Organic strawberries were $5.99 the other day at our local grocer. $5.99! Their more toxic twins, the non-organic variety, were on sale for $3.00. Darn this pesticide free living. I stood staring at that clamshell of bruised strawberries and fought with myself. The Farmer’s Market was still 3 days away. I really wanted those berries. How am I supposed to cough up the cash for organic berries when we need reasonable staples like bread, pasta and milk? 

Like the rest of the nation, my family sits inside a belt that has tightened strongly since this little economy of ours slid into a ditch last year. Increasing living costs, a husband who works in manufacturing, three growing kids and me, the wife who sort of works. We are not exactly poster children for extravagant living. But neither are most people I know these days.

And since we are clearly not alone in our efforts to streamline our spending, I often hear friends and others mock the very ideas of shopping locally, eating organically, or even dropping in for fresh bread at a local bakery. They, understandably, moan that these sorts of efforts are expensive. They are perceived as the luxury of middle to upper class, over-educated urbanites who still have the time and money to flaunt their trips to Whole Foods. The rest of us, they say, must stock up at the value grocers and do whatever it takes to survive.

It’s not that families I know wouldn’t love a pesticide free head of lettuce, but seriously, when money is tight, who can manage to buy earth friendly school supplies, fair trade coffee, or organic produce? Well, glad you asked, and even if you didn’t, here we go.

I think that what lands in our grocery carts tells an interesting tale. On the one hand, we balk at an extra three bucks for organic berries, and on the other we cannot live without a 24 pack of our favorite soda (I feel the pain, Diet Coke and I have been together for years). Perhaps we can drink water and buy those berries? This whole green eating and living thing is actually about spending LESS money. It is about rearranging our spending rather than increasing it. It’s about skipping some of the not-so-healthy options, like soda and fruit snacks, to make the planet-friendly options doable.

It is also about a holistic approach to living. For example, our oldest son has “seasonal” allergies. When we use earth and people friendly cleaning products, he sneezes less, much less. So we don’t end up spending a small fortune on children’s allergy medication or going to his doctor to check in. No copays, no Claritin, just an almost sneeze free kid, leaving us a bit of money to buy those products that made this difference.

When I live a little lighter on the planet I do not spend money on paper products, disposable cutlery, bottles of water, saran wrap and aluminum foil and all the other kitchen accoutrements that people have survived thousands of years without. Seems to me that millions of people around the world somehow survive a BBQ without take ‘n’ toss containers or paper plates. So if we use less of these items we can afford to support our local grower, who may actually be cheaper than the grocery store anyway. If we skip these items, maybe we can pay a buck extra for a pound of coffee that has been grown and traded fairly. This means that while we have been trying to make our own ends meet, we’ve helped another family in Brazil or Kenya to do the same. Seems fair to me. Why should I be able to meet my needs at the expense of theirs?

I’ve got a big mouth and end up sharing these thoughts in lots of circles. Some are happy to hear them and others write me off as an idyllic suburbanite who needs to get her head out of organic produce and into the real world. But whatever one might say that real world is, is often as interested in this healthier way of being as the rest of us. For example, two friends run a local food pantry and they shared with me how all the organic produce and fresh food that is contributed there flies out the door by 10:00 am. That people line up by 5:30 am on a Saturday to get their hands on fresh, healthy stuff.

I am a part of a new little team of people who are working toward some urban gardening solutions in an impoverished neighborhood in Chicago. There is tons of energy and excitement about people finding their way to healthy alternatives. I am well aware that some kids have never tasted a fresh blueberry. But they should get this chance. They should have access to a plot of land that can grow and nourish their neighborhood. They should get a shot at organic gardening and produce rather than the cans and boxes handed out at local pantries. 

