Mountain Times- Volume 48, Number 51: Dec. 18-24, 2019
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Food Matters<br />
The <strong>Mountain</strong> <strong>Times</strong> • <strong>Dec</strong>. <strong>18</strong> - <strong>24</strong>, <strong>2019</strong> • 37<br />
Give holiday cheer with eco-friendly gift options<br />
The saying “the more the merrier”<br />
certainly applies during the holiday<br />
season. But during a season of big<br />
gifts, extra food and travel, “more”<br />
can exact a heavy toll on the environment.<br />
According to Stanford University,<br />
Americans generate 25% more trash<br />
between Thanksgiving and New<br />
Year’s Eve than during the rest of the<br />
year. While no one wants to take anything<br />
away from the spirit of holiday<br />
season, everyone can take steps to<br />
make the holidays more eco-friendly.<br />
Purchase experiential gifts<br />
When making holiday shopping<br />
lists, think of gifts that offer experiences<br />
rather than material goods.<br />
Gifts that involve experiences, such<br />
as going to a sporting event or attending<br />
a play or musical, reduces<br />
><br />
clutter and conserves the resources<br />
otherwise used to manufacture<br />
alternative items. Experiential gifts<br />
that also tap into environmental pursuits,<br />
such as touring with an animal<br />
rescue group, or accommodations<br />
at a carbon-neutral hotel can be an<br />
added bonus.<br />
Opt for locally-made gifts<br />
Select gifts made by local artisans<br />
or companies that operate domestically.<br />
This cuts down on the carbon<br />
emissions from having to ship products<br />
from long distances.<br />
Climate-friendly stocking stuffers<br />
Companies like Cool Effect offer<br />
gifts for those looking to offset<br />
carbon emissions through clever<br />
funding. People can buy and offer<br />
gifts that correlate to packages like<br />
Costa Rican wind power or the “poo<br />
Recipes: Ski house cooking ends with macaroons. No meal is complete without dessert.<br />
from page 36<br />
Getting a tad fancier with dessert, Sarah says this (blue square) cookie recipe is fun and will let you, or your kids,<br />
literally dig in!<br />
Snowy Peaks Macaroons<br />
4 large egg whites<br />
¼ cup sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1 (14 ounce) package shredded sweetened coconut (about 5 1/3 cups)<br />
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped (about 1 cup)<br />
package,” which funds biogas digesters<br />
for family farms in India that<br />
capture methane emissions from<br />
cattle dung.<br />
Get crafty<br />
Gifts from the kitchen or ones<br />
made by the giver can be crafted<br />
from sustainable materials. They<br />
also show how you care by taking the<br />
time to customize a gift.<br />
Wrap in reusable materials<br />
Fancy wrapping paper certainly<br />
looks nice, but choose other materials<br />
that can be reused. Look for<br />
decorative tins, boxes, fancy gift bags,<br />
and other items that can be reused<br />
for years to come.<br />
Sustainability is possible during<br />
a season of excess when gift givers<br />
shop and wrap gifts with the environment<br />
in mind.<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the<br />
coconut and mix well, completely combining the ingredients.<br />
3. Dampen your hands with cold water. Form a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into a haystack shape and<br />
place on a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture, spacing the stacks about 1 inch apart.<br />
4. Bake until golden brown, about <strong>18</strong> minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Remove the cookies<br />
from the pan while still hot to cool completely on racks.<br />
5. Fill a small saucepan with water to a depth of 1 inch and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and place a<br />
medium heatproof bowl on top so the bottom is resting on the pan just above the water. Add the chocolate and<br />
stir until completely melted.<br />
6. Turn off the heat and dip each macaroon bottom into the melted chocolate. Place on wax paper to cool and<br />
harden. The macaroons can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.<br />
Classic Italian Cuisine<br />
Old World Tradition<br />
~ Since 1992 ~<br />
fresh. simple.<br />
delicious!<br />
1/2 price appetizers<br />
& flaTbreads<br />
from 4-5 p.m.<br />
Happy Holidays!<br />
Open<br />
Everyday @ 4 p.m.<br />
Come to our sugarhouse fot the<br />
best breakfast around!<br />
After breakfast, check out<br />
our gift shop for all your<br />
souvenier, gift, and maple<br />
syrup needs. We look forward<br />
to your visit!<br />
Serving Breakfast & Lunch<br />
7a.m. - 2p.m. daily<br />
Breakfast all day!<br />
Sugar & Spice Restaurant & Gift Shop<br />
Rt. 4 Mendon, VT<br />
802-773-7832 | www.vtsugarandspice.com<br />
pasta | veal<br />
Chicken | seafood<br />
steak | flatbreads<br />
For reservations<br />
802-422-3293<br />
First on the Killington Road
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