Environment, Organics, Fair Trade & Recycling at Big Green Purse

Think Twice Before You Buy Hershey's Kisses for Your Valentine

This Valentine's Day, before you cover your sweetheart with Hershey’s kisses, or toss a few of those treats into your kids’ lunch box, consider the alternative: organic, fair trade, bite-size bars made from cocoa produced by companies that care about people and the planet.

Why not Hershey’s? The company has been under fire for years from international organizations that monitor child welfare. Most of the world’s cocoa is produced in West Africa, where cocoa farmers typically live in poverty and where forced labor, especially among children, and human trafficking, are tragically common. Reports from concerned humanitarian groups describe how children often work long hours on cocoa farms performing hazardous work like using machetes, carrying heavy loads, and coming into close contact with toxic pesticides.

Several non-profit groups organized a “Raise the Bar” campaign to ask Hershey to take meaningful steps to combat child, forced and trafficked labor in its supply chain, and an online petition drive generated over 100,000 letters to the company asking it to improve its cocoa sourcing practices.

Happily, the company announced recently that it will commit to sourcing independently certified cocoa for its Bliss line by the end of 2012. However, Hershey’s produces many products that contain chocolate, including Almond Joy, Kit Kat, Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. What about responsibly sourcing ALL the cocoa it uses in all these products? Eighth grader Jasper Perry-Anderson has created a follow-up campaign on Change.org to ensure that the Hershey Company expands its commitment to certified cocoa to all its products in the future.

Which gets us back to alternatives to Hershey’s Kisses for Valentine’s Day. Look for chocolates that are certified both fair trade and organic. Fair trade helps protect kids, and organic helps protect the environment. Here are some yummy options you should be able to find in your grocery store, at food co-ops, and at chains like Whole Foods that have made a commitment to carry more sustainably produced products.

Dagoba – Ironically, Hershey owns this company, which was already organic and fair trade when it was acquired. Dagoba sources cacao, the primary ingredient used to make chocolate, from Latin America, South America and Madagascar. Their entire line of drinking chocolate, syrup, and cacao powder has been certifed Fair Trade by Transfair. You can buy a box of "bites" or choose full-fledged bars.

Endangered Species ORGANIC DARK CHOCOLATE CHIMP MINTS They're certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, kosher Non-GMO and the cacao is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™  ethically traded cacao farms ensuring fair trade, responsible labor practices and sustainable farming. Plus they taste good!

Wei of Chocolate -  This organic and fair trade chocolate, also certified by the Rainforest Alliance, is infused with "energetic" flower essences that they claim lead to greater tranquility, peace and joy. They're beautifully wrapped; a box-ful would certainly enhance my peace and joy, at least as long as they lasted!

Lake Champlain Chocolates makes some delicious organic chocolates - but they're NOT Fair Trade: Organic Chocolate Truffles from Lake Champlain Chocolates -  or organic chocolate squares in flavors that include cinnamon, sea salt and almonds, milk, and dark.

Then there's Ghirardelli. It promotes some of its bars as "100% all natural," but offers no explanation of what that means. There's no mention of Fair Trade or organic on its website, either. What gives?

If you prefer chocolates from these companies, please go to their websites and encourage them to adopt certified fair labor and organic practices.

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Fill Your Heart With Organic Chocolate

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Later this year, look for Hershey’s Bliss® products made with 100 percent cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Rainforest Alliance Certified farms have met comprehensive sustainability standards that protect the environment and ensure the safety and well-being of workers, their families and communities. Hershey’s Bliss® chocolates are available to U.S. consumers at more than 35,000 retail outlets. Meanwhile, you can read more about Hershey’s sustainability plans here.

What Did I Miss?

If you make an organic, Fair Trade chocolate we didn't mention here, please leave a comment with all the pertinent information. If you love an organic, Fair Trade chocolate we failed to notice, please let us know! Thanks.

