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Zero-Waste Chef

11.01.23 filling jar with frozen tomato paste blobs

Posted on November 6, 2023November 6, 2023by Anne-Marie Bonneau
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A jar is filling up with blobs of frozen tomato paste. A silver cookie sheet covered in blobs of frozen tomato paste sits on a wooden table in the background.
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I was on NPR's Morning Edition today! Do you need I was on NPR's Morning Edition today! Do you need ideas to use up all those Thanksgiving leftovers? There is zero downside to preventing them from going uneaten. Talking about these ideas is even a safe topic during those big dinners and get togethers! Link in profile to listen to the story. . . . . . #leftovers #leftoversfordays #foodscraps #thanksgivingdinner #wastedfood #foodwaste #lovefoodhatewaste #zerofoodwaste #savefood #fightfoodwaste #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #breakfreefromplastic #lesswaste #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #intentionalliving #slowfoodmovement #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastekitchen #zerowastetips #zerowastechef #climatecrisis #thereisnoplanetb
Buy Nothing Day (formerly known as Black Friday) m Buy Nothing Day (formerly known as Black Friday) may come only once a year but we can embrace it any time! With US credit card debt at an all-time high of $1.08 trillion according to the Federal Reserve, many of us have no choice but to spend less money this holiday season. And keep in mind that many of today's Black Friday supposed deals often aren’t deals at all: "But while Black Friday may be known for offering the lowest prices of the year, in reality, it’s one of the worst times to shop […] The goal of a typical Black Friday retailer is to attract customers by offering a few key products at a so-called discount. Then, once those ‘deals’ run out, the retailers have still got you in their hooks because you’re already in their stores or on their sites, at which point you’re more likely to buy something else—even if it’s not on sale." — The Motley Fool Swipe through to see some fun and free alternatives to shopping today.
Three different neighbors dropped off three differ Three different neighbors dropped off three different varieties of fruit from their backyard trees after they did me a huge favor by taking away some of our 20 cubic yards of free mulch dropped off by an arborist working nearby. I didn't expect anything in return for the mulch and really appreciated the apples, persimmons and pomegranates. I have never chatted so much with so many neighbors as I did that week we received our huge delivery. Link in profile for this week's newsletter on how mulch builds not only soil but community. . . . . #mulch #mulching #californiadrought #saveourwater #climatecrisis #climateemergency #extinctioncrisis #rewilding #soilhealth #regenerative #thereisnoplanetb #noplanetb #permaculturegarden #homegrownnationalpark #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #ecofriendlyliving #intentionalliving #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution #stopplasticpollution #breakfreefromplastic #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastelifestyle #zerowastechef
The compost is ready and it smells amazing. We top The compost is ready and it smells amazing. We topped off one of our hard-working raised hugelkultur beds with a layer of it, followed by a layer of wood chips. In the late winter, after the bed has had a rest, we’ll plant some vegetables here. Composting keeps inedible food scraps and wasted food out of landfill, where it would generate planet-heating methane gas. It’s a wonderful and free soil amendment and basically makes itself—you can’t stop organic matter from breaking down! Link in profile for composting 101.
Applesauce is so easy to make. And it’s a great Applesauce is so easy to make. And it’s a great deal when you score a pile of not-so-pretty apples at the farmers’ market. These cost 40 percent less than the “pretty” apples. Sometimes the not-so-pretties looks the same as the supposedly pretty apples. However they look, they all taste the same—amazing. I used a variety of apples for this applesauce. I wouldn’t use red delicious for it—or for anything actually. Simmer 10 cups of apple chunks in about half a cup of water and the juice of 1 lemon. Add a cinnamon stick or two. I didn’t peel these organic apples or add sugar. Once foork tender (10 minutes or so), mash the apples up with a potato masher. If you leave the skins on, purée the sauce or run it through a food mill. I made about three jars’ worth but we ate a lot before I could pack it away (hence you see only two in the video). I saved apple cores in the freezer to make scrap vinegar later (that recipe is on my website).
How many times have you opened a can of tomato pas How many times have you opened a can of tomato paste, used a tablespoon or two, forgotten about it in the refrigerator until it was too late and tossed it? Next time, freeze the leftovers! After transforming 20 pounds of end-of-season, discount tomatoes into tomato paste, I froze a bunch. It’s so simple: Measure out tablespoons, place on a cookie sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to jars and return to the freezer. When you need tomato paste, grab as many portions as you need. Need recipe ideas for your tomato paste? See my latest newsletter, link in profile.
