The Hero Complex

Wegetarian Wednesday

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Red and White Soup

This hearty and delicious soup originates from a great cookbook my Dad bought for me many years ago called “The Complete Vegetarian Pasta Cookbook,” by Emma Callery. The book is a treasure trove of amazing recipes from fresh pasta and basic sauces, comforting bakes and ragus, to the more adventurous pasta themed desserts like Cinnamon Fettuccine with Apple Sauce or Chocolate Pasta Torte.

I’ve modified Callery’s recipe a bit to adjust to my family’s taste, but the original is really great, too. Another delicious change is from Parmesan to Bleu Cheese, taking this soup to full on patriotic status, but most of the time I stick with Parm. The first time I made this, I was surprised at how rich the soup was for something that could be pulled together so quickly. Tossing the pasta into the olive oil give it a bit of a toasted hint that works really well with the beans.

Total Prep & Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 4 – 6

Red & White Soup

3 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 Onion – Chopped

2 Cloves Garlic – Minced

2 Parsnips – Chopped (optional)

1 Cup of Dried Pasta – shape of your choice (I really love to use pastina)

2 TBSP Tomato Paste

1 14oz Can of Kidney Beans – Drained & Rinsed

1 14oz Can of Cannellini Beans – Drained & Rinsed

8 Cups Vegetable Broth or Stock

1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley – Chopped

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Fresh Parmesan to Garnish

Heat the OLIVE OIL over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the ONION and sauté 3 – 5 minutes until they start to become clear. Add PARSNIPS, PASTA, and GARLIC, sautéing for another minute, but not longer. The garlic tends to get bitter if overcooked.

Add BROTH and TOMATO PASTE. Raise heat, bring to a boil, and stir to incorporate the tomato paste. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Be sure to give it a stir every now and then so that the pasta doesn’t stick.

Add both beans and parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Cook until beans are heated through, 3-5 minutes. Serve with a liberal sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan and a little more cracked pepper.

You can serve this with some crackers, crostini, or just a simple loaf of bread. It’s packed with protein, ridiculously cheap, and oh so delicious. Aside from the parsnips and parsley, you should have most or all of the ingredients on hand. There’s something earthy and different about using parsnips in this soup, but if you don’t want to make a special trip, you can always leave them out or use carrots. This Red and White Soup is an excellent example of a vegetarian meal that doesn’t feel like it’s vegetarian. The soup is hearty and filling, I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think and what you're cooking.

Thanks for reading!

Sara

Packing Your Pantry

2012-01-23T13:40:00.000-05:00

Packing Your Pantry

As promised, I’m going to talk about what I keep in my pantry. I have a few categories that wouldn’t really qualify as items in your physical pantry, but I keep them on hand anyway. And can I just start by saying how much I hate the word PANTRY? Every time I type it or say it, I think, “Panty.” Then I start thinking about those panties that have secret pockets in them and what people might put in there. And no one wants to think about that. How about we say cabinets? Or create a new word? Suggestions?

Dry goods

Cans of crushed tomato
Chick peas
Kidney & Canellini beans
At least two different shapes of pasta (I like spaghetti & penne)
Peanut butter
Tortilla chips
Rice
Barley
Bullion cubes
Silken Tofu

Frozen

Chicken drums & thighs
Sweet Italian sausage
Ravioli
An assortment of veggies like corn, green beans, peas, & spinach

Fresh

Potatoes
Onions
Carrots
Celery
Garlic
Ginger
Lemon juice
Soy sauce
Assorted salad dressings
Salad fixings
Ground meat
Assorted cheeses

With the above ingredients, you can whip up countless meals, including marinated chicken with rice and veggies; potato soup, cream of vegetable soup, chicken noodle soup, spaghetti and sausage or meatballs, hummus and chips, red and white soup (recipe coming up on Wednesday,) chicken stir fry with barley, pasta salad, fresh salad, Thai style lettuce roll-ups, mac and cheese, arroz con pollo, oh man, I could go on and on. All these meals can be made quickly, within 30-40 minutes, and offer various levels of nutrition. From comfort food to healthy meals, there’s something for everyone.

What are your must haves that are stocking your cabinets? What go-to meals can you whip up with a moment’s notice? And can you please help me come up with a new way of referring to my –ick- pantry?

Thanks for reading!

Sara

Secret Sauce

2012-01-20T09:12:00.007-05:00

My regularly scheduled Wednesday posting was interrupted by this: SOPA. On with the show!

Secret Sauce

I have a secret. When I make traditional red sauce, I take out the traditional and add my own twist. At least I thought it was my own twist until I saw this on twitter:

Mario Batali is out there spilling the beans! Or the carrots, in this instance. I learned the carrot trick when I was living in South America and my Mama always added shredded carrots to her red sauce. It seemed so strange to me at the time. We are not an Italian family, though my Dad grew up in an Italian neighborhood. I grew up watching him grow his own vegetables, peel tomatoes, and can shelves upon shelves of sauce. His sauce is amazing, but I never tasted sauce quite like my Mama’s. I’ve been fiddling with this recipe for years and have always come back to “simple is best.”

So, now that my secret is out, I thought I’d share my sauce recipe with the rest of the world. It’s very simple and the optional add-ins can take the sauce to many different levels depending on how you plan to use it. In lasagna, I would keep it simple or perhaps add a little sausage. Over fresh ribbon noodles, I like to add some more veggies and keep the sauce a bit more chunky. If you are against using wine, go for some broth or stock.

Sara’s Red Sauce

2 29 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
2 Carrots – shredded
1 Medium Red Onion – chopped
4 Cloves of Garlic – minced
1/2 C Wine – Red or White, something drinkable, but not sweet
1 tsp Kosher Salt (more or less depending on your taste)
Pepper to taste
2 TBSP Olive Oil

Optional
1/2 Pound Mushrooms – sliced
1/2 Pound Ground Turkey/Chicken/Pork/Sausage
1 Bell Pepper – chopped

Heat OLIVE OIL over medium-low heat in a large pot and add the ONIONS. Liberally salt the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes, adding the CARROTS about half way through cooking the onions. Add the other veggies, one at a time, cooking each for a few minutes and moving them to the side before adding the next. I always add the MUSHROOMS last, since they take the least amount of time to cook.

After all the vegetables are sautéed, deglaze the pan with the WINE or BROTH and add the GARLIC. I prefer adding the garlic with the liquid so as not to over cook it. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan before you add the TOMATOES to the vegetables. After adding the tomatoes, allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes and then eat it. Slather it on crusty bread, pour it over noodles, grab a spoon and fill your gaping mouth until you want to puke. Erm… Sorry, lost focus. Just, you know, enjoy in moderation. If you can.

Thanks for reading!

Sara

Manic Monday Meals

2012-01-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

Manic Monday Meals

I’m not sure what your pantry looks like, but next week I’ll be posting some staples and some suggestions for items you should keep on hand. One dish I like to be able to make at a moment’s notice is Hummus. The ingredients are cheap, nutritious, and don’t take up much pantry room. Once the Hummus is whipped up, you can pair it with chips, pitas, veggies, crackers, and sandwiches. It’s a great protein alternative, high in fiber, and let’s face it, Hummus is downright delicious! I usually use canned chick peas because they don’t require any prep time, but you are more than welcome to make them from dried beans. You can either use the liquid retained from the cans of chick peas or Olive Oil. The liquid will add sodium to your finished product while the Olive Oil will add fat, but the good kind. Also, most people don’t have tahini on hand, which isn’t an issue if you have natural peanut butter around. Just be sure you’re using peanut butter without added sugar. I know some people prefer more tahini, up to a 1/3 of a cup, but I really only use a little for texture and not for flavor. I love to load my hummus up with black pepper and cumin, or give it a couple dozen healthy shakes of Frank’s Red Hot. After you make it a few times, you’ll figure out how much garlic you like and whether you prefer olive oil or the reserved liquid. I like olive oil. Here goes!

Hummus

2-15 oz Cans of Chick Peas (liquid drained and reserved if you’re going to use it.)
2-4 Cloves of Garlic
4 TBSP Tahini or Natural Peanut Butter
4 TBSP Lemon Juice
Olive Oil or Chick Pea Liquid
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mince up the GARLIC and add it to the bowl of a food processor along with the LEMON JUICE. Whiz it up for just a couple seconds and start adding the CHICK PEAS and pulse after each addition to break them up. Once all the CHICK PEAS are added, toss in the TAHINI or PEANUT BUTTER, SALT and PEPPER, and a little of the OLIVE OIL or LIQUID. Turn the processor on low and open the hopper (is that what you call that thing?) Slowly add liquid until the hummus reaches the consistency you want. I like mine with a little more texture, but you may like yours super smooth.

To serve, scoop it out into a bowl, drizzle some Olive Oil on top and give it a sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper, paprika, or cayenne. Eat it and attempt not to hork down the entire bowl before the rest of the family comes to the table. Fail. Make another batch and serve.

I like to serve mine with mini pitas, left over roasted chicken, carrots, celery, marinated olives, and chunks of fresh feta. Now that my mouth is watering, I’ll leave you to make your hummus while I go grab a spoon. You’re inviting me over, right?

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Frou-Frou Friday

2012-01-13T07:00:00.005-05:00

Frou-Frou Friday

In an attempt to make some homemade gifts this year, I took inspiration from a recent Food Network Magazine article about edible offerings. I had never tried to craft candy before, but there were quite a few recipes in a little magazine pull-out that seemed simple enough to start. In particular, I wanted to make Peppermint Stars without the peppermint. I thought I could fiddle with the flavors and come up with something deliciously non-peppermint. I decided to use the classic Orange and Chocolate combo by adding orange extract and the zest of one orange.

Using the original recipe found in the link above didn’t exactly work for me. My little discs of filling were too limp to dip in the melted chocolate. They practically melted at the touch even after chilling and the process made a huge mess, wasting quite a few ingredients. Amidst the pitying comments from my sister, “Don’t worry, Martha*. Candy is really hard,” and the less than sympathetic, “You can’t be perfect at cooking everything,” from my mother, I thought there had to be a better way. I could have used sticks like Sugartown Sweets did, but the filling still wouldn’t have held up to dipping.

