Post #9- Places to Eat in Gainesville

         You may be thinking, “Jena, those meals you made from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle sound delicious, but I can’t cook!”  Well, don’t fret my friend.  Gainesville offers many places to eat where a commitment has been made to preparing meals that are vegetarian, or vegan, or organic, or made from locally grown food, or all of the above!  These are just a few of the many options Gainesville has to offer.  Check some of these out and support local farmers and healthier meals.

Book Lover’s Café                           

505 NW 13^th St.

Gainesville, Fl 32601

http://www.thebookloverscafe.com/

Specialty: A book store, art gallery, and

vegetarian/vegan café all in one!

The Jones

401 Northeast 23^rd Avenue

Gainesville, Fl 32609

http://thejoneseastside.com/

Specialty: Committed to serving locally

produced, organic meals.

Mildred’s Big City Food

3445 West University Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32607

http://www.mildredsbigcityfood.com/

Specialty: Meals made from locally grown seasonal organic produce, local farm products, and Florida seafood and served in an upscale dining atmosphere.

New Deal Cafe

3445 W University Ave
Gainesville, FL

http://newdealcafegainesville.com/

Specialty: Owned by Chef Gill, who also

owns Mildred’s.  Healthy alternative to fast food restaurants.

Ti Amo!

12 SE Second Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32601

http://www.tiamogainesville.com/

Specialty: Mediterranean restaurant

also owned by Chef Gill.

Karma Cream

1025 W University Ave
Gainesville FL 32601

http://www.menuwall.com/fl/gainesville/karma-cream/812

Specialty: Organic and fair trade ice cream

with vegan options, homemade toppings,

and biodegradable and compostable to-go

containers.   

Post #8- More Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Recipes

           
            

            Tonight was my last night at home as Spring Break draws to an end.  My mother prepared a delicious meal and I wanted to contribute by cooking up another recipe from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I tried my hand at the asparagus and morel bread pudding, minus the morels.

            The bread pudding was delicious!  It was a very unique meal, but very easy to prepare.  My mother does not like asparagus, but she gave the bread pudding a taste, and really enjoyed it.

            We changed up the recipe a bit.  Only one person in my family likes mushrooms, so we left out the morels.  Also, Publix was out of spring onions, so we substituted scallions for them since they are in the same family.  The changing of the recipe did not seem to affect the pudding since it still tasted excellent.

            Kingsolver always writes about delicious meals she cooks up for special occasions, and this recipe was perfect for this occasion.  The meal was delightful and a perfect way to end Spring Break.

Post #7- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Recipes

      The meals Barbara Kingsolver cooks up in her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle always sound delicious.  Being a college student, I don't have a lot of time to create full blown meals, but I love to cook healthy food.  Since I am on Spring Break this week, I decided to enlist my mom's help in tackling Kingsolver's recipes.

      For tonight's dinner, we made Disappearing Zucchini Orzo and Sweet Potato Quesadillas.  I've never eaten orzo before, but quite enjoyed the tasty pasta creation.  My dad said it was the best "rice" he had ever eaten (orzo resembles rice but is actually pasta).  The sweet potato quesadillas were an interesting creation, but were also quite tasty.

      The meal was filling and we have plenty of leftovers.  I will be eating the zucchini orzo for the next couple of days for lunch and dinner!  The meal didn't take too long to prepare, probably around an hour.  It is actually something I think I would have time to cook while up at school, and it would leave me with plenty of leftovers for the week.

      My dad enjoyed the meal so much that he told me to come home more often.  I look forward to cooking more of Kingsolver's fresh meals!

      If you're interested in creating some culinary treats, go to this website to try your hand at the orzo and quesadilla recipes, as well as many others!

Post #6- WWOOF

                This summer, I was planning on studying abroad in New Zealand.  The program places an emphasis on sustainability and eco-tourism.  Due to the recent earthquake in Christchurch, the program has been moved to North Queensland, Australia.  I am still determined to travel to New Zealand, and to make that happen, I am planning on participating in WWOOF.

                WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.  WWOOF is a work exchange.  Volunteers can choose a farm practically anywhere in the world, and in exchange for working on the farm, the hosts provide food and accommodation.  WWOOFers usually work about 4 hours a day and can stay for a few days, or a few months.  Volunteering on a farm is a great way for people to learn about sustainable lifestyles and organic food production, as well as a way to travel to places for a cheap price.

WWOOF originally stood for Working Weekends on Organic Farms.  It began in England in 1971 with a woman named Sue Coppard.  She wanted to provide city people with opportunities in the country while supporting the organic movement.  People would go to Emerson College in Sussex for trial working weekends.  Eventually people started volunteering for longer periods of time, leading to the modern WWOOF organization.

