Category Archives: green living tips organization

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Ditch Those Frozen Fruit Plastic Bags – How To Make Waste-Free Smoothies

WHY plastic Bags SUCK-IT!

Okay, we all know plastic bags are terrible. I hate them (and I don’t use that word lightly). So come smoothie time of year I really, really, REALLY try to NOT purchase any frozen fruit in plastic bags. I mean, yes, it’s difficult during the off season when fresh fruit (err, organic fresh fruit) is not in season. But during the summer it’s everywhere. So no excuses.

The easiest way to avoid packaged frozen fruit is to purchase loose fruit and freeze it. When I say loose fruit I am talking about fruit that is not packaged in any plastic. This is how fruit is sold at my local Natural Foods Coops here in Northern California. Sometimes you can find a Farmer’s Market that is really good about selling loose fruit. I use these Care Bags for my produce/loose fruit, again, NO plastic bags are used at any point in my purchasing process. Listen, I don’t have a panic attack if I have to purchase fruit in plastic. For example, Costco has great deals on blueberries and raspberries. But at least those plastic containers ARE able to be recycled. Frozen fruit plastic bags are not – they go right into the landfill. So think about what will do less harm.

See below for some other suggestions on how to make a fabulous smoothie without the use of bagged frozen fruit.

Here is how I freeze fruit. I wash, dry, and freeze on silicone mats. Then I store the fruit in air-tight glass containers in the freezer (not in plastic bags).

Here we have mango and bananas…

Bananas, apple and strawberries…

Bananas, blueberries, raspberries…

Strawberries are everywhere this time of year

Fresh, loose picked, frozen strawberries for a fraction of what the packaged frozen strawberries cost!

Okay, moving along…

See HERE for my bulk green drink.

I like to freeze little cubes of this green drink and use in smoothies. For the smoothie, add in the frozen green drink cubes, some nut milk (or coconut milk), fresh fruit, your choice protein powder, and blend. What a fabulous way to start the day.

I still have my old BPA/toxic free baby food containers (yes, I made all my kid’s baby food from scratch). I knew these would be put to good use and below I have them full of homemade walnut milk for smoothies.

Homemade nut/seed milks from The Tasty Alternative:

Homemade Almond Milk

Homemade Hazelnut Milk

Homemade Hemp Milk

Homemade Macadamia Nut Milk

Homemade Walnut Milk

We are surrounded by citrus here in California So when harvest time comes, I like to freeze lemon and orange juice for smoothies (or for like a million other uses).

These silicone (BPA free) ice cube trays are awesome. They make small portions of frozen nut milk or coconut milk.

Here I have some banana puree. I had four bananas that were ready for something (super ripe)…so I pureed them with a little water and made little frozen banana cubes for smoothies. With the banana you can also add in a handful of spinach or fresh fruit (such as an avocado or strawberries). Just make sure you add in some water so you can pour the mixture into the trays.

It is possible to create low-waste or no-waste smoothies. It depends on where you live and what you like, but it is possible. The point here is to become more mindful of the waste-free options and get creative.

~Smoothie/Milkshake Recipes by The Tasty Alternative~

Almond Vanilla Coconut Milkshake

Berry Beet Smoothie

Cherry Banana Ginger Smoothie

Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie

Peach Hemp Protein Smoothie

Pumpkin Coconut Almond Smoothie

Strawberry, Cantaloupe, and Ginger Green Smoothie

Top of post bags of fruit Image Source
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Shared on: Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Wellness Weekend

Posted by Amber at 4:01 am

Labels: green living, green living tips organization, smoothie, summer cuisine.

10 Comments

quincy Leah June 20, 2013 at 4:16 pm
What a great post. I also really hate plastic bags. So much of the packaging that goes into products nowadays is completely unnecessary.
Thanks so much for these helpful tips!
Reply
Laura June 20, 2013 at 7:54 pm
Great tips as always Amber! I am guilty for buying frozen fruit bags at Whole Foods, but now that our Farmer’s Market is finally in full swing, I have no excuses! I am also going to try to freeze more frozen fruit in the colder months too by remembering to plan ahead
Reply
Unknown June 20, 2013 at 8:24 pm
I’ve been doing this for quite some time. I freeze all of my fruit I use in smoothies, as I prefer a more slushy/frozen smoothie. I also make coconut water and milk ice cubes. It is soooooo easy to do, and as you mentioned waaaaaay cheaper. I love it when I tell people about this and they say, “you are so smart”….no, just frugal.
Reply
Heather @Gluten-Free Cat June 20, 2013 at 8:54 pm
I’ve finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be YOU! What an inspiring post! I do freeze fresh fruit when I find good deals in the summer or when I just can’t bear that cherry season is ending. It’s so easy, and I need to do it more regularly. You make it look so easy that I may need to give the silicone mats a try! (We’ll see how big my NYC freezer is!) Thanks for the steps!!

Heather
Reply
Mei June 21, 2013 at 9:39 am
Hi! Your son looks so cute :)) I’m mom of eczema little girl, and found your site cos looking to build a listing of allergy blogs for my readers (as I blog only eczema) – would you like to add your site here
http://eczemablues.com/2013/06/allergies-blogs-on-eczemablues/
Thanks!
Reply
GlutenFreeHappyTummy June 22, 2013 at 11:59 pm
this is so genius, Amber! freezing your own fruit is both economical and environmentally friendly! best of both worlds! and your son is too stinkin cute with the green mustache:)
Reply
Vicky June 23, 2013 at 9:07 am
This is great advice Amber!
Reply
gfe--gluten free easily June 27, 2013 at 10:46 pm
I love this post for so many reasons, but one of them is that you’ve given me a legitimate use for my silicone mat, which I do not like for baking. Thanks, Amber!

xo,
Shirley
Reply
Katherine @ Green Thickies July 14, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Wow, great post. I love that you can buy your fruit without it being in plastic. I can’t do that where I live, and I love your idea of freezing everything in summer for use over winter. I have 2 freezers and still never seem to have any spare space!
Reply
Heather April 2, 2014 at 3:27 pm
Amber- The new blog design looks great. Browsing around to check out your content. FYI- I love these frozen berries and veggies at the coop. They are in paper bags that are lightly waxed and are biodegradable / compostable. We put them directly into our compost bin in the backyard and not one has ever come out alive when we dump the compost in the garden each year. The blueberries are FAR BETTER than any other brand I have tried. Big, plump, and juicy. Not mushy small or misshaped. Check them out. http://www.stahlbush.com/
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Monday, April 22, 2013

Earth Day Everyday

So today is Earth Day. What’s that mean to you? Personally, I’m glad we have a day set a aside every year to raise awareness regarding environmental issues and the ongoing struggles and assaults on our planet. That being said, I do not support or enjoy attending huge waste-producing Earth Day festivals. I used to, but one year I was in line for some food and I was given a Styrofoam to-go box with a plastic fork and knife and said, forget this! This is ridiculous. It’s so counterintuitive. Here is a massive event “celebrating” the earth with information about what materials are damaging to the earth and yet they are serving food on these very materials. Not to mention the thousands of plastic drink cups and straws, and cans thrown out, and everywhere you turn there are overflowing trashcans full of landfill waste. Terrible. No-waste events are TOTALLY possible. In fact, I attend one every year here in my town. Check out last year’s Whole Earth Festival, a ZERO waste event. It can be done my friends.