I went back to the recipe and made a few modifications: removed the milk, added more butter, rolled the filling out a bit thicker, and thinned out the dipping chocolate. The resulting candy was much easier to work with, but I can’t lie to you. This isn’t a throw together kind of sweet. It takes time, patience, and a considerable love of chocolate. So, yeah. Frou-Frou.

Ingredients for Filling

2 Cups of Confectioner’s Sugar
2 TBSP Corn Syrup
4 TBSP Butter
1 tsp Extract, flavors like, peppermint, orange, lemon, root beer, or almond
Zest of one Orange or Lemon (optional, if doing a citrus flavored candy)

Ingredients for Chocolate Coating

6 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips
2 TBSP Corn Syrup
1 TBSP Butter
1 tsp Water

Blend confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, butter, zest, and flavor until smooth. I found that using a mixer was easier than by hand, though you certainly can stir these up if you don’t have a mixer. A little tip: coat your tablespoon measure in cooking spray so that it slides right off into your mixing bowl.

Bring together in a ball, flatten to a disc, wrap in wax or parchment, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

I used wax paper to roll these out so that I didn’t end up with sticky sugar all over my counter. Dust the paper and your filling with some confectioner’s sugar and roll out to 3/8 to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shape, I used little circles so that I could make these look like peppermint patties. My circle cookie cutter measures an inch and a half in diameter.

After cutting out your shapes, insert a toothpick into each. Your fingers will thank me later. Put all of the little filling pops onto a cookie sheet and freeze until hard, about an hour. I did all of these steps the night before and then dipped them on the following day.

Melt Chocolate, corn syrup, butter, and water together over a double boiler. Not sure what that is? I use a rimmed glass bowl that sits over a sauce pan. Add water to the pan until it just hits the bottom of the glass bowl and bring to a soft boil over medium heat. Stir until the chocolate is silky and smooth.

Using the toothpicks as a handle, dip the discs into the chocolate, quickly coating the entire thing. It’s handy to have a spoon in your opposite hand so that you can hit those hard to reach places near the toothpick. Place the coated candy back onto the cookie sheet. When all discs are coated, put the sheet into the fridge until the candy coating sets up, about 20-40 minutes. Remove from fridge, pop the toothpick out, and eat.

One last thought. These candies are delicious, but you really can’t leave them sitting out, particularly if it’s warm in your house. They’ll either melt or be inhaled before they have time to melt. Store them in the fridge.

Hope you enjoy!

Thanks for reading,

Sara

*Yes, my sister calls me Martha.

Wegetarian Wednesday

2012-01-11T11:15:00.004-05:00

In a former life, before a nine and a half pound baby sucked all the life, um- iron out of me, I was a vegetarian. I routinely slipped tofu into recipes with such ease that avowed carnivores never even noticed. One friend claimed he would never, NEVER eat tofu. And he never did, unless you count the entire pan of my lasagna that he inhaled, or that massive crock of cream of vegetable soup he took home, or the huge plate of mushroom stroganoff he housed… no, he never ate tofu.

This Stir fry recipe is good on its own, but you can add tofu if you’d like. I would pat dry some cubes of extra firm tofu and pan fry them in small batches before the onions. Also, the veggies I use are more for texture and less for taste. I really think that any combination of veggies could work in this stir fry, including snow peas, baby corn, cauliflower, or cabbage. Sometimes to mix things up, I put a segment or two of STAR ANISE into the sauce and remove them before adding it to the veggies. It infuses the sweet and salty sauce with a licorice like earthiness that takes it to another level. I like my veggies to have a bit of a crunch, so I don’t slice or chop them too thin, except for the carrots and onions. To garnish this dish, I would save a couple sprigs of cilantro and chop up a handful of nuts to sprinkle over the top.

Stir Crazy – Serves 4

1 C Barley

Sauce:

1/3 C Soy Sauce
2 TBSP Rice Vinegar
2 TBSP Brown Sugar or Sucanat
1 TBSP Corn Starch
1 TBSP Fresh Ginger – minced
1 Clove of Garlic – minced
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
2/3 C Cold Water

1 Small Red Onion, about 2/3 C – chopped
2-3 Celery Stalks, 1 1/2 C – cut on the bias
1 C Carrots – thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 Green Pepper – in strips
1 C Broccoli – in medium stalks
1/3 C Edamame – shelled
1/2 C Fresh Cilantro – chopped

2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Sesame Oil

Cook the BARLEY first! It will take close to an hour unless you have a rice cooker.
Bring 5 C of water to a rolling boil, add BARLEY. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 40-50 minutes and test for texture. Chewy! Yum!

In a small bowl, whisk CORN STARCH and WATER until smooth. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, SOY SAUCE, RICE VINEGAR, BROWN SUGAR, GINGER, GARLIC, and RED PEPPER FLAKES. Set aside

In a large skillet or wok, heat a tablespoon of each OIL over medium high heat. The idea with stir fry or wokery cooking is to flash cook each of the ingredients and then bring them all together at the end with the sauce. You’re going to add those later. The ONIONS will take the longest and will season the oil, so I like to start there. Once the ONIONS are almost translucent, use a slotted spoon to pull them out of the skillet and into a bowl. I usually just use the serving bowl I plan to use in order to avoid more dishes, but I’m lazy like that. From there, you can work your way through any of the ingredients one at a time except the CILANTRO and EDAMAME.

Once they’re all cooked, toss everything back into the pan including the EDAMAME. Give the sauce another little stir and pour it over the veggies. Bring to a low boil, allowing the sauce to thicken. This shouldn’t take more than 2 – 3 minutes. Serve over barley, garnish, and nosh!

What’s your favorite stir fry veggie?

Let me know how the recipe works for you! Thanks for reading!

Sara

Manic Monday Meals

2012-01-09T16:08:00.003-05:00

Manic Monday Meals

I’m starting a weekly feature called Manic Monday Meals. If Monday in your house looks anything like mine, I’m sorry. The sloppy dismount of the Monday alarm clock, the whirl of coats, jackets, and scarves as you bustle out the door, wondering if there’s cash left in your kid’s lunch account because you left the lunchbox on the kitchen table. Work, family, laundry, cleaning. And after all that, you have to worry about dinner. Never mind lunch, you missed it. Well, worry no more! I’m going to post a meal a week, something easy, made from ingredients your should already have in your fridge and pantry.

This week, we’re going to do a variation on Vichyssoise. Don’t let the big fancy French word scare you, it’s just potato soup. Sometimes it’s served pureed and cold, but my version isn’t classic, so foodies? Turn away in horror as I bastardize this classic French dish. It's going to be chunky, hot, and tasty. No, that's not what she said.

Sara’s Potato Leek Soup

3 TBSP Olive Oil
6-8 strips of Bacon - cubed
4 C Potatoes - cubed
4C Spinach - uncooked or 10oz pack of Frozen Spinach
1 large Leek – thinly sliced or 1 Onion - diced
6 C Stock
2C Water
2 cloves of Garlic - minced
Salt/Pepper to taste
Sharp cheddar for garnish if you have it

A few notes before I give you some guidelines: I’m not a stickler for any of these ingredients. If you have kale instead of spinach, it works great as an additional texture in this soup. If you’re stocked up on carrots or parsnips and fresh out of potatoes, give that a go. Really, any mix of root veggies can work in the place of the potatoes. If you don’t have stock or don’t keep it on hand, use water and bullion cubes. I won’t tell! Here we go!

Heat the OLIVE OIL over medium heat. Add cubed BACON and render. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon cubes from the pan, but leave all the good stuff behind. Save this crispy deliciousness to garnish your soup.

Sauté the LEEK/ONION in the rendered fat and oil until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add minced GARLIC and sauté for an additional minute.

Add POTATOES, STOCK, and WATER to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

Just before serving, stir SPINACH into soup and bring back up to temperature. Taste for seasoning and add SALT and pepper as needed. Serve and garnish with crispy bacon and a little sharp cheddar if you’d like.

And that’s it! In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a hearty and delicious soup that your family will love. At least they should, I mean, who doesn’t love a pot of potatoes? And all that iron rich spinach you’re sneaking in there? They’ll never even notice it swirling in little ribbons of green amongst the crisp pieces of bacon and gooey cheese that you’ve tossed on top.

Hope this recipe makes your Manic Monday a little easier! Enjoy!

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Gooey Erma Goodness

2011-12-23T09:57:00.003-05:00

If you haven't noticed, I've been doing a (mostly) monthly column over at An Army of Ermas. You should go read my November column if you missed it. Maybe you'll get a giggle out of it or maybe you'll just point at me and laugh. I'm cool with that. Just read it!

The Genes in My Jeans

I'll be back soon with another column and a few recipes I've been working on this fall and winter.

Thanks for reading,

~Sara

Ermas

2011-09-08T09:34:00.001-04:00

My new column is up over at an Army of Ermas! Click to check me out!

Baby Blubber

Thanks for reading,

Sara

An Army of Awesome

2011-08-09T09:00:00.004-04:00

Today hath been declared An Army of Ermas Day! I’m a contributing columnist over on An Army of Ermas where I’m surrounded by humor geniuses of all sorts. I’d like to take a minute to thank our fearless leader and noble editor, Stacey Graham. Stacey not only works hard to ensure the world reads our words and our words are pretty enough to be read, but she has an agenda packed with kids, zombies, spy camp, several book deals, and copious amounts of granola. On top of all that, she is a beautiful person. A friend recently said that everything seems more peaceful when Stacey walks in the room. And it does.

Stacey, I’m honored to be included amongst your contributors and proud to call you my friend. Thanks for all of your hard work. You. Are. Awesome. Love you, Boss!

Thanks for reading,

~Sara

Psycho Babble

2010-07-27T13:36:00.005-04:00

“I should be… I have to… I can’t…” go ahead, fill in the blank. We all say this sort of thing or think it. Our minds are split into tasks we have to complete or should be doing and things we want to do. I have some time “off,” finishing online classes, only working one part-time job, and packing to move in 2 weeks. This week, I assigned myself a single task: Cook. Every. Day. We ate out a lot last week, which is fine occasionally, but we ate out A LOT. Hey! Cooking in a half-packed kitchen is tough, but we are moving in two weeks and my new kitchen, it needs work. I’m determined to enjoy every last recipe in my spacious, modern, chef-friendly, fully equipped kitchen before plummeting into the depths of an early 80’s nightmare, complete with particle board cabinets. The nightmare will be short lived; we’re knocking down walls, gutting the kitchen, and remodeling within 6 months. But 6 months without my kitchen! So, I’m cooking while I can.

