Farewell, Grandma Midge!

I'm sorry for the lack of posts in the past couple of weeks. My amazing grandmother was in the final stages of her life. She passed away this morning. She was a truly incredible woman who taught me that anything is possible...and that one person CAN make a difference.

I am honored to share an article from the Madison, WI newspaper about this extraordinary woman who so influenced my life, and ask for your understanding and patience.

Thank you. -Keiko

Eco-Egg Dyeing

So, I'm in Madison, WI again visiting family and I saw this neat article in the Wisconsin State Journal newpaper about "Eco-Egg Dyeing" and a local artist that uses natural materials to dye eggs. Read the full article here for full instructions and inspiration, but here's the basics:

Basic technique:

1. Add natural material to a pot with water


2. Boil until liquid reaches desired color intensity


3. Add 1-3 tsp vinegar or cream or tartar to help color set


4. Add cooled hard-cooked or blown eggs and leave until dyed as desired!

Natural Materials for Dyes:

• Yellow or orange - golden beets, ground cumin, tumeric, paprika, yellow onion skins, or annatto


• Tan or brown - cinnamon sticks, walnut shells, coffee or coffee grounds, tea, or chili powder


• Red - cherry juice or concentrate, red wine (which produces sparkling eggs), beets or beet powder


• Purple or blue - grape juice or concentrates, red onion skins, red cabbage leaves, blueberries, violets


• Green - leaves such spinach or garlic mustard

Variations:

• Add handful of sugar after step 2 and let cook down before using, or dip dyes egg into sugar water. Sparkle will show up after egg dries.


• For two-toned eggs, dye with a solid color, then when dry, put enough of a different color in a dish and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Run a fork through it for a streaky look, then roll the dyed egg in it.


• Grate beets or smash leaves, place on a square of parchment, add egg, wrap and leave it for a bit.

There are more details, as well as the story behind an interesting artist, in the full article.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU TRY THIS!! Share with us how it turned out...

Discounted trees available for Mpls residents

A thousand trees are being made available to city residents for planting this spring as part of the City Trees Program, which has provided a low-cost way for folks to help build the city’s urban forest. The program, which is funded by the City of Minneapolis, provides trees which are approximately six feet tall with a one-inch trunk for $25. Residents can order one tree per household, and all trees will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Varieties of trees available include Black Hills spruce, Korean mountain ash, prairifire crab, accolade elm,bur oak, and 50 mount royal plum trees. The plum trees produce edible fruit that’s great for jellies, jam, sauces or for eating straight off the branches. Residents who purchase the plum tree must attend a workshop on Saturday, June 20 to learn about fruit tree care and to pick up the tree.

Order your trees beginning April 3

Orders for trees can be completed online starting on April 3 by visiting the Tree Trust Web site or by calling 651-644-5800. You can also order a tree by picking up an order form from your neighborhood group or local library. In previous years, the trees have sold quickly, so place your order early.

Folks who order trees will need to pick them up on one of three days. Volunteers will be on hand to help load your new tree and complimentary bag of mulch in to your vehicle. Trees (other than the plum trees) can be picked up at Franklin Middle School East parking lot, 1501 Aldrich Ave. N. at the following times:

• Saturday, May 9, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Sunday, May 10, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Monday, May 11, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The City Trees program is a partnership between the City of Minneapolis and Tree Trust, a local nonprofit that works to improve the community environment.

Get Your NEW Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce is an incredible resource for people who want to buy organic produce but can't afford to all the time. They analyzed pesticide residues on 47 fruits and veggies and then ranked them from the most contaminated to the least, making it easier for you to make choices when you're in a pinch.

This 5th edition is based on data through 2007 and the list has changed! New on the Dirty Dozen side (the 12 items you should most often buy organic) are Kale, Lettuce and Carrots. New on the Clean 15 side (you're safe buying conventional on these) are Cabbage, Eggplant, Watermelon, Tomato and Sweet Potato.

If you want to see the full list, it's available here. Most people just download the wallet guide so they've always got it with them.

Thank you EWG!!

GoodGuide...A New Website for Finding Safe, Healthy and Green Products

Did you know that 75% of white breads contain high fructose corn syrup or that a glass of cranberry juice has more sugar than a Coke? You'll find these surprising facts and a lot more at a brand, spankin' new website called GoodGuide. (in fact it's so new, it's still in Beta testing so you will probably see it evolve over time.)

The site appears to serve two purposes: a rating system for products and a resource for learning about all sorts of health, environmental and social issues that are associated with the types of products we buy.

You can search for a specific product or browse by category for the following types of products: Food, Personal Care, Household Chemicals and Toys. Each product is given a rating score of 0 to 10 (10 is the best). The rating is made up of data from 3 different types of performance: health, environment and social. If you're interested in the deets, click deeper for information about things like how the manufacturer is addressing global warming or workplace diversity.
The site also provides links to current, relevant news stories and the latest product recall information.

Yowza! There's a lot of information on this website! I've signed up for a free membership which hopefully doesn't mean my inbox will be bombarded with mail, but that I'll get a head's up on the latest product news that I can share with you!

Mpls Recycle Run on Earth Day

Are you a runner? Are your kids runners? Do you want to support cleaning up our watershed? Here's a win-win opportunity:

2009 Minneapolis Recycle Run
Sunday, April 19
5K and Kid's Half Mile
Lake Harriet Bandshell

Presented by the Minneapolis Park & Rec Board and the City of Minneapolis. Proceeds benefit future Mpls Earth Day Watershed Clean Up.

To encourage participants to save paper, the $3 service fee will be waived for those who register online! Race Day registration is also available, but will cost $5 more than pre-registering.

They are also offering Recycle Run t-shirts, made of 100% organic cotton, available for $5, with proceeds supporting Watershed Clean Up efforts.

Bring in your old running shoes and shirts for recycling and receive prizes, including Twins tickets and Aveda products!

For all the details, check out www.minneapolisrecyclerun.com.

Thanks to Chance for the heads-up on this event!

Help make Linden Hills Festival Zero Waste again!

The Linden Hills Festival is going ZERO WASTE again this year, but we need VOLUNTEERS to make it happen. Please consider signing up for a 2-hour shift to help festival goers dispose of things properly (aka disposal station monitor). Contact Laurie Foster via email or fill out the online Volunteer Form to volunteer.

The Festival is SATURDAY, May 16, 2009.

Thanks for your support!