Bailee Bee! – Page 4 – A Sustainable Family Blog

Cooking with Food Waste (Fall)

Reducing food waste is a skill, and practicing this skill changes with the seasons. Cooking in our house looks a lot different now than it did a few months ago. Here are some ways I recently used food that would otherwise have been wasted.

Low Waste Trick or Treat Gifts

In America, most households give candy to trick or treaters. While that’s fun, it is not the healthiest choice for children’s bodies or teeth, and food-based treats can feel alienating for children with various food allergies. Candies often lead to litter when kids don’t take care to dispose of the wrappers properly, and while candy seems harmless enough, most popular candy options have been linked to terrible environmental and social issues such as child labor, forced labor, and rainforest deforestation. So today we’ll be focusing on some fun but unconventional trick or treat gifts that are also gentle on the planet.

20+ Low Waste Sweet Snacks

Kids are back at school and days are busier than ever. On hectic days, having easy snacks on hand is essential to avoiding drive throughs and vending machines. Snacks can be savory, sweet, salty, or whatever craving you may have. In no particular order, here are 20+ sweet snacks that are low waste, vegan, and portable for wherever life takes you.

Preserving Food (Early Fall)

For the past few weeks I’ve been gathering from my garden, foraging near my home, and frequenting local farms. I’ve collected plenty of raspberries, sweet corn, tomatoes, jalapeños, herbs, red and green cabbage, and apples. I’ve preserved these foods using a variety of different methods: keeping some foods as individual ingredients and integrating others into entrees, sauces, and sides. Here are some ways I’ve been preserving food recently.

20+ Low Waste Savory Snacks

Kids are back at school and days are busier than ever. On hectic days, having easy snacks on hand is essential to avoiding drive throughs and vending machines. Snacks can be savory, sweet, salty, or whatever craving you may have. In no particular order, here are 20+ savory snacks that are low waste, vegan, and portable for wherever life takes you.

I Let the Zucchinis Go To Waste

The past month was a difficult one for me. There was loss and unexpected death in the community around me, and I had my second miscarriage. I had to process the physical and emotional ramifications of my loss. My energy was needed to heal, and because of that the housework, cooking, and general activities shifted to reflect it.

Impromptu Party Platter

The other day my brother came to visit. It was so hot, I really didn’t feel like cooking much at all. I looked in the fridge for something to serve everyone. It seemed pretty empty, but I got creative and came up with a satisfying platter to serve kids and adults alike.

CSA Sample Meal Plan (Mid Summer)

This week my CSA share came with 1 tromboncino squash (a new to me vegetable), 2 eggplants, 1 basket of cherry tomatoes, several potatoes, several pounds of peaches, a half pound of mushrooms, 4 cups of basil, several bell peppers, 1 pound of tomatillos, 1 cantaloupe, and several large onions. In addition to this, I also picked about ten pounds of tomatoes and 2 pounds of raspberries at a local farm, and I harvested a few cups of chokecherries from some trees in my yard and 2 zucchinis from my garden. This is how I made sure all of the produce got used in our meals.

When Life Gives You Green Tomatoes

Last week brought a beautiful and intense thunderstorm, followed by hail and an abundance of rain. The storm brought much needed moisture, but also knocked most of our green tomatoes from their plants. Not wanting to waste the food I’ve spent the last several months cultivating, I got to work finding a way to use the produce.

Summer 2022 Book Recommendations (Kid’s Edition)

It can be difficult to talk with kids about the climate crisis in an uplifting and age appropriate way. Books can help us to educate our kids, instill values, talk about difficult topics, and ultimately bond whilst doing so. Here are five of my favorite books for reading to and inspiring kids (ages 3-12) to live consciously and advocate for the planet.