Evans Green Tip of the Day comes from treehugger.com
My 5 favorite Zero Waste kitchen hacks
With a tiny investment and a little foresight, you can do away with a lot of unnecessary waste.
I know that a “hack” in the predictable sense is something that would spring from the brain of MacGyver and involve some uncanny and unconventional problem-solving. Here I am playing more of a long game, and my hacks may be more grandma-style than MacGyver, but they’ve saved me loads of money and waste in the kitchen.
1. For disposable party plates: A stack of vintage bread plates
Seventeen years ago I picked up a pile of 20 pretty mix-matched six-inch bread plates (some of which are shown above) for a shower I was hosting. They came from a thrift shop and cost nearly nothing. I have never bought paper party plates again. They have served birthday cake for a combined 31 years of kids’ birthday parties, they have taken the place of snack napkins at numerous cocktail parties, they have held an uncountable number of snacks, and they have even been used for … get this, bread.
2. For paper napkins: A drawer of linens
Cloth napkins for paper ones – the idea certainly isn’t anything new. But for anyone still unsure if this is a reasonable option, I am here to tell you that yes, it is! We have two drawers full of cloth napkins, some have been gifts, some have been homemade, many from vintage shops. We have then in all sizes and various degrees of formality – from small vibrant pom-pommed ones to large crisp antique lace ones, and lots of casual cotton and linen ones in-between. I have a household of miraculously tidy eaters, and we only wash them once they are soiled, so it doesn’t add much to our laundry footprint. And it’s just so much nicer than rubbing paper on one’s face.
3. For plastic cups: A case of party glasses
I have a case of restaurant wine glasses that I keep in a closet, and they have been used for every party I have had since owning them. They are sturdy and apparently indestructible, and have saved me more plastic cups than I can count. Not only it is waste-free, but things just look and taste better in glass than in plastic.
4. For paper towels: A box of retired textiles
Paper towels are a hard one to give up, especially if you have small children and pets in the house. Somehow, I made the break and now the idea of having to buy paper towels over and over again makes me cringe. Rather than tossing old sheets, blankets, towels, t-shirts, jeans, for anything that can’t be used or worn by someone else, cut them into squares or rectangles of various sizes and employ them for messes instead. You can also retire overly used / stained cloth napkins to the rag bin as well. Sometimes they need to be tossed in the laundry after one use if it’s an icky spill or used on something that may be germ-ridden, but other times they can be rinsed and used over and over throughout the day or days.
5. For plastic food storage: A hodgepodge of hacks
In a drawer that once held saran wrap, zipper plastic bags, and aluminum foil now lives an assortment of non-single-use food storage supplies. It’s not an exact science, but a mix of stainless containers, old jars, glass storage containers, wax wrappers, cloth produce bags, jumbo rubber bands (to hold wax / cloth covers on bowls), and my one guilty single-purpose indulgence, an avocado saver (a gift from my kids that has saved more avocado halves than I can imagine, even if it is the kind of plastic gizmo that usually makes me grimace). See more ideas here: How to store leftovers without plastic.I know that none of these are all that revolutionary. MacGyver would be shaking his head at me, and then craft an emergency napkin out of a fan belt and some leaves. But for anyone looking for testimony that simple switches can become just as comfortable as the wasteful conveniences of paper and plastic – these hacks are for you.
Charleston Food Truck Festival brings waffles, ‘dogs, crab cakes, and more to Park Circle next weekend Truckin’ along
In 2011, five local food trucks banded together to create a food truck focused event because they couldn’t park willy nilly on the streets of Charleston. Eight years later, the festival has grown to more than two dozen trucks from around the Southeast and 10,000 attendees, spanning two full days. Check out your favorite mobile bites next Saturday and Sunday Jan. 26-27 at 4854 O’Hear Ave. in Park Circle.
Make sure to bring plenty of cash and an empty stomach as you indulge in the best street fare from all across town. Beer, wine, and mixed drinks will be flowing (available for purchase, mind you) as you let loose and dance to local musicians during the festival or while waiting in line. There will also be a bloody mary and mimosa bar, axe throwing (the hottest new trend), a huge kids’ zone, and laser skeet shooting. The event is both family and dog friendly, so bring the whole house.
EVENT DETAILS8th Annual Charleston Food Truck Festival
Some participating food trucks include Braised in the South, BKeD, Chazito’s Latin Cuisine, Happy Thai, Dashi, Greekin’ Out, Lola’s Lumpia, J & B’s Bucket List, Brunch Holiday, Samira’s Gyro’s, Holy City Waffles, Bearded Dogs, Roti Rolls, and Tamashii. There will also be a vegan truck, A Peace of Soul, authentic Maryland crab cakes, and lobster rolls.
Retail and craft vendors include Habana Club, a cigars and accessories company; Frisky Paws, an all-natural dog treats company that also sells bows and bowties; Lilli’s Old Style Lollies; Saltwater Cycle; Old World Glass Studio; and more.
The event is free to attend and there’s free parking, but all food/drinks are sold separately. You can skip the lines and purchase your drink tickets in advance, though, which we highly recommend. Six tickets are $25, 12 tickets are $50, and 18 tickets are $75. Each ticket gets you one drink — purchase them here.
Mayor Tecklenburg focuses on flooding, drainage issues in State of the City Address
(Article from www.live5news.com)
CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg focused his State of the City address on flooding and drainage, two issues he said are the city’s top priority and how the city plans to alleviate those problems.
“The state of our city of Charleston is hopeful and strong, but there is much work to be done,” Tecklenburg said Tuesday night.
Tecklenburg said flooding has become even more apparent in recent years with extreme weather from historic flooding to hurricanes.
The mayor touched up on the thousand year rainfall in 2015, to the effects of Hurricane Mathew, Irma and Florence from 2016, 2017, and 2018.
“Eight and nine foot tides have become the regularity where before they were stretched out over the decades,” the mayor said. “Relying on science, we now know that sea level is truly rising.”
Tecklenburg presented a flooding strategy which comprised of the infrastructure for a flooding strategy and how the city is going to pay for it.
The mayor said important resources have already been established including the storm water department and the city’s relationship with the Army Corps of Engineers in their work to combat flooding and solve drainage issues.
According to Tecklenburg, one of the most important aspects of the relationship will be the Army Corps of Engineers stamp of approval on projects which Tecklenburg says will help to get the necessary federal funding that Charleston needs for them.
Tecklenburg also outlined funding sources which included the drainage fund, the general fund and the half-cent sales tax. He also hopes that the city could be able to use accommodation and hospitality taxes to help pay for drainage improvements.
“Folks there is no silver bullet,” he said.”It’s not going to come from one place. We’ve got to cobble together a number of resources from every place we can think of.”
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This Wednesday 1/23 opportunity for all experiencing any hardships due to the government shutdown to come have a free meal with us.
Asking for restaurants, caters, or even individuals and/or families to help by dropping off prepared dinner items to our kitchen/event space anytime from 1:00-5:00 pm!!
Would love to have you stick around and help serve dinner or eat and mingle
We are going to be starting at 5:00 and serving until the supplies run out!!
