13 oz. Silver Parsley Water Bottle

admin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:15:00 +0000

A new baby inspired the fine bottles available at Earthlust: it was time to start thinking about the future, and giving generations to come a clean place to stay seems reasonable. There is the Native American saying: “We are not inheriting the planet from our parents—we are borrowing it from our children.” Even the childless can appreciate the folly in generating unnecessary garbage, so why not use a water bottle? Also, once you compare it to the cost of bottled water, a larger model used twice daily will pay for itself within two weeks.

Sizes include thirteen ounce, twenty ounce, and one-liter versions, and there are also twenty ounce insulated mugs available in two patterns. Crows and hawks perch and fly on the stainless steel sides, ginkgoes leave, dragonflies fly, and mine sprouts silver parsley.

Those inclined to garden can acquire parsley seeds through Seeds of Change, easily planted in a container or garden, and then water them with liquid poured from a non-toxic, food-grade stainless steel container with its BPA-free polypropylene #5 cap. Uses of parsley include getting brewed as a tea for renal and digestive difficulties, and its high chlorophyll content has made it popular as a breath freshener, hence its persistence as garnish. I did hear a Depression-era anecdote of one restaurant saving, rinsing (one hopes) and reusing parsley garnish in order to cut costs. Desperate times... at least you can make sure that your water is fresh from the tap. And I should get an insulated version by winter for parsley tea.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, June 28th 2009

Two Tier Action Pack

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:45:00 +0000

By To-Go Ware

Everyone wants to avoid waste. And—yes, the pun is the lowest form—everyone wants to avoid waist. An effective way to do both is to eat only one-half the entrée at a restaurant whenever you eat out. Seeing that the American conception of a "portion" is generally equivalent to a meal in other nations, this is not a threat to the health of the standard-issue eater in the U.S.A. However, generating extra landfill waste through requesting carry-out packaging could be construed a threat to the planet. Fear not: no longer will you be able to use Styrofoam avoidance as an excuse to clean your plate. To-Go Ware offers individual stainless steel carryout containers, or mixed-size action packs, to accommodate healthy diet and wallet-conscious dining.

Action packs allow an entire family—or household, however you choose to define it—to take home parts of their suppers, or an individual to secret away a part of each course. As more people embrace "brown-bagging," To-Go Ware can also serve as a handy luncheon-toting apparatus, perpetuating the more rugged-sounding practice of "metal-boxing." You can purchase accompanying wooden utensils, and the multi-unit carrying packs come in sturdy and attractive fabric carrying cases. Made of recycled cotton, even.

"Choose to Re-use," their website suggests. The organization also supports the women's organization WEAVE on the Thai-Burma border. I recently caught up with my friend Manicella at a very reasonable Thai place on North Ashland—Luc Thang Noodle—and did manage to carry away half my tofu omelet. (It was actually challengingly spicy by my standards—a rare occurrence.) Alas, I used two pieces of disposable packaging to do so: a Styrofoam box with a plastic bag knotted around it. No more! Now, thanks to To-Go Ware, I can carry a lunch, or carry half a lunch away.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, April 28th 2009