reusable living :: lunches

A couple weeks ago I started a new series entitled "Reusable Living."  We live in such a disposable society, I thought it would be interesting to share some of the ways that we try to use more sustainable options in our home as a way to inspire you to do the same.  If you missed the first post on cloth napkins, you can find it here.  Today, I thought I'd share a bit about my lunch routine.  

Now, we've all had cupboards filled with random Tupperware container and lids that don't seem to have a match.  And most of us have probably left them in our fridge (or the fridge at work) until the food inside of them has almost fully decomposed, right?!  And at some point in our culinary histories we've also probably just taken that plastic container full of who-knows-what and tossed it, the food, and the lid directly into the trash.  Well, maybe you haven't done those things, but I for sure have! Because let's face it, there's nothing quite as gross as reaching for a clean container only to realize that it still smells like whatever rotten food you recently cleaned out of it--even after going through the sanitation cycle in the dishwasher.  Gross and gross.  

On that note, don't be alarmed.  I'm not at all about to tell you to start bringing your lunches in plastic.  I am, however, going to tell you about my love for glass.  

When we got married, we registered for a couple sets of Rubbermaid's glass food containers and we threw away most of our plastic containers.  Since then, we've slowly gotten rid of most of the plastics in our kitchen that were used for food storage.  I still have a a few mixing bowls and such, but the day-to-day things we use are either glass or stainless.  Here are a few reasons why we try to avoid using plastics for food storage (find more info on this here):

• They contain unknown (and in some cases known) levels of toxicity
• Heat can break down plastics 
• They are porous and can take on the scents and colors of the food they hold
• They don't last very long

For all of these reasons, we've found that glass is the perfect alternative.  Toxic chemicals don't leach into your food through glass.  They can be heated and frozen without consequence (other than becoming more fragile when frozen).  They will not take on the scents and/or colors of food.  And, unless they break, they last for years and years.  Now, there are a few downsides to glass containers.  One, they are much heavier than plastic and this can be a problem for those (like me) who commute on foot, by bike, or just have to walk a long ways from their car to office.  The other downside is that they are breakable.  The first problem can easily be solved with a good lunch bag with sturdy handles.  The second has never been a problem for me.  I've broken far more drinking glasses in my day than glass food storage containers.  They tend to be made of pretty thick glass that is relatively break resistant.  

So, when it comes to lunches, here are a few of my favorite ways to transport food.  

• Rubbermaid or Pyrex glass containers:  these are great for most lunch items--especially if you have a variety of sizes.  
• Canning Jars (Ball/Kerr/or whatever):  these are the best option for soups and other liquids.  The metal lids are spill proof and you can eat/drink right out of the jars.
• Bee's Wrap:  I love this stuff!  It's muslin fabric coated in beeswax and it can be used to wrap up a sandwich, veggies, slice of bread, cheese, etc.  You can wash it with cold water and soap and use it again and again!  I've even seen a few of our local shops start to carry it on their shelves.  It's great stuff!!  
• Glass Water Bottles:  Dan and I both have water bottles from Lifefactory and we love them!  The silicone sleeves keep the glass safe (except if you leave it full of water in a freezing car over night...whoops...) and they are so very cute and functional!  
• Cloth Napkins:  I keep a napkin in my lunch bag to use to cover my food in the microwave and wipe my mouth and fingers as I eat.  It stays in my bag until it needs a wash, then I switch it out for a clean one.  They are also great for wrapping up hard boiled eggs. 

There are so many disaposables out there designed specifically for lunches, but as I mentioned in my last Reusable Living post, I really don't think they make life all that easier.  Here are a few reasons why:

• Using canning jars for food storage both at home and away from home means that I need less things in my cupboards that are used for different purposes, so it simplifies my kitchen cupboards.  
• It takes just as much time to pack a lunch using disposables as it does reusables.  
• The clean up is simple.  Rather than tossing things after lunch, I toss them back into my lunch bag and throw them in the dishwasher when I get home.  (Obviously, if you don't have a dishwasher, then hand washing is an added step.)
• We don't run out of containers like we used to run out of ziplock bags.  Yes, sometimes they are all dirty or filled with other food, but that's a much easier problem to solve then when you reach for a bag only to realize that you're all out.  

