sarah's sustainable life

be sure to stop at “the cove” the last sunday of the month! the cove is a restaurant i have written about previously as a good place to dine on local, organic, and sustainable foods; that is their specialty, and they do it well! february 28th, 2010 marked the second monthly brunch held at the cove. i partook of a vegan special (cornbread and tempeh sausage with gravy) and washed it down with some ayurvedic coffee. there was some bluesy live entertainment and, as always, an open and friendly atmosphere in the restaurant. dining at the cove is like joining a social club, except all you have to do is show up and you’re one of the gang. 20% of the money collected from this now regularly scheduled event goes to support girls, inc. the crowd was lively, the food was tasty, and the cause was good. this is worth going out of your way to attend!

i wanted to share with you this most interesting website i found. treehugger.com has created a climate culture calculator section where one can commit to taking a small action (say, riding a bike to work), calculate the carbon impact, and join an online community of folks taking similar actions for the environment. this is a GREAT idea; people are more likely to follow through on commitments others know about. also, and my favorite part of it all, it’s nice to know you are not alone. it seems most of the actions we take to be more green seem so small and isolated, it’s wonderful to know there is a large group of people making the same commitment, and to immediately see the results this action will have in the future. go to the website and see what other climate culture calculators you can find. this could be the new year’s resolution you were looking for!

if you have not visited a public school for many years, i think you would be surprised to find that in many places they are improving. when i was a kid, it was a dare to eat anything that came out of the cafeteria, let alone the playground, but all that is changing. it seems to be a focus of education these days to end the childhood obesity epidemic, and that’s only appropriate considering how many children in this country get the majority of their meals from the public schools (no finger pointing intended, well, maybe a little bit…) alice waters a restaurateur in california, and the author of several cookbooks (including one for children) has begun a program called “edible schoolyard“, encouraging schools to grow edible produce on their grounds where students can help cultivate their own food and learn more about agriculture while partaking in healthy eating. similar programs are springing up in other areas of the country as well. when i was teaching at the ohio state university, we did quite a bit of work with adventure central, an after school venue dedicated to helping inner city kids get back in to nature (including a very nice veg garden which they eat from and help sell at a local farmer’s market). i have also recently become aware of the white house garden started by the first lady, the first of its kind since the victory garden of WWII. michelle obama thus far has used the garden to educate and feed children in need in the greater DC area. what is going on in your neck of the woods? is there a program to encourage healthy eating habits for kids, or do you need to get one started?

ah, christmas gifts. we fret, we panic, we overspend, and we regret. avoid the traditional christmas gift grief cycle by buying sustainable this year! sustainable gifts can be thrifty, thoughtful, and creative, so don’t think you’ll be stuck buying everyone on your list a backyard compost bin (although some people might enjoy that, too!).

give the gift of quality time and use your christmas dollars to support local, sustainable cuisine. most cities have at least one restaurant that focuses on using local organic ingredients. give a gift certificate for one of these restaurants to any couple you know for a nice holiday treat of quality time. for an extra wow factor (with no extra money involved), volunteer to babysit the night the certificate is used!

give the gift of compassion and make a charitable donation in someone’s name. i actually did this as a “secret santa” when i was in college. i was a little nervous about it at first, seeing as how most people got some pretty cool stuff. when it came time for me to reveal the gift, everyone loved the idea, especially the person whose name was on the donation slip! you’d be surprised how many people are happy to forgo the usual plastic junk to know that they helped someone in need.

give the gift of happy memories and find a new way to share your family’s trusted and loved recipes. it’s easy to find a store that will bind your favorite recipes (once you type them up), or try a recipe box made from upcycled materials. what could be a more appropriate holiday gift than gramma’s recipe for pecan pie?

if none of these seem to fit your family’s wish list, consider the following options:
1) Sony’s Daily Reader or an Amazon Kindle, both download books to read electronically at your fingertips without the paper, ink, and shipping of traditional books.

2) a reusable lunch kit, for anyone who has to eat away from home (and who doesn’t occasionally?). these are great for kids and adults, and the link leads you to a site where the lunch kits can be customized to fit any personality and are made from repurposed antique materials.

3) a new shower head that delivers great pressure and uses less water. i don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a really great, hot shower. this would truly be the gift that keeps giving (and saving) all year round!

upon researching activities to do with my son, i stumbled upon a business called “artworks studio“. this place offers regular, age appropriate, reasonably priced classes in hands-on art methods and art history from 18months and up. you can even schedule a birthday party, scout meeting, or home schooling class there! josiah and i started two weeks ago, and i was skeptical about how much he would actually participate. it turns out, my son is a painting and sculpting fool! we’re in the process of starting an art gallery in his room to showcase his talent – i think he may be the next jackson pollock!!:) check out artworks studios! i know there is more than one location in san antonio, and i think there may be some across the country.

josiah covered in paint after an artworks experience

like the idea of organic & fair trade coffees, but not the price tag? well, if you live in the san antonio area, you are in luck this week! central market on broadway is introducing a line of coffees called bean tree. they are organic, fair trade, and delicious! formerly only available online, these coffees can be enjoyed fresh-brewed at the coffee bar of any central market. and to acquiesce the inevitable uproar that comes with any change, this week only a large cup of this coffee is only $.99! if your one of those “coffee drinkers” who that thinks starbucks brews a decent cup, expect to be changed when you taste this stuff! stop by sometime this week to try it for cheap. i’ll most likely be there!

this past saturday i decided to wake the whole family bright and early and venture out to the farmer’s market at the pearl brewery downtown. though the selection was small, the atmosphere was pleasant. i had some wonderful tea, richard sampled a shot of bantai civet, and josiah squirmed and fussed through a bbq demonstration. i could not have done all my shopping here, but what they had was very nice.

i enjoyed the farmer's market more than josiah!

san antonio has a reputation for having a poor selection of farmer’s markets. richard and i recently attended a cooking class focused on cooking with local ingredients where we received an exhaustive list of area farmer’s markets; i was impressed with how many there are! i have passed that list onto you here with a word of encouragement to visit your nearest farmer’s market and give it a try. support your local farmers and spread the word that san antonio is a greener city than most believe!

walking at the pearl brewery

*pearl brewery farmer’s market association
*san antonio farmer’s market association (7 locations)
*south texas farmer’s market association (8 locations)
*tri-county farmer’s market association (2 locations)