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Category: Zero Waste Tips

My Zero Waste Diaper Bag

By melodiels Apr 29, 2020

Are you interested in zero waste parenting focused on plastic-free baby products? Or hoping to stick to an ethical baby registry with sustainable newborn essentials? I spent a lot of…

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Talkin' bout plant-based food & zero waste living in Montreal

I'm Melodie. Here is where I share my passion for plant-based cuisine, zero-waste living, and being a green mama. I post recipes, recommendations and resources.

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MUST TRY

Crispylicious Cauliflower Wings (Vegan)
Vegan ramen in Montreal, get your noodle on!
Vegan Rosé Pasta Recipe with Spinach and Mushrooms.
Raw vegan chocolate balls
The Best Vegan Tofu Sandwich

mtlveg

I don’t always know what to say but I refuse to

I don’t always know what to say but I refuse to be silent. Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter! And I will do whatever I can to fight injustice and stand with the black community. I would be honoured to be considered an ally. Racism is very real, both in the states but here at home too. Please let it be known that there is no room for intolerance, racism and violence in my space. I promise to educate myself and my family so that we can be a force for good and not evil. If you feel the same way then make it known. We need to spread love, compassion and show our solidarity right now. ✊🏽💕 #blacklivesmatter

It’s not necessary to buy a bunch of new stuff w

Are you a fan of falafels? Falafels are the most c

If you've been following my stories, you may have

If you've been following my stories, you may have noticed that I made ramen noodles from scratch. It all started because I was craving ramen and didn't know where to buy noodles during the pandemic. I was amazed to discover that making ramen was pretty easy. It just requires a pasta machine and very basic chemistry. Yep, chemistry. To make ramen, you need an alkaline solution. The alkaline in the noodles gives it that chewy texture and distinct smell. Turns out you can make this solution at home with baking soda. Just pop baking soda onto a baking tray and bake for one hour at 250°F. I baked about half a cup which was plenty since the recipe requires 1.5 teaspoons at a time. The baking process transforms baking soda aka sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate which btw is the main ingredient in dishwashing tabs. DIY dishwashing tabs and ramen, thank you sodium carbonate & gr 11 chemistry! I know this seems complicated but it's not, I promise. If you have a pasta machine, give this a shot. You won't regret it. I created a story highlight called "ramen" if you want to follow the steps and the recipe is below. .
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2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten*
1.5 tsp baked baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
Corn starch, to prevent sticking
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Mix all the ingredients in a bowl or food processor. It will shape into a very dry dough, this is good. If should be hard to shape but not impossible. If the dough is was too dry to shape, add a touch of water. If the dough is sticky or wet, add flour. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle with a width of about 4 - 6 inches. Let it rest in the fridge for an hour or so. Cut the rectangle into 2-inch pieces and run them through your pasta machine, starting with the thickest setting and working your way down. I like it set to the second to the smallest setting (2) but adjust to your desired thickness. Pass the final sheet of dough through the spaghetti cutter. Dust final noodles with a generous amount of corn starch to keep them from sticking. To cook: Add ramen to boiling water and cook for 1 -2 minutes. Serve fresh! Cooked ramen won't keep. Uncooked ramen keeps well in the fridge for a week or two.
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I’m so lazy that if I could get away with never

I’m so lazy that if I could get away with never washing my face, I probably would. Unfortunately I’ve had skin issues since puberty and hormonal swings like pregnancy or breastfeeding cause breakouts. I’ve tried everything from prescription drugs to pharmacy cleansers. Out of everything, I found clay-based (especially bentonite) cleansers and masks worked well for me. They remove impurities and leave my skin feeling really soft without being dried out. I also like foaming cleansers because they’re easy to use. They tend to dry out my skin but I still like to have one around for the nights when I’m just too lazy to go through a whole skin routine.
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When I moved towards zero waste living, I started making my own cleansers and was surprised by how cheap and simple it is. I’m sharing my recipes below. .
👉🏾Clay cleanser/mask
1 part bentonite clay
1 part grape seed oil (other high quality oils can also work)
1 part water
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Mix ingredients together in a bowl, mortar and pestle or food processor. Use about 3 tablespoons of each ingredient to make a weekly portion. It will keep for two weeks in the fridge. .
For cleanser: Apply on the skin and wipe it off with a wet warm cloth. It can remove make-up in combination with an eye makeup remover (olive oil works well) and follow up with a toner (1 part rose water/1 part witch hazel - works well) and moisturizer.
For mask: Apply a generous amount of the mixture to your skin and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. Remove with a warm wet washcloth. ..
For mask: Apply a generous amount of the mixture to your skin and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. Remove with a warm wet wash cloth.
.. 👉🏾Foaming cleanser
1 part @drbronner Castille unscented baby soap*
1 part water
5-10 drops of tea tree essential oil** Mix ingredients in a foaming bottle. I reused a bottle from an old Aveno cleanser. *The baby soap has more oil and it’s fragrance-free which makes it better for sensitive skin. ** be careful with essential oils because they can irritate the skin. Just add a drop or two to start and if all is well add more.

