volume 35, number 1 january 1, 2020 march 31, 2020 · volume 35, number 1 january 1, 2020 – march...
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The Shasta Group Newsletter Volume 35, Number 1 January 1, 2020 – March 31, 2020 Our newsletter is being sent to all current active Sierra Club members in the Shasta Group that have given permission to send email to them. Executive Committee (Excom): Group Chair & Outings Chair: John Livingston: [email protected]; At-Large: Debra Atlas: [email protected], David Ledger: [email protected], Noreen Ford: [email protected], Don Jacobs: [email protected]. We need new Excom members that are willing to put in an average of 6 hours a month to attend meetings and volunteer at events. Please step forward to help our group. ExCom meeting dates: Meetings are held monthly in the Redding Library in one of the conference rooms either upstairs or downstairs and begin @ noon and end before 2 pm on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. Meetings may be cancelled during the summer. Meetings are currently planned for, January 15, February 19, March 19, and April 16, 2018. Meeting discussions include local and regional environmental issues, planning for events, and issues our members want to explore. All Shasta Group members are welcome; we value your ideas and suggestions.
Calling for Newsletter Contributions by Sierra Club
members. We would like to invite everyone to submit nature-related photos, poems, articles, suggested outing descriptions, plant-based food recipe’s, and restaurant reports of good vegetarian food.
The Plastic Problem on PBS PBS ran an excellent special one-hour program on the problems of plastic pollution recently. This worthwhile program can now be seen on You Tube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RDc2opwg0I
Shasta Group Outings & Events: January 1 to March 31, 2020
A schedule of the outings is provided below, and on the Shasta Group website: www.motherlode.sierraclub.org/shasta. If you need more information about an outing, please call Outings Chair John Livingston 530.356.8847. email: [email protected] or check one of the websites above. All participants on Sierra Club outings will be required to sign a participant agreement prior to starting the outing. This agreement is required for all adults going on the outing and those for whom you are legally authorized to make decisions. No persons may go on the outing without signing the agreement. Hike/Outing Classifications: Total distance in miles: Grade 1 (up to 6), Grade 2 (6 - 10), Grade 3 (10 - 15), Grade 4 (15 - 20) Grade 5 (20 or more); Total elevation gain in feet: A (up to 1000), B (1000 - 2000), C ( 2000 - 3,000), D (3000-4000), E (4000 or more).Type and Purpose of Outing Classification: C: Conservation E: Education H: Hiking W: Walk T: Trail Work. Hiking Essentials: Hat, Water, Sun Protection, Lunch, Layered Clothing, Sturdy Shoes/Boots March 15, Sunday, Horse Camp Mt. Shasta Snowshoe Day Hike. Bunny Flat to Horse Camp Hut (2A, WE.) We will day hike 1.7 miles from the parking lot at Bunny Flat on Mt. Shasta to the Sierra Club Hut at Horse Camp. Snowshoes required. Our trail will be in a snow path used by others. The terrain is hilly uphill to the hut where we will have lunch. Back from the hut is almost all downhill. Bring rain gear, snow boots, gloves, water, lunch and appropriate clothes. If weather is foggy or snowing we may just walk up the old ski bowl road
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for an hour or two and then turn around back to the parking lot. The elevation at the parking lot is 6900 feet and at the Sierra Club Hut is 7900. Chains may be required on the road up from Mt. Shasta City. Breathing can be affected at elevation. Meet at the west side of Outback Steakhouse on the Mount Shasta Mall at 8 am. Contact Outings Leader John 530.356.8847 or [email protected] to ask questions.
March 28, Saturday, Pacific Crest Trail Day Hike.
Highway 299 to Baum Lake (2A, WE). We will day
hike 4 miles on the (PCT) from Highway 299 south
to Baum Lake. The terrain is hilly with moderate
amounts of tree cover. Bring rain gear, water, lunch
and appropriate clothes. Meet at the west side of
Outback Steakhouse on the Mount Shasta Mall at 8
am. We will then caravan up Highway 299 to the
Safeway in Burney, then east on Highway 299 2.3
miles past the intersection of Highway 299 and
Highway 89. We may reverse the hike direction
from south to north if weather or conditions
dictate. Contact Outings Leader John 530.356.8847
or [email protected] to ask questions.
