Last year was a bit different. My time + focus were not so free for our garden, so I decided to be gentle with myself and not stress over tomato plants gone wild + tomatoes unpicked. When one of us picked a bowl full of tomatoes, I didn't process them like I had in years past (after we ate all we wanted). I rinsed them, threw them into a few freezer bags I've had for years + froze them. I wasn't sure they would be any good to eat, but it was the best I could do, and I simply wasn't going to feel guilty about any of it.

One cold day, when the time for fresh tomatoes had passed, I took some of those frozen tomatoes out of the freezer. I put them on a baking sheet with some sliced red onions + rolled them all in a bit of olive oil. They baked until they browned a bit + then we tossed them with pasta, parmesan cheese, salt + pepper flakes. They tasted so flavorful...like little caramelized orbs of sunshine + summer. I prized every single one of those frozen tomatoes...so glad I'd made the tiniest of efforts.

So...guess what? This is the way I am preserving tomatoes from now on. I cut the larger ones into pieces before throwing them into those same freezer bags. These tomatoes can be blended + made into pasta sauce, curry, soup, shepherd's pie, taco casserole or any recipe that calls for canned tomatoes...but I gotta say that the baking sheet method is my favorite way to eat them. Yippee! Simplicity!

Love,
Jane

P.S. Full disclosure: I whizzed this (pictured) gathering of goodness up in the blender with some onion, salt + a peeled lime to make the most delicious salsa (devoured immediately)! 

Listening to :: these lovely words on wonder + curiosity

Reading :: these transporting words on "balled melon as a snack"

The dollars spent added up quicker than the days did this month...meaning there were more meals to be made when we'd spent most of our food budget. It's discouraging to be sure...but on a day where I felt more determined than defeated...I saw the bright side.

• The bright side is that I'm pretty resourceful, and I'm willing to bet that you are too!
• The bright side is also that our fridge's + cupboard's state of bareness was a great time to get in there + clean.  :)
• One more bright side is that getting to the bottom of things brings all the left over bits + bobs into the spotlight. 
• I can get a bit excited about using it all up + not wasting things that have been waiting to be used.

And so...making the most out of all those bright sides...the last four meals we ate were made with a laugh + what must have been a bit of magic. Oh, and they got compliments too! Ha! Here's what I've got to say about that:

• Make it a challenge! Might as well have some fun with it!
• Meal 1 :: Add cheese + call it a casserole. A can of beans, a few handfuls of frozen corn, 4 tortillas + a can of enchilada sauce layered with cheese. (A hit!)
• Meal 2 :: Call it (almost) risotto. Rice, two kinds of cheese (because there wasn't much of either left), peas, butter, salt + pepper flakes. Add a second course of the last carrots + the last of that chip dip. 
• Meal 3 :: I was asked if I needed anything at the grocery store...Oh, can you grab me a box of pasta? Pasta, lemon, parmesan, chives from the garden, half a can of chick peas, salt + pepper flakes. (Well, this is pretty close to one of our favorites...so...winner.) And also...a few kiwis. 
• Meal 4 :: Add cake (that egg is only a few days past the expiration date) + sun tea. All the last bits of beans + two kinds of salsa + corn + cheese + were mixed into rice + topped off with hot sauce. (I think the tea + cake saved the day on this one!)

A few good meals to consider when seeking to stave off the next trip to the grocery store:

• frittata :: when I've neglected to use most of the eggs + have a bit of veg to throw in too
• roasted vegetables topped with nuts + seeds :: can save some of those past-their-prime veggies
• cereal :: oatmeal, if ya wanna get fancy :)
  
• soup :: stone optional
• fried rice :: a couple of eggs = protein
• taco casserole :: I try to keep beans on hand + often have some left over tortillas...add some cheese + salsa = a favorite​
• salad :: the last of the veg (fruits too), bits of beans, nuts, seeds, cheese, a squeeze of citrus + a glug of olive oil...anything goes
• pizza or focaccia :: sauce + cheese optional

​
Love,
Jane

Climate action is about choices...not about a list of special, new items to purchase. It's about our perspective + questioning our habits. Fun!  :)

• 57 :: saving the leaves for later. dried leaves are a crucial part of composting...making them treasures to be saved + bringing a different perspective to spring clean-up.
• 58 :: choosing glass packaging (rather than plastic), when I can't buy spices from the bulk jars. it would be great to have some standard glass jar sizes that could be cleaned + reused commercially. for now, we recycle it. 
• 59 :: choosing unpackaged rather than packaged. it doesn't get much easier than that.
• 60 :: returning a set of towels I bought, because I could just replace that one discolored one.
• 61 :: saving water. you know how it's good to wash your jeans less often? can I apply that logic to my sheets + wash them tomorrow instead?  ;)
• 62 :: composting peels. they will eventually transform into fertile soil to grow more food!
• 63 :: putting unpackaged fruits + veg into the cart + skipping the plastic bag. sometimes it's strange to realize why we do things...habit? because everyone else it doing it? question the status quo.  :)
• 64 :: using glasses rather than contact lenses + contact solution in plastic bottles. 

Simple suppers are my favorite any time of year...but simple, summer suppers might just be the best. A box of pasta. A couple of quickly sautéed, spiralized zucchinis. A few tomatoes from the garden thrown into the hot pan to blister + carmalize just a bit. A sprinkling of salt, pepper flakes + parmesan cheese. Simply delicious.

Love,
​Jane

Ok, it might be a little premature to call this a ritual quite yet...but it has great potential. This lovely, loose, blueberry tea was a gift, and I just know that it will make delicious sun tea. 

Heatwaves + drought lead my thoughts to any way we can use less electricity these days, and sun tea is such a humble way to harness the power of the sun. A jar, a tea ball, some tea + a few hours in the sun is all it takes. 

We've been spending most evenings at a nearby park overlooking the lake these days. We chat about our day + read to each other from a book that we've agreed on together. The sky turns pink with cotton candy clouds as the sun sinks behind the trees. I think ice clanking in a couple of jars full of blueberry tea will be a good addition to that ritual.

Love,
Jane

The sun has been shining + the rain has been falling + the seeds are starting to turn into food in our little spring garden. I can't tell you how excited I was to add this extremely local, zero-waste color + flavor to the quick meal we ate last night.

The radishes + chives were the perfect addition to this what's-left-in-the-cupboard meal. Our go-to parmesan pasta got a little upgrade from a packet of miso + it was delicious. Sitting in the sun on the back step was the perfect compliment. 

Miso Pasta ::

box of your favorite pasta
packet of miso
parmesan cheese
pepper flakes
whatever extras are on hand, we used radishes + chives from the garden this time

Boil pasta + drain all but a little of the pasta water (maybe 1/4 cup). Mix miso packet into the pasta until well coated. Top with other ingredients + enjoy.

Love,
​Jane

It's mango season + we're loving these mango smoothies right now. 

​Blend:
frozen mango
yogurt
oat milk
cinnamon
cardamom
ginger
honey

Love,
​Jane