[i.e. the years I lived as a dumpster diver in NYC]
Jane spotted this under some garbage bags after we went to the Mexican supermarket for some supplies. Naturally, we wheeled it home atop my bicycle.
Then while dinner cooked itself in the crock pot, I fished out what was left of the paint I had used for my walls, and did a quick (shoddy, but improved nonetheless) revamp of this grand trunk. As ever, it was a pleasure making strokes with the thick milkshakey scent-free zero-VOC paint. Our new trunk now houses winter boots and other unsightlies.
I had a lot of freegan potatoes to use up, as well as some beef chuck in the freezer. So naturally, I made meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting.
We combined freegan eggplant with an indulgent purchase of asparagus and roasted them with olive oil and and lemon.
I had a dozen nearly-expired limes that I had been meaning to use the last couple weeks. So I decided to make key lime pie. Except I only had mini pie tins that my old roommates had left behind, so I decided to make 5 mini pies rather than one large. We had a half a bag of really old graham crackers left from a work party, but that wasn't enough for all the crust, so I also used a handful of pretzel Ritz crackers that I had found in the trash. I thought the salty pretzelness would be a nice balance with the sweet tart of the pie, but didn't want it to be too savory so I also mixed in some fresh (also nearly too old) ginger and shredded coconut I found in the fridge. I threw everything for the crust in the food processor along with a stick of butter, then patted it out inside the tins. Then I made the filling and meringue more or less as dictated by the Joy of Cooking. It turned out seriously delicious. The crust was perfectly gooey and crumbly and sweet and salty. And because I put in 1/4 c extra lime juice and zest (and an extra egg yolk to balance it out), the filling was nigh exploding with flavor--it mattered not that the lime juice had come from limes that, on account of their browning exterior, often would have been tossed. And although I didn't beat the eggs as much as suggested for the meringue because my beater ran out of batteries, the topping was just puffy enough for such little pies.
Then we all dined on the roof, on a found table, with found cutlery and wine glasses, old jam jar water glasses, a box of Black Box poured into an old wine bottle, a beautiful view, and with dessert, a game of Cranium. Almost nothing matched or was even picked out or purchased, but the setting, the food, and the people were comfortable and wonderful and charming and that's what makes an evening memorable.
Apologies for the hiatus. I was in South America snapping this shot of lightning. And also surfing, SCUBA diving, sailing, sunning, spelunking, snorkeling, and otherwise wondering why so many outdoor sports start with an "s."
Like a mommy at Talbots, I feel peachy keen satisfaction when traipsing through the aisles of a Salvation Army thrift store. Gems abound. The turnover is tremendously quick as well. People get rid of massive quantities of clothing. I reckon there is enough of it in the world right now to clothe many bodies for much time. So I save buying new for special occasions--like I do for meat eating.
From dumpster to belly this week: fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, pizza dough, Ritz pretzel chips, eggplant, red and orange bell pepper, three types of squash, plum, nectarine, bananas, hot chilies, cucumber, corn, vine ripe tomatoes, watermelon, three types of mushroom.
I sauteed the three types of mushrooms with different stuff (chilies, onions, wine...) and rolled out the pizza dough (although there were so many packets I put most in the freezer), laid on top some spinach in red wine tomato sauce that I had made and frozen after a previous dive, then put on top various amounts mushrooms, then some grated quattro formaggio, olive oil and sea salt. Into the oven for 20 min or so, then sliced with my freegan pizza cutter. I also made gazpacho with the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and flat bread from another dive. Then I roasted the squash and dunked them in peanut coconut sauce from the Thai grocery. After, I turned the potatoes and celery into potato salad. And lo and behold, with the addition of the juice and a box of Black Box, I had a picnic for for 6 in Central Park and dinner for 3 the following night.
After fancying one for some time, I recently found myself the grateful recipient of a Crock Pot in the wake of a friend's move out. Now I invite buddies to join, we make tasty dishes, sit down to a romantic dinner, and salute of our fortune of friendship.
