One of the things that always got me all humbug about holidays is the gross amount of waste they cause... cheap processed foods, factory farm turkeys, pesticide laden dishes, throw away napkins, and the encouragement to stuff as much in your face as possible. Not to mention the traveling factor - it's enough to get an eco minded person in a spiral of rebellious guilt.Here's a few simple tips to keep your holiday waste in check:
1. FREE RANGE! Whatever animal you are eating this Thanksgiving, make sure it had a blissful life on the farm and not a cramped diseased one in a cage. Buy a smaller turkey (cause you know there is always too much leftover) or go Vegan and eat some tofurky. :)
2. ORGANIC (and Local)! Have everyone pitch in their own dish or two and buy organic and local. With the whole family making the meal pot luck style each one will have enough extra cash to make sure the food is chem & GMO free.
3. RE-USABLE ACCESSORIES! Make sure you are not using throw away plates, napkins & forks (unless you get the kind that biodegrade). Soak your dishes in a little warm water before washing so less running water is wasted in trying to get them clean.
4. SAFE CLEAN UP! When it's all over try simple non toxic cleaning tricks like lemons, vinegar & hot water - rather then grabbing the usual harsh chemical soaps & sprays that are polluting our water and soil (and your lungs).
PS- If ya gotta decorate ya house with little turkeys and such- get eco crafty and make your own from things you have around the house rather then getting sucked into the weird walmart world of plastic decor!
AMEN! There is so much waste and gluttony on Thanksgiving. And all those poor turkeys. We're staying home this year and I'm making veggie lasagna, actually roll-ups where you roll veggies/spinach up in the noodles and then bake it smothered with tomato sauce & cheese (yes cheese, that's the holiday splurge). They're fun and yummy. And fresh baked bread & green salad. Oh, I'll bake pumpkin/kashi bars for dessert. That's it. No creatures, no chemicals, no GMO. Oh and NO FOOTBALL.
ReplyDeleteGO SUSIE! That rocks out.
ReplyDeleteI have double doozy bum out because I have to be strict gluten free, and family can be so strong hold to food traditions... basically I gave up on "traditional" holidays after being diagnosed with Celiac Sprue.
I feel so bad about all your restrictions. I hope you have a happy day anyway. Happy Thanksgiving my friend! I know one thing I am very thankful for is your friendship and support. {{hugs}}
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