Thrifty Threads

Welcome to Thrifty Threads, AKA Most Stylish Compact-y Outfit, where readers model their favorite secondhand clothes.

A Compact-y outfit is used or recycled, from Goodwill, a thrift store, a secondhand shop, ebay, freecycle, craigslist, or anywhere else you find secondhand clothing.

Today's model is Meg, showing off a handmade purse she made herself! I don't usually highlight accessories on Thrifty Threads, but I loved Meg's purses so much that I really wanted to show them to you. You can check them out for yourself at her website Meg Expressions.

Meg gathers her materials from Goodwill and puts them together to create these colorful and super-cute purses and bags. They come in all sizes and shapes, and since they're also very durable, they're both fun and practical. Since her fabric comes from used clothing, I think her purses are the ultimate in eco-friendly and sustainable fashion. I'm planning on making a Compact exception to buy my next purse from her.

Here are a couple more photos, this one shows the purse off a little better...

And for this one she's recruited a younger model to show off a smaller purse...

That little girl sure knows how to mix her colors and patterns! It's amazing what you can do with secondhand clothing if you're creative and resourceful. These purses and bags are just fabulous, and I'll bet they're an inspiration for those of you who sew yourself. And if you're like me and don't know how to sew, Meg's creations are very reasonably priced if you're in the market for a purse, wallet, carryall, diaper bag, or reusable bag.

Thanks Meg! Readers, it's your turn! You know I love to show you all the fabulous ways people are wearing secondhand clothes, but I'm getting low on photos. So put on your favorite thrift store score, snap a picture, and send it to me at barton.angela@gmail.com. We all love to see what you're coming up with! And click here if you'd like to check out previous installments of Thrifty Threads.

Non-Consumer Portland Vacation

I visited my brother in Portland, Oregon last week, and since I love Portland and I love my brother even more, it was a great trip. Without discussing it, we managed to almost entirely avoid spending money and do fun free activities. My only splurge was taking my brother out to dinner and drinks one night. Otherwise, it was an almost entirely non-consumer vacation.

We cooked at home twice. My brother picked me up from the airport and when we got back to his house he had made a delicious quiche. The only problem with it being so good is that I had seconds and then ate another piece for lunch the next day and realized I'd eaten half a quiche in less than 24 hours. The next night he made a delicious soup, while I assisted him washing and chopping the vegetables. He even taught me how to slice an onion, which I had been doing wrong all my adult life! I'd been cutting it in half sideways instead of top to bottom.

We took advantage of Bank of America's Museums on Us program to get in free to Pittock Mansion, which was the home of the publisher of The Oregonian. It's billed as an architectural wonder that soars 1000 feet above the city's skyline. The home was gorgeous, but efficient, creating an interesting paradox of a modest mansion. The view of Mt. Hood from many of the rooms was spectacular.

We took walks every day with his dog, either in the neighborhood or at a nearby park. That's a photo of her at the beginning of this post, modeling the sweater she wears when we go outside. One sunny day we took a two-hour walk on the trails up at Mount Taber, which also has stunning views of the area. Another day we walked the paths of the Rhododendron Gardens, over lovely bridges connecting ponds full of ducks. We had fun identifying the different species, including one with a blue bill. There were many more colorful varieties than the standard mallard.

I used my Editor's Guild Card to get us both in free to the new local movie theater in his neighborhood, where we saw Up in the Air. I had already seen it and loved it, and my brother loved it as well. Even though this is a frugal measure specific to me, most of us have some kind of discount cards or passes we can use. Make sure you get the most out of your triple A card and any other memberships you have, as well as gift cards and certificates.

We visited friends, old and new, including Katy Wolk-Stanley from The Non-Consumer Advocate, maven of all things non-consumer and my favorite blogger. It was so great to meet Katy in person after a year of exchanging emails and reading her blog. She truly makes the lifestyle of The Compact seem fun.

My brother's friends gave a spectacular dinner party where I got to see some of his friends I already knew and meet others I'd heard about for years. The food was absolutely delicious, and guests brought wine and beer to supplement the libation offerings, which included a ginger/whisky concoction. The host and hostess really inspired me, because even though their house was small, they don't let that deter them from having dinner parties often. They made room for several dishes on a table and the 20-plus guests were free to eat wherever they could find a spot. They avoided the temptation of paper plates for a big party and used a set of plastic dishes that could be easily cleaned and stored.

