The Plan:
Day 1: Homemade hummus plate with radish, kohlrabi, olives, and pita chips, Frozen fruit smoothie with super greens powder
Day 2: Grilled brats with sauerkraut, Greenhouse spinach salad
Day 3: Homemade pizza, Greenhouse spinach salad
Day 4: Taco chili, Corn muffins
Day 5: Ratatouille (from freezer)
Day 6: Chopped salad with quinoa, sweet potatoes, and apples
Day 7: Egg roll in a bowl
This meal plan was curated using local foods that are in season now or preserved during the peak growing season in the U.S. Midwest. The plan is an exact replica of what our family is eating this week unless we are out of town. Meal plans are developed using whole foods and my meal planning system (click here!) and are meant to be healthy and easy to prepare. Most recipes will take no more than 30 minutes of active cooking time. Occasionally meals may require all day slow cooking, advanced prep, or some oven time. Recipes are provided when available. I sincerely hope this will help with your own meal planning!
Pantry Shuffle:
Out of Storage: (preserved when in season and coming out of my root cellar, freezer, canned, or dehydrated stash)
- Ground pork, ground beef (freezer – from Mastodon Valley Farm meat share)
- Carrots, cabbage, apples (refrigerator “root cellar”)
- Sweet potatoes (root cellar)
- Ratatouille, corn, diced tomatoes (freezer)
- Super greens powder (dehydrated)
Into Storage:
- Corn muffins (freezer)
Notes: Get Smart About Plastic
The news can be really hard to watch and sometimes it is just easier to turn off and ignore. But sometimes it is also important to observe because one day the news might be happening right in your neighborhood. Particularly during Earth Month, let’s pay attention to what is happening in the United States.
Recently there have been two big environmental disasters that deserve our attention. Not only because of the impact on the surrounding environment, but also because they are bad for human health.
The first disaster was the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The second disaster is happening right now! A fire broke out at a recycling center in Richmond, Indiana just yesterday. Resulting in the need to evacuate thousands of people from the area due to the toxic smoke.
What is the common thread between these two disasters? Plastic.
In the case of East Palestine, the train was carrying chemicals used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is a type of plastic. These chemicals leaked into the water supply and also got into the air when a controlled explosion was used to help deal with the problem. And the recycling center that is on fire right now in Indiana? It is a plastic recycling center. Burning plastic results in release of several toxic chemicals into the air.
It is time to put two and two together. We have to realize that we are allowing chemical companies and other corporations to decide what is put into our products. There are very few regulations in this area regarding approval for use of toxins, studies on the safety of these products, and laws about use, transport, and disposal. Now is the time to get educated and demand the stop of these harmful substances that are used to make plastic.
If you want to learn more about the history of plastic and what it actually is made from, read here:
Plastic is really hard to avoid. I admit it can be a useful substance. However, there are so many problems with this material so I have been working for years now to rid it from my life.
During this Earth Month, will you join me in reducing your plastic use? Even very small changes can have an impact. Our biggest weapon as individuals is our buying power.
Check out my 90 day plastic challenge for ideas to get you started: Green Life Philosophy’s 90 Day Plastic Free Challenge
