anndesignn:

Herbow by Chang Chung-Wei,  Chang Yu-Hui,  Hsu Hao-Po

Herbow is a window planter ‘tray’ that enables people to grow small crops outside their windows while shielding their interior space from the rain. It enlarges the city’s planting area, enhances the view from buildings, and generates renewal.

Herbow is a window shelter concept designed with urban farming and city greening in mind. With it, people can grow herbs and small vegetables in pots beside their windows as if they were planting them in a garden. By swingingHerbow upwards, it becomes a window shelter that blocks the harsh sunlight and the rain. At the same time, the plants are watered and grow naturally. 

An eave has been designed to extend over the shelter to stop water falling through the gap between Herbow and the window frame. Holes on two sides of Herbow allow for drainage of excess water. People can conveniently bring the pots inside for decoration or consumption. The city can be a greener landscape with fresher air when everyone grows their own vegetables onHerbow.

Wow this is a great idea. -AK

FOOD CHEMICALS: Bananas will soon have New Industrialized Chemical Spray…May be Deadly for Those Allergic to Shrimp, Crab (and no longer vegan)

(And if the FDA holds true to its long history, there won’t be any warning labels)

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Why Bananas Might Not Be Vegan Anymore

Your bananas may soon become non-vegan! How can that be? It turns out, a new spray-on coating designed to lengthen the shelf life of bananas may contain animal parts. At the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society this week, scientists unveiled a spray that reportedly will keep bananas from ripening for up to 12 extra days by killing the bacteria that causes the fruit to turn brown so quickly.

…the coating includes chitosan, a derivative of shrimp and crab shells, so if the coating reaches the banana (not just the peel), the fruit would no longer be considered vegan. Additionally, shellfish and seafood are two of the most common causes of allergies.

“Someone who eats a banana every day—and many people do—could develop an allergy or a low-grade reaction to the shellfish where she or he didn’t originally have one”

(Currently, the coating is not available in stores. [The] research team is hoping to replace one of the ingredients in the spray, so it may be a while before this becomes a reality.)

I am not Vegan but holy shit this is nuts! Wax, in my opinion, is one thing, but I feel like this is something completely different. - AK

alexkpace:

I’ve been wanting to make homemade granola bars for a long time. It’s nice to know exactly what’s in your food, especially with something that you eat for energy and a healthy snack.

I’ve been intimidated up to this point by the large amount of ingredients people put in them. I just wanted a basic granola bar: simple to make and inexpensive.

If you want to make them… 

What you’ll need:

1 1/2 cups of rolled oats

1 cup chopped almonds (or other nuts)

1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

What you’ll need to do:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients. Spread into a well-greased pan. Bake for 10-20 minutes, depending on your crunch preference (the longer it cooks, the crunchier it gets). Let the granola cool before you cut it, or it will fall apart.