaya. A homemade oat-spelt crust contains a creamy no-bake filling made with coconut milk and silken tofu. The clear sea vegetable agar-agar gives it a custard-like texture, and the whole delicious thing is topped with fresh spicy papaya sauce.
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12 Seemingly Vegan & Vegetarian Foods That Really Aren’t
May 9, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Food & Health. ]
It’s a lard-filled, bug-juice-coated jungle out there. Potato chips, peanuts, birthday cake, beer and more can be packed with unexpected animal products like fish gelatin, beef fat, bird feathers and insect innards. Just because a product sounds like it should be vegetarian or vegan doesn’t mean it’s safe! These 12 examples of surprisingly non-vegetarian foods will prompt you to become a professional label-reader or possibly ditch processed foods altogether.
Beer and Wine – Fish Bladder
(image via: davidnikonvscanon)
Mmm, this pinot noir has notes of chocolate, black cherries, oak and… fish. Isinglass, a membrane taken from the bladders of tropical fish, is used to filter cloudy yeast extracts out of many brands of beer and wine, particularly those made in Britain, so it’s not safe to assume that all yeasty beverages are vegan-friendly. Check the lists at Barnivore to find brands with vegan options.
Cake Mix and Hostess Products – Beef Fat
(image via: ken’s oven)
If you’re vegetarian and not vegan, you might not think twice about eating a slice of homemade cake. What, after all, could possibly be in it that’s not vegetarian-friendly? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is one of the grossest animal products ever: beef fat. It’s a common ingredient in many boxed cake mixes (sometimes listed as lard). Beware all Hostess products, too, no matter how tempting those Twinkies might be: they all contain beef fat.
White Sugar – Animal Bones
(image via: kaibara87)
Most of the time, all that’s listed under ‘Ingredients’ on a bag of sugar is ‘sugar’. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have traces of animal products in it. Sugar isn’t naturally white, and in order to reach that color, manufacturers process it using bone char. Even brown sugar and confectioner’s sugar is made this way. To avoid sugar that has been filtered with bone char (sometimes referred to as ‘natural carbon’), look for unrefined sugar or buy from brands that don’t use bone-char filters.
Red Candies – Beetles
(image via: graham bones)
Who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh, soak it in the sun and make a strawberry lemon pie? The candyman can, but watch out, because that dude puts crushed beetles in things, too. Red candies – and, as a matter of fact, practically anything that’s colored red – often contain red pigments extracted from the female Dactylopius coccus costa, or cochineal insect. Red bug dye is typically listed as cochineal, carminic acid or carmine in the ingredients, and it’s more pervasive than you might think, found in things like wine, vinegar, juice and colored pasta. Many candies are also coated with shellac, a resin excreted by the lac bug, which is usually listed as ‘confectioner’s glaze’.
Orange Juice – Fish Oil and Lanolin
(image via: tropicana, rockyeda)
Who knew that fish lurk in some brands of orange juice? If you want to avoid animal products altogether, skip any juices enhanced with Omega-3′s; some brands like Tropicana’s Heart Healthy Orange Juice get those amino acids from fish oil and gelatin. Also, the vitamin D in some enhanced juices is derived from lanolin, a natural oil in the fiber of sheep’s wool. Coca-Cola juices contain lanolin-derived vitamin D, while Tropicana juices are fortified with synthetic ingredients and Pepsi-Co juices contain no animal products or by-products at all. Typically, vitamin D3 is animal-derived.
Refried Beans – Lard
(image via: k.steudel)
You find yourself at a Mexican restaurant with a group of non-vegans – well, at least the refried bean tacos are safe, right? Maybe not. While many restaurants choose not to use lard (including, surprisingly enough, Taco Bell, though there’s beef gelatin in their sour cream), many still do include this traditional ingredient in what seems like it should be a vegan food. Always ask before ordering!
