We are thrilled to bits with the great article in’ Inhabitat’ about our newest initiatives regarding billboards, and forming partnerships with companies who use them as advertising, and getting them to dispose of them sustainably.

Below is the link, let us know what you think!

http://inhabitat.com/nyc/first-world-trash-makes-stylish-handbags-from-new-yorks-discarded-billboards/nyigf-first-world-trash/?extend=1

Food sovereignty = Livelihood + self determination

http://grist.org/urban-agriculture/lexicon-of-sustainability-food-sovereignty/

We love the MNN website, full of great information, fact figures, and the odd bit of gossip thrown in for good measure!

We have been following the Primaries, and it got us thinking about the different states and what they are all good at.. and it seems MNN were following our thinking (Great minds think alike!).

Check out the Link below to see what your state is best at, Whatever State your in, everyone is best at something!

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/infographic-whats-your-state-good-at

You know we love you, and want the best for you? Right?

So here are some handy hints to make your Christmas an eco-friendly one, and remeber: Every little helps!

What about a vegetarian Christmas? Not sure what on earth to eat? There are LOADS  of great recipes on line, you wont feel like you have missed out on a thing!

But if you do buy meat make it Organic! or even better organic and locally raised. Know your farmers!!! Those of you that are city kidz can get GOOD  meat from farmers markets. Ah, we feel better already!

Gifts..buying loads doesnt make you love someone more! Chose something GREAT, long lasting and that the person getting it might actually want/need/like/love!

Buy gifts for sustainable sources – of course at this point we will mention our products! But there are lots of great eco-friendly gifts covering all ages and tastes. Or you could adopt an animal (you don’t get to un-wrap a growling Tiger on the day.. but you do help save a species!)

Re- make things, especially if you have kids. This is a great way to keep them entertained and gets them thinking about how things can be re-sued. Get them to make all your cards, and we bet lots of those can be hand delivered!

Where will you get your tree from this year? We like to lighten the load – and keep things sustainable, by collecting twigs and small fallen branches from our local park. We put then in a pot, pack newspaper around then to keep them up right, and then over them with all of our home made Christmas decorations, gorgeous!

Make gifts yourselves, baking, sewing, gluing, sawing, tying, cutting and glittering (prob not grammatically correct but ya get it?!), all homemade gifts go down a treat at Chrsitmas. It’s the thought that counts and thats the message we will keep with us this Chrsitmas!

Now we all love a good light display.. but by using LED lights and not trying to attract attention from outter space not only will you do the enviroment a favor, but your bills we be lower. Whats not to like?!

Have a cozy one, and feel the love!

Did you know that it is BUY LOCAL week from 26th November?

Communities across the country will kick off the 8^th Annual Buy Local Week on Friday, November 26,2010 through Sunday, December 5, 2010. Business and citizen networks celebrate Buy Local Week during the holiday season to educate people about the benefits of shopping locally and to encourage shopping at locally owned and independent stores before shopping at chain retailers.

Economists forecast that U.S. consumers will spend approximately $445 billion during the 2010 holiday season. Studies have shown that dollars spent at local, independent businesses re-circulate in the local community up to three times more, making local holiday shopping an important investment for all towns and cities. It helps boost the potential for local business owners to be prosperous and encourages the growth of economic security, rather than send profits to corporations that own big box stores and out-of-town chains.

Buying local helps build more prosperous and healthier communities on several fronts. It:

• Strengthens the local economy: Local business owners buy more often from other local businesses. Therefore, the money spent is retained in the community.

• Creates a healthier environment: Buying items made closer to home cuts down on fossil fuel use, reducing the carbon impact. Reduced transportation costs can also mean more affordable goods.

• Retains local flavor: Experiences at local establishments are completely unique, expressing the local fl­avor of the area.

• Increases community involvement: Local business owners are more likely to get involved in and contribute to community efforts than corporations that own big box stores.

Studies support the idea that buying local has significant economic, job and environmental benefits:

• Money spent at a locally owned business stays in the local economy and continues to strengthen the economic base of the community.

• Small, local businesses make indispensable contributions to communities and neighborhoods and at a higher rate than larger or out-of-state corporations.

• Most job growth comes from local independent businesses

• Small businesses, which are more often located in central business districts, have less impact on local ecosystems compared to larger retailers located in strip malls or stand-alone buildings.

At First World trash we fully support this in addition to buying American made good, produce that is in Seanson and good made buy the people you buy directly from!

Dont forget we are offering a 10% discount to those who order before November 24th (don’t forget to mention this blog when you order!)