Incorporating more sustainable lunch options into your routine doesn't have to be complicated or expensive--just slowly start to build your food storage options and be intentional about the containers you use to transport your food.  And trust me, glass is wonderful! 

reusable living :: napkins

We live in a disposable society.  From dishes and bags to hygienic products and cleaning products.  It seems that every year more and more disposable options come on to the market promising to save us time in our busy schedules.  But...have you ever found yourself frustratingly out of paper towels or ziplock bags??  Have you ever been overwhelmed by the long list of items that you need to pick up at your neighborhood Target store??

I have a theory about this...my theory is that all of these disposable things don't really make our lives simpler.  When they are readily available, they can most definitely make things easier, but in the long run, I think they make our lives more complicated.  It's time consuming to keep all these different things in stock in your cupboards and closets, and speaking of cupboards and closets, all of those different disposable things take up a lot of space.  There's also the financial aspect--as cheap as they may seem, have you ever calculated how much money you spend every year on things that you use once and then throw away??  I think we would all be a bit disgusted with the numbers.  And let's not even get into the landfills that could be filled with disposable products alone...yeah, let's not go there. 

So, what do we do about it?!  As crazy as it may sound...there are lots of pretty simple solutions and a lot of them are things that our grandmothers and/or great grandmothers used to do...before the age of disposables.  Now, for many of us, life looks very different than it did for our grandmothers.  Rather than being home all day cooking, cleaning, and child rearing, many of us spend our days, or a portion of our days, working away from home and the times that we are home are packed full of housework, food preparation, and family time.  I get it.  The idea of adding one more thing to the washing list, be it dishes or laundry, sounds far from simple.  Yet, as crazy as it may sound, I do believe that kicking the disposable addiction can truly add a bit of simplicity to our busy lives.  

With that...I thought I'd start a series entitled "reusable living" with each post highlighting a different way to simplify your life by moving away from disposables and going back to the way things used to be done.  All of these things may not be for everyone, or even for you, but I do hope that you'll find one or two that may be helpful and inspiring.  

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I thought I'd start this series with one of our favorite daily reusable: cloth napkins.  Now, if you grew up like me, cloth napkins were reserved for holidays and family gatherings.  Don't get me wrong, cloth napkins definitely class up a meal and make it special, but why can't we use them every day!?  Most would say that the reason is because they have to be washed and that adds extra time and tasks to our already busy schedules.  But, that's where I disagree for two reasons.  

1. Napkins do not need to be washed after every meal.  In our house we each have a designated napkin and we use it until it starts to look like it needs washing.  Sometimes that's a week, other times it's after a messy meal.  Either way, they don't need to be washed after every meal.  With a small family, this means a set of napkins can last for several days.  Obviously, when guests come over you can wash their napkins after the meal, but for those in your house, wash as needed. 
2. Napkins are super easy to wash.  Just accumulate napkins that can be thrown in with your bathroom towels, kitchen towels, or sheets and you're golden!  They don't need a load of their own and they hardly take up space in your washer.  If you have a few sets of napkins, it's easy to just wash them as you do your other laundry and the folding is slick as well.  

Why we love them:

• They work so much better and are much softer than paper ones!  Use a cloth napkin while eating BBQ chicken...it will change your life--no more paper stuck to your sticky fingers.  
• They make our dining experiences more formal and more special.  
• As for simplifying our lives, I feel that they do that by eliminating the need for and space for paper napkins.  Instead of having both cloth and paper, we now just have cloth, which saves space and makes for less decision making, thus making things a bit simpler.  

A few tips:

• For designating napkins for different people in your house, there are a few options.  You could have a different set of napkins for each person so that each person has their own design or color.  Or you can use a different napkin ring for each person.  That's our plan.  
• If you don't already have a few sets of napkins, they are pretty easy to come by.  Look at discount stores for them or make your own.  For kids you could even make smaller napkins by cutting up and re-hemming larger ones.  You don't have to buy nice napkins to get started, just get some simple cotton linen ones and you'll be set.  
• Dark colors or patterned napkins are nice as they don't show stains as much.  

Try it out!  You may fall in love and never turn back. 

a simple take on essential oils

I've often wondered if I would ever write a post about essential oils...they've become such a big thing with so many people buying, selling, and excited to dive into their wondrous world.  The reason I've stayed away from an essential oil post is that I haven't really had a desire to engage in discussions in the online world about them because there are so many views and opinions...and that's really not my thing...

