It's time to make the cookies

We were out of cookies. Again. Having boys home all summer means empty cupboards, cookie jars and refrigerator shelves. The eco 'burban dad even remarked tonight that it's a little bit like the army around here. Tonight at dinner, I filled plates and glasses and within minutes it was all gone, like our dining room was the mess hall at boot camp. And they were asking for more. Only, that was all that I had prepared. And we were out of cookies. So, I made cookies. Again.

In the old days, I wouldn't have fretted about being out of cookies. I would just buy more cookies. Or, dig into the pantry for yet another box of cookies trucked in from Arizona or New Jersey. Today, I make the cookies. I am making so many freakin' cookies these days I feel like a Keebler Elf. Some days, I resent those cookies. Why make cookies when you are so busy? Because now, I can't even bring myself to buy cookies. I don't walk down the cookie aisle, I don't want to buy cookies. I can't buy cookies. I think about all the bad, bad things in cookies. I see all the bad, bad packaging wrapped around the cookies. And how I would be a bad, bad mom for buying the evil cookies. Or, so I think.

In that lies the problem. Sometimes I am too tired to make the cookies, but I make them anyway. Sometimes I am too busy to make the cookies, to stressed to make the cookies, too over extended to make the cookies. But I do it anyway.

I am sure you can imagine - cookies are a metaphor for so many other things in this greener lifestyle. Searching out local food, going out of the way to shop at farmer's markets, looking for products that use less packaging, visiting thrift store after thrift store to find something you need or taking the initiative to write letters, make phone calls or whip up some cookies. Sometimes it's harder, sometimes the search is longer, sometimes the process more complicated, but in the end, we all do it anyway. Why? Because lying in bed at night rethinking the day, I have no second thoughts about local, organic healthy cookies. No guilt for taking the easy way out. No remorse for how I treated our planet.

So, eat the sugar cookies boys. They were made with love, a pinch of stress, a touch of tiredness and a lot of consideration. I will make more tomorrow.

Doing my part... Locally

My husband passed me an article from our small community newspaper last week. First, I should mention he really isn't a reader, so it must have been an excellent article to warrant a reading, circling and passing on. The article described a pilot recycling program called Blue Skies implemented by Allied Waste.

This program - limited to 53 homes in our township - provided each homeowner with a 95-gallon wheeled cart for recyclables. Here's the kicker... This program accepted ALL plastics, even #3 through #7. My god, it does exist! A recycling program like this in our area is like spotting Big Foot! Of course, this was only a pilot program, running for 90 days to measure the materials collected and the consumer's response. However, the response was overwhelming. Here are the facts, by the numbers:

Allied Waste posted a 179% increase in total pounds of recyclables collected - diverting 16,190 pounds of recycling from the landfill. Amazing, considering only 53 homes participated! But, all good things must come to an end. The pilot program ended and, despite the enthusiastic response from the consumer and the satisfaction of Allied Waste, we are waiting on bids, approvals, financials and legal mumbo-jumbo from the township. And, this doesn't even mean that it will actually get approved.

Normally, I would have read the article and thought, what a great program, how sad we can't have it. However, lately every where I turn, I find inspiring political and community activism. Crunchy got me to write to congress about the Farm Bill. And then, after that, she got me to write congress again about drilling for off shore oil. Green Bean works on her city's green task force and is planning a green social movement. I signed the Take Back the Filter petition and wrote 4 letters to Clorox for Fake Plastic Fish and I have a paper envelope (no plastic for Beth!) holding used Brita filters to send her way.

After reading the article in my local paper, I decided it was time for a little activism of my own. Rather than sit idly by waiting for someone else to start a letter writing campaign or petition, I started one of my own. Every single member of the township board, every trustee and all members of the Environmental Department received a letter from yours truly today, requesting the implementation of this recycling program.

I also offered my services to speak at the township and to work as a liaison with the waste company. Earlier this year, I started a similar program for our Little League. Though, on a much, much smaller scale. 15 carts with die cut lids at a baseball park can't compare to 200,000 recycling carts delivered to each and every doorstep. But, I am the Trash Lady, and I can so make this happen. Local activism, I am doing my part for my community!

Update: I have received one response so far, not a committment to the program, but an acknowledgment none the less: "Hello , I appreciate your very thoughtful letter. I, too, am looking forward to full scale implementation of a significantly expanded recycling initiative. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm".

Pardon the dust...

...I wanted to change the header of my blog to include a picture of our lake at sunset. And then I screwed everything up. Now I have to figure out how to undo what I did. So, please excuse the blog construction dust today!

One Local Birthday

It was a little hectic around here this weekend, so I just don't have the pictures to prove my all local mac n cheese. It was made for the littlest eco 'burban boy's birthday. He was soooo hungry that when it came time to eat, we just gave him his plate and let him go at it!

The mac 'n cheese was made like this:

Vita Spelt Organic Elbow Noodles - Okemos, MI
Butter - Calder's Dairy - Lincoln Park, MI
Flour - Westwind Milling - Linden, MI
Milk - Calder's Dairy - Lincoln Park, MI
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese - Clinton Township, MI
Cheddar, Monterrey Jack - Warren, MI
Gouda - Grassfields Organics, Coopersville, MI

The eco 'burban dad enjoyed a side dish of local organic asparagus steamed with Calder's butter and some sea salt and cracked black pepper. Shocking, I know, but I just don't like asparagus. More for him, right?

Green Cooler Chic

Those of you who read regularly know I spend a lot of time hanging out at baseball fields, in the dirt, chaos and heat. This requires lots of cold, cold reusable water bottles. How do I keep them all cold you ask? We tried the re-freezable ice blocks, but alas they melt quickly and the just don't keep things icy-cold. Any boy coming straight out of the catcher's gear in 92 degree heat will tell you, that's just not cold enough, mom.

We loathe buying bags of ice in plastic and even that melts rather quickly, so we came up with what we think in a great idea. Take empty plastic containers - our local butter comes in the perfect, round size - and fill with water the night before. By morning, they are solid cubes of ice which I load into the cooler of drinks. Even today, after7 hours outdoors, there were still disks of ice remaining.

We take the leftover ice disks, toss them into the gardens to melt and trickle water the plants. We take the melted ice water and dump it into the flower pots. Trust me, this water is GREYWATER after dirty boys have had their hands in and out of the cooler all day. And, it means that a tired mom can squeak by without watering parts of the garden today!

So, if you have all sorts of weird plastic containers you can't bear to throw away, but are upset at yourself for buying, don't beat yourself up, they have a second use. And, if you have very thirsty boys, you will never be without a cold drink again!

Baseball Update

All teams still winning. No end in sight. Baseball Saturday, June 21st from 8:45 am until 3:15 pm.


~ Estimated reusable water bottles filled = 12

~ Local pita / local organic almond butter sandwiches = 6

~ Local organic pretzels = 1 bag

~ Visits to the Snack Shack for non-local, non-organic, non-healthy treats = At least 3

~ June 21st? Also littlest eco 'burban boy's 4th birthday = celebration following games

~ Tired, dirty and exhausted = 1 Mom

Earning 3 giant, sparkly plastic Championship Trophies = Priceless

GO TEAM!

Tag, I'm It...

Just so you all know, I stunk at games of tag as a kid. I would get tired and lie down in a grassy field and pick clover and stuff. But, Joyce managed to find me hiding out in the deep weeds reading a book, so now I'm IT!

1. What were you doing 10 years ago... Well, I was a newly single mother of an almost 3 year old. I had bought my first house - on my own - and was struggling with balancing work, child raising and doing it all by myself. There wasn't a whole lot of money or time, but somehow we made it work and I look back on those days with much fondness!

2. Five things on my To-Do List today... Work, baseball game, wash baseball uniforms, finalize birthday arrangement for the littlest eco 'burban boy who turns 4 this Saturday and walk the dog. Chances are, the dog's not getting his walk...

3. Snacks I enjoy... Snickers ice cream bars from the corner store during walks with the kids and dogs. Carmel corn mixed with cheese corn from Garrett's in Chicago. Texas sheet cake made by my mother. I've tried to duplicate it, but it just isn't the same.

4. Places I've lived... Amboy, IL - small, rural farm town where I lived until age 16. Clarkston, MI - through high school. Dekalb, IL - for college. Clarkston, MI - again - moved back to be closer to my parents. Once you have some kids, being close to your parent's ain't all that bad! Now, West Bloomfield, MI - Happily remarried for 6 years, with 4 kids (all boys), 2 dogs and a cat.

5. Five things I would do if I was a billionaire - a) pay off mortgages and any debt b) arrange retirement, college and trust funds c) invest in the family business d) Take some time out to spend an entire summer traveling abroad with the kids e) Take care of my sisters, parents and in-laws so not a single one of them needs to worry about retirement or debt

And, there you have it! Now, I am going back to reading my book and picking clover... Thanks Joyce, this was fun.