Meatless Monday Recipe-Polenta Casserole With Seitan

Polenta Casserole With Seitan

This dish is elegant, delicious, and satisfying–great for brunch. Because it incorporates a grain, vegetables, and seitan, it’s a complete meal. A nice side of greens would make it absolutely perfect.

1 1/2 cups polenta or cornmeal or 1 cup millet1 medium-size head cauliflower cut in large pieces1 cup peas, fresh or frozen and thawed2 pinches fine sea salt1 (8-ounce) package seitan, slicedKernels from 2 ears corn or 1 cup thawed frozen kernels6 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces1 1/2 teaspoons roasted sesame tahini1/3cup soy milk1 1/2 tablespoons shoyu plus more for sprinkling on top2 teaspoons umeboshi vinegar1/4 cup chopped fresh parsleyFresh basil leaves for garnish

1. Place the polenta or millet in a large pot. Add the cauliflower, peas (if using fresh), salt, and 5 cups water (add just 3 cups if using the millet). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer the polenta for 30 minutes (cook for 25 minutes if using the millet). Polenta must be stirred frequently as it cooks to prevent it from sticking or becoming lumpy, but you don’t need to stir millet.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8×8 casserole dish.

3. While the cauliflower mixture cooks, arrange the sliced seitan in the casserole dish. Layer the corn kernels on top, and then add the asparagus.

4. Remove the polenta mixture from the heat. Add the tahini, soy milk, shoyu, and umeboshi vinegar, and mash with a potato masher or fork until the mixture resembles mashed potatoes. Add the chopped parsley and peas (if using frozen) and mix well.

5. Spoon the mashed mixture into the casserole dish over the vegetables, and smooth the top. Poke a few small holes in the surface, and sprinkle with a little extra shoyu (this makes the top crispy).

6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let the casserole cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Garnish with the basil, and serve.

SERVES 6

From The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

Read MIT's Technology Review for amazing stories of technological improvement

I recently became addicted to Google's Fast Flip, which as far as I'm concerned is the best way to browse through news sites.

MIT's Technology Review has become one of my favorites. You can flip through the pages of the site by selecting it from among the fifty or so sources for Fast Filp. going to the easily because they cooperate with Google.

One of the best things about this site is that they don't mislead with over hyped headlines and sketchy information.

Here are just a few of the stories that have caught my attention lately.

Gasifying Biomass with Sunlight: A solar-driven process could yield far more fuel than conventional biomass production.

Making Solar Cheaper with Natural Gas: Florida Power and Light has built a solar power plant linked to a natural gas plant.

Catalysts for Plastic Recycling: Chemical process can recycle PET bottles at lower temperatures.

Ultra-Efficient Gas Engine Passes Test: A novel fuel-injection system achieves 64 miles per gallon.

Free Gardening Classes on the west side from Time Dollar alternative currency and Green Spaces

These classes are being offered by the Time Dollar Community Connections (an alternative currency coordinator in San Antonio's impoverished west side with support from Green Spaces Alliance.  All classes take place in the community garden behind the Time Dollar house across the street from Divine Redeemer Presbyterian Church at 2806 W. Salinas. San Antonio, Tx 78207. 

Each class will be taught by Andrew Willems an experienced gardener and community organizer.  Call (210) 433-9851 for more information.

Intro to Square Foot Gardening
(20% of the Space, 20% of the Water, 20% of the Work, 100% of the Harvest)
Tues April 6th 1:30, Wed April 7th 10:00 AM, Thur April 8th 1:30
                   

Planting Techniques                   
(A study of companion planting and other planting guides)
 Wed April 14th 10:00 A.M

Composting                                 
(The key to a great garden)
 Wed April 21st10:00 A.M.

Water Saving Techniques         
(Learn how to best utilize this valuable resource at your home)
 Thur April 29th 10:00 A.M.

More about Plants                      
(Learn helpful tips about plants including herbs and vegetables)
 Wed May 5th 10:00 A.M.

Organic Pest Control                                           
 (Controlling pests and diseases the healthy way)                                                  
 Wed May 12th 10:00 A.M.

Saving Seed & Spring Starters   
(Sustaining your garden for the future)                                                                    
 Wed May 19th 10:00 A.M.

