The new ParentDish: helping raise kids of all ages
Posts with tag earth day

Earth Day: What's your plan?



So..what are you doing today to honor the Earth?

Are you baking Earth Day-themed cookies? Making an organic fruit salad? Walking to the grocery store (with your reusable bag, of course)? Finally starting your own compost pile?

Check out this What Shade of Green are You? quiz on sister site Green Daily, and then read more of their green food coverage.

Tell us, we want to know: what are you doing today (or what do you do everyday) in celebration of the earth?

Eco-friendly foods for Earth Day

thedelicious' wishlist
Yes, y'all, we are making way through some earth-friendly products and ways to live as we near Earth Day, which is next Sunday, April 22. We've already seen Green Chocolate from food blogger Sean Timberlake, using bamboo in the kitchen and on the table, and today, these are just a half-dozen foods that are considered earth-friendly. Yes, as sad as it would seem to think that the foods we eat, which come from the earth, could be bad for the planet, these are a few things that are grown sustainably, or in some way cut down on the impact that transport, packaging, etc. have on the environment.

Earth Day is a good reminder to use bamboo

thedelicious' wishlist
Of course we know that Earth day should be every day, but sometimes a special day like Earth Day, which is Sunday, April 22, is a good reminder to take good care of this planet on which we live.

One way to do that, aside from choosing earth-friendly chocolate when indulging, is by using bamboo kitchenware. Bamboo is a plant that grows quickly, which means it is highly renewable, which means it works for sustainable living. Anything in your kitchen or on your dining table that is plain old "wood," you can switch to bamboo -- serving trays, salad bowls, dinner plates, and cutting boards. And what a lovely thing that bamboo looks so pretty, too.

Biobags keep produce fresher

Biobags are storage bags made from completely natural and biodegradable materials. Although they resemble plastic bags, they are made from cornstarch - and even the corn is certified as non-GMO. The material used to make them is actually a "bioplastic" called Mater-Bi, which is made by an Italian company that specializes in finding alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.

Biobags allow the produce (or anything else) placed inside them to “breathe”, so heat and moisture will be wicked away, reducing the chance of bacterial buildup and even keeping produce fresh longer. It will also reduce the odors from trash and other waste products. The bags, if placed in a compost pile, will break down completely within 10-45 days, and will achieve the same result, albeit at a somewhat slower rate, in a natural setting. This means that they're great for taking along as storage on picnics and camping trips in addition to home use, just in case you lose track of any bags while you're out in the woods.

The bags are available online and come in a variety of sizes, including everything from grocery bags (pictured) to trash can liners to doggie bags.

Eco-friendly shopping for Earth Day

Everyone needs to grocery shop at some point, fueling the continuing desire to live, even if you're not a big fan of doing your own cooking. Grocery stores have their own standards for packing bags based upon how to enable your foods to travel well: cold items with cold items, produce in one bag, don't cram too much in. The last rule is the one that gets tricky because sometimes it seems like you end up with 10 bags for 10 items when you're leaving the store. It could be more, if some of the plastic ones are doubled-bagged. Recycling the paper and plastic bags is an excellent idea, but switching to canvas grocery bags is an even better one. They are reusable, so they help cut down on waste, and many stores will even give you a per-bag discount for bringing them in! The bags can be purchased at many supermarkets, as well as being available online, and will pay for themselves in a few uses. They usually cost from $7-12.

Earth Day dinners

Organic Valley, a Wisconsin-based cooperative of farmers has teamed up with Chef's Collaborative to provide an epicurean way to celebrate Earth Day.

The idea behind the Earth Dinner is to create a themed dinner party where you and your guests connect with the food by discussing its geographic origin as well as how it was grown or produced. There's even a set of cards available to help spur conversation with such themes as "First bite: Describe the very first time you tasted something you picked off a tree,vine, stem or pulled out of the ground."

The coolest thing about the Earth Dinner though is that they've gathered five chefs from around the U.S. to create menus featuring everything from sorrel salad with creamy dressing to shrimp and grits with asparagus. This year's lineup is:

Tip of the Day

Have you ever stashed a Coke in the freezer, hoping to chill it quickly, then forgotten all about it, only to have it explode all over your frozen peas?

