Beverage Showdown

Over the past month, I've been making the switch from Mountain Dew to coffee. For those of you who know me, this is a big deal.

A Bit of Background

I have been an avid Mountain Dew drinker since I was 17. I didn't grow up in a household with pop, so when I got old enough to work and buy my own food, I made up for lost time. Though my obsession has ebbed and flowed over the years, I have recently come to the point where Mountain Dew intake has become an important part of my daily routine.

I have thought about abandoning it and going cold turkey for almost two years, mostly because I don't like feeling dependent on anything other than the basics of food, water, shelter and clothing. But I also know that at times, caffeine intake has made me a happier and more productive employee and person. I don't have many vices, but this is one of them.

The Dilemma

So, what's the problem? I could continue to drink one 20 oz Mountain Dew every morning for breakfast for the rest of my life. There could be worse things in the world. But...I've started to worry about the waste involved and the environmental implications of my splurge.

• Bottle waste: One 20 oz Mountain Dew every weekday morning, and possibly one or two on an occasionally busy weekend means that I am recycling approximately 300 plastic bottles per year. I am recycling the bottles and not pitching them in the trash, but the making of and recycling process of plastic has a lot of environmental implications.
• Transportation costs: I am also paying the cost in weight to transport the full bottles from wherever Mountain Dew is made to me. (The Rockies? The Great Smokies? The Catskills? I'm sure.)
  
• Recycling costs: Then I'm paying the cost in energy to send the empty bottles to the recycling plant and have them melted down and re-made into a different product. Check out the EPA site for more information about plastics recycling in the U.S.)
  
• Ingredients concerns: Most Mountain Dew (except for the recent Mountain Dew Throwback) contains high-fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient. King Corn is a must watch if you're interested in high-fructose corn syrup and its environmental/health/economic implications. Some of the other ingredients are not any more heartening. Taking into account that Mountain Dew is a highly processed beverage, it stands to reason that much of the cost of making it is a cost to the environment and health of its consumers.
  

The Alternative

As I mentioned earlier, I decided (at least for now) to continue drinking a caffeinated beverage, so I'm not going totally rogue in the ways of modern conveniences. I don't much like tea, and eating my weight on chocolate doesn't sound like the best idea. So coffee it is.


Here is why I feel that coffee is a more eco-friendly alternative:

• Ingredients: There's only two: coffee and milk. I'm choosing to drink it with soy milk, mostly. I have more options about where I buy these ingredients and who I buy them from. I can buy fair trade coffee if I want. I can buy organic if I want. I like that I have a choice when it comes to who I support and how.
  
• Caffeine Generation: Interestingly, it seems that caffeine is often extracted from coffee for other uses, rather than being synthesized, so I'm essentially skipping a step by drinking it straight from the bean rather than infusing it into another beverage.
• Packaging: I am using a reusable mug that is easy to clean. Even if I buy a new mug every 6 months, that only means 2 a year, instead of the 300+ bottles I was using for Mountain Dew. I can also buy coffee in bulk and have a couple of different packaging options for it, including taking a reusable container along with me to the store and buying from bulk bins.
  
• Preparation: Luckily, I was recently given a French Press. I've never really made coffee before, but this option is better than a coffee maker because it doesn't require a disposable filter, it allows you to heat your water in the microwave (usually more efficient than heating water on the stove) and it is easy to quickly dump my coffee grounds in the composter when I'm done.

The Verdict

This is not the perfect solution. I will probably still buy a Mountain Dew every now and then. Coffee still has to travel far to get here. There are still energy costs involved in brewing it.

But this winter, I'm a little bit warmer in the morning and I'm a little less worried about my health and I'm a little bit happier about my impact on the world...

CSA Diary: The Long Winter Months

So, I stockpiled some squash and other keep-long veggies for the winter. Acorn and butternut, mostly, but some delicata and spaghetti squash, too. Onions, turnips and potatoes included.

I'm not big on playing up the sweet flavors of squash, so I am always looking for more savory alternatives.



