Not Sorted :: 40 Acts :: Plastic Less Lent

Well Pip's weekend away has been cancelled :-(  The National Deaf Children's Society wanted us to speak with the Orthopaedic Clinic and they in turn couldn't countenance the trip.  Poor kid was really upset but Dad managed to console her with the promise of a 'dad and daughter date' on Saturday a bus trip to Lancaster and lunch in town.  There is also the opportunity for a future weekend away in the summer so she went to bed with a smile on her face.

 40 Acts 2019

We attended mass this morning for ashes and everyone left with a very visible cross on their foreheads!  It is day one of 40 acts and our challenge was to find a buddy for the challenges, we have paired up, 'mum and son' and 'dad and daughter.' 

  Excuse the mucky mini mirror :-)

Plastic Less Lent

I made home made tomato sauce from tomatoes that were not wrapped in plastic but loose in a cardboard box, yay!  Ideally I would normally use tinned tomatoes but they contain citric acid a product not allowed on my current diet.

  

In addition to the sauce I made raspberry jam muffins and two banana cakes, some for now and some for the freezer.  I also concocted another batch of yummy peanut butter and raisin granola.

We are slowly working through existing foods even if they are wrapped in plastic.   Once they are gone the challenge is to find a suitable alternative and if one cannot be found then they will be dropped from our food list for the duration of Lent.  We do however have two exceptions: we will still continue to buy rice cakes as these are a staple for me especially since I cannot for the time  being eat gluten free bread or oatcakes;  I will also continue to drink organic soya milk that comes in tetra paks with a plastic cap.

Even at this early stage of the challenge it is eye opening to realise that you can do your best to knowingly avoid bringing plastic into the home, but you have very little control over what comes through the post.  I did however read an interesting post that challenges the consumer to go back to the source and to write to companies and engage them in a conversation about the need to reduce unwanted plastic.  As a result of the increased media awareness around plastic waste, the RSPB changed their packing for the magazine from unrecyclable to plastic, to a cover that is fully compostable and made of corn starch.  We do have the technology available so it is up to us as consumers to speak out :-)