OMG has it been a year!

Well  happy birthday to me and my blog, I hope this means I get two birthday presents this year.  OK so I will be the first to tell you, but I honestly do not believe it myself, today marks the one year anniversary of this blog.  Really I must say that I am pretty proud of myself to keep this going for a year.  But to have actually accomplished something with the blog, well that just makes me super awesome, really you are laughing at me, come on please let me have my delusions, please.  I know that I owe a lot to the support of family, friends, and yes that little bump from the local NPR station and newspaper helped too.  I doubt I would have gotten very far on my own.  Maybe I should end my Grammy/Oscar acceptance speech now, but I can't so haha.  I am very grateful for all the help I have received.  I have also learned that I do have some great friends that are truly inspiring, and hopefully that inspiration is past on through some of the wonderful reading that is published on this blog (still laughing, oh about the awesome comment, ok keep laughing).  So with all that said I would just like to say a very big thank you.
Now I could continue this post with a "Random Charlotte year in review" but instead of re-boring you with all the old posts, I just wanted to go back (don't worry this will be short) for just a second, and discuss what started this blog, Leftover Love (aka taking your own doggy bag to restaurants).   Now as I have said many times this is not an original idea, but it is still a good one, that to be very honest I am not quite sure why it is not catching on faster.  Anyway the concept is similar to taking your own shopping bag to the grocery shop (or every other shop that hands out plastic bags), but instead of the grocer you are at a restaurant and instead of bag you take your own leftover box.  Beautiful, easy, love it.  The thing is, this concept most clearly illustrates (at least to me) that it is the small things that we can do everyday to will help protect our planet.  I know that sounds cliche, and that I say it a lot, but for me it is the bottom line.  No planet, no us, so then what was the point fighting over all the other issues.  I know to some being green is hip or trendy or whatever, but really it is survival (and also very cost effective, which for cheapskates like me should be very attractive).  Being green means caring about others and be willing to make small sacrifices that help for the greater good.  It does not mean putting up solar panels you cannot afford or living in the top of a tree.  But it does mean giving up your bottled water, taking your own leftover container to restaurants, hiring (or lowering) the thermostat a degree or two.   Not everything has to be easy, convenient, and comfortable, all of which is promised with a disposable lifestyle.  I want to remember, and I want to set an example that every action counts, even the small ones.
So have I done something great like I wanted?  Maybe not.  Have I done something that matters?  Hopefully, even if it is only to me.  But I have tried and I will continue to try, because that is all anyone can do (at least that is what my parents told me).  Hopefully I will continue to live by my words, and then my actions will create an example, if for no one else, then for me and my family.  So I will end here with another big thank you to everyone (but I especially want to thank those who take their own leftover containers and  practice  (yeah I said practice like it is some religious experience) leftover love, man I am horrible!! but I am kidding).

A horse is a horse of course of course

So I wanted to pass along another petition (calm down it is not mine this time, it is one that lots of people are signing).  It is to create a ban on the horse drawn carriages in NYC.  Now I am not sure if this ever comes out on this blog or not, but animal rights is another issue that is very important to me, and that is why I am passing it along.  I will not go into any gruesome details, but the idea is to replace the horses with old fashioned style automobiles so that people can still enjoy an open air ride through Central Park without having to torture a horse.  Here is the link to the petition  http://www.change.org/petitions/ban-horse-drawn-carriages-in-new-york-city-new-bill-needs-support#
And another link to a NY Times article that illustrates the alternative a bit better than me :) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/nyregion/ny-horse-drawn-carriage-industry-fights-for-survival.html?pagewanted=all
With all the issues around horse racing, I do think this is the very least we could do for these animals.  I do think that is a worthwhile cause so please sign.
Thanks everyone.

It IS easy being green, sometimes!

I get that I am not perfect.  But I do try to be a good green ambassador.  I was reminded today by my 2 year old that that is not always the case, sometimes I am not as good as I need to be.  We had taken an afternoon walk to feed the ducks and turtles, and on the way back I walked right by a recyclable plastic coffee cup and a recyclable cardboard holder that had been tossed on the side of the road.  Both items were from Starbucks, not sure that makes a difference here.  Anyway my son went to pick it up, probably not for the reasons he was supposed to, but he still went to it nonetheless.  And it hit me, if he was not there I would have walked by it, without a second thought.  I was so involved in whatever fun thought was in my head that I was unaware I could have been helping.  I try so hard to conserve and practice good habits for the environment, but sometimes I mess up.  Do not worry we picked up the cup and cardboard holder and brought it home to recycle.  So what is the point here, I suppose that my point is that sometimes we all need gentle reminders that we can help a bit more.  We need to continue to put forth the effort, we need to do rather than to talk about it, and remember that all the small actions will add up.  No point in short shortsightedness or short term solutions.   We may not see results right away but we will benefit from the efforts long term. So I started thinking about some of the ways that we try to be environmentally friendly in our house and went down a quick checklist to make sure I was not slacking in other areas.

