Wordless Wednesday 4-25-12 Harvest Fresh Organics are Knocking at Your Door

Wordless Wednesday is a day for me to share an image from my green living life with you along with just a few words...or so 

Yummy harvest fresh produce that was delivered to a Green Polka Dot Box member's front door within 24 hours of harvest

I am soooo excited!!  The Harvest Fresh test period at the Green PolkaDot Box is over and the Harvest Fresh program has just officially launched!  Now GPDB members living in the western U.S. can now order a Harvest Fresh Green PolkaDot Box full of fresh harvested organic produce at wholesale pricing and receive it NEXT DAY with FREE delivery.

It's Monday and It's Time to Live a Little! Idea #3, Become One with Chocolate Through Coco-Zen

In case you missed it last week, for a few weeks I will be linking up with an amazing group of women bloggers from the Skimbaco community. We will be offering up ideas on finding fulfillment in life right now through the little things to make the most out of each and every day.

Have a blog? Love to have you link up and join us!! Sometime this week, write a post about how you Live a Little, link up using the Linky below, then get the code for the Linky and add it to your post.

Ideas On How to Live a Little...the Little Ways You Can Live Life to the Fullest Everyday
 "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman 

If you really love chocolate like I do, a bit of delicious milk, dark or white chocolate can make you feel a little decadent and help you Live a Little.  A few years ago I met a wonderful green living mom and fellow chocoholic online named Joyce Kushner.  Like many of us, after Joyce had her first baby, she decided to take a break from her busy life in retail marketing to stay home and care for him.

Joyce with her newborn son

Love Saving Money? Let's Slash Your Food Store Bill - EnvironmentalBooty.com Live Green and Save Series

Check out why I love the Green Polka Dot Box

Want to Save Money On NonGMO Organics?  Check Out The Green PolkaDot Box

I am seriously having the greatest, green time saving money on natural and organic foods by slashing my food store bill through shopping online at the Green Polka Dot Box!  It is so much fun to see what my discounted member prices are compared to the suggested retail prices.  Seriously, on all of my favorite, healthy, green brands and products like Preserve, BPA FREE (Bisphenol-A) toothbrushes and kitchenware items to PUR aspartame free gum and Pacific Natural's Chocolate Almond Milk, and so many more, I am saving big time.  And, my family loves all of my new, healthy food finds too.

Drinking a Few Cups of Coffee a Day Lowers Cancer Risk in Women. So Should You Fill Up On Caffeine Free or Full Strength?

Image via Wikipedia

A  new study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which was backed by the National Institutes of Health, says drinking a few cups of coffee a day lowers the rate of endometrial cancer in women.  Drinking coffee has also been linked to a lower rate of diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

The researchers at Harvard analyzed data on 67,470 women between the ages of 34 and 59 who were followed for about 26 years. Compared to women who drank little or no coffee, those who averaged four or more cups per day had a 25% lower risk of developing endometrial cancer, and those who drank two or three cups per day had a 7% lower risk.

If you can't handle the caffeine don't worry!  The study did not find that caffeine was necessary for the health benefit.  Women who drank 2 cups of decaffeinated coffee still had a 22% reduction in endometrial cancer.  Although a direct cause and effect relationship has not been established between coffee and cancer fighting, the best guess is that coffee acts as an antioxidant.  Interestingly, the same association was not found from drinking tea as it seems that coffee has even more antioxidants than green tea. 

My Super Fast & Easy Secret Weapon Guacamole Recipe Revealed Just In Time for Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Quesadillas!

I get so many compliments on my my Super Fast & Easy Secret Weapon Guacamole Recipe that I have decided to reveal the ingredients just in time for you to serve it with my favorite organic blue corn chips, salsa and turkey quesadillas you can easily make from leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  Like I have said before, I am not so great in the kitchen but my guacamole is really fast and easy and to make with my secret weapons - Seven Oak's Ranch Organic Southwest Blend Nuggets and Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt.

My Super Fast & Easy Secret Weapon Guacamole Recipe

The First Saffran US in Orlando is Greening Eating Out On a Budget. Flavorful, Healthy Food Direct from Iceland with Only One Problem...

