Green Parent Chicago™

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie: Warning - Not for the Faint of Heart

As I've mentioned before, our street has to be one of the friendliest in Chicago. From progressive dinners to impromptu cocktails and playgroups on the street, there always seems to be something going on and Halloween is no exception. After the trick-or-treaters have gone home to admire their loot, the adult treats come out in a meal contributed by multiple households, including ours.

With a benefit for Healthy Schools Campaign on Thursday night, a tour of school lunch programs on Friday, and the Evanston farmers' market Saturday morning, I needed a relatively simple dish to make (or so I thought).

I had a left over pie crust and some Concord grapes from Wednesday's farmers' market. I remembered that Martha Stewart's book "Pies & Tarts" had a grape pie recipe. I've had the book for years and all of recipes I've made have been simple and delicious.

Returning home around 2:30 p.m., I pulled out the book. Going through the recipe, it seemed easy enough. I've got all the ingredients: grapes, sugar, cornstarch and a pie crust. I rolled out and crimped my crust, leaving extra dough for garnish. Then, I turned my attention to the filling instructions. The recipe starts out telling me to halve and pit the grapes. Now anyone who's worked with Concord grapes knows that they aren't like olives or cherries. They don't have a single pit, but several. Moreover the flesh is soft and gooey, making it difficult to extract the pits. Ugh. There's no way that I wanted to spend any afternoon pitting grapes, much less Halloween. Had I not already made the crust, I probably would have bailed on this folly and brought some cheese or something. Everyone loves cheese.

Deep breath, let's proceed. I roughly chopped the grapes in the food processor and strained the grape juice. In doing so, I got about 1/2 cup of grape juice. Heating that up, I whisked in 3/4 cup cornstarch and boiled it for about 4 minutes until thick. So far, so good.

What If You Could Only See Good Ads Online?

As regular readers of Green Parent Chicago know, we support a less commercialized childhood, favor a return to the outdoors and often feature discussion on pervasive marketing tactics invading our everyday life and destroying our connection to the natural world.

At Green Parent Chicago,we made the decision to only feature businesses that offer ethical alternatives to the multitude of products filling our homes and the earth's landfills with waste, products that support efforts to help level the playing field for workers and the environment.

Recently, DoGood Headquarters contacted us about their new DoGooder browser plug-in that helps people take positive action. We were naturally excited by the prospect of it.

Founded by Faisal M. Sethi and based in Ottawa, the company's free plug-in lets web users turn their browsing into donations that support green initiatives and social change. Sethi says the company plans to donate 50 percent of profits to charitable organizations.

I installed the plug in on my own browser and have been using it for the past week.

Here is how it works:

When a web page loads, any of the standard advertising on that page is hidden by the DoGooder plug-in with calls for philanthropic action, health and wellness ideas and thoughtful green related initiatives. (See an example in the image above.)

There's always the option on any web page to view the original ads by right-clicking and selecting "show original ads", selecting "allow website to ignore DoGood" or by just temporarily disabling the plug-in during a browser session. A number at the bottom of your browser logs how many "good" things you've seen while online.

What's the experience like? For starters, instead of viewing glaring flash ads for the latest ABC primetime cop drama (I don't even own a TV) or the newest Walmart holiday sale, I was greeted by positive words that offered inspiration, action and information on solutions. Quite easily, I had been given back more control over my browsing experience. Several questions soon popped into my mind, so  I posed them to Sethi about DoGood and his company's mission:

How do you earn money to donate? I am assuming you sell advertising space with DoGood. Which in turn is donated to charities?

Sethi: "We earn money based on ads, yes, but ads we hope actually have some social value. Eventually, we will be integrating more Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability advertising, more charitable causes, more green oriented companies, et al. From revenue generated from said ads, we will give back 50% of our profits to causes and charities."

The number on the bottom of my browser (Goodie Points), is that mostly for my own satisfaction? The number of Good things I have seen. Does it correlate to any of your statistics or data on use of the plug in?

Sethi: Yes, the number at the bottom right is there to make you "feel good", but it also does correlate on some level to the amount of funds an individual is generating for revenue back to causes. The more Goodie Points you see, the more money you as an individual are raising. We are working on integrating a system that is more definitive, that is, you have donated "x" amount by surfing the web today, and together, all DoGooder have donated "x" amount.

How is feedback? Positive? What's the most negative assumption you've heard about the DoGooder?

