my Zero Waste Week

Our family is on the home stretch of Zero Waste Week (based in the UK, but is spreading, hopefully), and I'm coming to realize that it's not that much different than how we typically live. WHEW! 'Cause I was stressin' just a bit when I signed the contract. The theme of this year's week-long event is "Use it up!" The focus is on eliminating food waste. Like all good rebels, I'm not following it exactly, but I'm coming close, and I'm learning a lot about how I can make changes to improve, which is valuable. We're in the research stage of composting, so that's out, for now, but I can say that we haven't wasted one bit of food in very many days. I'm more conscious of it this week, but it's not that hard. We're not food wasters...anymore. Ask me a couple of years ago, and it was downright shameful, the leftovers that went down the tubes. And I didn't even think it was shameful. But I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I am far from the best I can be, but I learn and work to do more every day! Anything that sticks is a long, slow, process, in my opinion.

I digress.

Zero Waste Week is about truly having no waste. Don't you know there are children starving in Africa? Rachel is at the helm, and she's awesome, yet extreme. When she says zero, she means zero. Thank goodness she's, like, nine hours ahead, so it gives me time to catch up. Rachel means for us to cut the mold off of our bread and cheese, and possibly cure our expired meat or find use for that curdled milk. That is super admirable, and I'd like to say I'd be willing to do it, but, thanks to my two strapping, growing, piggish boys, nothing lasts that long. And since I'm borderline vegan, I don't have to worry about eating rotten meat. So I guess I'm getting off easy. What I am doing differently is paying attention to every scrap, however not moldy or rotten.

So what have I done this week to make extra sure we're not wasting? Check it out:

• I'm ultra-conscious of what our tortoise, Fluffy, can eat. If I asked him, he'd eat us out of house and home. But since I'm not asking him, he's getting the greens off the top of our strawberries and the stems from our lettuce, which he enjoys. I actually made Big dig a strawberry stem out of the sink that he flippantly tossed aside. Doin' my part.

• Using all of my "ingredients" for lunch. Rachel wants us to eliminate the word "leftovers" from our vocabulary and replace it with the "ingredients." Since I work from home, I almost always make myself something to eat for my mid-day meal. Only I don't have time to make a complicated feast, so preparation has to be simple. I enjoy salads, and they are great for using up small bits of leftovers ingredients. I toss in beans, soyrizo from breakfast, roasted veggies, a scoop of quinoa or farro–whatever is around! I never have the same salad twice. This week I made extra sure to use every ingredient in the fridge. And when I ran out of lettuce and couldn't have a salad (boo!), I made pasta instead. I didn't have any sauce and didn't have time to make any, so I tossed in some Earth Balance (vegan butter substitute), some natural garlic salt, and some veggies. It was actually pretty good!

• I packed the kids "snackin' lunches." In a special effort to use up everything we had in the fridge before purchasing more, the kids got a couple of "snackin' lunches," which meant that instead of a main dish and some sides, they got a bunch of sides and small amounts of things. They found it to be a fun adventure and, though they have this lunch about once a week regularly, the haphazard, not-exactly-balanced odd combination of things that appeared in their bento boxes this week added an extra element of excitement and surprise. Pickles and sunflower seed butter go nicely together, don't they?

• I consumed "ingredients" left behind by the littles. We all know that the calories we consume by nibbling on the kid fare that is left behind don't count, so I took full advantage this week. It worked out okay. I like bread crusts and cracker crumbs...yeah. It only backfired on me once when I drank the nutrition shake they didn't like. I forgot that I put some dairy milk in it, and it didn't agree with me so well. Sigh. Live and learn. Nothing was wasted!

• I made croutons! I always keep our heels of bread in the fridge with the best intentions to make croutons. Sometimes I actually get around to it, but sometimes not. This week, I made them! I just cut the bread into squares, tossed them in olive oil and a seasoning blend that sounded good, and popped them in the oven until they turned golden and crunchy. Delish. I have enjoyed them in my salads, and the littles have taken them to school for snacks.

I was introduced to Zero Waste Week by Small Footprints when she spotted my post on the day I purged the fridge. My recipe was subsequently adored (goodie) and posted by Rachel on the Zero Waste Week recipe section of the Web site. In my quest to eliminate food waste in our home, I've accidentally discovered some real recipe gems...now if only I can remember them. The only disadvantage to using up all the bits of food is that when you make something worthy of being a featured special at The French Laundry, it's tough to re-create. First world problems.

Even if you missed this year's Zero Waste Week, you can still check out the Web site for some fantastic tips that will help you make lifestyle changes toward becoming less wasteful. And be sure to sign up for next year's Zero Waste Week!

In the meantime, I'd love to hear the tricks you employ to be less wasteful.

are animals food? last night's dinner conversation

We eat meat very rarely in our house. I'm borderline vegan, but I do make meat for the kids a couple of times a week. They can make their own choices when they are older and understand all of the information before them. I let them know why I don't eat meat, and I tell them why people do. I never criticize them for eating it or tell them it's bad, but I don't serve it frequently, either. Last night for dinner, I made the kids some cod and veggies. They had the greatest conversation with no intervention on my part. (In case you're new to my family, my son, B, is sixteen. My son, Porter, is six, and my daughter, Campbell, is four.)

Campbell: So, this is fish, but not the kind that swims. That would be hilarious!

Porter: Um. Yes it is, Cam. What kind of fish did you think? Fake fish?

