31 March 2008

[sigh]

Today's been one of those days.... 

everybody is doing their part

the "elite" shop at COSTCO to fulfill bulk needs pre-cocktail party while eco-friendly indie greenies flock to TARGET to buy organic cotton sheets

28 March 2008

another case for organic peanut butter

here


5 easy ways...

...to go "organic"

In a nutshell [an organic peanut nutshell, that is] here are some easy changes [and reasons why you should] I bet you can make...

Milk: "One recent United States Department of Agriculture survey found certain pesticides in about 30 percent of conventional milk samples and low levels in only one organic sample."


Potatoes: "A 2006 U.S.D.A. test found 81 percent of potatoes tested still contained pesticides after being washed and peeled, and the potato has one of the the highest pesticide contents of 43 fruits and vegetables tested, according to the Environmental Working Group."


Peanut Butter: "More acres are devoted to growing peanuts than any other fruits, vegetable or nut, according to the U.S.D.A. More than 99 percent of peanut farms use conventional farming practices, including the use of fungicide to treat mold..."


Ketchup: [I found their reasons for ketchup both disturbing and amusing at the same time] "For some families, ketchup accounts for a large part of the household vegetable intake. About 75 percent of tomato consumption is in the form of processed tomatoes, including juice, tomato paste and ketchup. Notably, recent research has shown organic ketchup has about double the antioxidants of conventional ketchup."


Apples: "Apples are the second most commonly eaten fresh fruit, after bananas, and they are also used in the second most popular juice, after oranges, according to Dr. Greene. But apples are also one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables."


[all quotes from the NYTIMES]

27 March 2008

road trip

"i aint got nobody...that i can depend on" 
lyric from a santana song that was playing on the radio

god listens.
slogan i noticed on a construction worker's tshirt as he waited to cross the street

"smile"
lyric from a tupac, johnny p, and scarface song that was playing on the radio

"dream catch me" 
lyric from a newton faulkner song that was playing on the radio

we fix broken gold
sign on east 7th

"how exciting"
my response to the pizza delivery guy [from here on out referred to as PDG] when talking about war history and cancer and the validity of people studying both despite the fact that neither is a happy subject.   ok, ill admit it...ive been uber stressed out lately, my blood sugar was waaaaaaay low, and i much as i like to believe i am a multitasker, tonight was proof that talking on the phone and trying to make dinner at the same time is a VERY VERY bad idea.  PDG, i feel like a flake; it was definitely one of those 'doh!' moments. i do listen well and i typically have more appropriate responses than that. i apologize and i promise i wont ever judge your leftovers if you dont judge my temporary insanity witnessed in the above quote. on another note,THANK YOU for being there, listening, and giving me feedback.  its nice to know i have your company on the high road. 

...what a day

success+1

Nike: shorts, shirt, shoes, watch.
Asics: socks.

obscene no longer...
well, until saturday, when i have to go back to my mizunos, as per doctor's orders until my new dancing shoes come in...

26 March 2008

Coming up roses


I went to Daily Juice after my run for my brunch [late start today]; green sunset with hemp protein. The last time I was in there, last wednesday, a man walked in-like, the quintessential 'keep austin weird' hippy [long sleeved peasant shirt, sandals, long hair, necklaces and bracelets and all]-and handed me a white rose. Today, the same man walked in and handed me a red one. Serious. Come to think of it, it was about the same time today as it was last week. I don't know what his story is or why roses...but I've already decided that I will return the same time next week...Last week, I remember thinking what a nice thing to do. What a way to make a girl smile...Today I wondered, as I sat and waited a RIDICULOUSLY long time for my drink, does he do it everywhere he goes, or just Daily Juice? Does he do this EVERY day? Or just on Wednesdays? What about the roses: Where are they from? His garden? Someone else's? Now I'm curious. Maybe next week I'll work up the courage to ask him... but then again, I guess sometimes one shouldnt need to know the answers...

label obscenity

As I was putting on my running clothing this morning-Hind shorts and top, Sugoi long sleeved shirt, Champion bra, Asics socks, and Nike shoes-it occurred to me that I was wearing 5 different brands [well, 6, if you count the goody elastic headband and ponytail holder]. I am committed to condensing this in the future, to no more than three VISIBLE logos. The socks+ shoe label one is the greatest offense I feel. Why do my favorite asics socks have to actually SAY 'Asics' all the way around the cuff?!?!? ugh.