Enhanced Breads – Fish Oil
(image via: daily mail)
Just as in orange juice, any Omega-3 enhanced bread products likely get those amino acids from fish oil. It’s yet another ingredient to look for when buying packaged bread, which typically contains such non-vegan ingredients as eggs, milk, whey, butter and honey.
Bagels – Bird Feathers
(image via: dcjohn)
You don’t want bird flesh in your bagel, so why would feathers be acceptable? The enzyme L. Cysteine is used as a dough conditioner in bagels and many other processed bread products, and is usually sourced from duck and chicken feathers. Einstein Bros. and Dunkin Donuts have both confirmed the use of poultry feather-based L. Cysteine in all of their bagels and many of their other products, and it can also be found in the garlic bread at Pizza Hut and the honey wheat roll, deluxe warm cinnamon roll and baked apple pie at McDonalds.
Margarine – Whey and Gelatin
(image via: orphanjones)
Before you toss that tub of ‘I’m So Glad It’s Not Butter’ into your shopping cart, check the label. Though it’s made with vegetable oils rather than dairy products, it’s not necessarily vegan. Margarine often contains whey, gelatin and a milk protein called casein, and some brands even contain suet, a type of animal fat. Earth Balance is one reliably vegan brand.
Packaged Peanuts – Gelatin
(image via: euromagic)
Somebody puts out a bowl of peanuts at a party and you’re all over it – this vegan protein can really satisfy a salty craving. But next time, you might want to sneak into the kitchen and surreptitiously check the package (or, you know, just ask the host like a normal person). Some brands of packaged peanuts include gelatin. Planter’s Dry Roasted Peanuts are a notable example.
Soy Cheese – Casein
(image via: sweetonveg)
Soy cheese should be intrinsically vegan, shouldn’t it? Doesn’t it exist purely because some people don’t want to eat animal products, but still crave cheese-like goodness every now and then? You might think so, but strangely enough, many soy cheeses still contain traces of dairy. The milk protein casein is often what gives soy cheese its (slightly) cheese-like flavor and texture. Luckily, not all brands make this oddly vegan-unfriendly decision; for example, none of the non-dairy cheeses produced by Galaxy Foods contain casein or any other animal product or by-product.
BBQ-Flavored Chips – Chicken Fat
(image via: fritolay.com)
Vegans are used to scanning the ingredients list of virtually any food before they’ll consume it, but when you’re vegetarian, it’s easier to let your guard down, assuming that some foods are ‘safe’. Take chips, for example. Would you guess that a bag of BBQ-flavored Baked Lay’s contained chicken fat? Probably not – but they do. The same goes for many other brands of BBQ-flavored chips like KC Masterpiece BBQ Chips and Ruffles The Works chips.
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12 Organic Fertilizers & Natural Bug Repellants
April 25, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Home & Garden & Tricks & Hacks. ]
It’s officially time to start planting in most growing zones of the continental U.S. – how will you make your garden grow this year? These 12 easy, natural DIY pest repellants and fertilizers will enrich your soil and prevent damaging insects and slugs from undoing all your hard work. Safe for organic gardens, these homemade garden recipes and fertilizing tips will give you your best growing season ever.
Castile Soap Spray Insecticide
(image via: drbronner.com)
Is there anything castile soap can’t do? The gentle vegetable oil-based soap makes a gentle and effective insecticidal spray for the garden. Dr. Bronner’s, the company that makes the most prevalent brand of castile soap, recommends filling a spray bottle with water and adding a tablespoon of either unscented or peppermint castile soap and a pinch of either cayenne pepper, cinnamon or powdered garlic. This mixture will kill aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies and spider mites.
Manure
(image via: kristine paulus)
There are few things better for enriching the soil in your garden than plain old rotted manure. You can purchase bags of manure fertilizer at most garden centers or, if you have chickens, goats or rabbits as backyard pets, you can use their droppings, too. Rabbit droppings have the highest nitrogen content and can safely be added directly to soil, but droppings from other animals should be composted before use.
