The usual Thanksgiving suspects can be so heavy – especially when all are combined – mashed potatoes, stuffing, and rolls, oh my!

Try this ethereal soufflé. It will dress up your Thanksgiving table without causing havoc in the kitchen. It really is easy. Cook the squash a few days ahead and you can mix it up quickly and bake it while the turkey (or tofurkey) rests.

When selecting your squash, do yourself a favor and visit a local farmers’ market to savor all the gorgeous local, organic varieties available right now in every part of the country. You’ll want something orange-fleshed and drier, rather than moist. I used kabocha (shown) when I developed this recipe.

Do the first step of the recipe up to three days ahead for Thanksgiving Day ease of preparation. Simply cut the squash into chunks of equal size and put it in a baking dish. Pour a little water in the bottom of the dish, cover it tightly with a lid or foil, and bake until tender at 400 degrees. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin and refrigerate until ready to use.

Now to the recipe:

Serves 8

3 1/3 cups of cooked orange squash flesh
1 teaspoon chopped fresh organic thyme
6 organic eggs, separated
2/3 cup organic buttermilk
Salt and pepper
1 cup grated organic cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the squash in a medium bowl and mash it with a potato masher until broken down and fluffy. Add the thyme, egg yolks, buttermilk and salt and pepper. (To taste for proper seasoning, microwave a small amount or cook a little in a non-stick pan.) Add the cheese and mix to combine. In another medium bowl, with a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites until medium peaks form. Fold the egg whites carefully into the squash mixture, being careful not to over mix and deflate the mixture.

Transfer to an 8 cup casserole dish and bake for 40-50 minutes until dry, firm, and beginning to brown. Serve immediately.

Recipe Copyright Vanessa Barrington 2008

Image: The Kitchn

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The tradition of celebrating Dia de Los Muertos or “Day of the Dead” in Mexico dates back to Pre-Colombian religious rituals of the indigenous population of Mexico. Death was not something to be feared or dreaded, nor was it something final. Instead, Mexican philosophy held that the spirit of a person continued to live even after the physical body ceased to exist.  

Halloween is around the same time that Dia de los Muertos is celebrated (November 1st and 2nd,  two of the most important dates for this celebration). While we are out gathering candy, in Mexico people are traditionally decorating home altars and grave sites and making elaborate food for picnics at the cemetery of their loved ones who have passed on. It is customary to prepare food and drink and offer up utensils to your loved ones who have died to assist them in their journey into the afterworld. Of course, I am sure a few of my relatives wouldn’t have minded a few Reeses Pieces or Mars Bars for their journey; however, some good home cooking at this culturally important time of year can leave all of us feeling pretty peaceful. Whether you celebrate Dia de Los Muertos, Halloween, or both, here’s a fantastic and healthy recipe that comes out of the dynamic celebration:

Pumpkin Guacamole

2 ripe Haas Avocados
1 small pumpkin
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 Jalapeño finely chopped (optional)
1/2 apple chopped
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
salt to taste
1/2 lime squeezed 

Cut off top of pumpkin. Scoop out seeds and roast pumpkin until soft in an oven set at 350 degrees. Mash in avocados, fold in onion, jalapeño, apples and pomegranate seeds. Squeeze lime to taste, and add salt to taste. Use shell of pumpkin to stuff avocado mix and serve with warm corn tortillas.

Image: tambako the dragon

The post Halloween Served Up Healthy and Green with Pumpkin Guacamole appeared first on EcoSalon.

This is my favorite season, late summer. I recall the dimming and faint sound of crickets as their time comes to a close and other sounds of nature simply just seem to be slowing down and becoming more still. Leaves are fullest and the wind captures this heaviness. Gardens look different, fruit and vegetables are abundant and some are even rotting on the vine. There is a gathering in feeling, a slowing down of production.

On the flip side, our culture doesn’t generally heed to nature’s call and we seem to get busier as school begins, and the hustle of both business and school take a spring-like feel. (Once again, an example of humans vs. nature, and humans go against the natural flow of nature’s slow-down at this time.)