Our family treats everyday as Earth Day. If you follow my blog, you know a portion of the information offered on this blog is green-related and environmentally mindful. I have a low-waste, green kitchen. This means I do not use any disposable plastic, foil, or paper products. You can read here on how to decrease kitchen waste, and here for part 2. Some examples are bringing your own container to the store for your meat, freezing fruit for smoothies, and purchasing reusable fabric lunch bags. It’s all about decreasing waste.

Environmental blogs that inspire me

1. My Plastic Free Life

2. The Plastic Free Chef

3. People For a Plastic Free Planet

4. Going Green Mama

5. Non-Toxic Kids

6. Green Kid’s Guide

7. Safe Mama

8. Good Girl Gone Green

Here are my favorite environmentally mindful resources

1. Earth 911

Have something to recycle?

Find out HOW and WHERE!

2. TerraCycle

Where to send ALL your wasteful packaging

from packaged foods and other items

3. Plastic Free

(a book) by Beth Terry

4. How To Store Produce Without Plastic

A great post with great suggestions

5. Buy Green

A trusted resource for green products

Additional Information

If you’re interested in more resources and information, you can follow my Pinterest Page dedicated to environmentally-mindful information.

I also encourage you to get out there and garden

Here are a few posts I’ve written to inspire you.

And I also have a Pinerest Page dedicated

to all-things gardening.

Happy Earth Day from The Tasty Alternative
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Shared on: Fat Tuesday

Posted by Amber at 5:22 pm

Labels: green living, green living tips organization.

4 Comments

Sarah O. April 22, 2013 at 7:53 pm
Amber, interesting point! I have never thought of these festivals from this perspective, but its true. One would think that festival organizers would be mindful of selecting earth friendly vendors, but I guess this isn’t always the case! Please keep up your kitchen friendly tips, they are great and written in a very non-intimidating way. I’m still working my way to someday being as green as you and your tips are helpful. I am proud to say we are now a paper towel free house and have been for some time.
Reply
This Woman Writes April 23, 2013 at 7:26 pm
For years, we heard how, as a family of six, we were stomping out the very ground we were living on, and we were the major factor behind all of the waste on the planet. Interestingly, our garbage can contained much, much less junk than some of our attackers, who were in families of 1 or 2. No pizza boxes in our can. A compost pile sure helps, as does cooking fresh, as you observe. Now, if I can figure out a way to eliminate the paper junk mail!
Reply
Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen April 23, 2013 at 10:27 pm
Oh Amber, I love this! You are so right on the festivals and really everyday should be earth day! I’m now following you on pinterest too! I’m always looking for more earth friendly info! Thank you friend!
Reply
- Amber April 24, 2013 at 4:53 am
  Thanks Sarena!
  Reply

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Friday, April 19, 2013

Organize Your Space: The Mail

Hello friends. Are piles of obnoxious mail scattered around your house? Do you misplace bills or important pieces of mail? Do you have like 500 old papers lying around? Do you have like 500 coupons to Jiffy Lube around? Do you feel like the mail is taking control of your space? Well then, my friends, this post is for you.

We all get mail. Unfortunately. As you know, 99.9% of it is junk. If you do on-line baking, than you really aren’t receiving much in the way of bills these days…pretty much just junk. And if you do get a letter from someone, it’s from your sweet awesome 90-year-old grandmother who doesn’t know how to work a computer (and she still sends you $10 cash, and she rocks). Thank you Grandma for sending me a letter (sniff, sniff).

First off, if you have these said piles of mail around your house, this is evident of a behavior. The behavior of not going through the mail adequately. You might open a few “important” items, but then leave the remaining obvious credit card advertisements unopened, thinking, “I will get to that later.” Well folks, this is later.

First, if you are not happy with the piles of mail and paper, then start today, start now! Don’t wait. Taking the leap from thinking about doing something to doing something is the biggest leap ever. But don’t be afraid, it will be great and very rewarding. So let’s do this!

Before we start I want to show you how I organize my mail and space and a few very inexpensive items that help keep things organized.

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1. The first thing here is not an item, it’s a behavior. You have to commit to going through the mail everyday, you must change your habit and behavior. When you bring the mail from the box to your house, NEVER put it down and forget about it. You must immediately attend to it. This is the only way to ensure it will not start building up again. And trust me, this will become like second nature in time, but you have to start somewhere and allow yourself the practice of this behavior change.

2. Get yourself a small box for coupons (I found these at Ikea). I also have one for all my recipes.

3. Get yourself a shredder. I found this one at Costco (look for one that will shred 5 or more pieces of paper at at time).

4. Get yourself a small cork board. This is a MUST space for informational items such as invitations, important dates to remember, community events, etc.

5. Some sort of visible holding system where you can put mail in 3 different categories: (1) OPEN (2) PAY (3) FILE.

I found this at Target.

Here is a closer look:

6. Create a place for those miscellaneous items. I use a top to a box from Ikea. This space is STRICTLY for things I plan to pay attention to in the immediate future. These items USED to go on my cork board, but I am disciplined enough now to put them out of sight (as I know I will not forget about them). So, what’s in this miscellaneous space you ask? Well, this week, an old envelope with notes on it regarding an product I want to buy, a nice letter from my son’s childcare that I will show Scott later when he gets home, a rolled up piece of paper with a recipe on it (that I will blog about later), a piece of business I will discuss with Scott when he gets home, and some pictures from my friend’s wedding (that I plan to frame and make into a gift). All things I don’t want cluttering up space, so I put them in their own box or a “to take care of box.” They will not be forgotten.

And here it is all tucked away in my desk

Okay, we’ve covered some essential items to organize your mail. Let’s get started organizing shall we.
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Organizing your mail:

First, get a large empty box and put ALLLLLL the mail from all over your house in the box. And I mean everything, grocery store ads, coupons, magazines, papers, etc. Everything.

