Coco-Zen

Quote of the Week - 11.03.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 00:16:00 +0000

Love is just like rice - plant it elsewhere and it grows.
~ Malagasy Proverb

Love is like Fair Trade chocolate - share it and it grows.
~ Coco-Zen

Thank you and goodbye, sort of...

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 08:47:00 +0000

Dear Friends, Fans and Loyal Customers,

After these many years of making chocolates and helping to spread the word on Fair Trade, I've decided that it's time to say goodbye as I move onto other personal endeavors.

Closing up shop...

Coco-Zen will be closing over the next couple of months. Beginning November 1, Coco-Zen will no longer be producing "edible" treats. Only our "wearable" Chocolate Body Treats and a few Green Living items will be available for purchase. These will be available for the remainder of the year or until supplies run out.

Sort of...

Several people have already inquired about chocolates for holiday gifting. Since this is a special time of the year, I will be taking some "personal" orders. If you are interested in ordering chocolates for the holiday season, you can email me for information - info@coco-zen.com.

New website on Facebook...

Our current website will also be closing, as we migrate everything over to our Facebook Page. There you can visit our Shop to make purchases. We will also continue to post articles and information on Fair Trade and all things "green" that we come across.

Lastly, but most importantly...

I want to personally say thank you to everyone. I truly appreciate all the friends and family who have supported me in this wonderful adventure in chocolate. And...I especially want to thank all the wonderful customers that have visited our little shop on the web. Many of you have become friends, sharing knowledge and wonderful experiences in chocolate, Fair Trade and all manners of green living.

It's been 6 1/2 years since I was inspired to start Coco-Zen (that little face I'm holding in the picture spawned my adventure into Fair Trade and green living), and an amazing time it has been. So, it's with bittersweetness in my heart that I finally say thank you and goodbye...sort of.

Cheers to all!

Joyce Kushner

Coco-Zen Founder and Chief Chocolate Maker

Quote of the Week - 10.27.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 02:44:00 +0000

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
~ Mahatma Ghandi

Happiness is when planet, people and chocolate are in harmony.
~ Coco-Zen

Quote of the Week - 10.14.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 21:02:00 +0000

Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.

~ Thomas Edison

Good chocolate is what happens when cocoa meets with Fair Trade.

~ Coco-Zen

Quote of the Week - 09.09.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 00:23:00 +0000

Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles.

~ Walter Cronkite

Chocolate is more delicious when you achieve it through Fair Trade.

~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 09.04.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 05:37:00 +0000

Dolphins Have "Names," Respond When Called - (National Geographic)

Food Stuff

Recipe: Oven-dried Grape Tomato and Basil Hummus - (Mother Nature Network) Easy, yummy hummus recipe.
250,000 Lab-Grown Burger Served Up in London, Tasters Say It Could Use More Fat - (Inhabitat) Yup, finally made and taste tested a lab grown burger.
Steak made from human poop passes taste test - (Mother Nature Network) "Would you eat a steak made from human sewage? Believe it or not, this concept has already been taste-tested and approved." ...WTF?!!!!
7 Nutrient-Dense Superfoods You Can Grow at Home! - (Inhabitat) Home vegetable garden anyone???
Cotton Candy Flavored Grapes????? - (Inhabitots) WTF...do we really need these?

Home Stuff

13 natural remedies for the ant invasion - (Mother Nature Network) Yup...it's hot out, here come the ants.
Beer Can House: Texas Home Made from 50,000 Cans Now a Designated Landmark - (Inhabitat) Would have been cool to see this on our cross country road trip last year!
Let Kids Color All Over the Wall with Wee Gallery’s Dress-Me Wallpaper - (Inhabitots)

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

10 Ingenious Ways to Recycle an Old T-Shirt - (Ecouterre) Great ideas...loving the flip flop and produce bag ideas!
13 Year-Old Maya Shea Penn Makes Sustainable Clothing for Eco-Conscious Fashionistas - (Inhabitots) Yes!!!

Tech & Science Stuff

California to Break Ground on the Nation's First High-Speed Rail Line This Summer - (Inhabitat) woohoo!!
100% Electric Cars Are Now Outselling Plug-in Hybrids in the US - (Inhabitat)
Pilot Plant That Converts Carbon Dioxide into Bricks is a World First - (Inhabitat) Would be amazing.
KAIST Unveils Folding Electric Micro Car That Can Fit Into Any Parking Space! - (Inhabitat) Folds down to 5.24 feet!!

