Trick or treat??

So Halloween is fast approaching! I know this because every shop I pass in Boscombe is filled with weird orange plastic things (and they're not Sainsbury's carrier bags!) I notice also that we, the British, have followed the US in its celebration and commercialism of this event, including the large amounts of candy (sweets to us) that we are supposed to give out to "trick or treaters". Americans seem to purchase huge amounts of cheap sweets to reward the tricksters that ring on their doorbells all in the name of festive fun, us Brits have taken to this to stop or bribe the "little shits" from putting fire crackers through our letterboxes and setting fire to our homes!!
But this led me to think... when we give out these sweets is that a treat or in fact a covert trick aimed at sending the kiddies hyper active, rotting their teeth and increasing the chances of them becoming obese!!
I did wonder if I purchased a large amount of Fruitina fruit bars (made from 100% dried fruits) and gave them out as a 'treat' to the tricksters who will be ding donging on my doorbell come the 31st October would this be classed as a treat (as i would assume) or a blatant trick (and therefore reaping the penalty of the 'gift' through my letterbox) or should I just buy sweets and although i would feel this was a trick, my halloween victims would be pacified and I would remain safe...
you know what? I'm just going to pretend no ones in and not answer the door... halloween has become far too complicated for my liking!!

No Plastic bags in Sainsbury's Boscombe??

Sainsbury's have a new policy where they do not offer you free plastic bags at the checkouts now, they are available but you have to ask for them..... except for the check out I went to in Sainsbury's store in Boscombe, Bournemouth where the check-out girl was enthusiastically demonstrating the usual 'heap of bag creation technique' so often seen in the supermarkets (I'm sure you know what I mean here... the checkout person tears of far too many bags, opens them all and creates some sort of messy heap at the end of the till, which invariably means you end up scrabbling for your groceries like a disappointing school fete lucky dip and leaving behind the essential items from your basket)
So.... very politely, I asked 'does Sainsbury's not have a new 'no plastic bag on the checkout' policy?'
The answer.... classic! "Yes but it's too much bother reaching down each time to get bags for the customers who want them"
So, Sainsbury's your effort is, for a company who's sales for 2007 were around £18 million, pathetic!

Shopping Bags!

Loving the new Boscombe Reusable Shopping Bag!! On one side it says, 'become fantastic - refuse plastic' and on the other side it says 'the Boscombe Shopper - you get out what you put in'... how witty!!

I'm a Boscombe Shopper and i'm glad that when I support independent local businesses I get back what I put in... these businesses add so much to the local shopping experience and without them we'd be left with soul-less chain stores churning out the tonnes of the same old stuff!

And these fab bags are being given away to Boscombe shoppers in some of the local outlets.

If you spend £10 or over in Urban Evolution, 3 Ashley Road Boscombe they'll give you one to take your shopping home in (which is good really because they're so ethical they won't give you a plastic carrier bag unless they've got some donated ones) but be warned £10 worth of shopping probably won't fit in just one shopping bag!!

Become REALLY green!!

Tried Wheatgrass yet?? No? well what are you waiting for?
It's like a whole meadow in a glass...
and what does the equivalent of chewing your front lawn do for your health?
well have a squiz at this list and tell me it's not worth a try...

The high chlorophyll content of wheatgrass juice causes increased Haemoglobin production in the body which increases the oxygen carrying capabilities of the blood. The increased capability of the blood to carry oxygen has a number of health benefits including purification of the blood, improving blood sugar disorders, helping combat toxins such as carbon monoxide and other traffic pollutants, cigarette smoke and heavy metals that can get into the blood.

The brain and other tissues function best when they are in a highly oxygenated environment.

Wheatgrass juice’s high vitamin content is of benefit to some skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and also helps give healthy looking hair. Wheatgrass is also said to benefit dandruff problems.

Many people cite wheatgrass juice as having cancer preventing properties due to it’s carcinogen and toxin neutralising abilities.

Other wheatgrass health benefits include:

Improved digestion
Reducing blood pressure
Improved ability of the body to heal wounds
Chlorophyll found in wheatgrass can prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Helping prevent tooth decay
Has anti-ageing abilities and can keep the hair from greying.

Wow, call me vain if you must but I do rather like the sound of the anti-ageing abilities!! and improving the ability of the body to heal wounds?? How much do I need to drink before I become 'super hero' stylie?? Come to think of it...the new SUPER Street Wardens that patrol the streets of Boscombe have green uniforms, they must be full of wheatgrass...see my brain is already functioning better!? and that's just after 35ml of juiced wheatgrass that I bought from Brian at Wheatgrass World.