Oh look! I spy freegan items: folding wooden table, place mats, bowls, glasses, wooden chair, piano bench, futon couch, television, DVD player, speakers, fan, chess board, potted plant, pillows, vase, Hot Tamales, assorted books, candles, candle holders. The film theory books are just about the only items I purchased, and even most of those were used. Every item has a previous owner who no longer had use for it, but for the moment, I do, and when I don't, I'll take it upon myself to find someone that does.
Determined to find a use for them, I collected a couple dozen lemons from
the lemon graveyard underneath my aunt's Meyer lemon tree in Ojai.
I zested them all. And froze what I wouldn't use that day.
I squeezed them all. I set aside a couple cups, then poured
the remainder into three empty ice cube trays and froze them.
Once frozen, I popped them out of the trays and into baggies.
I composted the rinds.
And then using the ample amounts of zest and juice I had set aside,
I made the most delicious Meyer lemon bars.
I love my baby Weber. It was thrown out with the bathwater and I saved it. Happy baby, happy belly. And sunshine and rooftops.
The other night while mucking about in a garbage bag, I unearthed some tasty elements from the all-important Fruits and Vegetables sector of the food pyramid: grapefruit, fennel, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, yellow potatoes, new potatoes, baking potatoes, tomatoes, limes, a banana, and a lemon.
The Thai triangle cushions upon which these fruits and veggies are arranged were also found curbside (some time back). It was a moderate struggle lugging such dense pillows down from the upper west side on the subway with my camera gear in tow, but the comfort they have brought my fanny (both in the living room and as my go-to rooftop furniture) has proven well worth the effort.
With that, today's take-away is future benefit--a minute squishing my gut, a lifetime padding my butt.
My most treasured friend Julia Turshen came over the other evening to dine with me. I sauteed spinach and mushrooms with some flavorings that now escape me. Julia made a delightfully rustic pappa al pomodoro soup out of flatbread and tomatoes, and then pan roasted the tilapia filets that I had marinated in white wine, garlic, lemon and cumin. Save for the fish, everything had been found in the garbage. Candlelit whispers of sweet nothings ensued!
Last Monday I had the best Monday in many Mondays. I was asked by my new friend Jackson (of the wonderblog Superforest) to come speak with his friend Bee's 4th and 5th grade class (the 4Fives), who themselves run a formidably awesome eco blog. We spent the morning talking about trash and value and abundance, which carried us over to some freegan gifts I had bestowed upon my friend in Uganda, which segued into the documentary that I shot there, which brought us to gay rights...all of which yielded some very insightful conversation. I was just tickled pink to make their acquaintance.
So I know all about cost/benefit analysis. And by my calculations, I am definitely in the black. I go food "shopping" only about once a week, for maybe an hour or two. Not only does getting my food this way take less time than slugging through the aisles and lines at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in NYC, but it's a lot more fun, and for my friends and me it's a good chance to hang out.
A good score, be it from a residence, grocery store, or anything else, is like the most gigantic Christmas stocking ever--loads of stuff, some of which we need, some of which we don't, some saving us money on what we otherwise would buy, some allowing us to finally have what we otherwise would never buy. And moreover, any utility we bestow upon the bounty is infinitely more than it would have otherwise had. It's all cause for such giddiness. And you can chat and gossip and make silly way more than when you just meet up for coffee. Then at the end of the day, you can just have a snooze and bathe in your conquest.
If you're allowed a leave of absence from the food pyramid for the Superbowl, then it's only fair to grant the Olympics similar treatment. In that vein, I have prepared myself a glass of boxed red wine from New Hampshire, a mug of freegan potato soup with frozen corn and spinach, freegan flatbread with melted cheddar, freegan spaghetti with freegan marinara, freegan Lifesaver gummy candies, and a freegan soy milk frappé with freegan Nesquick, all conveniently placed on a 99¢ tray from the Christmas Tree Shop and afront the visage of one Apolo Ohno. A night of pleasures.
