It’s very rare these days to find a morning when we have no plans. This past Sunday was one of those mornings when we were all home with nothing to do. We decided it would be the perfect time for our much anticipated eggsperiment.

What’s an eggsperiment?

We have been part of a CSA for many years and recently opted in to receive half a dozen organic fresh eggs each week directly from the farm. Prior to our CSA we were buying organic eggs mainly from our local Whole Foods Market. We have quite a few friends and family members who have chickens and have been raving about their delicious farm fresh eggs. Chickens are not in our future so our CSA was the way to go if we wanted fresh eggs. It was time to put the eggs to the test and have a family taste off.

Which eggs were better: CSA or organic store bought eggs?

We whipped up two batches of scrambled eggs-each in a separate stainless steel pan. One was chock-full of organic eggs from the farm and the other filled with organic store bought eggs.

Our three boys eagerly sat down at the table to begin the taste test. We suggested blindfolds-that didn’t go over too well.  They promised to close their eyes with no peeking.

The oldest

We started with the oldest.  The first scoop of egg went into his mouth with his eyes shut tight. His two brothers watched him begin to chew-waiting for a comment. He methodically chewed, savoring every bite. Nothing-no comments, no nothing.  He rinsed his mouth with a little water (we decided ahead of time this would make it very official).  Then he took his next bite.  Again, chewing slowly and swallowing.  He opened his big brown eyes and out came a few words in his deceptively deep voice: “These are the farm share eggs” as he pointed to one side of the plate.  He was right.  We decided to pry a little to see if he had made an educated guess or just a plain old guess. He reasoned that they tasted “fresher and juicier”.  Juicier: an interesting choice of words to describe scrambled eggs. He also noted the farm share eggs were brighter in color, had more white specks and were smaller.

The youngest

Our youngest son repeated the process and made many of the same comments. We probably should have put them in separate rooms to keep the eggsperiment official, but that wouldn’t have been any fun.

The middle

The middle guy had no interest in closing his eyes at all.  He just wanted to eat the eggs-and he did. No comment.

The verdict

• We all voted and the farm share eggs won.
• The farm share eggs were quite a bit smaller than store bought eggs.
• The farm eggs were a bit brighter in color than the store bought eggs.
• The farm share eggs tasted fresher-I’m not sure how to describe this.  I think you will have to have a taste test yourself.

Overall it was a fun and different way to eat eggs together on a Sunday morning.

Why buy organic eggs? To learn more about the non-toxic and great green reasons to buy organic eggs head on over to Practically Green.

Have you done an eggsperiment? Do you buy organic eggs?

There are so many exciting things happening in the green blogosphere. The news ranges from the new USDA nutrition standards for school lunches to a study showing drinking red wine in moderation could reduce your risk of breast cancer.

I’ve been jet setting around the web over the past few weeks and wanted to share a few of the places I’ve landed.

Climate Change

Climate change is a growing concern throughout the world.  In an effort to take action and inspire others to join in, the mighty women of the Green Moms Carnival collectively joined voices to speak out and share what we’re doing to fight climate change.  My post, Four Resolutions to Fight Climate Change, is included among the many other suggestions for fighting climate change.

Wintery Weather

Snow and ice has made an appearance in many parts of the world.  Many conventional snow and ice removal products contain toxic chemicals. These nasty chemicals could end up tracked into our homes on the bottom of shoes and boots. They could also end up in our yards, on our sidewalks and in our waterways once the snow and ice begin to melt.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to keep your driveways and sidewalks clear of snow and ice without using toxic chemicals.  Click HERE to read more.

Ready to Abandon Those Resolutions?

If you need that little extra push to help your resolutions stick, hop on over to the J.R. Watkins Clear Conscience Blog for a few tips to keep you motivated and on track for 2012 and beyond.

Reuse and Repurpose

The saying goes: “One person’s trash may be another person’s treasure.” We live in a use-and-toss society where most of the time we don’t give a second thought to using an item once and then tossing it. If we stopped before tossing we might realize that some of those items that seem ripe for the trash can be repurposed into something completely different for our own use. That trash could become our own treasure.

There are so many creative ways to reuse and repurpose everyday items we find in our homes. Head on over to Healthy Child Healthy World for this week’s round-up of posts on repurposing and reusing. I’m honored that my post, 3 Creative Ideas for Reusing and Repurposing, was selected as the Blog of the Week.

Have yourselves a very groovy green weekend! Any big plans?

[Photo used under Creative Commons from Luis Argerich/Flickr]

Broccoli is one of those veggies that’s either hit or miss with most kids (some adults too). Just mentioning broccoli can make the cutest child crinkle up their nose and say “ewww”.  My kids are in the “we like broccoli” camp. No crinkled noses. Steamed is their prep of choice, which gets a wee bit boring after a while (but I’ll take it).

Broccoli is a super food, with a laundry list of super powers. Here are a few of the many:

• Cancer fighting:  Broccoli is rich in compounds called isothiocyanates, or ITCs. These compounds destroy the cancerous genes, but leave the healthy proteins alone so they can continue to stop tumors from growing.
• Immune boosting: One cup of broccoli fuels the immune system with a large dose of beta-carotene and multiple trace minerals.
• Diet aid: Broccoli is high in fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar, and curbs overeating

How to get them to eat it

If you have one (or two or three) of those kids that squirm at the mere mention of broccoli here are four creative ways to add it to your menu in a kid-friendly way.

Roasting

This is my favorite way to make broccoli. Cut the stalk and florets into bite sized pieces. Place them in a glass, ceramic or stainless steel pan; add a little olive oil, salt and mix. Roast in the oven on 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the broccoli is slightly brown (careful not to burn).

Broccoli Pizza

A few times each month we make our own pizza. My kids love to roll out the dough, add some sauce, sprinkle the cheese and watch their creation turn into dinner.  Most kids love to be active participants in the cooking process. If I’m feeling very ambitious I’ll make the dough from scratch, making sure it’s filled with whole, organic grains. I’ve also been known to use Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods pre-made dough to help with an easy, quick meal.  I place bowls of various pizza toppings on the table for the kids to pick and choose from. I’m always amazed that the bowl of broccoli is one of the first items to go. My guess-their pizza looks pretty with all the different colors. Whatever the reason-broccoli pizza is a big hit.

Broccoli Tacos

I almost heard a collective “ewww” when you reached this suggestion. The broccoli taco works in our house. I use the same concept as the pizza above. Bowls of cheese, beans, rice, salsa, broccoli and turkey taco meat are put out on the table. The kids create their own taco in the shell. This is by far my kid’s favorite meal.

Add broccoli to something they already like

Adding broccoli to something your child already likes is an easy way to introduce a new food. If your child likes mac n cheese add some broccoli to it. Make sure you cook the broccoli before adding and I would only use the florets for this. Another easy place to add broccoli is in pasta sauce.

Remember to always use organic broccoli when you can!

Do your kids like broccoli? Do you?

[Photos used under Creative Commons license from Keith McDuffee, Like the Grand Canyon, Little Blue Hen, D.Sharon Pruitt/Flickr]

This month the green moms have gathered once again for the Green Moms Carnival to share our thoughts on Resolutions to Fight Climate Change. The carnival is hosted this month by Amber over at Strocel.com.  The carnival goes live Monday, January 23, 2012.  Be sure to stop by for lots of great information on ways we can all fight climate change.

For a person who rarely makes New Year’s resolutions I sure am writing about them a lot. Last year I pulled together a mid-year resolution –to eat local, sustainable food as much as possible. The timing was right (June) and I was able to succeed. This year, in place of any resolutions, I came up with 3 words to help define my goals and experiences for the coming year: honesty, present and learn.

This month the amazing women of the Green Moms Carnival came up with the idea to write about resolutions to fight climate change. This is the type of resolution that works on my end-probably because I’m already committed to many of these things.

