I love turning sad food scraps into happy, delicious dishes.
At the end of my weekly food flow, I pull out all the odds, ends and perishing produce and ponder what I can transform it into.
It’s like my own Masterchef mystery box challenge. And just quietly, the most creative and satisfying time in the kitchen.
Today’s focus was using up the zucchini using a recipes by @recipe_tin with the addition of some leftover bacon.
I wanted to have some go to breakfast bars for my kids and package free treats to take to school (sans almonds). I used a simple @wellnourished choc chip muesli bar recipe to make them with the my son stirring the pot and sneaking the choc chips. These muesli bars take 10 mins effort total. The juice is worth the squeeze!
I made a crumble with overly soft pears and those dented apples that made repeat voyages via the lunch box to school but didn’t get eaten. With some frozen mango for fun. (Not pictured). Leftover crumble is becoming a popular dessert or breakfast in my home when cold cereal lacks appeal in winter.
My easiest innovation was the egg cups. A drop of olive oil swirled and a leftover slice of prosciutto or ham lining the muffin mold. Crack in one egg, sprinkle Parmesan or mozzarella. One sage leaf from the garden and some seasoning of choice. 12 mins at 180 in the microwave and my fam has a quick cooked breakfast at hand.
Finally, a scraptastic (as my friend @theurbannanna would say) chicken soup. Leftover chicken pho stock, mixed with some of my own homemade stuff from the freezer. Some leftover roast chicken and whatever veggies I could muster. A weird carrot we grew in our garden. The zucchini leftovers after I grated them for the bake. The last of the beans. Some lovely legumes to add bulk, a bay leaf and some seasoning and this belly warming soup was good to go. I reused some take away containers (for freezing) and glass lock ones for the fridge.
Shall be a tasty and easier week to feed the hungry hoards.
And
I’ve been getting back into the garden this autumn, and I’ve been noticing just how magical composting can be.
I know—magical is a little “woo” for waste—but stay with me!
I recently built a new veggie patch, and you would not believe how fast and furiously the seedlings are growing because I layered the compost beneath them first.
My summer basil has been going bonkers blessed by the good stuff.
Are you compost curious?
Check out my chat with Gardening Australia host and author @hannah_maloney all about it. Her enthusiasm is contagious.
And let me know which kind of composting you’ve tried?
Was it a win or a flop? I’ve had both!
Kate x
WHAT DO YOU WANT THIS MOTHER'S DAY?
If you're like me, you're not after a fancy gift or decadent bunch of blooms.
All you really want is —
- first dibs on the remote control so you can choose what's on tv
- ample snacks so you can stay put on the couch
- a dedicate masseuse to relax those tight shoulders
- a nice (hot!) cuppa
- perhaps a little adoration on the side?
And maybe, this Mother's Day, you'd like to ditch the eco-guilt for good?!
(Click on this link for a solution to that - https://www.sustainablelife.style/book)
Hope you get one or many of the things on this list and have a wonderful, well-deserved celebration this weekend!
Kate x
Just look at the kinda company you get to keep when you rock up to writers festivals?
So very cool to be sitting within a stones throw of some of the brightest and most brilliant brains around.
We first explored the power of the podcast with “journalist of the underworld” John Silvester (who knew Chopper back when he had ears), author and Teachers Pet podcaster Hadley Thomas and author, and editor and podcaster @jessiestephens90
The audience loved Silvester’s first-hand tales behind the scenes of criminal investigations and was moved by Hedley’s stories about what it’s like to live through creating real crime podcasts.
But Jessie Stephen’s did us all a big favour by reflecting back why podcasts capture such devoted listeners-
- because the medium allows the audience to imagine and therefore become a part of the story
- people go deeper and engage more than they might read
- and listeners come on the journey with the podcaster and build a much stronger connection.
A slam-dunk analysis indeed 👏🏻
My time @sorrentowritersfestival wrapped with a powerful line up of advocates, activists and charity fundraisers. Grace Tame @tamepunk described the origins of her campaign #letherspeak and her absolute conviction to make children safer in the future.
Who knew that @movember started with Nick Rees and his mates planning a party with novel facial hair? It’s become a global phenomenon raising over $1 billion to support men’s health!
Lyn Swinburne @bcnapinklady shared how isolating it was to be diagnosed with breast cancer in the 90’s, especially for women living in the country who had limited access to treatment. Not only did she create a pioneering supportive organisation for breast cancer sufferers, but she now mentors other organisations doing the same to magnify her tremendous contribution.
The panel urged the audience to consider how they can advocate for a better world. They said there are many quiet ways to do that without needing to
I recommend scooting along to the BBC Earth Experience before it closes this weekend.
It’s a spine-tingling visual feast of our planet’s quirkiest creatures.
I took my youngest with me and we flopped in bean bags and travelled across seven awe-inspiring continents.
Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and supported by Intrepid Travel, this exhibit makes you more motivated than ever to protect our precious planet and the biodiversity that’s at risk if we continue business as usual.
Kate x
Voting closes on Monday 22nd April, there are still a few more days for your support!
