"I am a firm believer in keeping things fresh, using as much as I can of what I eat, and bringing people joy through food and its many mysteries. Let's be good stewards of our planet and reduce our food waste and food carbon footprint as much as possible! "
POINTS TOTAL
0
TODAY
0
THIS WEEK
939
TOTAL
participant impact
UP TO
1.0
documentary
watched
UP TO
11
gallons of water
have been saved
UP TO
6.0
locally sourced meals
consumed
UP TO
1,200
minutes
of additional sleep
UP TO
630
minutes
spent exercising
UP TO
60
minutes
spent learning
UP TO
6.0
organic meals
consumed
UP TO
21
people
helped
Jerry's actions
Water
Install a Toilet Tank Bank
I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water per day by installing a toilet tank bank.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Health
Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home
I will spend at least 60 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Simplicity
Donate Unneeded Materials
I will donate unneeded materials to craft shops or places like the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Health
Sign Up for Air Quality Alerts
I will sign up to receive local Air Quality Alerts via EnviroFlash email notification
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Energy
Online Energy Audit
I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Health
Happiness
I will write down three things every day for two weeks that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.
COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS
Health
Go get a check up
I will make an appointment for my annual physical.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Food
Cook New Recipes
I will cook a new recipe every day that features organic and/or local ingredients.
COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS
Health
Exercise Daily
I will exercise daily for 30 minute(s) per day for two weeks.
COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS
Nature
Try an Outdoor Recreational Activity
I will try paddling, camping, biking or another outdoor recreational activity
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Health
Healthy Sleep
I will commit to getting 60 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.
COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS
Community
Help Others
I will offer to help 1 person(s) who are in need each day.
COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS
Food
Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant
I will use the Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant finder to choose a Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant when I dine out.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Food
Try a New Way to Prep
I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Food
Watch a Documentary
I will watch a documentary film about food with family and friends and talk about what we learned.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Participant Feed
Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.
To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?
Congrats to making it to the last day. I hope we are all able to continue these good habits of better living in both our physical world and our internal, mental world. Regardless of what we might win or what points we might have earned, at the end of the day the more intrinsic nature of this exercise is key. It is my hope that things like this continue and branch out in ways which can reach a larger audience in SWPA. Considering some of the country's major businesses have headquarters in this city (PNC Bank, GNC, Uber, Highmark, Wesco, NexTier Bank, Westinghouse, Compunetix, UPMC, Dollar Bank, Alcoa, American Eagle, Fedex, Rue21, Calgon, Duolingo,for example), it would be great if we were able to show these groups the importance of operating at-minimum on a sustainable level. I encourage everyone to reach out to these companies (or do your own research!) and try to affect change*.
BTW - Giant Eagle, also HQed in Pittsburgh, happens to own its own fuel distribution group, Guttman Energy. Sheetz is another local (Johnstown/Altoona area) company. Both of these groups could be easier targets to reach and attempt to affect change*.
*These are individual views and not derivative of other individuals, organizations, or companies mentioned herein.
You can get a toilet tank bank for about five bucks online, OR you can make your own by filling a bottle or jar with water and resting it in the reservoir! Simple solutions!
That's what I did! I made one myself and managed to break my flapper in the process of installing it. I ended up replacing the DIY toilet tank bank with a better-fitting one and replacing my flapper with a less-bent one, but it was old anyway haha #sustainabilitymisadventures
Yesterday, I went on a hike with a twist - it was a game of hide and seek with two very "active" (read: endlessly energetic) children which morphed into some combination of hide and seek, tag, and "dodge cone" (I escaped unscathed). The air was cold, but the sun was shining! Three more days!
Happy Friday! Just five more days of the challenge....but the real challenge is carrying these habits over once we're finished! There is a true science and biological component to habit forming and habit breaking. When I was working on my first master's degree in trumpet performance, we had a seminar on myelin - it's a sheath comprised of proteins and lipids which surrounds certain nerve fibers and builds up over time to increase response time or capability for the actions associated with those nerves. That saying, "practice makes perfect," should really be, "practice makes permanent." As we move toward the end of the challenge, I'm trying to keep that in mind and turn my efforts into something real. I'm sure Dr. Maria can chime in more on myelin if you're curious. ;)
To those who read this - let's share our biggest cooking success! I think mine was the first time I did a mostly vegan Thanksgiving on my own! My husband and his family were the only ones who partook of the outlier (the turkey) ;) There was a wide assortment of food to feed 15: rosemary red potatoes, herbed stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, homemade orange cranberry sauce, brussels sprouts with peppercorns, butternut squash and pumpkin soup, pound cake, brioche rolls, pumpkin pie, and apple gingersnap pie!
