Materials

• 1 floral foam or green styrofoam cone (measuring 4-5 inches in diameter at the base and 12 inches high)

NOTE: I know this isn’t very green, so please, please , please try to reuse an old piece of styrofoam or pick up a gently used piece at a thrift store)

• 1 box of toothpicks
• 4 one pound containers of fresh strawberries
• 1 bunch fresh mint
• 1 slice from a carambola fruit (also known as star fruit)*

NOTE: If you can’t find a carambola, you can use a 1-inch star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a star shape from a mango slice instead.

Directions

1. Wash the strawberries and blot them dry with paper towels. Pull off the green stem from each strawberry. Reserve a perfect strawberry for the top of the ‘tree’.
2. Push a toothpick halfway into the side of the cone, about 1/2 inch from the bottom edge. Secure a strawberry to the toothpick, piercing it through the stem end. Secure another strawberry right next to the first one. Continue securing strawberries to the cone in circular rows up to its top, covering the cone completely. Secure the reserved strawberry to the top of the tree.
3. Remove some mint leaves from the bunch of mint and tuck them between the berries, placing them at about 3-inch intervals.
4. Secure the star-shaped carambola or mango slice to the top of the cone using a toothpick.

Makes one table centerpiece

About Tish Boyle
Tish Boyle is editor in chief of Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines. A graduate of Smith College and La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris, she has been a caterer, pastry chef, and food stylist. She is the author of The Good Cookie and Diner Desserts, and coauthor of Simply Sensational Desserts (IACP Award Winner), Chocolate Passion, and the Grand Finales series of books.

This craft project was sent to me courtesy of

Green Moms Celebrate with Eco-Style!

A little over a year ago, I was doing some research for The Green Parent and looking for great green ways for families to celebrate the holidays.  That’s when I ran across information about Corey Colwell-Lipson and her organization, Green Halloween.  The premise behind Green Halloween is not just to make Oct 31st a more eco-savvy holiday, but to do so in a way that preserves the fun and magic while ditching the cheap plastic trinkets and overprocessed sugar.

I interviewed Corey for The Green Parent and was fortunate enough to meet her and her equally eco-dedicated mom, Lynn Colwell at the Seattle Green Festival last April.

These women made me ridiculously excited about Halloween and how it can be a fun, simple, eco-friendly holiday again.  So it came as no surprise to me to hear that these two green moms are greening up the rest of our holidays with the release of their new book, Celebrate Green: Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations, and Traditions for the Whole Family.

Here’s what Green Parents Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell have to say about celebrating green.

1. What was the “a-ha” moment for you that made you want to start going green?

Corey: I don’t recall any particular moment. For me, going green has been (and still is) a process. I became a vegetarian at age 15, not for environmental reasons, but as the years progressed and I learned more about the impact of our diets on the planet, I started making changes. But when I had my first daughter, in 2001, I began researching… about plastic baby toys, diapers, food, cleaning supplies… That’s when my green fate was sealed. I knew that I wanted to create a safe and healthy home for my child and that I would do what I could to make the world a safe and healthy home as well – not just for my family, but for all of us.

Lynn: In some ways, without knowing that’s what it was, I’ve been partially green all of my adult life. People always came before things to me so gifts were very often handmade. I’ve always enjoyed collecting old papers and assorted “junk” and turning it into usable items that I’m happy to share. Celebrations in our family focused on having a fun time and as an adult, I always asked people to bring a donation to the food bank instead of gifts to me. As Corey became more passionate about creating a healthy home for her family though, I became more interested in what she was choosing and why. But honestly, the real light bulb moments for me came while researching and writing Celebrate Green! It became increasingly clear to me that I needed to embrace the ideals we were talking about or I would never be able to live with myself. It wasn’t a difficult choice to make and I didn’t make it out of pragmatism, but rather out of a conviction that living in a way less injurious to people and the Earth is most in line with the person I believe myself to be.

2. Why do you think it’s so important to celebrate green?

Corey and Lynn: A lot of people say, “Halloween/Christmas/Birthdays/etc. is just one day. What’s the big deal?” The big deal is that when you add up all the times we celebrate in a year (don’t forget office parties!) and multiply that by how many people we have on that planet – that’s a lot of celebrating. And usually, celebrating comes with a lot of stuff. So even though many of us have been going green in our daily lives, we were throwing it all out the window during our most special times of the year. And the Earth is suffering for it. During the winter holidays, for example, Americans create 25% more waste! So, when we noticed that no one was really talking about greening up celebrations and providing simple, fun, easy-to-do ideas, we realized that we had an opportunity to do so. The other reason we think it’s important is that going green is that when we place less emphasis on the stuff, we have the opportunity to create more meaning, which is really what it’s all about.