Ever wanted to lead a day hike for the Sierra Club? If you’d like to try it on for size there is on-line training as well as a DVD and you’ll need a current Standard First Aid Certificate. Contact: Marti Weidert 530-474-4300 [email protected] .
Outings of other Environmental Groups
California Native Plant Society: Promoting Native Plants through NPS Nurseries Thursday, January 16 Join us for a program by Anna Schrenk,
Whiskeytown National Park Service’s Burned Area
Emergency Response (BAER) Coordinator for the
Carr Fire, entitled, The National Park Service:
Promoting Native Plants through Park Based
Nurseries. Anna’s presentation will highlight the
efforts of several native plant nurseries in the
National Park Service system that are propagating
local genotypes for restoration purposes. Meet at 7
pm at the Shasta College Health Science &
University Programs building in downtown
Redding, 1400 Market Street, Community Room
8220 (clock tower building at the north end of the
Market Street Promenade; enter on south side of
building). Doors open at 6:45 pm for pre-meeting
botany, books, and plant ID!
Women’s March Saturday, January 18 Under the Theme of “It’s a Marathon, not a Sprint”
the 2020 Redding Women’s March is January 18,
2020 from 10:00am – 1:00pm at City Hall, 777
Cypress Ave under the canopy next to Council
Chamber, rain or shine. It starts at 10 am;, 10:30 the
march; 11:30 Food, Information, Activism and
Comraderie. SEA, North State Climate Action and
others will be tabling. For more information, tabling
etc. contact: [email protected].
Clear Creek Gorge Overlook Field Trip Saturday, January 18 Join the Shasta Chapter of California Native Plant
Society on this walk starting at the Clear Creek
Gorge Overlook and follow the trail eastward, which
roughly parallels Clear Creek. It is an out-and-back
hike of approximately four miles. Among other
plants, we’ll see both white-leaf and green-leaf
manzanita, coyote brush, coffee berry, and red berry.
This is an easy to moderate hike for most people.
Dogs are welcome. Bring an umbrella for light rain;
heavy rain cancels. Meet in the Placer Street
Holiday Market parking lot near CVS at 9 am to
carpool. For more information, call Chris Harvey at
530/591-3037.
Wintu Audubon Family/Beginner Bird Walk Turtle Bay in Redding Saturday, February 1 We invite beginners of all ages to our introductory
walks on the first Saturday of each month. The
walks begin at 9am and meet in the parking lot near
the Monolith structure at the end of the Sheraton
Hotel. Binoculars and field guides will be available
to loan. Call Terri Lhuillier, 515-3504, for more
information. (Terri is founder of Friends of the
Redding Eagles, so if any bald eagles are sighted,
she can answer all questions.
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Wintu Audubon: Birds of Costa Rica One Safe Place, 2250 Benton Dr. Wednesday, February 12 Join Larry Jordan, bird photographer and Wintu
Audubon webmaster, for an evening with the many
wonders of Costa Rica. Larry spent twelve days
with Lifer Tours guide David Rodriguez, to tally
220 bird species and several interesting mammals,
from Punta Uva on the Caribbean coast, to several
national parks, a Ramsar wetland, at Caño Negro
Wetlands, the famous Bogarin Trail in the Arenal
region and a brief time along the Gulf of Nicoya on
the Pacific coast. Meet at 7:00 pm at One Safe
Place, 2250 Benton Drive, Redding. Enter door in
back of building.
CNPS Bryophyte Field Trip Davis Gulch Trail, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Thursday, February 20 Accompanied by Bryophyte Chapter’s Scot Loring,
we will be hunting for mosses, liverworts, and
hornworts. The Davis Gulch Trail is located on a
cool, steep north face, with a diversity of mosses
and possibly liverworts. We will probably only walk
a short distance, as this will be a slow-paced walk
with lots of botanizing! Meet at the Placer Street
Holiday Market parking lot near CVS at 1 pm for
carpooling. For more information, call John
Springer at 530/917-0567.
