Elizabeth Yarnell, Author, Innovator, Naturopath, Speaker
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School Lunch Menus: The Coming Revolution

US Agriculture uses 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides annually. That’s about a 5-lb. bag of pesticide that we each — including children — ingest and consume every year. Isn’t that scary? It’s approved by the USDA.

This is just one of the things I learned from this fascinating video of Ann Cooper, the head of nutrition for Berkeley schools in California.  Here is a woman who cares passionately  about the health and future of our kids.

As she points out, our kids are the first generation who are predicted to live shorter life spans than their parents due to the toxicity of the foods they eat. The foods we serve them, at home and at school.

If this isn’t a wake-up call to what is really being served in our schools, then I’m not sure what is.

Watch Ann Cooper, the Renegade Lunch Lady, talk about the coming revolution in the way kids eat at school — local, sustainable, seasonal and even educational food.

Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics – Denver, October 5, 2008

The Environmental Working Group, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Women’s Lobby of Colorado are proud to host a book reading and panel discussion on toxic chemicals in cosmetics, and what low dose exposures to chemicals means for Americans.

The FREE event will take place at Craig Hall at the University of Denver on October 8th at 6:30pm. It will feature Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, Joshua Onysko, CEO of Pangea Organics, and Sonya Lunder, Senior Analyst at Environmental Working Group, who will give the exciting presentation “10 Americans,” the story of the 287 chemicals they found in the blood of 10 special people.

Light refreshments will be served, and Colorado companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics will be on hand with product samples.

RSVP to reserve your spot!

Directions to Craig Hall, Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver.

Campbell’s Soup Sales Up

The Campbell Soup Company said sales of its condensed soups were up by 6 percent and its ready-to-serve products were up 5 percent.

The statement, issued in September, 2008, noted that the company’s sales rose 13 percent to $1.72 billion during the quarter from $1.52 billion a year ago. Domestic soup sales were also strong during the quarter which covered a part of the year when soup consumption is usually low.

This news, along with other economic indicators such as increased library usage and a decrease in cosmetic surgery rates, tell me that discretionary income is disappearing and people are looking for ways to economize. Ways like using the library for online access and eating Cambell’s soup instead of eating out. While it may be news to our president, I’m sure it’s not news to you that our economy is in dire shape after eight years under his reign.

Now, I’m all about eating in. We watch our pennies like everyone else and rarely spring for a meal out these days.

My unease comes from knowing so many people are relying on canned, condensed soups, with all of the sodium, preservatives, and artificial additives that come with them. Not to mention the fat content!

In my fantasy world, people realize that throwing some items into a Dutch oven to flash cook can be almost as quick and easy as heating up a can of faux soup, but a lot better for you. It just takes a little bit more money and a little bit more time with a little bit more effort. The rewards for a few bucks and a few minutes are huge. Think of how much you’ll save on future health care bills by taking care of yourself now!

Solar Home Tour in Denver Saturday, October 4, 2008

Come see the latest in Solar Homes this weekend! The Colorado Renewable Energy Society is hosting its annual solar home tour on Saturday, Oct. 4.

The Denver Tour of Solar Homes will feature “Real Places for Real People” that showcase the latest and greatest in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable building technologies in action at a variety of homes & buildings throughout the Denver Metro Area.

The 2008 Denver Tour will focus on homes in both the Golden / Lakewood / Denver West area and the Capitol Hill / Washington Park / Southeast Denver area.

This year’s Denver Tour features a number of significant firsts:

* Thanks to the visionary leadership of Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, the solar-powered carriage house on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion will be a stop on this year’s Denver Tour! NOTE: only those who sign up for the Bus Tour will be allowed access into the Governor’s Mansion carriage house on this day.

* The Denver Tour has grown to the point where participants can check in at one of two different locations, in either West or Southeast Denver!

Costs for the Tour are only $20 per carload (carpooling is strongly recommended), or only $45 per person for the guided bus tour (and entry into the Governor’s Mansion carriage house; reservations are required). Online registration will be available through the CRES website.

Tour participants can check in for the Tour as early as 8:00 AM on October 4 at either of two convenient locations:

* The National Renewable Energy Laboratory Visitors Center (15013 Denver West Parkway; take I-70 to Exit 263, and then follow the signs) has been the traditional check-in point for The Denver Tour, and will be again this year.

The NREL Visitor Center will also feature an exhibit hall with dozens of Tour sponsors and other exhibitors whose products & services can make your own home more energy efficient, and even powered by renewable energy!

* For the first time in 2008, The Denver Tour will also have a Southeast Denver check-in location at the First Universalist Church of Denver (4101 E. Hampden Ave., at the northeast corner of Hampden Ave. and Colorado Blvd.). This will provide those outside the Denver West area with a gas-saving opportunity to tour solar and green-built homes in the Central and Southeast Denver areas.

The Denver Tour of Solar Homes is part of the National Solar Tour, traditionally held on the first weekend of each October. Tours will also be held in Boulder (on Sunday, October 5), Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Durango, New Castle (Western Slope), and several other communities throughout Colorado and the USA.

Complete information about The Denver Tour of Solar Homes — including sneak previews, online registration, sponsors, etc. — is available on the CRES website, or by calling the CRES Hotline at 303-806-5317.

Honeycrisp apples

As a child I preferred just about any other fruit to the old standby of the apple. It wasn’t until recently, with the emergence of new apple varietals on the market, that I realized that it wasn’t that I didn’t like apples, it’s that I didn’t like Red Delicious apples. And besides Granny Smiths, those were the choices in apples.

Honeycrisp apples and honey
Honeycrisp apples and honey

The availability of new apple varieties in the past few years have turned me into the apple devotee that I never was before. Fiji, Gala, Pink Lady… I’m fans of them all. But nothing has won me over like the honeycrisp apple.

Each fall I eagerly await their appearance on the market. Colorado apple growers are now bringing in their harvests to the farmers markets and the regular grocery stores, and I’m in heaven.

Exceptionally sweet and crisp, the honeycrisp is hands-down my favorite variety of apple. It’s only available for a short window of time, so get your eatin’ while the eatin’ is good!

Today, the traditional way to eat apples is in slices dipped in honey. Delicious. (Look for local honey to get all the benefits of local pollens or single-source flavors!) Happy new year to all of my Jewish friends! May your year be as sweet as a honeycrisp apple!  🙂

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