Valentine’s Day usually includes a whole lotta red. But why not make it a little Green this year? If you’re still looking for the perfect gift idea or V-Day plan – or if your original plan upped your Carbon Footprint by, like, 10 tons – try these earth friendly ideas on for size.

Send an Earth Friendly Card: One billion cards are sent every Valentine’s Day. Lay those puppies down side by side and you could circle the earth five times! Instead of heading to your local Hallmark and taking part in the clearing of unnecessary trees, why not send a card on recycled paper? Or, better yet, a plantable card; when V-Day is long past, your special someone can just pop that card in the ground and watch your love blossom. (That was just too easy.)

Cook Dinner At Home: No need to waste precious gas by driving to a restaurant. Try something different – and far more romantic – and cook a candlelit dinner at home. Getting your produce and meat from a Farmer’s Market is a great idea as everything is locally grown, usually without those pesky pesticides. And those romantic candles will set the mood and eliminate the energy wasted by overhead lighting!

Gifts that Don’t Need Wrapping: Avoid the clichéd box of chocolates or the gifts that require tons of wasteful wrapping paper. Instead, give your love a sensual massage or set up a romantic bubble bath for two (saves on the water!). If you are really feeling green, take this holiday and donate to an environmental cause. It may not have the romantic Valentine’s Day feel, but it will make you feel good inside.

Going Green for V-Day is easy and actually quite appealing. Now if only I had someone to share it (and a bath) with…

Cute veggie handler is always in season.

If you ask any environmentalist what you should eat to go green, they almost always will mention in-season produce.  I, like most of us, love the idea of eating fresh vegetables that haven’t been genetically modified to grow year round.

The only problem with eating in-season vegetables?  I have no freakin’ idea which vegetables are in season!  This holds especially during the colder months, when I, a California native, just assume that everything everywhere else is buried underneath a good 5 feet of snow.  In case you, like me, are utterly clueless when it comes to veggies, I have compiled a handy little guide to make the most educated choices when you’re at your neighborhood farmers market (because that’s obvi where you’re shopping, right??).

Why should I care? In season fruits and vegetables cure cancer.  Okay, not really, but they are still better for your health because they’re less likely to be doused in chemicals.  In-season crops are meant to grow during that time, meaning that they need less manmade help in order to thrive.  They’re also better for the environment because they’re less likely to be shipped from a faraway place that has the perfect growing climate for that crop.  Plus, they just taste better without all of that icky stuff all over it.

What do I need to know? Buying in season is great, but buying locally in season is best.  Head to your neighborhood farmer’s market and buy from the small, local farmers.  They’re less likely to spend money on genetically modified crops and pesticides that keep out of season plants alive, so it’s a greater guarantee that you’ll be putting your money towards those in-season crops.

How do I know which crops are in season? There are some great websites that can provide all of that information for you with the click of a mouse.  My favorite is Sustainable Table because it’s really easy and informative.  Just put in your state, select which month it is and, viola (!), it’s all done for you.

What if I’m just too lazy? Here are a list of crops that are generally in season during the winter months.  Keep in mind that these may or may not be in season in your region, so be sure to double check at Sustainable Table.  For quick reference, winter crops may include…

Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Leeks
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Radishes
Greens: Spinach, Arugula, Lettuce, Kale, Swiss Chard, Collard Greens
Turnips
Winter Squash
Apples (early winter only)

What if I hate those foods? Get over it!  I’m guessing that most of us haven’t tried most of the crops on that list.  So suck it up, get creative, and eat yummy food!  I promise, anything can taste good with a few spices and the right recipe.  Plus, adding variety to your diet can really improve your nutritional status.  So dig in and have fun!

It’s a weird habit of mine, but being Italian, I tend to think of food more than it’s probably recommended, and going through all my favorite dishes in my head is pure heaven—especially when I exist mostly on sandwiches and coffee in real life.

One of the things that will most definitely appear at my last meal are caramel apples.

