It’s sad but true: Labor Day weekend marks the beginning of fall, which is why most people will be taking the opportunity this weekend to fire up their grills one last time before summer’s end. For your Labor Day weekend, try to avoid beef that isn’t certified organic or grass fed. Or, go truly green and try some tasty flame-grilled veggie burgers like Boca Burgers or Morningstar’s garden veggie patties. You just might be surprised at how close they taste to the real thing. 

 

And before you store that grill for winter, be sure to clean it with cleaners that won’t leave chemical residues. Try the Grillstone Grill Cleaning Block, which is non-toxic and cleans grills four times faster than brushes. You can also wipe up those grease splotches with green all-purpose cleaners from companies like Seventh Generation and Method. Of course, hot, soapy water will also do the trick for messes; you may just have to add a little extra elbow grease. 

 

This article originally appeared in Plenty in June 2008. The story was moved to MNN.com in July 2009.

 

Copyright Environ Press 2008