Water Footprint: Find out how much water some of your favorite products use! Did you know that the “Global Water Footprint” for a single apple is about 18 and a half gallons of water? Reduce *your* Water Footprint with these actions.

Fall is coming, is your garden ready? If you’re a gardening newbie and just planted a garden this summer, here are a couple tips to increase your garden’s longevity. The legendary gardening gurus at Rodale have tips on fall garden cleanup that will have you looking like a pro come spring.

The Happy Planet Index: Nic Marks discuses why we should measure success in terms of happiness in this 16-minute TED Talks video, tracking well-being against the amount of resources we use. Though the U.S. does quite well in terms of well-being, it is one of the countries that also uses the most resources. What country should we emulate? You may be surprised!

Multi-Media Pick:

Cafeteria Man: Chef Tony Geraci is on a mission to make-over Baltimore public schools’ cafeteria food. In this 2.5-minute trailer for the movie “Cafeteria Man,” students complain of “mystery meat” and tons of pizza, pizza, pizza. Geraci plans to swap unhealthy mystery food for local produce.

Get PG points for your healthy food actions!

New and Cool Pick:

DIY mini BBQ for Labor Day Weekend: Recycle a container of Altoids Sours into a mini BBQ. All you need besides the tin are some salvaged computer fan guards and a few nuts and bolts. The kids will marvel at making the little cooker, capable of cooking a full sized hot dog or small hamburger patty. The kids will love to use it for some yummy s’mores too! Don’t forget the organic chocolate.

“Inspires awe”

That’s what The New York Times said about The Daily Grommet earlier this month.

Their goal is to promote innovation by endorsing what they call “nice companies,” ones with well-made products and impeccable service. If those products preserve a craft or protect the environment, they say, all the better.

Daily Grommet CEO Jules Pieri with New York Times article

We agree. We think the Daily Grommet is superb: it’s an on-line personal-shopping advisor that arrives via email every day at noon with a cool new product discovery and a snappy video that tells the story behind it. Even if you don’t want it, or don’t need it, you’ll likely be interested in it. No ads, no hype, no registration fee: just the true inspiration as told by inventors and designers. Five days a week.

Discoveries are introduced by Grommet CEO Jules Pieri and/or a member of her team. Here’s a good example: the Ecosystem Life Journal (August 23) presented by Pieri and colleague Jesse Buckley: “This was a story that slowly grabbed me… they’re almost jewel-like….” Jules might as well be handling a Tsarina’s Faberge egg — except that it’s a $15 notebook made entirely of recycled materials. Jesse reveals the innovative clincher: a tracking code on each notebook that shows where it was made and all of the materials that went into it. “Quite revolutionary!” says Jules. “It looks humble, it’s a journal, but it’s really quite heroic to me!”

Washable, insulating lunch totes (8/16 Grommet)

Robe from rural India preserves ancient techniques

There are dozens of recommended actions about reducing, reusing, and recycling at Practically Green: we take Stuff seriously. The Daily Grommet’s approach to appreciating every purchase for its origins, its creators, and its materials strikes us as thoughtful and prescient. So we called Jules to find out more about the underpinnings of The Daily Grommet and why it’s resonating with so many people.

“Today the true story of a person or a product is more knowable, and social media is driving that,” she says. “Facebook, Twitter, eBay, CraigsList — all of these are drivers, making the laws of commerce permeable. My goal is to accelerate that dynamic. I believe that when a business is nimble and flexible, it can solve big problems, such as environmental issues and cultural preservation. I’m passionate about preserving craft and about promoting domestic technological innovation – in the US, yes, but in any country.”

Jules believes that people are increasingly supportive of “little Guy” companies, and she knows that stories make for a meaningful transaction: “… knowing the back story of a product–its invention, or craft, or social benefits, or environmental impact, or technology, makes its experience much richer and even deeply meaningful.”

I had an a-ha moment at Thanksgiving, 2007. Amazon had a surprise release of the Kindle. They had authors and celebrities talking about it, but as real people, in a very low-fi and under-produced way. When Michael Lewis told why he loved the Kindle, I said That’s it, I’m buying one! I had no previous notion of buying that thing — and it was expensive! — but because of the authenticity of the story, I bought one that minute. And then I went to my co-founder Joanne, and I told her we had to have video of the two of us presenting these stories, and later she told me she was thinking, Well, we’ll get over that one. She’ll give up that idea. But it makes such a huge difference when the creators of the products tell the story. They convey their direct personal passion.

Visit The Daily Grommet to sign up and to view video stories organized across themes (e.g. “Grommets for Getting Gussied Up”) in 30 categories, from Art to Wedding/Shower Gifts (here’s “Green/Eco-Living; here’s Kitchen). And look for a new vetting area in October, which Jules announced on her blog this week: “I’m very pleased we are developing a new submission process which will openly publicize the ideas we are seeing. What is now visible only to our team will live in a  public “Citizens’ Gallery” on our site. This change is going to be huge.”

Watch this video to learn more.

Everyone knows what NIMBY means: “Not in My Back Yard” (raised-eyebrow alert). So what’s IOBY? “IN our backyards”! IOBY is a website that connects environmental projects in NYC with people who want to donate to them and volunteer. ioby believes that “environmental knowledge, innovation, action, and service begin and thrive in our backyards.” Here’s a post on Seventh Generation’s blog that tells more. What a terrific idea for a Back to School project!

SF’s list of green vendors now available to you: For the past five years, the city of San Francisco has instituted strict standards regarding the products their municipal departments buy: they have to be truly eco-friendly. What sets SF’s list apart is that they require manufacturers to fork over information that commercial guides aren’t likely to get. See which products made the cut!