In Classical Chinese Medicine, this season of late summer is referred to as the season of Earth. The Chinese associated the power of “decrease” with late summer, and at the same time referred to it as the period of abundance; as such, it connotes nourishment and abundance. With the coming of late summer, nature returns the fruits it has made, which are ripe and ready to be picked. And as we move into autumn we have an abundant harvest, enabling us to survive the winter without scarcity.

Though most of us today may not grow our own food, we ought to keep sight of the fact that prior to being put in packets and stacked in supermarkets, the food we consume is nonetheless a gift from the earth.

Here are my suggestions for living in harmony with the late summer season:

Enjoy the abundance of fruits and fresh vegetables. Be aware of their special qualities, each succulence different from the next. Luscious tomatoes, sweet peaches, dense eggplants, cool cucumbers, crisp carrots”¦

Look at the seeds, and reflect on the fact that within each harvest lays the seeds of the next. Be conscious of the harvest of your life. Think about yourself, your relationships, and your work. What parts of your life are bearing fruit? Holding your harvest in mind, ask what is overgrown or unneeded and consider what you need to do to make ready for the next season: autumn, a time of letting go.

My favorite recipe for this season: tomato salad.

You’ll need 5 ripe tomatoes (heirloom tomatoes are wonderful) sliced in half; some fresh red onion sliced lengthwise in thin paper-like slices; 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, no stems; 1 fresh garlic clove; 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil; white balsamic vinegar; fresh cracked pepper; a dash of salt.

Put basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, in a food processor and mix until a pesto is made. Drizzle over tomatoes and onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve. My favorite is to serve this with a pilaf of quinoa and finely-chopped dates. Recipe to come.

Image: ellievanhoutte

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Sweating out the summer? Here are some tips to keep you beautiful and healthy throughout the heat.

First, don’t forget your biodegradable, petroleum free, marine safe sunscreen.

You’ve gotta protect your face with a sustainably made sunhat.

If you’re sick of the daily bout with a razor, try waxing your legs instead. Moom wax is made of truly natural, virtually edible ingredients.

Keep your skin well-exfoliated with organic body scrub.

This is the perfect time of year to exercise outside. You may not be fit enough for beach yoga, but even yard work counts! Do some stretching on the grass, run in the park, or organize a group game with the neighbors.

Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water, of course, and eat sweet, hydrating fruit for lunch. Here’s a fantastic recipe for luxurious fruit salad.

The driest time of the year is also the most important time to conserve water. Here are 14 pretty painless water conservation tips that everyone needs to know.

Enjoy your summer, everyone. I hate to say it, but turn off your computer (yes, sniff, step away from EcoSalon) and go outside! We’ll still be here when you’re ready to come inside and cool off.

Sara’s shameless plug: Hi, it’s your editor. De-lurk, dear reader, and leave this fabulous writer a comment. (We love chatting.) You can also share this post with friends – just click your favorite social bookmark listed below. New reader? Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter to win free eco goodies! You can also subscribe to any RSS feed your heart desires.

Image: Thiago Floriano

The post Ready for Summer? appeared first on EcoSalon.

The beaches are calling our names. I propose that we healthy eco goddesses show a little skin (or a lot!). Luckily for us, a number of green designers have made this an easy endeavor.

        

 
My personal favorite is Ashley Paige. Gracing the covers of Vogue, InStyle, Marie Claire (and all the top men’s magazines), as well as outfitting the likes of Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson, Paige’s hand knit swimwear has made quite a splash in the high-end world of fashion. These suits are hot, hot, hot!

If you’re intrigued, check out Hollyscoop’s one-on-one with Ashley and models backstage at LA Fashion Week.

If her looks are a little too daring for your taste, check out equally stylish and eco-friendly options by Aaron Chang, Mociun, Meadow, Kelly B, Junglegurl, and Jita. Alright ladies, get ready to turn some heads. We’re bringing sexy back. And it’s green!