Vegetable Nutrition                    
(You are what you eat)                                                                                               
Thur May 27th 10:00 A.M.

How sustainable is your home from a feline perspective

Some folks will argue that cats themselves are not sustainable due to their propensity to kill off small song birds.  The mining of clay for cat litter has had a devastating effect on the environment.

Nevertheless just as there is appropriate design for humans there is appropriate design for cats which takes into account their need for height, safety and easy climbing throughout their lives.

The most famous cat centric home is the "Cat's House" which is a otherwise unremarkable suburban ranch home in California. A more modernist approach to a cat lifestyle is Asahi Kasei’s Plus-Nyan house.

You can find pictures of it on Apartment Therapy and Crooked Brains.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Corn and Broccoli Calzones

Corn and Broccoli Calzones

These calzones are stuffed with a combination of corn and broccoli, but you can use whatever you have in your fridge. Part-skim ricotta and mozzarella make our pizza pockets lower in saturated fat. Plus a whole-wheat crust adds a nutty flavor and extra fiber. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears; see Tip)1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese2/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese4 scallions, thinly sliced1/4 cup chopped fresh basil1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepperAll-purpose flour for dusting20 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough (see Tip), thawed if frozen2 teaspoons canola oil

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 475F degrees. Lightly grease two baking pans.

2. Combine broccoli, corn, mozzarella, ricotta, scallions, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Place a generous 3/4 cup filling on one half of each circle, leaving a 1-inch border of dough. Brush the border with water and fold the top half over the filling. Fold the edges over and crimp with a fork to seal. Make several small slits in the top to vent steam; brush each calzone with oil. Transfer the calzones to the prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake the calzones, switching the pans halfway through, until browned on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Yield: 6 calzones

Healthy Heart Variation: To reduce saturated fat even further, use nonfat ricotta in place of the reduced-fat ricotta. 334 calories, 2 g saturated fat.

Recipe Tips & Notes
Tips: To remove corn kernels from the cob: Stand an uncooked ear of corn on its stem end in a shallow bowl and slice the kernels off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. This technique produces whole kernels that are good for adding to salads and salsas. If you want to use the corn kernels for soups, fritters or puddings, you can add another step to the process. After cutting the kernels off, reverse the knife and, using the dull side, press it down the length of the ear to push out the rest of the corn and its milk.

Look for balls of whole-wheat pizza dough at your supermarket, fresh or frozen and without any hydrogenated oils.

Recipe NutritionPer calzone: 350 calories; 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 3 g mono unsaturated fat); 21 mg cholesterol; 50 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 4 g fiber; 509 mg sodium; 250 mg potassium

Nutrtion Bonus: Vitamin C (35% daily value), Calcium (25% dv), Vitamin A (20% dv).
3 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 medium-fat protein

Found on www.Care2/healthyliving.com and www.EatingWell.com

The Death of Coal by Terry Tamminen (Will someone please tell CPS?)

Here's a link to an essay by Terry Tamminen  on the Fast Company website.  He gives several reason why he believes that coal has been unmasked as not only a dirty source of power but also as an uneconomical one.  

The Death of Coal by Terry Tamminen on Fast Company

The new international hit: "The Story of Bottled Water" disects the actions of the water pushers

The makers of "The Story of Stuff" are back with an entertaining analysis of the forces selling us bottled water. You can watch it below or even better go to the storyofstuff.org website.



More than one writer has connected The Story of Bottled Water to Chris Jordan's mind blowing depiction of the two million plastic beverage bottles consumed in the USA every five minutes in his "Running the Numbers" project.

Wayne Haese of San Antonio's Grayscaping Inc to speak at March meeting of San Antonio Sustainable Living

Are you the kind of person who maybe goes to two or three San Antonio Sustainable Living meetings a year? You really ought to be coming to these meetings more often since the price of admission cannot be beat (FREE!). However, if you are particular about what topics are worth your time, this is one of those topics - WATER. Oh sure, you've been to water presentations at the San Antonio Sustainable Living before, and yes, they've been very informative and innovative. Still, we only have about one presentation per year on water issues (I keep track of these things), so you can't say this is all we talk about. This Tuesday's presentation is, trust me, the most important and encompassing water presentation we will have for a long time.

We are more familiar with water source issues. We are at the center of rainwater harvesting activity in the country. We are familiar with the excellent guidelines and programs offered by the San Antonio Water System regarding water efficiency and sensible landscaping. Build San Antonio Green has promoted wise water use for many years in their family of programs. But very little attention has been given to graywater systems. Graywater systems, in brief, makes the most out of water by making it work for you more than once. Very few have addressed this category of water efficiency.

Wayne Haese has been developing water use systems for many years and is a multiple award winner from the San Antonio Water System. I've been looking at a lot of water systems, and Wayne Haese's GrayScaping System is the most comprehensive, but simply elegant use of graywater I've seen. He has designed systems from individual houses to entire housing developments incorporating graywater recycling systems with rainwater recovery augmentation, and has also developed proprietary systems he calls RainPonics, GrayPonics, TreeScaping, FireScaping, and more. For additional information, visit his website. But by all means, do not miss next week's meeting in the classroom inside Whole Foods Market in the Quarry at 7pm.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Lentil Artichoke Stew

Lentil Artichoke Stew
Dear Cancer Project supporter,

This aromatic, fiber-packed, and tasty Middle Eastern dish is great served alone or over brown rice or pasta. Using fire-roasted tomatoes is not necessary, but gives the stew a delicious smoky flavor.

Directions
Makes 6 servings
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup dry (uncooked) red lentils (3 cups cooked)
1 bay leaf2 cups waterjuice of 1 lemon
2 24-ounce cans chopped tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), undrained, or 6 cups freshly chopped tomatoes plus 1 cup tomato juice
1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (1 9-ounce frozen package or 1 15-ounce can)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Heat broth in a large saucepan. Add onion and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add dried lentils, bay leaf, and water to pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add lemon juice, tomatoes and their liquid, artichokes, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add salt and black pepper, or to taste.

Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/6 of recipe): 176 calories; 1 g fat (0.1 g saturated fat); 4.9% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol
11.7 g protein; 34.3 g carbohydrate; 7.5 g sugar; 10 g fiber; 560 mg sodium123 mg calcium; 6.3 mg iron; 28.6 mg vitamin C; 238 mcg beta-carotene1.8 mg vitamin E
This recipe is a preview from the upcoming NEW EDITION of The Survivor's Handbook: Eating Right for Cancer Survival.
View The Cancer Project Recipe of the Week Archive

Meatless Monday Recipe-Indonesian Tofu Stir-Fry

Indonesian Tofu Stir-Fry
Courtesy of The Orchard

For the Indonesian Sauce:
1 1/2 cups tamari
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
2 Tbsp. freshly chopped garlic
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup smooth natural peanut butter
Water sufficient to give it a smooth, sauce-like consistency

•Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender. Add the water and blend until smooth.

To Assemble:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 block tofu, pressed and cubed
Vegetables of your choice

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Sauté the tofu and vegetables.

• Add enough of the Indonesian sauce to cover, plus a few extra Tbsp. Cook until reduced and thickened.

• Serve over rice or tossed with soba noodles.
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Found through www.VegCooking.com website

MIT's Artificial Photosynthesis using solar power to pull the hydrogen out of water

They've received funding from ARPA-E.  MIT professor Dan Nocera says his system allows water from a puddle to be used to be split using a trickle of electricity from a photovoltaic panel with the help of a catalyst.  The hydrogen obtained from the water would be stored and burned.   The hope is that the energy your house needs could be produced at your own home.

Sun Catalytix of Cambridge Massachusetts is in the early stages of developing the process for commercial use.

Read more about the process on their website and in these articles:
With Artificial Photosynthesis, A Bottle of Water Could Produce Enough Energy To Power A House (Popular Science) and Shift happens: Will artificial photosynthesis power the world? (Scientific American)

The Green Building Battles : As Eco-friendly Building Takes Off, the Fight Is on to Define What It Means to be Green (By Christine MacDonald)

Here's a link to an interesting story from E Magazine.com.  It mainly concerns the conflict between two competing lumber certification schemes.  One accuses the other of engaging in greenwashing.