Garlic Spray Insecticide
(image via: mullica)
Garlic spray acts as a deterrent, encouraging insects to move on to more appetizing plants. Unlike many other types of insecticidal garden sprays, garlic can safely be applied to the leaves of plants. Drop the cloves from an entire bulb of garlic into the blender along with two cups of water, puree until finely blended and set it aside for a day. Then, strain out the pulp, mix the garlic liquid with a gallon of water and add it to a sprayer.
Nettle Tea
(image via: la catholique)
Nettles aren’t a pleasant plant to brush up against – their leaves are covered in stinging hairs that inject histamine and other chemicals into the skin, producing a stinging sensation. But dig them up (with gloves on, of course), put them in a 5-gallon bucket, cover them with water and in three to four weeks you’ll have glorious liquid plant food that experts swear by. Nettles.org.uk has the full recipe.
Tomato Leaf Spray
(image via: shelly and roy)
Tomato leaves are packed with alkaloids, which can be an effective repellant for aphids, corn earworms and Diamondback moths. Go Green Ninja recommends soaking 1 to 2 cups of chopped or mashed tomato leaves in two cups of water overnight, straining it through a fine mesh and adding two more cups of water before spraying it on the plants in your garden. Keep this mixture away from pets, as tomato leaves can be toxic.
Egg Shells as Fertilizer & Pest Repellant
(image via: tuchodi)
Egg shells are a multi-purpose aid in the garden, acting as both fertilizer and pest repellant. Add crushed eggshells to the bottom of planting holes, particularly when planting tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, or dry them out and blend them into a fine powder and spread them around the base of plants. Placing crushed eggshells (with sharp edges intact) in a ring around the base of a plant will deter slugs, snails and cutworms.
Slug Beer Trap
(image via: steve r)
Put a little beer in a saucer or yogurt cup (buried to the brim) in your garden, and slugs will come out from all over for an all-night yeast-consuming fest. Too bad they’ll fall in and drown, but hey – otherwise, they’d be eating all of your precious garden plants. Simple, cheap and the perfect way to dispose of all the dregs left behind after a party.
Coffee Grounds as Fertilizer
(image via: how can i recycle this)
Don’t toss those used coffee grounds! They could be adding lots of nourishing nitrogen to your soil. Contrary to popular belief, used coffee grounds are not acidic; they can act as a safe substitute for nitrogen-rich manure in the compost pile. They can also be mixed into soil as an amendment or spread onto the surface of the soil.
Hot Pepper Spray
(image via: oceanaris)
Hot pepper is a natural deterrent for many types of pests in the garden. To make your own homemade pepper spray, combine 6-10 hot peppers and two cups of water in a blender and blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes, pour the liquid into a storage container to sit overnight and then strain out the pulp. Add this liquid to one quart of water in a sprayer, and spray your plants liberally every week or after each rain.
Grass Clippings
(image via: qfamily)
Want a beautiful, effortlessly green lawn? Don’t pick up those grass clippings when you mow the lawn! It’s that simple. Grass clippings are free fertilizer, adding precious nitrogen back to the soil. Short grass clippings decompose quickly, so as long as you mow often enough, they won’t stick around so long that they build up to unmanageable levels.
Beneficial Nematodes
(image via: amazon)
It sounds illogical, but sometimes, adding more bugs to your garden will help decrease the total population. Beneficial nematodes are tiny organisms that can kill hundreds of species of soil-dwelling insects including notorious garden pests like weevils, cucumber beetles and vine borers. You can buy them online, or at your local garden center. To use them you water your garden, then mix the packet of live nematodes with cool distilled water according to the directions on the package. Pour the solution into a sprayer and apply it to the soil.
Compost
(image via: kirsty hall)
Compost is the single easiest and most effective way to make your garden lush and productive, and all it takes is your kitchen scraps and some nitrogen-rich dry materials like grass, leaves or straw. You can compost even if you live in an apartment – get some urban composting tips here.