I have now found a combination that works perfectly for my salt-seeking needs:

• Squash, sauteed or cooked with broth or baked
  
• Onion, sauteed with olive oil
  
• Fake sausage, such as Soyrizo, Field Roast brand or Tofurky brand, sauteed
• Cheese, if desired

Hint to anyone who would like to learn from my mistakes: Do not ever try to peel an acorn squash. It is a bad bad idea. I wasted a good hour of my life to this effort. Slice in half and bake in the oven. Really. Unless it's the apocalypse and there is literally no fuel to spare. Butternut squash is a perfectly acceptable squash to peel, however.

CSA Diary: Winding Down

This provides a highlight of the things I've been making over the past month or so with my CSA veggies, minus the mundane and utter failures.

What I Got

• Acorn Squash
• Beets (with Greens)
• Field Greens
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Onions
• Radishes
• Rutabaga
  
• Turnips (with Greens)

What I Made

• Sausage Jumble: Boiled some Yukon Gold potatoes*. Sauteed turnips, radishes and leeks in olive oil until soft. Added Gimme Lean sausage until brown. Added turnip greens, beet greens and a can of tomatoes. Put sausage mixture on top of potatoes, then topped with mozzarella cheese and gobbled it up.
• Butternut Squash Soup: A large & very phallic-looking butternut squash, garlic, Honeyrun Farm's honey, salt, pepper, carrots, onions, celery, olive oil, Not-Chick'n Bouillon Cubes, 1% milk. (Not the best soup I've ever made, I'll have to admit.)
  
• Sweet & Tangy Salad: Tossed together field greens, dried figs, Trader Joe's Stilton apricot cheese, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper, almonds.
• Bubbles & Squeakish: Boiled some Yukon Gold potatoes*. Sauteed leeks, turnip greens and cabbage. Added Morningstar's sausage crumbles and topped with a slice of Swiss cheese.
• Rutabaga & Broccoli Mash: Boiled rutabaga and broccoli stalks. Ran them through the food processor with butter, salt, pepper and thyme until smooth. Tastes like a very sweet version of mashed potatoes.
• Butternut Squash & White Bean Soup: Sauteed onion, celery, garlic. Added butternut squash, white wine, veggie broth, cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, cloves and boiled until soft. Added whipping cream, oregano, salt, pepper, Great Northern beans. (A much improved soup in comparison to the soup listed above!)
• Green Spaghetti: Spaghetti with Newman's Own Cabernet Marina sauce and Morningstar Grillers Crumbles with sauteed green onions, beet greens and kale.
  

* From the Clintonville Farmer's Market

Shopping for a Furnace & Air Conditioner

I just went through the process of shopping for a furnace/air conditioner to replace my 30+ year old units, so I thought I would share my newfound, soon-to-be-forgotten, wisdom with you.

Step One:
Ask your friends. I got recommendations from friends, family and co-workers, simply to help narrow down the choices, as there are a LOT of them!

Step Two:
Look up your "leads" on these sites to get an idea of what their service is like, what their customer satisfaction ratings are, whether or not they have the required state licenses and certifications, etc.

• Air Conditioning Contractors of America
• Angie's List (Requires a subscription.)
• Better Business Bureau
• North American Technician Excellence certified (NATE)
• Ohio Department of Commerce's Company Licensee Lookup
• ReferenceUSA (Though this requires a subscription, many libraries, such as the Westerville Library, provide access to their library card holders.)
  

Step Three:
Create a checklist of questions to ask the salesperson/contractor once you start getting quotes. Get three quotes or more for comparison. EnergyStar.gov provides a good starting point in their Heat & Cool Efficiently article. Keep in mind that what makes a unit most efficient is its proper installation. Here are a few of the things I considered during the quote process:

• Breakdown of expenses (cost of unit versus cost of labor)?
• Any duct work (sealing) that needs to be done to increase efficiency of the unit?
  
• What are the AFUE ratings for the quoted furnaces and the SEER ratings for the quoted air conditioners? (Note: For furnaces, the higher the AFUE rating, the better, with a maximum rating of 100. For air conditioners, the higher the SEER rating, the better. The standard range is currently between 13.0 and 16.0 rating.)
• Is there an installation checklist, such as the Manual J, that will be used during the installation process?
  
