While sitting at Austin’s Coffee & Film the other day, I came across a little flier for Guerrilla Gardeners for the Homeless. It stated that it was an organization of volunteers who help people grow their own food! What a great concept! Right now this organization is working on container gardening as it requires less space, is less prone to soil-borne diseases and can be done anywhere. They are also asking local Central Florida businesses to get involved by letting Guerrilla Gardeners place and maintain live plants in containers on their property and only ask that the businesses share half the harvest with the Guerrilla Gardeners. A win-win for everyone! You can get more information on volunteering or by offering your business for container gardening by attending their weekly get-together at Lake Eola on Wednesdays at 5:00 pm. You can also get information by emailing GG-4-homeless@googlegroups.com or by calling Greg at 321-420-9037.
Posted in Action Alerts & Activism, Environment, Food and Nutrition, Organic Gardening, Organizations/Activism | Tagged austins coffee and film, container gardening, Guerrilla Gardeners, homeless, Lake Eola | Leave a Comment »
I’m going to try to hit this one… it looks good.
Friday, December 4, 2009
7 PM – 10 PM
1109 E. Concord St, Orlando FL 32803
Numen: The Nature of Plants is a captivating film about the healing power of plants and our modern society. Learn more about the film and see a 15 minute preview at numenfilm.com.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Local "Green" Events, Media | Tagged FLorida School of Holistic Living, FSHL, health, movie, nature of plants, numen, plants | Leave a Comment »
We don’ t make it out to Misty Forest often but it is definitely worth supporting! Bring them some goodies to auction off!
At Misty Forest, we are especially thrilled to be able to provide a space for children to create meaningful relationships and experience unique classes that focus on self esteem and being green.
We now invite you to be a part of our growth too!
ABOUT THE AUCTION
In efforts to help sustain our afterschool program and support the roots of the forest in the midst of challenging economic times, we are asking our families, friends and community to please consider donating an item or service to help keep Misty Forest alive and well through this year. Thanks to the efforts of a few of our awesome parents, Misty Forest will be launching a cool online silent auction through Ebay. This means that you will be able to find great items, services and fabulous deals while supporting local businesses and community members from the comfort of your home! Just in time for the holidays, too! Continue Reading »
Posted in Action Alerts & Activism | Tagged afterschool, auction, center, donate, education, enrichement, homeschool, Misty Forest | Leave a Comment »
The Environmental Working Group is running a limited time offer. Give $5 today and get a free “Dirty Dozen” fridge magnet. It’ll remind you which produce contains the most – and the least – pesticides. A handy tool for smart shopping.
If you prefer just printing it out or getting it for iPhone, click here. There is also the full list.
Posted in Action Alerts & Activism, Food and Nutrition | Tagged dirty dozen, donate, donation, environmental working group, ewg, fruit, fruits, pesticides, produce, vegetables, veggies | 1 Comment »
I’m a fan of Homegrown food coop — check out the cool holiday gift idea!
Homegrown Holiday Gift Baskets
This holiday season you can give the gift that gives back to local farmers while offering the finest, most delicious gift to those on your holiday list. Great for clients, customers, and employees too!
Holiday Seasonal Produce Gift Baskets
- Small –$30 ($35 value) Feeds 1-2
- Medium – $50 ($60 value) Feeds 2-4
- Large – $80 ($95 value) Feeds 3-5
Produce is locally grown and certified organic.
- Wine and Cheese Basket $40
A bottle of wine from Lakeridge Winery with locally made cheese from Winter Park Dairy
- Bread, Fruit and Cheese Basket $35
Winter Park Dairy cheeses, Olde Hearth Breads, and locally grown fruit
Bonus Membership Add On
You can Add-On a Homegrown Membership that is normally $40 for just $25 when included with a gift basket order.
Gift Those In Need Through Homegrown
Provide a Seasonal Produce Basket for Central Florida’s Low Income and Single Mothers This Holiday Season!
Reserve Yours Today! 407-595-3731 or visit Homegrown Coop online.
