This video is an interesting, obscene (sort of) green take on the Scrubbing Bubbles commercials. It’s sponsored by Method. Their website, PeopleAgainstDirty.com, encourages you to voice your concerns about getting better labels on household cleaning products.

You can read about the Household Product Labeling Acts that, if passed, would require manufacturers of cleaning products to list ALL ingredients on the label. With or without this act, you should never purchase a “green” cleaner that doesn’t list its ingredients on the product label. If you do, you’re likely buying greenwash, not a truly eco product.

I think it’s great Method is calling attention to this problem. Though I sometimes make my own cleaners, I also use Method products, like their dilutable cleaner. Since Method doesn’t test on animals, I prefer them over products like Green Works by Clorox.

Whatever cleaner you choose, be sure to consider all the dangers of some home cleaning products.

Did you like “Shiny Suds“?

Disposable plastic bottles = bad.

A hat made from 100% post-consumer recycled water bottles = Good Green Hat by renowned green-designer Susan Todd.

Just in time for winter and the holidays, a very nice and soft fleece hat that not only will keep your head warm, but also give planet earth a hug. Plus, it’s only $14.95, making it an affordable gift. The waterproof hat also fits all head sizes.

Amazingly, it only takes two recycled PET bottles to make one of these hats. With 100,000 hats, 200,000 bottles were recycled to a better life instead of sitting in landfills. Visit GoodGreenThings.com to snag your own. And keep reading to learn more about how this amazing hat is helping the earth.

Profits from Good Green Hat go toward educating kids about the rainforest and conservation through the Earth’s Birthday Project.

Since 1989, the Earth’s Birthday Project has raised $6.25 million to purchase and protect more than 400,000 acres of rainforest and other ecosystems.

Buying a Good Green hat means you’re empowering student conservationists to help protect critically endangered South American rainforests.

By helping to protect the rainforests from activities like mining and timber harvesting, you also help prevent the release of millions of tons of carbon pollution. Every cent from the sale of each Good Green Hat goes toward a sustainable planet, through either recycling, education or fair wages. Plus, each hat is sewn in the US by women receiving fair wages and education for a better life through the Southwest Creations Collaborative.

Are you going to give your favorite treehugger a Good Green Hat?

(Image via GoodGreenThings.com)

Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook by Earthbound Farm founder Myra Goodman and co-authors offers pleasing style with good-quality, wholesome ingredients. You can make all of the recipes organic if you choose organic ingredients.

Some sample recipes are included below for your holiday cooking fun, but in the cookbook, you’ll also find recipes for Sweet Corn Chowder, Farm Stand Carrot Cake and more. I’m getting hungry!

Myra’s cookbook contains more than 250 recipes, plus full-color photos — and even some shopping tips and serving ideas. She also includes “field guides” to produce and “Farm Fresh” information boxes, as well as her own family stories and beliefs about how personal food choices can make a big difference.

Enjoy the following recipes from Food to Live By. Sauce recipes for both dishes are included at the bottom of this post. While vegetarian recipes are included here, this cookbook also features recipes with meat as well.

Tricolor Spaghetti Squash

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 large spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for oiling the baking dish
• Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (about 3/4 ounce) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup (about 1 ounce) shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Emerald Green Pesto (recipe follows) or good-quality store-bought pesto
• 1/2 cup Farm Stand Marinara Sauce (recipe follows) or good-quality store-bought marinara sauce

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Pierce the skin of the spaghetti squash with the tip of a knife in several places. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and add water to a depth of about 1/8 inch. Bake the squash until a fork easily pierces its flesh, 70 to 90 minutes. Let the squash cool. Leave the oven turned on.

3. Oil an 8-inch-square baking dish, then set it aside.

4. When the squash is cool enough to handle, cut off and discard the stem end. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and their stringy fibers. Scrape the squash flesh with a fork so that it pulls apart in spaghetti-like strands. Transfer the strands of squash to a large bowl and fluff them with a fork to separate them. The squash can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.

