Blogher Pictorial: Wordless Wednesday

I know – I know… Blogher is over… but there are so many pictures I haven’t shared in other posts I decided to put the rest in one place!

 

Thank you to Romy of Romy Raves and Suzanne Cohen for your great photos!

The Eatery: Restaurant Review

It’s Sunday night in NYC. We had been going nonstop for 4.5 days. I’m talking 4 hours of sleep a night NONSTOP.

We were sitting in Jyl’s of Mom It Forward room with Rachel and Breanne – Today’s Mama – who were devastated after missing their flight. Thank you JFK and the Dominican Parade. And we were hungry.

Jyl called down to the concierge to get restaurant suggestions. We said the restaurant had to be close to the hotel – The Hilton -  and we wanted some good comfort food, please.

The restaurant we were sent to was The Eatery. We happily chatted as we walked the 5 or 6 block to our dinning destination, on arrival we were relieved to find there was no wait. Our server patiently revisited our table a few times before we decided what to order.  You know… we all had to check in with whrrl, foursquare and foodspotting before we could even look at the menu.  Yeah… we’re that cool.

BTW – the atmosphere in the restaurant was perfect – right down to the “pringle shaped” light sconces that lined the wall.  Very contemporary and chic without being cold and unwelcoming.

I had been eyeballing the White Cheddar Meatloaf with Beer Batter Onion Rings until Jyl got word that they had the best Mac N Cheese in NYC, that was all I needed to push me over the edge.  Now I haven’t eaten every other mac n cheese in the city, but their “Mac and Jack” was up there.  Especially when you bite into the yummy crusty dark brown edge – which I almost neglected to do.  Heaven.

Jyl ordered the hummus – Diva note: served with whole wheat pita!  Then we shared an Organic Baby Spinach Salad with goat cheese, beats, and pickled pear.  Yum.  Jyl swears it was the best salad she’s ever eaten in her life.  I was excited that it was organic, green and would soak up some of the saturated fat from my calorie laden choice.

Rachel ordered the Edamame – which we all ate.  They were fresh and salted just right.  Followed by the Eggless Chicken Ceasar salad – which she enjoyed in between bites of my Mack and Jack.

The one dish that fell a little flat seemed to be the Pan Seared Sea Scallop served with Asparagus Risotto & Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette.  To be fair, I didn’t try the Scallop, but did take a bite of the risotto, which just felt like it was missing something… when the others swirled it in the vinaigrette it improved the story for them… not so much for this diva.

Stuffed we skipped desert and rolled ourselves back to the hotel, where we left Jyl to run off with her husband.  Rachel and Breanne moved in with me for the night – we had a great slumber party and I’m happy to report they made their plane the next day!

I’m so glad to have spent this time with these amazing women, it was definitely a highlight.  The food was great, the conversation better and my favorite part was all the hands flying back and forth across the table – stealing nibbles… I mean bites -  and truly “sharing” our meal with one another.

This evening was the perfect closing meal for an unbelievable New York City whirlwind!

Cafe Blossom: Diva Review

While I was in New York City  for Blogher I had a chance to sit down with Neha from Greenista. We had lunch at Cafe Blossom, an organic vegan restaurant, located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Now… to be fair,  when I eat out I lean towards conventional restaurants.  When Neha suggested Cafe Blossom I threw caution to the wind and went for it.  I was after all – on my own in NYC…  and I  write a naturally focused organic and eco blog after all…

Sitting down to order was a challenge for me.  Being a vegan restaurant meant  they had no dairy – which meant no cafe latte for me and even though it was lunch, I had been packing all morning and really could have used that coffee!  I settled for Earl Gray Tea with agave and lemon… steeped in a thimble sized cup.

Note to Cafe Blossom – if you are going to serve tea – serve it in a teapot or at least a cup that holds more than 4 oz of water.  It took us 20 minutes to get more hot water to dilute the bitter tea.

Back to the menu…. I contemplated the Black Eyed Pea Cakes – but not being a fan of the black eyed pea – that seemed risky.  I considered the Autumn Sweet Potato Rolls, but was fairly sure I would be wishing for rice noodles while I munching on their raw coconut noodles and I wondered where the rest of the dish was for the Peas and Carrots – if it’s delish – it needs to be renamed!

I ordered the mushroom soup – which never made it to my table -  and the Veggie Grain Burger with sweet potato fries.  The sandwich my have looked a little plain, but it was delicious.  I didn’t miss the cheese at all (and I always miss the cheese!) and had the server ever returned I would have loved a little more of the yummy hummus.

