Being Nice to the Earth in our Kitchens

One of the best places we can make changes in our home that benefit the environment, is in the kitchen.  I don't just mean in the ways everybody immediately thinks of either, like switching out paper towels for dish rags, a recycle bin, or a compost pile.  I'm talking about what you actually use and make in your kitchen and how those choices affect the earth.

You are probablywondering if I am going to go on a spiel about the wonders of Organic farming, and how the idea of "slow" farming and natural fertilization, fields lying fallow, and lack of chemical pesticides is so much better, yadda, yadda, yadda. I've read it, and it does sound wonderful.  I wish I could go completely organic.  But I can't.  It is just way too expensive!  So here are a few quick ideas and recipes to help the average joe cook "green".

So you can't afford to go organic.  That's ok. There is, in my opinion, a far better way to improve the eco-friendliness of your food choices.  As much as possible.  Abide by the slogan "Eat Locally.  Eat Seasonally".  Not only is this better for the earth(your food traveled much less to get to you) it is also good for your local economy and your food is fresher.  There also seems to be a link between what our bodies need at certain times of the year and what the earth provides.  Cold and flu season also seems to be when oranges are in season.  Your lighter fruits and vegetables(strawberries, lettuce, asparagus) are in season in the spring, while your heavier ones(squash, potatoes) come in the fall.  Use the guide on the right to see what is in season, and then try to plan your meals accordingly.

To eat locally, try and do your produce shopping at a local farmer's market or sign up for a weekly share in a CSA.  If you live in a part of the country where produce doesn't grow readily (like where I grew up) and there is no farmer's market or roadside produce stand close by, try to find the produce in your grocery store that is farmed in the US, or as close as possible. You can also grow your own. If you live in a place that doesn't grow well, try a planter garden.  If you live in an apartment complex or some place where even that is impossible, try a small indoor herb garden, or hanging tomato/strawberry plant.

The other way you can go greener in your food preparation is designating one dinner a week as "meatless".  I try to have 2-3 meatless dinners every week, just because it is so nice on my grocery budget.  Here are some of our favorite recipes for those nights.

Cheese Fondue
Black Bean Burritos (I add diced tomatoes and taco seasoning to my rice)
Waffles
Cheese Potato Soup
Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce
Tomato Basil Soup(I add cheese tortellini to this recipe)

So what do you say?  Willing to make a change for a healthier you and a healthier earth?

Going Green: My Limits Part 2

Remember when Cheryl Crow remarked that we should try to use just one square of toilet paper to be more eco-friendly?  Well, some people don't use any toilet paper at all.  Those cloth baby wipes are for everyone in the house.  I guess if you are willing to do it for an infant, then it isn't much different for an adult.  But for me...it just isn't happening.

As I have read about this though, people really seem to love it as they feel they get cleaner with cloth. Hmmmm.  Something to think about.  Another comment I heard was that you should really have these for emergency preparedness.

I think that is a good point.  Instead of stockpiling disposables, just having a nice little storage of cloths wipes, diaper, and yes, even pads, would be a life saver if there was ever some sort of emergency that left you either stranded in your house, or left grocery stores unstocked.  So just a thought for you!

Going Green: My Limits

I really do enjoy finding ways to "go green".  However, I have my limits.  In honor of Earth Day coming up in a week, I though it would be fun to count down some of the grosser or more ridiculous things that may be eco-friendly, but are totally off-limits!

Limit #1

I am all for cloth.  Cloth diapers, rags instead of paper towels, cloth nursing pads, heck even cloth wipes.

However...this just isn't going to happen.  There are only some things that I am willing to reuse.  Feminine hygiene products are not on that list.

However, I did see an interesting charity where you can buy cloth pads for a girl in Africa.  This enables her to be able to still go to school even when she is menstruating.  Which is a really good idea...but I think I just added disposable pads to my list of reasons I love being a woman in America.

Earth-Friendly Mothering

This Friday is Earth Day. I think it would be great if we all decided to try and do one thing to be a little more eco-friendly in our homes. Not only can you feel good about going "green", but a lot of times an eco-friendly change can also save money! Here are some ideas.

Switch from Paper towels to dish rags
Make one dinner a week a meatless meal
Wash two loads of laundry a week on cold
Try hanging your laundry to dry
Make an exerted effort to turn off the lights when you leave a room

Buya few reusable grocery bags
Buy a good water bootle and give up bottled water
Plant a garden
Bring some plants into your home
Look into homemade cleaning products using lemons, vinegar, baking soda, etc.
Unplug chargers when not in use
Plug all of your electronics into a power strip and then turn it off each night when you go to bed to reduce phantom energy drain

Need more ideas? I really like the website eartheasy.com It has some great ways to go green, that aren't totally crazy, as well as helping you get started on things like composting, eco-friendly yard maintenance, etc.


I personally really need to work on shutting off the lights (speaking of which I should go turn off the lights in the kitchen right now), I also want to try and put a plant in every room of the house.

Leave a comment below to share what you are going to try!