day 32 Plastics

HATS HAPPENED WITH MY CHALLENGE?
The one where Im bringing home less plastic that I have to deal with.  It's been a challenge, but Im learning every day what's working and what is not.  Some things I just gave up on period for now...like I enjoyed buying veggie sausage and veggie burgers but they come in those non recycable zip top packages so stopped that.  My sis said look for alternative brands that may be in other packaging...I recall when Morning star put their products in that packaging I wrote to them and told them how horrible it was.  Before it had been in cardboard and a waxed paper liner both biodegradable and the cardboard can be recycled...I haven't looked for an alternative yet...but will

I found I can buy a french bread in one of those PoP open cardboards like canned biscuits...I can recycle the cardboard and the steel ends..YES..also you can get pie crust and pizza crust that way...also...

Buying all my veggies off the raw racks is wonderful and I save money! I have yet to find Mushroom in an open bin where I can grab what I like so Im going to canned the can is steel and I do recycle cans. Not something I will be buying every week but occasionally. 

Im prepared to purchase the toilet paper I like in the individual size it's wrapped up in a paper sleeve, Paper towel after I use what I have I won't buy again...and I found a cardboard box to bring my shopping home in and it's going to last a long time!   I found quick rice in a box.  And so you recall when they used to put frozen peas and such in waxed boxes, it was so easy now it's all in a plastic bag that is not recyclable.  Since we have only 4 grocery stores in our area and one is Walmart I don't have a Whole Foods market, and the farmers market is not going on currently in my area so it's been hard to find some alternatives.  I went back to canned green peas. 

I got bunch Kale and wash it that saves a plastic bag, I don't bother putting my produce in those little flimsy bags they have "for your convenience." I bring Paper lunch bags from home or I just put my produce in the cart and wash it good once it's home. Buying loose potato, onion, fruits of all kinds, greens, and veggie like broccoli, squash, tomato, avocado, makes my grocery bill cheaper too....I buy 2 potatoes, 1 onion, 2 pear, 1 orange, so IM getting what I need and not paying for the "family" price. 

Ive been eating from my winter greens, some of was destroyed by the 3 weeks of freezing weather but I ate a lot of it, and I've got more planted now hoping for an early spring crop. Sometimes that does not work out but we'll see.  I will grow what I can. 

Its going to take a while for me to retrain  myself and make more food from scratch so I need to perfect my tortilla skills, and I figure to use the pizza crust to make some flat bread!! My cornbread is great but my other baked goods suck!!

                                    The Pop Can French Bread,

               I put everything bagel mix on top...It was delish...
BUT that everything mix came in a BIG plastic container.  So getting completely rid of plastic is not easy...At the very least I look to see if it's recyclable on the bottom before I buy it.  And buy things like that in a large container so I buy less containers to deal with.  NO glass since I can't recycle glass at all right now...One thing that will be hard is I plan to transition to a paper bag for my kitchen trash.  I compost, I recycle, and with the less packaging I hope I can do it without it becoming a huge issue. 

I think like everything else in life it takes a little effort to make a change.