Potatoes

potato, originally uploaded by thegreenvinecoop.

Potatoes have been one of my favorite gardening experiences despite how much the bugs love them. There's something magical about planting one little seed potato and a few months later digging through the soil finding countless more. This year, we put our potato plants in a plastic container, which has an added advantage--once the plants start to get bigger, we add more soil so they grow more roots and produce more potatoes.

Tomatoes

tomato, originally uploaded by thegreenvinecoop.

Our tomatoes are coming along but I always get frustrated with the long period between the appearance of the fruit and the its full ripeness. I don't want to wait another month to eat you!

Pistachio rosewater cookies

pistachio rosewater cookies, originally uploaded by thegreenvinecoop.

My go-to vegan cookbook has become Isa & Terry's Veganomicon. You may also know them from the Post-Punk Kitchen. This is the second time I've made their pistachio rosewater cookies. I like it because its got a Middle Eastern flavor that's a little unsual for a homemade drop cookie--rosewater, cardamom and lime, rolled in crushed pistachios. The flavor is almost a little too strong to eat on their own. The first time I served them with green tea vegan ice cream which was perfect.

There's something about dryer sheets...

mutton tallow, originally uploaded by thegreenvinecoop.

that led me to assume they would be vegetarian. My friend Brooke pointed out that they are usually (but not always) made with tallow.  My other friend Google--with whom I sadly visit much more often--proved her right. I've used them in the past but, having never been very fashionable or wrinkle-conscious, its never been a priority. I've been trying to mostly line dry my clothes of late anyway...

There's something about seaweed...

Last night's dinner inspiration came to me while watching Australian lifeguards wrangle a fourteen-year-old boy out from an aggressive tide and onto a sandy shore. Yes, it's true. And yes, he survived. Wicking away the sea debris, he rebounded, joining his friends just scenes later in a celebratory survival ice cream cone. Man, those lifeguards are good..

But for me, after a day spent cooped up in an edit suite shadowing the repackaging of an Australian surf show for U.S air, I couldn't help but have an intense craving for seaweed. Is that odd? So, with the hour or so I had before the troops came home, or awoke, for dinner, I whipped up:

• Endamame-arame salad, seasoned with sesame seeds, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, garlic, olive oil and ginger.
  
• Spicy tofu and green bean stir-fry - which got its heat from a combination of the above ingredients and sriracha hot sauce.
  
• Rice with sliced avocado
  
• Green salad with Japanese ginger dressing and bean sprouts
  

*Helpful to note: Soaking the dried seaweed in boiling water for an extended period of time (more than 15 mins or so) will help to eliminate any 'fishy' flavor.

*Bonus: Used up greens, bean sprouts and string beans in fridge.
*Extra bonus?: It was delicious and satisfied my seaweed craving--at least for now.

Imagine D.C. without Cars...

Before living here I lived right outside the city in College Park, MD. It was nice but it was an 8-9 mile bike ride to work from there. Now that I live in the city I feel that there is no reason to have a car (I do own a car, but use it to go outside the city). I bike to work and its only 3 miles each way! Biking isn't only the best way to transport myself from place to place in the city, it's also one of the most relaxing things I do during the day and it keeps me fit (or scrawny). When I ride my bike I feel free, I know that sounds cheesy but it's true, it's just me and the bike and all my worries wither away. I love my bike so much, I got a tattoo of it on my leg! I have dreams where all cars are banned from the city and only bikers and walkers are allowed (maybe buses too).

I understand that this isn't the reality right now (or it might never be), but if we all start to ride our bikes, cars can't ignore us! This has happened in D.C. and it is one of the most improved bike friendly cities in the country. Bike lanes are springing up everywhere!

I also understand that people are scared about cars, with good reason, they are big, fast and can eat you (like monsters do). So it's all about building confidence on the road. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) offers free classes to help build people's confidence on the road with those big scary cars. Feel free to visit their website at http://www.waba.org/. It's only $35 ($25 if you work for a non-profit) for a year membership and you get discounts at local bike shops.

I really believe that living sustainably doesn't only include eating a vegetarian diet but we must take steps to give up the privileges in life, like driving. Biking (and riding public transportation) is the only way to have a sustainable future and help give the boot to cars. So go out and get a bike and USE it!

new beginnings

last month i graduated from college and began my move into unknown territories. i've entered a new city, a new home, a new routine, and unprecedented space to explore my dreams and potential. the possibilities are exhilarating but also sometimes overwhelming. which way do i turn at the crossroads of this is a critical new beginning? which steps should i take to honor my deep passions? can i juggle these things with "grown-up tasks" like paying my bills?

once i get past those questions, the uglier ones arise. are my passions legitimate? can i take myself seriously? do my dreams matter? or should i just give in and follow someone else's lead?

i know i'm not the only one who hears these doubtful questions. and i think, deep down, we're all looking for the same thing; a loving voice that whispers, "yes, you can. you can hold the empty space and wait patiently for it to fill. you can trust the unknown. you can take baby steps (or even leap!). you can be brave in the dark."

8 unique individuals sleep under the roof of the green vine co-op. we all share similar values in environmentalism, food and community. but the truth is, that's not the only reason we found each other. we're strung together through the deeper reality that for each of us, in some way, this is a time of new beginnings. and while so often the trek into newness is experienced in solitude, i think we're lucky to have each other.