The Green Building Battles : As Eco-friendly Building Takes Off, the Fight Is on to Define What It Means to be Green by Christine MacDonald

Christine MacDonald, is also the author of Green, Inc.: An Environmental Insider Reveals How a Good Cause Has Gone Bad .

Is raw meat right for your cats?

At a recent Green Drinks, I held forth on the raw meat mixture I make for my cats. Since not everyone was totally bored by my monologue I thought I'd add information on it to the blog.

When two of our older cats were diagnosed with kidney problems I did some research and found out about raw meat diets for cats. Many people believe that cat foods that which include vegetables and cooked meat are responsible for many cat diseases including kidney problems.

Cats are pure carnivores who don't know how to cook so the thinking is that their food should resemble the food they eat in the wild, which is basically whole raw mice and other small mammals. Since ground raw mice are not available in stores, and breeding, slaughtering and grinding mice is just gross, mixtures that use chicken instead have been developed.

I use Dr. Lisa Pierson's raw meat formula. But my cats wouldn't touch the small chunks of bone that the meat grinder produced or the ground chicken skin so I use boneless skinless thighs instead of leg quarters.

I grind up two 4 pound packages of boneless skinless thighs which produces enough chicken for 3 batches. I use a Maverick electric grinder. (The grinders sold by Northern Tool are also supposed to be very good.)

Along with the thighs I grind liver. I set aside two 2 1/2 pound batches of the ground chicken/liver mixture and freeze them for later use.

I add the required vitamins and nutrients to the last 2 1/2 pound batch. After mixing it well I put into some ice trays that I use for nothing else. Once they freeze I take the meet cubes out of the trays and store them in a ziploc bag.

My cats continue to eat dry food along with the raw meat, which is unusual among raw meat eating cats and may not be recommended. But since they won't eat the bones or skin I hope that the dry food provides some missing nutrients.

Two years after starting my two elderly calicos on the diet, one is doing well while the other passed away a couple of months ago.  Until her kidneys completely gave out the last week or two of her life she thrived.  She ran, jumped, climbed, played and explored. (She was also bulimic but that's another story.) Once one of the calicos passed away our other inside cat started eating the raw meat. She and her surviving auntie seem to really enjoy it.

It takes me about an hour to prepare each batch and to clean up. If you try the diet I recommend that you try to use the leg quarters. They are much cheaper than the thighs and the bones and skin provide essential nutrients.

Be sure to read up on the diet and decide whether you think it is safe and effective.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Gingery Quinoa Salad with Apples, Peas, and Coconut

Gingery Quinoa Salad with Apples, Peas, and Coconut
Serves 6; Vegan; Gluten Free
30 minutes or fewer

Vegetable juice gives this grain salad a gorgeous color, a hint of flavor, and a hefty boost of vitamin C and beta-carotene.

1/3 cup chopped almonds (1 1/2 oz.)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups beet-carrot juice or carrot juice
1 cup frozen peas
1 medium apple, diced
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1. Toast almonds in sauce pan over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, or until fragrant and beginning to brown, stirring often. Cool.

2. Wipe out sauce pan; add oil and onion. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in ginger, quinoa, and juice, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

4 Remove from heat, and scatter peas over cooked quinoa. Cover, and let stand 10 minutes, until peas are thawed.

5. Stir apple, coconut, and almonds into salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per 1-cup serving: 295 cal.; 9 grams prot.; 11 grams total fat (3 grams sat. fat); 40 grams carbs.; 0 mg chol.; 98 mg sod.; 6 grams fiber; 7 grams sugar
Found: Vegetarian Times-March 2010

Do you want to use grey water for irrigation in San Antonio? Here is an interpretation of the code (with other useful links)

Gray Water is a fantastic way to provide some water for thirsty plants. The good news is that it is legal in San Antonio. Roderick Sanchez, Director of the City of San Antonio Planning and Development Services Department provided an interpretation of the city rules governing residential gray water dated April 20, 2009. I've included a link to a pdf of the interpretation, but for convenience have transcribed the document below:

Interpretation Number: CI2009-002 April 20, 2009

Title: Grey Water Provisions on Residential Applications.

