We Tried It
LGB Goes A Day With No Trash
July 21, 2010 by Mecca · Leave a Comment
Mecca and Tonya just say no to garbage for a day!
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces about 4.4 pounds of garbage a day, or a total of 29 pounds per week and 1,600 pounds a year. And that’s just one person! In an effort to cut down on the 195 millions tons of garbage tossed out by Americans each year LGB’s Mecca and Tonya attempts to go one full day without making any trash.
The ground rules:
- No one-time use packages, as in no single serve snacks, or frozen pizzas. However, using flour housed in a paper bag to make your own pizza crust – acceptable.
- As far as meat packs – things like chicken trays on styrofoam – we decided it had to be brown-paper bagged.
- No paper towels, tissues or other one-use paper products.
- Any trash produced behind bathroom doors is off limits for this experiment. We’re not using leaves and that’s the end of that.
Mecca’s Take:
7 am Sunday morning – Bleary-eyed and just woken I grab a tissue without even thinking about it. I was mid-blow before I remembered this was LGB’s No-Trash Day. Oops.
Breakfast: Do frozen waffles count? They’re not single use exactly but they do make a lot of waste. Since it’s the weekend I make homemade pancakes instead. I freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag though. Does that count as waste? This is getting a little bit confusing.
My major weekend chore is cleaning out my car. Since this trash has been in my car for months I’m not counting it. Meanwhile the change machine is broken at the car wash and I have to head to the nearest gas station. There is nothing you can buy in a gas station that does not produce garbage. I circled the aisles three times before sheepishly handing the clerk some bills and asked for change without making a purchase. Read more
Annie’s Naturals Pasta Salad
June 23, 2010 by Tonya · 2 Comments
Last week I was at the University Target in Huntsville, AL stocking up on natural and organic brands since our pantry was looking a little bare. I happened across something new from Annie’s; they now make pasta salad mixes! So new, it’s not even listed on their website yet. Sure, it’s probably better to make it from scratch, but sometimes you need a quick, healthy fix! We tried the Tuscan Italian and Roasted Red Pepper.
I used to buy Suddenly Salad in college. It was a great side dish to take to a cook-out or a main meal if I added grilled chicken. Since reading food labels a little closer, I learned there is monsodium glutamate and partially hydrogenated oil (aka- trans fat) in this mix. While it’s only .5 grams or less of trans fat, that’s too much for me. I reluctantly quit buying it; I must admit it was my old stand-by and I hated to see it go!
So, I was ecstatic to find a new, healthier replacement! Both flavors were tasty, Roasted Red Pepper being my fav. I prepared them with olive oil instead of mayo. To up the healthy quotient, I added fresh bell pepper and tomato from our Doe Run Farm CSA box. I then finished it off by throwing in some black olives and a mixture of parmesan and asiago cheese.
Verdict: I will purchase both again; they’re great for summer picnics and BBQs!
Zap Weeds Naturally
June 18, 2010 by Tonya · 2 Comments
Now that Alabama’s summer sun is scorching, weeds are growing! At my house we have a huge flower bed, better known as the weed bed these days. A few months ago I was reading through my copy of Healthy Child, Healthy World and learned that boiling water kills weeds. No way?! So, I had to try this oh-so-easy method of weed zapping.
It worked! I boiled water in my teapot and simply doused the weeds. The next day said weeds were limp and lifeless. Now, I just need to invest in a 5 gallon tea pot since I’ve got so many weeds. Actually, this method would work great for those pesky weeds that grow up in between the sidewalk, however I am going to keep looking for another way to cover larger areas.
Next up: the vinegar test! Check out this link for more natural ways to kill weeds.
If you’ve got any weeding tips, we’d love to hear from you.
Hanging It Out To Dry
June 7, 2010 by Mecca · 2 Comments
Mecca (unwillingly) uses solar power to dry clothes
I had no desire to try out clothes-line drying. A sudden death in the family left me scrambling to get to Texas: laundry, packing, loading up. In the midst of all this our ages-old, hand me down dryer quit working. With no other quick options available I grabbed some hangers and headed to the porch.
I had low expectations figuring it must take at least a day for clothes to dry outside. I was just hoping to get the drip out before throwing them in the car in my mad dash to get out of town. Using the hooks for hanging planter baskets and the edge of the trim, I hung out some hubby shirts, a dress and pair of pants, and a few of my 20 month-old son’s clothes. Read more…
Grow Alabama Review
April 5, 2010 by Tonya · 10 Comments
My family and I joined the Grow Alabama CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) a little over a month ago. If you’ve been a blog reader (bleader) with us from the start, you may remember Mecca’s interview with Jerry Spencer of Grow Alabama. Link here. Read on to find out about my family’s experience. Read more.
Playdough from Scratch
March 31, 2010 by Tonya · Leave a Comment
I was recently perusing through my favorite local cookbook, Southern Settings, and found a homemade playdough recipe: flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil and water. Simple enough for me! I ended up making it and letting it sit for a couple days (read: I forgot about it). Once I got back to it, I gave it a quick mush with my hands and it turned out perfect.
My daughter wasn’t into it this time around; maybe she will be next time! I am definitely going to keep this in my bag-o-tricks for rainy days as she gets older.