Food for thought: put salad bars in schools! Whole Foods is teaming up with chef Ann Cooper to help schools switch from processed foods to fresh, natural ingredients. Their goal is 300 salad bars in schools by January. Click here to donate to Project Salad Bar, or simply visit your local Whole Foods. Get credit for your fresh food efforts at Practically Green.

Multi-Media Pick:

“The Majestic Plastic Bag” California is preparing to vote on the nation’s first state-wide plastic bag ban, and Santa Monica-based nonprofit Heal the Bay, filmed this nature documentary-style “mockumentary” to boost support for the ban. The state senate is expected to vote by the end of August (aka SOON!). While the votes are tallied, enjoy this gut-busting four-minute video.

Get PG points for switching to reusable bags at the grocery store.

New and Cool Pick:

You thought only your faucet had leaks: When you turn your electronics off, they’re not really “off,” they maintain a “trickle” of electricity, otherwise known as an electrical leak. This great article not only tells you how to track your product’s energy consumption, but also reviews lots of products to help you manage this. For example, Belkin’s Conserve AV power strip automatically turns off your DVD player, in home theatre and game systems when you turn your TV off. The Belkin Conserve Insight measures the amount of energy plug-in appliances draw. Get PG points for saving energy here.

This time of the year is always overwhelming. So we here at Practically Green hope to make life a little easier by offering a round- up of all the great green back-to-school ideas we’ve been hearing, our personal picks for eco-friendly school supplies and of course, actions that will earn you points, points, points!

Pencils and Pens.

Let’s start with the small stuff. Staples’ Eco Easy brand offers some great eco-friendly mechanical pencils made from 72% recycled content. They also have pens made from 62% recycled plastic. If you’re looking for something fun, we like O’BON’s colorful fruit pencils made from 100% recycled newspaper. Papermate has cool biodegradable pens and mechanical pencils.

Binders and Folders.

Naked Binder has two-pocket folders and binders made of 100% recycled and recyclable materials and 97% post consumer waste. ReBinder sells folders made of recycled fibers and binders without toxic vinyl material. Staples’ Eco Easy brand has eco-friendly view binders. Check out these folders from Sasquatch with some earthy, interesting designs. Seventh Generation also has great suggestions for writing utensils and notebooks!

Notebooks.

How about a notebook that looks like giant falcon plumage? O’BON has a large selection of eco-friendly notebooks, like the non-toxic Sugarcane Series, which is made from sugarcane paper, soy-based inks. We also liked Ecojot’s spiral notebooks. And if you’re already at Staples, their Eco Easy brand also has recycled notebooks as well!

Paper.

If you’re looking for recycled paper, Staples Eco Easy has some great choices for filler and white printer paper. New Leaf Paper carries lined and copy paper made from post-consumer waste.

Art Supplies.

Feel like drawing? We like O’BON’s Wildlife colored pencils, made of recycled newspaper; and we can’t wait to try Prang Soybean crayons. Our all-time favorite markers are Crayola’s AP Certified Nontoxic, washable markers.

Backpacks.

How about a TerraCycle backpack made from old drink pouches and cookie wrappers! We also like Lands’ End eco-friendly backpack made from 100% recycled fabric. Grist also has great ideas for eco-friendly backpacks and bags.

P.S. Pop some all-natural hand sanitizer in the backpack, and earn 20 points!

We’re fans of the Environmental Working Group for many reasons, and they’ve compiled a handy green back-to-school shopping list. Want to go beyond your children’s back-to-school supplies? Consider joining greenschools, a non-profit organization whose mission is “to create greener and healthier learning environments through education and awareness.”  They’ll help you tackle important, basic stuff like indoor air quality, healthy food and habits, and reducing, reusing and recycling at your school.

Transportation.

Remember that you can also earn points by walking, biking or carpooling to school. All three actions help reduce emissions and are great ways to get exercise and meet new friends.  Remember to load up on the sunscreen! We have several all-natural brands for you to try.

And now, the last tip we can give you for greening your back-to-school is quite simple: Have a healthy, happy and wonderful school year!

Photo Credit: Flikr, O’BON, Crayola, ReBinder, O’BON, All Terrain, Fast Company

Today's Blog Post by: Lindsey O'Connor

A new definition of dumpster diving: For those of you who follow us on Twitter (@practicallygrn), you know that we are just thrilled with this story! A year ago a guerilla design project turned dumpsters into swimming pools in Brooklyn. They were such a hit, more pools popped up this summer, including some on Park Avenue in Manhattan! What a great way to be resourceful and have some summer fun!

Pencils? Check. Paper? Check. Net-zero energy? Check! The first public net-zero energy school will be open for classes at the end of the month. The school was built as a teaching tool for students to learn about energy conservation, solar energy, water conservation, and recycling. Get PG points for saving energy here.

Lounging around: How about a 33 ft. long hammock made of 4,278 feet of rope from recycled bottles! The Boston project was a result of the first-ever $1,000 grant from The Awesome Foundation, and it’s meant to help bring city-dwellers together. What better way to get to know someone than to share a hammock?

Multi-Media Pick:

Green your kitchen: We taught you how to clean your microwave without using any chemicals, now Danny Seo can show you how to clean your coffee-maker, sponges, and garbage disposal as a part of Epicurious’ “Green Kitchen Videos.”

New and Cool Pick:

Oldie but goodie: Ok, so this product is far from new. You’ve likely been using it for decades! However, Crayola recently “plugged in” their solar-powered factory. Crayons will be made with solar power, marker barrels with recycled plastic, and colored pencils with reforested wood.

