Newsletter Archive

• GREEN LIVING IDEAS PODCAST– Sean Daily, Green Living Ideas' Editor-In-Chief, talks with Amy Hemmert, co-founder of Obentec, about Laptop Lunches. Listen to the podcast at http://greenlivingideas.com/personal-living/reusable-lunch-containers-with-laptop-lunches.html.

• ORGANIC BRANDS – Have you ever wished for a "family tree" of organic brands showing which ones have been acquired by larger companies? You probably know that Odwalla is owned by Pepsi and that Horizon Milk is owned by Dean Foods. But did you know that Dagoba chocolate is owned by Hershey Foods and Kashi is owned by Kellogg? For an interesting chart showing "the big picture," check out www.organicconsumers.org/organic/OrganicTop25Jul07.pdf. And see the top-selling INDEPENDENT brands at www.organicconsumers.org/organic/OrganicIndJul07.pdf.

• CAR SHARING – Did you know that you can reduce your transportation costs by joining a car share program? Members pay by the hour to use a car only when they need it. Check out www.flexcar.com and www.zipcar.com for more information.

• PRESERVE TABLEWARE – If you're looking for party plates made out of recycled plastic, check out Recycline's selection at www.recycline.com. They come in a variety of colors, and are dishwasher safe and recyclable.

The book, my 10th in fact, is called The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without. It will focus on vegetable side dishes. I took my 100 favorite vegetable recipes and turned them into a book. I hope to encourage people to fill their plates with delicious vegetables in various colors and flavors regardless of--or I should say in addition to--whatever else is on the plate – including meat, if that’s what you prefer. I want people to realize that if you’re going to eat well, you mostly need to avoid the items that are cheap and abundant in convenience stores, grocery stores, and fast-food restaurants. You need to choose your foods purposefully and, very often, prepare them at home and carry them with you. If you become “a food carrier,” you’ll be more than halfway there.

Cookbooks today are largely celebrity-driven, repetitive, and are filled with colorful glossy photographs. I wanted this book to stand out and beckon people back to a certain "home-spunness." So I’ve hand-lettered the recipes and included my own artwork, similar to my early books, Moosewood and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. I hope my audience will feel the familiarity and comfort that I’ve intended.

I’ve loved to cook ever since I was a toddler. At 15 I started working in restaurants after school. In college, I was fascinated by the emerging whole foods movement, and that influenced me greatly. My love for all of this continues to this day.

Kids who don’t eat well get tired and edgy, and lose focus. Here are a few tips for helping kids eat well:

1. Encourage them to drink water instead of caloric drinks. Or they can make their own “homemade soda” by diluting a little bit of fruit juice with a lot of sparkling water.

2. Make sure their breakfasts and snacks contain some fiber, healthy fats (like nuts) and protein. Carbohydrates without fiber are a recipe for weight gain.

3. Don’t let your kids sit around for long periods of time. Put the music on and let them dance. If they’re watching TV, encourage them to move instead of sitting still – or worse, sitting still and snacking. A good way to do this is to invest in a stationary bike, rowing machine, or stairmaster and place it in front of the tube.

When my kids were little, I would put out some healthy grazing items, so they could take the edge off their hunger in a good way when it wasn’t yet dinner time. Sometimes these snacks would end up being dinner by default, but that was fine, as they consisted of fresh vegetables (steamed or raw) with nut butter or bean dips, string cheese, cooked whole-grain pasta, and cut-up fruits. This plan worked really well for our busy family. My one big regret is that I sometimes heated plastic bottles in the microwave, and we are now learning that that is an unhealthy practice.

Amy: