#green dining

Green Dining: Teller, die in die Erde zurückkehren.

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#ecofriendly #tableware #plasticfreeliving #sustainabledining #greenchoices #biodegradablegoals #ricehuck #straw #sugarcane #sugarcanebox

Tips 8: Enjoy plant-based or vegetarian meals to reduce your carbon footprint while savoring local flavors. Eat sustainably. 🌱🍽️

Veggie Broth from Food Waste Scraps

If you have never made your own veggie broth before, this is the recipe for you! You cannot mess this up! It’s so easy and is the perfect way to use up food waste scraps that you have probably been throwing away. If you didn’t get a chance to read about why food waste is important, feel free to click back here to read more.

This recipe will save you oodles of money too! I used to buy at least 4…

Why I Care About Food Waste

Why is caring about food waste important? There are many problems and environmental issues out there in the world, so why food waste? I care about food waste for many, very personal, reasons. I also care about food waste because it affects humanity.

My Personal Hunger Story

I was fortunate enough to grow up in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. There I had a loving home that…

1: Don't eat Turkey.  Afterall, there are serious impacts by the livestock industry on the environment...

But alas, if you're like me, you can't resist the succulent flesh roasted to perfection with sage and onion dressing...and the gravy.  So, let's look a few alternatives..

1a:  Buy a fresh, free-range or certified organic turkey.

1b:  Buy a fresh turkey from a local farmer.  Be sure to check out the local farmer's markets.

Many poultry farmers currently are looking at raising heritage birds as opposed to the usual commercially bred birds .  Basically, these slower growing, free-range birds that produce lots of dark meat and flavor.

It can take up to two days to thaw a frozen turkey.  If you haven't gotten your bird yet, a fresh bird is your best bet.

1c:  Buy your produce items from a local farmer's market.  You'll find the quality to be more flavorful than produce trucked-in from a 1,000 miles way.

2:  To save energy cut down the roasting time, consider cutting the turkey into sections before cooking it.

3:  Not really a green tip but a safety note: if you plan to deep fry your turkey, do it outside and away from wooden structures like a deck.  Do not play or toss objects anywhere near one of these.  Deep fryers have notoriously unstable bases and spill easily.  It only takes one badly thrown football to turn a cozy Thanksgiving into a trip to the burn ward.

4:  Consider the number of diners.  This years, it seems that potluck-style dinners are more common for large family feeds.  This way, not only is the cost spread around but so too is the amount of preparation work.

5: Thanksgiving is time of family traditions so stick with the traditional favorite dishes your family enjoys.  Don't try making a new dish for 15 people that no one may like. If you do want to try something new, make it only a little of it -- call it a "sampler".  If it goes over well, you can add it to the menu next year.  If it bombs, you can eat it for lunch on Friday.

6: Setting the Table: If you're having a big dinner with lots of guests, you'll want to see if you have enough plates.  Instead of using disposable dinnerware, consider having guests bring their own place setting.  Your guests will know whose place is who's.  However, if you're planning on something a bit more formal, then look for disposable dinnerware that is biodegradeable and compostable.

7:  Leftovers.  Plan ahead what you can do with your leftovers.  If you don't have the storage space, encourage your guests to take some home with them.  While donating leftovers to foodbanks and homeless shelters sounds like a nice idea, these institutions might not take such items unless they are pre-packaged.  Be sure to check before your dinner to see if your donation would be welcome.

8:  Cook down leftover meat and bones for stock.  Once the turkey soup stock has cooled, remove the all the bones and pour your stock in resealable plastic containers.   Freeze for later use in other dishes using chicken or turkey stock.

9:  Lots of people in a house with a hot oven make lots of heat.  Turn down the thermostat.  You can also light candles to add a calm, relaxed mood to the dinner and allow you to turn off a few lights.  

You don't want to miss the chance to celebrate Valentine's Day in style tomorrow! From 11-1, our friendly Dining Educators will be giving out free samples of Green & Black's organic and Fair Trade certified chocolate right outside of Crossroads (where Green & Black's is sold daily). The dark chocolate (70% cocoa content) and almond flavors will be featured. Come learn about Fair Trade certification and why it's an important part of UVa Dining's sustainability platform.