Second, clear out your schedule, I would do an entire day (a Saturday or Sunday). Get yourself some snacks as rewards. Locate your favorite music to play as you go through this box of mail (and NO TV – too distracting).

Finally, with adequate time, a quiet house perhaps, snacks and music at the ready, it’s time to go through the box.
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Here we go…

#1. Pick up 1 item at a time from the box. Look at it and determine if fits into one of these five categories:

*Recycle
*Shred
*Pay
*File
*Coupons/informational items

#2. Make 5 separate piles on the ground. Go ahead, spread yourself out. Label the 5 piles so you don’t forget. Just use a sticky note or something for the label.

#3. Now, one by one, go through this entire box and place the items accordingly.

When your big box of mail/magazines/paper is empty and you have your piles:

#1. Now take away the recycling and put it in the recycling bin

#2. IMMEDIATELY shred everything you have in the shred pile

#3. Place your “bills to pay” in the appropriate holding area

#4. File what you can. If you don’t have a file for that subject, write it down so you can make a file later. Or store in the appropriate file holding area

#5. Place all the coupons in your coupon box

#6. Place all informational items on the cork board

#7. Place everything else into your miscellaneous box (just DON’T forget about…promise!)

#8. Tired of all those magazine catalogs? Best way to stop them from coming is to call the phone number in the catalog and tell them you want to be removed from their mailing list. I do this often. Easy way to decrease waste too!
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Final Thoughts:

*Taking control of your mail is easy, you just have to stay on top of it.

*Once you clean up all the mail and clutter that’s been sitting around your house for months…perhaps years, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment. You will feel light, happy, in control, calm, and centered.

*You have to want this. If you’re not ready to make the change and keep at it, then wait until you are. Some people like having their piles of mail around, there is a method to their clutter, and that’s totally fine.

*This post is meant for those who are ready to make that change, ready to organize their space (mail in this case) but having trouble taking that first step. This is truly the hardest part – that step from thinking about doing it to actually doing it. It can even feel scary for some people. This is all normal. But you CAN do it. Behavior can change. And this small change might provide a great sense of accomplishment and control in your life.
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Here are some pictures of mail stations I found on the internet

Source

The Home Depot

Source

The Container Store

Posted by Amber at 11:59 pm

Labels: green living tips organization.

6 Comments

Vicky April 20, 2013 at 7:20 pm
I wish I could be this organised but I’m getting there! At the moment everything gets piled on my desk or hubby’s desk so we always know where everything is!

I do shred junk though! We got rid of the cork board because everything seemed to get pinned there and nothing removed!

Great tips Amber, I’ll try to take some of them on board!

Vicky xo
Reply
- Amber April 21, 2013 at 2:43 am
  Hi Vicky. A shredder is key. And I know what you mean about the cork board. I find the most helpful thing is to (1) keep the board small (mine is only 17″ x 17″) so pretty tiny, but large enough to fit papers. And to only put things on there that will get immediate attention. Everything else is filed away. So, for example, here are the things pinned to my cork board: something that needs to be returned to my daughter’s school next week, a flyer for a Goodwill pick-up, and a reminder of an E-waste pick up on Monday. So these will all come down next week and anything else pressing will be pinned up as reminders. I don’t keep things on there long-term, again, those things are filed. But again, good point. Don’t let your cork board be a clutter space either, right. It all happens so quickly.
  Reply
gfe--gluten free easily April 20, 2013 at 7:26 pm
I need this system badly, but, honestly, I get overwhelmed just reading the instructions and looking at the photos. Glad you’ve got it working for you, Amber! You could probably get folks started doing this on the side as extra income. Seriously!

xo,
Shirley
Reply
Amber April 21, 2013 at 2:37 am
Hi Shirley…and thanks.

When I was 18 I was in fact hired as an organizer. A family friend (and professor) hired me to organize her house, including a room covered in mail, and years of research and papers. I loved every minute of it.
Reply
Laura April 21, 2013 at 4:05 am
Can you come over and organize our new home Amber?! I will fly you out Thanks for the awesome tips. Your system is brilliant and I love the labels you made. Your organizational tips are very motivating as I organize out of obligation-wish I had the same passion for it as you do!
Reply
GlutenFreeHappyTummy April 22, 2013 at 12:42 am
OK Amber. You’ve officially inspired me!! THanks!! Hugs!
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Friday, April 12, 2013

Spring Inspired Organization: An Introduction

You might be wondering why organization is part of this blog. Simply put, organization is a big part of my life. Please allow me to clarify that I am not an obsessive-compulsive type of organizer/cleaner (despite what my friends and husband might say, ha ha). If a spoon is turned the wrong way in the drawer, I don’t break out in a sweat and panic. I do, however, put things where they belong the instant I make contact it, which has been a behavior practiced and reinforced for a long time. Organization has been part of my life for 35 years. My mom was (and is) a very organized person and she taught me how to organize things, but moreover, how to make it fun! It’s also worth mentioning that I moved many times growing up, and because of this have learned to let things go – the less you have, the less you have to pack, right. Purging became necessary and helpful, but also quite gratifying. I consider myself a minimalist, I also consider myself a realistic organizer. I keep only what I know will matter to me in 30, 40, 50 years, such as meaningful cards from family and friends, extra special pictures from my children, those heartfelt love notes my sweet husband (and yes, there is a special box for all of these things). I create spaces, such as a “memory tub” for my children (each has their own), housing such items as treasured homemade baby clothes from my grandmother and their first year scrapbooks I put together.

Above all, organization make me feel productive, successful and balanced. It’s part of my healing and my efforts to decrease stress. It makes me feel…happy. I don’t know how else to explain it. It just makes me feel good and when something makes me feel good and healthy, I keep doing it.

I will be sharing with you some main points of organization in my home over the next two months. Including:

1. The filing cabinet

2. Mail & office space

3. Hall closets

4. The bedroom closet

5. Junk drawers

6. The kid’s space

7. Kid’s art/memorabilia

8. General memorabilia

9. Miscellaneous papers, instructions, etc

10. The Kitchen

My hope is that these posts will inspire you to tackle one (or more) of your nagging organization/cleaning projects this spring. It’s never too late to start, it’s really just a matter of starting. I find that this is the biggest hurdle for people…just starting. Once you’re in, you’re in, and there is a commitment involved to finish, and that can be overwhelming. But I truly believe that taking on these little projects that can impact your life in a simple, yet profound way, and create happiness and a feeling of success. We are so bogged down with material things, shopping for this and that, electronics, kids TOYS (don’t even get me started on that), and something as simple as taking control of your space and getting things in order can feel very rewarding and empowering.

