I don't even remember which big, green expo show had the samples of Mary's Gone Crackers snacks. I remember trying something called "Sticks and Twigs", thinking, "Mmmm, sea salty goodness," and shoving a couple of packs into my reusable shopping bag filled with fliers (printed on recycled paper with soy inks) describing DIY soy cheese making processes and hemp dying best practices.

Those green shows: all the same.

At some point I must have unpacked that bag, and left out the samples of Mary's Gone Crackers, because the other day I got this email from my husband and self-appointed review helper:

You may have noticed that a big green holiday is coming up next week: St. Patrick's Day.

Oh, not the kind of green you were thinking? Well it can be!

Take the idea of organic, and reconsider your classic St. Patrick's Day liquid refreshments in an eco-friendly light -- it's surprisingly easy, and even tasty!

Between eating on the go, and being tied to your desk, or running in place at the gym, we always seem to have a drink at hand. The lightness, and safety of plastic bottles -- least they won't shatter if you drop them -- reinforced this behavior. But since finding out that most plastics leach damaging BPA into your food and drink, we've all been looking for a mobile and safe alternative.

This search seems to be spurring a glass bottle revolution! Everywhere I turn, I see another cool glass option!

Fit Sugar has a great real life review of the Lifefactory glass beverage bottle. It has a screw top and a silicon cover, which keeps it from getting slippery. The cover comes in a variety of cute colors, and the polka dot style is both functional (you can see how much water you have) and stylish (hello: polka dots!)

It's election season again! That's right, time to vote ... for the sexiest vegetarian next door, that is!

PETA is all about the sexy superlatives, whether it's vegetables, celebrities, or regular folk who live down the block, don't eat meat, and are spinach-fueled sexual dynamos. Anyone can (and oh, they do) enter by submitting a photo and then hoping the great unwashed masses of PETA followers vote for you.

The voting goes on between now and March 12th, and the prize includes a trip to Hawaii. There are already over 600 entries for the ladies, who have a leader board that runs the gamut from "giant silicon implants and tattoos" to "giant silicon implants without tattoos". But the real race is happening with the sexiest meatless dudes next door.

Another day, another example of the amazing psychic abilities of science fiction writer Douglas Adams. This weekend the "New York Times" published an op-ed piece that recommended we genetically manipulate our food livestock to produce animals that don't mind feeling pain, and consequently don't suffer.

Yes, a lot like the cow in "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" that walks up to the table and asks Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect which cut of meat they want, and then "nips off to kill herself" with the promise of being "very humane."

Adam Shriver, the author of the Times op-ed piece, is a doctoral student in the philosophy-neuroscience-psychology program at Washington University. He provides several very logical sounding reasons why it's a good idea to block or remove an animal's pain receptors. He even makes it seem like the ethical thing to do, given what he sees as the inevitability of factory farming in America.

Now that we've all been trained to bring our own bags to the grocery store, the next step to bring your own...well, everything.

Probably the easiest next step is bring your own produce bags, so you can skip those rolls of plastic bags above the lettuce bins. You can go uber-green and pick up some organic cotton muslin drawstring bags, or veer toward convenience with easy-cleaning and durable fine mesh polyester bags, like the Flip & Tumble set of five for $10.95.

Do you find yourself grabbing lunch on the go, and stuffing a handful of paper napkins into your bag, along with a plastic knife and fork? Proponents of the Carry Your Own Cutlery movement recommend that you tote a nice set of bamboo utensils, wrapped in a tasteful -- and earth-friendly -- cloth napkin. To Go Ware has several options to help you reduce your "forkprint!"

There's a lot of talk about the benefits of a vegetarian diet these days, and you may be wondering if you should make the switch. Here are five reasons why vegetarian eating may be the right choice for you.

Vegetarianism is the green way to eat.
We're not just talking about the color of the foods on your plate. Vegetarian foods use less water and power during production. They also cause less pollution. According to goveg.com, meat-eating is linked to environmental problems ranging from deforestation to climate change. The less resource-intensive vegetarian diet can significantly reduce the environmental impact of your meals.

Better sex.
Do you remember the too-hot-for-the-Super-Bowl ad PETA wanted to run about the superior sex lives enjoyed by vegetarians? While the data on this is inconclusive, it just makes sense that a diet that's associated with lower blood pressure and higher levels of physical fitness would also steam things up between the sheets.

Would you drink milk from a bag? If you live Eastern Canada (and you're not lactose intolerant), you've probably been drinking bagged milk for decades. You may even think it's normal ... but it's not.

However, that doesn't mean that bagged milk shouldn't be more widespread. The bag o' milk phenomenon isn't limited to Canada by any means. South Africans, Hungarians, Argentinians and the Chinese all embrace the bag; and the UK is currently following suit. Are these nations blazing the eco-packaging trail, or simply clinging to a backwards milk-drinking tradition?

