Bird + Seed

No New Plastic Challenge: Midway

We've been [relatively] plastic free-here for half a month.  I say relatively because there have been a few times.  [I'm not counting perminant plastic-containing objects like my new hiking backpack, my light up pedals for my bike, Damon's birthday present]  But as far as 'throw-away' plastic I'd say we've reduced it by 90-95%.  We're better about bringing enough bags to suit all our needs at the bulk bins at the Co-Op.  I even got many of my spice containers tared so I didn't have to use new little baggies in the bulk-spice aisle.  And I was that crazy lady at the Co-Op who brings old plastic bread bags and Ziplocs that have been used to an inch of their lives to scoop out things like vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast.  Oh what a crazy hippie I am.  Once I was a prep, did you know that?  Yeah.  I wore all Jcrew.  Now I scoop nutritional yeast out of a bulk bin into a used baggie at the food Co-Op wearing bamboo Etsy clothes while my boyfriend talks to a Farmer about joining an organic meat CSA.  Oh how we grow.

There were a few set backs.  But I'm ok with them.  And all those set-back plastics have been recycled.  We bought shamrocks in a plastic pot [recycled].  Tofu can often be purchased in a bulk tub, but they were out of that variety so we got the [locally made] shrinkwrapped one.  In my yogurt nomming haze I ate all the yogurt without leaving any as a starter for the next batch so I had to buy another cup.  And of course, fruit and veggie stickers, the tag on a new pair of jeans, a cap, packaging material.  But our recycle bin is way less full, so I'm counting this as a victory.  

Oh, and the above meal is special as it is comprised of beet soup topped with homemade yogurt.  Homemade bread.  Homegrown spouts in the salad.  No plastic ever touched those guys!

How about you?  Have you reduced your plastic?  Not too hard, eh?

No New Plastic Challenge

Did you see this on Re-Nest?  I love a good challenge.  We've been really trying to curtail our plastic use around here anyway.  We bought even more reusable bags for the bulk section.  We have saved more jars for putting things in.  We recycled a huge lump of plastic bags.  I realize that this is not feasible for everyone, or for all the time- but I think I can genuinly not buy plastic for a month.  Scratch that- the present I want to get Damon for his birthday has plastic.  And I have searched high and low for a hair product that is natural- so I won't give that up.  And we're going to buy a indoor composter.  Ok, so that's really it.  But as for the rest?  Homemade yogurt.  Deli-cut cheese wrapped in paper.  Jars filled with lotion [our bulk aisle doesn't just have grains and granolas- but laundry detergent, soaps, lotions and shampoo!]  Anyone want to take this month-long challenge with me?     

Made by Hand Menu Month

Mmm.  Homemade applesauce.  You know, before I ever made my own applesauce I was not a fan of the stuff.  If I never have store-made applesauce ever again I would not be upset.  But homemade stuff- now that is totally different.  I don't even follow any recipes.  Peel apples [most of the peel- some is good because of the natural pectin in the peel helps the applesauce set up a bit] simmer in a big pot with some water until mushy.  Simmer with a cinnamon stick if you want.  Add sugar.  Mush with potato ricer or food processor.  A tad of lemon juice is optional.  Ta da!  Mmm indeed.

And mmm can stand for something else this month too... Made by hand Menu Month.  [ok, so I'm stretching it here].  This month's challenge is to make all the foods I eat FROM SCRATCH.  Except for dried pasta.  And basic things you can buy in a can like canned tomatoes.  But I made my own yogurt and granola this weekend.  And instead of granola bars for my obligatory 4pm snack I switched to bananas.  I may make some granola bars later in the month, but not this weekend- too busy.  See?  I didn't think that I ate a lot of packaged foods until I had to make everything from scratch.  If anything at the end of this month I hope to perfect my at-home yogurt making recipe... which I'm never totally satisfied with.  This month's challenge could be really fulfilling.  Or aggravating.  I may end up subsisting on oatmeal for the next few weeks.

DIY Toothpaste

I have long sung the praises of baking soda and was heartened to see it's many uses highlighted on Good today.  It truly is a wonder substance.  And wonderfully cheap.  And eco-friendly.  And simple.  One of my favorite uses is as toothpaste.  For real.  And as this month I'm trying to wean myself off of icky chemical substances and additives I thought I'd share some of my magic potions.  Because really, one of the best parts of making your own beauty concoctions is the making part.  You feel like a chemist.