5. Add the olive oil to the squash and toss so that all the strands are coated, then season it with salt and pepper to taste. Place the squash in the prepared baking dish, pressing on it with the back of a wooden spoon to flatten it into a single layer.

6. Mix the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses in a small bowl.

7. Starting at one edge of the baking dish and working from left to right, spread the pesto over the squash so that it covers a third of it. Spread the cheese mixture over the middle third of the squash. Finally, spread the marinara sauce over the remaining third. The idea is to form 3 vertical stripes, duplicating the green, white, and red bands on the Italian flag. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake the squash for 15 minutes.

8. Uncover the baking dish and continue to bake the squash until the cheese has melted and the marinara sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serve the squash hot.

Grilled Vegetable Lasagna with Emerald Green Pesto

Serves 10

• 3 medium-size eggplants, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3 medium-size yellow summer squash, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 3 medium-size zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 1 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 8 ounces lasagna noodles
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups (24 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
• 1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 cups Farm Stand Marinara Sauce (recipe follows) or good-quality store-bought marinara sauce
• 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (about 3 cups)
• 2/3 cup Emerald Green Pesto (recipe follows) or store-bought pesto

1. Place the eggplant, squash, and zucchini on a baking tray and brush them on both sides with some of the olive oil. Lightly season them with salt and pepper.

2. Set up a barbecue grill and preheat it to medium.

3. Grill the eggplant until just soft, 2 1/2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the grilled eggplant to a wire rack to cool. Leave the grill burning.

4. Grill the squash and zucchini until just soft, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the grilled squash and zucchini to the wire rack with the eggplant to cool. Leave the grill burning.

5. Place the bell peppers on the grill and cook, turning frequently, until the skin is just charred black, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bell peppers to a paper bag, close it tightly, and let the peppers steam for about 5 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag and, when they are cool enough to handle, pull off the charred skin. Discard the skin, seeds, and stems and cut the roasted peppers into long, 1-inch-wide strips.

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It’s time to plan for homemade holiday gifts! There’s much you can make yourself, but it takes some time and planning. Getting the kids involved with making homemade gifts will help teach resourcefulness while also checking off the gift list.

Flip & Tumble, makers of reusable bags, put together an Eco-Thrift Gift Guide with simple ideas you can probably pull off without buying many supplies, if any. And, they’re giving you the opportunity to contribute your own ideas for a chance to win six free reusable shopping bags! For more details, visit Flip & Tumble, scrolling to the bottom for the email address and directions for submission.

Tree Hugging Family is also a big source of homemade gift ideas! Visit these posts for the details:

• Homemade Eco Gifts You Can Make for the Holidays
• Make Your Own Oilcloth Bags
• Recycled Dollhouse Project
• DIY Homemade Natural & Eco Chic Soap
• Homemade Organic Paint Soap for Kids

To make your own baby toys, from wooden puzzles to teddy bears, visit MakeBabyStuff.com for tutorials and patterns. Plus, Eco Bites prepared an A-Z guide to DIY Eco Christmas Gifts.

If you’re not crafty, or can’t find the time, you can still give green. Jennifer at blisstree prepared a resource of Green Holiday Gifts that Give Back.

My favorite charities to give to during the holidays include Heifer International, World Wildlife Fund (where you can adopt animals in someone’s honor) and my local food bank.

Are your holidays going to include homemade or charitable gifts?

(Snow Drop Image via WikiMedia Commons)

For all the hesitant tofu consumers out there, consider some cool benefits to using tofu in your recipes. It’s low in fat and sodium with no cholesterol.

Also, tofu is a more affordable source of protein than meat, especially if you’re cooking for a large group. Cubes of tofu can be added to soup to turn it into a main dish. Soft or silken tofu can even be used as a protein-rich base for dips or smoothies.

The eco side of tofu is that it doesn’t have as much impact on the environment as meat production. Even though rain forests are being cleared for growing soy, the majority of it is used to feed cattle! So, tofu is mostly guilt-free.

Use organic tofu for this seasonal favorite from tofu experts, House Foods.