We didn't have time for the ultimate non-consumer activity of visiting the area Goodwill stores, where Katy always seems to find amazing deals. I'll have to leave that for the next visit.

Our visit was packed with fun activities, and the perfect balance of socializing and just hanging out. I didn't feel deprived in the least, and I don't think my brother did either. We both had a great time.

What non-consumer activities do you enjoy while on vacation? Please leave your tips in the Comments section.

The Trader Joe's problem

I've been shopping at Trader Joe's for a long time, maybe almost 20 years, and I love it. I especially appreciate their great deals on wine, cheese, and nuts. I like their prices and the way we can fix semi healthy food that's quick to prepare.

But some time ago I started to get annoyed by their packaging. I realized that while some of their convenience food wrapping could be recycled, like the cardboard boxes around the Indian food, most of it couldn't, like the sealed pouch the food itself was in.

Since we've been getting a CSA delivery and I'm trying to cook from scratch even more often, this TJ-generated trash has lessened greatly, but we still buy their convenience foods as backup, and veggie burgers for lunches, and my husband will never entirely give up their frozen pizzas. So I'm really starting to get bugged about their packaging ethos, which seems to run counter to their healthy food, fair trade, employees as stockholders liberal policies.

I'm thinking of asking for a meeting with my local store manager, but I want to do some research first. And since my readers are some of the smartest people around, I thought I'd start right here on this blog. Please leave your knowledge and opinions on the following in the Comments section:

Is there a movement to get Trader Joe's to use more eco-friendly and/or recyclable packaging?

Have you or anyone you know addressed this issue at a Trader Joe's store, on a blog, or in an article?

Have you read anything on the topic?

Do you find their packaging excessive, or is that just the "normal" state of affairs with food in grocery stores these days?

Thanks in advance for your comments. I'd like to get involved if someone is addressing the issue, or get something going if not.

CSA Delivery Day: Hooray

I'm not too happy with this photo, but it's getting a little boring to keep complaining about my camera. My lack of photography skills doesn't help the matter. I just wish you could fully appreciate how gorgeous this mid-winter bounty is, colorful and varied as ever.

If you're new to this blog, every two weeks we get a delivery of fresh, local, organic produce from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). This bonanza lasts us a full two weeks and sometimes we have to work pretty hard to use it up. It's so delicious we don't want to waste a thing.

This week we got (roughly clockwise from the back): China Rose radishes, kohlrabi, golden beets, mustard greens, dandelion greens, carrots, broccoli, kale, green oak leaf lettuce, pink lady apples, red onions, ruby crescent potatoes, cilantro, Romanesco cauliflower, onions, and a bag of Bloomsdale spinach that you can't see.

Sometimes right behind my thought bubble along the lines of, "Wow! Look at all this delicious produce!" comes, "How are we going to eat it all?" I immediately start thinking of what needs to be used first and preparation ideas. It's a challenge, but a fun one. I love eating what's fresh and in season, as it's always tastier. When I told my radish-loving husband those huge pink tubers were radishes, his reply was, "That begs the question- how much radish can one man eat?"

Tonight we'll have a kale, white bean, and mushroom soup from a recipe my brother made last weekend while I was visiting him in Portland. It was so delicious that I ate it for lunch the next two days. His soup used bacon but I'm going to make a vegetarian version tonight for Meatless Monday. Tomorrow I'm cooking dinner for a friend and I'll be able to use up a lot more of this delivery while it's still fresh. I'll try to post the recipe for the soup later this afternoon if I have time.

Eating local is better for your health and the environment, and it tastes SO much better. Sometimes I feel sorry for people who've never tasted real produce with real flavor. Click here to find out more about CSA and to find one near you. And please leave me your preparation ideas for anything you see in the photo in the Comments section.

My favorite new recipe from the blogs

Welcome to an occasional segment where I tell you about a great new recipe I've gotten from another blogger.

This easy triple chocolate cake is from Alea at Premeditated Leftovers. She's always posting great recipes, and when I needed to come up with a quick yet inspired dessert, this fit the bill. It starts with a boxed mix, but you add a lot to it so it doesn't have that "fake" taste.

I made this cake for a small New Year's Eve dinner party, and it passed muster with not only my husband, but the amateur gourmet chefs who fixed the fabulous dinner. Everyone had seconds and the rest was eaten the next day for breakfast.