Think Green and Young: Children’s clothing and toy store Area Kids has a fabulous collection of eco-friendly duds for your little ones. The store is in Brooklyn, but offers products online. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice the “style” part of your “green lifestyle.”

Calling all Green Entrepreneurs: YouGoods is a design contest that challenges you to submit a product idea that is “practical, unique, and eco-friendly.” Act quickly, submissions are due on the 19th!

Are Chemicals Speeding up Your Daughter’s Childhood? There has been much talk in the news lately about exposure to chemicals such as BPA disrupting girls’ hormones. Hopefully the Safe Chemicals Act and the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act will help to put a stop on this disturbing trend. Click here to get PG points for your chemical free-cleaning.

Mulit-Media Pick:

Save That Stuff can help your business with its recycling needs by providing cost-effective alternatives to traditional waste disposal. See the video below for astonishing visuals of all the waste they recycle! The video is a little long, but everything worth seeing is in the first three minutes. Get PG points for recycling your stuff. Enjoy!

New and Cool Pick:

No more shoving a sponge into your Klean Kanteen: This cool brush made from recyclable materials will save you some serious time and effort. It’s hard to clean sticky drinks out of your eco-friendly reusable water bottle (my water STILL tasted like apple juice for at least three re-fillings), but this nifty brush makes it a breeze. It cleans both the inside and the outside at the same time.

Sheila Hollender

We received a fresh message from Sheila Hollender of Seventh Generation first thing this morning, and we want to share it with you ASAP. Sheila is responsible for Seventh Gen’s global feminine-care initiative, and she directs the corporate-giving program. Under her leadership, the brand seems destined not only to make a difference for women of all privileges, of every nation — but also, to involve women of education and means who can help.

We’re proud and delighted to have both Hollenders — Sheila and Jeffrey, her husband — as advisors on Practically Green.

Here’s Sheila’s blog post, dated August 12, 2010. We have a funny feeling it’s historic, and we hope you’ll share it with your friends and influentials. Thank you.

News alert: Women now drive the world economy. Globally, women control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending according to three recent studies on women and the economy: Women Want More, by Silverstein & Sayre; Why She Buys, by Brennan; What Women Want, by Underhill. All three books underscore the fact that the global market has turned female friendly. This means that by exercising the “power of the purse,” women are able to dictate what manufacturers put out into the marketplace.

It should come as no surprise that a good portion of women’s spending is dedicated to beauty and personal care products. After all, through our collective purchasing power we have made cosmetics and personal care products companies vastly wealthy. We have done this without a lot of public questioning about the ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products. We have failed to demand that the ingredients used in these products be non-toxic.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has been working to spread the word about the chemicals used in cosmetics. This organization claims that many cosmetics on the shelf today contain chemicals that have been linked to a negative impact on human health. In a video titled, The Story of Cosmetics Annie Leonard highlights the importance of knowing exactly what ingredients are used in our everyday cosmetics and personal care products.

Whether talking about the most recent miracle cream to hit the shelf or the tampons we use on a monthly basis, women have the power to change the way business is done.

Empower yourself and only support companies that actively work to make products that are safe for all of us.

Trash-Free for an Entire Year: Could you live trash-free? We at PG are always trying to find ways to make less trash, and this couple is definitely a prime example. A couple in Oregon found that not only was it possible to live almost trash free for a year, it was “easy.”

Playground Safety Hazard: Please use caution when taking your children to the park for some summer fun. From the 1970s until 2003, some wooden playground equipment was pressure-treated with a substance that (shockingly) contained arsenic.

How Green are Your Favorite Brands: You might want to think before shimmying into a new pair of jeans. A new rating system has been developed for some 100 well-known apparel and footwear brands. Just as appliances have Energy Star ratings, the “Eco Index” will eventually tell consumers the environmental impact of their purchases. The Index hopes to encourage brands to be thoughtful of the environment when designing apparel, and it gives brands that strive to be eco-friendly the credit they deserve.

Multi-Media Pick:

The Environmental Impact of a Pair of 501s: View the life cycle of one of America’s most popular brands of denim. You may be as shocked as we were to find out that to make a single pair of 501s, 3,480.5 liters of water are used. This is the equivalent to running the garden hose for 106 minutes!

New and Cool Pick:

Energy Saving Night-Light: Skip the plug-in night-light to keep those monsters away for the kids and get them a cool, solar powered Sun or Moon Jar! The jar works by being placed in direct sunlight during the day (on a windowsill for example), and automatically illuminates in the dark.

FarmVille Goes Organic: Show your green side in the virtual world by “planting” organic blueberry crops on FarmVille. Cascadian Farms introduces an organic feature for your favorite Facebook pastime!

Celebrities for Solar Energy: Even oil tycoons are advocating for renewable energy…well, sort of. Larry Hagman, who played Texas oil tycoon J.R. Ewing on the hit show “Dallas,” encourages people to use solar energy in his new ad campaign for Solar World.

How Honest Tea Stood Up To Coke: Honest Tea lives up to its name by refusing to remove “no high fructose corn syrup” from its packaging to appease its biggest investor, Coca-cola. Well, we at Practically Green appreciate their “honest-tea.”

Multi-media Pick:

Bring your family to an eco-friendly festival: If you’re in the Vermont area this weekend, Solarfest, is being held in Tinmouth. Solarfest boasts over 85 workshops in sustainable agriculture and solar energy for the whole family to enjoy! The festival also includes performances, vendors, food and activities for kids. More information about the festival, as well as where to purchase tickets, can be found at www.solarfest.org.