Freegan produce, tortillas, rice, and beans yield Mexican feast. The formula for simultaneously satisfying the Mother Teresa and the Ebenezer Scrooge inside of you is so simple.
One nice thing about dumpster diving is that you never know what you're gonna get, so you end up cooking stuff you wouldn't otherwise. Case in point: rutabaga. I don't think I had ever even held a rutabaga in my hand until I unearthed it from the garbage bag. But the superbowl was coming up, and I also had potatoes and ricotta from the garbage and parmesan and creme fraiche left from my roommate who moved out...so I made a slightly wonky but delicious rutabaga and potato gratin. I also had salsa, marshmallows, and hot dogs buns left from a previous dive, so I purchased the appropriate accompaniments and had quite the last-minute superbowl feast to share with my friends--and I even watched like two minutes of the game for good measure!
This jolly face belongs to the new owner of these shoes. I came upon the shoes in the trash bin, asked my feet to shrink, and when they didn't I threw them under the couch knowing that at some point they would find their Cinderella. And now they have.
Oof it's been a while since I posted, but that's because I took a little sojourn to Uganda. Before I set off though, I had moment of foresight. In anticipation of making dear friends with whom I would want to leave a farewell gift in appreciation of their friendship, I brought along some of my superfluous frugan niceties. Plus, I always like to give a gift with a little more utility than flowers or cards or chocolate. Pictured above are a digital camera from the NYU dumpster and a tape recorder from the Columbia post-graduation dump. Also, yummy mens cologne and lotion that someone had left behind in the Business Class goodie bag on Emirates. The happy camper Brother Andrew writes, "Thank you very much for my gifts which you gave me i am still very happy I now know how to use both the camera and the Re coda, at first I could use it with out a flash but now i am ok." So much better than gifting the landfill.
Halloween costumes can be the cause of such stress! They're cheaply constructed, generic, and expensive.
Some thrift stores set up Halloween sections during this time of year. If you live in Los Angeles, at the moment there is a large section in the Goodwill at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and 6th St in Santa Monica. I'm sure other thrift stores have a similar set up. They may not have the hottest superhero your child most desperately needs, but they're likely to have more unique options (no one wants to show up wearing the same thing as someone else), and still allow your kids the fun of roaming the aisles to pick out his or her own costume. I think it's also a good chance to instill that Halloween really is about having fun, getting dressed up, and stuffing yourself with candy. And just as much fun can be had in a used Gumbi costume as in a brand new Iron Man costume.
I've also heard of parents organizing costumes swaps. Both are really great ways to get kids fun new costumes on a budget, and while helping to minimize clothing manufacturing and landfill use. If you're in New York, go to this one that my friend is organizing on October 24th !
Another idea is to convert an old costume into something new. With new accessories a fairy can be adjusted to a princess, remove the padding and get a new nose and an elephant becomes a seal, dye a good witch dress and it becomes a wicked witch.
You can also make your own costume. All of my favorite costumes growing up were made by my mom. They were nothing too elaborate, but it ensured that no one else would have the same costume, and I got to help her out and suggest changes here and there, so I got just what I wanted. We also stored costumes away, so I often wore what my brother had worn a couple years prior. They also had a great homemade touch--accents and accessories were actual tactile objects, not just screen printed onto chintzy fabric. Scrap fabric, string, glue, tape, paint, and carboard boxes can take you a very long way. It's so much fun to get creative with kids. Making costumes with them is a great way to stretch their imagination and encourage them to find ways to translate that imagined idea into a functioning frock.
What a welcome treat en route from one bar to another on a Friday night! And it wasn't even my idea, it was that of my wise disciple pictured here. Cupcake Shop + Garbage Bags = Bounty. The formula just came to her. That's what happens when you start thinking right.
