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Zero-Waste Chef

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Posted on May 27, 2014by Anne-Marie Bonneau
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Today kicks off @plasticfreejuly! If you'd like to Today kicks off @plasticfreejuly! If you'd like to reduce single-use plastic this month but don’t know where to even begin, consider starting by cutting what the Plastic Free July website refers to as the Top 4. The Top 4 single-use plastic items are both everywhere but also happen to have simple alternatives: 🌍 Plastic bags. Bring your own shopping bags and produce bags. 🌏 Water bottles. Carry a water bottle with you or simply a jar. 🌎 Plastic straws. Drink without a straw or bring your own. (p.s., no one advocates for taking straws away from people who need them) 🌍 Takeaway coffee cups. Find a café that serves drinks in reusables or bring your own cup to cafés that allow it. The plastic lining of paper cups does not mix well with hot drinks! 😬 Practicing what I preach, I'm enjoying a delicious chai latte at @beanscenecafesunnyvale this morning while I work. I do what I must 😉 I received a 10-cent discount for bringing my own cup! Local, independent shops are often more accommodating about BYO cups and containers. Link in profile for a new blog post: 13 Painless Ways to Participate in Plastic Free July.
It's Week 7 of my 8-week challenge to plant more n It's Week 7 of my 8-week challenge to plant more natives. This week, I'll attempt to recruit neighbors by offering up a couple of milkweed plants in my Buy Nothing Group or on Nextdoor. I'll mention how I'm planting natives to get on the Homegrown National Park map, a grassroots effort created by entomologist Doug Tallamy to conserve nature by converting private yards into nature corridors. If several of us plant natives in the neighborhood, our yards will reconnect wildlife habitats here. Who can pass up a free native plant? (Not me.) Sometimes, if we're lucky, the squirrels do all the work and plant natives for us. I recently discovered this volunteer oak tree growing beside one of our raised vegetable beds. It's doing very well! At the end of the growing season, we'll move this bed to another location. Oaks take precedent! A keystone species, they help keep the ecological web intact by supporting hundreds of types of caterpillars, which in turn feed the birds, for example. I’m proof of that you don't need to be a master gardener to participate in the largest conservation project ever attempted. Link in profile for the 8-week challenge. . . . . . #californiadrought #dougtallamy #extinctioncrisis #climatecrisis #nativeplants #oaktree #oaktrees #invasivespecies #invasiveplants #homegrownnationalpark #regenerative #regenerativegardening #urbangardener #urbangardens #gardeningtips #selfreliance #foodweb #nativebees #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #intentionalliving #artofslowliving #plasticfreeliving #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastechef #thereisnoplanetb
If, like me, you could use some uplifting words to If, like me, you could use some uplifting words today, this post is for you. Elizabeth Knight, the co-author of Repair Revolution, a book that explores the philosophy of repair, offers guidelines for launching repair cafés and examines the right to repair movement, sent me some of the uplifting thoughts people have relayed to her over the years regarding repair cafés and repair in general. I've posted a bunch of them in the carousel. When our entire society appears broken and irreparable, we can easily fall into a state of despair or paralysis. That leaves a much smoother path for those in power to continue to take away our rights. Reading these quotes today reminded me that millions and millions of people out there are working toward a more equitable and liveable world. If you've been feeling anxiety or despair, I hope you find these quotes uplifting and helpful. And if you know of an upcoming repair café in your area, please add it to the comments. One is coming up near me in Palo Alto on Sunday July 10th. Link in profile for how to repair your stuff.
Put every scrap of summer fruit to use and make th Put every scrap of summer fruit to use and make this very bubbly, barely sweet, refreshing fruit soda that costs basically nothing to make. For this batch, I combined 2 cups tap water, 2 tablespoons sugar (to feed the microbes) and 1 cup fruit scraps I had saved and frozen until I had lots: cherry, peach and nectarine pits with some flesh attached; strawberry tops and cores (my daughter cuts the tops off...I wish she would eat them...I can control only so much...); and a very small bit of lemon pulp. I fermented this in a clean jar at room temperature for a mere 2 days before bottling and fermenting again for another day. It was incredibly carbonated! And delicious! I also made a second smaller batch with the scraps. If you're doing @plasticfreejuly this year and want to cut plastic soda bottles but would still like to enjoy a bubbly drink, make this! You'll reduce the number of planet-heating, fossil-fuel-based plastic bottles in the waste stream, consume fewer microplastics (plastic bottles shed them), drink a tastier drink and save money. Link in profile @zerowastechef for the full recipe.
