Organic Calabaza Soup

I made this soup today (1/2 the recipe) and it was so delicious, especially if you can find as many natural/organic ingredients as possible.

From this site
Yields - 6 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 lbs. calabaza (I used Butternut, but you can substitute Hubbard or acorn squash), seeded, peeled
1 medium ripe tomato, peeled, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) [all I had was organic canned sauce, but it worked great- no need to precook or heat]
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (powder works ok too)
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (i used brown)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
CUT calabaza into chunks. Steam or boil in large saucepan on medium-high heat until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain; place back in saucepan and set aside.

HEAT olive oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add tomato and onion, cook until soft. Add cooked tomato mixture to calabaza. In two batches, place cooked calabaza and tomato mixture in blender container or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth.

PLACE mixture back into large saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper; mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just boiling. Serve in soup bowls with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dollop of sour cream.

Best Oatmeal Ever!

love McCann's. I've tried others claiming to have more this and less that, but nothing compares. This just tastes "REAL". Its my frequent meal replacement yummy late night snack alternative ;)



oats are 100% wholegrain, so they contain all the goodness of the endosperm, bran and germ.

Florida Farmer's Market

Here's a link to the Florida-Agriculture.com website that lists all of the state's Farmer's markets, with full address, hours, etc.
Notes that some community farmers' markets are open on a seasonal basis, like the one held in Coral Gables, FL, nearest to me :(

http://www.florida-agriculture.com/consumers/farmers_markets.htm

pluggin' my band

we got our first live show, so had to post it everywhere :)
excuse me for deviating from the usual...

Going Green in Apartments

finally something realistic for us renters! ;)


What Can Renters Do? Green Your Apartment
Many of our readers have rightly noted that we focus on greening homes-- and you have pleaded for help on how to live a sustainable life in an apartment. Look no further! We have compiled a helpful list of steps you can take to live an eco-friendly life as a renter. And all of these tips also apply to homes as well-- so everyone can use this list!

the rest is here at lowimpactliving.com

Origins Recycling Program

this is a WONDERFUL idea- everyday we throw away tiny bottles of cosmetics and shampoos without thinking about recycling those (they're not big obvious bottles like soda ones)...and you get free samples of products when you bring in bottles...awesome!

Introducing the Origins Recycling Program:
Now you can bring your empty cosmetic tubes, bottles and jars, etc. - regardless of brand - to your nearest Origins retail store or department store counter nationwide.* All returned packaging will be sent back to a central location where products will be recycled or used for energy recovery.

In an industry first, Origins will accept packaging from any cosmetic company regardless of the manufacturer. We believe that the more we collect from consumers, the more we can keep cosmetic packaging out of landfills. And we hope this program will encourage other companies into following our example.

To thank you for joining us in our commitment to the environment, we’ll treat you to a FREE sample of your choice of one of Origins high-performance skincare products.