DIY Earth Hour zero-energy bites and earth-friendlier cocktails

Earth Hour, the global initiative to turn off, shut down and recognize the positive impact everyone can make for our environment by going without electricity for one-hour on one day, takes place March 27 at 8:30 PM local time. Here are some recipes to be enjoyed by soy candlelight.

Organic and eco-friendly ingredient-based drinks compliments of the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts:

- The Organic Mother Earth Margarita: Partida organic 100 percent blue agave tequila, organic agave nectar and sour mix

- The Planetini: organic crop vodka, a dozen mint leaves, Midori melon liqueur and simple syrup, garnished with a blue and white sugar stick

- Inconvenient Chartreuse: Hendrick's gin, fresh lemon, green chartreuse and organic, muddled cucumbers.

- Dim to Dark: two shots of organic white rum, ½ shot of prickly pear syrup, ½ shot of blue curacao on the bottom of the frosted martini glass and a dash of orange juice and cranberry juice, garnished with maraschino cherries and a blue sugar rim

- The Amazon Cooler: VeeV vodka, three basil leaves, two cucumber slices, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, muddled (or mashed) then strained into a martini glass, garnished with an apple slice

Care2, an online community and Benefit Corporation (B-Corp) dedicated to healthy, green lifestyle news and causes, shares their selection of "carefree canapes." Here are the two no-energy canapés with:

- Goat Cheese, Red-Pepper Orange Marmalade and Pistachios
- Blue Cheese-Butter and Pears
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/carefree-canapes.html

- Feta Olive Cucumber Mint Skewers from RecipeZaar, a recipe portal:
http://www.recipezaar.com/feta-olive-cucumber-mint-skewers-417024

- Lemongrass Fruit Salad from Canadian celebrity chef Roger Mooking:
http://blog.wwf.ca/blog/2010/03/17/guest-blogger-celebrity-chef-roger-mooking-with-an-earth-hour-recipe

Simple pleasures can also make for great food ideas, like a great cheese platter with vegetables, fruit and bread with a bottle of wine or your favorite sandwich and salad.

For more information on Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org