"I’m a teenager living at home with unsupportive "I’m a teenager living at home with unsupportive parents. What can I do to make them live more sustainably?" I hear this question constantly. If only parents would listen to reason! First of all, realize that you can’t make others behave the way that you want them to. And because your parents make the buying decisions, you have little control over what comes into your home. But you can still try to persuade your parents by deploying this tenet of sales 101: Sell people things they don’t want to buy by telling them how they benefit. Explain how the kinds of changes you’d like to implement will improve your parents’ lives. Then, show them some of the benefits: 🌿 Cook a delicious vegetarian or vegan meal if they love their meat 🌿 Cook a clear-out-the-fridge meal to reduce food waste and save money 🌿 Do some of the grocery shopping and choose reusables 🌿 Grow a bit of food and save money 🌿 Hang the laundry up to dry and make clothes last longer 🌿 If you go out for dinner, bring jars for the leftovers to reduce food and packaging waste 🌿 Show them how well baking soda and vinegar work for cleaning 🌿 Don't ask them to buy a bunch of fancy zero-waste gear 🌿 Choose an environmental documentary when it's your turn to pick the movie (or happen to have one playing when your family enters the room) I don’t expect anyone to try every single tactic I have included here, but if you do do all of them, I would like to adopt you. Have you been able to get your family on board with sustainable action? What has worked? What hasn't? . . . . . #sustainbilitytips #sustainablehome #simplify #simplifyyourlife #simpleliving #sustainablelifestyle #wastefreeliving #intentionalliving #selfsufficient #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #plasticfreejuly #breakfreefromplastic #plasticfreeliving #plasticisfossilfuel #planetorplastic #plasticpollutes #lowwaste #lesswaste #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastetips #zerowastechef #thereisnoplanetb #noplanetb #loveearth #loveyourmother
It finally happened! One of the straps on my Birke It finally happened! One of the straps on my Birkenstocks tore. I thought they were done for but when I took them to the cobbler, they said the straps often break and they could repair my shoe! I was amazed when I picked them up. The patch looks good and feels very comfortable. I bought these Birks in 2015 and this was the fourth repair (I wear them most days). I think my shoes will have more lives than cats! 🐈‍⬛ For any locals, I have my repairs done at European Cobberly on California Ave in Palo Alto. . . . . . #birkenstocks #buylesss #buylesschoosewell #consumerism #repairshop #repaired #repairs #repaircafe #reuse #reusables #reducewaste #loveearth #noplanetb #thereisnoplanetb #climatecrisis #climateemergency #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #lowwaste #plasticfreeliving #plasticpollutes #breakfreefromplastic #zerowastejourney #zerowastelifestyle #zerowastemovement #zerowastehome #zerowastetips #zerowastechef
It's hot here today! Yesterday, the temperature hi It's hot here today! Yesterday, the temperature hit 95°F 🥵 Today's forecast calls for high 80s. This homemade, three-ingredient deodorant has kept me smell-free. I'll still perspire though, which is fine (and healthy). This contains baking soda and cornstarch, with coconut oil as the delivery system. I wear cotton t-shirts almost every day and haven't had a problem with stains (one of the top questions people ask) but if you're worried, test some of this on an inconspicuous spot. Simply applying baking soda to your underarms will work but I find I get baking soda all over my bathroom counter when I do that (you may be more coordinated). I haven't tried this with arrowroot powder but over the years, people have told me that they use it in place of baking soda because they find baking soda irritating. Apparently the arrowroot powder works (please let me know if you've tried it). To make this, combine the following in a short, wide-mouth jar: ☀️ 1/4 cup baking soda ☀️ 1/4 cup cornstarch ☀️ 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or more to reach desired consistency) Apply a tiny amount of this per underarm, less than a pea-size blob, as shown in the picture. It works for a couple of days straight. Cut the clunky single-use plastic applicators that contain a bit of deodorant and a lot of plastic. Save money too! Do you make any of your own personal care products? . . . . . #plasticfreejuly #deodorant #plasticfreedeodorant #simplify #simplifyyourlife #simpleliving #selfreliance #selfsufficient #sustainablelifestyle #wastefreeliving #intentionalliving #selfsufficient #zerowastebathroom #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #plasticfreeliving #plasticisfossilfuel #planetorplastic #plasticpollutes #lowwaste #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastetips #zerowastechef #thereisnoplanetb #noplanetb #loveearth #loveyourmother
