Did you know that the average person can go through 500 plastic bags in one year?!? Read more about it at this local blog, QuoteReflections: Tame Your Bag Monster Be sure to check out the great links in their post.

With Christmas near why not consider wrapping your gifts in a reusable or recyclable package? Check out some of these eco-friendly gift wrap ideas. Some of my faves are just using a nice basket or wrapping a gift using one of the gifts (a towel, a blanket, a t-shirt, etc.). For babies, it’s fun to wrap the gift in a receiving blanket, folding it into a diaper shape and closing it with a safety pin (there are lots of great ideas online).

Many stores now have reusable shopping bags that are perfect for storing and transporting the gift. Maybe you want to be a little more creative? Give the gift of local art by purchasing a handcrafted bag from Made in Windsor. Do you or someone you know go to the market a lot? ShopEco has reusable mesh bags available that would be great to hold a present or gift certificate (20% off at the store on December 1st!).

Alternatively, make your own gift basket using local items. You can see the basket that I made last year here, or get some local wine and pair it with goodies like cookies from Thibert Farms or flour from Sartaj Flour for the baker in your life! C’est Bon Nuts would be a welcome addition to any gift pack or get ready-made packages from them.

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Media Advisory:
New Initiatives to Boost Tourism

November 26, 2009

When: Monday, November 30, 2009, 10:30 AM

Where: Radisson Riverfront Hotel, 333 Riverside Drive, Skyline Room

Who: Adriano Ciotoli, co-owner, WindsorEats.com

Pina Ciotoli, co-owner, WindsorEats.com

Tanya Mitchell, Director of Operations and Wine Maker, Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery

WindsorEats.com will hold a press conference at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel located at 333 Riverside Drive, Skyline Room.

Beginning at 10:30 a.m. Adriano Ciotoli and Pina Ciotoli, founders of WindsorEats.com, will announce new initiatives for culinary tourism in our region to boost the local economy and celebrate local resources. Tanya Mitchell, Director of Operations and Wine Maker of Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery will also be speaking.

These exciting new initiatives are meant not only to celebrate Essex County’s culinary diversity and promote this region as a culinary destination but also to give a much needed boost to the economy and get people thinking about how great our local resources are.

For inquiries please contact:

Adriano Ciotoli
519-982-5212
info@windsoreats.com

Pina Ciotoli
519-890-5038
pina@windsoreats.com

WindsorEats.com, culinary tourism

In North America, this Friday (November 27th) is “Buy Nothing Day“, a revolt against consumerism that takes place on the first Friday after the American Thanksgiving. In an interesting twist, area citizens have suggested that this Friday be “Buy Local Day” instead:

Why not spend the day getting to know about LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED businesses within Windsor-Essex county?

Instead of buying your coffee at Tim Horton’s or Starbucks, how about trying Milk, Pause Cafe, Taloola Cafe or any one of the handful of locally owned and operated cafes in the city?

Instead of buying music from HMV, iTunes or Best Buy, browse the locally owned and operated Dr. Disc (which is no longer a part of the franchise chain)?

Instead of eating at The Keg, McDonald’s, Boston Pizza or any of the other huge faceless international franchises, why not try local foods from the hundreds of locally owned and operated restaurants and drinking establishments instead?

Instead of buying clothes or gifts from such retailing giants as Wal-Mart, why not explore the world of options at such great local businesses as Made In Windsor, The Unique Rabbit, or the multitude of local entrepeneurs in the city?

Instead of giving Hollywood or Ceasar’s the big bucks for a night of entertainment, why not go and see the local production of “This Wonderful Life” on the local stage, or check out a local band perform?

There is a world of things to do right here in our own community. Take a little time to see what your neighbours are trying to do to make our own city just that…OUR OWN.

It may cost you a little more, but for one day, we’ll all be on the same page. We’ll all be Windsorites.

After Itsy Bitsy Yoga on Fridays I usually stop for lunch at a small cafe. Last week I went to the Social Bean for a delicious Monte Cristo sandwich…where I’ll go this week is undecided.

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As we enjoy fall and get ready for the holidays (are they really that close?!?) we have the opportunity to choose from many events:

• November 19 – Aleksander Winery’s Harvest Winemakers Dinner – Enjoy a harvest meal paired with Aleksander wines at Per Bacco; check out their website for details
  
• November 21 & 22 – Sanson Estate Winery Holiday Open House – complimentary food and wine tasting in the events hall; live cooking demos; see their newsletter
• November 28 – Southwestern Ontario Vintners Association (SWOVA) Holiday Open Houses – Celebrate with 12 local wineries; each winery celebrates in a different way so check out SWOVA’s site for details

There are more events to choose from so check out my calendar for those that are related to local food and spirits.

Other news this week:

• The Kildare House closed it’s doors – I am very sad!
• WindsorEats launches their Wine Trail Rides website (after winning the culinary tourism experience award!) …[scooped from Bike Windsor, be sure to check them out if you are interested in lots of cyling info in the area]
• Walkerville’s Holiday Walkabout is this weekend; check out their website for details and be sure to stop at Taste Bud for a local focus on prepared meals
• Richard of Thibert Farm mentions that he will try to grow oats in 2010/11 – I can’t wait!
• MIT releases a study that links local food with aiding the obesity epidemic; eating local helped me lose a lot of wait so maybe people will believe this study if they don’t believe me

Kildare House, SWOVA, Sanson Estate Winery, Thibert Farm, Windsor Eats

After a recent visit to The Thibert Farm to get my fix of cookies and pancake mix, Richard mentioned that if all went well, he would be starting a home delivery service soon. Well eating local just got a little sweeter now that he has definitely decided to do a monthly food delivery to his Windsor customers.

A vendor at the Downtown Market this summer, Richard’s cookies, breads and flours were a big hit. But how often are customers willing to drive out to Comber to stock up? We don’t need to ask that anymore!

Richard writes:

I decided that I would cater to my customers by implementing a home delivery service. That’s right! Not only will I grow the grain, mill it, and bake it into the yummy nutritious breads, cookies etc. that everybody loves, now I will deliver it right to your door. Also by providing this service It will allow me make available the meat that I also grow right here on the farm. Hormone and chemically free meat that was fed only from my “non GMO” grain and hay (also grown on my farm)!

The Thibert Farm is on Facebook or you can visit the website. You can also email Richard directly (richard@thethibertfarm.com) …don’t forget to ask for the order form!

Richard shows us his cookie batter
during a recent visit.

My faves are the oatmeal raisin cookies. They make a great snack or I crumble them into a bowl of plain yoghurt. And no weekend would be complete without Thibert Farm’s multi-grain pancake mix. Yum!

You may hear a lot about this as Richard’s announcement came out today. Many of us are very excited since The Thibert Farm is committed to sustainable farming and provides quality products that are definitely local!

[A group of bloggers visited Richard in the summer for an in-depth tour of his operations. You can check out my post about that here. ]

Thibert Farm, delivery

On this day (and every day) we should take time to remember all those who fought for our freedom (and for those still fighting for the freedom of others). Without the bravery and dedication of our forces, we would not enjoy the fortunate lives that we have right now.

During World War I and II, the “homefront” was encouraged to do their part to support the war efforts. For many, this meant planning a victory garden, growing their own vegetables and herbs to relieve pressure on food supplies and (in some countries like Britain) rationing.

The current interest in local food and home gardens is reminiscent of the victory gardens of the past. Where Eleanor Roosevelt planted a garden at the White House during the war to do her part, Michelle Obama now plants a garden to encourage citizens to grow/know their own food and help reduce their carbon footprint.

You can easily grow herbs and veggies at home in window boxes, containers or gardens. If you like you can also join a community garden in your area. These are now sprouting up throughout Windsor and Essex County.

I attended a talk on food not too long ago and one of the panelists said that if you want to eat properly, choose foods with ingredients that your grandparents would recognize. Despite the advancement of technology, we are taking a cue from an older generation and getting our hands dirty again.

For more information on what a victory garden entailed, you can watch the video below:

Today is a blog burst for Windsor’s blogging community. Participants are dedicating today’s post to Remembrance Day so be sure to check out some other local blogs for their take on this special day. You can visit W.E. Speak for a list of recent posts.

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On November 16, 2009 at 12 noon there will be an “agriwebinar” entitled “Buy Local, Buy Fresh!”.

Peter Katona will discuss the growth of the local food movement in Ontario and Foodlink’s experience in connecting concerned consumers directly with farms and value added products in Waterloo Region.

You must register first to participate (registration is free).

On November 8, 2009 there is a fundraiser at Malden Park for the “Save Ojibway” efforts. Check out WindsorEats.com for their full post with more information.

Buy Local, buy fresh agriwebinar

Check out the trailer for “Locavore”, it’s ‘a tasty new documentary about returning home to our food supply’.

Locavore is an inspiring new documentary about the inevitable return to the local diet. Less than a generation ago human beings worldwide traveled less than 10 miles to obtain the majority of the food they ate. Today the average conventionally grown vegetable has traveled more than 1500 by the time it has reached your pantry. Our food today is over processed, stale, and lacks nutrition. This new film, featuring some of the neo-pioneers of the Locavore movement will educate, inspire, and revitalize bringing health to our bodies AND our communities.

Whether you believe in food miles or not, eating local still has benefits for you:

• enjoy fresher/tastier produce
• get to know the grower and ask questions
• money you spend stays in your community
  
• a farmer that feeds his product to his family is interested in quality and nutrition (you will notice that many local products are natural or organic, and have little to no additives or preservatives)

Source some farmers today or join WECSA and grow your own food. It’s important to know where your food comes from!

WECSA, Windsor Essex Community Supported Agriculture, locavore