25 March 2008

really, i dont do 'sci-fi'...

...but this is palatable...funny, too...



23 March 2008

BOO

In an email from my coach to myself yesterday, it was revealed he found my blog.  

A side note: In my response back to him, I felt like I had to justify why my blog doesn't talk about my training like nearly everyone else's does... I shared that I don't feel the need to rehash my workouts, since right now they hardly qualify as more than 'slightly sweat inducing activity'. It got me thinking that perhaps I should start a blog about coming back from an injury that sidelined me for 5 months and thus necessitated STARTING OVER. FROM ZERO. I'm still mulling that one over. Frankly, I'm trying to put the fractured pelvis behind me... but... You never know; I did join facebook and have been swimming by choice, so anything is possible

Anyhow, back to the coach finding my blog.  After observing that I am [and I quote] "really into the organic/sustainible culture/movement/lifestyle", he sent me a link to an article in the NYTIMES about this hipster indie trend towards organic farming. I read the article last week and my thoughts have appeared in bits and pieces in emails [one back to him and another to the pizza delivery guy] but not 'in full'...or at least, in one place...until now, that is. I don't have an excuse for how NOT posting about it slipped by, but since I have some time to kill right now, I'll share. Don't worry, my thoughts aren't deep...this time....

First of all, let me say that the headline of the article is fantastic: "Leaving Behind the Trucker Hat";  Witty headlines are the crown jewel of good journalism.  After reading the leading sentence, "Their Carhartts are no longer ironic. Now they have real dirt on them", I knew I was in for a good read.  BUT, as good as the headline and the leading sentence are, they pale in comparison to this beauty of a statement, made on the second 'page' of the article: "Having a cool cheese in your fridge has taken the place of knowing what the cool band is, or even of playing in that band...Our rock stars are ricotta makers."

OUR ROCK STARS ARE RICOTTA MAKERS...

...and next, driving a mini van will be cool....or maybe its time for pleated front khaki shorts to make a comeback?! You know, since shoulder pads did make a 'come back' last fall...

anatomy of a gluten free, dairy free, soy free fridge, sort of..

We all have quirks, you know what I'm talking about, those little things we do, never giving second thought to the fact that it is indeed a habit.  Lately, I've realized mine have to do with food.  I have always had a strange relationship with food; It's a very healthy one these days but there are some things which I remain a bit particular about...Today, I introduce you to my refrigerator.
Here are some very basic, superficial, and sort of amusing facts about the contents of my slightly smaller than standard GE Profile refrigerator: 

1] I always cut an apple the same way [I will post a picture next time a eat an apple]. 
2] I nearly always eat one either mid afternoon for a snack or after dinner or both. Thus, my apple consumption is high, VERY high.
3] When I take the apple [fuji OR granny smith, but most often fuji] out of the drawer in the refrigerator, I peel off the sticker.
4] And the sticker is always 'restuck' on the top of the fridge door. I realized that this morning when I was pulling my coffee off of the bottom shelf and saw the little piles stuck together...It was reason to pause and ponder removing them; as of now, the stickers remain.

5] I always keep my coffee and my rice milk on the bottom shelf, right next to the Kombucha [I'm down to 2 a day from the high of 4 through the winter], and in front of the Modelos [kept on hand for not gluten free company [NGFC]] and the Spritzer Jamican Lemonades [on hand for my dad for those rare occasions the New Yorker in him ventures south]. 
6] Water is a top shelf beverage, always. 
7] And in my house produce, except for avocados and strawberries, belongs in the produce drawers; There is a reason why the drawers have those little symbols on them.
8] 'Buying Organic Only' affects everything from my deli meats to my condiments. Being GDSF3 [gluten, dairy, soy free times 3], I control what I can. I read labels voraciously: I would have never known regular ketchup contains 'natural flavorings' [wtf are 'natural flavorings', anyway??!?], a no-go on the GF list. Thank God for Annies.
 9] As you will see, BOO affects my frozen vegetable selection as well... organic nearly everything, yes, except for sweet treats for special peeps. 

