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beans

5 Simple Solutions to Reduce Consumption

April 22, 2014 by gracefulfitness Leave a Comment

Happy Earth Day!!

I was in DC over the weekend and noticed that in this fine city recycling containers are as ubiquitous as trash cans and there is information everywhere about the positive impact of recycling.  This is great, I’m a life-long recycler and big fan of the idea, however, recycling is the third R, the last eco-friendly resort, after REDUCE and REUSE.

Here are 5 simple ways we can reduce our impact on earth

  1. Buy in bulk less packaging, less trips to the store. This can apply to dried goods like nuts and grains but also to yogurt and sauces and beverages.  
  2. Use plastic grocery bags as trash bags they are the right size for bathrooms and good for kitchens too; maybe a smaller bag will help you generate less waste! Or, Bring re-usable bags to the store with you DC charges a $0.05 bag fee for paper or plastic.
  3. Host a clothes exchange call it a Naked Lady, Grab n’ Gab, Clothes Toss or whatever you want, the premise is another woman’s awkward fitting, twice worn anthropologie top is now your treasure.  Most of my wardrobe is from clothes exchanges and it’s a simple, very fun and rewarding way to reduce your consumption. 
  4. Make your own kombucha, yogurt, pickles, salad dressing, kimchi all these things require a lot of packaging if you buy them from the store.
  5. Make beans from scratch rather than buying cans beans freeze really well and than there’s the added bonus that a full freezer is more energy efficient. Plus, no BPA concerns if you freeze in glass jars.

This list is by no list comprehensive, I was going to ones that I’ve included in my daily life and that are so simple that you won’t even have to go out of your way to make a big change. Please share your own ideas for REDUCING our consumption of goods and resources!

 

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Posted in: Green Living Tagged: beans, earth day

Green ‘n Bean Tart

March 28, 2012 by gracefulfitness 7 Comments

Versatility is good.

Some of my favorite foods are also the most versatile ones; eggs, yogurt, muffins, cheese, greens, oats.  Each one has a multitude of uses and they can stand on their own or easily incorporate into a dish.  Be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, there is a place for these foods!

This tart is the same way.

It’s a quiche. No, it’s a pastel.  No, it’s a savory pie.  I suppose that, like most versatile foods, it can be whatever you want. 😉 I want a tart.

Green ‘n Bean Tart

Makes many servings but the exact number I hesitate to say.  Is it a snack? Main course? Appetizer?  I’ll just give it a range of 4-8 servings.

Pre-heat the oven to 360*

Equipment needed: sautee pan, cutting board, knife, parchment or silpat, baking sheet, rolling pin, stirring spoon

  • 1 yellow onion, minced
  • 2 teaspoons butter or coconut oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 big handfuls of cooking greens, chopped (I used the last of our garden collards and some dandelion from the yard.  Kale or swiss chard would be perfect also.)
  • 1 cup cooked and drained white beans of some kind (I used large lima beans but baby lima, cannellini, or great northern would be perfect as well.)
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 recipe whole wheat pie crust
  1. in a large sautee pan, heat the butter or oil over medium heat and add the onions
  2. slowly cook the onions until they are translucent, stirring occasionally
  3. add the garlic and chopped greens and stir occasionally until the greens wilt
  4. turn off the heat and add the beans
  5. remove from heat and let mixture cool for several minutes (so as not to cook the egg when it’s added)
  6. add cheese, salt and pepper, and eggs
  7. stir vigorously until the eggs are beaten and incorporated into the mixture
  8. roll out your pie crust on a piece of parchment paper, forming a large thin circle
  9. move the parchment and crust to a baking sheet
  10. pile the green/bean mixture into the center of the crust
  11. fold the sides of the crust up around edges of the mixture
  12. bake for about 25 minutes or until the center is set and the crust starts to brown
  13. eat hot or cold!

My pie crust was delicious but a little crumbly.  It made for a very rustic tart.

If you don’t eat wheat/grains you could make the filling and then bake it in muffin tins without a crust.  You really could.

This tart can stand alone as a balanced meal.  It’s full of protein, fiber, whole grains, greens, all the good stuff.

I ate my first serving with a side of roasted carrots but it was just as good as a cold leftover the next day.

Beans should totally be added to my earlier list of versatile foods.  Did you know some people have been known to put them in brownies?  I’m kind of shocked that I haven’t tried that one yet….

What’s your favorite versatile food?

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Posted in: baking, breakfast, cooking, food, recipes, vegetarian Tagged: beans, eggs, greens
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I am Faith Levine, a movement instructor, home gardener, mountain biker, hiker, pickle maker, closet poet, and best of friend to some of the most amazing women in the world.

I’d love to hear from you,
gracefulfitness@live.com

Header photo: Meredith Coe

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Hi, I'm Faith! New? Check out I Am for my story, I Cook for recipes, and I Move for some motivation to get moving! I'd love to hear from you, e-mail me gracefulfitness@live.com
Header photo: Meredith Coe

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