What The FRACK?!

image from the Green Cupboards Fracking Debate

Sometimes when I open my e-mail I get really disappointed.

Today was one such day, because today I saw an e-mail entitled "Obama's Plan to Frack."

I was hoping beyond hope that I read it wrong, or that it was some twisted play on words, but it was not. The subject line summarized the sadness within the e-mail itself, President Obama is planning to use fracking as a technique to unearth the natural gases his energy plan calls for.

What is Fracking and What's the Big Deal?

It is quite possible you have been hearing/reading this term "fracking" a lot lately, but, perhaps are still not really sure what it means. While I have read lots and lots of definitions for hydraulic fracturing (that's what "fracking" is short for), I think this video by Food & Water Watch does an excellent job of showing us what fracking is and why it is so risky.



Needless to say, this is a big deal. Our land, the cleanliness of our water and our water resources are all at risk.

In this country we are extremely lucky to have the clean water we do. I fear that too many people take that for granted and do not fully grasp the horrors of a tainted water system. The types of things that can result from fracking can not be solved with a Brita filter!

What Can We Do?

As the video explained, you can let your representatives know that you wish to have fracking banned. To raise the bar a little bit higher, why not let the President know? That, in fact, was the purpose of the e-mail sent to me today - not to e-mail the president, or sign a petition, but, in fact, give him a call TODAY. Food & Water Watch has declared today a National Day of Action.

I know you're busy, but you stopped to read this, so stop to make a phone call, please.

"Join Thousands: Make a Call Today to End Fracking!
President Obama needs to put an end to fracking and put clean water ahead of dirty energy and put an end to fracking.

Call the White House comment line

(888-498-2945)

and tell them that President Obama must protect all Americans by banning fracking in the United States."

 from Food & Water Watch

Thank you.

Tell The Girl Scouts How Big the Gluten-Free Market Is!

I have to say that I was late to the party. I didn't understand how delicious Girl Scout cookies were until just adulthood. I don't know how I missed it...

However, I made up for lost time. There are three separate girl scout families that would vie for my business because if yesterday's post about my Costco shopping has taught you anything about me, I like to stock up. So the Riveras would buy multiple boxes of multiple flavors: Thin Mints would go right in the freezer for a cool treat in the summer, or mixed into ice cream (YUM!). I'd buy multiple boxes of peanut butter cookies of all types for my husband and for surprise treats when my brother would visit. I always love a basic shortbread cookie, so I'd get some Trefoils and All Abouts, and, lord help me, I'd get the Samoas and I'd hide them all over the place (some at work, some at home). I was a master at making them last the entire year, so that I'd be finishing up my last Thin Mints when the next year's order was coming in.

Then last year, in June, I was told I could no longer have gluten. I had to give away my Thin Mints. I had to give away all the cookies I bought - I could eat none of them. That wasn't surprising to me. I had to give away a lot of things. What did surprise me, however, was when I investigated the Girl Scout's gluten-free offerings this year and found NONE. I was heart-broken and confused. So many of the sites where I find gluten-free information are designed for parents of Celiac children or children on a gluten-free diet. I asked my husband, "What if your kid is a Girl Scout and they can't have gluten?"

Sometimes, when I ask questions answers come from unexpected sources. Here's the girl I was, unknowingly, thinking of on the day I did my own GF Girl Scout cookie search:

Petition for Gluten-Free Girl Scout Cookies: MyFoxNY.com

Her name is Elle. She lives right here in New York and she has Celiac disease. Her mom is helping her to tell the Girl Scouts that she, and others like her (ME!!) have been left out. So far all the Girl Scouts have to say about it is THERE ISN'T ENOUGH DEMAND TO INVEST IN SUCH A PRODUCT.

You know what that means - we're making today another TAKE ACTION TUESDAY! Ladies and gentlemen of the gluten-free community and our supporters, please take a moment now to sign this petition created by Elle's mother to let the Girl Scouts know THE DEMAND EXISTS and some of it is within their own troops!

Change.org|Start an Online Petition »

(Petition Link in case the widget isn't showing up: http://www.change.org/petitions/encourage-the-girl-scouts-to-sell-an-allergen-free-cookie)

Please share this with others and spread the word!!

Friday's Food Finds

Food Web Sites and Tools

• Local Harvest While I know I have written about this amazing site before, I have never featured it in a Friday Food Find which it totally deserves. Local Harvest is the site I go to find local farmers markets, coops, CSAs an online vendors as well. I guess it is because it is Farmers Market season over here that I've got Local Harvest on the mind. I want everyone to have the same yummy experiences I am having here in New York!

Food Reads

• Sustainable or Organic ~ Which is Healthier? This is an interesting blog post from a sustainable farmer discussing the differences between these two techniques of farming. I love to read everyone's opinions on these two and their experiences with both.
• **Antibiotics: Are They Overused in My Food? A great question and an equally great post about an issue we should all be aware of. Read this. Take action.
• **10 Reasons to Retweet for Clean Water Here in the States we're getting ready for the unofficial start to summer fun this Memorial Day Weekend with many opening up their pools and planning other fantastic water adventures to keep cool. However, there are so many that do not have the luxury of clean water for fun or even for their own survival - take a moment to read Meg's post to find out what's going on and how easy it is to help! 