Tofu “Punkin” Pie
(serves eight)

• 1 pkg (14 oz) House Foods Organic Tofu Firm
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 can (16 oz) cooked pumpkin
• 1 prepared graham cracker pie crust

To prepare:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a blender or food processor, add all ingredients and blend thoroughly.
• Pour mixture into pie crust; bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until set. Serve chilled.

Follow these links for other tofu recipes from House Foods: Creamy Pumpkin Soup (pictured) and Tofu Mushroom Spread.

(Recipes and images courtesy of House Foods)

There aren’t very many disadvantages of using cast iron. You can’t put it in the dishwasher, and it has to be seasoned before the first use. Plus, the handles get hot. Other than that, I don’t see where you can go wrong with this ultra-green cookware.

Cast iron is healthier and much more green than those chemical-laden nonstick pans. And cooking with cast iron makes the best cornbread!

Advantages of Using Eco-friendly Cast Iron to Cook

• Evenly distributes heat
• Withstands high heat without warping
• Can last many lifetimes
• Features a chemical-free nonstick surface
• Is 100% recyclable (if you ever managed the unlikely feat of destroying one)
• Soap-free cleaning (just scrub with hot water and a plastic brush, then dry)
• After seasoning, maintaining is easy (wipe with veggie oil after it dries from washing)

So, how do you season one of these eco-wonders?

If your cookware isn’t pre-seasoned or if you need to re-season, follow the advice of Lodge:

1. Wash the cookware with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. (It is okay to use soap this time because you are preparing to re-season the cookware).
2. Rinse and dry completely.
3. Apply a thin, even coating of MELTED solid vegetable shortening (or cooking oil of your choice) to the cookware (inside and out).
4. Place aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any dripping.
5. Set oven temperature to 350 – 400 degrees F.
6. Place cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven.
7. Bake the cookware for at least one hour. After the hour, turn the oven off and let the cookware cool in the oven.
8. Store the cookware uncovered, in a dry place when cooled.

If you don’t use cast iron, why are you hesitating? Put it on your Christmas list : )

(Image via flick/House of Sims)

Since green toys can be a little more difficult to find, it’s wise to start looking now for holiday gifts for kids. Stockings are a fun holiday tradition, and kids like to find a toy mixed in with their candy and fruit goodies. So, onward to natural, reclaimed or recycled (mostly small) toys…

Walking Stick Toys features lots of wooden toys painted with non-toxic paint. I like their goat figure, but they offer plenty more of these tiny treasures for only $7. The wooden figures are 3 inches tall and made with organic Maple. Other animal figures include a panda, kangaroo, donkey, camel and ram. Walking Stick Toys offers lots of larger toys too.

Green Toys make a nice selection of recycled goods for boys or girls. I like their jump rope with 100% recycled handles and the awesome recycling truck toy! The recycling truck might fit in a stocking, but it’s too cute not to show you anyway. If you visit the Green Toys website, click the “Where to Buy” icon on the left to find out how to purchase their eco-friendly toys.

For other sweet little eco offerings, don’t forget the cate & levi collection. Though they are a bit more expensive, they’re still worth considering. My favorites: the cat cube made with reclaimed wool and the hippo wall art, also made with reclaimed wool and a natural frame. And the stuffed chicken is too cute to ignore!

Have you started holiday shopping?

(Images via retailers linked above: Walking Stick Toys, Green Toys and cate & levi collection.)

Even if you’re not a vegetarian, you’ll still enjoy livening up your holiday table with the interesting dishes below. Gary Null, health and nutrition expert, has shared his own personal recipes for Holiday Stuffed Mushrooms and Sweet Loaf.

Gary Null holds a Ph.D. in human nutrition and public health science. He’s also a best-selling author and founder of Progressive Radio Network (PRN), a grassroots talk-radio network with a variety of hosts who cover issues like the environment, autism, health and natural living.

PRN features a show that covers a wide range of vegetarian issues: “It’s All About Food,” airing each Wednesday at 3:00 pm EST. The show may be accessed online at PRN. “It’s All About Food” is hosted by Caryn Hartglass, the executive director of EarthSave International.