These are just a few helpful tips on easy ways to go green that I find pretty easy to practice with little reminders.  

1.  Take a walk and pick up some trash (don't think I will be forgetting this one again any time soon).  Sounds awful put if you have kids can be a lot of fun.  And who knows you may find some treasure.  

2.  Always make sure you run a full load of laundry (and if you do it on cold, extra energy savings added) in the washing machine and dishes in the dishwasher.

3.  If you can dry some or all your clothes on a laundry line. 

4.  Turn off lights when you leave the room, and/or try not to use lights at all. 

5.  Higher your AC thermostat, anything over 75 F or 23 C will help cut down on cost and saves a bunch of energy.  http://sustainablechoices.stanford.edu/actions/in_the_home/thermostatsetting.html

So these are just a few of the ways we try to help.  There are a bunch of other ways too, but these are the ones that if you start practicing will become habits and you will not need a kick in the pants like I did today.  Oh yeah there is another one, number 6, take your own reusable container to restaurants (because we all know you are already taking out your reusuable shopping bags) so yo do not have to use their disposable one, yay for leftover love.

Keep being green!

A guest writer and some yummy bread

So I would like to introduce Jennifer.  She is my latest guest writer, and I must say she makes the rest of us look bad.  But that is why I like her writing, ideas, and her blog (http://militaryzerowaste.wordpress.com) .  Please read and be inspired, I am.  I am inspired and might even dare to make something in the kitchen (not too scary). Please check out Jennifer's blog and please leave any other recipes you may want to share on this blog or hers.  

Three years ago when my husband and I started our zero waste journey, I stood in the kitchen, a brand-new bride, determined to change all our habits, no matter how difficult. We already recycled and composted and our amount of consumption was miniscule. I figured ridding ourselves of the small amount of trash—mainly plastic---could be reduced to zero in a short amount of time.

Not so.

It turns out the majority of packaging we bring into our home is what our food is wrapped in. This packaging is also the advertising for the brands we use, so in no way do these companies intend to go package-free anytime soon. Meaning, some of the brands we bought, we simply had to stop buying. In others, we hunted for more environmentally friendly packaging. But mainly, we simply had to stop purchasing the majority of store-bought products and make our own. I’m not working outside the home presently, and this equaled a full-time job. I became everything I always swore I’d never become.

My grandmother. Her name might as well have been Betty Crocker.

Once a habit is instilled however, it really does become easier. Unless we’re traveling or I’m sick, we’ve stuck to the program pretty well….mostly. I try to keep a stocked supply of homemade oatmeal, muesli, granola, or muffins for breakfast so that we don’t miss our favorite cereals. And it forces me to search for creative, new food ideas, especially when it comes to breakfast so we don’t end up with muffin burn-out. I’ve discovered in making everything from scratch: if I don't freeze it, it has to be eaten immediately. No preservatives here.

That’s one of the many reasons why I like making my own bread.

1. It doesn’t take that long.
2. There are dozens of different types of breads to try.
3. No preservatives and words I can’t pronounce in the ingredients.
4. I choose how much sugar I put in.
5. NO PACKAGING!

Though I’ve heard the bread bags can be recycled, it might just boil down to where you live. The man at the recycling center in our area told me if there is no number on a product, it won’t be recycled as they cannot guarantee “which type of plastic” it is. And one wrong type of plastic touching all the rest can contaminate the other plastics = they all have to be chucked.

Yes, there are creative ways to reuse the plastic---wrapping food---including bread you might make yourself or as a convenient pooper-scooper for a dog walker, etc, but the bag will eventually have to be disposed of. I’d rather not use the plastic, if I can get away with it. And so, I’ll make my own.

This is the recipe for the bread we make the most. It’s still a tad crumbly (most likely due to the olive oil), so we haven’t quite perfected it yet. But it’s tasty and better than two other whole wheat bread recipes I’ve tried. If you have one that’s better, by all means, swing over to my site and let me know!