Good Food (Recipes)

• Homemade Powdered Sugar This is another great post from the Damsel for a quickie (no... REALLY quick) and easy technique for making powdered sugar in a pinch.
• 10 Cook Out Hits for Memorial Day Leave it to the Huffington Post to give us 10 recipes for the price of one! Who can pass up an article like this. They look delicious, I'll have to run through the list with the hubby to which ones we'll check out first. Let me know how your selections go!

Food FIGHTS 
**This week our food fights are embedded in our food reads! Check out the actions you can take to get the word out to the FDA about Antibiotics in our food and how you can tweet to the world about clean water in those important reads!
 

Do you have a food website, tool, food read, recipe or food fight you think I should check out and share with the readers of Searching for Sustenance? If so e-mail me at BlogWithNV@gmail.com!

TAKE ACTION AGAINST GE FOODS

There will be a meeting in Canada in the coming week concerning food labeling as a global issue. Of course, when it comes to food labeling, one of the topics up for discussion is genetically engineered foods. There will be delegates from the United States sharing their opinion that labeling - unfortunately, that opinion is that genetically engineered foods should not be labeled. If you are one of the very many people that feel that this particular opinion does not reflect your own, then please take a moment to sign the petition put together by the Alliance for Natural Health that will be sent directly to the committee.

Ask the CCFL to Revise Its Draft Position on the Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods!

Time to Help Tornado Survivors

I can't even begin to imagine.

Homeless, lucky to be alive, but incapable of knowing what steps to take in order to continue to live. You're not alone - your neighbors are in the same boat, if they are lucky and while there are promises of government aid you've got to wonder - What does that really mean for me and my family?

I saw one girl on the news tonight covered in mud, hair strewn all over who said, "I don't mean to sound materialistic or anything, but... I mean... we lost everything." She broke my heart - so apologetic in her feeling of loss, as if she should be somehow thankful for her current situation. Her loss is so far beyond that of a materialistic loss - it is loss of home, security and trust in nature. She will grow stronger from this loss, but right now that girl and all those who have survived to see the devastation and live with it, need our help. 

What Can We Do?

If you sat down to dinner with your family tonight on a chair, with a roof over your head and have a bed awaiting your resting head at the end of this day, then perhaps you may want to consider donating, or if you or close enough, lending a hand to one of the following organizations.

• The Alabama Food Bank to help bring food to the many families that will be searching for it. You can donate food or money to any number of areas in Alabama.
• Feeding America is the organization that runs food banks all over the United States. While Alabama was the hardest hit, a number of states were affected (see this Wikipedia article for the details of where the tornadoes hit and what kinds of damage have been reported in those areas).
• Salvation Army is working throughout the region to help. So far they have "mobilized 10 feeding units and a communications unit.  Another 22 mobile feeding units including catering trucks, mobile kitchens, and a 20,000 meal per day full service field kitchen have been placed on standby.  Units are providing food, beverage, and spiritual support to storm victims."
• For other options, including where you can donate bottled water or volunteer your services and time, check out this article by Wade Kwon at MagicCityPost.com
• [Update: GOOD magazine has released its own article with links directing you to find places to help!]

Finally, spread the word. Tomorrow will be a big global news day with the Royal nuptials on the minds and appointment calendars of so many. It is easy to see how those who are suffering may get second billing when they need our attention most.  Let's not forget Prince William's years of charity work and honor him and his new wife on their wedding day by spreading the good will so dear to their hearts.

Food Safety and Corporate Interference

If there is anything that drives me nuts it is when finances take front stage where they don't belong. I just signed a petition concerning our food safety and how food rgulation in the United States is being largely hindered by corporate influence.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

Along with the form letter there was an option section to add in my own two cents. As I was limited to 700 characters (spaces included), I got a little creative with my editting, here's what I wrote:

Food & finances don’t mix. The former determines humanity’s survival while the latter is a man-made abstraction created to place value on things, services & time. NOTHING is more valuable than food. In a capitalist society, this reality is overshadowed by the “power” of $. The FDA & USDA are 2 organizations that should be freed of this conundrum. Those who regulate & determine the safety of what we eat, feed to our children & share w/ our families, shouldn’t be constrained by ANY institution. If we are to entrust the safety of our sustenance to any regulatory organization they should be unbiased, unfettered & given the appropriate resources to ensure that our people, not prices, are safe.

I hope that makes as much sense as it did before my brutal edit. Either way, I am writing this post today to bring this petition to your attention. We all need to sign this. We all need to add our two cents. The FDA and the USDA should not be hindered by any outside influnces.

To take part in the petition, click on the widget below, or if that does not work (it requires JAVA), please follow the link below it.



The link: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/667/237/208/?z00m=19968833

Please check out the petition, read the letter and share th petition with other action takers!

What are your feelings about corporate interference/influence over the FDA and/or USDA?

Is there some place that corporations belong in this regulation process that I am overlooking?

5 Reasons You Should Support Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

The new season of Food Revolution began last night to mixed reviews in the foodie world. There are many that laud Jamie's efforts and others that say this is nothing but Hollywood at its best, glossing over reality and not giving credit to all of the other school food improvement programs that have been in the works for decades.

