Going Green

I just got off the phone with my trash collection company because I heard they were starting recycling pick up in my neighborhood! Yippee!! One of my New Year Resolutions is to be a bit greener in 2013. And as it turns out, they’re more than happy to help. I just happen to have some reusable items here. This Christmas dinner we used a little product that I really keep for the odd occasion when cloth napkins are a good idea. Kathy the Great Recycler noticed that they were washable.

And they are, but these aren’t the hotel napkins that I’ve had in the past. Those were lovely and made me feel like I was at a 4 star restaurant (but I was really a line chef of course!). There’s a reason those places use a laundry service – cotton napkins are merciless. I HATE ironing. I don’t think my husband knew we even owned an iron until we moved and it had to be packed! That’s because, if it’s that finicky, then the dry cleaners can steam it. I have a horrible habit of making even the loosest wrinkle a permanent crease. That’s probably why most of them ended up in the rag collection in no time.

I’m a person that loves new and strange innovations. I actually take notes when reading Martha’s magazine, ok, maybe just mental notes. At any rate, that’s where I’d first spotted these little lovelies. Martha liked them because they were cotton, convenient, and you can throw them away. Like many things in her magazine they’re really only found online or in your neighborhood gourmet kitchen supply store…because we’ve all got one of those – right? HA. So, when on another shopping adventure I was cruising the sale rack at Williams-Sonoma and spied the little rolls. They were marked down from $25.00 to $7.00… Did that really say $25 dollars,….not Pesos??? Wow – any wonder they didn’t sell. OK, so I had to have them. I really like them. At the sale price, they really could save some cash. Even buying at warehouse prices, napkins can be expensive – not to mention they’re not especially green. And there’s 20 in the roll, and 20 cloth napkins would surely cost more (and be harder to iron ….oooo then there’s the dry cleaners?) So, if you see them, try ’em.

Back to Christmas dinner. As I told Kathy and crew to simply toss the little napkins, I could hear in the back of my head a little curse from my Green Recycling Trash Demon….”Did you just tell them to TOSS a small cotton sheet?! That’s perfectly cleanable? You lazy wench!” Later, there was another chorus from him, with added expletives, as I opened the trash can for something else and spotted a bunch of them in the corner. Yes, Kathy you’d be proud – I pulled them out and washed them like the good little recycling princess I plan to be this year!

Here’s how easy it is to use these reusable gems. Wash them with everything else, but careful – don’t dry them. Or they look like this…and the wrinkles will make you curse listening to that stupid guilty recycling demon.

Just take them out and give them a quick iron while damp. Yes, I said quick. Yes that’s the counter in the laundry and a baby blanket (you know I can’t throw anything away!). I’m not dragging out the ironing board for this – silly girls!

A couple of quick presses and they’re ready for the drawer to be reused.

So, If you’re going a bit greener this year these are a nice start. Not to mention you can be Martha-like. Now go call that trash company and demand a curbside pick-up!

Michelle

We do recycle everything possible.  And try to live “green”.  Not always easy, for instance, we have to take it to the recycle center and it doesn’t matter how many times I call our curside trash guys–not going to happen until they’re good and ready.  Maybe this year!  But I’m happy that I was able to coerce Michelle into doing a little “green”.  Still need to start bugging the neighbor about those cardboard boxes I see in her trash.  Makes me shudder a little.

I had to add this pic of Michelle and Christmas dinner, since it just happened to be right there by my picture of her roll ‘o napkins. 

 KT