So it kind of doesn't make sense to be posting about this on a goddamn blog, right? But here's where I make the cut- the point of this blog isn't to revert back to living in the dark ages, it's to learn to work with technology while treating the rest of the world with respect. Excessiveness is just that- something extra, something we can do without. For example, not only is it lazy and mindless, but I really don't need to watch 5 episodes of Full House on TV today, especially not 'just because it's on'. Besides, I've got friggin' burgers to make, people!
Sometimes I fear that I'm really growing stupider with each hour I waste in front of the TV. It's worse than waking up after a night of heavy smoking. It's a "whoa, I can feel the braincells dying" kind of alert in my head. I wonder if other people feel the same. So why do I do it? Because it's there, which is barely a reason; it's an excuse.
Still, my new outlook is this- the improvements made on 'the way things were' are there for my convenience only. It's like this whole new deal with food- sure, I can buy 4 boxes of veggie burgers a month, but unless I really need the ease of pre-packaged foods, I don't mind taking 15 minutes to make my own. So, yeah, I could watch that re-run of Seinfeld, but I've got pre-packaged foods to replace, walks to take, friends at camp to write to. What's the difference? The TV will be there when I'm finished.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
Today- Cancel catalog subscriptions; Get lost in grocery
Eliminate Paper Waste-
I haven't a clue why, but my mother seems to like to save up all the catalogs we receive through the mail. She holds onto them with almost a religious fashion, every so often sorting through them and keeping the ones she thinks are "pretty", which is nearly all of them. The only ones she doesn't like keeping at all the hardware and tool catalogs companies send my dad. She throws those out immediately.
Due to this, we have enough catalogs to papier-mache the pentagon. That's a lot of wasted paper. Recycling one ton of paper will save about 6.7 cubic feet of landfill space, and as paper waste now accounts for nearly 40% of all landfill space, recycling paper instead of throwing it away would double the lives of landfills. Not only that, but it also helps the environment by avoiding production of more paper. Every ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 462 gallons of oil, and also saves some pollution made by paper manufacturing plants. (go here for more facts- http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/michigan/mich-fs4.html)
At the moment, I regularly receive the catalogs of about 7 companies. I do love the clothing that these companies have to offer, but I've decided to call them and ask to be taken off their mailing lists. I'm sure they have a way to end subscriptions- teens grow up, they move away; what 75 year old woman wants to look at an Urban Outfitters catalog?- so hopefully, calling them will work.
This is also very practical because I'm on many of the catalog's online newsletter lists, which means I receive the same information via e-mail every week (or every day, the spammers). This is a definite plus to technology- you don't have to waste paper on their gigantic catalogs when it's made available online! Junk e-mail doesn't clog landfills, no matter how obnoxious it is.
Today's other goal is to put my grocery list (*shudder*) to work for me when we go shopping this afternoon. Wish me luck on my pilot mission!
I haven't a clue why, but my mother seems to like to save up all the catalogs we receive through the mail. She holds onto them with almost a religious fashion, every so often sorting through them and keeping the ones she thinks are "pretty", which is nearly all of them. The only ones she doesn't like keeping at all the hardware and tool catalogs companies send my dad. She throws those out immediately.
Due to this, we have enough catalogs to papier-mache the pentagon. That's a lot of wasted paper. Recycling one ton of paper will save about 6.7 cubic feet of landfill space, and as paper waste now accounts for nearly 40% of all landfill space, recycling paper instead of throwing it away would double the lives of landfills. Not only that, but it also helps the environment by avoiding production of more paper. Every ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 462 gallons of oil, and also saves some pollution made by paper manufacturing plants. (go here for more facts- http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/michigan/mich-fs4.html)
At the moment, I regularly receive the catalogs of about 7 companies. I do love the clothing that these companies have to offer, but I've decided to call them and ask to be taken off their mailing lists. I'm sure they have a way to end subscriptions- teens grow up, they move away; what 75 year old woman wants to look at an Urban Outfitters catalog?- so hopefully, calling them will work.
This is also very practical because I'm on many of the catalog's online newsletter lists, which means I receive the same information via e-mail every week (or every day, the spammers). This is a definite plus to technology- you don't have to waste paper on their gigantic catalogs when it's made available online! Junk e-mail doesn't clog landfills, no matter how obnoxious it is.