While I am personally aware of the limitations of the show as it is a television show, I feel that there is still merit in supporting Jamie's efforts if you are looking for supporters in the food movement. Here are my reasons:

1. Let's consider it a "gateway" revolutionizer. Let's be honest, while you may be aware of numerous programs working towards improving school food and you may recognize that Jamie is barely scratching the surface of what you do every day in your activist role, there are plenty of people in this country that have not even begun to think about their food. Jamie's nice-guy-next-door attitude and goofy techniques are inviting enough for people to come along for a laugh before they even realize they are listening to a foodie sermon.
2. Ratings roar in this culture. As I often write about our spending power in this blog, in this instance we also have our watching power. Winning an Emmy for Season 1 was very nice, but can also seen as a little patronizing pat on the head, "Nice job Jamie. Aren't you happy now? Now go away!" Ratings are everything in television (just look at how many weight loss programs have sprung up since the airing of NBCs big hit The Biggest Loser) imagine, for a moment, what kind of new TV can be created if Food Revolution continues to garner that kind of success.
3. TV still drives a lot of day to day discussion. As sad as this is, with all we have going on in the world and our lives, television still seems to be a hot topic in most groups. Well, let's give our food fight a chance to make it into day-to-day discussions.
4. Jamie is doing the right thing. Perhaps he is limited by the production, or the scope of each season, but, in my opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Jamie Oliver's message! He's doing what he can and I think it is pretty awesome. He's a television personality. He's a chef. He's a dad. He took these three parts of himself and said I have to do something about this! And he's doing it!
5. Seeing the learning curve is part of the issue. I think it has been obvious since day one of season one that Jamie was learning on the job here in the US. Some may say, "Why doesn't he just consult with some experts to get through all that before he goes to air?" I think showing all of these obstacles has two overall benefits: (1) It gives those of us who have not battled for school food an idea of what a monster the undertaking is, and (2) It gives a huge amount of credit to the organizations that have been in place in our country for decades!

I heard a anecdote today in a webcast about global crises that actually had me thinking about our fight for good food in schools, in society and in our homes, it went something like this:

Whenever there is a time of change we have three groups of people. We have the few amazing change-makers that have figured out what we need to solve our problems, how to move forward and how to succeed. However, on the other end of the spectrum we have the nay-sayers, those who are very vocal about why all of those solutions will not and can not work. Unfortunately, we make the same mistake all of the time: we run to the nay-sayers and expend all of our energies convincing them while ignoring the largest group of all, those in the middle, on the bench waiting to see what the group, as a whole should do. We should stop working on the nay-sayers and get those people off the bench.

I think Food Revolution, as a television show, speaks to the bench in a huge way. While you may think there are more effective change-makers in the game than Jamie Oliver, I believe we have to respect that he is building our team! So let's support this cheerleader for our cause, as we guide each new teammate to the local or national organization that can best move our cause forward!

Groups That Are Working On School Food:

• Farm to Schools 
• Slow Foods USA (Slow Food in Schools Project)
• Cook for America
• One Tray
• Better School Food
• The Center for Ecoliteracy (the same folks that helped bring us that AWESOME Food, Inc. Discussion Guide!)
• Marion Nestle says she is gathering up resources for school food advocacy, so keep your eyes on FoodPolitics.com

If you know of more groups, or involved in one that I missed, please let me know! (One of the great joys of blogs: they can ALWAYS be added to!!)

A Take Action Soundtrack

Ready to dance your way to taking action?

Ready to sing a new anthem for the good of your food and planet?

Here are two incredibly creative groups presenting some must-hear messages using their talents and digital video to spread the word far and wide.

Watch these videos, sing along, share them with friends and family and listen to their messages!

ENJOY!

An Ode to Monsanto



Plastic State of Mind


Check out the following organizations if you are ready to start taking action now:

• Food & Water Watch
• The Center for Food Safety
• Food Democracy Now
• Millions Against Monsanto

A Day of Action

The Rally for the Right to Know
 

For those of you that follow Searching for Sustenance's Facebook Page, you know that today was the Rally for the Right to Know all over the US. While the event in Washington DC is still going on (it is running from 11am to 3pm), the New York City rally at City Hall had a shorter event time from 12pm to 1pm.

I am ashamed to say, I missed it. I had to rely on mass transit since my husband was working, and when I realized it was nearly 11:30am and I was still standing on a bus stop in Staten Island with no signs of my stupid bus that would then take about an hour to get me where I was going, I admitted defeat. I now have a $20 MetroCard burning a hole in my pocket and a raging headache from spending my time reading about homesteading and composting in the Barnes & Noble next to the bus stop (I am NOT supposed to read regular books because this is, inevitably, what happens!). I am looking forward to hearing, seeing and reading about what went on at City Hall and all around the US. I do hope there were large turnouts everywhere.

Here are some things you can do about GMOs and Monsanto so you can still be a part of this action:

• Join the Virtual Rally for the Right to Know How awesome is this? If you can't be there that doesn't mean your voice shouldn't be heard! 
• Tell the Department of Justice to Break Up Monsanto Remember trust-busting? Well, we NEED it in our agriculture industry NOW!
• Download and Print Some Right to Know Materials to Share with Friends and Family Tewo informative leaflets, one entitled "What you can do to avoid GMOs" and the other called "10 things Monsanto does not want you to know."

Earth Hour Beckons...

After I complete my virtual actions, I am going to redirect my disappointment in myself into some productive energy trying to figure out what to do tonight for Earth Hour 2011. I have always loved the idea of Earth Hour and have long thought it would be something to do once a month, instead of just once a year, however, like everything else in my muddled mind, it often gets forgotten until the Earth Hour season springs up again.

This year, however, the Earth Hour cause seems even more relevant to me not only on a compassionate note, but now on a financial one as well. The amount of electricity being used in my home, month for month has been greater this year than it was last year. I have been checking my bills closely and noting it. Sadly, this falls on one pair of shoulders: mine. The only difference between this year and last year is the fact that I am now home from work on medical leave.

