The Bee Buzz

I am a recovering bee hater. Being stung over 10 times as a child will create that fear and hatred. However, as an adult gardener I see their role and importance everyday in my yard. Without them, I would not be harvesting the bounty that I have!

I'm sure you have all heard about the recent plight of the honeybees. The decline of them recently is very real and scientists still are not sure why. Some attribute it to colony-collapse disorder, mites,pesticides, or environmental changes (duh!) but they really do not know why.

In Sunset Magazine this month, there is an article by Allison Arieff about a San Francisco State University associate professor of biology named Gretchen LeBuhn who is trying to get to the bottom of it all. She noticed that this decline in bees was affecting her own garden. The productivity of her veggies has declined as well and thought that she could enlist the help of fellow gardeners in gathering research. Enter "The Great Sunflower Project" http://www.greatsunflower.org/. Through this project, she will send you sunflower seeds for you to plant. When they grow, observe your bee situation and report back to her. She now has about 55,000 participants and it is continuing to grow.

Through this research she is able to track bee populations all over the country. I am hoping, through this project, solutions will be found so that our great pollinators do not fly (or die) away. Join her project and help the bees!

In a pickle...

The other day I was minding my own business, pulling weeds in my garden, and picking tomatoes (since they are never ending it seems). I went to turn off the water to the hose and spotted this monstrous cuke hiding amongst the squash and watermelon leaves. Note the fork next to it to show you scale. It is so large that I actually laughed out loud...I think I may have blushed also. I had never even seen it growing in there- only the small, oddly misshapen ones you can see in the picture. This cucumber appears to have a business of it's own.

Since I am currently OBSESSED with canning, I decided to make pickles. These are not the type of pickles that most recipes call for though- they are Japanese cucumbers. After some cookbook and computer research, I found a couple of recipes that looked good and kind of merged them into my own. Here's what I did:

-I hacked the cucumbers into spears that would fit into the jars I have.

-I put them and chunkily chopped red onion into a large pot filled with salted water (called a brine). The brine is supposed to suck the water out of the cukes so that they are crunchy.

-I put the pot with everything in my fridge for about 24 hours.

-The next day, I took the speared cukes and red onion out of the brine and let them dry out a bit on some clean towels.

-While they dried, I mixed rice vinegar (3 cups), water (2 cups), 4 dried red chilies (whole), 2 cinnamon sticks, and about 12 black peppercorns in a non-reactive bowl (not metal). I used a ceramic bowl.

-I boiled water in another pan and set this ceramic bowl in it to heat the pickling juice.

-I put the cucumber spears and red onion into sterilized canning jars with some garlic cloves, poured the vinegar mixture to within 1/2 in. of the top, closed the jars, and brought them to a boil for about 15-20 minutes. Then take them out of the water to cool. Wait to hear the pops so you know that they have sealed! Mine popped!

Now, all the recipes say to let them sit for about a week until eating- so I haven't actually eaten them yet. That's my disclaimer. For all I know, they could taste like crap. However, they smelled good and look quite pretty in the jars. After I taste them next week, I'll let you know. If they do taste bad, then I will have some pretty jars to display won't I?

Tomato tomaaato...

The tomatoes (tomaaatoes if you're a Brit) have been insane around here. They just keep coming and coming. With a recipe from "Good Housekeeping" magazine in my hot, little hand, I set out to make oven dried tomatoes. Now the recipe called for Romas, but being the good adventurer that I am (and only having Yellow Pear and Beefsteaks), I experimented.

Here's how it goes:

-Pre-heat the oven to 300.

-Chop the tomatoes into pieces (the Yellow Pears in half).

-Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

-Lay parchment paper on cookie sheets and spread the tomatoes out in a layer.

-Chop garlic and basil and sprinkle over the top of them. A little more oil too!

-Bake in the oven for 4-5 hours. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through.

-Take them out when they are shriveled and look like sun-dried tomatoes.

-Put into jars and submerge in olive oil.

-Keep in the fridge for up to 1 month (if you can resist from eating them that is!).

That night for dinner we made pasta with chicken/fennel/artichoke sausage and these glorious tomatoes! They were so much better than store-bought could ever be. As soon as I have more tomatoes ready in that garden, I'll for sure be drying some more!

Nice Peaches!

In my attempt to want to learn how to can things, I decided to go to a Farmer's Market to pick something fresh and in season to can. Being that it is summer, the obvious choice was peaches- also one of my favorite fruits. To make it even MORE worthwhile, I bought organic peaches (and also used organic sugar in the syrup!).

