The plates are completely natural, organic, and biodegradable.  The are made from a completely renewable resource and hardly ripple the environment at all.  Plus they are beautiful.

I am thinking of making a notecard out of that image, by the way. I just love these plates. Ahem…O.k..

The plates are made from the Adaka Palm tree. But…and this is cool…no tree was harmed in the making of these plates. Maybe a bug or two was squished but that’s o.k..so far bugs aren’t an endangered species, right? Anyway, the tree drops the sheaths of its leaves and grows more, just like other trees. Workers collect these leaves and take them to be cleaned in fresh water and molded into plates. Sustainable, eco friendly plates that can be tossed onto the compost pile.  But wait, there’s more!

They are waterproof, leak proof, and handle hot and cold. No matter what I used on these plates they held up perfectly.

The plates are very unique. Some are very plain and others are spotted. Some are lighter and others are darker. Plus I love the ridges. I have touch sensitivity. It is weird but there are several textures that I just can’t handle. Touching these textures makes me gag…things like styrofoam, popsicle wrappers, some magazine pages…ick. Anyway..I loved the feel of these. They are ridgey and fun to touch. Just remember..simple things for simple minds….

They come in several shapes including:

• Hexegon
• Round
• Square
• Rectangle

They really are elegant and beautiful. I will admit to washing them off and re-using them…shhhhh…..Everyone loved these.

You are not going to be able to buy 100 plates for 1.99 though.   These are a little on the pricey side, understandably I suppose because a lot of work goes into them. Check them out at Marx Foods.

images:marye audet

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Post from: Baking Delights

I could not tell a difference between this and the regular one.  I am thrilled to say that the Reynold’s Wrap 100% recycled performed as well as the regular stuff.

From the website:

• Food-safe foil made from a mix of pre and post consumer aluminum.
• Strength and durability you’ve come to expect from Reynolds Wrap®.
• Available in Standard and Heavy Duty strengths.
• The packaging and core are made from 100% recovered paper and the inks used on the product packaging are water-based.
• Located in the foils, wraps and bags aisle at grocery and mass market retailers nationwide.

To show that they are serious the company also is using recycled packaging.  In fact, by using recycled aluminum foil it is estimated that there is 80% reduction in energy used compared to making it from new materials.  Plus there are fewer greenhouse gasses and less things filling up the landfill.

So, what goes into the aluminim foil?  Car parts, stadium seats, cookware, lots of things….and it is heated to unbelievable temperatures so it is clean and safe for food.

You can get coupons for 100% Recycled Reynold’s Wrap and more information on the Reynold’s Wrap website. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.  The one thing is that I have not yet seen it in stores so I don’t know what the price difference is.

image: Reynold’s Wrap

Post from: Baking Delights

  Organic meats are expensive so I have found that I am naturally gravitating back toward more vegetable based meals and letting the meat be less of a *star* in the show.  These enchiladas are fantastic.  I created them a long time ago after eating enchiladas at the cafe at our local Wholefoods Market.  Sadly, the cafe no longer exists but the enchiladas live on!

Vegetarian enchiladas

       serves 6

12 tortillas, corn or wholewheat

Filling:

8 oz portabella mushrooms chopped coarsely

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 onion chopped

3 zucchini, julienned

3 carrots, julienned

1  (or more) chile chopped

1-2 bell peppers julienned (a mix is nice here)

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

1 c grated cheese of choice (you may use soy cheese)

salt and pepper to taste

 a little olive oil for sauteeing

  Basically you can add any vegetable you have, leftover or whatever is prolific in the garden…

  Sautee vegetables in olive oil, starting with the longest cooking and adding as needed so that all vegetables are cooked but still firm. Add chopped cilantro and mix well. Set aside.

Enchilada Sauce

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 can Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes

1 tsp cumin

1 TBS chili powder

1/2 tsp dried chopped chipotle (Archer Farms does a good one)

salt and pepper to taste

saute onion and garlic until onion is transparent. Add rest of ingredients and simmer 20 minutes. Process in blender or food processor. If sauce is to watery then return to heat to reduce to desired consistancy.

Topping:

1/2 c grated cheese of choice (use soy cheese for a vegan dish)

Heat tortillas, dip in sauce, and then lay on a plate. Put about 2 Tbs of filling in tortilla, sprinkle with some grated cheese, and roll up. Lay in 13 x 9″ pan that has been spread with a little of the enchilada sauce, seam side down. Repeat.

  Drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with ab0ut 1/2 c cheese. Sprinkle a little chopped cilantro over all. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until warmed through and cheese is melted.

 Serve with a salad,  brown rice, and some cut up, fresh, tropical fruit…

Post from: Baking Delights