When I have time for creative pursuits, I make dessert. I’m not sure what that says about me. I have other interests. In another lifetime, I was a writer, an artist, a poet, and I still love those things. But dessert? When you make something delicious, you know it. People smile, they make yum-sounding noises, they ask for more. My egotistical little mind loves recognition. And when I channel Martha, instant gratification! Last night, I took a little trip on the ego train. Choo-choo! My voyage was a result of this beauty. Let me pause to marvel at my artistry….

Ha! The tart was tasty and is modified below from an EDF recipe that can be found here.

Crust:

3/4 cup raw almonds
1/3 cup granulated sugar
A Pinch of Coarse salt
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 stick of unsalted butter

Filling:

2 teaspoons plain powdered gelatin
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

Directions:

In a food processor, pulse almonds, granulated sugar, and salt until finely ground. Add flour; pulse to combine. Cube cold butter, add to processor and pulse until mixture is crumbly and holds together when squeezed. Press crumbs in bottom and up side of an 8-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or a cheesecake pan. Freeze 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove tart ring and let cool completely.

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water and let stand 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, warm half-and-half over medium. When it begins to steam, add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved, about 1 minute. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, brown sugar, and pinch of salt. Stir warm half-and-half mixture into yogurt mixture. Pour filling into cooled tart shell and refrigerate until set, 2 hours (or up to 1 day).

Decorate with fruit of your choice. I used 1/2 a pint of organic strawberries, a kiwi, and a peach.

A few notes: I like more crust, so I modified the original to make it more robust. When heating the half and half, it might be nice to infuse a bit more flavor into the yogurt custard thingy. A vanilla bean? Lemon or orange zest? Oooo! Star anise? Can you think of any modifications? Let me know if you try it and how it turns out.

Tonight's menu: Pan seared rosemary pork tenderloin with polenta and garlicky kale.

Thanks for reading!

~Sara

Odds & Ends

2010-07-26T03:49:00.000-04:00

Hey! I have a blog! When did this happen? Please stand by as I try to make blogging a regular part of my life, but don't stand on your head. You might pass out! Schedule adjustments don't come easy to me! In the meantime, I have a few odds and ends for you:

-Dr. Charles is hosting the First Annual Charles' Prize for Poetry for poetry in the context of science and medicine! Details can be found HERE. To quote from Dr. Charles, "Should your poem be selected as the winner, you shall receive an award of $500, along with a cherry tomato from my garden. Seriously." How amazing is that? I LOVE cherry tomatoes!

-Have you seen this blog? It's strange and adorable and I am now wondering what my own little monkey dreams about each time he catches a bit of shut eye...

-Also, when once I finish moving into the new place, I want to try to make goat cheese ice cream. Fer serious!

Enjoy the links and thanks for reading!

~Sara

I once danced a Huayno with a man named Melquiades

2010-02-11T23:00:00.004-05:00

Do memories sneak up on you? You’re walking down the street and a restaurant emanates with the smell of your grandma’s goulash. They don’t have the goulash, or anything close, but the smell has the power to make you open the door and take you back. Popcorn is popping in the microwave, because that’s how people make it these days, and suddenly you’re transported to a South Floridian dinner theater. Star Wars Episode IV is on the big screen and your dad’s beer sits precariously close to the edge of the table.

Digging through articles about melting glaciers and global warming, pictures of Aymara and Quechua farmers tug strands of memory to the front of my mind. I’m 19 and dressed in a jewel toned velvet skirt with layers and layers of native slips beneath, some cotton, some wool, all beautifully embroidered with patterns as old as the Inkas. Braids and a hat complete the ensemble, my feet tap out a quick beat while my partner turns pink with embarrassment. He never danced a Huayno before, but he would spin one for the gringa. He raises his brow in awe of my ease with his native dance. We turn circles around each other, striking the concrete with heavy clicks as the charango intensifies. The swish of my skirts mimic the shuffling second beat of our feet. His handkerchief brushes my shoulder as we cross the floor. The up-tempo slows when I see it now, pitched voices soften while the two dancers swirl in my memory. Burgundy skirts, yellow shirt, gold-toothed smile, luggage, Cruz del Sol, customs, blink, 14 years pass in the mist of that swirl. But still… I tap my foot, turn on Pandora, and suddenly I’m spinning a Huayno with Melquiades Augustine. I wonder where Tio Augustine is now. Doing missionary work in the Amazonas? Up in the mountains or back home in the sweltering heat of Chepen? Teaching his son to drive? Time ticks away, mountains melt.

“Mommy, you can dance!” My three year old is now turning circles with me on the kitchen floor. I pause and smile at him. I hope he can meet my Tio one day and those mountains that brought my memories back.

More on the mountains next week. Sorry for the neglect. I'm posting more often. Pinky swear.

I don't want to write this

2009-11-10T09:09:00.001-05:00

I don’t want to write this post. I wish I didn’t have to write it, but I do. It’s been there, bumping against that lump in my throat for 5 months. Five. Months. I can’t believe five months has gone by and I still don’t want to write this post. Please bear with me while I try. Hold my hand and wrap a friendly arm around my shoulders. This is going to hurt.

My Graduation Party

My friend Aaron isn’t so much like my friend as he is my brother. We grew up together, lived in the same house for a while during our formative years, and never strayed too far from each other.

He has been my brother’s best friend for more years than I can remember. There are so many memories tied up with Aaron, his family, and mine. In fact, I can’t remember a momentous day without remembering his contribution to it: thoughtful, kind, caring, funny. Damn funny. Aaron makes a room laugh with him, at him, but not because he’s a clown or an idiot. He knows your chuckle point, what gets your giggle going and he exploits that knowledge with discernment. And when he’s got you laughing, you’ll be privy to the smirk, the same little grin he’s carried since the forever accompanied by a twinkle of his eyes. His green eyes had the greatest twinkle.

Had. Aaron died on June 7. Five months have crawled by since my friend, my brother took his own life. I miss him every minute. I think of something I need to tell him every day, of places we should go, of food I want to cook for him, of hugs I need to give him. I pick up my phone to text or call him often. So often. I think of things I should have said, could have said that might have helped, but this isn’t about me. This is about Aaron. He was a good man, a wonderful friend, and a loving brother. I love him so much and this world is a darker place without him.

I want to point my friends and readers to some resources that can help them when they see the signs of depression in themselves or their loved ones. Post Secret routinely donates to The National Hopeline Network, which can be reached by calling 1-800-SUICIDE. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is a 24 hour resource. 1-800-273-TALK (8255) NSPH also has a Veterans line in partnership with the VA which can be reached by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Veterans press 1.

To those who feel themselves being drawn into the shadows of depression, please talk. Talk to your friends, family, coworkers, they love you! We love you! We want to help you. No subject is taboo. If you’re too shy to talk to a friend, call one of the hotlines above.

Thank you for reading along with me and for holding my hand. I love you all.

I love you, Brother.

~SmSc

Naki Family

2009-10-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to pass this information on to any and all who could help.

Abby and I were in countless high school drama productions together. Her joy and energy was endless. That energy must be serving her well as she now has 6 daughters and chronicles life with them on her blog, Six Maile Chix. Two weeks ago, the Maile family unexpectedly lost their daddy. Here's some information on Naki Maile and his tragic death at the age of 32.

And here's how you can help. To make a donation to help his 6 little girls, visit: http://www.nakifamily.com/ Please keep the Maile girls in your thoughts.

Thanks so much for reading,

Sara

Poetry Publication

2009-10-28T21:29:00.002-04:00

I normally don't talk about my writing stuff here, but I'd like to spread the word about this fantastic text.

This is the first of two poetry publications I expect to have out before the new year. One of my poems appears in this anthology along with poetry from my amazing colleagues at Absolute Write. All proceeds go toward maintenance of AW. It's a great gift for the readers in your life and very reasonably priced!

Absolute Poetry Vol. 1 by the Poets of Absolute Write: A collection of poems from the poets of the Absolute Write poetry forum.
Absolute Poetry

I'm particularly proud of this poem and extremely honored to be included in such fine company. I also can't wait for the next publication to be announced. The theme is fantastic and the poetry collection is one I'm going to read again and again.

This is me, smiling :) Thanks for reading,

Sara

Support for Sam's Kids

2009-09-21T21:47:00.003-04:00

I'm in the middle of studying for 4 (yes, FOUR) exams this week, but this is too important to skip.

Please think about sending a couple dollars to the Cort Family. I cannot think about their situation without having my eyes bubble over with tears. Just a couple bucks. This growing family needs it.

Good v Evil

2009-09-09T10:00:00.009-04:00

Have you seen TED? TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. The basic premise of the non-profit is "Ideas worth spreading." Their website is a collection of essays, articles and videos. The topics are so widely varied and interesting, it's really worth a look.

I want to draw your attention to one video in particular. It's going to sound silly, but after I read the book Wicked, by Gregory Maguire, I've been drawn to the idea of good and evil in modern context. Anthropologists and their students face struggles in maintaining objectivity. When you're conducting research and one of your subjects is doing something you think is "wrong" do you stop them from doing it or do you allow it to happen for the sake of research. Because, the argument goes, if you have the evidence from ONE case, you have ammunition to help the ENTIRE population. Tough choices.

But I digress. The video I'm talking about is this one. It's 20 minutes long, but worth the watch. Samantha Power is talking about a renegade hero, a guy who negotiated with terrorists and dictators in order to save people. The story is compelling and Ms. Power's telling is captivating. But that's TED, compelling and captivating. As a sidebar brag, a LOT of Penn Staters have appeared in TED Talks. That's right! We can drink and be brilliant!

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Worthy Cause

2009-08-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

They all are, aren’t they? That may be a bit overreaching, but most nonprofits seem to have good intentions. Since you can’t give to every single one out there, how do you decide which one or ones to help? Sometimes you just know. A cause will hit closer to your core and after you research it (yes, please do!) you make your donation.

Many of you know that I have an awful pair of knees. More specifically, I have a fairly aggressive case of degenerative arthritis. When I was 22, my orthopedic doctor said these broken down joints belonged to an 83 year old. He expected to replace both of my knees before I turned 35. These days, they’re pushing my magic number back to 45 or 50. And praise the god of skinny punks, because I’m about to turn 33 and ain’t nobody cutting me! But enough about me!

