The other day, when I arrived home from New York, I was shocked that I all of my luggage arrived, as did I, without event. But when I got to my car I realized that - of course it would not be that easy - I had a flat! As many times as I had watched my father change a tire, and even received lessons from him and a few boyfriends, I was now in a business suit, with lots of luggage, and I was hungry since the airlines think that small bags of lousy pretzel nutty things will suffice on three-hour flights.

It was then that I kicked myself - not the tires - for not having checked them since it was a slow leak caused the flat (it was a 14 day trip). Checking the PSI is such an easy thing to do, and I know all the stats about driving with your tires properly inflated, but here I stood, feeling a bit like a big sissy for not rolling up my sleeves and changing the tire, and feeling a bit stupid for not having checked the pressure more regularly.

As I waited for the Bozeman Sheriff's department or AAA to come to my rescue (I called both, it was really a matter of who came first . . . did I mention I was hungry?), I pondered the fact that tires are these beautiful yet awful things... they get you where you need to go, and don't ask for much. Yet, tires are one of those whacky inventions that will be here longer than cockroaches if we have an atomic blast... they just pile up. In the state of CA, some 33.5 million reusable and waste tires are generated each year. Someone once told me that a company invented tires that don't wear down, but then a big tire company bought them up and shut them down because that would have killed tire sales. That sounds a bit more conspiracy-theory than I generally believe... but who knows?

On a lighter note, it seems like more and more uses are being created for tires, like turning them into carpets, floor mats, irrigation pipe, lumber, office supplies and playground covers. I believe that the footing in the indoor arena where I ride has some recycled tire; it is nice footing except for when a horse urinates you have to sop it up, since tire particles aren't known for their absorbency. Anyway, point being, I am going to check my tires more often, so I can keep them longer, save on gas, and most importantly, not be stranded feeling like a dumb sissy.

-Off to look for the everlasting tire (Willy, you out there?) -

Jen

In a previous life, I am quite sure I was Picasso. He died the same year I was born, so I'm certain that I am his reincarnation...

As Picasso, I was a genius. My art was groundbreaking and astonishing and worthy of reverence (and I could make people swoon by drawing on the back of napkins).

Sadly, in this life, I spend a lot of time with grand acrylic plans that start off as lovely brushed paintings of flowers and eventually devolve into mad finger painting that I pretend is purposeful, modern "art." What I draw on the back of napkins is usually a map of the US where I try to explain that Montana is not in the Midwest. Sadly, no one swoons.

One Christmas, I actually painted all my own holiday cards. When I needed glitter, I dug into my makeup bag. I'm sure I had more fun painting than anyone had fun receiving the cards. When they were done, I sealed them over with a fixative. I'm relatively certain I took a few good years off my life with that one.

Still, Picasso lived to be 90, so all this art stuff can't be all bad. And I apparently have very good Shirley-MacLaine-style "genes."

Most of you know that �inoteca is my favorite restaurant in town. At least once a week, you can find me at their bar, eating great Panini and cheeses and drinking stunning wine. I know most of the folks there � we chat and flirt every now and then. I like my �inoteca life, so I�m there. A lot.

So with my serious support of the restaurant and the fact that I am there all the time, you�d think I would have no qualms about suggesting that they adopt some of our green tips.

But I gotta tell you, I�m a little scared of one of the owners � the executive chef, Eric. Now Eric makes UNBELIEVABLY good food. But I�m always a little bit certain that he hates me. Like most fantastic chef/artists, he has that temperament where you�re never quite sure whether or not you did something wrong.

Then again, that sensation could very well stem from the fact that I have a tendency to try to take my glass of wine across the street (which is illegal) and I once tried to bring in crepes from next door and eat them (which is just plain stupid. Trust me � really don�t try that one).

In any case, I am going to suck it up and suggest a few eco-tips to Eric sometime this month. I�ll keep the blog world posted.

