A Freezerful of Beef!

Yeah! I have local, organic beef to last a lifetime. Well, maybe not a lifetime, but 116 pounds should definitely last a long time in my family! My friend Susan from First Hand Foods just got through her first ever beef offering. We purchased a quarter cow and I just picked it up from Kelso's Kustom Meats in Snohomish on Tuesday. Although Susan's "farm" is not certified organic, she is a friend and I know what goes into her cows, so I count it as SOLE food - sustainable, organic, local, and ethical. It is a lot of meat, but it's also only $4/pound which is way cheaper than what you'll pay for an organic porterhouse steak!

Now, we have everything from roasts to steaks to ground beef and everything in between. We tried the ground beef out first because everything was frozen solid when I picked it up and it was the easiest to thaw. Yummy!

So, what does 116 pounds of beef look like? Well, here it is in my car...

...and here it is in my freezer.

Write for Better School Lunches

I was not a big fan of school lunches as a kid. I still remember that nasty Chicken Chow Mein that they seemed to always serve. Pizza Fridays weren't bad, but I was definitely happier most days to bring my lunch and buy a milk for a dime (hard to believe it was a dime!)

School lunches may have improved on taste (don't all kids like chicken nuggets?), but from a nutrition perspective, most schools aren't doing the kids any favors. According to Slow Food USA, schools are reimbursed $2.68 for each free lunch which, after overhead, translates to $1/lunch. Cheap is good, but if it's leading to the later high health care costs associated with obesity and diabetes, the real costs are much higher.

With the Time for Lunch campaign, Slow Food USA is urging Americans to sign their petition and write Congress to call for the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2009 (voting has been delayed until early 2010). The Act would provide an additional $1/day to fund the lunches. It also provides $50 million to link local farms with local schools - that money would get poured right back into the communities and would support the small, organic farmers that I am convinced are necessary for our long-term nutritional needs. I've just finished reading the section about "big organic" vs. "small organic" in The Omnivore's Dilemma (by Michael Pollan) and it was very convincing on that point. Definitely a book worth checking out if you want to know more.

If you care about what we're putting into our kids' tummies on a daily basis, I encourage you to learn more.

Family Arguments Go Green

When I read "Therapists Report Increase in Green Disputes" in the New York Times, it made me smile. Anyone who has embarked on a we-should-be-a-little-greener-at-home campaign, has probably encountered some variation of this...

"Why did you get the groceries in plastic bags? I gave you several reusable bags last week. Why can't you use those?"

"Can't we just eat some normal food?"

"Why do you keep putting bottlecaps in the recycling? You know it's only the bottle that's recyclable!"

"You're not going to buy that, are you?"

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?!?"

The fact is that many of the things we did just a few years ago now seem extremely offensive to some of us. Nine years ago when I lived in Nebraska, I recycled nothing. I tried for a while to drive our recyclables to the plant, since there was no curbside recycling service, but with sub-zero temps and an infant son, it just didn't work so I through in the towel - and all those recyclables just went to a landfill. Before that, I worked at Microsoft and guzzled Talking Rain plastic bottles all day long because... I don't know why... because they were free?

Today, I recycle everything and try to find ways to bring less into the home. I'm experimenting with buying and cooking local. We're all trying to make changes, but what if your spouse isn't on board?

Just as in everything else, I think you need to pick your battles wisely. I've found that leading by example or taking responsibility for it entirely works WAY better than discussing. Examples:

* If I want to recycle the shampoo bottles or toilet paper rolls from the upstairs wastebaskets, I do it myself. My husband takes out the garbage Sunday night and usually doesn't seem to be in a "sort the bathroom garbage" kind of mood.
*If I want less mail, I take care of it. I signed up for GreenDimes to get rid of the junk mail, converted to online billpay, etc.
* I've been slowly trying to convert to more organic, more local meats, but my husband had an issue with one particular store brand because he feels they are always in the news for food safety issues. Fine, I don't buy that brand anymore, but I didn't give up. I'm picking up my fresh, local beef later today and that's something he can get excited about. It's rubbing off in other areas too and I'm noticing he's buying more organic and local foods. A few days ago, he bought a can of organic Great Northern beans for our chili and was happily surprised to see that they didn't come with the "slime" we always wash off from the ones we used to get. That convinces him way more than me badgering him about buying organic.