This cake is full of chocolatey goodness, and would be a great choice for Valentine's Day. I don't usually celebrate that holiday, and gave my husband a free pass on it the first year we were together (provided he fulfill my requirements for being romantic year-round instead, and he does), but I sometimes bake him a cake if I have time.

Please leave your favorite V Day or anytime baking ideas in the Comments section.

Food Waste Friday plus Friday Freebies

No food waste this week. I made sure we used up the vegetables from our CSA, so we ate plenty of sauteed greens and I even put some not-so-fresh broccoli and chopped up bok choy in a fritatta and it was delicious. Frittatas are my new favorite kitchen sink meal.

I also gave away the celery root before leaving on a trip so it wouldn't go bad before I got back. I'm disappointed that I didn't have time to research a good recipe, but I'm glad I gave it away instead of letting it rot. My neighbor was looking forward to making a nice soup with it. I'll have to get his recipe in case we get it in our CSA delivery again. I might have one more chance before it goes out of season.

I don't think I've mentioned Love Food, Hate Waste for awhile. It's a UK-based site that's packed with statistics about how much food we're wasting on the planet, what it's doing to the environment, and how we can stop the madness. It's got tons of great tips and ideas. And check out The Frugal Girl to see how she inspires other bloggers to waste less by photographing and documenting what they toss each week. It's a great way to not only be accountable, but to do it with community support. Any step you take in this area will be a positive one, and will save you money to boot. And don't be embarrassed if you've got a lot. Almost everyone starts off that way. I used to clean out the refrigerator each week when I went grocery shopping to make room for the new supplies and didn't even think that much about it.

FREE STUFF ALERT: I've also got some Friday Freebies for you...

It's the first weekend of February, and that means it's time for Bank of America's Museums on Us program. For B of A customers, all you have to do is show your debit or credit card to get in free to hundreds of museums across the country this Saturday and Sunday. Click here to find out about participating museums in your area.

And if you live in Los Angeles, EATLACMA is described as a "year-long investigation into food, culture, and politics." It kicks off with a fruit tree giveaway on Saturday afternoon. Click here to find out more about the project, which unfolds seasonally as artists plant their gardens on the grounds of LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Have a great weekend! I'll have a "favorite new recipe from the blogs" for you tomorrow.

Thrifty Threads

Welcome to another installment of Thrifty Threads, AKA Most Stylish Compact-y Outfit, where readers model their favorite secondhand clothes.

A Compact-y outfit is used or recycled, from Goodwill, a thrift store, consignment shop, yard sale, ebay, craigslist, or anywhere else you find secondhand clothing.

Today's model is Stephanie, who's become my most regular contributor to Thrifty Threads. Thanks Stephanie! You may remember her modeling this glamorous velvet holiday dress paired with seamed stockings last December. Stephanie and I worked together in Los Angeles before she moved to Portland and then Dallas to pursue other dreams, starting with becoming a singer/songwriter. She's a self-taught musician with a beautiful voice, and you can listen to her original songs plus some great covers on her My Space page. Recently, she's also costumed a play, produced a TV commercial, and started up her own company called Sweet Ruby Productions to do PR/Creative Consulting/Personal Styling projects. You can keep up with her on her blog Those Tricks.

Stephanie says this outfit is mostly thrifted, with the exception of the long socks from American Apparel and the shoes which are Payless Lela Rose, a high-end designer that sometimes works with the budget shoe company. The shirt is from Buffalo Exchange in Los Angeles, the skirt is from a thrift store in Dallas, and the belt is from Buffalo Exchange in Dallas. Stephanie estimates the total cost of the resale items at less than $30. Talk about some fabulous finds, and she knows how to put them together! What a great look.

Thanks Stephanie for that super cute photo! It really makes me want to go thrift store shopping. Readers, it's your turn! I always need more models, so put on your favorite secondhand outfit, snap a photo, and send it to me at barton.angela@gmail.com. Don't be shy. It is so much fun to see how one person's trash becomes another person's treasure. And remember, we want to see all kinds of models on Thrifty Threads - young and old, big and small, male and female.

Please leave your tips for secondhand clothes shopping in the Comments section. And click here to check out previous installments of Thrifty Threads.

Is it more expensive to be green?

There are a lot of misperceptions about being green and living sustainably, and one of the biggest is that it's expensive. Supposedly only the wealthy can afford to think about the environment.

