Contrary to what Kermit the Frog sings, sometimes its very easy to be green.
Green is a color that reminds us of freshness and security. It creates an atmosphere that is calm and restful. A lot of countries have paper currency that is green, perhaps because it is considered a secure and stable color. And green is a good color to have around the kitchen as well.
GREEN IS THE color of a plethora a good vegetables - from artichokes to zucchini. Consider:
- Artichokes: the large unopened flower bud of a plant in the thistle family.
- Asparagus: Fresh supplies are available from mid-February through June.
- Beans: Available throughout the year fresh, canned or frozen.
- Broccoli: A member of the cabbage family, good raw or cooked.
- Brussels sprouts: Another close relative of cabbage, these little roly-poly vegetables are fun to eat.
- Cabbage: Great for slaw or cooking, as in the Irish favorite, corned beef and cabbage.
- Celery: Fresh and crisp and good to munch; can also be cooked.
- Chinese cabbage: Primarily a salad vegetable, with elongated leaves.
- Chickory, endive and escarole: More leafy greens great for salads.
- Cucumbers: Most plentiful in summer; a crisp addition to salads; also good marinated.
- Greens: A large number of widely difference species are grown for their uses as "greens," including spinach, kale, collards, turnips, beets, chard, mustard, dandelion, cress and sorrel.
- Lettuce: Among the most popular of vegetables, a staple in our diet. Four types are generally sold: iceburg, butter-head, Romaine and leaf.
- Parsley: Often used as a garnish, but is also a good ingredient in many recipes. It is high in vitamin A.
- Peppers: Crisp and crunchy, green peppers are good raw or cooked.
- Watercress: A small, round-leaved plant that has a spicy flavor. Also high in vitamin A.
- Zucchini: One of the popular so-called summer squashes, it is available at all times of the year.
GREEN IS THE color of the environment. We hear more about "green" manufacturers and "green" consumers who make and use products that are more friendly to the environment.
This is an area where every little bit helps. And "turning green" can be a family project. Here are some simple things that even kids can do:
- Reduce energy by turning off lights in the rooms not in use. Dust bulbs often, because dirty bulbs use more energy than clean ones. Fact: A bulb uses only 10 percent of its energy for light - the other 90 percent is wasted heat. So turn them out when you're not using them.
- Don't waste water. Don't just let water run while you brush teeth, soap up the dishes, wash the car, etc. Fact: You'll save 20,000 gallons of water a year (enough to fill a swimming pool).
- Make sure your family recycles everything possible - bottles, cans, paper, cardboard, plastics. Kids are good at sorting items and can help take them to recycling centers in areas where the city doesn't pick them up. Fact: If everyone recycled their Sunday newspapers, we could save 500,000 trees every week.
- Ride your bike or walk. Don't use the car whenever possible. You'll save fuel, reduce air pollution and benefit from the exercise. Fact: Cars are responsible for more than 75 percent of air pollutants.
Here are a couple of fun activities that can help kids appreciate environmental concerns:
- Make your own recycled paper. Recycling paper takes less energy and water than making it the first time. Each ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees.
What you'll need:
- 2 1/2 single pages from a newspaper
- Blender
- 5 cups of hot water
- A piece of stiff, aluminum screen
- A basin, slightly larger than screen
2 whole sections of a newspaper
Round jar/rolling pin.
Tear the newspaper pages into 1-inch bits. Place in blender and add hot water. Blend 2-3 minutes to make pulp. Pour into basin.
Slide the screen around the bottom of basin until it is evenly covered with pulp. Lift screen out carefully. Hold it level and let it drain.
Put screen, pulp side up, on one thick section of newspaper to blot. Cover with another section of newspaper. Roll the jar or rolling pin over the top layer to squeeze out the excess water.
Gently turn over the newspaper sections so the screen is on top. Remove the top newspaper layer. Lift off the screen carefully and let pulp dry on the newspaper.
- Get the dirt on composting. Composting turns trash into dirt. See which materials biodegrade and which don't as you learn how composting works.
What you'll need:
1 hard plastic disposable plate
1 polyfoam disposable plate
1 molded paper plate
1 shallow tub/box lined with plastic
20 lbs. of top or potting soil
2 pieces of cardboard
Spray bottle or watering can
Notebook for observations
Place 3-4 inches of soil in tub. Divide the tub into three sections, using the cardboard pieces. Place each plate (or part of it) on top of the soil, one per section of the tub. Cover with several inches of soil. Draw a diagram of the tub in your notebook so you know which plate is buried in each section.
Store the tub at 60-80 degrees F., preferably in direct sunlight. The warmer the temperature, the faster decomposition will occur.
Using the spray bottle, water as needed to slightly dampen soil (don't overwater). Since composting is usually done outdoors, watering simulates normal rainfall.
Unearth each plate every two weeks. Note what happens to the three plates.
Encourage your family to start a compost pile. If you want to learn how, write to: Chinet Compost Instructions, P.O. Box 290. Holmdel, NJ 07733.
GREEN IS THE color of St. Patrick's Day, a March holiday that allows you to celebrate cultural diversity by enjoying things Irish.
St. Patrick is the man credited with bringing Christianity to the Emerald Isle beginning in the year 432. He used a small, green shamrock to explain the idea of the Holy Trinity, which is why shamrocks and the color green are so closely associated with St. Patrick's Day celebrations we know today.
You also have to love Patrick because, according to legend, he drove all the snakes out of his new Irish homeland.
Ireland is also famous for leprechauns or "little people," who were known to hide their gold at the end of the rainbow; for the famous Blarney stone, which endows those who kiss it with the gift of gab; for celtic harps and the Irish jig; for Irish linen and all kinds of other things.
Foods traditionally associated with St. Patrick's Day celebrations in this country include corned beef and cabbage, soda bread and potatoes of any kind. But anything green can add to the festivity.
Other ways to celebrate include:
- Irish music. Irish songs such as "Danny Boy," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," "My Wild Irish Rose," and "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra" lend themselves to an Irish sing-along. You can also listen to the music of James Galway, The Chieftans, the Clancy Brothers and other noted Irish artists.
- Wear green. Believe it or not, the Irish don't necessarily wear green on St. Patrick's Day, but that has somehow become an American tradition. (The Irish are more likely to appear in a simple fisherman's sweater or a tailored linen ensemble.) Who knows where the tradition of getting pinched if you don't wear green got started, but if you don't want to take chances, you might at least pin on a green ribbon.
- Enjoy Irish legends and proverbs. The Irish have always had a unique way of looking at the world. Check your library for Irish authors and collections. And in the meantime, here are some favorite Irish proverbs:
- It's no use boiling your cabbage twice.
- A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea.
- It's no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking.
- A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.
- Neither give cherries to pigs or advice to a fool.
- You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.