Here are a few points to think about before we start:

1. Make a list of things you want to organize. Keep it realistic.

2. Carve out some time to complete the object. Running out of time is your biggest enemy. Once you start, it’s important to follow through until your finished.

3. Start small. If you’re not used to organizing things, start with a small project, such as under the kitchen sink, or the bedside drawer. Start small and get yourself accustomed to the behavior of going through things, looking at things, and (perhaps most important) letting things go.

4. Tell someone about your project/intentions. This is a great technique in preventing procrastination. When you verbally express your intentions to do something to someone else, there is not only personal accountability but someone else will have knowledge of your intentions and hold you accountable.

5. Include others. I prefer to organize alone, but for the starter, you might want to include your partner or children. I always include my kiddos when we clean and organize their art bin or play room. Together we decide what we are keeping in their art journal, what are we hanging up on the wall, what can we give as gifts (grandparents just love getting those sweet pictures), what we can donate or sell, and what goes into recycling.

Goals of Organizing:

1. Purge. You want to get rid of stuff.

2. Recycle or sell what you don’t need/want.

3. Cleaning. Diving into a space you don’t pay much attention to allows for the opportunity to clean it.

4. Make room for more important items. If you clean out a drawer, you might very well make room for something more important in that space. For example, your bedside table can store books you’re reading opposed to old papers, magazines, mail or old socks.

5. Take inventory of what you have. This is a great point to remember when organizing your closet. Above all, the goal should be to KNOW what you have. It’s like going shopping. “Oh, there’s that super cute little summer dress I haven’t seen in five years.”

So keep a lookout for these posts over the next few months. One will come your way next week. Until then, take a moment and look at your space/home. Does it make you feel calm, happy, balanced? Does it make you feel tense, overwhelmed, angry? Think about how your home looks now, and think for a moment what you might want it to look like. Then finally, make your list.

And I’ll see you next week.

Posted by Amber at 9:17 pm

Labels: green living tips organization.

4 Comments

christine April 14, 2013 at 1:44 pm
what a lovely home you must have:) I do like to be organised – I just find it difficult to maintain!
Reply
- Amber April 15, 2013 at 8:21 pm
  Thanks Christine. We have a pretty small space for a family of 4 so, for me, it’s crucial to make sure things are organized and that everything has a place. Things can get crazy really quick and if we all don’t keep on top of it, the house can get just thrashed.
  
  Reply
Cassidy Stauffer April 15, 2013 at 1:00 pm
My house is in desperate need of spring cleaning! I especially have trouble organizing the kids rooms, I can’t wait for your series!
Reply
- Amber April 15, 2013 at 8:35 pm
  Thanks, Cassidy. I find the biggest help in a kids room is to have only the bedroom essentials in there and overall as few items as possible. We have two dressers (one for each child), a bunk bed, a bookshelf, and a basket with stuffed animals…and that’s it. I use under the bunk for some storage (blankets and pillows in airtight bags), but overall keeping it simple is key for me. The kids share a room right now and it’s a pretty small space. All toys are in the toy room which helps keep the spaces divided and helps keep things together.
  
  I’ve noticed that a kid’s closet tends to get very messy and packed full of stuff, and often forgotten (especially if there are doors) I like taking the doors off the closets and using the space as part of the room. We house one small dresser in the closet, the laundry basket, and a few bins for misc clothing like bathing suites, gymnastics and ballet clothes, slippers, etc. And I have items hanging as well. Each child gets 1/2 of the closet for their clothes. I go through the hanging clothes every few months and donate or give away clothes that don’t fit or the kid’s just don’t wear. So everything hanging is used and worn. I also keep a basket on the top shelf in the closet for hangers. When I get an item down from hanging, for example, a dress for my daughter, I don’t put the hanger back on the rod, rather, I put it in the basket. This just helps keep the hanging clothes tidy and neat with no loose hangers.
  
  More to come…
  
  Have a great week.
  Reply

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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Guest Post from Online Education (.net) Get Serious about Recycling

Hello Friends.

Please enjoy this guest post today from OnlineEducation.net

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In today’s consumer world, plastic is everywhere—from plentiful stores of bottled water to disposable plasticware to the containers that hold our store-bought food. It seems like you can’t go out shopping without running into a good deal of plastic. And while this material is strong, reliable, and undoubtedly useful, we also may have way too much of the stuff that isn’t being reused. Recycling plastic uses much less energy than creating new plastic, and it conserves our valuable resources. Despite this, however, only about a third of our material that could be recycled actually is. Among younger generations, the problem of our overconsumption of plastic has been prevalent for as long as some can remember, and yet little has changed or progressed in alleviating the problem. Statistically, people in the Millennial generation (today’s high schoolers, college students, and young adults) are much less likely to properly recycle plastic and other materials than those in older generations. If you’re of student or Millennial age, take a look at the following infographic—the reality is that younger generations need to start getting serious about recycling, or the future will be robbed of some very valuable resources.

(The above text and included graphic are not my original content, they are property of OnlineEducation.net. Original source can be found here)

Posted by Amber at 1:13 am

Labels: green living tips organization.

One Comment

France@beyondthepeel February 13, 2013 at 8:15 pm
Love that ! Amazing ! I love when our everyday actions can be broken down by their impact. My favorite part is how it takes a 1/4 of a water bottle filled with oil to produce it and 3 liters of water. Three liter! So that we can buy 1 liter! It’s those types of facts that stick with a person and make a difference.
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Monday, September 10, 2012

Waste-Free Grocery Shopping – Tips and Suggestions To Inspire a Green Kitchen

My green kitchen didn’t happen overnight. I made little steps toward decreasing my waste, and today I’m proud to say I have a well functioning, green, low-waste kitchen. Trust me, I’m not perfect, and I would LOVE to be more like one of my eco-friendly blogging heros, Beth @ My Plastic Free Life, but I work within my means, do the best I can and what I feel comfortable with.

So what does it mean to have a green kitchen? This definition is different for everyone. For me it’s about creating as little landfill waste as possible. For example, you won’t find any disposable plastic in this kitchen. I don’t use plastic lunch baggies/Ziploc, plastic freezer bags, plastic wrap, plastic bags or plastic food containers. When I can (and when in season) I freeze fresh fruit instead of buying frozen bagged fruit, and overall, I don’t purchase many frozen food items. Other items you won’t find in my kitchen are napkins, paper towels, foil, dish sponges, or those bleach “wipes. But as mentioned, I’m not perfect. I do purchase dish soup, rubber gloves (due to my husband’s eczema), dishwasher soup, bagged chips, I use non-toxic plastic popsicle molds, and non-toxic plastic baby food containers (from my homemade baby food making days). Other things I do to save money and decrease waste is make my own window cleaner from vinegar, use soap nuts as my laundry detergent, use baking powder as an abrasive cleaning scrub, and I stopped using bleach (that was a hard habit to kick).

