Everyone’s talking about Jamie Oliver, the British “lad” from Essex, who has finally crossed the channel in an attempt to tackle the appalling eating habits of the ‘unhealthiest” town in America. Jamie’s been kicking around in the UK for the last decade, writing numerous cookbooks and started the “School Dinners” campaign, where he tried to ban the junk in British Schools. The school “dinner” (as opposed to “lunch”) is an awful British institution. I remember holding out my plate as a furious-looking nun plonked Read the rest of this entry »

So I wake up this morning to dog going nuts because door bell is ringing – out I go in fraying robe and bed-head hair to find an enormous box of fruit from The Fruit Guys. I had been looking forward all week to my box, but had totally forgotten about it, so was thrilled be able to unpack my goodies instead of having to deal with the Read the rest of this entry »

I love this Honey Pot Compost Crock in Blue. This is a perfect time of year to get your compost bin on the go, so that you’ll be able to harvest some rich, nutrient-filled compost for Spring planting. At Problem Solvers, you can also find crocks in bamboo and stainless steel. It’s sooooo satisfying to put all those veggie scraps to good use, instead of sending them to the landfill.

If you fancy an evening in with a good Netflix movie and a bucket of homemade organic popcorn, you’ll not only save a ton of cash (compared to going out), but you may nudge yourself into some deeper Green thinking. Fed-up with all the usual media scare tactics, I’ve become very picky about what I watch at night. I want to go to bed feeling encouraged, moved, inspired to change. I want to leap out of bed the next morning with the grit and gusto to Read the rest of this entry »

A huge percentage of the foods that I adore are imported and therefore have a massive water and oil footprint. We are so used to being able to eat what we want and when we want it, that’s it’s hard to imagine a life where oil prices only allow us to eat what is truly local and in season. I always shop with this in mind, and fortunately never get tired of the abundance of produce that is available at most farmer’s markets in the summer. In my mother’s wonderful organic garden in England, which I’m, sadly about to leave, we were lucky enough to feast on green beans, spinach, zucchini, raspberries, plums and apples. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s ironic that the mini-gadgets that we now rely on to connect with each other 24/7, are the very things that are helping us to become totally disconnected to almost anything nurturing. Our iPhones, Blackberries and computers feel like a lifeline and obviously help us to connect to just about everyone on the planet, however, they fail to satisfy a the need for a deeper, more “real” connection. I realized this on the wonderful “Gorgeously Green Getaway” weekend that I have just come back from at The Crossings in Austin, Texas. All is takes a a day – just one day away from technical devices of any kind and preferably away from home, into a healing environment. A full day to reconnect to one’s body, breath and deeper values is absolutely vital in this fast-paced world we now live in. When was the last time that you allowed Read the rest of this entry »

One of the perks of my job is that I get to meet extraordinary women who are really making a difference. One such lady is Alicia Polak, owner of the Khaya Cookie Company. Alicia was originally an investment banker on Wall Street, who wound up consulting for a non-profit that distributed humanitarian aid to a poverty-stricken area in South Africa. Alicia realized, however, that the aid was not sustainable – it was a bottomless pit and so she became passionate about doing something to help the women help themselves. She started the Khaya cookie company, where she taught unemployable and disenfranchised women, how to become artisan bakers. These women could then afford to feed their families and even send their kids to school. As if this isn’t enough of a reason to buy these cookies, trust me on this – THEY ARE DELICIOUS! I’d go as far as to say Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most powerful ways in which you can change your diet, is to start eating mindfully. Many of us are subject to conditioning and habit – we reach for what we’re used to having and we eat it unconsciously. When you really begin to understand exactly what is in your food and how it was produced (where it came from, how far it travelled, how many sprayings of pesticide it received, how many hidden additives are packed into it, and finally how heavily processed it is,) you start to make radically different choices. Being green is really about being aware, and when we are truly aware, a plethora of choices begin to open up to us. I have packed The Gorgeously Green Diet with information that will help you to Read the rest of this entry »

I include Agave Nectar in many of my recipes in The Gorgeously Green Diet. I love using it instead of sugar because is is 90% fructose and is minimally processed. It has a low-glycemic level and you use less than sugar because it’s sweeter. My favorite brand is Madhavas It has the best taste and consistency of any Agave Nectar I have tasted yet. Agave Syrup is the same thing as the nectar. You should be able to find this brand at most large health food stores and at some large regular grocery chains. It’s great on oatmeal, cereal, in smoothies and fantastic for baking.

I salute companies like Preserve who are the real thing as far as green is concerned. Through their “Gimme 5″ program, they take all of our discarded plastic and transform it into must-have items for your kitchen. I’m in love with my set of 3 nesting mixing bowls (pictured). The large green one is ideal for baking and doubles as a beautiful salad bowl for al-fresco dining. The medium blue bowl is perfect for pancake or muffin batters and the small red one is what I use for dressings and marinades. They actually stay glossy after being bashed around and machine-washed and are the ultimate feel-good purchase because you’re keeping plastic out of the landfill. A perfect Spring purchase if ever there was one!