Organic Recipe: Chocolate Macaroons/Boiled Chocolate Cookies

Technically this recipe can be made organically or non organically; it really is up to you. (Though I'm an advocate for the organic variety of course.) When I call a recipe organic it basically means that everything in it can be organic, and if I'm making it, the ingredients are probably also pretty easy to find. You won't find ingredients like -- "1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup"! (Not that mushrooms would ever find their way into my cookies....)

Some people call these cookies Chocolate Macaroons, others refer to them as Boiled Cookies... Whatever you call them, they are delicious. My family has been making them for as long as I can remember, and darnit if they aren't just MMmmm.

Chocolate Macaroons: 

2 cups of organic white sugar
1/2 cup organic milk
1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
1/2 cup organic butter
1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract (you could also use vanilla powder)

Combine these ingredients in a large pot, place on medium heat and melt. Once the mixture has begun to bubble, stir continuously, (think witches-cauldron-type bubbling), wait ten minutes before adding the following ingredients:

1 cup of organic shredded coconut
2 cups of organic oats

Once you have it all stirred in, remove from heat.

Place spoon size globs of the mixture on a waxpaper covered cookie sheet... The blogs can be as big or as little as you want them to be. I make them big when just for a few people and small when I'm feeding the masses.

Place the glob covered sheets in the fridge until cool; once cool carefully remove them from the wax paper and store. They last longer when kept refrigerated, and can easily be frozen for future munching. (They are just as good after being frozen!) 

This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

The macaroons should be relatively dry once cooled and will crumble when you chew them. If you don't boil them long enough they will end up rather sticky; the shticking to teh woof of your mouf like peanut budder... kind of sticky.

Enjoy and Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas!!

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Eco Christmas Videos!

All the videos in this post somehow relate to both Christmas and being eco-friendly. I hope you enjoy the collection!

View my post on green Christmas wrapping. (I have added in a photo of a few presents my family has wrapped this year).

I hope you enjoyed these videos; if you have your own tips for a green/organic Christmas, I'd love to hear them!

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Gift Ideas: For the cell phone addict or techie in your life

We all have someone in our life who can't seem to exist without their cellphone or always has some form of technology on them. This gift idea is an eco-friendly option for anyone who owns an iphone or ipad.

Currently they only offer products for the apple family, but I can hope that will change in the future.

Their cases show ingenuity and a care for the environment that I can't help but approve of. My personal favorite is the shell for the ipad2; though it won't be available in time for Christmas (2011), it is a remarkable product that demonstrates a great deal of creativity and thought.


The iPad Shell:

They must have achieved their goal (see video), as the case will begin shipping on January 20th. (2012)

The iPhone Case:


(They will ship internationally.) 


Check out TRTLBOT and learn more about their products.

Thanks for tuning in and have a fabulous weekend!

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Gift Ideas: For the Golfer on Your List

If you're shopping for Christmas presents we're getting into crunch time here! Because of this Christmas is going to be my main focus for the next little while, I hope you don't mind!

The gift idea today is for that golfer on your list!

Eco-friendly (made from 100% recycled materials) and High Performance Golf Balls.

I don't know anything at all about the world of golf, or golf balls, aside from the fact that most contain some rather nasty ingredients. However, these balls sound positively perfect. I'll let you decide, you can read their write-up below:

"Dixon Golf has created the world's first high performance eco friendly golf balls. Unlike some golf ball brands that use harsh heavy metal pollutants like tungsten, cobalt, lead or contain non-renewable synthetic materials and compounds, all eco friendly golf balls manufactured by Dixon Golf are "green" to the core. They are 100% recyclable and made from re-processable materials. Even the packaging is made from 100% recycled material.

• High performance with three models from which to choose
• Wind: proven distance in long drive competitions
• Earth: top performance in distance and feel
• Fire: tour pro level performance for touch and shot shaping
• Made from re-processable materials
• 100% recyclable with a recycling program to back it up
• 100% recycled packaging

From core to cover, from packaging to production, Dixon Golf is setting a new standard in environmental consciousness.

Determine which model of these 100% High Performance, Eco Friendly golf balls is for you. Or try all three to see what works best with your game.

The Dixon Wind golf ball is the ball of choice for long drive hitters. It has been endorsed by Krank Golf, maker of tournament winning drivers specifically for long drive competitions.

The Dixon Wind golf ball gives you more distance:

• Extreme Distance ball with 428 Monster™ dimple pattern for ultimate distance and accuracy.
• Resilient Eco-cover™ provides maximum durability and spin control.
• Densified precast green core™ generates extra recoil for even greater distance.

