I started to get a little nostalgic today; the temperature dropped to real fall weather! I am wearing socks & a sweatshirt and I am loving it!  The crisp scent in the air always reminds me a few of my favorite things from growing up in Michigan – and today,  the memory of apple orchards is one of the events that spiked my love & appreciation of the world around us:

Picking your own Apples!

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to locate an apple orchard in Orlando (or Florida for that matter) so I have to pick ‘em from the Farmer’s Market – but almost every other state can partake in this awesome activity!  Imagine, rows & rows of apple trees, your own straw basket, a hot mug of apple cider, & maybe a cinnamon donut for a treat (as if fresh grown apples weren’t enough) You might even get lucky enough to take a hay ride on a horse-drawn wagon!  *sigh of jealousy*

 If you do have the chance to go to the orchard this season – send me pictures!  and ask the folks there what kind of environmental practices do they keep in order to make their crops tasty and not take away from the earth. 

Some things to consider when choosing your afternoon of apples:   

• How are you getting there?  Carpool if you can & pack it in with as many people as there are seatbelts to lower your impact.
• Where are you going?  Consider an Organic Apple Orchard if you can – and a local one at that to support your own growing community!
• How does the farm promote soil health?  Perhaps they create their own special organic compost blend.  
• How does the farm conduct tree disease management?  Organic farmers will use a natural approach to their tree farms by creating a forest like haven that apples trees would naturally grown in.

What are you going to do with all those delicious apples?

Here is one of my fave recipes for your bushel of delish:

Butternut Squash Ravioli w. Apple/Walnut dressing 

Cook your ravioli as normal – stovetop water boil style. I like using Butternut Squash ravioli because it tastes like cheese, but minus the extra calories – however, cheese ravioli is tasty as well - so do what you like! 

In the meantime, heat up a little olive oil in a saute pan & toast up your walnuts (or mixed nuts, whatever you have on hand) approximately one handful.

Just before they are done fully toasting, add some thinly sliced, hard variety of apple.  One apple will usually do it, but this is a great recipe to make for a large group as well, so figure as needed.  I like to use Red Delicious for this recipe, but any will work as long as they stay firm.  Also add a half of a handful of finely choppeed Italian parsely leaves.

Stir this all around just enough until the oil coats it all and it has had a chance to blend the flavors -approximately 2 minutes.

Toss this delish dressing with your raviolis & ENJOY!!! mmmm.

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Hi Green Thinkers!  Remember our friends at Rapanui? Check out the press release below on their recently  received RSPCA Good Business Award.  For the American readers out there the RSPCA is comparable to our ASPCA to help prevent cruelty to animals, they are just located over the pond in England & Wales.

Rapanui Win Highly Commended Award at the RSPCA Good Business Awards

Rapanui has won a highly commended prize at the annual RSPCA good business awards for their contribution to sustainability, animal welfare policy and for fulfilling their ethos of ‘doing business the right way’.

 The brand, founded by brothers Mart and Rob Drake-Knight in early 2008 aims to make eco fashion cool and to inspire people to make changes to their wider lifestyle by being open and honest about their supply chain. In response to the current state of the clothing industry they say that “It’s not that people don’t care, it’s just that they don’t know” and have designed an innovative Traceability tool and Eco-labelling initiative, aiming to inform and inspire people to go green by making it easy to find out where their clothing comes from and how it is made, “helping people shop quickly, with a conscience.”

The RSPCA chooses expert judges for their awards ceremony, including Wayne Hemmingway, co-founder of Red or Dead.

“…there is a real commitment within the industry to improve animal welfare, and it’s reassuring to see big brands at the forefront of this change.”  Mr. Hemmingway said.

The brothers have already won the 2010 Sustainable Business Awards, a finals place at Enterprise UK’s Enterprising Young Brits and a nomination for next year’s ISPO Brand New Award. They hope their recognition at the RSPCA Good Business Awards will inspire other young people to consider entrepreneurship. Now 25 and 23 respectively, Rob and Martin Drake-Knight founded their company with £200 of savings and are now listed on the Future 100 list of top young entrepreneurs.

“We hope our business can inspire other young people, even if they have no job and no money, that they can be a success too – whether you wear a suit or flip flops”

Find out more about traceability and Rapanui at: http://www.rapanuiclothing.com/eco

About Rapanui:

Rapanui is about making cool eco-fashion for young people; that means clothing that is eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable: Made from natural organic fabrics in a Fairwear Foundation audited, wind powered factory. Through surfing the brothers saw and experienced the changing environment and climate at their local beach and as inspired, unemployed graduates in a recession, they took a different path; if you can’t find a job, make one.

