Organic

If you’re anything like me, spending time with family and friends for the holidays usually means there will be copious amounts of alcohol going around, namely wine. Treehugger has complied six green hangover remedies for us, just in time for the days that follow. Head on over here to make sure you have what’s needed for those moments of post holiday hangovers.

It’s another interesting week in green news. Enjoy our round up of lunch break eco links of the week.

• New York State has a new law signed by Governor David Patterson that will require retailers in the Empire State to collect and recycle plastic bags starting January 1, 2009. Read the full story at Treehugger.

• Environmentalism is quite common in northern California, so it’s natural that h2hotel would be designed to include a plentiful array of green amenities. To read about this awesome new hotel, head over to JetsonGreen here.

• Generating clean energy has just gotten easier with Self-Energy Generating Glasses, or simply SIG glasses. You have to check these out. Head on over to Ecofriend.

• Stay healthy by staying clear of the worst chemicals that may already be in your home. Though many are carcinogenic and can pose serious health risks, which ones are the worst? Which ones do you really have to watch out for? Planet Green gives us the full scoop.

• We all know that if we have to print something, we should reduce the font size, but what if you want to save some ink too? Netherlands-based SPRANQ has come up with an ink-saving font aptly named Ecofont. Our friends over at Ecogeek have the full scoop on Ecofont for us.

Living a full, healthy life is the sum of many parts. For many people, one element of that equation is drinking a glass, (or two,) of wine each day.More than 400 studies over the past 70 years have analyzed the health benefits of drinking wine. Moderate drinking of red wine helps prevent heart disease, cancer, and many other conditions.

Wine is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages on the planet. Its history spans thousands of years. I happen to enjoy wine especially with friends and family. And when it comes to food pairing, there’s no comparison to how enjoyable an experience it can be.

De Martino Organic Cabernet grapes are from the Maipo Valley and blended with distinctive grapes, (Malbec and Carmenere), to produce a deep red wine with the aroma of blackberries and cherries.

It is the perfect combination for Pace Webb’s savory Fingerling Potato and Leek Soufflé. What a great winter dinner treat. Enjoy the combo!

Benjamin Moore has just launched their Natura paint line, which is the most eco-friendly paint to date.

Natura premium interior paint is a zero VOC, virtually odorless formula that doesn’t compromise appearance. Natura provides a durable finish with an unlimited color selection. The paint contains a proprietary 100% acrylic resin that, according to the company, will meet the Master Painter Institute’s Green Performance standard as well as Green Seal’s 2009 GS-11 standard covering chemical content and paint performance—though Benjamin Moore has decided to seek its own independent testing and will not be applying for MPI or GS-11 certification.

Natura

Now we can breathe easy knowing that one of the most reliable paint companies is offering the very best for our environmentally sensitive projects.

At the moment the paints are only available in States WA., OR., CA and Texas, but will be available nationwide Spring 2009.

Planning a holiday party, or going to one, (or a few), in the next couple of weeks? How about offering or bringing a truly organic vodka or gin from a company that plants a tree for every bottle purchased. TRU works with organizations like Sustainable Harvest International and plants new trees in tropical zones, (where they are cut down in huge numbers), to create a better planet for future generations to come.

TRU Organic Spirits

Los Angeles-based TRU is America’s first completely sustainable spirits line. This means every ingredient is certified organic, with no genetic modifications or synthetic chemical pesticides and are packaged in 100% recycled, recyclable or biodegradable packaging. TRU is known for their artisanal “green” vodkas which are infused with organic ingredients such as American wheat, bourbon vanilla beans and California lemon zest. The company also uses state-of-the art column stills that produce the purest spirits possible, in only one pass, in order to conserve energy.

They have recently launched a new batch of artisanal gin infused with 14 organic botanicals including fresh lavender, fresh lemon zest and chamomile, yum.
The holiday season is one of the most special times of the year. It’s a time to share with close friends and family. Whether it is an office party or a party at home, no holiday shindig is complete without an array of festive holiday drinks. TRU Organic Spirits is a great way to bring some organic deliciousness to your holiday festivities this year. Make sure to check out their cocktails page, you’ll get some great ideas for your parties. Enjoy and be safe.

