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Maximizing Leftovers
Packing leftovers
in your child's lunch can save time and energy, and kids love them too.
When deciding what to cook for dinner, think about how you might incorporate
leftovers into a lunch for the following day. Make a few extra servings
for dinner and set them aside for the next day's lunch. In fact, while
you're cleaning up the dinner mess, place your Laptop Lunches on the
counter, fill some of the containers with leftovers, and refrigerate
overnight. Put that extra set of inner containers to good use!
#1:
Potato Vegetable Gratin
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- 1
1/2 pounds of potatoes, cooked in a small amount of water until
still firm
- 3 cups thinly sliced squash and carrots (or your choice of veggies)
- 1 clove of garlic
- white pepper
- nutmeg
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbs. butter
- Preheat
oven to 400° F.
- Peel
potatoes and slice thinly.
- Grease
a large, shallow gratin dish and rub with peeled garlic.
- Arrange
the potato slices in a layer, alternating with the sliced veggies
so that the layers overlap.
- Season
each layer with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour the milk over
the potato and veggie mixture and bake for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and dot with butter.
- Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the potatoes
& veggies are cooked and the cheese is golden brown.
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#2:
Sesame Noodle Salad
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This recipe makes 8-10 small
servings and takes about 35 minutes to prepare.
- 12 ounces dried soba (Japanese buckwheat) noodles, dried Asian
wheat noodles, or angel hair pasta
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 red bell pepper (8 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and cut
into thin, short slivers
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- Salt
- In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 1/2 to 3 quarts
water to a boil.
- Add noodles, stir to separate, and cook until just tender
to bite, 3 to 7 minutes.
- Drain and rinse well with cold water.
- If desired, cut noodles into shorter lengths for easy serving.
- Rinse with cold water.
- In the same pan, stir sesame seeds in oil over medium heat
until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and cayenne, and stir until
blended.
- Add noodles and mix until well coated.
- Add bell pepper, carrots and green onions, and mix gently.
- Serve at room temperature.
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Green Opportunities
We
thought we'd take a minute to pass on a few earth-friendly tidbits that
have landed in our office in recent weeks.
- Horticulture
Just for Kids features the following six links related to gardening
with children: KinderGARDEN, Junior Master Gardens, Nutrition in the
Garden, Composting for Kids, Human Issues in Horticulture, and Nutrition
in the Garden. If you work with children or are interested in gardening
with your own kids, be sure to check out these sites!
-
Want to support the environment? Vote for candidates with a strong
environmental record. Visit the League of Conservation Voters at www.lcv.org
to view the environmental score cards of candidates on your ballot.
If you're not currently registered to vote, or if you need to update
your registration, visit www.congress.org
for a voter registration form.
- At
The Imagination Factory, art
is more than a pretty picture. Trashasaurus Rex, a giant dinosaur
made of solid waste, heads the site's Public Relations Department,
and there are numerous links to other art and environmental sites
in the Research and Development Department. A discussion of landfills
is located in the Education Department, and it's linked to Trash a
Pizza! The activity shows visitors how to make a papier-mâché model
of a pizza with solid waste toppings. The pizza is divided into nine
segments or categories, and the toppings or trash are reflective of
the composition of American landfills. Very cool!
-
Find out what a truly green economy would look like at Green Festival
2004 (September 18-19 in Washington, DC and November 6-7 in San Francisco),
featuring fair trade retailers, organic food sellers, renewable energy
innovators, inspiring speakers, and much more. Visit www.greenfestivals.org
for more information. If you do attend the San Francisco festival,
please stop by the Laptop Lunches booth and introduce yourself!
- To
find out about the health of your local air and water, visit http://scorecard.org.
Type your zip code in the right-hand corner for specific information
about where you live.
-
If you're looking for step-by-step instructions for starting a waste-free
lunch program at your school, consider subscribing to Green
Teacher Magazine, and make sure you receive the Fall 2004 issue.
-
Non-profit E Magazine contains valuable information and in-depth stories
on all aspects related to the environment. For
a free trial , click here.
The Sustainable
Style Foundation (SSF)
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Tammy
Pelstring talks with SSF Style Ambassador and SASS Magazine Founding
Editor Sean Schmidt, pictured here with co-founder Rebecca Luke.
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What
is the Sustainable Style Foundation?
We started in Seattle in May 2003 with the mission to educate, support
and inspire people from all walks of life so that they can make more
sustainable personal lifestyle choices. We strive to increase both the
supply of and demand for sustainable products and services in the many
and diverse style /design industries.
How
do you define sustainable style?
First
of all dictionary.com defines 'style' as "a quality of imagination
and individuality, expressed in one's actions and tastes." 'Style'
is not about conformity, it's not about running out and spending lots
of money on the latest fashions. True style is about individualism.
It's about expressing yourself, your beliefs, your creativity and your
identity through the clothes you choose to wear, the things you surround
yourself with in your house, the car you drive, the food you eat, etc.
