Thanksgiving

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Twitter is Full of Thanks

November 26, 2009 in Environment, Thanksgiving by Wendy Gabriel | 4 comments

by Wendy Gabriel

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am a self-professed twitter addict. Through twitter I have met many amazing people; some of them have become really good friends. I’m thankful for their insights and information.

I really wanted to find out some things that people are thankful for this year so I asked the twitterverse:

@alisonkerr: Clean water, good food, open spaces & choices. All of these I hv in Kansas – many in the world live w/out. Im very fortunate. Im thankful.
Alison Kerr is the

@balmeras: Employment & Friends! and chocolate.

@bcrcoffee: To serve others and to contribute to much more relevant 21st Century causes such as human life and the natural world around us.

@CB4wildlife: Thankful for loving support of friends & family, good health, birds & other wildlife whose presence in my garden provides me w/ such cheer.

@CGProgram: Im thankful for my amazing family, good health and the incredible opportunity given to me by 970 WDAY to host a daily talk show my own way.

@DianeMacEachern: I am thankful for my wonderful family & friends; our good health; & our simple lives.

@familyonbikes: I’m thankful that I have this opportunity to bike the world with my children. Family adventure is great!

@greenbungalows: I am thankful that social media allows so many like-minded peeps to learn about the interesting and good work of others!

@GRPreserve: Grateful for not only having a job, but having one that I truly enjoy… also very thankful for my family and friends

@MommyMellie: This year I am most thankful for my family’s good health and my husband’s new job.

@MyGreenSide: Im thankful for my loving husband, my precious little girls, my family and friends! I am blessed!

@rshreeves: Hmmm.. I am thankful for my family, my friends, a job that I love, and a warm kitchen with good smells coming from it.

@YourWildChild: Thankful for snow, sledding, skiing and playing outside!

Tags: twitter

Green Tip – Plan for a Sustainable Thanksgiving

November 25, 2009 in Thanksgiving, WDAY Green Tip by Wendy Gabriel | 1 comment

by Wendy Gabriel

GREEN TIP: Try to plan a more sustainable Thanksgiving. Plan ahead for perfect portions and plan out leftover packaging. At least 28 billion pounds of edible food is wasted each year – more than 100 pounds per person.

Use Less Stuff gives us 42 Ways to Watch Your Holiday Wasteline (pun intended). They’ve created a convenient list of approximate food portions for your Thanksgiving meal:

Turkey- 1 pound per person
Stuffing- ¼ pound per person
Sweet potato casserole- ¼ pound per person
Green beans- ¼ pound per person
Cranberry relish- 3 tablespoons per person
Pumpkin pie- 1/8 of a 9 inch pie per person

On to the leftovers:

You know you’re going to have them so make a plan. The Alternative Consumer has a wonderful suggestion in their green Thanksgiving guide.

Avoid plastic wrap. Most plastic wraps contain PVC which quickly winds up in landfills and has been linked to harmful environmental consequences. Use aluminum foil or, even better, send family home with glass or ceramic storage containers that they can return to you.

Or, call your guests and ask them to bring their own container if they’d like leftovers.

Above all, relax and enjoy your Thanksgiving, remember why we are celebrating.

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. ~Estonian proverb

My Green Side’s weekly web pick:

Mother Earth News
Mother Earth News: the original guide to living wisely. The online presence of this magazine is filled with great information and how-to guides including Sustainable Thanksgiving Meals and Recipes.

Editor’s Note: Each Wednesday My Green Side brings Simple Tips for Green Living to The Christopher Gabriel Program. We also highlight a favorite green site each week. You can stream the segment at approximately 1020am (CDT) every Wednesday at WDAY.com.

Tags: green, Simple Tips for Green Living, sustainable, The Christopher Gabriel Program

Green Tip – Green Thanksgiving

November 4, 2009 in Environment, Thanksgiving by Wendy Gabriel | 4 comments

by Wendy Gabriel

Editor’s Note: Each Wednesday My Green Side brings Simple Tips for Green Living to The Christopher Gabriel Program. We also highlight a different favorite green site each week. You can stream the segment at approximately 1020am (CDT) every Wednesday at WDAY.com.

GREEN TIP: Make your Thanksgiving a little greener this year. Whether you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner or traveling to celebrate the holiday, there are many things you can do to have a greener Thanksgiving.

