While a recent Harris Interactive poll demonstrated that gays and lesbians are markedly more likely than heterosexuals to describe themselves as “caring a great deal about the current state and future of the environment,” I must confess that I was late in jumping on the clean energy-powered bandwagon. Recycling was a hit or miss proposition, walking or biking rather than driving rarely crossed my mind. I paid little attention to the eco-friendly practices, or lack thereof, of a particular business when deciding whether or not to bestow my patronage.

It is only within the last year or so that I began to make a real effort to dip my toes in the green end of the pool. Mind you, I’m not at the point where I’ve surrendered my fossil fuel-powered vehicle nor have I installed a wind turbine on the roof of my home, but I have started to do a few little things that, when done consistently, can make a big impact.

1. GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT
Recycling is one of the easiest and most obvious steps to take and given my love of competition, I turned it into a contest, competing only against myself. Each week I challenged myself to haul a larger pile of recyclables than trash to the curb. I was astounded at the sheer bulk of the recyclable materials with which I’d previously been burdening the local landfill. This is the most basic step and requires virtually no change in lifestyle. If you’re not already a religious recycler, you should kick it up a notch.

2. THERE’S A CHILL IN THE AIR
After realizing that I could lower my winter home heating costs by 1 to 3 percent for every degree I lowered the thermostat, my first step was to do it. My second step was to don a fleece pullover and head to Home Depot for a couple of energy efficient space heaters. Again, ever the competitor, I spent the last two Washington DC-area winters engaged in a battle of wills with Washington Gas. I simply refused to raise the thermostat above 62 degrees until I began to see my pets’ breath in the air.

This was actually a very easy adaptation and not nearly the sacrifice it sounds, for in assessing my home heating needs, I realized that the vast majority of my waking hours were spent in only one area of my house: the living room. I also knew that when I turned up the thermostat to a level sufficient to keep the living room warm, then my third story-level bedroom was sweltering, and not in a good way. So I cranked down the thermostat and used the space heaters, as needed, in the one area where they were needed most. At first, I feared I might be trading in one evil for another (i.e., lowering my gas bill by increasing my electricity consumption), I soon learned this wasn’t the case as my net savings — as well as my satisfaction in defeating Washington Gas — were considerable.

3. LOG ON AND LOSE THE STAMPS
Like most people, I dreaded the time spent paying bills. A loathsome activity typically reserved for Sunday nights, a time at which my mood was already dampened as I mourned the end of my weekend, bill paying was an envelope-licking, paper-cut inducing mess. What was the green alternative? Paperless billing and online bill payment. I signed up and saved a few trees, eliminated my share of the fossil fuels required to deliver those mailbox equivalents of a Debbie Downer, and virtually eliminated my need for stamps. Cha-ching!

4. WHAT’S GROWN IN VIRGINIA STAYS IN VIRGINIA
Unable to disavow the food snob label with a straight face, I am admittedly a fan of fine cuisine. As such, I would frequently trek to Washington, DC, from my home in the northern Virginia suburbs to partake in whatever delicacies DC’s chefs were offering. Imagine my surprise when the visit of a far more environmentally-minded friend prompted me to research restaurants that feature locally sourced foodstuffs. I discovered one of the area’s most amazing restaurants. Local is better, not just for the environment, but for the palate. Check out the restaurants near you that specialize in local, organic, seasonal fare. Your taste buds will be happy you did and you’ll be supporting local ranchers and farmers.

5. GREEN IS AS GREEN DOES
Perhaps the most self-serving discovery I made in my quest to go green was in the selection of the companies with which I now choose to spend my money, for what I discovered was that the proprietors of local businesses and small national companies who make a real commitment to the environment are some of the nicest people with whom you’ll ever do business.

As Kermit was known to croon, “It’s not easy being green,” and while many Fortune 500 firms now inundate us with green messaging as a convenient ploy to distract from the not-so-green realities of their operations, the local shop managers, restaurant owners and small national firms who commit to going green are doing so often at the expense of their profit margins. They make that sacrifice because they actually believe in this stuff, and in my book that makes them darned good people with whom I’ve found it a great pleasure to do business.

For more ways to lessen your impact on the environment, visit The Daily Green.

The post 5 (almost) effortless ways to go green first appeared on Lesbian.com.

A new website is claiming that it can help the user determine if they’re gay by simply scanning their facial features.

Called “Gay Check Online,” the website scans the face of the user through their computer’s webcam and delivers a resounding verdict about their sexuality. A statement on the website reportedly informs visitors that “the image is then matched with the latest data on facial features and their homosexual implications, which allows Gay Check to surmise the visitor’s sexual orientation.”

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

The post Does this new website have gaydar? first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Photo: Superstock)

BY KATY RAY
Tagg Magazine

It’s a new year, and for us femmes, it’s also an opportunity to form new relationships, break bad habits, and rejuvenate our hearts and minds. Whether you’re newly single or on the fast track headed down marriage lane, here are five resolutions that can benefit everyone.

1. Put your phone down at dinner.

2. Cut your ex out of your life — for good.

3. Leave the lesbian love nest at least twice a month.

4. Support your lesbian community.

5. Be a more conscientious consumer.

Read more at TaggMagazine.com

Tagg Magazine is a print and online resource for LBT women in the DC Metropolitan and Rehoboth, DE areas

The post Femme problems: Perspectives on the new year first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Adding some of this to your New Year’s list?

BY TRISH BENDIX
AfterEllen

Time to start with a clean slate, like December 31, 2013 didn’t happen at all and you can now be your best self. (Everyone else will be great, too, so don’t worry!) Here are some resolutions from our pals over at AfterEllen.

Eboni Rafus: Finish my screenplay. Expand my novella into a full-size novel. Finish my YA novel. […] Basically…write.

Jill Guccini: Write more, read more, become more proficient in Spanish and Italian, cook more, run more, feel less down on myself because of money, hike more with my dog, be kind.

Bridget McManus: To focus on being in the present moment and eat more broccoli.

Grace Chu: I plan to find the pot at the end of the rainbow and demand that it becomes legal nationwide. Actually, scratch that. I just plan to eat more greens and drink more water.

Read more at AfterEllen.com

AfterEllen is the pop culture site that plays for your team

The post Change things up: 2014 resolutions first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Holiday season is finally upon us, and whether you like it or not, that means you will soon be receiving invitations to all of the holiday parties. But what should you wear to the company holiday party?

The Company Holiday Party

Your boss will be there, as will your colleagues, their significant others, and maybe even a few clients—so keep it professional! Professional does not have to mean boring, however. It’s good to stand out, and it’s definitely time to glam it up more than you would if you were at the office on a regular workday.

One great way to do this is by choosing a bold color. Most people will keep it safe and conservative and opt for a black pantsuit or the Little Black Dress, but don’t go with the norm—after all, you do want to get noticed for all of the right reasons. Be bold. Red is a great color to wear and get noticed. Red is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, and determination, as well as passion, desire, and love. Wear a white blouse, long red flared trousers, nude pumps, and a red lip. Not a pump-wearing kind of girl? Then switch out the nude pumps for a pair of cool Adidas sneakers, add a vest or a scarf to the whole ensemble, and rock out a cool fedora.

Read more at TaggMagazine.com

Tagg Magazine is a print and online resource for LBT women in the DC Metropolitan and Rehoboth, DE areas.

The post Tis the season to get glam: What to wear to a holiday party first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Brand ambassador Traci Dinwiddie (Photo via TomboyX.com)

BY Lesbian.com

Lesbians take note: TomboyX is changing the face of fashion.

With a no-compromises, all-authentic attitude, Tomboy X seeks to fill the void between clothes that are traditionally feminine and masculine.

They’re “creating and curating women’s clothing and accessories inspired by menswear style,” says co-founder and CEO Fran Dunaway. The brand is another addition to the increasing number of companies catering to women whose needs aren’t being readily met in the mainstream market.

Pictured: TomboyX Collection Maggie Blazer – Chocolate, TomboyX Swag – PE T-Shirt, Lucky Dog Leather Accessories, Foster Weld Recession Belt, BedStu Grand Canyon Bag, BedStu Lita Oxfords – Tan, Darn Tough Crew Light Stripe Sock – Denim, Coal Going To Jackson Hat – Blue Oxford, Coal Landon Hat – Multi Color  (Photo via TomboyX.com)

Excitingly, there are lots of amazing clothiers popping up with masculine-of-center women (and trans*men) in mind. The difference is that many of these companies are, essentially, designing menswear cut for different bodies. TomboyX, however, is making womenswear inspired by menswear. Dunaway says they’re looking to reach that middle ground: the fashionable embodiment of the tomboy spirit.