Sethi: "Overwhelmingly positive. It has been outstanding. Not only do end users have control over what, when, and where they see online advertising, people are generally excited about being able to give back to causes without changing a single thing about their daily routines.

I have gotten some really interesting feedback from a few parents that also view the DoGooder has a way to educate their kids, and keep them away from all of the generic, and often offensive online advertising prevalent on the internet. 

The most negative thing we have encountered thus far is the notion that we block ads, and thus, are effecting general publishers bottom lines. I've replied to this fallacy a few times over, so if you have questions, kindly read our Publishers Note on our web site. We aren't in the business of shafting people, we are in the business of doing good."

Though the DoGooder is still in beta, the company boasts that they've had over 1500 downloads so far. If the plug-in becomes widely popular, here's hoping DoGood Headquarters will provide a transparent way for users to monitor where profits are being donated to and an updated list of organizations receiving funds.

For more information, or to download and try the DoGooder plug-in visit: http://dogoodhq.com/

-Christine

It's You vs Winter: Keeping the Cold Outside

Are you Interested in saving money on heating costs this winter while reducing greenhouse gas emissions?

Attend a FREE home weatherization workshop sponsored by the City of Chicago Department of Environment and the Chicago Conservation Corps.

All attendees will receive a FREE weatherization kit (with pledge to return installation confirmation card), and training on the installation of the kit contents. This workshop is open to all City of Chicago residents. All attendees are eligible to enter a raffle to win an American Express gift card. RSVP to  youvswinter@gmail.com to reserve your kit.

Thursday, November 12, 7:00 p.m.
Welles Park Community Room
2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.
Led by C3 Leader Angie Bauerle.
To RSVP:  youvswinter@gmail.com

Book Review: HappyBaby--The Organic Guide to Baby's First 24 Months

Ironically, when my first child was born in 2000 at the dawn of a new millennium, there was little progress in the way of acceptance toward natural parenting. Finding baby slings, cloth diapers or nursing apparel in stores was an impossible task. The majority of states had yet to sign laws to protect a mother's right to breastfeed in public.

Still my husband and I were committed to raising our children in the most natural way we could. We made the bulk of their baby food from scratch, cloth diapered, avoided disposable wipes, relied on thrifted or hand-me-down clothing and wore both children in slings.

"The Breastfeeding Book" by Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears, RN. was one parenting classic that guided me through the roughest moments of those early months when my husband and I were so lacking in sleep and confidence. Personally, I'd always suspected and observed how natural parenting and attachment parenting lead families to live a more environmentally conscious life, but no single book had ever acknowledged this relationship until now.

This fall, a new parenting book, "HappyBaby" (Harper Collins September 2009) written by Dr. Robert W. Sears (son of William and Martha Sears) and Amy Marlow, is out on shelves, nestled between the growing range of green parenting guides. This is the book I wish I had owned when my children were babies.

Two things make this book stand out from the rest of the current green parenting guides.

1. The book is co-written by an attachment parenting advocate (Sears), who himself was raised in this manner and a registered dietitian (Marlow) who provides extensive information on the importance of diet as the cornerstone to an organic lifestyle.

2. The book finally makes the connection that living a more natural and sustainable lifestyle goes hand in hand with nurturing and sensitive parenting.

To be clear, this book is tied into the new HappyBaby line of organic baby and toddler foods now appearing in grocery stores. Does this fact appear to alter the book's advice dramatically? It doesn't appear so. Though there are a few brief references to the Happy Baby line, (mostly in the chapter on baby's first foods) the advice doesn't (thankfully) make its way into the book's recipes, or seem like a cheap ploy to convince you to buy Brand X.

What makes this book so useful to parents is its easy to read format, peppered in between with "Notes" from Dr. Bob (straight talk from his own years of pediatric practice), resources for eco baby and toddler gear, green household tips to make your home a baby-safe and healthy home, feeding and nutritional advice in handy chart form and most of all, sound reasoning and analysis on why when, in the words of the authors, you are "now asking the planet to support another life. You can return the favor by supporting the planet."

HappyBaby appears destined to become a well referenced guide for moms and dads looking to raise their baby in the most naturally healthy way while protecting the future of our planet.

-Christine

A Plateful of Politics: The Ghosts in the Garden

Halloween may not be until next week, but I've already seen a ghost. A garden full of ghosts to be exact. But before I tell my ghost story, allow me to provide a little background.

