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How Compost Gets You High (Literally)

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:28:42 +0000

The photo above is of our very own Chris Tackett and his compost heap, and doesn’t he look content? There may be a good reason.

He’s not the only TreeHugger who enjoys a little rotting biomass in his spare time. From composting dirty diapers through high-tech indoor composting to black soldier fly grub composting, we must have explored almost every conceivable angle on composting in our time. But this one is new to me.

It turns out compost can get you high. At least that is what Pagan Kennedy over at The Atlantic would have us believe, as she explores how a common micro-organism in compost can literally act as a mind-altering substance:

As I huff the soil, I have no way of knowing exactly how much M. vaccae is floating into
Article Source: http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/how-compost-gets-you-high-literally.html

How to Get More Fruit in Your Diet

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:28:29 +0000

Luscious, juicy, sweet-as-candy fruit is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It’s full of vitamins, fiber to keep you full, water to keep you hydrated, and the natural sugars make it a healthier alternative to sugary treats. You should aim to eat three to six servings of fruit each day, but if that seems like a lot, here are some ways to sneak fruit into your diet.

Add fruit slices to sandwiches. Sliced pear, apple, and watermelon add a unique texture and unexpected flavor to run-of-the-mill sammies.
Mix pureed fruit into plain yogurt. When comparing six-ounce containers of Greek yogurt, plain offers 18 grams of protein for 100 calories, and strawberry is 140 calories with 14 grams of protein. Instead of buying the premade flavors, make your own by adding pureed fruit to plain yogurt. You’ll save money, avoid added sugars, and be able
Article Source: http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Get-More-Fruit-Your-Diet-21604807

Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and Red Beans With Lemon and Mustard

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:28:26 +0000

I made two great discoveries while coming up with these simple and delicious vegetarian skillet suppers. One is that a wok should not be limited to Asian stir-fries. A well-seasoned carbon steel wok makes a great natural nonstick pan that you can get hot enough to obtain a wonderful seared flavor when you cook vegetables, no matter what the seasonings. The other thing I discovered is that the cooking water drained off from cooked barley or brown rice can be added to cooked vegetables the way pasta cooking water is sometimes used to moisten and add texture to an accompaniment. The starch in the nutrient-dense water enriches the vegetables like a sauce. Just add more water than the usual proportion that you’d use – say a quart for a cup of brown rice or barley, and drain the grains through a strainer set over a bowl when they’re tender.

Article Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/health/nutrition/cauliflower-brussels-sprouts-and-red-beans-with-lemon-and-mustard.html

The (Stink) Bugs Are Back In Town

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:28:22 +0000

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The big storms we had back in late summer and fall — Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee — literally drowned out a lot of the stink bug population.
The bad news is right here — the survivors — they are already out and about — because the winter has been so remarkably warm..

Nobody wants to see Stink bugs back early less than Doug Inkle of Rockville or Polly Lowe of Urbana.

Both have been plagued in seasons past with overwhelming numbers of stink bugs.

It was so bad in 2011, 9News Now’s Bruce Leshan found a guy with a stink bug

Article Source: http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/189282/158/The-Stink-Bugs-Are-Back-In-Town

Jurassic cricket’s song recreated

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:28:47 +0000

6 February 2012
Last updated at 23:33

By Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC Nature

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Article Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/16878292