Campbell: So, am I actually eating an animal right now?

The boys: Yup.

Campbell: And they squeeeeeeeeze the eyeballs out so it tastes good?

B: Well, that's one way to put it.

Campbell: One time, I want to try eating fake animals, because I don't like eating real animals.

B: You kind-of have. Didn't you eat at McDonald's?

Campbell: Oh, yeah! That's not real food!

Exactly.

natural pet care: keep your eyes peeled on Hybrid Rasta Mama!

When I heard that Hybrid Rasta Mama was looking for a writer to contribute posts about natural pet care, I had a feeling it would be right up my alley. So while I acted all cool on the outside, on the inside, I was stretching my hand in the air screaming "pick me! Pick me!" Well, guess what? She picked me!

I'm super excited and honored to be starting as a contributor on Hybrid Rasta Mama. Our ideas align in so many ways. She's a wealth of knowledge that I know I will benefit from (and of course pass along to you). The Hybrid Rasta Mama blog is all about "conscious parenting, natural living, holistic health, real foods, and more."

I'm just tickled to be helping her add a natural pet care facet to her amazing body of work. Please check out her site, especially on the second Wednesday of each month when I'll be featured. Come visit me there!

the day I purged the fridge: mixed bean and quinoa hodgepodge

I'll throw a disclaimer out right away: I'm not a chef. I'm not a food photographer. This is not turning into a food blog. What this is is a yummy recipe-ish concoction that I threw together one day with stuff left over in the fridge, and it has become a staple in our house. It's animal-friendly (vegan) in the way that it doesn't use them, and it's a complete meal. Plus, it's flexible and easy, so if you're a not-chef, like me, you can swing it. Here goes...

mixed bean and quinoa hodgepodge

serves any number of people over any number of days, depending on how much you want to eat

stuff you need (all approximate)

• 1 cup quinoa

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 1 lb organic green beans

• 1 lb/1 can dark kidney beans

• 1 lb/1 can garbanzo beans

• 1/2 pound cooked lentils

• 3/4 cup Italian-ish dressing of your choice (You can make your own, or I like Trader Joe's or Annie's Naturals Tuscan Italian varieties.)

what you do with that stuff

Cook the quinoa in the vegetable broth (you can also use water, but vegetable broth will provide more flavor, plus, it's easy to make), covered, until the liquid is absorbed (15-20 minutes), then cool.

Discard the ends of the green beans and snap each bean into thirds. Steam slightly in a steamer basket or blanch (you still want them to be crunchy), then cool.

Cook the beans, unless you're using cans (I usually use organic canned beans for convenience). Feel free to substitute any type of bean you like.

Cook the lentils, if necessary (I LOVE the packaged lentils at Trader Joe's...you can find them in the veggie section. Much easier.)

Once everything has cooled, stir all ingredients together in large mixing bowl.

Feel free to play with the proportions to suit your dietary, taste, or texture preferences.  It keeps nicely in the fridge, so I make this big batch so I can have something to easily grab for lunches over several days. It's quite filling! The rest of my family loves this as a side dish. I sometimes eat it as-is, but I often use it as my base and add different combinations of things I have around. Some of my favorite additions:

• avocado and beets

• pecans and raisins

• almonds and apples

• over a bed of your favorite cooked greens

• over your favorite lettuce

• with a side of roasted fennel (another of my staples)

I probably would have fallen of the vegan wagon a lot more often had I not been able to reach for this nutritionally-balanced quick meal, so I'm sure to have some on hand about every-other week so that I can just grab a scoop when I'm ravenous.

my new bible: The Kind Diet

A few months ago, I borrowed Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet from the library, and once I hit the maximum number of renewals allowed, I hung onto the book and paid the overdue fees until a purchased copy was delivered to my doorstep. I couldn't be without it. As an aspiring vegan for reasons of health, animal protection, environmental preservation, and, well, hell, the love of a good challenge, I find myself turning to The Kind Diet on a daily basis. Silverstone's book provides coaching, inspiration, and damn good recipes, all free of judgement.

The first half of the book shares Silverstone's opinions and research about why being vegan is a good choice and how it makes her feel. It is often funny. It's thought-provoking and approachable, as if you're chatting on the couch with a girlfriend. I mean, she talks about farts. Good stuff. She discusses the benefits of particular foods and coaches the why and how of making a transition to a vegan lifestyle. I've called myself a flexitarian because I'm making mostly vegan choices but still can't tear myself away from an occasional juicy burger. Since being a vegan can seem extreme and the lifestyle has it's share of critics, it's helpful that Silverstone outlines three levels of vegans, and how to qualify: "flirting," "going vegan," and "becoming a superhero." There's something for everyone!

The second half of the book is full of delicious recipes. Silverstone has introduced me to some new ingredients I never knew existed, which is really exciting. Some of the recipes are quick and simple and have become staples for my family, such as "Christopher's Cauliflower Steaks." Some are definitely more time-consuming and labor-intensive, but since Silverstone talks a lot about experiencing the joy and sensuality of cooking, this makes sense. I have to plan ahead a bit more for these recipes, but they are worth it.

I've implemented many of the basic tips from The Kind Diet and am working my way through the recipes in the book as a huge part of my journey toward becoming vegan. Plus, it's a fun read. Everything about it is kind. To learn more about The Kind Diet and the vegan way of life, check out Silverstone's Web site, The Kind Life.