It wasn’t until mid-summer this year that I made it down to the 61st Street Farmers’ Market for the first time. In July, Purple Asparagus took part in the Market’s education program, the Market School. Since it was a little slow to start and we had some extra volunteers, I took the Market's manager, Dennis Ryan, up on his offer of a tour.

The Market is located on 61st Street in Woodlawn on Chicago's south side. Despite its proximity to the President's Chicago home and the University of Chicago, Woodlawn is a neighborhood with many needs. While it has made recent strides, it still suffers from higher poverty levels and lower access to fresh and healthy foods.

Video: Climate Rally at Fisk Coal Plant

-view photos of the rally

Earth Talk: The Fate of Honey Bees

Dear EarthTalk: Not long ago there were concerns about honey bees disappearing. Are the bees still disappearing, and if so do we know why and do we have a solution? -- David, Grand Rapids, MI 

The topic of disappearing honey bees first cropped up in 2004 and by the spring of 2007 was all over the news. Thousands of commercial beekeepers across the U.S. and beyond were reporting in some cases that as many as two-thirds of their honey bees were flying away from their hives, never to return. What made the problem—dubbed “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD)—so unusual is that most traumas to bee colonies leaves bees dead in or around their hives, not mysteriously gone altogether.

Strangely enough, there was no concrete evidence pointing to disease or predation or of mites that tend to attack bee hives. Some beekeepers reported that moths, animals and other bees were steering clear of the newly empty nests, leading to speculation that chemical contamination due to widespread use of pesticides might be to blame. But no smoking gun emerged and the mystery remains today.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which last year convened a multi-agency steering committee to assess the problem and find solutions, several factors could be combining to cause CCD. “Pesticides may be having unexpected negative effects on honey bees,” reports ARS, adding that as yet unknown parasites, pathogens or viruses could also be wreaking havoc on bee colonies. Studies have also indicated that poor management of populations of commercial honey bees—including inadequate diet and long distance transportation—may play a role.

In one study, researchers from Columbia University isolated the presence of a virus—the so-called Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus—in upwards of 96 percent of the hives studied that were affected by CCD. Other studies point to widespread use of Imidacloprid, a common grub-control chemical used on lawns and farms and which has already been banned in France due to its alleged effect on bees. But finding a single cause of CCD seems unlikely, and ARS researchers point to the possibility of “a perfect storm of existing stresses” weakening colonies to the point of collapse: “Stress…compromises the immune system of bees…and may disrupt their social system, making colonies more susceptible to disease.”

Whatever the cause, CCD remains a real threat to agriculture. About a third of all American farm production is dependent upon the pollination efforts of commercially-raised honey bees. While diversifying the stock of insect pollinators beyond just one species of honey bee would certainly represent a step in the right direction, re-jiggering the nation’s agricultural system represents no small challenge.

Not surprisingly perhaps, organic beekeepers have not experienced CCD, leading to speculation that overall greener management practices could be the answer even if direct causes are not determined. Meanwhile, efforts to genetically modify bees that are resistant to predators and pathogens could also prove fruitful, although such high tech solutions are still untested and could open up other cans of worms.

CONTACTS: USDA Agricultural Research Service, www.ars.usda.gov; CCD Steering Committee Q&A, www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/ccd.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

-photo credit: Rainer Hungershausen, courtesy Flickr

International Day of Climate Action: Chicago Groups To Rally Saturday at Fisk Coal Plant

Over 25 environmental groups will rally Saturday at Fisk Coal Plant to demand strong domestic and international policy action from President Obama as he sets forth to join international climate talks in Copenhagen.

The rally, in solidarity with International Day of Climate Action held worldwide, will take place at 1 p.m. near the Fisk coal plant at Dvorak Park in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood at 1111 W. Cermak Rd.

Organizers say the single biggest source of global warming pollution and air pollution in Chicago is Midwest Generation's Fisk and Crawford coal fired power plants. Midwest Generation is currently being sued by the EPA for violating the clean air act while operating these and 4 other sites within Illinois.

Saturday's rally will include guest speakers Executive Director of Greenpeace Phil Radford and 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore and music and activists representing youth and families from the communities of Pilsen and Little Village.

Activities and educational demonstrations planned for the rally include:
-The Rolling Sunlight, a solar-paneled truck to power the stage
-Solar panels to warm up coffee and hot chocolate for everyone
-Mock Wind turbines
-Energy Election ballots where you can vote for clean energy or dirty coal
-Face of Climate Change art display: those attending the rally may bring a photo of someone effected by climate change to add to the display (ex. kids, grandkids, friends, community members etc.)

