Blanch and freeze seasonal green beans to save money and cut the plastic packaging of store-bought. Freezing also reduces wasted food.
farmer’s market
Easy Roasted Salsa: Charlotte’s Non-Recipe Recipe Brings Out the Flavor

In a hurry for a get-together with friends, my daughter Charlotte quickly made this flavorful roasted salsa, using fresh seasonal ingredients.
Reusa-Bags Upcycled Produce Bags Community Map

Have a group that sews produce bags? Fill out a few questions to get on the map. To contact a local group, click on a pin in the map for the organizer’s email.
A Zero-Waste Vegan Thanksgiving Menu

Like all things zero waste, this menu requires a bit of planning but not that much. During a recent Instagram Live, I discussed tips for preventing waste at Thanksgivingānot just food waste but packaging waste also (read 18 waste-busting tips here). A few people asked for Thanksgiving dinner menu ideas, specifically for vegan dishes. I […]
How to Invest in (Fennel) Stalks and Fronds

Never waste fennel stalks and fronds again! For the last few weeks, after Iāve returned home from the farmers’ market, Iāve roasted lots of vegetables such as potatoes, eggplant, peppers, onions, zucchini and fennelābut not all together. My daughter and I love them. I will slice up a fennel bulb, roast it with olive oil […]
A Use-It-Up Challenge (or What We Ate Last Week)

Forgetting to bring your money before you head out shopping can provide a great opportunity to re-examine your shopping listāand in the case of grocery shopping, prevent food waste. The Sunday before last, I arrived at the farmersā market late. Once there, before even opening my purse, I realized I had neither money nor my […]
How Do I Juggle All of This?

Sometimes this lifestyle makes me crazy. I will admit it. When I try to rush out the door in the morning and notice my sourdough starter sitting on the counter, yearning for the feeding I have neglected to give it, I get why people donāt want to look after one. Although feeding my starter takes […]
Zero-Waste Menu No 7

I’ve come up with the seventh and last menu in my zero-waste menu series. When we first went plastic-free, menus would have helped us a lot. Figuring out what to eat presented the biggest challenge of our new lifestyle. I’ll write a roundup of all the menus soon. Until then, if you’d like to peek […]
Simple, Good Food from Fresh Ingredients: Roasted Honeynut Squash

In my recipe index, you’ll find foods that most people buy processed and packaged today: crackers, bread, broths, nut milk, hummus, ginger beer, yogurt, ketchup, vinegar, tahini, pickles, pickled peppers, pastaāthose difficult-to-find foods for anyone trying to reduce their plastic footprint. I also include many recipes for ingredients that would otherwise go to wasteāscrap vinegar […]