I had an electrical epiphany when I took my ASAP Pledge for the Baglady in week one of the Hummingbird Project - I was not turning off my computer EVER. Beyond that, the television is on more during the day, I think I have more "wall warts" than ever and, of course, I put lights on from time to time!

Here are some of the things I am thinking about doing in preparation for Earth Hour, during Earth Hour, and beyond:

• Make a power-outage list. It seems the only time I ever truly realize how much I use electricity is when I lose it! To sit down and really think about what can and can't be used in the event of a power-outage will give me a good place to start to think about what changes I can make.
• Assess the list. Are there anythings I can be doing differently? Do I have things plugged in 24/7, that I only use once in a while ("wall warts")? Am I making the best use of the natural light in my home?
• Pull out the candles and matches. Put them all in one place. Growing up we always had one spot for all of these things (the power in this neighborhood used to go out like crazy in the summer), now, I am not really sure where they are!
• Play more board games. My husband and I love to do this, but always forget because we have all of "our shows" to watch - isn't that sad? Well, enough is enough!
• Get the leashes and flashlights out - let's take the dogs on a nighttime adventure! They would seriously love this and who knows if we will run into a opossum!
• Get a blanket (and, in this weather, unfortunately, I would still need a coat!) and drive down to the beach/park/ferry. We have an amazing view of the Verrazano Bridge from our beach and the night sky is so clear down there as well. In fact, there are a number of fantastic places to go on this island to go check out some amazing views. The view of Manhattan from the ferry is unbelievable.
• Convince my husband to read aloud to me by candlelight.  I think he might do this, and it is so much fun!!
• Check out the Earth Hour website for more ideas! I noticed that the official site has a link to find your local Earth Hour website, so that seems pretty cool!

Questions for you:
ABOUT THE RALLY
Did YOU get out to one of the rallies today? If so, how WAS IT?
What are your feelings about genetically modified foods? Do you think they should be labeled?
ABOUT EARTH HOUR
What are your plans for Earth Hour?
What is the one thing you would miss most if you had to live without electricity?

Think About This Thursday

Watch this


Scary, isn't it? Then TAKE ACTION HERE


Now, take a look at this:


And recognize that Nestlé is trying to do the same thing in Oregon. TAKE ACTION HERE.

What else should we be thinking about today? Do you have information about another action we should be taking?

How Can Hunger and Obesity BOTH Be Problems In Our World?

Something really strange is going on in our world. Obesity is a problem, we all know it, we can see it and the media reminds us of this day after day. However, at the same exact time hunger continues to be an enormous problem. No one can deny either of these facts, but they become even more intriguing when the data collection happens.

According to Ellen Gustafson's TEDxEAST talk in May 2010, the number of hungry people and the number of overweight people in the world each count up to be about 1 billion! How is it possible to view these as to separate problems? They are both about food!

If you have not seen Ms. Gustafson's TED talk yet, I think it is worth a watch.


Once you have watched and you are ready to see how the 30Project has grown so far, then here are some links for you to check out:

• the 30 Project website and join the group
• the 30 Project Facebook page
• the partnership of the 30 Project with GOOD magazine

Friday's Food Finds

All week I am all over the Internet blogging about food, commenting about food, reading about food and finding tons and tons of stuff! I simply can NOT dedicate a single post to each individual find, so here's what I am going to do: I am going to give you a CliffNotes version of some foodie finds that I think you might all be interested in, so you have stuff to read and tinker with over the weekend! Here it goes:

Food Web Sites and Tools

• two foods Here is a neat little tool for food nutrition comparisons. Let's say you are faced with almonds and cashews and you don't have a particular craving for one over the other, but you are curious about the nutritional facts run-down for each. Enter two foods. Type in each type of nut and click "Compare!" here's what you'll see:

•  Casabella Cutting Boards (set of 4) One concern in a kitchen is cross-contamination. To be honest, this is not something I ever thought of before I started watching all these chefs on TV - I had one cutting board that I washed in between uses. I am not a big fan of lots of stuff cluttering up my kitchen, so when I found these cutting "boards" I was super happy. They are super skinny, flexible and take up less space than my old cutting board! They have to be hand washed, but their bright colors and cute graphics make them so easy for me to use and keep straight! If you are looking into purchasing separate cutting boards for poultry, beef, fish and veggies, I highly recommend this very durable and affordable option!
  

Food Reads

• The perils of food nutrition and research This post from Marion Nestle on her Food Politics blog addresses issues that arise in all arenas of research - poorly designed studies, misread data and highly elevated claims. I taught Statistics before going on my medical leave and often take for granted that people can decipher the difference between a good study and one that can be thoroughly misleading. It is unfortunate that our media does not filter this for us. All "studies" should first be questioned: Who ran this study? Why did they run this study? How did they collect this data? ...I think you get the idea. For now I will leave you with Dr. Nestle's article, but we shall revisit this topic on the Searching for Sustenance blog!
• Eco-farming Could Double Food Output of Poor Countries, Says UN One of the huge arguments for industrialized agriculture is that it feeds the world. It is argued that the technology brought to the land is, in many places, the only hope. Well, the UN brings up some contrary evidence reported here. Excellent information.

