Los Angeles
Whip It Up: Pumpkin Pie Vodka Drink Recipe
Pump(kin) Up the Volume
Submitted by mroemer on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 12:00am. Listen here: Modern Spirits (makers of TRU Vodka) have crafted a limited batch of locally made Pumpkin Pie vodka infused with real pumpkin puree and spices, and you can get your hands on some through November.Everything Nice
Makes one cocktail
Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)
Directions:
For graham cracker rim, pulse 2 graham crackers in food processor until the texture's similar to margarita salt. Pour onto a plate. Wet rim of martini glass with a little water, lemon juice, or vodka and press martini glass into graham crackers to coat the rim.
Combine the vodka, cream, syrup, and liqueur in a cocktail shaker, and shake away.
Strain contents of shaker into the graham-cracker-rimmed martini glass.
Makes one cocktail
Ingredients:
(local and organic whenever possible)
- 1 graham cracker
- 2 oz Modern Spirits Pumpkin Pie vodka
- 1 oz heavy cream
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Splash of orange liqueur
Directions:
For graham cracker rim, pulse 2 graham crackers in food processor until the texture's similar to margarita salt. Pour onto a plate. Wet rim of martini glass with a little water, lemon juice, or vodka and press martini glass into graham crackers to coat the rim.
Combine the vodka, cream, syrup, and liqueur in a cocktail shaker, and shake away.
Strain contents of shaker into the graham-cracker-rimmed martini glass.
Eyebrow:
Kid's Eco-Boutique
Punch-Trunk
Submitted by mroemer on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 12:00am. Want a knockout baby gift? Ellen Masse's Entertaining Elephants boutique is a no-brainer - it's brimming with sophisticated baby and kids clothes (0-8 years) mostly from her own line. Made with organic cotton (colored with low-impact dyes) or vintage or locally salvaged fabrics, all of Ellen's stuff is made in LA.Why Care?:
Conventional cotton production is responsible for 10% of the world's pesticides usage. In fact, only 73% of an average tee is cotton - the rest is chem by-products. Buying organic skips that stuff.
I Had Dinner with Steven Spielberg
Well, actually he was sitting two tables away from me, but that still counts, no?Eyebrow:
Hike
Hunger Hike
Submitted by mroemer on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 12:00am. Actually…strike that: You'll eat well when you find out how LA's native plants and flowers can spice up your meals on the Wild Eats Hike and Learn trip.Why Care?:
Learning to identify and use wild edibles might inspire you to introduce native plant species into your yard for ongoing use in the kitchen, plus outdoor exercise saves energy over the gym.
Eyebrow:
Tea Bar
Mr. Tea
Submitted by mroemer on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 11:00pm. We pity the fool who doesn't try T Salon. This new, comfy, Zen-like sustainable tea bar, café, and market's got every type of tea from black to red, plus wellness and blooming varieties, and many organic options like the clean, antioxidant-packed Organic Green Lung Ching.Why Care?:
Tea from outside the United States may still contain toxic baddies like the pesticide DDT. And while you can wash away pesticides on your nonorganic veggies, you can't wash 'em off your tea, so go for 'cide-free varieties.
Eyebrow:
T-Shirt Line
No Shirt, Sherlock
Submitted by mroemer on Tue, 10/27/2009 - 11:00pm. Want more from a T-shirt than just comfort? Obviously. So try Vuori. Each season, this LA-made, organic cotton clothing line (men's stuff too) honors unsung eco-heroes who inspire the tees' artwork.Why Care?:
Cotton is the most pesticide-intensive crop grown in the United States and accounts for 10% of all pesticides; organic skips the chem bath.
Eyebrow:
Eco-Camping
Happy Glamper
Submitted by mroemer on Sun, 10/25/2009 - 11:00pm. Love nature…but not sleeping bags and greasy hair? Get your outdoor fix in comfort by "glamping" at El Capitan Canyon. Inside your tent or cabin (lit with CFLs, natch) you'll find cushy mattresses, crisp linens, and recycled-wood furniture, and the cabins even have a private bathroom and coffee-maker-equipped kitchenette.Why Care?:
Studies show that nature does wonders for depression - great even if you're just stressed. And a little exercise certainly can't hurt.
Eyebrow:
Halloween-ish Week: Perfume
Nail in the Coffin
Submitted by mroemer on Thu, 10/22/2009 - 11:00pm. Wanna put an end to your quest for a new perfume? Done: Try an Opus Oils' fragrance and stow it in one of OO's limited-edition, coffin-shaped perfume flasks. Among the options are Vamp (our pick - smells like fresh gardenia flowers with a smoky undertone), and its newest fragrance, the musky Dirty Sexy Wilde.Why Care?:
Many conventional perfumes use hormone-disrupting phthalates as preservatives; these scents don't.