My very favorite chocolate maker and all-around socially responsible company (I’ve written about them here and here) has a really great product/project. And, of course, it’s made of chocolate.
Tableya is a traditional beverage from the Philippines and is a rich hot chocolate drink that’s made from chocolate tablets. This version from Askinosie is crafted and packaged by the PTA at the Malagos Elementary School in Davao, Philippines where Askinosie has direct relationships with the cocoa farmers. Each $10 package of Tableya that’s purchased provides enough money for 225 meals. In total, the project totals to 140,000 meals for 700 students–lunch for every student at Malagos for one school year.
Askinosie buys the Tableya for $1 and sells it to us for $10. The $9 profit is used by the Malagos PTA to source, purchase, and prepare local food for the students.
More from Askinosie:
During a visit to Malagos Elementary School in 2011, Shawn Askinosie met with the principal and teachers and asked about their greatest needs– hunger was the biggest issue. He learned from the school administrators that 20% of the children at Malagos were on the malnourished “watch list.” So together, Shawn and the Malagos PTA created the Askinosie Chocolate University Malagos Elementary Lunch Program. The PTA makes the Tableya and ships it to the factory and 100% of the sales of this product fund the program.
We monitor height, weight and arm circumference of every student, along with attendance and graduation rates to measure the success of this program. We are in constant contact with the school administrators. Since the program began, with your help, we have provided 185,000 meals. 90% of the students have gained weight and the school attendance rate has increased.
Askinosie, their beautiful chocolate, and this wonderful project all make me so very happy. Get your bar of Tableya from Askinosie. $10 for a great cause, and great chocolate.
Apologies for the delay with this final installment of my eco-friendly Earth Week favorites. (The neighbor we were stealing wi-fi from suddenly protected his network. The bastard.) So here it is, a list of some socially conscious accessories and toys. Some of these are first steps in making an effort at a greener life, but I always look and hope for the next iterations just around the corner.
1. Beeswax candles Burning 100% beeswax candles are the best way to add a pure, natural fragrance to a room while also cleaning and purifying the air. Burning beeswax emits negative ions that get rid of odors and toxins (like dusts, molds, pollens, and viruses!) by attracting and destroying positively charged particles. Conventional candles and air fresheners are filled with chemicals, just read the label. While these candles are more expensive than others, they burn longer and much cleaner and have the most beautiful natural fragrance. Definitely worth the investment. We get ours from a local nunnery that makes them all by hand, but they are also available at Brookfarm General store.
2. Baggu Bags Always a favorite around here, I love the bright colors and heavy-lifting capacity of these guys. I love that Seattle has banned plastic bags and now charges for paper, so if saving paper wasn’t incentive enough, now there’s a toll to consider. They used to have great mesh produce bags that I still use and love. Since they’re no longer available try something like these.
3. Powerstrip Most of our electronics (TVs, laptops, phone chargers continue to pull power even when they’re not in use or powered on. It’s called Phantom Load, and the power leached is HUGE, so much so that when people switch to using a powerstrip they notice huge savings monthly. Simply plug all of your electronics into a single powerstrip and flip the switch to completely power off the flow of electricity.
Eco- Tip: Instead of buying new, try picking up a used one at Goodwill.
4. Preserve toothbrush These guys are made of recycled yogurt cups, and once you’re done you can send them back to Preserve to be recycled into plastic lumber for picnic tables and park benches. I’d prefer to move away from plastics completely, but at least these guys are doing something other than sending it to landfills. Send your brush back with the pre-addressed packaging, or save them up and drop them off at your nearest Whole Foods. They’ll send them back for you.
5. Coyuchi Organic cotton linens Again, moving away from conventional cotton is better for the environment and for you. Since we use our sheets and bath linens everyday it’s worth investing in some nice organic cotton. We love our Coyuchi’s, and I especially love stealing Andrew’s big bath blanket towels. They are often on sale at One King’s Lane, or check them out at Coyuchi site.
6. Toyota Prius C Until last fall I had been driving my first car (a ’98 Honda Civic) for the past 15 years! It’s not that I don’t lust after a sexy sports car, it was just that I am conscious of every mile I drive, and every tank I fill. With some nudging from mom and dad I started looking for a new car and as much as I fantasized about a badass Audi coupe there really was only one car that was truly me, and that was the new Prius C…a slightly sportier version of the classic Prius. Since I’m smaller I like that there are fewer blindspots in this body style. Perfect for scooting around town. I love my little car, and more importantly I love my gas mileage!