20 March 2008

i feel super 'techie'...

...now that I've figured out how to 'embed' videos into my blog...


19 March 2008

consumer consumption and corporate consolidation








super interesting information graphics about the consolidation of the organic food industry: check out the last graphic about whole foods...now i love whole foods, but really... and people say wal-mart is evil? 

war and peace

13 March 2008

oh, they're back, btw

The grossly inferior yet 'compost-able' boxes have returned to the salad bar at the FoodWhole. The flap top boxes were only back one day before they were removed again. I find it quite pointless that they use these 'compost-able' boxes because Lord knows [but please someone correct me if I am wrong] people are throwing them away in what are, most likely, NOT 'compost-able' trash bags! Guess it's the FoodWhole's way of making a change that THEY can feel better about, and what we as the customers and consumers do once we leave there is out of their control. After all, one can only control what one does, not what those around them do...

when 'green' really isn't

On tuesday, Marsha and I went for a ride out towards Creedmore, TX. On the way back in to town, she mentioned Al Gore's documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth' and how horrifying everything that was revealed about the planet was.  My response, although I agreed, was along the lines of 'Well, for every argument he presents there, I'm sure someone on the other side could find evidence against it...Just depends how the news is spun'...and today I read this on NYTIMES.COM

MOUNDVILLE, Ala. — After residents of the Riverbend Farms subdivision noticed that an oily, fetid substance had begun fouling the Black Warrior River, which runs through their backyards, Mark Storey, a retired petroleum plant worker, hopped into his boat to follow it upstream to its source.

It turned out to be an old chemical factory that had been converted into Alabama’s first biodiesel plant, a refinery that intended to turn soybean oil into earth-friendly fuel.

“I’m all for the plant,” Mr. Storey said. “But I was really amazed that a plant like that would produce anything that could get into the river without taking the necessary precautions.”

But the oily sheen on the water returned again and again, and a laboratory analysis of a sample taken in March 2007 revealed that the ribbon of oil and grease being released by the plant — it resembled Italian salad dressing — was 450 times higher than permit levels typically allow, and that it had drifted at least two miles downstream.

The spills, at the Alabama Biodiesel Corporation plant outside this city about 17 miles from Tuscaloosa, are similar to others that have come from biofuel plants in the Midwest. The discharges, which can be hazardous to birds and fish, have many people scratching their heads over the seeming incongruity of pollution from an industry that sells products with the promise of blue skies and clear streams.

“Ironic, isn’t it?” said Barbara Lynch, who supervises environmental compliance inspectors for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “This is big business. There’s a lot of money involved.”

Iowa leads the nation in biofuel production, with 42 ethanol and biodiesel refineries in production and 18 more plants under construction, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. In the summer of 2006, a Cargill biodiesel plant in Iowa Falls improperly disposed of 135,000 gallons of liquid oil and grease, which ran into a stream killing hundreds of fish.

According to the National Biodiesel Board, a trade group, biodiesel is nontoxic, biodegradable and suitable for sensitive environments, but scientists say that position understates its potential environmental impact.

“They’re really considered nontoxic, as you would expect,” said Bruce P. Hollebone, a researcher with Environment Canada in Ottawa and one of the world’s leading experts on the environmental impact of vegetable oil and glycerin spills.

“You can eat the stuff, after all,” Mr. Hollebone said. “But as with most organic materials, oil and glycerin deplete the oxygen content of water very quickly, and that will suffocate fish and other organisms. And for birds, a vegetable oil spill is just as deadly as a crude oil spill.”

Other states have also felt the impact.

Leanne Tippett Mosby, a deputy division director of environmental quality for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said she was warned a year ago by colleagues in other states that biodiesel producers were dumping glycerin, the main byproduct of biodiesel production, contaminated with methanol, another waste product that is classified as hazardous.

Glycerin, an alcohol that is normally nontoxic, can be sold for secondary uses, but it must be cleaned first, a process that is expensive and complicated. Expanded production of biodiesel has flooded the market with excess glycerin, making it less cost-effective to clean and sell.

