This week's winner of Jill Lambert's A Good Catch is (more...)

This is going to be a big post - complete with a contest!!! Read on for details.

With the holidays around the corner, I've decided that on a weekly basis I'll give you some green gift ideas. So, starting today I will pass on some ideas, and continue to do so every Friday until Christmas. Can you believe we're just a month away? Today's theme is (more...)

I recently head about Second Cup's new and first certified fair trade and organic Cuzco coffe. I'm already a big Second Cup fan, so I was happy to hear that they jumped on the organic and fair trade bandwagon. Their new brew is from Peru's Quillabamba region, which is just east of Machu Picchu and high up in the Andes.

The roast is quite flavourful, and it's a medium roast so if that's your style, it's very drinkable.

Next time you're grabbing a coffee on the go (with your reusable mug, of course) head to your local Second Cup to give this new brew a try. If you want to take it home, a fresh 1 lb. bag of Cuzco costs $17.50.

Some other brands that offer certified fair trade coffee are Kicking Horse Coffee, Ethical Bean Coffee and, one of my personal faves, Dark City Coffee Company.

What's your favourite coffee?

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...)

... 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...)

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

I just read about Wild Dill on the blog Green Your Decor and thought I'd share the information with you. Wild Dill is an online store specializing in fair trade, sweatshop-free, natural and/or recycled product for your tots. They have really cute products - ranging from clothing to bedding to organic art kits.

My favourite item is the Roebuck Studio Chick Chair. It is made from local Baltic birch plywood, is painted with water based non-toxic paint and is complete with rounded edges for your child's safety.

I wish it came in a bigger size!

Read more:
• Raise your baby the eco-friendly way
• How to have a green baby
• Guide to organic and eco-friendly bedding

I was recently introduced to a great line of products. Origins Organics, a line of skin, body and hair care products, are all-natural products containing organic ingredients. They make a great massage oil called Body Pampering Massage Oil. Being a fairly active person, I require the odd massage (the at-home kind), and I was pleasantly surprised that this kind isn't super oily and it doesn't leave a sticky film on your skin like so many other massage oils and creams. It also has a really nice light and (more...)