Now that it’s fall, I walk past the (ridiculously expensive) Farmer’s Market and see them all the time, glistening in their plastic wrapped and ribboned packages.

If you enjoy turning something healthy into something deliriously sugar-packed as much as I do and you’re looking for a fun activity for a dreary Fall day, here’s a fool proof recipe guaranteed to make you the most popular kid on your hall.

The Goodies:
12 Granny Smith (or Macintosh) apples
12 lollipop sticks
1 pound Caramel
Saran Wrap
Melted dark, white or milk chocolate
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup M&M’s or favorite candy topping (or more if you’re like me and can never have too much chocolate)
Waxed paper

The Instructions:
1. Insert lollipop sticks into core of apples.

2. Heat caramel until it becomes liquid (Use stove top or microwave). Once slightly cool, pour caramel onto one large piece of Saran Wrap and cover with another piece of the same size.

3. Roll out caramel in between the 2 pieces of plastic wrap to flatten. Cut caramel into long strips, about 4 inches long, to fit around apple.

4. Wrap caramel strips around apple. Stand upright on waxed paper and let set for 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, melt dark, white or milk chocolate (careful not to burn it! Burnt chocolate smells horrible, tastes worse, and ruins cookware!). Pour melted chocolate into a metal bowl. Dip apples into chocolate.

6. Sprinkle chocolate covered apple with nuts, M&M’s or your favorite topping (I’m a sucker for crushed Butterfinger…). Place decorated apples onto wax paper, standing upright. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

…Once you take these babies out of the fridge, you’ll be amazed at how many friends you suddenly have…

[Recipe courtesy of the geniuses over at The Food Network.]

Last Tuesday I saw the documentary Food, Inc. and it changed my life.  Although it had a relatively minimal environmental focus, it still reminded me how important we are as consumers and how much our food purchasing decisions actually make a difference.

Think about it – 10 years ago you couldn’t really find any substantial amount of organic produce in mainstream supermarkets.  Now, due to the demand for healthier and more sustainable products, the supermarkets are flooded with organic products from Oreos to macaroni and cheese.  And for those of you who think you can’t afford eco-friendly foods on a college budget, think again.  I will show you where, how, and what to buy to decrease your carbon “foodprint” while increasing the size of your wallet.

1. Skip the supermarket and head to your local farmer’s market.   By shopping locally, you support your neighborhood farmer and decrease the amount of fossil fuels needed to transport your food.  Most of the food sold at farmers markets is organic, and even if it’s not, you still increase the amount of in-season crops that you purchase.  Plus, by cutting out the middle man (i.e. the supermarkets) you can usually get a better price for healthier foods.  Find a farmer’s market (or two!) in your town by visiting www.localharvest.org.

2. Order delivery. If you don’t have time to hit the farmer’s market, you should check out community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs in your area.  When you subscribe to a CSA, you buy your produce directly from a farmer.  Your produce usually comes in a giant box per week that the farm delivers directly to you or to a pick-up spot near you.  The best part about the box is that all of the produce is in-season, fresh, and organic.  Each week’s box is a surprise filled with vegetables and fruits that you never knew existed.  It’s a great opportunity for you and your roommates to share the expense (and the cooking!) of eco-friendly, healthy foods.

3. Be picky. As much as we’d like to, most of us can’t afford to buy solely organic foods.  Skip the confusion at the grocery store head to www.foodnews.org.  This website lists various produce items in order of their tendency to be contaminated with pesticides.  Some of the most contaminated foods include peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, and strawberries.  These are foods that you should definitely buy organic if you can.  If you’re strapped for cash, don’t worry about onions, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, and asparagus – these have the lowest pesticide load of all produce.

