The Rodelle headquarters in Fort Collins Colorado it turns out is 100% powered by wind or alternate energy sources. And to sweeten the pot they are very active in local and international efforts to improve social and environmental standards such as emergency relief efforts and working toward sustainable growing practices in Madagascar and Uganda where the vanilla bean growers are.

It is heart warming, on a cold pre-winter day especially, to find companies quietly improving the world we live in with something as simple as the vanilla extract we bake with.

Rodelle makes a wonderful line of gourmet baking ingredients and spices including many types of gourmet vanilla extracts and beans upon which the company was founded. If you are looking for high quality organic vanilla extract, alcohol free vanilla extract, some delicious Madegascar bourbon vanilla beans, or just good old fashioned pure vanilla extract give Rodelle a try - and help spread the warmth this holiday season.

I don't recall which grocery store I found my vanilla extract at but it looks like Amazon has a selection of Rodelle Products for sale from time to time. Also below is the current selection of Rodelle products for sale on eBay as well.

This Post Shared on Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday

Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract: Free Warm and Fuzzies is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

When I think about high boots I think heavy, clunky and uncomfortable. We put up with them for fashions sake and not because they are very functional. The Jambu Colorado Vegan high boots are a break from that assumption.

I noticed right away how comfy and flexible they were - not something that needs to be broken in. The Memory Foam footbed feels like a soft pillow for your feet and the unique back mesh ventilation kept me from getting hot and sweaty even on hot days or all day shopping at the Mall of America.

Knee high boots are all the rage this season. Keen, Merrell. Teva they all have a line of ladies knee high boots and if you are familiar with these brands known for their high quality I bet you'll love Jambu Colorado-Vegan high boots. Imagine the rugged outdoorsy feel you get with brands like those and mix in a dash of feminine style with a unique creative sole (or should I say soul) and a touch of color here and there - Jambu boots stand out from the rest.

Walking through the forest of high boots at a trip to the Mall of America I felt one step ahead of the high boot trend seeing all the swarms of people checking them out. Since last spring when I fell in love with my first pair of Jambu Planet Vegan shoes at Nordstroms I have really become a Jambu fan and I look forward to all the creative new designs they will come up with.

If you are looking for a stylish comfortable pair of high boots this season take a look at the Jambu Colorado Vegan boots, you'll feel like you have a secret that is just burning to get out. You'll know in your heart that you are staying true to your vegan lifestyle but no one else will - they look and feel like real leather.

You can find Jambu Colorado Vegan boots for sale at a number of specialty retailers including Amazon, Endless.com, and PlanetShoes.com.

Have you gotten your hands on some great high boots this season? Share with us some of your favorite things to wear with them in the comments below. (I could use some new ideas too)

Find more Jambu footwear styles for sale on Amazon below.

Default Newest arrivals Featured items Price: low to high Price: high to low By Relevance Average customer review: high to low

Jambu Women's Shoreline Flat Sale Price: $98.95 - $99.00

J-41 Women's Tahoe Fashion Sneaker Sale Price: $89.00 - $89.99

No Animals Were Harmed in the Making of this Vegan High Boot Review is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Swell Foop has created two new 100% organic Valentine's Day themed t-shirt designs celebrating not only the little chubby angel and his ministrations of huggy kissy's but a love for the environment and sustainable products.

You see Swell Foop is a two sister tag team who believe in the good things in life - like the earth we live on and the furry, fuzzy, scaly, froggy, buggy, beautiful critters that scurry in the woods and oceans at night (ok so ocean dwelling creatures don't do much scurrying but it sounded good). Their current designs feature animals that are threatened by a variety of conditions, including global warming, human encroachment into animal's habitat, and hunting.

And thanks to their generosity and the fabulously fantastic focus organic blog you and I have a chance to bring home a soft cuddly 100% organic t-shirt with a cool new design for Free. So swing on over to Focus Organic and give Swell Foop some fooping good attention and who knows you might just have something else to celebrate this Valentine's Day.