But like a lot of conventional wisdom, it's just not true. In fact, a lot of "green" choices are frugal as well. Here are a just a few examples:

1. Local produce. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the average food item travels 1500 to 2500 miles to get to your supermarket, while local produce is usually grown within 200 miles. That saves transportation and fuel costs, along with all those carbon emissions. So the produce is usually less expensive and it almost always tastes better. Because of our CSA delivery experience, I can attest to that. Plus, many small local growers don't use pesticides or artificial ripeners, which keeps chemicals out of the soil.

2. Turning out the lights, using water-saving faucets and showerheads, and keeping the thermostat at a reasonable temperature are all energy savers that'll save you money as well.

3. Buying secondhand, borrowing, or bartering will not only reduce your carbon footprint, it'll plump up your bank account. So joining The Compact is certainly green, but it's definitely not expensive. And there's no sign-up fee!

Of course, buying "organic" produce at high-end markets and "eco-friendly" fashion can break your budget, but that's not the only way to be "green."

What "green" options have you incorporated into your lifestyle that are also frugal? I love it when they don't conflict and I don't have to choose one or the other. Please leave your examples in the Comments section.

Sustainable wrapping for baby gifts

Last week, I asked my readers for suggestions on how to wrap up a gift for a baby shower, and you responded with some great ideas! I loved all of them, and ended up using this basket, because I already had it from a holiday gift from a friend, it was easy, and I thought it would be useful.

I was going to cover the top with tissue paper, but my husband really liked the open basket look, so I presented it like this. Of course, it didn't look as impressive as the big, fancily wrapped gifts and gift bags, but I was happy that it was something they would use and it wouldn't go straight to the trash.

As always, my readers came through with their creativity and resourcefulness, and I thought I'd list some of the suggestions because I think a lot of people will be able to use them. Instead of wrapping with material that will end up in a landfill, wrap with something that can be used for the baby. Here are just a few of the terrific ideas from my brilliant readers (and by the way, none of these ideas were used by my fellow shower attendees. The look of the day was lots and lots of paper that got wadded up and tossed in the trash. I think a few gift bags were probably saved)...

1. A receiving blanket. Hem the edges of a one-yard square of fabric and use it to wrap another gift. Seersucker or muslin is lightweight and perfect for keeping the sun off baby without overheating her for warmer climates, while flannel is perfect for cooler locales.

2. Use fabric to make a pouch for storing diapers or wipes, or a reusable cloth bag that could double as a book bag or diaper bag.

3. A playsilk. They're pretty, soft, great for peek-a-boo, and can be a fun toy when baby is a little bigger.

4. A wicker basket, which is convenient for storing baby items like diapers, lotions, burp cloths, etc. If you already have a basket, like I did, this is a super-easy, convenient option as well.

5. Roll the jacket up and tie with a ribbon.

6. A hat box or other decorative box which can become a toybox or a place for parents to hide toys.

7. A sand bucket or other container from the thrift store which baby can play with when he gets older.

8. Try craigslist or freecycle for a reusable bag or wrapping paper.

9. Wrap in the Sunday funny papers, which can be colorful and fun and depending on the comic, appropriate for the occasion.

10. Wrap sustainably. For example, use brown paper bags turned inside out to hide the print. They can also be painted or decorated. And make a bow using leftover paper.

11. And finally, swap with a friend. Fresh baked cookies or CSA fruit could gain you access to their stash of wrapping paper.

Thank you all so much for your brilliant suggestions, and please forgive me for not naming and/or linking to you. That type of post takes a lot more time, and I just didn't have it today.

Any more gift wrapping ideas, especially for a baby shower, please share your thoughts in the Comments section.

Meatless Monday Recipes

It's Meatless Monday, and I've got some great reader recipes to share with you!

Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative whose aim is to encourage people to go meatless one day a week, for their health and the health of the planet. Click here to visit their website and find out all about it. If you pledge to go meatless on Mondays, you'll get an email packed with delicious meatless recipes that will make it easier than ever to give up meat as often as you like.

We generally eat meatless several times a week, especially since we've been getting the delicious produce in our CSA deliveries. I confess I never really cooked meat that much in the first place. But these recipes make it even easier by having so many tasty options to choose from.

