What I have done so far...

I am not quite halfway through the month of the local food challenge for both Mrs. Crunchtastic the Blue Collar. After a rainy, yet leisurely Mother's Day, I thought today might be a day to pat myself on the back for the changes we have made.

We have kicknamed my husband the "barrista" because he makes the best darned iced tea and coffee this side of Starbucks. We have banished the countless glass jars and bottles of store bought iced tea and now rely on our refillables each day. It's always a treat to try a new flavor and of course the tea is fair trade and the sugar organic. Our coffee - from a Florida company - is also made at home and toted in our stainless mugs to work each day.

Two local bakeries in our area now supply our family with freshly made loaves of wheat, multi-grain and even a yummy cinnamon swirl for a treat. And... the occasional cannoli! I had forgotten how good a slice of whole wheat toast with a little organic butter and jam can be for breakfast!

I found La Vida Local, a local business that sources locally produced food, dairy and beauty supplies from community farms, dairies and mills. I now rely on the wonderful Julie for my eggs, chocolate milk, butter, cheese, bacon, pancake & cake fixin's as well as beans, oats and a variety of other organic and / or locally made items. We are having a ball trying new things and making meals from scratch. Hey - I didn't know I could MAKE potato salad from scratch, OK!

In short, this challenge and my bookworm challenge for the wonderful Bean - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - have almost changed my life. I cook more, but have more time. I spend more on a loaf of bread, but have more money in the bank. I learned that those big-box retail stores actually needed me more than I needed them!

To Do List - Growin' Some Green

Another item from the To-Do List is getting my hands - and those of my children - dirty planting some green edibles. I have always loved planting flowers and perennials, but living here in suburbia big gardens are a no-no. Not so much a rule per say, but between the rabbits looking for their next meal and the chemicals getting sprayed on just about every green surface around, it's just not feasible.

This year we decided to tackle some container gardening for a few veggies and herbs. My kids think produce comes from Costco in a crate, so hey, 4 pots of something growing is progress, right? Today (in the windy rain!) we planted little cherry tomato plants we found at the Farmer's Market, a pot of carrots from seed, green beans from a real bean and a small container of herbs - in actual organic soil. For the first time, give or take 55 days, we will actually eat something we grew! More pictures to come as our veggie garden *hopefully* grows to fruition!

Local + Bread = Cannoli?!?

I am trucking right along on my eat local / buy local challenge. I am giddy, can't you tell? But, I have to tell you there are pitfalls along the way. I have driven by this bakery not too far from my home a gazillion times and always wondered. What do they make there? Is it any good? Not once I have I ever screeched my little mini-vannie wheels to a stop to duck in and take a look.

Too busy. Already have 72 loaves of bread bought by the case from Costco. Too tired. Too many stops to make today. Blah, blah, blah. Today, thanks to my local challenge, I stopped. I found out that they make all their own breads, cookies, pizza dough etc. fresh daily. And, a whole loaf of multi-grain bread made this actual morning is only $2.89. So, I bought a loaf - we are actually out of bread. And, our economy here in Michigan sucks, so buying bread from a local family not only tastes good, but might actually make a difference.

Oh, but you say... didn't you mention pitfalls?? Yes, yes... this bakery (Italian, I should mention) makes their own homemade cannoli shells and cream and will fill them RIGHT ON THE SPOT when you order. Do you think I could walk away from that? Of course not! I bought one loaf of bread, two large size cannoli (one for me, one for hubby!) and a homemade donut for little guy who happened to be on my errand run with me. So, yes Local+Bread= Cannoli.

Update: Those local cannolis were YUM! They certainly didn't last long in our fridge! Mmmm...

