Composting reduces garbage, saves money, boosts the garden

Published September 18, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Instead of putting trash in the landfill, many Memphians are putting it in their yards — as compost.

Midtowner Theresa Rich and her family started composting two years ago to make their garden more fertile and to reduce the amount of trash they produce. "Composting is a cheap, easy way to organically fertilize your garden," she says. "Another bonus from our compost is that it volunteered many of our tomato plants we grew this year."

Rich's husband built their first compost bin out of hardware cloth and wooden stakes. "It is round, about 2 feet in diameter and 2 feet tall," she says. "He built another last spring that is 2 feet by 3 feet. They are covered with a round plywood top to keep the critters out."

The building of compost bins coincided with the building of their chicken coop. "We compost the bedding of the coop when we clean it out, but it cannot be placed directly in the garden because it will burn the plants up. It needs to sit for about a year," Rich explains. They compost the chicken waste along with toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, used paper towels, coffee filters and grounds, newspaper, dryer lint, all fruit and vegetable scraps, yard clippings, leaves and eggshells.

"We water the bin when it gets dry and leave the top off when it rains to get it wet," Rich says. "We use a pitchfork to turn it about once a month."

The Riches save old coffee cans for compost collection inside their home.

"When they get really funky, we replace with another one we would have recycled," she says.

Since they started composting, Rich says, the family has decreased its trash by a bag per week.

"That doesn't include the yard waste we no longer bag to be picked up," she says. "We don't have yard waste every week — maybe a bag a month."

Scott Henley, who lives in East Memphis with his family, has always had an affinity for do-it-yourself living. He learned to work on and fix things from his grandfathers.

"They were more apt to tackle a repair job themselves rather than call in a repairman, and they both had gardens that I helped tend when I was a kid," he explains. "They always composted leaves and some kitchen scraps."

When he and his wife bought their first home in 1995, Henley planted a garden. At the time, he was working at the Squash Blossom natural foods store, a job that validated his desire for holistic and simple approaches to everyday necessities. The owner of the store gave him his first composter, and he has been composting ever since.

"Currently, we have a closed bin that rotates for speeding up the process," Henley says, "and it provides almost enough for our small veggie garden, mainly in the spring and fall."

Henley describes compost as recycled food waste and plant scraps from the yard that are piled up or mounded for a period of time until they are broken down by bacteria and organisms to become organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. The bacteria feed off the waste and convert it into usable nutrients for plants in the form of humus or compost. The compost is added to the soil at the time of planting and sometimes later on to add nutrients during the growing season.

"Basically, anything that is plant- or vegetarian-based is OK. No meat or grease or dairy. Eggshells are OK, as well as fish bones. No yard waste with doggy doo or chemicals added," he says. He added that compost starters/enhancers, which introduce the ideal bacteria and microbes to speed up decomposition of organic matter, are available.

There are tumbler-style and stationary-type compost bins available at hardware stores and wholesalers like Costco and Sam's, Henley says.

"They keep the mess to a minimum, but also limit the size of the pile. If you build your own, you can build any type of simple three- or four-sided structure or fence, then pile up scraps and periodically turn the pile with a pitchfork to aerate," he says.

Turning over the organic matter regularly aids in decomposition by mixing and aerating the actively composting material with the newer uncomposted matter.

"The tumbler makes turning easy, while a pitchfork is best for turning over a simple compost pile," Henley says.

Small temporary holding bins for use in the kitchen can also be bought.

"They have vented lids to keep down mold," Henley says. "I personally wouldn't do full-scale composting in the house, but I'm sure somebody does it."

Cathy Palmer and her family in East Memphis started composting as an experiment to reduce their garbage.

"We had several trials on exactly how to do it, especially on what kind of container to put it in. We're too cheap to actually buy a composter," she says. Their solution is a large garbage can with a lid. The lid has a large hole cut in the top.

"We just throw our veggie scraps in, along with grass clippings and some leaves," she says. "Every once in a while, we roll it around to mix it all together. We use it for gardening, mixing it with soil during the planting stage."

Their garbage is significantly reduced.

"With two kids, we never, ever fill up our green bin. In fact, it is usually less than half full on garbage day," Palmer says. "Recycling helps, too."

In the kitchen, the Palmers use a small compost container. "It is a stainless steel pail that is about 1- to 2-gallon capacity, Palmer says. "It also has a filter in the top to keep the odor down, but it mostly helps keep the gnats from getting in there."

The container sits on the countertop, so when they cook, they just toss scraps into the bin.

"We take it outside 1-2 times per week," Palmer says. "It can get gross in there, so sometimes we use compostable bags to keep the mess down. But they are expensive, so we usually opt to just clean the thing regularly."

The Palmers' garden is minimal. "We just grow outdoor flowers, plants and herbs," she says. "We've grown some vegetables in the past, like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuces, but haven't recently due to traveling in the summer."

Palmer likes using compost because it cuts back on the potting soil she has to buy. "I just use a little potting soil, dirt dug up from the corner of the backyard, and the compost. We mix it all together and plant. It saves money and works well," she says.

With the proper collection containers, composting is pretty simple. "I like the idea of putting nutrients back into the soil rather than a landfill," Palmer says. "Once we made it a habit, it became easy to do."

More information

Composting tips: Treehugger.com.

Green materials to compost: Vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags and leaves, fresh grass clippings, plant trimmings from your garden, houseplants.

Brown materials to compost: Dry leaves, straw and dry hay; wood chips and sawdust from untreated wood; dried grass clippings; shredded paper; egg and nut shells; hair and animal fur; paper; shredded newspaper (printed with soy ink to be safe); paper towels and paper tubes.

Do not compost: Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, oily foods or grease, bones, cat and dog waste, diseased plants and seeds of weedy plants, anything treated with pesticides.

Composting tips: Chop your materials into small pieces, which will break down faster. Always cover your layer of green material with a layer of brown material to cut down on flies and mask any odors. If you want fine compost, run over it with a mulching lawn mower.

Midtown man finds tomato-growing perfect outlet for his green thumb

Published August 28, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Jeff Green, 49, has lived in the same shotgun house in Midtown since 1989. He started a garden right away when he moved there, trying out different crops, such as peppers, cucumbers, snap beans and tomatoes. After one bite of a tomato that first year, he says, "It tasted so awesome. I found out right away that this soil grows tomatoes."

Green says once you figure out your dirt, the rest is easy. Since figuring his out, he has focused on growing heirloom tomatoes, with a few peppers here and there. "Other crops can easily take over and destroy the tomatoes. It just takes one watermelon to ruin everything," he says.

Green, who has a degree in landscape architecture from Louisiana State University and grew up helping his granddad with his tomatoes, is proud of what he's created at his home in the Tucker-Jefferson area near Overton Square. "It's all organic. All heirloom. All Midtown," he says.

To fertilize, Green has three compost piles he feeds coffee grounds, eggshells and vegetable scraps. "I also supplement with horse manure. It's 'hot,' so it has to simmer down for a year before I can use it in the garden."

Heirlooms are his tomatoes of choice because they are stout. "Heirloom means they've lasted at least 25 years," explains Green. He thinks they are easier to grow without a lot of care. "I also like that they aren't genetically modified. They're old school," he says.

Green jokes one year he accidentally made a "super tomato" when the Lemon Boys cross-pollinated with the cherries. "We made a Little Lemon Boy," he says.

Over the years, Green has expanded the number of plants he grows. In 2006, he and his neighbor took down the fence that separated their yards to make more room. In 2008, his neighbor started reading seed catalogs and decided to start the tomato plants inside his home from seed. (Before that, Green would order small plants and put them directly in the ground.)

Green says ordering seeds can be expensive, up to $5 per packet. He spends money only on a few new varieties each year. "We have a lot of volunteer plants, and we actively save our own seeds. Saving seeds means saving money," he says.

This year, they planted 56 varieties in the ground (seven rows with eight plants each) and six more varieties in buckets. Green has a chart to show where each one is planted. His favorites are Lemon Boys, which are low-acid, bigger, yellows; Yellow Pears, which taste and look like tiny pears; and Chocolate Cherries, which are purple.

Green says they have developed a system that requires no weeding and the garden practically waters itself. "We have a drip-irrigation system. We fill a rain barrel with water twice a day, which drains into a hose system. There are a bunch of holes in the hoses to flood out the garden, so it waters itself," he explains.

Green occasionally sprays the leaves as well, but not in the heat of the day. "You need to wait for the sun to set or you'll hear the leaves sizzling," he says. "Early this morning the tomatoes were thanking me, too. Just wiggling and saying thanks."

He uses a rain barrel to catch rain and water off his air-conditioning unit, but he also recommends filling rain barrels with tap water. "Even if there is no rain, tap water needs to sit in the sun so the chlorine can evaporate and so it can warm up," he says. "The plants take it a little easier if it is warmed up."

To combat weeds, they have incorporated a weed barrier filter fabric on the ground. "We slice holes in the fabric for the plants. There are no weeds and it holds the moisture down," Green says.

They reused the same filter fabric this year from last year, since it was in good shape, but suspect it may be the cause of a fungus that has attacked the leaves of their plants. "It hasn't affected the fruit, but it has kept production down," says Green.

To fight off the mystery fungus, Green has been spraying sulfur and lime. "We're going to have to get evil on some fungus," he says. "It just jumped on us this year." Fungus has never been a problem before. "Some years, it just cranks up. I've seen people on TV talking about it this year," he explains.

