AIME EATS ... GREEN EGGS & HAM

As a child, one of my fave authors was Dr. Seuss - I loved his crazy characters, imaginative illustrations and rhetoric rhymes (albeit I didn't realize it back then!). My top two Dr. Seuss picks still are The Lorax and Green Eggs and Ham.

The Lorax - a metaphoric, environmental tale of the greedy Once-ler who chopped down all of the beautiful Truffula trees to make Thneeds.

Takeaway: the 4 most important lines in the 24 minute clip below:

"I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees.

I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues,

...

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better. It's not.

Green Eggs and Ham is about a nameless character's refusal to try something new - green eggs and ham - but by the end, tries it and enjoys it.

Dr. Seuss's simple stories help us realize that conscious consumer choices are important for our community.

Did you know you can now check just how 'green' your eggs are? I buy Verified Cage Free Vegetarian Choice eggs from Whole Foods. You can trace your eggs and find out information on the bird welfare and food safety. Things to look for:

1. Produced by hens that receive a vegetarian diet of fine grains and supplements that are non-medicated and free of hormones and animal byproducts
2. Produced by hens that are free to roam about an open-concept weather sheltered barn, where they can roost, nest, perch and feed freely
3. Produced in accordance with HACCP Based On-Farm Food Safet Programs, observing all Bird Welfare aspects of the Recommended Code of Practice

Love yourself and love others.

- M

AIME DRINKS... GOOD EARTH BANROCK STATION FINE WINE

At Aime, we love Good Earth Banrock Station Fine Wine. Their philosophy is inspiring "Help us Help the Earth" which parallels with what we strive to achieve at Aime.

Love yourself: Enjoy a glass of Banrock Station's Pink Moscato. It's light and fruity with hints of aromatic melon, grapefruit and lemon. We love the pink colour and adding in our own fresh fruit to make sangria. With a 5.5% alcohol content, we recommend sprucing it up

with Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka.

Love others: Part proceeds of every bottle of Banrock Station wines help support environmental projects around the world - even Canada! They help save salmon in Lake Ontario, and their winery in Australia uses sustainable techniques in their vineyard. Poland's Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka also plants trees to show their love for the environment.

Travel Tip: Visiting South Australia? Banrock Station has a Wine and Wetland Centre which is certified for eco-tourism. Learn how they are reversing the effects of a century's worth of destruction on the wetland.

AIME BAKES...VEGAN ROOIBOS de PROVENCE TEA CUPCAKES

The girls of Aime love to eat out + in, so we're testing out different restos + recipes to share so you can love yourself & love others.

Love yourself: Indulge in Vegan Rooibos de Provence Tea Cupcakes with Butter Cream Lemon Frosting! We updated a recipe we found on the cute blog, Batter & Beat, that used Earl Grey Tea. We made both and found that our version had the elegant, delicate flavour of lavender, rose petals, and dried blueberries - tealicious!

Love others: By using soy milk instead of regular milk, and soy yogurt instead of eggs as a binder, these vegan alternatives uses no animal by-products.

Ingredients to make 1 dozen cupcakes:

• Rooibos de Provence loose leaf tea from David's Tea (Creative Director Monica Mei's fave)
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 stick of unsalted vegan butter
• 2 cups of powdered sugar

For the cupcakes...

Preheat oven to 375º and use silicone cupcake liners for your muffin tin. Heat the soy milk in a saucepan. Before it boils, remove from heat and add tea leaves (either in a tea ball, or strain out the tea leaves afterwards).

Use a hand or power mixer to whisk together oil, yogurt, sugar, vanilla and tea mixture until smooth. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into wet ingredients and whisk until the mixture is velvety. Scoop mixture into tins and bake for 16-20 minutes. Then do the toothpick test to ensure it's ready.

For the frosting...

Cream the butter and slowly add in the icing sugar until the mixture is very fluffy. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until smooth. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and top it off with a garnish.

The Aime Rooibos de Provence Tea Cupcake - a perfect summer treat!

Do you have a fave recipe that you'd like to share? Tell us on Facebook or Twitter!

AIME TRAVELS...TO KENNEBUNK

Here at Aime, we love to travel and discover new things. Aime Creative Director, Monica Mei, recently traveled to Kennebunk, Maine in search of some R&R and came across a few surprising finds.

SEE: Nick's Chance Whale Watch. This whale watch tour takes you from Kennebunkpo

rt to a feeding area to see a variety of whales including the Blue Whale and the endangered Right Whale. Bonus: Monica also saw seals sunbathing near the Boon Island Lighthouse, playful dolphins "wake boarding" the ship's waves, and a thousand pound tuna!

DO: Maine is known for its selection of antique shops. Monica found some great wooden crates, a typewriter from the '20s, a turquoise

glazed pot, and an MJ Thriller album at an antiques barn along Route 1. ECO-TIP: Antiquing is a great way to love Mother Earth. Why buy new when you can re-use someone's once-loved treasures?

EAT: After a morning of antiquing, re-fuel at Capt'n Hook's Lobsters. This lobster bake shack is a cheapie place to get your fresh Maine lobster fix. With picnic benches surrounding the lobster tanks, the atmosphere is like eating in your friend's backyard. The steamed sweet corn is a do-not-miss with its lobster butter - delish!

STAY: Monica stayed at the historic Beach House Inn which has a gorge view of the ocean. ECO TIP: The Inn has free bicycles, helmets and lock available for their guests. Monica says leave your car in the lot as Kennebunk is a perfect town for cycling. The ride to Walker's Point (George Dub's summer home) is picture perfect.

AIME CITY GARDEN DIY

The Aime studio has been growing our own little city garden - sweet basil, Italian parsley, mojito mints and red lettuce - all on our juliet balcony! This simple DIY project is a great way to ensure that your fruits, veggies and herbs are 100% organic and locally grown. It's also a way to greenify your space!

Love Yourself: edible gardens are easy on your wallet and beneficial for your health.

Love Others: Growing your own vegetables and herbs is an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Another way to reconnect with nature is to check out a Green City Workshop. Tomorrow, Saturday July 17th, there will be a workshop on Edible Native Landscapes at 550 Bayview Avenue where you can get tips on eco-gardening in the city.

Do you have a suggestion for an eco-DIY? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

MEET TEGAN: SHE LOVES...

Aime intern Tegan enjoys weekends at The Evergreen Brick Works Farmer's Market. Open Saturday mornings 8 am to 1 pm throughout the summer, she says it's the perfect place to grab a deliciously organic breakfast or lunch with an assortment of fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy and prepared foods from local farmers (you can also peruse crafts made by local artisans!) Ride your bike to the Toronto Brick Works as it's conveniently on The Don River Bike Trail. Not only is this a fun weekend activity, it's also a great way to practice environmental sustainability and to support local farmers.

Do you know of other fun, eco activites? Let us know via Twitter: @aimeluxury