It is also great for adults looking to save a little money on some delicious sprouts!

Growing sprouts in a jar is unbelievably easy.  Given how much these little beauties cost in the store, I can’t believe I didn’t start doing this sooner!  All you need is a mason jar (or similar) with a two piece lid, some type of screen material – I cut a square out of an old pair of clean nylons – gauze and screen also work, and sprout seeds (more about choosing seeds below – see Safety).  In about 5 days, you have a whole jar packed full of delicious, nutritious sprouts ready to eat.

This is the “Two-piece lid” I referenced above.  They are available here.
Image credit: Urbanbarn Etsy.

Getting Kids Involved

If you’re doing this activity with kids, you may also want to have some other fun plant life cycle related material handy.  There a lot of websites out there with preschool lessons and activities for plant life cycles.  Flintstone is particularly fond of gluing things to paper (we recently did the butterfly life cycle with different shapes of pasta).  The Magic School Bus episode The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed is also a great tie in, and the Scholastic website has more information and activities to go with that episode.

Tie in healthy eating with activities like this one (and the dozens of other free activities on this site) and a lively discussion of how we can watch our sprouts grow, then eat them and they help us grow!  More healthy eating related activities available here.

With just a little bit of guidance, kids can do this activity nearly entirely on their own.

Instructions:
This project is best started in the evening hours since the seeds will need to soak overnight.  It isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it works out well that way.

1.  Place 1 – 2 tablespoons of seeds in your jar.

2.  Spread your strainer material (nylons, gauze, screen, etc.) over the top and secure with the outer ring of the lid.

3.  Rinse the seeds by pouring water in through the mesh on top, swirling it around, then draining through the same mesh.
4.  Add a minimum of 3X as much water as seeds (ie, 1tbsp seeds needs at least 3tbsp water) – no need to be precise; I just fill the jar up 1/4 of the way.

5.  Allow the seeds to soak overnight (or a minimum of 8 hours).  I would also avoid oversoaking them, which is why I recommend starting in the evening.  Keep the jar out of direct sunlight, but not in the dark.  We left ours on the kitchen counter.  It will stay out of direct sunlight for the first 4-5 days.
6.  In the morning (or 8 hours later), drain the water out by pouring it through the mesh, then rinse again by the same method mentioned in step 3, draining fully.

The seeds start to sprout almost immediately after soaking.  Soaking is Day 1.  This is Day 2.

7.  Rinse and drain again in the evening.  Flintstone loved having this responsibility, and it was the first thing he wanted to do every morning.  Since the jar is glass I watched over him, but he was able to do it all completely by himself.

This is day 3 or 4.

8.  Continue to rinse and drain every morning and evening (or roughly every 12 hours) for 4 – 6 days.
9.  Once your jar of sprouts is full and has little green leaves on the ends, it can be placed in direct sunlight for a day to up the chlorophyll production.  After that, it can be moved to the refrigerator.

Day 4 or 5, window sill time!

10.  Enjoy the enthusiasm with which your little ones pack down the nutritious fruits of their labors!

Safety

       These days, warnings and worries about any and all raw foods, including vegetables, abound – and sprouts are no exception to that.  There have been outbreaks of food-borne illness linked to mass produced sprouts purchased in grocery stores in the past.  These are thought to have been linked to unsanitary growing conditions.  There have not been any recorded instances of food-borne illness linked to home grown sprouts that I was able to find in my research.

        Fresh sprouts are considered at the same level of risk as fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc.).  It is possible for pathogens like e. coli can be spread from manure or other sources and hide out on fresh foods or even seeds.  The warm, damp growing conditions that these kinds of produce thrive in are conducive to growth of those pathogens.

       There have been a lot of changes in the sprout industry over the last four years, and up to date information on pathogen risk, prevalence, and the effectiveness of risk reduction techniques implemented around 2011 is limited.  Note: some sources warn against children, pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems, and the elderly consuming raw sprouts.  Note: Those same sources warn against consumption of raw berries, lettuces, and cut greens by those same groups.

       The risk is (arguably) small, but it is there, and it is up to the individual to make an informed choice.  I feel our home grown sprouts are safe – the same way I feel about berries.  I am not willing to give up the health benefits of most raw produce out of fear of the marginal risk of illness largely borne from major, corporate producers.   I AM, however, careful to obtain my seeds from a reliable source.  We used Handy Pantry 5 Seed Sprouting Mix.  Handy Pantry has been in business for over 20 years, sources most of their seeds from the US and Canada, and is GMO-free and organic (no pesticides on my sprouts, please!).  *I have not been asked to endorse this company, nor have I been compensated in any way for this article – that said, if Handy Pantry wanted to throw a little something my way, I would happily accept!

Other Resources

      Information on the Health Benefits of Eating Sprouts

      More Information on Sprouts and Food-borne Illness

       Giving Sprout Growing Kits as Gifts (with Free Printables) (coming soon)

The post Teaching Kids About Food and Plants: Grow Sprouts in a Jar appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

I first wrote about this topic last year, but was recently motivated to revamp my earlier article.  As a devoted chocolate lover, I was shocked and horrified to discover that many of my favorite seasonal treats – treats that bring so much joy to children here in the US – are produced using abusive child labor.  Major, trusted chocolate brands are often guilty of including cacao harvested by children and slaves in their supply chains.

Now, I choose to boycott any chocolate supplier who refuses to certify their products as free of coercive labor practices, child labor, and human trafficking.

According to an investigative report by the BBC, hundreds of thousands of children are being purchased from their parents or outright stolen and then shipped to Ivory Coast, where they are enslaved on cocoa farms.  Destitute parents in these poverty-stricken lands sell their children to traffickers believing that they will find honest work in Ivory Coast and send some of their earnings home. The terrible reality is that these children, 11-to-16-years-old but sometimes younger, are forced to do hard manual labor 80 to 100 hours a week. They are paid nothing, receive no education, are under fed, and are often viciously beaten if they try to escape. Most will never see their families again.