These guys aren’t as fun or as sexy as pantry staples or cosmetics, but they are an easy and important way to be kind to the planet. The great things about them is that for the most part they’re easily accessible. Here are some of our favorite cleaners for laundry, dishes, and around the house.
1. Food grade hydrogen peroxide (3%) This guy again! It really is one badass all purpose cleaner and disinfectant. Again, must be food grade! Think all the benefits of bleach without the awful smell and toxic properties that are awful for us and aquatic life. It’s kind of mind blowing that this one ingredient can be used as a natural rinse for fruits and veggies, a clean way to disinfect countertops and bathrooms, AND also to purify skin, rinse for a clean mouth, and sanitize cuts and scrapes. All this from an extra oxygen molecule.
2-3. Ecover Laundry Wash and Dish Tablets A wonderful, forward thinking company with a great line of eco-friendly products that are quickly biodegradable and made with plant and mineral based ingredients. Their factories are run entirely on green electricity and even the bottles are made of a green plastic created from sugarcane (no use of crude oil). It’s a pretty amazing company, their site is a really interesting read.
4. Natural wood brushes No plastic on these guys, so there’s not as much guilt when they finally die and head to the garbage. Wood with sisal or tampico bristles. Lots of other great natural brushes at Brookfarm General Store.
5. Bon Ami Truly a good friend. This guy is perfect for scrubbing the tub or a greasy pan. Five simple ingredients. There’s also the original 1886 version which I just learned about.
Tomorrow’s the last day to celebrate Earth Week, so I’ll close out with my favorite accessories for around the house! (Are you enjoying this as much as I am?)
One of the biggest impacts we have on the planet is the way we eat. Stigma’s and elitisms aside, eating locally, seasonally, and organically is one of the best things we can do to spare the environment. Here are a few of my favorite kitchen and pantry staples that are either from close by or are amazing products grown with eco-friendly, biodynamic methods.
1. Eating Locally, Seasonally, and GMO-free. The average piece of produce on the shelf is 7-10 days old! Nutrients dissipate, so supporting your local farmer means fresher, happier produce, but it also means you’re eating what’s in season. You know those beautiful berries you see at the store in December? Perhaps they’re organic, perhaps not; regardless though, we aren’t meant to eat berries in December. Industrial Organic agriculture may have fewer pesticides but it is far from eco-friendly as the amount of irrigated water and transportation (often times) into the country takes a huge amount of resources. This article from the New York Times sheds some light on the Industrial Organic model. It’s sadly, not a good one.
2. Briden Wilson Farms Organic Almonds A family farm in Arbuckle, California that produces beautiful, organic raw almonds. They grow both natural and organic, but it’s very exciting that they have just planted an additional organic orchard. It shows that every socially responsible food purchase you make is a vote toward greener agriculture. As they live and work on the farm their use of chemicals for the natural almonds is often avoided by encouraging natural predators to the pests that will help to minimize disease and infestation. We love supporting this small family farm, so we purchase these almonds in bulk for homemade almond milk, and almond butter.
3. Aptera Olive Oil When I can’t get a product locally, I make sure that what I do get is of superior quality and produced with eco-friendly practices. This olive oil from the island of Crete is not only one of the best olive oils in our collection, but the pricepoint is crazy affordable. It is also naturally organic as it is illegal to spray pesticides on the island. Most of the island still uses old-world biodynamic farming methods. I get this guy at Central Co-op.
4. de Buyer Mineral B Pans It’s virtually impossible to find non non-stick pans. Everything has a teflon coating (even Polar Bears and dolphins do now). It’s a toxic chemical that we don’t want in us (women of child-bearing age and children especially), and we don’t want in our water. Making the switch to steel pans may take slightly more care than conventional non-sticks, but your cooking, your food, and even your health will improve dramatically.
de Buyer has been manufacturing steel pans in France since 1830. The Mineral B pans are made of 99% iron with no chemicals or coatings. An organic beeswax finish is used to prevent oxidation during shipping, and also to aid in seasoning for natural non-stick surface. These pans are not only free from chemicals, but they are the best you can get period. Now easily found stateside, you can find them at Williams Sonoma and other kitchen shops.