Good Food (Recipes)

•  Raw Chili Cheese Fries My husband and I discovered our deep connection with chili cheese fries on our first vacation together to Walt Disney World - they were amazing! Since seeing the light about the insanity of our ways (we were eating them all the time after that vacation), we have cut out this delectable treat. When I found Poppy's recipe from her first adventure at a Raw Foods Class this week on her From Fried Chicken to TOFU blog, I knew I found something I would have to try and share.  So, I am getting my shopping list together, but let us know how s goes if you get to it first!
• The Homemade Twix Bar (...because I can't). OK, OK I know... I am usually preaching all wonderful kind of healthy stuff, but this would be HOME-MADE - that has to count for something! And I would really like to live vicariously through you! Twix are one of my favorite bars and with my dairy-free/gluten-free life, I have also been Twix-free! Kim at Incandescent Blue Flame is the one who exposed me to this torture earlier this week. I forgive her, but it was rough at first ;)

Food FiGHTS

• Rally for the Right to Know on March 26, 2011 in Washington, DC  is getting organized. Millions Against Monsanto - RALLY FOR THE RIGHT TO KNOW - Genetically Modified Foods need to be labeled! Saturday, March 26, 2011, 11am - 3pm on The White House Sidewalk. The mission: Spread awareness of genetically modified foods and Monsanto's increasing monopoly of our foods. To get involved, either visit their facebook page, or e-mail millionsagainst@gmail.com
• Protect Food & Water Safety Funding

Do you have a food website, tool, food read, recipe or food fight you think I should check out and share with the readers of Searching for Sustenance? If so e-mail me at BlogWithNV@gmail.com!

March Moves Monday Run Down #1 (from The Hummingbird Project)

As I declared March as "Do Something Month" for myself and any others who have joined this challenge with me last Tuesday (March 1st) with an introduction to the Hummingbird story I had not anticipated that it would take off so quickly!


The Hummingbird Project Spreads Its Wings

Upon reading the post for themselves, two fellow bloggers decided this was a challenge their readers needed to read about. I was more than happy that this came to fruition and hope that it further inspires people in this country, and the world, to do something this March.  Please check in with Emily at the Family and Life in Las Vegas blog and Meg at the Do Good blog to support our fellow hummingbirds!


My First Moves

• Donated clothing and household items to the Vietnam Veterans of America. This just proved to me that the universe was waiting for me to Do Something this month. When I checked my mailbox the day after the hummingbird post their was a postcard with a bag in there from the VVA. They were requesting donations (especially clothing) for them to sell to raise money for their organization.  According to the postcard they would be in my area on March 4th - since that was Do Something Day I considered that a sure fire sign that I needed to take action. I called in, scheduled a pickup, and by the time they arrived on Friday morning, we had gathered together five bags of clothing and one bag mixed of household items and board games.
• Started my kitchen scraps bin for composting. I began researching things to compost right away. As soon as I found out that nearly everything I throw away when cooking could be composted, I got started. I have a large plastic container that I noticed the seal was getting more weak in... its days in food storage service in my kitchen were limited. I decided it was time for it to change roles. It is now my kitchen scrap container and I keep it in my freezer (I have read about this in a couple of different places).This is it so far. I am pretty sure I have to come up with an outdoor composting system by the end of this week!

I can't believe how quickly this is filling up!

Check out the Baglady blog!

• I took the ASAP pledge and adopted a baglady. In my research about composting I came upon the story of a a wonderful woman named Shirley Lewis and her work as the "Baglady" in Northern Ireland. When you show up at the Baglady Productions website you are instantly greeted with a video of Ms. Lewis talking to young people and local politicians about what they all can do to make sustainability a priority for their country. Her idea is genius ~ sell the kids and the parents will follow. I remember, as a child, being the one to tell my mother and father to "buckle up!" every time we got in the car. We were taught about the unconditional nature of this action, and for their sanity's sake, our parents followed our beckoning requests. The Baglady wishes to instill this same type of relationship with children and their parents about the environment, from firsthand experience, I simply know this will work. While at the site, there are numerous reminders to take "The ASAP pledge" yourself. The ASAP pledge simply requests that you 

"Make your contribution to the new ASAP World [As Sustainably as Possible] by pledging to give up one thing, and take up one thing."

This was pretty simple for me, after watching the baglady video where numerous children pledged to shut down their XBox, or commit to shutting lights off when they leave a room. I decided my thing to give up would be leaving my computer(s) on standby ~ I do this all of the time! So, from now on, when I walk away from my computer I will SHUT IT DOWN.  The thing that I will take up, is one I have already pledged here on my blog: composting. The more and more I learn about it, the more I realize that this can dramatically affect the amount of waste in my home! 

• I am working to get a composting workshop here in Staten Island for a group of interested participants. It truly seemed as though the stars were aligned for my March moves. The day after posting the challenge I received an e-mail about a master composting course ($40 for a seven day course) starting on March 16th. I inquired and found out that it was not for a beginner like me, but the gentleman running the course would be happy to arrange a workshop for me if I could find a small group of people to join me. I was elated! I am awaiting to here what topics he would like to share, so I can then extend a more detailed invitation to the possibly interested parties! In the meantime, I am learning as much as I can on the Internet.

Reflections

I'm really happy I started this Hummingbird Project for myself because it is pushing me to do things that I always talk about or think about doing that stay, seemingly forever, on my list of things "To Do." While my condition(s) do limit my actions, I am pleasantly surprised to find out how much I actually can do. In addition to these moves I made this month so far, I was also asked to become a participating author on The IH Brain Pain Blogs, a blog about and for IH patients. I have been wanting to contribute to my IH community for a very long time, but had no idea what I could do this is just the perfect opportunity! March has been marvelous so far (even though I have been sicker than I have been in a really long time....) and I hope I can keep being the hummingbird I know I can be!