Green plans to till the entire garden before planting next year.

Despite the fungus, Green has had plenty of tomatoes, more than he could eat. In the past, Green had to compete with a family of squirrels for the tomatoes. This year, he said he wanted to plant enough for them both. "It worked, but this year we had about 30 squirrels living in the yard," he says with a laugh. Thankfully, the squirrels left one of Green's favorites, the Chocolate Cherries, alone. "They didn't recognize the purple as food," he says.

Green also sold several pints of his tomatoes to a few local restaurants. "Places like Tsunami and the Beauty Shop like the little different colored cherries. The orange and black are pretty rare," he says.

He's willing to share his tomatoes with anyone who is interested. "People stop by, I share with neighbors, and I take them around town. My folks always get a bunch, too," he says.

Green eats a handful or two a day. "I just walk around and graze," he says. "I tried canning, but I don't know what I'm doing there. I freeze some and I've made a little salsa."

His goal has always been to see how many different varieties he can grow. Next year, he plans to challenge himself with Naga Jolokia, better known as Ghost Chili Peppers, certified as the hottest peppers in the world. "If I can get them to live, I'll bring them in over the winter and plant them next summer," he says.

However, the four starter plants he has have already been attacked by bugs. "It seems like every plant you want to grow really bad, the bugs want to eat really bad," he says.

Green keeps bugs at bay with diatomaceous earth. "It's really sharp," he explains. "Bugs can't crawl across it without getting cut up."

He also uses diluted dish soap to keep bugs away.

For slugs, he has invented his own traps. Made from a plastic drink bottle, a screw and a little Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, they are highly effective. "Cut the bottle in half, turn the top upside down and place it in the bottom. Secure it with a screw, and then fill with a little bit of beer," Green instructs. "Put in on an angle near the ground so it creates a ramp. They won't work that hard for the beer."

Sierra Club, longtime environmental organization, spurring change, getting things done

Published August 21, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Scott Banbury, conservation chairman for the Sierra Club's local Chickasaw Group, describes the organization as the oldest environmental group in the nation.

"It's the largest truly authentic grass-roots democracy left in the country," says Don Richardson, the sustainability strategies chairman.

The Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club represents more than 1,000 members in Memphis and West Tennessee. Nationally, the Sierra Club boasts more than 1.3 million members. The group advocates for policies that protect the natural environment, provides opportunities for people who want to develop leadership skills to help their community while enhancing the environment, offers hikes and outdoor recreation for people of all ages, and supports environmental candidates for public office.

Local environmental issues the group addresses take many forms. In the past, members worked hard to keep police stables, roads and memorial parks out of Overton Park; they helped force the Velsicol chemical company to dig up backyards and clean up pollution along Cypress Creek in North Memphis, and they are responsible for initiating the regionally important lawsuit that prevented developers in Brunswick from building housing developments in a flood plain.

Current hot topics include pollution issues and coal burning at the TVA Allen Fossil Plant, proposed plans to build a road through Shelby Farms Park, and raising community awareness about radioactive waste being allowed in two local landfills.

In April 2011, the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved an agreement to phase out 18 units at dirty coal-fired power plants and install modern pollution controls on three dozen additional units, thanks to more than 15 years of pressure from environmental groups (including the Sierra Club), southeastern states and the EPA. The agreement — which includes the affected states of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee — represents the largest ever reduction in air pollution in the southeastern United States.

This agreement permanently retires an unprecedented 2,700 megawatts of coal-fired electricity and will drastically reduce TVA's emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon pollution. The Clean Air Task Force estimates that coal-fired power plants in the region cause more than 1,800 premature deaths and more than 2,400 heart attacks each year in the four-state region, and are a major source of area air pollution woes.

According to Rita Harris, Sierra Club National staff in Memphis, the TVA Allen Fossil Plant tops the annual Shelby County Terrible Ten list of polluters in our area that contribute to unhealthy air quality. Harris uses the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory database for compiling her annual list.

The group believes this agreement to be among the greatest environmental achievements of late. "We'd like to see power generation replaced with efficient and clean energy sources, such as wind and solar," Banbury says. "If we used less energy, there would not be a demand for coal-fired plants." The group's Climate Action team is a part of a statewide coalition to address this issue.

Additionally, the group has an upcoming forum to discuss a proposed road construction project through Shelby Farms Park. "In 1998, we first opposed a sprawl-creating 16-wheeler truck roadway that excluded public input, and now it's an issue again," Richardson says. The group is concerned about the ongoing impact that the road would have on the Wolf River, the Lucius Birch State Natural Area, and surrounding mixed-use development.

"There's no reason to spend an exorbitant amount of money to build a road that only a few people will use," Banbury says.

The Sierra Club has a program meeting the third Thursday of every month. Those interested in hearing more about the Shelby Farms road should attend the forum at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.

"We're local up. We're engaged locally, on the state level, and nationally. If you want to impact the community, the Sierra Club is for you, Banbury says.

Anyone interested in joining the group can attend the informal gatherings from 5:30-8 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Otherlands Coffee Bar. Political chairman and outings co-chairman Mark Plumlee says the gatherings are as popular as the hikes and outings. "They are very friendly and unstructured," he says. "It's an easy place to come and ask questions."

Annual dues begin at $15 and include national and local membership.

The Sierra Club is a training ground for leaders. "We inspire people and give them the experience they need to start new initiatives," Banbury says. He and Richardson note that many local groups over the last dozen years came into being because of Chickasaw Group members, such as the Wolf River Conservancy, Friends of Shelby Farms Park, Chickasaw Bluffs Conservancy, Friends for Our Riverfront, Greater Memphis Greenline, Sustainable Shelby, Coalition for Livable Communities (pre-Livable Memphis) and Citizens to Preserve Overton Park.

"We empower individuals, build team leadership skills, and inform the public so that they can take action," Richardson says. "Our job is to give someone the confidence to stand up and say, 'The emperor has no clothes.'"

"If you are passionate about an issue that we're not covering locally, then do your thing, and we'll support you," Banbury says.

"We're not married to a limiting list of campaigns or causes," Richardson says. "We're an ongoing talent pool of people who help get things moving."

The Chickasaw Group has been active since 1978. Sue A. Williams, lead volunteer and group chairwoman, explains: "We're still influencing public policy and quality-of-life issues, usually behind the scenes, but with increasing extreme weather and other eco-economic concerns, the local Sierra Club is becoming more valuable than ever."

While many of the activities revolve around serious business, the group also knows how to have fun. Regular outings are scheduled, such as river floats, cleanups, hikes, and Downtown walks. The next outing is the annual Equinox Sunset Bluff Walk, which takes place at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 on the Memphis riverfront.

More information:

tennessee.sierraclub.org/chickasaw

facebook.com/Chickasaw.group

Shelby Farms Parkway (Kirby Parkway) & Shelby Farms Park Update Thursday 6 p.m., Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar. The Sierra Club holds a panel discussion about the proposed Shelby Farms Parkway in Shelby Farms Park. The panel will include updates on the latest Environmental Impact Statement and justification for the parkway, highlight open issues about the parkway’s plans and provide updates on the Shelby Farms Park Master Plan, including park access/entry points, bike/ped connectivity and naturalist programs.

Programs contact: Susan Routon at mailto:susan.routon@gmail.com or 901-413-3888.

Monthly First Thursday Gathering: September 6, 5:30 p.m. Otherlands Coffee Bar, 641 S. Cooper. Sierra Club members, activists and friends meet in a casual setting to talk about issues and interests. First Thursday contact: Mark Plumlee at mark.chickasaw@gmail.com or 901-679-4622.

Some buck the tide and choose walking in Memphis

Published July 31, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Brooke Sarden, 36, is a native Memphian who spends her time facilitating arts and culture classes for the Memphis School of Servant Leadership, grant-writing and doing work with Playback Memphis and Hattiloo Theatre. However, what might be most remarkable about this busy woman is that she gets around town almost exclusively on foot.

Sarden doesn't drive by choice. "I'm probably the only native Memphian over the age of 16 who fits that bill," she says.

Marc Cohn wrote the popular song "Walking in Memphis," but in reality, most Memphians prefer to drive.

Kyle Wagenschutz, bicycle/pedestrian coordinator for the city of Memphis, says research indicates that pedestrian travel is influenced more by the density and mixture of land uses (having the ability to accomplish many different tasks or visit different destinations in a smaller geographic area) than distance of travel. Additionally, the need to provide safety (or the perception of safety) is extremely crucial to encouraging people to walk more often.

Sarden went to school and lived in Boston for eight years after graduating from high school, and when she returned to Memphis, not driving suddenly seemed like a big deal.

"I suppose I could have looked into getting a car then, but I have a very Midtown/Downtown life, and it seemed like a huge expense to add unnecessarily in the midst of all the crazy gas hikes," Sarden says. Until recently, she always lived in Poplar Avenue apartment buildings, which were walking distance from the grocery and enough restaurants and coffee shops to keep her entertained.

Living on Poplar also gave Sarden easy access to a bus line that would get her as far as Germantown without a hassle. "Short of pouring rain or ungodly heat, I feel OK walking to any place that's less than a couple miles away. That doesn't sound like very much, but you'd be surprised at how Memphians think walking anywhere is absurd," she says, adding that she has friends and relatives who want to drive from across town to give her a ride to someplace she could walk to in 10 minutes.