Slashfood Features


What is it?
Beef (507)
Bread (13)
Candy (446)
Cheese (440)
Chocolate (759)
Comfort Food (615)
Condiments (207)
Dairy (490)
Eggs (253)
Fish (316)
Fruit (873)
Grains (594)
Meat (226)
Nuts/seeds (284)
Pork (288)
Poultry (382)
Rice (20)
Shellfish (145)
Soups/Salads (25)
Spices (283)
Sugar (394)
Vegetables (1117)
Holidays
Christmas (68)
Easter (20)
Halloween (40)
Hanukkah (9)
New Year's (11)
St. Patrick's Day (13)
Thanksgiving (49)
Valentine's Day (31)
Memorial Day (0)
Mother's Day (32)
Passover (7)
News
Artisan Foods (14)
Bakeries (119)
Books (708)
Business (1089)
Celebrities (54)
Coffee shops (171)
Farming (375)
Fast Food (206)
Food News (30)
Health & Medical (705)
How To (1179)
Lists (715)
Local Eating (43)
Magazines (450)
New Products (1344)
Newspapers (1407)
On the Blogs (2077)
Raves & Reviews (1042)
Recipes (2015)
Restaurants (1266)
Science (674)
Site Announcements (171)
Stores & Shopping (906)
Television/Film (536)
Trends (1256)
Vegetarian/Vegan (39)
Features
Guilty Pleasures (15)
Raising the Bar (6)
Tip of the Day (45)
Alt-SlashFood (42)
Back to School (14)
Brought to you by the letter D (37)
Cookbook of the Day (394)
Cooking Live with Slashfood (80)
Cooking Without a Recipe (3)
Culinary Kids (218)
Did you know? (438)
Fall Flavors (124)
Feast Your Eyes (23)
Food Gadgets (442)
Food Oddities (874)
Food Porn  (875)
Food Quest (168)
Frugal Food (62)
Garden Party (25)
Grilled Cheese Day (34)
Hacking Food (107)
Happy Hour (203)
Head to Tail (32)
in sixty seconds (347)
Ingredient Spotlight (13)
Leftovers  (40)
Light Food (181)
Liquor Cabinet (162)
Lush Life (221)
Our Bloggers (17)
Pizza Day (39)
Pop Food (142)
Pumpkin Day (10)
Real Kitchens (76)
Retro cookery (108)
Sandwich Day (31)
Slashfood Ate (80)
Slashfood Bowl 2008 (17)
Slashfood Challenge (1)
Slashfood Talks (3)
Slow cooking (50)
Spirit of Christmas (174)
Spirit of Summer (171)
Spirited Cooking Day (29)
Spring Cleaning (23)
Steak Day (19)
Super Bowl XLII (73)
Super Size Me (115)
The Best ... in All of New York (13)
The History of... (63)
What Time Is It?
Breakfast (677)
Dessert (1176)
Dinner (1295)
Hors D'oeuvres (285)
Lunch (932)
Snacks (1024)
Where Is It?
America (2205)
Europe (439)
France (115)
Italy (138)
Asia (484)
Australia (147)
British Isles (828)
Caribbean (30)
Central Africa (7)
East Coast (530)
Eastern Europe (41)
Islands (51)
Mediterranean (129)
Mexico (10)
Middle East (52)
Midwest Cities (219)
Midwest Rural (67)
New Zealand (61)
North America (70)
Northern Africa (19)
Northern Europe (64)
South Africa (29)
South America (84)
South Asia (120)
Southern States (202)
West Coast (905)
What are you doing?
Baking (698)
Barbecuing (86)
Boiling (126)
Braising (18)
Broiling (33)
Frying (172)
Grilling (153)
Microwaving (31)
Roasting (84)
Slow cooking (25)
Steaming (44)
Choices
 (0)
Fairtrade (10)
Additives
Artificial Sugars (36)
High-fructose corn syrup (12)
MSG (6)
Trans Fats (56)
Libations
Hot chocolate (23)
Soda (147)
Spirits (333)
Beer (286)
Brandy (3)
Champagne (75)
Cocktails (359)
Coffee (339)
Gin (101)
Juice (110)
Liqueurs (48)
Non-alcoholic (12)
Rum (76)
Teas (149)
Tequila (8)
Vodka (144)
Water (79)
Whisky (90)
Wine (573)
Affairs
Celebrations (31)
Closings (9)
Festivals (26)
Holidays (223)
Openings (40)
Parties (193)
Tastings (132)

RESOURCES

RSS NEWSFEEDS

Powered by Blogsmith

Featured Stories

Featured Galleries

I scream, you scream...
Food delivery at its finest
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Feast Your Eyes: May
Better Homes and Gardens Barbecue Book
Julep Iced Tea
Loyal Army Food Clothes
Great American Pie Festival
MOMA's funkiest kitchen accessories
Pork Pie Cake
Canstruction Designs
Taste of Vail
 

Sponsored Links

Most Commented On (60 days)

Weblogs, Inc. Network

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Also on AOL