Here are some reader favorites for easy meatless meals:

1. Alea at Premeditated Leftovers enjoys this broccoli with penne dish, which is easily modified with whatever vegetables you have on hand. She usually adds extra veggies like carrots and snow peas, and replaces the hot pepper flakes with chopped peppers and/or onions.

2. Julia at Color Me Green suggests hearty one-pot dishes with beans, whole grains, sauteed greens or roasted winter root vegetables, plus cheese and salsa or hot sauce for flavor.

3. Carmen at Life Blessons offers one of her favorite winter meals, sweet potato and black bean chili. She says it's easy to make and she loves the unexpected flavors of the recipe.

4. Diane at Tomato Soup Cake says they eat meatless quite a bit and one of their current favorites is this black bean soup.

5. Cate from Budget Confessions loves black bean soup and black bean salsa wraps (recipes on her blog), pizza, soups, and rice and beans with seasonings.

What great suggestions this week! I can't wait to try all of them. I'll have to start cooking more. I recently started making black beans in the crockpot and not only are they delicious, they're so versatile: beans for burritos or a side dish, soup, chili, and Katy's black bean burgers. It's a good thing we like black beans!

Thanks for all your suggestions! Readers, please send in your favorite easy meatless recipes and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday post in two weeks.

Blog Award

Cate at Budget Confessions and Penny at The Saved Quarter both picked me as one of the recipients of the Kreativ Blogger award. Thanks ladies! Now I'm supposed to name 7 things you don't know about me, and after a year of blogging it's amazing how much I've already revealed.

Here goes:

1. My husband and I disliked each other when we first met in graduate school. He thought I was too "intense" and I thought he was arrogant.

2. When I was in the fifth grade, I won a trophy from the American Legion for an essay I wrote in school about "Americanism."

3. I lived in Manhattan for two years in my 2os.

4. I can't wear wool, even cashmere.

5. For my 40th birthday, I celebrated with a solo 30-day cross-country train trip, after a big party with my friends and family.

6. I've never been able to do a cartwheel, even as a child.

7. My longest term relationship was with my cat Harriet (named after the great Harriets in history- Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Harriet the Spy), who lived to be 18. My husband is a close second at 17 years this May.

I'm passing on the award to these bloggers for their creativity in the areas of cooking, crafts, lifestyle, parenting, and more...

Jill at Mindfully Simple
Danielle at Less is More Balanced
Alea at Premeditated Leftovers
Kate at An Exercise in Frugality
Carla at Half Dozen Daily
Vanessa at Green Ness
Cindy at Hungry Girl Por Vida

Food Waste Friday: so sad

These tangerines from our CSA got moldy in 3 days! So it really wasn't our fault they went bad, but they are wasted food so I'm putting them in the photo. At least they'll go in the compost bin and not in the trash.

The produce in our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery normally lasts much longer than produce from the supermarket, so this was highly unusual. I did notice that they looked different than the clementines we'd received before, they were larger and bumpier, but I just thought they were from a different grower.

Anyway, there's not much to learn from this because it was a fluke. Otherwise, we're using up our CSA contents as fast as we can, and I've been cooking up greens every night so they don't go to waste. It helps that they're so delicious we actually crave them.

Why do I care about our food waste? For the health of the planet, and the health of our bank account. You can read all about the effect of food waste on the environment at Jonathan Bloom's blog Wasted Food. And you can follow other people documenting their food waste in an effort to waste less at The Frugal Girl.

How did you do this week? Let us know in the Comments section. And check out this article from The New York Times about cutting your food waste by utilizing your freezer more. It's got tons of tips for storage, labeling, planning, and organizing your meals.

Thrifty Threads

Welcome to another installment of Thrifty Threads, AKA Most Stylish Compact-y Outfit, where readers model their favorite secondhand clothes. Or in this case, where readers' children model their secondhand clothes.

A Compact-y outfit is used or recycled, from Goodwill, a thrift store or consignment shop, ebay, craigslist, a yard sale, or anywhere else you might find secondhand clothing.

Today's model is Simone, whose mom Cate blogs at Budget Confessions. Simone is 7 months old, and also goes by the nickname Tidbit. Cate's blog is about living better with less, and it follows her commitment to a healthy life for her family. She posts budget goals, menu plans, and lots of great recipes, among other things. One thing I'm really excited about is that she's learning how to make Indian food, which is also a goal of mine, so I'll be following along. She and I share a love of crockpot meals as well. Cate describes herself on her blog as "just a woman trying to balance marriage, motherhood, and simple living - all on a budget." It sounds like something we can all relate to these days, although in my case I don't have an adorable red-haired girl in the mix.

