Karma Co-Op has quietly led the way as one of Toronto's most progressive grocers for more than 30 years. Located off an alleyway at 739 Palmerston, this little co-operative that could has been stocking local, organic and fair trade products since its inception. And re-usable bags? They've been doing that before current Loblaws Executive Chairman Galen Weston Jr. was born.

Watch my interview with Karma Co-Op General Manager Justin McNabb below:



Subscribe to this and future blogTO videos: RSS | blipTV Channel | iTunes

Green-focused retailers like Grassroots sell a wide variety of eco-friendly cleaning products such as Ecover laundry powder or Nature Clean floor cleaner but that doesn't eliminate the need for each of us to get down on our hands and knees and actually use them.

Or does it? That's where Enviromaid comes in - a home and office cleaning service that only uses environmentally-friendly products to do the job. I recently cornered company founder Emmanuel Rey who filled me in on what makes Enviromaid one of Toronto's greenest companies. Watch the video below:



Subscribe to this and future blogTO videos: RSS | blipTV Channel | iTunes

Ask around about Bullfrog Power and chances are you'll still get many people thinking that it's not as reliable as Toronto Hydro or to get it you need to disconnect from the grid.

But spend a few minutes looking at their web site and it quickly becomes evident that this notion couldn't be further from the truth. As a Bullfrog Power customer, you're still connected to Toronto Hydro. But what you're doing is paying a slight premium to invest in clean energy so in the future our homes and business and Toronto Hydro itself will be less dependent on sources like coal, nuclear, oil and gas.

Watch my interview below with Bullfrog Power Co-Founder Tom Heintzman to learn more about the company and why you should consider signing up.



Subscribe to this and future blogTO videos: RSS | blipTV Channel | iTunes

Located at 11 Irwin Avenue (just off Yonge Street), Fertile Ground started as a business bookstore but branched into environmental titles a few years back. They now carry about five times the green selection that's available at the nearest Chapters.

I recently stopped by the store to find out more and talk with Co-Founder David Evans about their selection and why they started the store. Watch my video interview below:



Subscribe to this and future blogTO videos: RSS | blipTV Channel | iTunes

The Rogers Centre may not make headlines as a culinary destination in Toronto, but Executive Chef Rodney Meynert probably knows better than anyone how to cook for a stadium full of hungry sports fans. He's worked for Levy Restaurants at the Rogers Centre for 18 years, and also assisted at other major sporting events south of the border including Super Bowls, the Kentucky Derby and the US Open.

In honour of this year's Grey Cup, Rodney and his team unveiled a new sports friendly menu for the fans cramming Sightlines and the private boxes. To get a closer look, I joined him overlooking the field to watch him cook some amazing braised short ribs. Watch the video below to learn how to cook them for yourself:

*Note: Sorry about the background noise on this one. The Rogers Centre had some massive fans (or A/C or something) that I wasn't able to fully filter out)



Subscribe to this and future blogTO videos: RSS | blipTV Channel | iTunes

Keep reading for the full recipe and instructions.

I first discovered Function 13 when I stopped by The Touch Show at Pixel Gallery. (Videos here). The gallery and the store occupy the same space, with Function 13 at the front and Pixel relegated mainly to the back but with the freedom to weave their installations throughout.

My first thought was that a version of Magic Pony had come to Kensington. There are figurines, a well curated selection of hard-to-find design books and magazines. But Function 13 is more tech bent, thanks to the presence of the new media oriented gallery, The Rich Media Institute (downstairs) and the overriding influence of the team behind FITC.

To find out more, I stopped by the store sometime later to talk to Function 13 Manager Brandon Hocura. Watch the interview and store profile below:



Subscribe to this and future blogTO videos: RSS | blipTV Channel | iTunes