Resources

I found a lot of cool sites think month so far while trying to start up my own actions, so in case anyone is interested in making some of these moves, here's some good stuff!

• 163 Things You Can Compost The title says it all, but honestly, after reading this I think I can dramatically reduce the amount of waste coming out of this house!
• Composting at Home 2 Easy Methods YouTube video by Enviromom.
• How to Make a Compost YouTube video by KitchenGardeners.org.
• The Rubbish Diet A challenge to reduce the amount of rubbish your home produces. I have only skimmed this so far (this is where I found the Baglady and got swept away!), but this idea intrigues me.

I would love to know what my other hummingbirds are doing out there! Remember this is a MONTH LONG challenge, so join in ANY time!

What's something YOU DO that we can replicate in order to make great changes from small moves?

March Forth on March Fourth - It's Do SOMETHING Day

Every year, as March 4th rolls around, the date begs you to MARCH FORTH! and do something! To add to this beckoning call, this past Tuesday, I challenged you with my Hummingbird Project to extend this to an entire month of doing something.  Whether you are willing to do something for a day, or take the leap for the entire month, you may still be stuck wondering What should I do? I have been thinking about this kind of thing for awhile, so I am going to share with you some ideas I have,

Simple One-Day Acts to Do Alone or With Others

• Watch a documentary for a new perspective on something you are interested in. Here are some of my documentary experiences that can possibly help you with your decision:  
• Blue Gold:World Water Wars,  
• Fuel, The Future of Food and Food Matters, 
• Food, Inc., Tapped, King Corn, and No Impact Man, and  
• Dirt: The Movie

• Get in the kitchen. Get the whole family involved in learning about some new cooking technique, how to make your old recipes healthier, or just to rid your pantry of some evil ingredient (may I suggest high fructose corn syrup?). Here are some posts that may help you on your path:
• Vegetables Every Day,
• The Meatless Monday Experience,
• Vegetables: Raw or Cooked?,
•  Quinoa: The Mother Grain,
• Clean Eating Defined,
• Finding Healthy Recipes, and
• The Land O'Lakes Boycott

 What You Can Do With Just A Computer

• Watch (or Read) and share some inspirational/educational videos. Whether it is through the wide expanse of YouTube or you take a direct route to a worthy  organization's website (ie. TED), there is so much out there to absorb, share and enact change simply in the way we think. Here are some web videos I was moved by:
• Birke Baehr's TED talk and a peek at The Meatrix, 
•  The Perennial Plate 
• Small Ways to Make a Big Difference (a free eBook)

• Find a nonprofit that needs YOUR help (virtually or financially). One of the best actions you can take is to network with like-minded people around your cause - whether you join a mailing list, sign up for an event or have the means to donate, finding a way to Do Something may be easier than you think when you connect with the right groups. Here are some you may want to check out:
• FOOD BANK,
• Food & Water Watch, National Resources Defense Council, The Center for Food Safety,
• Organizations and Readings from the Changing the Way We Eat (ChWWE) Group

Long-Term Projects You Can Begin with Just One Step

• Composting. This is a project I am getting started on myself, so I am still learning, but I have found a couple of great resources to start out.
• Home Composting Made Easy
• Meet the Green Compost Episode

• Gardening. I am truly a novice when it comes to gardening. I should have picked up more tips from my mother when she was around... Alas, I must learn again (I'm really hoping that the things I learned as a child start to come back to me when I begin!). Here's a great resource that a fellow blogger, Brenna, pointed me to:
• Master Gardeners

And If You Are Ready to Build a TEAM of Do-ers 

• Build a Culture of Community Involvement. Meg Appleby of the How to Make a Difference blog and the Do Good blog has all the tips you need to get some volunteers to join your cause. Read her post How to Build a Culture of Community Involvement to see how!

I hope this gives you lots of ideas for March 4th's task to DO SOMETHING (and I really hope it inspires you Do Something every day! I look forward to reading how everyone spends their day.

...and don't forget to wear your action too! (I think this company is SO COOL!)

Where Are All My Hummingbirds? A Call to Action

I am going to be honest with you today. I have a problem. I want to change the world. I don't know exactly when this idea first occurred to me (college? high school? earlier?), but I know that I very much felt that was exactly why I belonged in the classroom. I am not delusional, I am completely aware of my smallness in this world, however, I believe every single one of us is capable of changing the world no matter how small we are. As I watched Dirt: The Movie last week, I saw a great story about a hummingbird who had the same problem as me. 

I am doing the best I can... Can't really ask for more than that. 

The best that I can do now is shift audiences (put out of the classroom on medical leave) and use this time to still create ripples in my small pond. Will you help me make some waves?

This Friday, March 4th, has been declared "Do Something Day," but I've been thinking - why not make this a "Do Something Month"? It's a great time of year to start something new for your health, your wealth, your family, your home or your home planet. 