Woman Inspired to Build a Hoop House to Grow More Food

One of the ways we can eat healthier food that doesn't harm the environment is by growing our own fruits and vegetables. My dear friend Carol is a real inspiration in that department.

Carol, who lives in Arlington, VA, has transformed her backyard into a beautiful oasis brimming with gorgeous flowers and a wonderful variety of edible plants, all of which she grows using no toxic chemicals.

Normally, in our part of the world (mid-Atlantic), the growing season ends right about now - late October/early November. Carol decided to build a  "hoop house" to protect some vegetables from frost and extend her growing season by a couple of months. (She finished it just in time for Food Day!)

When I asked her about it, here's what she said:

(Diane) You're an avid gardener! Your flower beds are gorgeous, and you already grow an abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other vegetables. Given how much time you put in during spring and summer, I'd think you'd want a rest come fall! (Carol) I LOVE to garden.  It was Becky's idea (Carol's daughter) to keep me happy in the late fall and early spring - plus the heat, mosquitoes, and gnats are   better when it's cooler outside! 

So why did you decide to build a hoop house, which some people also call a cold frame?  It's supposed to extend the growing season by about two months - one at each end. 

How did you figure out what materials you would need and how big to make it?  I searched hoop houses on the Internet, watched several videos, and decided to start with a small hoop.  This was my favorite on how to build a hoop house and raised bed. 

 Did you actually construct it all yourself?  Yes, it was a challenge - having grown up at a time when girls took home ec and boys took shop.  But I did OK.  Home Depot cut one of the three pieces of 8 foot lumber in half at no charge, so I could have two  pieces 8 feet long and two 4 feet long for the raised bed.  Home Depot also sold 10 foot pvc pipes, which they cut into 8 foot sections for free.  I bought the plastic in a roll there, too, as well as the screws.  I bought the screws (wood screws and screws with wing nuts) too short, but I was able  to walk to the hardware store and get what I needed - including a special drill bit so I didn't have to screw them in by hand.  

Building the raised bed was by far the hardest part of the job.  I had to drill 28 holes, then  re-drill them because the holes were too small.  Then I had to go to the hardware store twice for the right screws.

 Wow! That's so impressive! What will you be planting in it? I am hoping to have a month or two more of cold weather crops:  lettuce, arugula, kale, Swiss chard.   I want to pick up some spinach seedlings at the farmers market this weekend to put in there, too. 

Plus, I moved some warm weather plants - basil, dill, cilantro - to protect them. Otherwise, they'll die in a week or so from the cold weather.

 

  

Great! I can't wait for my next dinner invitation!

 

 

 

  

In honor of Food Day, 10 Radical Ways to Make Food Better

Food should be the healthiest, safest thing our society produces and we consume. But it's not.

In honor of national Food Day, I'd like to suggest 10 ways we can revamp our food system to make it healthier for people and the planet, and more delicious, too! What do YOU think we should do?

1) Help more farmers grow organic food. Right now, U.S. agriculture policy provides price supports and subsidies to farmers who use pesticides and insecticides - and penalizes those who don't.  Shouldn't it be the other way around?

2) Charge more for food that's grown using pesticides and herbicides. Organic food can cost as much as 30% more than food that's been raised using all kinds of chemicals that pollute our air and water and make us sick. Organic food is more expensive because there's less of it, and it's more labor intensive to grow because (see 1 above) organic farmers don't get paid not to use pesticides and herbicides. Given the cost to society of cleaning up the environmental and human health problems created by pesticide use, shouldn't there be a "HEP" (health/environment penalty) imposed on conventional food that would help bring its price more inline with the price of organics? 

3) Require all restaurants to compost food. In fact, not just restaurants, but hospitals, government buildings, school cafeterias - any institutions that throw away massive amounts of food -- should be required to compost food waste rather than throw it away, turning it into organic fertilizer for use locally. FYI, you could be composting your own kitchen waste, too!

