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locavorification

Recently, a good friend of mine decided to go locavore for the summer, and eat only locally-based foods. She inspires me in lots of different ways, so I figured one more inspirational idea from her would do me good.

As I wandered the grocery aisles today, I decided that I would experiment and try to only buy locally produced items – if possible. Meaning, items produced from companies located solely in New England, since I’m in the Boston area.

It was a challenge.

In the first place, I usually only buy organic and whole foods. So already, I am limited. Plus, I have to think about packaging – a new-ish obsession. So there’s more than just looking at the ingredients, which is what I usually do. Now there is also looking at where the company is located, and how it is packaged, as well as paying attention to the kind of item it is. (Who would’ve thought grocery shopping would be so thought-provoking? Sort of like a science exam…)

For example, I don’t think that coffee and olives could possibly be produced in New England. Nor could chocolate, in any way. Or avocados. *sigh* Or artichokes. *weep*

But I WAS surprised at how many things actually ARE manufactured by local companies and farms. A lot of items that I usually buy are straight from Vermont, happily – and there are more than a few things that happen to be from Massachusetts. So I lucked out, actually.

But I did have a difficult time with cereal. I spent an enormous amount of time in that aisle, picking up boxes, reading them, and then putting them back down in increasing frustration. Finally, I found this:

And snatched it up. I love granola. Score!

I went down the snack aisle and my mind wandered. I tossed in a couple of bags of stuff I know my husband and kids like, and continued on. But, wait! I forgot to check. Aaaand…Texas. And Oregon. Damn.

(At least I didn’t buy that air freshener from Singapore).

I kept the snacks in the cart, anyway. After all, this is only an experiment. And I have to get used to it. This paying attention thing is hard.

I tried finding some sort of fish in a tin, but everything seemed to be from California. Then I found some herring from Maine.

Excellent.

Okay, I made it to the check-out counter. I think I’m all set. Milk from New Hampshire, diapers from Vermont, cheese from Buffalo, New York – not technically New England, but probably closer to me than upstate Maine, or something.

But, wait! I didn’t look at the masking tape label. And I look, mid-check-out.

Ohio. Ugh.

And, oh, by the way – the wine’s from California.

Did I mention this is my first time doing this?

the rock and that darned old hard place

With all my ranting and carrying on about the dastardly companies that over-use packaging to the point of being ridiculous, I can only assume my husband Heard, and Read, and therefore came home yesterday with a gift for our daughter, with packaging like this:

And all I can say is, hats off to you, Barbie and Mattel, for at the very least being aware and perhaps starting a trend with major companies. And it really only goes to show how environmental awareness is making great strides in the mainstream. It’s a good sign.

Although, there’s this. Which makes a good point, really. And that is, how green is Mattel being? Sure, they’re purporting the importance of recycling, and sure, the packaging is somewhat better. But are we still being duped, here?

I’m inclined to say that, even though the company may have some shady environmental dealings, and even though the packaging is not made from recycled materials, and even though the product itself inside the nifty cardboard box is still made of all kinds of nasty smelly plastic, the whole idea of the thing is a positive step in the right direction.

But I don’t know. What do you think?

Do you think that all these green products are, in the long run, worse for consumers and the earth because in actuality the products are not what they appear to be, and create misinformation, and perhaps worse, support for companies that get failing grades when it comes to the environment?

Or, is anything better than nothing? Even though it is not perfect, is it enough that these major players in the industry might possibly take a step in the right direction and join the rest of us in the twenty-first century?

Which is worse?

sad tales of packaging catastrophies

Recently, my increasingly-not-so-little boy had a birthday. Balloons, cake, games – you know, the usual suspects. Oh, and presents.

Many, many presents.

With…um…gulp…packaging:

And…

AND…

Ahem. What do I DO with all of this? I can’t recycle it. The thought of throwing it away makes me cringe, and itch. And jump out of my skin, a little.

What I did was put it in the recycling bin, anyway. Maybe they really CAN recycle it, I thought doggedly. Maybe, even without the old comforting number and triangle, they will take it and do something with it. Upcycle it, even. Yeah, that’s it, I thought, (patting myself on the back with a large degree of self-satisfaction). They’ll make it into something else! Ha.

Fat chance. The skinny chance is, they’ll simply throw it in the trash (the thought that sent abhorrent chills through my body). The particularly emaciated chance is, it will join the multitude of plastics in a ubiquitous heap of junk, perhaps cruise awhile upon the ocean in a garbage-laden barge headed nowhere, searching for a place to rest, a place to be where it can out-live most everything, until it is crushed up à la Wall-E, thousands of years from now.

Lovely thought, n’est-ce pas?

OR. OR, I could have thought of a way to use it, rather than trusting the recycling people to do something productive with it.

I could have cut it up and had my kids create an art project with it. I could have pieced it together with colored duct tape to make a very spiffy and trendy rain-hat. I could have flattened it out and placed it in a frame, with a picture behind it. I could have shredded it up and used it for confetti at our next New Year’s soiree.

What I’d rather see happen is these companies begin to understand that over-packaging is – MUST BE – a thing of the past. That it is irresponsible and even dangerous to continue this love affair with non-recyclable plastics. That, even though, yes, it is difficult for someone to shoplift an item that needs a sledge hammer to break into – (for this is the only reason I can come up with as to why such packaging exists) – the tragic consequences of such packaging far outweigh any kind of benefit.

Ah, consequences.

Is there no awareness of the importance of consequences? Will such awareness exist in fifty years, when our children’s children must begin to make sense of, and take a mop and duster to, this beautiful, filthy world?