Packaging is one of those things that, once you start noticing it, you can't stop. Why does cereal need to come in a bag inside a box? Does that DVD really need to be shrink wrapped? And don't even get me started on wasteful individual serving packaging, like Starbucks Via.

I just read about an exciting development in liquid container packaging, over at Triple Pundit. Ecologic Brands is a new company that goes by the tagline, "packaging the Earth can live with" -- and it could change everything!

Ecologic created a recycled paper/plastic pouch "hybrid" bottle that can be recycled and composted. The outer shell -- the paper part -- is made from old cardboard boxes and can be composted. The inner pouch is made of highly recyclable #4 plastic and uses 70% less plastic than a traditional plastic jug.

Chocolate might not rank up there with steak in the "bad for the environment/animal cruelty" index, but it does usually contain animal by-products, including milk. So if you want to adhere to the highest standards of cruelty-free expressions of love, vegan chocolate is the way to go.

Farm Sanctuary is an organization that rescues, protects and advocates for farm animals. They are vehemently anti-factory farm (although really, is anyone pro-factory farms?!) and have a mission to educate people about the suffering that occurs on these farms. Cruelty-free is sorta their middle name!

All of their good work requires funding. One way that they are raising money is with a special box of Farm Sanctuary vegan chocolates in time for Valentine's Day.

If you are contemplating becoming a vegetarian, you might be feeling lost and unsure where to begin. The good news is that becoming a vegetarian is easier today than it ever has been in the past. More restaurants and grocery stores are stocking up on vegetarian-friendly cuisine, plus there are many sites to help deconstruct readily available recipes and turn them into vegetarian recipes. But before you decide to ditch the meat, you have to decide what kind of vegetarian you are going to become.

• A lacto-vegetarian does not eat any meat products or eggs, but does eat dairy products.
• An ovo-vegetarian does not eat meat products, but does eat eggs and dairy products.
• A vegan does not eat any meat, eggs or dairy products at all.

After you decide what type of vegetarianism is best for you, it's time to replace your typical menu items with those that meet your new lifestyle. When grocery shopping, stock up on meat alternatives, such as beans, lentils and tofu. You can easily switch out the meat if your recipe for one of these options. For example, if you're in the mood for tacos, trade the chicken or beef with black beans or vegetarian re-fried beans and you're set!

Horses are far from exotic -- you see them everywhere. Policemen ride them. They work on farms. Maybe you even ride them recreationally. But most of us never think about what happens to horses when they get old, or their owners can't afford to care for them. I know I don't.

Then I got an alert from the Humane Society of the U.S. about horses being trucked to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. For food ... for humans!. Even more distressingly, they are being transported to the slaughterhouses in squalid, unregulated, inhumane conditions.

Eating horses may be a cultural issue, but making them suffer first is inexcusable.

The classic recipe for beer includes four simple natural ingredients: barley, hops, yeast, and water. While many brewers already eschew any artificial flavorings, coloring, or preservatives, select breweries use only organic components in their brewing process. As more consumers purchase organic products, these breweries are meeting demand with several organic beer varieties. Try one of these organic beers.

Pinkus Organic Hefeweizen
Enjoy the mild, refreshing flavors of this German brewed hefeweizen. You'll notice its fruity aroma, with hints of banana. This organic beer boasts a clean finish and low bitterness. Despite going unfiltered, sediment is not substantial. Overall, this is a pleasant beer to relax with on a lazy summer day. Even if wheat beers are not your usual favorite, you will find this beer enjoyable.

New Belgium Brewing Company Mothership Wit
This beer is organic through and through, right down to its spices. Savor the notes of spice in its finish, particularly of coriander and nutmeg. You may also note the taste of cloves as you consume this beer. Somewhat milder in flavor than Hoegaarden, another popular beer in the wit style, Mothership Wit is a pleasing and flavorful beer. This selection from the New Belgium Brewing Company would complement a crisp fall evening by the fireside. An earth-friendly note, the New Belgium Brewing Company utilizes wind power at its facilities.

One of my resolutions is to be more sustainable in 2010 by making more meals at home. And while it's great that I'll be disposing of fewer take out containers, grocery shopping has a few challenges, too.

Namely, in these tight economic times, when is it worth shelling out for the organic stuff? Is "all natural" good enough, and does it really make a difference if the chicken got to play outdoors before it became dinner?

Actually it's easier than you might think to make good choices at the supermarket -- plus there's are even a few iPhone apps to help!

If one of your new year's resolutions is to avoid buying bottled water, I found a great way to inspire you to stick to your guns: these cool glass tap water bottles from Faucet Face.

As I mentioned before, part of the reason we're all so drawn to bottled water is because it comes in excitingly designed bottles which are carried around by cool celebrities.

But tap water is the way to go for several reasons, including that it's tested often and monitored for safety. Even more importantly, every plastic bottle you don't use, doesn't wind up as part of a giant plastic island in the Pacific.