The First Saffran US in Orlando is Greening Eating Out On a Budget.  Flavorful, Healthy Food Direct from Iceland with Only One Problem...

Saffran US is my new favorite spot to eat healthy and delicious!

My youngest turned 6 last week and we hosted 7 of her closest friends at Build-A-Bear.  This was like our millionth time partying with the bears and when we were done, I was ready to sit down and relax with a bite to eat and preferably a nice, stiff drink.  But finding a place to eat out has turned into such a nightmare hasn't it?  Trying to live green means we want healthy and flavorful and most of us are living on tighter budgets these days.

Yet unless we want to spend a small fortune on one dinner out, we are forced to choose from one of the many sub shops (can you say bleh?) and fast food drive thrus (can you say no way?) which over populate the dining landscape.  This time it was my husband to the rescue with a new suggestion in Saffran US but I must tell you...they have one, big problem.  They need more locations.

3 Ways to Turn Your Cocktail Party Green! Plus an Organic Wine Pairing for Asparagus Sticks in Filo: Chateau Laubarit Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc

If you have ever wondered how to turn your cocktail party green I can help.  I reached out to one of our Environmental Booty partners, The Organic Wine Company, and asked if they could point us in the right direction on a wine pairing for one of my go to green living recipes for entertaining, Asparagus Sticks in Filo.  Is it Phyllo or Filo, I don't know but this is an easy to make and truly fabulous treat to eat!!

First, let's talk about the organic wine pairing for our healthy green living h'orderves suggested by The Organic Wine Company:

Organic Wine Pairing for Asparagus Sticks in Filo:  Chateau Laubarit Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc

 

• Attributes:          Vegan, Biodynamic, Certified by ECOCERT.  This blend (Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle) is a great example of what Entre-Deux Mers, a Bordeaux subdivision, can produce. Light, fruity and refreshing: a nice complement to seafood plates!  Certified Organic Grapes

• Grapes:               Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle

• Alcohol:              12%

• Smell:                 Guava, pineapple, peach.

• Taste:                  Similar to the smell, complex summery fruit flavor while still maintaining an elegant and supple taste. Long finish.

• Food Pairings:    Oysters, seafood, white meats, light dishes.

• Wine Pairings:   Sauvignon Blanc, other sweet white wines with Muscadet

Read more about this Wine: Click Here

Drum Roll Please...and the Winner for Best Energy Drink on the Market Is?

Drum Roll Please...and the Winner for Best Energy Drink on the Market is?

 

So does the picture above give you have a clue as to what the best energy drink on the market might be?  Well according to Dr. Steven Garner, a medical reporter with Fox News, the best energy drink on the market is water.  I have harped before on this blog about the ills of energy drinks and their harmful effects on kids and now there is another report urging kids to avoid energy drinks and limit consumption of sports drinks.  Kids are obviously smaller than adults and the effects of the high amounts of sugar and caffeine, which many times is not clearly labeled, can be detrimental to children's health.

 

According to Dr. Garner, some of the harmful effects kids can experience when ingesting energy drinks are:

• Seizures 
• Harmful interaction with stimulant medications such as ADHD drugs
• Heart arrhythmia

You really can have your kids stay healthy and avoid extra sugar in energy drinks and sports drinks, which can add extra, unhealthy pounds, by simply instructing them to drink water.   When kids are outside this summer for sports, camps or just for some fun in the sun, explain to them how important it is for them to drink water every 15 minutes.  

 

Get them a few really unique and special BPA free reusable water bottles and set a good example by carrying one of your own.  Although some children, who workout in excess in high heat, such as high school athletes, may benefit from the electrolytes in sports drinks, water is really the best energy drink on the market. 