Overall, service was a little too laid back for my style.  No one checked on our meal, to get more water for our tea I had to get up… twice… and by the time we flagged a server to get get our bill, we didn’t even have time to see if they billed us for the mushroom soup that never arrived.

After a little trepidation about the menu, I found the food to be very enjoyable.  I just wished the staff had shown even the tiniest care in serving their clientele, on the upside if you are looking for a vegan restaurant where they will leave you to linger in NYC this may be the spot for you!

Tips for Greener Living

1. Before You Buy – Use What You Have.

Chances are you have a lot of stuff in your closets waiting to be used!  I’ve recently broken a habit of buying bulk.  One of my challenges has been to use what I have before moving on to greener and better options. Don’t we just get excited and want to go shopping!

Dig around. You’ll be surprised at what you have – using what you have is better than a green acquisition. In the PND pantry we still have 3 boxes of plastic Costco cutlery, 1200 paper napkins, ribbon, gift wrap, moisturizers, conditioners, sunscreens… you get the idea.  We’re working on it!

2. Take Care of The Things You Own!

Taking care of your “stuff” values the resources that went into making it!  You’ll keep them longer and reducing  impact by not having to replace it. Your home, cars, clothing, shoes, toys, etc… will all benefit from being well taken care of. And the environment will thank you, if it’s taken care of it’s less likely to be tossed when you are done with it.  It’s more likely that you’ll be able to pass it along to a new home when you’re done with it.

Teaching your children to care for their things will impart values that will last a lifetime.

3. Pick just one area of your life to green!

Wherever you are in your green journey… whether you are just beginning or an ecosavant, pick ONE new area to work on. Once mastered you can add another, another, another… you get the idea. Living a greener, healthier life is a journey that starts with one step.

4. Buy Organic

Start buying organic in a new area of you life.

You may have bought organic food, or this might be new for you.  You may buy organic dairy, but haven’t moved into the produce section yet.  Pick a new area to explore the benefits of organic.

If you’ve never bought organic cotton or denim, next time you’re shopping keep your eyes and mind open. Ask the stores you shop at.  Even if you make a conventional selection, asking the questions will help spread the word that customers care and want to see more options.  You may even find organic options in places you don’t expect.  This last holiday season I was able to buy organic cotton casual clothing for lil’ Diva at Walmart and Organic PJ’s for both the kids at Costco.

Keep your eyes peeled and ASK!

5. Buy Fair Trade

I buy fair trade chocolate. I figure chocolate is something I don’t NEED. It’s a luxury.  I figure, if it’s a luxury I can step up and make sure children aren’t picking the cocoa beans for my chocolate.  It’s been fun, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect fair trade organic fix to my chocolate cravings.

It doesn’t have to be chocolate, you could pick coffee, clothing, bananas, again… sometimes starting in an area of your life that is already a splurge will make it a little easier to spend that little bit extra that fair trade calls for.

You’ll be surprised how it will inspire you!

6. Buy Quality

Can’t find what you are looking for organic or fair trade, buy good quality. It will last and when you’re done you’ll be able to pass it on.  As a country we have become accustomed to buying everything in quantity.  We can take a page out of the Europeans’ book, attempt to retrain our sense of value.  Buy fewer high quality items, moving away from our culture’s more, more, more frame of mind.  Look for items that are made in your country too, supporting your own economy.

5. When You’re Done with Something – Pass It On!

When you are done with something, find a new home for it! We had a rug that our dogs had scratched. I listed it on Craigslist with pictures of the damage, within 30 minutes I had 10 people that wanted it. When we we’re renovating I listed mirrors, sinks, hardware… whatever I thought someone else might find useful…. and they came. These items were destined for the landfill, but with not too much effort were taken away and used by others.

That said – this is one of my areas of weakness. I have a hard time saying goodbye to my stuff. I’m sure it comes from growing up really poor!

6. Reusable Water Bottles

If you don’t have a reusable water bottle and a way to filter your water.  Get one and start using it!

Get in the habit of taking your bottles and the children’s bottles ALL THE TIME.  In particular parties, sporting events and school.  Eventually if host/ess’ start seeing guests arriving equipped with their own beverage containers they won’t feel the need to buy bottled water for their parties.  We put out iced tea, water with glasses.

7. Group you errands into similar geographic regions.

Saves trips, saves gas, saves time!  SCORE!

