Ecoscene Blog

Hey, vegetarian readers! If you missed out on Grandma's famous gravy on Thanksgiving, I've tried a great alternative to help you out. Simply Organic, a USDA organic certified company that offers all sorts of delicious spice packets and sauce mixes, has a vegetarian gravy that is a very decent substitute, and simple to make as well! Their Italian salad dressing also makes for a perfect accompaniment to any salad passed around the dinner table. And it's all USDA certified organic!

You can find a healthy selection of Simply Organic products at most major grocery stores, but they also offer all of their products to purchase online. To sweeten the pot even more, Simply Organics gives 1% of their sales to environmental projects such as organic agriculture and the restoration of natural habitats. What are you waiting for, veg-heads? Get your gravy on the right way!

Read our review of Simply Organic here >>

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered our blog comment contest! You guys left some great substantive comments. We hope you will all stick around Ecoscene and continue the conversation.

The following folks won an Ecoscene t-shirt: Megan McKeon, Shayne, A Siegel, Hans and Carrie!

The big winner of an iPod is: Carrie! (See, making lots of comments pays off!)

And our honorable mention winner of a Very Special Gift is: Marie!

To claim your prize, send an email to Molly@ecosceneinc.com

We recently savored a pre-Thanksgiving feast seasoned with freshly ground pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning from Simply Organic, which provides a comprehensive line of organic spices, sauces, and more.

Read our review here >>

What are your secrets for a savory Thanksgiving?

Stop by and see us - we'll be in booth 418. For more details about the expo, see our previous blog entry here. Can't wait to meet you!

We are extending our blog comment contest for one week - make a comment to win! More comments increases your chances of winning one of our fabulous prizes. Return to the blog on 11/18 to find out if you're the big winner of an Ecoscene shirt or our grand prize - an iPod!If you already commented between November 4 and 11, never fear, we will a special drawing just for you. The fabulous prize is a surprise, and you won't be disappointed.Cheers and happy commenting.

There are many ways to green your coffee. I kick-start my day with coffee brewed in a press pot, which is more flavorful than using a drip machine, and doesn’t require a paper filter. I also buy Fair Trade beans locally roasted by Metropolis Coffee Company in Chicago.  (Ecoscene also reviewed a Fair Trade coffee provider, Higher Grounds Trading Company.) 

No time to brew? You can still bring your own refillable cup to the coffee shop, request your muffin sans bag, or give your sweetened coffee a good swish instead of a swizzle.

For two coffee chains that are doing more good things to add green to your joe, read our latest review here >>

Does this information change your coffee buying behavior? Let us know!

To celebrate the launch of our blog, we are having a contest! Simply leave a (substantive) comment on any blog post, and we will enter you into a drawing to be held on Tuesday November 11.

We're giving away 4 Ecoscene shirts and an iPod shuffle! You can enter as many times as you want - one entry per comment.

Let the conversation commence!

Offical Rules: To enter, simply make a comment on any blog post. Comments should be substantive. Each comment serves as a new entry. The more comments you make, the better your chances of winning. To find out if you're a winner, return to our blog where we will announce the lucky winning commenters! 

This week, Ecoscene reviewed three organic lollipop producers that are taking the chemicals out of candy. While Pure Fun is made in the US and Canada, both the Yummy Earth and Trader Joe's brands are made in Mexico by Yummy Earth in a facility that provides 65 fair paying jobs, according to Rob Wunder, Co-Founder of Yummy Earth.

This brings up the interesting Fair Trade issue that we blogged about last week: what's more important for the environment – buying locally or supporting Fair Trade globally?

Halloween brings the cornucopia of sweets and treats that can put kids into a sugar high that lasts until Valentine's Day. To try something sweet without additives and food coloring, we put three organic lollipops to the test here >>

What is your favorite organic Halloween treat? "Spook" up here!

Click the "more" link below to get details of our sushi adventure.

Okay, it's only almost 11 central here in Chicago, but I am ready for lunch! I've downloaded the guide, trimmed the edges and carefully folded it.

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