For larger purchases like appliances (water heater, washer/dryer), I research the options and have been able to convince him that the more energy efficient ones are the better long-term purchases.

What about you? What are the "green battles" in your house? Is it with your spouse or your children? How do you solve them?

Recycling... 7-Year-Old Style

I love candles and, as a child, remember making them at home. A few years ago, I thought that would be a fun activity to try with the kids. Our first try was impromptu, so we just rounded up a bunch of candles that were burned down past the point of being lit anymore, melted them down, poured the wax into an aluminum Coke can, stuck a string in it, and... presto pillar candles. We eventually got more sophisticated and bought real wicks from a craft store, and tried out other molds, as well.

We have a bunch of wax saved up now, including some broken crayons, so I told the kids we would make some this weekend. A few nights ago, I was pouring off some hot wax from a burning candle into a small bowl when my 7-year-old decided my little bowl of drippings had the makings of a great candle. He grabbed a wick and...presto, his own little creation. He rummaged through the leftover wax pieces and found enough small ones to make a whole series.

He has now proclaimed his little plastic blue bowl the best candle mold ever and is planning a lighting ceremony for the candles this weekend. His candles definitely have their own style and I may never have to buy another candle again with his inspiration and dedication!

Six New Baby Orcas

The Salish Sea (the new name for Puget Sound and the surrounding waters) is the home to the Southern Resident killer whale population. Recently listed as endangered, they finally have some good news to share - six new baby orcas born in the last year including one just spotted last week! That's not a baby above, that's one of the orcas from L pod - more about her below...

Three orcas also went missing (presumed dead) in the last year which takes their total to only 88 orcas, but it's great to see their numbers rising rather than plummeting as they have in years past. Although there are many potential causes for their decline (boat noise, toxicity, decimation through capture), the availability of salmon is considered the current leading issue for the survival of the orcas. For those of you who haven't known me a few years, these orcas are very near and dear to my heart. The Southern Resident population should technically be 89 if you include Lolita, the one surviving orca from the nearly fifty orcas captured in the 1960s and 1970s. For more info on her, take a look at my Seattle Times articles on Lolita and the history of orca captures. That's her at the top of this post.

Here's a picture from a whale watching trip a few years ago of the one baby orca I've seen in the wild - J42. Have you ever tried taking a picture of a moving animal with a time-delay on your digital camera? Much harder than it looks...

The new baby J47 belongs to J35, a very young mother at the age of 12. Orca life spans and reproductive ages track very similarly to humans so becoming a mother at age 12 is a concern. The good news for these family-centered orcas is that J47 also has a grandmother, aunties, and a few other baby cousins to guide her. Fifty percent of orca babies die before reaching the age of one so J47 will need all the help he or she can get. In addition to the main issue of food supply, baby orcas also test very high in toxicity. All orcas, since they're at the top of the food chain, have toxicity issues, but the babies bear the brunt of it. When they're mothers nurse them, the maternal fat stores pass the toxicity to the babies.

Interested in learning more about orcas? The Southern Resident orcas are the most studied whales in the world and there are some great resources: Center for Whale Research, Killer Whale Tales (this group offers programs for schools), and Orca Network.

Good luck to the six new babies!

Don't Chew On That

Ever since the lead warnings have been coming out about toys, I've been thankful that my children are past the age of chewing on toys. I can't for the life of me understand why we make products for kids with harmful chemicals - oh wait, that's right, it's all about money. Cheap, appealing toys = fat profits.

If your kids are at the baby/toddler stage, it is a real concern since ingesting the lead is where the real danger lies. It isn't just swallowing small pieces - sucking or chewing on it repeatedly can lead to lead poisoning. In addition to educating yourself on the issue, I would consider buying a lead testing kit (available at most hardware stores now). I did this when I was concerned with my son's lunchbox and it did test positive for lead. I just learned that baby bibs are also on the frequent offender list. Cotton bibs may not be as convenient, but may warrant another look.

What surprised me in the news today was an article about kid's jewelry and how the lead has been replaced by another dangerous metal called cadmium. This carcinogen was found at high levels in 12% of the jewelry purchased recently for testing. These are the charm bracelets and pendants that little kids love - and love to suck on. I know I have seen my own children with pendants from their necklaces in their mouths. The one that I keep thinking of is the little paint-scratched ghost my son used to wear. It's gone now, but I'm guessing it would test positive for something bad. While cadmium is currently legal, the Consumer Product Safety Commission just announced an investigation today that could change that in the near future.

