Transition Brockville archive
Tag : Frugal living (141)
Mother Earth News / Mary Moss-Sprague / 9 April 2020
Our lives may have been turned topsy-turvy with the global health pandemic, but the can-do spirit of many people is very much alive and well. Many are turning to nature both for comfort and sustenance. That’s a very good thing, especially when it comes to growing and preserving our own food.
As a trained and certified Master Food Preserver, one of my main concerns about food preservation is that of food safety. It doesn’t do any good to go through the process of canning or otherwise preserving foods if it is done incorrectly and unsafely. If you’re an old hand at canning, you know how important it is to adhere to processing procedures and times, good for you! If, however, you’re new to this time-honored skill, keep in mind that established recipes and procedures exist for a reason.
[ FULL ARTICLE ]
CBC News / Madeleine Cummings / 26 April 2020
Q: What are the easiest vegetables to regrow?
A: Green onions are pretty easy to regrow. You can also do bulb onions, of course, but there’s lettuce, like romaine lettuce, beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and even to a certain extent, cabbage. I think we kind of forget that when we buy many of these plants in the grocery store, they’re still alive. They’re not dead! They’ve been harvested from a field or from maybe a greenhouse and, given the right conditions, they can start to grow again.
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The Guardian / various / 29 February 2020
Expert tips on how to be kinder to the planet – from cooking and cleaning to fashion and finance
- Clean up your kitchen
- All green on the home front
- Let the garden grow
- Reboot your wardrobe
- Learn to mend
- Give the bathroom a makeover
- Save to save the planet
[ FULL ARTICLE ]
CBC News / Dianne Buckner / 03 March 2020
The Repair Café holds monthly gatherings, where not only small appliances and other household goods get fixed, but also clothing that needs patches or mending.
When the Repair Café started seven years ago in Canada, there was only one chapter, in Calgary. Now Cheng says there are 47 similar Café organizations in cities across the country providing the same type of services — free. More are coming; Cheng says she’s been getting calls from community groups who want help to set up their own, local repair group.
The cost of replacement has always been a motivation to have things repaired, but nowadays Cheng says climate and waste concerns are driving a surge in interest, particularly with young people.
[ FULL ARTICLE ]
Mother Earth News / Sarah Marshall / September 2018
The first week of the month used to feel weighted by bills, worries about everyday tasks, and to-do lists — leaving few thoughts about the future and more regrets about paying for the past. For the last few years, however, the first Wednesday of every month has instead brought anticipation and excitement. Our organizer Brooke Weeber (also this book’s illustrator) couldn’t have imagined the feelings her canning club would inspire when she reached out to a small group of friends to see if we wanted to meet up and exchange canned goods. Over time, the Portland Preservation Society has grown into much more than the canned food exchange she initiated — it is a reminder for all of us to spread creativity, joy, and delicious food.
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Mother Earth News / Jennifer Tuohy / 16 December 2014
While cooking is not among the top five of your home’s ‘energy-hungry routines,’ if it’s something you do every day then there are many small steps, and a few big ones you can take to decrease its impact on your energy use. Your method of cooking is the root of how much energy you use, so to help you cook wisely, here is a rundown of some of the best options for sautéing sustainably.
Whenever you read about options for energy efficient cooking, the question of gas versus electricity always comes up. The difference in energy use is actually pretty negligible, especially now that induction cooking is bringing electricity up to par with the speed of gas.
[ FULL ARTICLE ]
Our lives may have been turned topsy-turvy with the global health pandemic, but the can-do spirit of many people is very much alive and well. Many are turning to nature both for comfort and sustenance. That’s a very good thing, especially when it comes to growing and preserving our own food. 
