I love my car. It has always gotten me everywhere I need to go, and doesn’t complain if I sing loudly and off key. But lately I’ve been hanging out in it a little more than I like. Between three weddings, family visits, and friends who keep moving out of state, this has become a summer of road trips.

Even if I can’t cut down on the amount of traveling I have to do, at least I can try to make the rest of my trip as green as possible—beginning with the snacks I bring with me.

Whenever I go on a road trip, I always bring a thermos of something to drink with me. Not only does this save me money by keeping me from spending $4 at Starbucks, but it also generates less waste and is healthier. My favorite beverage is iced tea because it not only tastes good, but gives me a little bit of caffeine for the long stretches through Kansas cornfields.

Instead of grabbing a bag of chips to throw in the passenger seat, I’ve decided to try something a little healthier—and greener. I’m making my own trail mix. It’s simple and you can customize this recipe to fit your own tastes.

Homemade trail mix is a healthy road trip snack. Photo by  cuttlefish / Courtesy Flickr.

Begin with organic granola. I like to use a plain variety so I can add my own extras later. Trader Joe’s has a variety of granola cereals that work well. For one serving, I usually start with about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of granola, but you can always add more.

Next, throw in a handful of your favorite type of nuts. Peanuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts, and cashews all work well. Make sure they are unshelled, and either unsalted or only lightly salted.

Then add a handful of dried organic fruit. Raisins, dates, cherries, and cranberries work well and are fairly easy to find. My personal favorite are dried tart cherries, which have a nice tang to them without being overwhelmingly sweet.

Finally, if you have a sweet tooth like I do, you can add a small handful of chocolate chips to the mix. I prefer dark chocolate, but the mix works just as well with milk chocolate or even peanut butter chips. Simply mix everything together and you have the perfect snack food for on the go. 

Happy trails!

As I look out the window of my office gray clouds cover the sky, hinting at rain. I check the forecast online—it’s supposed to storm all weekend. Unfortunately not all summer days are sunny. Try these green indoor activities to perk up a gloomy day.

Perk yourself up on a rainy day with these green activities. Photo By pshutterbug/Courtesy Flickr

Eliminate clutter

Go through your clothes and decide what you can toss. If you can’t remember the last time you wore it, chances are you don’t need it.

Try swapping your clothes with friends rather than throwing away your used clothes. You could even host a “clothing swap party” and barter your clothes with a group of friends.

For the clothes that none of your friends take, try repurposing them. Turn old sweaters into oven mitts (use only 100 percent wool) or use old sweater pieces to make patchwork blankets or pillow covers. Tear T-shirts into rags for dusting or washing the car. Turn the top half of jeans into a retro purse by sewing the leg holes closed and attaching a belt for a strap. Check out more tips for greening your closet.

If you plan on donating your old clothes, don’t stuff them in plastic trash bags. Pack them in reusable cloth bags to take to the drop-off location.

The average household receives 900 pieces of junk mail a year. Go through all of the extra envelopes, coupons and credit card applications you have lying around and chuck them in the recycling bin.

Start a project

Make a cute, quirky lunch tote out of old plastic bags. Try this easy project using materials you have lying around your home. All you need to complete this project is 4 to 8 plastic bags, an iron, wax paper, clothes pins and a ruler.

Play a green game

Visit Planet Green Game to play a free green game online.

Starbucks collaborated with Global Green USA, a national environmental nonprofit organization, to create the game. After looking at how greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operations negatively impacted the environment, Starbucks created the game to educate the public (and itself) about climate change.

The game takes place in the fictional town of Evergreen. Players look for ways to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the impact of global warming. They earn points by completing various green challenges.

Continue your green web-browsing by taking an online quiz to test your knowledge about air, water and land.

Bake organic

Create something sugary and delicious with organic ingredients. In your recipes for cookies, cakes and pies try using organic flour, sugar, eggs, butter, chocolate, etc. I suggest using Organic Turbinado Sugar and Organic Shaman Chocolates.

Try this tasty recipe for Cherry Chocolate Scones.

If baking from scratch is too much for you, try the baking mixes from

Pamela’s Products . These simple mixes use gluten-free, organic ingredients.

Do you have any fun green activities to brighten up a rainy day? Tell me about them in the comment section.

Each year when the Fourth of July rolls around I get ready for one of my favorite summer traditions—packing up a picnic dinner and heading down to watch fireworks by the lake. But this summer, I’m going to try to make my picnic as eco-friendly as possible.

One of the biggest problems with picnics is the amount of trash they generate. By cutting down on waste and packaging I can make a meal that’s good for the earth as well as for me.