We define the sustainable part by the broadest definition: increasing
the quality of life for everyone with the choices you make.
The
Foundation's tag line is "Look Fabulous, Live Well, Do Good."
What does that mean?
It's
about having a good quality of life and making sustainable lifestyle
choices.
There was a great quote from the model Angela Lindval. She said, "Just
because I wear stilettos doesn't mean I can't be interested in the environment."
So
I don't have to wear Birkenstocks and tie-dye to show that I care about
sustainability?
Exactly,
but I must confess I have as many tie-dye shirts in my closet as Armani
hemp jeans.
Tell me about some of the designers who
are incorporating sustainable practices into their clothing designs?
One of the leaders of the movement is Giorgio Armani. He's been using
hemp in his lines for quite some time. Armani is quoted as saying "It
is possible to live with both style and awareness." There's Cynthia
Rowley, Deborah Hampton, Richard Tyler and Bono of U2 fame--currently
working on a line with Rogan Jeans using organic cotton. Sportswear
maker, Nike, is in the process of completely phasing out the use of
PVC in their products. Timberline also incorporates organic cotton and
other sustainable practices.
As a consumer, what should I look for
when purchasing a product?
One of the easiest things a consumer can do is check the tag to see
if the item is made with organic materials. You can also look to see
if the item is SA8000 certified which is a social compliance standard.
Is there a universal logo or symbol that
indicates an item was made using sustainable materials and processes?
Currently there is no universal logo or symbol, but it is something
SSF is looking into and considering creating.
SSF has three core values. Can you describe
them?
NO ONE IS PERFECT | SSF recognizes that
no one is perfect. Fundamentalism and absolutes just don't work in the
real world and issues are always more complex than they appear with
their infinite shades of gray. When it comes to working with a company
or individual that demonstrates seemingly opposing activities and/or
value structures, SSF will focus on cultivating seeds of sustainability
rather than the more arrogant option, we feel, of condemning or not
associating with the company or individual.
CREATING CHANGE | There are many ways to
create change. The metaphor of using a carrot or a stick to persuade
someone demonstrates that change mechanisms have positive or negative
associations. Many feel that it takes pain to create change and choose
to condemn or convict companies or individuals when their actions or
values fall short of social and/or environmental responsibility expectations.
At SSF we prefer to create change through positive mechanisms, as we
say "through pudding rather than pain."
HONOR LIVING RESOURCES | SSF understands
that the welfare of animals is one of the most sensitive issues across
style industries. Even within SSF we have diverse and often opposing
opinions about this issue. SSF will focus on what everyone can agree
upon: we need honor and respect all living resources.
Are you working on anything exciting
right now?
Currently, I'm working on our Annual Membership drive coming up in October.
We're calling it Red October. We will be wearing something red the entire
month of October. We are beginning our launch with our Red Dress Party
where everyone, and I mean EVERYONE wears a red dress. Its going to
be crazy-fun!
To
learn more about sustainable style, log on to sustainablestyle.org
Laptop
Lunches in Monterey, California
If you happen
to find yourself visiting the scenic Monterey Peninsula or if you know
someone who lives there, please look for Laptop Lunches at these fine
stores:
Bay Books
316 Alvarado Street
Monterey, CA 93940
Telephone: (831)
375-1855
Book Works
667 Lighthouse Avenue
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Telephone: (831)
372-2242
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Subscriber
Contribution
Healthy
Eating, Healthy Environment
By
Dan Brook
Eating
for Health
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More
and more evidence strongly suggests that a plant-based diet is good
for our bodies and good for the environment. The American Cancer Society,
the American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association, the
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the World
Health Organization all agree that a diet high in fresh fruits, vegetables,
and whole grains can reduce the incidence of heart disease, cancer,
and stroke, the top three leading causes of death in the United States.
Jamie
Adams of the Nutrition Care Division at the Tripler Army Medical Center
in Honolulu explains that maintaining a plant-based diet is an excellent
way to promote health and reduce the risk of disease. Adams recommends
reducing the consumption of animal protein, saturated fat, and cholesterol,
which is found exclusively in meat and other animal products.
A
well-balanced plant-based diet tends to be low in fat, especially saturated
fat, and cholesterol. It is also rich in health-protecting nutrients,
antioxidants, and fiber. Fiber, which is essential for good health,
is totally absent in animal products.
Eating
for the Environment
Adhering
to a plant-based diet has many environmental benefits as well. By choosing
a plant-based diet you will:
- save
massive amounts of precious water, up to 5,000 gallons for every pound
of beef you don’t consume;
-
avoid polluting our streams, rivers, and other waterways, as well
as our air and soil;
- reduce
the depletion of topsoil;
- reduce
our dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels;
- prevent
the destruction of tropical and rain forests, including the Amazon;
- reduce
the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, two major greenhouse
gases that significantly contribute to global warming;
- and
slow the destruction of wildlife habitat, preserving biodiversity
and helping to save endangered species from becoming extinct.
