Be merry, and appreciate EVERYTHING that you have!

Once the dinner chairs are pushed back on Thursday, the retail Olympics known as “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” will gear up full force, being the official start of shopper-mania for the holidays. It’s getting so frenetic in some circles, that  the real reason for Thanksgiving seems to have taken a back seat in favor of spend, spend, spend.

Despite  endless ads pushing crazy price slashes, and pre-dawn mall rushes, there is a welcome alternative. For the second year now, Cyber Monday is also known as
Green Gift Monday, sponsored by the Nature Conservancy, advocating gifts that make a difference, not just a high price.

With billions of dollars being spent over these next four days, this is an important reminder that all gifts aren’t under a tree, in a box, or sporting a mega-bucks price tag.

It’s not too late to sign the Pledge to incorporate at least one gift that’s good for the planet.
From DIY creations to charitable gift cards, you can make a difference that doesn’t end when the box is tossed out, and the ribbons thrown away. One of the most impactful gifts is one of service and/or time: baby-sitting hours, running errands for someone shut-in, or taking the time to read aloud to a child on a regular basis. It’s those small steps that create so much meaning.

Conscious, responsible giving is not only good for the planet, it’s great for the soul. ♥

                          Not just for today, but everyday….

Throughout the country will be hundreds of scheduled events, held in schools, places of worship, city halls, and more, bringing people from all walks of life together in an effort to transform the American diet.

Real food should not only taste good, be be good for you. This grassroots movement encourages everyone to pay attention to a broken food system that contributes to obesity, heart disease, and other diet-related diseases.

Among the 6 Principles of Food Day are: providing access to whole foods, alleviating hunger, and promoting health through prevention of junk-food marketing to kids.

As a connection to this day, here’s an interesting post from the Heifer organization blog, which  celebrates the harvest season, including an infographic tracing the journey of three common snacks.

A major “protest sign” for change is right on your table—by the singular action  changing your diet, the ripple effect continues in local markets, farms, restaurants, and changing food policy.

Think of this day like an “Earth Day” for food, and have a plate of S.O.U. L. food—eating something that’s Sustainable, or Organic, Unprocessed, and Local.

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For the second year now, foodie/blogger Andrew Wilder has issued a challenge of eating NO processed foods for 30 days [or how many days from your start time]. Last year, only 415 people took the pledge, but this year, 2011, over 2,700 have already  joined, and the number is still growing daily. This can be considered an exercise in awareness, a way to re-shift your taste buds, or  a wonderful culinary adventure. Being creative is half the fun! One can follow on Facebook, Twitter, plus post and/or read comments on the website

Unprocessed food can be anything  made in a home kitchen by someone with reasonable skills using available, whole-food ingredients.  Wilder calls it the “kitchen test,” –if you pick up an item that has an ingredient you’re not familiar with, it’s probably processed.

Once you’ve decided to take the challenge, here’s a few tip and hacks to make it easier:
1. Read the labels—read the labels—read the labels. This is terrifically important, so you’ll see all the chemicals and additives that permeate our pantries without our know.

2. Get familiar with spices. Canned and processed foods tend to be over-salted, and under-seasoned. But learning to use spices in your unprocessed dishes opens a whole new world of tastes.

3. Stock your pantry with plenty of  the “right stuff”—like beans, brown rice, nuts, raw honey, barley, quinoa, lots of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, nothing white, and no alcohol.

4. Find recipes you like. Remember, you’re giving your palate a clean sweep, so plan ahead what you’d like to fix, and prepare basic steps ahead of time, so you won’t be so harried.

5. Make friends with your crock pot. Maybe you haven’t used one in a while, and it’s hidden on a high shelf. Bring it down, and get creative about the whole foods that will create some amazing stews and soups!

6. Be creative. The idea is to develop a consciousness about eating real foods, not manufactured. No, it’s not an overnight transformation. But, even after this month is over, why not continue what you started, and notice how the need for convenience foods  lessen, as your appreciation for non-processed items increases.

No matter what the level  of commitment would be—be it one day, one week, etc., sign the pledge and make a promise to yourself to be mindful about what goes into your mouth.