Today's other goal is to put my grocery list (*shudder*) to work for me when we go shopping this afternoon. Wish me luck on my pilot mission!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Today- The Supermarket Fandango!
I never use a grocery list. I hate it- I feel like an old lady. I love the grocery; I love being at the grocery. I hate "the grocery list". But now, apparently, I must make one. It's confusing and it's hurting my brain- how do you adults do this properly? Organize by aisle? Are you kidding me?- but it's for a good cause.
The goal of this grocery list is to help me abstain from excessive packaging, GMO filled foods, and go for as much local and/or sustainedly grown foods as possible. With that in mind, the emphasis is on bulk foods, in season produce, using my own reusable packages when I can, and only buying as much as I know I will eat within the 2 weeks. This may mean an extra trip to the store, but as at least one member of the family passes through town everyday, it would be more of a stop, if needed at all.
By the way, the first venture on making my own equivalent to my favorite packaged foods has been settled. I've decided to try 'Big Ben's Lentil Burgers' recipe from "How it all vegan!" (excellent cookbook) to wean me off those damn fine Boca burgers. But you know what they say- you can't beat home-cooked! Here's the slightly tweaked recipe, meeting my own 'Delicious' standards-
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups cooked or canned lentils
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 cup diced onions
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1+ tbsp oil
1+ tbsp braggs*
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2+ tsp pepper (to taste)
First, set aside about an 1/8 cup of the wheat germ for coating the patties. You may first want to mash about 1/2- 1 cup of the lentils before mixing the ingredients. Then combine the remaining wheat germ, all of the lentils, bread crumbs, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Incorporate the wet ingredients and spices; you may need to add more oil or braggs to help the patties stay together. Coat the surface of each patty in the extra wheat germ. Cook the burgers on a lightly oiled frying pan over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, flipping occasionally.
I just hope they freeze well!
*Braggs is the brand name for bottled liquid amino acids, which is a very awesome flavoring agent much like soy sauce and often used in vegan cooking. You could also use a steak or wocestshire sauce.
The goal of this grocery list is to help me abstain from excessive packaging, GMO filled foods, and go for as much local and/or sustainedly grown foods as possible. With that in mind, the emphasis is on bulk foods, in season produce, using my own reusable packages when I can, and only buying as much as I know I will eat within the 2 weeks. This may mean an extra trip to the store, but as at least one member of the family passes through town everyday, it would be more of a stop, if needed at all.
By the way, the first venture on making my own equivalent to my favorite packaged foods has been settled. I've decided to try 'Big Ben's Lentil Burgers' recipe from "How it all vegan!" (excellent cookbook) to wean me off those damn fine Boca burgers. But you know what they say- you can't beat home-cooked! Here's the slightly tweaked recipe, meeting my own 'Delicious' standards-
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups cooked or canned lentils
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 cup diced onions
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1+ tbsp oil
1+ tbsp braggs*
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2+ tsp pepper (to taste)
First, set aside about an 1/8 cup of the wheat germ for coating the patties. You may first want to mash about 1/2- 1 cup of the lentils before mixing the ingredients. Then combine the remaining wheat germ, all of the lentils, bread crumbs, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Incorporate the wet ingredients and spices; you may need to add more oil or braggs to help the patties stay together. Coat the surface of each patty in the extra wheat germ. Cook the burgers on a lightly oiled frying pan over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, flipping occasionally.
I just hope they freeze well!
*Braggs is the brand name for bottled liquid amino acids, which is a very awesome flavoring agent much like soy sauce and often used in vegan cooking. You could also use a steak or wocestshire sauce.
Today- Figure out how to make a burger/Wishing I was a autotroph
Well, it would be easier if I ate meat, really. But I don't. Substantial evidence supports the view that being vegan is extremely environmentally friendly, so I don't plan on changing my eating habits to fit in convenience in this case. In fact, it seems that my general eating habits are going to become even harder to deal with, at least from my family's point of view.
Veganism, if you don't already know, is a form of strict vegetarianism that strives to live a completely animal-free lifestyle, which means that on top of meat, vegans don't consume dairy, eggs, honey, or any animal derivative. This does make things hard at times, from a consumer prospective, but if you haven't guessed, this post is all about things being in the eye of the beholder.