CNPS Presentation on Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts Downtown Shasta College Health Building Thursday, February 20 Join us for a presentation on the Bryophyta, an
informal grouping of non-vascular plant phyla
including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Our
presenter is Scot Loring, member of the Bryophyte
Chapter CNPS, one of the specialty chapters in our
organization. Scot will help us explore the
morphology and lives of these earliest diverging
lineages of land plants. There will be a dissecting
scope for close-up observations, and be sure to mark
your calendars for the 3-hour workshop scheduled
for the following morning. Meet at 7 pm at the
Shasta College Health Science & University
Programs building in downtown Redding, 1400
Market Street, Community Room 8220 (clock tower
building at the north end of the Market Street
Promenade; enter on south side of building). Doors
open at 6:45 pm for pre-meeting botany, books, and
plant ID!
Wintu Audubon Lema Ranch Bird Walk Thursday, February 20 Lema Ranch offers a variety of habitats, from ponds
to open fields, to woodlands attracting many species
of birds. In February, the winter ducks (sometimes
including the exquisite Hooded Merganser) and
winter sparrows will still be lingering and the
earliest spring migrants may have begun to appear,
such as the Tree Swallow. A specialty of the park is
Common Gallinule. Larry Jordan’s bluebird trail
produces (sometimes numerous) Western Bluebirds.
Various raptor species are possible like the
American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk and Merlin.
Please join trip leader Sally NeSmith in the parking
lot reached from Shasta View to Hemingway at 8:00
am for an interesting midweek bird walk.
CNPS Bryophyte Workshop Shasta College Friday, February 21 Join CNP for a free 3-hour workshop, from 9:30 am
to 12:30 pm, on bryophytes, an informal non-
vascular plant grouping that includes mosses,
liverworts, and hornworts. They are believed to be
some of the earliest diverging lineages of land plants
and are important in regulating ecosystems. They
are also early colonizers and indicators of habitat
quality. Our instructor, Scot Loring, is an
accomplished botanist with a special interest in rare
and sensitive species of bryophytes, lichens, and
fungi. He has discovered new species of fungi and
documented many occurrences of rare species,
contributing almost 1900 photos to the CalFlora
database. There will be scopes on hand to look at
macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of
these tiny plants. Class will be held on the Main
Shasta College campus in Redding. For meeting
room and information contact John Springer at
530/917-0567.
Wintu Audubon Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Field Trip, Saturday, February 29 Just north of Sutter Buttes, Gray Lodge Wildlife
Area is a 9100 acre winter home for over a million
waterfowl, numerous raptors, and a rich variety of
riparian woodland birds. A leisurely walk through
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the sloughs always leads to beautiful views and a
rich variety of birdlife. A longer car route is an
extended option for those interested; last year we
found a Loggerhead Shrike out there! The drive to
the refuge often yields swans and sandhill cranes.
Bring a sack lunch, dress for the weather, and come
enjoy! A CDFW Lands Pass (available on site) or a
California hunting or fishing license is required at
this CA Fish & Wildlife site. Meet at Kutras Park at
7:30 to carpool, or at Parking Lot 14 at Gray Lodge
at 9:45 (or so, if we're delayed by birds in some of
the flooded fields en route).
Sierra Club Monthly Social Meetings in the New Year
Please join us (and bring a friend!) for monthly social meetings at the Redding Main Library 1100 Parkview Avenue. We have reserved the downstairs Foundation meeting room from 6-7:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month. January 23, February 27, March 26. We envision this as an occasion to spend enjoyable time with like-minded folks and share a short (20-30 minutes) presentation on a trip or watch an inspiring video or have an environmental discussion or ??? Sorry, no food allowed in Foundation Room. On January 23 at 6 pm, Noreen Ford will share photos/videos and books on a Grand Canyon rafting trip she participated on in the summer of 2017. To warm you up, click on this link for an inspiring video on the successful fight that spared the Grand Canyon from further damming: Martin's Boat || A New Film by Pete McBride (click on dropdown words or you can also directly access the video at martinsboat.com). All are invited to share ideas and/or sign up to present in following months by showing up in January or e-mailing Noreen at [email protected]. Here is your chance to dust off those trip photos….. Newcomers are especially invited.