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30 Seconds to Happiness
April 15, 2011 by admin · View Comments
Being happier doesn’t have to be a long-term ambition. You can start right now. In the next 30 minutes, tackle as many of the following suggestions as possible. Not only will these tasks themselves increase your happiness, but the mere fact that you’ve achieved some concrete goals will boost your mood.
1. Raise your activity level to pump up your energy. If you’re on the phone, stand up and pace. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Put more energy into your voice. Take a brisk 10-minute walk. Even better…
2. Take a walk outside. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning.
3. Reach out. Send an e-mail to a friend you haven’t seen in a while, or reach out to someone new. Having close bonds with other people is one of the most important keys to happiness. When you act in a friendly way, not only will others feel more friendly toward you, but you’ll also strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.
4. Rid yourself of a nagging task. Deal with that insurance problem, purchase something you need, or make that long-postponed appointment with the dentist. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a rush of elation.
5. Create a more serene environment. Outer order contributes to inner peace, so spend some time organizing bills and tackling the piles in the kitchen. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizable dent. Set the timer for 10 minutes and see what you can do.
6. Do a good deed. Introduce two people by e-mail, take a minute to pass along useful information, or deliver some gratifying praise. In fact, you can also…
7. Save someone’s life. Sign up to be an organ donor, and remember to tell your family about your decision. Do good, feel good?it really works!
8. Act happy. Fake it ’til you feel it. Research shows that even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood. And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.
9. Learn something new. Think of a subject that you wish you knew more about and spend 15 minutes on the Internet reading about it, or go to a bookstore and buy a book about it. But be honest! Pick a topic that really interests you, not something you think you “should” or “need to” learn about. Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal, but in fact, research shows that happier people are more sociable, likable, healthy, and productive?and they’re more inclined to help other people. By working to boost your own happiness, you’re making other people happier, too.
Beth
Put Down Roots: 4 Unexpected Ways to Grow an Urban Garden
March 16, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Home & Garden, Nature & Ecosystems, Tricks & Hacks. ]
Gardening is a skill and a hobby; it is a lifestyle and a talent. It is something that can either be bred into one’s soul or cultivated like a delicate flower, but once the love of growing things takes root it is impossible to dislodge. As addicting and love-inspiring as gardening is, it also defies all efforts to contain or restrain it. Those with the love of green things will find a way no matter what the circumstances. If we don’t have a flower bed we grow herbs and flowers in tiny containers on the kitchen windowsill. In the absence of a yard we grow tomatoes and peppers in buckets on the balcony. But these compromises are small in comparison to what some gardeners are willing to do in order to carve out their own little green spaces.
Crack Gardens
(images via: CMG)
The urban environment is typically filled with far more grey than green; vast expanses of concrete take over the spaces where trees, shrubs, flowers and grass may otherwise have grown. CMG Landscape Architecture is putting forth a valiant effort to carve out a little piece of nature in the city with their Crack Garden project. The project was inspired by the tough, wily plants that somehow find purchase in the tiny cracks in city sidewalks.
(images via: CMG)
Instead of waiting for cracks to form in the concrete naturally, the Crack Garden utilizes jackhammers to intervene in the city’s landscape. The sharp breakage of the cement may seem violent, but it is necessary to open up space for new roots to gain a foothold. The neat, orderly lines created by the repeated blows of the jackhammer are perfectly offset by the random plants coaxed into life within them.
(image via: CMG)
The project won a 2009 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) award for its ingenuity. Gardening in purposeful cracks in the urban crust not only brings a welcome splash of life to the largely-lifeless areas we inhabit; it is also much more cost-effective than other urban greenification methods.