5. Pride and Joy Raw Milk You know your milk will be good when the farmers consider themselves “grass farmers who also milk cows.” Pride and Joy manages their pastures without the use of any chemicals or genetically modified ingredients because their cows eat 100% grass (clover, alfalfa, and chicory too) during grazing season, and the finest hay during non-grazing months. While this leads to a lower yield per cow it ultimately results in a healthier herd and the highest quality milk. Their cows produce milk for up to 12 years, compared to just 3-4 with a conventional dairy. The girls are never given hormones and when antibiotics are used (only in life threatening situations) that cow is removed from the herd, the milk is not used, and the cow is no longer considered organic.
Raw milk is very difficult to find in Washington state, but it’s important to use in place of pasteurized because it is alive with active enzymes, antioxidants, and amino and fatty acids. All of this and more is killed during pasturization and homogenization. Unpasteurized means less resources and energy. Better for you and better for the environment.
Located in Granger, WA. Milk is available for pick-up, but also available at certain co-ops in Seattle. If you’re not in the Seattle area, look for a local dairy and research their farm and practices.
6. Hama Hama Oysters Sustainably farmed at the base of the Hama Hama river, in the Hood Canal, the Hama Hama oyster farm has been around since 1922. The oysters grow slowly taking twice as long to reach maturity. Still owned by the same family the farming practices from the oysters to the sustainably harvested timber are as green as you can get. We love our Hama Hama’s. And if you’re interested, you’ll find Andrew and me at their Oyster Rama this Saturday (April 27th).
7. Bob’s Red Mill Employee owned, non-GMO seeds, and one of the largest organic whole grains lines in the country Bob’s uses traditional methods of grinding whole grains with a stone mill that stays at cool temperatures. This ensures the nutrients stay in tact and uses less energy. Milling, testing, packaging, and distributing is all done in-house too. We don’t use too much flour, but when I bake I love Bob’s organic flour. We also love his stone ground oats for oatmeal.
8. Jo Landron Atmospheres sparkling wine One of my all-time favorite glasses of bubbly you may remember my post on it here. In 1999 the vineyard was certified as 100% organic and by 2008 the vineyard was converted and certified as fully biodynamic. The fruit is only ever harvested by hand, and the bubbly itself is created in the traditional method meaning that the second fermentation is done in the bottle. If I’m going to enjoy a bottle of sparkling wine it’s so much better knowing it’s biodynamic and chemical-free. (Hence, no hangover the next day!)
Wadden Sea, near the Netherlands
If there is one thing that makes me happy and proud, it would be my eco-friendly home and habits. I am far from perfect, but every piece of trash I toss and every chemical I see on a label sticks with me. I think about Teflon chemicals found in the fat cells of Polar Bears. I think about giant plastic patches floating in the ocean. I think about poisoned seeds being sown across millions of acres of land. I carry these thoughts and so many more with me, and in order to avoid a complete daily meltdown I do everything I can to practice the things I hope will one day change the way we navigate the world.
This week I have all of my favorite eco-friendly products to share with you. After years of researching, and trial and error, I have a pretty epic list of favorites and I hope you’ll come back to give them a look. For today though, here’s a wonderful documentary on the importance of permaculture farming as THE alternative to chemical and monocrop agriculture. Here filmmaker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family farm into a more energy efficient farm of the future, and it’s a wonderful and enlightening watch. Our biggest impact on the planet comes from our energy consumption and how we eat. Both of these are addressed here, and the future of our food depends on information like this. (You’ll never think of horsepower the same way again.) Celebrate Earth Day by learning more about our food and energy.
[Image via National Geographic]
How many hidden animals can you find in this image from the World Wildlife Fund? They have a great site, by the way. See if anything inspires you for Earth Day ahead.
(Click on the image to enlarge.)
Filed under: Compassion
Wise words from Mr. Rogers and his mum. For all of the terrible things that happen around the world everyday, let us be thankful for the helpers.
[via neatorama]
My brother sent me this video last week and I have come back to it a few times since. The video is wonderful, but the story and ingenuity of Massoud Hassani’s Mine Kafon is touching and lasting. This little portrait captures Hassani’s inventive and low cost way to clear landmines in his homeland of Afghanistan… inspired by the homemade wind-powered toys from his youth.
[Directed by Callum Cooper. This is a semifinalist in the Focus Forward Filmmaker Competition and is in the running to become the Grand Prize Winner. You can vote for it at the end of the video.]
Filed under: Compassion
Instead of the usual faves I thought it might be worthwhile to make a friendly mention to help the relief efforts along the East Coast. Any little bit helps. Join me in pitching in here.
If you watch one thing this week, it should be this. Chills.
From the American Museum of Natural History:
The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world’s most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010.
I wonder where this exhibition is now. (Still have chills.)
[via LikeCool]