Sarden doesn't like anyone to think her walking and use of public transportation is primarily a "green thing."

"I'm glad that it is helpful, but it's just what makes the best sense for my life. I think maybe if more people looked at what makes the most practical sense for them, and stopped assuming you can't have a life without a car, then maybe we wouldn't need so many 'Green Heroes,' you know?"

People often ask Sarden about safety. "I won't say I never walk at night, but I try to be reasonable about choosing when to walk and what routes to use," she says. "I think we are a touch paranoid about the dangers of the streets." She believes crimes more often occur in homes and cars, than "on a jaunt to the corner store."

"I don't mean to be flippant about it, but if we ever want a real walkable city, it's ultimately going to be less about strategic positions of stores and shops and restaurants, and more about opening our minds that being a pedestrian is OK," she says.

Sarden is excited about the new developments in Overton Square, but she has visions of people getting in their cars to drive three blocks to park in the new garage to see a show. "It's not always practical to walk, but sometimes I want to scream, 'Get a bigger purse and toss your heels in!' "

In the end, she believes walking is not a big deal — it's more of a mental thing. "I know people who will run 5 or 6 miles purely for exercise, but won't walk a mile and half to get from point A to point B. Crazy!" she says.

Wagenschutz says projects that promote slower-moving automobile traffic, like bike lanes combined with road diets (reducing the number of lanes for cars on a particular stretch of road), also promote pedestrian-friendly environments.

"These impacts include slower moving traffic, shorter crossing distances at intersections, more 'eyes' on the street, etc.," he says. "Moving forward, adherence to design standards in the UDC (Unified Development Code) will help to create more pedestrian-friendly developments and areas of town."

Sarah Bolton, 28, lives in Binghamton with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, Mae. She has a car, but walks four to five times a week. Bolton explains that her walking is almost always a combination of exercising and some sort of task, like taking Mae to the park or the zoo, walking to Walgreens to buy a few things, walking to Easy Way for groceries, walking to Otherlands for coffee/lunch, or walking to the library.

She doesn't really mind the heat, even in the midday, but tries to take Mae out earlier in the morning or later in the evening.

"We have an awesome jogging stroller that has a big basket in the bottom, so it makes it convenient to bring groceries back home," she says.

Fitness is the obvious benefit for Bolton, who is a dancer.

"To me, walking is one of the more perfect ways to exercise. I love to run, but my joints don't like me to run. Walking while pushing a 30-pound toddler and jogging stroller full of groceries provides a pretty intense cardiovascular workout," she says.

From the perspective of a parent, Bolton likes to be able to take time to be observant of her surroundings, and talk to Mae about what she is seeing, hearing, etc.

"And I always love leaving my car parked in the driveway. Spending less gas money and leaving less of an environmental footprint is always a win-win," she adds.

There are some negatives to walking. "Drivers in Memphis have zero pedestrian awareness. Being in the intersection can be terrifying. When I'm crossing the street in a crosswalk people turn left on top of me all the time, and I watch them looking at their phone, spacing out, etc.," she says.

Wagenschutz notes new countdown timers are being installed at signalized intersections, as they are scheduled to be replaced.

Bolton often sees sidewalks that are broken or blocked by tree limbs, bush overgrowth, fallen light poles, and general trash, including glass. "There are still a lot of places that just don't have sidewalks at all," she says. "Sometimes walking in Memphis feels like doing a warrior dash with a jogging stroller."

Complaints about overgrown vacant property, rights-of-way and possible code violations can be made to the Mayor's Citizens Service Center at 901-576-6500 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Corey Dugan, 56, director of creative services at Christian Brothers University, has a car, but started walking to and from work about 14 years ago, because it was a manageable walking commute. "It's about 45 minutes each way, which is about what I figured a lot of suburbanites probably spend in their SUVs to and from each day," he says.

At first, Dugan walked for exercise and to a lesser degree to save money on gas and car maintenance. He hasn't saved a lot since it's only six miles a day, but he did lose some weight originally and then stayed a little fitter. "I definitely feel better the more I'm able to walk," he says.

He walks every day unless it's raining hard, and he's set himself some temperature guidelines — between 25 and 95 degrees. He also walks to the grocery store and other errand-type places if he's not getting too much to carry. "I tend to stop at places like that on the way home from work most of the time. I walk to lunch sometimes," he adds.

Dugan enjoys the time he gets to spend by himself, looking at things he wouldn't see in a car, and often listening to podcasts that he'd otherwise not make the time for.

"Some people undoubtedly think I'm weird. Or homeless," he jokes. But he has gotten to know a lot of people whom he sees regularly along his routes. "The joggers and the dog walkers and the folks out watering their lawns — I don't know their names, but we wave and smile and nod every day," he says.

The main drawback to walking is Memphis traffic, Dugan says.

"Drivers don't know how to act around pedestrians in Memphis. They never know who has the right-of-way. They either try to run you down, or they're scared of you and overly polite, which isn't safe either," he says.

Another drawback to walking is sometimes having to find a ride if there's an unexpected thunderstorm. Or if he goes out after work and ends up a little farther away from home than intended.

Dugan thinks more people would walk if they could budget their time.

"People always think they're in a hurry," he says. "Or they budget exercise into their schedule at the gym so they can continue to drive everywhere."

Paul Young, administrator of the Memphis & Shelby County Office of Sustainability, said the city of Memphis and Shelby County Government are working with Livable Memphis, The Urban Land Institute, Memphis Regional Design Center and a host of other groups to design a Complete Streets policy. This policy would ensure that as the city and county take on roadway improvement projects, the design will take into consideration all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles.

Broad Avenue merchants focus on fighting litter

Published July 17, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal.

Guy Weaver, senior archaeologist at Weaver & Associates, an archaeological firm on Broad Avenue, multitasks on his breaks to keep the neighborhood looking nice. "I pick up trash or sweep while I'm out there," he explains. "Even though it's not my garbage, it's my responsibility as a business owner to pick it up."

Like all things on Broad Avenue, the business association has taken a grassroots approach to solving its litter issue. Weaver says he has looked at the litter with a critical eye. "It's mostly coming from elsewhere," he says. "People come here, hang out, and then leave their whiskey pints, beer bottles, cans and fast-food containers."

Tom Clifton, who is the owner of T Clifton Art Gallery, also does litter patrols. He says his trash pincher is his best friend. "With the pincher, I don't have to touch the trash," he explains. He and his Saint Bernard, Argus, walk up and down the street picking up trash almost daily. "We'll do it whenever it is needed, but the mornings in the early part of the week are busiest because of the weekend traffic."

Weaver said it would be fun to do a bona fide archaeological survey of the trash, but feels certain that most of it is brought to the area, or blown in by the wind. Pat Brown, business manager of T Clifton Art Gallery and vice president of Historic Broad Business Association, agrees. "Broad Avenue has a beautiful breeze that blows trash up and down the street. It collects beautifully along the fence line," she says, adding that she watches people pull up and dump trash out of their cars. "It's not socioeconomic either; it's across the board."

"Litter is a people problem that people can solve," explains Eldra White, executive director of Memphis City Beautiful. Litter remains a pervasive problem throughout the United States. "Memphis is not the only place with bad behavior. We live in a disposable society with more and more packaging."

"Litter also showcases people's lack of respect for their environment and other people's businesses," says Brown. Ironically, she notes increased litter is actually a sign of progress. "More crowds mean more litter. We see it increase with every new restaurant or business," she says. "We've been cautious when showing new businesses the area. We don't want them stepping over broken glass."

Maintaining Broad's cleanliness has been critical to its revitalization. "It can show success or also ruin you, so we are very focused on it," says Brown. As they started seeing litter increase, the business association went to the different restaurants and asked them to police their areas. "We told the businesses it might not be your trash, but pick it up anyway."

Most of what Clifton finds is beer bottles and cigarette packs. "If we stopped smoking as a nation, it would make my job a lot easier." He and Brown, like Weaver, believe the bottles come from cars and not the area restaurants since it is illegal to take them out of the individual buildings. Brown also sees plenty of fast-food bags from restaurants that are nowhere near Broad Avenue. "Water bottles are also a big problem, and I see at least one dirty diaper a week," she adds.

Clifton says there was a time when the litter was frustrating, but meeting with the other businesses really helped. "We have to go back every once in awhile and remind everyone because of staff changes, but everyone has been great."

Last year, when the business association worked with the Greater Mid-South JCC Foundation to install artistic bike racks along the street, they were able to also install four trash receptacles designed and fabricated by Jerry Couillard of Metalworks on Broad.

"We needed cans for people to throw their trash in, but we wondered if they'd actually get used. They have helped, and people are using them," says Brown. They were placed at four businesses — T Clifton, Three Angels Diner, Victory Bicycle Studio and Metalworks. Each business agreed to empty them and keep them clean.

Weaver does credit the success of the new food truck rodeos on Sundays for adding cups, napkins and other items to his daily haul. "At the first rodeo, our trash cans filled up in a minute. They are nice and artistic, but not big enough to accommodate the trash being produced at the rodeos." He would like to see more trash cans at the rodeos and other big events.

Clifton says he empties his trash can as needed, once or twice a week. "You know the success of Mardi Gras in New Orleans is usually measured by the amount of trash accumulated," he says

He would also like to see the city sweep the street on a more regular basis, maybe even once a week, since it is part of an entertainment district. "The main problem is that there's no shame in throwing trash in the street," Clifton says. "If we see people, we report them."