Nature & Environment Stuff

9 Popular Cities Losing War with Rising Seas - (Discovery News)
Photographer enjoys rare close encounter with narwhals - cool!
New Study Reveals Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Hits Fish Hard - (ScienceWorkd Report) Great.
Meet the Plastisphere: Ocean plastic pollution is so bad, it is now its own ecosystem. - (TreeHugger)
Alaskan beaches blighted by up to tonne of garbage per mile - (The Guardian)
Rising Sea Levels Could Submerge 1,700 U.S. Cities by 2100 - (Inhabitat) ...including New York, Boston and Miami.
Dog-Killing Blue Green Algae Bacteria Found in Parts of Long Island - (Inhabitat) Yes...we are polluting our water...hello!!
Seahorses Threatened by Climate Change - (weather.com)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Nikolay Polissky Creates Massive 'Beaubourg' Sculpture Using Traditional Basket Weaving Techniques - (Inhabitat)

International Stuff

The US is Banned From Exporting Garbage to China Through the 'Green Fence Initiative' - (Inhabitat) Hmmm...maybe we need to think about how not to make so much of it.

Other Random Cool Stuff

Phyto Kinetic: Green-Roofed Buses Add a Breath of Fresh Air to the Urban Jungle - (Inhabitat) Neat idea.
17 creative ways to reuse your phone book - (Mother Nature Network) Some great craft projects to do with the kids too!

Quote of the Week - 09.01.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 04:37:00 +0000

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.
~ Buddha

When you realize how perfect Fair Trade chocolate is, you will tilt your head back and enjoy the chocolate.
~ Coco-Zen

VIDEO: Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:25:00 +0000

Genetically modified organisms... how they came into our food supply and the risks they pose to animal and human health. Very interesting is how this relates to the growing food allergy problems that so many kids seem to have now.

"This seminal documentary provides compelling evidence to help explain the deteriorating health of Americans, especially among children, and offers a recipe for protecting ourselves and our future."

Genetic Roulette Movie Trailer - (scroll down for the full movie in 4 parts)

Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives - Part 1 of 4

Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives - Part 2 of 4

Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives - Part 3 of 4

Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives - Part 4 of 4

Stuff We Found Today - 07.24.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:28:00 +0000

Jellyfish Lake - (Mother Nature Network)

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

I Ate My Placenta and it was great! - (Inhabitots) Think this will truly catch on?

Food Stuff

5 Foods To Help Protect Against Sun Damage - (MindBodyGreen) Good to know!
Keep it cool this summer with these eco cocktail recipes - (Mother Nature Network) Margarita popsicles!!
Tips on brewing a great cup (several different ways), recycling coffee grounds, and waste-saving tips - (Mother Nature Network)
8 Superfoods You Can Mix Into Any Dish - (MindBodyGreen) So easy.
Kimchi Maki - (GirlieGirlArmy) Love making sushi rolls...this looks and sounds delish.

Home Stuff

IKEA Unveils Solar-Powered Flat Pack Shelters for Easily Deployable Emergency Housing - (Inhabitat) Meant for disaster relief and refugees, but bet all the survivalists would love to get one.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Amazon-Crafted Wooden Clutch Wins Most Socially Responsible Handbag Award - (Ecouterre) ...and it's gorgeous to boot.
“Celeb Escargot” Facials Use Snails to Rejuvenate The Skin of Women in Japan - (Inhabitat) Are you kidding me???
Secret Sandblasting by Chinese Denim Factories Exact Deadly Toll - (Ecouterre) The more we know...the better choices we can make.

Tech & Science Stuff

UK Scientists Create World’s First Pee-Powered Cell Phone - (Inhabitat) For reals...
Elon Musk to Unveil Ultra High-Speed Hyperloop Train Plans by August 12 - (Inhabitat) LA to SF in 30 minutes..yes!
Swedish Machine Turns Sweat into Perfectly Good Drinking Water! - (Inhabitat) Would you drink it?
The “Hand Tree” is a Portable Air Filter You Wear on Your Wrist - (Ecouterre) Cool idea or just another gadget??

