Published on February 8th, 2008
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There are a lot of foods that sound healthy, but really aren’t. For example, “Simply Fruit” jam that contains less fruit than other ingredients, or “fruit medley” treats for toddlers that primarily contain corn syrup and no other fruit besides white grape juice. Basically, if you want a healthy treat that really is healthy, you are best off baking it yourself. That’s why I like this recipe I created. I started with a formula from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible, and modified the spices and made it into a cupcake.
What I like about the recipe is that the main ingredient is carrots. In fact, the cupcakes contain more carrot than flour, oil or sugar. As an added bonus, using fruit or vegetables in a baked good really bumps the moisture content and lets you easily use whole grain flour. Add some raisins, and this dessert packs a lot of fiber and nutrition for the calories — and still tastes great. Recipe after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on February 5th, 2008
We celebrated our child’s birthday with her friends last weekend. At every holiday, inevitably someone asks a child what gift she is wishing for. It’s times like that’s where it becomes abundantly clear that we don’t watch kids TV. My child has no idea what toy she would like; even the concept of directing a purchase is still a bit new.
So, when the inevitable question came during the party, the Kiddo took a moment and thought hard. “Berries,” she said. “Strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.”
It would have been easy enough to go buy them (imported) at the grocery store. And, likely I will do just that. But, I also ordered her the plants for her own “teaching” garden. Perhaps not the usual gift for a three-year-old, but I have a feeling she will love it. She already helps water and plant herbs. This season, we will grow plants from seeds indoors as well.
Teaching gardens are one of the more innovative approaches to hands-on learning and getting kids to embrace real foods again. Personally, I think it would be great if such a tool were a mandatory part of public education, just like PE. But, waiting for schools to catch up and do something innovative in a “No Child Left Behind” system could be a long wait. The teaching garden will have to be our backyard. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on February 4th, 2008
It sounds cliched, but I can’t believe it’s been a year since Green Options launched a year ago. I got involved on a whim, responding to a post on sustainablog, thinking, “What the heck? I’ve got nothing to lose by checking this out.” Little did I know how immersed I would get in not just the green blogosphere (and it can be very consuming), but also in environmental and sustainability education. What a great time to be in the green world! Awareness and options are truly growing exponentially right before our eyes.
What better lens to view that change through than environmental education? Despite No Child Left Behind’s (how can I put this delicately?) marginalization of non-core classes such as environmental education and fine arts, teachers and schools all over the country are finding ways to incorporate sustainability and the environment into their curriculum. The No Child Left Inside Act, designed to give support to environmental education is in committee in both the House and the Senate. Schools are creating gardens, whole foods programs in cafeterias, recycling programs, and worm bins. Districts are choosing to incorporate sustainability into school design and construct LEED-certified buildings, and California hosted the very first Green Schools Summit.
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Published on January 25th, 2008
Published on January 24th, 2008
As the holiday season approached, my husband and I experienced more than the usual anxiety. It wasn’t a matter of what to buy, for us, it was important to consider what not to buy and the many reasons why:
We wanted to avoid the crush of gifts that create an association in a child’s mind that the holiday is all about her and what she gets. Our little family has some solid traditions in sharing meals and occasions with friends and family and we wanted that focus to continue since that is the most important part of celebrations for us.
Additionally, with 90 percent of toys coming to our country from China, and 82 percent of the toy recalls involving these imported items, every new bit of inexpensive plastic is as much of a concern as it is a gift. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on December 19th, 2007
What does it look like when a school goes solar? Students in Gerlach, NV, found out firsthand yesterday when they celebrated the installation of 90-kilowatt PV system at their campus in northern Nevada. The system will supply almost all of the energy needs of the three-building campus that serves 83 K-12 students.
“The solar panels will give our students good insight into the different ways we can address global warming issues with renewable energy,” said Gerlach Principal Carol Kaufmann. The system is the result of a collaboration between the Washoe County School District, MMA Renewable Ventures, SCHOTT Solar, Sierra Pacific Power, and the infamous Burning Man festival. The ground-mounted system will save the district approximately $20,000 per year.
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Published on December 12th, 2007
When Jennifer Lance asked me to be a part of the new and improved Eco Child’s Play blog a few weeks ago I jumped at the chance. I’ve been a fan of this blog for quite awhile so, it’s nice to be writing here!
Many of you may know me from my own blog, The Not Quite Crunchy Parent where I cover many different aspects of eco parenting…from the point of view of one who tries but doesn’t always succeed in being green.
Though I grew up in the ‘70s with a yoga teacher, organic eating mother, I came rather late to green living. First I spent 20 years earning an MBA in marketing and then working for a variety of companies selling toys, paper products, food, housewares and a variety of other consumer products. After reaching The Director of Marketing level and shortly after having a child, I scaled back to consulting and teaching and started learning more about natural living. Having a child can do that to you! Read the rest of this entry »
Published on December 5th, 2007
I StumbleUpon-ed Inca Kids the other day and loved their products, particularly those geared towards children. The company is fair trade, and they get their products from Peruvian craftspeople. This got me thinking about fair trade toys. With all the justified hoopla around toxins from Made-In-China plastic toys on shelves in the U.S., fair trade toys seem like a safe, sustainable alternative that facilitate imagination in children. Jennifer wrote about this cute fair trade hippo earlier this fall Here’s a brief rundown of few companies that feature fair trade toys for children:
* Inca Kids has adorable puppets, dolls, musical instruments, and books made in Peru. My favorite are the bunny gloves/puppets–they’re too cute!
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on November 20th, 2007
Our friends at Z Recs have started a blog called Prizey, a directory of online giveaways related to children. This month, they are featuring an Eco Baby Giveaway! This giveaway consists of over $200 in eco-friendly baby products. To enter, you must email the folks at Prizey:
- a theme idea you’d love to see in a future PRIZEY giveaway, with one company whose products you think would be a great fit for it, and
- your mailing address (even if you’ve entered a past contest, because we don’t store your personal info at PRIZEY)
by Midnight CST Nov. 27. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on November 19th, 2007
Editor’s note: The following is a guest post written by Michelle Montoya for Baby Best Buy. Michelle is an SEO copywriter at Pole Position Marketing, and online retailer Baby Best Buy is one of the company’s clients.
By protecting the environment today, you will be creating a better life for your children tomorrow. If we teach our children to love and respect the earth, they will have a better understanding and will then pass that on to their children.
Although the damage that has been done to the earth is irreversible, we can do our best to preserve it as it is by teaching our children.
While “going green” sounds like it might require an internal overhaul, it’s really not that difficult. There are many minor changes you can make in your life and in that of your children that will have a positive impact on the earth’s environment. Read the rest of this entry »
There are a lot of foods that sound healthy, but really aren’t. For example, “Simply Fruit” jam that contains less fruit than other ingredients, or “fruit medley” treats for toddlers that primarily contain corn syrup and no other fruit besides white grape juice. Basically, if you want a healthy treat that really is healthy, you are best off baking it yourself. That’s why I like this recipe I created. I started with a formula from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible, and modified the spices and made it into a cupcake.