Dumpster Gardens
(images via: Ohio State University)
If there is one sight nearly as ubiquitous in the urban jungle as concrete, it is the large trash receptacle colloquially known as a “dumpster” in the US and a “skip” in the UK. They sit outside of apartment complexes, office buildings, shopping malls and schools, simply waiting to collect our refuse. But they have a great deal of potential to add living beauty to city landscapes around the world.
(images via: Oliver Bishop-Young)
Several landscape architects, artists and creative souls have taken it upon themselves to transform dumpsters into little islands of placid plant life. Ken Smith installed three dumpster gardens at Ohio State University, each with a different type of plant life. Oliver Bishop-Young’s inspirational Skip Conversions project featured a skip garden and a skip lawn, both finding homes in bright yellow garbage containers.
(images via: King’s Cross)
In fact, the English seem to have a soft spot for skip gardening. An entire set of skip gardens were planted by community volunteers at King’s Cross, London in 2009. The gardens, being highly portable, can be moved around whenever needed or wanted and their bounty of fresh vegetables shared.
The Truck Farm
(image via: Eating Well)
Even more mobile than a garbage receptacle is the Truck Farm, an inspired creation of Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney – the same guys who brought you the fascinating documentary King Corn. The Truck Farm is a simple but unusual concept: a farm in the bed of a pickup truck. The crops included arugula, tomatoes, lettuce and hot peppers – all grown in the bed of a 1986 Dodge Ram pickup. Being the duo’s only vehicle, the truck farm was driven every all around Brooklyn during the growing season.
At the end of the season, the team was able to feed 20 people with the food grown in this tiny, mobile space. The purpose of this project (and, arguably, every single one of the projects featured here) was to prove that an effective garden can be made anywhere at all. This mobile space that even the most experienced urban gardener might overlook can easily be made into a productive garden to feed those who would not ordinarily have access to fresh, wholesome foods.
Crater Garden
(image via: Faslanyc)
In the midst of World Wars I and II, it was not at all uncommon to find Victory Gardens in yards all around the world. The gardens served several purposes: they strengthened communities, took people’s minds off of the war, and lightened the burden on the already-stretched food supply. But the garden above is an exceptional specimen: it was created inside a crater that formed following a bombing in London.
(image via: Pruned)
The highly unusual garden location goes to show that gardens can indeed take root anywhere – even in the destruction created by the ugliness of war. Whether growing flowers to add a bit of beauty to each day or vegetables to feed the hungry, an unconventional garden in the middle of the city can truly transform lives.
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How to Laugh at Yourself and Mean it
March 8, 2011 by admin · View Comments
David Granirer, PsychoTherapist/Stand-Up Comic, suggests a “contrary attitude” exercise for finding the humor in your life and using it to build self-esteem. You take something about yourself or your life that you consider negative, talk about how much you love it, and why you love it.
For example, I went through a period of misplacing my car keys. Instead of belittling my behavior, I remarked, “I don’t mind frantically looking for my car keys. I love the challenge of a scavenger hunt, and the thrill of racing against the clock to be on time.”
Separating “what you do” from “who you are” provides the distance you need to find the humor in your situation and Q-TIP (Quit Taking It Personal). Our level of self-esteem is often associated with what we are capable of doing, or by our achievements. When we don’t meet our own expectations, the negative self-talk we inflict upon ourselves results in lower self-esteem.
After my brain injury, the planning and preparation of meals was difficult and exhausting. The failed attempts were hard on my self-esteem. For years I felt like I was failing as a wife and mother, in the kitchen. Joking about my loss of cooking ability, helps me accept myself, just as I am.
“I used to be a good cook. Now, it’s good if I cook!”
The ability to laugh at ourselves allows us the opportunity to embrace our flaws, and promotes self-acceptance. It does not include harmful putdowns, ridicule or negative sarcasm. Nor are we advertising that we are defective, rather we are demonstrating that we are human.
Humor is a positive coping mechanism that not only improves our mood, it builds our self-esteem. Unfortunately, we often resort to all kinds of unhealthy coping mechanisms like drinking, smoking, eating, overworking, etc. to make ourselves feel good. While these habits offer temporary boosts, they further undermine our self-esteem.