There is something wrong with me. If you take a digital picture with me in it, something invariably gets messed up. Your
camera gets stolen, you erase the entire disk or everything
double-exposes in a medium where that can't really happen (all true
stories).

Because of this oddly vampiric digital photo tendency, I have yet to get a digital camera. It's on that list of things to buy "someday" (alongside an apartment and new running shoes). Until
then, I slog along with my regular film camera, always feeling a little
guilty at the smell of the developer chemicals and the volumes of
photos I throw out so that no one can see the bad shots...

-Heather... off to dream of that little tiny Sony digital camera the size of a credit card...

So I have to say that it took me a good 4 years and a switch of a broker to get into some SRI funds. Most traditional brokers have their systems and relationships (and hidden fees!) so totally locked, that asking them to consider other funds is like asking them to dance naked in the streets. I am sure you could call some of the funds up directly, but I don't have the bandwidth to really monitor my investments, and the .5% or whatever it is to have someone else do it is worth it. Anyway, I am with someone now who got me into a CALVERT fund.

I am waiting for the next evolution... Sustainable Investment. This is where the companys' business models are regenerative, and whereby their existence improves the environment and our society.

Until then, thought I would dork-out and spout some stats so you can see that more and more people are doing it... and this one of the HUGEST things you can do to make companies start to pay attention to the environmental actions (good or bad).

• 1/9 = The share of professionally managed US dollars in socially responsible investments.
• 240% = The growth rate of SRI investment portfolio growth experienced from 1995 to 2003. (By comparison, overall assets grew 174 % over the same time period.)
• 21 = Number of countries where an array of socially responsible investment products are now available.
• $2.16TR = The amount of socially screen investment money (as of December 2003) in a professionally managed portfolios.
• 7% = The growth rate of socially screened portfolios during 2001 and 2002 despite sluggish market conditions that caused a 4% drop in broader professionally managed portfolios.
• 52 = The percent of the top 250 Global Fortune 500 companies that produce environmental, social, or sustainability reports in addition to financial reports.
• 2:1 = The ratio of votes cast by SRI funds, compared to their conventional peers, in support of corporate governance resolutions and �vote no� campaigns. SRI funds are far ahead of �conventional� mutual funds when it comes to voting on environmental, social issues, and corporate governance issues.

Off to sell some organic lemonade or something so I can move the needle more with my dollars - Jen

OK, pretend Billy Crudup is doing a voiceover here, please:

Getting money off on great, green products and services?

Zero dollars

Receiving killer products in exchange for a few answered questions and blog comments?

Zero dollars.

Hanging out online with fellow Biters who are sometimes fierce but often funny and always opinionated?

Zero dollars.

Getting to tell companies what you actually want instead of having them tell you what they think you should like?

Priceless.

There are some things money CAN buy. For everything else, there�s Bite Club.

When I was a kid, I tried out for a part in a play about Johnny Appleseed. I didn�t get the part. I was bitter. It utterly destroyed my designs on being a famous movie star. I haven�t looked at an appleseed in the same way since. (This is all for the best, as I am a truly horrendous actress).

Still, I love apples. And nothing is better than an apple in the autumn. My parents have a mini-orchard at their place and when I was recently home, I returned to NYC with about 30 apples stowed away in my suitcase.

Of course, I didn�t pick them. My dad did. But someday, when I have babies other than this Biting one, I plan to take them picking� it�s amazing what happens to one�s attitude toward food when you actually connect to where it comes from.

As you all may have noticed (insert sheepish grimace here), we've had quite a week for technology:

1. We moved to a new server, new design, new email system.
2. AOL and Yahoo Biters haven't been GETTING their emails in the new system.
3. Hotmail
   readers feel like we are trying to scream at them, because our opening
   question is in about 400 point font when it is viewed in Hotmail.
4. A
   world Internet clock somewhere got screwed up and thinks it is Thursday
   today, and it sent out the a broken tip for tomorrow (because
   tomorrow's tip isn't supposed to go out yet) and didn't publish the
   blog on time.

