Laurel Bieschke

Points Total

0 Today
0 This Week
743 Total

Participant Impact

up to

44

pounds of CO2

have been saved
up to

1

documentaries

watched
up to

19

pounds

food waste prevented
up to

17

zero-waste meals

consumed

Laurel's Actions

Shopping

Eat Before Shopping

I will resist impulse buys by eating a snack or meal before going grocery shopping.Those who grocery shop on an empty stomach spend 64% more than not-hungry shoppers.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Cooking

Fresh Herbs/Teas

I will use all parts of the herbs I harvest and feed my used tea leaves the herb garden.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Shopping

Local Meat

I will chose locally-sourced meat and/or question whether or I can use an alternative to meat in order to reduce overall consumption.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Cooking

Revive Limp Produce

I will rescue limp produce like leafy greens or carrots by soaking them in cold water or using them in recipes where appearance doesn't matter.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Use a Portion Planner

I will use a portion size guide to ensure appropriate portions when cooking. I will cook 1 portion-appropriate meals.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Track My Wasted Food

I will keep notes on all the food that my household of 2 throws out so I can learn how what we're wasting, how much, and why it goes to waste.

Completed
One-Time Action

Cooking

Veggie Scrap Stock

I will store vegetable scraps in my freezer and use them to make veggie stock. I will make 1 batches.

Completed
One-Time Action

Community

Volunteer to Rescue Food

I will volunteer 4 hours to support existing community food waste reduction and recovery efforts like gleaning or for a food bank.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Community

Train Like a Chef

I will watch 1 online classes on "Creating a Full Use Kitchen" through the James Beard Foundation.

Completed
One-Time Action

Cooking

Save the Peels

When life gives me lemons (or other citrus peels), I will use the rinds to make a nontoxic cleaner.

Completed
One-Time Action

Feed

Reflection Question
Community Train Like a Chef

How can you set up your kitchen differently to optimize the time you spend there?

Laurel Bieschke 10/11/2020 11:17 AM

I have added a space for freezer containers so I can collect veggie scraps to save for stock vs. just tossing them in the compost bin. I will also keep a corner free for hanging herbs to dry, especially now that we will have frost soon and my plants need to be cut back for the season.

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Reflection Question
Planning Track My Wasted Food

What did you learn by tracking your wasted food? Was there anything that surprised you?

Laurel Bieschke 10/03/2020 2:51 PM

I learned that I am too much of a sucker for good deals, which unfortunately leads to waste at times. I wasted an onion due to purchasing a bag of them and not using them fast enough. I also wasted ½ a container of strawberries. They were on sale, but unfortunately out of season and went bad within 1-2 days.

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Reflection Question
Cooking Save the Peels

Which citrus do you have the most of and what kind of cleaning product will you make?

Laurel Bieschke 9/30/2020 8:58 PM

Mandarin oranges. The non-toxic kitchen cleaner was a pretty easy project and will also save money on not buying Citra-Solv.

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Reflection Question
Cooking Veggie Scrap Stock

Have you ever made soup broth from scratch before? What kinds of vegetables do you have on hand to put in?

Laurel Bieschke 9/26/2020 2:06 PM

I have made broth from whole herbs and veggies before (onions, carrots, mushrooms, celery, etc) but this is the first time I have added peels and other parts that I would have normally composted. I was surprised by how many clippings I had stored up in my freezer over these last couples of weeks.

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Reflection Question
Cooking Revive Limp Produce

What successes have you had in reviving limp produce? What can you do so that your produce doesn't go limp in the future?

Laurel Bieschke 9/15/2020 3:57 PM

To keep green onions and herbs from going limp I stand them up in a small jar of water and cover the tops loosely with a bag. Ice water helps revive most everything. If produce is really beyond reviving I slice it up and stick it in the dehydrator.

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Reflection Question
Planning Use a Portion Planner

Have you noticed any trends in the types of food that you don't make in the right amount?

Laurel Bieschke 9/14/2020 3:21 PM

I often make larger portions in order to have leftovers during the week, which helps me reduce overall waste since fresh items don't linger in the fridge past their prime. However, I was surprised today to learn that a regular serving of peanut butter is only 2 tbsp. Oof! That was hard to stick to because I eat it out of jar every chance I get :)

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Reflection Question
Shopping Eat Before Shopping

What can you do to make sure you never shop hungry?

Laurel Bieschke 9/14/2020 3:15 PM

Now that apple season is here I always travel with an extra 1-2 in case I'm hungry while driving home from work or on my way to/from the grocery story. This helps me avoid impulse buys at the grocery store and increase my daily fruit intake. I don't think I've ever had too many apples.

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