Small Choices Towards Tangible Change

Soon after we moved to Brooklyn, Ali suggested that we start buying glass bottles of milk from Ronnybrook Farms at the local farmers market. I was resistant to the idea to say the least. The fact that we would be paying more- it's nearly the same price for a quart of Ronnybrook milk (which is not organic, but much fresher) as we would for a half gallon of organic milk from the coop. Not to mention the inconvenience of having to get to the farmer's market every saturday morning (rain, hail, sleet or snow) before noon. But Ali was persistent, telling me she would make the weekly trips to the farmers market, claiming that the cost difference was marginal.

Here we are, nearly two years later, and we've gone through more than 120 quarts of milk (along with a few heavy creams and half & halves). As far as the small inconvenience of walking or biking the mile to Prospect Park to pick up our weekly supply, I gradually embraced it as part of our Saturday routine and became rather fond of it. I enjoyed seeing the same people every week who sell the milk, plus I would often grab a pastry and sit in the park reading for a bit. While I'm sure we paid a fair amount more for Ronny's milk, the satisfaction of knowing that we didn't have to waste a milk carton every week is more than worth it. Now we have a collection of bottle caps, which I had envisioned using to create a piece of art from. I even imagined, well actually fantasized would be a more accurate word, that it might line the walls of the Whitney Museum on a sustainability exhibit.

I believe the single greatest factor that inhibits individuals from making more sustainable lifestyle choices is a feeling of helplessness. What's the point of bringing cloth bags to

the grocery store if all of the other 50 customers are choosing paper or plastic? It is daunting even to attempt ecological choices in a very unsustainable culture. I learned on NPR that the amount of plastic produced in America every year is nearly equal to the combined mass of every man, woman and child in the country. Not only that, but nearly 30% of that plastic is intended to end up in the garbage (such as packaging plastics). These figures are scary, but tangible change can be made with minimal inconvenience. If it were up to me we would have thrown away more than 60 milk cartons, but luckily I've been blessed with a partner who's a bit more thoughtful...

Progressive Nimbyism

I read an article in the Times this morning about people who live in the most "liberal" hubs in America, yet they're not willing to make small sacrifices in order to progress the green movement. I try to be compassionate with these kind of scenarios, but frankly, it disturbs me when the populations of Brooklyn and Berkeley are NOT willing to make marginal sacrifices for the greater good of the environment. How can these people consider themselves progressives when they're not willing to promote progress in their own back yard? And if those citizens aren't going to make the effort or sacrifice, then who will? Checkout the article below to see the full analysis of the Progressive Nimbyism(Not In My Back Yard).

Lets Become Smarter Consumers

This morning I read an article in the Times about how as consumers we've gotten into a cycle where every two years we dispose of our old gadgets-phones, camera's GPS (often times into the garbage), to purchase something brand new with all its bells and whistles, or maybe just its reduced price. Unsustainable doesn't even say it. This kind of consumption will lead us into materialistic suicide. It's not just with electronics either. With the help of China, a mentality has been developed in this country where cheaper is better, in almost every sense of the word. That means that we're ready to buy an item for half price, even though it would only provide a quarter of the shelf life as the full-priced item...

I have fallen into this pattern throughout my consumeristic existence. Why? Because if I can buy an item that appears to be exactly the same as another, and still walk away with extra loot in my wallet, why shouldn't I? Because of that mentality, our consumeristic ways have demanded cheap, poorly made products with minimal shelf-life. The companies are winning. This way they sell their products at a much faster rate, generating more capital. The producers are winning. Just google how much debt our country owes China. We seem to think we're winning when we leave Target with that brand new digital camera with 12 Megapixels for under $100. But then when it dies on us out of nowhere 15 months later with a year warranty, we tell ourselves- "I'll never buy another Kodak Camera..." But the chances are, the next company isn't all that different.

It's time that we become smarter, more long-term consumers, not just in regards to electronics, but with everything that we purchase. Instead of buying jeans for $20 at The Gap, Ali recently spent $200 on a pair that are so rugged she had to wear them in for a couple months before she could ride her bike wearing them. Supposedly they will last for the rest of her life. My logic tells me that I could buy 10 pairs of brand new jeans at the gap, if I can get for $20 a pop, so why drop a couple of Benjamin's? But that logic doesn't take into account details like our economy- Ali's jeans were made in this country, the environment- 9 extra pairs of jeans stuck in a landfill sounds like a lot. Or inflation. I highly doubt that I'll be able to find a decent pair of jeans at the Gap for $20 in ten years.

I will continue to struggle with this battle, but I've got my brother to provide me with plenty of inspiration. The roof of his house has reached it's shelf life, allowing leaks in his house. So instead of replacing it with the most affordable option- only $5k, he's going to spend twice as much to have metal roofing with an extra foot overhang in order to protect the house. It's not going to be easy for him, since he doesn't even have that kind of cash sitting around (who does?), but with a little time and sacrifice, he'll be making the intelligent, long-term purchase that should provide a shelf-life through 2111. Not bad, ehh?

Edible Art

Do you ever spend way too much time in the ice cream section (as I used to) searching for the perfect flavor? Well, I'm happy to offer a relatively sustainable alternative to this tragic situation which many of us gluttonous americans are currently facing...

We picked up the Cuisinart 1- 1/2 Quart Automatic Ic Cream Maker on sale for $40, which has worked like a charm. Before I continue this posting, you need to understand that it took at least 7 other trials of simpler flavors (vanilla, coffee, dark chocolate, peach, cookies n' cream, and mint chocolate chip) to realize my true ice-cream flavoring potential.