If you’re cooking, try to find ingredients that were grown locally. Do your shopping at farmers markets or your local co-op. To find out where they are, look in your local newspaper or search the Eat Well Guide.
For food you buy from the grocery store, choose items with minimal packaging. And be sure to bring your own bags with you.
Serving turkey? Choose an organic bird.
Provide cloth napkins and reusable dishware and utensils. You won’t be sending napkins, plastic plates and cups to a landfill and you’ll save money.
Adjust the thermostat down a couple of degrees. All that cooking and the body heat from your guests will surely compensate. You’ll save energy and that will save you money.
Compost all the waste you can.
If you’re traveling to enjoy dinner at someone else’s house, carpool with family or friends. And of course if you’re bringing food, follow the tips above and pack your dish in a reusable container.
Remember to give thanks.

Source: Smithsonian National Zoological Park

BONUS TIP: If you have any leftover turkey, try this awesome Turkey Pot Pie Recipe from Robin Shreeves at A Little Greener Every Day.

My Green Side’s weekly website pick:

Local Harvest

Use the Local Harvest website to find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area.

Tags: Christopher Gabriel, green, WDAY

Reduce, Relax and Enjoy More Family Time

November 24, 2008 in Christmas, Environment, Family, Food, Life, Organic, Parenting, Thanksgiving, green by Wendy Gabriel | No comments

By Wendy Gabriel

GREEN TIP: Reduce your energy consumption during the holidays. The result will be a reduction in your energy costs, a lowering of your greenhouse gas emissions and, most importantly, an increase in your face-to-face family time.

As a mother of two little girls, it is sometimes a temptation to put the kids in front of the TV with the VeggieTales while we’re preparing to entertain. Shocking, I know. But we have made a pact this year to get our children involved with every part of our holiday preparations. Who cares if your windows aren’t sparkling and the cranberries aren’t relished to perfection when your whole family is involved and embracing the celebration.

Give your kids age-appropriate tasks to feel a part of the preparations: Helping with the food prep, setting the table, making name cards and paper napkin rings or mixing up some homemade play dough to occupy little ones who may not be old enough to help julienne the veggies.

This homemade play dough recipe from The Green Parent is excellent!

Ingredients:

1 cup organic flour

½ cup sea salt

2 Tbs. cream of tartar

1 cup filtered water

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a saucepan. Combine water and oil in a small bowl. Stir into flour mixture gradually. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until very thick, stirring constantly. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes. Knead until smooth. Store in an airtight container.

We use a few drops of essential oils to make our creations smell fantastic; usually lavender because it also promotes stress-free play time. And we color our dough by writing on it with some non-toxic markers and then kneading in the color.

The holiday season is a time for family, friends and giving thanks so unplug the TV, DVD player, gaming systems and computers. Save some energy and enjoy the holidays.

Be Well. Be Green. Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and all other holidays I’m either unaware of or have neglected to mention.

Tags: Hanukkah, homemade play dough

Serving Up a Greener Thanksgiving

November 18, 2008 in Family, Thanksgiving by Wendy Gabriel | 2 comments

by Wendy Gabriel

GREEN TIP: Plan to make your Thanksgiving a little greener this year. Whether you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner or traveling to celebrate the holiday, there are many things you can do to have a greener Thanksgiving.

I absolutely love Thanksgiving. We have a big family and over the years my parents always randomly invited wonderful and interesting people to share our Thanksgiving meals. Now that I have a family of my own, I endeavor to make my daughters’ memories just as memorable. I have much to be thankful for so trying to make Thanksgiving a little greener is the least I can do in my quest to save the world.

Here are some great tips with some help from the Green Team:

If you’re cooking, try to find ingredients that were grown locally. Do your shopping at farmers markets or your local co-op. To find out where they are, look in your local newspaper or search the Eat Well Guide.
For food you buy from the grocery store, choose items with minimal packaging. And be sure to bring your own bags with you.
Serving turkey? Choose an organic bird.
Provide cloth napkins and reusable dishware and utensils. You won’t be sending napkins, plastic plates and cups to a landfill and you’ll save money.
Adjust the thermostat down a couple of degrees. All that cooking and the body heat from your guests will surely compensate. You’ll save energy and that will save you money.
Compost all the waste you can.
If you’re traveling to enjoy dinner at someone else’s house, carpool with family or friends. And of course if you’re bringing food, follow the tips above and pack your dish in a reusable container.