So when I find myself standing in the produce aisle, about to vomit over the increasing cost of healthy options, I remind myself that if I can somehow rearrange our budget those berries just might be doable. And frankly, sometimes they just are not, so I skip them or buy the toxic variety. But if I can manage to tweak a few things, perhaps I can help others to do the same. And if they just cannot afford it at all, then maybe I can plunge my hands into the dirt of a difficult neighborhood and bring some good things to life. I have friends gardening in the hood, cooking food for kids in poverty, stocking food pantries with locally grown produce, gardening to give it away. After making all the changes they could, these people still had needs. People I know are rising to meet them.

Together, maybe we can afford that, and can help others to afford it too.

I have a juicer. Got it a few years ago for Christmas. I love it. Love the idea of it actually. The reality of it is that this bulky appliance hides in the cabinet with the other stuff we rarely use. Like the fondue pot and the waffle maker. But I love that I have it and am convinced that smashing a pile of organic fruits and vegetables into this little machine will make my world a better place. It will also replace any need I might have for therapy as I can take out my aggressions on the fruit. I am a raving fan of my juicer, The Juiceman it is called. I am in love with the Juiceman.

So in a moment of health food brilliance I piled my cart high with juice-able items last time I was at the grocery store. Grapefruits, spinach, carrots, apples, mangoes. And then I threw in a wheatgrass plant. The juice bars that I’ve been to always have grass, healthy rich green wheatgrass. Just looking at it makes me feel superhuman. So I threw in a wheatgrass plant. Why not right?

Yesterday I was smashing all the appropriate fruits and veggies into the juicer. It was humming along with me, singing a happy, healthy tune. That was until I bumped the container that catches the junk that does not become juice, the fiber and chunky junk from the fruit and veggies. I was showing my two-year old how to turn carrots into juice so I had not realized that I bumped it. I jammed a carrot in and it splurted out the other end, all over the counter. Somehow I missed that since we were focused on the other side, the side where the juice came out. “oooooh” we said. “ahhhhhhh” we sighed.

Then it was time for the grass. Did you know that grass can just slide through a juicer and not actually become part of your juice? It can refuse to join the juice party. Did you know that it somehow weasels it’s way through the mechanisms and comes out unscathed? That it does not become juice? And that when the catch basket is not in place it will spray grass all over your counter, onto the window, all over the cookie jar, and into the sink? I did not know this. Now I do.

This will send a two-year old into hysterics. Falling onto the floor laughing. “Mama, you got grass everywhere.” Indeed, grass everywhere.

Wheatgrass aside, picking up a used juicer from a thrift shop can be a great way to introduce your children to the healthy, life-giving options of making their own food. True, we did not grow the grapefruits ourselves. And before you think I am talking a big game here, let me also tell you that we just took the juicer out of hibernation. But still, to bring the fruit home from the store or the farmer’s market and toss it straight into the juicer is a way to show them how to eat without additives and preservatives. And the juice is simply divine when compared with the water + high fructose corn syrup versions you get at the store. And juicers are plentiful on eBay and in the thrift world. Because it is one of those appliances relegated to the “we don’t use that so much” cabinet, people have them and on occasion get rid of them.

So pick one up and spin every last drop out of your carrots and apples. You can cram spinach in there and your kids will never taste it. Teach them that you do not need a giant food corporation or corporate food conglomerate to take their grapes and add junk to them we do not need and then bottle them for us and ship it all across the country so that we can drink preservatives with our grapes. Just make it yourself. Lots of health. Lots of fun. Just go easy on the wheatgrass!

PS, here is the recipe that I made yesterday (all organic produce):

1 pink grapefruit + 2 large carrots + 1 apple + 2 handfuls of spinach (and maybe that wheatgrass) = a tasty treat for you and your favorite two-year old. “this is yummy mama” he said.

Spring of course is in the air (unless you are blessed enough to live someplace warm where it is always in the air). But here in Chicago and throughout all the snowy winter states, March means warmth. It’s the time of year when as soon as the thermometer hits 50 we pull out flip flops and shorts. We shiver of course, but gosh darn it all, we are ready for summer. 