True to myself, I bought all the things for canning and the peaches and almost didn't follow through with it. I'm glad that I did though because now I have 6 gorgeous jars of peaches cooling on my kitchen counter, golden yellow and orange with the sunlight glistening through the jars...

Okay sounds great, but it didn't start out so beautiful. Let me tell you about peeling a peach. I would liken it to skinning a cat. Or pulling peeling skin off a sunburned person. Now maybe I didn't "blanch" them well enough (dipping them in boiling water to loosen the skins) or maybe they weren't ripe enough either (some were and others weren't). My peach peeling skills were definitely lacking and it took a while. Sometimes I would get a perfect one that would peel off as it should. Others though, were like pulling teeth. I even resorted to using a knife to peel one *gasp*.

Surprisingly though, the peeling was really my only issue. As overwhelming as canning looks, it really is a simple sequence of instructions and, being the good-girl-rule-follower that I am, it was quite easy (and fun!). I listened to country music to really make me feel like I actually needed to be doing this, like storing up for the long winter in my little house on the prairie. I even wore a dish towel around my waist for wiping my hands and jars. All that was missing were dirty little children running around and hiding in my long, flowy skirt (yes, I even wore that!).

After I took them out from processing (boiling the jars with fruit in them for a certain amount of time), I went to feed the peach peels to my worms and heard the, "Pop! Pop!" of the jars sealing. Music to my Laura Ingalls Wilder ears. It worked! They are sealed properly! And now I am proud as I look at my beautiful jars cooling on the counter. Ready to be eaten in the long winter months ahead. ;)

*On a side note: It is way easier to buy canned fruit at the store. Maybe slightly cheaper too. However, buying local and in season is the goal right? Those cans at the store travel from who- knows-where using precious fuel. Growing fruits and veggies yourself and/or buying at a local farmer's market reduces your carbon footprint AND supports local farmers! Also, the jars are much, much prettier...

Squash- to can or to freeze?

I am soon going to be blessed with an (over) abundance of squash. I'm planning to make butternut squash ravioli and soup, however, I wasn't sure if the soup should be canned or frozen. After doing some internet research, I found that most discussions recommend freezing due to the fact that squash is quite dense. This means that the entire jar may not boil while canning and can then grow botulism- not good! And so I will make my soup and pack my freezer with it for the LONG, cold San Diego winter months ahead- heh heh ;)... At least I will have it ready to go for my annual Halloween party anyway, even if it may be 80 degrees out like last year. Oh well...

While doing my research, I found a great website for you healthy moms working so hard to raise healthy kids. It's called www.mothering.com and has great info- from pregnancy to diapers to canning your own food. Remember, every little step you make towards being more green makes a world of difference!

New harvest

I've been starting to harvest a few veggies. First, were a couple of cukes that were sweet and delicious. Next, a few yellow pear tomatoes which made a yummy salad with some mozzarella and balsalmic dressing. Last, were 2 butternuts- one of which I baked and mashed! Yum! The other I am saving for raviolis... Soon will have many large, red tomatoes- of which some are destined to be oven-dried and others canned! Watermelons arriving soon also!

My new garden

I haven't posted for a while! Been busy getting settled in the new house and working in the garden. I built a raised bed in late Spring and planted Early Girl tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, green bell pepper, basil, butternut squash, and watermelons. Needless to say, all those things in a 5x5 raised bed have pretty much taken over the bed and all surrounding areas. I'm wondering if I will have any sidewalk by the end of summer with the way the squash and melons have taken over. And, as life mimics nature, my life has exploded as well with many new friends and adventures. My garden and my cup runneth over-I feel truly blessed. Here are some before and after pics of how this years urban farm has grown...

Yolo Paint

So I went with a no-VOC paint called Yolo and am so extremely happy with the results! The colors are rich and beautiful looking. Every color is everything that I hoped it would be and more! Most of the time when you choose paint colors, there's always a slight worry in the back of your mind that it won't turn out as you hoped. I had that worry, but the minute I walked into each room, the worry melted away.

Not only are their colors beautiful but the coverage is amazing- and best of all, the company is green! Their trucks that they use to transport their paint all run on vegetable oil. The company was also started by 2 moms. What a great product to support!