If you consider that more food and water is needed to feed animals used for an omnivore's diet vrs. that of an herbivore, that equates to a less globally wasteful lifestyle. On the other hand, I support local business, and I live in Maine, so things like fresh, locally caught seafood and locally hunted meats are easily available. It may make more sense to eat local meats than imported soybeans.
This is only brushing the conflicting issues I have, but with that said and slightly covered, I'll say that I'm choosing to remain a vegan. For more information about veganism and vegetarianism, visit Peta.com or, my favorite, Peta2.com.
Now I need to learn how to make a vegan burger in the most sustainable way possible, which means from now on, I will forgo purchasing Boca burgers unless I really need the convenience. I'm doing this to cut down on unnecessary packaging. See, I LOVE Boca burgers, love them, and I eat about a package a week, which is 4 burgers. We go grocery shopping every two weeks, which means I must buy two packages every shopping trip. The packaging consists of a cardboard container and sealed plastic individually wrapping each patty. I buy them all year round, which means: 52+ packages. So now, I will make burgers and freeze them myself, keeping them in an airtight, tupperware case.
Along with this attempt at saving packaging, I'm also forgoing buying my favorite brand of tofu- Nasoya- and buying it all at the health food store The Rising Tide, which carries tofu in bulk and allows customers to use their own storage containers from home.
As grocery day is tomorrow, I've got to find the easiest, tastiest burger recipe I can tonight, one which preferably uses proteins I can buy in bulk and/or locally, meaning dried beans and such. Hopefully, I can deter my mother from stuffing the Boca burgers in the cart. She lived on a commune in her youth; most of her braincells are gone.
Veganism, if you don't already know, is a form of strict vegetarianism that strives to live a completely animal-free lifestyle, which means that on top of meat, vegans don't consume dairy, eggs, honey, or any animal derivative. This does make things hard at times, from a consumer prospective, but if you haven't guessed, this post is all about things being in the eye of the beholder.
If you consider that more food and water is needed to feed animals used for an omnivore's diet vrs. that of an herbivore, that equates to a less globally wasteful lifestyle. On the other hand, I support local business, and I live in Maine, so things like fresh, locally caught seafood and locally hunted meats are easily available. It may make more sense to eat local meats than imported soybeans.
This is only brushing the conflicting issues I have, but with that said and slightly covered, I'll say that I'm choosing to remain a vegan. For more information about veganism and vegetarianism, visit Peta.com or, my favorite, Peta2.com.
Now I need to learn how to make a vegan burger in the most sustainable way possible, which means from now on, I will forgo purchasing Boca burgers unless I really need the convenience. I'm doing this to cut down on unnecessary packaging. See, I LOVE Boca burgers, love them, and I eat about a package a week, which is 4 burgers. We go grocery shopping every two weeks, which means I must buy two packages every shopping trip. The packaging consists of a cardboard container and sealed plastic individually wrapping each patty. I buy them all year round, which means: 52+ packages. So now, I will make burgers and freeze them myself, keeping them in an airtight, tupperware case.
Along with this attempt at saving packaging, I'm also forgoing buying my favorite brand of tofu- Nasoya- and buying it all at the health food store The Rising Tide, which carries tofu in bulk and allows customers to use their own storage containers from home.
As grocery day is tomorrow, I've got to find the easiest, tastiest burger recipe I can tonight, one which preferably uses proteins I can buy in bulk and/or locally, meaning dried beans and such. Hopefully, I can deter my mother from stuffing the Boca burgers in the cart. She lived on a commune in her youth; most of her braincells are gone.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Feedback and Update
First off, I've changed the blog settings to allow comments from anyone... so post anything, even if you disagree. Show me that you're thinking! Second, thanks for the tips I've received. One clever lady on the Freeganworld rise up list gave me a tip about wasting less water during my shower, specifically because I was having so much trouble with my long hair and washing it. She said that she turns off the water during the lather and then turns it back on during the rinse, and so on. Funny, I actually hadn't even thought about that, but it makes so much since- just like washing your hands, or brushing your teeth. Strange how the obvious escapes you.