#diybeauty #zerowasteliving #zerowastehome

Who would have thought I’d be living mat leave i

Who would have thought I’d be living mat leave in a hard-hit city during a global pandemic. After a long winter with a newborn, I could barely wait for summer. I had visions of my life as an urban mom in Montreal, pushing my baby on the swings, swimming lessons, strolling through the jazz fest on my way to a play date at the park. When COVID-19 first hit here, I was so optimistic that things would be better by now. I hoped that by June, I’d be able to have friends over for a summer BBQ to meet my little bebe. Sadly, it seems that this virus really has a hold on Montreal and it’s beginning to feel that there is no end in sight. When I think about the scope of all this, my disappointments seem so tiny and irrelevant. By far the thing that bugs me the most is that my friends and family won’t get to hold my daughter or see her grow up close. I remind myself everyday that she’ll have many years of growing and this is just a blip. I know that being on mat leave means that I’m least affected in many ways. I’m healthy, already off-work and don’t have to worry about childcare right now. I’m learning how to get around safely and stay social at a distance. And in the end my summer will still be enjoyable just not what I expected. Still I have days when I feel bummed. I didn’t post on Mother’s Day because I was just in a sour mood. I hope this period will help us appreciate what we have and take better care of mama earth, our vulnerable citizens and our health care systems. My thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one, who fell sick and to health workers who continue to put themselves at risk everyday. They really are heroes! 🙏🏾💕 Stay safe and keep your distance so we can squash this virus already 🤜🦠

Diapering is a whole new game when babies start so

Diapering is a whole new game when babies start solids. Their inoffensive newborn poop gets smellier, bigger and just plain gross. 💩 🤢 We’re still going strong with cloth diapering, although it was easier in the 0-6M stage. To make life less gross, we added biodegradable disposable liners to our diaper routine. The liners catch the poop, so I don’t have to scrape or spray it off. To reduce waste, I try to only add the liners around the time I expect a poop. It’s not always predictable, but our baby has a pooping hour. If I include a liner and it’s only pee, I wash and reuse it. A lot of diaper liners can be reused 1 to 2 times. I also wash disposable wipes! Who knew they could withstand a few washes in the washing machine and dryer? Although I mostly use reusable cloth wipes, I was gifted with some disposables. I’ve used them on a few occasions (on the go), and I throw them in my diaper hamper to get 5 - 10 more uses out of them. I also use disposable wipes as diaper liners. It just goes to show how these items don’t break down easily, all the more reason to avoid them as much as possible. I know that diapering without liners is probably greener, but I needed to find a middle ground where I felt comfortable. With liners, the cloth diaper routine is almost as easy disposable. And diapering is nasty no matter what! Cloth just requires an extra load of laundry every 3-4 days. We use all-in-one diapers, so there is no stuffing or folding. Just throw them in the wash and then put them away. Now that the weather is warmer, I’d like to start hanging them to dry as this will further lessen our diapering footprint. The great thing is that they dry quickly too. If anyone is interested in cloth diapering, feel free to reach out to me. I remember feeling overwhelmed when I was researching how to cloth diaper. It’s intimidated, but after several months of doing it, I’m confident and (still) happy with our choice!
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Cute top from @boutiqueminicycle. .
#zerowastebaby #clothdiapering #sustainablebaby #sustainableliving

Yesterday I made my oven-baked Crispylicious Cauli

Yesterday I made my oven-baked Crispylicious Cauliflower Wings for dinner. For those who saw my stories, you can find the full recipe on my blog (mtlveg.com). I’ll put the link in my bio for a bit or you can search “cauliflower wings” right on my blog. I usually make these with Sriracha but last night I used Franks Red Hot which was really yummy. It just goes to show that you can whip these up with whatever hot sauce you have at home. But if you plan on making these, you’ll need to grab some panko flakes (Japanese breadcrumbs). I’m sure regular breadcrumbs would work too but the texture won’t be as crispy. To make these “wings” a complete meal rather than a side, I turned them into tacos! Swipe left to see the taco plate. I roasted some chickpeas with a sprinkle of Chili pwd, garlic pwd, paprika, salt and olive oil to add a little protein to my tacos. Finally I topped it with my homemade almond feta and it was truly delicious. This is definitely one of my go-to recipes when I’m seeking a little comfort. They are pretty easy to prepare and fairly healthy too. If you try them out, let me know what you think! .
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#veganrecipes #veganfood #cauliflower #cauliflowerrecipes #cauliflowerwings #veganfoodshare #veganmontreal #mtlveg

NEW RECIPE: Beefy-Looking Beet Burgers (link in bi

Social distancing looks better in black and white.

Social distancing looks better in black and white.

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