Nature & Environment Stuff

Africa's Western Black Rhino is Now Officially Extinct - (Inhabitat) Sad.
It's twins for Atlanta's giant panda - (Mother Nature Network) Baby pandas!
Crazy Sea Creature Looks Like a Living Rock With Red Guts - (Inhabitat)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

The World’s Most Beautiful Street is a Tree-Filled Oasis in the Heart of Porto Alegre, Brazil - (Inhabitat)

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Keystone XL Could Raise Gasoline Prices by 40 Cents Per Gallon, Report Finds - (Inhabitat) Video in post.
Ag-Gag Laws Silence Whistleblowers - (BillMoyers.com) “The Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act” would make it a crime to film at animal facilities (video in post).
Teenager Develops Program to Feed Thousands of Hungry People in California - (Inhabitat) Love smart, activist kids!

Other Random Cool Stuff

Los Angeles Becomes Largest City in US to Ban Plastic Bags - (Inhabitat) - Woohoo!
Cardboard Technologies Announces Plans to Produce $10 Cardboard Bicycle - (Inhabitat) ...and it's also made of recycled plastic bottles and used tires.
HOW TO: Make a Recycled Lava Lamp with Your Kids - (Inhabitots) Gotta try this one.
Amazing ERO Concrete-Recycling Robot Can Erase Entire Buildings - (Inhabitat) Whoa...this is cool.

Stuff We Found Today - 06.27.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 01:59:00 +0000

Pod of 40 bottlenose dolphins ride 8ft-high waves along South African coast

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

SkinVision App Turns Your Smartphone Into a Skin Cancer Scanner - (Inhabitat) Perfect for all of us who obsess over every mole that shows up.
6 of the World's Coolest Green Playgrounds - (Inhabitots)
Make Organic Sculpting Clay in 4 Simple Steps Using 4 Ingredients! - (Inhabitots) Grab the kiddies and let the sculpting fun begin!
The Quinny Jett LongboardStroller is a Stroller/Skateboard Hybrid! - (Inhabitots) OMG...would have loved one of these when our kid was younger!!

Food Stuff

Mars and Nestlé charged with chocolate price fixing in Canada - (ConfectioneryNews.com) Look what the big guys are up to... Nestle was also a part of this but is expected to plead guilty.
Whole Foods Shows Customers the Bleak Future of Produce Without Bees - (Inhabitat) Pretty shocking, but gets to the point.
Coke's New Ice Bottle Keeps Drinks Cool and Melts Away With No Waste - (Inhabitat) Awesome idea...now only if it was filled with something healthier.
EU Approves the Use of Laser "Tattoos" on Fruit as Replacement for Sticky Labels - (Inhabitat)
The Lepsis is a Terrarium for Growing Edible Bugs at Home - (Inhabitat) Don't think too many westerners are ready for this

Home Stuff

Make A Mini Felt Planter To Green Your Walls - (Inhabitat) Cute and easy!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Kind Crusader: Maya, 13-Year-Old Eco Designer - (The KInd Life) Love kids who do good for people & planet... and she's gorgeous to boot!
Vodafone’s “Power Shorts” Use Body Heat to Charge Your Cellphone - (Ecouterre) Is that body heat or "booty" heat? hahahaha

Tech & Science Stuff

16 Year-Old Develops Cleaner, More Efficient Method of Creating Biofuel - (Inhabitots) Put this one under cool, smart kids...love it!

Nature & Environment Stuff

Photographer Bryant Austin Swims Eye-to-Eye with a Whale - (Fora.tv) The awesome sperm whale...
Epic lightning bolt strikes America's tallest skyscraper - (Mother Nature Network)
Big Texas T-storm caught in time-lapse video - (Mother Nature Network) "...eerie growth of a supercell thunderstorm in North Texas." This is cool to watch
15 reasons to visit Yosemite - (Mother Nature Network) "We let the photos do the talking in this tour of the iconic national park." Love Yosemite!!
Surf's up! Pod of 40 bottlenose dolphins ride 8ft-high waves along South African coast - (MailOnline)
8 Unbelievable octopus videos - (TreeHugger) Click to see 8 super cool octopus videos (fun time waster!)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

6 Suspended Tree Tents For a Lighter-Than-Air Camping Experience - (Inhabitat) These would be great for a backyard getaway too!
XploreAir Paravelo: World's First Flying Bicycle Lifts Off the Ground - (Inhabitat) Yup...this is for real.

