America Recycles Day - November 15th

November 15th is "America Recycles Day". According to the National Recycling Coalition, it "is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products". While their focus is on recycling in the U.S., we at Reduce Footprints open it up and encourage everyone, worldwide, to participate.

So, to get started I have two easy tasks for you:

First, watch the video entitled "The Story of Stuff". It's a brilliant video about the lifespan of ... well ... stuff. In a very entertaining way, the video will open your eyes about how stuff is produced, how it affects the earth and what we can do. Sit back, relax and when you're ready ... click on this picture:





Wasn't that great!

Okay, on to #2:

Visit the "America Recycles Day" site and browse around. You'll find good information on recycling and there is a page where you can step up your efforts in a more formal way. Are you ready? Here you go:





Recycling is one of the cornerstones of living a green life. It saves money, it's easy ... and it's really good for the earth.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

How To End Food Waste ...

Our current Change The World Wednesday challenge, which is still in effect and can be viewed HERE, asks us NOT to waste food. It seems easy enough but, as some of you may have already found out, we sometimes toss bits and bites of food without even thinking about it. There's the bit of food left on plates or the few leftover bites of last night's dinner ... or maybe there's the trimmed pieces of fruits and vegetables that we don't want included in the dish. They seem insignificant but ... if tossed, they add up to a lot of waste ... unnecessary waste because they can be used.

Today, as I was wandering around the Internet, I came across 50 Ways to Never Waste Food Again by Planet Green. They list some wonderful ways to eliminate food waste. For example, number 19 suggests that, rather than toss out watermelon rinds, we pickle them. Number 24 talks about the broken pieces of pasta in the bottom of the box and asks that we "collect them and mix with rice and veggies for a simple side dish". And number 41 offers a great way to freeze herbs for future use.

So my tip for today is easy ... head over to Planet Green and take a look at their suggestions. I'm sure you'll find some interesting ideas and additional ways to end food waste!

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Vegan Recipe - Curried Lentils

Several years ago, we discovered Udipi cuisine which is vegetarian food from the Udipi (or Udupi) District in the Indian state of Karnataka. The food is spicy and delicious. Inspired by the exotic flavors, I created this lentil dish which is wonderful on cool fall evenings. I hope you and your family will enjoy it as much as we do.



Curried Lentils


Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, diced
2 Large Garlic Cloves, diced
1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, diced (remove seeds for less heat)
1/4 Green Pepper, diced
2 teaspoons Curry Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
1 cup Brown Lentils (rinsed)
1/2 cup chopped Cilantro
1 can diced Tomatoes
3 cups Water
Salt & Pepper (to taste)


Method

1. Sauté the onion, garlic, Jalapeno and green pepper in the olive oil until vegetables are translucent (about 10 minutes).
   
   
2. Add the curry and ginger and cook for another minute (to bring out the flavors).
   
   
3. Add all remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper, and simmer (covered) for 30-45 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
   
   
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

• To create a lentil soup, just add more water.
• Fresh mint works as a wonderful garnish on this dish.
• Serve with fresh Naan Bread

As always ... I would love to hear from you!