Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The Dangers of Teflon

I found this really alarming article about the Dangers of Teflon, if you're still cooking with non-stick cookware, read it. Apparently the gasses emitted from Teflon have been killing pet birds and doing God-knows-what to the health of millions of families. The article says that "At 680°F Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses."

So if you're still cooking with (and eating and breathing) Teflon, its time to send 'em out to be recycled and get yourself the real deal, cast iron.

The Martha Stewart line has an adorable Red Enamel Cast Iron Chili Pot but its made in China -and I like to err on the side of caution by assuming everything in China contains lead- so I'd skip that one and go with the original, Lodge Cast Iron.




Pros and Cons of Cast Iron:

Pro-
  • Non-toxic
  • Lasts forever (your grandchildren will cook on this if its taken care of)
  • Distributes heat evenly
  • Won't scratch
  • Versatile - can be used in oven or stove top...heck, you can even use it in an open fire.
  • Food just tastes better (At least my family thinks so)
  • Cheap. They're very reasonably priced, especially when you consider you'll never have to buy another one. You could also find old ones at garage sales and thrift stores that just need to be re-seasoned.
  • Many brands are made in the USA, like Logic.
Con-
  • It's heavy. But this could be a pro if you want to keep upper body strength.
  • Requires seasoning and special cleaning. Th pans from Lodge come pre-seasoned with veggie-based oil. And you just have to hand wash them with salt instead of soap and then immediately dry them to prevent them from rusting.

MIBO 2009 Calendar


I found something to do with all the extra printer paper I keep to recycle. I printed this adorable, free MIBO calendar from 2Jane.com

You have to join their mailing list, but its cool because they send you an offer code for 30% off their entire site.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Global Warming Swimming Pool




I love this ad for HSBC by Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai ad agency in India. It was created by sticking an aerial photo of the city's skyscrapers to the base of a swimming pool. The bank wanted to raise awareness of the dangers of global warming.

[Found at neatorama]

Green Freebies!




Merry Christmas, everyone!

Here are all the best green freebies I found this week...

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

What I'm reading...

I've compiled a list of my favorite books on Amazon here. These are all the books that I'm constantly telling people they should read. Now they're all here together in one place.

Wait, you can grow your own vanilla?




Yep, apparently you can.
While picking up a few exotic Orchids to keep our place cheery through the dark, cold winter, I scored a small Vanilla plant at our local garden center for only $12. (Some people might not be impressed with this, but I'm originally from Phoenix, where the only options we really have for houseplants are Aloe and Pothos.) Part of the Orchid family, these delicious beans are native to Mexico (WAY further South than where I'm living) I'm not sure how they'll do in my kitchen, but I'm optimistic. I've only killed one other plant before (A coconut tree, which is mean to even sell in my climate zone because they don't stand a snowflake's chance in Hell...In fact, the term should be "...doesn't stand a Coconut's chance in Bavaria!")
Once these beans are ready to pick and dry, I'll be rolling out all sorts of Vanilla goodies. Homemade Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Ice Cream (but vegan) and anything else I can find.

My First Post

Welcome to my new blog. I'll be posting all my findings on everything eco-friendly and healthy. Check back for product reviews, green and healthy living tips, latest news, book reviews and more.