Memphis City Beautiful operates the 52-Clean (901-522-5326) Litter Hotline, which is a 24-hour hotline program that provides a means for concerned citizens to report littering motorists. (Citizens can also report littering online at memphiscitybeautiful.org.)

Callers are asked to give the license number, a brief description of the vehicle, the date, time, type of litter and location of the incident. The offending motorist will be sent a "Litter Alert" letter, a car litter bag, and a reminder that littering is against the law.

White says they receive 400 to 500 calls per year.

"Educating people might help," Clifton says. "They feel safe because they are anonymous when parked between other cars."

"We've even considered giving out our own 'tickets' the way we sometimes do for people who park in the bike lanes," adds Brown. "Our new lanes, which make the cars more exposed, might help with the anonymity and prevent people from littering."

Memphis City Beautiful, which is the local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, hosts all kinds of events, activities and programs targeted at changing Memphians' behavior. On Oct. 7, it is partnering with the Historic Broad Business Association for the 2nd edition of Memphis City Beautiful's hugely successful Trashion Show, which challenges designers to repurpose, reuse and recycle items from the city's better curbside collection bins to create unique fashion sensations.

The business association is honored and excited to be the site for this fall's Trashion Show. "What better way to help refocus trash as art!" Brown says. "It will be the epitome of the resurgence of this area. Once thought to be area of Memphis that people had discarded, artists are fueling Broad Avenue's new glory. And the efforts of City Beautiful's Trashion Show will further reflect the beneficial role artists play in helping all of us to see the value in trash, especially when it is properly disposed in a way that can be reused versus just discarded on the street."

This exhibition features the work of Memphis' top couturières of Trashion and benefits the Memphis City Beautiful Mini Grant Program, which supports local neighborhood beautification and greening initiatives. The deadline to declare participation is July 20th. For more information, visit memphiscitybeautiful.org/programs/curb-couture-trashion-show, or call Ginger Acuff

at (901) 522-1135.

Precious cargo: Workhorse bikes carry kids, groceries on human-powered outings, errands

Published May 29, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal.

Cargo bikes make it possible to carry large loads and even for several people to ride together. As bike lanes and bike-friendly pathways multiply in Memphis, these workhorse bikes are increasingly getting a workout.

Kyle Wagenschutz, the bikeway/pedestrian coordinator for the city of Memphis, and his wife share one car, and they have an 8-month-old son.

Typically, Wagenschutz travels by bike, and his wife uses the car to commute to work. Now that they have a baby, Wagenschutz needs a way to move him around when his wife is at work. "But not only do I need to move him, but also all his stuff (diaper bag, etc.) and anything I need to get while running errands (groceries, etc.). Carrying capacity is becoming a real issue, and a trailer really isn't sufficient to move everything I need to," he explains.

A friend in Washington was selling a Bakfeits, a Dutch cargo bike used to move children and goods, and Wagenschutz jumped at the chance to buy it. "My friend used it until his son started riding on his own and had nothing but rave reviews about it," he says.

The bike is at Wagenschutz's parent's house in Virginia, and they plan to deliver it on their next visit to Memphis. "I'm looking forward to getting it out, running errands or going to the park without the need to hassle with trailers or bags," he says.

Wagenschutz says anyone can ride a cargo bike. He has seen two- and three-wheel models. "They are longer than a standard bike, so turns are wider, more like a car. It takes some getting used to, but it's pretty easy to pick up," he says. "I've noticed a lot of new cargo bikes hauling kids around lately in Memphis. It's definitely something I see growing locally and nationally."

Christopher Shatley, 43, a registered nurse who works in the ICU at Baptist Memorial Hospital, may be one of those people Wagenschutz has noticed around town. Shatley works three 12-hour shifts, so he has four days off a week to spend with his 4-year-old twins -- a boy and a girl. Shatley lives in the Evergreen Historic District and likes to ride his bike on the days when he is not working.

Last October, he saw a cargo bike, which he had never seen before, at Midtown Bike Co.

"It was kind of pricey, but I was looking for a way to take the twins around," Shatley says. "They hated the bike trailer I had been using."

He purchased a Yuba with two child seats and an added cargo bag for $1,700. He looked at the cost as an investment, since Memphis is gradually becoming more bike-friendly.

"New bike lanes and the Greenline are the greatest things they've done since I've lived here," he says.

Because of the mild winter, Shatley was able to ride the bike consistently, taking regular trips to the Memphis Zoo, the Overton Park playground, Chik-fil-A and even Shelby Farms Park. Because of the bike's carrying capacity, he is also able to combine running errands -- like grocery shopping -- with his outings with the kids.

"It's been really fun," he says, noting that Midtown has lots of safe neighborhood streets.

One of Shatley's favorite trips is to ride through Overton Park to the Shelby Farms Greenline to the Woodland Discovery Playground in Shelby Farms Park and then to his mother-in-law's nearby nursing home. "The kids love it. We do lunch and feed the ducks."

The children add 75 pounds to his load, and he jokes that the first time he made the trip, he worried that he wouldn't get back.

"It's about a 24-mile round trip, and I burn 1,900 calories -- that's a whole day of eating," he notes, adding that riding the cargo bike has helped him lose some weight.

It also has made him consider giving up his car.

"In Midtown, the bike is all I need," Shatley says. "It's been more life-changing than I expected. At first I thought, 'I hope I use it.'"

The bike can easily be modified with different accessories.

"I can reconfigure it when the kids get older," Shatley notes. He's also considered adding an electric motor to increase the range.

He says the bike is slightly harder to ride than a regular bike, but it's easy to get the hang of, and he likes the workout. He can also attest to its safety. Recently, while he was on a ride with his children, a tire got stuck in a trolley track, and they all fell off. He scraped his arm, but the kids were fine. "They were a little scared at first, but a few minutes later they were back to normal, telling me that they were hungry."

Daniel Duckworth, general manager of Midtown Bike Co., and father of two girls, 8 and 12, rides a Yuba elMundo. The El is the electric-assist version.

"I picked it up about a year ago and have since racked up over 3,500 miles, miles I rode and didn't drive," says Duckworth, who practices a "car-lite mantra."

He uses his cargo bike primarily as an alternative to driving. The electric assist allows the bike to cruise at 20-plus mph while he pedals with the electric assist engaged.

"It essentially has the same average cruising speed as a skinny-tired road bike," he says, "except it is four to six times heavier than the average road bike."

The bike has a 400-pound payload capacity. Duckworth commutes to work and home, sometimes twice a day.

"Once I pick up my girls at school, I go on beer runs, grocery runs, Home Depot runs," he says. "It's the family wagon on two wheels that is a human/electric hybrid drive."

Midtown Bike Co. sells a variety of Yuba Cargo Bikes.

"They produce a whole host of accessories from Peanut Shell Baby Seats, passenger seat pads, passenger bars, rumble straps, running boards made from recycled milk jugs, to Go Getter panniers, which are the biggest saddle bags you can get, and more," says Duckworth, adding, "I have read about individuals starting businesses with these bikes."

The Yuba Mundo starts at $1,100; the electric model (elMundo) starts at $2,600.

It's also possible to convert a regular bicycle into a cargo bike. Christopher Reyes, founder of the arts support and production organization Live from Memphis, has a hand-me-down Gary Fisher bike that he converted to a cargo bike with the help of the Xtracycle add-on kit. There are a variety of kits, starting at about $300, that can equip any compatible bike to carry groceries, cargo of all shapes and sizes, and adult passengers.

Reyes modified the rear deck that clips into the frame of his bike so it can accept a longboard skateboard.

"It clips in and can be removed when I want to tow people around. I call it 'Memphis Surfing,' " says Reyes, who makes hand-painted skateboards that he calls Memphis Surfers.

He's had his cargo bike for more than five years and uses it for just about anything.

"I regularly carry photography, video and music equipment," he says. "I've carried purchases from the Midtown Home Depot to my home Downtown. I once carried Ghost River kegs from the brewery Downtown to a party in Midtown. That was probably the heaviest load I've ever carried."

Reyes doesn't own a car, although he has access to one that he drives on occasion. Mostly, his transportation is one of his three bikes.

"I prefer to ride, but I'm not against cars," he says. "I just don't want to drive one every day. I do think many people could replace a lot of their driving with biking."

Riding a cargo bike feels normal to Reyes now. "It's when I ride a regular bike that it feels weird; they always feel a little more zippy. A lot of people who try the cargo bike are wobbly at first, but they get the hang of it pretty quickly."

Market value: Shop with a plan, but ask the farmers, too

Published May 1, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Farmers markets around town are in full swing, and many shoppers couldn't be happier. However, knowing what to buy and when -- not to mention in what quantity -- can be tricky. A few pros share their shopping tips.

Jason Doty, the pastry chef at Bluff City Coffee, also does all of the cooking at home for his wife and three children. He loves incorporating fresh, local foods into his recipes. Doty shops at both the Cooper-Young and Downtown farmers markets each Saturday. "I'm like a kid in a candy store," he says.

His usual purchases, which he describes as his guilty pleasures, include J. Brooks coffee, fresh ground flour, fresh fruit, Wolf River honey, Delta pecans, a loaf of bread and flowers for his wife.

He plans his meals in advance and shops for proteins first. "I like Newman Farms pork and seafood from the Gulf," he says. While Doty shops with weekly meals in mind, he believes it's important to be open-minded about specials. "Newman Farms might have a great special on sausage one week. If so, I'll change my meal plan."

Once he has proteins, Doty starts shopping for side dishes. "Right now kale and arugula are perfect for sides. There are some vendors who sell premixed cooking and salad greens that will last in the fridge. I can buy tomatoes or mushrooms and have a salad in 2 minutes."

When buying veggies, Doty notes that the first week they appear at the market they may not be as good as the next. He says the middle run is usually the best. "It's like the old restaurant adage: 'Never be the first or the last customer.' "

For new ideas Doty talks to the farmers. "They've been farming a long time and they often have great ideas and easy recipes to share," he says.

Kate Lareau, who is the communications coordinator for Advance Memphis, is also an avid farmers market shopper. This year, she and a friend are sharing a Community Supported Agriculture membership at Downing Hollow Farm in Olive Hill, Tenn., between Memphis and Nashville. In CSAs, members pay a fee and get a share of the food items produced each week during the season.

"This is my third time joining a CSA," says Lareau. "Since it's been harder for me to get Downtown lately, I thought it would be good to try a CSA at the closer and less-crowded Cooper-Young market. I love that Downing Hollow includes things from other providers, and I like that they have eggs if you need them."

Lareau and her husband have two children under the age of 6, and even though one of them is practically a vegetarian, she says they still don't put away mass quantities of food.

"I think it's a good idea to split a CSA with another family -- it's just more realistic and affordable. Also, you just have to realize that at the beginning and end of seasons, there are lots of greens. So you do have to plan a bit to use them all," she says.

To extend the life of her greens, Lareau washes, dries and wraps them with a dry paper towel before bagging them and putting them into the fridge. "It takes a few minutes, but then you're done and there's really no further prep required," she says.

Joining a CSA has encouraged Lareau to eat more vegetables than she would have otherwise, and she likes supporting a local farm. Although she pays up front, it is a part of her weekly grocery budget.

Memberships in CSAs run from about $200 to $500, depending on the length of the season.

Lori Greene, who runs Downing Hollow Farm with her husband, Alex, says CSAs are the small family farm's lifesaver.

"It can keep you afloat. If you are growing things that are already guaranteed and paid for by the members, you aren't losing that crop if, say, your regular farmers market customers decide they are tired of eating greens," she says. "We have 25 members right now, but want to go up to 50."

Laura Goodman-Bryan also has a CSA membership with Downing Hollow Farm.

"I like having first dibs on the produce even if I sleep in," she says, since her items are always there, ready for her to pick up.

She was very methodical about picking her farmer. "I spent a year shopping the market. At the end of the season, I asked myself which farmer I bought from every single week. In my case, it was Downing Hollow Farm, so I joined their CSA."

In addition to shopping at the Cooper-Young market, Goodman-Bryan also regularly shops Downtown.

"They were the first and I'm very loyal to the market and a number of the vendors there," she says.

On occasion, she'll get a midweek fix at the Memphis Botanic Garden. "I encourage folks to try out several markets," she says.

Goodman-Bryan utilizes several strategies when shopping at a market, and then later at home.

"I try to have an idea of what's in season, which you can get a really good feel for by going to the market regularly, but I don't usually plan my meals. Planning too much makes me miss opportunities," she says.

Chatting can be an integral part of the shopping process. "Ask the vendors what they recommend this week. You can learn a lot. Also ask the vendors how they would use a certain product. Most of them have some pretty good ideas," says Goodman-Bryan.

As tempting as the produce may be, Goodman-Bryan tries to limit herself to what she can eat or put up within a week. By trying different things, she can see what holds up in the refrigerator and what doesn't. She also brings plastic containers to protect anything fragile she may purchase.

There are hidden gems within the produce. "Look for something funny, something you've never seen before, and try it. I have a battered copy of "The Victory Garden Cookbook" that is a great resource," she says.

Giving yourself extra time when you come home from the market to tend to your produce is crucial. "It makes a big difference," she says. "Extra fruit like blueberries and strawberries can be frozen. Salad greens need to be washed, spun, gently wrapped in paper towels and placed inside of a plastic bag. Make sure you put veggies in the crisper drawer and don't smush them."

Keep herbs in a glass jar on the counter.

If something wilts, don't worry. "I find that many things that wilt can be perked back up. I throw them in a big bowl of water and let them soak overnight," says Goodman-Brown.

Most important, give back. "If you're at the stand of a vendor you like and a new customer comes up, give the vendor some praise. Help the vendors you like develop new customers! It's good business and good karma," she says.

Here are two recipes from pastry chef Jason Doty that he says are easy to make and make use of what is available now at area markets.

Honey-Oatmeal Scones

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling

2 tbsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 lb. (4 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup cold buttermilk

1/2 cup locally sourced honey

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. milk or water, for egg wash

For the glaze:

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup locally sourced honey

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, sugar and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the buttermilk, honey, and eggs and add quickly to the flour-and-butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough ¾- to 1-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter and place on baking sheet.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, honey and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes, and drizzle each scone with 1 tbsp. of glaze. Sprinkle some uncooked oats on the top, for garnish. The warmer the scones are when you glaze them, the thinner the glaze will be.

Yield: 14 large scones

Strawberry Pie Bars

For the crust and topping:

Zest of 2 lemons

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

For the strawberry filling:

4 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

6 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and granulated sugar. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until all of the sugar has been moistened. In the bowl of a food processor, add the lemon sugar, all-purpose flour and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the pieces of butter are no larger than the size of peas, about 10 to 12 pulses.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture to use for the topping and put it in the refrigerator until needed. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in the sliced strawberries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust and make sure all of the strawberries are in one layer and not sitting on top of one another.

Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.

Yield: 18 bars

Mixed-diet households adapt, compromise to make mealtimes work

Published April 3, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Can carnivores and vegetarians coexist peacefully around the same dinner table?

Many families find themselves answering that question daily at mealtimes.

When Cameron Mann and his wife, Amy, started dating in 2005, they went out to dinner a lot. Amy had been a vegetarian for about 12 years at that point, and with their busy schedules, going out to eat was the most convenient option.

By the time they married in 2010, they'd had ample time to get into a routine and figure out what works for them.

"As a concession to my carnivorous habits, Amy generally cooks meat for me once a week, usually fish or chicken," says Cameron, noting that Amy's always careful to purchase humanely raised (grass-fed beef, free-range chicken) and organic items and any fish she purchases is not farm-raised.

"Dinner for the other nights can be anything from a veggie plate, hearty soup and/or salad, a stir fry, or something like that," he says. "Given that my work schedule sees me having dinner out of the house one or two nights a week, I use those opportunities to eat barbecue, a burger or steak."

Cameron has grown to enjoy eating vegetarian food most of the time, thanks to his wife's excellent cooking skills.

"I've learned to appreciate the myriad possibilities in the veggie world and am leaning in that direction, finding my carny cravings waning by the day," he says. Will he ever quit meat altogether? Not likely, but Amy's vegetarianism has opened up more and healthier dining possibilities for both of them.

Jerri Green, a 34-year-old criminal attorney turned stay-at-home mom of two, has had a slightly rockier time getting her husband to adjust his eating habits. She became a vegetarian at age 19 after taking a Buddhism class in college. A self-taught cook, she was soon known for her delicious dinner parties and study groups. After completing law school at Georgetown, she moved to Nashville, where she met the man who would become her husband.

When she started dating Patrick, he ate only about three vegetables, and that was begrudgingly. "He's a really big guy," Jerri says of the 6-foot-8, 300-pound former NFL lineman. "He can put away a lot of meat. He's the T. Rex of carnivores."

She knew she was never going to change the way he eats and vice versa, so she started searching for recipes that she could easily adapt to suit both of them.

"We went six months without one repeat," Jerri says. "That's when I decided I had a big enough repertoire to put my recipes online."

She started cooking4carnivores.com as a creative outlet before having children. "My website isn't just for mixed-diet families." Many of her nonvegetarian friends are eating less meat or doing Meatless Mondays and have found inspiration on her blog.

"In the South, everything has meat," she says. "... There was a need out there, and I decided to put out what my family eats."

Tortellini with cream sauce is a family favorite. Jerri adds mushrooms to her portion and chicken to her husband's.

"It's not about giving up what we like," she says.

There are a few challenges: She can't taste her husband's food when she cooks it, but she says that cooking meat doesn't gross her out. "We're just real-life people trying to work this out. Patrick's probably more grossed out by lettuce and all of the vegetables I eat."

Eating fresh and seasonal is part of how she makes it work. "In fall, we both like sweet potatoes. In the summer, Patrick could care less about a tomato unless it's in a marinara sauce."

There have been some small victories.

"I sometimes hide squash in macaroni and cheese," she admits. "Just getting him to try things like a roasted carrot makes me happy. He has the palate of a 5-year-old."

Once, Patrick saw spinach in the rigatoni and said, "I'm not going to like that." Jerri encouraged him to give it a try, and he liked it.

"He's getting better," she says.

Their children are under 2. "I'm real purposeful with the kids. I want them to have better palates than their dad."

Her son, almost 2, loves avocados. "I'm about to have more struggles with my daughter (5 months)," she said. "I make good food available, and they either eat it or don't. I also make sure I have good snacks on hand."