I notice that grocery shopping creates a lot of waste. From plastic produce bags, to wrapped meats, plastic deli containers, to plastic grocery bags. Over time I have found a way to create very little, to zero waste when grocery shopping. It takes some planning, but living this way makes me feel good and balanced. It’s something I can do within my means that helps me on my green kitchen journey. If you’ve been thinking about decreasing your kitchen waste, perhaps this post will inspire you. Remember, it’s little steps toward that larger goal.

You can read more about the products I use and find links for these products here: How To Decease your Kitchen Waste: 101. I’ve included some additional suggestions here: More Green Kitchen Tips

Here’s a glimpse of my grocery shopping paraphernalia:

A nice big basket for all my produce. I also take this to the Farmer’s Market and add in fruit and veggies as I stroll along. So with my produce, when I get home I dump everything into a big bowl of filtered water and clean with a some hydrogen peroxide (apples, grapes, pears, lemons, squash, green beans, etc). I use a separate bowl for leafy greens.

Everything is clean and ready for the week.

Carebags are my absolute favorite. With Carebags I don’t need to use plastic produce bags. They are super light and great quality.

For my bulk items I simply take my glass storage. I weigh the jars, then fill them up. So simple. When I get home, I just put them away in the cupboard.

I take whatever I have on land and fill with bulk foods. I fill my glass storage with olives from the olive bar, nuts/seeds/spices, ground meat, and loose leaf greens.

Glass storage with meats:

We have a bunch of to-go bags that hang on the back of the door that leads out to the garage. This way, we never forget. I have one big insulated bag I take and load up with cold items when grocery shopping. And I like to take my big basket for produce (shown above full of produce in carebags).

Each week before I go shopping I clean out my fridge. I clean out each crisper, wipe down the fridge shelves and take inventory of what I have and what I need before I go shopping. I shop for 6 days at a time (meals for Monday through Saturday) – I usually go shopping on Sunday. I create a menu for 6 days of breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners, and from this menu I create my shopping list. Cleaning out my fridge each week helps me save money too. By knowing what I have I avoid double purchases. Plus, I feel it’s really important to keep the fridge clean and organized.

My plastic free crispers

I hope this post has inspired you to try a few waste-free shopping tips, or at the very least, get you thinking a little bit about ways to decrease waste in your own home.

Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday, My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Whole Foods Friday

Posted by Amber at 5:05 am

Labels: green living, green living tips organization, how to decrease your kitchen waste.

14 Comments

Gabby @ the veggie nook September 10, 2012 at 10:14 am
Lots of great tips here Amber! I need to get my own produce bags, I always feel so bad using them!
Reply
- Amber September 11, 2012 at 4:07 am
  Thanks Gabby! I think that’s a great place to start. Good luck!!
  Reply
Vicky September 10, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Great advice Amber! I feel so guilty! You really are super efficient! I love those carebags especially, I wonder if they sell them here?
Reply
- Amber September 11, 2012 at 4:09 am
  Hi Vicky,
  
  I always feel guilty, so you’re not alone. But, we do the best we can…right! Nobody is perfect. And we all work toward finding that balance. I do believe Carebags ship worldwide. I just love them.
  Reply
- Vicky September 12, 2012 at 5:25 pm
  Oh I totally agree, we have to find a balance! Thank you, I’m going to have a look on their website, they look great! I had a look in this country and there doesn’t seem to be anything like them.
  
  Take care x
  Reply
christine September 10, 2012 at 10:14 pm
I wish I was organised enough to write out menu plans, but I tend to buy, then create a meal based on what’s around – life’s full of surprises that way:) I always re-use bags, and made some cotton grocery bags for shopping. I’ve recently decided to cut out plastic storage and am well on the way to using glass jars now, though I’m terrified of dropping them and smashing them!

You’re so right, we can all do what we can and feel comfortable with, and it all helps:)
Reply
- Amber September 11, 2012 at 4:12 am
  Hi Christine,
  
  Thanks for your message. I love your idea of making cotton grocery bags. So clever. I’m so glad to hear you’ve cut out plastic storage. That’s a great step toward decreasing toxins too.
  
  You know, I don’t think I’ve ever dropped one of my glass containers. But my kitchen is pretty small, so they are never in my hands for long.
  
  Keep up that great work! Every little bit helps.
  Reply
Barb @ A Life in Balance September 11, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Great advice! I bought some cloth produce bags, and I never remember to use them. I also have metal lunch boxes for the kids, but my dh never grabs them. As you said, baby steps. If I make it easy for my dh to use stuff, I’ll get it done.
Reply
- Amber September 14, 2012 at 8:35 pm
  Thanks so much Barb. Yes, baby steps to behavior change is the way to go. Good luck.
  Reply
Laura September 11, 2012 at 5:23 pm
You are so organized! I don’t do menu planning yet, but have been pondering it when the chaos of selling our home is over. I love those eco bags you use…need to buy some!
Reply
- Amber September 14, 2012 at 8:37 pm
  Hey Laura,
  
  When life gets crazy, it’s okay to feel crazy right along with it. It can feel exhausting to try and keep up and do everything perfect. Go with the chaos right now, just SURVIVE! Everything will settle down soon and you’ll get back into your routine. Hugs to you my friend.
  Reply
glutenfreehappytummy.com September 13, 2012 at 2:31 am
what great tips! i’m definitely going to try having a plastic free crisper! thanks for the wonderful ideas!
Reply
- Amber September 14, 2012 at 8:37 pm
  Thank you my dear. Good luck with your plastic free crisper.
  Reply
Mystery Shopping Company November 26, 2012 at 8:22 am
It is glad to hear that you are functioning green kitchen. First and foremost we need a plan to control it. I didn’t try anything but I must avoid wastage and go for an eco-friendly environment. Thanks for inspiring me to do it.
Reply

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

SCD Friendly Strawberry, Cantaloupe & Ginger Green Smoothie (with a green kitchen tip)

Obsess much? Yes, I have been…about strawberries. I’ve been making strawberry smoothies everyday for the past couple of weeks and experimenting with a bunch of different flavors. I created one that I just had to share with you. Everyone has their own smoothie texture, flavor, and slush preference, so please consider this while making any smoothie recipe. If you like the icy type, then add more ice, especially if the recipe calls for fresh fruit. If you like super sweet, add in some sweetener. That’s the fun of making your own, right. You CAN have it your way. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It has been my latest obsession.