Other Random Cool Stuff

6 fascinating people who own almost nothing - (Mother Nature Network) "These people have rejected the stuff-cluttered life for something more meaningful." Hmmm, think you can do it??
New Yorkers to compost 10 percent of residential waste - (Mother Nature Network) "Mayor Michael Bloomberg puts plans in action so residents of New York City can have food scraps composted." All cities should have composting as part of their waste collection system.

Quote of the Week - 06.16.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:24:00 +0000

Laughter is an instant vacation.
~ Milton Berle

A piece of Fair Trade chocolate is an instant vacation.
~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 06.06.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:08:00 +0000

Floating Mangrove Forest Springs Up in a Wrecked Coal Ship

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

Exposed: Lung Cancer Risks from Fracked Natural Gas in NYC Kitchens - (EcoWatch)
Conventional Feminine Hygiene Products: A Women’s Issue With Toxic Implications - (NaturallySavvy.com) Yeah... ladies, do we really want toxin/chemical laced "things" up in and around our nether regions???

Food Stuff

10 Ways To Use Up Old Spices - (Earth 911.com) Love the idea for making kids paints...they'll have just as much fun making them as using them!
Don't throw out that pickle juice - (Mother Nature Network) Turns out you can use it for all sorts of things.

Home Stuff

12 Ways to Upcycle Thrifted Furniture - (Earth911.com) Some great ideas for all you DIYers.
The Coolest Thing To Hang On Your Wall: DIY Wood Block Photos (GirlieGirlArmy.com) - another fun DIY project to try out!
Tetris-Like Micro House Can be Stacked to Form Expanded Housing Suites - (Inhabitat) How cool to plop one of these into your backyard for an instant guest house?!
Incredible Treehouse Built by Grandparents Features Amazing Antique Details - (Inhabitots) Wow!!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

How to Go Nontoxic at the Salon - (Green America) Some things to consider the next time you get your hair or nails done.
Orange Fiber: A High-Fashion Textile Derived From Citrus Waste - (Ecouterre)
15 Major Retailers That Haven't Signed the Bangladesh Safety Agreement - (Ecouterre)

Tech & Science Stuff

Eighteen-Year-Old Invents Device That Can Charge Your Cell Phone in 20 Seconds - (Inhabitat) Love smart kids!
MindDrive: World's First Social Media Powered Electric Car is Fueled by Tweets and Likes - (Inhabitat) Created to engage at-risk youth by giving them the skills to build an electric vehicle. This is such a cool program!! Be sure to watch the video!
Student Science Experiment Shows Plants Won’t Grow Near Wi-Fi Router - (Inhabitots) ...uhhh, guess that means it's not healthy for us!

Nature & Environment Stuff

Coastal Cleanup 2012: Top 10 Items Found During Trash Collection Program - (Huffington Post) Of course, 7 of the 10 are plastic related.
The weirdest square mile of ocean on Earth - (Washington Post) Video of some cool, strange, deadly sea creatures.
Floating Mangrove Forest Springs Up in a Wrecked Coal Ship - (Inhabitat) Hmmm...eventually, nature prevails.
Internet Mogul Sean Parker Trashes Big Sur Redwood Forest to Create a Fantasy Wedding - (Inhabitat) The arrogance of some people...
Conservationist shares home with 200 sloths - (Mother Nature Network) They are so cute!
Beautiful Close-Up Underwater Photos of Luminous Sea Creatures - (PetaPixel) Cool to look at.

Other Random Cool Stuff

MSNBC anchor Dylan Ratigan gives up fame and fortune to become a farmer - (Mother Nature Network) ...and he's creating sustainable farming while helping veterans get back to work - awesome!!

Quote of the Week - 06.02.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 02:12:00 +0000

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

~ Confucius

It does not matter how slowly you eat your chocolate as long as it’s Fair Trade.

~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 05.20.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:22:00 +0000

Do The Green Thing: "Don't Bottle It" by Stuart Watson

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

What is Teflon: The Infertility Connection - (Mommy Greenest) Knew teflon was bad, but didn't know it was linked to infertility!
Unacceptable Levels Trailer - (YouTube) Movie coming out summer 2013 about all the chemicals we're exposed to everyday and have seeped into our bodies.
EWG's 2013 Guide to Sunscreens - (Environmental Working Group) Get ready for the hot days ahead.