Rapanui has held Seminars and Lectures at UK and EU universities and multinational companies such as Centrica PLC on Sustainable Business and sit on the Panel at Plymouth University’s All our Future Conference.

Rapanui has made bespoke versions of its clothing for multinationals and charities including Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and the Marine Conservation Society.

Rapanui was set up by brothers Mart and Rob Drake-Knight in early 2008 with £200 of savings and was listed in the Top 100 Startups of 2008. Rob and Martin are listed on the Future 100 List of Top young Entrepreneurs and were recently finalists in Enterprise UK’s Young Brits awards. Rapanui was the youngest company to win the Sustainable Business Awards in May 2010 and has recently been nominated for the internationally-recognised ISPO Brand New Award.

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A big thank you goes to April at DragonAshes.com for this great guest post on the publishing business and a way it has turned green.  April does a lot of reads on books about to be released, and believe me, she knows her stuff!   Her blog also shares her daily adventures with her pet (Big & Little & the kitties), cooking, her family, and all around interesting stuff. 

Check out what she has to share with us Green Thinkers:

While the dismal economy here and abroad has had big effects on many businesses, one that took a big hit has been the publishing industry.  Publishing is costly and selling books is labor intensive.  So, when the need to cut back spending hit the publishers, did they cut back on books?  Of course, but they did a lot less cutting back than they expected.  They just turned their focus to digital books.  Digital publishing is all the rage now.  Every bookseller and publishing house (it seems) has their own e-reader and a list of books available digitally.  Search Barnes and Noble or Amazon websites and each book will be listed at least twice – in paper and digital versions.  What is so great about these digital versions?  Depending on your reader you can highlight sections, bookmark pages, search for certain text and many other things.  Plus, going on a trip?  You can carry an entire library worth of books in your carry-on bag.  Bored while standing in line at the theater/grocery store/retail store?  Read a book.  Need to take the bus to work as your car is in the shop?  Read a book.  Convenient, inexpensive and lots of fun.

 So why is this an important issue when it comes to sustainability?  Because there are fewer trees being sacrificed for your love of bodice rippers of course!  Less ink, less energy expended in printing – less everything.  And this is a good thing for all sorts of people – People who enjoy reading can get books quickly and cheaply without having to pay shipping or drive to a store.  People who love to write but have never been ‘discovered’ by the big publishing houses can publish their works on their own with minimal fuss.*  Booksellers can sell more books more quickly without even needing a brick and mortar store.  Libraries even have digital books available to lend.  Of course every rainbow has its end – with fewer paper books being printed and fewer brick and mortar stores being needed, jobs for people are fewer. 

 There are some websites that are dedicated to digital books like Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/) which is dedicated to mostly self published authors.  I hear you say to yourself “But self-published authors are no good, that is why a big publishing house won’t publish them.”  You couldn’t be further from the truth.  I know of one author who is now published by Simon and Schuster that started out selling his own, self-published books by himself.  These authors are not publishing’s rejects – they are the authors that have yet to be discovered.  You can get ebooks at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon.  Some publishers will sell them directly from their website (macmillan.com or randomhouse.com).  And there are some publishers now that only publish digital books (Ellora’s Cave, Samhain books, Boston Books for example) Added bonus, they are inexpensive!  This can be very important when you are on a scant budget like I am!  Take a look at this self published author’s works: http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=maria+e.+schneider

 *They have to create their own book covers though, which can be hit or miss.  I’ve seen some terrible ones and some great ones.  But authors aren’t usually artists too so give them some slack!

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Betcha didn’t know that the 2nd Sunday in October kicks off National School Lunch week!

In its honor, GTB has decided to share with you some great blogs on eating healthy, kids’ nutrition, and all around good foods.   Hungry yet?  Remember, you can always share what great blog posts you have read to be featured in a Carnival of Green Thinking blog carnival, simply contact us!

Not only is food one of my favorite subjects, but where it comes from, how it is grown & how it is prepared has significant impacts on the world around us. 

SCHOOL TASTES GOOD!

SeriousEats.com shared a venture of Alice Waters and her Edible Schoolyard Program, as well as the results of a recent study from the U.C. Berkeley student’s  School Lunch Initiative. …combines nutritional education with garden training, cooking, and other hands-on skills in the hopes of turning our nation’s youth into trim, vegetable-craving eaters. Her initiatives have been the subject of much debate, by foodies and educators alike, leading to vehement supporters as well as detractors….The study followed about 240 students who were in Waters’ program from 2006 to 2009. The goal of the study was to examine how participation in integrated garden-to-school curriculums affected students’ attitudes about food, their eating habits, and their general knowledge of nutrition….You really should check out the journal for ESP as well, they have some great tales of bringing their home grown goodness to the table in some delish eats!