I’m A Swell Foop are You? Organic Cotton T-Shirt Giveaway is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

"14.2% of rural households are food insecure,
an estimated 2.8 million households"

Tis the season for family fun and when our family gets together for the holidays it means good food and lots of it. But what is easy to forget when our kids are nestled all snug in their beds, visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, and we, all snuggled up in our warm winter caps watching a bit of TV or reading a good book by the fire with a bowl of fresh popped popcorn, is that some people don't have that luxury, or the festive holiday food celebrations.

I was reminded of this fact by a mass email of all things, one of those chain letters you get and either forward to all your friends or more than likely just delete. But this one caught my attention "Kare 11 TV & Land O'Lakes are donating $1 to a food shelf for every person who clicks on their web site." I figured I could take a second of my time for a dollar so I took a look.

Land O'Lakes has started a program called Feeding Our Communities - the focus is to help feed those in rural America who don't have enough to eat. It is an unfortunate twist of fate that the regions of this country that supply us with the good food we eat often don't have enough to eat themselves.

"Food shelf visits increased by 30 percent in 2008, and visits to local food shelves are up 40 percent this year over last, while donations are up only about 23 percent."

The Land O'Lakes Foundation wants to help. In partnership with farmer-owners and cooperative partners, they will make available up to $1 million to alleviate rural hunger. To up the anti they will even match dollar for dollar, up to $400,000, the cash donations of member cooperatives who can then use that grant money to fund their own hunger relief programs. Sounds like a nice circle of helping hands there doesn't it - someone has their thinking caps on.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program... you might be wistfully pondering if you were a pondering sort "wouldn't it be nice if we could just press a button to end world hunger?" Well thanks to KARE 11 and the Land O'Lakes Foundation you can press a button to at least help. With "Operation Co-operation" they will automatically donate a dollar to hunger relief programs for every click - you can even come back every 24 hours to do so again - so we'll see you back here tomorrow and the next day and the next day....

Have a wonderful Earth Friendly day from the gang at Earth Friendly Goodies.

Feeding Our Communities One Click at a Time is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

If you wouldn't call yourself a tree hugger (that's ok they don't give very good hugs) you might want to at least give these guys a quick pat on the back because tropical forests eat carbon dioxide for lunch - literally. They help regulate the atmosphere and stabilize the global climate by consuming carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen - which of course we can't live without. Not to mention the 23 species of primates, 1000 species of birds and over 20,000 species of plants - including my new favorite the Ice Cream Bean Tree.

Plant a Billion Trees and Save the Ice Cream Bean Tree

So what are we supposed to do fly to Brazil and plant a couple million trees? Kind of, it turns out the Nature Conservancy is working hard to bring the Atlantic Forest back to its glory days by restoring 2.5 million acres of land and planting 1 billion trees over the next 7 years. They call it the Plant a Billion Trees campaign. For every dollar donated they will plant a tree - so empty your piggy banks, dig through the couch cushions, and clean out your cars to see how many trees are hiding in there. You can help plant a single tree, give a recurring monthly donation or even give trees as a gift which includes a quarterly publication to Nature Conservancy magazine as well as a few other fun goodies depending on the gift level.

So help save the Ice Cream Bean tree, and I'm sure they'll have a big banana split party to celebrate the 1 billion mark - you have to bring your own chocolate sprinkles.

Ice Cream Bean Tree Update 9-21-11:

When I wrote this post on the Ice Cream Bean tree nearly two years ago the Nature Conservancy was just getting started with the Plant a Billion Trees campaign. Today I happened to take a look and they are at 9,791,249 trees planted - the one billion mark isn't too far off.

Also, as an interesting side note thanks to the comment from Ed Musgrave I've discovered the Money Tree... Called the French Peanut tree it is a Brazilian tree that produces edible seeds that are similar in flavor to peanuts. Roasted seeds are also ground to make a hot drink similar to hot chocolate. The trees are easily grown in pots, and are cultured in bonsai form as “lucky trees” or “money trees”.

As fate would have it the money tree and the ice cream bean tree both grow in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil and thus would benefit from the Plant a Billion tree campaign. And of course who wouldn't like a nice cup of money tree hot cocoa with their ice cream bean tree banana split?

Save the Endangered Ice Cream Bean Tree – Help Plant A Billion Trees! is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

The other day I had a few minutes to burn while waiting for a take out order so I drifted off in search of some interesting stores in the neighborhood. As always when I see a nice looking organic tea shop I am drawn to its energy like a moth to a flame (so far without the deadly results – other than less money in the ‘ol wallet). A great teashop is like a haven from the stress of everyday life – the moment I step through the doors I am met with a Zen-like ambiance that is as refreshing as the organic teas they sell. In this instance the shop happened to be Teavana – one of my favorite little shops to sample organic tea and check out the great handmade teapots.

Not only are Teavana’s teas USDA certified organic they also make sure to select teas with rich flavors and superior health benefits as well. A mighty fine plus in my book - and to up the earth friendly impact they give 1% of their annual profits to CARE. CARE strives to improve the lives of those who live in tea producing areas of the world by improving education, creating access to safe water and working to offer greater economic opportunities.

Right now, until August 16th 2009 Teavana has a fun contest for tea lovers. If you’ve ever wanted to be a tea master and create your own tea blend now is your chance as Teavana has just begun their Tea Master's Challenge – an opportunity to send in your own tea blend suggestion using your pick from over 100 organic teas and tea products. What do I win? You wonder…. Well, how does 500 buck-a-roos sound? The grand prize is a $500 Teavana gift card – and my taste buds have immediately awakened just thinking about what that would get me. The five runners up get some good ‘ol fashioned tea goodness as well (a pound of their submitted blend - plus the blend with the most online votes gets a $200 gift card) so who says second place is for losers?

Perhaps I’ll stop blathering away at the keyboard here and submit my own blend now that I’ve gotten those taste buds all worked up. How does Pu-Erh Pineapple sound? Blech, maybe I need to brain storm a bit more… any ideas?

Update: Alas the Tea Master's Challenge is over and a congratulations is due to Meredith Cordray of Ohio and her tea blend Pearls Gone Wild!

Pearls Gone Wild consists of:
• Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls Scented Green Tea
• Frutto Bianco Pearls White Tea
• Black Dragon Pearl Black Tea
• German Rock Cane Sugar

View Pearls Gone Wild and the rest of the runner up tea blends at Teavana and make a little Pearls Gone Wild for a festive fiesta of your own.

Organic Tea Blend Challenge Winning Recipes is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

After attending a recent seminar on environmental toxins I am left with a burning desire to throw out nearly all my household products. Give them credit for getting the message across eh? We had been slowly switching over to natural products in the let's use the bad stuff up first and then buy all natural organic products manner. Well, after that environmental toxins seminar there were a few products that had to go right away, but that still left us with a number of products that weren't "quite so bad."

And then the dilemma set in, how do we tell the bad ingredients from the good? Aside from the "if you can't pronounce it toss it" style of product disposal what dangerous skincare ingredients warrant a toss in the trash and which one's just sound like they should be tossed out?

As chance would have it we discovered Kaia House an eco-friendly organic skincare company that consults the internationally recognized Environmental Working Group and their Cosmetics Safety Database to verify the safety of each ingredient in every single one of their products. And fortunately for us they've put together a nice little list called: Kaia House.com's Most UN-wanted List which is an extensive list of synthetic chemicals found in everyday products that should be avoided. Bingo we have our list - and now so do you!

If you aren't familiar with Kaia House give them a try, they have a very nice user friendly web site with lots of great organic and vegan skincare products for women, men, babies and kids. Even better why not try some of their products for free!

Visit The Alternative Consumer's great green giveaway by Friday, July 3, 2009 for a chance to win ONE of two fabulous, eco savvy gifts from Kaia House Organics.

Is Your Skincare Toxic? A Most UN-Wanted List of Ingredients is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Have you ever been searching the web and thought to yourself "self, I sure wish I could do more to help the environment, but I'm stuck here at my computer all day and don't have the time to get up and grab an organic peanut butter and jelly sandwich much less do my part to save the planet." Well, that's what I was thinking (work with me here I'm using creative license) just a moment ago when I stumbled upon Forestle.

Forestle is a search engine that donates 90% of its ad revenue to The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre Program each month that uses this money for the sustainable protection of rainforests. Forestle is partnered with Yahoo so all searches are basically the same results you'd get from Yahoo. After doing my part to help save a square meter of rain forest (an estimated 0.1m² of rain forest is saved for each search) it is clear that Forestle is a smooth and effective search engine with plenty of eco-cool features...

First off grab and install the search plugin for your favorite browser (Firefox, Google Chrome, IE, Opera, Safari, or SeaMonkey) along with your country of origin - there are currently 34 countries to choose from - and then test out the cool search feature using custom indicators.

Let's say you want to search for the latest eco-friendly videos on youtube, well just type in videos::eco-friendly and kapow you get results directly from youtube! Pretty spiffy eh? Forestle currently has 19 of these custom "indicators" from Digg, eBay, Amazon, Yahoo Answers and a whole lot more.

Another slick feature is the option to turn on a small thumbnail preview of each search result next to its listing which is surprisingly speedy and quite nifty for the more visual processors among us. Top all this off with a dash of the calming green color palette and the running total of rain forest saved (611,281.6 m² at the time of this post) and you have a fun search engine that helps a great cause.

Save the Rainforest with Green Search Engines is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Did you know In 2008, the combined fuel efficiency for passenger cars and light trucks in the US was approximately 24 MPG, while it is already 44 MPG in Europe and 47 in Japan, almost double that of the US! (Source: pewclimate.org)

When I read that statistic I almost dropped my shorts and did a hula dance out of frustration, I and my neighbors are glad I did not. It boggles the mind that we in the US can be so far behind EVERYONE in the rest of the world in fuel efficiency.

Granted the awareness in the US for clean energy and fuel efficient vehicles is growing, but we have a long way to go.

One company looking to help spread some eco-cool cheer is MPG Stickers, a company that makes the same style white oval badges you may have seen sporting the "GB" moniker, but with fuel economy numbers that represent a car’s fuel efficiency. So if you drive a vehicle that gets better than 30 MPG show off your eco-friendly pride buy slapping one of these fine stickers on your ride. Only $3.99 plus shipping and handling.

MPG Stickers is a non-profit grassroots campaign which aims to accelerate the adoption of fuel efficient vehicles in the U.S. in order to limit the emissions of harmful greenhouse gases in the U.S. and the world. We aim to do it one sticker at a time!

My Fuel Efficiency is Better Than Yours is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Green beer step aside here comes Green Root Beer!

Now I know you've heard of green beer, even those without a lick of Irish blood may enjoy a pint or two on St. Patrick's day, but yesterday we had the joyous surprise of finding green root beer.  Not in the literal sense but just another fine example of green business practices in small town America.

We had plans to enjoy a nice sunny day of hiking in Taylor's Falls, MN but before tackling the rocks and crags we decided to charge up on some grub... to our delight we spotted a little old fashioned root beer drive-in. And to top it off what do we see but a bright colorful sign advertising the fact that "the Drive In has gone green."

On top of that they are giving back to the community through local food shelves and mission trips - Now that is my definition of Earth Friendly business - plus darn good eco-friendly old fashioned frosty mug root beer!

Frosty Green Root Beer Anyone? is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies