Monday, September 17, 2012

Portion Control



Sustainably Sadie
Portion Control

“Only take what you need,” seemed like a mantra this summer.  Even in restrooms of large box stores, it isn’t necessary to dole out eight feet of paper towel, it’s just wasteful.  But the child isn’t alone using/ taking more than needed when faced with a large amount of something.  It’s human nature to take more from a large quantity and less from a small quantity.

Buying in bulk can save you money (not always), but an important tip I read a while ago was to transfer dish soap from a large container into a small container.  What happens when we use large containers, we subconsciously use a larger amount of product because with our eyes we see large container which translates to large amount—probably using more than is needed to get the job done.  So if you buy a 64 oz bottle of dish detergent because it is more cost effective, when you get home transfer some of the product into a smaller container, and you probably can dilute the dish soap with water to extend the life of it.  Keep the small bottle up on the counter and hide the large bottle under the sink. 

A similar line of thought is to break down bulk food purchases into their appropriate portions – buying items already broken down into portion sizes for diet rationing brings a lot of extra packaging into the home and eventually the landfill.  If you buy family size, large packages can be broken down into small Tupperware containers, small mason jars, or other reusable containers.  Kid snacks can be portioned out in many cute ways that make it easy to grab a snack on the go.  

There are many products and guidelines out there to follow for appropriate food portions—something Americans have to scale down since we’ve become a supersized nation.  Besides the artistically designed plates and charts, there is the new trend of cooking all sorts of main dishes in muffin tins.  Individual meat loafs, pizzas, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, pies and so on are helpful for appropriate (and kid!) portions and they take less time to cook in the oven.  I also love how everything can be made in a mason jar these days, pies and desserts of all sorts and a great way to take a salad to work. 

Remember to watch your portions, which include how much dish soap you use to wash dishes and how much chocolate you consume.  (It is better to let yourself to indulge a little bit, than to deny yourself to the point of binging). 

Share your sustainable stories, successes, ideas at the blog, www.sustainablysadie.blogspot.com or email sustainablysadie@hotmail.com.

Twin Bits

Mingling for Main Street 6th Annual Wine Tasting at the Main Street Park in Sheridan, Saturday Sept 8th.  6:00 to 9:00 pm, $25 per person, fine wines, tasty micro-brews and savory appetizers.  Call 842-5790 for tickets. 

First Saturday of the month, plastic recycling at the TB landfill. 

Reception for Paula Krugerud at the Twin Bridges Public Library this Friday, August 31st, 4:30 pm. 

It is harvest time!  Check out your local Farmer’s Markets.  Sheridan Farmer’s Market is Thursday evening, 5 pm to 7 pm at the Main Street Park, corner of Main Street and Mill. 

Check out Jackson’s Garden online, https://sites.google.com/site/jacksonsgardeninc/home and *Like* them on Facebook.  Volunteer work days are Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8 am to 1 pm.  Please contact Janet Marsh at 842-5888 for more information. 

The Twin Bridges Farmer’s Market is every Saturday 9 am to Noon, through September.   

The Twin Bridges Community Association is looking for an interim Market Master for the Twin Bridges Farmer’s Market for the last three Saturdays of September (15, 22, 29).  The TBCA needs a Market Master for 2013; if you are considering taking on the task next year, spending a day as Market Master in September would be a great experience to help inform the decision.  Contact Paula Kinoshita, if you are interested, at The Old Hotel (684-5959) ASAP.  Duties would include: putting out signage on Friday afternoon, being at Main Street Park at 8 am, on Saturday, to greet vendors, help with set up, document vendors, collect fees, & to help with break down at noon.

The first meeting of the Twin Bridges Book Club will be Thursday, September 20th 7 pm at The Weaver’s Studio.  The first book being discussed is The Bonfire of the Vanities by Thomas Wolfe.  The Book Club is looking for suggestions for the rest of the year.  Contact Didi Murray with questions at dmmontana@3rivers.net. 

From TBS Calendar:

Friday August 31:  VB @ Harrison, 5 pm; FB @ Harlowtown, 7 pm
Saturday September 1:  JrHi/ HS Cross Country Meet @ Pony, 10 am; VB w/ Shields Valley @ Home, 4 pm
Sunday Sept 2:  Ben Ashcraft Memorial Service, 2 pm @ MP Gym
Monday September 3:  No School, Labor Day
Tuesday Sept 4:  JV FB (split) @ Sheridan & with Drummond @ Home, 4 pm; VB w/ Whitehall @ Home, 5 pm
Wednesday Sept 5:  Booster Club mtg 6 pm MT room
Friday Sept 7:  JrHi VB @ Townsend 3 pm; JrHi FB @ Sheridan; VB @ White Sulphur Springs 5 pm; FB @ Sheridan 7 pm; Big Sky Astronomers @ MT Room 5:30 – 7 pm
Saturday Sept 8:  Jr Hi VB @ Belgrade Tourney; JrHi & HS Cross Country Meet @ Belgrade 10 am; VB w/ West Yellowstone @ Home 5:30 pm


 I’m here to help promote Ruby Valley events and spread community information.  Post comments at www.sustainablysadie.blogspot.com, email sustainablysadie@hotmail.com, call 406-531-1422 and send snail mail to P.O. Box 491, TB  59754.  Thanks for reading and sharing, Sarah Miller. 

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