Chocolate Chip and Coffee Biscotti

Chocolate Chip and Coffee Biscotti

by | Dec 16, 2022 | Dessert, Recipes

If you have any coffee lovers in your circle, this chocolate chip and coffee biscotti is a great go-to cookie for just about any activity.  Whether sitting on the patio or by the fireside with a good book and a hot drink, you will enjoy this crunchy, semi-sweet biscotti.

Recipe adapted from the Dirty Gourmet.

Servings:  Makes about 20 -24 cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2- 3/4 cup King Arthur’s all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsps. baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsps. finely ground dark roast coffee
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsps. unsalted butter 
  • 2 tsps. vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
Dark Roast Coffee Grounds
Chocolate Chips
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a silicon mat, or coat with baking spray.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ground coffee, and chocolate chips in a mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate large bowl, combine oil, vanilla, and eggs.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until well blended.  The dough will be quite dry.  With your hands, knead the dough just until it comes together.   
  5. Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a log, about 8 inches long, flattening the log to about 1 inch thick.  Place the logs several inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 35 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.  Remove the logs from the baking sheet and cool for about 5 minutes.  Brush the logs lightly with water and let them cool for another 5 minutes.
  7. On a cutting board, with a serrated knife, cut the biscotti into 3/4-inch slices.  Arrange the slices, cut-side down on the baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes.  Turn the slices over, and bake for another 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool. The biscotti will be slightly soft until they cool completely.
Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Recipe compliments of OPL Master Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

Aromatic Ginger and Spice Hermit Cookies

Aromatic Ginger and Spice Hermit Cookies

by | Dec 16, 2022 | Dessert, Recipes

These hermit cookies smell like a sweet childhood memory. While baking, the cookies infuse your home with spicy ginger aromas. Wrap a few in parchment paper along with the recipe on an index card and tie it closed with a twine bow and give them as a gift. Hermit cookies are perfect to take along on winter hikes with a thermos of hot chocolate to keep warm and nourished while out on the trail.

Original recipe from Cooks Illustrated Holiday Baking Magazine 2012

Servings: Makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raisins
  • 2 tbsps finely chopped crystallized ginger
  • 8 tbsps unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 2 cups King Arthur’s all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar *see note
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 2 large eggs

Glaze

Ingredients:

 

  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1-1/2 tbsps orange juice
Raisins
Orange Peel
Instructions:
  1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Process raisins and ginger in a food processor until the mixture sticks together and only small pieces remain, about 10 seconds.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
  3. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until nutty brown in color, about 10 minutes.  Stir in cinnamon and allspice and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.  Stir butter mixture into raisin mixture until well combined; let cool to room temperature.
  4. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  Stir in brown sugar, molasses, and eggs into a cooled butter-raisin mixture until incorporated.  Fold in flour mixture (dough will be very sticky) and refrigerate, covered, until firm, at least 1-1/2 hours or up to 24 hours.
  5. Divide dough into quarters.  Transfer 1 piece of dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 10-inch log.  Transfer to a prepared baking sheet and use a ruler to neatly square off sides.  (Each sheet will contain 2 logs.) Repeat with the remaining dough.
  6. Bake until only shallow indentation remains on edges when touched (center will appear slightly soft), 15 -20 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking.  Let cook on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer parchment to wire racks and let cool completely.
  7. Drizzle the baked hermits with glaze.

Glaze:

  1. Whisk orange juice and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl until smooth.  Drizzle glaze onto cooled logs and let sit until glaze hardens about 15 minutes.  Cut logs into 2-inch bars.  Serve.  (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.)

* Note: If you find yourself short of dark brown sugar, simply take one cup of white sugar and add 1-2 tablespoons of molasses.  For flavor preference, less molasses added will produce a lighter flavor whereas more molasses added will have a stronger taste.  Whisk together till all the white sugar is completely covered with molasses.  If you have dark brown sugar left over, put it in a container with a tight-fitting lid to help keep it soft.

Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Recipe compliments of OPL Master Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

Oatmeal, Raisin, and Walnut Cookies

Oatmeal, Raisin, and Walnut Cookies

by | Dec 16, 2022 | Dessert, Recipes

These oatmeal cookies are perfect for the holidays. The orange peel enhances the cookie with a wonderful citrus flavor that is not overpowering. It’s a great cookie to pack in a stacker container and take along on a hike, bike ride, or trip to the ski resort.   