• Instead of buying a bunch of water bottles, juice boxes, or soda cans, most of which will wind up in the trash by the end of the day, try filling up a thermos with your favorite drink at home. Not only will your drink stay cold, but you are more likely to recycle the bottles or cans at home instead of putting them straight in the trash at your picnic site.

• Picnics are made for finger food, which can get messy. But instead of bringing a bunch of paper napkins to wipe your sticky fingers on, try using cloth napkins instead. They can be easily rewashed and used again, eliminating a lot of paper waste.

• Paper plates and plastic silverware seem like an easy option because you don’t have to worry about them getting broken or lost, and you can just throw them away when you are done. But they do generate a lot of needless waste. Try investing in some inexpensive plates for picnics—I have a set of fun and funky plastic plates that are hardy enough I don’t have to worry about breaking them and have the added benefit of not getting soggy from a juicy slice of watermelon! Even more eco-friendly are plates made of recycled plastic. Old or mismatched silverware is also great for picnics, since if you do lose a piece here or there, you don’t have to worry about breaking up a set.

• Eliminate plastic bags. Although it is tempting to just put your food into sandwich bags, it generates a lot of waste. Reusable containers not only store food just as well, but they can actually protect it better on the journey to your picnic location. Thus your strawberries will remain unbruised and your sandwiches unsquashed until you are ready to eat them.

Photo by  Crystl / Courtesy Flickr 

While tossing around a Frisbee and lounging in the hot sun, there is nothing more refreshing than chowing down on some cold fruit. This fresh fruit salad with a honey-lime dressing is a staple for picnics in summer. It’s also a breeze to make and tailor to fit your tastes.

Cut up a bunch of your favorite fruits. I like to include strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, honeydew, apples (granny smith are particularly good because the tartness contrasts with the sweet flavors of the other fruits), blueberries, and nectarines. However, just about any fruit will taste good in this mix.

To make the dressing, combine 2 parts of honey to 1 part of fresh lime juice. The amount of dressing will vary depending on the size of your salad, but a good rule of thumb would be to use ½  a cup honey and ¼ cup lime juice for every 8 cups of fruit.

Pour the dressing over the fruit and toss to coat it all evenly. If you like, you can sprinkle a little grated lime peel on top to add a bit more flavor and texture. This sweet and tart salad will tantalize your taste buds while you wait for the sun to go down and the fireworks to begin.

One of my favorite parts of summer is sitting down after a long day with a good book and a cold glass of iced tea. Sweetened or unsweetened, iced tea is not only a refreshing drink for a hot day, but it also has a variety of health benefits and is much better for you than soda.

Tea leaves come from the Camellia sinensis plant, of which there are three varieties: China, India (or Assam), and a hybrid of the two. The more commonly known differentiations, white, green, oolong, and black, actually refer to the way the leaves are processed after they have been harvested.

Drying tea leaves. Photo by Shazari/ Courtesy Flickr

• White tea is the least processed kind of tea and thus has the lowest amounts of caffeine and the highest antioxidants. Because these leaves are not allowed to oxidize they have a very mild and subtle taste.

• Green tea is the next lowest in caffeine and is also high in antioxidants. The leaves are either steamed or pan-fried to stop the oxidation process, and often have grassy or floral tastes.

• Oolong teas generally run the spectrum between green and black teas. They are partially oxidized which gives them a slightly stronger, smooth taste.

• Black tea is the highest in caffeine, and still has some antioxidant properties, although fewer than the others. Because the tea leaves are fully oxidized they generate a very rich and robust flavor.

Many of the most popular types of tea today are actually blends of the various kinds of tea. These blends include common names Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and Irish Breakfast.

There are also several kinds of tea that aren’t actually tea at all. Rooibos, sometimes called red tea, is actually made from the herb Aspalathus linearis. However, it has quickly gained popularity for its unique taste and lack of caffeine. Herbal teas such as peppermint are also not true teas but infusions. Yet they can still be similarly brewed and often have their own set of health benefits.

Brewing your own iced tea is quite easy. You should begin by making hot tea (either a cup or a pot) and adding twice the amount of tea that you would usually use. Although this will make the tea very strong, it will be diluted by the ice. Fill a glass with ice and after the tea has steeped, pour the hot tea into the glass. You can sweeten the tea with sugar or add other flavors such as a wedge of lemon or a sprig of fresh mint.

A glass of tea is refreshing. Photo by TheBittenWord/ Courtesy Flickr

You can also make sun-brewed iced tea, although it will take several hours before it is ready to drink. Begin by filling a container with 4 cups water and 6 teaspoons of tea (or 6 teabags). Cover or cap the container and place it in direct sunlight for two to four hours depending on how strong you like your tea. Strain the tea (or remove the tea bags) and serve over ice.