However, recently I've had some people ask me about how I use essential oils and it got me thinking that maybe some people need a simple perspective on a truly great thing.  Essential oils can be a great way to naturally calm coughs, clear congestion, ease nerves, relax when overstimulated, and so many other things.  However, sometimes they can be overwhelming or expensive, which can be a turnoff for people.  When I started exploring the world of essential oils, I found myself getting caught up in the excitement of it all and I found myself wanting to spend a lot of money in order to get a bunch of quality oils.  But then I took a step back and I had to examine how these little bottles of wondrous oils were going to fit into our lives and our budget. The decision that I came to was a simple one.  I decided that essential oils should be a step-by-step process, one that could be added slowly and as needed to fit our needs and lives.  So, I've done just that.  I've bought oils that I knew I liked and would use on a somewhat regular basis.  I bought oils that I had researched and knew how to use.  And, I bought oils that fit into our monthly budget.  Now, many would argue that the oils I've purchased are not the best quality out there, and that may well be so.  But, in the world of natural living, I've found that there is often quite the spectrum when it comes to quality and often times our budget doesn't allow for the absolute best and sometimes the price tag or label doesn't always equal the highest quality.  So, I've taken that same mindset into my journey with essential oils.  In my opinion, opting for a more natural lifestyle is always better than not.  So, when "the best" is out of reach, I opt for "the better."  It's just what works for us.  

So, here is my simple take on essential oils.  This post is meant to be a practical one that just shows how I personally use essential oils,  not because I'm an expert, but because a few people have asked.  So, this is what I've found to work of us.  

• Lavender:  If I had to choose one, and only one, essential oil to have in my house, it would be lavender.  It is hands down our favorite oil.  We use it to diffuse in our diffuser (we have this one, it's kind of annoying to fill, but it works well and is cute) at nights to help us sleep, I add it to soaps and lotions for a calming and light floral scent, and I use it topically when I'm feeling cranky, anxious, or when I have a headache.  It's also relieves the itchiness from mosquito bites and helps keep bugs away.  It's a great oil for so many different things!
• Eucalyptus:  My second favorite E.O. is eucalyptus.  We use it all winter long to help with congestion.  I often mix it with lavender in the diffuser, apply it topically on my chest, or dab it on a scarf so I can inhale it as I go throughout my day.  I love how it opens the sinuses and smells so lovely.  
• Peppermint:  Peppermint is a great refresher.  I love dabbing it on my chest before doing yoga as a way to help me to breath easier and to open my sinuses.  I've also found it helpful to apply it behind my ears when I feel a tension headache coming on.  We've found that a mixture of lavender, peppermint, and lemon can be good for congestion and itchiness related to seasonal allergies.  
• Tea Tree or Melaleuca:  This has antiseptic properties, which makes it great to add to cleaning products and body care products.  I have a neem and coconut oil mixture with lavender and tea tree in it that I use as a moisturizer on dry and itchy skin areas.  I also add tea tree to the diffuser anytime we are fighting a virus.  
• Ylang Ylang:  This oil is great when you are feeling a bit off emotionally or you want to create a more romantic environment.  One of my favorite romantic concoctions is to mix lavender, ylang ylang, and cinnamon in the diffuser.  It's a lovely mixture.  I also dab it on my chest or scarves with a bit of lavender when I'm feeling a bit on edge and it works wonders.
• Clary Sage:  Clary sage and lavender spend the first few days of my moon cycle with me each month.  Not only do they help relieve tension, cramps, and pain, but they also help calm my stomach and nerves.  
• Others:  I also have clove, orange, lemon, vanilla, spearmint, birch sweet, and a few others in my oil collection.  They all have their purposes, both for health and cosmetics.  However, I find that sometimes starting simply and adding as you go is the best way to learn and to be able to really put them to use.  

A few important things to keep in mind with essential oils...

1. Education is super important.  Research an oil before you use it--especially if you are using it on a baby or if you are pregnant.  You can find great books and resources out there. 
2. Use caution.  Oils are super strong and if they are not used properly, they can cause irritation or worse.  Some oils are best used topically, others by diffusing.  If you do your research, you can find out how and when to dilute, apply, and diffuse.  

As I said, I am by no means an expert, but we have found that essential oils can be really great.  Dan often asks me to turn on the diffuser at night so that he can fall asleep easier and we found them to be super helpful as we faced the nasty cold season this winter.  They are definitely worth exploring, but I think it's great to do just that...explore.  

little spaces

In our little thousand-foot house, I'm always looking for little spaces that can be utilized in order for things to run efficiently and to keep our open areas open.  Our kitchen is one of those places-it's filled with windows, a few cupboards, and even fewer drawers.  We've added quite a bit of external storage with a few shelves and cabinets, but this past weekend we added just a bit more and I'm thrilled with the addition!  I love how a seemingly unusable space can be transformed into practical storage within minutes and for just a few dollars (thanks to IKEA)!  

