It's hard to buy organic food when you're trying to live on a budget. It's even harder when concern about the presence of pesticides in your food is always in the back of your mind. According to Cindy Burke, author of To Buy or Not To Buy Organic, if you opt for the organic version of 12 certain fruits and vegetables you can eliminate you and your family's exposure to harmful pesticides by 50 per cent.

Burke also warns that washing fruits and vegetables does not limit the amount of pesticides you ingest. Apparently when a food has been sprayed, pesticides are apt to find their way deep into that fruit or veggie.

Are you wondering what Burke's list of 12 fruits and veggies are? Here's the list of fruits and veggies that Burke recommends buying only if organic. (more...)

I made a trip to the St. Lawrence market in Toronto on Saturday morning. My culinary muscles were certainly twitching this weekend, and I felt like making a feast out of the beautiful produce that's literally at our finger tips this time of year.

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Yesterday, I attended a book launch for A Good Catch, by Jill Lambert at Seafood Oyster Bed and Grill in Toronto.

The origin and method of catch of the seafood that graces our dinner tables is becoming more of a concern as we become more aware that stocks are depleting. However, it can be hard to become a conscience consumer all of a sudden. In her book, Lambert helps to make the transition easier by explaining what the best and most responsible choices are. The book also features (more...)

It's probably pretty easy to forget about being green on Halloween. I mean, the day comes upon us so quickly and then ends just as fast. All we have left to show for it is mounds of itty bitty chocolate bar wrappers in the garbage bin under our desks (I'm extra guilty of that one) and a long-lasting sugar high. But just because Halloween is a one-day event, it doesn't mean you have to let go of your eco-conscious ways. There are many ways to practice being green, and I recommend you start with you kids.

National Geographic's Green Guide explains that the Halloween makeup kits your kids use contain (more...)

I recently learned about a company from Winnipeg called Botanical Paperworks. The company is a stationary business that uses plantable paper. The paper is "tree-free" – no trees were cut down to make this plantable paper. The base fiber is cotton or 100 per cent post-consumer waste. Also, the paper is made with pure North American wildflower seeds by skilled papermakers paid a living wage in Winnipeg.

When you send one of Botanical Paperworks beautiful cards, the recipient can plant the paper in some soil and wait for it to bloom into lovely flowers (each card comes with planting instructions).

Check out the cute Christmas card to the left. All those tiny little specs are seeds waiting to grow!

Botanical Paperworks also carries lovely desktop calendars, which are my personal favourite. Just think, but the end of the year you'd have planted 12 new bunches of flowers. You can plant them in a pot indoors to liven up your home in the winter, or to take them along to a dinner party as a hostess gift. The calendars also make perfect gifts for the holiday season, or for any old occasion.

You can also see about getting promo stuff made, such as business cards or bookmarks.

For more information, or to order products online, visit www.botanicalpaperworks.com.

I had put the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver, on hold at the library when I first read about it, and it finally arrived the other week. I must say, I'm enjoying the book thoroughly.

I've never read a book by Kingsolver, but have always heard such great things about her novels. This book differs from her others, as it's a nonfiction narrative, but the language and stories are written beautifully.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is about the Kingsolver family's move from city life to rural life ... and their vow to only buy food that is raised or grown by their neighbours or themselves. If someone in the family craves something that is out of season, it's tough luck, they have to learn to live without.

In her book, Kingsolver puts great emphasis on the importance of the kitchen table as a place where the family can come together. Whether because of cooking or preserving an in-season ingredient, lamenting over the food they can no longer enjoy (due to their vow) or to sit down and enjoy the fruits of their labour – the kitchen table truly is the centre of the family.

The book also includes passages written by Kingsolver's daughter, Camille. They offer insightful tidbits and tips about a certain ingredient, among other things. There are also ample recipes to add to your cooking regimen.

My favourite part of the book is when Kingsolver talks about making her own cheese. I can't believe how simple she makes it sound. I'm honestly intending to give it a go, with her guidance, of course. I can't imagine have homemade cheese!! I'll keep you posted.

I highly recommend this read to anyone who cares about where we get our food and anyone who loves food ... or simply someone who is looking for a great, insightful read.

Has anyone read this book? Has anyone made homemade cheese? Fill me in!

Speaking of books, we have a contest running on our forums right now. Visit our forums to find out how you can win a new novel.

... on a brand new bike!

This past weekend, I made an exciting – and expensive! –purchase. I went out and bought myself a brand new bike.

My last bike was great. I had bought it used and rode it so so much. But it was a clunky, heavy mountain bike, and I decided it was time to get my hands on something lighter. This wasn't just an impromptu purchase, it was something I'd been thinking of doing for a while now. My good old bike did the trick - got me from point A to B without incident - but, I've signed myself up for (more...)

It's going to be a quick one today. I read in today's Globe and Mail (find the article here) that a major bottled-water company will be voluntarily implementing a 25-cent deposit on half-litre bottles in parts of Canada (B.C., Ontario and the Maritime provinces). According to the article, this secret company is responding to all the people who complain of those who litter and do not recycle the plastic bottles. This deposit will add a whopping $6 to a pack of 24 water bottles. I hope that's enough to make people stop buying bottled water in areas where the tap water is perfectly drinkable.

I must admit, I'm curious to see which "major" company is introducing the deposit.

Check out my previous post on bottles water here and here

Read more:
• 10 ways to conserve water in your home

I have to admit, being a renter and using a fridge that I don't own, green refrigeration hasn't doesn't cross my mind on a regular basis. However, that changed when I was recently invited to an event for Liebherr's domestic appliances and learned a whole lot about green refrigerators. According to Liebherr, the company meets and exceeds Energy Star's rating requirements. Here's Liebherr's impressive list of green initiatives:

• Liebherr was the first appliance manufacturer worldwide to remove CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) completely from the production process in 1993;

• Since 2000, Liebherr’s considerable investment to ensure environmental compatibility has resulted in the reduced use of chemicals, solvents and energy consumption;

• Liebherr has established central waste and resource collection stations at their manufacturing facilities;

• The packaging materials on all products are 100 per cent recyclable;

• The water used in the production process is purified and pollution-free;

• The energy released during production is recovered and utilized again in heating the manufacturing environments.

Check out Liebherr's fridge's below. I've also included an image of the handsome wine unit, for all you wine aficionados.

For more information, visit the Liebherr website.

Have you gone green in the appliance department? How so? Fill us in and share your advice!

Read more:
• How saving water will save you money
• 8 ways to reduce light pollution
• Help the environment in just 10 minutes a day