Happy Earth Day folks!
Even if you aren’t feeling super crunchy and hippy this Earth Day, it is a great excuse to ditch the office, head outdoors, and feel the grass under your feet. Celebrating the day doesn’t mean you have to make a huge statement or do some gigantically green to make a difference. Earth Day is about celebrating nature and showing it a little love, which is something we have unintentionally been doing quite a bit at our house.
If you follow Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen our plants we bought over the weekend. When our Kitty passed away, we planted some flowers as memorial and decided over the weekend to finish our flower bed and add some trees to our yard. It is our way of making our lawn look a but better, but also adding back to the environment around us and making things a bit more natural. It’s good for the soul, good for the eyes (because it looks pretty), and good for the air.
Today I walked to a local coffee shop after teaching my classes to grab some locally brewed kombucha, feel the ground beneath my feet, and soak up some sunshine. It was faster than if I had driven around the block and I didn’t have to use my car.
Later today, I plan on streaming a copy of a food/environment documentary, Cowspiracy Theory, as a little educational celebration of sorts.
Little things can add up to big changes if we all make a little effort.
Honestly though, these things were not part of some major “Earth Day Plan”. They were just things we were planning on doing or usually do on any given day. I used to feel very driven by the environmental movement and sometimes wonder where all the drive went. Then I realize, I am living it every day Some of the mystery is gone and now it just happens on a regular basis. It’s a kind of fun 😉
But some things are still new, like joining a CSA, which means Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, we purchased a share of the Spring/Summer crops from a local farm. Every week, for 12 weeks, we get a box filled with harvest from that week. It’s local, fresh, and about as green as you can get. Our first box came this week and was packed with goodies.
I’m not one for surprises, but this is the kind of semi-surprise I can totally get behind.
For some reason, we always talked ourselves out of purchasing a share in the CSA, deciding it was too expensive. But it costs about $30 a week (we get a box big enough for 4 people, since we eat mostly veggies), which is just a fraction of my grocery bill and less than I would spend at the Farmers market. It also gives me more time in my schedule and inspires me to create new recipes. When my schedule gets booked, I find I immediately get into a rut with my food and end up spending way to much tome and money at the store. This encourages me to keep it creative and cuts back on my shopping time and money. I may also look into Blue Apron meals after I see how far this box of food stretches.
So now I have to create something with strawberries…
radishes…
a mountain of kale…
beets, broccoli, potatoes, onions…
and a few other things.
I am sure a lot will go into juices and smoothies (hello kale and strawberries), as well as a quinoa dish I have cooking up in my head, but any ideas are more than welcome! I plan on posting a recipe or two from the box each week, so if you suggest one and I use it, you might get a little mention. Just sayin’…
Have you ever joined a CSA or had groceries ready to pick up at the store? Any suggestions on recipes or dishes to make? Leave a few suggestions in the comments below.
Now go outside and enjoy the rest of your Earth Day!
Peace and Love,
Jessi