3. What is your favorite holiday and how do you make it green?

Corey: For me, it’s a tie between baby showers and Christmas. I love Christmas because the holiday, for me, is all about traditions. And my family has a lot of them. Traditions are important because with them, we can create deep meaning independent of all the “stuff.” Green baby showers are also a favorite because what better way to welcome a new life and to celebrate a new family than to say, “we care about you and your future”?

Lynn: Hard for me to choose because I love to celebrate. But I have to say birthdays are right at the top of the list, especially my own (she says modestly). I am always so grateful to have survived another year because so many of my friends are no longer here and I know how precious life is. An opportunity to show my gratitude for all I have while laughing and surrounded by others with no agenda to impress or do anything other than have fun, is my ideal celebration. For the last 15 years or so, I’ve celebrated by birthday by throwing a hike and chili-feed. The hiking part obviously always has been green, but as for the rest of the party, I no longer buy paper plates, balloons, plastic tableware or paper table clothes. I use ribbons, fabric table cloths, terry cloth napkins and all the plates, glasses and tableware I own. I encourage people to use organic ingredients for their chili. Since their gifts to me are donations to the food bank, there is no wrapping paper to toss.

4. What was the most surprising thing you learned while researching Celebrate Green?

Corey: That there’s a massive “plastic soup” dump in the Pacific Ocean. Just another reminder that we all need to do our part to reduce our use of plastics, which are created from a non-renewable resource and never actually biodegrade.

Lynn: The sheer numbers that come into play like these statistics from the Eco Justice Collaborative www.ecojusticecollaborative.org ” If we’d only recycle one-tenth of the cans we now throw away, we’d save about 3.2 billion of them every year.” And another one, “The aluminum wasted in 2001 was greater than the amount used nationally for trucks, buses, bridges, street and highway applications combined.” The reason these things seem so surprising is that we tend to focus on ourselves (I’m just as guilty as anyone) and ignore the potential consequences of millions repeating the action. We don’t want to admit that we are part of the problem. But on the positive side, these statistics give me hope. Because it’s obvious that all it takes is changing one small thing to create spectacular change for the good.

Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family

can be purchased at www.CelebrateGreen.NET and on Amazon, A Toy Garden and Village Green Gifts.

Or at least that’s what the big box stores would have you believe.  Every year the holiday merchandise hits the store shelves earlier and earlier in an effort to get us all to part with our hard earned dollars.  This year, the holiday aisle at my local big-box store made its debut just after Labor Day!  One can only imagine that frenzy that most kids will be in come holiday time after almost four months of looking at holiday whowhos and thingamabobs each week.

But let me ask you this.  When did the big box stores get to decide how we will celebrate our holidays?  When did holiday spirit start to take a backseat to the holiday aisle?

Well, I for one want to take back the holidays this year and celebrate them how I want to, not how the big box stores dictate.  I want to decorate my house, send holiday greetings, host holiday parties, and exchange holiday gifts in a way that emphasizes the joy of the holiday and not the joy of shopping. In other words, I’m dreaming

GREEN this holiday season and I wonder if you’d care to join me.

Let’s all pledge to make out holidays a little greener this year, for the sake of our families, the planet, and our sanity!  Do you have to give up all of your favorite treats and traditions?  ABSOLUTELY NOT! There are plenty of ways to celebrate with style without wreaking havoc on the planet or your wallet.  Try one or try them all.  And be sure to grab one of the banners below (copy and paste the code) and post it on your website or blog.  I’ll post a Dreaming Green Blogroll with links to all participants.

Here’s how to celebrate your favorite holidays with green spirit:

• Decorate with low-energy light bulbs that last longer than traditional bulbs but use 80 to 90% less energy. And invest in timers that automatically shut off your lights before you go to bed.
• Skip the paper cards and send e-cards or set up an online holiday slide show or photo album at sites such as Photobucket or Flickr.
• Get creative with gift wrapping.  Use old maps, the Sunday comics, or your children’s artwork to wrap gifts or use gift bags and decorative boxes that can be reused from year to year.
• Compost your Christmas tree or Kwanza mazao and vibunzi
• Save bows, ribbons, holiday cards, and other decorations to reuse next year.
• Purchase a reusable menorah or kinara and use soy-based candles to light your way.
• Prevent waste by realistically anticipating the amount of food your family can eat and compost any leftover food scraps.
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Labor Day Staycations: Staying home? That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Invite the neighbors over for a 100-mile pot luck or an eco-friendly barbecue. Pitch a tent in the backyard for a weekend campout or hit your local entertainment scene with a trip to a children’s museum, park, art show, or concert.

If you need more ideas, check out The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Backyard Adventures for all kinds of cool stay-at-home ideas…everything from ice cream socials to insect safaris.

Weekend Getaways: Now that gas prices have finally turned a corner (for now) you may be considering getting out of dodge for the weekend.