To-Do List - Paper Towels - Again

Still trying to break that habit. I've gotten better, really I swear. First, I bought the recycled version. (not as strong, somewhat wimpy and thin!) Now, I am trying to use less than a hu-mungo handful to wipe up the doggie drool, or the kiddie drool, whatever. So, in the spirit of using less, I bought two dishtowels while at the Green Street Fair from the nice little coalition Handmade Detroit. Basically, it's a nice mish-mosh of crafters who work together and shared some space at the fair selling their handmade goodies. I managed not to buy a purse, belt, scarf or any other fashion item, but for $7 found a nice two-pack of flour sack towels embellished with scrap fabrics. Cute, and the red stripe goes with my kitchen, 'cause you know that's important!

So, I have been trying to dry my hands or the occasional splash of water with the towel instead of the paper. I still can't force myself to clean food-goo or doggie drool with it. Yuck, ick, ugh. Now I wish I would have bought another two-pack because I feel that the towel really needs to be washed every other day. At least. Maybe more. Can you say germ-phobic anyone? So, I did a quick look on Etsy and found nutnutgoods - she has some cute organic flour sack towels printed with food grade inks... Mother's Day is right around the corner, maybe I will get lucky?

Mmmmm... Local Soap

The Green Street Festival this weekend did have some great green products and unique local vendors and artists, but it was full of the same big-business sponsorship I am guessing is vital to the financial bottom line of a big event. Toyota, Whole Foods, Bosch, Clif Bar are just a few of the big corporate entities hanging out, trying to act cool, but at least they are companies that are all making strides for the environment and the well being of the people in it.

As part of my eat local / buy local challenge I did find a great little soap company at the fair, handmade here in Michigan with the nicest smelling suds around. We have switched to bar soaps and only have one bar of my Trader Joe's Oatmeal Soap left, so I really did need some more. Even if Crunchy's Buy Nothing Challenge is over, I am still challenging myself to define purchases into a "needs" and "wants" category. This one fell into both - I needed it and I wanted it!

The Boh Bon Soap Company came along at just the right time! The soap is handmade with all natural ingredients by a long-time Michigan resident. The quirky name of her company is actually a play on the name of her grandfather's grocery store from the U.P. region of our state. Now, how much better can I feel about getting all sudsy in the shower with local, handmade soap with scents like tangerine or cinnamon swirl? Not that I'm going to tell you..... Oh, an added bonus? Not a single scrap of plastic packaging - just a wrap of recyclable corrugate! Yippie!

Green Festival in the'Burbs - Really! It's True!

So, you all know I am from the 'burbs here in the Detroit area. Let's face it, we are not the first place anyone thinks of for green and sustainable lifestyles. Come on. Every third car is a Hummer, Escalade or Suburban, most recycling bins are used to hold hockey skates and and folks here drive two blocks to the party store for a bag of ice. So, to find an actual green festival means we are really coming around here in the 'burbs. I believe, really I do! Tomorrow I will be attending the Plymouth Green Street Festival where there will be eco-friendly home building, fashion, energy alternatives, kid's activities and food. OK, I agree with the Crunchy One that buying more crap that you don't need really isn't green at all. I am planning to attend to try to find more local food sources to help me get through my eating local challenge I am doing for both Blue Collar and Crunchy's May challenges. However, if it takes a few suburbanites to buy a pair of Simple Shoes or some organic cotton undies to start making the switch to a greener lifestyle - I am all for it. Hey, we all started somewhere and I am not that far removed from the day when I bought my first green product, so who am I to judge? Hopefully, I won't need wild horses to drag ME away from some of the booths selling their wares... I am a sucker for some shoes!

Grabbing a Great Green Book!

The other challenge I am really, really committing myself to is Green Bean's Bookworm Challenge. I checked out 3 different books from the library (see! no buying! no paper waste!) and I am already 2 chapters deep into Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and I am showing no signs of slowing down. And today is just is only May 1st!



So, I am guessing I will get to Affluenza soon and then can enjoy a semi-green read, The $64 Tomato. Seriously folks, this is an easy challenge and you might just remember that reading a book to yourself is just as important as reading "Click Clack Moo" like 100 times a day to those under 4 ft. tall! If you haven't joined, it's not too late! Seriously! It's not! Green Bean is on vacation until Friday and without internet access, so quick, get on over there and sign up before she gets home!