Ingredients:

-6 ounces frozen strawberries (see notes for my frozen strawberries green kitchen tip)

-8 ounces fresh cantaloupe

-0.2 ounces of fresh ginger*

-1 cup filtered water

-1 ounce fresh baby spinach (a heaping cup)

How To:

1. Add above ingredients to your favorite blender (high speed or otherwise) and blend until incorporated.

Notes:
*Add in a banana, and this makes a great breakfast smoothie – so creamy and filling!

*If you love the idea of incorporating more greens in your smoothies, but don’t want it overpowering your drink, add in some fresh ginger (just a little). Be careful, it can make your drink spicy. I’ve found 0.1 ounces to be just perfect for my kids. But I like 0.3 ounces!

*I really try to not buy frozen fruit when fresh fruit is in season. First, the plastic bags, second, frozen is crazy expensive. I save money buying fresh fruit and then freezing.

For strawberries, wash and trim then place on a nonstick surface. Freeze for at least 5 hours.

After they are frozen I quickly remove and store in a glass container in the freezer. They won’t stick together if you freeze them separately like this (they do stick to the glass a little bit).
This gives me frozen strawberries for the week!

Shared on: Ruth’s Real Food 101 (Mondays), Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Simple Lives Thursday, Thriving on Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, Fresh Bites Friday, Freaky Friday, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Lunchbox Love Friday, Feed Your Soul Friday, Potluck Party Friday, Super Food Sundays, Sugar Free Sundays

Posted by Amber at 5:13 am

Labels: dairy free, drinks, green drinks, green living tips organization, SCD, summer treats, vegan.

4 Comments

Vicky May 17, 2012 at 7:03 am
Sounds lovely Amber … and great tip! I wish it was strawberry season here!
Reply
Tasty Eats At Home May 17, 2012 at 7:43 pm
I love strawberries in smoothies. Yum. It’s very much strawberry season here! I love the first berries of spring. SO wonderful after a long winter.
Reply
Laura May 17, 2012 at 7:45 pm
I was just thinking the other day how ginger in a smoothie would taste really delicious and unique. Strawberries and ginger together in this drink sound so refreshing! Thanks for a healthy drink recipe-I am going to make this tomorrow. It’s been crazy hot here for May!
Reply
Katherine @ Green Thickies May 17, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Yum! That looks gorgeous. Didn’t it turn green with the spinach? It’s strawberry season in the UK now so I’m going to take full advantage and give this a go. It looks so refreshing. Also great idea to freeze strawberries as I can’t get hold of them frozen either.
Reply

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Sunday, April 22, 2012

More Green Kitchen Tips

Being green isn’t a fad, it’s a lifestyle. It’s a set of behaviors one practices everyday – it’s an approach to living. And being green looks different for everyone. If you’re considering adopting a more green outlook on your home and life, it’s important to remember that the journey is different for everyone, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, and change doesn’t happen overnight. I recommend taking it slow, working within your means and comfort level. For example, visiting Partselect.com in an attempt to extend the life of your refrigerator would be a great place to start. The refrigerator is a crucial part of any kitchen and it’s important to take care of it! Moreover, broken appliances are extremely wasteful and are often discarded into landfills.

If you’re interested in more green kitchen tips, check out this post:
How to Decrease Your Kitchen Waste: 101

Today I offer you additional ideas that can be easily adopted into your green living repertoire.
*

#1:
Keeping a Plastic-Free Crisper

This was one of the most recent things I changed in my green living quest. I started using Carebags years ago and this solved my problem of using those plastic produce bags. But it took a lot of willpower to refrain from purchasing pre-packaged produce (you know, the occasional bag of romaine, carrots or shredded broccoli). The Natural Foods Coop in Sacramento does not carry any bagged produce, which I absolutely love and appreciate. The Coop in my town does. See here for a comprehensive list of plastic free food storage ideas.

So the first step is arming yourself with lots of

non-plastic bags for produce, such as my all time favorite, Carebags.

I use this HUGE gorgeous basket to hold all

my produce when I shop.

When I get home from the store, I immediately wash and dry my lettuce and spinach and then store in glass containers.

My greens stay fresh for up to 2 weeks

(although we usually eat them up pretty fast).

I then wash and transfer all my produce into the crispers. I store strawberries and mushrooms in glass containers.

I also just throw my beans and peas in the crisper (not shown).

#2:

Getting The Most Out of Your Produce

I have the best neighbors! They let me sneak into their backyards and harvest lemons anytime. I come back to my kitchen armed with a ton of lemons (20-30) and just hate to see them go to waste. My solution for this is juicing them. I store them in my old baby food containers. I pop several out at a time and defrost as needed. I also fill old jelly jars, freeze, and defrost these as needed.

And don’t throw out those broccoli stalks! Push them through your food processor (on the grater setting) and use them in salads, stir fry, soup, etc.

Alternatives to Frozen Fruit Bags

We are smoothie lovers, but okay, who’s not a smoothie lover?

In the beginning I relied heavily on bagged frozen fruit. Sometimes it makes sense, especially if the fruit is out of season (another example of working within your means). But here are a few methods I use to decrease my frozen fruit package waste:

1. Depending on the season, freeze fresh fruit. Apples, strawberries, mango, bananas, etc. Just slice and freeze on a cutting board or tray of some sort, then transfer to glass containers and store in the freezer.

2. Puree or juice fresh fruit and veggies and store in old baby food containers or ice cube trays.

3. My favorite method is using seasonal fresh fruit and then adding cubes of frozen nut milk. When I make nut milk, I make an extra batch for freezing and store in my old baby food containers. This gives you the milk and ice in one! Just add your fresh fruit, nut milk cubes, some water and bam – smoothie! And without plastic bag waste.

#4:

Utilizing Glass Jars

I use old glass jars for all sorts of stuff, from beans and spices, to seeds and oils. In doing this I decrease my use of paper bags for spices and other finely ground foods that won’t fit into my Carebags. Now, I shop in bulk, which makes this possible. I take the entire glass jar with me and fill directly from the bulk flours. But again, not everyone has this option.

Forget the Bagged Frozen Chicken

Instead of purchasing bagged frozen chicken, I take my snap glass storage (that I find at Costco super cheap) with me to the store and fill with meats; from ground to deli. I usually purchase 8 -10 chicken breasts at time. I bake them all at once, cool, place in glass storage, and pop them in the freezer. I simply transfer into the fridge the day or night before to defrost.