Check out these tips to reduce the impact of your Labor Day Weekend travels. Travel by train to your destination and you’ll knock a huge chunk off of your carbon footprint. If that’s not feasible (a long train can go bad quickly when little kids are in tow), give your car a gas saving tune-up to maximize your fuel economy.

If you need a hotel, compare prices for your favorite eco-savvy digs with hotelscombined.com. They’ll not only find you the best price on your room, but they also partner with CarbonFund.org to offset their services. And speaking of offsets, you may want to ease any remaining eco-guilt you feel from your travels by offsetting your whole trip with carbon credits from CarbonFund, TerraPass, or Green-e.

Have A Great Green Labor Day Weekend!

No Impact Gifts

• Save paper, stamps, and the planet, by sending dad a Father’s Day Ecard
• Give him a Charity Choice Gift Card that he can redeem to support one of his favorite nationally recognized charities.
• Tickets anyone? Give dad tickets to his favorite concert, movie, museum, or art show.
• Whip up a batch of dad’s favorite treats. Try these recipes for Grilled Antipasto, Banana and Pecan Pancakes, Crispy Rice Treats, or Beef Jerky.
• Plant a tree, flower, or garden together.
• Make dad a computer slideshow of his favorite photos and homemade artwork.
• Here’s an idea from Green Halloween‘s Corey Colwell-Lipson: make dad a treasure hunt or hike of pre-hidden notes that recount memories or share “dad-gratitudes” to let dad know how special he is.

Eco-Savvy Gifts

Book-Worm Dad:Give dad a great green read to entertain and inform him this Father’s Day. The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Earth Friendly Living is a great choice for dads who want to raise kids without trashing the planet. It includes interviews with his favorite environmentalists as well as how-to instructions for building an eco-friendly birdhouse or getting the best fuel economy out of his car. Or try American Earth, a fascinating anthology of environmental writing edited by eco-hero Bill McKibben (he’s also interviewed in The Green Parent.) American Earth includes a foreword by Al Gore and the insightful writings of inspirational environmentalists such as Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Michael Pollan.

High-Tech Dad: For dads who love their gadgets, try the Bamboo Phone/PDA Charger that lets him organize and charge all of his personal electronics (like cell phones, PDAs, Mp3s, and digital cameras) in one location. It’s made from eco-savvy bamboo and with all of his chargers plugged in to one power strip, he’ll be able to eliminate “phantom” energy use with the click of a button. Or give dad a CEIVA Digital Photo Frame and he’ll have easy access to all of his favorite shots without the eco-impact of film, photo printing, and albums.

Young At Heart Dad: What dad wouldn’t love his own race car or viking ship? Give him the eco-friendly version with a solar-powered Race Car or Valient Viking Ship that you two can put together. And don’t forget to challenge dad to a backyard race!

Outdoorsy Dad: Whether your dad loves to hike, paddle, or ski, he’ll love the a Solar Backpack that holds all of his essentials while using sunlight to charge his iPod, cell phone, or PDA. Or try
a Watergeeks filtered sports bottle made from BPA free plastic that filters tap water for dads on the go.

Sensitive Skin Dad: Help dad take care of his skin with products that are as gentle on his face as they are on the planet. Try vedaDUDE’s line of natural skin care products for men. Each product is made from organic ingredients like organic aloe leaf juice, organic green tea, and organic bilberry extract.

Mother’s Day is May 11th. Show your mama she raised you right by giving her a gift that is as good for her as it is for Mother Earth. Need ideas? Check out these green gifts for mom…

Gift Cards: Give mom the gift of giving with a GlobalGiving Gift Card that she can use to support a project of her choosing (such as providing baby supplies to new moms in the Bronx; supporting the use of solar energy in Kenya; or providing medical relief to earthquake victims in Peru).

Ecards: Skip the paper, save a tree, and send mom your love with a free ecard from 123 Greetings.

Sweets: Satisfy mom’s sweet tooth with homemade treats like organic chocolate brownies, backyard blackberry jam, organic zucchini bread, or organic black walnut and oatmeal cookies. No time for DIY? Order up some scrumptious sweet raspberry hearts from Red Thread Confections. Each piece is handmade using fair-traded, organic chocolate and funds from each sale support orphanages in Guatemala and China.

Flowers: Flowers are always a hit, especially when they are the organic. Put together a homemade bouquet from your backyard or send mom a stunning arrangement from Organic Bouquet.

Coffee: Mom will love a cup of Cafe Feminino, a certified organic, fair-trade coffee from Grounds of Change that is is grown, processed and traded exclusively by women.

Bamboo Knit Loungewear: Tell mom it’s time to relax with some bamboo loungewear from The Company Store that is grown without pesticides or chemicals, and is 100% biodegradable.

