Before you throw anything away, ask these questions:

• Can this be recycled?
• Where can I take this?

Not Sure What to Do With Certain Items? Can it be Recycled?

Sometimes you may not know if certain items are recyclable, or where to take certain items that are unusual or hazardous. I have a fabulous website to share with you. Go to Earth911.com and type in the description of the item and your zip code. It will give you a list of local places that accept your recyclable item; if it’s acceptable with your curbside recycling program, it will even say so!

If the items aren’t recyclable, sometimes certain places will take them and find ways to use them or distribute them appropriately. Here are some common examples of items you may have questions about and can look up on Earth911.com:

• Batteries
• Car batteries
• Cassette tapes
• Cell phones
• Computers
• Gift cards
• Packing peanuts
• Paint
• Phonebooks
• Plastic bottle caps
• Styrofoam
• Televisions
• Toner cartridges
• Video tapes

So before you toss out ANYTHING, go to Earth911.com and check on your item. Who knows? You just might save it from the landfill!

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You have probably heard that plastics contain dangerous chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which mimic hormones in your body. They have been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Hopefully you’ve taken steps to avoid BPA, like using only stainless steel drinking bottles or glass food storage containers.

But did you know that there is BPA in the lining of food and beverage cans as well? Yes, it’s true. The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A. Canned tomatoes are likely to have even higher levels of BPA; the high acidity of tomatoes causes more BPA to leach into food.

Can-Free Tomato Solution? Pomi Tomatoes in a Box are BPA Free

Thankfully there is an easy way to avoid BPA from canned tomatoes: Pomi tomatoes come in a BPA-free box!

Pomi tomatoes come straight from Italy and they contain one ingredient: tomatoes. Italy’s standards for tomatoes and farming all fresh produce are much stricter than here in the U.S. Here are some more great reasons to choose Pomi tomatoes:

Why Pomi Tomatoes are a Great Choice

• All natural: The only ingredient is tomatoes!
• Pesticide free: Pomi grows their tomatoes without pesticides; many consider it to be an organic product because of this.
• Non-GMO
• Grown in accordance to the EU’s regulations for eco-sustainable agriculture
• Packaging is recyclable and BPA free
• No preservatives, water, artificial flavor, additives, or citric acid
• Low in sodium

You can read more by going to www.pomionline.it and clicking on the British flag at the bottom.

My Thoughts

When I first opened the box, all I could smell was fresh tomatoes! If I didn’t know any better, I would have said they were straight from the garden. Seriously, they smelled that great. And when I used them in a meal, they tasted as good as the tomatoes my mom canned from her garden! I was very impressed!

Where to Buy Pomi Tomatoes

I have seen Pomi tomatoes in my local Whole Foods. But if you aren’t fortunate enough to have a store that carries Pomi tomatoes, you can always find them on my favorite online store: Amazon.com!

Go to Amazon.com now and buy Pomi’s Strained Tomatoes and Chopped Tomatoes. You will have peace of mind from buying a safe tomato product and you will be very happy with the taste! Enjoy!

[Disclosure: I received some samples of Pomi tomatoes from the marketing firm Think Cannon.  With that being said, the comments and opinions above are purely my own.]

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Here is another great recipe find from a Whole Foods flier. This meal is a great summer option; it is light, cool, and easy to make. It is also high fiber, sugar conscious, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and vegetarian – truly a meal for just about anybody!

You can also use whatever beans you have available; use what’s on sale, what’s in your garden, what you need to use up, or what your neighbor gave you.

Why I Like This Meal

We love that this is another vegetarian meal (it’s vegan, too). Quinoa is a complete protein so this is a full meal for us, or I should say a complete meal for us. It is on the light side. It could also be used as a side dish; it is my current favorite dish to bring to potluck meals.

• Pros: This meal is super easy to prepare and it only takes about 15-20 minutes. It is a cool, refreshing meal to have in the summer. It’s a great vegetarian option.
• Cons: None that I can think of. (Unless you want to count the fact that my newly-picky 3 year old won’t eat this meal, or any meal with beans. He used to eat this meal before he started this picky phase, though.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed, cut into 2″ pieces, cooked and rinsed in cold water
• 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• 1  (15-oz) can salad beans, drained
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• Salt and pepper to taste

I use all organic ingredients

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa in water and drain.
2. Bring two cups of water to boil in small pot. Stir in quinoa, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed (10-15 minutes). When finished cooking, uncover and let cool.
3. Cook green beans in small pot to desired tenderness. When finished cooking, let cool.
4. In large bowl, combine quinoa, green beans, edamame, red peppers, salad beans, dressing, tarragon, salt, and pepper and toss well.
5. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note: To save time, I make this in the afternoon. I combine all ingredients while they are still warm and then refrigerate the entire salad for a few hours until dinner time. It works well!

the finished salad - yummy!

Note: I don’t use red peppers since I’m not a fan of them. But if you like them, I’m sure they would add something extra!

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