green is universal

A Guilt-Free Gift Solution

Posted at 04:52 PM on December 14, 2007 comments (5)

By Nicole Walters, GreenIsUniversal.com

I get it. The holidays are hard and gift baskets help make them so easy. You go online, you order something appropriate and voila! you're done with your gifting for the year. But most of the products in the basket, including the basket itself, are wrapped in plastic and the boxes aren't usually recyclable (check inside the box - if the paper is white it's not recyclable, if it's brown it is recyclable), and some even stash a little block of Styrofoam beneath the grass filling to lift all the items up so that it looks better.

That's why I was particularly excited when Meghan Fahey from Greenstream Gourmet contacted me about a better option. Greenstream Gourmet has been created to show you that doing your part may be as simple as purchasing the right cookie. Tough, I know. They bake their cookies with organic and natural ingredients. Simple, time adored recipes - chocolate chip, oatmeal cranberry and brownie mint - with no artificial sweeteners or shelf life enhancers. Their packaging is made from corn plastic or PLA, polylactic acid, which decomposes into H20 and carbon dioxide in controlled composts in as little as 45 days... so good! (Regular petroleum based plastics stick around forever and are made from non-renewable resources... so bad.) Their labels and ribbons are even made from bamboo, sugar cane and cotton and are printed with soy-based inks.

So I know the question that's really on your mind... sure they sound good for the earth but are they good for the taste buds, too? I tested the sampler that Meghan sent me on some skeptical colleagues and the vote was unanimous - they didn't taste organic, they tasted absolutely delicious! Chocolate chip was a big hit, but my personal favorite was the brownie mint. Think thin mints but in soft and chewy cookie form!

Meghan writes on the card that comes with each order that "after all my research in bringing this together, I had to wonder, why haven't we been doing this for years?" I'm not sure either, but it's a great start and a healthier option for the earth and for your giftees during this time of year.

To order, visit GreenStreamGourmet.com... so so good!

Nicole Walters
GreenIsUniversal.com