go green this st. patty's day

images via pinterest

This Saint Patty's Day, do more than just drink a green beer and dance an Irish jig. GO GREEN! Make this Saint Patty's Day the day you start being more enviornmentally-friendly in everything you do! There are hundreds of littles things we can do in our homes, schools, and community to play a small part in reducing landfill waste, cleaning the air, and preserving the natural landscape. I'm not going to list a hundred - I don't want to overwhelm you - but I will list a small handful of ways you can begin to think GREEN!

Ways to GO GREEN:

1. Sign up with you Bank to start receiving electronic versions of your paper bill statements. This small change will help save some trees! If for some reason this is not an option, make sure you recycle paper bank statements.  

2. Start purchasing produce and other goods at local farmers markets in your area. Not only does locally grown food taste better (because its closer to the source!), local produce is better for you, preserves genetic diversity, and is GMO (genetically modified organism) free. Not to mention, buying locally grown food at a farmers market near you helps build community and keeps your taxes in check! Seriously guys, the produce and food at farmers markets is too good to pass up! And there's free samples!

Farmers Market Schedule (South Bay Area):

Tuesday: Manhattan Beach Farmers Market (13th Street, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266) 11-4

Wednesday: El Segundo Farmers Market (Plaza El Segundo 760 S Sepulveda Blvd, El Segundo, CA 90245) 8am-2pm

Thursday: El Segundo Farmers Market (Main St and Holly Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245) 3-7pm

Friday: Hermosa Beach Farmers Market (1007 Valley Dr, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254) 12-4

Saturday: Hawthorne Farmers Market (corner of Aviation and West 135th St) 8am-1pm   &

                                      Torrance Farmers Market (2200 Crenshaw Boulevard, Torrance, CA)  

3. Stop using disposable bags. Pick some up at your local grocery store - they usually run for like $.99 - or make your own! If this is not an option, opt for brown paper bags that you can recycle over plastic bags. If you have a pile of plastic bags lying around the house, recycle them by placing all the bags in one bag and tying off. Throw in recycling bin. Note: you CAN NOT just place one plastic bag in the recycling bin. It won't get recycled...You must place them all together in one bag to recycle. Don't ask me why...

4. Buy an inexpensive reusable water bottle (I use a Klean Kanteen or a reused glass Kombucha bottle), and stop buying plastic disposable water bottles. Why? Because plastic takes FOREVER (literally) to discompose in landfills and ingesting water from plastic water bottles that have been sitting in the sun in your car is extremely dangerous (I'm talking cancer-causing dangerous)! Icky!

5. Turn off lights when you leave the room. Duhhhh, easiest way to be eco-friendly by conserving energy. No need to explain this one.  I really hope everyone does this. There's really no excuse not too.  

6. Walk or ride your bike to do errands that are 2 miles or closer. This is a simple one, yet it can be inconvenient. I KNOW I can do a better job at not driving EVERYWHERE I go, especially if the errand is within 2 miles. I'm aware of it now and will consciously try to walk or bike more when appropriate. 

7. Reuse scrap paper. Print on two sides, or let your kids color on the back side of used paper. I've encouraged the kids I nanny to do this. They've gotten so used to drawing on both sides of the paper that when they come across a paper with only one side drawn on, they automatically know they must draw on the blank side before asking for another piece. They're so cute and GREEN!

8. Before buying anything new, first check your local Craigslist or Freecycle. Give vintage/antique/re-purposed or re-claimed furniture and home decor a new life and new home by spreading it around with your newer pieces. It adds character and a level of comfort to a home. Plus, a rad piece of art you found at a garage sale mounted over the mantle or a re-claimed rustic door used as a coffee table would be a great conversation piece when friends come over! 

9. Use cloth instead of paper to clean your kitchen. Be frugal, and make these rags out of old towels and t-shirts.

10. Repurpose glass jars as leftover containers and bulk storage, especially in the kitchen.

11. Put a stop to unsolicited mail — sign up to opt out of pre-screened credit card offers. While you’re at it, go ahead and make sure you’re on the “do not call” list, just to make your life more peaceful.

12. Open blinds or drapes to let in natural solar heat on cold days, then close them once the sun sets, and you can reduce your heating bills by 10 percent. Worship the sun. Or at least use it to your advantage. Plus, with all that natural light, you won't need to turn on the lights, saving energy!

I hope these tips help you to become more GREEN! 

The Earth thanks you. 

choose to live healthy [6]: light, healthy salad recipes

Salads can make a super healthy and low-calorie meal if AND ONLY IF they aren't loaded with bad fat (saturated and trans) and calories.

Unhealthy salads will...
1. be drenched in processed (ew) white, creamy dressings (like Ranch)
2. use lettuce with no nutritional value like iceberg lettuce
3. be overwhelmingly loaded with fried and processed meat
4. use lots of croutons or bacon bits
5. have cheese (saturated fat people!)

Healthier salads will...
1. be vegetable centered
2. contain lots of leafy greens like kate, spinach, argula, romaine, and cabbage (even though it isn't a dark, leafy green)
3. use a small amount of plant protein like legumes, lean grilled fish, or baked or smoked tofu
4. deserve of a light, healthy, AND delicious (bc who wants to eat something that doesn't taste good??) dressing that won't break the bank in calories. For me, I choose citrusy vinaigrettes, olive oil and vinegar and, if I do choose to use a white, creamy dressing, I make damn sure it doesn't contain dairy, palm oil (this type of oil is destroying rain forests people! for more info, read this article here), refined white sugar, and any ingredients I can't pronounce.

* A trick for lightening up bottled or creamy salad dressing is to blend a tablespoon of the dressing (per serving) with a tablespoon of canola or oil olive, apple juice, raspberry juice, orange juice, or champagne!

Get creative when you put together your salad! Jazz up your salad by adding lots of brightly colored fruits and veggies, textures like toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and grains (quinoa, brown rice, bulgar) !!

Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking about creative salad inspirations:

For this salad you'll need:

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- chopped red or yellow onion

- 1 tsp agave nectar (for caramelizing the onions)

- ground tempeh (from Trader Joe's)

- 1 packet of taco seasoning  

- dark, leafy greens (I used kale, arugula, spinach, and romaine)

- organic brown rice

- 1 tomato, chopped

- avocado

Do it!:

1. saute your chopped onion in a pan with the oil. let them get translucent then add a little salt and a teaspoon(ish) of agave to caramelize the onions.

2. add your crumbled tempeh – you may need to chop it, think taco meat sized pieces.

3. add about 3/4 of your package of taco seasoning. you can use more or less, taste as you go! if you don’t have taco seasoning use: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and chili powder and a little more salt.

4. spread your tempeh-onion mixture on a bed of leafy greens. 

5. top with tomatoes and avocado. 

For this salad you'll need:

- spicy or regular tempeh (from Dave's Korean Food at Manhattan and Hermosa Farmers Market. regular tempeh from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods will be good too!)

- grilled salmon 

- dark, leafy greens (same combo as above)

- chopped tomatoes

- avocado

For the vinaigrette: 

Mix together 1 tablespoon olive oil, 5 tablespoons grapefruit juice, splash of orange juice, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, sprinkle of salt (celtic sea salt preferred! read the benefits of this type of salt versus table and sea salt here!)

Do it!:

1. Layer the tempeh, salmon, tomatoes, and avocado on top of the leafy greens mixture. 

2. Drizzle on your dressing and gobble it up!

Holy yum city! This salad HIT THE SALAD SPOT! It's warm, crunchy, sweet, salty, and full of flava'! 

For this salad you'll need:

- dark leafy, greens (same combo as always!)

- organic brown rice

- chopped tomatoes

- avocado

- steamed white fish or sole

- Brianna's Poppy Seed dressing

Do it!:

1. Layer on all the ingredients. It's that simple!

Hope these recipes and combos stir up some creativity in the salad department!