This image is published with permission courtesy of photographer Henrik Ipsen and the film The Dark Side of Chocolate.

Over a decade ago, two Congressmen, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-New York, and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, attempted to remedy this issue.  They introduced legislation mandating a labeling system for chocolate. After the deep pockets of the chocolate corporations protested, a compromise was reached that required chocolate companies to voluntarily certify they had stopped the practice of child labor. Originally, the certification process would include labeling chocolate products “Child Labor Free,” but the labeling component was removed as part of the compromise.  Many believe the legislation lost its teeth at that point.

Instead of the “Child Labor Free” label, the protocol now calls for public reporting by African governments, establishment of an audit system, and poverty remediation by 2005. The deadline had to be extended to 2008 (read Fortune Magazine’s report on the state of the protocol in 2008) and again to 2010. Today, human rights organizations report that some of the provisions have still not been met, and it is the biggest corporations who refuse to comply.

In 2012 there were some rumblings that this might be changing, but the change is likely to remain grindingly slow.  Child slavery keeps costs down, which allows major corporations to keep their chocolate cheap.  Not only does it cost more to pay laborers a fair wage, but the cost of monitoring the extensive supply chains of global corporations would be significant.

The next time you reach for a candy bar, buy candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters, or stock up for holiday baking, consider the price thousands of children are paying to bring you your chocolaty cheer.

But don’t despair yet, chocolate lovers, ethically sourced chocolate is gaining prevalence and becoming easier to find (not to mention afford) every day.  The key is in consumer awareness.  Consumer dollars send a very clear message to manufacturers about what the public will and will not tolerate.

The most effective way to find ethically sourced chocolate is to look for a short supply chain.  “Bean to bar” producers who own the entire production chain all the way back to the beans and “Direct Trade” producers whose chocolate comes from single, identifiable origins are ideal.  Many companies today who proudly list extensive information on the cacao farms they work with on their labels.  Equal Exchange and Askinosie Chocolate are two examples of such companies.

There are also several certifications on chocolate labels to indicate a slavery-free supply chain.  These include Fair Trade, Equal Exchange, Fairtrade, and Rainforest Alliance (which has an added environmental component – perfect since the chocolate industry is also guilty of devastating rainforests for plantations and production).  Keep in mind that certification has its own bureaucratic pros and cons.  Certification must be paid for by the company seeking it which can be a hurdle for small producers.  A company can be ethical without certification, and a company with certification may still have other questionable practices.

The article Is There Child Slavery in Your Chocolate? from the Huffington Post includes a long list of chocolate companies who are proudly Child Labor Free.

Ethically sourced brands can be more expensive than chocolate harvested by slaves, but the extra few cents is worth it every single time.  Ethically sourced chocolate is so easy to find these days, I can’t remember the last time I had a problem finding it.  Still, if I can’t find slave-free chocolate, I don’t buy chocolate.  For holidays we often order in bulk, which can be a big money saver.

Other steps you can take to help with this cause:

*Fill out Hershey’s corporate responsibility online survey. Urge them to establish an ethical and slavery-free supply chain.  Tell them you won’t have your money contributing to human trafficking.

* For as little as $6.00, get a DVD copy of the film The Dark Side of Chocolate, along with information about Fair Trade, from the dedicated people at Green America. Watch it, show it to your friends, and spread the word.

* EDUCATE YOURSELF AND OTHERS.  Tweet about this article, pin it, and post it to your facebook page. Spread the word until this dirty little secret is completely out in the open.

Check out these sources for more information:

Is There Child Slavery in Your Chocolate?
The Human Cost of Chocolate
Tulane University Assessment of Child Labour in the Cocoa Supply Chain
The Dark Side of Chocolate
How to Buy Ethical Chocolate
A Guide to Ethical Chocolate

The post Chocolate and Child Slavery 2013 Update appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

It is really rather astounding how limited the readily available information on pelvic floor fitness is and how rarely this information is discussed considering how significant the health of the pelvic floor is to a woman.  We stand in an odd historical point here in the US where the vagina is everything and nothing all at once.  No longer the complete un-mentionable it once was, discussion of the vagina has become something of a hipster staple, an armchair feminist battle-cry, and a social-media numbers wizard.  The sad fact is, though, that while the titillation of talking about vaginas has made it not only acceptable but even trendy, the substance is still lacking.

We can talk about vaginas as iconic symbols of feminism* (an odd counterpoint to seeing whole women, or better yet, human beings as symbols of feminism).  We can talk about vaginas and whether or not the government should control them (unless, of course, you happen to be a Michigan state representative debating women’s rights legislation as pertains to abortion).  We can score a few extra hits on a post about our feelings or opinions on other people’s sex lives by dropping the V-bomb in the title.  We can appear fearless, mature, and modern in our unflinching utterance of such a risqué term freely.

The vagina makes a great tagline, punchline, symbol, or icon.  What it doesn’t make, apparently, is good content.  Because rarely will you see a popular article that actually talks about the vagina as a body part.  You’ll see ab workouts all day long – on the cover of every fitness mag and popping all over Pinterest.  Skinny legs, healthy skin, shiny hair?  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  A good vag workout?  Not so easy to come by.  And when you do find it, it will likely boil down to one thing: do some kegels. Done.  (Or, alternately, try this or that drug).

This is not to say that articles about vaginal health and/or pelvic floor fitness don’t exist.  They do, but they are fewer and farther between than other health articles and you often have to look a lot harder to find the good ones.  And that is complete bullocks.  I mean, having a fit pelvic floor is obviously just as important to me as having sexy shoulders – actually, much more so.

Why do we need to talk more about the pelvic floor? 

Because it is a major muscle group like any other, and because it has significant impact on your everyday life and health.