This brings me to my worthy cause. Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, otherwise known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. This form of Arthritis is horrible. The Arthritis Foundation is working to research treatment and cures for all forms of arthritis, setting up community support groups, and sponsoring advocacy programs for arthritis sufferers. They even offer green donations, direct through the website.

Let’s Move Together is a community arm of The Arthritis Foundation, hosting walks and runs in order to raise funds and community awareness. Take a look at their main page to find an event in your area. Most are hosted in the spring, so I’ll keep an eye out and remind you when the season ramps up.

Other causes that tug at my tired old heart strings:

Cupcakes for a cause : Are you kidding me? I can bake goodies AND help kids with cancer?!?! WINWIN!

Autism Speaks : As a sidebar, you can donate to Talk about Curing Autism (TACA) by purchasing these adorable Kauzbots.

Just as a reminder, Cheerful Givers is still doing their online Social Summer Fundraiser. Get over there and give the kids a couple bucks!

Wish List

2009-08-19T07:30:00.003-04:00

Amazon calls it a wish list, which makes it seem so innocent but I find my wish list growing out of control. Unlike grocery shopping, I simply loathe regular shopping. The upside of this hatred is rarely spending money on my wants or wish list items. There is a downside. I usually end up with a mile long wish list before I even think about shopping. My current list? Not just via Amazon?

Tom's shoes, I love the Dickens ones. The Poe are cute, or Zola, or oh goodness! Someone just buy me every pair of literary Tom shoes! And while you're at it, get me these in all red!

Sixty-Six, by William Haskins. I'm embarrassed to say that my favorite living poet has a book out that I have not purchased. I hang my head in shame.

The Wicked Soundtrack and probably 1072 other tunes.

My Life in France, by Julia Child.

This food processor. In chrome. Oh yes, I know what I want.

The ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

And this house but I'd settle for this one...

See? I'm out of control. Back to work!

Zen in the Supermarket

2009-08-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

I’m being serious! I stroll the aisles, like an afternoon at an empty shoreline, searching the market for my favorite eats and delicious veggies. Pungent cheeses, ripe tomatoes, savory whole grains, I could spend an entire day lost in shopper mode. Grocery shopping mode. So many dread it, treat it like a chore, a hassle. But the thought of an hour at Wegman’s excites me! I tune on my iPod and wander. I. Love. It. When I travel, I seek out new grocery stores, looking for local goods that I can’t buy at home. Even in New Jersey. Something is wrong with me, I know.

I’ve been in love with grocery shopping since the minute I could drive. My mother didn’t love it. A busy woman with a demanding career and four kids, how could she? There was never enough time. Instead, when I was old enough to venture out on my own, she sent me. She would jot down a few essentials, give me a fistful of cash or her credit card, and send me on my way. Freedom! For an introspective 16 year old, those liberating jaunts to the grocery store were my zen. I would take hours, to the point where my mother would ask where I really spent my time. I’m still not sure if she believed me when I told her the grocery store was my only destination. Sure, there were so many places for me to get in trouble, oh and I did, but not when I had a chance to go to the grocery store. I could pick out meals for the entire family. Freedom and POWER! Woo! What a rush! My love of grocery shopping is deep, everlasting.

Nowadays, though YIKES! Mom’s don’t have an endless supply of hours to roam the store. And really, there are so many other things that need to be taken care of in the course of the day. I can see why people think grocery shopping is such a chore. So, I thought I would share some of my methods to keep the zen in the supermarket. They may seem simple or basic, but here goes!

1. Make a list. I know, right? But, there have been times when I go to the store with a mental list and it’s just not the same. I forget the cheese or leave the pasta, and when I get home my stress level climbs because I realize I don’t have what it takes to make meals. Irritating! And I’m not just talking any kind of list. You don’t have to be as ridiculous as me (or my sister *coughlaurencough*) but I make 2 lists. First, I sit down with my favorite cookbooks the night before I shop and after Finn is in bed. Putting post-it notes on the recipes I plan to use for the week, I write down everything I’m going to need for each recipe. That list ends up on my fridge or in the front of the cookbook. Then, I make another list that separates everything into categories: produce, dairy, meats, bulk, frozen, grocery, and miscellaneous. This way, as I’m taking my leisurely stroll through the aisles, I’ll be sure to remember everything in that section and not have to double back to grab the peanut butter after I already passed by on my way to granola. I also make sure to put an * next to any items that might have coupons. Memory aids, good they are. I also keep a note pad attached to the fridge for staples that run out. So, be sure to consult that list before compiling your master list. Wow, my routine sounds so rigid now that I’ve tossed it into the blogosphere, but it really works for me!

2. Stock up. I don’t mean canned goods! Before I go, I grab my reusable bags, a bottle of water, and something to eat. I always, ALWAYS get hungry when I’m shopping. If I bring a cheese stick, granola bar, or piece of fruit, I’m less likely to buy 12 boxes of Oreos (and less likely to eat 6 of said boxes during my stroll.)

3. Fly solo and early. It’s the only thing I insist on being able to do on my own. Grocery stores are quieter in the early hours of the day, say between 7-10 am. That’s my aim. I love going on Monday mornings because everything is freshly stocked at my store on Sunday. There’s a better chance to cut down on return trips and less frustration. Besides, how can one attain a zen-like experience when fighting over the last head of edible red leaf?

4. Pack your bags. At this point, I’m sounding like a total control freak. But, if you know where stuff is, you’re going to have an easier time unpacking it. I put all the refrigerated items together, all the frozen stuff in the same bag, and all the produce is carefully tucked in so that I know my lettuce isn’t wilting and my nectarines aren’t turning to pulp under the weight of Yukon golds. Another benefit to packing your own bags? You know how heavy is too heavy, Teenster McStuffyourbags doesn’t.

5. Take a trip. Plan at least one meal that you haven’t tried yet, something foreign or exciting. Take your time when perusing the ethnic food section of the store and see what catches your eye. Try something new and allow yourself to experiment. On food. Sure, your family may turn up their noses, but give it a shot! Be bold! Be daring! Be brave! Get excited about new foods.

Enjoy your next trip to my Mecca and let me know how it goes!

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Chocolate!

2009-08-14T07:36:00.002-04:00

Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!

Now I have your attention. In my last post, I mentioned the September edition of Whole Living Body + Soul. I really love that magazine, their helpful tips are actually, well, helpful. And the tone of the mag is just right for me, a nice balance between “I can really DO this,” greenie hints, and “wow, I can’t wait to be able to do THAT one day!” I’m not sure if I’m being clear, but it’s a groovy magazine and it really fits for me. So, what does that have to do with chocolate?

There was an interesting DIY suggestion in the September edition. Natural Color Booster for your hair. It’s been ages since I’ve had the time or the cash to get my hair done. One of my best friends owns an all natural Aveda Salon in Pittsburgh and after a few bad experiences, I honestly don’t trust anyone else with my hair. But, driving to Pittsburgh for a hairdo, it’s a commitment. Time, energy, money, time. These are a few of my favorite things, but they aren’t in abundance around these parts. No complaining, just trying to be more resourceful. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m naturally dirty blond, but I dye the tresses a darker shade of brown. It’s so much less maintenance than trying to actually be blond and well, lets just say that being blond never really did me any favors. So, I gave the DIY Natural Color Booster a shot. It has a cocoa powder base. Yum. The smell alone was enough to encourage a slathering of kitchen variety mush.

Cocoa Powder, plain yogurt, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Simple. Mix it into a paste and apply it to freshly washed and towel dried hair. The instructions said to leave it on for 2 or 3 minutes, but that didn’t seem like enough for me. I went with 10. Nothing. Not one single change. Maybe because my hair is naturally lighter? My expectations weren’t high, I just thought it would ramp up the color I already had on my hair, at least give it a bit more shine and vibrancy. Nothing.

Any ideas? Pittsburgh, here I come.

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Cheerful Givers needs your help

2009-08-13T07:00:00.003-04:00

Cheerful Givers are in the second week of the Social Summer Fundraiser. Please spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and MySpace.

Thanks for reading,

Sara

No Apologies!

2009-08-12T19:18:00.008-04:00

Listen, this blogging thing? It’s not easy to keep up with! Easy? Easy is playing outside all day with Finn, getting up at 4:30 to pour coffee, growing veggies, baking brownies, reading, soaking up the sun, weeks at the beach, scheduling classes, securing money, and buying books. Warm days spent outside, splashes in the lake, conventions with the ocean, like old friends rushing to embrace, collecting shells, tossing one back as a thank you. Summer = Life. Summer = Happiness. Summer = Love.

But summer is almost over. In about 10 days, I’m going back to college full-time to finish a degree I’ve been picking away at for close to four years. My 3 year old will start full-time preschool, I’ll be working 25 hours, studying the rest; all these changes that I’m still so unsure of. My internal voice goes something like this:

It’s going to feel so great to finish my degree.

But I love having those special days with Finn.

You can still have great times together, you pick him up at 3:30 everyday.

But that means no impromptu weekday picnics at the lake, no Waffle Shop breakfast dates, no nap-time snuggles.

You can do all of those things over the weekend. Think about how amazing it will feel to FINISH school and how great of an example you’re setting for your son.

But, but, but…

*sigh*

Amidst the struggles, changes, and internal arguments, I’m concerned about our lifestyle, staying healthy while staying busy. Between classes and parking lots, I’ll be walking roughly 3 miles every day. While I’m still going to be active, I know that my time will be at a premium, but I don’t want my family to suffer by way of too much eating out or unhealthy cooking. So, I’m mentally compiling recipes, tips, and suggestions to use over the next 72 years… okay, 3… I hope.

The September issue of Whole Living Body + Soul Magazine had a list of 25 simple, healthy recipes. I plan to use the first few weeks of classes to test some of them out.

Do you have any tips, time management suggestions, good thoughts? Care to share? Please?

Thanks for reading,

Sara

And the Winner is...

2009-04-28T14:29:00.005-04:00

... Rooster! Yay Rooster! I especially loved that you gave your son a job, to help with the recycling. What a great example! It's important to get kids involved with conserving and recycling early on. So, thank you for doing what you're doing. Send me an email with your information and I'll get your gift sent out. And what have you won!?!

