Goodbye Plastic Sandwich Bags

Ok, I told you at the beginning of the month I was on a quest to get rid of plastic in the kitchen. I admitted to having a few hold outs and if you're a mom who makes school lunches everyday, you can imagine the sandwich bag dilemma. And they zip so nicely too.
Well here we are the last day of the month and I FOUND THEM! Waxed paper sandwich bags! A box of 60 by Natural Value costs $2.69 at Whole Foods and depending on where you buy those plastic ones, that could be more or less than what you're used to. But when you consider these bags are non-toxic when incinerated, landfill safe, and not even bleached...it's hard to justify perpetuating our plastic addiction.
So, brown bag warriors, fret no more. The Everyday Organic has found your answer: Unbleached Natural Wax Paper Bags to the rescue.
An Easy Go Green!

What to do with leftovers?

Whenever we finish a jar of pasta sauce or honey, I run them through the dishwasher leaving them clean for either the recycling bin or re-use in the kitchen. When I make salad dressing (remember, if you make your own, you’re guaranteed no yuckies…), I store it in a small empty jar. The larger ones are great for storing soups either in the fridge or the freezer. When putting them in the freezer, remember to leave room at the top for expansion. Glass is a great storage option in the kitchen. You can easily see what you have without removing the lid, it washes easy and you don’t have to worry about it melting in the dishwasher or the microwave. Re-using glass containers. An Easy Go Green!

Which Spa Facial?

After reading about my organic spa experience, a reader asked me which facial to get. I neglected to mention in my earlier blog, that the facials are CUSTOM designed for your skin type. I actually asked the same question when I was making my appointment. The director told me that all of the facials are custom designed for each client and they wouldn't be able to suggest any specifics until they see my skin. OH Honey, that's the only couture thing I've ever had in my life! I'll take it!!

Whole Foods Value Tour

On Tuesday, I headed to Whole Foods for their Way to Shop, Value Tour! They want to show people how organic eating is affordable. The tour is only an hour long, moves fast, and ends with a goodie bag!! Jennifer Smeth, the tour guide, is very easy going, gave some good suggestions and is open to answering your questions. I highly recommend taking some time out for this one. It’s only open to 12 people at a time so please register quickly. The last one for the month is scheduled on Thursday, August 28 from 6-7 at Harry’s on Upper Hembree Road.
Have Fun!

Organic Spa

UNFORTUNATELY AS OF JANUARY 2009, RIVERSTONE SPA WILL BE CLOSING. I left this blog so you can read what a phenomenal visit I had with Tricia Schofield, Esthetician. As of January 26, 2009 you will be able to find her at Bliss Spa inside the W Hotel in Buckhead. I will see you soon Tricia!!


Back in June, my sisters gave me a spa gift certificate for my birthday. This wasn't for just any spa, this was for and ORGANIC SPA. I couldn't wait, but had to...at least until school got back in. I wanted this to be a totally relaxing kid free experience without any rush to get back. The first Friday of the school year. PERFECT. I had made my appointment and was ready to go!

I arrived 15 minutes before my scheduled time and was greeted to a friendly spa manager, tranquil surroundings and peaceful music. AAAHHHH, I could already feel the stress evaporating. I was offered tea or water and asked to fill out a brief bio. Within minutes I was back in the dressing room, being given a locker for my clothes and a robe to wear. Once the manager left, I wondered to myself, "I'm getting a facial,why do I need a robe?". Huh,I figured just go for the whole experience.

I walked out to a more intimate waiting area where I sat before a beautiful rock water fall. Within minutes Tricia arrived and introduced herself. She walked me down the hall to a room filled with soft music, pleasant aromas, and beautiful linens. I knew this was going to be delightful. The bed was even designed for fabulous back relief. I needed that.

My facial begins. And this was no ordinary facial. It was one hour solid of gentle cleansing, steaming, masks, and moisturizing with natural organic products. Lavender, Tea Tree Oil, Oatmeal, Yogurt, Rose, and even dehydrated vegetables. OH MY GOSH. It was FABULOUS! While one mask was on, Tricia massaged my shoulders, neck and my upper back. Ohhhh, so THAT'S why I needed to wear a robe. While another mask was doing its magic, she massaged my hands and arms with oil and put my hands in warm mitts. Fabulous!

Once my facial was complete, Tricia quietly left and gave me time to re-enter the conscious world. I was so relaxed I could barely talk but as I was checking out, I did learn Riverstone Spa is quite a rarity. It's believed to be the only full service spa and salon using organic products in the state of Georgia. And it's only 10 miles from my house. Lucky me! I cannot say enough about this facial. Oh, and if your cost conscious like me, it is WELL worth every dollar! I had debated between getting a facial or a massage but left feeling like I had both. Thanks Tricia!

ENJOY!