Making
it Work for You
If
you’d like to incorporate more vegetables, fruits, grains (preferably
whole grains), nuts, and legumes into your meals without going “cold turkey,”
try the following tactics:
- Educate
your family on the benefits of a plant-based diet. (Get everyone involved.)
- Serve
a vegetarian meal once or twice a week. Be creative. You’ll find lots
of delicious recipes in cookbooks, on vegetarian web sites, and in
this newsletter.
- As
your family adjusts, gradually add more vegetarian dishes to your
diet.
- In
place of meat products, try vegetarian alternatives. Visit your natural
foods store to see what’s available. You’ll find much more than just
veggie burgers and tofu dogs. Try tofu “ground round” or veggie sausages
made with sun-dried tomatoes and basil.
- Serve
smaller portions of meat. One adult serving of meat should be no larger
than a deck of cards.
- De-emphasize
the meat you serve by including it in a dish that also contains vegetables
and whole grains. As your family adjusts, slowly decrease the amount
of meat you use and increase the use of non-meat sources of protein.
- Start
your own organic garden or fresh herb garden.
- Shop
at natural foods stores and farmers’ markets or sign up to receive
a weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share. Visit www.localharvest.org
to find a farmers’ market or CSA near you.
- Congratulate
yourself for making a healthy, sustainable, life-affirming choice.
Remember
that switching to a plant-based diet isn’t about sacrificing anything;
it’s about making positive choices aimed at improving our health and protecting
the planet. For more information on switching to a plant-based diet and
its many benefits, visit some of the following web sites: Brook.com/veg,
TryVeg.com, VegetarianStarterKit.com,
VeggieChef.com, VegRecipes.org,
VegSource.com, VRG.org.
Dan
Brook is a freelance writer. He can be contacted via CyberBrook’s ThinkLinks
or by email at Brook@california.com.
If
you've written an article on an issue related to food or the environment
that you'd like to share with our readers, please email it to newsletter@obentec.com.
What Works...Success
Stories
- "We
received our Laptop lunch kits just in time for Back to School. I
have a 2nd grader and a full day Kindergartner. They love their "laptops."
The colors are fun, the food stays fresh and "unsmashed" and best
of all they fit inside the soft lunchboxes with characters on them
that they had already chosen (with room for a milk box and ice pack!).
Best of all, I find it a lot easier to be creative and to resist the
ease of prepackaged, nonhealthy choices since I have the chance to
create my own "packages" for each food. Thanks ladies, for coming
up with an idea that makes all of us happy- even mother earth."
--Kasey
McQueen, Bloomfield, MI
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"I read about you and your program in the Body & Soul September
2004 issue. We love the alternative you've created, and hope to
take your message to our son's expeditionary learning charter school.
What you offer mirrors the philosophy of many of our parents."
----
Andi S., Boise, Idaho
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"When I read the testimonial about taking Laptop Lunches on planes,
I thought it was nuts. Who wants to carry dirty cases around all
week? Well, we took meals for my preschoolers on our trip to Santa
Fe and wished we had Laptop Lunches for the rest of us. While the
kids enjoyed a tasty, healthy meal on the plane, the rest of us
were starving or trying to make a meal out of Snickers bars from
the airport bookshop. Best of all, it was easy to hand them their
meals, and when their meal was interrupted at the end of the first
flight, they could put it away until the next one!"
--Ann
Bieneman, Bloomfield, MI
Do
you have a success story to share? Email it to us at newsletter@obentec.com.
Featured Web Site:
http://www.newdream.org/consumer/marketplace.php
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The
Center for a New American Dream's Conscious Consumer Marketplace
at http://www.newdream.org/consumer/marketplace.php
makes it easy to buy environmentally and socially responsible versions
of everyday items-from coffee to paper to energy for your home.
Click on the relevant goods category to find the nearest local or
online source. Whatever you're looking for is just a few steps away.
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November Highlights
Wacky
wraps, creative reuse/recycling, and green hotels!
Do you have a favorite
SANDWICH WRAP RECIPE you'd like to share? Send it to newsletter@obentec.com
by October 20th, 2004, and we'll include it in the November issue!
Do you have some
LAPTOP LUNCH PHOTOS you'd like to share? We're looking for real photos
of real people. Please send them to newsletter@obentec.com,
and we'll publish them here!
© October 2004, by
Obentec, Inc.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Feel free to reprint
or forward this newsletter with the following acknowledgment and contact
information clearly visible: "Thank you to Obentec, Inc. for permission
to use this copyrighted material. For more information, contact Obentec,
Inc. by email at info@obentec.com
or by phone at 831-457-0301, or visit their Web site at http://www.obentec.com.
Reprint permission granted with this full notice included."
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