A pair of books: World Tree Day and Mapping the World Tree, featuring characters from the show It’s a Big, Big World.

A HUGE thank you to EVERYONE who commented on the Earth Day post. You are ALL doing amazing things with your kids. You are wonderful parents and citizens. Thanks again!

Sara

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

It’s Earth Day! It’s also my Bloggiversary! Yay!

Today is Wednesday. Wednesday means I’m home with my munchkin and we’re celebrating nature in a big way. Our agenda is simple, but he’s pretty excited.

We’re going on a nature hike! This is one of our favorite activities, but today we’re kicking it up with our special, handmade Earth Day Book. Using some recycled drawing paper and yarn, we made a bound book. The mission is to find some items to draw or paste in our book (if it’s safe to take from the forest!) Some of the things we’re going to talk about on our hike are smells, textures, and conservation.

Gardening! Today is the day to start our garden or at least start planning it. We wont plant for another week or two, depending on the weather. But we’re heading out to a local green house to find some seeds and decide what we want to grow this summer. So far, the munchkin wants peas, sprouts, watermelon, and cherry tomatoes. We’ll see what else they might have that catches his eye. Then, we’re going to prep the garden patch. We need to rake it, pick out any stones that turn up, draw a garden sign on a little wooden plaque we found at a second hand shop. Fun!

And we’re hoping you have some cool things planned. Since it’s my bloggiversary and Earth Day, I’m doing a give-away. Use the Comment section to tell me how you’re teaching your kids about making the Earth a better place or what you did to celebrate Earth Day. I’ll pick my favorite and send you a pair of books from http://www.pbskids.org/ World Tree Day and Mapping the World Tree, featuring characters from the show It’s a Big, Big World. Can’t wait to read your comments!

Have a fabulous Earth Day and thanks for reading!

Sara

Tomorrow is Earth Day!

2009-04-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is Earth Day and The Hero Complex’s First Anniversary. To celebrate, I’m hosting a give-away!

Visit The Hero Complex on April 22, 2009 and use the Comment section to tell me how you’re teaching your kids about making the Earth a better place. I’ll pick my favorite and send you a pair of books from pbskids.org. World Tree Day and Mapping the World Tree, featuring characters from the show It’s a Big, Big World. Can’t wait to read your comments!

Thanks for reading!

Sara

April is Autism Awareness Month

2009-04-17T13:46:00.006-04:00

Some information and links for you.

Spread the word:

John Elder Robison, writer-friend and author of Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's , will be the keynote speaker at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Seaver Autism Conference on Sunday April 19th, from 1:30 - 2:30. Please give him your support, if you're able. Here's a link to the event on Facebook.

Autism Speaks has an extensive list of events on their website. By supporting this non-profit, you will be contributing to Autism therapy, research, and resources. Please do.

My toddler was flipping through the May 2009 edition of Cookie Magazine in search for babies doing silly things when he came across a review of Kauzbots. He instantly asked for the "BRIGHT YELLOW ONE!!!" Guess what? Karthy, also known as the BRIGHT YELLOW ONE!!!, is passionate about autism awareness. 10% of his proceeds go to TACA. Take a look at all of the different bots. At $25 a piece, these make adorable, feel-good presents. Check them out!

And another thing! Earth Day is next week and I wanted to remind you of the give-away I'm hosting. Visit The Hero Complex on April 22, 2009 and use the Comment section to tell me how you’re teaching your kids about making the Earth a better place. I’ll pick my favorite and send you a pair of books from pbskids.org. World Tree Day and Mapping the World Tree, featuring characters from the show It’s a Big, Big World. Can’t wait to read your comments!

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Something Light

2009-04-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Figuratively and literally. My toddler has always been quite decisive about food. He knows he likes green beans. He’s positive he hates zucchini, unless I pull out my super sneaky mom skills and put it in chocolate chip bread. He loves broccoli, but only when it’s what he calls “spicy broccoli”: steamed with garlic, ginger, orange, sesame oil, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. He refuses to each potatoes when they’re mashed, but loves fries and tots. What kid doesn’t?

Lately, I’ve been searching for healthy snacks that he would love and I stumbled upon a granola bar recipe in the April Edition of Parents Magazine. This prompted me to come up with my own version of granola bars. They were a hit with the whole house, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you. You can use home made or store bought granola. I tried it both ways and liked my home made granola better, but don’t feel like you need to hippy out. The store-bought ones went over just as well. I don’t think my men noticed. Enjoy!

The Base Bar Recipe:

1 Cup of Granola
1 Cup of Rolled Oats
½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 Egg
¼ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Olive Oil

1 ½ Cups of Any Combination of: Dried Chopped Apricots, Cherries, Cranberries, Blueberries, Dates, or Raisin; Chocolate Chips, Chopped Almonds, Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, or anything else you like!

Preheat over @ 325°. Use an 8x8 pan, lined with parchment or foil, grease with oil spray. Allow an overhang on the parchment to pull the bars out later. Mix Granola, Oats, Add-ins, and Flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, egg, and honey. [Helpful hint: Measure out oil first, then the honey wont stick to the measuring cup.] Mix into Granola mixture.

Spray your hands with some cooking oil and pat the bar mixture into the pan. Bake @ 325° for 30 minutes. Cool in pan, on baking rack. Pull bars out of the pan with the overhanging parchment or foil. Cut into 8 or 16 bars, depending on your appetite. Eat!

One last reminder: While we may try to promote green living every day, April 22 is Earth Day. Since it’s my bloggiversary and Earth Day, I’m doing a give-away. Visit The Hero Complex on April 22, 2009 and use the Comment section to tell me how you’re teaching your kids about making the Earth a better place. I’ll pick my favorite and send you a pair of books from pbskids.org. World Tree Day and Mapping the World Tree, featuring characters from the show It’s a Big, Big World. Can’t wait to read your comments!

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Autism Speaks 5K

2009-04-04T00:01:00.002-04:00

Today is the 4th Annual PSU Autism Awareness Race in State College. I’ll be participating as a runner this year with a few friends and some family. Please come down to join the walk or race; or support the runners, walkers, and race organizers by making a donation or volunteering to do clean up or set up. The entry fee is just $15 and the entire amount is a donation toward Penn State’s fund for Autism Speaks.

Also, April is Autism Awareness Month. I’ll be back a couple times during April with information and updates. Please let me know if you have any great links. I’ll include them in a future post.

One last reminder: While we may try to promote green living every day, April 22 is Earth Day. Since it’s my bloggiversary and Earth Day, I’m doing a give-away. Visit The Hero Complex on April 22, 2009 and use the Comment section to tell me how you’re teaching your kids about making the Earth a better place. I’ll pick my favorite and send you a pair of books from pbskids.org. World Tree Day and Mapping the World Tree, featuring characters from the show It’s a Big, Big World. Can’t wait to read your comments!

Thanks for reading,

Sara

I'm ANGRY!

2009-02-28T12:47:00.009-05:00

Anger has been on my mind this week. I interviewed for a new position and they required a personality evaluation. The work is customer service based and you can see why they would carefully screen for those with anger issues. Lines of questioning lead me to the understanding that I am not at all prone to personal anger. I rarely feel outraged or upset on my own behalf and I don't tend to be mad at individuals. I don't want to dive into the psychoanalysis of what that may mean about me and my hero complex. Instead, I started to think about what DOES make me angry. Of course, I'm not going to list everything. Who has time for that? But, get ready. You're about to find out what's got me cranked this week!

Slavery: The UN estimates over 27 million people are enslaved worldwide. Are you kidding me?!?! Americans may think the days of plantations, Uncle Tom, and Benito Cereno are long gone, but they're not. Even on our own soil, slavery continues. Disgusting. Some examples of outrage-worthy cases. Anti-Slavery International can use your help.

Human Trafficking: Again, woah! Just look at this article. This inflames me.

Melanie: No, my friend Melanie doesn't make me angry. But man! Get her out of Mexico!

See? So, maybe I can't find anger for myself, but I can be angry for you! Let me know if you need an extra indignant citizen enrolled in your cause. I'll be happy to help. Or angry.

Talk to you again next week. Carbon footprint, anyone?

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Reminders

2009-01-08T11:45:00.009-05:00

Of all things, a status update on Facebook reminded me to remind you of some things. My friend Janna, who is doing her part to raise 2 adorable, intelligent, caring girls, said that they spent some time emptying closets to reorganize and allocate items for donation. This got me thinking (thanks, Janna!) It's a new year. What sorts of things do you do to get ready for the coming year? And how can you help out others with those efforts?

Janna started in a great place. Why not sort through your clothes or your toys? Ask your family to donate something to a worthy cause. A game, a toy, a gently used sweater or coat. These things can make a huge difference in someone's life. Did you know that you can ask organizations like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or even your local church for a receipt on items received? It's a tax deduction and there's a standard rate for each item donated. It can add up, believe me!

Have you tried calling local soup kitchens to volunteer some time? It's cold in my neck of the woods and a hot meal might be just what someone needs to maintain their strength or to keep up a job search.

Also, I just received our copy of The Giving Book. It is FABULOUS. It's filled with ways to get kids thinking about others, how they can help and how they've personally been helped and encouraged. Ellen Sabin writes in a way that kids can understand. She doesn't scare them about big social issues, but makes them aware of the need for help. I'm trying to get my hands on a couple more copies. When I do, I'm going to host a few contests this year, and use these little gems as give-aways. Stay tuned.

Lastly, please take a look at some of the sites I've linked to in today's post. They are well worth the visit!

Janna's Blog

The Salvation Army

Goodwill

Soup Kitchen & Shelter Directory The Volunteer Family

Ellen Sabin, Author

Watering Can Press

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Be well and thanks for reading!

Sara

The Food Bank

2008-12-23T15:41:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the prolonged absence. I've been working hard to finish revisions on my manuscript. I can't believe it's been 3 months since my last soap boxing episode!

All kidding aside, I wanted to remind you that Feeding America (formerly known as The Second Harvest,) is looking for donations. I would never presume to tell you what to spend your hard earned money on, but I can tell you about my experiences with our local Food bank.

Last week, my toddler and I were talking about kids all over the world. He started asking about how they live and what they eat. So, I took the opportunity to be a downer-mom and tell him that some kids don’t have a refrigerator full of food. He was surprised at this, and a little concerned. But I was sure to add that we could share our food with them, if he wanted. We went to the website for our local food bank and found their list of seasonal needs. He put the list in his pocket and off we went to the grocery store.