These companies are like teenagers – (and my apologies to the teenagers out there) – who simply act on impulse, choosing to be unaware or un-phased about what their actions might mean in ten…or twenty…or one hundred or so years.

Consequences.

I suppose I, as a consumer, ultimately have the upper hand. I can choose what to buy, based on how it is packaged and what particular materials are used. I can choose to be aware of a product and how it is presented to me, simply by remembering to check out the recycling symbol, or by refusing to purchase anything that looks like it needs a chainsaw and chisel to open.

Beyond that, I can simply hope that these companies will eventually “get it,” abandoning wasteful materials and focusing in on how they are affecting the planet. Swapping the almighty dollar for clean water and fresh air. Shifting priorities and thinking ahead. Maybe planting a tree or two.

Paying attention.

I’ll try to pay attention, at any rate. And if I slip up – why, I just might go and plant a tree somewhere. Donning my new, smart plastic gardening cap, of course.

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avocados, facial treatments, and the dirty dozen

I have mashed avocado smeared all over my face, as I sit writing this post.

And, let me tell you something, it is GREEN. Looking into the mirror, it crossed my mind that the avocado people might have siphoned in a little aquamarine #87 into its gnarled and crusty little shell.

But, no. There are absolutely no artificial colors added. Avocados are just green. Really, REALLY green.

I suppose sitting here with a food product all over my face might strike some as pretty hilarious. But, actually, many of the world’s most coveted beauty products are straight from the dinner table. Eggs? Yup. Mango. Check. Bananas? Why not? Beer? Don’t mind if I do.

So why should it be any surprise that I am avocado-drenched? Avocados are rich in Vitamins A, C, D, and E, and are used in spas frequently as a beauty treatment. They are also higher in potassium than bananas, and so moisturize the skin quite nicely.

In fact, after I wash this little mess off of my face, my skin will feel as if I just slathered the most deliciously rich moisturizer on. Seriously.

Here’s another good trick to try for normal to dry skin, once or twice a week:

1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 tablespoon rolled oats
4 tablespoons soy milk
1 tablespoon mashed avocado

Mash everything together in a bowl, adding more liquid (soy milk) if need be, so that it’s nice and pasty. But, wait! Don’t eat it! Apply to face, avoiding the eyes, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Wash off with a warm washcloth.

You can also do this:

bananas½ ripe banana
2 tablespoons sunflower oil

Mash up the banana and oil, until smooth. Apply to face, avoiding the eyes, and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse off, and pat dry. You can do this once a day. Enjoy your satiny complexion. Oooh-la-la! Mais, oui! (etc…)

For oily skin, beat 2 egg whites and apply to clean skin. Leave on for 15-20 minutes, and rinse. Do this once or twice a week. NOTE: If you are allergic to eggs, for the love of God, do not use this method. BELIEVE me. I speak from (a very unfortunate) experience.

(And it just goes to show you that what we put on our skin goes directly into our bodies. It’s something to remember when reading the long list of incomprehensible ingredients from beauty products at the local drugstore).

If you happen to be middle aged or older, you can do something about your increasingly wrinkly, dry skin. (Although you know you are still beautiful, don’t you)? For a gentle toner, dilute ¼ cup apple cider vinegar into ½ cup water, and apply to face with a cotton ball, avoiding the eyes. (If your skin is particularly sensitive (like mine), you can use one part vinegar to four parts water here). Use daily before you moisturize.

Or, try the avocado. I’m telling you, it’s amazing. And there’s absolutely no unnecessary/extraneous packaging, or any chemicals involved, either, like most marketed beauty products.

Unless, of course, you possess an avocado that has a truckload of pesticides or something. I always try to use organic generally, but avocados are one of the fruits which, if you can’t find the organic version, it doesn’t matter so much. They are not a part of the “Dirty Dozen,” which, according to www.wisebread.com, one should avoid at all costs.

Parenthetically, and for your continuing edification (and with no real relationship to this particular post, other than the whole avocado thing), here are the “Dirty Dozen” – a.k.a., the foods that suck in the most pesticides, and so should have top priority as far as being bought in the organic version:

1.    Peaches
2.    Apples
3.    Nectarines
4.    Strawberries
5.    Cherries
6.    Imported grapes
7.    Pears
8.    Sweet bell peppers
9.    Celery
10.  Lettuce
11.   Spinach
12.   Potatoes

And here is the produce that’s generally okay to buy because they’re pretty free of pesticides. I’ll call them the “Delightful Dozen:”

1.    Avocados
2.    Pineapples
3.    Mangoes
4.    Kiwi
5.    Bananas
6.    Onions
7.    Sweet corn
8.    Asparagus
9.    Sweet peas
10.  Cabbage
11.  Broccoli
12.  Eggplant

I tend to think of this produce as being less porous, so I suspect the little nasty pesticides can’t get in so easily. Also, I have to add a caveat about the corn: I think that, although some organic farmers try to produce chemical-free corn, there is danger that pesticides and other nasty GMO junk might get in anyway, due to the fact that some corn fields are so close in proximity.

The bottom line, I guess, is that nothing exists in a bubble, so the pesticides are here to stay. The best that can be done is to contain them as much as possible – which, sadly, might not be all that easy.

But you CAN contain them in your own smaller world. Hence, the chemical/additive-free beauty treatments, which, in all honesty, work just as well (if not better) than many of the treatments for which one must sell one’s first born, in order to afford.

Go ahead – get your face green. Let me know how it turns out.

Sources:

Delicious Living; October 2008; Penton Media; http://www.deliciouslivingmag.com

http://www.yourskin101.com/natural-skin-care/avocado.aspx

http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/potassium.asp

http://www.wisebread.com