All told, I'm feeling a little crusty toward tech at the moment.

Silver Lining

I am forever trying to look for a silver lining, so here's what I have come up with:

If nothing else, all these snafus have convinced us of your Biting love.

• Some people really hate the new design, and they aren't really shy about sharing that with us. At least they care enough to comment.
• Others love it - they are a little less vocal than the Hand-Haters, but isn't that always the case?
• AOL users keep sending us little notes, pleading to get their Bites again. We feel horrible that they haven't been receiving them, but we feel awfully loved that they miss them so much.
• Today's
  responses to the "Thursday tip not set to publish" note (about the worm
  - you'll see the actual tip tomorrow) were so funny, we laughed out
  loud. Some highlights:

• "Whaaaa?" - Karen
• "What worm?" - Wendy
• "So what's your point? Just send it later." - Marilyn

So
- for those of you who might not be getting your emails (but we promise
- it's nearly fixed), here's a little secret. (Shhhhh - don't tell): http://idealbite.com/tiplibrary/tipheaders.php

But please don't unsubscribe from your daily tip - you know you like having us in your inbox with your morning coffee... ;)

-Heather... off to thank the gods that I'm not flying or wiring money with today's screwed up Internet clocks...

OK, I�m not even a huge shrimp fan. But every Winter�s Solstice, my mom and my friend Deb throw a big Winter�s Solstice party. It�s just for women. We like to tell everyone that we get naked and howl at the moon. You�ll have to score an invite to judge for yourself whether or not we tell the truth, but I can tell you that there are firecrackers and candles involved.

In any case, at each Solstice, Mom makes the Best Marinated Shrimp Ever.

We�d like to pretend the recipe was a big secret, but I figured I�d throw it on the blog instead.

I recommend nudity � both while preparing and when eating this dish:

• 2 pounds medium or large shelled �free range� shrimp
• 1 large, thinly sliced onion

Marinade:

• � veg oil (organic, of course)
• 1 � c. tarragon vinegar
• 2.5 tsp capers
• 2.5 tsp. celery seed
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 peppercorns

Make sure you refrigerate at least overnight to let the marinade set.

-Heather� off to thaw out my Montana Legends Beef that Keith sent�

... but it's not! Not only does it not look cheesy, but it also looks cooler than most flooring, AND it is a brilliant solution for replacing the entire carpet and putting it in the landfill! You just replace the squares that are stained or worn!

The first time I saw it I was working at World Resources Institute in DC, and they had redesigned their entire office (of 100+ people) to be green. They used Interface, and I am partial to them as well since they are an Atlanta-based company (and that is where I grew up), and because Ray Anderson, the CEO, is a sustainability pioneer. There are other companies that do this now, but they were the first.

The picture above is Interface, as is the one below. Also, you can install it yourself, saving loads of money! They install with these little (NON TOXIC) adhesive dots. Here are three videos to whatch installation: http://www.interfaceflor.com/service/flor/install_videos.html

It runs about $11.99 a panel, but there is some on sale right now for $7.49.

If this is sounding familiar, you may have seen it featured on "While you were out" and Oprah.

Off to finish painting with my BioShield paints before I consider re-carpeting - Jen

The deal with green building and energy effeciency homes is that usually the buyer needs to spend the money up front, and then reaps consistent savings over the life of the asset. This is a financing opportunity. (So good to see eco-incentives making dollars and SENSE to financial institutions!)

They are still a niche product, and the lack of home appraisers who can evaluate energy efficiency can create some glitches, but we are getting there.