2020 Annual Winter Program / Potluck / Fundraiser
Guest Speaker: Shasta Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Topic: Shasta Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation was started in 1980, eventually moving to their current facility at Anderson River Park in 1991. Annually, the Center (with their mostly volunteer staff of 70) treats, rehabilitates and releases around 1,500 animals. They will bring three ambassador animals (perhaps a hawk, an owl, a turkey vulture, a turtle or a raven......) for us to appreciate up close as we find out their individual stories, their environmental roles in the ecosystem, and also learn how we as humans can interact with them to ensure their safety. Date: Friday, March 13, 2020, Time: 6 p.m. Location: First United Methodist Church. 1825 East Street, Redding, CA The raffle fundraiser will feature diverse items; please support our group conservation efforts. If you have any items you would like to donate for the raffle, call: John Livingston 530.356.8847. Bring something that would be very useful if in the right hands. Maybe we can repurpose some seldom used items from your house. For the potluck: Bring your favorite appetizer, salad, main dish, or dessert to share. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided; bring other beverages as you wish. Note: To help us cut down on waste, please bring your own plates, beverage container, and utensils. Volunteers: We could use 5-10 people to help set up tables, sell tickets, organize the food and kitchen area, and help with the raffle fundraiser and cleanup. If you can help please contact John Livingston: [email protected]. You will need to arrive around 5:30.
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Environmental Advice Columns The following are on-line environmentally oriented advice columns: Check out “Ask Sara” at Advice Column Helps Answer Your Climate Change Questions She is a senior editor at Yale Climate Connections and her forum is not about proving people right or wrong but about confronting reality about climate issues. Or, “Ask Umbra” at Grist | Working toward a planet that doesn't burn, a future that … Previous answers include “79 ideas for climate-friendly gifts,” “Is it more climate-conscious to shop online or in person?” and “5 climate-conscious New Year’s resolutions.” So, in this spirit we are introducing “Ask Shasta” for folks in the Shasta Group to ask local questions which we will try to answer in a future newsletter. Our first question has come from a Redding resident: “What should I do with styrofoam egg cartons?”
1. Don’t buy eggs in styrofoam as there is a limited recycling market for this petroleum-based material.
2. Reuse it by making it into something -- perhaps an indoor seed starter for your
future spring garden. Egg cartons also make great containers for kids and/or grandkids to practice their times tables up to 12. Provide them with small items such as beans or beads or pennies or shells and have them place the same amount in a set number of dividers to see what 6 x 5 really looks like….. For example, 6 beans in each of 5 egg carton dividers equals 30 total. You can also use styrofoam egg cartons as packaging material when mailing items.
3. Finally, there is a site available through the City of Redding How Do I Dispose Of? for you to get information. Type in “styrofoam egg carton” and the answers are: (a) put it in your gray cart for disposal or (b) bring it to the transfer station at 2255 Abernathy open Monday-Saturday from 8-4:30 p.m.
Please send local environmental questions to: [email protected] with the subject heading: Ask Shasta The Difference Between Weather and Climate
For a brief description of the difference between
weather and climate see this 2 page discussion.