Food Stuff

$325,000 Lab-Grown Burger to be Served Up in London Next Month - (Inhabitat) Hmmm...right or wrong? Would you eat it?
UN Report Says We Should Be Eating More Bugs - (Inhabitat) Unfortuantely, don't think us westerners will be able to get over the barf factor.
Dark chocolate enhances mood... - (ConfectioneryNews.com) "Study particpants consuming a cocoa flavanol-rich dark chocolate drink reported being calmer and more content." Hmmm...think any chocoholic could have told us that!
27 Ways To Make Your Groceries Last As Long As Possible - (BuzzFeed) Really good tips here!!
Superbugs Invade American Supermarkets - (Environmental Working Group) "Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are now common in the meat aisles of American supermarkets. These so-called superbugs can trigger foodborne illness and infections that are hard to treat."
Tell the FDA to Reject More Aspartame in Milk! - (Food Democracy Now) "...the giant dairy lobby is trying to force the federal government to redefine 'milk' to include artificial sweeteners such as aspartame in children’s school lunches without proper labels."

Home Stuff

Nurseryworks Stylish District Crib Transforms Into an Adult-Sized Desk or Daybed - (Inhabitots) Wish all cribs did this!!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

More Western Brands, Retailers Commit to Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety - (Ecouterre) Gap and Walmart are NOT among them!

Tech & Science Stuff

Amtrak Unveils New High-Efficiency Electric Trans for Northeast Corridor - (Inhabitat)

Nature & Environment Stuff

Study: Gulf oil spill is sickening fish vital to seafood industry - (Los angeles Times)
7 places for top-notch stargazing - (Mother Nature Network)
Cicadas continue East Coast march - (Mother Nature Network) Scientists expect this brood's population to be up to 30 billion this year.
A Black Mound of Canadian Oil Waste Is Rising Over Detroit - (NYTimes.com) "Detroit’s ever-growing black mountain is the unloved, unwanted and long overlooked byproduct of Canada’s oil sands boom."

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Best hiking in the U.S. and how to prepare for it - (Mother Nature Network)

Quote of the Week - 05.20.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:05:00 +0000

Every new day is another chance to change your life.

~Unknown

Every new day is another chance to have some Fair Trade chocolate.

~ Coco-Zen

Quote of the Week - 05.12.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:27:00 +0000

He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.

~ Confucius

He who eats chocolate but does not buy Fair Trade is lost. He who buys Fair Trade chocolate but does not eat it is insane.

~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 05.07.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:01:00 +0000

Extreme Algae Bloom - algae-covered waters off the coast of Qingdao, China

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

You Are a Guinea Pig in the Greatest Uncontrolled Experiment Ever Launched - (EcoWatch) Must read this...

Food Stuff

FDA to probe impact of caffeine on kids' health following launch of Wrigley's Alert Energy Caffeine Gum - (ConfectioneryNews.com) "The FDA says it will take a “fresh look” at the health effects of caffeine on kids following the launch of Alert Energy Caffeine Gum - a new caffeinated gum from Wrigley (Mars)." Seriously...do we really need caffeine in gum?!!!
This map will tell you where to forage for food in your neighborhood - (Grist) Check to see if there's anything around you...http://fallingfruit.org/
How Government Cover-Up on Fish Farming Affects Your Health - (Organic Consumers Association) Video worth watching.

Home Stuff

HOW TO: Grow an Herb Garden in Eggshell Planters - (Inhabitots) Perfect spring activity to do with the kids.
Square Building Blocks from Living Gourds - (Inhabitat) OK...pretty cool.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Bride wears wedding dress made from 10,000 bread tags - (Mother Nature Network) "An Australian woman and her fiancé started collecting tags 10 years ago and decided they would marry when she had enough to make a dress."

Tech & Science Stuff

Portable Solar-Powered Outlet Sticks to Windows, Charges Small Electronics - (Inhabitat) How cool is this?!!
ELF: Are these 'the most efficient vehicles on the planet'? - (Mother Nature Network) "This electric-assist tricycle is ready to win hearts and take on the city streets."
America now has more solar energy workers than coal miners - (TreeHugger) "The Solar Foundation, which has been releasing reports for a few years on the state of the solar industry in the U.S., has just launched a very cool interactive map that breaks the stats down state by state."