Don’t worry if the tea comes out looking a little cloudy (this is most common with black teas). The cloudiness if caused by tannins in the tea. If you want to reduce the cloudiness, use a tea with fewer tannins in it.

There are lots of companies which sell organic and fair trade teas. Some of the most common brands include Choice organic teas, Numi organic teas, Stash organic teas, Republic of Tea organics and Teavana. While you can make iced tea with almost any tea, some kinds lend themselves much better to it than others. My favorites for a cool summer treat include Choice’s green Moroccan Mint tea and Mango Ceylon, and Teavana’s South African Rooibos. If you are looking for something a little less sweet and a whole lot spicier, Teavana’s White Ayurvedic Chai hits the spot. Although this tea unfortunately isn’t organic, it is a part of Teavana’s EquaTrade program which donates money to help the communities where the tea is grown.

Buying organic tea isn’t the only way you can green up your kitchen. Tea leaves make great compost material. For even less waste, buy loose leaves rather than tea bags. This not only eliminates packaging waste, but loose leaves also have a better taste and quality. Place the loose leaves in a reusable tea ball, tea strainer, tea basket, or tea infuser.

By putting your iced tea in a reusable thermos you can take it with you and have a cold drink at work or on the road. Not only is this easier on your wallet than a run to Starbucks, but it also eliminates the waste of a plastic cup.

So, when I get home from work today, the first thing I’m going to do is put the kettle on and then settle back with my latest summer read, a nice cold glass in my hand. Bottoms up!

Only two weeks ago I moved out of my tiny New York dorm room and into an even tinier apartment. But while my new home might be a little lacking in space, it has one feature that more than makes up for it: windows. Big, beautiful, sun-filled windows.

So to bring a little green into my crazy city life, I’m lining my windowsills with plants— herbs to be exact. Not only does an herb garden brighten up your house, but it also gives you a constant supply of fresh herbs to use in cooking, garnish your dishes, or even infuse your favorite tea. Starting an herb garden on your windowsill is actually fairly simple.

First, find a south or southwest facing window. These get the most light during the day, and you want your plants to get at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight. Next, look for a container that will fit on your windowsill. You can use anything as long as it won’t melt in the sun and has good drainage. Because of the drainage you will also want a reservoir bowl or saucer to place under your pot to keep your sill dry. If you live somewhere that gets very cold, you might want to invest in a terra-cotta pot which will insulate your plants during the winter.

Now, fill your container with potting soil or a soilless potting mix. Don’t use dirt from your garden since the soil composition is not good for growing plants indoors! Gently place your plants in the pot and fill with soil, making sure to leave plenty of room for growth and at least an inch at the top for watering.

One of the trickiest parts of gardening is knowing how often to water your plants, and being very careful not to over water them. You should only water your herbs when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch.

To keep your herbs thriving, you can fertilize them by adding a little compost to the soil every 6 to 8 weeks. I have an indoor composter which turn my kitchen scraps into excellent plant food. It’s an easy, green way to dispose of odds and ends without throwing them away.  

Now you can have fresh herbs year-round.

Deep windowsills like this one are the perfect for growing herbs. Photo By Greg Palmer/Courtesy Flickr 

Herbs that grow well indoors include rosemary, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, mint, sage, cilantro and dill. Chives are particularly easy to grow and good for someone unsure of how green their thumb may be. Mint comes in many varieties and has a strong, fragrant aroma. It is often used in soups, salads, or tea. Parsley is a good choice if you like to garnish your dishes.

One of my favorite herbal recipes is a honey mustard glaze that I use with ham or pork tenderloin roasts. All you need is:

• 2 tbsp country dijon mustard

• 1-2 tbsp honey

• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped

Mix the mustard and the honey in a small dish. I usually use 1 or 1 1/2 tbsp of honey, although you can add more if you prefer a sweeter taste. Add the chopped rosemary and drizzle on top of the meat before cooking.

Swine flu may or may not be the pandemic that cable newscasters are proclaiming—but why take chances? This most recent health scare is yet another reminder that eating local, organic food—preferably raised by a source you know and trust—is just a smart thing to do. 

On Sunday, The Department of Health and Human Services issued a nationwide public health emergency in response to the recent cases of swine influenza A (swine flu) discovered in the United States. When the PHE was issued, there had been 20 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States; as of today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 64 confirmed cases in five states, including New York, California, Texas and Kansas. 