One can WWOOF in practically any country (there are WWOOF hosts in 99 countries around the world).  To decide where you want to WWOOF, go to wwoof.org, and click on the region of the world you are interested in.  After you click on the region you are interested in, all the available countries to WWOOF in are listed.  Once you decide what country you want to visit, you can search a database of WWOOF hosts.  In the database, many hosts describe what kind of work you can participate in on their farms, and they provide pictures of their houses and farms.  You can also read reviews of the hosts to see what others have to say about their experience.

                If you’re looking for something to do over the summer, or a way to learn more about organic food production, then a WWOOF trip could be a perfect opportunity for you!

Post #5- How to Have a "Green" Spring Break

          With Spring Break right around the corner, the memories of hours spent in the sun and the smell of salty ocean waves linger in our minds.  But a week off from classes doesn't mean a week off from a sustainable lifestyle.  Here are a few suggestions on how to "green" your spring break, and make the most out of your vacation!

§  Instead of going to the beach, visit a state or national park

§  Go camping

§  Check out greenseal.org for eco-friendly hotels and hostels

§  Take a train instead of flying, which will use less fuel

§  Enjoy local foods at your destination

§  If you go on a cruise, choose Carnival.  Carnival has a recylcing program and does many other things to protect the environment.  Go here to learn more!

§  Turn the AC off in your car, put the windows down, and let your hair blow!

§  While at the beach, make sure to clean up after yourself!  Recycle your bottles and throw away your trash!  Get some friends together and have a beach clean-up, all while getting your tan on!

§  Spend your Spring Break volunteering for an environmental organization!

§  Vacation locally

§  Use public transportation whenever possible instead of renting a car

§  Before you leave, unplug appliances, turn off air conditioning, and turn off all lights

§  Turn off all lights when you leave your hotel room, or wherever you are staying

§  Check out this website for more information! http://www.ecotravelling.co.uk/

Post #4- GoodGuide.com

Have you ever wondered if that dish soap is safe for your skin?  Or if the companies you buy from are using eco-friendly methods?  Well at GoodGuide.com, now you can! 

GoodGuide.com gives ratings for food, personal care products, toys, household cleaning supplies, paper, and pet food.  Each item is given a score out of 10 based on its health impact, environmental impact, and social impact.  The health rating is based on what ingredients go into the product, the environmental rating is based on the company's production processes, and the social impact is based on the company's operations with its workers and the community.  Each product is accompanied with an explanation of why it received that rating.  For example, Pop-Tarts, one of the worst breakfast foods according to this site, has a health rating of 3.0 due to its high sugar content, an environmental score of 5.4 for Kellogg's above average score in climate change, and a 5.1 social score for Kellogg's ethical policies and performance.

I was extremely curious as to what ratings the items in my room were scored as.  So I made a spreadsheet of a few of the items, and here are the results:

Product	Health	Environment	Society	Overall
Garnier Fructis	7	7.6	6.6	7.1
Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal	10	4.8	5.1	6.6
Nutrigrain Bars	5.2	5	5.4	5.1
Raisin Nut Bran Cereal	4.9	3.6	6	5.2
Dove Deodorant	5.6	4	7.2	5.6
Benadryl	7.2	8	8	5.6

I was pleasantly surprised to see Honey Bunches of Oats receive a health score of 10, but disappointed that the company was not as dedicated to preserving the health of the environment as much as its consumers.  Also, I may have to find a healthier substitute for my Nutrigrain Bars.

I think GoodGuide.com can be a very important resource.  It will make us aware of not only the safety and nutrition of our products, but also if the company that produces them is committed to the safety and health of the environment and society.  So go take a look at GoodGuide.com!  You might be surprised at what you find!

Post #3- How to Throw an Eco-Friendly Super Bowl Party

The Super Bowl: a time of chicken wings, strange commercials, and hours and hours of football.  The game may include a lot of trash-talking, but it doesn’t need to include a lot of trash-making.  Here are a few tips on how to throw a green Super Bowl party: 

1.   Purchase local/and or organic food to serve.  Make guacamole or salsa from organic and local vegetables.  If you’re looking to make your party completely vegetarian or vegan, check out this website which offers the “Top Ten Vegan Super Bowl Recipes”.  Give leftover food to guests or freeze it for future meals. 

2.   Buy in bulk to create less waste, and save money.

3.   Don’t use paper products that will just end up in a landfill.  Use your own dishes and silverware.  If you do buy paper products, buy biodegradable ones or dinnerware made from recycled materials.

4.   Save energy by watching the game on only one TV.

5.   Avoid buying bottled water.  Most bottled water is tap water anyways, so fill up a pitcher of ice water.  If you do buy bottled water, make sure to recycle the bottles!

6.   Decorations are unnecessary.  People will be too focused on the game to notice the décor that will end up in the trash after the game.

7.   Recycle all the leftover cans and bottles!  Make it easy for your guests by designating recycling bins so they won’t end up in the trash.

8.   If you’re in attendance at a Super Bowl party, make sure to recycle your bottles/cans and offer to take home leftovers!