And what exactly is the TomboyX spirit? Just ask brand ambassadors actress Traci Dinwiddie (Elena Undone) and musician Catie Curtis.

Curtis says, “I sometimes feel like an impostor in the women’s department, with its frills, flowers and bows, while men’s clothes don’t fit me either. I’m so grateful to discover (and spread the gospel of) TomboyX, where the clothing is made for women like me!”

Their site offers a boutique experience, where women looking for clothes and accessories that really suit their style can finally do some one-stop shopping. From belts and boots to shoulder bags, blazers to briefs, they have an assortment from casual to dressy.

Learn more and get shopping at www.TomboyX.com

The post TomboyX: Clothing for women like us first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY TRISH BENDIX

Every year we ask our writers to come up with gift-giving ideas for the women in our lives, and it unintentionally doubles as an interesting social experiment. (Results: Not typical.) Everyone gets to choose the category they are choosing presents for, and then they go to work finding the items (or in some cases, experiences) that they believe that woman would want. Now we’re not saying we get it all right, but we can almost guarantee that our picks will please whatever lucky lady you are shopping for.

We hope to provide you with alternatives that are frequently women or lesbian-made, and something your giftee would not already be getting from her mom or brother or Santa Claus.

Check out the Gift Guide at AfterEllen.com

AfterEllen is the pop culture site that plays for your team

The post Gift guide for the gay girl 2013 first appeared on Lesbian.com.

What to eat for dinner tonight? Tapas to make Penelope Cruz weep? Fusion tacos? Pizza fired in a wood-burning oven imported from Italy? Or maybe just the best turkey sandwich you ever had? The wealth of choice gets overwhelming when you’re in a foodie town like … Orlando.

That’s right; the town best known for a four-fingered mouse who doesn’t eat much of anything has spawned quite a food scene. There is offbeat funkiness to please the toughest San Francisco Mission District hipster, and gourmet quality to reward epicureans for not fleeing to Miami. If you’ve been letting a fear of heavy fried Southern food or pallid lowest-common-denominator offerings keep you from Orlando, hesitate no longer: Orlando’s dining options are putting the shine back in the Sunshine State.

Orlando Goes Gourmet

Let’s assume you decide you want something somewhat upscale, creative, and maybe even locally sourced. A good cocktail and/or a decent wine list wouldn’t hurt, either. Your best bet is Winter Park, a posh suburb of Orlando.

The town’s Park Avenue is lined with gourmet restaurants and wine bars, but the jewel in the crown is undoubtedly Prato (124 N Park Ave, Winter Park, 407-262-0050, events@lumaonpark.com, Prato-WP.com). The spot is named after a city in Tuscany, and is about as far from lasagna and Chianti as you can get. The owners have imported a pair of custom-made Acunto pizza ovens from Naples, which they use to turn out crackly-crusted beauties ranging from the traditional Margherita to more adventurous creations such as butternut squash and sage pizza, and pies topped with sheep’s milk cheese and egg. A whole meal could also be made from outstanding antipasti such as tender octopus in a squid-ink vinaigrette, and fresh chickpeas with lemon and garlic. The traditional-with-a-twist theme continues at the bar, where familiar combinations such as vodka and cranberry might be spiked with basil, habanero bitters, or lava salt. Most progressive of all, Prato is committed to supporting local providers, and a large hand-drawn map of the state at the front of the restaurant shows the location of the many Florida farms Prato has teamed up with.

