A typhoon has found its way to my doorstep again. The sky is gloomy and the rain is steadily falling. Days like these call for hot soups, or hearty braises, or something roasted whole. We will go for the roast I think. A roast chicken dinner sounds just about right.
And hopefully there will be leftovers for me to use and post about!
Meanwhile (if there are leftovers...C loves roast chicken), I am bursting to share with you something we (I and a group of three other fabulous girls...Christine, Angela, and my best friend K!) have been working on for a while. It’s been so much fun and so satisfying planning this little project with them...now that it has actually come to fruition, and I can hold the tangible results in my two hands, the delight is immense!
Avoiding food waste is just one cause I am trying to champion in my own personal corner. The other has been avoiding plastic. Again, I am by no means a lean, green, eco-machine, but I do try to do all my shopping in reusable shopping bags***. You all know the tune I’m sure, and I’m not going to stand on a soapbox and talk about the evils of plastic. There are experts out there to do that and I wouldn’t want to get my numbers wrong. Suffice to say that by opting to tote our own shopping bags, we are helping our planet out of plastic’s evil clutches! :)
So it is with great pride and excitement that I present you with our Mother Earth bags!!! When Christine shared the idea with me I was all for it. Before we knew it things magically came together (as most good things do) and we found ourselves with the finished product sitting happily in front of us. I couldn’t be more thrilled with how everything worked out (and is still working out...we get more good news everyday!) :)
The bags are made in a livelihood centre that employs the elderly, disadvantaged women in a neighbouring city (D'Livelihood Shop in Taguig). So this venture helps these women earn their living, as well as helping our planet breathe easier :)
You can check out the different bags (with better pictures!) at our website. They’re available in Metro Manila only for now until we can sort out shipping. You can also find all sorts of interesting links there – from information about the threat plastic poses to our environment, to other eco-friendly products made locally.
One bag line is made of canvas and the other is made of recycled flour sacks. Yes, we’ve been badgering our favourite bakeries for more than just their cakes! ;) I’ve already taken both out for a spin and I can say (with no bias whatsoever, heehee!) that they perform commendably! They can both lug around quite a load :) Lots of space for all your shopping, boys and girls!
Hope you get the chance to take a peek at our site :) While you do, I'm off to roast that chicken...
***Aside from being kinder to the earth, reusable shopping bags look much nicer than plastic bags do. Plus, it is so much easier to carry three of these bags on your shoulders, than five plastic grocery bags with your hands. Trust me. I live on the third floor and my elevator is, uh, “charming” at best. I know what I’m talking about.