We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
~ Native American proverb
A Surprising Benefit of Plant-based Living
Besides being delicious, surprise! We had a sharp reduction in garbage when we switched to a plant-based diet.
Slowly, we realized that the garbage can we set out once a week was always nearly empty. We've composted food scraps for years. Now, without being aware of it, we only have recyclables.
This single action
Eliminating meat and dairy and consuming only plant-based food — is the most important change we’ve made to shrink our carbon footprint.
For a Healthy World and a Healthy Life...
Save time and money - buy in quantity
Many ingredients can be purchased in bulk and stored, with substantial cost savings. For example, yeast. Pre-measured yeast packets sell in grocery stores (yield 6 loaves of bread) for about $2.50. A favorite warehouse-membership store sells one pound packages of yeast, enough for dozens of loaves for about $4. Store yeast in a container in the refrigerator. The same warehouse store sells fifty pounds of flour for less than $13.
Contain (it) yourself
Keep nice glass containers in the kitchen to refill with bulk purchase items. Store extras in airtight containers in a pantry or garage. Plastic buckets with lids are great for storing bulk purchases of flour, rice and beans.
Check out thrift stores, garage sales or flea markets for reusable glass storage containers. (Of course plastic containers can be used, too, but my personal preference is to store food in glass containers).
BYOB
Think of strategies to reduce the use of plastic wrap and aluminum foil
Use glass containers that have their own lid or cover (to reduce the use of plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil). Save glass bottles from Italian carbonated beverages—the kind that have a metal clamp and rubber gasket closure—to use for oil and vinegar.
Contain (it) yourself
Keep nice glass containers in the kitchen to refill with bulk purchase items. Store extras in airtight containers in a pantry or garage. Plastic buckets with lids are great for storing bulk purchases of flour, rice and beans.
Check out thrift stores, garage sales or flea markets for reusable glass storage containers. (Of course plastic containers can be used, too, but my personal preference is to store food in glass containers).
BYOB
Besides using your own cloth bags for your groceries, did you know that you can bring your own clean container to Whole Foods Market and fill it with your choice of salad oil?
Think of strategies to reduce the use of plastic wrap and aluminum foil
Use glass containers that have their own lid or cover (to reduce the use of plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil). Save glass bottles from Italian carbonated beverages—the kind that have a metal clamp and rubber gasket closure—to use for oil and vinegar.
Discoveries in the Bulk Foods Aisle
An advantage of purchasing grains, flours, nuts or legumes from the bulk foods selections, is buying only the quantity needed. For example, 1 cup of dried Anasazi beans will serve 2-4 at one meal.
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| Roasted Veggies over Isreali Couscous |
My newly-wed son and daughter-in-law are trying all the bulk selections, one at a time, in the quantity needed just for one recipe, and they are discovering some gems! Most recently, they served roasted vegetables over Isreali couscous. The couscous is absolutely delicious with a texture that stands alone and makes it special.
Powered by plants...
Empowered to do more!
With a goal of reducing the rest of our waste, we have taken to heart a challenge from a group of concerned local globally-minded citizens.
Recycle Lafayette, a community wide effort managed by the Waste Diversion Committee of Sustainable Lafayette, has challenged our community to reduce waste diversion by 75%. If your community has a similar organization, I urge you to support their efforts.
ReImagine your world
A compelling "old" idea
A docent at a historic home tour shared that at the end of every day, the furniture in the parlor was moved to the walls. After sweeping the floors in the morning, the furniture would be arranged according to the needs of the day.
Make it work for you!
Arrange your spaces to work the way you want to live. Just because a room is called a "dining room" doesn't mean that's how it's required to be used.
Knowing where you're going has a lot to do with getting there!
And We're Going Green
The link on the right of this blog, Going Green, will list ways that I've found to reduce waste in our daily living. I started with sewing cloth napkins. (I never imagined I'd go back to cloth napkins, now I love them!)
A Personal UpCycle Project
ReImagine your world
A compelling "old" idea
A docent at a historic home tour shared that at the end of every day, the furniture in the parlor was moved to the walls. After sweeping the floors in the morning, the furniture would be arranged according to the needs of the day.
Make it work for you!
Arrange your spaces to work the way you want to live. Just because a room is called a "dining room" doesn't mean that's how it's required to be used.
Knowing where you're going has a lot to do with getting there!
And We're Going Green
The link on the right of this blog, Going Green, will list ways that I've found to reduce waste in our daily living. I started with sewing cloth napkins. (I never imagined I'd go back to cloth napkins, now I love them!)
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| To reduce waste, using fabric remnants purchased from a local craft store, I made 100% cotton napkins. ~ VeggieBound.Org |
I absolutely love the beautiful papers both my daughter and daughter-in-law chose for their recent weddings. It was such a pleasure to experience the terrific ways they customized their wedding materials, from Save-the-Date postcards to table numbers.
Discovered: New Dimensions of Crafting Fun!
Discovered: New Dimensions of Crafting Fun!
Did you know you can make a template for envelope lining? You trace the lining template onto your paper, cut it out, then glue or tape the lining into the envelope. The papers for lining envelopes are gorgeous!
I loved their paper choices so much, that I saved all the scraps. Then, inspired by tutorials all over the internet, made paper-chains and paper-heart ornaments for their first holidays together. Actually, these decorations could be used any time of the year or for any special event!
Are they birds? Are they bugs? No!
Paper Hearts! inspired from LizzieMade.Blogspot Paper Hearts Tutorial
Don't throw out that paper!
Paper Chains
Made with paper trimmed from wedding invitations, addressed envelopes with errors, returned envelopes with the stamps on them, save-the-dates, programs, decorations, you name it. If it was on beautiful paper, I saved it.
1) Paper trimmed to strips one inch wide and 6 inches long
2) Strips glued and held together with those cute teeny clothespins!
Paper chains and hearts made from my daughter's gorgeous wedding papers, she used burlap and ivory lace, with touches of a pale blue called beach glass and lavender.
and here are decorations made from my daughter-in-law's beautiful wedding papers. Her palette included metallics and lots of sparkle:
And one more photo...I love these! Geez...now that I've posted these, I guess I need to follow through and actually give these decorations to my daughter and daughter-in-law!
These decorations were such fun to make, and I hope will give a very personal touch to their first holidays as newly weds!
I loved their paper choices so much, that I saved all the scraps. Then, inspired by tutorials all over the internet, made paper-chains and paper-heart ornaments for their first holidays together. Actually, these decorations could be used any time of the year or for any special event!
Are they birds? Are they bugs? No!
Paper Hearts! inspired from LizzieMade.Blogspot Paper Hearts Tutorial
 |
| Don't these paper hearts look like winged insects? Tiny gold clothespins hold the glued paper strips together as they dry. ~ VeggieBound.Org |
Paper Chains
Made with paper trimmed from wedding invitations, addressed envelopes with errors, returned envelopes with the stamps on them, save-the-dates, programs, decorations, you name it. If it was on beautiful paper, I saved it.
1) Paper trimmed to strips one inch wide and 6 inches long
2) Strips glued and held together with those cute teeny clothespins!
Paper chains and hearts made from my daughter's gorgeous wedding papers, she used burlap and ivory lace, with touches of a pale blue called beach glass and lavender.
 |
Paper chains and hearts made from wedding paper scraps that otherwise
may have been thrown out. ~ VeggieBound.Org
|
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| The theme was confetti, with lots of sparkle and metallics. ~ VeggieBound.Org |
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Paper chains, glued then held together using cute mini clothespins!
~ VeggieBound.Org |
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| What a wonderful world! |
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