BONUS TIP #6:

Reuse What You Can

Planting season is in full swing. Egg cartons and old toilet paper rolls make great in-door seed starters.

So there you have it friends. A few more ways you and your family can “greenify” your home and kitchen.

More…
10 easy ways to decrease your food waste
How to find a recycling center in your town
The Pacific Garbage Patch

Shared on: Whole Foods Wednesdays

Posted by Amber at 2:45 am

Labels: green living tips organization, how to decrease your kitchen waste.

12 Comments

Ina April 22, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Wow – you have some fabulous ideas here! I have a huge bag of lemons in the fridge – I never even thought of freezing the juice! Think I will check out those glass containers too. Thanks for all the great ideas!
Reply
- Amber April 22, 2012 at 2:33 pm
  Hello Ina,
  
  I’m so glad you found this tip for you lemons! They are very expensive in the store. My neighbor dropped off a huge bag yesterday. Looks like we will both be juicing lemons today!!
  Reply
Laura Black April 24, 2012 at 1:40 am
Excellent article with very useful ideas. I am bookmarking this page for future reference. I use glass jars all the time for my dry products, but never thought to use them for my produce. I also use the reusable, mesh produce bags instead of plastic. My husband and I make a lot of smoothies. I like the processed, frozen fruit idea; it will come in handy for future smoothies.
Reply
- Amber April 24, 2012 at 4:52 am
  Hi Laura,
  
  Thank you! I’m just thrilled that my ideas are inspiring others to “greenify” their lives. Glad to hear you use those non-plastic produce bags! We also love the smoothie ideas. So simple, yet very effective.
  
  Be Well,
  –Amber
  Reply
The Cyclist's Wife April 24, 2012 at 3:27 am
Amber, I’m loving the lemon juice, grated broccoli and frozen fruit ideas! I recently used a bunch of my left over veggies to make veggie broth and I froze it. You inspire me to become more and more green. Good job lady!
Reply
- Amber April 24, 2012 at 4:54 am
  Wonderful to hear Laura. Thank you!!! It warms my heart to know others are interested in reducing their waste. Really and truly!!
  
  Hugs,
  –Amber
  Reply
Rachel @ The Health Revival April 24, 2012 at 12:34 pm
What is wrong with me that I don’t freeze my own fresh, organic fruit? It would cost less and probably taste better! I’m a smoothie lover too, and I’m going to start doing that…great ideas! Love the frozen milk idea (we use unsweetened almond milk in our smoothies, so that’s a great tip). I also don’t use plastic produce bags…at the market or when I get home, but I DO forget my eco shopping bags a lot! Maybe I could store them in the car…

Anyway, thanks for the great post!
Reply
- Amber June 19, 2012 at 6:57 pm
  Thanks for much Rachel. Glad I could offer you some inspiration today. Step by step, little by little, we can all make a difference in our homes and lives. Thanks for the feedback. Have a great day!
  Reply
TheBig Red 67 May 1, 2012 at 7:24 pm
I have more then three gallons stored in the freezer from this years harvest and I gave away at least 80 lbs of lemons away!
Reply
- Amber June 19, 2012 at 6:55 pm
  WOW!! Lucky you.
  Reply
Hope Schaitkin June 19, 2012 at 6:04 pm
These are great tips! I especially loved the one about using broccoli stalks, I’m definitely going to try that. Check out my green kitchen tips here: http://site.thegreenlifeonline.org/tag/green-in-the-kitchen/
Reply
- Amber June 19, 2012 at 6:58 pm
  I LOVED your green kitchen tips – fantastic. I couldn’t find a place to leave a comment. Thanks for the link.
  Reply

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Boots meet Bottles (how glass bottles can organize your closet)

Posted by Amber at 11:52 pm

Labels: green living tips organization.

4 Comments

Vicky April 22, 2012 at 10:28 pm
I would never have thought of this! Great idea!
Reply
- Amber April 23, 2012 at 2:14 am
  Thanks Vicky!
  Reply
Laura April 23, 2012 at 1:58 am
I am a bootaholic I love my boots and this trick is brilliant my dear!
Reply
- Amber April 23, 2012 at 2:14 am
  Oh I hear you girlfriend!! Same here. The bottles work so awesome. Makes my closet nice and organized! And you know how I feel about that. Ahhhhhh!!
  Reply

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Sunday, October 9, 2011

How to Decrease Kitchen Waste: 101

Blogger inspiration for starting my waste-free kitchen journey:

My Plastic-Free Life

When you think of kitchen waste, what comes to mind?

I’m guessing food. Yes food is a huge waste that adds a bulk to your garbage bag that turns against you rather quickly. But what else? If you live in a town that recycles, first off, hooray for you, but secondly, weekly recycling doesn’t take care of everything. I’ve heard of some pretty picky towns where only cans, plastic bottles and cardboard is allowed. What about the bread packaging, inside the cereal plastic bag, frozen veggie plastic bags…if you eat cheese, the plastic around the cheese and don’t even get me started on PLASTIC BAGGIES. The list goes on and on in the plastic department. What about paper towels and napkins? Foil? Styrofoam? The wrapping from your deli meat?

These are all sources of unwanted waste. I say unwanted because the recycle folks don’t want this stuff. So it goes in the landfill.

My kitchen waste revelation came one day a few years ago when my garbage can smelled so horrid I just couldn’t take it any more…okay, enough is enough. We didn’t use those hefty plastic bags, we used recycled brown paper bags from our weekly grocery shopping for our garbage, so all our food waste and other gunk was exposed and oh boy it started to take on a life all its own.

I said to myself…I know I can do better!

I started very, very slow and assessed my waste. Food was at the top of the list so I started there and slowly worked my down the list finding alternatives and replacing old habits with environmentally frienldy behaviors. So if you are new to the concept of decreasing kitchen waste, please see below for some very easy ideas to get you going on your journey.

****************************************

Problem: food scraps

Solution: compost

*We made a very modest 5×5 box out of redwood in our backyard and started to pile in our uncooked kitchen waste with equal parts carbon and nitrogen. And I read this quick, simple guide to composting. There are so many other composting ideas, many I found in the book, but you can also research on-line and find what works best for you. For example, we are going to start a worm bin soon for our cooked food waste!

Problem: plastic baggies

Solution: Stop buying & find eco-friendly alternatives

*Okay, let’s be real for a moment. Plastic baggies are a hell-of-a-convenience, and if you have kids, well, they may feel like a must-have necessity. It was difficult, but these were #2 on the list to go for me. I stopped buying them and looked for alternatives.