To read more about the environmental cost of coal fired plants in Chicago and Illinois see: http://lvejo.org/coalpower.htm

Feeding the Hungry – A Homemade Video On How You and Your Children Can Make A Difference For A Food Bank!

According to AmpleHarvest.org, "an estimated 100 billion pounds of food, enough to totally eliminate hunger, is thrown away annually in the United States.” Be shocked – and then make a difference for your community by stopping the waste.

Regularly clean out your food pantry - – if you are not eating the food in your home, donate it to a local food pantry before it gets outdated. If you grow a garden and have leftover vegetables, do not leave it standing on the plants; take it to a local food pantry and donate it to someone who could really use it like we  did in the above video. Organizations like AmpleHarvest.org enable neighbors in need to obtain garden fresh produce that might be left standing unharvested due to over production in home and community gardens. Please send food pantry’s that are unregistered to this website to help make a difference for people in your community.

Above is a homemade video my daughter and I made about collecting vegetables from the garden and taking it to be donated. Having my eight-year-old help plant and grow the plants, then film our trip, gave her a strong sense of ownership with the experience. Notice how excited and proud she is that she is bringing “her baby” the pumpkin to give to some other child.

All of our children should understand and identify with the feeling of caring for others, most especially those in need right in our very own neighborhoods. Building our community means building our economy and contributing to the emotional health of other human beings. Of all lessons in life, I believe this one should take priority for our children.

Grow a garden if you can because it can make a real difference for the world. Teach your family and neighbors how to grow a garden as well. Get started planning right NOW – at the end of this gardening season – to plan for next year’s vegetable garden. Purposely plant vegetables which are easy to grow and which might be mass producers so you can contribute more to help those who really need it. If you cannot grow a garden on your property, invite your neighbors to participate or build a community garden on a local community property.

What will you do to have your children understand the importance of helping the hungry?

-Shawna Coronado is an author, locally syndicated newspaper columnist, health, and greening expert focused on teaching and living a green lifestyle. She blogs on conservation, greening and health tips at www.gardeningnude.com. Information on her books and other media can be found at www.thecasualgardener.com.

Little Locovores- Family Feast Days: Octoberfest

(My grandmother’s plate, a hand-painted ceramic made by a Long Island artist with the beer stein from which I drank little shots of beer with my German grandfather to wash down our sauerbraten.)

As the story goes, I first started cooking when I was four. My mom charged with me planning for and “cooking” dinner once a week. In the beginning, dinner was pretty Spartan – PB&J on Ritz crackers and English muffin pizza, as I have been told. While they’ve never admitted it, I’m quite certain that my parents ordered Chinese when I went to bed.

Despite a heavy course load and fair share of extra-curricular activities, this responsibility carried through elementary school, junior high and even high school. My recollection is that I felt somewhat ambivalent towards my assignment. Obviously, I didn’t hate it, but I don’t seem to remember much of what I cooked, so I must not have loved it either. The strangest happening of the matter was how the chore did ultimately turn to passion.

A few weeks before my high school graduation, I got a case of, oh how shall I put it?, the runs. Turns out that somewhere I had picked up a pretty bad case of salmonella. It’s still a matter of controversy, but the theory is that it came from the mayo dressing on a fast food hamburger. Suffice to say, anything that went in my mouth went out the other end and fast. To make matters worse, our family doctor misdiagnosed me and, in my weak condition, I wound up contracting mono.

While my high school buddies were enjoying there last days in our home town, I was convalescing on my couch. Not being much of television watcher, I started with books - I had a whole pre-read list for college. I went through those. Then puzzles, 1000 piece puzzles – the appeal wore off. Finally, and ironically given my lack of appetite, I started on my mother’s cookbook collection. I poured over the Julia Child, underlined her Craig Claibourne and starved over the Gourmets. This is what made me a cook.

The book that inspired this series of posts is the one that went untouched. Dusty and a bit smelly, chartreuse in that kitchenette color in vogue back in the 1960’s, Roy Andries de Groot’s Feasts for All Seasons remained on the shelf, pushed aside for more modern pleasures. It seemed old-fashioned, certainly nothing that even a starving 18-year old would give a second look to. But this was early in my cookbook obsession.