Click here to jump to the recipe The first time my daughter brought home bulk cocoa, I was ecstatic (as I’ve written before, I probably need to get out more). She had been visiting a friend in Wisconsin and found it at a bulk store there. Since then, the Whole Foods down the street from […]
self reliance
10 Simple Tips for Packing a Zero-Waste Lunch
Updated 01/07/19 My younger daughter Charlotte returns to school this week. That means homework for her, chauffeur duty for me and what’s-for-lunch panic for both of us every morning. (Update: Charlotte now walks to school and makes her own lunches.) 1. Come up with a zero-waste lunch menu Preparing a zero-waste lunch begins with the […]
Crispy On the Outside, Fluffy on the Inside Sourdough Waffles
Click here to go straight to the recipe. Or use the batter to make pancakes! I love baking with sourdough starter. Actually, I’m obsessed with my starter. When my boyfriend asks how my day went, I often include an update on my starter: “Eleanor smells fruity” or “Eleanor didn’t rise as much as I had hoped” […]
Repurposed-Cloth Produce and Bulk Bags
Jump to the bottom of this post for info on snagging some free bags I made from new cloth. In my quest to eliminate kitchen waste, my most successful strategies have been: Using cloth produce and bulk bags or containers for shopping Shopping at the farmer’s market Shopping at the bulk bins These three tips […]
How to Dehydrate Apple Slices in a Solar Food Dryer
I attended a totally awesome solar cooker festival the weekend before last in Sacramento. Building a solar cooker now tops my to-do list, but I haven’t had a chance to even look at plans, much less build one. However, I did discover that we have a solar cooker and a solar food dryer here at the […]
Solar Cooking Festival
“If you can see your shadow, you can cook.” Pass this litmus test and a solar oven can make your dinner, according to one of the solar chefs who demonstrated this past weekend at the Sacramento Solar Cooking Festival, hosted by the nonprofit Solar Cookers International. He was one of about twenty-five impressive solar chefs demonstrating their […]
Fermented Watermelon Rind Pickles
Updated 07/14/18 Click here to go straight to the recipe. Why have I never made these until now? Crunchy, sour, fermented watermelon rind pickles: Are easy to make Taste delicious Contain good microbes, which improve your health Cost basically nothing (you bought the melon for the fruit after all) Reduce waste I feel like a […]
Sourdough Crackers
Click here to go straight to the recipe I had hoped to write a blog about sourdough starter for my first post. And then my second. Then my third. (This is post twenty-six.) You can probably find entire books devoted to starter alone. There’s so much to know and food scientists today still make discoveries about […]
Ketchup
I finally did it! I made ketchup from fresh tomatoes! I had wanted to try this last year, but didn’t get around to it, so I’ve had to wait until tomatoes reappeared at the farmer’s market this summer. I can live without ketchup, but my kids like it, especially 13-year old Charlotte. She doesn’t want […]