Posted in Deals Around Town, Food and Nutrition | Tagged basket, florida holistic school, FSHL, gift, holiday, homegrown, homegrown food coop | Leave a Comment »
Got older kids in the family that are comic fans? Want to get them learning about charities and non-profits? Check out this event at Coliseum of Comics that benefits the Hero Initiative! The Hero Initiative creates a financial safety net for comic creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.
Seminole Towne Center’s One Year Anniversary Party!
George Perez Signing from 3:30 to 4:30 pm
Amazing! It’s been a year since our newest Coliseum of Comics store opened at the Seminole Towne Center in Sanford. We want to thank everyone for making our newest store your second home. For this grand achievement we’ll be hosting an Anniversary and Pre-Holiday Kick-Off celebration all day Saturday, November 14th (this Saturday) with our special guest – George Perez!
There’ll be belly dancing by Atiya Razi & Phoenicia, a raffle to win an autographed copy of Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths (George Perez, of course) and a one-of-a-kind sketch with a character of the winner’s choosing. Proceeds from the raffle to benefit The HERO Initiative.
We’ll also be hosting our Vinyl Fever event from 12 pm to 2 pm. $20 gets you your own blank Mighty Mugg to paint and color anyway you see fit (bring your own materials). All entries will be posted at the store for one week and customers will vote on their favorites. Winner will receive a $50 Coliseum of Comics Gift Certificate!
Meet costume characters during the day — especially Spiderman from noon to 2 and Supergirl from 2 to 4!
For more info stop in or call our Seminole Towne Center store at 407-324-1800.
Posted in Action Alerts & Activism, Fun Stuff for Kids | Tagged belly dancing, benefit, george perez, non-profit, raffle, Sanford, seminole towne center, the hero initiative | Leave a Comment »
November 13, 2009 by Carrie Boyko
(c) photo copyright Carrie Boyko
Juicing is a Great Way to Salvage Your Fruit
If you are like me, you hardly ever buy a piece of fruit that is not organically grown. As much as you pay for the good stuff, you know that waste is not an option. It just costs too darn much to toss it!
Once fruit is past the point of eating it as is, there are many ways you can still use it. Today, I’m here to share with you a few ideas that have served me (and saved me) well on my own organic journey:
- Juice it. You know how expensive organic juice is. If you happen to find yourself with a bag of apples or oranges, or perhaps an assortment of various fruits that will blend well, juice is your easiest option. If you only have a few pieces, you can freeze the juice and blend it with additional juice that you make later. Either way, you win; you’ll bank a bit of juice that you won’t have to buy at the store.
- Cook it up in a flavorful fruit cobbler, pie, tart or other baked fruit dessert.
- Stir small pieces into plain or vanilla yogurt.
- Add it to a gelatin salad.
- Make jam, jelly or fruit compote for pancakes.
- Cook up some baby food for the little ones. Freeze it in ice cube trays to create small portions for tiny tummies.
- Freeze the fruit to bake with later. Here’s my husband’s favorite organic banana bread recipe. No one will ever know your secret.
- Finally, freeze fruits in small chunks to use in smoothies. I’ll share my favorite recipe below.
Organic Banana Bread and Muffins
Have you got any other ideas? We’d love to hear from you if you can contribute more ideas. The more the merrier.
Carrie’s Breakfast Smoothie (serves 1-2)
1-2 tablespoons frozen, organic orange juice
1 medium frozen, organic banana, sliced or in small chunks, slightly thawed
1/4-1/3 cup frozen organic pineapple chunks, slightly thawed
½-1 cup lowfat, organic milk
1 Tablespoon Benefiber, for extra gusto!
Blend all ingredients together in a mixer or food processor, until evenly mixed and ready to drink through a straw. Enjoy!
Posted in Food and Nutrition, Natural Baby Care, Natural Desserts, Uncategorized | Tagged juicing, organic cooking, organic produce, organic smoothies | Leave a Comment »
November 13, 2009 by Kimberly ~ greenWell
If you’re concerned about how to feed your child the healthiest foods possible, but just feel overwhelmed with all of the information out there, you can get all of the information that you need in just one book – Feeding Baby Green.