4. Eat your vegetables. It takes far less energy to produce vegetables than meat, dairy, and produce.  Each year, livestock consume about half of the grains and oilseeds grown in the U.S., which requires huge amounts of pesticides and fertilizers to produce.  They are also constantly sprayed with insecticides and injected with antibiotics to keep them healthy despite their too-tight living quarters.  All of this requires tons of energy and produces a huge amount of pollution.  Instead, limit your consumption of meat, dairy, and seafood or buy organic meats and wild seafood if you can’t go without.  Even just adopting a “meatless Mondays” tradition can decrease your carbon “foodprint” by leaps and bounds.

5. Avoid processed foods. If you can’t do any of the above, simply choosing fresher, non-processed foods can do tons of good for the environment and your health.  Processed foods require dozens of ingredients (most of which are artificial and/or doused in pesticides) to produce and preserve the product.  Most of these ingredients are shipped in from all over to a main processing plant before the finished product is even shipped out to supermarkets.  Avoid the “mystery ingredients” and vow to only eat food made with ingredients you can actually pronounce.

Food production is one of the top sources of greenhouse gases and pollution.  Be sure to educate yourself before you put something like that in your body!  If you want more information, check out the documentary Food, Inc., go to www.coolfoodscampaign.org, or check out books like Fast Food Nation and In Defense of Food.

You might have said “No” to 1/2 price happy hour during the winter, but now your friends can twist your arm to drink overpriced margaritas at a trendy beach bar.  Cutting costs doesn’t have to mean cutting down on fun, however, and if you play your cards right, you can have a kickass summer and barely spend a dime.

1.  Hang out at the lake.

Big beaches can actually cost a pretty penny, when you factor in overpriced parking costs, expensive surrounding restaurants, and the gas money if it’s a major tourist trap that seems worth a 2- to 3-hour drive.  You can still soak in the sun and go for a dip at your local lake.  If the lake is part of a community park, you might have to pay a couple dollars to park, but that money usually goes towards keeping the park clean.

2.  Go fruit picking.

Check out local farms and farmer’s markets and stock of on all the fresh produce that’s yours for the picking.  Whether you visit a strawberry patch, a blueberry field, or stock up on a harvest of tomatoes, you can spend a few therapeutic hours away from the commotion of our high-tech world, and maintain your bikini bod by eating healthy.  Then, go home and conjure up some gastronomic experiments, such as homemade caprese salad (tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic vinegar) or a genuine strawberry daiquiri.

3.  Get athletic.

If you can freeze your gym membership to save some cash, there’s no better time than the summer.  Even if you can’t, there’s no reason you can’t organize a group of friends to partake in some physical- and fun- activity.  Bike riding, rollerblading, volleyball, badminton, softball, basketball- if you have the equipment already, you won’t have to spend a dime.

4.  Pool parties, duh.

There’s hardly a reason to go out an spend money if you or one of your BFFs has a pool.  In fact, it’s an excuse to have a pool party every weekend.  Does warm weather make you want to start drinking at 2 p.m. (or is that just me…)? Rather than go out to an expensive lunch, have a cookout and grab a six pack of Corona Light to enjoy while you lounge.  Invite a few more people over for some quality chicken tournaments, or create a Facebook event to host the pool party of the century.

5.  Local festivals.

Plenty of towns host grand summer events, from music festivals to “A Taste of <insert city here>” to small carnivals.  Many of these events are free, but if they aren’t, they’ll be much less expensive than an excursion to the closest big city.  Even if you look up events at towns and cities that are slightly outside your normal geographic location, if you get a bunch of friends to chip in on gas, you’ll still spend less money than a summer holiday.

6.  Fireworks.

Fourth of July is NOT the only reason to set off some explosives, and this summer, there will be plenty of evenings when things go BANG! in the night.  Either go to the park where the fireworks are being hosted, or lounge in lawnchairs in your own backyard and sling back a few while the night sky is lit up.  Just bring the bug spray.

7. Camping.

You just had your big spring break holiday, didn’t you? Besides, in July and August, all the tropical locales are way too hot, humid, and congested with other tourists.  Find a local campground, and not only will you save a ton of money on lodging, but you’ll be more inclined to cook out rather than eat out, and participate in other nature-type activities rather than exploring overpriced theme parks and nightclubs.