The festival will include performances by the Guy Mendilow Band, who take their commitment to the environment a step further by creating some of their own instruments out of recycled materials. See the video below where the band’s lead singer, Guy Mendilow, describes what they’re all about!

New and Cool Pick:

A New Way to Protect Your Family From UV Rays:
Just when we thought the iPhone couldn’t get any cooler, a new app, Sun Alert Lite, calculates how long you can stay in the sun without getting burned. So go ahead, let your kids play in the summer sun and have the Sun Alert Lite app tell you when it’s time to apply sunscreen!

Photo Credit: http://appstorehq-production.s3.amazonaws.com/asunalertlite-iphone-120138.185×185.1262771347.51137.jpg

My personal Napa must-dos include 1) as many meals as possible at Ubuntu, where local organic veggies rule (click here for the “current crop” list), and where the wine list is over 70% sustainably produced — and which has a spanking-new Michelin Star (congratulations!); 2) yoga classes in-between delectables (there’s a sweet studio on the second floor of the restaurant); and, 3) a visit to the Oxbow School, where the chefs are aligned with the Slow Food movement and inspired by nearby guru Alice Waters. “No Bug Juice Served Here,” they like to say at Oxbow.

Does this look like typical school-lunch fare?

Practically Green’s friend Jeff Deasy wrote this report on Napa for his blog at AmericanFeast.com, and we’re reprinting an excerpt here with his permission.

Farm-to-table dining has been a growing trend for some time and there is no sign it will slow anytime soon. The movement to serve fresh, local, sustainably harvested food is offering truly distinctive dining experiences and helping raise awareness of the delicious alternative to heavily processed foods shipped from factories.

One meal at a good farm-to-table restaurant should convince anyone that foods are at their most flavorful and nutritious when served at their freshest. Eating seasonal foods produced without chemicals, whether grown at home or in a community garden, or purchased from a trusted local farmer, makes for better health and a cleaner environment.

The Bounty of California’s Napa Valley

The Napa Valley in California is one of America’s most rare and precious agricultural preserves. Home to the founders of America’s fine wine industry, its towns and villages also present a bounty of crops for an authentic farm-to-table dining experience regularly enjoyed by visitors and locals alike. The very word Napa stands for ‘Land of Plenty’, the original meaning given to the region by its first inhabitants, the Wappo Indians.

Many Napa Valley restaurant chefs cultivate their own orchards, vineyards and gardens teeming with rows of basil, eggplant, squash, pomegranates, figs, tomatoes and of course grapes. The freshness makes a huge taste difference, as is regularly noted by restaurant patrons and those culinary institutions dishing up annual accolades. Even those who do not have gardens of their own largely rely on the bounty of area farms and local farmers markets.

Click for the Napa Valley Destination Council’s recommendations for Agri-Eco Tourist destinations.

Here’s a list of Napa Valley restaurants with edible gardens of particular note:

• Ad Hoc

• Bouchon bistro

• Bardessono Inn

• Brix Restaurant and Gardens

• Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen

• The French Laundry

• Long Meadow Ranch, Winery & Farmstead

• Meadowood Napa Valley

• Ubuntu.

• The Carneros Inn

For more information about America’s legendary wine, food, and wellness destination, go to: The Legendary Napa Valley

To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook

To follow American Feast’s Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter

Jeff Deasy Sprinkles his Famous Salsa

How did you start your green journey? Were you raised to be eco-conscious?

I have always been into making things from waste materials. Growing up, nothing in my house was thrown away, cereal packets, tin cans, plastic bags… it was all kept for me to make my creations from! Then, when I was at university I wrote my dissertation on recycling in design and decided to make some products made from waste materials. This is when I first started to make lighting from wasted plastic drinks bottles. It’s something that is thrown away so much here in the UK and I’m sure in other countries too (only 5.5% of plastic bottles are recycled in the UK). So I wanted to make something beautiful from them.

How do you incorporate other green habits into your lifestyle?

I do the general things a lot of people do nowadays. I reuse/recycle my own rubbish. I am a bit of a hoarder so anything I think I can use again gets kept and put to one side. I use public transport or walk everywhere. I have been able to drive for years but haven’t justified the need for a car. I am lucky that the city I live in has a good public transport system…For my lamps, I collect the bottles from local cafes and households. Of course as word has spread amongst friends and family about my design projects I have many volunteers collecting their bottles and donating them to me.

How does she do it? The plastic bottles are cleaned and sandblasted, then cut and formed into beautiful shapes. For the Cola lamp (shown in the top picture), each strip of plastic is then attached to a recycled card base and secured using its own bottle top.

Itching to get your own handmade Sarah Turner lamp? Her lamps aren’t sold in the US yet, but they are available to purchase online at http://www.sarahturner.co.uk/. For international sales inquiries just email sales@sarahturner.co.uk.

The 2nd item we are going gaga over is this paper shredder turned coffee table we found on Design*Sponge. Pigeontail Design is behind this sleek and clever table rightfully called the Papervore.

Do you love these designs? Do you own a piece of sustainable furniture that you want others to know about? Share with us!

Photo Credit: http://www.sarahturner.co.uk/news.html http://www.sarahturner.co.uk/bluebell1.html http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/06/thanks-for-shredding-my-paper-coffee-table.html

40 Uses for Baking Soda: Baking soda is cheap and free of toxic chemicals, so put it to use in multiple ways! We’ve always used it in the fridge to neutralize odors: why not use it to make homemade mouthwash!

Best Baby Bike Seats: The first day of summer is Monday, June 21st! Get outside and pedal off with your little one close by you in these stylish and convenient seats….

