Skip to main content
October 3 - October 24, 2018
Alysa Remsburg's avatar

Alysa Remsburg

Remsbug’s La Crosse Eagles

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 774 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    120
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    120
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    8.0
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Alysa's actions

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 15 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?


  • Alysa Remsburg's avatar
    Alysa Remsburg 10/22/2018 10:19 AM
    Instead of using tortillas to make tacos, I made a cornbread topping for a Mexican-type casserole.  This made it cheaper and with (nearly) zero packaging waste.  The beans came from a re-fillable bulk container, the cornmeal from a big bag, eggs from a local farmer, and peppers from my garden. Ok, so the milk did come from a plastic jug, but I always buy  a full gallon and usually try to reuse the jug for projects or watering.  Recycling is my last resort.

  • Alysa Remsburg's avatar
    Alysa Remsburg 10/11/2018 7:18 PM
    I finally realized that when they listed the zero waste meals, the ecochallenge folks meant not wasting food. That was not my goal at all, since I Never have food waste anyhow. My personal challenge was to cool meals that have no trash from packaging. Today I (nearly) did that, cooking dry beans and rice that were purchased in bulk, plus produce that was all grown locally: lettuce, radishes, and bell peppers. Local veggies are always yummiest and always no trash involved. I did plunge with some cheese and some chocolate added to the meal, which each came in packages. But they were big enough packages that they will be served for multiple meals. I guess I could have skipped those two processed foods and instead just used  my homemade yogurt and cocoa powder bought in bulk. Such a challenge!

  • Alysa Remsburg's avatar
    Alysa Remsburg 10/03/2018 12:42 PM
    Ok, so I took the easy way for "cooking" a meal with no waste today: I just counted my lunch, which was leftover beans & rice in a jar.  Leftover food does not usually have waste- the harder part will be cooking a new meal without throwing away packaging.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Spend Time Outside
    Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?

    Alysa Remsburg's avatar
    Alysa Remsburg 8/13/2018 8:05 PM
    I find that I think differently when I am nature.  The chance to be away from electronics changes the way my brain operates.  Sometimes I feel less productive away from my screen where I organize everything, but usually those are important times for re-evaluating aspects of my life more openly.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Plant an Herb Garden
    Consider the ways you can garden: a plot of land? a patio container? hanging basket? windowsill gardens? What would work best for your living situation and lifestyle?

    Alysa Remsburg's avatar
    Alysa Remsburg 8/13/2018 8:02 PM
    This summer I greatly expanded the number of pots on my deck for growing food.  I grew 3 containers with mixes of herbs, a dozen or more basil plants for pesto, ground cherries, several kale plants, and a couple of bell pepper plants with lettuce around the base.  I also grew microgreens in my window sill before local greens were available at a cheap price.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Zero-Waste Cooking
    In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?

    Alysa Remsburg's avatar
    Alysa Remsburg 8/13/2018 8:00 PM
    Last spring I learned that radish greens are yummy to cook or make pesto out of.  And they were available at a time of year when I had few choices for local greens, so this was an exciting discovery.