Making New Connections
Hey, gang!
Remember back in, oh…MARCH (almost a full year ago now, oy!), when I talked about impermanence and presence and how I wasn’t blogging very much? After that post, I wrote a few short tidbits and since then (October 2014) it’s been radio silence for four whole months. Sigh. Staying present and experiencing life gets in the way of blogging sometimes, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. However, I started this blog for a reason, darn it, and want to keep it going! Why, oh why, would I want to do that when I can’t even manage to post once a month? Well, it’s simple: my reasons have changed. They involve food. 😉
Background: in addition to being the face behind 7 In the Ocean, I also “manage” a Tumblr known to a small handful of individuals as “Food, Instagrammed;” maybe you’ve heard of it? It started way back in 2012, when Instagram was still new and I was trying my hand at being vegan. Being vegan turned out to be super fun and it was even MORE fun to take pictures of all the new food I was making. After filling my Instagram feed with food porn, I started the blog. I’m not vegan anymore but still have this love and adoration for eating things and feeding my friends good stuff. So…how is this connected with my plastic-free mission?
It hasn’t been until recently that I’ve really put some thought into the food we eat and yes…the inordinate amount of plastic waste we also consume. It’s insane how much of plastic waste is somehow food-related. Bottle caps, cling film, bags, styrofoam trays, bottles, containers…ugh. Given this absurdity, it only made sense to start involving myself in the world of food: to better understand the beast we’re dealing with as a society and to answer questions like, “Is it possible to prepare food for lots of people in a totally plastic-free environment?” (hint: not really, but I’m still learning) and “How do we subtly shift people’s perceptions about plastic pollution? Can we do that through food?”
By this I mean…if we make good, simple food, with minimal ingredients, minimal processing, and (surprise!) minimal packaging, we’ve accomplished two things simultaneously! We automatically eat healthier AND we create a cleaner planet with less food and packaging waste. Win, win, WIN.
I decided last fall to go back to school and learn more about food: butchery, food production on a commercial scale, nutrition, and the business of making food. Expect to see more food-oriented posts on this space, as well as the usual rantings against the world’s favorite packaging substance. Cheers!
