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Zero-Waste Chef

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Posted on March 3, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau
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This Saturday! My sewing friends and I will hand o This Saturday! My sewing friends and I will hand out homemade reusable cloth produce bags at the Sunnyvale farmers’ market, starting around 10am. We have 250 but they go quickly so please stop by early if you’d like one. We sew these out of donated fabric that might otherwise go to waste. The bags not only cut down on single-use, fossil fuel-based plastic at the farmers’ market, they also spark conversations on plastic pollution. Would you like to start a sewing group of your own or find one? I have a map on my website of sewing groups around the world. Look for a group near you or start a group. Link in profile for more info. And if your group is on the map and you’d like to update the listing, please let me know. Thank you @lostinthedreaming and @bakery_squirrel for coming over to sew yesterday ❤️🧵
The temperature dipped to 31°F last night—cold The temperature dipped to 31°F last night—cold for here! My plants froze but this morning, warmed up and let off some steam. This area will be filled will native California poppies in the spring. The few growing here seem to be hanging on. Choosing native plants supports native insects and birds—which support us! If they go, we go. If you have a balcony but no yard, bees and butterflies will find native plants you put there.
Looking for a low-waste gift? Food disappears with Looking for a low-waste gift? Food disappears without a trace. Put it in a jar to dress it up and you're done. Jars are the little black dress of food. Everything looks good in them. Some ideas: 🫙 Homemade ginger beer or kombucha. You still have plenty of time! 🫙 Limoncello. This is so easy to make. Uses up lemon peels too. 🫙 Candied citrus peels. Another tasty use for citrus that ordinarily goes uneaten. 🫙 Preserved lemons. These add tons of flavor to dishes and look bright and cheery in a jar. 🫙 Fermented goodies. Kimchi, hot sauce, nut cheese... 🫙 Sourdough crackers. Make them now and freeze them to give away later. 🫙 Homemade chai blend. For the tea drinker on your list 🙋 🫙 Cookie mix. Or cookies! 🫙 Bulk staples in jars. No need to hide them in the cupboard, they look so good. 🫙 Granola. For snacking, for a topping or for breakfast. See my website for more info and recipes. Link @zerowastechef . . . . . #jars #masonjars #lemoncello #zerowastegift #zerowastegifts #ecotips #greentips #zerowastetips #zerowastemovement #zerowastelifestyle #zerowastejourney #zerowastechef #wastenotwantnot #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #plasticpollutes #breakfreefromplastic #plasticfreeliving #plasticfreelifestyle #lesswaste #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #intentionalliving #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #climatecrisis #thereisnoplanetb
This is another type of persimmon, the more squat This is another type of persimmon, the more squat Fuyu. Earlier this week, I posted tear-shaped Hachiyas that must be soft before eating. You don't have to wait for Fuyus to soften. You eat them when they are firm. Cut them into wedges or bite into them like an apple. Or if you have a pile of them, dehydrate slices in the oven to preserve the fruit—and prevent food from going to waste! Once they are dry, pack them into jars (they make a nice gift!). Check the jars every few days for condensation. If you see any, put them back in the oven. If you don't see any condensation, you're done. Store them in the cupboard at room temperature. Shown here: fresh Fuyu persimmons, a tray of them sliced and ready to dehydrate in the oven, the tray after dehydration and jars of the slices. See my website for dehydration instructions.
Pit composting requires a bit more work up front t Pit composting requires a bit more work up front than a compost pile does, but not that much. Simply dig holes in a bed or the yard, toss in food scraps, cover with soil and you’re done. You won’t need to turn a bin or mix the finished compost into soil because it’s already in there. Link in profile for composting indoors or out.
Firm Hachiya persimmons are very astringent—and Firm Hachiya persimmons are very astringent—and inedible. But after they ripen, they taste like candy. The fruit will become so soft, you may think it’s rotten. This is when you get out a spoon! Cut it in half and dig in.
Here is a list of 21 meaningful activities to enjo Here is a list of 21 meaningful activities to enjoy this Buy Nothing Day (formerly known as Black Friday). Save 100% today. Buy nothing! Photo credit: @adbusters.magazine (I think)
Have your pie and eat it plastic-free too. Have your pie and eat it plastic-free too.
Cracks in your pastry? Don’t panic! Simply pinch Cracks in your pastry? Don’t panic! Simply pinch the edges together and roll out the dough. Repeat as needed. If you have gaps in the pastry after lining the pie dish, patch those up with scraps. Pastry fundraiser workshop coming up on 12/8. We’ll make pastry and a galette together. All proceeds benefit flood victims in Pakistan. Link in profile.
I have not bought vegetable broth since 2011. When I have not bought vegetable broth since 2011. When prepping vegetables, I save and freeze all the little bits in wide-mouth jars. When I need broth, I pull those out, put the scraps in a pot of water, barely cover them with water, simmer for about 20 minutes and strain. In this pot, I have: 😋 kabocha squash peels (so tasty!) 😋 onion and shallot bits and skins 😋 ends of carrots, celery and jalapeño 😋 tomato cores 😋 bell pepper bits 😋 garlic skin Stuff I go easy on: herbs, broccoli and cauliflower. I do add these but not enough to overpower the flavor. I get every last bit of goodness out of what would be (and now is) compost, I skip cheap ingredients and the plastic-lined cans or Tetra-Paks, which are very difficult to recycle. Theoretically just about anything can be recycled with enough tax dollars thrown at the process. That doesn’t mean it will be or should be recycled. This is just one of the many simple ways I save money and eat more delicious food. Now onto making the mushroom gravy with some of this.
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