I hope you find a dish below you like!

Holiday Stuffed Mushrooms

• 6 mushrooms de-stemmed (mince stems & set aside)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Avocado
• 2 tablespoon flax seed ground
• 2 teaspoon parsley chopped
• ½ teaspoon sage
• ½ teaspoon rosemary
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• Sea salt and pepper

Coat mushroom caps with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Place in dehydrator for 1 hour. Combine all other ingredients in a food processor. Stuff dehydrated mushroom caps with mixture and serve.
Yield: 6 Mushrooms

Sweet Loaf
Filling

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Dough

• Kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn, grated
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon agave
• 1 cup yellow or white hominy, ground (or substitute frozen peas)

Garnish

• 5 olives, chopped
• Red, yellow, purple, and green bell pepper slices
• Cherry tomato

To prepare the filling: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To prepare the dough: In a large bowl, combine the corn, olive oil, salt, and agave. In a skillet over low heat, cook the mixture until thickened. Add ground hominy; cook a few more minutes, and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 375°. Oil a shallow baking dish and fill with one half of the dough mixture.

Add all the filling, and arrange sliced olives on top. Cover with the remaining dough, smoothing out the surface. Brush with olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with red, yellow, purple, green pepper slices and cherry tomatoes.
Yield: 2 Servings

(Recipes and images courtesy Gary Null)

For the handy DIYer, Remake it Home provides projects and inspiration on reusing just about anything to make a new item for the house. (I received a free copy for review.)

Remake it Home: The Essential Guide to Resourceful Living by Henrietta Thompson includes 20 step-by-step projects revealing how to make things like a freezer from terra cotta pots or a layered cupcake stand from plates and cups.

At 272 pages, the emphasis isn’t really on the step-by-step projects. The book serves as more of a visual and inspirational showcase of products remade from items that have served their purpose — junk. The guide is supposed to get you motivated, and make you think of additional ways items may be reclaimed in your world. Or it could serve as a sort of shopping or interior design guide.

Examples of items featured in the book include the Coat Hanger Fruit Bowl by Amplifier, the Maarten de Ceulaer Iron Bookends, (pictured) or the Dominic Wilcox War Bowl (using toy plastic soldiers). Many of the items are available for sale by the designers. Featured designs cover anything you’d want for the home — furniture, appliances, accessories, lighting, tools and more.

If you’ve spent much time on blogs that focus on reuse projects (like my former blog Junk Creation), then you’ve likely seen a few of the designs before. Yet, you’ve probably not seen them all. Remake it Home lists for $29.95, but can be found online for about $20.

Is it worth it?

• Remake it Home is printed on 100% recycled stock, using only post-consumer waste.
• The book itself is stylishly presented with great pains taken to include a large variety of items made from “junk.” Several handy reuse tips are included, but if you’re looking for a book packed with instructions on reuse projects, this isn’t it.
• Remake it Home would make a nice gift for the green and imaginative DIYer, crafter or design student. For others, it may just be a source of curiosity or another coffee table book. While the book is certainly interesting and beautifully designed, calling it an “essential guide” is a bit of a stretch.

Have you read Remake it Home?

(Image Credit: (c) Remake it Home, by Henrietta Thompson, Universe, 2009)

Thanksgiving may not not be the ideal time to try out a new product for the very first time, but you have a couple of weeks to do a trial run of these vegetarian recipes featuring Veggie by Galaxy Nutritional Foods. If you’ve tried Veggie in the past, you may want to give it another round. They just reformulated it with an organic ingredient base. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s certified organic, but it’s still a step forward.

Veggie is the most popular cheese alternative on the market. This soy-based product is a good source of calcium without the fat and cholesterol found in cheese. Veggie is also lactose free and available in the produce section. For vegans, Galaxy also has a Vegan line.

The following three recipes and ultra-yum photos are compliments of Galaxy Foods.

Roasted Fresh Figs with Smoked Almonds and Veggie Cheddar
Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients Read more