Nature & Environment Stuff

Poachers Completely Wipe Out African Rhinos in Mozambique - (Inhabitat) Very sad.
Bee-Killing Pesticides Banned in Europe! - (Inhabitat) Think it'll ever happen here in the US???
Pictures: Extreme Algae Blooms Expanding Worldwide - (National Geographic) "Some of these blooms can create dead zones, or areas that are deprived of oxygen, in the water. And some algal species can also produce toxins that wreak havoc on human livers and neurological functions and cause seizures in marine mammals."
Earth Day photos: Celebrating the beauty of our planet - (Mother Nature Network) Beautiful pics of our beautiful planet.

Other Random Cool Stuff

10 Things to Recycle for Charity - (Earth911.com)

VIDEO: Carbon Omissions Animation

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:53:00 +0000

Although this short animation speak directly about the UK, it can easily describe any other western "developed" society.

A new animation about consumption, climate change and wellbeing by PIRC, George Monbiot and Leo Murray. For more info, see: http://carbonomissions.org.uk

Quote of the Week - 04.28.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:06:00 +0000

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.
~ John Lennon

Time you enjoy eating Fair Trade chocolate, was definitely not wasted.
~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 04.23.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:33:00 +0000

Deep Dark Chocolate Tart Recipe - gluten-free and vegan!

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

5 Amazing DIY Forts! - (Inhabitots) These are pretty cool.
How nature can help us heal from grief - (Mother Nature Network) "It's no accident that many children's books on grieving follow nature-based themes." A timely article in the wake of recent tragedies.
3D Ultrasound That Reveals a Baby in Utero Like Never Before - (Inhabitots) How cool is this?!!! Anyone having gone through pregnancy, how much would you have loved to have had this technology when your kid was in utero???

Food Stuff

Regular cocoa flavanol intake could help maintain brain health - (ConfectioneryNews) Hmmmm...would that make us chocoholics smarty pants??
Deep Dark Chocolate Tart Recipe - (Mother Nature Network) ...and it's gluten-free and vegan!
Mediterranean comfort food recipes - (Mother Nature Network) Love the "Chicken with Orzo Pasta" recipe...great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken.
Frankenapple: Bad News No Matter How You Slice It - (Organic Consumers Association) New GMO apple that won't turn brown expected to be approved by USDA
The Easiest Beet Chips You'll Ever Make - (MindBodyGreen) Seriously, this is that easy.
EWG's 2013 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce - (Environmental Working Group) Yes, there's a smartphone app too...perfect to take to the grocery store with you.

Home Stuff

What's in a home? Our housing choices and the environment - (Mother Nature Network) "... the United States' obsession with big houses and the general lack of concern of what impact that has on the community." Very interesting read.
Natural and Innovative Materials at the 2013 Milan Furniture Fair - (Inhabitat) Especially love the Gu Paper Chair and the coconut fiber material that can be used for food packaging.

Tech & Science Stuff

3,587 MPG Hypermiling Vehicle Wins 1st Place at the 2013 Shell Eco-Marathon! - (Inhabitat)
New, Cheaper Tesla EV to Hit the Market by 2017, Says Musk - (Inhabitat) Hmmm...how much cheaper??

Nature & Environment Stuff

Storm hits Mayflower, Arkansas site of Exxon oil spill. Contaminated water pumped into Lake Conway as citizen journalists report live. - (TreeHugger) Gotta check out the video in this article.
CICADAPOCOLYPSE: Billions of Red-Eyed Cicadas to Swarm Tri-State Area - (Inhabitat) This should be quite the event for bug lovers!
Inhabitat: 12-Year-Old Girl's Letter to Mayor Helps Save a City Forest in Canada - (Inhabitat) Love acitivist kids!

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

San Francisco's Exploratorium Reopens as the Country's Biggest Net-Zero Energy Museum - (Inhabitat) We've always loved the Exploratorium... now even more!