Smile on...Pylon!?

depression, headaches, miscarriages, cancer, leukemia.....
I lived for 17 years with a pylon in my back garden and there's nothing wrong with me...... (twitch.... twitch... @?@?)

Eco Ice Cream??

Weirdly enough I am thinking about Ice Cream... maybe it's because I've just watched The Apprentice on BBC iplayer and they've just been making and selling it, but anyway, in a beautifully random way I thought..."I wonder if there's such a thing as Eco Ice Cream" and, I think you can guess what I'm gonna say...
THERE IS!!!!
Mackie's of Scotland produce Eco Ice Cream!!
Mackie's ice cream is made with fresh milk, cream and 100% renewable energy.
and how do they do this?
Ice cream manufacturers Mackie's of Scotland have their own energy supply - three Vestas V52 wind turbines - referred to as "Mackie's", "Ice" and "Cream". Each of these graceful machines have a 45 metre turbine and three 25 metre blades on the turning propeller and capacity to produce 850KW of power - so a total capacity at the farm of 2.5 MW.
The ice cream tubs show a wind turbine icon with the declaration "made with 100% renewable energy". This is important to Mackie's and is part of their ongoing commitment to have a carbon neutral site and become the greenest company in Britain.

Mmmmmmm...I want some!!!!

Ah, unfortunately they sell all their Ice Cream to all the big supermarket monsters in the UK, so maybe we won't be sampling it very soon... (I'm still in shock from my last supermarket visit)... oh well, can't win 'em all I suppose, next up.... an ethical, organic eco ice cream...am I asking too much??

Green car, red car, blue car...NO CAR!!!!

I just read a funny article it was called 'Give your car the green treatment with an eco car clean' (it wasn't funny, ha ha it was funny, odd)
...I'll tell you how to give your car the 'green treatment'... don't use it!
seems obvious really, eh??
http://www.ecover.com/NR/rdonlyres/019DF1F6-6C45-4972-902E-3A18F0C6B8B9/4147/CarWashFINAL.pdf
XX

What on Earth!!

In less than an hour everyone participating in Earth Hour 2008 UK will be switching off all electrical appliances and ...um..... finding something else to do instead!!
I think it's great when people all do positive things as a 'collective' and last year on 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. But what about the statistics??
Well apparently...If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year. (um....wouldn't it've been better to have taken the 48,616 cars off the roads and let normal people get on with their lives?!?!?)
So, building up to the moment I start to wonder what people will do when they turn off their electricity... and of course my mind wonders to the obvious.....food!!
No, seriously now, I'm slightly worried about the real statistics.... I wonder if anyone noticed an upward trend in births in Sydney 9 months after Earth Hour 2007?? What is the environmental impact of a significant increase in pregnancies and births compared to people turning off their lights for an hour? What if 'more babies' is actually far worse for the environment that keeping your lights on for an hour.....am i missing the point here? I guess so....
Right, so if you're lighting candles.. be careful! (mmmm, 2.2 million candles, global warming...don't get me started...)
If you're getting frisky, be especially careful! (2.2 million extra babies)
If you're off to someone else's house who's not participating in Earth Hour, you cheat! be very careful you don't bump into anything in the dark. (2.2 million extra A&E admittances)
Anyway, whatever you do.....enjoy, it's not everyday we get an excuse to do nothing for an hour! x

Bags of Fun!!