In Orlando proper, downtown’s Church Street is home to Spanish-themed Ceviche (125 West Church Street, 321-281-8140, Ceviche.com). The large, warmly lit space features a lovely hammered-tin ceiling, and is dominated by two bars: One for cocktails, and a central island offering a stunning array of cold tapas. Warm tapas are ordered off the menu, and really show the kitchen’s genius. On paper, offerings like Serrano ham with Manchego and aceitunas y pimientos don’t sound that different from the bar snacks of Spain, but here tapas is not just to tide you over for a late dinner. Here, tapas is dinner, and each plate is made with the highest quality ingredients. The restaurant’s namesake ceviche bowls are outstanding. Traditional shellfish and pulpo please purists, but tuna with lime and onion has a taste of Hawaii, and Ceviche a la Rusa includes oysters and is served with a shot of Russian Standard Vodka. The food at Ceviche is diverting enough, but there is also live music most nights, usually of the flamenco variety.

The City Beautiful Gets Funky

Now maybe it’s later in the evening. Maybe cocktails have already been consumed. Maybe you just don’t want to change out the sensible shoes you tromped around Universal Studios in. A sandwich from Pom Pom’s Teahouse and Sandwicheria (67 North Bumby Avenue, 407-894-0865, PomPomsTeahouse.com) will certainly fill you up and may just change the way you feel about sandwiches, as well.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Pom Moongauklang, who was born in Thailand, raised in Orlando, and shaped by adult years living in other cities, including New York. Her pan-ethnic background shows in her sandwiches, which might include ingredients ranging from yellow curry to salsa to peanut butter and banana. Probably the best place to start is with Mama Ling Ling’s Thanksgiving, a hot, savory starch bomb that features turkey, stuffing, potato, cranberry sauce, and cheese. It comes with a side of brown gravy for dipping and tastes like Thanksgiving, or like Thanksgiving would if it came with fewer stressed-out relatives and more blue-haired students and funky artwork.

To really see Pom’s fusion skills in full bloom, though, make a visit to her other Orlando endeavor, Tako Cheena (932 N Mills Avenue, 321-236-7457, TakoCheena.com). The tacos (“takos,” here) are served with traditional soft shells, but the fillings are anything but. Panko-crusted cod takos resemble the Baja version but sweet and sour sauce takes them somewhere else entirely.  Peanut chicken and gingery, cilantro-laden pork belly pockets taste like a backpacker’s tour of Asia wrapped in tortillas. Anything but gimmicky, the Mexican/Asian flavors complement each other in ways that will astound the most jaded foodie.

A Snack on the Wildside

Ever bite a gator? If it never occurred to you that human/alligator chompings could go both ways, try the happy-hour gator plate at Wildside BBQ Bar & Grille (700 East Washington Street, 407-872-8665, WildsideBBQ.com) in the colorful Thornton Park neighborhood. Alligator is a white meat that tastes and chews something like lean pork, and goes well with beer.

A True Melting Pot

To what does Orlando owe this surprisingly diverse food scene? Probably the fact that, like Disney World, Orlando lures visitors from all over the world—but Orlando’s new arrivals come to stay. The city is growing faster than any place in Florida save Miami. Some of these new arrivals are first-timers, but many are boomerangs, who, like Pom, tried other places but somehow found themselves back where they started.

How does this happen? What about this city best known for its vacation-from-reality theme parks attracts and sometimes recaptures people from all corners? I asked Pom, and her answer may surprise anyone who assumes that Orlando is as lacking in a sense of place as the fantasy lands that made it famous. “Well,” she says, smiling as she refilled my cup of Rooibos, “There’s no place like home.”

Originally published by GirlsThatRoam.com

Nicole Clausing first flew at the age of two months, an evacuation from her Kentucky birthplace to Western Massachusetts, where she was raised. Since then, she has lived in seven states and visited more than 30 countries.

The post Alligator bites and Flamenco nights: Exploring Orlando’s dining scene first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Chef Charleen Caabay at work in the kitchen

BY HEATHER CASSELL
Girls That Roam

Charleen Caabay officially opened up her doors to welcome friends new and old into her new restaurant Kainbigan in East Oakland on Sept. 14.

Kainbigan Restaurant (14th Avenue, 510-842-6315, kainbigan@gmail.com, Kainbigan.com) softly launched Aug. 19, but now the restaurant is in full swing serving up homemade Filipino comfort food inspired by Charleen’s mother and her late grandmother.