Part of the Spring routine for many families is cleaning up and clearing out all the heaps of junk, dirt and stuff that have piled up throughout the winter. So this is also the time of year reorganize and sort and stand back with our hands on our hips and say “sshesh, how did we get so much stuff and what am I going to do with it?!” A thoughtful mom will look for every way to keep the items she is no longer akin to out of the landfill. Many of my mommy friends call this “purging.” It’s sort of like cheap therapy, cleaning, purging, rehashing the past, hauling out stuff we don’t want, passing it along to people who need and want it. It’s like the day you give away three bins of 0-3 newborn stuff to your friend who is just about to have her first baby. Outta my closet and on to her. Pass it on baby.

So today, I passed it on in a new way (new for me that is). I partnered with a friend who was selling her unwanted stuff at a giant community resale event at our local county fairgrounds. I’ve definitely been on the buying end of the resale world. Nothing like getting a raincoat and frog boots for a buck! But today I joined the army of moms who sell the stuff. You tag and mark your pile of stuff, dump it off at the fairgrounds the night before where they inspect it and make sure its all clean and pretty, and then they sell it for you! Viola! Just like that. Poof! You keep 75% of the earnings and they take the remaining 25% that goes to a children’s charity. I feel good, they feel good, I purged my stuff, other moms who need a bouncy chair 12 month summer clothes score. No landfills. It’s fabuloso to say the least.

So if you find in the middle of a Spring sigh session where you are scratching your head and wondering how you accumulated all this stuff, sell it or donate it. I love to tidy up and get rid of stuff we don’t use. But, I have many friends who hang on, hang on, hang on on on to their stuff. If this is you, I know parting with it all can be a little hard. What if you need it someday? What if you have another child even though right now you swear you are done. What if you decide to have a garage sale? Or what if you want to save it for your grandchildren? 

Keep what is a keepsake and really, truly, strive to overcome your inner pack rat. I keep stuff of course, but it is a very limited amount. The outfits they came home from the hospital in, a treasured blankie, stuff like that. But I limit what I store up “just in case.” In a strange way, our homes can become land-fill enablers. What I mean by that is that for everything we keep, there is potentially somebody else out there who could use it. And if you keep it, they may have to buy it from the store. More packaging, more shipping etc. If this sounds like a stretch to you, try going to a resale event and watch the used stroller area. INSTANTLY, the minute these giant church, school, county resale events open, people race and push and pull on one another to get to the strollers. They are expensive to buy new and they don’t change much. Four wheels and a handle really. People want them. There never seem to be enough at these events to satisfy all the seekers. 

So, shop used this Spring. I’m waking up tomorrow at 6:00 am to get to this resale and build a summer wardrobe for my boys. I am hoping you have sent your 3T and Boys Small stuff to this event because I am going to need it!

Not hip on heading out to the resale? Can’t find one near you? Simply type the words “children’s online resale” into your web browser and thousands of boutiques selling used kiddie stuff all over the country will pop up. Pick one where you live and get an early start. Happy Spring Purging.

So many people are asking this question today. In the growing pile of lost jobs, home foreclosures, and mounting debt, paying an organic grocery bill can seem ridiculous when salaries are shrinking and more pressing issues like paying for heat are in front of us. There are so many wonderful reasons to shop organic (better for you, better for the planet, better for your community) but many moms I know have reported episodes of sticker shock when heading into Whole Foods or their local green grocer. They know they need to do more for the planet and their families, but the price of organic foods can make this a tough transition.

So what does a wanna be Green Mama do? Is organic really the best for your family or is it just hype? Does healthy eating really have to break the bank? If I cannot afford an entire shopping cart filled with organic items, what are the essentials?