The post Bringing Sexy Back appeared first on EcoSalon.

You live green and you’re eco-conscious, but if you’re an urban or suburban dweller, your lifestyle may feel disconnected from nature. How then to experience the value of what you’re working to save?

It’s really as simple as starting at the nearest park. Unless every inch of it has been pastoralized and pruned beyond all wild recognition, you can take a breather and really relax there, and reconnect with nature. Here’s how.

1. Find an inviting tree and sit under it. It was no accident that Buddha found enlightenment under a tree.

2. Breathe deeply. The air around a tree is sweeter and fresher than air close to the road.

3. Sit quietly for a while and just observe. No iPod, no cell phone, no distractions. Watch the birds, the ants, even the people (hey, as odd as they are, they’re part of nature, too!)

4. Become intimate with the area. Keep coming back regularly to the same park and the same tree and watch how things change. The tree may blossom, or begin to lose its leaves. If it drops seedpods, gather them and put them on your altar.

5. Start keeping a written or drawn journal of your observations. Even one tree in one city park goes through so many changes, and once you become intimately aware of them, you’ve connected with nature. These are the subtle things worth saving.

It’s as sweet, quiet and simple as that.

Image: MegElizabeth

The post 5 Simple Steps to Connect with Nature When You Live in the City appeared first on EcoSalon.

For seasonal eating, now is one of those in-between times – there are the squashes and sweet potatoes of winter and the tender leafy greens and pea pods of spring.

Although we may want to be eating spring foods, in many parts of the country, they just aren’t ready. Early spring would be the time, in traditional agrarian households, when you might cook up the last of the roots into something unexpected. Even in California, I try to live that closely to the season.

My Spiced Celery Root Soup is warming and fragrant and the last-minute garnishes of bacon and honey serve as wonderful complements to the spices. Serve it up in big mugs, and I guarantee there won’t be a drop left.

You’ll need:

1/2 teaspoon whole coriander
1/4 teaspoon whole cumin
1/4 teaspoon whole fennel
1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper
Seeds from three cardamom pods
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
A pinch of ground clove
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup organic flour
4 cups home-made chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds celery root, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (save the stems and leaves if attached)
1/2-3/4 pound potatoes (about 2 small or 1 medium) peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped celery stems and leaves
1 cup organic milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Crisp-fried, diced, organic bacon
Local, organic, raw honey

To make:

In a small, dry skillet, toast the whole spices until fragrant, watching closely so they do not burn. Cool spices and grind with a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee or spice grinder. Add the ground cinnamon, cayenne and clove. Set aside.

In a soup pot, over medium high heat, warm the butter and olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft and fragrant. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour begins to develop a toasty aroma (about 3-4 minutes). Add the broth, celery root, potatoes and celery stems and leaves. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 45 minutes).

Cool the soup, puree until smooth in a blender of food processor. Return to the pot and add milk. Heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish each serving with bacon and a drizzle of honey.

Note: Recipe Copyright Vanessa Barrington 2008

Image: chrisgalfi

The post Ecosalon Recipes: Last of the Root Cellar Recipe: Spiced Celery Root Soup with Bacon and Honey appeared first on EcoSalon.

Why not start your ritual day where you spend the most time – in your bedroom?

All those layers of comforters, quilts and blankets suddenly look cumbersome. Darker tones and rich colors that felt cozy during chilly winter nights can seem heavy now. It also makes sense to “green” the bedroom while you refresh it.

The Basics: Your Mattress

If yours is more than 10 years old, consider a replacement. Options abound, and as the most functional and used piece of furniture you own, it’s well worth it to make this step a green one. Aside from the environmental issues related to the source of their materials, off gassing from conventional mattresses has been cited as a cause of allergies and illness. Polyester fiberfill in many mattresses tends to hold moisture, creating high humidity while you sleep. And most mattress cushioning is polyurethane or memory foam – filled with chemicals.