As I’m sure you’ve all seen my posts, I have been lucky enough to be nominated to speak at the SXSW conference in October, but I need your help to get there.
The SXSW is super inclusive and creative conference where if I am selected, I will be speaking about how eco-perfection is overrated and how we need to mainstream medium green living to save our world.
I would love if you could please share this with as many people as possible and help me get this message out into the universe.
I’m hanging out in the energy, climate and sustainability section of South by southwest.
Thank you so so much, Kate x
A big thank you to everyone who has already voted for me in the SXSW conference, there are only a couple of days left and I would love your support.
If you help me get the privilege, I’ll be speaking about how eco-perfection is overrated and how we need to mainstream medium green living to save our world.
The link is in my bio, it’s a super quick sign up so you can kindly cast a vote for me by searching my talk “Mainstream Medium Green”
I’m hanging out in the energy, climate and sustainability section of South by southwest.
Thanks very much to any generous folks who cast their vote my way! Kate x
I am so excited to be share that I have been nominated to speak at the SXSW conference and I need your help to get there.
If you help me get the privilege, I’ll be speaking about how eco-perfection is overrated and how we need to mainstream medium green living to save our world.
The voting is simple, I have demonstrated how with the video above. I would (awkwardly) love if you could please share this week your family, friends, neighbours, anyone with an email address who is able to vote.
Here’s the link to the super quick sign up so you can kindly cast a vote for me by searching my talk “Mainstream Medium Green” https://submission.sxswsydney.com
I’m hanging out in the energy, climate and sustainability section of South by southwest.
Thank you so so much 💗
This weekend just gone I’ve decided to stock up and blend all the basil in my veggie patch to make a delicious Basil Pesto. Not only was the house smelling absolutely divine but my freezer is looking a little extra full with all these easy go-to sauce cubes. I’ve found these frozen Basil bombs to be the perfect last minute dinner option on a school night, (we’ve all been there 😂).
Fun fact, you can store pesto in the freezer for up to 6 months! How good is that? I would love to know, what is your go-to time saving hack in the kitchen?
Kate x
SUSTAINABLE EASTER EGGS HACK 🐣
I don’t know about you guys, but this has been a huge first quarter of the year. Launching a book was so exciting, but now it’s time to sit down and really start to elevate the importance of my personal sustainability efforts, and I would encourage you all to do the same.
Something so small (and fun) you can start to do with the whole family this weekend, is try to roll all of your delicious Easter egg foil into one big ball. Fun fact, that will help it ACTUALLY get recycled rather than getting lost in the system - that’s a great bonus for the long weekend.
I hope you have a great and safe Easter weekend and indulge in all the chocolate your heart desires. Kate x
Just sharing some stand-out favourite moments from the launch my book Live More With Less. I shared the stage with some brilliant women who are leading us towards a sustainable future in their own, incredible ways @eco.styles @visibility_co @juliacmaybe @1millionwomen @natalieisaacs1mw and @the_new_joneses.
We had an honest discussion about how our imperfect sustainable living adventures begun. Natalie Isaacs shared how she crossed over from the 'dark side' selling cosmetics to founding a million-strong women's movement taking climate action. The event was called ‘From Eco-overwhelm to Optimism!’, so our panel discussion didn’t follow the traditional path of climate doom. Instead we painted a picture of hope for our future, offering tangible steps to take ‘medium green climate action’ and strategies to keep climate distress at bay.
Guided by MC Julia May, co-founder of Visibility co, the panel discussed who should be responsible for climate action, the challenges that stand between ideas and action and how to live more with less. The Australia Institute’s Nina Gbor translated how to apply the principles of the circular economy to everyday life. I shared my mission is to eliminate the unnecessary eco-guilt and make ‘imperfect medium-green living’ mainstream. And Tamara Dimattina described how we're citizen's not consumers and urged everyone to get involved.
Our highly engaged audience left knowing how to create the sustainable lifestyle they want and excited about our shared, sustainable future. We talked about making small changes in your day-to-day life like 'dining in' rather than taking away, to the set and forget impactful actions like ensuring your bank and super invests in ethical and renewable resources.
The sentiment of the night was that no matter what shade of green you're currently living, there's something you can enjoy doing to help the people and planet you love. Thank you all to everyone who came along, made a pledge to live mo
What a medium green lunch time looks like on an office day ✨
Today I purchased lunch and brought along my reusable container to take the food back to my office. The shop assistant looked at me like I had three heads when I asked to put the food in my reusable container. But now I’ve crossed that slightly awkward bridge, I know now I can go back to that store again and again and get my lunch in this reusable container.
For an arvo snack, I brought some berries from home into the office. I get asked quiet often, what do you do if you love berries but absolutely hate the packaging that comes with it? ��I don’t have the solution for that unless you want to bulk purchase your berries, which isn’t always easy and accessible for all. My biggest tip is to treat the plastic punnet as a you would a regular container. Pack other things in it like this delicious biscuit I have stolen from my kids lunchboxes.