I found this bread recipe on the 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet website. It was sent in by Tejas in 2010. She got it from “Our Daily Bread” by Stella Standard, 1970.
1 envelope of yeast


1/4 Cup of lukewarm water


1/4 Cup of liquid honey (honey with a bit of water)


1 and 1/4 Cups of hot water


1 scant Tbsp. salt


3 cup of whole wheat flour


3/4 Cup wheat germ


1/4 Cup of olive oil

1. Put yeast, lukewarm water and honey in a bowl and let it become frothy.

2. Mix hot water with salt and let it cool to lukewarm.

3. Combine this with the yeast mixture and add to the flour and wheat germ.

4. Mix this very well, while pouring the olive oil over the mixture. Add more water if needed to make it malleable. Beat this hard (I use wooden spoon) in a kneading motion in a bowl.

5. Put the bowl in a pan of hot water and let the dough rise.

6. Beat it down and put the dough in an oiled pan (regulation bread size) and let it rise again.

7. Turn the oven to 425F for 10 minutes before you put the bread in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the heat to 350F and bake for 25 minutes more.

8. Placing a pan of water in the oven below the rack with the bread on it will give a nice crust.

Happy baking! And remember, each step each one of us makes creates huge footprints when you put them all together.

--Jennifer

http://militaryzerowaste.wordpress.com

greenmilitarywife@hotmail.com

Bread

Bread is good.  Bread is delicious.  Wow this is starting off to be a great post.  Let me try again, I could never go on a low carb or no card diet, that is just crazy talk.  But I do get peoples concerns about the packaging of store bought bread.  While out snooping through some other blogs, I came across an article that described how a family was limiting their bread consumption because of the plastic bags that come with the bread.  Their alternative was to make their own bread.  Now while this is a bloody brilliant idea, I do love homemade bread and hope they share some with me, I would like to mention that the awful plastic that comes with store bough bread can be recycled.  I have referenced this site before, but will do it again, because I think it bears a second call out. http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org/plasticbag/s01_consumers.html  And while I am all for making your own, it is so much better for many reasons, I know that there will be times when you will need to buy some bread.  We just have to remember to recycle that pesky bag, and let some of the store bought guilt melt away.  So friends enjoy your bread, recycle your plastic, and if you are making any homemade bread please think of me and send some my way :)

OK quick side note.  THE REST OF THIS MESSAGE WILL BE IN CAPS, BECAUSE YES I AM YELLING.  PLEASE STOP KILLING SNAKES.  ONLY STUPID PEOPLE KILL THINGS THAT POSE NO THREAT, SO DEAL WITH THAT, YOU ARE STUPID IF YOU KILL HARMLESS, SMALL, LITTLE SNAKES.  JUST STOP IT.  PLEASE I DO NOT WANT TO SAY THIS AGAIN.  THANK YOU.

Also another side note, got 10% off a bill last night at the pizza place because I took my own take home container.  Feels good.  Alright I am finished now.

We have already discussed this...

...but I recently read that there is little to no regulation over bottled water.  What does that mean?  In the US, it is probably safer (and cheaper) to drink tap water, since the water in water bottles is not checked or regulated in anyway.  Sure some people can catch their water on fire, scary, but most cannot.  So get one of those filters and a reusable water bottle and save yourself some time and money buying those lame disposable water bottles.  If the water is the same then what the heck is the difference.

Now here is a side note.  I have discovered another way to that I am going to try help the planet, my pockets, and my home.  I am giving up greeting cards.  I know, gasp, how in the world can I do that?  Well it is simple really, I just will (or at least try).  First off, in my short time on this Earth I have kept most of the birthday, holiday, and whatever other reason you get them, cards I have received.  That adds up, and takes up a lot of space.  Now call me a hoarder, but I prefer sentimental, but if someone gives me a card I  do not feel right getting rid of it.  So there is reason one, to save space.  Reason two, they are expensive and seem to be getting more expensive.  And lastly, the less I buy the less paper that has to be processed and made.  Now I know I probably will never be totally free of greeting cards, but I will make a sincere effort to reduce the amount of greeting cards a receive (you can thank me later family) and buy.   Some people may call me crazy, but most already do so no change there.  Like I always say it is the small things.  If we do enough those small things add up to make big changes.

Also please please please keep signing the petition, we are so very close.  Thank you.

Feeling the flow, working it

So we are feeling the flow and working it (thanks Happy Gilmore, I bet that doesn't show my age too much) finally with Leftover Love.  Just a little bit of local support has made a huge difference.  Now I feel certain that we can make this concept, taking your own reusable containers to restaurants, as common as taking your own grocery bag to go grocery shopping.  All these small actions will make a huge difference, and the planet and everyone on it is so grateful.   And as always thanks to everyone who has offered so much support.
http://helendining.blogspot.com/2012/04/leftover-love-take-your-own-containers.html

Keep those signatures coming, if we can hit a 100 I am sure we can use it to influence some of the chains.  Yeah we are after you chains mwhahahaha (evil laugh, but in a nice way) be ready :)