An article called Keeping Your Kids Safe from Lead in Kid's Products on the Sierra Club website had some interesting tips including avoiding vending machine toys and fake glossy pearl necklaces, and being aware of the issues of lead in toy jewelry.

I know it is one more thing to worry about, but I see this as a 3-step process. At a minimum we should be keeping the toys, necklaces, etc. out of their mouths. The next step is educating ourselves enough to keep the dangerous products out of our homes. I just added the CPSC alerts to my Google Reader account so I'll get notified of child product recalls. And, finally, the most important step is to get the companies to stop making this stuff in the first place!

Give a Day Get a Disney Day

Earlier this year, my son's class had a woman from United Way speak about service. She asked if they had ever volunteered and my son told me he said "no." That seemed surprising to me, since I feel like we volunteer all the time, but that made me realize that it's really me volunteering - timing at swim meets, teaching Sunday school, scoring at baseball games, organizing the school spelling bee. They are the recipients of many of these efforts, but not the actual volunteers. Sure, they've carted food to the Food Bank or donated money/books/supplies through various community drives, but I can't name any real work they've done.

I would like to change that this year. My children know the causes that are important to me, and I want to expose them to more of this in a hands-on way, but I would like them to also develop their own interests and passions.

If you're interested in getting your kids to volunteer, there's also an added incentive this year. Give a Day Get a Disney Day is offering a free day at any Disney park for each person (minimum age 6) who gives a day of service to their community through the HandsOn Network, a group which will link you to local opportunities. There are restrictions and limits, so make sure you read all the rules.

So far, I haven't found a specific opportunity that works for us, but they do have extensive listings of organizations that can be contacted - everything from our local zoo to EarthCorps. The website allows you to sort the options by your interest - Animals & Environment, Health & Human Services, etc. Of course, if we do earn our Disney tickets, I imagine that will leave them wanting to go to Disneyworld, won't it?? Maybe my younger son would fare better on the Dumbo ride this time around.

Dark Days Challenge Week Seven

Week Seven brought a Pumpkin Soup and Acorn Squash Meatballs to my table, but also led me to the realization that I'm leaving the Dark Days Challenge behind in 2009. I've learned a lot over these past seven weeks, but also figured out that the challenge wasn't completely working in my family.

In retrospect, I really needed to have my whole family on board with the idea before I committed to the challenge of one all-local meal each week. My kids are not huge veggie lovers so throwing them something like leeks and kale in the same meal was a bit much. My husband, who cooks a lot, was also starting to resent all the weird looking vegetables popping up in his fridge and on his plate. He has gotten into the spirit of eating locally, but wants it a little more on his terms and I can go along with that. For my part, cooking has never really been my thing and the added stress of trying to make every single ingredient local was definitely more work (particularly in the winter) than I had anticipated.


On the other hand, it has brought about a number of great changes that I plan to continue. I'm shopping weekly at a co-op with great local food and I've found substitutes to some of the non-local fruits that I once deemed essential. My local pears are working just fine in my smoothies instead of bananas shipped from thousands of miles away. I'm keeping my Community Supported Agrigculture (CSA) membership with Klesick Farms and looking forward to my next delivery tomorrow. To find a CSA near you, click here.

I'm still eyeing the one sunny, flat spot in my yard and trying to figure out if I can convert it to a garden next year. It currently holds the jungle gym, and we're trying, as a family, to decide if the kids are ready to give that up. I'm thinking maybe we could compromise and do a garden with a little skateboarding track around it. Hmmm...

One last note... I was very inspired to write this last Dark Days post after watching Iron Chef America last night. You know eating locally is gaining some traction when one of the hot reality shows pairs up with First Lady Michelle Obama to support the message. The show featured Iron Chef Flay/White House Super Chef Comerford vs. Iron Chef Batali/Super Chef Legasse and the secret ingredient was anything from the White House garden. The First Lady showed them around the garden where the chefs had their choice of the winter vegetables - sweet potatoes, kale, leeks - all the same things showing up in my local farm box this month. If you're interested, the 2 hour special airs again at 8pm on Thursday, January 7th.