Code/Edition: 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended by COSA

Purpose: To clarify the acceptable provisions regarding the use of grey water on residential applications.

Question: Can I discharge the gray water from a residential washing machine directly onto the ground surface on the exterior of a residence?

Answer: Yes, Gray water may be discharged directly onto the ground surface on the exterior of a residence under the following conditions:

Limited to single family dwellings only.

Irrigated areas must be in a fenced-in area and in control of the occupant of that residence. The area must be limited use and access by residents, pets and foot traffic.

Cannot be used during times of rain.

Irrigation must not create a public health nuisance such as surface ponding.

The irrigated area must support plant growth such as grass, bushes, or be overlaid with a vegetative cover.

The discharge point of the hose shall be kept a minimum of 10 ft from the property lines.

The Director of the Health Department may suspend this practice if he determines that it creates a negative impact on the community health.

Roderick Sanchez, AICP, CBO,
Director and Building Official
Planning and Development Services Department

Joe Barfield provided the above document and link to us. He also included the following resources for anyone considering a gray water system:

Wireless parking finding, paying and behavior system imagined in San Francisco

Stephen found this video on Babelgum. "This is a forward-thinking idea to solve the problem of searching for a parking place as well as putting more money in a meter without having to run back to your car." was his comment.

Here is a version of the video on YouTube:

Save trees. Make the whole darned house out these things. InnoVida panels made with composite skins can be almost everything but the foundation!

UPDATE: Turns out two officers InnoVida Holdings LLC were convicted for a massive fraud several years after this post was originally published.   InnoVida Holdings Exec Gets 4 Years For $40M Scheme.  

SIP's (Structural Insulated Panels) have been around for 50 years and there must be 50 variations on them. Generally a SIP is a sandwich with insulating material in the middle and hard material on the outside. Most of the time the SIP's are used only for exterior walls. Occasionally they are used for Roof decking and/or as subfloors.

The SIP produced by InnoVida Holdings LLC, which they call a Fiber Composite Panel (FCP), is used to make exterior and interior loadbearing walls, roof decks, subfloors, columns, beams, connecting pieces and trim as well as built in furniture such as shelves and cabinets.

The InnoVida FCP features composite structural skins made of high-strength E-Glass fiber fabrics impregnated with a fire-resistant polymeric epoxy resin. Unlike wood skinned SIP's the FCP has no food for termites and cannot rot. Unlike SIP's with concrete skins the FCP requires no portland cement. Unlike any other SIP I know of, the FCP's are joined using chemicals to create a chemical bond or "weld".

Also unlike any SIP I know of InnoVida's panels are light enough to allow entire houses (not just demonstration houses but real houses) to be built without the use of a crane. Imagine how light a truly tiny house would be! Yet the chemical welds would create a unitary structure . Also the exterior finish of the FCP could be as simple as paint where as wood skinned SIP's require exterior siding and interior drywall.

In the Innovida system interior walls are used structurally which allows the elimination of trusses in many cases. The interior walls are of course as insulated as the exterior walls which would make small houses much more functionally quiet.

As with most other SIP's the InnoVida's FCP's are made to order at their factory and shipped to the building site. Because the FCP's are significantly lighter than wood SIP's purchasing locally to avoid shipping costs would be less of an issue. InnvoVida's US factory is in Miami Beach.

The video below is an animation of construction with the InnoVida FCP. If you've ever looked into construction using other kinds of SIP, this seems much simpler:



This video below documents the construction of a two storey flat roofed home in Dubai.



This video shows the construction of a demonstration house. What I like about it is the way the FCP's are used to make shelves, cabinets and other built ins.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Macaroni with Broccoli and Cauliflower

Macaroni with Broccoli and Cauliflower
Serves four; 30 minutes prep time

6 oz cauliflower florets, cut into small sprigs
6 oz broccoli florets, cut into small sprigs
3 cups short-cut macaroni
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp pine nuts
1 sachet of saffron powder, or a good pinch of saffron threads dissolved in 1 Tbsp water (I think this is more for the color. Whole Foods actual has saffron for a good price.)
2 Tbsp raisins (optional)
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh grated Pecorino cheese (optional)

1. Cook the cauliflower sprigs in a large pan of salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and boil for a further 2 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan using a large slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the pasta to the vegetable cooking water and bring the water back to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet until it is al dente.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large non-skillet or pan, add the onion and cook over a low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes or golden, stirring frequently. Add the pine nuts, the cooked broccoli and cauliflower, and the saffron water. Add the raisins, sun-dried tomato paste and a couple of ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water until the vegetable mixture has the consistency of a sauce. Finally, add plenty of black pepper.

4. Stir well then cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the vegetable mixture. Toss to mix well, then taste for seasoning and add salt, if necessary. Serve the pasta immediately in four warmed bowls, sprinkled with grated Pecorino cheese.

Variation: Use any kind of pasta shapes such as penne, conchiglie or fusilli in place of macaroni.

Found in Fat-Free Vegetarian by Anne Sheasby

Cal Tech flexible composite photovoltaic panels produce as much power as standard panels but using 1% of the materials

MIT's Technology Review reports on the work at Caltech by a team led by Harry Atwater to create a light trapping composite that requires one one hundredth of the silicon used in standard panels. Material Traps Light on the Cheap, February 26, 2010.

"Building with Awareness" DVD gives you a taste of building with adobe, strawbale, stained concrete, solar power and rainwater collection

If you'd like an introduction to a number of sustainable building techniques and concepts you might enjoy Ted Owens' instructional documentary "Building with Awareness" (available from Netflix and elsewhere)

Because Ted's home combines a mud plastered, straw bale infill exterior with interior adobe walls.  His documentary gives an introduction to building both.  You'll also learn a bit about a solar power system radiant floor heating and  rainwater catchment. (If you are building near San Antonio though you will likely want to forget about the radiant heating. It just doesn't stay cold enough long enough around here, thank goodness.)

This is a nice introduction for anyone not familiar with natural / green building or the concepts behind it.  The documentary was professionally taped and voiced.  The quality shows.  I kept expecting Bob Villa to show up. (That's meant to be a complement.)

The DVD may be purchased with a companion guidebook.




 

Don't miss the West side creek restorations workshop February 27, 2010

I went to second of the three workshops for this project.  It was fascinating.  Former Mayor Ed Garza's team is doing an outstanding job on coming up with a blue print to turn these creeks into parks. But they do need your help.  They need your knowledge about the areas.  They need your opinion.   Show up and show the city that this is a meaningful project for you.

Do you think you need an acre or a mcmansion just to get some peace and quiet? Think again. Hong Kong researchers develop (relatively) lightweight noise dampening panels.

I'm convinced one reasonable reason for gigantic homes and a preference for low density housing is the noise. We don't want to hear our neighbors and we don't want them to hear us.   We place bedrooms on opposite sides of the house just to try to gain a little privacy.  But until recently mainstream builders have offered next to nothing in sound dampening design.  Interest in media rooms featuring very loud speakers and the interests of multifamily developers have led to some advances such as QuietRock sound dampening drywall.

But now out of China comes word of a product that can dampen specific frequencies of sound.

In the January 26, 2010 issue of Applied Physics Letters,  Z. Yang, H. M. Dai, N. H. Chan, G. C. Ma, and Ping Sheng of the Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clearwater Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong announced to the world that they have developed lightweight multi-pane plastic frames covered in latex with a small weighted button mounted in each which vibrate in response to sounds within a specified frequency.  They report that a stack of their panels 2 and 1/3 inches thick, weighing less than 4 pounds per square foot will reduce sound transmission by 40 decibels over a range from 50 hz (close to the frequency of a G note 2 octaves below middle C) to 200 hz (close to the frequency of the G sharp note immediately below middle C).

A 40 decibel drop in volume is like reducing the sound of a motorcycle down to the volume of normal conversation or dropping the sound of hair dryer down to the volume of a whisper. 

Imagine how these panels could be used.  They could provide a reasonable level of privacy in small homes and make a big difference in multifamily living.  They are definitely being added to my wish list.  Even in a naturally built house with thick walls they could make a big difference internally, for instance to isolate the sound originating in a child's room or to absorb the sound from noisy appliances such as refrigerators.

Read more about the panels in the article Latex could silence noisy neighbors in New Scientist and in a Popular Science article, Acoustic Meta materials Could Make Ultra-Thin, Ultra-Effective Noise-Cancelling Panels.

