http://mixedgreensblog.com STEPPING LIGHTLY, LIVING LOCALLY & SUSTAINABLY Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:02:36 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Making dill pickles is an annual August/September tradition based on my grandmother's recipe. We are duty-bound after all these years, family and friends now expect their quart at Christmas. Plus, it's another way to remember a grandmother who left such a legacy for us, her love of gardening, food-making and ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/09/04/on-the-local-table/pickle-making/ Here's Olive, her backpack filled with school supplies, ready for her first day back at school. Her mom, Sharon tries to buy green products whenever she can but it's not as easy as it sounds. Each family is given a list of supplies their child is expected to have for ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/09/03/local-living/back-to-school-sustainable-school-supplies/ I literally lapped up lunch the other day in my friend Sally's backyard. She served a cold beet/cucumber soup with buttermilk and dill that was her version of a Polish classic, Zupa Letnia. I'd never tasted it, never heard of it, never knew a root-based cold vegetable soup could be ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/09/03/eat-local/its-still-summer-zupa-letnia/ The fruits available this time of year -- melons, peaches, berries -- are so tempting but the truth is, I'm not big on baking pies, sweet desserts or jams. I love fresh fruit on cereal or in a smoothie. A perfectly ripened peach or melon with nothing else is a ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/09/01/eat-local/late-summer-savory-fruit-salads/ I’ve been a dunce about the paper cup. While others have been carrying their reusable cups into coffee shops the past few years, I rarely have. The perceived paper cups’ biodegradability snookered some of us into thinking it was so much better than Styrofoam, and it’s paper and that’s organic, ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/08/29/local-living/whats-up-with-the-paper-cup-2/ Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, practically any celebration can be a challenge if you are trying to live sustainably, especially when kids are involved. It is hard enough not to fall prey to consumerism throughout the year but holidays can be even more difficult. Recently, Krista and Chris put on a birthday ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/08/28/farmers-markets/happy-eco-friendly-birthday/ Sunday night is fish night at our house, usually salmon from Loki Fish. We buy a piece at the Farmers Market, take it home and cook it right away. This is a family owned and run business. Take a look at owner Pete Knutson's profile on the PCC website; ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/08/28/eat-local/our-own-fish-story-loki-fish/ The succotash I grew up with -- frozen lima beans and corn -- hardly did justice to the ancient origins of this combination. Originally, it was a Native American dish using two of the oldest and most important foods in our culture, corn and beans. Succotash doesn't seem to be ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/08/27/eat-local/sustainable-succotash/ Locomotion in its various forms, walking, kayaking, biking, skiing, hiking, swimming, are activities I’ve always loved and feel eager about including in my life. Biking through city traffic? Not so much. But I wanted to do something, even a small thing, in regard to fossil fuel consumption. My husband takes ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/08/26/local-living/biker-chick-or-biker-chic/ I'd love to put in some winter starts but my problem is finding an empty spot in my garden. I came across this great video from Kitchen Gardeners International showing a group of school children in Africa making what is basically a raised bed. Looks like a great design with ... http://mixedgreensblog.com/2008/08/24/eat-local/how-to-make-a-keyhole-garden/