Ms. Tippett Mosby did not have to wait long to see the problem. In October, an anonymous caller reported that a tanker truck was dumping milky white goop into Belle Fountain Ditch, one of the many man-made channels that drain Missouri’s Bootheel region. That substance turned out to be glycerin from a biodiesel plant.

In January, a grand jury indicted a Missouri businessman in the discharge, which killed at least 25,000 fish and wiped out the population of fat pocketbook mussels, an endangered species.

Back in Alabama, Nelson Brooke of Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Black Warrior River and its tributaries, received a report in September 2006 of a fish kill that stretched 20 miles downstream from Moundville. Even though Mr. Brooke said he found oil in the water around the dead fish, the state Department of Environmental Management determined that natural, seasonal changes in oxygen levels in the water could have been the culprit. The agency did not charge Alabama Biodiesel.

In August, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, in a complaint filed in Federal District Court, documented at least 24 occasions when oil was spotted in the water near the plant. Richard Campo, vice president of Alabama Biodiesel, did not respond to requests for an interview, but Clay A. Tindal, a Tuscaloosa lawyer representing the refinery, called the suit’s claims “sheer speculation, conjecture, and unsupported bald allegations.” Mr. Tindal said that “for various reasons,” the plant was not now producing fuel.

The company has filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on the ground that it has entered into a settlement agreement with state officials that requires it to pay a $12,370 fine and to obtain proper discharge permits.

Don Scott, an engineer for the National Biodiesel Board, acknowledges that some producers have had problems complying with environmental rules but says those violations have been infrequent in an industry that nearly doubled in size in one year, to 160 plants in the United States at the end of 2007 from 90 plants at the end of 2006.

Mr. Scott said that the board had been working with state and environmental agencies to educate member companies and that the troubles were “growing pains.”

Ms. Lynch said some of the violations were the result of an industry that was inexperienced in the manufacturing process and its wastes. But in other instances, she said, companies are skirting the permit process to get their plants up and running faster.

“Our fines are only so high,” Ms. Lynch said. “It’s build first, permit second.”

In October 2005, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management informed Alabama Biodiesel that it would need an individual pollution discharge permit to operate, but the company never applied for one. The company operated for more than a year without a permit and without facing any penalties from state regulators, though inspectors documented unpermitted discharges on two occasions.

For some, the troubles of the industry seem to outweigh its benefits.

“They’re environmental Jimmy Swaggarts, in my opinion,” said Representative Brian P. Bilbray, Republican of California, who spoke out against the $18 billion energy package recently passed by Congress that provides tax credits for biofuels. “What is being sold as green fuel just doesn’t pencil out.”

12 March 2008

breakfast, lunch, dinner, and every snack in between






I've always been a fan of daily juice
Nearly every juice I've tried has been yummy and delicious...but being a creature of habit I really like the 'green sunset'. Recently, I stopped in after a ride and saw these raw food energy bars; They call them 'Baraka Bars'. The packaging caught my eye first. Then the name of the flavor-Cacao Almond. Being unable to eat gluten in addition to soy and dairy virtually all energy bars [but the infamously also snappy packaged LaraBars] are on the 'no-go' list...If it doesn't have whey protein in it, it most surely has soy...ughhh! Anyhow, these Baraka bars are RIGHTEOUSLY DELICIOUS. The flavor is great, the texture is awesome, and they make me feel really really good. After one bite they had me asking, "Lara who?"


I ran into my dear friend and now world famous photographer Mary Sledd in the produce department of Whole Foods yesterday. She was distraught over the fact that she couldn't find the Baraka Bars in what was their former location. I gave her the heads up on their new location; Instead of being placed where it would make sense to display them [in the raw foods AND/OR energy bar section], they have them in a basket on the counter where the gelato case USED to be. It makes no sense. None at all.  The puzzled look on her face was priceless...I think she'd agree: even at $2.99 a fix, the enjoyment Baraka bars bring is priceless. 