After we filled a separate cart with items to bring to the food bank, my little boy gave the cashier our money and we drove over to the depository. They were kind and helpful, carried the bags inside for us, asked if we wanted a receipt for taxes, thanked us for the donation, and gave us information about volunteering at the bank after the New Year. Very pleasant experience.

When we got back in the car to drive home, I asked him what he thought of the whole thing. His reply? “I didn’t see any kids, or their refrigerators.” That’s what you get when you ask a 2 and a half year old what they think!

I hope you all find your refrigerators full of delicious food, enough so that you want to bring some of it over to your local food bank.

Thanks for reading,

Sara

Green Kids - Part 3

2008-09-12T10:57:00.006-04:00

Reduce/Reuse/Recycle

It’s important to raise kind and caring children. To me, and probably you, it’s vital to teach that, plus some. I want my little boy to understand how his actions impact those around him. One of the lessons in that equation is conservation and recycling, which is best taught by example.

Recycle: I’ve seen arguments against recycling programs, pointing to the trucks used, the emissions, the overall efficiency of community based programs. So persuasive are these arguments that it prompted the Waste & Resource Action Programme to publish an international study last year. This study found that in 83% of programs surveyed, the efficiency and benefit far outweighed the drawbacks. Of course the study dealt with tangibles, like energy use vs. conservation, waste cost, environmental impact. But there are countless benefits that can’t be quantified. Teach your kids to sort the recycling and teach them responsibility, give them a feeling of community and a sense of pride in making a difference. Unquantifiable, yes, but real, nonetheless. If your community doesn’t offer curbside recycling, a real luxury, check here to find recycling programs with drop-off points in Pennsylvania and here for the rest of the US.

Reuse: I wont ask you to rinse out those cruddy baggies for reuse, but why not nix them? Maybe not all together, but how about some other options? There are some great long lasting food storage containers out there, for packing lunches, portable beverages. Give them a try. And if you can’t, just can’t let go of your disposable lifestyle, why not try a few green options? Here are a few to add to your list:

Ecoproducts: Compostable disposable cups, plates, and utensils.

The Water Geeks: BPA free reusable water bottles.

Zonbu: The Green Machine is a computer that is just beyond cool. Check it out.

Kids Konserve: Reusable school lunch products.

Reduce: Here's where it gets fun. No, seriously, it does! Depending on their age, kids can help to do all sorts of things to conserve energy, water, resources, reduce pollution.

Electricity

Turn lights off when you leave the room.

Open blinds for natural light.

Switch to the more energy efficient compact florescent bulbs.

Try Energy Star appliances.

Water

Don't rinse dishes before loading the dishwasher and be sure to fill it up before running.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or washing your face.

Try low-flow shower heads and limit your time in the shower to under 10 minutes.

Don't use pesticides or fertilizers on your lawn.

Gas

Try carpooling or mass transit for school and work.

Walk or bike for local errands.

Check tire pressure on your car or truck

Group your travels by location to avoid unnecessary trips.

And finally, here are some great resources to get you started:

Environmental Kids Club!

Do Something.org

iConservePA.gov

Thanks so much for reading!

Sara

Green Kids - Part 2

2008-09-10T09:00:00.009-04:00

My Chemical Romance

Truth be known, I’m messy. Not filthy, mind you, but I leave stacks of books, papers, pens, and stickies in my wake. Underneath those piles of supplies, my biggest secret is lurking. Want to know? Are you sure? It's not that exciting? Okay, here goes:

I LOVE ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANERS.

Their harsh smells, that fake lemon essence, the cleaning power of 42 chemicals that could choke an ox, the knowledge that I can smite germs with a single spray. Ahhhhhh. The problem is, out of those 42 chemicals, 40 of them could, quite literally, kill my child in a large enough dose. What is a sani-freak, worry-wart of a mother to do? First off, chill out! Unless you’re hiding pork chops under your clutter, you probably have very little to worry about. But kids do track germs into the house, on their hands, all over their toys, on their shoes. You going to clean that? Of course you are. Simple fixes:

Wash those hands every time you come in the house. Every. Time. Not just eliminating germs, but also protecting you and yours from harmful chemicals that can be found in the yards and playgrounds your kids frequent (pesticides, arsenic, fertilizers.)

Try a more bio-friendly list of products: Method, I love these guys. Check out their 10 Detox Tips. Clorox Greenworks (endorsed by the Sierra Club!) Perf's GoGreen Garbage Bags. . Seventh Generation Cleaners. Shaklee.

If you just can’t fight the urge to disinfect, try this: Do your clean-up routine after the kids go to bed or when they’re not around so they’re not enticed by the interesting smells and pretty bottles. After cleaning your surfaces, wipe them down with water and a washcloth to remove any residual chemicals. Be sure to keep them under wraps, with either child safety mechanisms or in an area of the house that is inaccessible to small hands.

Also, because you deserve it, and I love anyone reading my blog, here are a few recipes for home cleaners that you can make yourself! (All recipes come from Where's Mom Now that I need her)

Glass Cleaner

1 gallon water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid dish detergent

All Purpose Cleaner
1 cup household ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
1 gallon warm water

And finally, here are a few resources for you and your fight to Go Green with your kids.

Raising Baby Green, by Alan Greene, MD
safe-drinking-water.org
Green, Greener, Greenest, by Lori Bongiorno
Environmental Working Group: for a list of PBDE Free manufacturers (think furniture, bedding, carpet, and electronics.
Ecolibris, encouraging sustainable reading.

On Friday, you'll see my final of the 3 part series entitled, Reuse/Reduce/Recycle.

Thanks for reading!

Sara

Green Kids - 3 Part Series

2008-09-09T11:00:00.011-04:00

These days, we hear about dangers in the home, in schools, in toys, in bottle liners, in all things associated with raising kids. Parenting magazines have highlighted concerns and safe products, the CPSC issues recalls, ramping up their efforts, in light of lead paint exposure. Faced with an onslaught of information, how are we supposed to keep our kids safe? How much is necessary vs. alarmist? Didn’t our parents keep us safe without being overly concerned about eco-friendly products and potential bio-hazards?

I’ve spent the last few months clipping articles, noting websites. I would like to share some interesting information with you about these concerns in a three part series, including Pedal to the Metal, My Chemical Romance, and Reuse/Reduce/Recycle. I hope you enjoy it!

Part 1: Pedal to the Metal

What’s the deal with lead paint? Dora, Thomas, do you really need to worry? Yep. I refuse to enter alarmist mode on this, but as a parent, you HAVE to do some research. You just have to. Most of us know that lead is harmful, but read the list effects of here. Nasty stuff. Check out toy recalls here. Your pediatrician and the CDC may recommend testing for lead levels. Mine just did at my son’s 2 year checkup. If they don’t suggest it and you’re worried, just ask. Isn’t it better to get some peace of mind?

If you live in an older home, be sure to check on lead paint. Obviously newer paints are lead free, but if you’re considering a room make-over, try one of these paints that contain low or no VOC’s. Safer for your family and the environment!

Tomorrow, we'll be talking about chemicals in the home and on Friday, keep an eye out for our final post in the three part series, Reuse/Reduce/Recycle.

Thanks for reading!

Sara

Blog Steam

2008-09-05T09:30:00.004-04:00

Over the summer, it seems I ran out of blog steam. The tasks at hand took up much of my time and energy, one of which was editing and refining my novel. Check! So, faithful followers, I should be back with a post or two a week and plenty of steam to power my engine in the months to follow. Thanks for your patience!

A few links to start the weekend off :

Organic Mania

Mixed Greens: environmental health news update in audio format.

Green Mom Blogroll: great resource to find interesting and environmentally concerned bloggers.

I still have a wrap up of PSU's Ag Progress Days to offer and a wealth of information I've been gathering about maintaining a green-friendly home for kids.

Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Sara

Ag Progress Days

2008-08-17T13:00:00.004-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Summer is a busy time, isn't it? It is. This week, I have 2 projects due, novel edits to finish, a trip to Harrisburg, and Ag Progress Days, hosted by PSU.

I'll be taking a trip out to the show on Wednesday or Thursday and will blog all about the new green info. Here's a link to the show site to whet your appetite.

Ag Progress Days

Maybe I'll see you out on the farm! Have a great week.

Sara

Hold it in, hold it in!

2008-07-13T13:03:00.006-04:00

The Central PA Festival of the Arts closed out yesterday, with the standard Earthtones Concert on Old Main Lawn. For the 3rd year in a row, the show went on without me. I used to love the Festival closing show, but hearing the same set for 12 years ignited my appetite for something fresh. This year, I found it. Jukebox The Ghost is a three man band with keyboards, guitar, and drums. They performed on the Allen Street Stage at 8 on Saturday. Their sound ranges from piano pop a la Train or Ben Folds to 80's punk reminiscent of The Clash. The stage show was lively and entertaining, funny and engaging. Each member of the band worked the crowd in their own way, from making jokes about the stage set up, telling song backstories, to artistically tossing drum sticks to make way for another type of percussion.

If you're into music, if you want to hear something that will get your toes a-tapping, check them out. You can find their website here. I recommend listening to Hold it in to get a feel for their sound, then move on to Victoria or Good Day. Great stuff.

Author Advocate Defense Fund

2008-07-11T11:11:00.004-04:00

So, my little super heroes, I'd like to challenge you to get involved in a worthy cause. As you may know, I am a writer. I belong to a wonderful community of writers called Absolute Write, owned by my friend, MacAllister Stone. Mac and some of our other good friends at AW are defending themselves in a lawsuit filed by Barbara Bauer.

Because of the suit, I wont go into specifics. But if you're keen on details, they can be found through the Author Advocate Defense Fund website. The Author Advocate Defense Fund was established to assist several author advocates in defraying the cost of defending themselves in the lawsuit. I would encourage each of you to help out in any way you're able. Blog about it, donate a few (hell-50) dollars, tell your dad, ask him to donate.

Check back for updates on the case. So far, the suit against Wikimedia (yes, she was suing WIKIPEDIA!) was dismissed, but the rest are still in the system.

