Orange You Glad for By-Products

Winter is the perfect time for citrus, and my Imperfect Produce box is overflowing with more oranges, grapefruits, and lemons than I can get to. Fortunately, I love some fresh squeezed juice! 

I've been reading about ways to use the peels. Having already tried (and not loved) soaking them in vinegar for homemade cleaner, I wanted to try something else: CANDY!

There are many recipes for candying orange peel. I tried and liked this one.

First step: slice your orange peel into 1/4" strips. Go ahead and leave the white/pith. It won't be bitter when you're done. 

Next: boil the peels for 15 minutes. Dump that water. Then add 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, and simmer the peels for 45 minutes. 

Finally: strain the peels (don't toss the liquid! keep reading for why), and a few at a time, toss them in granulated sugar to lightly coat. Set them on a wire rack and leave uncovered for 24 hours until fully dried. 

Voila! Perfectly candied orange peels! You can eat these as-is, garnish other baked goods, or dip in chocolate for a decadent treat. 

The end result? Something like this:

(image credit arsheffield on flickr)

These are not a picture of mine. Mine didn't turn out as pretty due to one main mistake: I used microwaved chocolate chips for my dipping chocolate, which re-hardens pretty quickly. I recommend using baker's chocolate in a double boiler for prettier results. Regardless of how pretty, they will taste amazing. 

Now, back to that liquid gold that is left in your boiling pot. The sugar water that you simmered your peels in is now orange-infused simple syrup! This is the perfect addition to a mocha or a cocktail. 

Cost of candied orange peel: $0.70 cents of sugar
Cost of simple syrup: FREE by-product!

These are a beautiful and festive treat as you wrap up your holiday season. Happy snacking. :)

Waste Free Gift Wrap #2 - Gift Bags

With the holidays approaching, let's talk gift wrap: Each year, billions of dollars are spent on wrapping paper in the US alone, with millions of pounds of wrapping paper usually used once. Holy cow!

In February, I showed one alternate way to wrap presents, by wrapping the gift with another, such as a tea towel or scarf.

In this post, I'll share another: fabric gift bags. Gift bags are pretty easy to make. They are essentially tote bags, made in a variety of sizes. Last year, I got a bunch of holiday fabric by the yard at Seattle Recreative. You could also work with curtains, tablecloths, etc, from a thrift store near you. Not only are you up-cycling the fabric, but you are also creating wrapping that can be used over and over again for years to come. By using thrifted fabric, the cost comes to about $3/bag, about the same cost as a new paper gift bag.

1. Cut out the 4 sides of your bag, slightly larger than your gift. Add a few inches of length, which will be used to create the bottom of the bag. If your fabric is thinner, might fray, or you just want a contrast lining, cut out 8 sides (you'll be making two bags, outer and lining).

2. Sew the four panels together, with the pattern on the inside. 

3. Sew the bottom shut. Note: For this bag, all my sides are equal width. Check the placement of my seams when I go to sew the bottom. Two of the sides are folded in half; this is important for making the flat bottom of the bag. If your bag is rectangular instead of square, make the shorter sides the halved sides. 

4. Sew perpendicular across the bottom seam on the two corners, resulting in two isosceles triangle points. This triangle should happen naturally when you flatten the sides of the bag. 

5. When you flip the bag right side out, those triangles formed the squared base of the bag.

6. To make handles, sew strips of complimentary fabric into a tube, and then flip right side out. These can be any width you like, but keep in mind if you can't fit your finger inside, you will have a very difficult time flipping them right side out. 

7. Put your lining bag inside your outer bag. Fold the rough top edges inside, place your handles, and pin together to hold everything in place which you sew this top seam.

8. Once you've trimmed any long threads, you are now ready to fill your bag with gifts! Want reusable tissue too? Use complimentary fabric squares.

Not crafty, or running out of time? You can purchase reusable gift bags from many places:
From TheRubySwan on Etsy - ribbon closure means no tissue needed!
From Cohasset Party Supply on Etsy
From Appleby Lane on Amazon
From Illumen on Amazon
From The Container Store

The example bags above average $6, meaning payback after just a few uses.

Happy Holidays!

Conscious Cookies!

With Thanksgiving having just passed us, do you have any leftover pumpkin puree? I know, crazy question, just like those articles talking about uses for "leftover wine".

If you do, try baking it into cookies! If you don't ,did you know that mashed sweet potatoes or butternut squash make an easy substitute, and it's a creative way to repurpose those leftovers?

I can't claim credit for this recipe (that goes to Lauren Miyashiro on Delish.com), but I did taste test it for you. It a fairly basic sugar cookie recipe, with just 9 basic ingredients, including pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. They're then topped with a cream cheese frosting, with just 5 ingredients. The ingredients are almost entirely kitchen staples.

(The final product - yum!)

The recipe calls for 2 cookie sheets. It easily made 3+ dozen cookies.

You can also make one simple swap in this process, replacing the parchment paper for silicone sheet pan liners. Not just for baking, silicone keeps your pan from having baked on messes, is easily washable, and replaces disposables like aluminum foil and parchment paper. Silicone is becoming popular with those trying to reduce waste, not only because it replaces single use items, but it's also non-toxic and doesn't contain BPA. T, as the primary dish-washer of the house, is *loving* my increased use of silicon, which is cutting down on time, elbow grease, water, and soap. They don't need to break the bank either; I got a 3-pack for around $15, and they also have measurement markings. They will pay for themselves within the first year, considering the cost of other single-use products.

(These sheets make it so easy.)

(Cook until browned, then let cool.)

These cookies are the perfect compliment to your coffee or as a dessert this fall. What are some of your tried and true recipes to re-purpose leftovers?