4 Kid-safe Bug Repellents: Everyone hates getting bitten, but we don’t want to spray ourselves (or our kids!) with harmful chemicals. These options are natural & organic.

Multimedia Pick:
Planet Green’s The Fabulous Beekman Boys: Discovery’s Planet Green aired this hilarious show this week. It had us in tears, it is so funny! Who knew city boys and goats could mix?

The Fabulous Beekman Boys from mike goubeaux on Vimeo.

New and Cool Pick:
Eco-Friendly Candles: Melo candles are made of soy and fragranced with essential oils, and they are hand-poured into unique containers. Our favorite is the Field Grass scent in a vintage glass.

Photo Credit: http://www.etsy.com/listing/49065057/large-vintage-soy-candle-field-grass

Here is a recipe that I came up with for one of my favorite dishes: tacos. Feel free to add your own flair!

Lauren’s Meatless Tacos
1 package frozen BOCA Ground Crumbles
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (or basil if you don’t like cilantro)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4-6 taco shells or warmed whole wheat tortillas
Garnish: 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup guacamole, 1 cup salsa, 1 cup cheddar cheese.
In a nonstick skillet on medium heat, add the oil, onions, and BOCA Crumbles. Cook two minutes and stir occasionally. Then add the garlic, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to coat crumbles and cook for 8 minutes more or until heated through (160 degrees F). Turn off heat and stir in cilantro and cheese, just until the cheese melts. Transfer taco mix evenly onto tortillas and garnish with sour cream, guacamole, salsa or more cheddar cheese. Ole! Bon appetit!

During my search for other favorite dishes I got some help from our good friend, Matt Gregory, the founder of EatWithMe.com. For this blog post, Matt informed me of an awesome new book called Double Take by A.J. Rathbun and Jeremy Holt. The book features recipes that can be transformed into vegetarian or meat dishes–how convenient, economical, and efficient!

The following recipe has been excerpted from Double Take by A.J. Rathbun and Jeremy Holt, © 2010, and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press.

Lasagna
A layered pasta dish revered by many the world over (with good reason, as it’s easy to make, hearty as all get-out, and scrumptious), lasagna traces its history to Roman times—the name comes from the Latin word lasanum, which means “cooking pot.” If you have time, consider making the lasagna noodles, too, because homemade noodles are so tasty, and because the recipe is simple. Just remember the Italian phrase un uovo per etto, or “1 egg for every 100 grams” (about 3 1/2 ounces) of flour. Although the ingredients are straightforward, any Italian will tell you that mastery of pasta making takes a while, so practice often. But if you’re in a hurry and decide to go the pre-made noodle route, we won’t laugh at you—as long as you save us a corner piece, that is.

Serves 4 vegetarians and 4 meat-eaters

1 bunch kale, escarole, or Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, loose or removed from casings
1 recipe fresh pasta, rolled into thin 3- to 4-inch-wide sheets; 1 pound store-bought fresh pasta sheets; or one 8-ounce box dried “no-boil” lasagna noodles
1 recipe tomato sauce or 2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1 recipe Béchamel Sauce
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (4 ounces)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Remove the large fibrous ribs from the kale and coarsely chop.
3. Heat 2 skillets over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to each pan and heat for 15 to 30 seconds. Add the sausage to one pan and the chopped kale to the other. Cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, until no longer pink, and set aside. Cook the kale until nicely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes, and set aside. Drain or blot away some of the sausage fat if it seems excessive.
4. For the vegetarian lasagna, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9-inch square casserole dish. Top with a layer of the pasta, another layer of tomato sauce, a layer of the béchamel, and some of the wilted kale. Continue layering the components in this way until the casserole is filled to about 3/4 inch from the top, using all of the kale for the vegetarian lasagna. (Each lasagna should have about 3 layers.) Add one final layer of béchamel, and sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.
5. For the meaty lasagna, repeat the process in step 4 in a second 9-inch square casserole dish, subbing in layers of sausage for the kale.
6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the lasagnas are bubbly and the cheese is nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Note: Have no time or inclination to make fresh pasta but love its addictive taste and texture? Find a nice Italian restaurant in your neighborhood specializing in fresh pastas and see if they will sell you some. Since Italians tend to be superlative hosts and hospitable to a fault, especially when someone shows an interest in Italian food, there’s a good chance that some fresh pasta can be had with little effort on your part. Of course, it certainly helps if you also frequent the restaurant for an occasional meal.

Make It All Vegetarian: Omit the sausage, and use 2 bunches of kale.
Make It All Meat: Omit the kale, and use 2 pounds sausage.

Craving for more? We like the Double Take recipe for Po’ Boys Sandwiches. So divine! You can gain PG points by switching to a Weekday Veg diet, so why not try it out?

What recipes do you transform? Is there a family favorite meat dish recipe in which you can swap out the meat? Share with us! Our tummies are grumbling…

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/myrrien/402735533/ & http://www.harvardcommonpress.com/double-take/

Best Green Cleaners and Paper Products: ConsumerReports.org gives shoppers some great advice on whether or not it is worth it to buy to green versions of products like shower cleaner and dishwasher detergent. Very useful for Spring cleaning!

16 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds: Next time you brew a cup o’ joe, think twice about throwing out those old grounds–you could compost them or exfoliate your skin with them!

Chlorine Alternatives for Healthy and Energy Efficient Pools: Some people have chemical sensitivities to chlorine treatments in pools, so here are a few healthy, green options to clean the pool without the harsh smell, itchy skin, and discolored bathing suits…

Multimedia Link:
Jamie Oliver at TED Talk: We always loved Jamie and his Food Revolution, but after watching this video, we love him even more!