Here are some ideas I am working on for my own personal challenge:

GARDENING IDEAS

• learn about and begin composting
• get soil tested in yard to see if growing food is a safe option, if not - plant other things to start to heal my soil

COOKING IDEAS

• work on meal planning and getting hubby to bring more lunches to work (save $$!!)
• do some more baking

ENVIRONMENT IDEAS

• continue to spread the word about the Farm Bill and actions that need to be taken to ensure our food is appropriately labeled and regulated
• take my dogs on longer walks and get back out to my parks

... this list is getting long and can get even longer if I allow it to. These are all small things, doable things, but right now they represent me doing the best I can. Not one of these individual little droplets of water can put out the huge forest fire around us, but, like the hummingbird, I must do something, I simply can't stand by in shock.

As I come up with new ideas, I will implement them and I will share them each Monday (since I will most likely need weekends to put some bigger things into action) in March Moves Monday Run Down! I challenge you to join me and share whatever "moves" your making this month each Monday. Also, spread the word about this challenge far and wide - who knows? Maybe we can inspire an elephant to fill his big trunk up with water to really start to extinguish this fire!

Ready to "move"? 

What things can you do this month - big or small - to help enact change in the world around you?

What things are you already doing that may be a good idea for someone else to try?

Here's a post to help you get started: March Forth on March Fourth - It's DO SOMETHING DAY

Friday's Food Finds

All week I am all over the Internet blogging about food, commenting about food, reading about food and finding tons and tons of stuff! I simply can NOT dedicate a single post to each individual find, so here's what I am going to do: I am going to give you a CliffNotes version of some foodie finds that I think you might all be interested in, so you have stuff to read and tinker with over the weekend! Here it goes:

Food Web Sites and Tools

• Foodily.com Unveiled this week, Foodily.com has been called the Facebook for food. I have only just started tinkering with it, but so far I like what I see. It is a recipe search engine where you type in an ingredient and it spits back recipes in an order that takes into account the seasonability of the ingredients and the likes of your facebook friends.
• foodgawker.com A collection of recipes from all over the Internet selected for their beautiful, mouth-watering gawk-worthy photos. Just check it out, you'll see what I mean.
• BonJour Mezzaluna and Curved Cutting Board set I have had my mind set on picking up a mezzaluna for myself, so when I saw this set in this month's issue of Clean Eating magazine, I was instantly sold. The cutting board is curved and the handle is magnetic for easy storage of the two pieces together.

Food Reads

• The Genetically Engineered Alfalfa Deregulation Battle If you haven't heard the news yet, both the House and the Senate have allowed genetically engineered alfalfa to be to pass without regulation. It is now in the hands of the president. The news is all over the Net, so here are just a couple of reads: Did the White House pressure the USDA to approve Monsanto's GMO alfalfa? and OrganicGate: Are Whole Foods, Stonyfield Farm, and Organic Valley Cozying Up to Monsanto? are just two that can give you an idea of the current mood surrounding this issue.
  
• Naïve and Slightly Woozy Mark Bittman's response to the reaction he received for his "manifesto" in The New York Times Opinion pages. In it he directs us to one of the comments that brings up some truly intriguing arguments about climate change and their role in the food industry. It is definitely something to think about.
• What Would Happen if We All Decided to Buy Organic? A great rant on the Rant/Rave website that just reminds us, once again, how important our food purchases are.

Good Food (Recipes)

•  Lemon Dijon Wings Since I am fairly certain will be having my husband's favorite hot wings this Sunday for the Big Game, I decided I wanted to do something different with the extra batch of wings I had hanging around this week. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and it was DELICIOUS. I baked the wings instead of grilling them (since there is still about of foot of snow and ice outside) and they came out super yummy. I also decided pretty last minute I was going to make them, so I did not marinate overnight, just about an hour or so (I can't WAIT to taste them with even more marinating time!).
• Crispy Roasted Chickpeas Perhaps this one isn't new to you, but when I first stumbled across this one, I nearly jumped out of my chair! I need to try this. I have a couple of different spices I would like to try it with, so when I go grocery shopping this weekend, you can bet I will be picking up some chickpeas! Thank you, Steamy Kitchen!

Food ACTION

• GE Alfalfa There really is only one topic on my mind this week and it is genetically engineered alfalfa. Please take a moment to use this tool from the Food & Water Watch to write to President Obama to let him know that regulation of genetically engineered foods is NOT one of the places where he should be worrying about government over regulation! 

  

Do you have a food website, tool, food read, recipe or food action you think I should check out and share with the readers of Searching for Sustenance? If so e-mail me at BlogWithNV@gmail.com!

TAKE ACTION TUESDAY: Let the EPA Regulate Factory Farms!

Since the beginning of this blog, I have been largely concerned about the nature of the factory farms prolific in the food industry. I feel as though it may be at the root of the problem of our food safety, many of our environmental issues and, perhaps even some of our health issues. However, I can say none of these things with confidence, nor can I dispute them with as much because the effects of this type of farming continue to be under dispute without an unbiased third-party evaluator present.

It is for this reason I was happy to find a petition to "Tell the EPA It's Time to Regulate Factory Farms" over at the Food & Water Watch website.

To get an idea of how prolific these factory farms have become, and some of the risks associated with their presence, you can check out the Factory Farm Map on the Food & Water Watch site. Here is a mini version of the map that you can add on your website, if you have one, too. Get the embed code on the site.

Actions to take right now:

• Check out the Factory Farm Map for the country, your state and filter by various types of animals
• Sign the petition
• Tell a friend, or lots of friends via Twitter, FB or StumbleUpon

Take Action Against GM Alfalfa

You may be thinking to yourself: "Alfalfa? I don't eat that... What's the big deal?" Well, it is simple really, cattle eat it - both beef cattle and dairy cattle. Honeybees love it, and, with their help, the GM Alfalfa could cross-pollinate all over the place!  So, to preserve the organic crops we do have, take a minute to sign this petition and pass the link along to others who will do the same.