THERE’S A BLOG IN MY LUNCH BOX!

What I loved about this post from LunchBox.org  is the focus on teaching kids what is good for them!  I remember having a conversation with my aunt, who is an elementary school Principal about the struggles her school district is facing in regards to lunches – most kids couldn’t even recognize a potato because it had only been given to them in the form of a french fry & called a veggie.  This post shows the struggle one school took to improve the knowledge of their kids, and their lunches. …For four years I was the Nutrition Services Director for Berkeley Unified School District.  The four years were a roller coaster ride of changing the food from a menu of highly processed chicken nuggets, corn dogs, Extremo burritos, pizza pockets and grilled cheese sandwiches, all of which came to us frozen and prepackaged, to fresh food made from scratch.  When I first started in Berkeley these pre-packaged items, which were served in the packaging, with sides of canned vegetables and canned fruit, with nary a serving of fresh produce in sight, were the mainstay of the menus….Please visit to read the very impressive statistics.  It is amazing how far a little education can take the world!

SUSTAINABLE FOOD.

This blog post on on Change.org may singularly introduce the concept of healthy school lunches and all the initiatives out there.  It includes those mentioned above from Ann Cooper (aka Renegade Lunch Lady) to Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, and even Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard project – but it also shares the insight into other great movements taking place.  If you want to get inspired about your lunch hour, look no further! …It’s been more than 30 years since Congress raised the federal reimbursement rate for lunches served in America’s public schools. Given the lack of funding, it’s easy to understand why the country’s cafeterias dish out gross, unhealthy meals like processed chicken nuggets, rubbery hot dogs, and tasteless pizza slices every day…

Read the outcome of the vote for the Child Nutrition Bill here.

PACK A BAG LUNCH!

Visit the SPARK blog for a few quick, but very tasty, natural school lunch options.  In my opinion – forget the school part, these are great for kids of all ages and are focused on the new food pyramid  of health!

Meal idea…

• Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts in Whole Grain Pita
• Banana
• Yogurt
• Natural Fruit Snacks
• Flavored Water

Be sure to remember you most handy dandy reusable lunch bag for your nutritious & delish midday eats!

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In keeping with the theme of harvesting this week in honor of autumn, we have a very special treat from some new friends!

Real Time Farms helps you and me determine where your food comes from, that is if you want your food to come from local farms and farmer markets, plus it helps us figure what markets have what foods fresh and where! Make sense? 

These Michiganders have been hitting the press a lot lately – probably because of the great things they do!  It is so easy!  Just go to Real Time Farms and enter your zip code or city and state, then sit back & wait for the magic to begin.

After I entered the zip code for GTB, I found a new farmers market to go to and several new local vendors that I can’t wait to check out!  Plus it shares images from these events, a daily schedule of events of other locally grown events, and restaurants that feature locally grown produce.

Real Time Farms’ blog also rocks and has made our blogroll for easily accessible link to all you GTB readers.

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Do you have something you want to swap?  Do you have something you need?

XX…….XX…….XX

Got to Swapmamas.com.  This is an online community dedicated to swapping goods.  How it works is:  You post what you have in one of the various channels, and you look for what you want.  You can only swap or gift on this site – no $$$ no paypals and all shipping coordination takes place offline.  Rules have it that the giver pays the shipping deal.  Easy-peasy, green & fun!

What I love about this is that it goes with the GTB philosophies of not buying new when you can get something used in perfect condition, plus, you create a sense of harmony by the people you meet through your transactions, and it make the old cliches true: What goes around comes around; One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

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I hadn’t ever thought of this before, but does the Earth want us to conserve? compost? recycle?  Have I been butting my nose where it isn’t wanted?

According to Robert Laughlin, and featured in an article in Newsweek, (Newsweek, 9.12.10 by George Will) the Earth just may not care if we meddle.  Laughlin shares the idea that the geological timeframe of the Earth will happen regardless of what we do in the meantime. He argues that ‘Climate change over geologic time is, Laughlin says, something the earth has done “on its own without asking anyone’s permission or explaining itself.” People can cause climate change, but major glacial episodes have occurred “at regular intervals of 100,000 years,” always “a slow, steady cooling followed by abrupt warming back to conditions similar to today’s.”’ 

I must say, I see his point – and since he is a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, he has some ground to stand on.  Even so, I still think it is in the interest of human nature that we embrace conservation and show a respect for where we live. 