Here is the background logic driving the green mortgage adoption rate:

An energy-efficient home can save a homeowner one third to one half on home energy costs. The estimated dollar savings of an energy-efficient house are added to the borrower's income thereby qualifying the homebuyer for a larger mortgage. By increasing borrowing power, the green mortgage providers allow borrowers to fold the costs of energy improvements into the total mortgage amount. To retain the borrower's cash for more immediate costs, 100 percent of the energy improvements and 15 percent of the value of the home can be paid for and financed over the duration of the mortgage. In addition to saving the homeowner money, energy-efficient homes are less polluting and more comfortable, require less maintenance, and increase the resale value of the house.

Companies such as Fannie Mae and SunTrust Mortgage - among others - are offering green mortgages.

If YOU (you know who you are dear Biter) have gone through the process of getting a green a mortgage, please share your thoughts with fellow Blogging Biters!

Off to dream about building the most beautiful green home and developing an eco-ranch once Ideal Bite hits mainstream. :-) - Jen

Later, returning home to unpack their treasures and tell breathless stories to their patient parents ("The grocery store people were giving out two WHOLE big-sized candy bars each!" or "The crazy lady's house has a stuffed witch out front"), it never occurs to them (or their parents) to check the candy for razors.  They never think it's weird to eat the homemade caramel corn, even though they couldn't remember for sure which of their friends' moms had made it.  They never think a thing about the fact that they (and every other kid in town) were just running around without supervision, in the dark, barely able to dress, let alone defend themselves.

Years later - on the other side of years of stories of razorblades and Tylenol-recalls and too many real-life boogeymen - it's kind of nice to focus on finding organic candies instead of mourning the loss of an innocent childhood that I can't imagine will ever happen for my kids.

-Heather... off to pretend I didn't just write a really serious blog instead of something breezy...

(I'm just asking for it with that title, I know).

Because my garden is always containerized (roof restrictions for city living), I don't have any actual earth to plant in. So, for years, I bought my tulips and daffodils and hyacinths in the spring, and replanted them and enjoyed them immensely.

But a few years ago, I got tired of that - I wanted to grow my own, dammit! - so I ordered a bunch of gorgeous bulbs in mixed colors and planted like crazy. I added bone meal. I put them in the ground at exactly the right time. I watered and watched and waited. I was THRILLED at the expectation of green shoots and grand flowers the following spring.

For like a day.

On Day 2, little thieving, fiendish rats-with-fluffy-tails came along and ate every last one of my bulbs. I wanted to kill them. I still do.

In the end, I settled with having an enormous mutual animosity with them (don't get me wrong - if I could, I'd wring their necks - gardeners the world over know exactly how I feel). I run outside and throw things at them and scream like a maniac when I see them on my roof. This year, they actually stole whole ripe heirloom tomatoes and ate only half before getting bored and leaving the rest as a taunt for me to find.

In the years since that fated fall, I've figured out how to put my bulbs in the fridge over the winter and then "force" them in the spring. In the meantime, I have a seriously bad relationship with my local rats-with-fluffy-tails. I am willing to take a contract out on them should anyone want to help me with my murderous inclinations.

-Heather... off to watch The Godfather for some inspiration...

This one is short and sweet, just like my lunch: Get bags of frozen fruit. I buy the berry medley version at Costco which says "�all natural"� and so I figure that is better than "all-chemicals."

Fill fruit in the blender – a beer mug's worth. Poor in organic orange juice (I use Horizon) to right above the berries. Then, from the big container of lowfat Stonyfield's vanilla yogurt, just pour some in. (about 2 blops – you can see, I am not a fan of measuring and I am REALLY not a fan of all the clean up for the measuring cups.)

Lastly, one scoop of Spirutein - which adds protein, vitamins, and some sweetness. Let 'er rip. Oh, don't run the blender for more than a minute. These things were only made for short bursts. Enjoy your very creamy, nutrious, protein packed lunch.

Off to check the expiration date on the Yogart, it tasted a bit off -
Jen

I've been thinking a lot about messiness lately.  Strange topic for contemplation, to be sure, but I have been slightly obsessed with messy things nevertheless.  (This may just say a lot about me at this point in my life, but I think some of you might just relate).

We spend so much time in our lives attempting to rid ourselves of the messy - clutter, emotions, intellectual conundrums -  we are so very good at ordering the things and days and people surrounding us.  If something is a little dirty, clean it up.  A little uncomfortable, change it.  A little broken, fix it.  Quickly.

But what if we didn't?  What if we - quite simply - accepted that life IS messy?  That dirt IS a reality.  That we don't control everything and everyone and no matter how we try, the house/job/love/friend is never going to reach sheer perfection by some sanitized standard?  How would things look different?

Somewhere along the way, we lost an acceptance of dirt.  How many kids eat dirt without a crazed mother or nanny screaming at them these days?  I think I ingested more dirt as a kid than I did soda (and I was a fastidious little kid - still don't like getting dirt under my nails). 

OK, I digress.  The greater point I'm trying to get to here is this: Embrace messiness.  Kiss dirt.

My friend, Mike, works in a biology lab.  He's one of those wicked-smart people who just happens to be gorgeous, loves hockey and used to need his girlfriend to dress him.  But he taught me something about dirt:

It is more important that we ingest and embrace bad things than that we protect ourselves from them.  All this antibacterial soap and antibiotics... they are eventually going to kill us, as we completely strip away our ability to fend off attacks naturally.  The more we eat dirt and sit in messiness in a natural setting, the more equipped we will be to understand that messiness, fight those bugs and live long and fulfilling lives in balance.

The idea has broader implications than simply encouraging all of us to switch our kitchen handsoap away from the antibacterial variety.  Something in that idea encourages us to get a little messy in our greater lives, and to let that be OK.  Perhaps that encourages you to pursue a job in a field where you feel completely unqualified.  Maybe that means you don't walk away from things that might make you feel a little insecure.  Ideally, it gives you a little permission to be completely screwed up now and then.

And yes, it should make you go buy some natural handsoap without the antibacterial label on it... 

-Heather... Off to sip Pellegrino out of a wine glass... and find some dirt to eat. After all, it worked for the chick in 100 Years of Solitude.

Honestly, this tip seemed a little geeky to me, like something you would read in your Grandma's Book of Environmentalism. However, let me just tell you how empowering it is to get this onto your water heater. (And if you are like me, it is super empowering because I did it all be me'self... no boys required for assembly!)

Now when I take a hot shower I do so with the peace of mind that this hot water was made with less effort. And okay, I might linger a bit longer. So net energy effect could be zero, but I am happier with the hot massage the water gives my back, and therefore I am better equipped to work harder and longer for the environment, and I might smile more, so it is worth it.

What is not good is when efficiency is used to make more bad things. Let's say efficiency creates cost savings for a polluting company to make more crappy products. Is that doing anybody any good besides the folks responsible for the bottomline? Just something to think about; post your thoughts!

Off to give my true security blanket a hug (the Cricket, but of course.)

Jen

For some unknown reason, I thought that vacuum air sucker-outers for wine were expensive, so for years, I've forced myself to finish off the bottles of wine instead of risking having them go bad by just sticking the cork back in them.

This attitude has helped to preserve my sense of thriftiness, but sadly, not so my liver.

(For some reason, I can't call them vacuum pumps, just like I can't refer to wine-openers as corkscrews. I have no idea why... don't ask).

I am happy to say that the air sucker-outers are really inexpensive - $15 a pop. So go for it - buy one.

Your wallet and your liver will both thank you

For as far back as I can remember, I used to think that the shampoo companies were pulling a fast one by instructing us to "wash, rinse, and repeat." So being my slightly anarchist self, I decided to wash my hair even less. That meant only every other day. And then as time went on, I realized that it could be with every 3 days. And that worked well for me as I always seem to be short on time and my hair is dry by nature, so not washing out the essential oils was helpful.