If you are creative and look into other local happenings around your town, you’re bound to come up with individual activities that won’t break the bank.  Besides, in the summer, you don’t have to fear the outdoors, so get out and do something!  And, remember how stressed you were during finals? That should be reason alone to relax and go easy on your wallet.

It seems pretty counter-intuitive to throw a party in honor of Earth Day (we’ve all seen college lawns the morning after a party), but what better way to bring people’s attention to this important day and issue than by throwing a soiree? You can teach people a few things while having a good time!

And you can do it the Green way!

Fact: Parties generate a lot of waste(d people).
Fact: You can throw a party without the waste. (Though the wasted people might still be there.)
Bonus: You can do it on an end-of-the-year student budget (a.k.a very little moolah).

So let’s celebrate and bring some much needed awareness to Earth Day this year! Here are some tips for throwing an eco-friendly Earth Day Party so you can have fun without hurting Mother Earth.

Invites:

Make it a Facebook event!  Not printing out paper fliers will save trees.   Bonus of having a Facebook event?  You can organize carpooling/transportation to your event to cut down on wasted gas.  If people are planning on driving, see if they can pick up other people along the way. Also, encourage your friends to walk, bike or take the bus if they’re not close by. Just be sure that all those earth-friendly carpoolers choose a DD or find an alternate way home.

Food & Beverages:

Don’t use disposable dishes.  Not only are they a waste of money, but they also generate a lot of waste.  If you are worried about having enough glasses, you can either ask people to bring one with them, or go pick some up from a thrift store.  If you’re in the market for some new dishes totally earth-friendly dishes (you tree hugger, you), invest in some Preserve dishes.

If you want to serve food, make it yourself.  Pre-packaged things usually have a lot of wasteful packaging.  And buy local. It’s cheap and good for the environment!  Check your area to see if there are any farmer markets nearby.  And if you have lots of leftover food (because people were focused more on the drinks) send it home with friends in reusable containers.

If it’s B.Y.O.B, encourage your friends to buy local or organic alcohol!  If you’re wine drinkers, wine produced near you won’t break the bank, and it’s more environmentally friendly! If that’s not an option, buy in bulk. No cans, no small bottles. Kegs produce very little waste (and lots of fun) and larger bottles of alcohol (like the trusty “handle”) will cut down on many wasteful empties.

Activities:

If it’s a low-key event, screen an eco-awareness film. An Inconvenient Truth, The 11th Hour (hello, Leo DiCaprio!) or Who Killed the Electric Car are all good options. Have a computer available so your friends can calculate their carbon footprint.

If this is more of a “college” party, send your friends on a Get-Trashed treasure hunt. Whoever brings back the most trash from the street in a certain amount of time gets a prize (shots?). Those who come back with nothing…well, they have to take more shots. You can clean up your town and have a grand ole’ time.

Or why not make it a swap party?  It’s near the end of the year and if you’re moving, chances are you’ve got junk to get rid of.  Ideas include clothing swaps, or beauty product swaps.  Or, if you have nothing to wear, having a quick pre-party swap.

Clean-Up:

When you’re cleaning up go green.  Use eco-friendly products (I LOVE METHOD!) or the cleaning tips you learned from Mom using products you probably have on hand.

And, as always, don’t forget to RECYCLE!

I ended up buying 5 pounds of apples.

When I got home, I decided it was time to put all my energy to good use and bake a pie. I turned up loud, energetic music and started up the oven. As a semi-professional cook, making delicious things was always a kind of therapy, and was a way to channel my emotions. I asked one of my male friends if baking a pie was an appropriate response to a breakup, and I was told, “Only if you’re planning on throwing it at his face while it’s still steaming hot.” Aah, right to the point.