#notanad! So we tried @chipdrop for the first tim #notanad! So we tried @chipdrop for the first time... They warned we might receive up to 20 cubic yards of wood chips. Pretty sure we did! ChipDrop connects people searching for wood chips or logs with arborists working in their neighborhood who need to dump their material somewhere. We received fabulous wood chips straight from the source, delivered for free! (Through the site, you can donate $20 to the arborist to cover costs.) If you arrange a pick up, heed the warnings on ChipDrop’s website! Drivers won’t deliver partial loads and you won’t know how much you’ll get until a truck arrives, possibly filling your your driveway with a mountain of wood chips, blocking the garage door like a snow day. So come up with a plan to deal with excess wood chips—just in case. My neighbor took several loads in her yard cart and I have lots of people coming over from my @buynothingproject group today to make dents in this five-foot high pile. We’re out of the drought (for now) in California but overall the trend is toward more dry periods as the climate changes. Spread all over the front, back and side yards, these wood chips will retain water in the soil, add nutrients, suppress weeds and protect against erosion. All for free. And the pile smells amazing! Not an ad, just a fan!
One of the scariest aspects of Halloween might be One of the scariest aspects of Halloween might be the number of pumpkins condemned to landfill after the festivities. According to Waste Dive, a leading publication for the waste industry, 1.3 billion pounds of uneaten pumpkins end up in landfills in the US after every Halloween. That wastes not only the pumpkins themselves but all the resources that went into growing those gorgeous gourds—water, energy, land, labor, capital and inputs such as fertilizers. The good news is we can choose from a number solutions that divert and reduce pumpkin waste and those solutions are pretty simple. Please add your pumpkin-rescuing ideas in the comments! #pumpkinseason #pumpkincarving #foodwaste #wastedfood #lovefoodhatewaste #zerofoodwaste #savefood #fightfoodwaste #wastenot #wastenotwantnot #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #plasticpollutes #breakfreefromplastic #lesswaste #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #intentionalliving #slowfoodmovement #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastekitchen #zerowastechef #climatecrisis #thereisnoplanetb
New recipe alert! Epic pumpkin and spice muffins m New recipe alert! Epic pumpkin and spice muffins made with fresh pumpkin (or kabocha squash). A whole fresh pumpkin cooks in my very basic, secondhand pressure cooker in a mere eight minutes. Along with fresh purée, I also bake these with freshly ground nutmeg, which grinds up quickly. The fresh pumpkin (or squash) combined with freshly ground nutmeg take these pumpkin and spice muffins to the next level. While the oven heats, I toast the nuts for the muffins. While the muffins bake, I roast the pumpkin seeds in olive oil and salt for a bonus no-waste snack. The muffins freeze well. I put a bunch in a linen bag I made out of my favorite pants after they wore out beyond repair. Swipe for the recipe cards and save the full directions! For metric conversions, see the full recipe on my website. Link in profile.
Ordinarily, I wouldn't be too thrilled by a hole i Ordinarily, I wouldn't be too thrilled by a hole in the wall but getting the gas capped in the kitchen made me so happy. This represents one more step toward getting our home off of planet-heating fossil fuels. If you are in the market for a new range or cooktop, consider induction. I am in love with my new induction electric range. It is so quick and responsive and gives off no fumes. And it cleans with a wipe! Gas stoves pollute homes with pollutants similar to what comes out of a car’s tailpipe: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and formaldehyde. These pollutants have been associated with a host of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. And of all the unburned methane gas that gas stoves emit, about 80 percent leaks from loose couplings and fittings between gas pipes and stoves. In other words, gas stoves emit most of their methane when they sit idle. Swipe to see thermal a image of gas in action, then induction. Orange indicates heat—not flames. Although the small pot shown in the second image sat on the appropriately sized burner, you can see a lot of heat escaping. Those are not flames lapping the sides of the pot. Induction in the third pic has heated only the pot. This was not an inexpensive switch—I'm fortunate to be able to do it—however, I did apply for a rebate from @bayren_official which will help. The IRA will also provide a rebate for induction electric stoves next year. That rebate isn’t retroactive but 2024 is right around the corner. I've written a detailed blog post about making the switch. I included stuff I wish I had known before we started and I provide info on rebates too. See my blog for the post.
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