4) Define "natural." A lot of food is marketed as natural, even though it's been highly processed, is overpackaged, and doesn't bear one iota of resemblance to the food it originally came from. Working with biologists and botanists, let's define what "natural" really means - and prohibit flagrant misuse of the word by marketers who know we want to eat natural food, even if that's not what they're selling.

5) Stop wrapping food in plastic. Plastic wrap, plastic boxes, plastic clam shells, plastic bags, plastic bottles: these days, it's hard to find food that's NOT wrapped in plastic. What's the big deal? Plastic doesn't biodegrade, and there's some research indicating that chemicals in the plastic can leach into the food itself. How can you avoid the plastic? Buy fresh food, fill your own safe containers from bulk food bins, and choose food packaged in glass jars or wrapped in paper.

6) Get rid of BPA in the lining of canned foods. Bisphenyl-A has been linked to a variety of health disorders. This new study suggests that pregnant women exposed to BPA could give birth to girls with behavior disorders. It's time to ban the use of BPA in any food container, including soda cans, baby bottles, and plastic food containers.

7) Make cooking a required class for all high school students. When I was growing up, girls in middle school were required to take "home economics" (the boys got away with "shop"). These days, both of those classes are optional - which means many kids opt out. Yet I'd argue that one of the reasons why fast food is so popular is because so many people don't actually know how to cook. Why not make cooking class a requirement in senior year of high school, regardless of whether kids are heading off to college or to live on their own? The semester-long curriculum would focus on nutrition, locally grown food, organic agriculture, and composting, along with how to make a decent omelette or a delicious salad. 

8) Prepare more of your own food. If you don't know how, here are a few good cookbooks to get you started.

 9) Grow your own. If you have a pot, a patch of sun, and a patio, you can grow cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and herbs. With a 10x10 plot of land and some good compost, you can grow plenty more. These 10 tips will get you going.

10) Sit down at the table when you eat. Preferably, with friends or family. One of the reasons we may not mind eating junky food so much is that we don't give ourselves enough time to enjoy our meals. If you get up a few minutes earlier, can you actually eat a nice breakfast instead of snarfing down some kind of McMuffin on the run? If you get your kids and spouse or partner involved in the cooking, can you all pull together a meal of what Food Day sponsor the Center for Science in the Public Interest calls "real" food? Yes, time is of the essence. But delicious food is the very essence of life! 

Surely you must have other ideas for ways we can make our food system better for us and healthier for the planet. Please share, and Happy Food Day!

 

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Take the "Buy Local" Challenge

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Have you taken the "Buy Local" challenge?

Want to show your support for environmentally friendly, locally grown food?

Yes, you can eat it!

You can also take the "Buy Local" challenge, a campaign to get shoppers to eat locally grown food every day from July 23-31.

Here are a few reasons why buying and eating locally grown food is so important.

Here's where you can find organic, locally grown food in your community.

Here are a week's worth of menus for meals made with locally grown ingredients. Or get an entire cookbook of delicious recipes inspired by locally raised fruits and vegetables.

And here's where you can take the challenge.

 

Make Your Own Delicious, Organic Tomato Sauce. Here's How.

  This post is for you if you: love the taste of vine-ripened locally grown tomatoes; worry about "store bought" tomatoes containing too much sugar, salt or other additives; want to avoid canned tomatoes or tomato sauce because the can linings might contain BPA; or just like the idea of making your own food.

This recipe is also for you if you don't want to bother with canning. I'm a fan of freezing tomatoes because it's just so easy to do.

What you'll need

 Tomatoes - I prefer to use mostly Roma, with a few beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes thrown in. I buy organic pretty much exclusively, though have also made sauce from tomatoes my neighbors give me when their gardens overflow (I don't have enough sun to grow my own.).

Cutting board and sharp knife - You'll need to quarter the tomatoes and remove the pulpy seeds before you throw them into the food processor. Avoid using a wooden board, since all the tomato juice will soak into the wood and make it hard to clean. A serrated knife works well to slice through tomato skin and all the way through the tomato.

Food processor -The food processor can chop the tomatoes into such small pieces that you won't need to remove the skins, which saves a lot of time and also ensures that you keep all the vitamins, nutrients and fiber that are in tomato skin.

Colander and bowl - You'll need a colander to drain the tomatoes after you wash them, and then again to capture the tomato juice when you're seeding the tomatoes.

Large stock pot - Use the pot to simmer the liquid out of the tomatoes before you freeze them.

Spoons, Ladles - A long, stainless steel slotted spoon is best for stirring the tomatoes when they're in the pot so they don't burn. Use the ladle, a large serving spoon, or a stainless steel, long-handled measuring cup to transfer the simmered tomatoes to the freezer jars.

Freezer jars - You can buy glass canning and freezer jars, or use glass jars you've saved from other foods and sauces. I prefer glass over plastic because chemicals from the plastic might seep into the food if it's hot when you put it in the jar. If you do use plastic, make sure your sauce is totally cool before you put it in the container. Leave 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of space between the food and the jar lid so the food has room to expand when it freezes.

Get Started ...

Meatless Monday: Gazpacho

Salads and cold soups offer a delicious eco-friendly and healthy alternative to meat. Here's my favorite recipe for gazpacho, a refreshing tomato-based soup made from ingredients you can easily find locally grown at the farmer's market or your grocery store. Serve cold or at room temperature with a simple salad of mixed greens and a sprinkling of grated carrots, plus a crunchy crusty bread to sop up the soup when you get to the bottom of the bowl. For a little protein on the side, hard boil some eggs or grill several slices of marinated tofu. Another option? Drizzle olive oil on a mound of fresh goat cheese, dust with freshly cracked salt and pepper, and spread on the bread. Good for "meatless Monday" or any day of the week.

Gazpacho (serves 8 people as an appetizer or 6 for a meal) ...

Meatless Monday is on July 4th; How About These Veggie Burgers?

Before you fire up the barbecue for your 4th of July picnic, take a minute to read Ten Reasons Why You Should Eat Less Meat. Then, instead of automatically serving up hamburgers, hot dogs, steak or chicken, get creative! Need some help? Try this recipe for a delicious veggie burger courtesy of the wonderful vegan cookbook, The Happy Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon.

    Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste

Breadcrumbs (buy at store or make your own - toast whole-grain bread until dry, then pulse in food processor)

Whole-wheat hamburger buns

 To do:

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease grill pan, or cookie sheet if you prefer to use your oven.

* Pulse beans in food processor until mashed well, or mash manually using a potato masher or fork.

* Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in cilantro and spices, plus salt and pepper.

* Add breadcrumbs as necessary until the mixture can be handled and isn't terribly sticky, about 1/4 cup.

* If after 1/4 cup it's still too sticky and difficult to work with, refrigerate 5 to 10 minutes

* Shape mixture into three patties.

* Lightly spray each patty with cooking spray and grill or bake 7 minutes.

* Flip, re-spray,and bake 7-10 minutes more until crisp on the outside and thoroughly warm.

* Serve immediately on buns, along with lettuce, tomatoes, and whatever other condiments you prefer.

Note: This recipe makes three burgers; double to make six.

 (Photo courtesy of The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, p. 87)

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Charcoal is Out. What's In - And Eco?

Charcoal is out. What's in - and Eco?

If you're still grilling with charcoal, I've only got one question for you: Why?

Most grills use either natural gas, propane, charcoal, or electricity. Of these options, charcoal emits more carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and soot than any of the others.

"Charcoal grills and lighter fluid also contribute more to ground-level ozone [smog]", says Ana Gomez, of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, not exactly the ambience you're looking for when you invite friends over for a cookout.

Eco-Friendly Alternatives?

• Go solar. A solar stove like the Global Sun Oven (pictured) cooks more slowly and won't get you the same grilled flavor. But it can't be beat for an environmentally-friendly, clean-cooking cookout, and you'll never buy charcoal or other cooking fuel again. Cook casseroles, veggies, tofu, and maybe a few marshmallows. You'll need direct sunlight for the time it takes to cook your food. Read the cooking directions that come with the oven for best results, then see what works best in your yard or on your porch or patio.

• Choose a gas grill over charcoal. If you already use natural gas to heat your home or power your appliances, you may be able to hook up a gas line directly to your grill. The convenience of not needing to refill propane tanks may outweigh the cost of the hook-up. Otherwise, choose propane, which also burns cleaner than charcoal. This website lists dozens of grill choices by brand. NOTE: Don't buy a larger appliance than you need or you'll end up wasting energy and money.) You can get small, portable propane grills to use at the beach, camping, or for tail-gate parties.

• Use lump charcoal instead of briquettes. Briquettes may contain coal dust and other additives. Look for hardwood briquettes from sustainably- managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program.

• Trade in your lighter fluid. These toxic petroleum distillates produce volatile organic compounds that create smog. No sense ruining your skewers or burgers with an air quality alert, is there? Instead...

• Try a chimney charcoal starter. Tuck crumpled newspaper into the bottom of the canister, load charcoal on top, and light with a match. You'll be able to pour hot coals onto the fire grate in about 15 minutes. Alternatively, use an electric starter. (Chimney charcoal starters are cheap! $10 - $15).

(You can find several of these products, along with other things you need for summer, at our store.)

How to Keep Drinking Water Safe for You and Your Family (Bottled Water is Not the Answer)

Being able to get clean, safe drinking water straight from the tap is a right we're all entitled to. Yet today's news stories report, once again, that the water we drink every day may contain dangerous chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses.

This time, the chemical in question is a compound called hexavalent chromium, or chromium 6. If it sounds familiar, it may be because you saw the movie "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts. In the film, based on a true story, Roberts as Brockovich campaigns to protect residents of a small California town whose drinking water has been contaminated by hexavalent chromium. In real life, Brockovich, a legal aide, helps the town residents win a $333 million lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric, the company responsible for the contamination.

But that's not the end of the tale. It turns out, hexavalent chromium persists in drinking water in dozens of American cities, including Bethesda, San Jose, Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh, Albuquerque, Atlanta, and Salt Lake City (note: If your city is not on the list, it might only mean that the water in your city wasn't analyzed). The toxic chemical is released when plastics, steel, and paper pulp are manufactured; it's also discharged by leather-tanning and metal-plating factories. It can pollute water when soil and rock erode as well. It exists in our drinking water for two reasons: because companies can release it into the environment without much legal or financial consequence; and because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not currently impose regulations on municipalities to eliminate chromium 6 in our water -- or at least, to reduce it to much safer levels.

You can get more information from the answers to this list of frequently asked questions; you can also read the full report on hexavalent chromium here. But don't just read the report: take action to protect the water you and your family drink! Here's how:

1) Don't buy bottled water. Much bottled water comes straight from the same source as our drinking water. It looks healthier because it sports a fancy label touting how "pure" it is - but unless the label also says the water has been tested and proven to be free of hexavalent chromium and other contaminants, you'll just be wasting your money. Instead, use your purse power to invest in a reverse osmosis filter (see below).

Please: "Bury" Me Before I Die

Well, not exactly. I mean, I don't want to be buried alive, or anything weird like that.

But I've been to enough funerals and burials to know that they're usually wasted on the person being laid to rest. The people left behind - those still alive, in other words - get to have all the fun. As sad as the occasion is (and I mean absolutely no disrespect to those grieving the loss of a loved one), a funeral presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate someone's life: who they were, what they loved, and the legacy they left behind.

Why would I want to miss that?

I don't. 

So...I want my funeral service before I die. And I want it exactly like this: