Bailee Bee! – Page 4 – A Sustainable Family Blog

Tips for an Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in America is just a few days away, and it’s no secret that this holiday usually comes with a lot of waste. So today I’ll be sharing some tips for lowering waste at parties this holiday season.

Just One Thing

As the seasons change so do my priorities. Instead of focusing on outside tasks and food preservation, I have time to catch up on various home projects and mending that’s been put off. But with the sun setting so early my energy has dropped, and I’m feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things on my to-do list.

Plant-Based Cooking Inspiration

Eating more plant-based meals is a great way to improve your health and reduce your environmental impact, but it can be daunting to people used to eating meat regularly. Whether you’re interested in incorporating more plants into your diet or switching over to a completely vegan lifestyle, finding good recipes or inspiring video content can help ease the journey. Here are 5 plant-based content creators whose insight and recipes helped me to transition to a (mostly) vegan diet.

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.