It’s super easy to make your own beef jerky.  But before I get into how, let me explain why.  Beef jerky (or any kind of jerky, for that matter) is not something I normally eat or even think about.  But in 2015, while planning for the annual Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert, I […]
Last November, I decided it was time to get rid of the small, ratty, and possibly toxic table-top ironing board we’d been using for years.  And by we, I mean Michael.  Still haunted by memories of ironing my dad’s shirts in the dank basement laundry room while the crickets chirped and imaginary mice scurried from corner […]
Back in April I promised a post about making broth.  Well, here it is.  Actually, this is more like two posts in one.  There’s broth that you make from scratch in order to get all the nutritious goodness out of the food scraps you have left, and then there’s broth (or stock) that you need in […]
Thanksgiving came and went. Â We gathered with friends, gave thanks, ate food, and took lots of pictures. Â Well, I took lots of pictures to share with you. Â Because the only thing better than preparing and eating beautiful food is looking at pictures of it, right? I mean, just ask your Facebook friends. Our Thanksgiving meal […]
This story starts with a car wreck.  A few weeks ago–the week before the U.S. election, to be exact–I was in Maryland visiting my dad. Riding shotgun on the way home from my brother’s birthday dinner, I caught a glimpse of the sign for MOM’s Organic Market and shrieked, “HEY, THERE IT IS!” Unfortunately, my scream startled dad […]
11/30/16 Update: Â Hurray! Â Despite the disappointing national election results, California has some things to cheer about. Â We passed Prop 67, the single use plastic bag ban! Â Thanks to everyone who voted! A few weeks ago, I did something completely out of my comfort zone. Â I signed up and then showed up to phone bank with […]
11/30/16 Update: Well, so we voted. Now what? Trump has vowed to dismantle environmental regulations. We can’t let that happen. More than ever before, it’s time to get active. I have to admit, the current election cycle has me wanting to hide under my covers with a bottle of wine and a few choice edibles […]
The following is an email I received from reader Susan Siu about how much she loves having to take her recycling to the local transfer center instead of having curbside pickup.  I loved it so much, I asked her if she would send me pictures and let me post her email here.  Don’t get me wrong: […]
Three years ago, artist Dara Herman Zierlein emailed me out of the blue: Dear My Plastic Free life, Thank you for all that you do and the amazing resources!  Below is a link to my watercolor paintings dealing with multiple themes around pollution and the consequences of using disposable one time use plastic items, like water […]
Last week, I received an email from a new blogger who calls herself Little Urban Greenie. Â She’s a mom and “homesteader in the making.” Â She’s also expecting a new baby in the next month or so and plans to significantly reduce the amount of disposable products and plastics used in the birthing process this time […]