Feeding Baby Green is a new book by Dr. Alan Greene, author of the popular Raising Baby Green book. In his new, easy to read book, Dr. Greene details an “Earth-friendly program for healthy, safe nutrition during pregnancy, childhood and beyond.”
Obviously, if you’re reading a book on going green and eating healthy, there’s going to be a lot of talk about organics and chemical free foods. Yes, this book has all of that, but it also has so much more.
Dr. Greene goes into detail about which foods to eat during which stages of pregnancy, and then goes on to give eating plans until the age of 8 years old. Interspersed with studies on the importance of eating more natural, chemical free food are amazing insights on engaging your child’s senses with flavor, aroma, sight and sound to get them to want to eat healthy and create lifelong healthy eating habits – something which is not routinely found in healthy eating books.
There are occasional recipes, tips on how to exercise your baby during different stages of life and information on allergies and food intolerances that are especially helpful to new moms.
This book goes far beyond simply saying to eat your fruits and vegetables. Dr. Greene has developed a fully interactive game plan to help you raise a healthy child who wants to eat healthier food from the moment they are born.
Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged baby!, child, healthy eating | 1 Comment »
I’m trying to see if I will make it to this… doesn’t it sound good?
SGA is proud to be hosting “Good Eats for Earth”, on November 16, 2009 at 1:00PM in the Cape Florida Ballroom at University of Central Florida.
This event will be about how to eat healthy and tasty foods while reducing your carbon footprint. Some of Orlando’s best earth friendly foods will be showcased and local speakers, including a registered dietarian, will be present. “Good Eats for Earth” will be an enjoyable and educational event, which will display why eating sustainable food, is so important.
Tracy Wilk, SGA’s Environmental & Sustainability Specialist has always been exceptionally passionate about issues that relate to the environment. “Not only does Earth-friendly food taste great,” Wilk said. “It will help heal the world too!”
SGA will be joined by the Student Sustainability Alliance, and BARC (the Body of Animal Rights Campaigners) in organizing this event. Free food and LinkLoot will be available for students who attend, and this event will also qualify as an impact event for LEAD Scholars.
Posted in Food and Nutrition, Local "Green" Events | Tagged body of animal rights campaigners, carbon footprint, food, nutrition, student government association, student sustainability alliance, UCF, university of central florida | Leave a Comment »
Your kids are tired of the Nutcracker? Big fan of the Nutcracker? Either way a different spin is good — go see the Chocolate Nutcracker this holiday season with the family!
The Chocolate Nutcracker, a modern take on the holiday classic will be performed at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre on Friday, November 20th through Sunday, November 22nd, 2009.
Southwest United Communities proudly presents Laverne Reed’s The Chocolate Nutcracker. Chocolate, as most refer to it, has been a hit on the national scene for 15 years. Now in its third run in Orlando, this multicultural celebration of the traditional ballet version is told through the eyes of a little girl from uptown Harlem. The national touring cast, along with over 200 young, local, aspiring dancers are part of the cast that bring this multicultural adaptation of the Nutcracker to life.
The audience will travel with the main character, Claire, as she begins her journey in 1950’s Harlem and discovers her heritage in West Africa, Egypt, Brazil, with surreal stops in Gospel Land, the Snake Pit, the Rain Forest and the Land of Funk. Along the way, the traditional ballet is spiced up with a blend of jazz, tap, hip-hop, African and Afro-Cuban influences.
WHEN
Like the ballet version, Chocolate Nutcracker is performed in cities around the country during the holiday season. The 2009 Orlando production of Chocolate Nutcracker will be performed at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center in Orlando, for 2 performances scheduled for November 21st and 22nd.
TICKETS
Tickets are now available at Ticketmaster & Amway Ticket Box Office. Tickets price range: $37.50, $27.50 and $17.50.
Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids | Leave a Comment »
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Heather ~ Orlando Organics
Lisa Holt, RN, MS
Melissa Holmes
Kimberly ~ greenWell
lisadunham
Carrie Boyko
Jessica - Homeschooling in Heels
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