Red, White, Blue & Green!

The Daily Green's Bulgur Bean Burgers.

Just because it's Fourth of July and you absolutely need to grill out doesn't mean that it can't be done with the least environmental impact possible. 

We can:
- Serve less meats. Buy local and grass-fed when possible.
- Buy local and organic produce. Grilled seasonal vegetables are delicious and won't weigh us down in hot weather.
- Only have reusable kitchenware. Mark glasses with color stirrers, straws, or even stickers on the bottoms, so guests can easily recognize theirs. This reduces the number of glasses used, which means less dishes to wash and less water usage!
- Have plenty of reusable towels on hand for cleaning messes.
- Serve organic beer and wine, and have a designated bin for bottles and cans.

The Daily Green has a few suggestions for more eco-friendly grills and some delicious  vegetarian  recipes, and Planet Green has a list of tips to make a greener barbecue. We at Loomstate recommend making your own non-alcoholic beverages so you know exactly what you're drinking.



Here's a new spin on the good ol' lemonade:

5 organic lemons squeezed for about a cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup of raw honey (more to taste)
5 cups of water
3-4 leaves of organic mint leaves

Heat about 1 cup of water in a small pan for 15 seconds so it's warm enough to melt the honey. Stir in honey until melted and mixed in. 

In a large bowl or pitcher, pour in the honey water mix with the lemon juice. Throw in the mint leaves and use the mixing spoon (a wooden one works well) and mash the leaves. Fill the rest with water and put in the fridge. Put in ice right before serving and enjoy!

Raw honey naturally has a herbal, minty character to it, and by adding mint leaves, this recipe will feel cooler than a regular lemonade, so you'll need less ice and refrigeration time. To add another twist to this, we sometimes throw in some raspberries and mash them up with the mint.


Happy Fourth of July!


---viv

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