The knife magnet was one of the new additions.  With all of the cooking and baking that happens in our kitchen, the knives are almost always out.  And since we hand-wash them, they tend to either be dirty and sitting on the counter, or clean and drying on the counter.  The knife magnet will hopefully solve these problems!  Not only will it keep the knives off of the counter, but it also frees up space in one of our two drawers, and it uses an unused wall in our kitchen.  (Sidenote: we also got a new kitchen rug--the colors are fun, but more importantly, they won't show dirt and stains...that's my kind of rug!)

The second addition is one I'm even more excited about! For the past couple years, we've had an IKEA chalkboard hanging in this spot.  It covered a random outlet and unwanted phone jack and it served as a practical place to keep track of lists and notes, but I've been dreaming of turning that wall into much more usable space over the past few months.  And now we have!  With the new shelves, we've been able to clear a few things off of the counter and add them to the bottom shelf.  While the top shelf gives me some extra space to keep my growing collection of dried herbs.  Both shelves are filled with empty jars at the moment, but over the next week or so they will be filled with granola, chamomile, lavender, alfalfa, spearmint, and more!  I love how rewarding little spaces can be! 

bread, bread, and more bread

Bread.  Fresh, warm, right-out-of-the-oven bread.  There's nothing quite like it--especially when it's smothered in a think layer of delicious good-quality butter.  Yum.  Bread.  We love bread.  

I've been experimenting with sourdough for the past year or so and have become quite the fan.  However, after making the same recipe week after week, my husband started to long for a bit more variety (and honestly, so did I).  So, in the process of looking for a few new recipes, I came back to a lovely cookbook recently published by Jennifer McGruther called The Nourished Kitchen: Farm-to Table Recipes for the Traditional Foods Lifestyle.  I had checked this book out from the library shortly after it was released to see if it was something that I wanted to add to my collection.  To my delight, it included multiple sourdough bread recipes along with several more recipes that could put my ever-growing sourdough starter to use!  So, I added it to my Christmas list and was thrilled when I found it beneath the tree!  

Over the past month and a half, I have been busy baking and trying these new recipes.  And I must say, we have not been disappointed!  The recipes are not only well-written and easy to follow, but they produce the most delicious and beautiful loaves of bread I've ever made!  I realize I may be swooning, but golly, I'm in love!  From a simple whole wheat loaf, to Bohemian rye, to German-style sunflower, the recipes are fabulous!  

As for the many, many other recipes in the book, I've just started reading through them and I'm excited to give them a try.  For those of you interested in learning more about traditional foods and/or cooking more with them, this is a great book to add to your collection! 

teas and tinctures

I thought I'd share a little with you today about a new obsession of mine...herbs!  Now, I've been in love with herbs in the kitchen for many years, but right now I'm learning about using herbs for medicinal purposes.  As herbs are very powerful tools that should not be taken lightly, I have little to share with you other than my excitement for them.  I'm currently exploring the world of tinctures and teas, in baby steps and with much guidance from books and experts.  With  garden planning just around the corner, I'm also starting to dream about what herbs I want to tuck into underutilized spaces in my beds and to learn more about how to put them to use once they are growing strong.  

If you're interested in learning more about herbs, Mountain Rose Herbs is a great resource!  They sell all the supplies you could need, but they also have a great list of books to get you started.  I'm hoping to add one or two of them to my shelves in the weeks to come!

making the most of winter

Over a year ago I got a pair of brand new ice skates at a garage sale for $15 and I was so excited to put them to use.  Then last winter came and went and my skates were only used once--and it was at an indoor rink!  So when this winter arrived, I decided I was going to make a much better effort to get outside and skate.  I am not good at skating, but I do find it very fun and a great way to enjoy the coldest part of the winter.  

I realized recently, though, that since Dan doesn't have skates, I haven't been very motivated to actually get out a skate.  So, this past weekend we made a date of it and found a great skating pond with free skating and cheap skate rental.  It was a lovely time and we were thoroughly worn out by the end.  And then this week, I decided that I just needed to get out there and skate by myself on one of the great city park skating rinks in our neighborhood.  So, last night I did just that.  I took my skates down to the little, slightly melting neighborhood rink, and slowly attempted to teach myself to skate backwards.  Ha.  It was a great way to end the work day and I hope to get out there several more times before the skating season ends.  

