Sacrifice at the Pump

Does anyone remember that famous President Carter speech about sacrifice?  The one where he bundled up in a Mr. Roger’s sweater and urged Americans to accept the notion of personal sacrifice? Where he called for mandated gas rationing and lowered thermostats to help buck America’s dependence on foreign oil? You can go to PBS.org to read the full text of his speech.

As you might imagine, President Carter’s call for personal sacrifice went over like a lead balloon.  And interestingly enough, every subsequent American president has avoided the word sacrifice like the plague.

Then in last night’s Presidential debate, a viewer emailed in a question asking about sacrifice: What would each candidate ask Americans to sacrifice in order to move past this current crisis (credit, energy — take your pick)? I had to laugh as I watched both Obama and McCain dance around the word sacrifice but never actually say it. (To read a much more in-depth analysis of Carter’s sacrifice speech and the current Presidential election, check out this August 2008 article from Salon.)

As far as energy sacrifices go, my dad says that Americans think cheap gas is their birthright.  I think he might be on to something.  Personally I’m thrilled to pay “only” $4/gallon (and you should have seen my happy dance when it dipped below $3/gallon this week). In Israel, where my family lived for the last 14 years, we were paying the equivalent of $9/gallon. Despite the relatively “cheap” cost of gas here, I do try to be mindful about maximizing fuel efficiency — checking our tire pressure, driving a steady speed, etc.  Here’s a quick list with more suggestions for getting the best gas mileage.

The question in tonight’s debate get me thinking.  What else can I do… what sacrifices can I make? In addition to setting our AC on 78 this summer, I’m working on implementing these tips for minimizing heat loss in the winter.  But I know that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So, let me ask you: What sacrifices are you and your family making (or willing to make) to help America reduce its dependence on fuel — foreign or otherwise?

Photo Credit: StockXPert

Credit: Anne Dillon

The Jewish New Year begins tonight. This seminal holiday, called Rosh Hashanah, is marked with festive family meals featuring a host of deliciously symbolic foods. Quintessential among them is the apple, which is not only a seasonal fruit, but also a sweet one. To up the sweetness quotient, we dip our apples into honey and then say a special blessing beseeching G-d to grant us a year that is as sweet as the apples.

Last week, I took my boys apple picking at a local orchard to help get them into the mood for the upcoming applelooza.  We went with my good friend Anne and her three sweet boys.  (Anne is the very talented photographer of the above picture. Check out more of her outstanding work at www.annedillon.com.)

It was a perfect fall day and we had a great time running between the trees, picking a peck of tart Jonathan apples. These beauties will be perfect in my apple challah, apple cake and apple tart. (Told you the holiday was an applepalloza.)

The apples were a pretty good deal. We paid $10 for a peck, which is about 12 pounds. Around here, a bargain bottom price on Jonathans is $.99/pound. Of course, we drove 45 minutes to get there, which skews the price comparison a bit. I have also read that some farms charge more than grocery store prices.  So if you decide to visit a pick-your-own farm or orchard, remember that you’re doing it for the experience and not necessarily the bargain.

The only bummer about our idyllic afternoon was that the apples we picked were not organic.  My understanding is that organic pick-your-own places are few and far between. And since apples are on the Dirty Dozen list (a list of the twelve most contaminated produce items), I am being careful to peel or wash well all of our loot.

If you prefer to wash your produce, try soaking it first in a sink full of water with a squirt or two of dish soap; vigorously scrub, then rinse thoroughly. Use a produce brush on hardy fruit like apples. You can also buy commercial produce washes at your local grocery store.  Or you can do what I do, which is make my own wash. Here’s a neat how-to video with the recipe I’m going to start using. You will need water, vinegar, baking soda and grapefruit seed extract (GSE).

GSE is a powerful, natural antibiotic, which also kills fungi (as I learned during a battle with a very tenacious thrush infection). I love GSE and I know you will, too. You can get it at your local Whole Foods or Wild Oats. A little goes a long, long way, so it’s a great investment for a multitude of usages.

And on that note, if you celebrate Rosh Hashanah (and even if you don’t), may your coming year be joyous and sweet.