MOXVOX

Supercook is a new website/tool that allows you to enter whatever ingredients you have on hand, then searches multiple recipe site to find recipes that include these foodstuffs. So handy!! I will definitely be using this!!!

Food blogging for me is difficult….when I cook (unless baking) I never measure ingredients…I just feel or taste my way through it…I am never precious about a recipe…things turn out differently each time I make them. To me, this is the best thing about cooking and I thank my mother and Oma for sharing their passion for food with me. I guess I always showed an interest and out of the three daughters I would say I am the one who is most comfortable in the kitchen.

Being a mother now myself, I am 100% determined to make sure my son knows the basics of cooking. It is a life skill after all, but I really hope that he develops a passion for food like I did.

[one of my mothers hand written recipe books, which I recently opened and found 'the' Bienenstich recipe in!!]

Anyway….I digress!

My point is that the photos and recipes I post here, should be just a starting point or source of inspiration. Measurements and cooking times might not be exact! So if you are just learning your way around the kitchen, I apologise if at times I am a little vague….

This is a great idea!!

I am always thinking about the impact I make to the earth.

Up until just recently I thought there was no sense in not using plastic bags at the checkout, when buying groceries, as I thought it ridiculous to do so and then purchase a roll of plastic bin liners. I tried not using liners, but I live in an apartment with shared rubbish bins outside, so this is not really going to work (who was I kidding?). I kept checking the shelves for biodegradable options, to no avail. But last week I googled this and actually felt a little stupid I had not done this sooner.

So here is my list of things I think anyone can do to have a little less impact on our planet. This list is obviously not the be all and end all of options, but it is a start…….and I think just if we became aware or our habits and think a little about this…change can occur.

20 easy ways to make your kitchen more eco friendly.

1. Replace your habit of using plastic bags with some good quality string bags and keep them in your handbag or backpack
2. If you own your home, install a grey-water sysyem.If you rent like me, buy a rectangle shaped plastic basin that fits in to the sink, this can then be tipped out over your garden or potplants.
3. Replace your regular bin liners (or if your are re-using plastic bags from your grocery shopping) with eco bin liners.

4. Stop using cling film and unneccessary plastics bags, buy good quality reusable containers instead.
5. Build your own worm-farm . I am going to start this project very soon, look out for future posts.

6. Buy a water filter. Either fit one to your tap or buy a jug version. Find what suits you best.

7. Check your fridge and oven seals.
8. Only use your dishwasher when it is full.
9. Buy more fresh fruit and veg, better for you and virtually no packaging to go to landfill.
10. Grow your own herbs and salad leaves on your window sill, fresh and less waste.
11. Make a little more than you need for dinner, leftovers make great lunch the next day and is cheaper, healthier and less wasteful than buying a take out lunch.
12. Re-use water bottles, simply rinse and refill with filtered water, keep one with you when you go out to avoid buying yet another bottle.
13. Sometimes doing things by hand is easier, too many gadgets just means more washing up, so cull a few or only use them when you are making large quantities.
14. Bake more….homemade cakes and cookies taste worlds away from store bought versions and without the excessive packaging.
15. Visit your local growers market, buy locally grown produce and reduce your carbon footprint as well as supporting the small guy
16. Plan what you will cook/eat weekly – less stuff thrown out because you forgot it was in the fridge.
17. Eat a vegetarian meal – once a week! If everyone did this the worldwide impact would be huge
18. Buy organic/free range when you can.
19. Teach your children the life skill of cooking. With the population of the western world eat out more than ever, will the art of home cooking be lost.
20. Most importantly! Be aware, although it is easy to be lazy and not think about your actions, in this fast paced, time poor culture, once little changes are implemented, they will seem no harder to practice than your old habits…really!