I figure that winter ought to be enjoyed, since it is the longest season in these parts, and what better way to do that then do get outside and do things that are only possible when the temps are below freezing! 

meal planning

This past fall was a hard semester for me.  I constantly felt behind--like several weeks behind.  While these feelings mostly came from work related things, they blended over into my home life as well.  I especially felt them when it came time to make dinner each night.  You see, I'm a planner and a strategist, even in the most basic things like dinner making.  However, because I was feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and behind at work, I felt that I didn't have time to plan out meals for us to eat at home.  The result of that, though, was me feeling directionless, uninspired, and last-minute.  Now, some people thrive in the last-minute side of life (my husband and best friend being two of them), however, I am not one of those people.  So, in the end, my lack of meal planning added to my feelings of being stressed, overwhelmed, and behind.

With all that in mind, I decided to be more intentional this spring about making time to really plan things out in the food department, which will hopefully leave us better fed, better nourished, and better satisfied in life.  People plan meals out very differently and my way is in no way a science, it's just what works for me.  I like to plan out a list of meals around the beginning of the month (when my grocery budget is full...ahem...) and shop for most of the ingredients at that time.  I add in produce and dairy as needed throughout the rest of the month in my weekly co-op trips.  This style of planning does two things for me.  One, it provides me with flexibility.  I usually pick out a few of the meals each week, depending on the time they take to make, the time we have at home in the evenings, and on the produce I have.  Because I've already shopped for the main ingredients (meat, root veggies, and grains), it doesn't take long to pick up any additional ingredients I need.  The second thing it does for me is it helps me to add variety our meals.  When I'm flying by the seat of my pants I tend to make whatever is easy and convenient and not what is best for our bodies.  Planning options out in advance helps me to be more mindful of the types of food I'm filling our bodies with.  Are we getting enough dark greens?  Are we getting enough good fats?  Are we eating a variety of grains and not too much of them?  Are we getting enough protein?  

Sitting down to make the list can take awhile, but in the end I always feel excited to get cooking!  Having good cookbooks, and not too many of them, is my key to success.  I wrote a post awhile ago about the cookbooks that I keep in my kitchen for day-to-day cooking.  This Christmas I added a new one to the list, The Nourished Kitchen, and I'm loving it!  It focuses on traditional food styles and recipes, which is quickly becoming a great interest of mine.  I also find that having a cookbook or two that is organized by season is very helpful for me both in inspiration and helping me to cook with more locally sourced ingredients.  

I got back into my meal planning routine last week and my time in the kitchen this week has been so much more enjoyable!  Hooray!  I do so love the simple things that make our lives just a little easier and help them to run just a bit smoother.  

handmade gifts

All of the Christmas decorations have now been put away in our house and the quiet feeling of January has set in.  However, before we all officially move on from Christmas, I thought I'd share a little about some of the handmade goodness that we gifted this year.  I love giving meaningful, useful, and thoughtful gifts and with my love for crafting, I often find myself making quite a few gifts during the holiday season.  This year a few of my favorites were mittens for all of the nieces and nephews (note: 2 year old boys do not find mittens to be exciting, nor something they want to try on for a photo shoot...), a huge infinity scarf for my husband (I used this pattern with a worsted weight), peppermint lip balm (with a mixture of coconut and olive oils), candles, and rosemary-lavender salt scrub (with a mixture of epsom and kosher salts).   

I just love making and giving handmade gifts.  It just feels the way gift-giving should feel.  I love how it takes planning, time, and effort to create something--and not just anything, but a specific something for a specific person.  To me, it's a much more meaningful and enjoyable way to give gifts.  

How about you?  Did you make any gifts this year??  

making and wrapping

The fall semester has officially ended for me and the Christmas making and wrapping has taken over!  With one week left, I'm a bit behind in the making (and buying), so it will be a full week!  I nervously chuckled to myself as I wrapped three presents last night...the only three presents that are ready to be wrapped...oh dear...

Well, at least there is hot cider (with brandy) and my buddy Bing to keep me company as I knit, sew, shop, mix, and wrap over the next few days.

Wishing you and yours a productive week of making and wrapping!  My goal is to remember to enjoy the process as I think about the loved ones I'm making things for.  I hope you'll find yourself doing the same.