8. Detox Your Beauty!

When I first began the journey to detox my beauty routine, I started by using up what I had (still doing this of a few things!) and replacing them with safer options!  I encourage everyone to do this.  The next item you are running low on, replace it with something better.  Use PND to help find the replacement that is right for you.  Knowing what I know now, if I was pregnant, I wouldn’t use the “use it up” method.  I would make the switch immediately.

Do this for your children first if you have them!  Their developing systems are more vulnerable to the toxins in their environment.

9. Pay attention to Preservatives and Additives.

While you are shopping, get in the habit of reading labels!  If you can’t read the name of the ingredient, chances are you’d be better off with a different option.  You’ll be surprised – pick up pickle relish and 2 brands will contain HFCS, one will not… easy healthier switch.

10.  Use Less Canned Foods.

Chances are you’ve heard about BPA’s in the news, in particular concern over plastics and baby bottles.  But did you know how we ingest the most BPA’s – Canned Food.  Opt for glass packaging over canned to minimize your families exposure!

11. Green Your Parties!

Parties can be a huge source of waste.  We opt for convenience, buy a lot of pre packaged, convenient entertainment foods.  We serve foods on paper or plastic plates, drink from countless paper & plastic cups.  Start adding up the cost of all that convenience and not only are you throwing a lot of hard earned money in the landfill, but that plastic will live there forever.

One year we were getting ready for a super bowl party and did the math.  For the cost of buying paper goods, we were able to purchase inexpensive white plates, glasses and wine glasses from IKEA.  We use these for our parties -  including the parties for the little ones.  It may take a little extra effort, but I never have to run out to the store for cups and plates last minute!  Next on the list is to get party flatware.

You can also find reasonably priced “catering” sets at Pottery Barn, Cost Plus, and Bed Bath & Beyond.

The pre-packaged food options.  Sometimes it’s easy to succumb to the ease of this ready to go food, but for so much less money you can buy really nice, high quality foods,  fruits and vegetables.

You might even find with all the money you’re saving on prepared foods and paper goods that you can spend your savings on getting an extra set of hands to help you at the party!

If you can’t bear the thought of these suggestions buy eco friendly disposables.  You can find them at Smart & Final, Whole Foods and such.  You are looking for plastics that can be Compostable.  This typically means they will biodegrade in a few weeks.  Compostable plastics can be placed in our “green” garbage bins in Los Angeles.  With a little research you can find out if you can compost with your yard waste in your area (in the event you don’t have one in your yard)!

12. Clean Green

Start cleaning your home with green cleaners or make your own formulas using some of our easy recipes.  You’ll reduce the toxins you are breathing in your home after you’ve cleaned it.

I’ll never forget an Oprah “ah ha” moment for me… “CLEAN DOESN’T HAVE A SMELL“!

Extra Credit: Use less plastic!

Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Choose products with less plastic packaging. Choose items packaged in glass. Store your leftovers in glass.

You Can Do It!

I know, I know… I missed so many things… you can do those things too!

I hope these tips inspire you to find new things you can do to have a healthier, happier, greener life!

SHARE WHAT YOU PLAN TO GREEN IN YOUR LIFE!

FDA Supports Removing PBA’s From Baby Formula!

Hot Off the Press! From the EWG:

Washington, D.C. – Today’s decision by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reverse its position over the health risks posed by the chemical, bisphenol A (BPA) could be the Waterloo for the ubiquitous estrogen mimicking substance found in the blood and urine of almost every American.

“Today’s announcement by FDA is the beginning of the end of exposing our children to this toxic, hormone-altering chemical during the earliest stages of life,” said Environmental Working Group Senior VP for Research Jane Houlihan. “It represents a victory for parents and children, and validation of the hundreds of independent studies linking BPA to numerous and serious health problems.”

FDA’s 2008 assertion that BPA presented no health concerns relied on just two industry studies and ignored hundreds of independent studies showing serious hazards at very small exposures. The 2008 assessment was sharply rebuked by the agency’s own Science Advisory Board, which called the scientific basis for FDA’s conclusions “inadequate”.

“This reversal by the new leadership at FDA ends nearly a decade of agency collusion with BPA manufacturers,” added EWG’s co-founder and Senior VP for Policy and Communications, Richard Wiles. “We hope this signals the beginning of a new era for health protections from FDA, based on 21st century science.”

HHS has assembled a number of tips for parents trying to reduce their children’s exposure. The list of tips is available online here: http://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa/

Related Reading:

Diva Guide: Plastics & Your Baby
BPA’s & Infants
Use Less Plastics in Your Home