This toothpaste [more like tooth powder] reminds me of the polish stuff the dentist uses- it's gritty- so it helps scrape away the plaque.  There are no bubbles [and no evil SLS- which the jury is still out on, but I prefer to stay away from].  Also, baking soda is salty so for the novice it can be a shock.  Going straight from Crest to baking soda is a big step.  Going halfway to Tom's [which is not nearly as sweet] is a good option.  And if you'd still like the whitening properties or tooth sensitivity properties of toothpaste mix in the palm of your hand a small pencil-eraser dollop of toothpaste with a teaspoon of baking soda to get the best of both worlds.  But if you have normal non-problematic teeth- this stuff works fine.  Regular toothpastes actually don't kill germs- they just remove them using detergents [soaps].  Baking soda works as a mild detergent but mostly an defoliant, which does a great job in removing the biofilm of bacteria and food-based carbohydrates that stick to your teeth.  See, I'm a biologist, I know this shit.

Baking Soda Toothpaste
[keep at roughly this ratio]
2 Tbsp baking powder
6 drops essential oil [I use spearmint.  You can mix too- like vanilla plus mint!]
1/2 - 1/4 tsp Stevia powder [for sweetness, not necessary but it cuts the salt flavor]

Keep in a small airtight jar and to use either dip your damp toothbrush in, or shake a bit onto your palm and rub the toothbrush in it.  

Other favorite baking soda concoctions I love:  baking soda facial cleanser, baking soda, sea salt and herb acne treating scrub, baking soda volumizing conditioner and baking soda household softscrub.  Do you guys want to hear about any of these?

This is gross but...

...it totally works.  An ecological & easy way to catch that summer time scourge: fruit flies.  I don't know where they come from or why they like to hover around my garbage pail containing only lettuce leaves and the dust from my emptied vacuum... but there they are!  I came across this sure-fire way to corral and capture all those little guys.  Make a funnel out of some scrap paper, tape it shut, and nestle in a small cup with a glug of vinegar.  Apple cider or balsamic works best.  Make sure the paper meets the edges of the glass- if it doesn't you can tape around the edges.  Set it near the garbage- but not too close to your work surface to avoid the gross-out factor.  Within 5 minutes they will be inspecting the cup and within 30 you'll have captured a bunch.  They're not the best at getting out of the funnel maze- but if you find that there are many that are circling the trap just get out your vacuum hose and suck them up.  Yes, I vacuum fruitflies.  If anyone could see into my kitchen window they would think I was trying to cast bizarre spells with my vacuum hose wand.  You may laugh- but it totally works.  

Farmer's Market Haul

 

A great lot of vegetables at this morning's farmer's market.  Fennel, shallots, cucumbers, 2 bunches of basil, lettuce and a heap of cherry tomatoes.  Combined with some zucchini from last week I am planning some wonderful week night dinners.  

I re-arranged some of my kitchen today and decided to keep the fruit bowl, garlic & onions/shallots on the windowsill.  Only a tiny amount of 5AM sun comes in, so I wasn't worried about the fruit ripening too soon.  I love how cheery it all looks now.  And the basil is keeping fresh in a glass of water- which really is a great way to store greens, provided they have been kept moist before you got to them.  Not pictured is a small oat quick bread cooling on the windowsill.  I wish it were a pie though- that would be perfect!

I'm starting my second week of eating vegan.  It is tricky.  Friends offer a bite of their brownie and I must decline.  Eating out, which I will do tonight to say goodbye to a dear friend leaving Boston for new and better things, is nigh impossible unless you pick the right restaurant.  I will try, but it's a little impossible.  Especially when confronted with The Cellar's tater tots.  [Which are really balls of fluffy mashed potatoes rolled in potato flakes, fried and drizzled with truffle oil]   

Growing a Green Heart: August

Hello Tofutti cream cheese bagel.  Hello August.  Hello month long experiment in veganism.  This challenge may be the most difficult yet, but in the end I think it will be the most rewarding.  Allow me to explain.  Food production- or shall I say mainly meat production- accounts for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions.  The majority of plants raised in my country [the USofA] go to feed animals, which is besides an inefficient energy transfer, costly [yet freakishly subsidized], polluting [yet only the poorest and the illegal farmworkers have to directly deal with the consequences] and contributing to the country's decline in health due to diseases of excess food and dearth of exercise [yet my insurance goes up to pay for it].  Changing the way you eat- and changing the way your friends and family eats- may be the greatest way to stem the tide of fat, waste & pollution.  Now, I know there are a million reasons why not everyone can make drastic cuts and changes to their diets- many good reasons including availability, socioeconomic reasons, specific health concerns... but most people don't change because they are unwilling or think it will be too hard or think that vegetarian or vegan foods are some what lesser.  All of that is untrue.  For me, I chose 8 years ago to become vegetarian and it was and remains a cornerstone of my personality and my health.  Being vegan for a month takes my argument one step further.  

One of big sources of my carbon footprint [besides airfare, which having a boyfriend far away makes an unfortunate necessity] is the fact that I eat dairy products.  Go ahead- calculate your carbon footprint... mine is 3.5 metric tons.  I don't have a car, so that helps.  But the world-wide target is 2 metric tons per person... so I'm still contributing too much despite my meager energy use.  While I do believe that veganism has a point with animal welfare- personally I believe much of it's strength [and what helps me maintain being vegetarian] is the fact that other than being healthy for you [if done right] it is the healthiest for the environment.  So watch folks.  I'm going to be vegan for a month.  [Except the 1 time I will probably be eating out this month]  And you know what- I'm marathon training now... averaging 30-40 miles run a week, plus biking 7 miles a day plus having an active job that requires me to be on my feet all day and thinking [the thesis won't figure itself out]  and I will show the world that it is totally healthy for a more than averagely active person.  This month my green heart will be cruelty free.

Farmer's Market Haul

This time of year it is so easy to eat great local food.  I think New England is pretty lucky in that regard.  Today's haul:  onions [organic], nectarines, currants [organic], pattypan squash, arugula, baby bok choi [organic], brocoli raab [organic] and maple/cranberry granola.  The toughest part of eating local is fruit.  Apple season is wonderful, but far off still and all the berry options seem so expensive.  I may have to break July's 'eat local' pledge for a cantaloupe.  And other than grains, beans & coffee it's super easy to buy locally made foods.  Dairy of course is easy [the member farms of Stonyfield are mostly in Vermont] and there are lots of artisan cheese makers around.  Local beer is every where.  And I'm not talking that generic Sam Adams stuff.  Even my tofu is made just 2 miles away in JP.  What's your favorite local find?  In your region does a particular produce or food thrive?       

Farmer's Market: July 5

Mizuna, red onions, purple garlic, pickling cucumbers & plums.  A great way to start off July's Green Heart goal: buy local! 

Window Garden Week 4

This post is a little late.  The heat wave and my full-west facing apartment are not conducive to sitting at my hot little computer.  But my story must be told.  For June my goal was to nurture my green thumb.  I have one- I really do.  But forces outside my realm of control have thwarted me.  All thanks to a stoooopid defective product.  You see, my window garden was thriving... chard, 3 types of basil, chives, sage, oregano growing like mad, thyme, rosemary and 5 house plants.  But Miracle Grow Organic Choice potting soil is defective- they did not properly heat-kill their soil and the heat and my watering the plants have unleashed a swarm of fungus gnats.  Their little grubby worm-babies chewed apart the roots while the adults ate the greens.  I tried to use a natural remedy to fight them off [hot hot pepper in vinegar] but the infestation was too much- plus the super hot pepper burned holes in my plants!  If I had everything growing outside, other bugs and birds might have been able to keep the gnat problem down, but inside the gnats were allowed free reign.  After three parsley plants bit the dust I bought insect killer.  Which did not work.  Today I repotted everything in new soil, threw out the old as well as many of my plants [the gnats did not like the rosemary, chives or Italian basil- even though they loved the 2 fancy basils] I harvested all my chard as the bug babies seemed to love gnawing on their tender roots the most.  So sad.  My windowsills are quite bare now.  The farmer's markets are still selling herbs, so after I am sure that my bug problem is gone I might buy a few more.  So much for my green thumb.