If anyone has any tips on reducing my purchases of packaged goods, please tell me. Also, I can't seem to find a good list of companies that pledge not to use genetically modified food (no-GMO's), and often, they aren't clearly labeled. If anyone can either help me compile a satisfying list, or give me a heads up about companies and brand names that GMO products are marketed under, please let me know. When I get a good list or some good information, I'll post it all, so it'll be easy to find.
Thanks
-Kindra FM.
PS- it should be noted that although I'm vegan, I'd like information on any and all food products with a no-GMO pledge. I live with two omnivores, who are getting dragged along in this charade.
If anyone has any tips on reducing my purchases of packaged goods, please tell me. Also, I can't seem to find a good list of companies that pledge not to use genetically modified food (no-GMO's), and often, they aren't clearly labeled. If anyone can either help me compile a satisfying list, or give me a heads up about companies and brand names that GMO products are marketed under, please let me know. When I get a good list or some good information, I'll post it all, so it'll be easy to find.
Thanks
-Kindra FM.
PS- it should be noted that although I'm vegan, I'd like information on any and all food products with a no-GMO pledge. I live with two omnivores, who are getting dragged along in this charade.
Today-Get rid of unnecessary food purchases
My family is small right now- it's just my parents and me. Since my brothers moved out years ago, we should no longer have to stock our kitchen like we are feeding the small army that is two teenage boys. So, why do we continue to do so?
This morning alone, while I was looking for cocoa powder to add to my coffee, I counted 9 cans of red kidney beans. Okay, I know we're Mexican, but who the hell needs 9 cans of red kidney beans? Worse still, I think some of them have been there for months, so it's not as though they're in popular demand. Is there something I don't know? Are we saving for a nuclear holocaust? We don't even have dog food, but we have 9 cans of red kidney beans. And 3 cans of green beans, 2 cans of potatoes, 4 cans of corn, 2 cans of garbanzo beans, 7 cans of diced or crushed or stewed tomatoes, 4 cans (in varying sizes) of tomato paste, 1 gigantic can of pears that takes up half the shelf, 2 cans of peaches in heavy syrup, 1 can bamboo shoots, 1 can water chestnuts, 2 cans of peas, and 2 cans dark red kidney beans.
?????????????????????!
?????????????????????!!!
There aren't even words...
Remember, this is just the canned section of our virtual grocery store of a kitchen. I'll spare you the details of our fridge and our dry goods cabinets (does anyone even eat Wheatabix anymore?), but they're just the same or worse. So before I weed out the food matter that isn't sustainable and limit the amount of foods here that are packaged or processed, I guess I have to get rid of all the junk that nobody uses anyway. I mean, I'm vegan, leaving two meat eaters, one of whom can't have red meat. Why do we have 6 lbs of frozen beef patties sitting in our freezer, right next to my Soy Delicious Chocolate Obsession? It makes no sense. We make no sense. I'm tired of watching good food go to waste, especially because I don't believe in even purchasing food anymore.
Check out the link on the sidebar that says Freegan.info. It gives you lists and links of statistics info that may change the way you think about grocery shopping, and hopefully will make you less inclined to waste food like us.
Take only as you need; give as much as you can.
This morning alone, while I was looking for cocoa powder to add to my coffee, I counted 9 cans of red kidney beans. Okay, I know we're Mexican, but who the hell needs 9 cans of red kidney beans? Worse still, I think some of them have been there for months, so it's not as though they're in popular demand. Is there something I don't know? Are we saving for a nuclear holocaust? We don't even have dog food, but we have 9 cans of red kidney beans. And 3 cans of green beans, 2 cans of potatoes, 4 cans of corn, 2 cans of garbanzo beans, 7 cans of diced or crushed or stewed tomatoes, 4 cans (in varying sizes) of tomato paste, 1 gigantic can of pears that takes up half the shelf, 2 cans of peaches in heavy syrup, 1 can bamboo shoots, 1 can water chestnuts, 2 cans of peas, and 2 cans dark red kidney beans.
?????????????????????!
?????????????????????!!!
There aren't even words...
