The Green Parent

by Andrea Woroch Remember all those tips saying you should cook rather than eat out? Well the USDA says we might just be wrong about that in the near future. A recent study by the government agency estimated the price gap between eating at home and dining out will narrow even further in 2012. Grocery prices [...]

  Today’s Meter Reading: 89691 OK, almost half of the month is over, so I wanted to take a minute to reevaluate how the month of energy savings is going.  Thus far, I am pleased.  I have consistently used less energy each day than I have at this same time of year in 2010 and [...]

This morning’s meter reading (89204 KWH) shows that we used 43 KWH of energy yesterday, which is not too shabby but not too great . If we keep up that rate, we’ll use 1333 KWH for the month of March, which is more than we used in March, 2009; but less than we used in [...]

My meter reading this morning: 89161 Can you guess what this month’s eco-challenge is?  That’s right, I’m cranking down the energy use in my home.  I’ve done this before.  But this month, I’m going to do it smarter.   Like most green bloggers, I’ve written tons of articles of the years on saving energy.  Heck, [...]

OK, I’m over halfway through the month and if there’s one thing I’ve learned so far about plastics it is that they are really hard to avoid.  It’s not impossible by any means, by it does take quite a bit more work to find things that are plastic free.  Even things that I never would [...]

I’m continuing my search this week for plastic-free alternatives for all of the things my family needs, and seeking out the advice of experts who can help me along the way.  Today, I’d like to share this guest post from Tracy Lydiatt (aka The Green Families Guru and author of Your Green Family Blueprint) on [...]

In the past few years, the world has taken notice of the Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean, a gyre of trash estimated to be at a minimum the size of the state of Texas and possibly as large at the United States. 90% of this trash patch is comprised of plastic. And there are similar [...]

Summer is here and nature’s produce is at its finest.  What’s not to love about the succulent berries, sweet corn, and flavorful tomatoes of this season?  Whether you grow your own, or hit your local farmers market, why not try your hand at canning some some of that goodness so that you can enjoy it [...]

Before I begin, let me just say that I in no way wish to condemn the excellent cafeteria staff at my daughter’s school.  Those woman (they are in fact all women) bust their buns every day to make two meals a day for hundreds of kids; put up with a constant din of adolescent noise, [...]

The fourth annual by Environmental Working Group (EWG) gives low marks to the current crop of sunscreen products, with a few notable exceptions. EWG researchers recommend only 39, or 8 percent, of 500 beach and sport sunscreens on the market this season. The reason? A surge in exaggerated SPF claims (SPFs greater than 50) and [...]

Dr. Margaret Lewin Chief Medical Director of Cinergy Health It is no secret that obesity and a lack of good nutrition plagues many Americans. With more than 66% of Americans obese and more than two-thirds of obese children destined to become obese adults – we must break the cycle, but where do we begin? Try [...]

Super Bowl is just around the corner, and as excitement builds for the Saints to take on the Colts, many people find themselves focusing on the other most important part of the day: the food. For some, greasy comfort foods, great friends and the biggest sporting event of the year is what makes the day [...]

The summer berries are out in full force this year…in backyard gardens and at the grocery store.  And they’re so darned good and good for you, it makes me want to serve ‘em up in one form or another almost every day.  Last nnight I made a Mixed Berry Crumble by baking blueberries and rasperries [...]

cinematic gantz download The third edition of Greenpeace’s seafood sustainability scorecard – — was released the other day, with rather surprising results.  The good news is that more than half of the leading supermarket chains in the U.S. have now made some sign of progress in increasing the sustainability of their . The supermarket chain [...]

Summer is here and grilling season is well underway. In an effort to grill green, and satisfy my 6 year-old, self-proclaimed vegetarian daughter, I have been on the lookout for the world’s best vegetarian burger. To aide in my search, my family and I took on what we deemed, “The Great Veggie Burger Smackdown-2009.” We [...]