Oh dear!! I've just been shopping......to a supermarket!
I've been quite spoilt of recent, with the Boscombe Wholefood Co-op, the local Boscombe Market and butchers for everyday things and, of course, my friendly corner shop for milk. I haven't endured the pain and suffering of supermarket shopping for a long, long time.
So armed with 2 or 3 cloth shopping bags I begin my shopping mission, I won't tell you which multi-national giant I went to because I'm so ashamed, it rates 0.5 on the ethiscore (see previous blog: have you ethiscored yet this year?)
So, relatively painlessly I make it past the billion products that I never intended to buy but somehow seem weirdly drawn to because, put like that, I'd be a fool not to buy 2 for £2 of anything now wouldn't I, especially dog worming tablets... I might get a dog one day... because the dog food is on special offer too and.....oh my goodness.....I snap out of my trance... is it the piped music? the lights?....1,2,3 back in the room. To the check-out. Quick!!
I choose a 'do it yourself' lane because I have my daughter with me and she likes playing shops, and rather smugly place my 'oh so eco-friendly' jute shopping bag in the bagging area in place of the plastic bag.....
'UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA, PLEASE REMOVE'!! I look around helplessly.... 'I'm afraid I can't'....I offer back to the mechanical voice, 'its my shopping bag!?' The machine repeats itself again and again til, rather deflated, I put my shopping bag back in the trolley. My daughter scans the first item, 3 times, I smile apologetically at the assistant who is 'master of all self-service tills' and she saunters over and silently voids the items. I place the packet in my shopping bag, which of course is in the trolley, and try to scan the next item. But I can't!! It seems that the machine is unhappy that I have not bagged my goods and will not proceed until I have done so. Slightly confused I take the item out of my shopping bag and place it in the bagging area ....'UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA, PLEASE REMOVE'. Helplessly I gaze over at 'the master' who, without flinching, presses a button on her till and I am free to carry on. I hastily scan my last few items, I think the assistant is secretly pressing the same button on her till with my every action, and throw it all back in the trolley. Trundling past the 'master till' I peek over..... I think the button is labelled 'fool'.

Eco Shopping...

Yes Yes, I know the most important part of being environMENTAL is of course.... reduce! Do you need it? Probably not....don't buy it then!!
But......ilike, iwant, ineed.....shoes!!
So here are some very interesting eco shoes which I found whilst journeying around the world of internet shopping.
Surely this describes so accurately what every woman wants in a shoe.....
'easy to catch the last train and using all eco friendly materials do so with a good conscience.' (- aha! I did wonder what I needed for a good conscience!!)

Light Weight
An essential component of eco design is lightness - things are less energy consuming and easier to ship around the world. It is also good for you to have light footwear - take a load off.

Flex
We believe in freeing your feet. Super flexible soles allow your feet to work and walk as designed! See Vivo Barefoot!

Vegetable Tanned
Vegetable tanned leather is a natural alternative to Chrome tanning. The leather is prepared using vegetable extracts that create beautiful deep leathers.

Locally Sourced
Where possible we try to source materials local to the factories where our products are manufactured - minimising on transportation.

Recycled
We try to use as many different recycled materials as possible - from soling materials to old coats and parachutes.

hmmmm.... retailing at £90 a pair from www.terraplana.com I'd hope they'd include the train ticket too!

The death of a kettle!

I'm anticipating, with slight over-eagerness, the death of my kettle. A while ago a friend of mine showed me one of these fabulous Tefal Quick Cup Kettles.
Saving time and energy this lovely creature will fill my cup with hot water in just 3 seconds!! Bloody marvelous!
But of course being a...um...(cough)... 'real' eco warrior I have been waiting for my current kettle to pass on before I buy a new one, even an energy saving eco one!!
And not forgetting to dispose of my old electrical appliances responsibly... it's off to Milham's Household Recycling Centre for my old kettle, so it doesn't end up in the landfill where over 75% of waste electrical goods end up and where lead and other toxins contained in the electrical goods can cause soil and water contamination!!
And my first cuppa to christen my new kettle may well be a Pukka Love Tea, a sweet floral infusion of rose, chamomile and lavender to lift my spirits, which I bought from www.ecovenient.co.uk of course!

Maybe.....millet?

Millet, millet, millet! The best thing I can think of for millet is to feed it to the pigeons!!
But no.....what is this?... a tasty sounding recipe with millet in it?
It's a millet pudding (same as rice pudding but with millet instead)
With my family as the guinea pigs (or pigeons) I am trying this out. It is cooking as we speak......
and then I will feed it to them, and then I will really see whether it is worth ever buying millet again!?
Here's the recipe, try it yourself and see what you think (apologies for the American measurements, it seems they are the only people who make anything with millet):
3/4 cup of Millet
3 cups of Milk (soya or alternative if you like)
2 tablespoons of Sugar (brown gives it a nice flavour)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Stick it all in a pan, bring to the boil, simmer gently til millet is cooked stirring occasionally to stop it sticking.
Done!!

Stuff the car - watch out for the cow!!

Ha ha!! I knew it! I've got rid of the car and now I've evolved overnight into the most self-righteous pedestrian in existence!! When I find the middle ground I might be a nicer, more tolerant individual but until then......car drivers..watch out!!!

DID YOU KNOW.....?? (and of course we, I mean YOU, car drivers do know all this we're just too lazy and selfish to care!?)