• Is the quoted unit correct sized for my home? (Sizing has a direct correlation with unit efficiency. A unit too big or too small for your home will decrease its energy efficiency.)
• Be sure to walk away with a written quote with the suggested units' specifications.

Step 4:
After getting quotes for specific units, Google the unit model numbers that have been quoted to find out what other customers are saying. One bad review isn't worth noting, but numerous bad reviews may be.

What I Got:
After this whole process, I bet you're wondering what company/units I went with. Based on the conversations I had with the three companies I worked with (Hetter Heating & Cooling, Columbus Worthington Air and ML Heating & Air Conditioning), I made the decision to go with Hetter Heating & Cooling. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The company had a great Better Business Bureau rating. They had many of the HVAC certifications/licenses that I had researched. They quoted a good price and were interested in helping me find an energy efficient unit that I would be happy with.

• HVAC Company: Hetter Heating & Cooling
• Air Conditioning Unit: Trane XR15, 15-SEER rating (A 16-SEER unit was also quoted, but came with a significant price increase.)
  
• Furnace Unit: Trane XR95 (95 AFUE rating)

Overall, I felt very comfortable with my choice! I got to use the heater last week for the first time and the difference is remarkable. Here's to warm nights in my future!

CSA Diary: Week ???

Ok, confession time: I've had some recent CSA failures. A botched attempt at greening up some Campbell's tomato soup, a fake chicken noodle soup that had a lot of celery and not a lot else, some burned remakes of earlier concoctions...But here are a few of the not-so-bad inventions from the past couple of weeks.

What I Got

• Butternut squash
• Celery
• Edamame
  
• Radishes
• Turnips (with greens)

What I Made

• Edamame: I love to snack on edamame. Just boil them up for a few minutes and pop them out of their pods. It's important to note that the pods are not like snow pea or snap pea pods. They're tough and furry and don't feel too good going down!
• Rainbow Pasta: Chop and saute turnips, radishes, turnip greens, cherry tomatoes (that I grew!) and green onions* with olive oil until tender. Add pesto** and toss with spaghetti.
• Chimichurri Rice, Enhanced: Sauteed celery, turnips and radishes in olive oil. Added Trader Joe's chimchurri rice and Meijer organic kidney beans until warm. Topped with cheddar cheese.
  
• Pearsauce: Tried out a recipe that my sister has successfully made many times, Pear Soup. However, mine turned out more like a pear version of applesauce. Good, but not as good as Cath's! Used pears from Lynd's Fruit Farm, Wholesome Sweeteners' brown sugar from Raisin Rack and sage from Cath's garden.
• Apple Crisp: Used apples from Lynd's Fruit Farm and the Simple Apple Crisp recipe from Recipezaar, but added some rolled oats to give it some more crunch.
  

*From Clintonville Farmer's Market
**I made this pesto over a year ago. Took basil, garlic, lemon juice, almonds, olive oil and Parmesan cheese and blended in a food processor. Poured into an ice cube tray and froze. Once frozen, dumped the cubes into a plastic freezer bag and it's held up for the past year!

CSA Diary: Week Seventeen

What I Got:

• Banana Peppers
• Cantaloupe
  
• Edamame
• Green Beans
• Green(ish) Peppers
  
• Purple Onion
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
  

What I Made:

• Yellow Wax Beans* & Green Beans: Steamed the beans with butter and garlic salt.
• Veggie Omelette: Omelet filled with green pepper, banana peppers, diced tomatoes and garlic. Topped with cheddar cheese.
  
• Fake Chicken Noodle Soup: Boiled edamame and de-podded, then set aside. Boiled white carrots** with non-chicken bouillon cubes, added celery***, mixed in sauteed red pepper, garlic and onion and edamame. Added Amish egg noodles.**** Cooked until tender.
  
• Cantaloupe: Ate it plain. Yum.
  

*Courtesy of Mandy!
**Courtesy of Angie!
***From the Clintonville Farmer's Market
****From Worthington Farmer's Market

CSA Diary: Week Fourteen, Fifteen & Sixteen

Well, I think I must have hit the summer rut. I've just been making repeats of tried-and-trues for weeks now. But here's a bit of it, just in case you're dying to know what I've been putting in my belly...

