~Tired of junk mail that has your name on it? Go todmachoice.org where you can choose to have your information removed from mailing lists for magazines, catalogues, credit cards. It is worth the 10 minutes of work to not be hauling all of that paper to the curb on recycling day! And then there are all of those trees that we love to not lose!
~ Spring and summer are party seasons! Looking for reusable plates and cutlery to feed a crowd without the cost of rental or the guilt of disposable? Try a local church or organization that is willing to loan the dishes in return for a tax deductible donation. After all of the work that goes into the food that you are serving, let your guests enjoy each morsel with the comfort of porcelain plates and stainless steel cutlery.
~ European (includes Germany, UK, Italy, France, Spain, Ukraine, and Russia) total carbon footprint (in million metric tons of CO2): 672.71 … American total carbon footprint (in million metric tons of CO2): 5,833 … That’s about 8.6X as much as Europe!
The mothering Mother newsletter seeks to address how integral food and its connection with the Earth is to our everyday lives. Eating healthy foods is easy if you buy healthy and natural ingredients. Get familiar with your produce and bulk bags. You do so much for others, now do something for yourself. Buy fresh produce, fresh seeds and nuts, and follow the recipe below to good and natural eating.
Can we eat our way out of the environmental challenges? One thoughtful meal at a time. See the continued “Eating Our Way Out” article at the bottom of this newsletter. Share your joy for the world by using cotton mothering Mother bags and sharing your home cooked foods with others.
Namaste Sydney
Big News for Plastic Bags this Past Month! These locations have joined the growing list of cities and states banning plastic bags:
-State of Hawaii (passed by each of the 4 counties)
-City of Los Angeles (largest city in the US to ban the bag)
-City of Toronto (scrapped the existing plastic bag fee and the plastic bags themselves)
What is happening in your hometown? Time to join the wave of change?!
mM Veggie Burger
During the barbeque season don’t feel the need to let your dietary commitments restrict you or tempt you! Skip the doughy bun and let the flavor and texture of a mushroom compliment the flavors of your burger!
mM Veggie Burger 1/2 block firm tofu, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup sushi or other sticky rice, cooked (or cook 1/3 cup rice) 1 1/2 t chili powder 1/8 t cayenne 4 sundried tomatoes, rehydrated in 1/4 cup water for 3-4 hours 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced 1/3 cup carrot, grated Salt, pepper to taste 2-3 Portabello mushrooms
Mash the tofu generously with a fork, add in the cooked sushi, chili powder, cayenne, sundried tomatoes, onion, carrot, salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly. Form into patties with hands.
Cut the stem from the mushrooms. Wipe the top with a damp cloth. Brush the top of the mushroom with olive oil.
Lay a veggie burger onto the underside of a mushroom. Repeat with the other mushroom caps. Onto a hot grill place the mushroom patty and cook on a medium heat. Careful not to overcook. Allow for some firmness to remain in the mushroom, especially if eating with your hands!
Remove cooked mushroom patties from the grill. Top with diced tomatoes, shredded spinach.
Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor
Last month I had the opportunity to shop at The Alternative Food Co-operative in Wakefield, RI. With cotton bags in hand and appetite ready, from the moment that I walked in I knew that I was in a “different grocery shopping” space. The store was clean, uncluttered, filled with light and almost no prepared and packaged foods. It was a store full of ingredients, full of potential! Bulk bins lined both sides of the center aisle with grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, flours, granola and coffee etc. The back wall, pictured below, was filled with herbs for tea, healing, and for cooking, as well as a full selection of spices, all in bulk. Take just the amount that you need for the next couple of months and come back again to replenish.
To the side were liquid bulk containers – shampoo, hand crème, laundry detergent, dish detergent, as well as honey, molasses, vinegars and oils, to name but a few. The produce is pictured below – simple and clean and not overwhelming.
There is a small café at the front of the store with foods made that day on location – minimal selection with maximum flavor and energy! I had a Thai soup, and a gluten free brownie with tea, in a real mug! The cooks at the coop are encouraged to “Love People. Cook them good food”, noted on a sign that is posted over the refrigerator.
This is the food that Nature gave to us for survival. Using the mothering Mother bags for the produce and for the bulk, bringing in your own jars or bottles for the liquid refills and nut butters, and grabbing a few additional items in the “grocery” aisle, you are now set! Composted soil was available in paper bags from a local children’s school.
It was just a moment of Bliss for me! Will there be a day when this is the norm for the grocery shopping experience? We can make it a reality, one meal at a time!
Shopping consciously can lead to eating consciously which can lead to living consciously which can lead to…
Wow – great to find out about The Alternative Food Co-op in Wakefield – my husband and I will have to check it out soon – and try your recipe for veggie burgers. Thanks!
Wow – great to find out about The Alternative Food Co-op in Wakefield – my husband and I will have to check it out soon – and try your recipe for veggie burgers. Thanks!