Repurposed: Grandpa's Tool Caddy

I don't think my grandpa would have ever called himself an environmentalist, but he certainly took a lot of green action steps in 93 years that are still not quite mainstream even today.  He valued frugality like many who lived though the Depression, and this engineer never wasted anything that had the potential to be creatively reused or repurposed.  He recycled, ran a carpool, and grew his own food before it was hip.  He passed these (and many other) values down to his kids and grandkids, which is why we still have a styrofoam ice chest circa 1965 in the basement.*

So I think Grandpa would approve of my finding a new purpose for his mid-century tool caddy as a wine/beer rack in my apartment - especially since he fermented his own wine at one point out of some odd fruit combos.  Perslime or blimone vintage, anyone? 


*Not hyperbole: this ice chest is still in tact, and yes, for some reason we still have it.  Think about that the next time you get takeout - I know I do!

Snack Attack: Parmesan and Walnut Date Delights

This tasty treat is easy to make, and works just as well for a quick snack or fancy hors d' oeuvres for your next soirée.  To my taste buds,  it's the perfect blend of sweet and savory.  Dates are high in minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, and walnuts are a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.  Dates, walnuts and Parmesan cheese are all, however, high in calories.  So my recommendation is to use this treat as a substitute for potato chip and cookie cravings - similar calories, much better nutrients.  For me, a serving is 2-3 dates.  

All you need is:

Dried Dates (I used Medjool)

Parmesan Cheese (can be pre-shredded; I used a block)

Walnuts  (halved)

Step 1. Slit dates lengthwise and remove the pits.  Do not slice all the way through.

Step 2. Stuff dates with cheese and halved walnut.

Step 3. Eat.  Wasn't that easy?

Step 3, Alternative 1: pop the dates into the microwave for about 10 seconds, or until cheese melts.

Step 3, Alternative 2: bake stuffed dates at 400 for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted but before everything is burnt.  (Aren't I helpful?)

I like the baking method best, since the high heat caramelizes the sugar in the dates.  It's worth the extra 3-5 minutes of hunger :)

If you try these, let me know what you think!  Do you have a date recipe to share, like this Classic Date Shake?  And to be clear, I'm talking date, the fruit, not date, the social interaction.  Please comment if you caught that last pop culture reference, and I'll give you a silent nod of approval in return.

Hay is for Horses, Horse Bedding is for Cat Litter

While I've always wanted a pony, the closest I've come so far is buying horse bedding (in the form of wood pellets) for the cat box.  I have to thank my parent's neighbor for this trick; to say she loves animals is an understatement - there is always room for one more cat or horse under her roof.  She has taken in a number of animals that were neglected or outright abused, and have become healthy, happy little critters under her care.  


Thrifty woman that she is, she has been using horse bedding/wood pellets (same kind used for fuel) as cat litter for years.  You can find a number of types of bedding online (like here) or or at any farm supply store for a fraction of the price of your average cat litter.  

This was surprisingly hard to get a photo of - the pellets were NOT being cooperative.

Since horse bedding is designed to break down over time:
1. It's a natural alternative to the standard chemical-ridden litter
2. It lasts longer if you scoop the poop often
3. It smells good!


My cats aren't picky - former street cats don't tend to be choosy - so the switch wasn't a problem.  If your felines are more finicky, you may want to gradually add in the horse bedding with the litter you've been using.  Like all "natural" litters I've tried, the bedding does stick to kitty paws a bit, so I recommend putting a mat down around the box to minimize tracking.  And like most cat litter, you don't want to flush this down the toilet.  For added odor absorption, sprinkle a little baking soda into the mix.

See how happy the kitties are?  

I'm sure it's the litter.  Yes, gratuitous kitty photo...but don't you have prefer this over a shot of them actually using the litter box?  

Shared over at Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Your Green Resource, and Living Green

When a Glass Half-Full is Actually Glass Half-Empty

For those of you planning a romantic restaurant evening tomorrow, remember that water conservation is sexy too: guard your water glass from that overly-thoughtful waiter or waitress who keeps trying to refill your cup.  Do you really need more water?  Notice how much water is left on the vacant tables that will just have to be tossed.  You might get some confused looks, but try to limit the water being poured to water you're actually going to drink.  


If you're on a bad date, you can always make a game out of tallying how many times you have to turn the server away.


Happy Valentine's Day!

When Bad Food Can Be Used for Good

I'm trying to be a better steward of my fridge these days.  The average American wastes over half-a-pound of food every day, and unfortunately, I'm probably pretty average in this respect.  You would think having your own fridge would make things better, but it just means that you have nobody else to blame.  I tend to be a grazer, eating small meals, and boyfriend's odd hours means that I am cooking for myself most of the time with no human garbage disposal on hand.  So all of this leads to wasted food.  I'm working on planning better, but in the meantime, here are three ways I managed to save bad food this week:



1. From The Burlap Bag, I found this easy tutorial on making your own veggie broth using vegetable scraps.   My freezer will soon be full of ice cubes that are not water - I guess I better label to avoid surprises.