Driving a car is the most polluting act an average citizen commits.
That's way above eating those environmentally un-friendly methane-passing cows and buying vegetables that have been flown across the planet to our local shops.
Pollution from cars has increased to levels greater than they have ever been:
The two main reasons are:
1. vehicle use has increased;
2. cars are getting bigger and pick-up trucks, vans and sports vehicles are often replacing smaller, lighter passenger cars. The average new vehicle in 2003 consumed more fuel that its counterpart in 1988.
I now walk to school every morning, it takes us a good half an hour, but me and my little girl have amazing conversations about all sorts of stuff... and we laugh at the fact that we walk faster than the traffic most of the time!!
It's all quite ironic in a way, we are constantly barraged with car adverts selling a fantasy of wilderness, fresh air and escape.
Is the consumer completely deluded? These vehicles are mostly found in suburban driveways and in the traffic jams of polluted cities....
and for the ridiculous article I recently read on the times online: Walking to the shops ‘damages planet more than going by car’ (because apparently the amount of beef (those poor victimised creatures) I would need to eat to produce the extra calories I would need to walk has a worse effect on the environment!?! whatever next!!??) - I have not increased my food consumption one bit, and I expect that most of us wouldn't need to increase our calories at all if we were walking because we could all do with the health benefits of losing a bit of weight - aren't we all told we're obese in this country anyway??
Leave the car at home and leave the cow alone!!

Out and About in Boscombe!

So if you want a virtual tour of Boscombe go to www.boscalicious.co.uk, but if you want the real thing, you've got to go out and get it! And that's just what me and Lisa did today! Today is Thursday and market day and really it's the best day to go to Boscombe (in my opinion). First we bumped into our friendly PCSO's who do a remarkable job of catching robbers...when they're not doing their usual job of telling cyclists off for cycling in the precinct. Mike the man who sells Echo's had lots of news as usual...and Dean was selling Fruit and Veg and has an amazing ability of being able to shock, insult and compliment all in one breath, and who said men couldn't multi-task!! Yummy fish and pretty flowers and then on to the Wholefood Co-op for some more dinner ingredients. We'd run out of money by then but not to worry because our last stops, at the Butchers for chicken and of course Cafe Booglaoo for chai, both accept plastic!! What a beautiful day, hey hey??

What's it all about?

I've just realised this is my second chicken blog! It's not that I'm crazy about chickens but....I just saw this and wanted to write about it.
There's something quite wrong about battery chickens.... yes there's the obvious; crammed into a cage too small, standing day and night on wire mesh floor, the artificial lighting, ammonia filled environment, pumped with antibiotics and ending up starving to death because they become too weak to reach their food or water...(they must dream of becoming soup.)
Yes, this is sick, but what shocks me more is we, 'educated' human beings, stewards of this planet, take ourselves down to the 'civilised' supermarket and buy eggs laid by these poor creatures. How strange we are....!?
I order my organic free range eggs with my vegetable box and the local butcher in Boscombe also sells free range eggs. I expect if I was really desperate I could go to the supermarket, but then I would be given the choice to 'cash in' for the cheaper caged hen eggs because, to be fair, when you're in a big sparkly supermarket you're far removed from the reality of the battery chicken!

to 'E' or not to 'E'!?

Yes I'm talking drugs here...I'm talking serious E-number drugs!!

The type that unethical companies like Nestle try and slip into kid's food and drink when you're not looking!
My little girl seems to be sensitive to things like E numbers and excessive amounts of sugar so we try and avoid these things at all costs. I'm often on the look out for things that might be a better alternative.
I saw this milk shake mix from Clipper and I thought I'd compare the ingredients with the equivalent Nesquik product.
So what do we find in the Clipper Milkshake:
Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder and Natural Flavourings... sounds ok!?
And Nesquik?
Sugar, Maltodexrin, Artificial Flavours, Citric Acid, Red 40, Salt, Blue 1.
Right...both have sugar as top ingredient, but what's this... maltodexrin (more sugary stuff) Artificial Flavours which they don't even list (hmm!?!) Salt?! why?? and the 2 that really got me thinking Red 40 and Blue 1. Here's what I found on the internet about them... you decide if they sound a suitable cocktail for a kid's drink!
Red 40 - Reactions include temper tantrums, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, uncontrollable crying and screaming, kicking, nervousness, dizziness, inability to concentrate and sit still among other findings. Physically you may get frequent headaches or migraines, upset stomach and feel ill after ingesting this additive. Often when Red 40 is eliminated from the child's diet a remarkable change is noticed immediately.
Blue 1 - is a synthetic dye derived from coal tar. It has previously been banned in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland among others but has been certified as a safe food additive in the EU and is today unbanned in most of the countries. It is one of the colorants that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group and the Feingold Association recommends to be eliminated from the diet of children.
Right, I've decided...a thumbs up for Clipper Organic Milkshake Mix and a big 'NO' to Nesquik!!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.....and Refill!!