http://click.climaterealityproject.org/DMkq0070BIE
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Sierra Club Actions –As everyone knows, White House actions over the past year have reduced protections for both the natural and human environment that have been achieved over many years of very hard struggles by many environmental organizations. As Sierra Club members, we are trying hard to stop or slow the implementation of these dangerous actions. Please step up and make your opinions known to your elected federal officials for if we do not act our world will suffer. You can call the U. S. Congressman in our area, Doug LaMalfa, at his Washington DC office and speak to an intern and give them your message about any issue or bill before congress. His phone number is 202-225-3076. A letter is even more powerful and you can write one to: US. Congressman Doug LaMalfa, 506 Canon Office Building, Washington DC 20515. You should also feel free to send communications to our two U. S Senators, at U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein 331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 Phone (202) 224-3841 To send an email go to: www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me Harris, Kamala 112 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 Phone (202) 224-3553 To send an email, go to: www.harris.senate.gov/contact Redding Planning Commission: Chairman Bert Meyer-- [email protected], Commissioner Randy [email protected] Commissioner Michele [email protected] Commissioner Frank [email protected] Commissioner Leslie [email protected] Commissioner Wally St. Clair-- [email protected] Commissioner Rick [email protected] City Council: Michael Dacquisto, Mayor [email protected] Adam McElvain, Vice Mayor -- [email protected] Erin Resner, Mayor Pro Tempore -- [email protected] Winter, Council Member, [email protected] Kristen Schreder, Council [email protected] City Manager: Barry Tippin -- [email protected]
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Whole Earth and Watershed Festival. On Saturday, April 18th, our Shasta Group will have a booth at the Whole Earth and Watershed Festival. The Festival is located at the Redding City Hall outdoor area on Cypress Avenue in Redding. Sierra Club volunteers are needed at the booth for 1-2-hour segments. We have a children’s game which is fun to play and gives the kids a great quiz on environmental issues. This is a chance to meet and interact with the public. If you want to volunteer for an hour or two please Email John Livingston at [email protected].
11 Things You Really Should Stop Recycling By WildMinimalist.com
As someone who aspires to produce “zero” waste, I
find myself relying on my recycling bin more than I
should. While my household trash has dwindled,
my blue bin is almost always full. And when I do
have something to toss, and it seems like it should be
recyclable but am unsure, I most often will add it to
recycling and hope for the best. In my mind, it’s
better to send the item in question to a place where
it might be recycled or composted versus straight to
landfill...right?! With the growing spotlight on
recycling, and especially recycling contamination, it
got me to wonder—am I doing it right, or am I part
of the problem? According to the Waste
Management, one out of every four items that ends
up in the blue bin doesn’t belong. And China,
previously one of the world’s largest importers of
recycling waste, recently set strict limits on what they
will accept to reduce “yang laji,” or foreign trash—
throwing a major curve ball at the U.S. recycling
industry.
“Wishful” or “aspirational recycling” happens when
people mean well, but actually do more harm than
good. Your household trash might be near empty, but
placing the wrong item in recycling can contaminate
the entire pile, and potentially an entire truckload,
sending it straight to landfill. Recycling
contamination also can break recycling equipment,
slow down operations, create unsafe work conditions
(especially when sharp or hazardous materials are
involved), and can increase service costs.
For this reason, many municipalities have pleaded
with customers—"when in doubt, throw it out." I
decided to look into some of the most common
offenders contributing to recycling contamination,
and admit that I found more than a few I was guilty
of. So, learn from my mistakes and stop wishful
recycling by avoiding these 11 common offenders:
1. Plastic Bags: You’d be surprised how many people
add soft plastic bags to their recycling bin, or even
bag their recyclables in plastic before adding them to
their cart. The problem with soft plastic bags is that
they can clog machines and slow down operations
while workers remove the bags by hand. Bring your
own reusable tote with you when you’re out shopping
to eliminate the need for a plastic bag. You can also
recycle soft plastic at many grocery stores. Plastic
Film Recycling provides a handy directory by zip
code to find a drop-off location near you.
2. Pizza Boxes: If it’s got food stains or grease on it,
it doesn’t belong in recycling. Lucky for us pizza
lovers, cardboard boxes can be composted as can
other food-soiled paper, so long as they’re not lined
with plastic. A good example is take-out boxes—
check the bottom of the box to see if it is labeled as
compostable. Boxes with a shiny interior are most
often lined with plastic and cannot be recycled or
composted, unless your local municipality accepts
them. Napkins and paper towels should always go in
the compost.
3. Gift Wrap: Shiny, metallic wrapping paper and
decorative ribbons do not belong in recycling.
Glittery cards are also non-recyclable and can
contaminate an entire bin of paper. When wrapping a
gift, opt for an unlaminated paper like newspaper,
paper bags or butcher paper. A good way to test if
your gift paper is recyclable is to crumple it into a
ball—if it stays bunched up, it’s most likely
recyclable. If not, re-use it or throw it away.
