Econundrum #2: Plastic Stuff

It was actually the husband that got sick of them before I did.... all those plastic bowls and storage things in our kitchen. We had been acquiring metal bowls slowly but surely, and finally there was just no more room for both sets. I was managing, but the husband couldn't take it any longer. I came home to the plastic bowls all sitting out in another room. A small part of me resisted for just a moment, thinking, "Wait! I still use those!!!" (I'm dangerously close to being on of those people who has a hard time getting rid of stuff. I watch "Hoarders" just to keep myself in line.)

Someone else' cupboard. I feel their pain

But now the dilemma. Here they sit. I don't quite know what to do with them! They are still useful. They aren't broken or anything. They still function. But I really can't think of who would want them, and I am certainly not going to throw them away. Thrift store donation???? I guess. What else is there?

Ah, the mending of ways. Turning back is hard. It definitely reminds me that all we can do is go forward, try to not ADD to the problems out there. We can't take them back. These bowls exist in my home, and these problems exist in our world. Neither will just disappear.

So... days later... here sit the bowls. The husband asked what we were going to do with them. My answer was, "I have no idea." I guess the thrift store is going to be the answer. Maybe at least they'll get a little bit more use. Meanwhile, for my part, I simply won't buy any more. And when I am at that thrift store, I'm going to pick up some glass and Pyrex and Corningware!

Then, I'll have even more plastic to oust from my kitchen. Someday, it'll all be gone. Someday!

Econundrums

Trying to be green has its own set of conundrums. For instance, you've purchased things in the past that you now realize are not very green. What to do?

One eco-nundrum I have is my past affinity for nail polish. It may seem like such a tiny thing... all those little bottles... but they really are considered hazardous waste. All those chemicals! But so pretty! So... OK... I don't buy more ever again, not even the so-called environmentally friendly kind, but what about all the bottles I already have? Nail polish is fun but far from a necessity. Yes it's pretty, and I always compliment cool nail-artwork when I see it on people. But all those chemicals! Do we encourage the cessation of use? It's not something that will ever go away; too many people like it too much.

How many have actually used an entire bottle of nail polish? I actually have come close before, but mostly I, like many others, have a million partially-used bottles. Knowing what I know about it, I sometimes feel like if I wear it anymore, I'll be judged as a Terrible Not-Green Liar Person. Which is kind of funny because that's not what comes to mid for me when I look at other people's nails. OK, well maybe the second thought. No. Kidding. Mostly.

I want to use my old nail polish. Isn't that the greenest thing to do? Use it? It's already here in my home... I can get it to hazardous waste, but wouldn't just using it up be OK too? What about the nail polish remover? I have that too, from days-less-green-gone-by. Use that too. After all, haz-waste has a lot to do already.

Such an econundrum for the Green Witch. Because, even right now, my pretty pretty dark green nail polish beckons to me....

We Can't Make Our Own Damn Meatballs??

Here's the story from 7/8/12 on msnbc.com:

Meatball company recalls 300,000 pounds of meat over listeria risk -By Lily Kuo

(Reuters) - A New Jersey meatball manufacturer is recalling more than 300,000 pounds (136,000 kg) of meat products due to possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said on Saturday.

Bridgeton, New Jersey-based Buona Vita Inc was recalling about 324,770 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products produced in May, including meatballs, chicken and beef patties, and loafs of chicken and beef, the agency said in a written statement.

The FSIS described the health risk related to the recall as "high," according to the statement.

Representatives for Buona Vita, which says on its website that it produces 200,000 pounds (90,000 kg) of meatballs a day, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The possible contamination was discovered through testing by FSIS and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the FSIS statement said. There have been no reports of illness related to the company's products, it added.

Listeria bacteria thrive in low temperatures. Outbreaks are usually associated with deli meats, unpasteurized cheeses and smoked refrigerated seafood products. Listeriosis has a long incubation period, with symptoms sometimes not showing up until two months after people consume tainted foods. Symptoms include fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea and other gastric problems.

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012

Here's my first thought: quit buying pre-made meatballs. Mom used to make a whole big batch of meatballs at once from scratch, cooking them then freezing them, so they were ready to use any time. It didn't take long. It was surely more economical to buy bulk ground meat. It was very surely better because we knew every ingredient that went in there. How many preservatives and other crap are in these frozen foods, besides the Listeria of course?

200,000 pounds of meatballs a day??? How lazy are we? And STOP with the "I don't have time, frozen is more convenient" crap. I don't buy it. LOOK at what happens when we rely on our conveniences. We get Listeria outbreaks. Was it worth it? Was the 30 minutes every few weeks you saved worth it? NOPE.

These problems go away when we grow our own food, make our own food, buy locally, and cook once in a damn while. Make your own meatballs, people.