~Here are some easy replacement ideas~

a. WasteNot Saks are the most amazing, wonderful alternative to plastic baggies. I’ve had mine for nearly 5 years and they have held up great. The design is fantastic and my kids can use them with ease.

b. SnackTAXI makes a fantastic sandwich pack. They have not failed me yet. I also used them for snacks, but they don’t seal all the way across like WasteNot Saks, so they are best for large items such as sandwiches.

c. CareBags are by far my favorite thing found to replace plastic produce bags: see post here. Here is a good post on the dangers of plastic bags. Eye opening.

d. Lunch Bots is by far my favorite stainless steel alternative. My daughter and son use these daily for snacks. These are my faves.

e. ECOlunchbox three-in-one. My daughter takes this for her lunch. It’s lightweight and easy for little hands to use and maneuver.

Problem: Alternative-milk containers

Solution: Make your own milk alternatives

*This solution is three-fold. First of all, milk alternatives are EXPENSIVE. I did the math and I started saving serious money when I stopped buying packaged milks and started making my own. Second, you have total and complete control of the ingredients when you make your own milks – awesome for you! Third, and let’s be honest here, those milk alternative containers are not recyclable. I shed a tear of guilt every time I had to throw away those huge cartons. Okay, so problem solved. Making your own nut milks is so super easy. I make the following: almond milk, cashew milk, hemp milk and hazelnut milk. You can find a slew of how-to videos on the internet. And you don’t technically need an expensive high-speed blender to make these milks. Before I purchased my vitamix, I used a Ninja Blender for years and it worked fine. Don’t be detoured my friends!!

Problem: paper waste

Solution: Stop buying & find eco-friendly alternatives

*Ahhh, this was so hard at first! I had a very unhealthy addiction to paper towels. I would use them for everything…if I had them I would go through them like crazy. I had zero control. So one day I just stopped buying them and also stopped buying paper napkins.

~Here are some easy replacement ideas~

a. Use cloth napkins opposed to paper napkins

b. Use a cloth for cleaning the counter top, stove and other non-dish elements in your kitchen

c. Cut up old t-shirts and use them for dusting

d. Purchase a sponge you can wash in the washing machine multiple times before throwing away

Problem: Foil

Solution: Alternative products

*I used foil for so many things in my kitchen. This was difficult at first too. I tried very hard to clean the foil and recycle it, but it didn’t always work. And my philosophy wasn’t, “well, it’s okay to throw it away once in a while,” it was to “never again throw anymore foil away into garbage ever again.”

~Here are some easy replacement ideas~

a. Use a baking sheet on top of dishes that require covering in the oven.

b. Purchase a silicone mat for non-stick baking & roasting

(I also use a silicon mat instead of parchment paper for rolling out gluten-free dough).

c. Use glass bakeware opposed to a baking sheet that requires foil for roasting.

d. Use parchment paper if you need to wrap something up to bake in the oven (like fish). This unbleached parchment paper is the best! And…IT’S COMPOSTABLE!!

Problem: Packaging from meat in the deli

Solution: Glass storage

One day I purchased a pork shoulder from the meat deli at our Coop and I was appalled when I got home, unrolled it, and saw how much paper and plastic waste was from this single (albeit rather large) portion of meat. My next trip to the coop I was equipped with my snap glass and Pyrex storage. It takes some planning, but if you know what you are going to be purchasing it’s not a problem – plus I highly recommend going to the grocery store with a plan and a list. This saves time, energy and money.

I generally have one glass storage for sliced deli meat, one for chicken or turkey breasts and one for ground meat. I am always surprised by how supportive the meat folks are about me bringing my own packaging. It’s so easy…they just put the glass container on the scale, add the meat, and then subtract the weight.

Vegetarians can incorporate this concept when purchasing cheese. Go to your cheese deli and have them slice out what you need into your glass storage. Then it’s home and into the fridge. No more fussing with a half (plastic wrapped) block of cheese.

Other easy tips you can start incorporating into your daily routine.

1. Take reusable bags to the store….every time!

2. If you are going out to eat out, or picking up food to go, take a glass container for your food or leftovers…or else they will hand you your food in the most awful material EVER invented. I cringe at the site of Styrofoam. Why it is still being used is a mystery to me. Okay, so just be prepared – think a few steps ahead. If you are going to Panda Express, just take your own containers.

3. If you are going to use plastic bags for your garbage, use these compostable garbage bags.

4. Take your own utensils from home or keep these in your car/bag

5. Glass straws are so wonderful. And kids love them. Perfect for getting smoothies on the go.

6. Take a travel mug if you are picking up your coffee on the go. Also use for smoothies or other drinks that require a wasteful to-go cup, just bring your own. Again, planning ahead makes these elements so easy to incorporate into your life.

********************

So, okay. There we have it.

We feeling good! We feeling pumped and motivated to get going!

You can do it.

Start small. As a behaviorist, I completely support the process of small approximations toward a larger goal. In fact, it’s the optimal way to create behavior change. So please don’t feel like you have to make huge changes tomorrow. Go at your own pace. Have a goal in mind. Write it down if you must, just know what you are working toward.

Good luck friends!!

Shared on: Healthy Second Wednesday, Pot Luck Party Friday, Healthy 2nd Wednesday

Posted by Amber at 3:59 am

Labels: green living, green living tips organization, how to decrease your kitchen waste.

6 Comments

The Humbled Homemaker April 4, 2012 at 1:03 am
Great ideas!! Thanks for linking up to Healthy 2Day Wednesday….hope to see you back next week!
Reply
Ann Hewitt April 16, 2014 at 1:18 pm
Do you have a suggestion for a ZipLoc alternative for use when freezing food? That’s what stumps me.
Reply
- Amber April 16, 2014 at 5:02 pm
  Glass storage containers! I don’t freeze anything in plastic…containers or bags. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thanks.
  Reply
  - Ann May 4, 2014 at 7:52 pm
    Glass does not seal, so, for the freezer, you have to put the glass inside a larger plastic ZipLoc than you would have had to use if you didn’t use glass. You decrease the plastic in contact with the food, but you increase the plastic in the landfill and you use a lot more freezer space than you would have with flattened ZipLocs.
    
    Any other suggestions for the freezer? The market is wide open for anyone who wants to invent new, safe products for the freezer?
    Reply
    - Amber May 4, 2014 at 7:57 pm
      I purchase lock and lock glass containers at Costco. They are air tight. I use them for freezing meat, fruit, soup, etc.
      
      What are your trying to freeze exactly?
      Reply
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