“I may do stupid things, but I am not stupid!”
Remember, it’s not just what you do that defines who you are. More over, it’s how you handle what you do, that defines who you really are.
Source: Ezine
Beth
Play Tarzan & Jane? 12 Exotic Treehouse Eco-Vacations
April 8, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Angie in Art & Design, Geography & Travel, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Treehouses appeal to the kid in us. How would you like to combine that urge to play in the trees with a vacation? Some treehouse vacations are rustic while others are more like plush resorts. Most are labeled as an eco-vacation. Whether you want to take it easy on the environment or want to play Tarzan and Jane, step off the grid and climb a tree. These 12 treehouse eco-vacations are fun yet exotic, some of the best in the world.
Green Magic Nature Resort
(image credits: palmlandtours)
If you are interested in a remote “jungle” eco-vacation, where you stay in a treehouse, then Vythiri, India, might have what you want. Green Magic Nature Resort is a dedicated eco-lodge built in the trees and located on 500 acres of private secondary forest. The first treehouse is at 100 feet with its second double bedroom directly above it. Access to this treehouse is by wooden steps and hanging bridges. The second treehouse is 90 feet up, accessed by an indigenous crane lift that hoists you with a unique water counterweight. Food comes from an organic farm and energy is solar-powered. Great bio-diversity can been seen when trekking rainforest trails or cooling off in a natural swimming pool. The treehouses offer panoramic views and attached bathroom facilities.
Post Ranch Inn
(image credits: postranchinn)
Along the ruggedly beautiful Big Sur Coast, the Post Ranch Inn has triangular treehouses. They are single standing structures on stilts, built nine feet off the forest floor. Besides a big bed, each has a fireplace and windows which offer spectacular views on all sides. If this ritzy treehouse is too much roughing it for you, then the Post Ranch Inn has a luxurious spa.
River of Life Farm Treehouse
(image credits: riveroflifefarm)
The River of Life Farm is 350 acres located in the Missouri Ozarks. The secluded treehouse overlooks the North Fork River from a private deck. The Mark Twain National Forest is next door, making this a great getaway for hiking, trout fishing, canoeing, or escaping your busy life to commune with nature. The romantic treehouse cabin can sleep up to six, with a master bedroom and a loft bedroom, but is often rented out by honeymooners.
Out ‘n’ About
(image credits: treehouses)
Out ‘n’ About Treesort is located in Cave Junction, Oregon. This place is all about treehouses, claiming to have lots of activitrees, but requiring a treeposit to hold your treeservation. If there is no bathroom in your treehouse, you are welcome to use the main facilitrees. While you are out ‘n’ about, tree fairies clean your perch. They have a wide array of treehouses, varying in sizes, prices, and amenities. These include: The Suite, Swiss Family, Peacock Perch, Cavaltree Fort, Treeloon, Treepee Yurtree, Serendipitree, Treezebo, Forestree, Pleasantree, Elementree, and Majestree.
The Bamboo Treehouse
(image credits: tropical-treehouse)
The Bamboo Treehouse is located on 12 acres of bamboo and tropical hardwood forest in Rincon, Puerto Rico. It offers three types of treehouses, all having 12 volt power provided by solar panels. The Master bedroom Hooch is a separate bamboo treehouse with bridge access to a full bathroom. The Sunset Hooch has a kitchenette on the lower level and a separate hoochette serves as the bathroom. The Luna Hooch is a self-sufficient separate residence, bathroom included, located on a private ridge with spectacular views of the valley and the Caribbean beyond. The Bamboo Treehouse is a tremendous place to be one with nature.
