#MeatlessMonday: Raw Kale, Cantaloupe Melon, and Walnut Salad

It's suddenly so hot here in Providence. Are you hot? I got you, boo. Here's a quick, light dish that doesn't require turning on the stove.

Raw Kale, Cantaloupe, & Walnut Salad

This raw salad features kale from my garden, cantaloupe melon (which is in season and was on Madness Sale at Whole Foods Market), and walnuts.

You'll need:

• a nice, juicy lemon
• salt (I used Kosher, but sea salt works too)
• a bunch of kale (washed, stems removed, & torn into large-ish bits)
• honey or agave
• olive oil
• black pepper
• cantaloupe, diced into big bite sized chunks
• toasted seeds or nuts

Do this:

1. Put kale in a big bowl. Drizzle a wee bit of olive oil on it. Pour juice of half a lemon over. Toss in a bit of salt.
2. Massage the kale with your hands. It will start to wilt. Yay!
3. Now, make the dressing: Whip together juice from the rest of lemon, honey, pepper and olive oil.
4. Add melon and nuts to kale.
5. Pour dressing over and toss.

This is my twist on Aarti Sequeira's recipe for Massaged Kale Salad, so check out her recipe on the Food Network website for more detailed instructions. You'll notice the original recipe featured mango and pepitas, two foods I like but didn't have on hand. I think any smooth fruit would be good in this recipe. I'd like to try sunflower seeds in this next time I make it. Sunflower seeds seem to sing summer somehow.

Adding random pic of my guy holding the kale right after he picked it just cuz I think he's cute.

Do you ever make a raw kale salad? What do you usually toss into it? Also, are you sad that it's too hot to grow kale now? I am.

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Wanna keep nerding out about creative green living? Let's stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Monthly(-ish) Newsletter // Bloglovin' // YouTube

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Make Art at a NYC Laundromat

The only thing worse than having to do laundry is having to do it at a laundromat. Amiright? But what if you could make art, keep the kids entertained, and connect with your neighbors while you washed your clothes?

The Laundromat Project makes that possible by bringing free and fun kid-friendly drop-in art workshops to Harlem, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Hunts Point. Workshops include silkscreening, smoothie-making, neighborhood-themed self-portraits, and more!

Here's their awesome mission:

The Laundromat Project is a community-based non-profit arts organization committed to the well-being of people of color living on low incomes. Understanding that creativity is a central component of healthy human beings, vibrant neighborhoods, and thriving economies, we bring art programs to where our neighbors already are: the local laundromat. In this way, we aim to raise the quality of life in New York City for people whose incomes do not guarantee broad access to mainstream arts and cultural facilities.

How juicy is that?! Beats watching telenovelas or zoning out on my iPhone, which is what I used to do when I had to use the public laundromat.

More of The Laundromat Project: Website //  Support // on Twitter // on Facebook

What's the most fun you've ever had in your local laundromat? Do you wish there was something like this in your city?

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Wanna keep nerding out about creative green living? Let's stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Monthly(-ish) Newsletter // Bloglovin' // YouTube

Consider supporting this blog by purchasing green cleaning & fun home goodies selected by me via my Amazon shop or clicking on an ad. Thanks.

Food in the Nude: 10 Simple + Yummy Raw Vegan Snacks

I will totally eat whatever snacks are available to me. Cupcakes? Sure! Carrot sticks and hummus? Sign me up! I enjoy earthy, snappy, crunchy healthy foods and sugary, salty, fattypants snackypoos equally. However, I generally end up eating whatever is in front of me because I don't like to spend a lot of time thinking about, seeking out, or preparing food.

That, and it's hard for me to gain weight-  a lame excuse I use to convince myself that what I eat doesn't matter. Nevermind that I have horrible PMS, painful long periods, bad skin, and low energy! (Skinny does not equal healthy folks!)

Using my new Vitamix to make green smoothies is one way I've managed to get better-for-me foods into my body.  I usually have a smoothie for breakfast and/or an mid-day snack. Smoothies are seriously the secret to eating healthy without sacrificing the lazybones lifestyle!

Still, I often find myself stuffing my face with chips, crackers, baked goods, and trail mix. Why? Three reasons: I get overwhelmed in the grocery store and make bad choices (or no choices at all). I don't like cooking much therefor food usually dies in my fridge before I eat it. I am horrible at figuring out what foods go well together.

So today for Meatless Monday I've created a list of my favorite healthy foods that don't need to be cooked, blended, juiced, soaked, dried, paired, or dressed up to be enjoyed. I'm talking about food in the nude.

Peas from my garden

These are 10 awesome snacks that can be zoinked from the grocer or garden then mindlessly nibbled exactly the way mother nature made 'em. Many of these are in season locally now too. Extra bonus!

1. avocado
2. romaine lettuce
3. cucumber
4. peas & pea shoots
5. radish
6. turnip
7. kohlrabi
8. watermelon
9. corn
10. cherries

I'm totally putting this list in my phone so I have it ready whenever I go grocery shopping.

What's your favorite food in the nude?

