Now We’re Cooking With Fire
Happy Earth Day!!! Another Earth Day is upon us, marking the one year anniversary of The Sustainability Guide. Thank you to everyone who has viewed my website, read blog posts, or visited my Instagram for other more regular content.
This year’s earth month and earth day activities are very different as the world collectively deals with COVID-19. Most universities and colleges in the United States have sent students home, uncertain of when they will be able to return to campus. As an alumni who worked in the sustainability office of my university, I was asked to participate in the annual “iCommit” pledges to help reduce energy consumption during the school’s annual two-week energy competition, especially to help motivate current students to participate while at home.
While I certainly have many areas to improve upon in regards to all around sustainability, my household is relatively low energy consumption. So I wracked my brain on innovative and relevant ways to further reduce electricity usage, and after some contemplation decided on my pledge. I committed to cooking two meals each week on the grill instead of the oven. I have an electric oven, which consumes relatively large amounts of electricity when in use. I already cook approximately 75% of my meals at home, and that’s even higher now with the quarantine due to COVID-19.
Heat producing appliances such as ovens and dryers are typically the highest electricity consuming in a home, depending on the wattage, time of use, heat settings, etc. While it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact efficiency of different methods of cooking, there are steps I can take to reduce electricity usage associated with cooking.
1) Cooking in batches. At this point, most of us are familiar with meal prepping. Cooking multiple meals or ingredients (like roasted veggies or chicken) in one stretch can reduce the amount of electricity an oven needs to heat up compared to cooking each meal individually. As shown here, I bought a turkey while they were on sale for thanksgiving and cooked it to use in many different recipes. This one turkey provided many meals for my husband and I!
2) Cooking over fire. I have a charcoal grill and a propane grill, neither of which uses electricity. The charcoal grill is great for cooking large amounts of food, however, it does take longer to bring to temperature. The propane grill is smaller and lights instantly, making it a better option for week night meals. Or, like we did here during a camping trip, you can cook right over fire on a grate and cast iron skillet. Somehow, everything tastes better when camping, right?!
3) Cold meals. As we approach the summer season, cool foods and beverages are always a welcome idea. From sandwiches to cold soups and fresh salads, there are many ways to eat meals that don’t involve cooking. A store bought salad kit topped with some left over chicken makes for a quick meal! Even better with produce from your local farmer’s market or community supported agriculture (CSA) program.
So if you’re like most of us right now, preparing almost all of your meals at home, try out some of these tips to help reduce your electricity consumption. And if you’re financially able to, you could schedule once a week to order some takeout from your favorite restaurant to help support local business during this uncertain time. My goal with this blog has always been to encourage consistency and progress over perfection, and that still rings true during this time. Don’t stress too much about being the perfect environmentalist (ever), but especially during a pandemic! Be empathetic towards others and do what you can with what you have. Happy 50th anniversary of Earth Day everyone, stay safe and stay healthy!