Camp Twin Lakes Treehouse
(image credits: inhabitots)
This eco-friendly treehouse is located on a secluded part of Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Georgia. It’s not for adults, but for special kids. It “provides places and paths for children with serious illnesses and life challenges to experience the joys of childhood and grow in their confidence and capabilities.” Inside this wheelchair accessible treehouse, kids can learn about green living and sustainability. It also has twisty slides, a zip line, trap doors, and climbing nets in a rustic nature setting.
Treehouse Village Resort
(image credits: treehouse)
The TreeHouse Village EcoResort in Papua New Guinea is suited to experienced island travelers, divers, environmentalists, and adventure sporting enthusiasts. The first floor of the Treehouse is 6 meters up, held securely within large knurled limbs of a 200 year old native hardwood tree. There is a large balcony, dining area and a bar. Sleeping accommodations, however, are in beach-front bungalows with private bathrooms. Activities include scuba diving, fishing, snorkeling, surfing, canoeing, jungle walks, rainforest treks, cycling, bird watching, culture tours, and exclusive expeditions.
Parrot Nest
(image credits: Parrot Nest Lodge)
Parrot Nest in San Ignacio, Belize, consists of two treehouses, four cabins, and two bathhouses. The thatched treehouses are on stilts under a 100 foot guanacaste tree. As its name suggests, there are plenty of pretty parrots which, thankfully, also eat the mosquitoes. Parrot Nest has many types of explorations: river, waterfalls, cascades, caves, archeological sites, jungle walks, medicine trails, butterfly farms, and more eco-adventures. Breakfast and dinner are served on the veranda of the main house.
Nahiku Treehouse
(image credits: nahiku)
Welcome to Maui and the Nahiku. The treehouse deck is 750 square feet, located 30 feet about the ground in a 75-foot Mango tree. However, the treehouse is for relaxing, staring at the ocean, or whatever appeals to you, but it is not where you sleep at night. Sleeping takes place in the Banana Cabana. The treehouse has a resident house cat to keep varmints at bay. The owners also advise, “Make no mistake, this is camping. Rainforest camping to be exact. Do not expect a ‘mint on your pillow’ at night.” Sounds fun to have a treehouse involved in camping.
Ngong Treehouses
(image credits: ngonghouse)
When you think of a treehouse vacation, you may not necessarily think it will be a posh place offering a cushy stay. Ngong House in Nairobi, Kenya, manages to offer luxury and a getaway treehouse vacation. Of the six very different styled treehouses, the rooms offer four poster beds, great comfort, and gourmet food. Some of the units have two levels with a bedroom upstairs. Living areas are raised 15 feet off the ground to offer unspoiled views of the Ngong Hills. At night there is a campfire, but during the day there is access to a swimming pool. A stay at Ngong House is an “experience in extreme comfort.”
Cedar Creek Treehouse
(image credits: Cedar Creek Treehouse)
Cedar Creek Treehouse in Ashford, Washington, is only ten miles from Mount Ranier National Park. Unlike most private bed and breakfast establishments, this cabin is 50 feet up in a giant cedar tree. From the treehouse, there are views of Mt. Rainier, the Rainbow Bridge, and the Treehouse Observatory which is 100 feet above the forest floor. The wild spiral “Stairway to Heaven” should be put on your to-do list. Inside the treehouse, there is a skylight for sun or stars as well as a mammoth tree trunk growing straight up through the kitchen floor and disappearing through the ceiling.
Ariau Amazon Towers
(image credits: ariautowers,ariautowers,ariauamazontowers,brazilnuts)
The Ariau Amazon Towers in Brazil are located in the heart of the Amazonian rainforest. It is the largest treetop hotel in the world and this eco-resort is considered a must-see before you die. The treetop accommodations are connected by over 5 miles of wooden catwalks, meandering through the thick Amazon rainforest canopy. Eco-adventures are widely varied, ranging from swimming with rare pink dolphins, walking on rope bridges, to relaxing at treetop swimming pools. Private balconies offer breathtaking natural wonders, from the Amazon River to the lush tropical forest. Be prepared for little monkeys to visit with you.
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