Great idea and wonderful post! My greatest cooking success was when I managed to home-make pumpkin pierogies with a cream sauce, potato cheddar pierogies, and a potato and kale soup. I was especially proud that I doubled the amount of kale in the soup and still got happy mumblings from my dinner guests!
My biggest cooking success so far is a small one, but I'm proud of it: I once recreated my grandmother's split pea and ham soup. It took a few tries for me to get the texture and taste just right, but as an amateur kitchen warrior I'll take this victory!
Do you have a recipe for the apple gingersnap pie? It sounds amazing!
Happy sleepy Monday! Did you Ben Franklin was the one to originally suggest the more modern concept of DST in Paris while he was a delegate there? Its origins stem all the way back to primitive clocks, though, where were directly related to sunlight. Sundials would reflect time based on the rise and fall of the sun, so "time" in the colloquial sense would naturally adjust based on the seasons. That being said, sunlight is a major source of vitamin D which helps with all sorts of processes in humans (specifically D2 and D3!). Pittsburgh had 59 days of full sun on record last year, but some foods can help! Mushrooms (crimini, portobello, and white button) all can provide some level of vitamin D and lots of other foods are fortified with it, including some brands of tofu or non dairy milk!
I know for some this is fish season, but have you ever considered using jackfruit in lieu of fish? If you aren't familiar, it's a stringy fruit from the fig and breadfruit family that originates in India. The texture is comparable to pulled meat - think shredded chicken, pork, or flaky fish. It can be difficult to find it fresh in our area, but Trader Joe's does have it in a recyclable can. To prepare, you drain the water and squeeze the fruit until mostly dry. Chop it up (or pull it with your fingers if you're feeling particularly primal) and you'll soon see that familiar stringy look! From there, cook it as you would any other meat, with the knowledge in mind that it's going to cook slightly quicker the drier you make it. I've taken it and made "crab" cakes, jackfruit barbecue, and blackened with fajita spices. If you decide to try it, let me know what you make! I love to hear from others about what inspires them in the kitchen.
Laissez les bons temps rouler! Bon Mardi Gras! Today also happens to be National Pancake Day. Have you ever considered using older, less springy vegetables in a pancake? A savory pancake is a great way to change up your brinner routine while still getting a full serving of plants. Consider doing a julienned celery scallion pancake with a simple vinegar sauce on the side! If you want that sweet taste that still has some veggies in it, try adding pureed roasted beets (just adjust your batter for that extra moisture) for natural sugar and a fun natural coloring. If you're aiming for crepes, the batter should be more liquid than flour - roll them up with some shredded cabbage and hot peppers!
I am taking a moment to encourage everyone in the challenge to make their own bread, just once! A lot of mystery and fear surrounds breadmaking, but at its simplest, the ingredients are: flour, water, sugar, yeast, and heat. I am happy to talk with anyone who wants to explore breadmaking, get some pointers, or even brainstorm some amazing flavor combos! Intimidated by yeast? Make a soda bread or baking powder bread! The natural chemical reaction from sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and dry acid (baking powder, such as cream of tartar) creates bubbles which have a leavening effect. Other natural ways to leaven bread include lamination, whisking/beating, or natural yeast (e.g., sourdough culture). Are you bready to bake some change in your life? Bread is a labor of loaf!
I'm not a great baker, so the idea of attempting bread has always been intimidating. You are inspiring me to give it a try!! Maybe I AM bready after all!! :)
Jennifer Torrance 3/19/2019 8:20 AMThat's what I did! I made one myself and managed to break my flapper in the process of installing it. I ended up replacing the DIY toilet tank bank with a better-fitting one and replacing my flapper with a less-bent one, but it was old anyway haha #sustainabilitymisadventures
Meghan Scanlon 3/19/2019 5:18 AMQuestion: does a toilet tank bank affect the power of each flush?
Kaitlin G. 3/15/2019 6:52 AMIt's encouraging to know that we are built to succeed at keeping good habits! You just have to keep working at it! :)
Hayden Sloan 3/13/2019 6:21 AMwhipping up meringue by hand for a pavlova. it wasn't perfect, but I was proud of it.
Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/12/2019 1:07 PMOh my golly...now I'm hungry. If you ever do a food blog, I will subscribe.
Michelle Allworth 3/01/2019 11:23 AMI'm not a great baker, so the idea of attempting bread has always been intimidating. You are inspiring me to give it a try!! Maybe I AM bready after all!! :)