Food

2008-07-10T20:37:00.004-04:00

I want to talk about food. More specifically, I want to talk about the psychology of food. People are weird about food, aren’t they? They’ll shell out 50 bucks for a fake Prada on the streets of New York, or 1000 for the real thing, but you still see them buying a 7 layer burrito from Taco Bell, or dare I say it? Buying conventional produce from the grocery store. Why is it that consumers feel their wallets and lip glosses deserve a fifty dollar home when they themselves don’t even deserve a 4 dollar quart of organic strawberries? They have the latest gadgets, music, books, video games, or what have you, but they can’t be bothered with pouring over labels to avoid high fructose corn syrup. I have a hard time understanding these people, partly because I’m happy with my 6 dollar handbag from Gap, but mostly because I care deeply about what goes into my body and into the bodies of those I feed.

I’m not trying to begrudge anyone a hearty meal or even an occasional treat, but the everyday stuff (or double stuf) that people pour down their throats really disturbs me. Have we, as a society, traveled so far from our agrarian roots that we can only eat from cans, packages, or bags? Okay. I’m being a bit extreme, but have you tried an organic strawberry? Those little red berries of delight are laughing in the face of their conventional brethren. Organic cheese is sharper than its conventional counterpart, and I wont even start on tomatoes.

I would like to encourage as many of you as possible to give it a shot. Try eating organic. Try shopping local. Try to cut back on your processed, packaged foods. Make more than 5 meals a week. I'm talking breakfast, lunch, dinner. Take out the Cocoa Puffs and try a banana. How about some plain yogurt with honey and granola? Give it a month. Indulge yourself in the good stuff and see how you feel. My guess is that, if you keep up with it for an entire month, you’ll come back to report you’re feeling energized, light, refreshed, because that’s how my body feels every day.

Here are a few resource links for you:

Newsweek's Lab Notes. Face Off: Organic vs. Conventional.

Organic Center and their Mission Organic 2010

How Organic Food Works.

A voice of dissent from CNN. (See? I'm a fair reporter!)

I’m climbing down from my soap box, now. But watch for me to step back up tomorrow because I’m going to be talking about a really worthy cause, The Author Advocate Defense Fund.

Farmer's Market

2008-06-24T10:39:00.006-04:00

On Friday, I went to our downtown farmer's market. There were more than 10 farmers, selling their produce, flowers, and baked goods from little stands and trucks. Here are a few pictures, to make you feel like you were part of my organic Friday experience!

Spring Onions - These onions are delicious. I made 2 quarts of refrigerator pickles, and I think the onions are the best part!

Fresh Strawberries from Wood Fired Bakery and Farms.

Patchwork Farms had the sweetest organic snap peas on the planet. After buying 1 pint and tasting them, I walked right back into the line to buy another. Yes, they were that good. And the owner was a total sweetheart and gave me his recipe for garlic scape, which I've never tried. You can be sure I'm working on that this week!

My friends, Barrie and Madeline Moser, of Moser's Garden Produce, were selling beautiful greens and herbs. The sweet basil was so good in a roasted corn, tomato, and mozzarella salad.

So, it was a very successful outing. I spent 20 dollars and purchased: Organic spring onions, beets, 2 pints of snap peas, 1 qt organic strawberries, granola, a dozen free range organic eggs, a scoop of raw milk ice cream for my little boy, garlic scape, napa cabbage, and sweet basil. They're holding the market on Tuesdays from 11-4 and Fridays from 11-6. Go down there and buy local, if you can. If you're not in the State College area, visit FarmersMarket.com to find out where you can shop locally. Thanks for reading and commenting.

All the best!

~Sara

Bottlemania

2008-06-10T08:15:00.003-04:00

Have you heard about this new book by Elizabeth Royte? It's called Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It. American Public Media's Marketplace featured the book and the author on their show yesterday. To listen, go here. To buy the book, try here. Or here.

I'll be back around to post a review when I find the time to read it! In the meantime, I'm working on an interesting compilation of Enviro-Makeup and beauty product resources. If you know of one I might be missing, please feel free to email me or leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

Green Kids

2008-05-23T14:16:00.004-04:00

Here's a list of resources that will help in your quest to turn your kids green. Not like that, silly!

Green Thumbs:

Dunecraft : A really great company that provides funky growing kits for kids. It really draws them in to the whole growing process.

Arbor Day : I know it has come and gone, but the site has a wealth of information about how to get kids involved year-round. It also has kids sections broken down into age friendly activities.

USDA State Forest Kids Page : With sections like Backyard Conservation, Gardening with the Penn State Pointers, Nature Watch, and Woodsy Owl, there's something for kids of all ages.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Toys for Tots : Kids, they like toys, ya know? Why not have them donate one of their unopened gifts to someone who doesn't have ANY? Let them get involved.

Cheerful Givers : Their site is adorable and their mission is great. From their "About Us" section, "Cheerful Givers is a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to helping children in need. We provide birthday gift bags through shelters and food shelves to disadvantaged, needy children. "

Compassionate Kids : This nonprofit is geared toward teaching kids to be kind to the earth, people, and animals. They're currently looking for volunteers within their organization for the following areas:

~Board Member
~National Director
~Local Chapter Leader for the State of Georgia

Some Fun:

Haagen-Daz Honey Bee Site : So cute. Great little activities for the kiddies.

A Walk in the Woods : Check it out. Pretty cool link.

EEK! Environmental Education for Kids.

I'll be back soon to tell you all about Green Parents.

Wings Over Pittsburgh

2008-05-13T23:11:00.007-04:00

Here are the pictures I promised. Enjoy!

My Future Pilot

Dirt? On my child?

The Jet Car!

A very shiny DC-3.

Checking out the planes

Oy! I can't catch you from down here!

Some tails

Food Bank Dinner

2008-05-13T20:45:00.004-04:00

KW Cares Dinner

So, last week our company was the fundraiser at a local Hoss’s restaurant. Now, I have to caveat that the food isn’t stellar, but what they do for the community is. Here’s the deal: You sign up with Hoss’s to host a fundraiser and then you select the day you’re hosting the event. They provide you with cards that indicate all of the details and you hand these cards out to your friends, family, prospective clients, anyone. You and your people eat dinner at the restaurant on the designated night. Hoss’s will then donate 20% to the charity of your choice. Our charity was the local food bank, for which we raised 75 dollars. I think we had about 25 people show up, that seems to be our standard turn out.

I have a few more notes to pass on. This Thursday, I’m going to begin tutoring with Americorp. I’m also waiting for confirmation from the Midstate Literacy Council, but they’ve asked if I could work with a Chinese couple on their ESL training. Each requires a 2 hour/week commitment. I’m very excited about this volunteer opportunity. I’ll keep you all updated as to our progress!

We attended the Wings Over Pittsburgh Airshow over the weekend. I'll be back in a bit to add a few pictures.

Literacy Initiative

2008-05-07T21:36:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post to encourage any and all readers to take a look at this and get on board. Thanks!

The AW Poet Laureate Literacy Initiative

I'll be back tomorrow to talk about the charity dinner tonight and what I'm doing to support the above mentioned initiative.

Habitat For Humanity

2008-05-02T15:38:00.016-04:00

Affordable housing. It seems like such a basic right, but in this time of sub-prime crashes and foreclosures, it’s difficult to find an economical place to live. Rentals are available and abundant in a college town like Happy Valley. But if you’re not a student, have a family, or simply can’t afford the high cost of collegiate rentals, what can you do? Most people involved in the housing industry are asking that very question. PHFA just increased their Centre County allowances, and I heard they made statewide adjustments. The State College Borough also offers a great first time home buyers deal, if you qualify. And zoning is doing what it can to increase availability for lower to middle income families.

Take, for instance, the site where I found myself working yesterday. It is under commercial development, but zoning required the investors to set aside a portion of the land to include 10 duplex buildings. As of right now, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County is working on two duplexes. Keller Williams Advantage Realty had about 18 volunteers between morning and afternoon shifts. Several of us stayed for the entire day. For the morning, my team was Ron Avillion, Carol Packard, Lorraine Spock, and myself. Our leader was a great guy named Lee, who you’ll get to meet in some of the following pictures. We were assigned to a wall building crew, working on studding a basement in Unit 2, in order to prep for dry wall. A corresponding crew worked in Unit 1, right next to us, finishing walls as well.

There were two other crews of our people working on siding and electrical. I missed all the electrical work, due to my own projects, but I did get a few pictures of Dawnyelle and Crystal, the siding masters!

When we got into the basement, it was easy to see we had some clean up to do before we could proceed. In unit 1, they were blessed with 8 inches of water from recent rains. Though we were on the second half of the same building, we weren’t nearly as flooded in Unit 2.

We cleaned out the supplies, swept up the water, and started building. We quickly determined that there wasn’t enough for 5 people to do, so Lorraine and Carol set to work on cleaning up outside, while Ron, Lee, and I stayed inside.

We had to attach a large piece of plywood to the wall, where the plumbing and electrical would reside for the washer and dryer in the unit. That thing was heavy! Ron and I held it up while Lee attached it to the frame.

We added some bracing to a few corners, in order to make things a bit easier on the drywallers. And we had to add 2X6’s to the ceiling, at 16 inch intervals, for the drywall ceiling to attach. It was really fun.

I did some drilling, circular sawing, hand sawing, hammering, lifting, and anything else Lee told me to.

Speaking of Lee, what a great guy! He comes out to the HfH site once a week, so that he can “get his fix.” He loves it. We were talking about some recent jobs and he told me about this single dad, living in a trailer with his wheelchair bound daughter. She couldn’t even turn her chair around inside the place. To go catch the bus, she had to be lifted out of the trailer. No independence at all. HfH placed them in one side of a duplex in Millheim.

“When she saw her new home,” Lee said, “the entire site got chills. Her smile was a mile wide. That’s why I do this.”

Did I already say he was a great guy?

Thanks to Ben Norman, for getting the ball rolling and for working so hard all day! Dude, I owe you a beer. Thanks to all the volunteers who came out to the site. We had a great time, didn't we?

A few extra pictures:

Going Green

2008-04-30T16:49:00.011-04:00

We hear that phrase a lot these days, don’t we? Doesn’t it seem like “going green” involves either mass amounts of money, time, or both? Several magazines that I subscribe to have green living sections that highlight things we can do in our day to day lives that will help conserve energy, water, waste, and center our focus on recycling and eco-friendly options. Most of these “tips” are about how you can convert your home into a Green Machine, from major remodels, to replacing appliances, pipes, and electrical systems. And hey! If funds were unlimited, I would probably be living in a green house, fully powered by McDonald’s french fry grease, enjoying natural lighting, and eating only what was grown on my own property. That’s right. Call me Daryl Hannah.