Low and No VOC paints

Low-VOC and No-VOC Paints
By Lisa J. Chadderdon
If you’re thinking about doing some painting in your house, and are concerned about the toxic VOCs (Volatile Organic Chemicals) in conventional paints, we’ve got some alternatives to consider. Today, some paint manufacturers use techniques that produce paint containing many fewer VOCs than conventional paints. These paints release significantly fewer polluting toxins, and no-VOC paints are odor free (most low-VOC paints will produce a slight odor).
Low and No-VOCs paint can be applied in exactly the same way as conventional, high-VOC paints. In general, low-VOC paints are comparable in price to conventional paints; no-VOC paint tends to be slightly more expensive. Additionally, low-VOC and no-VOC paints aren’t considered hazardous waste materials, so disposal is much easier than with standard paints.
One difference that you may discover is that very low-VOC and no-VOC paints are not available in very dark or intense colors. If you need to use dark colors, you’ll have to look to the “low-VOC” paints with the highest amount of VOCs.
The amount of VOCs in “low-VOC” paint can vary widely, so it’s a good idea to read the label carefully. In general, if you use paint with a VOC level of less than 10 mg/liter, you’re doing pretty well. Read the labels carefully – paints with much higher levels of VOCs than that can legally be called “low-VOC” paint.
Here’s a list of companies that produce or sell low-VOC and no-VOC paints, along with links to additional information about each product.

Low- and No-VOC Paints

AFM (American Formulating and Manufacturing) http://www.afmsafecoat.com/
Benjamin Moore & Co. (Pristine® Eco-Spec® ) http://www.benjaminmoore.com/
BioShield Paints http://www.bioshieldpaint.com/
Devoe Paint http://www.devoe.com/
Duron Paints and Wallcoverings (Genesis Odor-Free products) http://www.duron.com/
Home Depot http://www.homedepot.com/
ICI Dulux Paints http://www.iciduluxpaints.com/
Kelly Moore http://www.kellymoore.com/
Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company http://www.milkpaint.com/
Sherwin-Williams (HealthSpec® paints) http://www.sherwin.com/

*I am going shopping for some today for the new house. I had some hesitation because in No VOC paints, the colors are a bit muted and not very dark (VOC's are what makes paint darker). However, at the suggestion of a friend, I will be trying Benjamin Moore- she said that they have darker colors and larger paint chips to try out the colors first. Wish me luck!

The day before the inauguration...

We went to pick up our tickets at Susan Davis's office and it was so cool to actually walk the halls of the House of Representative's office building- marble floors, wood-paneled walls, big old double hung windows...you know I love old buildings! One of the security guards was chatting with us and asked where we were from. He said that we missed Arnold by a few minutes! We hung out in her office for a little reception, chatted with her for a bit, and got our tickets!

When we got back outside the streets were milling with people everywhere. We decided to walk to see where our tickets would be located for the ceremony. We found MSNBC taping and decided that if they were there, then CNN would be too so we went looking for our fav, Anderson Cooper. In our quest, we walked the entire length of the National Mall starting from the Capital Building and going all the way to the Lincoln Memorial! Paying homage to our forefathers...but never finding our "Silver Fox."

Next we took the Metro to Union Station to eat and shop. After being in the cold for so long and walking so darn far, a full tummy of food just made us oh so sleepy. Although we had free VIP tickets to see the rapper Common, we decided to go home and rest for the big event in the morning.

We got home and turned on CNN...and saw our man, Anderson Cooper, broadcasting from the steps of Capitol Building- where we had begun our search for him hours earlier. C'est la vie!

Inaugural Concert at Lincoln Memorial

Went there with my sister and friend, Alison. People- a sea of people all walking in the same direction as if they were being pulled by some unknown force. All with such a great energy and positive vibe. Excitement filling the air. My heart felt so full.

You know that you're spoiled when Stevie Wonder comes out to play and you're like, "Him again???" Haha! Somehow seeing him 1 mile away isn't same as watching from the 2nd row- call me crazy! ;)

The concert was hard to see because there were so many people. The speakers weren't very loud either. We decided to walk and see the White House. Then we went home and watched the concert on TV with a hot meal and jammies on...

Washington, DC

So this is off the topic of being "green", but I feel the need to journal my experiences while I am in DC for the inauguration...
- Had an Iraqi cab driver take me to the airport when I left San Diego and we discussed the inauguration. He said that he hoped Obama would make things better.
- Flew to Philly with a short stopover in Chicago (Obama's homestate) and landed to the most gorgeous blanket of snow as far as the eye could see. Lake Michgan was frozen solid the entire span across to Canada (not a normal occurance- global weirding anyone?).
- Landed in Philly where Obama and Biden would soon be boarding their train for their slow ride to Washington.
- We were chosen to be seat fillers at the BET Honors show- the last 2 chosen! We were able to sit in the 2nd row (Terrence Howard's seats!!) for most of the show because he was a presenter and didn't come to sit down until near the end of the show. We were surrounded by celebs- Cicely Tyson, Magic Johnson, Angela Bassett, Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige...saw Stevie Wonder, Neyo, Anita Baker, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, and other perform. Saw Samuel L. Jackson, Whitney Houston, Diddy, Terrence Howard, and others present. When Terrence came to sit in his seats, he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Thank you," in his hot, scratchy voice. I almost melted, he's so good looking! A highlight was when Anita Baker sang the U2 song "One." I almost cried and had chills up and down my spine- AMAZING!!! It was an outstanding celebration of black achievement, Martin Luther King, and Obama. What a way to begin the inauguration weekend!! Watch it on BET February 9th and look for us! We'll be easy to spot since we were the ONLY white girls there... :)

