Eco-friendly Backyard Barbeque on Fox5 Atlanta

In the midst of all this oppressive heat, it’s a good time to remember that you can have tons of fun while not creating tons of waste. If you’re a believer (ya know, the whole global warming thing), you know that the waste quotient only adds to the issue. With an average person generating over 1.6 pounds of waste during a typical, four hour event, the trash can really pile up if you’re not being a conscious consumer.

So…here are a few tips to green your summer BBQ:

Décor:

• Like linen: first off, using a washable linen of any fabric is a more sustainable option than something that is not (ie plastic). A new option on the rental market is one made from recycled plastic bottles that can be found at BBJ Linen (www.bbjlinen.com).
•  A fun craft project that my pal & famed Atlanta Caterer Dennis Dean (www.dennisdeancatering.com) came up with is turning a piece of burlap into a BBQ banner of sorts that can be displayed at your entrance or on your table as a runner then reused for the Fall holidays. Use a paper stencil or even a wooden letter to paint on your initials, the theme or a special guest’s name. You can find paper stencils at Sam Flax or wooden letters at Hobby Lobby. Any craft paint will work – opt for a natural hair brush.
• Potted & portable: accent your table with potted sunflowers or other potted flowering plants. At the end of your party, turn your potted flower arrangement into a portable, take home gift for your guests to enjoy on their table or in their garden.

Food & Beverage

• From skin to servingware: use everything inside your orange and out to make a delicious citrus fruit salad (add grapefruit & watermelon to add a multi-color dimension that is also delicious). Cut your oranges in half, scoop out all insides, dry skin halves over night at room temperature. Before your party, simply scoop your fruit salad mix into each half and display.
• Turn your cabbage into the container for your bleu cheese cole slaw. Follow standard directions for cole slaw, add organic blue cheese crumbles. I like the 365 organic bleu cheese @ Whole Foods (www.wholefoods.com).  Use the outer layers of the cabbage (red cabbage tends to offer a bit more color) as your cole slaw container.
• Sauce it up: my favorite part of a BBQ is, of course, the sauce. Offer guests a sampling of various barbeque sauces…either as a competition amongst those coming to enjoy the summer festivity or your own favorite finds. In lieu of making your own, explore local options. Whole Foods is great at pointing out who to check out in your local market. I really like the honey, chipotle and classic sauces the Williamson Bros (http://www.williamsonbros.com) from Atlanta churn out. Since guys love a good BBQ – offer take home samples in reusable, glass jars that ensure your sauce is good to the very last drop.
• Buy in bulk – from chips to Coca-Cola, avoid single-serve containers and ensure your generating less packaging waste overall.
• An apple a day: a great summer drink for kids is a simple glass of apple juice served with an apple slice in a Preserve cup (made from recycled plastic). It’s fun and house-friendly (ie not breakable). Available at Whole Foods.
• Local brew: the best way to cut down on your carbon footprint is to buy and support local. Check out your local beverage options from non-alcoholic (Whynatte) to beer (Sweetwater, Terrapin) or spirits (Horné Rum).
• Box it up: turn an empty box into your go-to recycling container and encourage guests to reduce their waste by recycling all of their glass, plastic and aluminum from your summer BBQ.

To view my segment on Fox5 Atlanta, click video below:

As we get set to mark the 40th year of Earth Day celebration, here are a few tips and shout outs to those helping to sustain my (and all of our) world this Earth Day and every day. My friends at the Morning Show were kind enough to have me back to offer viewers ideas on how to ecotain this Earth Day. To view the segment, click here: Earth Day Ecotaining with April Milliken Trigg.

In a nutshell, why not celebrate this Earth Day with a nod to the land, water and air we should all help sustain? Here are some quick and easy ideas…

• Create a menu that supports locally grown produce, grass fed/cage free beef & poultry as well as fish that is on the sustainable seafood list. Take a trip to your local Whole Foods Market and look our for their “Support Local” signs which can be found all over their stores. Serve sustainable spirits (my new fave is SquareOne Vodka) or organic wines like Bonterra or Parducci.
• Ditch the glassware and create a grab, go and give back beverage station by filling a large bowl with ice and recyclable beverages, like the new Dasani Plant Bottle, and encouraging your guests to recycle their beverage containers by placing a recycling station next to your drink set up.
• Decorate with reusable linens (thanks to bbj linens for use of those shown the segment), sustainable stems like those found at OrganicBouquet.com and all your nature-oriented décor around the house. Take a stroll on the beach this Earth Day and, as you enjoy the land, water and air we all need to strive to protect, collect a few mementos to display on your table which not only offers an inexpensive décor piece but also reminds us of how preserving our local community helps contribute to sustaining the entire planet.

Happy Earth Day!

April (me), Mike Flynn from Opportunity Green and Lauren Phillips.

Click on the Nina Skarra dress
to view eco chic Oscar attire

Click on KTLA logo to view video on ecoOscar food

Click on KTLA logo to view video on ecoOscar decor

Special thanks to Classic Party Rentals for the linens & chargers and Alandale’s for letting me borrow the adorable vintage suitcases for the Up in the Air cupcake display.

On the top of my list is the quest to convert at least three local retailers I frequent to compostable products to replace their not-so-recyclable plastic and scary Styrofoam. I happy to report I have my first success – my favorite lunch to-go place made the switch. My friend Johnny at Cafe at Pharr in Atlanta took a meeting with the folks from Repurpose Now and I had my first unsweet iced tea in their compostable cold cup. Glorious! Thanks so much Johnny – it’ll be worth the change (in all ways)!

www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/Cafe-at-Pharr/120592728788

I was astounded at the great deals and ideas at Whole Foods Market – from surf & turf deals ($14.99 for a NY Strip  & Lobster Tail combo) to two dozen beautiful (sustainably grown) roses for $19.99 and even adorable mini-rose bushes (my personal fave) for $4.99 each. The scrumptious looking organic strawberries and their delectable mini desserts are perfect for two this Valentine’s Day. With the economy not-so-thriving these days, more celebratory dinners will be taking place at home and I definitely encourage you to run by WFM to see what deals you can come by.

An interesting challenge my own mother took own was to purchase all of the V-Day gifts for my father at Walgreens. Yes, Walgreens. Apparently their commercials do actually work as they claimed you could find all of your heart day treats for your special someone, in one quick trip, at their stores. Of course, it goes without saying that finding your gifts in one spot, as opposed to driving across town, back and forth, is a great stride in being sustainable this holiday.

So, enjoy your V-Day celebration with sustainable stems & sustenance!

Buying a rose bush (or any other flowering plant that catches your eye) that you can plant with your significant other will not only last longer than your standard bunch of roses or flowers but many can actually be MUCH less expensive than some of the going rates at a local florist. Watching your bush bloom throughout the season(s) has to be better than watching your gift wilt then get tossed in the trash after just a few short days. Many landscape companies and even online retailers begin carrying an abundant array of rose bushes and trees as of February 1st but make sure to place your order asap.

I like the options at Autumn Ridge Nursey (if you’re an online shopper). They are in McMinnville, Tennessee known as the Nursery Capital of the World…which sounds like a pretty good place to start.

So, go ahead, plant the seeds (bush or tree) of love this Valentine’s Day…