Tree Hugging Family - Living Green

Fun Recipes for Kids

In the last post we looked at green cooking with kids. I thought I’d gather some good recipe links for you and the littles to go along with that post.

Animal Chips via Family Fun

FIRST: I didn’t look specifically for organic recipes. At this point, I’ll say what you’ve heard me say a million times; almost any recipe can be altered from conventional to organic. When looking for good green recipes to make with kids, look for ones that can be easily altered to make them healthier. Also keep in mind that you don’t have to cook entirely organic, but I suggest making sure you do cook organic when the recipe calls for food items known to be the most toxic.

Fun cooking with kid recipe links:

29 Gross (But Fun!) recipes - really gross, not for the faint of heart. I’m not sure I could make any of them, but then, I’m a food wimp.

Fruit Pizza

Lily Pad Cookies

The Very Tasty Caterpillar

Breakfast Rockets

Spaghetti Bolognaise Face

Zoom has all kinds of fun stuff, such as…

• Alphabet Pretzels
• Fruit Flowers
• Simple Fruit Kabobs
• Granola Bars
• And more.

And just for pure fun - edible birthday cards.

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Green cooking with kids - six tips for teaching eco-skills in the kitchen

One of the easiest places to get kids going green is in the kitchen. Kids like most kinds of cooking fun, especially the really fun stuff like baking, blending, and freezing.

If you want to introduce your kids to both green living and cooking skills, here are some easy tips you can follow…

1. Talk about organics: Kids don’t always get organic vs. conventional foods. I’ve been talking about the term organic with my son forever, and I’m pretty sure that now, at age 7, he’s just really getting it. At the store, he’ll ask for organics over non organic now.

To discuss organic choices with a child, my best advice is to keep it simple. Say something like, “Organic means healthier for your body” - “Organic foods don’t have icky chemicals or pesticides in them that can make you sick” - “Organic foods are a smart choice for the planet, like turning off the lights.” These are things that have worked with my son. To explain terms like chemicals and pesticides I’ll say something like, “They’re like really bad germs” which yeah, they’re not, but my son gets germs, so it works. As he’s gotten older, we talk about pesticides and chemicals in a more real manner.
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30 reusable items vs. 30 disposable items

You have hundreds of choices when it comes to reusable products vs. disposable products. Here are 30 ideas. Even if you just choose 5 or 10, and use them all year, it’ll make a huge difference for the planet.

Snack baggies from Plum Creek Mercantile

• Cloth snack bags over plastic baggies.
• Cloth shopping bags over paper or plastic.
• Cloth handkerchiefs over tissues.
• Reusable coffee filters over paper.
• Cloth shower curtains over plastic.
• Reusable lunch sack over paper.
• Real dishes over disposable.

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In 2009 I pledge to go (or stay) green by…

In case you missed it, I’ve got the new poll up; In 2009 I pledge to go (or stay) green by…

If you’d like to vote, head to the sidebar, and scroll down. I left it open for new answers, so if I missed something crucial, add your tip. Or you can always leave a longer idea here on this post. I’ll be using your answers to plan some of the upcoming 209 content here at Tree Hugging Family, so your vote or comment does count.

My New Year’s resolutions from last year:

Last year my goals were to get rid of more stuff, be present, and cut down on food packaging. I did well on goal number one; I did get rid of more stuff - recycled it, gave it up, donated it, and so on. Me being present was a hard goal to work on because it hasn’t been the best year. There’s been a lot of upheaval and lameness going on in my world this past year. It’s no big, but it did upset that goal. As for packaging - you don’t want to know.

My goals for 2009: Read More - In 2009 I pledge to go (or stay) green by…

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Who Got Kittens for Christmas?!

Thankfully, not me.

I’ve never thought pets make the best holiday gift. Everyone is busy, lots of sharp stuff, small toys, toxic plants, candy around, and so on. Holidays are not really pet friendly. Which is about the extent of pet tips you’ll get from me.

“But Jennifer… I did get kittens for Christmas!”

If that’s really true, or if you just happen to have a feline companion who has been part of the family for a while, then I’ve got good news. Peggy has a brand new, too good to be true, kitty cat blog!

I know you all remember Peggy - right! I do; fondly. In any case, she’s still a tree hugger, but now she’s also blogging cat hugging over at The Kitty Blog! Now, since it’s Peggy you know this is good cat stuff.

She’s got posts like…

• The Only Catnip Tee You’ll Ever Need - my favorite post so far (FUNNY)
  
• Dog vs. Cat People
• Orangutan with a Pet Cat
• Build a Free Cat Toy: Cereal Box Hunt & Knock
• Senior Cats Prone to Hypertension
• Cat Artist Louis Wain: No, cats didn’t drive him mad

And lots more; cat health, cat tips, cat attitude, and I’m guessing even some eco-kitty tips. So why not go see Peggy and her new blog? You know you want to.

[image via stock.xchng]

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Six great reasons not to go green

This weekend I decided to look at all the best reasons why you shouldn’t bother going green. In case you missed any of these anti-green excuses, now is your chance to catch up…

1. I don’t matter
2. Global warming is a crock
3. Going green is too expensive
4. I’m not a damn hippie
5. I don’t have time
6. I have no idea where to start

Can you think of any other good reasons not to go green?

[image via stock.xchng]

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