Cate says they bought this red Children's Place sweater at a local children's consignment shop for $8. Simone has been wearing it since October, and it's so big (notice the rolled-up sleeves) that she should get several more months' wear out of it. It's so cute! We all know how fast children grow out of their clothes, so a lot of the inventory at the consignment shops, or even the Goodwill is like new. Last weekend I found some cute onesies, a sweater, and baby overalls at a yard sale for fifty cents each that looked like they'd never been worn. I'm going to give them to my friend as an extra gift, separate from the baby shower. I've heard that people get lots of "special" clothes, but they always need onesies and everyday stuff that can be put in the washer.

Thanks Cate, and Simone, who now has the distinction of being the first child model for Thrifty Threads. It looks like she's taking after her mom, at least in the area of her lovely red hair. Readers, please send photos of you or your kids wearing secondhand clothes to barton.angela@gmail.com. It's so inspiring to see the fabulous finds people are getting for a lot less money.

Do you shop secondhand, for yourself or your kids? My mom never bought secondhand clothing for us, but I loved to shop at the thrift stores in high school and college. It was so much fun to put together an outfit that everyone couldn't buy at the mall. Please leave your tips and advice for secondhand shopping in the Comments section, and I'm sure Cate will accept compliments on behalf of her daughter. Click here to check out previous installments of Thrifty Threads.

First Fall Off the Wagon '10

This little lamb jacket from speesees, one of my favorite children's clothing companies, was impossible to resist. A good friend of ours is having a little girl after wanting a baby for a very long time, so my husband and I really wanted to give her and her husband a nice shower gift. And this company makes the absolute softest cotton clothing ever. I gave another friend two t-shirts when her little boy was born and she put them on him constantly because they were so soft.

The company is all organic, and everything is made in the U.S.A. To top it all off, this was on sale! How could I resist? I know clothing isn't a very practical choice for a baby gift, because they grow out of things so quickly, but I'm hoping a size 1-2 will last over a year. And this is perfect as nearly year-round wear in Southern California, for whenever it gets a bit chilly.

We also bought a "used like new" copy of one of our favorite children's books, A Story for Bear. And now I just need to figure out how I'll wrap it up nicely without buying anything new. I don't have any leftover "baby" wrapping paper or reusable bags. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

I don't know if this exactly qualifies as a "fall off the wagon," since I did decide I would buy a few more things new this year, like books or handmade items, especially if they're for gifts. But it is the first time I've bought something new in 2010.

So I gave in to temptation, but I did it with my eyes wide open, and I'm so glad I did. I just know they'll love it. Please leave your ideas for a creative way to wrap it in the Comments section.

The "Ah-Ha" Moment

I've officially been a member of The Compact for a little over a year now, since January 1st 2009.

Without a doubt, my two biggest influences during that time were reading The Non-Consumer Advocate daily, and viewing The Story of Stuff.

Katy Wolk-Stanley writes the daily blog The Non-Consumer Advocate, which was a lifesaver for me during the early months. Not only did Katy make it look realistic to live a Compact-y lifestyle, she actually made it look fun. I visit her blog nearly every day, for tips and advice, inspiration, and laughs. She's a great writer and she walks the walk. Her blog quickly became my favorite and although I now read several blogs, it's still my favorite.

The Story of Stuff was the other thing that really made me serious about committing to a non-consumer lifestyle. It takes so many issues I've been thinking about over the years, and weaves them together into a concise relationship and narrative. For me, just one viewing turned me into a more conscious consumer and made me determined to be on the proactive and positive side of the equation. It's so eye-opening and inspiring, and it spells it all out in such a simple way. I highly recommend it for anyone on the non-consumer/conscious consumer/sustainable/green path. In an instant I switched from a mindset of giving things up to feeling empowered and no longer at the mercy of advertising and the desire for yet another consumer item.

Are you on a non-consumer journey? What are your influences? Have you experienced an "ah-ha" moment? Please leave your thoughts, ideas, and questions in the Comments section.