Kain’bigan, the restaurant’s name, is the play on the Tagalog words kain and kaibigan, which translated means eat and friend, respectively. The two words put together loosely translated means, “come in to eat friend.” Kain’bigan’s tagline is: “let’s eat, my friends.”

“Where there’s food, there’s always good company and friends,” says Charleen, a 34-year-old queer woman who is the chef and owner of Kainbigan.

Lines have been out the door of the small eatery and orders have been pouring in to the take-out restaurant since it opened.

She never dreamed that she could be a chef and own her own restaurant. Charleen still can’t believe that she has a place where her friends can come and enjoy her homemade Filipino comfort food.

“Every day has been a tear jerker,” says Charleen. “I walk into the doors first thing in the morning and I’m like my jaw still drops, ‘Oh, God. I can cook every day, all day for my friends and that’s it. I made it. I finally made it.’”

Grandma’s Kitchen

There was always a gathering around the kitchen and table growing up with her mother and grandmother in New Jersey.

“Our household was always full of people over eating,” says Charleen, who would sit in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother watching them chop, stir, mix and serve the hearty Filipino food. “When people come over it’s always a feast.”

Charleen lost that when her parents moved  her sister and her to Vallejo when she was 13-years old. That same year, her beloved grandmother passed away.

“I was very, very close to her because she pretty much raised me when I was younger while my mom worked all day,” says Charleen.

To make up for the loss of the family feasts, her parents made new friends and invited them over to dinner all of the time, says Charleen. She continued that tradition with her friends in high school raiding their family’s pantries and cooking and grilling for everyone while all of their parents were at work.

Discovering her love for cooking, the second-generation Filipina also missed her grandmother’s cooking and started to become aware of the loss of cultural foods among American Filipinos, she says. She lost many of her grandmother’s recipes, but she began creating her own and making healthier versions of the traditional Filipino dishes without losing the flavor.

She also discovered non-Filipinos’ interest in Filipino food, while serving her food out at lesbian bars and nightclubs and on Oakland’s street corners.

Going For It

It’s been a long journey to opening the restaurant. The former IT expert started serving up her food at local women’s nightclubs and on street corners several years ago. At that time it didn’t even occur to her that she could make a living doing what she loves doing: cooking.

“I always cooked either as hobby or just for parties,” says Charleen. “It didn’t trigger in my head that I can do this as a career.”

As more people asked her if she catered, she started saying yes. It became a side gig for her until she was laid off from her dream IT job during the economic downturn. Suddenly, she found herself in a position deciding to go for it or continue the cycle of contract IT jobs that never landed her permanently at a company.

To test things out, Charleen tapped into local entrepreneur resources for low-income women learning how to run a business and opened a pop up restaurant in Oakland for three months in 2012.

During that time she kept driving buy the space in East Oakland with the, “For Rent,” sign on it, that a friend pointed out to her. The space located on the corner next to a barber shop at 14th Avenue and East 21st Street has been a series of restaurants in the past, now it is home to Kainbigan.

It took about nine months to open the restaurant, which she invested an estimated $60,000 through investors and small business loans. An estimated five part-time staff help Charleen while she cooks up breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week served in the restaurant, take-out and catering. Kainbigan is already growing and currently hiring for all types of positions.

“Everyone that walks in … they are super excited because now they have a place to get my food,” says Charleen, who has an inviting bubbly and cheerful personality.

Kainbigan Restaurant is located at 2101 14th Avenue in Oakland. Open Monday through Sunday, 11 am. – 8 p.m. Call to place an order at 510-842-6315 or email kainbigan@gmail.com or check out the menu at Kainbigan.com. Find out what’s cooking at Kainbigan’s Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on GirlsThatRoam.com

The post Chef Carleen Caabay serves up Filipino comfort food in Oakland first appeared on Lesbian.com.

One of the worst parts about the Pretty Little Liars hiatus is that we don’t get our weekly dose of queer wisdom from our beloved Emily Fields, so we’ve decided to spend some time during the off-season revisiting the lessons we’ve already learned from Rosewood’s most beloved lesbian lady. First up: Emily Fields’ Field Guide to Knowing You’re a Lesbian.

Read more at AfterEllen.com

AfterEllen is the pop culture site that plays for your team

The post A field guide to knowing you’re a lesbian first appeared on Lesbian.com.