FIRST, organic is not the ultimate option for healthy eating. If you have the energy and ability, consider growing your own produce through a local community garden or in your back yard. Pesticide free, earth-friendly gardening is one of the best ways to provide your family cheap healthy food. Can’t commit to gardening? Shop your local farmer’s markets or join a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) with another family. This is a fabulous way to keep your hands clean while still eating, cheaper, locally grown produce that is good for you and good for the planet.You can find information on CSA’s here:   http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml

SECOND, locally grown food may sound good but what about milk and cereal and all the other organic stuff out there that takes more processing than pulling carrots from the dirt? Most of us do not have the resources or wisdom to raise a dairy cow in the backyard or process our own whole grain cereals. So what to buy when heading to the store? If you can only afford a few organic food items, here are some that offer a big healthy bang for your proverbial buck when it comes to your family and the planet.

1. MILK – organic milk is processed without growth hormones, pesticides, and a cadre of other nasty chemicals and lovely things like the waste from other animals. I’ve heard stories from moms who have switched to organic and report a reduction in everything from excema outbreaks to allergies once they made the switch. Studies have also linked hormones in non-organic milk to everything from the early onset of puberty to acne. Most kids I know drink a ton of milk. We go through 3-5 gallons a week at our house. It is a great commitment to them and to their planet to buy organic when it comes to milk.

2. BERRY FRUITS – the shape and size of some fruits (and vegetables) naturally hold pesticides better than others. You can be fairly when you buy bananas and other peel fruits that most pesticide residue is absent. Now this does not mean the earth was not damaged by these pesticides, but chances are when you eat a banana or a mango you are not ingesting those pesticides at the level you would be with other fruits. Now think of all the little cracks and crevices in your favorite berry. Pesticides can hide out in strawberries and raspberries especially, just hovering there waiting to devour your family’s health. Buy organic versions of these whenever possible.

3. PEANUT BUTTER – Peanut butter is another place where pesticides crop up en masse. Consider organic versions since most kids, sans those with allergies of course, eat PBJ sandwiches on a regular basis. Peanut farmers in the US douse their crops with pesticides and chemicals to combat the critters and mold that create a common threat to peanut crops. Purchasing organic peanut butter is a wise move.

4. FAIR TRADE COFFEE – Okay, so not all coffee is organic and I know this is an organic discussion, but if you want to add to your list an item that makes a huge impact on the world when purchased thoughtfully, it is coffee (and chocolate comes into play here too). When grabbing for that bag of beans, or even grabbing a freshly brewed cup from your local barista (with your reusable mug of course), purchase the fair trade version (which is often organic as well). Fair Trade products guarantee that the growers of your coffee or cacao bean got paid a fair wage, received health care, and possibly even education and social services for their work. Contrast this with giant corporations that clear-cut forest land and pay minimum wages to workers who were once private growers in their own right (ushered out of business by their current employer). Maybe your coffee is a bit more in price but you are giving a lot to another family, much more than the price variation between two bags of beans. Check out the Fair Trade Federation 

5. BAKING STUFF – Now organic whole wheat flour does not normally pop up on the top ten lists of what to buy organically, but I make a whole bunch of meals from one bag of flour and it gives me organic peace of mind for not a lot of money. For example, on mondays I whip up an enormous batch of whole wheat pancakes for my family and I freeze them and we eat them every morning all week.  So all week they have a pile of pancakes made with organic whole wheat flour, organic milk, organic eggs, and a dash of honey or sugar. I do the same with waffles. This is a great peace of mind for me as a mom. I’m filling their tummies on a winter morning with big, thick, healthy flapjacks and it gives me the sense of balance I need to get us all out the door and into our toxic world. So pick something like this that brings you that peace of mind and make it your fifth item.

Overall, organic is not the answer to everything. It is an amazing step in the journey of living with green integrity. Remember that often locally grown food, tomatoes from your backyard, and bread from the bakery down the street are the best. But sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of winter surrounded by pricey produce at Whole Foods, so here’s hoping these thoughts will help you grab the best that you can for your family.