She finds inspiration everywhere -- cookbooks, websites, dining out. "I am always trying to figure out how to make a meal one of us likes or looks amazing work for both of us."

Brian Thompson, who lives in East Memphis with his wife of 22 years, is equally enthusiastic about adapting recipes. He says he got a shock in January 2001 when his wife announced that she was going to try to live a vegetarian lifestyle.

"It really made me do a double take. I had spent the first 12 years of our marriage perfecting several dinner dishes and could almost cook them with my eyes closed. Now my wife was going to be a vegetarian?" he says.

Lucie quit eating meat as her personal way of being an activist against the damage the production of meat does to our environment.

"We get more pesticides in our meat, due to the pesticides used on the grains to feed the animals, than we get on our vegetables," she says. "We also have the issue of the pesticides and chemical fertilizers that are used on the feed crops, which run off into our streams and rivers."

Brian, who does most of the cooking, decided to look at it as a challenge. "I can't make Southern comfort food like Grandma made, but I can make a vegetarian version that rocks; just let me have a little meat on the side."

He also often includes a meat substitute for his wife.

"If I am grilling steaks, I will grill her a big portobello mushroom," he says.

He has also learned to eat a lot more meat substitutes. "Whenever I make chili, it is always with fake meat crumbles now, same for tacos, spaghetti, etc. We serve chili every year at our Super Bowl party, and a lot of our friends don't even realize it's vegetarian."

Chicken and beef stock have been replaced with vegetable stock. "You really cannot tell the difference," Brian says. He eats a lot more vegetables and fish than he did before his wife became a vegetarian.

"I am cutting back on my meat intake, but I'm not giving it up, I just enjoy it way too much," he says. "I look at it as an adventure. I am getting to cook a lot of amazing dishes I may have never looked into fixing before."

Resources

Jerri Green (cooking4carnivores.com) finds recipes via Pinterest and chubbyvegetarian.blogspot.com by Memphians Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence.

"I love my monthly Bon Appetit magazine," she says. "It may seem intimidating for the home cook, but it has such interesting ideas and great technique tips." She also finds family-friendly recipes in Parenting magazine and is looking forward to using "The New Southern Garden Cookbook" she received for Christmas and "The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook," because she got a cast-iron skillet as a gift.

A favorite go-to recipe:

Lemon Herbed Spaghetti

1 box of thin whole wheat spaghetti

1 lemon

1/2 cup of finely grated Parmesan and more for topping

2 sprigs fresh oregano

Several leaves fresh parsley

2 tbsp. of olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Boil the pasta for about 8 minutes in salted water. Drain and return to the pot. Toss with oil, salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice of half the lemon and toss again. Add in the Parmesan and stir once more. Chop the herbs coarsely and add them in last. Serve immediately. Top with more Parmesan and garnish with thin slices of the rest of the lemon. Serves four to six.

Note: This can be a side dish or a main dish if you add grilled chicken for the carnivore or kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes for the vegetarian.

Brian Thompson's favorite cookbooks are "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone," by Deborah Madison; "The Food of Morocco" and "Delicious Diabetic Recipes" by Rani Polak.

"As far as websites, we really like food.com, and we usually just Google search using ingredients in the search bar."

No-meat feat: Meatless Monday helps families save money, their health and the planet

Published March 13, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Going meatless one day a week can make a big difference to personal health and the environment.

The national group, the Monday Campaigns (mondaycampaigns.org), says Monday is the January of the week, which is the perfect time for a fresh start. The group believes that people are more likely to begin exercising, start a diet or quit smoking on Monday than any other day. "It's a call to action built into every calendar -- offering 52 chances a year to live a longer, healthier life!"

Wendy King, who is a stay-at-home mom of three, started doing Meatless Mondays about a year ago, when she heard Kathy Freston, author of "Veganist," on TV mention it. King Googled it and discovered that there was a website (meatlessmonday.com) and a Facebook Page.

Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative of The Monday Campaigns in association with the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt galvanized the nation with voluntary meatless days during both world wars. The intention for Meatless Monday is to revitalize this American tradition.

The website provides information and recipes for participants to start each week with healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives. The goal is to reduce meat consumption by 15 percent in order to improve personal health and the health of the planet.

After scrolling through the site, King and her husband talked about it and decided it was something they could do. "We'd been wanting to implement some meatless meals for a while, but didn't really know how to," explains King.

Their main reason for signing up was because money was tight. "I'd recently watched "Food, Inc" and decided to go to only organic meats. Since organic meats are more costly, incorporating some meatless meals was a way to lessen the expense," says King.

Additionally, when the family started, Wendy King had just started to focus on losing weight. "Meatless Mondays allowed for a lower-calorie option -- in most cases -- than our meat-based meals," she says.

Now, the family has three to four meatless meals a week. "This was huge for me, as we never had a meal that didn't include meat when I was growing up."

Two of King's children have autism, so they are also on a gluten-free diet. Some Mondays, their meals are as simple as spaghetti made with gluten-free spaghetti noodles and a traditional marinara sauce. King says they also eat a lot of lentils.

"I will usually fix them with carrots, onions and celery. The leftovers can be used to make lentil burgers," she says. King also uses the leftover lentil burgers to make tacos.

Other family favorites are "Snobby Joes" (Sloppy Joes made with lentils), eggplant manicotti, vegetable soup (using vegetable stock instead of chicken or beef stock), potato quesadillas made with gluten-free tortillas and "skinny" taco dip with refried beans served with chips.

The Meatless Monday website suggests that going meatless once a week may reduce the risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

Going meatless can also help reduce one's carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. For meals that include meat, the organization strongly recommends grass-fed, hormone-free, locally raised options whenever possible.

Meatless Mondays not only offer health and environmental benefits, but convenience. Shelli Smothers, her husband and two sons live in Northeast Shelby County, where they raise sheep and cows. They believe in eating real food, as close to the source as possible.

"Yes, we eat the animals we raise," says Smothers. "We put a cow in the freezer at Christmas time. It should last about 18 months." They hope to grow to producing nine or 10 sheep a year to eat.

This year Smothers has started seeds for eggplant, several squash varieties, several pepper varieties, watermelons and herbs. She also grows blueberries, blackberries, figs and muscadine grapes.

The family started doing Meatless Mondays after Shelli Smothers heard an interview with Paul McCartney in the fall of 2009. "He was talking about how eating less meat is good for us and the planet," she says. "While what Sir Paul said made sense to me, I was concerned mostly about health issues -- like cholesterol, teaching my children to make thoughtful decisions about food and the expense of the meat."

In addition to Meatless Mondays, the family does "Taco Tuesdays" and "Fish, Rice, Broccoli Wednesdays." It makes the "What do you want for dinner?" conversation happen less often, Smothers says.

Meatless Monday dinners are often black bean burgers, eggplant parmigiana, a Southern veggie plate or homemade sushi.

Midtowner Leslie Tiscia has found that Meatless Mondays are a good way for her "blended family" to enjoy a meal together. She is an on-again, off-again vegetarian, her 9-year-old daughter is a vegetarian who will eat fish on occasion, and her boyfriend would eat meat at every meal if given the opportunity.

Tiscia started Meatless Mondays a few months ago when her daughter, Liv, decided she wanted to become a vegetarian. "Honestly, Liv's never been much of a meat eater and just loves all animals. As she has discovered more about factory farms and their treatment of animals, she has rejected eating animal products," explains Tiscia.

All of the meat that Tiscia buys now typically comes from local suppliers, but her daughter still refuses to eat it. "I read an article about Meatless Mondays online and thought it would be a good way for everyone in the household to participate in a meat-free diet at least one night a week," says Tiscia.

Tiscia follows Meatless Monday on Facebook for ideas and encouragement. Her typical meatless meals include lasagna, pastas, tacos, soups, salads, sushi and chili.

On the Meatless Monday website, (meatlessmonday.com), participants can make a pledge to go meatless; download tool kits, posters and banners; and even register personal blogs that document the process. There are also a host of recipes, articles, and fellow advocates to learn from on the site.

Families choosing only fresh, natural, 'real food' boast improved health, well-being

Published February 21, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

As access to fresh, seasonal foods expands, many, including some Memphians, are taking a new approach to mealtime and grocery shopping that benefits not only their families, but the community as well.

Ditching processed, packaged and refined foods, they are seeking to put only wholesome, natural foods, dairy and whole grains prepared from scratch -- real food -- on their tables.

Many families are participating in movements with names like "100 Days of Real Food" or "The Real Food Challenge" to reinvent mealtime in a more healthful and Earth-friendly manner. Others take a less formal approach.

Miriam Wrye lives in East Memphis and is a stay-at-home mom to three young children.

"Meal planning and grocery shopping are two of my main 'jobs,' " she says.

She tries to buy as much whole food as possible because it has the most nutrients, and she believes it's best for her family's health.

"Raw fruits and veggies are the best, but even cooking these from their fresh state is better than getting them canned or packaged," Wrye says.

Wrye tries to put something fresh and green on the table every evening, like leafy greens or raw vegetables.

"I am learning to shop only the perimeters of the grocery store, where you find the freshest stuff like produce, eggs, meats and dairy. I also do my best to eat local and in-season," she says.

She believes her shopping habits boost the local economy: "Eating in-season is also fresher and cheaper than other produce that has been brought in from another country."

Wrye says there are lots of benefits of eating fresh, including improving our farming and food industry and helping our planet stay green and healthy.

"The biggest benefit is the gift of health when you choose to eat food that is closest to how nature has presented it," she says. "You get more vitamin and nutrient benefits than taking supplements alone."

Angie Stewart Forrester, a local food blogger, also tries to eat as many fruits and vegetables as she can, with an emphasis on what's in-season right now.

"This week, my husband and I are doing a take on spinach and mushroom quesadillas with mustard greens and wild mushrooms," she says.

When the farmers markets are open, Forrester buys the majority of her fruits and vegetables there. She also shops at The Fresh Market and Whole Foods because of their corporate buying policies that include regulation of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and certified humanely raised meats.

"Fresh foods taste better and are so much healthier for us," she says.

Forrester loves to cook and believes it gives her more control of flavors.

"When I cook, there's less sodium and less artificial flavors and chemicals than the prepackaged and highly overprocessed foods," she says.

Leigh Espy, a project manager who lives in Midtown with her husband and young daughter, recently adopted a diet that is a mix between the popular "paleo" and "primal" diets.

"The paleo and primal diets stress real foods, and meats without growth hormones and antibiotics, rather than processed foods," Espy says. "I now really just shop from the outside grocery aisles, and cook a lot."

She says she misses easy snacks like protein bars and granola bars.

"Giving up wheat was difficult -- no bread for sandwiches and no Memphis Pizza Café pizza!" Espy says.

She has discovered some tricks, like using eggplant in place of lasagna noodles, and prepping vegetables ahead for cooking later to save time. Espy cooks in bulk, so she always has leftovers to grab for lunch or another dinner. She keeps apples and almonds around for easy snacks.

"I was a pescatarian, so adding bacon back to my diet after 20 years was my compensation for giving up wheat," she says. Now that Espy is eating beef and pork, she buys hormone-free and antibiotic-free as much as possible, and buys at local farmers markets as much as she can.

Espy says she feels more clear-headed, her digestive problems are gone, and she handles stress better. She believes her transition to the diet was so successful because it started as a 30-day challenge from her trainer, Dexter Tennison, at Memphis Adventure Bootcamp.

"After the 30-day challenge was over, I felt so amazing that I decided to stay with it," Espy says.

Amy Pickle, who lives in Midtown and runs her own business, Pickle I.T., also found a link between her health and the way she eats.

Growing up, she would go to her grandparents' house every Sunday for pot roast, candied sweet potatoes, cornbread, blacked-eyed peas with fatback and butter beans. Around age 17, she started to make the connection between the her post-lunch "food coma" and the pot roast.

"I would literally be knocked out for hours after her meals," Pickle says. She became a vegetarian that year, much to the dismay of her Southern family. Then at 42, after feeling adverse effects from cheese, eggs and sugar, she became vegan.

"I find that a diet rich in whole foods -- foods that occur naturally in nature, not processed, abstinence from flour, sugar, dairy and meat, gives me tons more energy -- not nervous energy, but calm energy," she says.

Pickle believes processed foods create a heavy or toxic feeling in the body, in that they are filled with corn syrups that cause spikes in blood sugar and create an endless cycle of craving, eating and crashing.

"Eating mindfully has created a whole new relationship with food," Pickle says. "I no longer live to eat; I eat to live. I eat to sustain my body and mind in the most optimal way possible, to ensure a healthy body, mind and spirit."

"Whatever I buy at the market dictates what I'm going to cook for the rest of the week," she says. "This means that I cook along with the seasons, too."

"The health benefits are tremendous, as is the flavor of food," Pickle says. "Food tastes so much better when the ingredients have just been picked at their peak. Buying food locally helps create sustainability within a community. When we support local farmers, we support Memphis."

More information

100daysofrealfood.com

realfoodchallenge.com

Eco-engaged: More couples find the outdoors a nurturing environment for romance

Published January 10, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Romance has gone green -- at least among active, environmentally conscious couples.

Austin Grisham and Lindsay Morris had their first date on the Shelby Farms Greenline.

Although they both grew up in Memphis, they got to know each other about a year and a half ago over the phone. Morris was living in Portland, Ore., working as a teacher in an after-school community outreach program, and mutual friends suggested Grisham contact her, since he was considering a move to the area for graduate school.

"A month after I moved to Portland, a random guy contacted me about graduate school and Portland in general," Morris said. "We continued talking, and when I came home to Memphis for Christmas in 2010, we decided to meet," says Morris.

Grisham and Morris are both active cyclists and runners, and Grisham knew that Morris and her family often walked on the Greenline, so it seemed like a good place for a first date.

About a year later, it seemed like an even better place to propose.

"I started planning the engagement in August," says Grisham, who lives in Portland and is a recruitment specialist for an interpretation company.

Grisham had talked to Morris's dad and arranged for the whole family to take a walk over the Thanksgiving holiday break.

Grisham had secretly flown into town the night before the walk was to happen. Morris and her family were to walk east along the Greenline and Grisham would walk west.

Morris and her family walked for about 15-20 minutes, "then my dad stopped me and said, 'This is it.' " She looked up and saw

Grisham running toward her. He got down on his knee and proposed.

Their wedding will be at Hope Presbyterian Church, where Morris's dad is a minister, but they hope to have the rehearsal dinner at Shelby Farms Park.

Jen Andrews, the director of communications for Shelby Farms Park Conservancy says, "One of our taglines is 'Love the Park,' and we're happy to see people are taking it literally!"

The conservancy has seen an uptick in both inquiries about park weddings and people having their weddings and receptions there.

"We've gone from hosting a few a year to 18 weddings in 2011," says Andrews.

In addition to more weddings and receptions than ever, the conservancy is hearing more and more from people getting engaged at the park -- and now on the Greenline.

"Last year, a couple got engaged at our Off-Leash Dog Park. We had several people pop the question at Starry Nights. Marriage is a big deal, and we think more park and Greenline users than ever are interested in making this commitment at a place that's meaningful to them, surrounded by natural beauty," she says.

One of the ways the conservancy is able to earn money for the operations and maintenance needs is through facility rentals (indoor board rooms, outdoor picnic shelters, races and walks). "We've been working hard to increase facility rentals across the board, and they're very popular. We keep our prices fair and scale them according to the size of the event and number of guests, and we think people like knowing that the money they're going to spend to have their wedding goes back to help the park and Greenline they love," says Andrews.

The park conservancy hopes to continue its relationship with these couples forever. Andrews says, "We want to host the baby shower, bar mitzvah and 50th wedding anniversary."

Other scenic venues are also becoming more popular for weddings. Pat Vescovo, director of sales at the Memphis Botanic Garden, says, "We've shown an increase over the past couple of years in garden weddings, especially due to new areas we've added that are designed to create special backdrops for the ceremonies. Our Blecken Pavilion and Japanese Garden are two of the most popular spots for weddings."

Bobbie Baker, the special events coordinator at Lichterman Nature Center, says she has noticed an increase in the number of outdoor weddings as well.

"With the advent of social media websites like Facebook and smartphones, brides as well as their guests may share their wedding photos instantaneously. Today's brides are looking for something new, nontraditional and 'photo-worthy.' "

Baker believes outdoor weddings in a setting as lovely as Lichterman offer photo opportunities that no indoor structure may provide no matter how grand the architecture, and adds, "With a growing 'green' social consciousness amongst those under 30, couples are using their wedding ceremonies as a way to establish their commitment to the environment as they begin their lives together."

The Trees Rejoice

Published January 1, 2012 in Edible Memphis

Post-holidays perfect time to trim toys and help out other families

Published December 27, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Now that the holidays have passed and the resolutions are beginning, many parents are eyeing their children's rooms. Finding a new home for gently used toys and books can clear the clutter, make room for new toys and benefit a number of local organizations, including schools.

Harold Williams, who lives in Marion, Ark., and works in Memphis, noticed during Thanksgiving weekend that he had to wade into his 8-year-old son's room. "You had to be careful with every step you took or you'd hurt yourself," he said of the sea of toys on John's floor. When Williams noticed that his son was bringing toys out of his room to play with them elsewhere because there was no room to play on his floor, he knew it was time to do something.

Together, he and John went through the toys under the guise of making room for Christmas presents. Williams said they ended up with two or three large garbage bags full of toys that were broken, used up or missing parts; one or two bags of unwanted but perfectly good toys; and a huge bag of stuffed animals that Williams agreed to store in the attic. "John loves stuffed animals," he said. "He was with me on everything, so I was willing to compromise on the animals."

John immediately began hanging out in his room again.

His dad said John was happy to donate some of his toys to the Salvation Army so other children might enjoy them. "John wanted them to actually go to another kid."

Midtowner Shannon Dixon has enlisted the help of her son, Max, 10, to clear the clutter in his room since he was a baby. "When he was young, his toys got out of hand pretty easily," she said.

Around his birthday in May and at Christmastime, she would go through his things and thin them out -- with him in the room.

"When he became verbal, we talked about how we have a small house with limited space and how there are kids all over Memphis that need toys," she said.

They typically pack up toys that are no longer age appropriate or that don't interest Max anymore. She thinks it's important that he's been involved in the clean-ups from a young age. "Now, he sees that it's always been that way and is always willing to help fill up a bag for Goodwill."