Food on the road

When taking a dish to someone’s house, it isn’t practical to ride in the car with a glass dish sitting on top of a glass bowl. So what to do then? Well, it’s inevitable you still have a few plastic bags finding their way into your home. Bread bags are a good example. Instead of immediately tossing them in with the recycling, give them one more use. Save them for when you take your food on the road. Slide the bowl or plate in the plastic bag and tie the end in a knot or seal it with a rubber band (plenty of those come on organic produce). You’re ready for the road. Then when you’re done, recycle the bag. An Easy Go Green!

Chocolate Pudding

It was the first day of school so I thought a nice homey dessert after dinner would be a great treat. We don't have dessert every night so it's a big deal...let alone something homemade. Doesn't chocolate pudding sound good? It's comforting and cool...since it's still a blazing 95° here. Well, there's a vegan recipe for chocolate pudding I've been wanting to try. It uses Tapioca starch as the thickening agent. I had everything on hand believe it or not: soy milk, tapioca starch, cocoa, sugar, and vanilla. Let me tell you, for all of you who LOVE rich, creamy, chocolate pudding, this recipe is NOT for you. ICK ICK ICK. We tried. We all did. It looked good but when you put the spoon in, it was more like Jello instead of pudding. Lindsey got a kick out of it and said "it looks like blubbler!" Sydney nicely said "it's ok Mom, thanks for trying". My husband kept trying to get it down. I could tell they were so disappointed. We all paused and then I said "get the ice cream sandwiches". Fortunately we had a few left and that saved the night. So there, I saved you the trouble. Stick with the real thing and use organic ingredients. Just keepin' it real.

Wrap up plastic

In my quest to go green in the kitchen, the 1st to go was that roll of plastic wrap. I remember pulling off the last bit and saying “No more. This is the last plastic wrap I’m gonna buy”. So how to cover those dishes? Well, I use plates to cover bowls of leftovers in the fridge. When I have half a piece of fruit or an onion to save, I just place it cut side down on a small saucer. Different than what we’re used to but it works just fine. In fact, I like it better because you can stack one plate on top of another, multiplying the space in the refrigerator. And who doesn’t need more fridge space? An Easy Go Green!

WHERE to recycle?

Last night we were at school meeting Lindsey's teacher-yes, it's that time again already here in the South. One of the mom's said, "I saw your recycling video! But you didn't tell me where the recycling center is."
THAT would've been helpful. Sorry gang. I think I was just so thrilled to have successfully uploaded the video the very first time around. Anyway, back to where to recycle. Here goes: I tried several sites and RecyclingCenters.org was the easiest to use. You enter your zip code or choose to search by state. I will tell you though, from there you will have to sort through a bit of information. When I tried it both ways, I was given recycling centers near me but also over an hour away. It isn't quite as zip code or city specific as you hope. However, it will give you the information you need. So just be patient and take a minute or two to locate a center near you-really that's all it takes. Please if you know of a more user friendly site, let me know.

Recycling in 10 seconds

In case there is still some confusion on how this whole recycling thing works, I thought I'd let my nine year old show you how it's done. Consider yourself challenged!

Morningside Farmer's Market

This Saturday, we headed out to the Morningside Farmer's Market in Virginia Highlands. We go to Alon's bakery all the time so imagine our delight when we discovered the Farmer's Market in the parking lot right across the street. All the stands there sell certified organic produce. There's even a hog and cattle farmer selling grass fed beef and antibiotic free pork.

I have to say there is a feeling of pride when you walk down the street with others who appreciate locally grown veggies. There we are with canvas bags in hand and mouths watering. Our dollars are ready to be spent supporting local farmers and buying produce grown with care.

While there, I learned Japanese cucumbers grow up making them easier to weed and I would imagine a great option for us city dwellers with less space for gardening. We tried Sungold Tomatoes and loved them but ended up buying the Jelly Bean variety. I have to say both have more flavor than any cherry tomato I've ever had. The bunch of Basil we bought is out of this world! When we got home, I just stuck it in a glass of water on the counter. It looks just like the Food Network in here. We had it on our sub sandwiches that night and what flavor! It's so fresh, I just tear off a leaf and eat it just like that.

Of course, I cannot forget to mention Miss Gloria. A wonderful lady who enjoys people. She has a little table and umbrella set up with paper and paints to keep your little ones busy while you shop the stands. Thanks Miss Gloria.

Though it's a bit of a drive from Alpharetta, it was well worth the adventure and my family highly recommends the Morningside Farmer's Market as a must see for your family. Enjoy!

Saturdays Year Round from 8:00 am to 11:30 am
1393 N. Highland Ave Atlanta GA 30306 • 404.313.5784

Bye Bye Plastic!

This year I decided to get rid of all plastics in our kitchen. Not an easy task. In fact, I still have a some hold outs. However, I was successful in eliminating quite a bit. This month I’ll be sharing with you tips on going green in the kitchen. Here's one to get you started:

The easiest thing to do is go buy a stainless steel water bottle. They're easy to clean, keep your water cold, and you won’t have to worry about what number plastic it is. These have been perfect for the girls’ lunches. To compete with the convenience of traditional water bottles, you can buy multiple stainless steel bottles and while one is in use, the others are chillin’ in fridge ready to go. An Easy Go Green!