2. I was sad to find that my grapefruit had gone bad, but thanks to Pinterest via Apartment Therapy, I learned that I could take that grapefruit, salt it, and clean stuff.  I started with the fridge, and used the other half on counters and floorspace.  It works well, smells good, doesn't involve unnecessary chemicals, and makes me feel better about letting my grapefruit go bad.


3. Lemons are in major production mode right now, so I ended up with quite a collection thanks to my CSA box and a generous coworker.  In order to enjoy their flavor and utility when times are not so bountiful, I zested the rind (which can also be frozen and used later), cut the lemons in half, and squeezed the juice out.  I used a lemon press, but you can also use a fork: stab the fork in the middle of the lemon half and pivot the rind around the fork to get the maximum amount of juice.  I made individual frozen lemon cubes for later use in flavoring tofu, fish, veggie dishes, making custard, and cleaning my apartment.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy (sorry, couldn't resist).

I'm starting this week with a completely clean fridge - we'll see how long that lasts.  Here's to a good week!

Your Workplace Green (Mini) Kitchen

A friend recently asked me for some easy ways to go green in the office, and I think the easiest place to start is in your own cubicle (or desk, or office if you're that cool; just don't brag to the rest of us).  


Spending 8-9-10 hours a day in the office, I generally eat breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack away from home.  Some of my coworkers get by with bringing a sack lunch everyday in neat storage containers, but I am not that organized - and neither is my stomach.  I have a spare drawer that serves as my mini kitchen cupboard.  Here's what I keep in there that makes it easy being green at  work, as illustrated in my cubicle:

1. Reusable mug/cup.  These plastic cups are everywhere, and if you're prone to spilling or have a lot of very important papers on your desk, they're pretty ideal.  Mine is courtesy of my very generous boss, and the whimsical frog mug was made in Thailand.  Whimsy is very important in a cubicle.


2. Tea strainer.  I drink about eight cups of tea at work everyday.  Even reusing a teabag three times still equals a lot of extra packaging every week, so I started keeping looseleaf tea at my desk.


3. Bowl/plate.  These were actually hand-me-downs from my dad's office!  Easier for heating up leftovers, or eating a serving out of a larger container (versus just eating out of the full yogurt container.  It's the little things that let you know you're officially out of college).


4. Forkspoonknife.  Also courtesy of my awesome boss, this is the coolest utensil ever.  The knife has been tested on and conquered a block of mozzarella cheese, and the fork and spoon get the job done (the tines make stabbing a salad a bit tricky, but doable).  Here's one place to buy the Light My Fire Spork.  


5. Travel chopsticks, courtesy boyfriend from a summer trip to Taiwan.  I've learned from him that chopsticks can be used to eat anything, including ice cream and the aforementioned salad.


6.  Sponge and dish towel.  I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me to realize that I was using a lot of paper towels to do my dishes at work.  I used one of those little clippy things to hang up the towel on my cubicle wall.


7. Not pictured: snacks, typically including oatmeal or granola, dried fruit, nuts, and definitely dark chocolate.


Don't work in an office setting?  Consider some of the above items as potential gifts the next time a loved one's birthday rolls around.  It's a great way to encourage green living steps in a positive light (hello, you just gave them a present!  Maybe wrapped like this?)


Next step: I've been hunting down plate sets and utensils at thrift stores to build up a supply for the break room.  I'm hoping to sway my office into ditching the disposables for meetings and events.  Wish me luck!


Shared over at Your Green Resource and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways

Putting the “Community” in Community Supported Agriculture

I chose my current living space with my then-roommate with hopes that it would be a place to experience “community.”  Living in a college town as a young working professional has its challenges, and we both have a value for building relationships with neighbors.  (She even moved away to do an internship related to community development - not because I wasn't a fabulous roommate.  At least, that's what she said.)  


However, this apartment is in a cluster of generally low-income dwellings largely inhabited by young families.  There is a great deal of turnover, and most people keep to themselves.  Not yet having kids or a dog, and spending most of the day at work, my opportunities to interact with the people living around me are limited.  So I spent the first year-and-a-half after college very frustrated with my community living experience.

I finally realized that, since I spend most of my time at work, maybe that was a place to start investing more.  So we started a sustainability committee to look at our use of resources in the office environment, and as a side project, I began to recruit people to try out my CSA group.  Another worker already happened to be a member of that farm, and there are now five of us receiving boxes delivered directly to our office every-other-week.  It’s inspired lots of conversations about food, recipes, granola living, and other things that are not work-related.  It’s awesome.  

If you’d like to start your own group, whether at the office, in your apartment complex, with your playgroup, at your church, check out Local Harvest to find a CSA near you.  If you live in California, Farm Fresh to You will deliver weekly organic nuts and fresh fruit snacks for your whole office!  Now, if they would only add in graham crackers and nap time...


Shared over at Your Green Resource