My youngest daughter, who asked I use a fake name for her in this post—let’s call her C—repeatedly asked me for a hamster this summer. C: Can we get a hamster? Me: Bootsy will eat it. C: I’ll keep it in my room with the door shut. Me: Meh. C: All of a mother’s problems disappear when she […]
bulk
Good, Better, Best Zero-Waste Shopping
Updated 01/05/18 Every time I post pictures on Instagram or Facebook of my bulk shopping or farmer’s market hauls, I get lots of questions: Do you bring your food home in bags and transfer it to jars? (No, I bring the jars shopping and fill them directly.) Doesn’t your food cost more because the jars […]
How to Make Simple and Effective Zero Waste Mouthwash
This easy-to-make mouthwash passes the don’t-put-anything-down-the-drain-that-you-won’t-eat test. It contains only vodka, spices and water.
How to Cook Beans In a Pressure Cooker
Updated 01/27/18 All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume. — Noam Chomsky I think the quote above fits well with a post about my […]
Cauliflower “Couscous”
Click here to jump to the recipe I need to eat more vegetables. Going zero-waste certainly forced me to clean up my diet—I cut the POP (processed and over-packaged) “food”—but I do love sugar and I can buy that in bulk where I live 😉 My older daughter first made this cauliflower dish last year, almost […]
My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets
In my tiny kitchen, every item must earn its keep. I do own some gadgets that I use infrequently—such as my food mill and cherry pitter—but sure am happy to have them when I need them. This list includes items I find indispensable and use at least every week and often every day. 1. Jars, […]
She’s So Lazy, She Blogs about Her Vinaigrette
A guy I dated briefly once told me—as he sat at my kitchen table and watched me cook dinner—that the French have a saying: “She’s so lazy, she buys her vinaigrette.” I think he made it up. Google can’t find it. Not surprisingly, the relationship didn’t work out… However, he had a point. Store-bought salad dressing […]
Gifts in Jars: Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
Click here to jump to the recipe If you’re like me—in panic mode/denial about the date—and need a quick, thoughtful Christmas gift, you can throw together this cookie-mix-in-a-jar present in a few minutes and maybe also spur a conversation with your recipient about zero-waste and plastic-free living. Think of it as a quiet, delicious way […]
How to Shop and a Zero-Waste Kit Giveaway
I have not been compensated for this post. I simply like this product a lot. I live a short bike ride away from the Googleplex, in the heart of Silicon Valley. I ride past the silly looking self-driving cars nearly every day. I know more engineers than is healthy. In short, technology engulfs me. Yet, I […]