Other Random Cool Stuff

Boston Marathon: Good Samaritans shine in time of tragedy - (Mother Nature Network) As the city reels from the marathon bombings, an outpouring of love and altruism prevails.
Trash Cafe: Newcastle Students Unveil Pop-Up Coffee Shop Made from Recycled Cardboard - (Inhabitat) "...cafe will be dismantled and flat-packed at the end of the week to be moved to other locations..." Cool!

Quote of the Week - 04.22.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:59:00 +0000

If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.

~ Unknown

If you are too busy to enjoy some Fair Trade chocolate, you are too busy.

~ Coco-Zen

VIDEO: "Sacred Economics" - A Short Film

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:13:00 +0000

Some quotes from the film...

"Economic growth means you have to find something that was once nature and make it into a good, or was once a gift relationship and make it into a service. You have to find something that people once got for free or did for themselves or for each other, and then take it away and sell it back to them, somehow."

"We didn't earn any of the things that really keep us alive, or that make life good. We didn't earn the air. We didn't earn being born... We didn't earn having a planet that can provide food. We didn't earn the sun... on some level, people have this inborn gratitude because, on some level we know that we didn't earn any of this, we know that life is a gift. Well if you know that you've received a gift, then the natural response is gratitude, the desire to give in turn."

"...the old world falls apart, and a new world is born. A child plays and develops his or her gifts, but doesn't apply them to their true purpose yet, and that's what humanity has been doing. We've been messing around, playing with our gifts of technology and culture and developing these gifts. Now we are coming into adulthood and it's time to apply them to our true purpose."

"Sacred Economics traces the history of money from ancient gift economies to modern capitalism, revealing how the money system has contributed to alienation, competition, and scarcity, destroyed community, and necessitated endless growth.

Today, these trends have reached their extreme - but in the wake of their collapse, we may find great opportunity to transition to a more connected, ecological, and sustainable way of being."

Quote of the Week - 04.15.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:09:00 +0000

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.

~ John Burroughs

The smallest piece of Fair Trade chocolate is better than the greatest that is not.

~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 04.09.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 06:39:00 +0000

Yummy PB&J recipes

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

Top 10 Chemicals Most Likely to Cause Autism and Other Learning Disorders - (Inhabitots)

Food Stuff

Tumors Linked to Genetically-Modified Corn - (Care2) "...severe effects of Round-up tolerant genetically modified (GM) corn, even when the pesticide Round-Up was not used."
13 New and Unique Ways to Eat PB&J - (VegNews) Some yummy recipes here!

Home Stuff

Why You Need to Ditch Dryer Sheets - (EcoWatch)

Tech & Science Stuff

Robotic jellyfish could stand guard over oceans - (TreeHugger) Cool.
2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid Debuts as Porsche's First Plug-In Hybrid - (Inhabitat) Got $99K laying around?
SP:01: Detroit Electric Unveils the World's Fastest Pure-Electric Production Car - (Inhabitat) Or maybe you have $135K??
New microbe makes fuel from CO2 in the air - (Mother Nature Network) Cool.
19-Year-Old Develops Ocean Cleanup Array That Could Remove 7,250,000 Tons Of Plastic From the World's Oceans - (Inhabitat)

Nature & Environment Stuff

Exxon pipeline breaks spilling 84,000 gallons of Canadian crude oil near Arkansas lake [VIDEOS] - (Treehugger) Not Good!
Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms - (NYTimes.com) Uh...can we say pesticides (and Monsanto)???
Record Dolphin, Sea Turtle Deaths Since Gulf Spill - (Discovery News) What more is there to say?
Arctic Going Green from Warming - (Discovery News) "What's happening now in the Arctic is a faster version of what will be happening at lower latitudes..."
EPA Declares More than Half of US Rivers Unfit for Aquatic Life - (Inhabitat) "Phosphorous and nitrogen, both key ingredients in fertilizer, have long been recognized as a problem in US water health, and this latest study found a lot of it."

Other Random Cool Stuff

Even Doubters Want to Prepare for Global Warming - (Discovery News) "...even 60 percent of climate-change doubters favored preparations..."
Crafts Made from Recycled Food Packaging - (Earth911.com) Fun projects for the kiddies!
10 Reuse Ideas for Takeout Waste - (Earth911.com)

Quote of the Week - 04.01.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:28:00 +0000

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.
~ Buddha

Better than a thousand pieces of chocolate, is one piece that is Fair Trade.
~ Coco-Zen