MNN - Mother Nature Network

A very happy almost-Thanksgiving, MNN readers! I’ve charged my iPod and gathered a sizable cache of magazines (I also plan on dipping into my Advil and patience reserves) and will hit the road later today, traveling from Brooklyn to Philadelphia where I’ll join a group of friends for a pie-making party this evening and a big Turkey Day dinner on Thursday. On the menu? Collard greens, sweet potato curry mash, roasted julienned carrots, sausage and peperoncini stuffing, cranberry sauce with orange zest and brandy, and, of course, a giant bird. Leading up to the main event? Quiche and several gallons of white wine sangria.

 

I won’t be posting over the next couple of days — too busy alternating between stuffing my face, napping, and playing with cats — but I’m leaving you with an abbreviated, Thanksgiving-centric version of “Playing catch up,” my regular, end-of-the-week news roundup post in the event that you need to busy yourself while avoiding any unsavory houseguests or if you just need to take a breather from all that basting, baking, and boozing. I’ll be back next week, food coma be damned, with this year’s “Green Monday” home design gift guide, a roundup of handmade holiday décor, and the latest edition of “Let me entertain you,” my new series of weekly posts dedicated to eco-friendly holiday entertaining accoutrement.

 

And before I leave you with that, a quick thank you to everyone for reading this here little green home blog. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy reporting on the latest in Mother Nature-approved home design, architecture, gardening, real estate, and home improvement. MNN is approaching its third birthday (!) and I’ve been part of it pretty much since the beginning so a huge props to all you readers, Facebook followers, re-Tweeters, community members, and green-minded groupies for helping make the Mother Nature Network what it is today.

 

Inhabitat is smitten with Manhattan's High Line (for regular readers of the site, that's pretty much been established.) But managing editor Yuka Yoneda loves it so much that she created an edible Thanksgiving centerpiece (vegetarian, natch) modeled after the elevated park using things like recycled sushi boxes, chopsticks, broccoli, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and food coloring. I'm fond of the High Line too but whoooa. Amazing stuff .... how about a Governors Island tablescape for dessert?

 

Re-Nest has your turkey prep needs covered with a review of If You Care's unbleached, biodegradable cooking twine.

 

Gizmodo wrangles up "The Ten Tools You Need To Fix All the Stuff in Your Home." Sure, this isn't exactly Thanksgiving related but if you're looking for a worthwhile distraction this holiday weekend, why not make sure that you're properly stocked-up on WD-40, needle nose pliers, and claw hammers?

 

TreeHugger hopes that you compost any food scraps after your big Thanksgiving feast that you don't plan on incorporating into leftovers. But what about composting an entire deer carcass? Apparently, the town of Martinburg, West Virginia, now offers a deer carcass composting program as a means to discourage the illegal dumping of the bodies during hunting season.

 

The San Francisco Chronicle shares some pointers on how to create "wild, graphic and sculptural" DIY holiday decor using native foliage.

 

Design*Sponge channels its inner hippie with a few suggestions on how to make your Thanksgiving gathering look like the set of the 1969 counter-culture foodie film, "Alice's Restaurant." All you need is a chandelier made from a recycled wine barrel ring, vintage turkey salt and pepper shakers, an antique stained glass window taken from a church, and a pair of $500 boots!

 

Earth911 wonders: "Can I Recycle Turkey Fryer Oil?"