Ideal Bite

Maybe not all of you. Regardless, whatever genius decided practical jokes deserve their own holiday, we salute you and loved doing our part.

And for those of you who're feeling bamboozled and demand a real green tip, some archived favorites for your perusal:

• Daily Tip on Car Pooling
• Mama Bite on Diapers
• Chicago Tip on an Eco-Salon
• LA Tip on Speed Dating
• NY Tip on a Home Sustainability Exhibit

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I'll say this for the Internet: It knows its strengths. Google "wood treatment exciting stupendous facts" and it just goes right to its bread and butter with a top result titled "Buy Generic Viagra 30 Pills 100mg Only $109 in US Online Pharmacy." Touché, Internet; I suppose that counts.

During my ultimately fruitless search to bring you an exciting and stupendous fact about wood treatments, I did learn that female carpenter bees have stingers, but males don't. So don't worry about those guys. You know, assuming you can identify an insect's gender midflight. Also, 30 hornets can take out 30,000 bees.

-Senior Editor Mike…off to buy an unfinished wood product to force himself to Read the full post... 

My new bank gave me a cookie.

Yep, when I went in to set up my account at New Resource, there were cookies, there was candy, everyone was friendly – it was kinda creepy, in a It's a Wonderful Life way.

Now, this had mostly to do with their relative smallness, which is another benefit of most green banks: They're not megacorporations that don't care about your personal situation. Overdraft for 5 hours in the dead of night ("When Automatic Savings Attacks!") at my old bank and it was $35 carved in stone. New Resource? "Call to let us know, and if you can cover it that morning it'll be fine."

All those 1950s movies where the main character goes to make a withdrawal and all the tellers know their name finally seemed realistic. As I left, Tracy Read the full post... 

The best thing about cruising art stores is the sense that anything's possible - Why couldn't I turn that blank canvas into something someone not in my personal fan club (Hi Mom!) would adore? But that feeling shrivels up the moment I hit the cash register with my assortment of supplies I don't know the names of but have nice labels. From there, it's all downhill - you spend too much money and then you get home and have no idea how to use anything you just bought.

So naturally I'm all over the Chicago Craft Mafia's Do It Your Own D*mn Self sale this weekend (Saturday, 12-4, at Pulaski Park Fieldhouse). Thirty local crafters'll be on site (including the creator of this Read the full post... 

Stars. They don't always practice what they preach - remember when Fiddy and Paris Hilton promo'd the Vote or Die campaign in 2004 and forgot to register?

Alanis Morissette and Janeane Garofalo are lending their names to Earth Hour, and even filmed short vids about the event. Check them out, and keep your stalker binoculars aimed at their mansions tomorrow night just to make sure.

-Toshio…off to learn to trust…

Daily Tip
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My friends call me Little Foot. It's because I have hooves for feet. I'm OK with it though, since I walk fine, and don't tip over easily, even on two legs.

The best part of having an unevolved, 1940s-size foot is the options. In my tiny-footed world, vintage shoes grow abundantly, as if on trees, and I am the only one who's the right size to pick them. In my world, the shoe tree is eBay. 

Best eBay shoe score ever are my vintage YSL metallic leather heels with tiny bows on the toes. Sometimes I wear them in my room and bump this song.

-SF Editor Hanah…off to turn it up…

Ready to slip into something a little more Read the full post... 

Moms of veggie kids, take note: Nava Atlas might be your new best friend. Her books and site are loaded with kid-friendly vegetarian recipes, plus ideas on how to tackle tricky issues for lil' veggies like road trip snacks and school lunches. Here’s an inspired recipe adapted from her Tofu 101 primer:

Baked Tofu Nuggets with Dipping Sauce
Serves 4-6 kids

Ingredients (local or organic when possible):
16 oz-package tofu, firm or extra-firm
3 Tb wheat germ
2 Tb corn meal
1 tsp seasoned salt
Tomato pasta sauce or barbecue sauce, warmed, for dipping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut tofu into 3/4”-thick slices. Layer between clean tea towels and blot well. Cut slices into 3/4” Read the full post... 

Classic PB's always my go-to snack (natural, natch), but lately almond's been on my alt list. It's healthier than the peanut stuff (same protein, but lower in sat fat and higher in fiber/calcium/iron, generally) and the mild flavor's pretty tasty. But my latest obsession is swapping real fruit for jelly. Sliced strawberries or sprinkled raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries + nut spread over Trader Joe's whole wheat naan = almond joy.

-Senior Editor Theresa…off to dip a strawberry into an almond butter jar…

Wanna try Jen and Toshio's fave almond butter for zero dinero? Read the full post...