I JUST PEED A LITTLE:

According to Medical News Today:

Approximately 25% of young women, up to 57% of middle-aged and postmenopausal women, and around 75% of older women in nursing homes suffer from urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence can inflict considerable and potentially debilitating lifestyle restrictions. In 2004, the United States spent around $19.5 billion on incontinence care. In addition, one estimate reveals that the annualized cost of women’s nursing home admissions due to urinary incontinence was $3 billion and 6% of nursing home admissions of older women were due to urinary incontinence. [emphasis mine]

Lets think about those first numbers just for a minute.  That is a heck of a lot of women having problems with leaking urine.  It is important to note that this is not referring to pregnancy related incontinence.  That’s a completely separate ballgame.  What is even more disturbing is that in many, if not most, of these cases, the incontinence is completely preventable through simple exercises that you can do in the car or even while reading this article (and I’m not talking about kegels – keep reading).

A healthy pelvic floor can completely cure stress incontinence (peeing when you sneeze) or urge incontinence (unexplained, forceful need to pee).  When I was pregnant, I definitely started to get some of both.  Certain books about expectations when you are expecting and my OB/GYN (the same one who told me he would give me whatever drugs he chose during my birth regardless of what I said), both said it was normal and to expect it.  Thank heavens for my midwife and my yogi, who both knew otherwise.  After only a couple weeks of pelvic floor workouts, even being several months pregnant, I was leakage free.

INTERNAL HAMMOCK

Your pelvic floor is composed of a network of muscles which work together to support your intestines, bladder, and reproductive system (excluding the external portions of the male genitalia).  They are part of the greater system of muscles that make up your core and are vital not only to proper functioning of your bladder, bowels, and sexual organs, but also to support of your posture and the overall strength of your body.  If your pelvic floor muscles become weak, the system can begin to collapse in on itself leading not only to incontinence, bowel issues, and sexual dysfunction, but also to bladder and/or uterine or vaginal prolapse in severe cases.

This goes back to my earlier comments about muscle tone.  Just because you can’t see these muscles, doesn’t mean they should get short shrift in your workouts.  Indeed, they are more important than most other muscle groups much of the time!

I would like to include an image of this muscle group, but at this point have not obtained the rights to one.  In the mean time, I will refer you to this image.

SEXUAL SATISFACTION

Awareness of your pelvic floor muscles (which is actually something you may have to work to develop), fitness and strengthening of those muscles, and control of them, can greatly increase sexual potency and enjoyment IN BOTH SEXES.  While this article focuses on the female pelvic floor, please note that there are many of the same great benefits to be obtained by men – the pelvic floor is a human muscle group, not a female one!

In women, strong, healthy pelvic floor muscles hold the support the optimal shape of the vagina (narrow tube).  If these muscles become weak and sag, the tube begins to sag into more of a sac, which can create a “loose” feeling during sex.  Also note:  “looseness” is not caused by having sex.  So the term “loose” as a synonym for promiscuity is stupid.  The myth that vaginal delivery causes a permanent loosening of the vagina results from women not being taught to re-strengthen their pelvic floor after childbirth.  Based on personal experience (confirmed by both MacGyver and an unbiased measure, my menstrual cup), it is possible to regain the same shape and tensity in only a couple months after an un-complicated birth.

Fit pelvic floor muscles will also have increased blood flow, which will in turn lead to better lubrication and heightened sensitivity.

And finally: since the pelvic floor is a network of muscles which one can, with some practice, learn to control independently, it is possible to learn to flex the different layers of pelvic floor muscles in succession.  This creates something of a rippling sensation.

PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH

I’d like to think it rather obvious that the pelvic floor muscles play a role in childbirth.  Then again, I get several blog visits a week from people googling “where do babies come out” so maybe I should give a little detail on this.  (And maybe we should give our kids some better sex education).  First off, babies come out of the vagina, which is a completely separate hole from where urine comes out, which is the urethra.  Both of these passages are sphincters through the pelvic floor muscles.  The pelvic floor muscles control these sphincters.  A healthy pelvic floor helps control urinary incontinence because it strengthens that sphincter and supports the bladder.  So, too, for childbirth.

There are many, many things I am thankful for in conjunction with the birth of my son.  But one that I make a point to mention to any pregnant friend who asks for advice and some who don’t is the pelvic floor workshop I was able to attend.  I was incredibly lucky to be able to attend one of Leslie Howard’s Pelvic Floor workshops early in my pregnancy.  It was quite an eye-opener.  The workshop introduced me to the whole world beyond kegels.  If you have the means to attend one of these workshops or to find one of the rare physical therapists or trainers who focuses on the pelvic floor, take advantage of it.

I was empowered with a set of exercises which I tailored, adjusted, and added to over a few months to which I credit the curing of my pregnancy related incontinence (both stress and urge incontinence), and for why I never once had the feeling of having a bowling ball in my pelvis when I got close to my due date (something that many “experts” will tell you is inevitable).  Of course every woman and pregnancy is different, but I really do believe that the strength of my pelvic floor made a world of difference in my pregnancy and in my birth.

During the birth itself when it came to the pushing stage, I was able to exercise and incredible amount of control.  With no drugs to interfere and with my midwife walking me through second-by-second, step-by-step, I was able to ease my son’s head and then body out in a more controlled manner than I had previously thought possible.  My midwife credits this control as the reason I had basically no tearing at all and a very fast postpartum recovery (though genetics does also play a role in skin elasticity and my overall fitness also contributed to my recovery).  I think she’s right.  While I had some problems dealing with the contractions, once the pushing came, I felt in control and strong (physically and emotionally).

POSTPARTUM

This has generally been covered in the preceding paragraphs, but in case you’ve been skimming, strengthening the pelvic floor is one key element to postpartum recovery of the pelvic region.  Please note: If you had an epidural, severe tearing, or a cesarean,you need to consult an experienced health care professional for postpartum recovery.  I have no experience with that topic and it was not something I covered in my research.