I replaced my conventional mattress last year, and went all the way with an FSC-certified wood frame, carbon steel coils, natural latex foam, Oeko-tex certified pure wool, and organic cotton covers and bed pad. I have to tell you, I have never slept more peacefully.

Linens

It may also be time to renew your linen closet with organic cotton or bamboo sheets, cases, duvet covers, and shams. And then the fun begins. You can keep it simple and outfit your bed in the purest ivory so it becomes a serene nest, or you can combine colors that please you. Lavender and gray or ivory work well together, as do pale aqua and dusty cocoa. Mix and match tones and patterns as you please. Play!

The Layered Bed
 
Collecting textiles from various cultures around the world when I travel, I tend toward a neutral color for bedding and a revolving palette of coverlets, throw, shawls, and runners. You can overlap sizes and shapes, add a fresh toss pillow or two, and the bed becomes a personal work of art.

Simple Seasonal Switches

Bedside rugs are another easy fix to a tired look. Store your shaggy wool 3 x 5 and try a flat kilim or aromatic vetiver. Or, take up the rugs completely and move toward a cleaner, edited look.

Consider changing out the shades on your bedside lamp for linen or silk, or put them aside and opt for discreet wall-mounted reading lamps.

The Inexpensive Makeover

Finally, turn to paint – always the most dramatic and least costly décor change. One pop of wall color transforms a beige boudoir into a designer’s vision. Blue, lavender (yes, I said lavender), or sage green are restful hues. Bright yellow, magenta, and persimmon can add a liveliness that cheer you as you open your eyes to a new spring morning.

As with any room, any one of these elements may be enough to renew your bedroom or it just might encourage you to try other easy fixes to create your spring update.

Note: This post is part of my March series featuring simple ways to transition into spring. Be sure to read last week’s post: From Dreaded Chore to Refreshing Ritual: How to Reinvent Spring Cleaning.

Image: Jeff Kubina

The post Spring Cleaning: Begin Where You Dream appeared first on EcoSalon.

Have you noticed the gradual change in daylight hours yet?

Some parts of the country may still be snowbound, but the anticipation of warmer days ahead begins to draw us out of our cozy cocoons. Yet with more light, we can’t help but notice the telltale signs of winter: the corner cobwebs, the dust bunnies under the bed, the heavier decor. If you’re like me, by now you’ve begun to yearn for ways to eliminate winter’s clutter and refresh your home.

Traditionally, spring-cleaning involved scouring the house from top to bottom. Our grandmothers rolled up their sleeves, grabbed a scrub brush and bucket and went to work. Comforters were packed away, windows washed until the glass gleamed, rugs beaten and aired out in the sun. That sounds like a lot of trouble to me.

I’ve invented a positive way to make this seasonal transition more play and less work.

Here’s my simple solution: at the beginning of each new season, I set aside a day to welcome it and reconnect with my home. Somehow this ritual alone feels much more like a luxury than a chore.

The day usually starts with a pot of freshly brewed green tea poured into my special oversized "weekend" cup. Sometimes I light a candle to honor this ritual and my intention of renewal. This approach isn’t as much about cleaning as rediscovery. I view my living space with the new eyes of a guest, looking for quick changes and easy fixes. If you do this, you’ll find that there are no rules – only possibilities.

The tea and a beautiful notebook to jot down ideas accompany me. I move slowly and often pause for reflectionduring my room-by-room tour and notice items that need to be put away, replaced with lighter weights and brighter colors or donated. I poke into drawers, closets, and chests to remind myself of linens, textiles or collectibles that have been stashed for this moment. Each time I rediscover something from my travels, like a cherished antique coverlet I bought in a market in India or a family hand-me-down, I let the memories flow and enjoy those moments all over again.

This is my way, but you can choose your own way to make this a nurturing experience. The whole idea is to seize the uplifting opportunity that even one small seasonal design element holds.

Image (CC): nicephore

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