Global "Weirding"

Ok so why is it 80 degrees in January? It's beautiful and I love the break from the cold, but come on! A poor, confused little birdy was chirping outside this morning at 6am. I wanted to find him and tell him to go back to bed, that the groundhog hasn't even looked for his shadow yet!

In Thomas Friedman's newest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, he has a chapter called "Global Weirding." A bird chirping at 6 am in January is just that- weird! It's just one of the many signs that climate change is real and is rapidly progressing way faster than anyone could ever imagine. What does more rapid climate change mean? Hotter summers, colder winters, no fall or spring, floods, droughts, stronger and more dangerous hurricanes, and ridiculous amounts of wildfires. Sound familiar?

As Heidi Cullen, a climate expert for the Weather Channel said, " It used to be that an unseasonably warm day in the middle of winter felt like a gift. But now it feels like we are paying for it."

Read Friedman's book! Frightening, but eyeopening...

Carbon Offsets

So I just purchased my "carbon offset" for my flight back east through http://www.terrapass.com/!! They have a cool calculator to help you determine your carbon footprint for your household energy use, driving, or air travel. It calculates your carbon output and tells you how much to pay to help sponsor clean energy projects.

They have 3 types that they support- clean energy such as wind or water power, farm power, and landfill gas capture. Now, methane gases from landfills contribute 21 times the greenhouse gases as CO2, but I do NOT agree with landfill gas capture at all. The reason methane is coming from landfills is because compostable materials are decomposing, thus producing these gases. If everyone composted their own organic waste and/or vermicomposted it, we would not have nearly the amount of methane gas coming out of landfills. Which is where I, Wormy Wendy, come in. People need to be educated on the importance of composting so that these materials DO NOT end up in landfills at all. Especially since our landfills are rapidly running out of room as I type.

The great things about Terrapass is that you can build your own offset portfolio and decide where your offsets will go. I opted out on contributing to landfill gas capture projects. The calculator determined that for flying 4,725 miles, it emits 1,320 lbs. of CO2. I opted for all of my offset contribution to fund "Clean Energy" projects. And the best part? It only cost me $11!

Snail Mail Guilt

I carried a lot of guilt when printing and addressing 30 letters to Gore and Oprah. There I was, boasting of my "green" ways and then wastefully mailing paper letters that used up oil to be transported to Chicago and Nashville... However, I hand wrote a "P.S." at the bottom asking them to recycle all my letters. Does that make it okay? Gore doesn't have a published email or I would have innundated him with emails- very annoying and spammish. Letters were the way to go... hopefully he gets them before he heads off to D.C. like the rest of us 2 million peeps.

DC or bust!!!

So in an attempt to make the most of our trip to the inauguration, I have written a letter to Al Gore asking to be invited to his "Green Inaugural Ball":

January 7, 2009

To the Honorable Mr. Gore,

I hope to make this letter short, but sweet. I am a 32 year old, single mother and first grade teacher in San Diego, California. I am also a big fan of all the environmental work that you do. I have been working hard to get the school where I teach to “Go Green” through the Go Green Initiative. I am proud to say that I have made great strides at my school implementing a recycling program and will soon be starting a vermicomposting program as well. I feel that schools are uncharted territory in the “green movement” and that there really needs to be more focused attention on requiring that all schools go green in the near future.

I am writing to you because I am coming to Washington, D.C. with my sister next weekend for President Elect Obama’s inauguration. My sister, 30 years old, is also an avid environmentalist, having done conservation work with orphaned lions in Africa. We both are full of enthusiasm and ideas for all things green. We would love to be invited to the Green Inaugural Ball that you will be hosting. I know that it is a long shot, but it doesn’t hurt to ask, right? We are both well-spoken, attractive young women and would be over-joyed at the opportunity to possibly meet you and network amongst the top “greenies” in the country.

