I've Got A Walnut Brownie Brain!

A song post from Meira:

mewithoutYou

The Fox, The Crow and the Cookie

A new favorite in our house!



Happy Friday!

Even the smallest actions count!

Have an action filled weekend!

Wanna Feel Good? Try some Feelgoodz!

The other week I read an article on Change.org lamenting the plight of a newly formed eco-friendly flip-flop company not being able to sell their flip flops, all because of the nasty BP oil spill.

So I skipped on over to their website, Feelgoodz.
I LOVED what I read about the company and the flip flops
and bought a pair for myself!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!
They are SO comfortable, 100% natural rubber,

fair trade, and 100% biodegradable.
What more could you ask for in a flip flop?

Here’s a condensed excerpt reposted from Change.org. For the full version hop on over here:
“Last week, we told you the story of Feelgoodz, an ethical flip flop startup whose major summer order had gotten stuck in BP oil spill-related madness in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Whole Foods wasn't able to sell nearly the number of pairs that they had planned on, and Kyle [Berner, owner of Feelgoodz] was left unable to repay the loan, jeopardizing not only his company, but Drop the Chalk, the education software nonprofit who was supposed to get the next loan.
“Less than a week later, with the help of the Change.org community and an assist from Groupon, FeelGoodz has sold almost its entire summer line, and will be able to repay the loan.”
“It is an amazing testament to the power of the internet to help people form rapid and spontaneous communities of support. Finally, it's a powerful demonstration that this community cares not just about rallying against companies doing bad, but about supporting companies out there trying to do good.”

So hop on the bandwagon, do a little social good, and go get yourself a pair!

Friday Food Frolic! Garden Pesto!

The basil is plentiful in our garden at this time of year,
so I thought I’d share our favorite pesto recipe.

Basil Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse leaves and add to food processor.
2. Add olive oil. More or less depending on how thick you like your pesto.
3. Add garlic and cheese.
4. Add pine nuts/walnuts.
5. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Sometimes I omit the nuts & cheese and it tastes perfectly fine that way, too!
Tip – spend the $$ on quality pine nuts (don’t buy any from China) or you could end up with pine mouth!

How to preserve all that extra basil? Try:
**Drying**
Rinse the leaves and spread them single layer on a screen
OR
Tie the stems together and hang upside down in a dry, airy place.
Once the leaves are completely dry, crush them up into spice jars.
(Be sure they are completely dry or they will get moldy - yuck!)

**Freezing**
Half make the pesto recipe,
by blending just the basil and oil.
Freeze into ice cube trays
then transfer to an airtight freezer container.
Each ice cube holds about 2 tablespoons.
You can freeze the entire pesto recipe, too, if you want.