Changing how we do things - even just a little bit - can make a huge impact on our environment and the sustainability of this planet.
Giving up the convenience of paper towels is something many people won't consider. If you're one of those people, there is something you can do to make your paper towel use just a bit greener. Instead of buying bleached white paper towels, switch to those that are unbleached and made from 100% recycled material. It's not the best option, but it's definitely a better option, and we're all about small changes around here.
Changing how we do things - even just a little bit - can make a huge impact on our environment and the sustainability of this planet.
Inspired by Frugal Kiwi’s quest for health* I’m working to include more vegetables in my diet. A couple of years ago a lovely woman named Pua introduced me to a kale salad that I fell in love with – and I don’t love kale. She shared the recipe with me in a “little of this, little of that” kind of way. I made a big batch of it today and noted the measurements so that I could share, but I totally recommend that you just eyeball it. The finished salad has a lovely earthy flavor and I find that I crave it. If I have it made in the fridge I keep going back for “just a bit more.” But there’s nothing wrong with snacking on kale all day, right? Kale Salad a dozen curly kale leaves 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos 1/2 very ripe avocado 1/4 cup each: sunflower seeds, pepitos, dried cranberries 1-2 tablespoons feta cheese Remove the stem from the kale leaves. Thoroughly wash and dry the leaves, then tear them into bite sized pieces. Place leaves in a big bowl along with the olive oil. Lomi – or...
By far, the most viewed post here at Attainable Sustainable has been the oatmeal in a jar method that appeared on Lifehacker. It’s fast, it’s warm, it’s tasty. (Seriously, have you tried it?) Next time you near the end of a jar of your favorite homemade jelly, instead of clanging around the inside to get the last of the sweet and tangy goodness, whip out the oats and make your morning breakfast right in that jar. Heck, add a spoonful of peanut or almond butter if you like, to put you in mind of your favorite sandwich. Zero waste. Great flavor. Note: This works well with canning jars – they’re meant to handle the heat. Don’t try it with jars of store-bought jelly. Glass jars might break; plastic jars can leach.
Even though we are diligently trying to eat a healthier diet in this household, I couldn’t help myself. I ordered a copy of Casey Barber’s Classic Snacks Made from Scratch. My husband picked up the book and said, ” Why did you get this? We don’t eat this stuff. Ooooh, Funyuns.” That’s why I got the book. Also: Hostess Cupcakes (chocolate and orange), Nacho Cheese Doritos, Tater Tots, and Cinnamon Pop-Tarts. Cinnamon Pop-Tarts! This book is chock full of recipes to replicate your favorite junk food. It may not be health food, but the homemade versions certainly have fewer ingredients than the store bought versions (and none that I can’t pronounce) and making them at home eliminates the packaging. I decided to try out the BBQ Potato Chips recipe from Barber’s book when my eldest son, home from college, requested hamburgers for dinner. My youngest sliced the potatoes (using the food processor) and mixed up the spices. I did the frying. I don’t do much deep frying; I was surprised at how little splattering and popping there was – unlike frying bacon. The resulting chips were slightly saltier than I liked, but they had the classic BBQ chip flavor...
Blah, blah, blah, GMO. Blah, GMO, blah, blah, blah. A friend recently told me that “GMO” has become a buzzword to her, something she tunes out when she sees it come across her computer screen. It was when she saw Robyn O’Brien’s TEDxAustin video that it kind of clicked for her. Banned in so many other countries? Potentially causing disease? Making us sick? If you live in the USA, these scientifically altered crops are in the food you eat and you might not even know it. Buzz word or not, it’s time we all started paying attention. So what exactly is a GM seed? GM seeds (also called ‘GMO’ – genetically modified organisms – and ‘transgenic’) are often confused with hybrid seeds. In fact, some people claim that hybridization is just another form of genetic modification. Not exactly. In a nutshell, here’s the difference: Non-hybrid seeds (think: heirloom or open pollinated varieties) can be saved and replanted from year to year and the resulting fruit remains “true to seed.” In other words, that funny little tomato you remember from grandma’s garden? If you planted seeds saved from that tomato, you’d get the same fruit today. Hybrid seeds are the product of cross-breeding two...
I’ve been avoiding famous mayonnaise brands because they’re typically made from canola or soy oil, both products made from crops that are commonly genetically modified. I spent a small fortune on a “certified non-gmo” canola mayonnaise a couple of months ago, only to find it was terrible a really good replication of Miracle Whip. NOT what I was looking for. So I started making my own, experimenting a bit with different ingredients until I found a combination that tasted like the spread we’re used to. Depending on your equipment, it takes about 5-15 minutes, start to finish, so it’s not too time consuming, though there is a certain margin of error with the need to emulsify the ingredients. Out of the dozen or so batches I’ve made, all but one have emulsified into a nice thick spread. The one that didn’t emulsify? Was turned into a splendid salad dressing. Make your own mayonnaise 1 egg at room temperature 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s) 1 teaspoon water 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard (you’re making your own, right??) pinch of salt 1 cup grapeseed oil or extra light olive oil With an immersion blender (easiest method): Pour the oil...
I’ve been gluten free for a couple of years, my son for about a year. All of our baked goods are made in-house, but most gluten free recipes call for xanthan gum. That just sounds so unnatural and additive-y and certainly not something that can be harvested from somebody’s farm. It’s not as bad as one might think, but still, I dislike using it. After all, it’s made with corn and soy, two of our most genetically modified crops. So we did an experiment. Gluten free bread on the right, with xanthan gum. Bread on the left, without. Turns out, it does make a difference. The xanthan-free bread tastes fine, though the texture isn’t as nice as the loaf made with xanthan gum. Good thing this is for making stuffing! Happily, the folks at Bob’s Red Mill promise that all of their products are GMO-free. I’ll be getting my xanthan gum from them from now on.
When people think about Hawaii, they generally imagine warm, palm lined beaches with an ‘ukulele playing Hawaiian music in the background. (Right?) But that’s not always the case. I live at the 1,000-foot elevation on the Big Island where it’s lush and green and mild. But it gets cool so I find myself serving soup a couple of times a week. One of our favorites is a spicy soup with a Mexican flair. It’s easy to put together (especially if you have a food processor for chopping the vegetables) and utilizes tomatoes and peppers straight from the garden or farmers market. Chorizo Soup 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped 3 oz cooked chorizo or vegetarian Soyrizo 3 cups finely diced or crushed tomatoes 2 cups chicken stock/broth ½ – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional) tortilla chips (great way to utilize the crumbs at the bottom of the bag) 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and chorizo. Saute until onions start to brown slightly. Add the tomatoes, broth,...
When I first made kim chee, I found this recipe and used it as a jumping off point. (I had to laugh – this cook is even more loose about instructions than I am: “For amounts you can just go by feelings…”) My family loves this. It’s spicy and crunchy and salty – a great side dish to go with meat and fish when you don’t have time to make a salad. Kim Chee 1 head cabbage 3 small bunches bok choy 3 green onions, sliced about 1 cup daikon, shredded (I use my veggie peeler) about 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced or shredded 1.5 tablespoons Hawaiian salt or rock salt 8-10 cloves garlic 1″ piece fresh ginger 1-2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (2 tablespoons makes a fairly spicy kim chee; use more or less to taste) Chop cabbage, bok choy, and green onions coarsely and put in large bowl. Mix in daikon, carrot, and salt. Work the ingredients, pressing and smashing with the end of a rolling pin or back of a wooden spoon. This step will help the cabbage release its juices. The bulk of the greens will reduce by about half as you work it. Set greens...
My son posted a link on Facebook to an NPR article, with his own commentary: “How much did Monsanto slide you for this one, NPR?” In Top Five Myths of GMOS, Busted, NPR addresses some of the misconceptions we might have about genetic engineering. I’m not going to go so far as to accuse NPR of biased reporting and I can imagine the kind of glossing the whole GMO debate is getting from Monsanto’s public relations division these days. Indeed, based on what I’ve read, Dan Charles offers solid facts in his story. And yet… 1. Seeds from GMOs are sterile. NPR points out that while the patent on “Terminator” technology is owned by Monsanto, it’s not currently in use. What if we keep allowing Monsanto and Dupont and other scientists to genetically engineer our food crops until the majority of foods are GMO or GMO tainted? And what if, at that point, Monsanto decides to fiddle further with Mother Nature, injecting the Terminator gene into those seeds? Guess who can no longer save seeds from year to year? Not just farmers, but every single backyard gardener will be forced to buy new – genetically engineered – seeds every year. Sure, this scenario is...