Photo by BarelyFitz used under creative commons license.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Red Lentil Curry

This is a super-easy recipe! You’ll get all the flavor of Indian take-out and enjoy the savings. Leftovers freeze easily!

Recipe of the Day: Red Lentil Curry

Makes 6 1/2-cup servings
This curry is made with small, brightly-colored lentils called masoor dal that are sold in natural food stores, ethnic markets, and some supermarkets. They are ideal for quick meals as they cook in just 20 minutes. If you are not able to locate these lentils, yellow split peas may be substituted in this recipe.

1 cup dry red lentils
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.) Rinse lentils and place in a pot with salt and boiling water. Cover loosely and simmer until completely tender, 15 to 20 minutes (45 minutes if using yellow split peas), and set aside.

2.) In a large skillet, heat oil and add mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and cayenne. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mustard seeds begin to pop, about 1 minute. Be careful not to inhale the fumes, as these can be irritating.

3.) Remove skillet from heat and add cooked lentils slowly and carefully to keep them from splattering. Return skillet to heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally until lentils are the consistency of refried beans, about 15 minutes.

Per 1/2-cup Serving Cal.: 127; Fat: 2.9 g; Sat. Fat: 0.4 g; Calories from Fat: 20.6%; Chol.: 0 mg; Prot.: 8.2 g Carbohydrates: 18.2 g; Sugar: 0.4 g; Fiber: 5.3 g; Sodium: 199 mg; Calcium: 22 mg Iron: 3.2 mg; Vitamin C: 1.6 mg; Beta Carotene: 14 mcg; Vitamin E: 0.5 mg
From Healthy Eating for Life for Women by Kristine Kieswer; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Leon Valley's Earthwise Living Day

Looking for a free green event? Looking for a green event where you don't have to travel far? Look no further. Saturday, February 27th is the date for the annual Earthwise Living Day. It is arguably the oldest continuing green living event in the San Antonio area. Visit the website to learn more about the event and the listed presenters on the stage in their community center. There will be information booths, plants and other things for sale, and activities for children. You can't beat free admission, and you can't beat a location between Loop 1604 and Loop 410. I learn something every time I attend and have fun connecting with friends, too.

Can't Wait for the Fredericksburg Roundup?

It's great to get together with the tribes every fall in Fredericksburg, but it is oh so long to wait a full year between each Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair. I guess that's why the organizers are launching for the first time a similar event in Salado, Texas. Called the Renewable Stampede, it will make you feel right at home with two days of tent talks, booths, exhibits, and other fun and great information the Roundup is famous for. Go to the Renewable Stampede for more information. The committee will be reading over the speakers' applications soon, so in no time they will post the speakers and tent talk topics. Salado is located on IH-35 halfway between here and Dallas. April 17th and 18th will be here before we know it, so mark your calendars now. They have Facebook presence, too, so check them out there and be a fan while you're at it. The photo on this post is from a previous Roundup event in Fredericksburg just to whet your appetite.

Revised Website Finally Arrives

Maybe the new site lacks some of the style of the old one, but the site Bill Christensen helped me unveil this week has a lot more information on it. The new site, like many of today's websites has the ability to post articles with opportunities for visitors to leave comments. The old site didn't. It's brand new, so please be patient while I continue to add information to it while continuing to dust the cobwebs off of Stephen Colley/Architecture. Be one of the first visitors and let me know what you think. I haven't even told anyone on Facebook yet about it. Oh, and if you are shopping for any webhosting services, don't sign up with anyone until you have checked into what Bill Christensen has to offer from Sustainable Sources. There are many green individuals, businesses and groups that host through Sustainable Sources including our sister group in Austin, Design-Build-Live. Bill's even running a special for new accounts during the month of February. Even if you are not interested in webhosting, go to Sustainable Sources anyway for a HUGE selection of regional green articles, events, and other cool things of interest.