So now I present the:

I’m-Too-Good-For-Him-Anyway Apple Pie:

8 cups of peeled, sliced apples (Approx 1- 1 1/2 lbs)

1/3 cup sugar

2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 pie crusts (Store bought. You can find them in the refrigerator section) ‘

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

1.) Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

2.) Peel, core and slice your apples. Slices can be thick, thin, whatever you want. Word of caution: thick apples will stay kind of firm, whereas thin apples will bake into kind of a mush.

3.) Toss the apples with the lemon juice, then mix in the sugar and cinnamon

4.) Add vanilla and give it a last stir.

5.) Unfold your pie crust into your tin or baking dish. Make sure there’s a little crust overhanging your pie pan.

6.) Pour or layer your apples into the crust

7.) Unfold and lay the top crust over your apples. Using a fork, seal the edges of the pie by making fork indentations along the outside.

8.) Using the tip of your knife, mark the top. Draw a picture, make an X, do whatever you want. This will allow steam from your pie to escape to prevent it exploding all over your oven.

9.) If you want a pretty finish on your pie, brush a little egg white over the top crust, and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar.

10.) Put your pie in the oven. Set a kitchen timer, your watch, or your cell phone to about 30 minutes. Check your pie when the timer goes off and if your pie isn’t dark enough, add 10 more minutes to the bake time.

[scrumptious photo from lickyourownbowl.files.wordpress.com]

As we approach August, we may have started to take summer vacay for granted. In the dog days of summer, it’s easy to sleep until 2 p.m., get caught up on Maury, and not realize we still have our PJs on until it’s time to go back to bed. But with the countdown to Fall Semester ticking fast, it’s important to make the most of every spare minute. Whether you’re working your ass off or dedicated to being a lazy bum until a full courseload kicks back in, it’s time to get in gear and create some glorious summer memories.

1. Take a roadtrip. Sure, gas prices are skyrocketing, but you’re only young once, right? And once you’re shackled into a nine-to-five, you’re going to crave the spontaneity that’s currently yours for the taking. I’m a self-professed workaholic, but even I’ve been known to squeeze in a few quality roadtrips between May and August each year. One summer, I took a fourteen-hour drive to Ohio with two girls from work I barely knew, for the birthday party of one of my brother’s grad school friends. And no, my brother didn’t go. So, three random girls showed up at a party in the boondocks (aka Wooster), and promptly put on our party shoes. Liquor flowed, regrettable hook-ups were had, and the girls and I totally bonded over the experience. Even if you can only spare one day, find a town you’ve never been to before, and head out to explore. You never know what adventures might arise.

2. Go multimedia. Have a photo or videoshoot with your friends. No, you don’t need to be drunk, you just need to be creative. Use the summer foliage as a backdrop. Pretend you’re on America’s Next Top Model and work the runway. Yes, it’s childish, but nobody will know if you seal all the evidence in the vault. I have countless “Dress-Up” portraits, in which I’m dressed as anything from a Spice Girl to a Showgirl, as well as some priceless dance routines caught on tape to Tupac’s “California Love,” in which we substituted rolled-up toilet paper for Pac’s signature bandanna headband. It makes for a quick pick-me-up on future bad days. I didn’t make this stuff myself– go watch Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegates’ “Movie Montage” scene from The Sweetest Thing.

3. Get off your ass. There’s a variety of activities that can fall into this category. Take a bike ride, go rollerblading, go hiking. Hell, go to the local playground and play on the jungle gym. We all know exercise boosts your endorphins, but it’s a also a great way to maintain your tan and your bikini bod. Side note: some of my most romantic summer kisses have occurred on the docks of the local lake or underneath the monkey bars once the sun sets on a sultry summer’s eve.

4. Enjoy the local festivities. Whether it’s a local fair or a weekly farmer’s market, a tour of a historic landmark or a downtown block party… what do you have better to do? Besides, even the smallest towns have kooky summer activities. I know a guy who runs in a citywide roadrace every year, donning nothing but a loincloth. You can also check out the local downhome watering hole that reeks of flannel and flasks. Who knows what goes down when the townies come out to play?

