When I was finishing up my month long ‘buy no food in plastic’ experiment at the end of July, I decided it was time to take action against plastic food packaging.

Well that was a month ago and I have to confess that I am just now getting over the trauma of that experiment … seriously … I hadn’t realized how stressed I had become until the stress began to ease.

The week after the experiment ended I came down with a nasty summer cold. Some people told me I must have gotten sick as a result of coming in contact with plastic again after avoiding it (as much as possible) for 30 days.

While that’s a lovely romantic notion …and it may or may not be true … I would have to do bunch of double blind scientific studies to prove my friend’s theory that our “immune system deteriorates in direct proportion to the amount of plastic we come in contact with”.

No, I believe that the danger that plastic poses is more insidious than that in ways that we don’t understand and can’t yet imagine.

So right now you might be thinking that the first rule of a low crap diet is to avoid plastic at all costs … but that would be a silly rule and, as I have proven, unattainable.

Actually, the first rule of a low crap diet is to not stress about what and how you eat because stress has been proven beyond a doubt to lower immune function.

Notice I said not to “stress” about what and how you eat … you must take responsibility for your health and the health of our planet … just don’t get all stressed out and sick over it.

Here’s a quick, no mess way to dice up an avocado

1. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and twist the two halves slightly to loosen one half from the pit

2. Remove pit by carefully inserting knife and gently twisting

3. Cut the avocado flesh diagonally in one direction, then cut it again diagonally in the other direction

4. Use a spoon to scoop out the pieces

A recent article makes the claim that “popcorn is a health food”. (Source Calgary Herald “Popcorn is a health food, says research” August 19, 2009 http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Popcorn+health+food+says+research/1908039/story.html)

I don’t disagree with that in principle, and with so many forms of ‘popcorn’ out there it would be wise to examine which forms have the lowest crap factor.

High on my list of crappy popcorn would be any type of commercially prepared ‘candied popcorn’ … especially ones that contain high fructose corn syrup, food colouring, preservatives and other nasties.

Then there is the flavoured microwave popcorn. Just the smell of that stuff cooking puts my crap-factor-spidey-senses on full alert … not to mention the fact that some popcorn factory workers have developed lung cancer from breathing in the chemicals used to make fake butter and other flavourings. And what about the single use bag that holds the popcorn as it pops away in the microwave. While that bag may or may not be recyclable where you live, it is coated with chemicals that could contaminate the popcorn as it pops. Also, I’m just not a fan of cooking food in a microwave oven … just my personal preference.

I have heard it is possible to pop corn in the microwave using a paper lunch bag or glass bowl with a lid … but I have never tried it myself. This would seem to be a very low crap form of popcorn … except for the microwave part … again … just my personal opinion.

Then there is that pop in a jiffy stuff, specially created for popping over a campfire. Great idea, but I always wonder what nastiness the heated aluminum foil adds to the finished product … and again there is the issue of recycling the oil soaked aluminum after your done.

Those little hot air popcorn makers work well, although I have concerns about the non-stick coating and fumes from the plastic cover contaminating the corn as it pops.

Theatre popcorn, in my opinion, has a lower crap-factor rating, especially when I pay the extra 50 cents to have it topped with real butter and it is served to me in an environmentally friendly paper bag. I stay away from those flavourings in the shaker containers though … too many artificial ingredients that make my tongue feel yucky.

Popping corn in a pot on the stove with a little bit of oil, while not as convenient as other methods, is my favourite form of popcorn, mostly because I can purchase organic ingredients (popping corn, oil, sea salt) in bulk which cuts down on packaging and I can choose my own low crap flavourings.

Here’s an ingenious way to turn trash into something useful. Guess where this beautiful pond is located?

Yup … this beautiful pond is in the trunk of an old car.

Last year this same neighbour grew a productive garden in the back of an old truck.

Happy Friday!

I call this recipe a ‘super salad’ because it’s a super way to make a quick meal out of whatever is in your fridge. Simply start with a base of cooked brown rice or quinoa and then add whatever is on hand … the possibilities are endless and changeable.

Don’t worry if there is no salad dressing on hand nor time to whip one up … a simple splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar always works. And sometimes you won’t need a dressing at all because the blend of flavours from your ingredients happens to work perfectly … so don’t forget to taste your super salad before adding dressing.

Super salad will keep in the fridge for several days.