Everyone loves this classic dish, perfect for Thanksgiving holiday fare. Using prepared whole-grain pie crusts makes pot pies a snap to prepare.

Makes two pies, 12 or more servings

• 8 medium potatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, quartered and finely chopped
• 3 cups diced vegetables of your choice
  (choose 3 or 4 from among cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, leeks, peas, corn kernels, zucchini, yellow summer squash, mushrooms, kale, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
• 1 cup vegetable stock (homemade or store bought)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional but highly recommended)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose seasoning blend (such as Spike or Mrs. Dash)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Two 9-inch prepared good-quality pie crust, preferably whole grain
• 1 cup fine whole grain bread crumbs
• Paprika for topping

Cook or microwave the potatoes in their skins until done. When cool enough to handle, peel them. Dice four of them and mash the other four coarsely. Set aside until needed.

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until  golden. Add the vegetables of your choice, layering quicker-cooking vegetables like peas, corn, and zucchini over longer cooking ones like cauliflower, broccoli, and leeks (though none of these are terribly long-cooking). Add a bit of water; cover and cook until the vegetables are tender but not overdone, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour into the skillet, then pour in the stock. Add the optional nutritional yeast. Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. until the liquid thickens. Stir in both the diced and mashed potatoes. Heat through gently. Stir in the seasoning blend, thyme, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the  mixture into the pie crust and pat in.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over each pie, then top with a sprinkling of paprika. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let the pies stand at room temperature for 10 minutes or so, then cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy!

What would a Thanksgiving dinner be without stuffing? Have no fear a recipe is here!

Mushrooms add so much flavor to vegetarian dishes, and they are the perfect ingredient to put in your vegetarian stuffing! This recipe for vegetarian mushroom stuffing calls for cashews and bell peppers as well as the traditional stuffing ingredients such as celery and thyme.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound bread, cubed
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups roasted cashew pieces
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place bread cubes on large shallow baking pan and bake until golden, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Turn oven down to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in large heavy skillet. Add onions and cook until clear, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes). Add red peppers, mushrooms and celery; cook until tender – about 5 to 7 minutes.

Combine with bread in mixing bowl; add nuts, seasonings, vegetable broth and beaten eggs. Stir well and pour into an 8-inch greased baking pan or one of similar size. (Can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated). Cover and bake for about 1 hour.

Makes 8 servings of vegetarian stuffing.

Turkeys will play a central role in many Thanksgiving dinners this year, but what are the alternatives? First World trash is here to help you with a few recipe alternatives to make your mouth water!  Over the next week we will bring you some great ideas for a meat free feast. The only problem is, there might not be leftovers!

Here is the recipe for a classic Thanksgiving dish: Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts That Anyone Will Eat

Ingredients:

4-6 cups of Brussels sprouts
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ to 1 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
½ cup Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1: Clean the Brussels sprouts well and put them in boiling water for about 5 minutes to blanch them.

2: Rinse and set aside.

3: In a large cast iron or sauté pan, melt half of the butter and half of the olive oil.

4: Add the chopped garlic.

5: Cut each of the Brussels sprouts in half. THIS STEP IS ESSENTIAL! Add them to the pan.

6: When the sprouts are browned and crispy, add the bread crumbs and the rest of the butter and olive oil.

7: At the last minute, add the cheese so it melts and browns as well.

8: Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve!

Enjoy! They are really, really good.

luckly the lower east side has some events to help you make the transition.
the next indoor composting project is the 15th of november.
check out the site for a full list of events in the nyc area.

Indoor Worm Composting Workshop
November 15, 2011 | 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Sixth St Community Center, 638 East 6th Street, New York, NY 10009
Learn how to convert your kitchen scraps into a rich, organic fertilizer to feed back to your plants, just like nature intended! We will demonstrate how to set up an indoor worm bin, and go over basic care and maintenance. Indoor compost bins with worms will be available for purchase at the reduced price of $44. Registration required. Workshop Fee $5/person.

i like to make my halloween costumes from extra stuff i have laying around. luckily i have a bunch of excess stuff in the fwt studio.  this year i had my eye on some open cell 1″ foam.  first we turned to google for inspiration.

giving the bacon its bacon texture

once the research portions was complete we cut out the individual strips, being sure to cut little notches on the sides to really give it that bacon texture.

next we used dark red spray paint to give the foam its bacon color. then laid them out to dry overnight outside.

everyone loves bacon. have a happy halloween.

from here its easy. cut face hole, insert face, have fun.

just because we made bacon doesn’t mean you have to too. i almost made myself broccoli. be creative.  we just thought it would be funny to see a gaggle of bacon strips walking around.