In case you do not see the petition widget above, you can see and sign the petition here.

Making a Difference in the New Year

Download eBook here

A New Year's Read  
I have never been one for New Year's resolutions. However, throughout every year I am always seeking ways to better myself and do what I can to make a bit of difference on this big planet. As 2010 came to a close I was made aware of an ebook on the Internet called Small Ways to Make A Big Difference organized by Raam Dev. I thought this might be exactly the kind of read I was looking for not just for the New Year, but also for my life. I downloaded it (for FREE), read it New Year's Day while I waited for all my house guests (and husband) to wake up, and I loved it.

Why You Should Read It
We all know that this is the "Lose Weight, Feel Great, Get Back in the Gym Week" for most folks. I believe that one reason that all three of these valiant efforts may not out live the month is because, at each of our cores, we are selfless souls and, therefore, have difficulty allowing ourselves the well-deserved "me-time" that the gym, losing weight and, sometimes, even feeling great require.Taking the time to check out Raam Dev's eBook, may hold the key to the small things that can be done to make a difference, helping to alieviate any guilt and, therefore, allow you to satisfy your own needs as well.


What You'll Be Reading
The book is a collection of over 100 ideas on ways to make a small difference in the world that Raam Dev collected from over 40 bloggers. The ideas vary and are all doable, but the thinking is that reading them should inspire you to either adopt an idea to implement, or come up with your own. Dispersed within the ideas are also inspirational quotes from all types of people of power, peace and passion.

How You Might Want to Read It
I highly recommend that you take the time to download this eBook. It is such an easy read and can be approached in a number of ways:

• beginning to end to be overwhelmed by the amount of potential and hope there is in the human spirit,
• go through the table of contents seeking topics that interest you and reading those ideas for inspiration, or
• read one idea a day, so that the book and its spirit lasts throughout the year for you (I may re-read the book in this way!)

If you love the book and want even more, it should be noted that Raam Dev has also created a Facebook Group to keep the conversation going beyond his book.

What Happens After You Read
I was excited as I read the book that so many of the ideas I read had been things I had been thinking about or doing already this year - eating local, be sustainable, take action, use a home water filtration system, eat veggies, vote with your money, give to charity, etc. However, there were other ideas that were so simple, that I had become complacent with - hold the door, smile, turn off the TV, etc. As life rolls along, it is easy to forget how it is the littlest things that often make the biggest difference in a day.

I plan to be more mindful of these "little" things as my year moves forward. I believe that will help create a very joyful year to come. So, I guess, without intending it, I have made a New Year's Resolution after all - I resolve to be a better me this year!

Special thanks to Meg over at the Be The Change Bookclub for recommending Raam Dev's eBook for January's read.

Dr. Oz and the GMO Debate Part 1

On the December 7, 2010 episode of The Dr. Oz Show, the topic of genetically modified foods was addressed and some excellent questions were raised. If you missed the show, don't fret, the show has put the video segments on their website for all to see and share in three parts. I decided to also approach my blog discussion in these three parts, as dealing with it all in one post would be an incredible amount of information to digest in one sitting.

 Genetically Modified Foods, Pt. 1 (video clip is 4 minutes 34 seconds long)
Dr. Oz's intro to GMOs and the Non-GMO Project


Dr. Oz began his show about genetically modified foods by saying the fact that we hadn't noticed the "Non GMO product" label on the bread he displayed bothered him. Well, Dr. Oz, it bothered me too. I am a label looker! I am constantly searching for evidence of a food-stuff's value and I had never seen the label he showed before the airing of his show! I immediately took note of the website on the label and got to investigating.


The Non-GMO Project

The label to look for.

I am still trying to figure out how I missed this one. Here's a blurb from the Non-GMO Project website explaining who they are:

The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization, created by leaders representing all sectors of the organic and natural products industry in the U.S. and Canada, to offer consumers a consistent non-GMO choice for organic and natural products that are produced without genetic engineering or recombinant DNA technologies.

It sounds like a great idea, in fact, it sounds like exactly what I've been looking for, so, I asked, "Where the heck is it?" The website is very useful to this end as well as it provides links to find participating products sorted by brand, category and/or name. They also provide a link to find participating retailers by location and/or name.

While this is a step in the right direction, it is important to know how the non-profit organization determines which products get the label. In the Understanding Our Seal portion of the website, a brief explanation is given. I will summarize even further:

• every ingredient is tested, but not necessarily every product.
• testing happens at various stages in product development.
• the test must indicate that the ingredient is below 0.9% GMO, which is evidently in line with the European Union laws.

Finally, if you are impressed, perhaps you feel that you will not buy GMO products now that they are labeled and you are informed. When asked the same question, 80% of the studio audience at The Dr. Oz Show said they wouldn't. The non-GMO Project wants to hear that commitment from you - they provided the Non-GMO Consumer Pledge on their website.



Before We Get Into the Panel & Part 2

While you are making that commitment, you may also want to do your part to stop new genetically modified foods from making it to the market. I have written about various opportunities to contact your representatives about genetically modified fish and organizations to follow for the latest information in the "food fight",  let today be the day you take one of those actions!


Next up: From The Dr. Oz Show - Genetically Modified Foods Part 2: A Panel of Experts on Both Sides