P.S.- I am really glad that you stopped by our Environmental Booty Blog and I hope you have learned or shared a thing or two.  I hope that , now that you've found us,  you won't lose us!  You can "Like" us on our new Facebook fanpage, join our green living online community, subscribe to our posts,  download our community toolbar or Tweet with me on Twitter to stay in touch!  - Shane

Photo Source: Aavaas

How to Create a Gourmet, Chemical Free Kitchen? Start with this Quick and Easy Seven Oaks Ranch Organic Garlic Gold Shrimp Scampi with Pasta Video Recipe

Create a Gourmet Chemical Free Kitchen Fit for a Chef!
I am so not a gourmet chef in the kitchen, but using Seven Oaks Ranch Garlic Gold products, makes my food taste like I am in no time flat.  No kidding!  Hand-crafted Organic Garlic Gold,  Pure Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Gourmet Garlic Nuggets and Vinaigrettes are some of my absolutely favorite must have items for a chemical free kitchen.  I found the folks at Seven Oaks Ranch and their addictive line of Garlic Gold products a couple of years ago and they have become staples in not only my chemical free kitchen, but in many of my friend's and family's kitchens as well.  Once people try these flavorful and texture filled organic sensations, they never want to be without them ever again!  

How will You Fall in Love with Organic Garlic Gold?

20% off Discount Code for Two Leaves and a Bud Organic Earl Grey Tea

20% off Discount Code: Two leaves and a bud Organic Earl Grey Tea

A long, long time ago, legend has it that Earl Charles Grey was shipping black tea and bergamot oranges in the same cargo.  When the Earl’s ship finally arrived at port, it was found that the black tea had absorbed the essence of bergamot into a perfectly balanced black tea with light citrus notes.  Earl Grey was born.

I have told you before how much I love Two Leaves and  Bud and their Organic Earl Grey black tea is one of the best Earl Grey’s found in a whole leaf tea sachet. Rather than use a blend of low quality black tea, two leaves and a bud’s Organic Earl Grey uses big, black leaves from the Ceylon region of India. A hint of natural organic bergamot oil (derived from bergamot oranges) is layered on top of the tea to give Organic Earl Grey its classic flavor.

two leaves and a bud is the Best Organic Herbal Tea I Have Ever Tried! Review

I cannot say enough about how delicious and beneficial two leaves and a bud organic herbal teas are so I'll let a picture tell the story...

20% Off Discount Code for Two Leaves and a Bud Jasmine Petal Organic Green Tea...Direct from the Gardens

Experience Two Leaves and a Bud Jasmine Petal Organic Green Tea at 20% Off!

Tea is more than just the leaves in the bag. It's the passion, care and effort that went into getting them there.

If you are a tea drinker like me, ("Hi, my name is Shane and I am addicted to tea." "Hi Shane.") you may not think about where your tea leaves come from.  At Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Company, all they do is think about tea leaves.  They do the footwork for us and actually go to the organic tea gardens! Visit the rolling hills of Darjeeling, the tropical climate of Assam, and other gardens around the world and you just might find Two Leaves and a Bud's  founder, Richard, tasting tea, interacting with farmers and experiencing whole leaf organic tea in its purest, native form.  Richard feels it's Two Leaves and Bud's mission to bring the experience of the organic gardens back to their customers.  

Every Green Mom's Prayer Answered for a Quick, Easy and Artificial Free Organic Hot Cocoa Mix to Give their Little Ones. Equal Exchange Organic Hot Cocoa Mix ...Yumminess for your Heart and Tummy

Environmental Booty and our partner, Herbtrader , have answered every green mom's prayer for a quick, easy and artificial free organic hot cocoa mix to give their little ones.  Our delicious fairly traded organic hot cocoa has a rich chocolatey flavor that both kids and adults will love. Equal Exchange Organic Hot Cocoa mix is super easy to make with hot water because the milk is in the mix!  I still like to use milk in mine though to make it creamy and an even healthier treat.

A Greener, Healthier Life on the Cheap? Yup! 15 Super Cheap, Superfoods that are Super Easy to Make!

Okay so I might sound like a broken record but I am gonna say it again...for Environmental Booty and me, 2011 will be the year to find and share ways to live a greener, healthier life on the cheap.  In keeping with that green goal for EB, I want to share a great article I read today that has me excited to go into my kitchen and cook up some super cheap, superfoods that are super easy to make. 

Why are Organic Wine Choices Sooooo Limited?