4. Small metal bits: While bits of metal like soda can
tabs and aluminum candy wrappers
are technically recyclable, their small size makes
them hard to detect and they often jam recycling
machinery. To avoid this issue, keep soda tabs
attached to the can or drop them inside the can when
you’re done. Save bits of aluminum foil until it forms
a large ball or place them inside an aluminum can
and crimp the top shut before you place the entire can
into recycling.
5. Receipts: While the thermal cash register receipts
you receive from a grocery store or boutique are
made from paper, they also contain Bisphenol A, aka
BPA, the nasty cancer causing chemical. When you
recycle receipts, the BPA that they contain gets
processed with other paper pulp and contaminates the
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recycled paper products that are being produced. It’s
best to ask for no receipt when you’re shopping, or
throw it away and wash your hands.
6. Food Residue: Cleaning out food and beverage
containers before you recycle them is just as
important as placing them in the right bin. Food
residue and liquids left in take-out containers, peanut
butter jars and even wine bottles can contaminate an
entire truckload of recyclables. Containers don’t have
to be perfectly clean, but they should be rinsed and
washed with soap if they’re greasy.
7. Broken Crockery: We’re all prone to breaking
things. Unfortunately, broken plates, ceramics,
porcelain, mirrors, light bulbs, cups, wine glasses and
Pyrex have different melting points and chemical
compositions compared to recyclable glass and
belong in the trash. Donate plates, cups and glasses in
good working condition, and reuse broken crockery
for another purpose at home or a craft project.
8. Diapers: Yuck, and no! Hopefully, it’s no surprise
that dirty diapers and sanitary products have no place
in the recycling bin. Whether they are clean or dirty,
they go in the trash. There are some compostable
diapers, but most municipalities do not accept them
in municipal compost bins. Look into a compostable
diaper service that drops off clean diapers and picks
up dirty diapers to compost at a dedicated facility, or
switch to reusable cloth diapers and reusable pads or
a menstrual cup.
9. Shredded Paper: This one surprised me. Shredded
documents and small bits of paper are too small to be
valuable to recyclers and fall through the cracks or
can even clog equipment. The good news is shredded
paper can be composted! If composting isn’t an
option, you can collect shreds in a paper bag, staple it
closed, and place it into recycling.
10. Coffee Cups: Most to-go coffee cups are lined
with a plastic film that makes them liquid proof, and
difficult to recycle. The plastic lid might be
recyclable, but it will depend on what type of plastic
is accepted your local municipality. The paper heat
sleeve that goes around the cup to protect your hand
is really the only part of a to-go coffee cup that is
likely recyclable or compostable. Better yet, say no to
disposable cups and bring your own reusable coffee
cup with you when you’re on the go.
11. Paperboard Boxes: Freezer food boxes and ice
cream cartons contain a plastic polymer to prevent
freezer burn. Unfortunately, this plastic coating
prevents the box or carton from breaking down in the
recycling process. Gable-topped milk and juice
cartons are also made from a paper/plastic hybrid to
prevent leaks and shelf stable cartons (sold in a
rectangular box) contain additional plastic and
aluminum layers, making them even more difficult to
recycle. While some municipalities accept cartons for
recycling, many do not, so it is best to check.
Hopefully, this list of recycling offenders has
provided some clarity about what does and does not
belong in your blue bin. With this new awareness,
I’m committed to throw things in the trash when it’s
unclear where it belongs, as much as it may pain me.
I do want to emphasize that there can be huge
variations in recycling policies between cities, even
within a few miles. The best thing to do is check your
local public works website or give them a call. Some
cities also offer tours of their recycling facilities,
which sound like good “clean” family fun to me!
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Ideas for Reusing Items
Even better than recycling is to reuse items. Or, the latest term is called upcycling -- when you make items into something "classier" (although that term can be pretty loose as you will see from the following photos). The go-to-website for me is hometalk.com. They even send ideas every few days. These suggestions are sent in by regular folks like you and I and can be simple such as projects to make with kids or much more complicated such as kitchen or garden remodel ideas. For example, here is one cute way to reuse those plastic spoons and forks you keep squirreling away after potlucks. You only need a candle to slightly melt the plastic utensils.
Some articles available on this site include: "10 uses for plastic bags" and “favorite ideas for re-purposing pallets”. Here are some pallet ideas.