Remember, this is just the canned section of our virtual grocery store of a kitchen. I'll spare you the details of our fridge and our dry goods cabinets (does anyone even eat Wheatabix anymore?), but they're just the same or worse. So before I weed out the food matter that isn't sustainable and limit the amount of foods here that are packaged or processed, I guess I have to get rid of all the junk that nobody uses anyway. I mean, I'm vegan, leaving two meat eaters, one of whom can't have red meat. Why do we have 6 lbs of frozen beef patties sitting in our freezer, right next to my Soy Delicious Chocolate Obsession? It makes no sense. We make no sense. I'm tired of watching good food go to waste, especially because I don't believe in even purchasing food anymore.
Check out the link on the sidebar that says Freegan.info. It gives you lists and links of statistics info that may change the way you think about grocery shopping, and hopefully will make you less inclined to waste food like us.
Take only as you need; give as much as you can.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Today- Reduce shower time
Okay, I know it sounds a bit crazy, but I spend about 25-30 minutes in the shower, daily.
Oh god, I can't believe that number.
According to the Earth Day Footprint Quiz site, I can reduce my ecological footprint .5 acres by merely spending ten minutes less in the shower each morning. Spending less time in the shower also means that I am saving more water and reducing our electric heating bill. Every minute that it's in use, a standard shower head uses 5-7 gallons of water- which means that I use at least 125 every time I take a shower. Trust me, I know it's vain, wasteful, and completely unnecessary. Now I'm proof that if people know the facts, they're more inclined to take action. (http://www.loudoun.gov/water/tips2.htm) By only spending 15 minutes in the shower instead of 30, I save between 75 and 105 gallons of water a day. Crazy, right?
The shower head can also make a difference. "Low-Flow" shower heads and faucets are available. They are a specially designed, more eco-friendly shower head produced by several different companies. Depending on the brand or the style, they use up to 50% less water, and cost between about 5 and 50 dollars. It's amazing the positive environmental impact simply switching your shower head can make. To find out more about Low Flow shower heads and faucets, I recommend this site: http://eartheasy.com/live_lowflow_aerators.htm
So today, I've decided to get my hair cut. Short. Do you know how long I spend "primping" each morning? Since my beloved long, brown locks are now dry and a bit like electrical wires due to all that "primping", making myself look halfway decent takes forever. And a lot of styling tools. Hopefully, cutting my awful hair will reduce that time by half. This also means, aside from completely conceited reasons, that less time will be spent with a straightener or curler plugged in, the shower or faucet running, and aerosol spray cans issuing vapors into our ozone layer. And that, my friends, makes my hair appointment a worthy cause.
Plus, it's just bloody ridiculous- why spend so much time doing my hair? What am I thinking?
Oh god, I can't believe that number.
According to the Earth Day Footprint Quiz site, I can reduce my ecological footprint .5 acres by merely spending ten minutes less in the shower each morning. Spending less time in the shower also means that I am saving more water and reducing our electric heating bill. Every minute that it's in use, a standard shower head uses 5-7 gallons of water- which means that I use at least 125 every time I take a shower. Trust me, I know it's vain, wasteful, and completely unnecessary. Now I'm proof that if people know the facts, they're more inclined to take action. (http://www.loudoun.gov/water/tips2.htm) By only spending 15 minutes in the shower instead of 30, I save between 75 and 105 gallons of water a day. Crazy, right?
The shower head can also make a difference. "Low-Flow" shower heads and faucets are available. They are a specially designed, more eco-friendly shower head produced by several different companies. Depending on the brand or the style, they use up to 50% less water, and cost between about 5 and 50 dollars. It's amazing the positive environmental impact simply switching your shower head can make. To find out more about Low Flow shower heads and faucets, I recommend this site: http://eartheasy.com/live_lowflow_aerators.htm
So today, I've decided to get my hair cut. Short. Do you know how long I spend "primping" each morning? Since my beloved long, brown locks are now dry and a bit like electrical wires due to all that "primping", making myself look halfway decent takes forever. And a lot of styling tools. Hopefully, cutting my awful hair will reduce that time by half. This also means, aside from completely conceited reasons, that less time will be spent with a straightener or curler plugged in, the shower or faucet running, and aerosol spray cans issuing vapors into our ozone layer. And that, my friends, makes my hair appointment a worthy cause.
Plus, it's just bloody ridiculous- why spend so much time doing my hair? What am I thinking?
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