New and Cool Pick:
Reusables for Men: Still don’t know what to get dad next weekend after reading about F. Rock Carryalls for men? The guys from ReusableBags.com have put together a list of their favorite Father’s Day gift ideas. The winner? ACME Workhorse bags, which is a great alternative to plastic shopping bags. They come in a little pouch too, so Dad won’t have to be worried about people thinking he is sporting a murse (man purse!).

Photo Credit: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/acme-bags-workhorse-style-1500-p-1.html

Introducing, F. Rock Carryalls for men by our favorite new sustainable designer, Nicolé Keane.

F. Rock is a Boston-based brand that designs mens’ accessories, more specifically, mens’ bags. And we don’t mean man-purses (murses?), we mean carryalls–something your hubby, dad, or married brother could carry, put their things in and not be ashamed. It all started with the designer, Nicolé Keane. I actually had the pleasure of meeting her in person (by the way, I thought I was standing in front of Audrey Hepburn!) and got to hear about F. Rock’s journey.

Nicolé originally began designing women’s handbags, but after designing with menswear fabric for a few of the bags, she found she fell in love with the concept of sustainable carryalls for men–so she made the switch. What makes these bags sustainable? Nicolé was very passionate in this area…

First, I define the “sustainability” aspect of my brand not just in terms of materials, but as a 360 degree concept that dovetails product AND production. You can’t consider one without the other. The bags fabrics are either re-claimed or recycled factory scrap fabrics (that which hits the floor while stitching or vintage suiting). The leathers are either scrap from production (think booting, dress shoes or utility belts), remnant (inconsistent weights, color or thickness) or rejects from factory production. Much of the leather I use was made for top brands in the bag business or motorcycle world. My lining is all remnant from a top upholstery company that I buy from a family owned company in Boston. My padding is recycled blanket material. All of the hardware is either purchased in New England from New England companies or made right in Rhode Island. All of the bags are made right here in Massachusetts. I work directly with a small team of stitchers who almost all have family history in the skilled craftsmanship of apparel and leather goods.

Wow. I had no idea such a stylish bag could be so green. But it got better: 2% from each purchase goes directly to eco and arts programs for urban youth. It is bag bliss! Nicolé was proud to say, “The goal from square one was to create a user-friendly, high-end/low-impact carryall that would look conventional in its quality, but have an amazing story behind it.” But I wondered if her bags would be a good match for a dad like mine, a guy who likes quality, good value, AND style…

The F. Rock man appreciates value and a product that is as useful as it is attractive. He’ll hang on to his favorite jeans or cords long after they’ve frayed because nothing else he’s seen comes close. He’ll spend a lot on a pair of shoes because he falls in love with the look and craftsmanship and will re-sole them for years to come.

Yup, that’s my dad all right. How green is Nicolé, though? Well, she puts me to shame, honestly. She grew up in a household in which everything was homemade (including a no-sugar rule!) and because of her eco-minded and natural upbringing it is second-nature to buy organic and locally-grown produce, make her own cleaning products and follow the weekday vegetarian eating regime. A few years ago she threw out the conventional stuff and has been cleaning her house with low-impact vinegar, lemon, water and baking soda ever since! Her beauty routine is all organic or homemade as well because she decided that if she didn’t know what an ingredient was or did, she wouldn’t use it. (I think this is a great rule)! She now swears by mixing olive oil, a douse of honey, and a teaspoon of organic wheat flour to create a daily face wash or body wash…she’s my idol!

So what will I be saving up for to get my dad in the near future? This 15″ Franklin model, perfect to put work papers in or protect a laptop. The bags can be purchased at bonobos.com (F. Rock will have a rolling 6 week offering of limited edition bags), FRockbags.com, bgreenlifestyle.com, capemac.com (where there will also soon be F. Rock iPad covers) and soon through shoebuy.com and greenandmore.com.

Do you like F. Rock as much as I do?! Tell me what other gift ideas you are toying with to get for the dads in your life this Father’s Day, I need some ideas for my stepdad, too…

Milk from Grass-fed Cows Is Better for Your Heart: A report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that there are higher levels of unsaturated fats (which are good for your heart) in the milk from pasture-grazing dairy cows than in the milk from grain-fed cows. Wow, more humane for the cows and the people!

12 Healthy BBQ Tips: The Daily Green helps kick-off summer BBQ-ing season with in-depth and relevant tips on how to cook healthier and happier on the grill. We can’t wait for our next cookout!

5 Toxins Found in Most Facial Moisturizers: Before you buy a new face cream, it might be worth it to read the ingredients label. Remember, your skin is your largest organ–treat it well!

Multimedia Link:
Tips from Toxic America: This week, CNN aired a series featuring Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who reported on the many different ways toxins are being exposed to Americans. Here are some great tips from the show that can help you reduce the amount of toxins in your home.

New and Cool Pick:
Envirocycle’s New Mini Composter: We just found Envirocycle’s newly designed compact composter and wish it was on our porches! Perfect for urban composting, this cute composter holds 17 gallons and costs a little less than the bigger alternatives.

Three vendors in particular stood out on my second visit to the market on Tuesday.

Narragansett Creamery:
This company, which is partially family-run, specializes in artisan cheeses handcrafted in Providence, RI. Boy, am I glad they make the trip up to Boston twice a week! The booth is well-organized and it has stations where market-visitors can test a variety of the famous cheeses. The Narragansett employees working the booth were so kind and friendly, willing to explain to everyone the difference in cheeses and spreads and the process in making them. While they are not certified organic, they support fair-trade products and pledge not to use growth hormones.
My favorites were the Salty Sea Feta and Divine Providence. The Salty Sea Feta was so delicious, had a unique texture and was addicting (I wanted to go back for seconds, thirds and fourths!). It would be fantastic on salads. Divine Providence was equally good in a very different way. The texture was creamier and had a buttery, sharp flavor, exactly the way the name tag described it. The Creamery recommends this cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches but I could easily eat it alone. Hmmm-hmmm!