5. Have a midday drinking festival. Seriously, this is the time in our lives when we can do it without being labeled an alcoholic. During every spring semester of my college career, I wouldn’t skip a single class until the first nice day of spring. Then, my friends and I would cut every single class to sit out on the quad and booze it up from inconspicuous Nalgene bottles. Sure, school’s been out for weeks, but you can still have a good old daylight drinking binge on a random Tuesday. The good news? You’ll probably pass out early enough to get a head start on tomorrow. The better news? If you follow this step, you can move on to the local festivities or the multimedia extravaganza.

Just don’t attempt a summer roadtrip if you’ve already been hitting the bottle in 90-degree weather.

Needless to say, I could stand to lose a few pounds. But more than that, I want to feel better about myself and the food choices I make. I can live with an extra pound or two, but I’d rather not have the diabetes or high blood pressure that runs in my family.

The problem is, I’m in college, and my budget is always tight. Running from class to work to home, sometimes all I can do is grab something fast and it has seemed as though there was almost nothing out there quick, cheap, and healthy.

It’s true that eating and cooking at its healthiest is not a cheap feat nor is it necessarily quick, but it’s absolutely doable on a college student budget. Here are some quick tips to stretch your wallet without stretching your stomach.

Stop eating out. At least as much as you can. Not only do even the cheapest meals add up money-wise, they are most often fairly bad for you. When you cook at home, you have more control over portion, and what you use to cook with.

Eat and plan your meals before you go shopping. So you won’t be tempted to buy something on impulse and you can have an idea of how much each item you need is going to cost, thereby fitting it better into your budget. Also, look at mailouts and try to plan your meals around sales. This website has some good recipe ideas

Replace soda and sugary fruit juices with water and skim milk.

And stop buying bottled water. It’s bad for the environment and tap water is actually more regulated that bottled, so its better for you. Sometimes bottled water is just water from a local municipal supply, anyway.

Buy produce from a farmer’s market, if you have access to one

Start making your lunch and bringing it with you to school/work.

Buy in bulk, especially meat that you can freeze.

Stock up on cheap, basic items like pasta and rice that will last for a relatively long time and can be paired with a meat or veggie to make a quick meal.

Here are some websites with more tips:

Eating to Thrive

Eating Healthy on an Unhealthy Budget

The Diet Channel

[Any other healthy / cheap food ideas? Do share!!]

As indie music increases in it’s popularity and more of us start “going green” and becoming more eco-conscious, it’s hard to not recognize that Portland is alllll things earthy. Not to mention the bustling arts scene, the cozy coffee shops, and the blend between charming city and crunchy, nature chic.

In my opinion, nothing goes better with Portland than a nice glass of wine.

Best Wine Bar: Carafe, with the coziness of a French bistro Carafe has an incredible wine list and a cheese plate that’s to die for, with local Oregon hazelnuts and fruit. Oo La La.

Also try: Caffe Mingo, Grolla Restaurant and Wine Bar and Three Doors Down Cafe.

Best Coffee: It’s not secret, but Starbucks isn’t where its at when it comes to Portland. World Cup Coffee & Tea is. Organic coffees, good vibes, check it out.

Also Try: Anna Bannanas and Tiny’s.

Best Food: Olea, whether you are craving a brick oven pizza or a small plate of prosciutto wrapped dates…this is the place to satisfy the craving.

Also try: Higgins and Oba!

The Scene: Portland Saturday Market represents all things artsy. Local art, scents of different foods and spices, local music….all of this equals good times.

Portland Farmers Market is the best place to get fresh, local, organic food. Music, tastings, activities, always a good time. If you’re thinking of seeing some live shows, see Do Jump! aerial work, acrobats, people flying through the air…that’s always interesting right? Or catch the dance company BodyVox.

Live Music: The Green Room, Dante’s, and Roseland Theater.

And before you go….you have to experience some of Portland’s gorgeous parks. Full of caffeine, wine and culture, the beauty of the city will be the cherry on top

What are your favorite spots?