Making New Bags from Old BELLA VISTA FARM SANCTUARY is collecting used plastic feed bags (chicken, dog, cat, horse, etc.). They will be made into grocery totes for sale. You can bring the bags to our Sierra Club monthly meetings or the March potluck or if you have 20 or more bags, call Noreen at 650.208.0356 and she will make a personal pick up.
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Vegan Recipes
Sesame Brown Rice
By Lisa Dice This favorite savory rice dish is easy to prepare with simple ingredients and a nutritional winner. Organic short grain brown rice is a perfect grain for winter, dense and energizing with a satisfying texture. You can use long grain brown rice, but I prefer short grain. Rinse thoroughly 1 Cup of Short Grain Brown Rice and place it in a pot with 2 ½ cups of water. A heavy stainless steel pot works best. Bring it to boil then reduce heat to simmer with a lid securely on the pot for 45 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Do not stir the rice during the simmering period, or remove lid except to check on water absorption. I often add ¼ - ½ cup water if needed, and extend the time a bit. It depends on your pot, the simmer heat, and tightness of your cooking lid. Remove the rice from heat and let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes or longer, do not stir the rice or remove lid yet. Your final step for perfect rice is to then fluff it with a fork and allow steam to escape. While the rice is cooking, in a dry skillet toast 3 Tablespoons of Sesame Seeds. With skillet on medium high stir the seeds until they toast into a golden color. Watch them carefully; it only takes a second or two to burn them if left untended. Amazing how much flavor these simple sesame seeds add to your dish! Add and Sauté for 2 -3 minutes in olive or sesame oil – 3 Green Onions, Minced. Add 1 – 2 Tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos. Mix cooked rice with sesame-green onion mixture, serve warm and Enjoy. This hearty dish has surprising flavor and texture. It’s a myth vegetarian food is bland, done correctly it can have more taste and texture than meat and potatoes. Tips: Use raw sesame seeds, not ones that have already been cooked or flavored. Bragg is a natural non soy sauce alternative with superior flavor and less salt. Once you’ve made short grain rice once or twice you will learn exactly how much time and
water it takes for the type of pot you are using. Lisa is a retired yoga teacher who studied vegetarian cooking many years ago with the head chef at a yoga ashram near Grass Valley. She is a fan of healthy, tasty, easy to prepare vegetarian food, and welcomes an opportunity to share what she has learned and practiced.
Ginger Bok Choy By Lisa Dice
This tasty vegetable dish is a perfect companion to
Sesame Brown Rice.
Rinse well the Bok Choy, and separate the stems
from the leaves with a knife. Slice the Bok Choy on
diagonals about half an inch wide, keeping the leafy
portions separate from the white stems.
Sauté the Bok Choy stems and 1 Tablespoon peeled
and grated fresh Ginger Root in a pan with 1-2
Tablespoons Olive or Sesame Oil for 5 – 8 minutes.
Add the leafy greens and simmer for 5 or minutes in
a covered pot.
Turn the heat off and drizzle 1 Tablespoon of Bragg
over the vegetables. Cover the pan again and let it sit
for another 5 minutes to absorb flavors and finish.
Tips: The ginger and Bragg make this recipe pop.
After you have peeled the skin off the ginger root, use
the medium to large size hole of your grater to grate
the root, a tiny grater will clog and not work well.
Grain Bowl with Butternut Squash and Kale
By Nancy Kirkland
This grain bowl is flexible; feel free to try substitutions. Try cranberries for cherries, cider vinegar instead of white balsamic, or brown rice instead of farro. It’s easy and lends itself well to whatever is in the refrigerator. Roast a 2 pound butternut squash, cutting it into 1 inch pieces and tossed with olive oil and salt and pepper before roasting. Mix 3 tablespoons olive + 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar + 1 tablespoons lemon juice, + 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard for dressing. In each of six bowls, add roasted squash,
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Baby kale (tossed with 2 tablespoons dressing), dried cherries, feta cheese, pecans, chickpeas, and avocado over 1/3 cup cooked farro. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette evenly over each bowl. From WEBMD.COM