I want to know what your tips and tricks are with berry punnets? Do you have any genius hacks or any alternatives you can share, I would love to know how you rescue these nifty packages every time you purchase a new punnet of berries.
This mega book-sign-a-thon and was because 80 of my books were gifted for International Women’s Day by @infolioproperty for their very special lunch fundraising event for Berry Street.
Lauren and Lucy @incymarketing selected ‘Live More with Less’ to gift because it’s written by a female sustainable leader (aka – me) and features the stories of over 25 female sustainability trailblazers = making it the perfect choice for International Women’s Day. It didn’t hurt that it’s a giftable, gorgeous hardcover book that’s perfectly hand-bag (or gift bag) sized too!
The book inspired some great green chatter around the lunch table. Women shared the challenges they face trying to buy less in a world that conditions them to buy more. They shared tips about what works and enthusiastically debated what doesn’t and felt more inspired to take climate action too.
If you’re looking for a great green conversation starter for your corporate giveaway, DM me for bulk order discounts.
Kate x
As Paypal Melbourne Fashion Festival draws to a close, here’s a glipse of the wonderful wardrobe workshop and 20th Birthday Clothing Exchange we created @fed.square for the Festival’s Independent Program.
The wardrobe workshop I hosted helped women turn their style rut (we’ve all been there before) into a confident closet. With the help of our speakers - designer Fernanda Covarrubias @iam_fernanda_covarrubias and Marnie Goding, co-founder of @elkthelabel, the audience learned how to edit their wardrobe like a pro and how to buy better. Fernanda showed how she upcycles preloved clothes into vibrant new wardrobe soulmates. Marnie did not shy away from answering the tough questions about whether a new garment can be truly sustainable. She shared how robust her label Elk is when it comes to researching, reporting and considering how to create their garments for maximum enjoyment with minimal eco-impact.
I chipped in with my handy pie charts and helped the audience solve the age-old mystery of how they can own too many clothes and yet have nothing to wear.
This event was such a joy. A believe it or not, we didn’t coodrinate dressing like the fashion wiggles in gues of hot pink, green and brilliant blue! The fun continued when I opened @theclothingexchange with a video charting our 20-years of swapping with Kirsten Fredericks and how my swap model kickstarted a global swapping movement.
We celebrated all The Clothing Exchange hosts across Australia and the volunteers who have generously lent a hand. And of course there was cake! Savvy eco-fashionta’s swapped their way to a ‘new’ wardrobe and Fernanda and Marnie gifted some gorgeous upcycled fashion prizes and I gifted one happy recipient one of my Live More with Less books.
What a stand-out IWD event I was lucky to attend today. We experienced a lot in one short day. We heard devastating stories of women’s abuse and how @berrystreetorg provide support when they need it most. We learned how @infolioproperty founder Lauren Staley employs 90% women and brought us all together to fundraise for Berry Street, a charity close her heart.
We laughed along with @jacquifelgate as she shared some hard won life lessons, pondered maternal guilt and shared how she created a dynamic community when she took the bold step from TV journalism to DIY online. And we were glad to hear Jess Holman @studywithjess listened to her Mum and penned a book. Our toes tapped to the tunes of @dj.emmapeters and we were spoiled with delicious lunch and goodie bags… including that familiar yellow book of mine!
With full hearts and fuller bellies, we celebrated woman in the best possible way. Props to all those behind the scenes (including Lucy @incymarketing) that prepared such a special day for such an important cause. 👏🏻
It was such a pleasure to be invited to attend the ‘Leading with style’ lunch hosted by Libby @letsconnectwomen which was delicious, fun, fashionable and included dancing at the dinner table with Lizzie! Special guest speakers Marianne Perkovic from @ausfashioncouncil and @biancaspender alongside @drkristy Goodwin captivated us all. So many good things happening in one very pretty room!
Every attendee at a Live More For Less event has been asked to take a pledge, something they pledge to start doing to live a more sustainable life.
Yesterday, we celebrated all of the beautiful pledges, and encouraged new goals be placed onto the board.
This was such a special moment last night and I thank everyone for noting down their goals on what they plan on doing to make a sustainable difference. Kate x
Too many clothes and nothing to wear?
Join this wardrobe workshop to transform your style rut into a confident closet. Learn how to find soulmate styles over fashion flings and edit your wardrobe like a pro.
Join me alongside a panel of amazing women from Erin Rhoads, stylist Ana Fernanda and the lovely Marnie Goding, founder of Elk The Label.
Join us on 2nd March as we swap our valued clothes for delicious new items in our wardrobe. ��Tickets via the link below, I can’t wait to see you there. Kate x
https://events.humanitix.com/swap-and-style
Last night was a BLAST! ❤️
I want to say the biggest thank you to everyone who celebrated the launch of my book last night, we laughed, we pledged and we drank wine.
I very big thank you to all of our beautiful speakers @eco.styles @visibility_co @juliacmaybe @1millionwomen @natalieisaacs1mw and @the_new_joneses
My book is now available for purchase (and in bookstores) as of today! I’m so excited to continue to evolve in this sustainability journey with you all 💗
