blog

, , , , , , , ,

BLOG: Tips for Making Your Next Camping Trip Waste-Free for Environment911.org

, , , , , , , ,

Nobody likes having to bring home a big bag of garbage and cans after a long camping trip. Not only does it end up smelling gross, you know it’s totally wasteful. 
So here are some tips on how to reduce your environmental impact and keep your next camping trip completely waste-free. 
 
Reusable Water Jug – You can fill it up at home, and it collapses down when it’s empty for easy storage. This will save you from buying any big plastic water jugs or bottles from the store. 
 
Prep Food at Home & Bring Frozen – If you decide on meals that you can prep at home, it means saving time at the campsite, and if you can freeze them, it helps keep things in the cooler cold while it defrosts. Another bonus is that you can store any leftovers from meals in said jars afterwards. 

Solar Lights – This is a no brainer as there are lots of string and in-ground solar lights that will help you save on lanterns that use batteries or fuel. 

Reusable Plates, Cutlery, Glassware – Yes paper plates might seem easier (and might be if you’re camping when there isn’t a fire ban), but if you bring enough reusable camping dishes, they’re easy to clean, or if it’s a short trip, just rinse them and do the dishes at home. And if you wash some of the mason jars you brought your food in, you can use them as glassware as well. 

Dish Towels vs Paper Towels – Same thing as above – bring a few dish towels instead of letting the paper towels pile up. If you have a clothesline, they’ll dry easily during the day as well. 

Growler Fill & Pre-Mix Drinks – Get growlers filled on the way to the campsite and then you’re not left with piles of cans that you have to deal with the whole time. And if you pre-mix some cocktails in mason jars, you’re also not dealing with juice jugs of all sorts and then all you have to do is add ice. 

Ice Packs vs Bags of Ice – Speaking of ice, ahead of time, make some ice for your drinks in your freezer at home, and just use ice packs (and your frozen food) in the cooler to cool your items. Not only will this prevent you from having a ton of plastic ice bags afterwards, but it’ll save a bunch of money as the ice packs are reusable. (My friends even reuse the ice pack from their meal kit delivery boxes.) 

Invest/Repair/Rent/Borrow/Buy Used Camping Gear – If you don’t have an item that you want for camping, there are lots of places to get it instead of buying something brand new. Sometimes you can find brand new things for sale online, or call up that friend you know that’s an avid camper and ask to borrow an item for your trip. It saves you money, and you can give some gear a second life. 

, , , ,

, , , ,

Vegan Scallops
for Environment911.org
February 19, 2021

I’ve been wanting to make vegan scallops for a long time, and these turned out excellent. I combined a few recipes that I found online, using different tips and strategies from all of them.
If you’re a big seafood person and eat scallops, these are obviously not going to be exactly like the real deal, but you can enjoy them for what they are—delicious mushroom morsels!

These "scallops" would also be great in a variety of pasta dishes, so research some recipes online and see what you can create for your next Meat Free Monday!

Makes approximately 10 "Scallops"

"SCALLOP" INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large king oyster mushrooms

  • 3 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)

  • 1 tbsp miso paste

  • 1/2 sheet nori

  • 1 tsp olive oil

  • 1/4 cup dry white wine

  • 1 cup vegetable broth

  • 2 tbsp vegan butter

  • Thyme

PURPLE POTATO PURÉE INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup purple potatoes, peeled and diced into one-inch cubes

  • Salt

  • Non-dairy milk

  • Olive oil or vegan butter


INSTRUCTIONS

For the marinade, heat up the vegetable broth in a shallow pan until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add in the soy sauce, nori, olive oil, white wine and miso paste. Stir until the miso is fully dissolved.

Clean off the king oyster mushrooms (I use a mushroom brush), and slice into approximately one-inch thick rounds. You should be able to get 3 to 4 "scallops" out of each mushroom. Discard the caps, or save them to slice up for a mushroom risotto or maybe a breakfast burrito with tofu.

Give the mushrooms a shallow cross-hatch with a sharp knife on each side—this will help them absorb the marinade better.

Put the mushrooms in a wide, container, spacing them evenly, and then pour the marinade over them. Leave them for an hour or two (or longer if you prefer), flipping them over occasionally making sure they’re getting evenly coated.

Heat a pot with slightly salted water and when it comes to a boil, place the cubed potatoes in. Watch while they boil, checking after 5 minutes to see if they can be pierced with a fork easily. It could take up to approximately 8 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes.


Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add a sprinkle of salt and a splash of non-dairy milk, then begin to mash with a potato masher. Add in some vegan butter or a bit of olive oil and keep mashing.
(You can decide the consistency of the potatoes. I like them lump-free and thicker so they are easier to spread on the plate and the scallops stick to them.)
Salt to taste. Cover, and set aside while making the scallops.

Once your "scallops" are marinated, take a frying pan (I use my cast iron) and place on medium heat. Then add the vegan butter until melted and sizzling, and place the scallops into the pan.
Fry for a few minutes on each side until they are golden.

Prepare plates with a spoonful of potatoes, swirled in an arch (this obviously isn’t necessary, but the presentation points are worth it!).
Place the "scallops" 3 or 4 to a plate and garnish with fresh thyme.

, , , , , ,

, , , , , ,
Environment 911 - Sustainability in BCs Okanagan Wineries - screenshot.png

Blog Post for Environment 911
Sustainability in B.C.'s Okanagan Wineries
Oct 19, 2020

Sustainability in B.C.'s Okanagan Wineries
Drinking responsibly takes on a whole new meaning

Organic, natural, sustainable, biodynamic—many of these terms used to sound buzzy or were a rarity in wine production. But more and more wineries, especially in B.C.'s Okanagan region, are taking on the task of creating wine in an eco-friendly fashion.

I did a quick 36-hour trip to the Okanagan to have a peak (and of course a few sips) at some of the many places that boast great strides in sustainability. The height of the summer wine touring season may be over, but you can still get many of these wines at restaurants and wine retailers.

Hopefully this is a starting point for your next trip to wine country to sample, learn and pick up these more eco-friendly bottles...

1. Okanagan Crush Pad

Okanagan Crush Pad has a variety of labels under its umbrella: Haywire, Free Form, Narrative and the most recent edition, Bizou + Yukon.

Free Form was launched in 2018 to celebrate the winery becoming certified organic—and has some of my new favourite natural wines (I’m also partial to the labels with the design by Vancouver’s Scott Sueme and the paper being made of stone).

The vineyard has a modern design and the patio set-up, which is super-sized for COVID, allows you to sit and choose from set curated flights (much like a beer sampler) with all the information you could desire about what it is you’re drinking, and the science and technique behind how it's made.

After getting some bottles to go, I suggest you take the self-guided tour around the fields next to the winery. You’ll pass by the chickens and ducks hanging out in a pen complete with a coop made with wine barrels.

Click here for where to buy/drink and the wine shop. 

2. Echo Bay, Else Wines, and Rigour & Whimsey

It was recommended that I visit Echo Bay winery, as there were some awesome things in sustainability going on. At the helm of the family winery is head winemaker Kelsey Rufiange, whose goal is to create a biodiverse vineyard that is self-sustaining.

As a side project, she created Else Wines (as in something else) so she could be creative with her grapes and techniques (with delicious results).

We were able (and lucky enough) to sit out in the back field and sample some vino from both labels, and learn about the family and Kelsey’s history (check out the info on their site).

Also of note, another wine label produced and bottled on the property is Rigour & Whimsey, which fits right in with the organic philosophy of Echo Bay, centering around regenerative farming and responsible agriculture.

Some of the smaller batch wines (like those of Else) are going to be harder to find, but here are the links for stockists: Echo Bay, Else Wines and Rigour & Whimsey.
 

3. Covert Farms

One of the themes I discovered through our visits is that if a winery is leaning into sustainability, you’re likely to find some feathered and furry creatures around.

Covert Farms acreage is the ultimate experience when it comes to the farm-to-table mentality. On tours of the property, you'll see chickens and roosters, which you can feed, along with a new rescue pig named Delilah, llamas, farm dogs and cattle. Animals at sustainable wineries aren’t there just to look cute: they fertilize, help with pest management and are natural lawnmowers.

And when it’s time to sit and sample, the spread is much like Covert's philosophy—beautifully made wines, from newly released organic to grand reserve bottles, and a feast of locally or in-house made preserves, cheeses, meats, and fruits (pictured at top). The highlight for me was being guided through it all by the very passionate and knowledgeable staff, and hearing about exactly what goes into making their wine.

Click here to for the wine shop.

There were a lot more places we wished we could have visited on our little sustainable winery jaunt, like Summerhill in Kelowna, Orofino in the Similkameen Valley, Ursa Major and Anthony Buchanan in Oliver and Foxtrot in Naramata. The trip was short due to COVID restrictions and the smoke from the wildfires, which was a reminder why it's so important to consider wineries that pride themselves on their biodiversity and responsible practices.

Follow me on Social Media