But since I live in the real world, and remodeling my kitchen into an eco-friendly green zone isn’t really an option for me (or for you, I suspect) what can we do to make better choices for our homes, cars, meals, and lives? I’m going to share some pointers I’ve been gathering that seem like real options for those of us who would like to do more, but don’t have 72 million dollars of expendable income.

Buy Local. Think about it. Gas is expensive. If you’re able to buy meat, vegetables, and fruit from within a 100-200 mile radius of your home, you’d be doing so many good things for yourself and your environment: lower cost to transport goods, fewer emissions off the transporting of goods, less packaging and processing of food, support of your local economy, and boosted allergy blockers. But let’s talk about the really important factor: It tastes better! You’re eating produce that was recently picked, so it’s closer to ripeness than its transported cousin, which is picked under-ripe and usually given some assistance to become shelf ready. You’ll also have the benefit of more nutritional value per serving. Fruits and veggies lose their vitamins and minerals as they age. The sooner you eat them off the plant, the better. And sure, a lot of you will say, “But Sara! I can’t get local veggies where I live.” You can! I swear. Here are a few links to help you out. You can buy local, even in NYC.

Heating and Cooling Changes: Simple ones, I promise. It’s getting warmer in my part of the world and for most of us that means AC. Not so fast, cowboys and girls. Windows and house position can work with your AC to cut down cost and energy use. Open some windows to take advantage of the cooler early morning or evening temperatures. Close shades on sunny windows during the day to give the AC a break. Try using your oven, dishwasher, washer/dryer at night when they aren’t adding to the fight. If you have Central Air, be sure to change your filters regularly to avoid allergens and overheating the system.

In the Kitchen: While I dream of a green kitchen, here are a few things I can do to hold me over. Get rid of the paper towels. Use dishcloths or washable sponges for messes and save a tree. Don’t rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I know your mom does it, mine too. But we can break the cycle (oh, aren’t I funny!) by showing them how clean our dishes turn out by just letting the dishwasher do the dirty work (okay, I swear I’m done with the puns.) While you’re at it, turn off the heated dry cycle and let the dishes air dry. You know you leave them in there overnight anyway. Seriously. You do. Make sure your faucets aren’t leaking. Try using a toaster oven for smaller meals instead of cranking up the stove every time. And did you know that gas cook tops are WAY less energy efficient than their electric counterparts? It’s crazy, but it’s true. Electric stoves are about 80% efficient, while gas stoves are only 55% efficient(BHG, April 08.) Just saying.

Okay, that’s enough for today. A few interesting links for you:

Haagen-Daz wants you to help the honey bees. Mmmm
Abundant Forests Alliance. Apparently the paper industry is trying to give back.
10 Green Giants: CNN takes a look at environmentally friendly companies, 5 of which are American based.

Next time we’ll be talking about Green kids and maybe even Green Cosmetics! We’ll see how adventurous I’m feeling.

Success!

2008-04-28T21:16:00.009-04:00

When we last left our Hero, she was covered in flour and dead asleep at the kitchen table.

But, wait! What is that? She’s wielding the tongs! She’s alive! Cooking didn’t kill her.

Okay, enough of the silliness. Lunch was a success! 22 people attended while I was there, from 11 am - 1 pm. I heard that a few others were going to be filtering in after 1. Apparently, the food was wonderful. I’m saying that honestly, because I don’t eat chicken. And you thought I was just embarking on another ego trip.

Here are a few foodie pictures to titillate your taste buds. On the plate, clockwise from high noon: Thyme & Onion Focaccia, Baby greens with snap peas, tomatoes and Dijon vinaigrette, and Rosemary chicken breast.

Lemony Squash Muffins. The recipe, by Jamie Oliver, can be found here. I'm usually caught tinkering with every recipe I find or just creating my own. But this one was a winner right out of the gate. Try them!

In addition to raising more than 50 dollars for KW Cares, we were able to pull in a few extra donations for our local food bank food drive. Our office is hoping to win the coveted Macaroni Trophy. We’re accepting donations at our office until May 21st.

Here’s the info on the Habitat for Humanity work that we’ll be doing on Thursday. I’m going to bring my camera and click as many pictures as the day will allow. As of this morning, we had more than 15 people signed up, between day, morning, and afternoon shifts. It should be a great time!

I’ll be back a bit later with some interesting reading!

Do You Have Super Powers?

2008-04-27T22:39:00.012-04:00

Super Powers?

Yes. I have them. Everyone does, right? Aren’t there things that you are amazingly good at, that you know you can do better than anyone else? Yes, there are. You have super powers.

Here are mine:

Laughter. The ability to make a speeding toddler stop running and start giggling. Specifically mine, but it might work on your toddler, too.

Mimicry. I can make almost any sound. This includes language. You know that clicky-hard G-hard K letter in Kartuli that resonates off the back of your tongue? You don’t? Well, I got that.

Language in general. Give me a week, and I can speak yours. Yes, I’m open to any offers from the CIA.

Cooking. If you know me, you know that I love to cook. You also know that it’s the one thing that will proudly take me on an ego trip. Tell me you love what I just made for you and you’ll have a little spot in my heart for life. You haven’t lived until I’ve cooked for you. And you won’t know how much I really love you until you’ve tried my Mocha Java Cake. Or my Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake.

Speaking of cooking and super powers, today was my prep day for lunch tomorrow. I’m hosting an office lunch in order to raise funds for KW Cares. Expected turn-out is around 25 or 30 people. I’ll be serving Rosemary Chicken, Focaccia with either onions, olives, herbs, or all three, Baby Greens Salad, and Lemony Squash Cupcakes. I woke up at 6am today to start the Focaccia. It was my first attempt and I wanted to be sure I’d have enough time for a redo if things went south. They didn’t. To quote my child, brace for the ego trip, “mmmm, delicious olive bread.”

I’ll have pictures and donation amounts tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to the event and hoping for an amazing turn out. If you’re in the area, come on out. Keller Williams Advantage Realty. We’re asking for a $2 donation per lunch, all of which goes to KW Cares. Hope to see you there!

One last note: As of April 13, 2008, PSU Autism Speaks 5K Race raised $120,000 for Autism Speaks. This brings our 3 year total to $412,000. Wow. Thanks again to all of my friends and family members who donated. You're the best.

What Every Hero Needs

2008-04-24T13:42:00.015-04:00

Whether you’re battling hunger, cancer, lead paint, or poor fashion sense, at some point you’re going to have to run from the bad guys, run after the bad guys, run to someone's aid, or run a marathon to raise funds for the cure. All of this adds up to a lot of running for our Friendly World Saving Super Hero.

So, how do you do it? Stay fit, I mean. Do you run? Do you do yoga? Dance your heart out on the kitchen floor, by way of spontaneous dance parties with your toddler and/or sister? Well, now you know what I do!

How do you keep yourself motivated? I run with my iPod and set up a weekly jogging playlist. Would you like to know what’s in the queue for this week? No, Erik. It’s not Eye of the Tiger. At least not today… I start with something slow, build up, then slow back down. I’m working with about 30 minutes, which usually gives me a little more than 2.5 miles, including warm up and cool down. Here goes:

Sail Away – David Gray
Boston – Augustana
Jump (for my love) – Pointer Sisters
Holiday – Green Day
If I Never See Your Face Again – Maroon 5
Suddenly I See – KT Tunstall
Makes Me Wonder – Maroon 5
Inner City Blues – Marvin Gaye

Be friendly little super heroes, and tell me your power songs. What gets you going and keeps you going? Boston, Jump, and Holiday really kick it in for me and I feel like I could run forever when I’m listening to them. Maybe I should cut the list back and throw it on repeat. Or maybe I'll steal one of your songs.

A little video for your listening pleasure. Who knows? Maybe you'll start running when you hear it.

A Few Links to Start the Day

2008-04-23T12:23:00.004-04:00

A link to the NPR article about bottled vs. tap water that I referenced yesterday.

Environmental News Network

Sierra Club

Enjoy!

It's Earth Day!

2008-04-22T22:22:00.006-04:00

What better way to start a save-the-world blog than on Earth Day?

I'd love to hear what Earth Day means to you. Did you plant a tree? Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth? Carpool with your coworkers? Contribute time or money to an environmental cause? Did you vote green?

To me, Earth Day means doing a bit extra, reminding yourself and others that we can make a difference. So, today I reminded everyone at our office meeting to carpool while they toured properties. I took a few minutes to stock my car with reusable grocery bags to reinforce the habit. I planned out my day in terms of geography in order to conserve gas. NPR ran a story on tap vs bottled water and the environmental impact of each. So, I drank tap water today, even though the bottled variety was looking me in the eye at every turn. I know you did way better than I did. Tell me how.

Just a few more thoughts:

April is Autism Awareness Month. My company and family recently raced for the cure by participating in this fantastic PSU event, PSU Autism Speaks 5K. Our page hasn't been updated with our totals, but as a family we were able to raise $150 for Autism Speaks. Thank you to all of our contributors. But the door is still open. If you'd like to contribute to our race, click here. Thanks so much.

In other news, the CIRCUS came to town! Finn and I watched as the train pulled into town. We could see elephant trunks peeking out of the windows. Apparently, they were supposed to lead the animals out of the train and down the street to the Bryce Jordan Center. We didn't make it that far. It took about 45 minutes for the train to show up and after another 30 minutes of waiting for the animals to detrain, Finn had enough. He declared "All done!" and walked himself back to the car. Oh well. He loved the train. At least he had fun. We have tickets to Saturday's show. I'm sure he'll get his fill of the animals then.

Stay Tuned For:

1. On Monday, April 28, I'm hosting a benefit lunch for our in house nonprofit KW Cares. I'm making Rosemary Chicken Salad, French bread, and Lemony-Squash Cupcakes. I'll let you know how it goes and how much we raise. The goal for the year is $3,000. We are currently at the $900 mark.

2. On Thursday, May 1, I'll be attending an all day build for Habitat for Humanity, along with my team of 10 other Realtors. Details forthcoming.

Thanks for reading. Have a great week!

Sara