Krank Golf endorses the Dixon Wind as the longest ball in golf. Krank Golf, makers of the longest drivers in golf, has named the Dixon Wind ball as their official ball. Krank has tested the Wind ball against many other brands, and it has proven to be the longest ball they’ve ever tested, making the pairing an obvious choice.

"At Krank Golf our main focus is developing the longest and straightest hitting golf drivers in the World. With five Re/Max World Long Drive Championships under our belt, we are very particular on the golf ball we use for testing our drivers. We only use Dixon Golf balls during testing for a number of very important reasons. The Dixon Wind golf balls are the most consistent, durable and highest ball speed golf balls we have ever tested," Krank President Lance Reader said of the partnership with Dixon Golf.

The Dixon Earth golf ball gives you High Performance for distance and feel:

• 392 tour proven dimple pattern for maximum control and distance.
• Thin eco-cover provides exceptional feel and increased durability.
• Improved high velocity green core™ for added distance.
• 92% approval rating from PGA Tour Partners

The Dixon Earth golf ball is the Official ball of the E-golf Professional and Amateur Tours

"I love the game of golf and want to do my part to educate golfers how to be more environmentally responsible, even when it comes to the golf balls we use. I have been playing the Dixon Earth ball for a while and love the fact that not only is it eco-friendly, but it is a high-performance golf ball as well. I golf as often as I can and feel that the Dixon Earth ball fits my game as well as any ball out there. It is refreshing to be associated with a company that shares my love of golf and the environment." - Don Cheadle, Actor, Producer and Philanthropist

"For years I played the Titleist NXT® and NXT® Tour before moving over to the Bridgestone e6, but now, even if I find one of those hiding in the rough, I'll hand it to my playing partner because it's Dixon Earth for me or go home. They fly far, land softly and roll true." - Fred Greene, Host, Golf Smarter

The Dixon Fire golf ball is the Pro Performance ball. The Fire was built for the professional golfer who demands the best:

• Pro-Performance
• 318 tour-precision dimple pattern
• Elastodynamic™ recyclable cast urethane cover
• Energy intensifying mantle for maximum power
• High-intensity green core with ignite technology™

"As soon as I was introduced to the Dixon golf ball, I was immediately impressed. The idea that a golf ball could be eco-friendly blew me away. When I played the Fire ball, I was sold. It is truly an impressive golf ball. Their recycling program is just the icing on the cake." - Kevin Sorbo, Actor, Director, Producer and Philanthropist

One way to think of these golf balls is the following (or you can simply get some of each and experiment to see what works best with your own game):

• The Fire golf ball is good for a low handicap, up to around 5, in that it has low spin however if hit very accurately it provides excellent performance and control.
• The Earth golf ball is good for a handicap of above around 5 and up to around 12 to 20 and provides excellent balance between distance and feel.
• The Wind golf ball is excellent for a handicap of above around 15 to 20 and provides great distance off the tee and good control.

Packaging:
Even the packaging is made from 100% recycled material. From core to cover, from packaging to production, Dixon Golf is setting a new standard in environmental consciousness. Packaged in 4 sleeves with 3 golf balls per sleeve.

Dixon Golf balls are made to be recycled and turned into other products . They even have a recycling program:
$1.00 credit for each Dixon brand golf ball returned through their recycling program."

Holy jeepers. You can even have them imprinted with your brand/logo, etc... 

Who wouldn't want balls like that???

If you go CHECK THEM OUT. Don't be like me and assume that the first price you see is for ONE ball. It's not! They have several different kinds, with different prices; if you're a golfer you should check them out and let me know your opinion! (And yes, the company that sells them ships to Canada.)

-> Eco-friendly Golf Balls

Thanks for tuning in!

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Product of the Week: Perfectly Pleasant Puppy Pampering

Every week I share a green product that is great for humans; I've decided that showing a little love to man's best friend is definitely over due!

Therefore, today we have.....

Bowser's Bubbles!

"The liquid dog shampoo cleans and moisturizes your furry friend's skin while supplying nutrients to their coat. It is made with a blend of coconut oil, nettle extract, aloe vera and vitamin A. 240ml/8oz."

This fabulous product works like a charm, leaving the dogs coat clean and soft. Just ask my sister's puppy; she's so fuzzy that sometimes you mistake her for a giant dust bunny. The dog... not my sister.


It is a great product which I heartily recommend.

There is also one for cats, a bar of pet soap and a variety of other pet related products which can be found HERE.

See you Wednesday!

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