-Shopped at Rhubarb's Market. I looove this store, but because it isn't within walking distance to me I do not go there often. We happened to be in the area already to visit family so we stopped. I feel so at home there - in other stores I feel like a freak. In other stores I have to scrutinize every word on packages of things I might buy, and I drive myself crazy. Is it organic? Is it affordable? Does it have high fructose corn syrup? Is it free trade? Yikes! At "health food" stores most of the bad stuff is already weeded out. Also, upon paying for my purchases I was asked by the cashier if I wanted a bag. That's right, they didn't just automatically stuff my things in a bag,they asked. (I said no, of course.) In case you're interested, I bought a stainless steel water bottle and some VegeBase.
-Took 5 minutes to care with CoolPeopleCare.org. I signed up for their daily emails, which I recommend because they are short and full of important info. Today, for example, the email was about teflon:
"Nonstick pans are super convenient and make cleaning up a lot easier. But do you ever wonder what's in the cookware you use? Because I try to avoid using and eating things I can't pronounce (like Polytetrafluoroethylene and Perfluorooctanoic acid), I've sought out some safer and greener alternatives. While few and far between, these items also have other great energy features, like energy saving construction, which retain heat better (thus allowing you to use less energy). See what you can find today that makes the world a little better and greener. Then, share what you find with a friend."
Teflon and I are no longer friends.
-Clicked through thehungersite.com. This is one of my all-time favorite websites. They also send me a daily email to remind me to click on their site, which uses advertiser money to help causes such as hunger, breast cancer, animals, etc. Please sign up.
-Talked with family members about being vegetarian. As you would suspect, some are open to the discussion while others are not. My husband's grandmother went so far as to pick me up a copy of Perfect Vegetarian and an amazing veggie-and-veggie-pasta salad from the local farmer's market. Speaking of family, I guess I have done a good job teaching my son about being green. When presented with his food at dinner time he often asks me, "Mom, does this have chemicals in it?"
-Watched Planet Green. My favorite shows are Emeril Green (when he does vegetarian recipes), Alter Eco, G Word, and Hollywood Green with Maria Menounos. I have learned sooo much from this channel.
-Started watering my plants with leftover dishwater each evening. They are thriving despite drinking gray water. My main concern was the soap, but since I use Seventh Generation dishwashing soap I guess even that isn't a problem.
-Bought locally grown tomatoes and made my own spaghetti sauce. Which was awesome, by the way. Here's my recipe:
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 (or more!) cloves garlic
1 onion
4 large, very ripe tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
to taste: salt, freshly ground black pepper, oregano, parsley, thyme, cumin
First I warm up the oil while I chop the garlic, then I add the garlic to the pot and really let it infuse the oil. (Don't all the best recipes start that way?!) While that's workin, I chop the onion. This whole mess is gonna end up in the blender or food processor so I don't have to worry about how big the pieces are. I keep the garlic and onions on low heat while preparing the tomatoes: wash them, quarter them, gently squeeze them to remove excess seeds and juice. I add the tomatoes to the pot and put a lid on it, lower the heat as low as it will go, and then go watch Planet Green for a few hours. Actually last nite while my tomatoes simmered I re-watched an "oldie" but goodie: Being John Malkovich. After that it got late so I put the tomato mixture into a glass bowl and stashed it in the fridge.
This evening while my husband boiled the water for the spaghetti, I ran the tomatoes, garlic, and onions through the blender (I haven't invested in a food processor yet, but plan to as soon as finances allow) and then put them back in a pot to warm up. I added the tomato paste and spices, and by the time the spaghetti was done, the sauce was ready too. It was fresh, mild, and delicious.
Well that's all the time we have for today kids, tune in next time! And remember, every single little thing matters when sustainable living is your goal.
3 comments:
Great Post! It's something I think about everyday. Waste is big time on my mind. There's soooo much waste in this country, it's shameful indeed! Love your site btw!
This week started composting. We actually eliminated 1 garbage can. I think this is a great step, between the bottles and the paper recycling less and less is going into the garbage from our home.
Awesome! You are doing some great stuff.
My current green project is starting a local market in my town. There are so many good reasons for it - from making inexpensive local produce and products available locally to low income families (my town is not very well off), to reducing co2 emissions because people can get the things they need in our town rather than having to drive elsewhere . . .
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