Motivational Monday: Green up your life

The other week I went to a wonderful presentation hosted by Green Villages (City of Sydney) on ways to green up your life, and in particular your home.  The panel of experts did a great job imparting their knowledge onto us eager green virgins.  By the end of the night I left with a wealth of information about sustainable living, and also how to become more involved with green projects in the community.  Today I wanted to share a few of the things I learned at the seminar, as well as some advice of my own (including recipes).

Here are my top three tips for living a cleaner, greener, and healthier life:

1.  Embrace second hand

I’m so surprised at the quality items that people often throw away.  In Australia, we have ‘hard waste’ days where you can dispose of unwanted items such as furniture or appliances, so keep an eye out for items that you are interested in (we managed to get a perfectly good flat screen tv once!).  Sometimes all they need is a bit of love to bring them back to life.

Another option is to check out thrift stores, garage sales, or auctions in your area.  You can find awesome vintage clothes, home appliances, or funky dish ware to cook up a storm. A few handy sites are:

• Garage Sale Trail
• Recycling Near You
• The Clothing Exchange

2. Be a homemade hero

Store bought items are convenient, but come at a cost in terms of price and packaging.  I’ve personally made the switch from boxed chicken stock and almond milk to a homemade variety.  It may take a little longer to make, but the taste is far superior and I’m also saving lots of money!  Here are the recipes I use:

Homemade Almond Milk

(Low-FODMAP, gluten free, dairy free)

Makes about 2.5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• Filtered water for soaking
• 3 cups filtered water for blending
• Optional add ins: pinch of sea salt, stevia, or natural vanilla
• Tools: Blender or food processor; nut milk bag, clean stocking, or fine cheesecloth for straining.

Method:

1. Place the almonds in a bowl and cover liberally with filtered water. Refrigerate almonds overnight or for at least 8 hours.
2. Drain almonds and discard soaking water.
3. Place almonds in blender with 3 cups of filtered water, and any optional add ins.
4. Blend on high for 2 – 3 mins.
5. Strain milk through a nut milk bag or clean stocking into a clean jug.  Squeeze the almond pulp to remove as much milk as possible.
6. Store milk in the refrigerator and use within 4 – 5 days.  This silky smooth milk is beautiful on its own, but you can also use it in smoothies, oatmeal, tea, coffee, or to make ice cream!
7. Almond pulp will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.  You can use the almond pulp in a variety of ways. Gina from Choosing Raw offers a few good ideas here: 3 creative uses for Almond Pulp.

Simple blueberry almond smoothie: 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 tsp natural vanilla extract, sweetener to taste (optional)

Healthy Homemade Chicken Stock

(Low- FODMAP, gluten free, dairy free)

Ingredients:

• 1.6 kg free range or organic chicken
• Filtered water
• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 large stalks celery (including leafy parts), roughly chopped
• 1 bunch spring onions (green part only) OR 1 bunch chives, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp mixed italian herbs
• 6 – 10 peppercorns
• Sea salt, to taste

Method:

1. Remove chicken from packaging and gently rinse. Place in a large heavy bottom pan.
2. Add vegetables and spices.
3. Add enough filtered water to just cover the chicken and vegetables.
4. Cover with lid and place over medium flame.
5. When stock reaches a boil, turn flame down and gently simmer for 45 mins.
6. After 45 mins, turn off heat and let stock cool.
7. Remove chicken when cool enough to handle.  Carve chicken into pieces and enjoy beautifully poached chicken throughout the week. You can use it in sandwiches, salads, or even stir-fries.
8. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard or compost vegetables.  Place stock in the fridge overnight.
9. In the morning, skim off any fat that has formed at the top of your stock.  Use stock as desired, or divide mixture into 500ml portions and store in the freezer for future use.

Low FODMAP chicken noodle soup: Add chopped veggies, shredded poached chicken, and gluten free noodles to simmering stock. Cook until vegetables are tender and noodles are soft. Garnish with coriander and serve!

The best part about making things at home is knowing exactly what ingredients go in.  No added nasties, which makes for very happy tummies!

3. Support your local community

There are a number of ways you can support sustainability within your community, and meet great people at the same time. Consider joining a local community garden, which you through your local council or websites such as The Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network.  This is the perfect way to increase your knowledge of food and agriculture, especially if you’re more of a black thumb than a green thumb like me (it’s sad…all the herbs I’ve bought have died).

You can also be green with your dollar by buying at local farmers markets, or joining a food co-op.  Locally grown produce is less taxing on our planet as the food travels a shorter distance to the market or shop.  It is also important to be aware of what produce is in season.  A good guide is to look at the price per kilo.  Fruits and vegetables that are in season are usually cheaper and higher in nutrients than those out of season, which may have to be imported from overseas.

Also take your own reusable shopping bags, and reuse plastic vegetable bags instead of taking new ones each time. Although these suggestions seem simple, they add up in the long run to reduce your footprint on the planet.  Remember small changes equal big results. 

Here are some useful sites to get you started:

If you live in Australia:

• You can search Market Fresh to find out what’s in season, as well as what isn’t!
• Buy the Seasons app for your smarty pants phone. It has loads of information about what’s in season, the length of the growing season, and what’s available year round.
• Search for a Food Co-op near you
• If you live in Sydney, head to Alfalfa house and raid the bulk bins (BYO containers)
• If you want to go out for a bite to eat, then try these sustainable restaurants: Dank St Depot in Waterloo or Billy Kwong in Surry Hills (a personal favourite of mine!)

If you live in the US:

• then head to Eat Local, where you can find produce in season and farmers markets near your area.
• Buy the Seasons app for your smarty pants phone. It has loads of information about what’s in season, the length of the growing season, and what’s available year round.
• Search the Food Co-op Directory to find one near you.
• Buy reusable lunch boxes, shopping bags, or water bottles online at reuseit.com
• Search the American Community Garden Association for a garden near you, or check out some of their useful resources.

I hope you find the links useful and take some action, great or small, to make your life just a little greener! Have a great monday and a fabulous week.

-Sarah xo

What is your best tip for living a greener life?

What do you make at home that saves you money at the store?

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