#zerowastefood

VEGAN SHEPHERD’S HAND PIES 🥧

St. Patrick’s Day or literally ANY other day of the year is a great reason to whip up a batch of @micks_magic ‘s latest kitchen wizardry. I’m talking an edible plant-based pocket people! My favorite kind of vegetable vehicle, why do we eat food any other way? These hand pies are the perfect size to carry a sumptuous combo of TVP (that’s textured veggie protein), mashed potatoes, and a delicious veg mixture. Baked in a flaky vegan dough you can decorate to your liking, and make a big ol’ batch ahead of time to enjoy throughout the week. And throw a couple my way, yeah?

Not even remotely a Jewish holiday, as a kiddo my synagogue would still celebrate the holy season of potatoes and right around now. We’d find any number of reasons to fry up knish, latkes, you name it. So trust me when I tell ya a convenient mashed potato recipe fits right in with the calendar.

So if you’re cooking for others, these shepherd’s hand pies are a great way to come together in the kitchen for an afternoon / weekend project. Or make a batch to drop off for friends and share the love! Good mood food in a sweet lil pocket makes for good friends (and travel companions.) 

These versatile pies take on your favorite flavors or preferred meat-alternatives. You can make the most of the veggies or spices you have on hand. And even sub out your tubers. Get creative with your fillings and you can have a new combo every week! I mean, why stop at St. Patty’s day right?

What’s in your hand pie?? #closedloopcooking

🍓🍌food preserving food🍊🍐, no chemicals ❌💀

P M  R I T U A L S 🌙

In the ongoing midst of this pande-monium, I’m looking for stability in my daily routine. Motions to keep me grounded, sustained in my work life, and in balance with my omnipresent friend, anxiety. Hello, darkness. With this, I’m realizing more and more my evening rituals are vital in maintaining sanity throughout the day. Good sleep matters people! As much as I AM definitely still watching Netflix, we gotta shut those screens and catch some zzz’s. (Daylight savings, I’m looking at you.)

I’m eternally grateful for these hot tips from our resident snooze expert (in the BEST way) @thtwhtkatiesaid <3

Clean up your sleep hygiene

- Your bed (and really your whole bedroom) should be used exclusively for sleep and, if you don’t have a loft bed, getting down. It’s super important that your brain and body know that when you go to bed, you’re going to sleep. If you use your bed for work or hobbies or watching all of Lesbian TikTok’s bread baking videos, your body won’t be able to wind down in your room when you actually want to rest.

- If you’re tossing and turning for 20-30 minutes, get out of bed and do a chill activity. I have a yoga mat and sleeping bag right next to my bed that I meditate on before going to sleep and I will get up and lie there when I can’t sleep. I will do breathing exercises or if I’m really anxious I’ll do ab exercises. I know some folx will read until they can fall back asleep.

Chill out with the screens

- I now have blue light protection in my prescription glasses but you best believe I was that dork that wore those super nerdy blue light glasses before bedtime. You can absolutely use Night Shift on your phone or a similar app (f.lux is great for computers) but the best thing is to put your electronics away entirely at least 30 minutes before bed. Blue light affects your melatonin levels and also phones are stimulants and it’s super easy to get swept up in doom (or thirst, tbh) scrolling for hours.

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Finding these small but important rituals cultivate better rest and help us find balance. You should go check out Kaitlyn’s full article with ALL the hot, sleepy tips >> https://closedloopcooking.com/living/finding-your-favorite-nighttime-ritual/

What’s one of your PM rituals?? #closedloopcooking

P U R P L E  C A B B A G E  S T E A K S <3

You heard me right. Dinner is served! There is a plethora of bounty in these cold weather months if you know where to look and can appreciate your body weight in brassica. Purple cabbage steaks are the unexpected delight you didn’t know your winter menu planning was missing. @micks_magic and I combined forces for this delectable spread–grilled cabbage slices with a tangy herb scraps chimichurri and a savory chickpea crumble.

I’m straight swooning over here. You can make the most of your cabbage by saving the odds, ends, cores, and outer leaves for a DIY kraut and make your chimichurri and chickpeas ahead of time for an easy weeknight meal.