CSA Delivery: Better Late Than Never

I was very happy with this delivery, because it contains plenty of greens and several repeat items we're very fond of. The baby spinach in a bag is heavenly, the clementines are incredibly sweet, and the sci fi cauliflower, properly known as Romanesco cauliflower, was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Add in those mushrooms, plus some other favorites like butternut squash, chard, and kale, and I'm a very happy camper.

We've been receiving this delivery of fresh, local, organic produce for almost nine months and it's still working for us. I've begun to realize that it is a bit of a commitment to plan meals around, and to make sure none of it goes to waste, but for my husband and me it's worth it. We're eating more vegetables, and healthier meals in general. And it all tastes so much better.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The basic idea is that by joining a CSA you're supporting the local farmers and eating local produce, which is fresher, healthier, tastier, and better for the environment. CSA brings the Farmer's Market to you.

This week we got, clockwise from the back: baby greens, bok choy, rainbow chard, Romanesco cauliflower, mustard greens or kale (not sure), celery root, butternut squash, broccoli, Bloomsdale spinach, mixed mushrooms, cilantro, clementines, radishes, sage and lavender bundle, and vanilla almonds.

Tonight we'll have mushroom risotto and a baby green salad, and I've got plans for just about everything except the bok choy. I let some go to waste a few weeks back, so I'd better look up a recipe so I'll be sure to use it. Let me know if you have any favorites.

Click here if you want to learn more about CSA and find one in your area, and here to check out our CSA in Los Angeles, Auntie Em's.

Do you shop at a Farmer's Market? I feel so lucky to be receiving such a lovely variety of fresh produce in the middle of winter. It's one of the perks of living in Southern California. But don't envy me too much: a trip to the doctor takes three hours out of the day because of the drive and the traffic.

Please leave your tips, advice, and questions in the Comments section, plus preparation ideas for anything you see in the photo.

A Comment about Comments...

One of my favorite things about writing this blog is receiving comments from my readers. It makes the whole enterprise so much more interactive, and I feel like not only am I learning from all of you, you're all learning from each other.

I read every single comment and email, and I like to respond to your comments individually. However, I'm having a hard time lately keeping up with that in addition to writing blog posts. So if I don't respond to your comment, please don't take it personally. Know that I appreciate the extra time you take to contribute. And I will try to respond to as many comments as I am able as I have time.

I greatly appreciate your participation and I hope this won't discourage any of you from adding to the discussion. Thanks!

Food Waste Friday

I'm pretty disappointed (annoyed) with this week's waste because a) what more can I do with grains besides store them in a sealed container? and b) I searched for this stuff - bulgar wheat - in three different stores before I found it, and c) it's only a few months old!

So, I don't really know what I could have or should have done differently. I haven't found that much difference between containers or jars I bought before I was doing The Compact and these old spaghetti jars. We use glass containers for nuts, rice, and grains, and most of the time it works, but occasionally the moths still get in. Moths! I have traps, I use containers, what more can I do?

This is turning into a very whiny post, so I'll stop now. But if you have any ideas I can use and pass along on this blog, please let me know. I could use some help.

Otherwise, we did a good job this week of eating out of the Eat Me! section of the refrigerator, especially my husband, who was a champ at coming up with strange combinations for his lunch burritos. He told me lentils aren't that great in burritos, even with cheese. I would never have even tried it, so kudos to him for having an open mind.

This week I stopped by My Zero Waste, which tells the story of the Green family and their quest to produce just one trash bin for the year. While there, I happened upon this article from the London Times about a family in Britain who realizes how much food they're wasting, and their attempts to do something about it. It's well-written and entertaining. My favorite part is when the father drags the food waste out of the trash and makes family members 'fess up about what they tossed and why. It's like a police line up, but with humor and affection, and without the threat of incarceration.

Check out The Frugal Girl to see how other bloggers are documenting their food waste in an attempt to waste less. It's a win/win for the environment and your wallet!

Doing this experiment has made me realize what a luxury having any food waste at all really is. I don't remember ever throwing ANYTHING out when I was a college student and always broke. And there are certainly a lot of undernourished people around the world who can't imagine throwing away perfectly good food because you forgot about it, you bought too much, or you weren't in the mood for it that night. Which goes back to my number one tip for wasting less: buy less food in the first place.

Please leave your tips, advice, and questions in the Comments section. Especially if you know how to outsmart those tricky moths, the ones that are immune to the moth trap and work their way inside a tightly closed jar.