End of Summer 08 update

Hey everyone,
I hope everyone has been spending a lot of time outdoors this summer, hiking through parks, kayaking atop rivers, and relaxing on the beaches. My family and I have been experimenting with our vegetable garden, which we planted in very early summer.

Over the past few months we've watched in wonder as seeds delicately pushed through the earth, growing tentatively into seedlings before bursting full strength skyward. The garden started out brown and green and is now speckled with reds, oranges, yellows, and rich green. I encourage all of you to try it - all you need is a plot of land with full sun and the dedication to plant, weed and water. And the reward is worth the work a million times over. There have been so many times when I've exhaustedly arrived home from work to an empty refrigerator, too tired to go to the store, and instead wandered out to my garden only to be greeted by aisles of zucchini, squash, edamame, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, and lettuce all begging to be plucked, steamed, and served. Nothing accessorizes pasta like some zippy zucchini mixed in, with freshly-grated parmesan on top. Cucumber salad is a fantastic way to start off any meal. And even my 4-year-old will eat edamame with any meal of the day.

So that's what I've been up to this summer, just spending time with my veggies and my family, and working at my book publishing company. I'm so very lucky that I work for a company that is publishing a green book in September. And it's the real deal - FSC-certified (you can't imagine how much extra work it is to print a book on sustainable paper - but totally worth it!, and printed with vegetable-based inks.

It's called Urban Eco Chic by Oliver Heath and it's a great resource if you're thinking of remodeling your bathroom, kitchen, or any other room in an earth-friendly way. The book covers every room in the house and presents all of the green materials and options available. It also has an Eco Resources section that lists the suppliers that offer these choices, since it's still relatively difficult to get certain materials.

Read more at http://urbanecochic.blogspot.com