Texas Rainwater Catchment Conference

Mark your calendars for March 12th and 13th for the Second Annual State Conference of the Texas Rainwater Catchment Association to be held in Kerrville. Go to the TRCA website to get details including a list of presentations and workshops for the latest and most practical applications of rainwater harvesting. All presentations are open to the public. Membership in the TRCA is very inexpensive for individual members and applicators alike but is not required for attendance. Sign up anyway to support one of the most intelligent strategies to incorporate into your life, especially in the light of our regional water quantity and quality concerns. Review the Conference schedule to see the wide range of topics you will not hear anywhere else and get some hands-on experience with related workshops and demonstrations. There will be some tours, too. Hope to see you there.

February Meeting Topic

The February meeting of the San Antonio Sustainable Living group will feature speaker Leslie Provence. In the SASL's new direction of including all aspects of sustainable living in addition to residential design and green building, Leslie will be inspiring us with considerations of food policy. We might not all be ready to build a green house, but we all eat.

There is a growing awareness that in the mainstream food system, we are no longer in control of what we eat--how it is grown and processed, whether it contains chemical residue or pathogens, where it comes from, and whether it is any good for our health. Many communities in the U.S and Canada have formed Food Policy Councils to examine and change their food systems, for a variety of reasons. From Knoxville (formed in 1982 from a student initiative) to Austin, one of the most recent, many examples exist of ways that citizens can reshape policies and rules to help local growers and processors. Rebuilding a local food system offers not only health and environmental benefits, but also economic development and community-building opportunities.

Leslie's background includes a Masters thesis at UTSA on Community Gardens in Public Housing Properties in 2007 and then attending conferences on community gardening and food security. She has been meeting the leaders and reading books, articles, and listservs on the subject, to learn what is going on in other cities. She has a website and blog where she shares this information, and highlight aspects of San Antonio's great assets and needs in this area. She currently works at USAA as a marketing analyst, and engages in collecting and sharing food policy topics in her spare-time.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Smothered Cajun-spiced Squash

Fat Tuesday Style Meatless Monday Recipe
Smothered Cajun-spiced Squash
Serves 8; Vegan

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 clove of garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
2 butternut squash, quartered and seeded, each quarter halved
2 Tbs. plus 8 tsp. Cajun seasoning, or more to taste, divided
4 large onions, halved and sliced (8 cups)
4 medium red or green bell peppers, quartered and sliced (2 cups)
8 large celery ribs, sliced on the bias (2 cups)
5 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 Tbs. cider vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 Tbs. oil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush garlic-oil mixture over butternut squash pieces, and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle each squash piece with 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until squash pieces are tender enough to easily pierce with fork.

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery, and cook 20 to 25 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir flour into onion mixture, and cook for 1 minute, or until flour begins to brown, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, remaining 2 Tbs. Cajun seasoning, and 6 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.

4. To Serve: Place 2 squash pieces on plate. "Smother" with 1 cup onion mixture.

Per Serving: (2 squash and 1 cup onion mixture) 201 cal.; 3 grams prot.; 9 grams total fat (1 gram sat fat); 30 grams carbs.; 0 mg chol.; 976 mg sod.; 6 grams fiber; 9 grams sugar
Found in Vegetarian Times-Feb. 2009

Meatless Monday Recipe-Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Adapted from The Great American Detox Diet, by Alex Jamieson (Rodale Press, 2005).

Looking for a delicious and healthy chili recipe for Super Bowl Sunday? When the winds turn blustery and the dark draws in, we need zesty, spicy flavors to wake us up, and good solid nourishment to see us through the winter months. This richly-colored, flavorful chili is the perfect answer.

Immune-boosting garlic and onion, along with red pepper and lime, combine with black beans and nourishing sweet potatoes to make one very satisfying autumn one-pot meal.

You can serve it on rice, or with Pumpkin Biscuits, taco chips, or corn bread. Either way, it makes a whole-foods, healthful answer to the perennial question, “What’s for dinner?”

Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 28-can diced tomatoes
4 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cups freshly cooked)
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, washed and dried

1. Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, red pepper, garlic, and salt. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the sweet potato and lime zest, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, continuing to stir occasionally.

3. Add the tomatoes, black beans, jalapeno, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cocoa, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Serve over brown rice, if desired, with lime wedges and cilantro, or with corn bread, biscuits, or taco chips alongside.

Serves 6.
Found through Care2.com/greenliving