The most important principle when pairing wine and food is balance. When the elements align, the food and wine match is “in balance,” but when the attributes are off, the pairing is “out of balance.”

To strike a balance, seek to obtain similar qualities in the wine and food, or diversify the flavors in combination. Food and wine pairing is a highly subjective process. The old rules are: primarily red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry. In my opinion, this doesn’t take into consideration the complexity of today’s multi-ethnic foods and the wide range of wines from around the world that are now available.

These days you’re more likely to hear food and wine pairing suggestions that don’t abide by the old rules. There’s tons of room for experimentation and expression of your own personality in pairing. Rules were made to be broken. Not conforming to a “rule-of,” can sometimes lead to amazing results and is the sign of a true artist. But, it is important to develop a familiarity with convention and an understanding of why the suggested combination usually works. This will give you a good foundation for wine and food experimentation.

I do like to play with my food and wine pairing, but I can’t take the credit for the amazing combinations that Pace Webb comes up with for us each week. That’s all hers and once again she has an amazing dish for us to pair with this Vida Organica Sparkling Chardonnay. This well-balanced, medium-bodied, deliciously fruity Chardonnay works wonders with Paces’ Miso Glazed Cod. Wait until you try this. Make sure to send us your comments on how it turned out!

Wolaver's

Organic beer is beer that uses ingredients, supplies, and production processes that abide by the rules of the National Organic Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Organic” is distinctly defined as a system of agriculture and food production that emphasizes the building of healthy ecosystems by avoiding manufactured chemicals known to be destructive to humans and other living things. Instead, “organic” relies on natural processes such as composting, and systems like inter-cropping, that channel the strength of biodiversity to increase productivity and decrease pests and disease.

Only beers established by independent certifiers meeting the legal organic standards are allowed to boast the USDA Certified Organic logo.

The guidelines for organic beer are the same as for all organic foods. The ingredients must be grown without toxic chemicals or pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and in soil that has been free from chemicals for at least three years. No genetically modified (GMO) organism can be used in the brewing process. Many brewers use Certified Organic malt and/or hops but haven’t had their facilities and processes certified. In fact, these beers are not organic and are prohibited from being marketed as organic.

Now days, there are even more ways a beer can be considered “green”. For example, it can be brewed in an environmentally friendly brewery like solar-powered breweries, or made with “green” ingredients. There are so many emerging “green” beers, that Planet Green decided to break them down by region for us, starting with the East Coast.

If you are a beer lover like I am, this is quite exciting. Make sure to head on over and read the full article. We’ll make sure to keep you posted as they add other regions to their list.

When it comes to wine the terms “legs,” “nose” and “body” do not refer to any part of the anatomy. Instead, these words help define and describe particular characteristics of the varietal being enjoyed.

Legs are the rivulets of wine that run down the surface of the glass after swirling or sipping. Legs are not an indication of quality; rather they denote alcohol content, (the higher the alcohol, the more distinctive the legs).

Nose refers to how a particular wine smells, its aroma, or bouquet. The body describes how the wine feels in the mouth: whether it’s full like a Cabernet Sauvignon or light like some types of Sauvignon Blanc. Wines are generally classified as light, medium, or full-bodied.

Just a few wine tips I thought you might enjoy. Now onto the delicious food pairing for this weekend. When you eat foods that are in season you get the best flavors and nutritional value. Pace Webb has paired this Yalumba Organic wine with her delicious Pumpkin Coconut Soup, a great in-season dish, perfect for this weekend. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is a great time to go green. The season of Thanksgiving is about celebrating the earth and what it has to offer us, so respecting the environment is a great way to send the planet an eco-friendly thank-you.

Using eco-friendly products, reducing, reusing and recycling during Thanksgiving can help diminish waste to the environment. An eco conscious Thanksgiving will enrich your family’s holiday experience, because you’ll know you have helped reduce the impact on the environment, something we all should be thankful for. Here are a few tips for having a green Thanksgiving.