After a few days of rest and recovery (ask your midwife or doctor), the same exercises that got you ready for birth will get your pelvic floor ready for everyday life.  For those who were working on their pelvic floors before birth, you will find your recovery exercises much easier.  Muscles accustomed to training “bounce back” faster than untrained muscles.  And if you’re just coming to this after birth, don’t worry!  It may take a little more time, but the results will be just as satisfying.  Pelvic floor exercises after birth restore the shape and structure of the vagina internally.   They lift the bladder and womb into the proper position within the body.  They can help improve sexual satisfaction (see above).

I was able to go running again for the first time two weeks after I gave birth.  My overall fitness played a major role in that, and pelvic floor fitness was a huge component.  Again, all women, pregnancies, births, and recoveries vary.  Anecdotal evidence is no more and no less than what worked for me and what I experienced.

OK, I’M CONVINCED.  NOW WHAT?

Pelvic Floor Exercises

BEYOND KEGELS

By far the most well known (and in many cases the only known) pelvic floor exercise is called a “kegel.”  A kegel is a single pelvic floor exercise published by Arnold Kegel in 1948.  The kegel is basically flexing the same muscles you would use to interrupt the flow of urine over and over.  This exercise is better than nothing and is certainly a fine first step toward pelvic floor fitness.  The problem is that many people stop right there, and that’s really not enough.  It’s similar to saying that doing fast bicep curls with your right arm is all it takes to have toned arms.

As mentioned above, your pelvic floor is a group of muscles, and some of them can be moved independently of each other.  They can and should be strengthened independently of each other (as well as in a group).

What follows is a completely non-exhaustive list of pelvic floor exercises and strengthening techniques I have used:

IDENTIFYING THE MUSCLES

Identifying the muscles can be the most challenging part of the process.  Once you’ve identified the muscles you need to flex and strengthen, most of these exercises are easy to do anywhere.  Do them in the car on the way to work.  Do them while you’re listening to NPR.  Do them while you check your voicemail.  Pick something you do every day and commit to flexing your floor at the same time.

Women are often taught to identify their pelvic floor muscles for kegel purposes by beginning to pee, then stopping before they are finished, paying attention to which muscles they are using to do so.  This can be a useful place to start, but there should be more to it.  And also note that this is NOT something you should do regularly.  Routinely interrupting the flow of urine can lead to UTIs and related unpleasantness.

I’m going to talk about three different “layers,” so to speak, of muscles – overall (which isn’t really a layer but whatever), front-back, and side-side:

OVERALL

This will be most similar to the kegels described above and is the easiest to do.  Using a muscle contraction very similar to what you would use to stop the flow of urine, tighten the muscles around the vaginal opening, pulling in and up.  Do this WITHOUT clenching your abs or butt and without holding your breath.

If you are unsure, you or a partner can insert a finger into the vagina.  You should be able to feel it tighten and you may be able to feel some lift.  The feeling may be very weak at first but will get stronger!

FRONT-BACK

One layer of the pelvic floor muscles runs from your pubic bone back to the bottom of your spine.  Focusing your attention here, you should concentrate on the feeling of pulling the front of your pelvis and back in toward each other.  Much of the feeling centers around the urethra, though there may be a tug near the anus as well.  This is a much more subtle sensation than the overall flex and may take some time and concentration to identify.

SIDE-SIDE

As may appear obvious given the title, this contraction is perpendicular to the front-to-back contraction above.  The focus of this movement is to pull your two sit bones in toward each other.  It may help to have a partner place one hand under each of your sit bones while you attempt to pull them together (without clenching your butt!).  Your partner can tell you when they feel the movement, which is very subtle.

THE EXERCISES

Could I take any longer to get around to it?

The basic exercises are essentially the same as the identification, but with timing mixed in.  It is important to do both held contractions and quick flexes.  For the held contractions, flex, hold for 10 seconds, then release.  Each week or two, add 5 seconds to the length of the hold.  Some people go as high as five minutes sustained hold.  Build up to 100 repetitions per day (divided into sets as you feel comfortable).  BE SURE TO RELAX FULLY AND BREATHE IN BETWEEN.

For the quick releases, flex and release quickly. Relax and breath in between.  Start with 30 repetitions in one to three sets.  Build up to 100 repetitions per day (divided into sets as you feel comfortable).

MORE EXERCISES

Your pelvic floor functions as part of your whole body.  While it is very important to focus on the concentrated pelvic floor exercises above, there are many other ways to integrate pelvic floor exercise into your overall fitness regime.

SQUAT!  I’m not talking doing squats in the gym (though those are good, too).  I’m talking about squatting in place of sitting on your butt or otherwise lounging.  The fact that sitting is bad for you has become fairly well publicized in recent years.  A study cited by the Mayo Clinic linked extended periods of sitting (in front of a TV, computer, or steering wheel) with a nearly 50% increase in risk of early death from any cause and a 125% increase in risk of cardiovascular disease.  So I’ve taken to squatting.  This started when I was pregnant as part of my pelvic floor fitness regime.

The “native squat,” also referred to as the malasana or garland pose in yoga, is a “sitting” pose that is much better for your body, your overall health, and your pelvic floor. The pose is simple.  Place your feet slightly more than hip width apart, heels flat on the floor, and squat down until your bottom is nearly on the ground (I’ve been doing this for so long that sometimes my bottom IS on the ground/chair).  Image and detailed directions here. For seasoned chair-sitters, this pose may take some getting used to (especially the heels on the floor part), but once you get into the habit, your body makes the benefits clear.  Rarely a day goes by when I don’t become uncomfortable in my office chair and pop up into malasana.  My coworkers – after a bit of an adjustment period – have come to expect it.  Maybe one day I’ll get a shot of my own masalana pose for this post…

BUTT LIFTS, which probably have a more common name, but I don’t know what it is.  Lay on your back, bending your knees to bring your heels (feet flat on the floor) toward your butt.  As close to your butt as is comfortable.  With your arms flat on the floor, palms down, and your abs and pelvic floor muscles tensed, raise your pelvis straight up toward the ceiling.  Hold for 10 seconds.  Lower down.  Relax, breath, repeat.  Pictured here.

YOGA is great for pelvic floor strengthening exercises like these, and I find that most yogis these days are extremely aware of the pelvic floor and it’s vital relationship with overall health.  If a yoga studio isn’t in your budget, there are gobs of decent yoga classes available on sites like YouTube.  And if you’re in the Detroit area, there is free yoga at the Tuesday Market at Eastern Market.

And that, my friends, is just the beginning of the pelvic floor!  Who knew a post about vaginas could be so un-titillating?

I’d love to hear about your pelvic floor experiences.  Please drop a comment below.

 — — —

* I recommend the last 5 paragraphs of the article The Problem with Naomi Wolf’s Vagina for an excellent take on why this concept falls short.

The post Pelvic Floor Exercises for Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Everyday Life appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

      I’ve been studying wild edibles / edible weeds for some time now, preparing myself for urban foraging in and around Detroit, and the interest others have expressed in my new hobby has been abundant. So:

      Starting in September, I will be launching a new feature here on Urban Earthworm: Urban Foraging, Wild Edibles and Edible Weeds. Shoot me any questions on the Facebook page in the meantime.

The post Urban Foraging and Wild Edibles: New Feature appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

       This is also an incredibly fragrant dish.  It pairs brilliantly with veggie burgers, barbecue vegetables, and anything with grilled mushrooms.

Ingredients:
– Fresh Tomatoes – for prettiest results use multicolored heirloom tomatoes, especially cherry sized tomatoes.
– Fresh Basil – sweet basil or pineapple basil is best, though any variety will work. Do not use dried basil for this recipe.
– Olive Oil
– Balsamic Vinegar
– Optional: Garlic (powder, roasted, or minced from a jar – fresh might be too strong)

Use 1/4 cup chopped basil for every cup diced tomatoes.
Use 1 tbsp each oil and balsamic vinegar for every cup diced tomatoes.
Add garlic to taste, around 1 tsp for every tbsp oil.

Put the diced tomatoes in a bowl. Add the basil.  Sprinkle with oil and vinegar, adjusting to taste, stir just enough to evenly distribute the ingredients.  Dive in!  For best results, assemble right before serving.

The post Caprese Salad appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

      This summer, our UU congregation is reading Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook. At the end of the summer, the congregation will devote one Sunday service to discussion of the book. Sadly, we will have moved by that time so we will miss the discussion. I still want to read the book, though, so why not turn to my online bookish and sustainably minded friends to join in the fun?

      And if you don’t think this book sounds like it’s for you, why not challenge yourself and find out?  You might just be surprised by how exhilerating this discussion will become.  And it’s not like you pay to join, if you don’t like it you can always go back to reading Game of Thrones.

      There will be next to no rules (except which book to read and to not be a troll) and the timeline will be loose. Join in with a comment on this post or over on the Facebook page, and start reading!

The book is easy to come by at most libraries, bookstores and online. It is also available as a streaming audiobook from audiobooks.com, which is likely how I’ll be partaking (running with audiobooks has become an addiction for me – an awesome one that lets me fit in leisure reading I otherwise wouldn’t have time for and makes running borderline enjoyable).

Please join in and encourage your friends to read along! I’ll wait a couple weeks to start discussion so everyone has time to sign up and obtain the book, and then we’ll get rolling.

For the blog hop, I’ll open a weekly linky where anyone who writes about the book can link up to really keep the conversation rolling.

What other books are you reading this summer? Will you be participating in any other book clubs?

The post Online Summer Book Club and Blog Hop appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

     

       Today is a very special treat: a guest post by the amazing Hilda Forss.  Hilda Forss is a freelance graphic designer currently based in Sweden. In her spare time, she runs the website Hildablue.com, a blog on natural homemade skin and hair care products with simple tips on how to lead a more eco-conscious beauty life.  Her blog is amazing.  If there is ANY beauty or self-care product you want to know how to make naturally, odds are Hilda Blue has it.  It is from her site that I got most of the information to start using Henna on my hair.  Not all of these recipes are strictly vegan, as one uses beeswax, but they are all strictly awesome.

      Thank you again, Hilda, for this amazing post!:

A few years ago, when I first started making my own homemade skin care products and cutting chemicals from my beauty routine, the first product I made was a homemade lip balm. And to this day, lip balms are among my absolute favorite beauty products to make at home. In this post, I will share a few of my own favorite recipe blends for making your own personal lip balms for soft and shiny lips.

So why should I make my own lip balms, you might ask, when I can buy them super cheap from the closest grocery store? Well, if you ask me, there are several benefits of making them yourself. First and foremost, you’re in complete charge of what the product contains. More often than not, the lip balms on the market contain ingredients that you really shouldn’t want on your lips. The main thing to look out for is mineral oils, which can be listed in the ingredient description as a variety of things (petrolatum, vaselin, petroleum jelly, anything with “paraffin” in it etc.). When applying a lip balm with mineral oil, the lips are coated with an oily surface, that strips your lips from their natural oils. The result is lips that seem soft at first, but the quickly go dry again, making you put on more lip balms, which soon again will make your lips dry, leading to a vicious circle where you need to add more and more lip balm. Sound familiar? This is a pretty darn good deal for the companies who make the lip balm, less so for you…

Another reason for making your own lip balms is that they are very customizable. You can make personalized gifts for your friends just by adding a few drops of their favorite scent, you can use a specific vegetable oil that is especially well suited for your skin, or pick ingredients based on what you happen to have in your cupboards. 

Add to this the face that homemade lip balms are cheap, easy to make and so much fun!

The key ingredients in a homemade lip balm is a vegetable oil and something to make the oil solid. Commonly, beeswax is used. The vegetable oil can be any vegetable oil you have at hand. Some of my favorite oils to use are: olive, almond, jojoba, avocado or grapeseed oil.

Beeswax can be found online, or, preferably, by contacting a local beekeeper. Look for beekepers in farmers markets or try looking them up online and contact them directly. if you go through a personal beekeper, the beeswax will probably be cheaper than online – some even hand it out for free! At the same time you support a local entrepreneur, and you can be sure where your wax comes from. If you are vegan, or don’t want to use beeswax for other reasons, you can substitute the beeswax with a vegetable wax, such as carnauba, candelilla, jojoba or soy wax. You can also use cocoa butter or shea butter, which will make the lip balm a bit softer than with beeswax. 

With these just an oil and a wax you’ve got everything you need for making a super easy lip balm. Melt 1 teaspoon of beeswax in a double boiler, add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, pour into a glass or metal jar and you’re done! It’s not harder than that. 

These are three recipes to get you stated. The essential oils mentioned are suggestions, and you are more than welcome to change them to anything you like or have at hand (or leave them out). Happy experimenting!

Ginger lime

2 tsp grated beeswax or vegetable wax

2 tsp shea butter

2 tsp olive oil, jojoba oil or almond oil

3 drops ginger essential oil

7 drops lime essential oil

If your wax comes in a block, grate it coarsely to make the measuring easier. In a double boiler on low heat, melt the beeswax together with the she butter and olive oil, stir with a wooden spoon and leave it to cool. Before the mixture has solidified, try dipping your finger into the mixture, when it’s lukewarm it’s ok to add the essential oils. Stir well and pour the mixture into a small, clean container. 

Chocolate kiss

1 tbsp cocoa butter

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp beeswax (optional)

3 drops peppermint or orange essential oil (optional)

Grate the beeswax, and combine with cocoa butter, cocoa powder, coconut oil and vegetable oil. Melt in a double boiler on low heat. Stir well for a few minutes, then turn down the heat and allow to cool, then add the essential oils (if you want to add any). Stir well and pour into a container. Let the beeswax cool in the fridge for about an hour. 

In this recipe, the beeswax is optional. Without the beeswax, the lip balm will be a lot softer, but still solid. 

Blood mandarin

This recipe uses an old lipstick to add a very light tint to it. You can try using beetroot powder or iron oxides instead, if you want to make sure it’s completely natural.

1 tbsp beeswax or vegetable wax

4 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil

1 tsp lipstick

1/4 tsp (or about 2 capsules) vitamin E oil

5 drops mandarin (or other citrusy) essential oil

Grate the beeswax, melt the beeswax together with the vegetable oil in a double boiler on low heat. Stir well. Turn off the heat, add lipstick, keep stirring. When the lipstick has completely melted into the mixture, allow to cool. When the mixture is lukewarm, add the essential oil and vitamin E. Pour into glass or metal container.

The post Make Your Own Homemade Lip Balms appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

1  DON’T SEND FLOWERS

      Or, if you know someone who truly loves flowers, use a little creativity, and a little conscientiousness.   The vast majority of bouquet flowers in the US are actually grown in other countries – primarily Kenya, where the predominantly female workers are subjected to deplorable conditions and exposed to toxic chemicals that are banned in the U.S. and Europe. 

      Plus, bouquets don’t last.  They are beautiful for a week or two, then they’re compost.  Wouldn’t a small, thoughtful gift be a much more meaningful token?  Consider purchasing a handmade and/or recycled gift from a local shop.  Or, if internet shopping is more your speed, order something from a site that supports a good cause, like The Animal Rescue Site, The Hunger Site, The Rainforest Site, or Global Girlfriend.

       Or a gift from a favorite charity – a t-shirt from the Human Society, a tote from Amnesty International, or a book from Citizens for Midwifery.

      Find more unique ideas for gifts that give back here.

      And if you absolutely must send flowers, there are plenty of resources for sending ethically grown flowers, Green Valentine’s Day gifts, and even bouquets that donate a portion of their profits to different charities!

2.  AVOID PAPER WASTE – RECYCLE, UPCYCLE, AND SEED PAPER  

      Typical Valentine Cards are just a pit of waste – printed on bleached paper, not from recycled materials, with inks that degrade the environment.  How does that show love?

       There are so many wonderful alternatives to boring paper hearts for V-Day.  For a mountain of card alternatives (including my favorite, home made recycled seed paper!), as well as crafty recycling and upcycling ideas, click here. 

      Or, forgo the paper products all together, and: 

3.  GIVE EXPERIENCE  

      Is more stuff really the answer?  People are accustomed to giving and receiving STUFF, tangible, material, stuff. But most of us have more stuff than we know what to do with, and science and religion both tell us that what we really treasure – what truly brings us joy – is experience. 

      Go on a date!  Check out a local, organic winery.  Volunteer together at an animal shelter.  Take kayaks out and clean up some litter.  Have a picnic – have a surprise romantic picnic.  Go to a museum.  Go hiking.  Go to the library.  Go to the planetarium.  Plant something together.  Watch a Roller Derby match or some other local sport.  Find a trivia night at a local Bar (we have been going every two weeks, and it is an awesome date night).  The possibilities are endless, and way better than dead flowers.

4.  KEEP CHOCOLATES SWEET

      Boxes of chocolate are another quintessential Valentine’s Day gift, but please thing twice before you reach for the box of Hershey’s.  Many major chocolate companies source their chocolate from plantations  staffed with child slaves.  Children as young as 8 are taken from their parents, forced to live in deplorable conditions, and given only enough food and shelter to keep them alive, all so we can enjoy cheap sugar filled junk food. 

       But there are ethical chocolate companies out there, and they’re not that hard to find!  Equal Exchange offers a ton of options, including Valentine’s Day candy.  For a long list of ethical candy companies, click here.

5.  SPREAD MORE LOVE

      Valentine’s Day is, in theory, a day about love.  But there is no rule that says it has to be limited to romantic love – especially cheesy, over choreographed B-movie romantic.  Grab those dear to you, and make this day deeply meaningful for a greater population.

      V-Day – Violence against women and girls, intimate violence between any two individuals of any gender, is really the antithesis of love.  So what better day than Valentine’s Day to take a stand against such acts? 

       A lifetime ago, as a budding feminist at Purdue University, I had the great joy of performing in the Vagina Monologues as part of the V-Day movement three years in a row.  It was an amazing experience, and one I miss powerfully every Valentine’s Day.  Perhaps one day, there will be a long post about the amazing experience and personal growth being involved in the movement and the affiliated groups gave me.  For now I will simply say, I can think of few more positive ways to spend Valentine’s Day, regardless of one’s gender.  Check out the V-Day website and find a Monologues performance near you – and don’t forget to pick up some vagina shaped chocolates (but be sure to ask if they used ethically sourced chocolate)!

      30 Days of Love – The interfaith celebration of the power of love to end oppression worldwide also culminated on Valentine’s Day, and there will be powerful and moving events being held all over the U.S. (and other countries) to mark the culmination.  With two weeks left in the campaign, join with your loved ones and integrate making the world a better place into your everyday life.  I will also offer a free guest post to anyone who wants to share how they embraced 30 Days of Love (or any other d0-good Valentine’s Day alternative).

The post Recycled Hearts: Greening Valentine’s Day appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

According to Stanford University:

“Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of year. The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons per week!

If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. If every American family wrapped just 3 presents in re-used materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one card less, we’d save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.”

The pointlessness of such waste is nearly incomprehensible.  There are so many wonderful, creative, and beautiful alternatives to wrapping paper and holiday cards, and so many ways to recycle, reuse, and repurpose those that are already in production.  Save some trees (not to mention reducing some of the other pollution caused by the production and dying of mass produced holiday paper products), and save some money with these beautiful, fun, and more sustainable holiday card and gift wrap alternatives:

GIVING:
Green Holiday Card Alternatives

1.  Make your own from recycled materials – There are tons of tutorials out there on using newspaper and other forms of waste paper as gift wrap (see below), but precious few on how to use waste paper to make gift cards, which surprises me.  Look for a tutorial on just that right here on Urban Earthworm very, very soon.

On of my all-time very favorite ways to make my own cards/paper/greetings, is by making home-made seed paper.  This is way easier than it sounds, recycled waste paper, and results in a greeting that can be planted instead of thrown away!  There are many ways to make seed paper, most just involving paper, water, a blender, seeds (the seeds do NOT go in the blender), and a drying method.  Check here for one example.  Once you’ve made your seed paper, use it to write a nice holiday note, print a holiday newsletter on it, or make it into a card by attaching a holiday image cut from an old magazine to it.  Voila!  My hands-down favorite idea.

2.  Purchase cards made of recycled materials – in very much the same vein as discussed in the Gift Giving Guide, if you decide you want to purchase cards to send, there are easy ways to ensure the cards you buy have the smallest negative footprint and the money you spend goes somewhere worthwhile.

Look for cards made from 100% recycled materials – 100% post-consumer recycled is best.

Look for cards whose proceeds benefit a charity.  Last year, we gave cards that benefitted Amnesty International and were printed on recycled paper. (This year my goal is to make the cards).

If you like the custom printed cards like those with family pictures on them, keep in mind that there are many companies out there from which you can get such cards printed on recycled paper with vegetable based ink, such as Greenfield Paper, BuyGreen,  GreenerPrinter, Conserveatree, and My Good Greetings.  That’s just a beginning list of the possibilities.  I haven’t done a lot of research on these, and I can’t endorse any one in particular, but they are all better than just ordering from environmentally irresponsible card printing companies.  Some of those listed even have seed paper cards!

3.  Go Paperless! – I admit that I love getting cards in the mail, even if I do worry about the waste.  Getting mail is fun and personal, which is why many people (including me) shy away from digital holiday greetings, but there are actually a number of ways to send holiday cards online that ARE personal, fun, and unique in addition to being the best choice for sustainability.

Want to send a family newsletter or photo card?  Make one exactly as you would for mass mailing, but email it instead, and attach a personal message to each individual email.

Use your card addressing time to write personal messages to people you would otherwise send impersonal cards to.

Go through the 1,000’s of digital photos we all hoard on our computers these days, and send pictures targeted at the recipients (for instance when you send your holiday greeting to your cousin, include pictures of her at your wedding or from your summer visit to her house).  If you know anyone who has suffered a loss, find pictures of their lost loved one that they may not have.

A popular new trend involves making YouTube or other internet video holiday greetings – there is a LOT of fun potential with that.

This year, I will probably only send paper invitations to a few people, mostly those who don’t use the computer regularly.

Please send me your creative digital card ideas (or any ideas that would fit in this post) and I’ll include them in the list!

Green Wrapping Paper Alternatives

This sections possibly could have been it’s own post.  There are thousands of ideas out there for alternatives to wrapping paper.  I’ve been on board with it for a while, though not with much skill.  I wrapped most of Flintstone’s birthday presents in sheets and pillowcases, but I can’t say it was pretty.  The ideas below, though, they are very pretty, mostly easy (because that’s how I roll), and would make excellent family crafts – a great way to teach the kids about sustainability and not wasting!  And, inspired by the absolute plethora of ideas out there for not only wrapping paper alternatives, but also for reusing wrapping paper, cards, etc., I’ve started a Pinterest board specifically to link to the ideas I couldn’t fit in this post, but which seemed like great ideas.  Check it out.