Siena Farms:
I had the pleasure of meeting Farmer Chris and other members of his staff. This company had the most impressive booth I saw at the market. Fresh items were displayed in rustic wooden crates and bowls, and the gold/burnt-orange label stood out from the rest of the banners. There was even more to love when I learned that all the “produce is grown using the traditionally sustainable farming practices of modern organic agriculture; free of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.” Does it get any better? It did when I purchased some greens for dinner that night (They were delicious!). I followed the recipe they recommend on their blog.

Cook’s Farm and Bakery:
Now for my favorite purchase, Cook’s Farm and Bakery Homemade Apple Pie. My pie’s ingredients were healthy and tasty: The crust of the pie was amazing! Cook’s is a small, family-run farm so before I left the stand, I felt compelled to ask the employee working the booth, Simeon, if the pie is a family recipe. He smiled and replied, “Of course!” Perfect. I would definitely purchase other baked goods from Cook’s next time. There were fresh breads, cakes and cookies that sold out fast, so get to his stand early for the best picks.

The good news? Most likely there is a wonderful farmers’ market near you! The best way to find them is to ask around or visit a website like LocalHarvest.org. Local Harvest is a website that can help you “find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.”

How about you? Do you live near a wonderful Farmers’ Market and want to rave about it? We want to hear about it! Share the goods!

Photo Credit: Thank you to Narragansett Creamery, Siena Farms, and Cook’s Farm and Bakery for allowing me to take these pictures.

The first yucky ingredient is the scariest of all, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which is added to soften the plastic and make the nail polish more malleable. DBP is said to have the potential to disrupt hormone levels, cause birth defects, and cause cancer. Yea, definitely not something I should be using if I want children some day.

The next yucky ingredients are toluene and formaldehyde. Yes, I said formaldehyde. Bring back memories of science lab in high school? It should, considering it is commonly used to preserve biological and anatomical specimens. Gross, I know. These two ingredients are suspected to cause organ damage and cancer as well as cause nausea and dizziness.

At first, learning all of this made me think I would never be able to paint my nails again. But of course, some brilliant green minds have come up with non-toxic solutions. So, I did some research, Sarah and I picked out 5 colors, I volunteered two of my roommates’ hands and I conducted another experiment.

I judged the following three brands based on the price, shipping, color, application, odor, number of coats needed and drying results.

First brand, Butter London.

Price: 2 colors, $14.00 each = $28.00
Shipping to Boston + Price = $36.50 TOTAL (yikes!)
Color: Come To Bed Red … very pretty! (One of my roommates tried this one)
Application: “It has an easy, smooth application.”
Odor: “It is rather smelly!”
Coats: “It only needed one coat, which is nice because it saves time and paint.”
Drying Results: “it dried smooth and shiny. It doesn’t feel like I can pick it off, that it a good thing!”

Color: British Racing Green (I LOVED this color, so I tried this one)
Application: A very easy application. Not very drippy.
Odor: It does have a strong smell like conventional nail polishes.
Coats: I could have gotten away with one if I had a more steady hand. But I needed two to cover up my mistakes.
Drying Results: It dried very nicely. It wasn’t very shiny though, the color got duller after one day.

If there isn’t DBP, formaldehyde, and toluene in Butter London’s formula, then where are the fumes coming from? I went onto their site to look up ingredients and couldn’t find anything! But I found the ingredients for British Racing Green’s formula on Amazon.com:

Ingredients
Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid,Neopentyl Glycol, Trimellitic, Anhydride, Copolymer, Trimethyl Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Triphenyl Phosphate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Diacetone Alcohol, Citric Acid, Dimethicone and Benzophenone-1. MAY ALSO CONTAIN: Aluminum Powder, Bismuth Oxychloride, Black Iron Oxide, D&C Red no.30 Lake, D&C Red no.33, D&C Red no.34 Calcium Lake, D&C Red no. 6 Barium Lake, D&C Red no.7 Calcium Lake, D&C Violet No. 2, D&C Yellow no. 11, D&C Yellow no.10, FD&C Yellow no.5 Aluminum Lake FD&C Yellow no.5, FD&C Yellow no.6, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide, Mica, Red Iron Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, D&C Red no.17 and FD&C Red no.4.

Next brand, Nubar.

Price: 2 Colors, $7.49 each = $14.98
Shipping to Boston + Price = $27.07 TOTAL (expensive shipping! It took very long to get here too…)
Color: Oh Baby Pink (I tried this one as well, and am still wearing it! Reminds me of Barbie…)
Application: It went on well. A little drippy, a lot goes a long way. It is very opaque.
Odor: It has very strong fumes.
Coats: It needed 2 coats, streaky otherwise.
Drying results: It stayed gummy for awhile. Drying took longer. I had to be careful but it doesn’t seem like it will chip easily.

Color: Camelot Blossom (My other roommate tried this one and loved the color)
Application: “It is very smooth.”
Odor: “It has a lot of fumes, but not too bad. It just smells like nail polish to me.”
Coats: “It looks better with two. With one, you could see the white tip of my nail.”
Drying Results: “It dried smooth, no trapped air bubbles, very shiny.”