But then when living in Spain for a semester in undergrad I only had a bathtub (without a shower head) and so it took even more motivation to wash my hair. I used to wear the "slicked back pony tail" look to style my "very healthy" hair condition. The studying abroad students called it "super healthy" as we all didn't really like having to wash our hair in the sink or under the bathtub faucet. But I was really bad sometimes... let's just say I made it to day 10 a few times. And my head started to itch. Kind of gross.

One of my best friends (yes a TFA and BBF) always says, "a weakness is a strength taken to an extreme." Think about it. So true.

What that means is, don't wash your hair everyday but do wash it when approaching that super "healthy" look. In other words, strengthen your environmental resolve and your hair condition by skipping a wash here and there, but don't weaken your image by sporting the grease-ball look.

Since it is day 3 (or is it 4?), I'm off to wash my hair with my fave: tingly Aveda peppermint shampoo,

Jen

Saturday night, I went to see The Honey Brothers play at the Bowery Ballroom. They are a great local band - NY-style rock, infused with banjos, ukuleles and harmonicas, with four vocalists (yes, four) who can all harmonize. (How many bands since the 1950s have four harmonizing vocalists???)

In a twist of serendipity, they even handed out honey sticks to the crowd during the show. I, in my mad vanity and complete lack of logic, decided that this was because we had a honey tip coming out this week. Honey actually keeps showing up in my life this year - I found my absolute favorite honey ever in Italy last year, and rationed it down to the point where I was licking the inside of the jar. I bought my mom an incredible set of varietal Italian honeys in Rome for last Mother's Day. Last spring, I dated a guy who owned a varietal honey company, and then I discovered the Honey Bros. a couple of months ago, and they have become my current favorite Lower East Side band to follow these days.

If all those things aren't signs that I am supposed to go out and buy some varietal honey, I don't know what is...

Okay honestly, it is times like these that I dislike my partner in ideal biting (Heather), but alas, she is a good person so I will quickly forgive her for assigning me the duty of writing a blog on TP.

Here is the pooper scoop: I have often felt that it would be this marquee move if the eco-world would produce a TP that is a soft as AND price comparable to Charmin. So, last October when I met Jeffrey Hollander, president of 7^th Generation, at an event, I concocted quite the introduction line:

"Hi Jeffrey, my name is Jen and boy do I have a strategic initiative for 7^th Generation that will give you major market share and PR kudos."

Jeff responds curiously, "Okay... hi... sure.. what?"

"Well, what has more personal touch than TP? And what has given eco-products a bad name more than anything? Yes, scratchy, expensive TP! So if you guys can invent one that rivals Charmin in price and softness, you will create quite the stir!"

Anyway, Jeffrey basically responded that they have thought of this, and are working hard to find a solution, but the deal with recycled paper is that the fibers get kind of big and scratchy. So they are testing out some hybrid type of versions.

But for now, I have to be honest, until that happens, I bat 50% - balancing between the scratchy eco-products I find at my health food store, and then Costco's big fatty Charmin roles to give my bum a little reprieve.

Okay, I am done. Feel free NOT to comment. ;-)

Off to think about rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens,

- Jen

Mainly, it doesn't much bother me to be occasionally slightly on the outskirts of the mainstream about certain issues. (Let's face it, I'm not that far removed from the mainstream, who am I kidding?) But every so often, a little external reinforcement is a nice thing.

Which is why I was tickled to read Sunday's NY Times article "It's Not Sexy Being Green (Yet)," which stated that what the green movement really needs are some incredibly "cool" celeb-type people to support it. A good swift punch of sexiness, and this whole thing shifts from being a quaint little lifestyle decision and becomes THE thing to do and be (and Hummers start to run on hydrogen).

(We here at Ideal Bite are doing our part to hunt down said cool celebs and get them to be Biters).

Until then, however, there is something immensely satisfying about putting my HP printer cartridge in its little envelope and dropping it into the corner mailbox to send it back for reuse.

-Heather... off to contemplate all the ways that last sentence makes me a complete geek...