What are your thoughts?  Leave us a comment, a tweet, or an email.

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With the weather cooling down and football back in season, this week’s Carnival of Green Thinking has been dedicated posts that focus on all aspects of eco-friendly sports.  Remember, you too can share your favorite posts for the weekly Carnival of Green Thinking!

Picture courtesy of Fair Trade Sports

EVERY GAME NEEDS A MASCOT!!!

The best way to tell you about Leave No Trace  is to share their Mission Statement:  The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide.  According to the Leave No Trace Community Blog, this ethical outdoor group has just gotten their very own mascot!  Chipper is a super cute chipmunk who gets to educate kids on being eco-friendly!  …The Company sells the physical products along with providing in school story times, kids nature zones, and event participation with its live mascot – Chipper. IAGmedia received iParenting Media’s “Hot Product” award for the series, and recently teamed up with Leave No Trace as a Small Business Partner in the Spring of 2010…

FRIENDS!

No sporting event would be complete without your buddies!  Here we are featuring a blog that we hope will be our friend – Your Green Ability shares a post on eco-friendly sports equipment.  …The time that you need to think “eco friendly” is when you are buying sports equipment. Remember, every piece of equipment can be found in an eco friendly form if you keep an open mind and are willing to spend just a little bit more money in some cases. For instance, you will find everything from reusable water bottles to organic clothing and much more. If you are interested in eco friendly sports equipment you should begin your search online. You may find a few items at a local sporting goods store, but the selection is not going to be that great. The good thing is that this is bound to change in the future…

SNACKS THAT PACK A PUNCH!

What sporting event wouldn’t be complete with some delicious snacks?  Check out the Chef MD’s vegetarian salsa - tri-benefits!  1. delish yums in the tums  2. clear a runny nose 3. remember that a vegetarian diet takes less of a toll on the world around us – and remember, buy your ingredients from your local farmer’s market or co-op for a great impact!

Chili Chili Bang Bang: Poblano Salsa

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 344 per serving
Percent from Fat: 9%
Cusine: American, Vegetarian
Course: Soups – Meal
Diet: Vegetarian
Food as MedicineSM Ingredient: Chili Pepper

Food as Medicine^SM Tip

By making your nose run, the hot and spicy chili pepper can prevent chronic sinus infections. And it’s all thanks to capsaicin, the active ingredient in the chili pepper that makes your mouth feel like it’s on fire. Studies show that capsaicin has cancer fighting health benefits. And it can help to kill the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.

Culinary Taste Tip

Dried poblano chilies are called anchos, and toasting an ancho for just a few seconds over an open flame brings out the dark, brooding fruit of raisins, cherries and blackberries underneath.

Culinary Technique Tip

Do not touch your eyes when working with chilies. When you can, slice the pepper in half lengthwise first to scoop out the seeds and the seed pod. Then work.

Ingredients

2 large poblano chili peppers, seeded, chopped*
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. frozen beef flavored crumbles (a soy based meat substitute), such as Boca brand
1 tablespoon chili powder, such as ancho or chipotle chili powder by McCormick brand
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano * *
1 cup chipotle salsa, preferably Frontera brand
2 (15 or 16 oz.) cans no salt added kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup water
2 medium yellow summer squash or yellow zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (2 cups)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley

Preparation

Cook chili peppers and garlic in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add frozen crumbles, chili powder and oregano and continue to cook 1 minute. Stir in salsa. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 5 minutes or until chili peppers are tender. Stir in beans and 1 cup water. Stir in squash. Cover and cook until squash is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt, if desired. Ladle into shallow bowls; top with sour cream and cilantro or parsley.

Substitutions

* If fresh poblano chili peppers are not available, substitute 1 or 2 jalapeno chilies, minced and seeded, and add 1 large green bell pepper, diced. If chipotle salsa is not available, substitute your favorite salsa and add hot pepper sauce to taste. Ancho or chipotle chili powder will give the dish more heat than regular chili powder. Beef stock may replace the 1 cup water.

Tips

* * Look for Mexican oregano in Hispanic markets and some large supermarkets.

Nutritional Analysis

Total fat (g): 4; Fat calories (kc): 33; Cholesterol (mg): 10; Trans fatty acids (g): 0; Saturated fat (g): 2; Polyunsaturated fat (g): 1; Monounsaturated fat (g): 0; Fiber (g): 20; Carbohydrates (g): 53; Sugar (g): 6; Protein (g): 31; Sodium (mg): 571; Calcium (mg) 260 

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You may remember this spring as I hoped to educate readers about Crohn’s & Colitis with the walk we did to help raise money to find a cure.  Well, Denise is at it again, with a much greater goal this time.  In addition to raising funds to help find a cure for Crohn’s & Colitis she is doing it by challenging herself to complete a half marathon.  For someone with her medical history, this is a major feat.  But, you have to hand it to her, she is fully involved in her cause – and I am so proud to call her my friend & get to root for her.  

