Ideal Bite

So theoretically, marigolds can help repel certain pests (not including slugs) in your garden - you can even make a homemade plant spray from them. There is a big flower box of them directly adjacent to my herbs and lemon tree. I have no idea whether they're responsible for helping keep my "crops" bug-free, but they are bright and beautiful.

For all the fall brides out there: Marigolds are still in season; have a rich, autumn-y color; and make gorgeous decorations. For ideas on how to use them, first watch Read the full post... 

Why we humans think we can improve on nature - which was had millions of years to hone its processes - is beyond me. But if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?

The New York Times blogged last Friday about a Minnesota company that looked around at its state's 10k crystal-clear lakes and had an epiphany: It's the moss.

Most folks with pools dump chlorine in periodically to kill the bacteria and keep it clean (even though there are other options, ahem). But chlorine, though potent, isn't exactly gentle - and you have to keep adding it because it gets eaten up by things called Read the full post... 

When I’ve really got a cold coming on, there’s one clear way I know: I lose my appetite. Yes, that’s true for many peeps, but ordinarily I’m always, always ready to eat (good cheese is my first choice...except maybe cookies...or a grass-fed burger...). And the first sign of getting better? Jonsing for a gooey PB&J.

I was reminded of that this week when picking up a few jars of organic peanut butter at the store (the way I buy the stuff, I swear I’m putting someone’s kids through college).

During my pregnancy, especially that first trimester, it was one of the only foods I’d consume after a bout of nausea. Not a bad choice if you want Read the full post... 

If you're hungry, and live in the Bay Area, next week Menlo Park's Marche is serving up some unique fare for a great cause. Back in June, Marche Chef Guillaume Bienaimé joined the kindergarten class at nearby Encinal Elementary School in planting summer squash in the campus garden, with seeds from local farmer Fred Hempe of Baia Nicchia Farms. Now, you can reap the delicious rewards of the harvest.

From Tuesday, September 1st through Saturday, September 5th, Marche is offering an Encinal Fresh dinner special: a three-course prix-fixe menu for $44. Plus, 20% of the receipts from the menu  will be donated to Encinal Elementary School to fund programs like the garden. 

Guillaume plans to continue to work with Encinal Elementary students and their Green

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So last night in NYC I caught a screening of No Impact Man. Maybe you've heard of Colin Beavan, the author of the same-titled book and star of the movie coming out Sep. 11. Well, this NY-based writer - along with his wife and young daughter - decided to live a year with as little environmental impact as possible. The point (although some critics saw as too radical) was to go without everything - electricity, public transit, meat, and even toilet paper - and at the end of the year see what's possible and/or practical to go without. To name a few, they only ate locally, biked every where, used candles for light (Colin installed a borrowed solar panel for laptop power), and washed Read the full post... 

…we truly think that our guests coming to the wedding itself is gift enough. But if we did, here’re my top three picks…

For the heart: I Do Foundation - we set up a charity registry at the I Do Foundation, and we really are hoping that our guests give to our charity picks: NRDC, American Cancer Society, the CARD Clinic, and IRF.

For the house: American Clay - OK, so not a traditional wedding gift, but we just put American Clay (gorgeous, incredibly eco “plaster” without the Read the full post... 

That's right. Because she cared enough to star in a video about a fake eco-clothing line. And I cared enough to post it for you below.



So what do you think? Anyone in the market for some new shants made by the lovely actress that also got to star in 10 Things I Hate About You (I so should have gotten that part)? Give Julie Stiles Styles a closer look-see here.

-Seattle Editor Jen...off to fashion a sarong out of doggie poop bags...

From Seattle
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This last week, it ended up that I did more sleeping than cooking. And in the process, I discovered something fantastic:  a buckwheat pillow from beans72. Since a stay in Japan (where buckwheat's a sleep staple) years ago, my husband has been wanting one, and we finally found a great-quality version that's actually made in Texas. These ones are filled with organic buckwheat hulls - which the maker grows, sorts, and cleans by hand - and are covered in unbleached cotton. They are heavy and not-squashy (alas, pillow fights are probably out…), so they take a bit of nestling, but they're breathable, stay cool, and are pretty well known for helping with tension and neck stiffness. (Side note: I'm liking the smaller size - 14 by 20 inches.)

What's more, the hulls get polished Read the full post... 

Fred Pearce, author of Confessions of an Eco-Sinner (our August Book Club book), has a question for you, Biters: What part of my book shocked or provoked you the most?

Share your response to Fred's question here. 


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Back to school: Three haunting words that mean so much - angst over what to wear, walking-naked-into-class nightmares, worries that you'll develop a marble-sized zit on your nose just by thinking about it - you know, the usual. This very morning, I felt my teenage neighbor's pain at a cruel 5 'o clock (and again at 5:07, 5:14, and 5:21, thanks to his snooze button). It brought me back to my own cringe-worthy memories of waking up at unfit-for-adolescence hours to try to achieve Kelly Kopowski's 'do in 8th grade. (Which is basically impossible, unless you're open to working with wood glue.)

But, this Sunday afternoon, Chicago Biters can celebrate the rite of passage with a little non-image-oriented, family-friendly action - Read the full post...