Showing posts with label going green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label going green. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Food for Thought

For those Charlotteans out there, check out this article posted today on the Charlotte Observer.

A local family is on a whole-foods diet for 100 days.  That means no fast food, no processed foods... Just fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and local grass-fed meat.  I was so excited to see this article, especially since I've recently made a similar (not quite as ridged) commitment after a multi-hour discussion with Sarah.

Goodbye diet cokes & meat (for the most part), and junk food... Hello daily fruits & veggies and water (lots of it)!  Now if I could only get the family on board with this too... 

{my breakfast bowl... with fresh South Carolina peaches from this weekend}

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Soap Box

*Disclaimer:* I went back-and-forth on whether or not to post this, as I know people have strong views on either side of the spectrum. But in the words of John Prine, “you are who you are, and you ain’t who you ain’t” – So I’m posting with the disclaimer that you are free to skip over this little blog post if you feel firmly anti-organic.

In honor of Earth Day, I’ve been thinking (a lot) about going organic. It started with a brief conversation with a friend on Saturday about knowing where your meat comes from… Then on Tuesday, I shared with the hubby this short internet film, The Meatrix, on the same subject – courtesy of one of my anthropology classes in undergrad (*another disclaimer:* while this is a cartoon spoof of The Matrix, the content can be disturbing, especially if you’ve never considered where your food really comes from)

Then, for the ultimate sign-from-the-cosmos-that-we-need-to-make-a-change, Jeff was randomly flipping through the channels last night, and found the documentary, Food, Inc. on PBS. This was an eye-opener! As I watched and gestured and lamented my past ways, Jeff laughed at me (he has always championed veggies from a home garden, meatless dishes & other points raised in the film). Visit the website to learn more, and check out the film if you can.


You can also visit the Eat Well Guide for Charlotte, highlighting local organic grocery stores (Trader Joes, Home Economist, & Whole Foods) and restaurants (Pewter Rose, Nobles, & Ratcliffe On The Green - although not mentioned, Good Food on Montford should also be added to your list), as well as a table of fruits & veggies in season for our area (so that we’re not eating food that has been trucked 1500 miles to get here).

Okay, off my Earth Day soap box now… The views expressed here are solely my own, and I encourage ya’ll to explore all the information that is available to make your own informed decision. Now cue the ‘Everyday is Earth Day’ song and sign language that I learned in 3rd grade… Or the Captain Planet theme song, you can decide.

*NOTE: Food, Inc. will be streaming online at PBS in its entirety from now until Thursday, April 29th! Check it out. I’m hoping that Jeff can hook up our laptop to the tv for a second viewing, especially if anyone else is interested in a little viewing party (feel free to comment on my level of craziness or dorky-ness… just don't actually post those, pretty please).

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day, ya’ll! I’m the first to admit that I was all talk and no action on going (even ever-so-slightly) green before I became a Whittaker… Jeff, on the other hand, really walks the walk. Admittedly, he does his part mostly to save a dollar… But either way, it’s also helping save the earth.

My jaw literally dropped when I saw this post on Young House Love awhile back. Why? Because months earlier, my hubby (he is so ahead of the curve) built these in our backyard:


Two eco-friendly rain barrels. Our friend (and ultimate green-guru), Tyson, got the barrels from a place that sells used food containers, pretty cheap. Jeff bought a standard valve to let water out, connected one barrel to the downspout, then added a hose at the top of that one to connect to the second barrel. He then added an overflow hose from the second one out to the yard, in case both were full. Lastly, he added a screen to the first barrel to keep dirt out and built a platform to keep both elevated and close to the downspout… And ta-da! We had a rain barrel system for the yard.

We’re currently using them to water our newly-planted veggie garden (and soon-to-be-planted flower pots).


Fingers crossed for a harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, black beans, and blueberries!