Perhaps the rewilding is working! According to the Perhaps the rewilding is working! According to the Seek app from @inaturalistorg, this flame skimmer is a common dragonfly in the West. It hasn't been so common in my yard though! It's week 4 of my 8-week challenge to plant more native plants. This week, we're choosing keystone native plants to put in the ground. Like keystones in the center of a Roman arch, certain native plants support entire ecosystems. These plants include oak, cherry and willow trees and goldenrods, asters and perennial sunflowers. Without keystone plants, ecosystems fall apart, according to entomologist Doug Tallamy @homegrownnationalpark: “Landscapes that do not contain one or more species from keystone genera will have failed food webs, even if the diversity of other plants is very high.” Native plants provide food for insects, support ecosystems, restore biodiversity, require less water and more. During this challenge, I'm working on restoring what was once a water-hungry lawn into a drought-tolerant, insect-attracting and critter-sustaining piece of the biodiversity puzzle. Link in profile for the full challenge. And please follow @homegrownnationalpark! Doug Tallamy's book, Nature's Best Hope, changed my life—and maybe this dragonfly's 😍 . . . . . #homegrownnationalpark #dougtallamy #insectgram #biodiversityconservation #extinctioncrisis #climatecrisis #nativeplants #invasiveplants #regenerative #regenerativegardening #urbangardener #urbangardens #gardeningtips #waterconservation #conserve #conservewater #californiadrought #californialife #drought #selfreliance #foodweb #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #intentionalliving #artofslowliving #zerowastechef #thereisnoplanetb
"When we think in terms of 'nobody is doing enough "When we think in terms of 'nobody is doing enough,' we forget about all the millions of people who care and are taking action. There are positive initiatives taking place, and we can choose to be a part of the remedy, rather than being consumed by the problem." — @climatepsychologists I recently finished reading the book, Turn the Tide on Climate Anxiety, written by the Climate Psychologists, Megan Kennedy-Woodard and Dr Patrick Kennedy-Williams. It has helped me reduce my anxiety-induced, scatterbrained feeling. I don't know how one cannot feel anxious when reading about the climate crisis or experiencing its effects—or both. This book explains that anxiety is a rational response, tells us that we must take care of ourselves in order to be capable of taking care of the planet and it provides tools for turning climate anxiety into climate action. On this World Environment Day, be sure to take care of yourself as well as the planet. If you or someone you know has climate anxiety, this book can help. . . . . . #worldenvironmentday #ecoanxiety #climateanxiety #climateactionnow #climateaction #globalgoals #keepitintheground #loveearth #noplanetb #thereisnoplanetb #buildbackbetter #strikeforclimate #plasticisfossilfuel #planetorplastic #climatecrisis #climateemergency #extinctioncrisis #biodiversitycrisis #climatechangeisreal #globalwarmingisreal #drought #californiadrought #californiawildfires #environmentalracism #stopline3 #honorthetreaties #climatejustice #actonclimate
Food prices keep going up, with no end in sight. Food prices keep going up, with no end in sight. According to the UN, global food prices soared by nearly 30 percent this past year. Here in the US, food prices have increased 9.4 percent during this same time period. Food banks are also struggling to meet increased demand. Drought, high shipping costs, bird flu, supply chain problems and a lingering pandemic have all contributed to higher food prices. Russian aggression has worsened an already precarious situation. Russia has blocked the export of 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain, which, if left to rot, will exacerbate a global food crisis. On top of all of this, climate change affects everything. According to NASA, climate change will result in substantially smaller crop yields by as early as 2030. Less food leads to higher food prices. These seven ideas will help reduce your food costs: 1. Shop the fridge first before buying more food. Let it’s contents dictate what you’ll cook next. 2. View everything as a resource. Use up every edible part of vegetables, for example. 3. Eat more fresh vegetables. They've increased in price less than most other foods and most of us need to eat more of them. 4. Buy pantry staples in bulk. Do this only if you'll eat all the food. You'll spend less money per pound. 5. Be your own sous chef. Do some advance prep. If it's prepped, it's eaten. 6. Cook like Grandma. Grandma used everything and knew how to do stuff. Her skills helped her through hard times. 7. Grow a bit of food. If you don't have a yard, look into renting a plot at a community garden. I did this when my older daugther was a baby and we lived in an apartment. The plot was very inexpensive and I grew lots of food. Go to my blog for more details in a new post. Link @zerowastechef
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