Wow, the holidays already?! I was just getting the hang of 2009! This is the busiest time of the year for most of us, but let’s not lose sight of our commitment to go green and save green! Today, I’m focusing on green feasts. Here are 10 tips to enjoy a green holiday dinner, from Thanksgiving to New Years! But first, a fact that might make you lose your appetite. The Nature Conservancy reports that each year, we discard 96 billion pounds of food! And Americans gobble down 45 million turkeys on Thanksgiving! We all enjoy holiday leftovers…but a lot of leftovers get left, and then tossed! Be thoughtful about menu planning. Cut back on the number of dishes, or make smaller amounts. Send guests home with food, and get creative with leftovers. These simple efforts can save you time and money ─ as well as save you from excess waste and waistline!
1.Let’s talk turkey. If you can buy an organic, free range or heritage turkey, great! A lot of us are watching our budgets, however, so maybe this kind of green isn’t this year’s scene. In that case, save green! Cash in on the free (or nearly free) turkey offers rampant in grocery stores. Then try to buy organic for other dishes.
2.Bag it. When shopping, bring your own bags, of course. But when you must accept paper or plastic grocery bags, be sure to reuse or recycle them. The same for produce bags. These are great to pack shoes in when you travel, clean up when you walk your dog, or clean the kitty litter box.
3.Keep farming the organic produce. Organic produce is more than abundant in local supermarkets and grocery stores.
4.Can the can when you can. Many of us are so accustomed to holiday traditions, that we blindly reach for canned goods like yams, green beans, cranberry sauce and pearled onions. Whoa! Get out of the center of the store and head to the perimeter to shop fresh! This typically means healthier (often organic) food and greener production, and it definitely means no cans for the trash or recycle can!
5.Bulk up. For holiday stuffing, baking and snacks, purchase nuts, grains, sugar, flour, dried fruits and more from bulk bins. You’ll save money and reduce packaging waste.
6.A toast to organic spirits! Wine, beer and other spirits have gone green too! If you’re serving these beverages, try to find organic or those produced locally or with sustainable techniques. Every state in the U.S. produces wine, and microbreweries abound. Finding a local beverage might be easier than you think.
7.Give a jar a job. Save jars and containers to pack foods when you send guests home. Zipper baggies and reusable plastic containers you buy are okay, but you’re probably recycling jars and plastic tubs anyway. Hang onto them for the feast. Or ask guests to bring a bowl or container.
8.Go light on lights. Using soy candles, rechargeable no-flame tea lights and Sun Jars (solar-charged lights in a jar) is a lovely way to turn off the lights and turn up the ambiance ─ and green living.
9.Clean green. Ah, the mess. It’s time to do the dishes. Research (from the University of Bonn, Germany) shows that most dishwashers are more efficient than hand washing. In fact, they typically use half the energy, one-sixth the water AND less soap! To make them more efficient: cut back on pre-rinsing. Only run full loads (I personally can really pack ‘em in). Run a shorter/lighter cycle. Air dry the dishes, or turn off the heated drying option. If you are hand washing dishes, stay green! Use two “sinks” ─ one of them a dish tub. Wipe the dishes with a sponge to “pre-rinse” them. Fill the regular sink halfway with hot water and half-teaspoon eco-friendly soap. Then wash cleanest dishes first (like water glasses), and end up with the worst. Once everything’s clean, create a tiny stream of water to rinse the dishes, and capture the rinse water in the dish tub. Then give the rinse water to your plants!
10.Let your green be seen. Your holiday table can go green and save green too. Cloth napkins mean no paper waste. And here are two ways to decorate green.
Look to nature for inspiration! Press fall leaves, and fan them in the center of the table, or hang them from the ceiling using thread. Use pinecones, cedar or pine boughs, pomegranates, oranges or cranberries (the ones you didn’t use in the sauce) for a center piece. If you have little pumpkins or gourds, wonderful for Thanksgiving! But if you are trying to save money and eliminate waste, don’t buy things that you’ll end up tossing.
Look to your life for inspiration! Place framed photos of loved ones in the center of the table, along with small items with great sentiment or that you are grateful for. It’s a nice way to share with others, and to bring the spirit of giving thanks and holiday joy into view! Whew. That’s it for today. Have a safe, happy, Holly Green Holly Day!