1. When running around picking up all your necessities for the big day, make sure you bring along reusable bags. See if you can reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying only as much as you need and choosing products that come in packaging that can be recycled.
   

   Reusable Bags

2. Buy locally grown food. It’s a great way to have a green Thanksgiving. Locally grown is generally organic and therefore good for your health and the environment. It requires less fuel to reach local store shelves which saves on fuel. It also contributes more to your local economy by supporting the local farmers and merchants. Foodroutes can help you find local merchants in your area.
3. Buy organic fruits, vegetable, (apples and potatoes are very high on the pesticide hit list, and retain huge amounts of the chemicals sprayed on them), and grains grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Organic farming also increases soil fertility, prevents erosion, and is more cost-effective for farmers.
4. If you’re having Turkey as part of your dinner, search the Eat Well Guide. You can find types of meat by production methods, and locations where you can purchase an organic turkey. The “production methods” section allows you to select items labeled 100% vegetarian fed, grass fed, free-range, non-confined, no antibiotics, organic, etc. You can also contact your local grocery store and ask if they carry turkeys labeled “American Humane Certified,” or “USDA Certified Organic.”
5. Lift a glass of organic or biodynamic wine, (in recycled glasses of course), and give thanks to sustainability. Serve organic wine with “real” corks not plastic or twist off tops. Your eco-friendly Thanksgiving party can help preserve the cork industry.
6. If you have to fly for the holidays, purchase carbon credits at Carbon Planet to offset your portion of the carbon dioxide emissions generated by your flight. A typical long-haul flight produces nearly four tons of carbon dioxide.
7. Plant a Tree as part of the family affair. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming. By planting one tree, in one year, that tree will absorb roughly 26 pounds of carbon dioxide and return enough oxygen to supply a family of four. The Plant-A-Tree-Today (PATT) Foundation was formed with its mission to react to problems caused by the massive and increasing levels of deforestation worldwide. Help raise awareness of environmental issues and the role forests play, take action against climate change, educate children on these issues and to Plant a tree this Thanksgiving.
   

   Protect Our Earth Glasses

8. Keep your thermostat at an acceptable setting, and start a fire in your fireplace to keep warm. If you normally keep your temperature at 74 degrees Fahrenheit, try lowering it two degrees on Thanksgiving. This will conserve extra energy.
9. Nature always decorates best, especially this time of year as the trees shed their brightly colored leaves. Take a nature walk and gather signs of the season from your local environment to create a simple, beautiful harvest centerpiece. With a little imagination, you can make great eco-friendly Thanksgiving decorations and have a lot of fun in the process. Gather found items such as pinecones, colored leaves, seedpods, branches and colorful berries and leaves. Place your treasures in recycled vases or bowls for a naturally green centerpiece.
10. Decorate your table with beeswax candles rather than petroleum-derived paraffin candles. The beeswax is not only healthier for you and the planet, but it smells better too! For an extra touch, fill a recycled glass bowl with seasonal grains, (such as corn), and place a pillar, (soy or beeswax), candle in the center.
11. All flowers remind us of nature’s bounty, but not all flower companies are eco-friendly. Most spray their crops with heavy amounts of pesticides. Order a gorgeous Thanksgiving centerpiece from Organic Bouquet. They’ll give ten percent of your purchase to The Nature Conservancy, and send your flowers in biodegradable, corn-based flower sleeves. Head to your pantry for empty containers such as seltzer bottles, spice jars, wine bottles, cans, etc. to use as vases for your flower arrangements.
12. Purchase recycled paper products, if you need to have disposable plates and cups. Otherwise, use regular plates and cups that can be washed so you don’t produce any waste.
    

    Aromatherapy Candle

13. Try and cook just the right amount of food for your family and friends because nothing is worse than wasted food. However, if you have too much food, send your guests home with a doggie bag. You can also donate leftover food to a local shelter or food bank. Mahalo can help you with this.

Whatever else you do on Thanksgiving, make it a time to say thank you to the people in your life who matter most. Many of the best moments in life are those spent with friends and family. As part of your eco-friendly Thanksgiving, give thanks to the many ways the environment sustains and enriches our lives.