I lovelovelove this scrappy green sauce on just about anything. The oil + vinegar extend the life of those leftover ends + stems so you can enjoy them well into next week. And try not eating this chickpea crumble with a spoon.

This meal is fancy enough to impress your SO or a quick cut-up for a solo bite. A go-to seasonal dish to keep in your back pocket.

Digging into more plant-forward food that celebrates vegetables and makes the most of our pantry staples! And while I will ALWAYS love a sauerkraut, the more innovative ways we can cook up a cabbage, the more ways we can make #plantbased eating accessible.

What do you top your cabbage steaks with?? #closedloopcooking

DIY Orange Peel Cleaner

Are y’all making citrus infused vinegar yet? This mixture is low effort and low waste for a sparklin’ home. I love cleaning with vinegar as it’s less harsh than most industrial cleaners and does a thorough job on those grimy areas (looking at you toilet bowl.) You can save your excess citrus peel – that orange is scent is divine – and make a batch every few weeks or so. A much better smell than straight vinegar, trust me. If you’ve got more than a few peels on hand try dehydrating them to use later on. The dried peels keep well until you’re ready to infuse.

To make your own infused vinegar all you have to do is: - tear or cut citrus peels into small pieces and place in glass jar - cover with white vinegar (make sure your pieces are fully submerged or fermentation will occur) - let sit in a cool, dark place for 3 - 4 weeks (a cupboard works well) - strain peels when you’re ready to get cleaning! (compost the excess please) Simple as that. You get to extend the life of your produce and make the cleaning process a little more enjoyable :D PSA - just remember to avoid cleaning granite with vinegar! it’ll work most everywhere else though.

How-to make a low waste shopping kit

One of my favorite #lowwaste shopping tricks is super simple–just stuff things into other things and keep it on your person. A small glass jar usually fits several other bags that prepare me for a mindful trip to the grocery store. Shout out to this well worn tote I’ve had for 10 years, a sturdy mesh produce bag, and a plastic produce bag I’ve reused more times than I care to share. If an unexpected trip to get groceries pops up you can always be prepared! The glass jar comes in handy if you’re out getting coffee and forget your travel mug or have leftovers from a quick bite to eat. I usually keep some variation of this mini travel kit in my bag or backpack and it comes in handy almost everyday.

Our latest piece from Moji Igun on forming intentional habits really resonates. If collectively we want to make change, to reduce the amount of to-go containers, flimsy plastic bags, and single use items in the landfill we have to be mindful about how that change takes place. We have to intentionally implement small habit shifts that add up over time. Moji sums it up so well, “We simply want to adopt habits at a pace that won’t be overwhelming to the point of inaction. When we are able to consistently see ourselves have small wins, it transforms the new habit into a behavior we no longer have to actively think about.” YES. Adopting an entirely zero waste lifestyle change cold tofurkey is not sustainable for most people. 

So, small steps. Packing a mini travel kit in your bag everyday is an impactful habit shift that will influence other actions. This is an achievable intention that will help you navigate the overwhelm of trying to live a completely zero waste life. Low impact intentions, y’all. We know this is an imperfect practice and giving yourself the kindness to make mistakes and correct is how things stick. If you haven’t read Moji’s latest piece about intention setting get on over to closedloopcooking.com already!

SMARTER BY NATURE

If you haven’t read Maia’s latest interview with the innovative folx @smarterbynature y’all have some homework! I’m so in awe of this small scale farm in Tallahassee, FL. From the tools they use to the educational aspect of their work, Smarter by Nature is setting a standard for sustainable agriculture.

“We started growing on a countertop—basically just bringing our seeds out to the balcony during the day to let them get some light. If you don’t have outdoor space of your own we also recommend joining a community garden where you can start to get familiar with planting different seeds and experimenting.” Y’all, this expansive operation started on a COUNTERTOP! Resourcefulness and just finding the next right step put this farm into action. While we might not all have access farm land, we’re all capable of finding room on the counter to bring something to life. I’m so appreciative of their mission and giving visibility to black farmers.