Compost Bins & Rain Savers for the City Yard

I emptied out my compost bin a couple of weeks ago and was happy to discover tons of fresh, nutrient rich compost! You can pick up a bin at your local Eco Quartier or hardware store (they come in lots of different shapes and sizes)

 my garden work-station with FULL compost bin

enough compost to fill all my pots & garden

we keep all our food scraps in this stainless steel pail before emptying it into the bin

super excited about our new rain barrel!

Tap Water is a Luxury!
We use tap water for many purposes that do not require treated
drinking water. Less than 1% of household tap water
is used for human consumption.

It is a mistake to believe that wasting water does not cost us anything.
Tap water has been purified and will be cleaned before
being released in the St. Lawrence River. These treatments are not
free. It costs $800 000 a day to treat and distribute water
on the Island of Montreal.

Saving tap water, even in small quantities, decreases the costs
of water treatment. Every drop counts!

In many municipalities, it is forbidden to water the lawn with city
water between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. or if it is raining.
Check your local by-laws.

Thanks for making smart use of our water !

www.monjardinvert.ca

Easy Tips to Go Green

Happy Earth Day!
Earth Day for me is a reminder to appreciate Mother Earth, not only today, but everyday, and to remember that every little thing we do has an impact on the earth. Here are a few tips to help make your daily life a little greener...

- put up a 'pas de circulaires' or 'no flyers please' note by your mailbox (it'll change your life!). You don't need to buy an official sticker, we made one ourselves and it does the trick.
- sign up for online billing; you can usually do this through your bank, or check on the back of your bill (sometimes it even saves you money)
- pick up a stainless steel water bottle and/or travel mug; millions of water bottles end up in landfills everyday.
- bike to work; if you don't have your own bike, check out bixi bikes in Montreal
- make your own lunch... or if you pick up food, ask them to wrap it in wax paper instead of using styrofoam, or better yet, bring your own tupperware.
- eat less meat; factory farms are responsible for more than 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
- compost your food scraps; if you live in Montreal you can get an outdoor composter at you local Eco Quartier or make your own worm composter
- recycle; I know this is an obvious one, but there are still some people who don't do it...
- buy a reusable canvas bag; carry one with you so that you're ready for the spontaneous grocery shop (they even make bags that fold up into teeny tiny squares, so that it won't take up too much room in your bag).

If you have any other suggestions or tips, please add them into the comments section, I'd love to hear them!

Veggie Scraps turned Veggie Stock

During the summers Jason and I compost all our kitchen scraps in our outdoor compost bin. By the end of the summer, the bin is full, and as winter sets in, it is difficult to get to, so we stop composting for the season. I have been feeling so guilty every time we throw kitchen scraps in the garbage (unfortunately the fruits and veggies won't turn into compost in the garbage dump due to lack of oxygen, and being mixed with battery acid, diapers, plastic, etc). I've been meaning to start worm composting indoors, but have yet to get around to making the space and buying a box (I also feel there's no way a small bin is going to be able to handle all the veggie scraps we create!). After chatting with Tara (one of our lovely receptionists) about it, she suggested we save all our scraps in the freezer and when I have enough, turn it into veggie stock... brilliant!

Since I'm home sick today, and veggie stock seems to be one of the only things I've been able to eat, I figured now was the perfect time to test it out. I checked out Jae Steele's Get it Ripe cookbook for a recipe, dumped everything into a pot and let it simmer... super easy! In the meantime I decided to try the Immune Boast Juice... I clearly don't have the right blender, as this turned into more of a meal rather than a juice (probably not the right thing for my upset belly anyway).

The veggie stock turned out amazing! I feel proud to have made it from scratch and am excited to use it in recipes. After watching the movie Food Inc on the weekend, I feel extra inspired to try new food options, start worm composting, and go a little more out of my way to buy local & organic. If you haven't already seen this movie, I highly recommend it!

One of Jason's friends once painted me a picture of a pig for my birthday. When he gave it to me, he said it made him think of me because it was wholesome. Although I was skeptical at first, I still feel like it was an amazing compliment.