I can't tell you how many times I have found myself standing in front of the wine selection at Publix wondering where all of the organic wine choices are.  Everywhere I go, organic wine choices are sooooo limited.  Even at the local, quirky little sandwich shop we love, Yellow Dog Eats, which offers organic when possible and who just expanded their menu to offer fab vegan offering, the organic wine selection is slight.  While trying to find a great organic red I have literally said out loud, "Where the h@ll is all the organic wine?"   Well I think I finally may have found the answer!

Why is Pepsico Holding Back from Giving Their HFCS Free, Sugar Sweetened Pepsi and Mountain Dew "Throwback" and Dr Pepper "Made with Real Sugar" Sodas a Permanent Spot on our Grocer's Shelves while they Replace Sierra Mist with New Sierra Mist Natural ?

I was really excited to see the high fructose corn syrup free (HFCS) Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwbacks and "Made with Real Sugar" Dr Pepper products back on my local market's shelf last month.  Although I am not a soda drinker (aside from the occasional Diet Rite), for the sake of my soda drinking friends and hubby, I hoped these HFCS free sodas would stay this time.  Hey the third time's a charm right?  Well I was wrong.

Pepsico rolled out their "Made with Sugar" Dr. Pepper in  July and has rolled out their Throwback sodas twice before for limited time offerings but this time, in the same month, they rolled out their permanent replacement for Sierra Mist with their new Sierra Mist Natural.  Since the Throwbacks, "Made without Sugar' Dr. Pepper and Sierra Mist Natural all are made with sugar, I kind of thought they would all be here to stay.

Not only is the retro packaging for the Throwback line fun for us old folks to see, the fact that the Throwbacks, "Made without Sugar" Dr Pepper and Sierra Mist Natural products contain absolutely no HFCS, is great green news for all.  The flip side of this good news is the fact that Pepsico seems to be holding back on giving their HFCS free Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Dr Pepper drinks a permanent spot on our grocer's shelves.  I wondered why.  

Healthy Things I'm Lovin' Today

I am loving tomato and mozzarella salad drizzled with Publix Tangy Balsamic Dressing and a cool glass of Ambassador Organic Tea!!  I am also loving that my daughter Reece has been making it for me...

She is a doll! 

What I am not loving, though, is the fact that I just realized there is HFCS in the salad dressing we have been putting on the tomato and mozzarella salad from Publix!!  UUGGHH....

I Have Become an Orange Leaf Yogurt Addict and Judging from the Crowds Packing the New Ocoee, Florida Location...I am Not Alone!

My girls and I kept waiting for weeks to see what this new "Soon to Open"  Orange Leaf place in Ocoee was all about.

How to get Your Kids to Eat Their Fruits and Vegetables...let them fall in love with Apple & Eve Fruitables!

Every time I go to the market, I am always on the lookout for ways to stuff my kids full of healthy fruits and veggies. Of course the best way is to have a kid like my amazing 13 year old who has always had the

The Perfect Addition to your Weight Loss Efforts...Plus, your entire family will love these gluten free, wheat free and anti-oxidant packed Action Nutrition Bars!

Okay so really I am in love with these yummy and healthy Action Nutrition Bars and there really couldn't be a better time for you to give them a try.  It's like today right?  Okay, so then yes, this IS the best time to try out one of my family's favorite, healthy snacks.  These healthy, packed with protein bars will keep you feeling full longer (great for weight loss) and satisfy any sweet tooth with all natural ingredients.  Action Nutrition Bars are packed full of  "good for your body stuff" in the form of essential vitamins (like B-12), minerals and anti-oxidants (like Omega-3's).  Plus, they are wheat free, gluten free and Kosher!

It is not often that I find a super sweet, totally satisfying, chewy and healthy treat that I can feed to my family and know that they are actually benefiting from eating it.  My favorite is Peanut Butter Chocolate and my daughter (who is 13) loves the Chocolate Molten.  She eats them like crazy which is great as she hardly seems to eat anything at all anymore.  The only downside I have found with these "candy" bars is that when the kids eat them, they leave the wrappers all over the house...not a bad downside huh?

So what are you waiting for? Go pick up a 12 pack right now!