Nicobella uses Theo Chocolate™ which is fair trade and organic

It’s that time of year again. Chocolate season, a.k.a the month which hosts Valentine’s Day. Somewhere before February 14th, starting roughly around January 2nd, retailers start gearing up for the holiday where chocolate says “I Love You,” and the more heart-shaped the box, the better.

But what if you didn’t have to settle for the generic candies inside pink and read sheaths? What if your chocolate could be sourced and accounted for? Fair trade chocolate says “I Love You…more.”

According to FairTradeUSA.org:

Cocoa farmers are often forced to sell their harvest to middlemen who rig scales or misrepresent prices, and media reports of child slavery show the stark contrast between the delicious treat and the difficult conditions of the people who produce it. Fair trade certification ensures that farmers receive a fair price, allows farmers to invest in techniques that bring out the flavors of the region, and strictly prohibits slave and child labor.

FTC symbol

However, a lot more goes into shopping for fair trade other than simply looking for the logo. Care2.com posits some other considerations when looking for your fair trade chocolate. First, the task of policing where certain items come from is a difficult one, and absolute oversight is hard to implement. “Because of the difficulty in policing farming practices, items marked as ‘fair trade’ may still contain cocoa that was produced using slave and child labor or under unsafe working conditions with inadequate or no pay,” states Care2.

The organization also says small farmers may be unable to afford the costs of becoming Fair Trade certified. Furthermore, the very definition of “fair trade” is not universally agreed upon, much like the problems animal activists face when deciding what is “free range.” Additionally, similar to agribusiness regulations, there are several fair trade organizations and each is allowed to certify products with their own levels of oversight and requirements.

So, where does one turn? Just because a product is marked “fair trade,” does not guarantee that all standards of wages and humane treatment are met. Conversely, a company that doesn’t have the seal of approval may not be using child labor or unsafe conditions at all.

Some general consensus is that cocoa produced along the Ivory Coast is the first place to avoid. Organic chocolate grown in Central and South America, overall, is not faced with the issue of  slavery, and since organic chocolate is limited, many farmers receive a fair price. Additionally, some farms in West Africa are slave and child labor free.

For the most all-inclusive list fair trade chocolate-advocates can muster, take a look at FoodIsPower.org’s chocolate list. Don’t see your favorite fair trade chocolate’s name? Make sure you are browsing by what brand of cocoa they are using, not necessarily the name of the retailer.

Also, take a look at FairTradeUSA.org, a leading third-party certifier in the United States. Now, go enjoy your Valentine’s Day!

Attention Fair Trade Fans and/or Chocolate Lovers: stayed tuned for an interview with Nicobella Chocolates and a giveaway in our next posts!

Photo by Flickr User Sara Spildener

You do not have to be a crafter to repurpose your left over toilet paper rolls and prevent waste.

Here are a few ideas we collected:

1. Donate them to your local animal shelter. Small animals love playing in toilet paper rolls and chewing them up to make bedding.

2. Keep spare electrical cords tangle-free by fanfolding the cord and putting it through a toilet paper roll. You can even decorate the roll with colorful paper.

3. Store string around the outside of a roll to prevent tangles. You can create notches at each end to attach the string ends to.

Photo by Flickr User Girlingearstudio

4. Give to kids along with some markers or paint and see what crafts they come up with!

5. Roll your linens up in longer paper towel rolls to avoid creases caused by storage.

6. Use the rolls as seedling planters. Rather than purchase several small starter pots, use one tray, insert in several rolls cut in half horizontally and place soil and the plants in each roll.

7. Poke holes in the rolls and use them as toy building blocks. Kids can poke the ends of pencils into the rolls to build objects.

8. Create wall art! Take a look at these amazing designs by blogger Tali Schiffer Oren for inspiration. Here is one of Tara’s creations:

Tali-schiffer-oren.blogspot.com

9. Prevent your kids’ artwork from sitting in boxes and wrinkling by rolling the pieces up and fitting them into paper towel tubes.

Image by Danilo Rizzuti

Upon first hearing the term “passive house,” one might think, “Aren’t all houses passive?” I mean, they do just kind of sit there. They don’t really make a scene or step on any toes. In reality, the homes we live in are often inflicting some kind of footprint onto the environment with high energy consumption. The U.S. Energy Information Administration states buildings are responsible for 48% of greenhouse gas emissions each year and that 76% of all electricity generated by power plants in the United States goes towards the building sector.

A passive house, on the other hand, seeks to conserve energy, while also functioning as a livable home. PassiveHouse.us says:

“A Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality.”

Or, in other words, it’s a building which follows the German Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency, one which focuses on reducing its ecological footprint resulting in ultra-low energy for heating and cooling. The U.S. is taking interest in this standard, however slowly. As of 2010, there were under 20 houses in the U.S., but across the global map there are around 25,000.