Nubar’s formula had a very strong smell as well, so I did another search. Their ingredients were very easy to find on their website:

Nubar Nail Lacquer Ingredients

Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Isopropyl Alcohol, Triphenyl Phosphate, Trimethal Pentanyl Diisobutyrate, Butyl Alcohol, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Citric Acid, Benzophenone-1, Dimethicone May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Black Iron Oxide, Red Iron Oxide, FD&C Yellow #5, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyde Anide, Bismouth Oxychloride, D&C Red #7, D&C Red #6, D&C Red #34

Last brand, Aquarella.

Price: 1 color, $18.00 each = $18.00 (Most expensive color yet)
Shipping to Boston + Price = $18.00 (No shipping cost though! Thank goodness!)
Color: Incognito (One of my roommates tried this on her other hand. I loved the navy color!)
Application: “I had to keep redipping, going back for more paint.”
Odor: “It has a nice smell. Not a normal nail polish odor. The smell is more pleasant.”
Coats: “It feels like it could flake off with one coat.”
Drying Results: “Good color! But it already flaked…”

Incognito had a nice smell that wasn’t as strong as Butter’s or Nubar’s. So what is in it?

Ingredients: Acrylic polymer emulsion, Water, and non-toxic colorants (No FD&C)… (Hmm. Interesting.)

So far, so good.
Whoa…. wait a second.
When one of my roommates began washing her face before bed, the Incognito chipped right off with the warm water…Bummer.

And when I tried to take off British Racing Green, it stained my nails highlighter yellow only after 2 days of wearing it!… Double Bummer.

I think I will stick to the pink…

Actually, a lot of big name brands are eliminating DBP, formaldehyde and toluene from their formulas, which is great. You can now find some safe formulas in brands like Honeybee Gardens, Urban Decay, Revlon, and Avon, just to name a few.
Next project, non-toxic nail polish remover. I’ve heard Almost Natural Nail Polish Remover smells like vanilla. But does it work? Have you tried it?

Graham Hill is the founder of Treehugger.com. So he’s about as green as it gets, right? “Knowing what I know,” he asks, about all the reasons not to eat meat—budgetary, environmental, emissions, water consumption, animal cruelty, and health among them—“why am I not a vegetarian?… Any of these angles should have been enough to convince me to go vegetarian…. So why was I stalling?”

Long story short, Graham couldn’t face his last hamburger. But he came up with a great solution called, simply: Weekday Veg. Here he explains how he’s stuck to the plan for a year:  http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html (Thank you, Maggie Fellner Hunt, foodie and smartie, for sharing this video.)

Maybe the conversion to Weekday Veg will go more smoothly with a recipe to love. Here’s the dish my family asks for no matter what day it is, Sunday or Thursday, meat or no meat: Pesto. It’s made primarily of leaves. I’m always happy to comply–the inebriating basil aroma probably has something to do with this. I can’t think of an easier vegetarian recipe: easy to make, and easy to adore.

How to make Pesto:

2 cups fresh basil leaves: washed and patted dry

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup pine nuts

½ tsp salt

¼ cup evoo

Put the first four ingredients in a food processor. Press the button to chop and blend. Add the evoo in a trickle. Taste. Adjust. Store in an airtight container until ready to toss with freshly cooked pasta. Add grated cheese and ground pepper as you wish. Keeps in the fridge for a week. If you don’t already include pesto as a staple in your diet, you might want to consider it. Have it on pasta, of course, but also have it on crackers, on apple slices, on celery sticks, slathered wraps, drizzled into omelettes, on tomatoes, mixed into soups and sauces – or even by itself, in obscene spoonfuls. The pesto pasta dish can be served with steamed vegetables – sliced zucchini, asparagus, peas, or broccoli are some excellent options. If you’re short on basil, swap in parsley, spinach, cress, or arugula.

For further culinary inspiration, check out Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods, from the creators of the ubiquitous regional Edible magazines.

Frankly, we thought we already knew of every veggy/yummy/local/sustainable/practically green cookbook in print, but here are five we missed. They all won prizes at the 2010 Green Books Festival last week.

• Winner: Sustainably Delicious: Making the World a Better Place, One Recipe at a Time, Michel Nischan with Mary Goodbody
• Runner Up: Easy Green Organic, Anna Getty
• Honorable Mentions: The Big Green Cookbook: Hundreds of Planet-Pleasing Recipes and Tips for a Luscious, Low-Carbon Lifestyle, by Jackie Newgent; Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide To Eating, by Terry Walters; Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert.

5 Natural Summertime First-Aid Solutions: Whether it is sunburn or bee stings, these natural remedies will help sooth your summer ailments without loading on all the toxins. (Lauren here: I have tried the aloe plant remedy and it really works!)

Pesticides Linked to ADHD: A study shows there may be a possible link between pesticide exposure through consumption, inhalation or poor water quality and the occurance of attention-deficit disorder in children. Scary! The “persuasiveness” of a link makes us want to switch to organics for life…

Eco-friendly and Efficient Laundry Tricks: Okay, you may already use the Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent but these tips are easy and cheap, so why not try them?

Multimedia Clip:
We keep hearing great things about the Slow Food Movement which promotes “good, clean and fair food” and this video from the President of Slow Food International (Carlo Petrini) does a great job summing up why it is important. Plus, we love his humor and Italian accent!

New and Cool Pick:
Eco-Friendly Office Supplies: Lexon Design’s new line of eco-office supplies are so cute and still very functional. Maybe a great Father’s Day gift? Or maybe a nice splurge for yourself? We think so…

Photo Credit: http://inhabitat.com/2010/05/17/lexons-renewable-energy-office-products-made-from-bamboo/