On A Quest For...A Greener Kitchen

I really have been working on greening up around my home, especially in the kitchen.  I recycle, reuse, and re purpose just about any time I can.  For instance, I buy frozen orange juice and mix it in a reusable container, rather than purchasing a new jug each time.  I bring the foods I plan to prepare to room temp before I place them in the microwave or oven.  Quite often, I use a slow cooker which uses less energy than an incandescent light bulb.  I use the view window on my oven door to check my baking instead of opening the door a million times, which by the way, drops the oven temperature 25 degrees F each time I open.  It's a wonder I ever got anything baked before I picked up that little tip! And to help toward deforestation, I use dish towels instead of paper towels to wipe up messes. I rinse my dishes and scrape them into the trashcan before placing in the dishwasher to save water.  I never let my tap water run freely at the sink!  And, as I do my marketing, whenever possible...I buy locally, organically, and seasonally. Food tastes a heck of a lot better that way...

I am no Ed Begley, but these baby steps go a long way toward greener living in the kitchen. Try a few and see.  Oh, and as I mentioned above, I'm especially proud of curbing excessive use of paper products in order to save trees. Just yesterday (Thursday,the day after Paula Deen announced two more winners on the Real Women Of Philadelphia Contest, and I along with a few hundred other women was not one of them) I decided to buy this nifty hard plastic, hot and cold container at Starbucks for my daily latte for under $12... just to console my feelings of discouragement for not having been chosen. I do feel a tiny bit better.  And, I did use a cloth handkerchief to hold back my tears instead of a whole box of Kleenex. Don't know what I'm gonna buy myself next Thursday...maybe a brand new 2010 Toyota Prius to replace my beloved 2008 model which gets almost 50 miles per gallon and emits hardly any vapors into our atmosphere)...surely that will console my impending gloom and desperation...but, I do doubt it.