Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Peace, Love and River Cleanups

For keeping all of this and much, much more out of our waterways...

...someone should throw the Hackensack Riverkeeper a party.

Instead, they threw us one!

Captain Bill Sheehan, the Hackensack Riverkeeper, giving words of thanks to the crowd at their annual volunteer appreciation party.

The night's theme: Flower Power. The attire: hippie. Easy: all from my own closet. I didn't see this much tie-dye since my weekend in Woodstock. Born in 1975, I missed out on the sixties. If I had a time machine, it would definitely stop there for a while.

The environment was kept in mind. I took a cheerful plastic cloth home to reuse again.

Retro or not, every party should have a punch bowl.

Vegetarian Sloppy Joe's! Make them at home using BOCA ground crumbles, or try recipes using tofu or beans.

I love one-pot meals like this for entertaining. It keeps it simple. I'm often mortified by the amount of food (and food waste) at parties, weddings, etc., and that people spend so much for food many don't even want.

Spinach salad was available, but old school iceberg lettuce seemed like a fitting choice for sloppy joe's.

I always feel like a little kid around cupcakes.

Even the Mississippi mud pie was in the spirit. Veganize it at home.

Love tricky tray auctions. This wine carrier with glasses and cloth napkins would go so well for my summer picnics. Didn't win.

Nor did I win this cute little cloth tote.

The cleanup season kicks off officially on Sunday, April 18, in Overpeck County Park in Leonia. Learn more about river cleanups, and their other eco-programs. I'll be documenting the clean-ups I attend, so you'll be there too.

6 comments:

This Thrifted Life said...

Looks like a really fun event! I would be stoked to get to dress up for a hippie party. :)

Catherine said...

It was such fun! Last year's was a pirate theme.

My only problem was narrowing down what to wear! I wear the dress pictured all the time in the summer.

A hippie theme is a fun idea if you or anyone wants to throw a theme party. Most have things at home they can throw together.

Personally, I think those headbands across the forehead with a flower tucked in should come back in style, but that's just me!

MaddyG said...

What a great party! I love any opportunity to express my inner-hippie. And more cupcake pics! I drool every time I visit here. It really is a vegan 'good life'! ; )

Catherine said...

Thanks! Even though my formative years were in the eighties, I've been told I'm very hippiesh more than once. I take it as a compliment!

I'm not sure of the veganess of these cupcakes since it was communal food (I suspect not). More about the easiness of vegan baking in my next post.

I did have a vanilla cupcake. I don't torture myself with communal food situations over minimal exposure to animal products. So that night was the vegetarian good life. :-)

ConsciouslyFrugal said...

Is weed vegan? 'Cuz that was always my hippie staple. HA! ha! Ohhhhhhhhh.

Catherine said...

You know, CF, despite all my hippie tendencies, I've never tried it even once. No desire at all. I would say vegan-friendly if I had to guess!