Inhabitat reposted an article on their Facebook and Twitter pages of an amazing Williamsburg, NY passive house above a creative shop. The space had been transformed from a standard Brooklyn apartment to a modern, energy efficient home, and the effects are quite stunning. A family in Utah also completed the project last year, to suit their family’s needs. The family bungalow is now an open, welcoming area, perfect for entertaining. See more at OurPassiveHouse.org.

For more information on the passive house movement, visit the Passive House Institute website as well as Passipedia – there is a wiki for everything. And now, more photos!

For those of us with pets, we likely understand the range of emotions and intelligence of our animal companions. They can become our best friends, our protectors, our comedic relief and sometimes our confidants.

While the most extraordinary companion animal will always be the one who wakes you up every morning with wet noses kisses and curls up next to you at night, these animals are also pretty amazing. Lets look at their stories.

The first is Dodger, the cat who loves public transportation. Care2.com recently posted about Dodger’s story. The 15-year-old cat reportedly has made a habit of waiting at a certain bus stop for the bus, hopping on and taking a ride before returning to his original bus stop, sometimes taking 10 mile trips. The UK bus company enjoys Dodger’s presence and states, “Given this cat is elderly we suspect it would be eligible for free travel, perhaps a bus puss, if such a thing existed.” Dodger prefers sitting in riders’ laps or on recently vacated seats because they are still warm.

This next animal is interesting in the way he understands right versus wrong and the expression of guilt. The video explains it all.

Dolphins are a species known for making heroic actions. They have protected swimmers from sharks and brought humans safely to shore in other cases. Last year, a group of dolphins in a canal on Marco Island, Florida saw that a doberman dog had fallen over the cement ledge into the water. The dog could not get out and was believed to have spent 15 hours in the canal before being rescued. The dog rescue occurred because the dolphins swam near the doberman and made a lot of noise, drawing attention to the dog who may otherwise not have been found.

This last story is that of a peculiar cat burglar. Take a look…

Photo by Flickr User serenejournal

Baby, it’s cold outside! Well, not really where I am in Louisiana, but around the globe it’s time to buckle down and break out the heavy coats. What’s a person to eat after trekking through the snow or ice to get home to their loved ones? Chili! It’s always a favorite staple, whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan or sustainable meat-lover. Chili is a dish reminiscent of childhood, running inside after playing in the snow all day, scooping up a handful of saltines or cornbread and digging into a steamy bowl of heartiness at varying degrees of hotness depending on your spice threshold (which I imagine was not that strong when you were younger).

There are as many different ways to cook chili as there are different types of beans. Below you’ll find a few meat-free recipes to bring back the joy of snow days and warm bellies. I prefer this Hearty Vegan Slow-Cooker Chili recipe from AllRecipes.com because it uses a variety of beans and spices, and all the flavors have a while to complement each other. Credit goes to AllRecipes user, Grete:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 6 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce, or more if needed
• 1 cup vegetable broth, or more if needed

Go here for the preparation instructions. The chili serves 10-15, so it is dinner party sized.

If you don’t really want to mess with a slow cooker, here is a “soulful” vegetarian chili recipe from a non-vegetarian!

What goes better with chili than a homemade slice of cornbread? Exactly. VegWeb.com has a lot of different cornbread recipes, but this simple and easy recipe for “Grandma’s” cornbread makes for a perfect match to a dense bowl of chili.

There are plenty of people out there who prove vegan or vegetarian chili can cut it against the meat-laden kind. It just might take a while for everyone to warm up to the idea. Just ask this competitor for the Brooklyn Chili Takedown competition.

Enjoy!

By Flickr User nightthree

All over the country as the temperatures cool down, football fans are heating up with college football championships beginning. It is possible to enjoy all the fun of tailgating without the meat with these vegan party recipes.

VegWeb has hundreds of recipes for the eco-conscious consumer, and many of them are gameday approved, with tons of different veggie burger recipes to choose from. The homepage featured this Veggie Nut Burger recipe that’s healthy and quite easy to make. Here’s the original vegan recipe, with some small adjustments:

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 can navy beans, undrained
• 1/4 cup red miso
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, chilled
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• oil, as needed for frying (You can also use water for a healthier alternative)

1. Chop walnuts in a food processor and add to a large bowl. To the food processor, add the beans and their juices, and the miso. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, chop and mash by hand.

2. Add mixture to the bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Mix gently, until just evenly combined. Form into 8 patties.

3. If you have the time, chill 20 minutes or so before cooking. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add some oil. Fry the burgers 3-4 minutes per side, until golden. Makes 8 burgers.

This super easy and cheap recipe would be great paired with these PETA tailgating party picks, including an “MVP (Most Valuable Potato) Salad,” “Champion Chili,” and “Touchdown Dip.” You could also swap traditional burgers for these vegan “Half-Time Hero Subs”:

• 4 submarine rolls or mini-baguettes
• Vegan mayonnaise, to taste
• 24 veggie deli slices (turkey, ham, salami, bologna, or your favorite flavor)
• 8 soy cheese slices
• 1 red onion, sliced thin
• 12 tomato slices
• 4 red- and green-pepper slices
• 1 cup sliced black olives or stuffed green olives
• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• Olive oil, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Slice the rolls or baguettes in half. Spread with vegan mayonnaise, if desired. Place the ingredients on the bread in the following order: deli slices, soy cheese, onion, tomatoes, peppers, olives, romaine lettuce. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

This recipe does rely on pre-prepared deli “meats” and “cheeses” so maybe you could try making your own faux subs from scratch!

Photo by Flickr User Cristiano Betta

Sometime around mid-October every year, when the air turns a bit cold and the fall leaves and pumpkin decor is out full scale, the only things that sound worthy of my kitchen are savory, thick dishes and warm, peppery beverages. However, as many vegans out there can attest to, one can get quite tired of cooking vegan chili for the entire season of autumn. Luckily, with a boost in awareness of plant-based lifestyles comes an influx of innovative recipes just waiting to be practiced and subsequently devoured. In light of Vegan MoFo this month, here are some wonderful vegan autumnal combinations.

Professional triathlete Brendan Brazier‘s new book Thrive Foods definitely sets the bar high when it comes to healthy and highly nutritional recipes, and they are fun to experiment with, blatantly ignoring the same-old, same-old regimen, making for creative seasonal, cruelty-free nosh.

“If you make one recipe, make this one,” says Thrive. The dish to beat? Summer Squash Fettuccini with Lemon Pepper Cream. Those eschewing dairy don’t often get to enjoy the luxury of a “cream” anything, let alone getting to spice up a “pasta” dish which is all too often the go-to food when there is nothing else available. The “pasta” is made from strips of squash, created from a vegetable peeler. Any type of zucchini or squash can be substituted, depending on what’s in season. By soaking the “pasta” in salt, all the moisture is drawn out, softening the vegetable strips into “noodles” hardly discernible from the typical stuff, but with much more nutrients and a unique flavor. Extra flavor is added using leeks and coconut oil. The sauce is made with a cashew cream base–my new favorite base for any type of creamy or cheese-like mixture. It’s even good on bagels! You can flavor the cream with whatever is on hand, but for this dish, lemon zest and pepper were used. The combination was quite surprising when added to the squash. This savory treat did not disappoint–indeed, it’s the one to beat. But don’t take my word for it; buy the book to try it out!

The Suburban Vegan blog has featured an Apple Cider Martini recipe that might just do the trick when served with the above zesty, summer squash pasta dish:

• 6 fluid ounces of apple cider
• 1 – 1.5 fluid ounce of armagnac
• 1 – 1.5 fluid ounce of Grand Marnier
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 apple slices

Then all that’s left to do is mix the apple cider, armagnac, and Grand Marnier together with ice in a shaker and serve with an apple slice and cinnamon stick garnish.

If you’re looking for a side dish or appetizer to pair with your seasonally themed meal, try a nice light salad with raw walnuts or dried fruit and a peppery dressing, like VegKitchen‘s Pear and Toasted Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette, or look into a soup to compliment your fall spread containing similar palate aesthetics.

Now bundle up, grab your favorite people and rustle up some seasonal grub. It will be winter before you know it, so enjoy the crisp air and matching food before the snow starts to fall.

By Flickr User felixtriller

I used to be one of those people who took public transportation out of necessity. In an urban environment that appreciated its pedestrians, commuting sans car was a breeze. Plus, I used to be able to squeeze in some quality reading time while on the train or bus. Unfortunately, I now reside in a burgeoning suburban mecca where the lack of available pervasive bike paths is mirrored by the increasingly decrepit public transit system. The city, favoring the wealthy neighborhoods far from the grimy “city” operates under the mantra that if you don’t have a car, you’re on your own.

However, even while relying on my car much more than I used to, there are some green commuter tips that could be helpful for those in a similar situation. Treehugger provides a nice guide to novice green commuting. If you’re dissatisfied with horrific gas prices or the dilapidated state of your car and are looking to decrease your footprint, here are some things to keep in mind.

• Walk or bike. Obviously this is less of an option for those traveling a long distance into work every day. But for those who can get in a walking or biking routine, it’s not so bad once it becomes a regular part of your schedule. You may have to get comfortable adding a little extra time to your ETA, but you might enjoy the peace and quiet. Check the end of this article for scaredy-cat cyclists (like me).
• Work from home. If this is an option at your job, Treehugger suggests taking more work-from-home days or making a four-day work week a habit. With more businesses relying more heavily on freelancers, telecommuting employees are becoming more prevalent. Industries more likely to operate on a work-from-home system are creative fields, advertising or marketing and other office environments.
• Carpool or use a car sharing service, like WeCar to keep more cars off the road. Plus, sitting in traffic might be a bit more enjoyable with company. And, of course, public transportation is a viable method if it’s available in your area.
• Maintenance. If you have the money, keeping your car up to speed is a good way to save on fuel. Also, check into biodiesel or ethanol options for fuel as well.

Look for events in your area similar to Kansas City, Missouri’s Green Commute Challenge to provide the push you need to leave the car behind.

And for those not quite ready to merge the old bicycle in with fast-moving auto traffic, especially in lieu of well-spaced bike lanes, here are some pointers for the faint of heart from GOOD and the Solo Traveler Blog:

• Know your local bike laws
• Obey the rules of the road
• Become visible with lights and volume
• Be aware of your surroundings and watch for car doors
• Wear a helmet
• Make eye contact with drivers
• Ride further to the left than you might think
• Lock your bike when unattended. Be sure you know which parts are easy to remove and lock accordingly.

Check out OurGreenCommute.com to see the effects of your daily commute. For example, if you drive alone for 30 miles per day, 7244 pounds of CO2 are emitted on a yearly basis. Use the tips above to cut down on this number. Start small.

Now all it takes is a little courage to get out of your routine, get out of the car and get on a bike or meet a stranger on the train!

Flickr User Panic01

Today is World Vegetarian Day. The day kicks off both World Vegetarian Awareness month and food bloggers vegan MoFo month (Vegan Month of Food). World Vegetarian Day celebrations are occurring around the globe this weekend. Perhaps one of the biggest celebrations is in San Francisco at their World Veg Festival Weekend hosted by the San Francisco Vegetarian Society. The event includes two full days of speakers including Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Bob Linden and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

The idea behind Vegan MoFo month is for food bloggers to write as much as they can about vegan food. The posts can be about the food you make, recipes you found, food preparation techniques, vegan restaurant reviews, vegan cooking tips or any other anecdotes relating to veganism.

Here are some of my favorite vegetarian recipes.

For a healthy, filling breakfast try a vegan avocado smoothie. The avocado will provide heart-healthy fats. The banana is packed with potassium while the nut butter contains protein.

Lunches can be something light or packable. Try out this Mock “Chicken” Salad made from garbanzo beans! Throw it in a pita or on two pieces of sprouted wheat bread.

Make use of the fall harvest with this Butternut Tofu Squash recipe. Butternut squash is steamed or boiled and mashed with tofu to fill large pasta shells. Spices including B12-rich nutritional yeast, garlic and nutmeg are added to incorporate a good spice mix to the filling.

Photo by Walter J. Pilsak / WikiMedia Commons

In urban and suburban settings, access to green space can be very limited. Having a home garden is still possible with the use of urban planters. With a little creative planning for organization and storage, you can make room for do-it-yourself garden options. Whether you are potting herbs for recipes or planting colorful flowers to spruce the place up, you can make your own planting beds in areas without a lot of green space.

Here are some creative and easy DIY planters using items you probably already have on hand, or if not, could locate pretty quickly from thrift stores or other secondhand locations.

Upcycled over-the-door shoe racks are great items to use for makeshift planters because the “pots” are already built in. eHow.com provides a step-by-step manual for making a discarded organizer work for your planting project, indoor or out.

• First, decide between a clear organizer or one that will keep the bottom of your plants hidden. These items are pretty cheap, maybe only a couple of dollars secondhand.

• Choose a location. These can either stay outdoors on fences, back porches or patios, or they can compliment a kitchen door.

• eHow.com points out that it’s very important to anchor your planter well, which may involve nailing it to a sturdy wall or other platform because the addition of soil comes with some weight.

• Fill the compartments with some potting soil, but leave room for the plant itself.

• Plant your flowers or herbs and recover with soil to cover roots, but leave room for watering.

Another great project for at-home planting is to use old appliances and things lying around the house as planters. Anything from old work boots to abandoned kitchen sinks and antique dresser drawers can work well as compartments for flowers and herbs to grow. Here’s a great way to reuse old jeans or overalls as planters! Just build a sturdy hanging contraption, and install a hook, similar to the hanging door rack. Soon you will have pretty, flowering pants!

What creative uses for old objects have you used as planters?