Stories

This salad accomplishes two lovely things: 1. It gets me eating raw greens in the dead of winter when I could easily live off comfort food like vegan hot cocoa and muffins. 2. It satisfies the sweet and salty combo that I adore. Kind of like my greatest treat-love dark chocolate covered pretzels do... only this salad is a bit healthier. I used a spinach base but you can easily mix it up with kale, arugula or any other salad greens. The pomegranate seeds provide a sweet bite balanced by the slightly salty sunflower seeds and crunchy edamame. And the dressing, my friends, is not to be underestimated. This salad dressing is so simple yet flavorful that you might want to make it a salad staple. An added bonus? There's plenty of health benefits going on in this simple dish.

Are you still staring at the wall, thinking you need to buy a new calendar for 2013? Do you love composting? The Ladies of Manure Calendar may just be the one... This calendar pledges to 'rethink all your waste, even your daily #1's and #2's. The Fertile Earth Foundation made a calendar full of beautiful women, with an end goal (as stated on their website):

After recently downsizing from a 1250 sq-foot trinity with a roommate to a 500 sq foot studio solo mi, I realized I had to make some changes. And not just the ‘there’s someone living with me and now there’s not” changes. From the luxury of having an entire living room, kitchen and ‘dining area’ to half the size, I too had to downsize. My dining room table was large enough to host Thanksgiving dinner. And two couches were more than enough for one of me. Step one was to start selling furniture that I didn't need. Although I wasn't looking to make a ‘profit’, how did I part with things that I could use 'someday'?

You know when you discover a new song, website, or life-hack iPhone app that seriously makes you feel like you've won the lottery? That's how I felt with Cardmunch. Even though I rarely print paper anymore, business cards are a necessity at networking events. I haven't met a 'green' friend who hasn't gone business-card free. It's difficult to remember someone's name, let alone company, etc., to look them up on LinkedIn the next day. Or what if the person isn't on social networks? (Find out my life hack secret, after the jump!)

The Philadelphia City Planning Commission presented The Future is Now: Philadelphia 2035 Update at the Center for Architecture (1218 Arch Street) last evening. A packed room (half-standing) for the "sold out" event, attendees from younger to well aged  made an appearance - including a surprise speech from Mayor Michael Nutter. Sustainability was a main focus of the city plan, both with current progress and future goals. The Citizens Planning Institute, a Philadelphia City Planning Commission project involving official education and outreach recognized its volunteer graduates during the program. Philadelphia 2035 is the two-phase plan for the physical development of our city for 25 years (2011-2035) using the "new" zoning code. Last night's discussion began with highlights of Philadelphia's progress in 2012, which was formulated into a 12 month "report" calendar for participants. Much of the progress was due to the Greenworks sustainability initiatives: (Find out about the Philadelphia 2035 recap AND what Mayor Nutter had to say about plastic bags to us, after the jump!)

I tend to geek out a bit over restaurants that specialize in local, organic, homemade and sustainable fare. Though I've learned over the past few years that some aren't so legit. For example, the menu is merely sprinkled with local lettuces and the fish is farm-raised and potentially genetically engineered. My experience at Farmhouse was the real deal.  They are truly a farm to table ( tavern in this case) establishment. Farmhouse makes a big effort to make much of their menu from scratch and source food locally. They change the menu often based on food seasonality but some of the current yummy fare i ncludes ...

Rebecca asks on our Facebook Wall: After collecting enough rubber bands to form a bouncy ball, what should you do. Here's a few ideas of where to recycle rubber bands:

Why environmentalists should shut up about "green" & make sustainability the status quo “You’ll be so mad at me,” my friend started our conversation. “I forgot my reusable bag in the car so had to take 3 plastic ones. Double bagged.” “Oh no!” I replied. Although I was slightly disappointed, I tried disguising my inner judgement. “I’m just not green like you.” By our conversation, you’d think I was born designated into this ‘eco-lover’ lifestyle. Just how I was born into a loud and Eastern-European-Irish mutt and whiskey-loving family. Was caring about the earth a genetic combination I was cursed into, just like my abnormally tiny eyes and obnoxiously loud laugh? (Find out more about why we should stop calling it 'green').

So we're in the second week of January and everywhere you turn - news stands, television, the office water-cooler... people are talking about their new year weight loss and health resolutions. I say hats off to the January joiners but I do want to provide them a word of caution - a lot of what you're hearing is good old-fashioned marketing. (How do I know? I'm a marketer and a certified athletic personal trainer and it's my job to pay attention to this stuff.) One thing you may have noticed in recent years is the hype around superfoods. They promise everything from a faster metabolism, hormonal balance, antioxidants, improved mood and even a longer life. In the wake of the new years diet blitz these foods are more popular than ever. Is the hefty price tag on these foods worth it? The short answer: sometimes. Read on for a breakdown of what you're really getting from some of the power foods out there.  And some advice on how to mix them into your diet should you decide these superfoods are for you.