With that said, this is what you'll need...

1 cup milk

2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream

1 package of Jules Destrooper Butter Crisps (if you can't find this, search for a crisp, high quality waffle cone)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Salted Hot Fudge Sauce II

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (if desired)

Heat up a cup of milk on medium heat, then add a half cup of sugar. Continue heat until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside until mixture is room temp.

Meanwhile... You can get crackin' on the Hot Fudge sauce. I added nearly a teaspoon of salt to give it that naughty salted chocolate flavor flave. I also used regular milk and sugar, and it was still delish. I made a quarter of the recipe and still had plenty leftover, which I can assure you was not in the least bit problematic. I made a couple fudge sandwiches using the Butter Crisps- merely as means of preserving the ice cream for as long as possible, but it didn't even last a week (what's a sweet-toothed brother to do?). Set the Fudge aside to cool (as difficult as that may be).

Now you can add the milk/sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla (if desired, but certainly not necessary) together in a bowl. Get your Ice Cream maker ready, and add the above ingredients into the icy contraption. Each ice cream machine works differently, so the time frame for this next step may vary. I waited 20 minutes until the mixture was thick, possessing similar qualities to soft serve ice cream.

Crumble in the amount of butter crips you want, at whatever size you prefer (I did em pretty small, using a little less than half the package- about 3 oz). Then add in the fudge. Let it swirl for no more than 10 seconds, then turn the machine off. If you do it for longer it will not be a swirl, but merely chocolate ice cream. I have found, after vast scientific experimentation, that the ice cream tastes better after it's been stored in the freezer for an hour or so. Of course this have never inhibited me from loading a small bowl of decadence directly from the ice cream machine before doing so. Now you may enjoy the Salted-Chocolate, Butter-Crisp Delight!

The Expiration of the Ziploc Bag

For years I had been using ziploc bags to carry everything from sandwiches, to chips, to cookies, to cherries. And before that, it was the zipless plastic bag or "sandwich bag". Remember those? Well I've finally found the next progression in the evolving plastic pouch. It's dubbed: the Fresh Snack Pack, and it's the first reusable plastic bag I've found that isn't a hassle to clean. It's made from EVA plastic, the same material used for baby teethers, which has been approved by the FDA and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) if that accounts for anything. The design in relatively sleek, and very practical. The food is placed inside the plastic sleeve, then it's folded over, so as not to allow the contents to spill out, and then a velcro strip secures it shut. On their website, they boast that:

We recently passed the 100th day of school and have been using and reusing the same sandwich bag all year...can your disposable bag do that? (That was last school year and guess what? We're still using the same sandwich bag.)

After having used my fresh little snack packs several times, they still look brand new. And they've been filled with tuna-salad sandwiches, PJ&J's, exploding cherries, you name it.

Now, the questions you all have at the tip of your tongues (or fingertips)- How much do they cost? The smaller one(4"x6"), which they call "snack size" costs a whopping $4.50, while the larger (8"x6") "sandwich size" costs $5.50. Plus, you can pick them up at your local green store, if you live in a relatively urban location, to avoid shipping costs (and packaging).

I feel like I'm creating an advertisement for this product, but really, I'm just excited to have an alternative to the ziploc bag. I've been pretty anti for a while, and I can't tell you how stoked I am to have found a sustainable substitute...

http://www.freshsnackpack.com/home.html

"Sandwich Size"

"Snack Size"

Sunday Parkways

I know that Portland, OR is considered the best biking city in the country, but I have to say I've been biking much more here in NYC, especially now that it's summer. This past weekend, Colin and I decided to explore a new neighborhood. We picked Forest Hills, Queens. Unfortunately, Queens is not the most bike-friendly borough, but the streets were quiet enough that we were able to have a peaceful seven mile ride out there. After brunch and a stroll through Forest Hills Gardens (a private community of beautiful houses) we headed over to PS 1. Unlike the neighborhood crawl we had taken to get to Forest Hills, the ride to Long Island City was a bit gruesome. We had to spend some time on a busy road and only had a bike lane for about one mile of the seven mile trip. After perusing the museum for the second time since our arrival in NYC, we realized that perhaps it is a bit too contemporary for our tastes. Nonetheless, I liked the outdoor exhibit of the giant balls in the nets, and this crazy room with a billion colors.
Then-- a free show at SummerStage in Central Park! We had been waiting for The xx since we found out they were playing there earlier this summer. We biked over the Queensboro bridge (a somewhat new discovery- it's a nice ride) and were able to get in. Not the most amazing show, but we had a fun time. And hey, free is free. The nine mile ride back home was a bit tiring (we DID have bike lanes 80% of the way, though), but luckily we had some homemade cookies and cream ice cream waiting for us...

Plastic or Cloth?

This morning, while shopping at the Park Slope Food Co-op, I noticed this contraption:


What a great idea! Simply wash your old plastic bags, hang 'em on the wooden prongs and reuse them after they dry. Brilliant, eh? I'm not so sure...
Ten minutes earlier, I was picking through the red skinned potatoes when the woman next to me said "That is so neat, where do you get those?" She was referring to my cloth bag, which, incidentally, was a shopping bag from a dress I had purchased in SoHo two years before. I explained that the co-op sells drawstring bags, and my brilliant friend Kris had also made me some out of an old sheet. This is one of many, MANY incidents that have occurred since we switched from plastic to cloth. It mesmerizes me how many people are mesmerized by the use of cloth bags to put produce in, when it is, in fact, much easier than reusing plastic bags, wooden contraption or not.