Conservation tips for Earth Day 2021 and beyond

Taking care of our planet is something that can be done any day of the year. Photo: google

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries. While it is exciting to participate in Earth Day activities once a year, you can make a difference every day of the year by doing small things to help protect and preserve the environment.

Plant a tree. This is usually done around the world on Earth Day but the act of planting a tree any day of the year has a variety of benefits. By doing so, you are creating a new habitat for wildlife, helping to clean the air, and replacing resources that have been used. 

Start a garden. Gardening not only benefits you, but it also helps give back to the earth by cleaning the air. Growing your own food helps you eat sustainably and organically and gardening is even proven to help reduce stress. You can even share your bounty with friends, family, and neighbors who are in need. Buy local and frequent your local farmers’ market to reduce the distance from farm to fork.

Join a clean-up. There are numerous Earth Day activities that involve cleaning up parks, beaches, river and stream banks, and more.  One way to do this every day is by plogging – picking up trash while jogging.

Go on a hike/walk. Spending time outdoors is not only good exercise, but it is a constant reminder about why it is so important to celebrate Earth Day and protect our planet.

Go dark for a day. This is an excellent way to celebrate Earth Day: commit to unplugging from electronics and all non-essential appliances and devices for a day. Get back to basics and participate in Earth Day activities that are completely environmentally friendly. On any given day, save electricity and turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Build a home/office recycling center. At home, organize your garbage disposal area to easily sort recycling. For work, get permission to purchase the supplies needed to create a recycling station and encourage co-workers to participate.

Cut back on plastic. Most disposable plastics at home can be replaced with reusable options, including reusable water bottles, grocery bags, and other containers. If possible, buy products in glass or paper. Glass products are easily reused and paper is a much friendlier product to the environment. When I used to pack my lunch for work, I always carried a portable travel fork/spoon set in my bag as well as reusable straws. Remember the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.

Educate yourself. Read a book, subscribe to a blog, watch a documentary, or attend a seminar to help you learn about environmental issues and why they are so important.

Practice sustainable fashion. We all have usable items lying around the house that have been forgotten. Clean out a closet and donate gently used items to local charities to give them a new life.

Get rid of unwanted junk. This is another excellent project for Earth Day. Get the family together to clear out the junk around the house and then go with professionals like Junk Queen TX to haul it away. They are a junk removal company serving the homes and businesses of the Collin County area. If you are looking for same day affordable junk removal to remove furniture, debris, trash, garbage or rubbish from your Texas home or business, they are one of the most experienced hauling companies in the area. If you need trash removed, furniture picked up, or rubbish cleared away from your home or business, check out, Junk Queen TX.  They will remove single items as well, including beds, dressers, sofas, mattresses, couches, refrigerators, and even pianos.

If after all that clean up you need dumpster rental service, consider dumpster rental Collin County.  They offer dumpster rentals for multiple days so you do not have to feel rushed and you can fill it up as much or as little as you want or need. Why hire a national company to do a local job? Junk Queen TX has been in the dumpster and trash removal industry for decades, and they put their reputation and customers first. You can rely on them for extremely low, fair pricing, on-time, reliable dumpsters, service, and friendliness. They follow Texas law and best practices with disposing of your trash. You can take your time, knowing you have multiple days to fill up your dumpster before they come pick it up, without ever having to stress or rush your process. Most importantly, they recycle because it is environmentally focused, locally responsible and financially wise because recycled products are worth more than a landfill. Junk Queen TX recycles and disposes of debris, waste, furniture, plastics, wood, metal and other materials common in dumpster trash disposal services.

Photo: Junk Queen, TX, used with permission.

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Easter offerings from local businesses

Bakery Lorraine will be offering several Easter treats. Photo: Bakery Lorraine, used with permission.

Easter is right around the corner, and whether you are planning a socially distant picnic or a small gathering with family, these San Antonio favorites can help make your celebration memorable. (Bakery Lorraine, EVO Entertainment, Twang, 2021)

Bakery Lorraine – This year Bakery Lorraine will offer a festive Easter themed dessert box. This box is available for $28 and includes the following treats:

  • 2 Egg shaped Moonpies
  • 1 Chocolate Nest Tart
  • 1 Bunny Tart
  • 1 Lemon Blueberry Tart

Bakery Lorraine will also offer a delightfully decorated spring themed Carrot Cake for $65. Both items are only available by pre-ordering through Bakery Lorraine’s website under the “Custom Orders” tab. The last day to place an order is Wednesday, 3/31 by noon. Items are available for pickup on Saturday 4/3 and Sunday 4/4 starting at 9a.m. at all Bakery Lorraine locations. Bakery Lorraine will continue to offer its signature Easter treats for in-store or online pickup on Friday 4/2 through Sunday 4/4 at all locations until items sell out. Items include:

  • Egg shaped Moonpies $4
  • Chocolate Nest Tart $6
  • Bunny Tart $6
  • Lemon Blueberry Tart $6

EVO Entertainment – EVO will be hosting Easter-themed pajama pancake parties at the Schertz, Springtown, Belterra and Kyle locations on Saturday, April 3 at 9:30a.m. Kids can enjoy screenings of the festive movie, “Hop” while chowing down on a stack of pancakes from EVO’s specialty menu, which includes Classic, Cookies and Cream, Strawberry, and Birthday Cake pancakes. Tickets will be available online.

Recipes from Twang Partners

Wow your friends and family with these light and fresh appetizers/sides from Twang.

Cucumber Avocado Chili Lime Roll

Ingredients:

  • 1 avocado
  • ¼ of cream cheese block (4 oz.)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tsp of lime juice
  • 3 tbsp. of pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp. of ZAS Chili Lime (and a dash for garnish)
  • 1 cucumber
  • Mandolin or potato peeler

Preparation:

  • Toss all ingredients (except cucumber) in a blender or food processor. Or if you want to be traditional do it by hand, finely mince garlic and mash ingredients together with a fork until smooth and creamy. Let the mixture sit in a refrigerator for 10 minutes.
  • Use a mandolin or potato peeler to cut long thin strips from the cucumber. Be sure to leave the skin for pretty color.
  • Take a cucumber strip and spread a thin layer of the avocado mixture along the length of the strip. A little goes a long way so be mindful. Make sure the spread goes all the way to the end so that it sticks once rolled.
  • Roll it up! No toothpicks needed. Sprinkle on a dash of ZAS Chili Lime Seasoning to give it more presentation.

Tamarind Tomatillo Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of watermelon, chopped bite sized
  • 8 strawberries, chopped bite sized
  • 1 cup of tomatillos, chopped bite sized
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tbsp. of fresh lime juice
  • ZAS! Tamarind Super-Seasoning

Preparation:

  • Put watermelon, strawberries, tomatillo, and onions in a bowl and gently toss.
  • Drizzle olive oil and lime juice and gently toss once more.
  • Sprinkle on ZAS! Tamarind Super-Seasoning and serve immediately