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Wanna keep nerding out about creative green living? Let's stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Monthly(-ish) Newsletter // Bloglovin' // YouTube

Consider supporting this blog by purchasing green cleaning & fun home goodies selected by me via my Amazon shop or clicking on an ad. Thanks.

Encouragement for Beginner Container Gardeners

In March I shared my decade-long dream of growing food. Today I am happy to share pictures of what's growing in my container garden.

My container garden

Isn't it awesome? Those shelling peas are just about to pop off the stalk. We're having some for dinner tonight!

If growing a garden is something you've been putting off, I have five morsels of encouragement:

1. Don't wait for the "perfect time" or to "know more" about gardening. Get some seeds and plant them now. Everything will be alright. And if it's not, seeds aren't expensive so you can always try again without much financial loss. 
2. Don't let your fear of killing plants stop you either. As far as I know, it's not illegal.
3. Growing plants is a great way to learn about and appreciate them. Planning a garden is not nearly as interesting which is why you should just jump in.
4. Once you plant your first seed or sprout a seedling, the Universe/ God/ whatever will start attracting more seasoned gardeners and other awesome resources to you. A net of support and garden love will spring up like magic after you take that leap of faith.
5. You really don't need to water outdoor plants as much as you think.

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Wanna keep nerding out about creative green living? Let's stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Monthly(-ish) Newsletter // Bloglovin' // YouTube

Consider supporting this blog by purchasing green cleaning & fun home goodies selected by me via my Amazon shop or clicking on an ad. Thanks.

How to Refresh Vintage Clothing

Meghan Graham, owner of Into the Wardrobe, offered me this tip for refreshing dry clean only vintage and second-hand clothing:

1. Wet a washcloth with water. (Not dripping wet.) 
2. Place it into the clothes dryer with the offending article(s) of clothing. 
3. Run the machine on air setting (no heat) for a few minutes.
4. Flaunt your fresh style!

I told Meghan my trick for removing the smell of perfume or mildew from funky clothes: I spritz them with vinegar. She thought it was a good idea but warned that the acidity of vinegar can ruin certain fabrics, especially silk and wool. It's good to have friends who are pros!

What about moth balls? Moth balls are toxic (they're a pesticide) so she says it's best to not even bother with clothes that smell of them. If you can't live without a particular item that's been stored with moth balls (like maybe your great-granny's sweater), Care2 suggests putting the clothing in the sun, repeatedly until the smell disappears.

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Wanna keep nerding out about creative green living? Let's stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Monthly(-ish) Newsletter // Bloglovin'

Consider supporting this blog by purchasing green cleaning & fun home goodies selected by me via my Amazon shop. Thanksies.

How Many Refrigerator Magnets Is Too Many? & DIY Fridge Flair

I have a lot of magnets on my fridge. Maybe too many (although I secretly don't think there's such a thing as too many magnets). It's the one area of my house where I express my hoarder fantasies.

My fridge: a colorful collage of magnets, doodles, and stickers.

If you love fridge flair as much as I do, you'll love this easy trick for making hip magnets.

Make your own refrigerator magnets.

You need:

• A small magnet. I've saved a stash of magnets from the bottom of vinyl shower curtain liners.
• An awesome pinback button/ button badge/ whatever you wanna call it. The one in the photo is made by Fishcakes. (P.S. Am I the only one who can't look at one of these things without thinking of that scene from Office Space?)

Do this:
1. Open the pin and pull out the wire, pin part.
2. Place the magnet inside the pin.
3. Draw something (how about an ICAD?) and post it on the fridge with your new fridge flair. You're a star!

How many refrigerator magnets do you think are too many? Do you prefer a totally clean fridge front or do you love expressing yourself via your appliances?

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Wanna keep nerding out about creative green living? Let's stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Monthly(-ish) Newsletter // Bloglovin'

Consider supporting my blog by purchasing green cleaning & fun home goodies selected by me via my Amazon shop. Thanksies.

Giveaway: ENJO Bathroom Set

Wanna try the ENJO bathroom set I reviewed yesterday? Enter the ENJO giveaway I am hosting to win one of two packages ENJO Canada is providing to you fabulous fellow domestic enthusiasts.

Each package, retail value $99, includes:

• Bath Glove: Classic fiber for the bathroom.
• Bath Maid: Handy cleaning of toilets and drains with our Bathroom Maid.
• ENJOfil: Super-absorbent, streak free drying cloth.

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to earn entries every day now through midnight Thursday, June 27th. I'll announce the winner via this widget on Friday, June 28.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excited? Hope so! Be a dear and tell your best friend about this giveaway. There are two sets after all. If you're feeling extra generous, pin the image so all your Pinterest followers can test their luck. Thanks!

ENJO is "on a mission to show you a new way to clean your home chemical free!" What's not to love about that? Stay connected with ENJO Canada: via Facebook // via Twitter // via YouTube // Shop at ENJO.net

Disclaimer: ENJO Canada provided me with free products to review, however I was under no obligation to review if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free products.

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Wanna keep nerding out about creative green living? Let's stay connected: Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Monthly(-ish) Newsletter // Bloglovin'

Consider supporting my blog by purchasing green cleaning & fun home goodies selected by me via my Amazon shop. Thanksies.