I am hoping that by reading her message (below), you will feel inspired to support her through this exciting challenge.  Denise is also Team Orlando’s honoree for the challenge this year. 

One way you can support Denise is by purchasing a “Shop For a Cure” pass at Macy’s.  This pass is $5 and is valid on Oct 16^th ONLY (Shop For a Cure Day).  The pass includes an all day 10% and 20% coupon and coupon for 25% off one item. The passes can be used at any Macy’s as well as online (I will be happy to mail it to you).  I have passes available for purchase for anyone interested, please send me an email at greenthinkinggtb@gmail.com.

Otherwise, you can always visit Denise’s site directly to donate.

Here is her story for your dose of inspiration, thank you Denise for sharing & being brave enough to take on this combat!  Remember, one of our mantra’s at GTB is to pay it forward, it will come back to you & our Earth!

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Today, September 13th, marks Chocolate Day in honor of Milton Hershey‘s birthday, founder of Hershey Chocoloate.  Let me just say, besides being a serious lover of chocolate, I feel I might owe a little gratitude to Mr. Hershey for all the fantastic memories in my childhood including: Halloween, Girls Scout camping s’mores, getting my first (Hershey) ‘Kiss,’ … well, you get the point.

Today, while I may not pay particular tribute to Mr. Hershey’s products, I am paying tribute to his fanstatic product – chocolate. Ah, that delicious concoction from the cocoa bean.  And these particular blogs feature some organic mixes:

CHOCO-BLOG by Gnosis Chocolate

My friend, Laurel, introduced our group to Gnosis Chocolate while she was training to become a certified Health Counselor.  She brought back a tasty little morsel that melted in my mouth and changed my view of all things chocolate: it can be tasty, organic, vegan & kosher all in one. I love this excerpt from their blog ...I have a weird and wonderful father and since the earliest I can remember, he quoted Latin at me. One of his favorites was degustibus non disputandum est, which translates to, “In matters of taste there can be no dispute.” …Each of us is possessed with our own individual sense of taste and smell, and our innate senses are honed by our environment – where we grew up and what we ate as children…

DAGODA’S SWEET & SAVORY CHOCOLATE - Dagoda Chocolate by Organic Authority

Chocolate doesn’t only have to be sweet, it can be savory too!  Such a versatile tasty little morsel …Dagoba uses the finest organic aromatic cocoa beans from Latin America and the Caribbean, shade-grown and harvested with environmental sustainability in mind. The company is perhaps best known for its tantalizing chocolate bars, which are nothing like the typical offerings you’ll find on a natural foods candy display…

CHAM-PLAINLY HEALTHLY CHOCOLATE

The blog at Lake Champlain Chocolates  shares some of the excellent health benefits of organic chocoloate, so go ahead, enjoy a piece…or two. …First, cocoa, the main component in chocolate, contains Phytochemicals called flavonoids also found in red wine, green tea, and fruits and vegetables. Flavanoids contain antioxidants, which are beneficial in that they block arterial damage caused by free radicals. Flavonoids are also associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Chocolate contains stearic acid, which is a neutral fat that does not raise bad cholesterol and a recent study in the Journal of the American Heart Association also shows that dark chocolate might lower your blood pressure and improve insulin resistance.
 

How could I not share a recipe to end this week’s blog carnival?  THANK YOU GREEN & BLACK’S ORGANIC CHOCOLATE!

How do Chocolate Brazil Soft-Baked Cookies sound to you?

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate Brazil Cookies

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bran
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 3 ounces dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa content, roughly chopped
• 3 ounces milk chocolate, preferably 34% cocoa content, roughly chopped
• 2 ounces brazil nuts, chopped (about ½ cup)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder once, returning the bran to the sifted flour, then fold it into the mixture. The bran gives a distinctive flavor and texture to the cookies. Beat well, adding the vanilla extract and enough milk to make a pliable dough. Mix it with your hands, adding the milk in stages until the dough is fairly soft, but not sticky. Add the chopped chocolate, and nuts, and distribute evenly through the dough. Roll out onto a 

lightly floured board to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Press out the cookies using the cookie cutter and place them on a greased cookie sheet, leaving plenty of room in between cookies.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes until just golden around the edge but still soft. Leave the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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