According to the CDC, swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by type A influenza virus. It usually occurs in pigs, but the virus can mutate—especially when exposed to other viruses such as avian and human influenza—and infect more than just one species. Grist magazine reports that the outbreak might be traced to a Smithfield Farms hog farm in Mexico. Smithfield Farms has denied that. 

Swine flu most often occurs in people who have close contact with pigs. Photo By Vicky TGAW/Courtesy Flickr 

The CDC says that swine flu cannot be transmitted through pork products—as long as the pork is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit—and most often occurs within people who have close contact with pigs. Human-to-human transmission can also occur, and is thought to spread in the same way as seasonal flu: a person touching something with the virus on it, then touching his or her mouth or nose. For more information about swine flu, check out the CDC’s Swine Flu Key Facts.

While it’s good news that swine flu can’t be transmitted through fully cooked pork, this outbreak reminds us that our eating habits matter. The ways in which animals (not just pigs) are treated on factory farms (known also as concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs) has a lot to do with this outbreak, as well as many others. Animals often live in cramped quarters where diseases spread very quickly. To combat this, the animals are frequently treated even before an outbreak occurs, leading to the concern about antibiotic-resistant strains of dangerous diseases. 

These are great reasons to buy and consume local, organic or wild meat. Local operations are often smaller, allowing them to be more attentive to their livestock. The animals are generally not treated with hormones or (unnecessary) antibiotics and have better living conditions, with less of a chance of contracting or spreading dangerous diseases (either to other animals or to humans.) 

Another lesson we can learn from this outbreak is that going vegetarian—or at least drastically decreasing our meat consumption—is a better idea than ever. Replacing meat with other forms of protein, such as tofu and legumes, is a cost-effective and healthy diet decision. Natural Home features many articles about making healthier food decisions as well as creative and delicious recipes, both with and without meat. 

Whether or not you’re worried about swine flu, your family will be the better for it.

Hard to believe it’s been nearly 40 years since 20 million people worldwide celebrated the first Earth Day. How far we’ve come. 

Celebrate Earth Day today and every day.  Photo By AussieGall/Courtesy Flickr  

Whether or not you choose to participate in local events, Earth Day is a great opportunity to spread environmental awareness and to appreciate your natural surroundings. If you’re looking to celebrate but want to keep it simple, invite a few friends over for an Earth Day dinner. 

If you need help planning your Earth Day meal, visit Organic Valley Family of Farms’ new website, The Earth Dinner, filled with tips to help you set a beautiful table and prepare a tasty, conscious meal. 

Ideally, your Earth Day meal will include in-season, local and organic produce and meats (which is deliciously easy this time of year). The Earth Dinner lists eight recipes that incorporate organic meat, ranging from chicken chop suey and hot pot Italian sausage to vegetables and scalloped potatoes with smoked turkey and horseradish-breadcrumb crust.

This Earth Day, your meal isn’t the only thing that should be green; you can keep your decorations and invitations eco-friendly, too. Let nature guide your decorations, or if weather permits, try an outdoor setting for your celebration. For invitations, eliminate paper by sending electronic cards or emails. 

Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

I haven't carved a pumpkin in years, so last night, I decided to get into the holiday spirit and carve my freshly ripe, bright orange pumpkin. I picked it from the local pumpkin patch in Lawrence, Kansas, a few weeks ago!

At a loss for what to do with the gooey insides, I chatted with my colleague Tabitha Alterman at Mother Earth News. She suggested I roast the pumpkin seeds after talking about what fun she was having making her spicy pumpkin seeds. Though I love spicy and hot foods, I really love sweet food. Here's my easy recipe for cinnamon-sugar roasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

Step 1: Rinse the pumpkin seeds with warm water. Be sure to get off any remaining pulp from the seeds.

Step 2: Dry the seeds. I don't use paper towels anymore, so I spread my seeds out on a cloth napkin to dry.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Step 4: Lightly grease a baking dish with canola oil. Toss the dry seeds in there to get a little oily coating. Now your seeds will be ready for the sweetness to come!

Step 5: Sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar. There's no real measurement to this—just cover the seeds with as much of the stuff as you like...and I like a lot!

Step 6: Place the dish in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes to start. Listen for popping noises (bad!) to make sure that your seeds aren't exploding in the oven. I turned and shuffled my seeds after five minutes for even roasting.

Step 7: After 10 minutes, check your seeds. If they are not golden brown, let them roast for five more minutes. Check again after that time—it's OK to sample a few, too, to see if the texture is to your liking.

Step 8: Remove the seeds from the oven and let them cool in a new container. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with fiber and rich with protein, so they make a great mid-day, healthy snack. Enjoy!