1. Old Paper – the classic and beloved method of wrapping gifts in old paper is getting new life.  First, I think black and white newsprint with a red bow is just beautiful.  Second, there is so much more potential and creativity that goes into this kind of wrapping these days, the possibilities are nearly endless.  This bodes well for me, because I have a MOUNTAIN of old magazines just waiting to find some second purpose.  Here are some ideas:

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2009/10/make-gift-bow-from-magazine-page.html

And it doesn’t stop at wrapping:

Most of these ideas feature old newspaper and magazines, but just look around you, there is waste paper everywhere just waiting to be re-purposed.  My huge desk calendar is destined to be covered in my children’s art (on the blank backs), and used as giftwrap.  Old calendars and phone books.  Out of date maps make particularly adorable wrapping.  You can even customize it.  Old dictionary pages for the grammar nerd.  Comics for your resident class clown.  Discarded architecture plans for the engineer in your life.  The potential for creativity is wide open!  Even old plastic bags (from the days before you got your environmentally friendly canvas bags)  have potential:

2.  Wrap it in something useful – I wrapped MacGyver’s birthday present last year in a new tee-shirt for him.  There are tutorials out there specifically on how to fold shirts as giftwrap.  You can also use scarves, pashminas, fabric scraps (if you or your recipient sew), towels – any fabric really. Use re-usable bags instead of disposable gift bags.  The gift bags you buy in the card section are sometimes 4 or 5 dollars a piece when the reusable shopping bags up front with the cute designs are only 99 cents, and are REUSABLE.  Seems a little obvious.  And even if the paper gift bags are cheaper, they haven’t got a single advantage over re-usable bags – paper bags rip, pollute, and even though they can be reused, they crumple. There are so many absolutely adorable re-usable bags out there that can easily double as gift bags, I honestly see no reason to ever buy a “disposable” gift bag. Check out these reusable gift bags made of recycled materials:

3. Don’t Wrap It; Hide It – Finding baskets on Ostara or Easter is a blast, why not have that fun more often?  And who wouldn’t love opening up their sock drawer and finding a new watch?

4.  Give Experience.  Like This.  – Sometimes the best gifts don’t need to be wrapped at all.  Click the link for ideas of gifts of experience.

Tune in Soon for the next installment:  What to do with all the wrapping paper and holiday cards you receive this year.

* Every image on this post, while public domain, was linked to a tutorial and the creator of the image, but for some reason many of those links got wiped out.  If you own any of the images, please let me know so I can give you credit!

The post Sustainable Holidays: Wrapping Paper and Holiday Card Alternatives appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

      This is a problem.

       Why?  Because getting too much protein from animal sources has been proven repeatedly to drastically increase risks of chronic disease and premature death.

        People are getting too much protein because most of us have been continually fed the myth, our whole lives, that protein is hard to get, needs to be specifically sought out, and is more important than other nutrients.  Protein – all the protein you need – is naturally occurring in nearly all whole, plant-based foods, from grains to veggies.

      The purpose of this post is not to convince everyone to become vegan (though I do think it’s an excellent idea) or to win people over to any particular cause (I have many other posts for that).  I am writing this because the misconceptions about protein and the protein requirements of people in the US are outrageous and they are negatively impacting our health.  This post is just about facts:

–  The majority of US Americans get way too much protein.
–  Most people don’t realize that they get enough protein from regular plant based foods without having to “add a protein” to every meal.
–  Too much protein from animal products is very bad for you.
–  Reducing meat consumption is very, very good for the environment and the world.

      The average US American adult needs minimum of about 4-5% of total calories per day from protein.  Since other factors require that many individuals get a little more protein than that, the recommended daily amount of protein for an average adult (even one who works out for 30 minutes EVERY DAY, beyond regular daily activity), is 8-10% of calories from ALL SOURCES of protein.  It is estimated that less than 2% of adults require more than 10% of their calories from protein (these may include women at certain stages of pregnancy and those recovering from surgery; note that working out does not elevate your need for protein nearly as much as popular culture would lead you to believe). 

      In the US, the average adult usually gets at least twice that amount of proteinfrom meat alone. And most people don’t work out 30 minutes every single day, either.  The health consequences of all this excess protein (and fat!) from animal products is really quite shocking.  Take a look at this (and the read more from me below):

       If you have no desire to give up meat, that’s fine.  As I said, getting people to give up meat is not the purpose of this post.  But please don’t give in to the myth that you need to eat meat, dairy, or eggs for protein.  Protein is found in most vegetables in nearly idea amounts to meet that 10% requirement.  The protein is already there, in the foods you’re already eating (or should be), without any need to “get your protein” by adding meat, dairy, or eggs to your meal.

    I love the way Micaela Karlsen, MSPH, put it in her article: “Imagine running into a friend at the gym who was just finishing her aerobic workout. Sweaty and flushed, she downs a bottle of water and remarks, “Got to get my hydrogen!” While we may instinctively sense that there is something odd about that statement, in Western countries, and particularly the U.S., people make very similar comments on a regular basis. “Just getting my protein in!” someone will cheerfully report as they dig into General Tso’s chicken or crack open a hard-boiled egg.”

      If you’re still not convinced, check out this great chart showing the amounts of various nutrient contents, including protein amounts, of lots of veggies.

      Aside from no needing it, and aside from the negative health consequences of eating too much of it, there are huge benefits to the world as a whole from cutting down on our meat consumption.  Leading scientists believe that reducing our meat consumption could DOUBLE the world’s food supply.  As you can see from the graphic, even just one meatless (AND egg-less, and dairy-less) day a week can make a massive difference.

       Eating less meat can seem daunting if you’ve grown up in a culture that tells you to eat meat with every or nearly every meal, but with a few good recipe ideas, I honestly think you’ll be surprised by how easy and satisfying it can be to cut meat, dairy, and eggs to no more than 6oz a day.  Why not try out meatless Mondays?  Or check out my “Quick and Easy” recipes over on the right —>

      There are hundreds of resources out there that make reducing your meat consumption and eating ethically much easier.  If you need any guidance or resources, please don’t hesitate to contact me, either in  a comment on this article or asking a question on our Facebook page.

The post Meat and Protein: Myths, Misconceptions, and Unnecessary Risks appeared first on Urban Earthworm.