Don't worry Ben! This one is about Ecover....
Did you know that you could refill your empty bottles of Ecover? This saves you money as well as plastic resources - your old bottle can be re-filled up to 50 times before you need to replace it! (Not forgetting to recycle your old bottle!)

If you decide to refill your empty bottle just wash it out and take it along to your nearest health food store. On the Ecover website they list your closest shops that refill. www.ecover.com

Juicy January!!

This is the newest addition to the White family!! It's a Philips wide chute juicer and it's FAB!!!
I bought it just before Christmas and it was a bit of a New Years Resolution to make sure I used it! My Dad, Steve Millar, runs a Riverford Organic Vegetable Box scheme in Dorset and he gave me a massive box of fruit over the Christmas period, so that got us started!! We (me and my 2 kiddies) haven't looked back since, we have had a fresh yummy juice every morning!
Our favourite is one out of the Jason Vale Juicemaster Book... it has pineapple, apple, lime, spinach, cucumber and celery!! It doesn't touch the sides.
We've had to increase our own organic vegetable box size from Urban Evolution because we keep running out! Check out www.urban-evolution.co.uk for a great range of fruit and veg boxes.

mmmm.....fancy a bit of blue green algae?

Do I want to add a new tablet to my already slightly neurotic amount of tablets I take every morning, I ask myself??
Well, I guess it depends what this one does I suppose!
Spirulina. Sounds a bit like a nasty disease but this blue green algae contains the most remarkable concentration of functional nutrients ever known in any food, plant, grain or herb, apparently!
So....here are some of the acclaimed benefits:
* World's highest beta carotene food reduces long term health risks.
Spirulina beta carotene is ten times more concentrated than carrots. So even if you don't eat the recommended 4 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day (most people eat only 1-2, including french fries), get your natural beta carotene insurance from spirulina to help support your body's defenses.
* 60% easy-to-digest vegetable protein without the fat and cholesterol of meat.
People are eating less meat and dairy protein because they want to lower fat, cholesterol, and chemicals in their diet. Spirulina is the highest protein food with all the essential amino acids and has only a few calories to keep your waistline where you want it.
* A rare essential fatty acid is a key to health.
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in mother's milk helps develop healthy babies. Studies show nutritional deficiencies can block GLA production in your body, so a good dietary source of GLA can be important. Spirulina is the only other whole food with GLA.
* Iron for women and children's health.
Iron is essential to build a strong system, yet is the most common mineral deficiency. Spirulina is rich in iron, magnesium and trace minerals, and is easier to absorb than iron supplements.
* High in Vitamin B-12 and B Complex.
Spirulina is the highest source of B-12, essential for healthy nerves and tissue, especially for vegetarians.
* Unusual phytonutrients for health and cleansing.
Scientists are discovering the benefits of polysaccharides, sulfolipids & glycolipids, and the rainbow of natural pigments that give spirulina a deep green color. Green (chlorophyll), blue (phycocyanin) and orange (carotenoids) colors collect the sun's energy and power growth. Chlorophyll is a natural cleanser and is often referred to as nature's green magic.

Well, sounds like a super duper food eh? So, I'm giving it a go.... at £6.50 for 100 Tablets (500mg) from www.ecovenient.co.uk

Have you ethiscored yet this year??

I'm always really interested in hearing about the ethical (or not so) behaviour of companies, especially ones that I buy products from, and so this year I have invested a mere £19.50 in subscribing to ethiscore.org so I can support companies who are making an effort and boycott companies that are obviously taking the mick!!
so here's how it works....
The score is a calculation based on a company's rating in each of Ethical Consumer's 23 main ethical categories, you can find them here: http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ratings/categoriesA4.pdf
generally they are based on: The Environment, People, Animals, Politics, Product Sustainability.
So what shall we start with..... anyone for coffee?
Well, if it's Clipper Organic Fairtrade it gets a whacking 16.5 out of 20 ethical rating...... and if it's Nescafe Instant its a hideous 0.5 out of 20!! (not suprising really when you read what Nestle are up to http://www.babymilkaction.org/resources/boycott/nestlefree.html
Mine's white, half a sugar and a clear conscience then! What's yours?