CLIMATE CHANGE

The buzz words “climate change” and “global warming” have been on our radar since the 80’s. Remember when the hole in the ozone layer of Antarctica was discovered? Now it’s our job to slow down or stop the damage that we’ve already done.

There are 4 things that I will be working hard to accomplish this year. Knowing that each of these small actions will help fight climate change keeps me going back for more. Want to join me?

Holy Cow: Meatless Any Day

Meatless Monday is a movement encouraging people to improve their health and improve the health of the planet by cutting out meat from their diet one day each week. There are estimates that the meat industry produces almost one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate climate change. Cows are one of the largest producers of methane (through their digestive process), a gas that helps contribute to global warming. Eating less meat and dairy is one of the most effective ways to reduce our personal carbon footprint and reduce our impact on the environment.

I have to admit, my meatless day is rarely Monday, but it doesn’t really matter. One of our favorite meatless any day recipes is a simple bean and rice burrito.

Plant a Peach Tree or Any Tree

When each of our three boys was born we planted a tree in their honor. Each year we try to plant at least one new tree either near our house or through Treenex, which plants a tree in a forest each time you purchase a greeting card from their site.

As trees grow they help stop global warming. They remove carbon dioxide from the air, store carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

Family Room Renovation: Use Zero VOC Paint

Most conventional paints contain high levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s), which emit a breathable gas when slapped on your walls. Some VOCs are greenhouse gases and can contribute to global warming and others are just bad for your health.

We’re just about to renovate our family room which will involve painting much of the inside of our house.  We are planning to stay in our home during the renovation and that strong, conventional paint smell isn’t an option. We’ve used no VOC paint in the past and it worked well-we’ll be using it again this go round.

Get a Free Home Energy Audit

After speaking with Kevin O’Connor from This Old House I have wanted to arrange a free energy audit (his suggestion). Most energy companies will send a representative to your home, free of charge, for a home energy audit to help identify areas that may not be energy efficient. There are all sorts of rebates available for upgrading to energy efficient appliances and other upgrades.

A home energy audit will hopefully help us find simple ways to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions and lower our utility bills in the process.

What do you do to fight climate change? I’m having a hard time giving up my hot, hot shower.

[Photo used under Creative Commons from Philippe 2009 and Dan Zen /Flickr]

Did you know?

Saltwater (and a lot of it) is sometimes added to meat and poultry products labeled “natural”

A while back I wrote about the misleading labels on hot dogs.  There’s more to be concerned about when it comes to the labeling of processed meats and poultry. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

Some unscrupulous meat and poultry producers add as much as 15 percent saltwater to their products—and then have the gall to label such pumped-up products “natural.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is calling for public comments regarding such labeling practices.

The “enhanced” poultry adds significant amounts of unneeded sodium to an otherwise healthy food, adding to Americans’ already excessive sodium consumption and gouging consumers with exorbitant prices for salt water. Consumers should not be misled by a false “natural” label claim and they have a right to label information that allows them to make informed, healthful decisions.

Click HERE to send a message to the USDA today, urging an end to this deceptive-labeling practice.

Green Cuisine: Crock Pot Lentil Stew

Looking for a delicious stew to take away the winter chill? HERE’s a green cuisine recipe that will keep you warm and cozy, while the weather outside is frightful.

Green Parenting and Design Predictions for 2012

Inhabitots asked a few of their favorite bloggers (including me!), green-minded business owners, and a few of their own Inhabitots editors and writers to share their predictions for the year ahead. What will change in green design this year? How will the world move forward to provide a better environment for healthy families? Click HERE to see what we think.

Pinterest

Listening to all the Pinterest buzz, I decided to finally take the plunge and join in.  Pinterest is a site that  lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. If you aren’t familiar here are a few tips to get you started.

I’m definitely a newbie, but I’m really enjoying the creative outlet. Make sure you come and find me  -FOLLOW ME and I’ll follow you back!

Are you on Pinterest? Leave your link and I’ll find you and hopefully others will too.

[Photo used under Creative Commons from D. Sharon Pruitt/Flickr]