There is a Goodwill drop off a few blocks from the Dixon home, so that is where they choose to donate.

Dixon said they also discuss being respectful about what they pass on -- no broken or worn-out toys with missing pieces -- and they always participate in "Toys for Tots."

There are a few sentimental things stored in the attic for use by Max's children in the future.

"We don't usually give toys to friends because we assume they can buy what they want," Dixon said.

Local schools are often in need of donations as well. Kindergarten teacher Christina McAfee suggests contacting a school's principal to talk about what needs could be met -- or ask a specific teacher if he or she has a wish list. "Needs can vary a great deal from school to school," said McAfee, who works at Willow Oaks Elementary School.

She said classroom teachers have a specific amount of money they are given each year by the principal, but they often end up spending their own money, applying for grants, or reusing old and unwanted items in their classrooms.

McAfee specifically looks for things for her activity centers, like building toys, craft supplies, dress-up type items, puppets or stuffed animals, doll house and playhouse items. "Years ago, I gave away all my children's toys to other friends," she said. "Had I known I would be working with 30-plus kindergarten students this year, I would have kept everything."

She is also working on building a classroom library that has enough variety for all of her students. "I have found discarded books, bought from yard sales. Books that people don't want could be well used in my library." McAfee is especially interested in easy chapter books, like "The Magic Tree House," for grades 1-4.

Dixon said she and her son also periodically go through his books and make a pile for his school's library.

"It's tough to be a public school teacher these days. Donations help teachers teach, and teach better," McAfee said.

More information

Culling your child's toys to make room for what Santa brought? Here are some organizations that take donations:

YWCA Abused Women's Shelter (memphisywca.org)

Items needed:

Toys (for all ages), books (for all ages, English and Spanish languages), dolls, cars and trucks, dress-up jewelry/clothing, video games, children's videos (English and Spanish languages), footballs, basketballs, portable cassette/compact disc players.

Salvation Army (salvationarmymemphis.org)

The Salvation Army's Family Thrift Stores operate year-round and fund many of the nonprofit's programs.

Donations can be dropped off at all Family Store locations and at the main office at 2649 Kirby Whitten.

To arrange pickup of donated items: Call (901) 728-7825.

Goodwill (goodwillmemphis.org)

Church Health Center Wellness Child Life Center (churchhealthcenter.org/childlife)

Wish List:

Educational toys, wooden toys, board games, art supplies, etc. No plush items are accepted. If it is something the center cannot use, it will be given to a family who can.

Many other organizations in town take donations of gently used toys. Pick your favorite, but call first to make sure what you have is needed.

Personal touches of time, attention and care make for presents to remember

Published December 13, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Debi Vincent, who lives in Germantown, won't be doing much Christmas shopping this year. Instead, she'll be busy making her gifts by hand.

"To me, giving a handmade gift is truly the essence of gift-giving. It tells the recipient that you cared enough about them to put time, attention and love into that gift," she says.

Vincent believes handmade gifts have a story and a soul. This year, she is making most of her gifts from recycled felted wool sweaters.

"Have you ever had a beautiful wool sweater and accidentally put it in the washer and dryer, only to end up with a teeny tiny sweater? That was felting," Vincent says.

Regular sheep's wool, lambswool, alpaca, angora and cashmere felt are best. Vincent finds secondhand sweaters, felts them, and then uses the resulting material to fashion a number of items like slippers, mittens, hats, iPad cases, banners and flower pins.

Vincent likes that she can control the quality and environmental impact of the goods that go into each of her gifts, but it's the actual creation and construction that she enjoys the most.

"I was encouraged from a young age to be creative, so it's always seemed natural to want to make things and share them. I hope some of that love comes through in the objects I create," she says.

Time is the most valuable ingredient in Vincent's gifts. She might spend 10 hours or more on a pair of slippers.

"The planning stages always seem to take the most, and then there's making the patterns, choosing and processing materials, construction, embellishing, and then finishing," she says.

It's all worth it to Vincent. She takes pride in the fact that her gifts aren't mass-produced and can't be found in crowded malls.

"Making things by hand helps put the humanity back into our everyday lives," Vincent says.

Midtowners Scott and Amy Banbury decided to start making their own holiday gifts 16 years ago for several reasons.

"We are both artsy and can make stuff, we were very poor 16 years ago, and Christmas consumption drives us both crazy," explains Amy, adding, "Personally, I think homemade gifts are the bomb."

Scott Banbury says he doesn't necessarily oppose the purchasing of gifts, but he believes they ought to be thoughtful.

"Making your own, or buying from local artisans invokes thoughtfulness. Waiting in line to get a deal on a mass-manufactured consumer product doesn't," he says.

They both agree that some of their early handmade gift-giving efforts were unsuccessful.

"The first year we did it, we just hot-glued a bunch of nature stuff on some fresh-cut logs, and months later, beetles were crawling out of them," he says.

"We called them 'yule logs,'" she explains. "Scott drilled a hole so they could hold a candle. My mom's caught on fire when she used it because of all the stuff we glued on them."

They've honed their skills over the years, and now that the couple have children, the whole family makes gifts.

"The kids are very creative, so they think it's fun. It's the one time of the year I don't cringe and complain when the house is trashed with art supplies," she says.

This year, Amy is embroidering tea towels and handkerchiefs. Scott is making wooden rubber-band guns, cutting boards and iPhone charging stations. Their son, Kade, is making blank flip books, and daughter Brighid is sawing off the heads of plastic animals and gluing them to wood scraps to make tiny taxidermy trophy heads.

All of their materials are found, reclaimed or purchased secondhand.

"Some of the flip books we are making are out of Scott's leftover (City Council) campaign fliers, and they all have recycled cardboard covers from Cheez-It boxes or whatever is in the cupboard," Amy says.

For her best friend, who is a "Scrabble junkie," Amy plans to make a refrigerator Scrabble set from game pieces she collected at yard sales over the summer. She says that after 16 years, "I think our friends and family know that it's hit or miss."

Julie Baltz, who works at the Memphis Botanic Garden, thinks it means so much more to someone when you make a gift for them or when the gift is handmade locally or regionally.

"It's important to support these efforts in protest to the mad spending at the typical mall shops and big-business stores," she says.

She's currently knitting washcloths to accompany some locally made soaps that she purchased from Peace Bee Farm at the Memphis Botanic Garden's Farmers Market. Other gifts she has planned are homemade bath salts or milk bath mixes that she can package in fancy or old-looking jars found at thrift stores. Baltz also plans to do some sewing projects using old T-shirts.

Baltz considers the bigger picture of gift-giving.

"I try to reuse 'garbage' in at least some of my gifts to try and offset the insane overuse of disposable packaging and wrapping paper," she says. In that vein, she is making recycled paper ornaments using leftover brochures from her work that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

She wraps her gifts in material, pretty scarves or brown paper bags that she decorates.

"Or I use the gift bags I nagged everyone about saving at last year's family Christmas," she says.

Baltz says making her own gifts saves her money, but requires a good bit of time. She knits about an hour a day, maybe more. Because she works full time and has a 2-year-old daughter, she says a washcloth can take two days or two weeks.

"I generally start knitting gifts around Halloween," she says.

Lynn Conlee, who works at Rhodes College, gave her mom a drawing she had done and experienced how much more personal it feels to share something you actually made with someone. This year, she has decided to make gifts for everyone on her list.

She was inspired by an art magazine called Juxtapose.

"Aaron Horkey was featured. He does these detailed illustrations, often of natural scenes," Conlee says. She doesn't consider herself to be an illustrator, but she took several of her own photos of leaves on the ground, converted them to black and white, and ran them through some Photoshop filters to give them the appearance of line-art illustrations.

"While I was playing with them in Photoshop, I noticed the leaves in one of the images had formed angel shapes," she says. "That's when it occurred to me that these could possibly become holiday gifts -- if I didn't screw them up!"

Conlee had them printed on a high-quality digital printer using heavier cover stock with a dull finish.

"The dimension I got from the black-and-white versions appealed to me, but I started thinking about adding some random color to the leaves," she says. "That plan turned into pretty much full-scale hand-coloring using color pencils."

The surface of the cover stock allowed the color to build on itself in an interesting way, almost like paint, Conlee says. She really likes the effect. "It's understated, but pops at the same time." She bought some standard-size frames with precut mats to complete the gifts.

If arts and crafts don't inspire, there is always the kitchen. Michael Hughes, a local food and wine expert, is making unique and edible gifts with husband, Kelly Robinson.

"When making edible gifts, it's best to make a variety because not everybody's tastes are the same," he says. So far Hughes and Robinson have made cherry liqueur and smoked whiskey poached cherries; rum and Meyer lemon-cured blueberries; ginger bitters; bacon bitters; soy-sesame-sriracha-sugar-lime roasted cashews and hot sauce. They are also making different kinds of chocolates, like dark chocolate-covered salted caramels, rum caramels and chocolate-covered whiskey custard.

"The way I see it," Hughes says, "most people, myself included, would rather have something they could eat or drink as opposed to yet another something to clutter up the shelves."

He says the rum-cured blueberries would be great over ice cream or cheesecake, in muffins or in a gin- or rum-based cocktail. The cherries make great garnishes for Manhattans or other drinks.

"When we made the roasted cashews, it was absolutely impossible not to snack on them," Hughes says. "They are perfect as a simple snack or to add some crunch and spice to a chilled noodle salad."