Callie Micks Recycled Apron: Show mom she’s your top chef with a super sassy, eco-savvy apron made from recycled fabric in downtown LA.

Lotuspad Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats: Help mom find some Zen with a PVC-free, non-toxic yoga mat.

Recycled Silver Juice Pack Clutch Bag: Give mom some glam with this chic clutch made from recycled juice pouches!

Lucina Berry Coil Bracelet: This stunning bracelet combines red choclo seeds from Colombia with fair trade silver beads strung on an interior coil made from recycled Colombian pesos.

Vintage Record Cove

ID A Tree: Do you know what kind of trees are growing in your neighborhood? Take a walk with your kids and see how many you can identify. Don’t know your elms from your sycamores? Check out The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Identification Guide for a cheat sheet.

Eat From A Tree: Trees clean the air, stabilize the soil, cool the climate, provide a home for birds and wildlife, filter noise, and provide us with a wide variety of yummy treats to eat. Enjoy some tree treats today such as maple syrup, apples, hazelnuts, walnuts, oranges, and even chewing gum.

Save A Tree: Paper makes up over 1/3 of the waste in the landfill, yet it can so easily be reused and recycled. Save a tree today by going paperless, recycling, or even taking a stab at making your own paper.

Plant A Tree: Show trees some love by making sure there’s plenty to go around. Head out to your local nursery and buy a tree to plant yourself, or pledge online to have one planted for you (Check out Dell’s new Plant A Tree For Me Program). And don’t forget, Kedzie Press will plant a tree for every purchase of The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Earth-Friendly Living as part of their effort to plant a million trees by Dec, 2009.

A Greener Easter Basket

• Reuse It: Don’t waste money on a new basket every year; use a reusable basket, tote bag, or gift box instead.
• Roll Some Grass: For the basket, that is! Shred scratch paper or old magazines to use as “grass” in your basket in place of the plastic variety. After the holiday, reuse the grass again for packing material or compost.
• Make It Sweet: Like many holidays, Easter has somehow become all about the candy. And while some candy is a good thing (think fair trade chocolate and organic lollipops) there is also room for “sweeter” gifts like stickers, crayons, chalk, books, and art supplies.

Eco-Easter Eggs

• Go Local: Buy eggs at your local farmer’s market, or purchase organic eggs from the store.
• Use It All: No need to waste the eggs just to dye the shell. Poke a small hole in both side of an egg with a needle and blow the egg out into a bowl. Use it right then and there in your favorite recipe or store in the fridge or freezer to use another day.
• DIY Your DYE: Use natural ingredients to dye your eggs instead of those garish store bought varieties. Simply boil the ingredient in some water, allow to cool, and pour into cups for dipping. Add a little oil for a marbled effect. Here’s a guide to the colors in your kitchen:

Yellow: Onion skins, turmeric, lemon peels, saffron

Red: Beets, cranberries, paprika, raspberries

Purple: Red wine

Green: Spinach

Blue: Blueberries, red cabbage

Brown: Coffee, tea

The first rule to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is that you don’t have to be Irish to love the Irish. The second rule of the day is that you gotta go green…and the greener the better! So enjoy the luck of the Irish this year and celebrate an eco-friendly St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s how:

Invites: Skip the paper invites this year and send text messages or evites for your next get together. Whether you’re hosting a party or organizing a pub crawl, Evite has an invitation to match your mood.

Beer: Up for a pint? Look for a locally brewed beer (less miles to travel) in draft form (no extra resources) served in a reusable glass (no waste) to hit green gold! If you have the choice, try a Fat Tire Amber Ale from Colorado’s New Belgium Brewery where every stage of the brewing process has been designed to improve energy efficiency; or the Brooklyn Extra Brune from NY’s Brooklyn Brewery where the brewing process and company HQ are powered by 100% wind-generated electricity.

Food: There’s more to St. Patrick’s Day than corned beef and ham. Check out these recipes for Vegetarian “Beef” and Guinness Stew, Happy Irish Beer Bread, and Vegan Irish Whiskey Bread (I’m sensing a theme here); or stop by the Irish Vegetarian to learn how to make Irish favorites like Potato Cakes, Colcannon, or Curried Nut Roast.

Flowers: If you’re sending flowers to celebrate the day, try the Rainforest Foundation Charity Bouquet from Organic Bouquet. Your recipient will get one dozen gorgeous chartreuse organic roses, and with each purchase Organic Bouquet will donate 5% to the Rainforest Foundation-US, a non-profit that helps indigenous and traditional rainforest populations secure land rights, manage natural resources and strengthen their capacity to defend and sustain their ways of life.

Crafts: Looking for a St. Patty’s Day craft ideas? Check out these great eco-friendly St. Patrick’s Day crafts that are sure to please all of your little leprechauns.