A slower and more sustainable life
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For this blog, I wanted to give you a list of books that either focuses on sustainability or had a clever way of incorporating it. Here is my list of sustainability books. Reading is one of my favourite past times. I much prefer it to just watching tv and I have hundreds of books at home.
Usually, I have at least one book that I’m reading but sometimes even two. I love reading at home. Just sitting on the couch or make myself comfortable on the bed. Also, when spending time on public transport or if I head to the park I will usually have a book with me.
I generally prefer fiction to non-fiction. However, I have read some fascinating non-fiction books in the past that focus on sustainability and zero waste. If you are interested in these topics you may find these books useful.
Non-fiction sustainability books:
Gaviotas by Alan Weisman is a fascinating book. I received it as a present from a friend and could not put it down once I started reading it.
It follows the story of Paolo Lugari, a young Colombian development worker in the 1960s. He wondered if the uninhabited, infertile Ilanos could be made livable for the growing population of Colombia. It is a great example of how to construct a society which has sustainable living at its centre.
The book tells the story of a permanent village called Gaviotas. It focuses on how its inhabitants build contraptions to harvest wind energy and water. It also shows how they managed to restore an ecosystem.
Bea Johnson has written Zero Waste Home – a well-known book which has inspired millions of people worldwide to try a zero-waste lifestyle.
I was fortunate enough to listen to one of her talks on how she reduced her household waste to just one litre per year. She has great tips on how you can transform your own life with pratical and simple tips.
As I said I love fiction and there are not too many books here that have a focus on sustainability. However, there are some that manage to include it in a clever way with one of the characters being vocal about living a more simple and sustainable life.
One of these books is Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver.
It focuses on the life story of two families, in different centuries as they navigate the challenges of their times. The book is easy to read and has a character who is educating her family on a more minimal and sustainable lifestyle.
I will add more sustainability books here as I come across them. If you know of any interesting books on sustainability please share them in the comments.
If you want to read more on sustainability and zero waste check out the sustainability section of my blog.
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If you are starting your zero waste journey you may be wondering what the zero waste essentials are. What are the items that will help you start out right and cut down your use of plastic items? Read on to find out.
This is not an exhaustive list but the items I found most useful in my early days of avoiding plastic in my everyday life.
Most people nowadays use liquid soap which comes in plastic bottles. Yes, it feels like you get good value and they are more convenient but are they really? One of my first zero-waste swaps was ditching liquid soap for soap bars. You can be frugal about it and make your own or buy some. You nowadays can find soap bars wrapped in paper packaging in many shops. Maybe it makes it onto your list of zero waste essentials soon.
My favourite past time was finding new soaps from local artisan markets where people sell handmade items. It has become one of my favourite gifts to myself when on holiday. A nice handcrafted soap bar that reminds you of your holiday trip but does not clutter up your home. Something useful which brings you joy long after you have returned home.
Although I am not a takeaway coffee drinker I found a keep cup incredibly useful zero-waste item. If you like your take away coffee on your way to work it will cut down the amount of single-use take away cups that just get thrown away.
Personally, I just make my hot chocolate or tea at home and take it with me when I am out and about. I use it for the occasional trip to a coffee shop when I am out with friends.
As a crafter, I made these simply myself from cotton yarn. They a simple and quick to make and they also make nice gifts if you have friends who are interested in zero waste. They replace the single-use makeup remover wipes and you just pop them in the wash with your clothes to clean.
If you’re less of a DIY person there are solutions you can purchase depending on how much you would like to spend. Just make sure they are made of cotton fabric as some reusable makeup remover pads I’ve seen have microfibre in them.
Another easy zero-was essential item that should be on your list in the beginning is a reusable bag.
When going shopping most people these days just ask for a bag to take their shopping home. Sure there are plastic bags and cotton bags to chose from. But why not just bring your own bag along? If you plan on a bigger shop ensure you have a few bags packed and say goodbye to that big pile of old plastic bags in the corner or all those cotton bags you are hoarding in a cupboard.
This one is a no brainer. Rather than buying a plastic bottle of water when you feel thirsty why not bring your own reusable bottle with you? Fill it up with water before you leave the house and out and about you can usually fill it up for free. It is eco-conscious and will save you lots of money!
Personally I have a glass water bottle and but for a light-weight option get a stainless steel water bottle. These are durable and will keep you drink either hot in the winter or cold in the summer.
Start making more meals at home and freeze some for later. These make great lunch options to take to work or when you are out and about. I rarely buy food when I am out and rather bring some food with me. It is best getting a good reusable lunchbox. But first look around what you already have at home and see what you can use.
If you don’t have a suitable container have a look at metal lunchboxes or glass food storage containers. You may be lucky and find some second hand if you have some time to hunt for some. Otherwise, have a look here for some alternatives.
What are your most used zero waste essentials? Leave a comment below and I will include them in the list!
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Recently I had lots of overripe tomatoes from a neighbour and wanted to try something new with them. I settled on vegan roasted tomato soup and it was delicious!
The tomatoes I got from an app called Olio where I started collecting leftover food which is a great way to share food that you may not want or need. Maybe you bought something and find out it is not to your taste or you just bought too much of something and it will spoil soon.
I love Olio because it helps me cut down in waste and I can pass on food and non-food items to people who need them. It also provided me with many wonderful new experiences like avocado hummus and vegan sushi in the past. Not only your neighbours will be on it but also people who collect surplus food from shops and restaurants around you. If you haven’t heard about Olio yet check it out!
Soups are a great way of using up large quantities of vegetables and when you prepare big batches are easy to freeze in smaller quantities. Then when you need them you just defrost them and you have a great homemade meal.
I love making soups, especially in winter of course, but I’ve not made tomato soup before so I was keen to try something special. Roasting vegetables is stable in our household. We love roasted potatoes and other vegetables so we decided to roast our tomatoes before blending them into a soup.
As the tomatoes were past their best I cored and cut out any blemishes but roasted them with the skin on. Just add some onions and garlic and roast for about 30 minutes. I can promise you, the smells in your kitchen will be wonderful. Afterwards, you just need to put the roasted tomatoes in a pot with water and boil down the water to about a third of the original amount. You can absolutely use vegetable stock for this step but as I did not have any at-home water had to do for me. And it was fine. I just added some herbs and the soup was flavourful and delicious.
If you like me love to freeze your leftover food, ensure that the soup has cooled down completely before freezing it in batches. Try and freeze in in amounts you would use for a normal meal and then just take out of the freezer whenever you need.
To make this wonderful soup you will need a hand blender and the below ingredients:
In the beginning, you should preheat your oven to 230°C/450°F. While the oven preheats, wash, core and quarter the tomatoes. Then peel garlic and onion and quarter.
Add the tomatoes, garlic and onion to a bowl with the olive oil and ensure everything is coated in olive oil. Then put everything on a baking tray and roast on the middle shelve for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the baking tray from the oven and transfer the tomatoes, garlic and onions to a pot. Add the vegetable stock or water depending on what you are using and the bay leaves and herbs.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes. The liquid will have reduced by about a third. After 20 minutes you can take out and discard the bay leaves.
With your hand blender puré the soup until it reaches the desired smoothness. This took about 3-4 minutes for me.
Before serving, season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Roasted tomatoes with onions and garlic make a wonderfully delicious soup.
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Have you tried this vegan roasted tomato soup? Leave a comment below and share what you loved about it!
Looking for other soup recipes? Try this leek and potato soup!
If you enjoyed the recipe and want to find more head over to my recipe section and join my Facebook Group which focuses on homemade vegan recipes that are affordable and healthy.
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