Yesterday marked the 41st annual Earth Day. What did you do to celebrate?
I went to work and then drove up north to visit the boyfriend's family, which unfortunately didn't involve a lot of "green" activity. But we did carpool with another friend so maybe that counts a little bit? I know, I know, I can practically hear Al Gore hovering over my shoulder in dismay. But the occasion did spur me to do a little research on the matter. Did you know that the very first Earth Day in 1970 was the catalyst that brought us the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts? By 1990, Earth Day had gone global and paved the way for the United Nations Earth Summit in 1992. Last year there were over 225,000 people gathered on the National Mall in DC for an Earth Day rally focused on climate change.
Those are some pretty awesome facts to have in your back pocket. Check out the official Earth Day website for more awesome factoids and volunteer opportunities!
So you may be asking yourself what is so environmentally friendly about cupcakes and why are you blabbing on about Earth Day? Well the answer is a lot and because I can :) There are plenty of ways to go green in baking...
- Use local, fresh ingredients in your baking by hitting up the farmers market down the street.
- Can't get it fresh? Buy organic! Trader Joe's, PCC, Whole Foods, you name it have organic sugar, flour and everything else you'll need.
- Cupcake wrappers come in recycled paper or you can use individual silicone baking cups (yes I know the silicone itself isn't sustainable since it does not decompose, but they are items that you can use over and over again and never throw away).
- And of course you can transport your cake or cupcakes in a reusable container, perhaps even in a reusable grocery bag with handles.
So clearly not as difficult as it sounds! And using organic sugar, etc doesn't affect the flavor so your taste buds will be happier than ever.
When I finally have a house instead of an apartment, I'd like to make sure I have enough room for a vegetable garden in the back. Talk about sustainable! Walk out the back door and make a salad in ten minutes - no shopping required! For the meantime however I'll have to be satisfied with these...
For Jessica's birthday on April 23rd, her garden grew straight out of devils food cake, peanut butter buttercream frosting and crumbled/crushed Oreo cookie "dirt"
I'm now open for suggestions for next years sustainable Earth Day cupcakes and/or cake. :)
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