09 March 2008

reminder

08 March 2008

chocolate mint madness


I have always been a fan of chocolate and mint. Together. Not apart. Thin Mints, Baskin Robbins mint chocolate chip ice cream, a peppermint mocha, the chocolate mint lara bar, and now Dentyne blast Chocomint center filled gum. I think I've died and gone to heaven...and for less than 5 calories a snap. 

bush and clinton


You know those chintzy prize vending machines at places the HEB and Randalls [Petco has one too]? If I actually have quarters, I have to resist the temptation when I walk by. I couldn't resist the other morning. I had 50cents. The choice was between tin rings [that frankly looked like they could cut a finger off], gumballs, or these scary little creatures the size of a green grape. I went for the scary dudes...I bought two.  The guy on the left [the blue one] looks kind of sketchy for a 'kids toy': The man boobs and scarily long pointed tongue are a bit...nevermind...and the one on the right looks a bit psychotic. I should mention that the blue guy, with the very long tongue, has a lightening bolt on his backwards facing ball cap. The brown guy is wearing a cowboy hat. I've taken to calling 'em Clinton [Blue Boy] and Bush [Cowboy]. Who knew even vending machines send political messages?!?

05 March 2008

mmmmm, pastries!


[yummy updates from little caesar while abroad....]

$45.28

This photo was taken this morning at what will remain an anonymously gas station [but let me say that the name includes numbers and typically this gas, although probably not one of the premier gas stations around, is cheaper than others. They also have a decent selection of 'to go' coffee and will give you a plastic bag to carry your banana and almonds in...  ;) ]. Yes, the image reads $45. 28 for a mere 13.768 gallons of gas. This total costs corresponds to paying approximately $3.24/ gallon for mid-grade fuel. And that I find RIDICULOUS.  Maybe it's time to commute by bicycle....?

04 March 2008

hell froze

i joined facebook.

garbanzos

almost better than popcorn. 
this was a snack a grazed on post workout and post dinner too...
righteous roasted garbanzo beans
1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs coarse salt
1 tsp garam masala
>set oven to 400 F. 
>drain garbanzos and rinse thoroughly. remove excess water by patting dry [as with most anything in the kitchen, my method involves using copious amounts of paper towels].
>in large bowl, coat garbanzos with olive oil.
>empty onto a roasting pan or baking sheet covered with foil.
>place in oven [without dropping it on the floor...may those brownies RIP] and roast for 40ish minutes, turning beans every 10 minutes or so.
>after 40 minutes, garbanzos should appear brown and toasted, some having split open.
>coat with garam masala and salt before they cool completely.

03 March 2008

preening like peacocks



Thanks to 'Alabama' John's gracious hosting, supper club was 'revived' last night. I put 'revived' in quotes because I found the topic of conversation [yes,topic, as in a singular noun, because there was ONE topic of conversation] to be annoyingly dull. Most of the time, I have little problem hearing about folk's races;  It's part of the deal with you're friends with people who race bicycles. They love to talk about it and will gladly oblige one with a play-by-play when all that has been asked is, simply, 'how'd it go?'  BRT [bike race talk] becomes a sore spot, however, when I hear the same story told three times over. Sure, since my injury, I'll admit that I've been sensitive to people talking about their racing or their workouts-the intensity level of a particular ride or how much they are riding or how far they ran or for how long-but I'm not one to hold it against someone if that's what they want to talk about over dinner SOMETIMES. Personally, I dont talk about how much [or how little] I'm working out, unless I'm explicitly asked and even then I find it a dull topic of conversation. Come on folks, we are way smarter than that conversation made it seem. We have other interests don't we? There are some HUGE things going on in the world [hello?!? the Russian Election, the US dropping missiles in Somalia, Obama vs Hillary] and talking about bikes/reliving bike race moments/giving play-by-plays of how a certain attack [that didnt stay away] went down makes it seem like we are pea-brained jocks... I like peas but a conversation that made it seem like the company's got 'em for brains left a bitter taste in my mouth for future supper clubs...Of course, there is always the possibility that I was in a foul mood for other reasons; Perhaps the bitterness wasnt about BRT...Perhaps the bitterness was backlash against the batch of sweet brownies that ended up on the floor an hour before? 

02 March 2008

kansas city...here i come

rock chalk jayhawk...go ku!

it'll soon be big 12 tourney time! and that means its time to travel...  ill be on the streets of kc march 14-18...