If my letter hasn’t convinced you, I would enjoy talking to you more about why you should invite us. We are traveling so far and want to soak up all that this momentous inauguration has to offer. Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,

Wendy Berlin
http://www.wormywendy.com/

***Wish me luck!!!! Ms. Berlin Goes To Washington!!!

Be The Change

Make a pledge to be of service to your community and country this year. Sign up at:
http://www.bethechangeaction.org/pledge/actions

I did and am excited to continue to give back through my composting volunteer work, worm binning, and other environmental lifestyle choices!

Can the market sustain recycling?

Will Recycling in the U.S. become another casualty of the Economy?
By: Jill Buck (Go Green Intiative CEO)

Recycling is economically possible because there is a market for recyclable goods. However, a good deal of that market demand comes from Asia, and with the recent global economic downturn, recycling markets have become incredibly volatile and unpredictable, causing instability in our domestic recycling efforts. Recyclers are stockpiling recyclable materials in hopes of an upturn in the market, but if that doesn't occur, how long before our recyclables end up in landfills? Even if you are an eco-Grinch who maliciously throws your cans and bottles in your garbage just to be a pill, the fact is that our landfills simply cannot hold the recyclables that will go into them ifthe market for these commodities evaporates. And that's every taxpayers problem.
The more we throw away, the more space we take up in landfills. When a landfill becomes a "landfull", taxpayers have to build a new one. The less we throw away, the longer our landfills will last. The amount of taxpayer money we save by extending the longevity of our landfills is an important community benefit.In addition, because there are people who purchase recyclables, thatalso means that somebody gets paid to collect those recyclables. In many cases, that ‘somebody' is your local waste hauler, and the money collected on recyclables can be used to offset your garbage rate.Catchin' my drift? Recycling can be very beneficial to communities and individual taxpayers...but ONLY if there is somebody buying the material. And right now, we can't be sure Asian markets will hold.

From: the Go Green Initiative blog

Sheesh- what a Catch 22!!!! :(

Environmental resources and links

The below resources are listed in order by general information, general education - resources, games and contests/grants and then in country order (starting with the United States). These links are informational in nature and their inclusion is not meant as an endorsement by the Go Green Initiative Assocation.

General Information

• www.epa.gov - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• www.blm.gov/education/index.html - Bureau of Land Management
• www.nrc-recycle.org - National Recycling Coalition
• www.audubon.org - National Audubon Society
• www.ciwmb.ca.gov - California Integrated Waste Management Board
• www.afandpa.org - American Forest and Paper Association
• www.seiinc.org - Strategic Energy Innovations
• www.eren.doe.gov - U.S. Department of Energy
• www.rebuild.org - Rebuild America
• www.eia.doe.gov/kids (for kids who are interested in Energy information)

General Educational Resources

• www.epa.gov/region09/enviroed/material.html - Classroom material
• www.daviseducenter.org/EERGuide.html - Click on "Activity and Curriculum Guides and Kits"
• www.audubon.org - Click on "Audubon & You" then "Education"
• www.ase.org/greenschools/ - A project of the Alliance to Save Energy
• www.energyquest.ca.gov/index.html
• www.ase.org/greenschools/
• www.energy.gov/school/index.html
• www.need.org/ - National Energy Education Development
• www.nef1.org/programs.html - National Energy Foundation
• The U.S. Department of Energy publishes a resource book: "Energy Education Resources: Kindergarten through 12th Grade" lists 163 resources. It can be acquired from the Energy Information Administration, National Energy Information Center, U.S. Department ofEnergy, Forrestal Building, EL-30, Washington DC 20585.
• www.ourearth.org - Promotes environmental education and awareness
• www.doi.gov/subject.html - Department of the Interior – Index, Hasseveral different sections that have environmental information and each DOI region has an environmental education section.

Environmental Education Online Games
• www.kidsfootprint.org - all ages
• http://sustainability.publicradio.org/consumerconsequences/ - 4th –12th grade
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/climate_challenge/ -targeted at adults
• www.operationclimatecontrol.co.uk/content/ - targeted at teens
• www.energyquest.ca.gov/ - K – 5th Environmental Contests and Grants
• www.volvoadventure.org - UNEP International Environmental Award forYoung People

"Green" Holidays
• www.arborday.org/ - Arbor Day
• www.nrc-recycle.org/americarecycles.aspx - America Recycles Day
• www.earthday.net/ - Earth Day

Go Green Radio
• www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/ - Go Green Radio, Fridays at 9 am PST/12pm EST, VoiceAmerica online network

taken from http://www.gogreenintiative.org/