Suggested Ingredients

Base: cooked brown rice or quinoa

Vegetables: whatever you have on hand or feel like eating. Here are some suggestions: alfalfa sprouts, arugula, asparagus, avocado, basil , beet greens, bell pepper, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chives, corn kernels, cucumber, daikon radish, dandelion greens, fennel, fresh herbs, green beans, green onion, hot peppers, leafy greens, lettuce, mushrooms, parsley, pea greens, peas, radish, red onion, spinach, sprouts, tomato

Protein: quinoa and brown rice are both good sources of protein, but if you want your super salad to be more substantial, here are a few suggestions: almonds, black beans, brazil nuts, cashews, cheese, chick peas, feta cheese, grilled chicken, hard boiled eggs, kidney beans, pine nuts, walnuts

Extras: add flavour, texture, colour and interest with a few extras such as: apple, berries, currents, edible flowers, kiwi, nasturtium flowers, olives, peach, pear, raisons

Dressing: use whatever premade dressing you have on hand, or try this suggestion: splash of a good quality oil such as olive or hemp and a splash of either balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice

… told you the possibilities are endless. Of course this is a non-exhaustive list of possible ingredients for your super salad. Let me know what your favourite super salad ingredients are.

Directions
1. Chop whatever needs chopping
2. Toss everything together into a bowl
3. Enjoy

To help get you started, here’s a picture of what I found to use for my super salad today. Most of the ingredients came from my fridge, but I also found some in the container garden on the patio. The picture at the top of this post is the finished salad just before I ate it.

Don’t be afraid to experiment … as long as you like all the ingredients you are putting in the super salad, you won’t go wrong.

Quinoa (pronounced “keen wah”) is a super-nutrient grain-like product that comes to us from high in the Andes Mountains of South American.

Botanically speaking, Quinoa is a member of the Goosefoot Family (Chenopodiaceae). Other distinguished super-nutrient members of the Goosefoot clan are Beets, Swiss Chard, Spinach, and Amaranth.

That’s quite a line-up of stars from one family!

Quinoa seeds cook up quickly and are as versatile as any food I know.

I like to keep a cooked pot of either Quinoa or Brown Rice on hand in the fridge to use as the base for breakfast cereal, super salad, or as a quick snack on its own splashed with a little Tamari sauce.

Quinoa supplies nutrition and bulk to soups and stews.

The uncooked seeds can be ground up and used as gluten free flour.

If you are into the raw lifestyle, Quinoa can be soaked and/or sprouted and incorporated into raw recipes.

Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, calcium, iron and B-vitamins

Cooked Quinoa is:
- low alkaline forming
- dairy free
- diabetic friendly
- gluten free
- vegan

Ingredients
1 cup Quinoa seeds
2 cups filtered water

Directions
1. Put Quinoa seeds into a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water
2. Add rinsed Quinoa seeds to water in medium sized pot
3. Turn heat to high just until the water starts to boil, then turn heat to simmer and place lid on pot.
4. Let simmer with lid on for 20 minutes.
5. When 20 minutes has passed, gently lift the lid and tilt the pan slightly to the side. If the Quinoa holds in place, it is ready. If the Quinoa starts to slide, there is still too much moisture in the pot, so put the lid back on and return it to the heat for a few more minutes. But watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.

See Brown Rice for Breakfast for ideas on how to use cooked Quinoa as a breakfast cereal and simply substitute Quinoa for rice.

For lunch, dinner or untraditional breakfast, use cooked Quinoa in a super salad … tomorrow’s entry.

As a quick and nutritious snack, toss cold cooked Quinoa with Tamari soy sauce, or your favourite spices, and enjoy. 

Cooked Quinoa will store in the fridge for up to a week.

Almond milk is easy to make at home … really!

When you make your own almond milk you avoid having to deal with the cartons, both lugging them home from the store, and sending them back to the recycler. And home made almond milk is much more economical than the commercially prepared brands, especially if you purchase almonds in bulk and store them in the freezer.

Another advantage of making your own almond milk, is you can sweeten it how you choose … or don’t sweeten it at all. And you can filter it or not. This flexability allows you to create almond milk to suit your particular need. For instance, if I am going to use the almond milk in a recipe that already contains sweetening ingredients, I make an unsweetened version. I make a sweetened almond milk to pour on my unsweetened breakfast cereal (usually cooked brown rice or quiona).

The only time I filter my almond milk is when I am going to drink it on its own.

It takes less than 5 minutes to make a full litre of almond milk that will keep in the fridge for several days.

Almond milk is
- low alkaline forming
- dairy free
- diabetic friendly
- gluten free
- raw
- vegan

Ingredients
1 cup raw almonds
4 cups filtered water

Optional Ingredients
Sweetener: 1-2 pitted dates OR 1 tbsp honey OR 1 tbsp maple syrup
Flavouring: pinch of sea salt, splash of vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean, 1 tsp cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg
Enhancer: 1 tbsp organic coconut oil (adds richness to the finished product) 

Directions
1. Place almonds and water into high speed blender (Vita-mix works perfectly for this)
2. Blend on high for about 60 seconds
3. Decide what type of almond milk you want and follow the appropriate directions below.

For unsweetened, filtered milk:
- Pour it through a strainer or nut milk bag. The ‘pulp’ will keep in the fridge for several days, or can be dehydrated and ground up into almond flour. 
- Enjoy the milk as is, over ice, or added to recipes

For sweetened, filtered milk:
- Pour it through a strainer or nut milk bag. The ‘pulp’ will keep in the fridge for several days, or can be dehydrated and ground up into almond flour.
- Put the filtered ‘milk’ back in the blender
- Add your choosen sweeteners, flavourings and/or enhancer and blend for about 30 seconds. When using dates as a sweetener, you may need to blend a little longer to ensure the dates are completly broken down.
- Enjoy the milk as is, over ice, or added to recipes

For unsweetened, unfiltered milk:
- You’re done!
- Enjoy the milk as is, over ice, or added to recipes

For sweetened, unfiltered milk:
- Add your choosen sweeteners, flavourings and/or enhancer and blend for about 30 seconds. When using dates as a sweetener, you may need to blend a little longer to ensure the dates are completly broken down.
- Enjoy the milk as is, over ice, or added to recipes

Contrary to what your mother might have told you, you do not have to eat meat every day to get enough protein in your diet. In fact there is plenty of protein in non-animal food products to keep you healthy… just ask any vegan and they will tell you it is possible to live meat free. For example 1 cup of walnuts has the same amount of protein as a chicken drumstick; and 1 cup of quiona has a little more protein than 1/4 pound of lean ground beef.*

But Meat Free Mondays isn’t asking us to all become vegan. It is simply asking us to cut our meat consumption by about 14% to help lessen the impact that we have on our environment … and that fits beautifully with the low crap diet.
 
This movement is growing quickly. A Google search for “meat free Monday” returns over 20 million hits. Even Sir Paul McCartney has, not surprisingly, joined the movement and if you visit supportMFM.org you can watch Sir Paul strumming his guitar and singing a little song to get everyone in the spirit: “Meat free Monday… It’s a fun day… And its happ’nin …All around the world.”

Making Mondays meat free makes a lot of sense. To learn more watch the video below, or click here to watch on You Tube.

*Nutrition Facts Source: Dunne, Lavon J., Nutritional Almanac Fifth Edition, 2002 McGraw-Hill

I hope you won’t mind this low crap interlude. Today I’m going to take a respite from talking about food and packaging, and plastics and pesticides and instead focus for a moment on a low crap form of entertainment … flowers.

I love taking pictures of flowers. I especially enjoy focusing the camera close enough on the bloom to reveal any critters who happen to also be enjoying the loveliness.

I snapped this one a few days ago at a local park and since it’s a rainy, cold Friday in Calgary, I thought it would help brighten up the day. Enjoy!

BYOB has taken on a whole new meaning.

My local organic store, Sunnyside Market, carries quite a few things in bulk … including dish soap. And they are quite delighted when you bring your own container … or in this case, bottle.

My last plastic bottle of dish soap had a big crack in it, so it had to go to recycling.

I went looking through my cupboards for a suitable replacement and discovered this cleaned out glass olive oil bottle.

I should tell you that I am a bit of a glass bottle hoarder … meaning I have a hard time sending any glass bottle to recycling if I think there is a remote possibility that it may one day come in handy.

I remember cleaning out this bottle and if you have ever tried to clean out an olive oil bottle you will understand my pain because it takes a lot of hot water and dish soap to get that bottle oil free. I remember asking myself if my efforts, along with the extra hot water and soap were worth it.

Today I was feeling kind of smug … yes my efforts were absolutely worth it.

The great thing about reusing an olive oil bottle is that it has a ‘spout’ attachment that slows down the speed that liquid pours out. This little feature makes it quite suitable for refilling with dish soap … and the bottle looks much prettier than plastic.