What I Got:

• Edamame (pictured below)
  
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Green Beans
• Green Peppers
  
• Hot Peppers
• Sweet Corn
  
• Yellow Tomatoes (pictured below)
  
• Yellow Squash
• Zucchini

What I Made:

• Salsa Tacos: Sauteed fake meat with finely chopped zucchini and yellow squash and packet of taco seasoning. Served in a taco shell with a crapload of fresh yellow tomato salsa (tastes the same as red tomato salsa!), some cheddar cheese and some sour cream.
  
• Green Beans: Steamed green beans with butter and garlic salt. Simple, but oddly satisfying.
  
• Colorful Veggie Pasta: Sauteed hot peppers, green pepper, garlic, edamame (boiled and de-podded first), zucchini, yellow squash, sweet corn and green beans. Tossed with olive oil and lemon juice. Topped with chopped tomatoes, slivered almonds and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
  
• Eggplant Randomness: Eggplant sauteed with hot peppers, garlic, basil, yellow squash. Tossed with marinara sauce and spaghetti. Topped with slivered almonds and feta cheese.
  

CSA Diary: Week Thirteen

What I Got:

• Garlic
• Green Beans
  
• Green Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Yellow Squash
  
• Zucchini
  

What I Made:

• Tomato & Cheese Sandwiches: White bread, toasted. Sliced tomatoes. Provolone cheese, sliced. Veganaise. Repeat many times over many days.
  
• Fried Egg on Bed of Salsa: Lots of salsa (tomatoes, green peppers, ancho peppers, garlic, onion and lemon juice.) to be eaten! This week's made a nice bed for my sad and pathetic attempts at frying an egg. Still tasty, though.
• Steamed Green Beans: Microwaved green beans for 2 minutes with garlic salt and a bit of butter. Super easy.
  
• Salty Smores: Not at all green, but oh so yummy! Graham crackers and World Market's Sea Salt Dark Chocolate, microwaved with two marshmallows for 9 seconds.
  

CSA Diary: Week Twelve

What I Got:

• Ancho Peppers
• Green Leaf Lettuce
• Green Peppers
• Okra (That I pawned off onto to Susan!)
• Tomatoes (lots & lots of tomatoes!)
  

What I Made:

• Corn Salad: Green leaf lettuce tossed with corn*, tomatoes, cucumber* and salted pepitas. Topped with bleu cheese dressing (of course.)
  
• Salsa Mac: Leftover macaroni & cheese topped with fresh salsa (tomatoes, green peppers, ancho peppers, garlic, onion and lemon juice.)
• Cucumber Salad: Cucumber*, tomatoes, and white onion tossed with a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil. (I often add feta cheese to this, but was out of it, so I made the following instead:)
  
• Red, White & Green Provolone Sandwiches: White bread spread with Veganaise, layered with provolone cheese and cucumber salad as listed above.
  

CSA Diary: Week Eleven

So, I wanted to preface this post by saying that the "what I got" section of my CSA diary is a bit a-typical. This is my 4th(?) year with my CSA, and it has been a rough one. Weather has prevented our farmers from gleaning all that they had planned for in this year's harvest. This is why joining a CSA is so important to farmers. It makes it slightly less of a gamble for those using organic practices to weather out the bad years when they know that they have loyal clients who will continue to support them. It's difficult, knowing that my bounty isn't quite as plentiful as it has been in past years, but then again, it's given me an excuse to eat out more often!

What I Got:

• banana pepper
• basil
• eggplant
• garlic
• green pepper
• jalapeno pepper
• tomatoes (3 different kinds)

What I Made:

• Rainbow Salsa: I diced up the deep purple, cherry red and bright yellow tomatoes along with the green, banana and jalapeno peppers and a few cloves of garlic to make a tasty salsa. Throw in a bit of lemon and some diced onion and you're set!
• Eggplant Parmesan, Kinda: Diced up an eggplant and sauteed it with a few cloves of garlic and some olive oil. Added in some basil and some marinara sauce, then topped with almonds, mozzarella cheese and some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The almonds replaced the texture of the usual bread crumbs and added to the nuttiness of the cheese.