extending your harvest, weight loss, ethical eating tips, waste tips

Weight loss - only 100g loss this week, still better than gaining weight - see diary of a food addict tab.


Ethical Eating Tip - Olive oil is a tasty, versatile and healthy oil for culinary purposes. Use locally produced olive oil if you can because it is transported a shorter distance and so has less impact on the environment. 

Australia now produces excellent olive oils and there is a wide range to choose from. 

You can produce your own olive oil if you plant a a grove of oil producing olive trees but you do need access to an oil press. I know Italian friends who produce all their own oil and preserved olives.

No Waste Tip - What do you with left over olive oil, or any other oil, once you have finished with it for cooking.  There is no easy solution but here are some ideas.

1.  Reduce your use of oils by using non-stick pans.  While olive oil is a healthy alternative to saturated fats it still contains a lot of kilojoules.
2. Once it is cool filter it through coffee filters or    cheesecloth and re-use.  You can do this several times.
3. Let it soak into newspaper and mix it with other waste and put it in your compost.  Wipe out oily pans with paper towel and put it ithe compost.
4. take it to your garbage depot and see it they have a recycling centre for oils, they are now being used in car fuels.
5. See if a local restaurant recyles its oils and will take your contribution.
6. If it is a small amount you can put it on a slice of bread and break it up to feed birds or your pets - but only occasionally.
7. put it in a break-proof container and put it in the rubbish if you have no other choice - don't put it down the sink.