Servings: Makes about 42 cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsps. finely shredded orange peel
  • 1 cup King Arthur’s all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chopped nuts
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups raisins

Powdered Sugar Icing:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp orange juice
  • 2 – 4 tsp milk
Oats
Orange Peel
Instructions:
  1. To make the oat flour, place 1/2 cup of rolled oats in a blender.  Blend till oats are reduced to a powder. Place in a bowl and repeat with the remaining oats, 1/2 cup at a time.  Once complete, you should have 1-1/2 cups of oat flour.
  2. Beat butter with an electric mixer.  Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Beat for about 3 minutes.
  3. Add eggs, orange peel, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
  4. Beat in oat flour and as much of the all-purpose flour as possible, occasionally scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.  With a wooden spoon, mix in the remaining all-purpose flour, raisins, and walnuts.
  5. Using a tablespoon for measuring, drop dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet two inches apart.
  6. Bake in a 375-degree F oven for 9 – 11 minutes or until edges are brown.
  7. Cool on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
  8. Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Icing.

Powdered Sugar Icing:

  1. Mix all of the ingredients together to make a drizzling consistency. Use a small whisk to drizzle cookies.
Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Recipe compliments of OPL Master Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

OPL Plant-rich Recipes

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Find more delicious OPL-recommended plant-rich recipes here.

Joy for the World: Have a Sustainable Holiday Celebration!

Joy for the World: Have a Sustainable Holiday Celebration!

by | Dec 16, 2022 | People and Planet First, Protect the Planet, Quality of Life

Follow these tips to enjoy a more sustainable holiday season this year

The holiday season is notoriously consumptive and wasteful – but it doesn’t have to be. By making a few joyful Changes, we can all do our part to cut down on the amount we consume and avoid sending extra trash to the landfill to have a more sustainable holiday.

On average, Americans toss out 25% more trash during the holidays compared to the rest of the year. Food waste, wrapping materials, party decorations, single-use utensils, and more pile up en masse between Thanksgiving and New Year.

The average American produces 5 pounds of trash per day, or 35 pounds each week, according to Brightly. During the holidays, that rises to 6.25 pounds per person per day, or 43.75 pounds each week. With a population of 330 million people, that means 2,887,500,000 more pounds of garbage are generated per week during the holidays relative to the rest of the year.

One Planet Life has compiled tips for all aspects of the holidays to ensure you and your family can enjoy a happy and sustainable season.

Decorate Your Home with Nature in Mind

Plastic decorations – Santas, snowmen, and more – adorning shelves are a common sight during the holidays. While many decorations may be family heirlooms handed down through the generations, avoid buying new plastic decorations that contribute to the production of new plastic that will eventually end up in a landfill. 

To have a more sustainable holiday, take a walk and see what items from nature you can use to supplement your holiday decorations this year. Pine cones, berries, and tree branches are great for decorating, especially to create unique table centerpieces for your holiday family meal. 

One Planet Life Sustainable Holiday Tips
If Christmas lights are a must, be sure to use LED lights that are more efficient

They’re sturdier, last longer, and consume 70% less energy than conventional incandescent light strands, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It only costs $0.27 to light a 6-foot tree for 12 hours a day for 40 days with LEDs compared to $10 for incandescent lights. If everyone in the US replaced their conventional string lights with LEDs, it would save about 2 billion kWh of electricity each month, according to One Tree Planted. Utilizing light timers is an extra step you can take to conserve energy.

For the centerpiece of many homes this holiday season, choose a real tree instead of a plastic one. In the U.S., around 10 million artificial trees are purchased each season. Nearly 90% of them are shipped across the world from China, resulting in an increase in carbon emissions and resources. Most artificial trees are made of non-recyclable materials and end up in local landfills, according to The Nature Conservancy.

Choose a real Christmas tree

By choosing to cut a real tree at your local Christmas Tree farm this year, you also help support the local economy. For the trees that are cut, new ones are planted. These farms provide natural habitats for birds and other wildlife year-round and help convert carbon dioxide into clean oxygen.

Want to make a bigger impact? Buy a potted tree this year instead for a more sustainable holiday. My husband and I decided to purchase a white spruce that we plan to plant outside at the end of the season. While it’s a bit sparse compared to a cut tree (think Charlie Brown Christmas Tree), we feel joy in knowing we’ll get to enjoy it for years to come.

As an added bonus, real evergreens can be composted or recycled in various ways (like a treat for your local goat farm!) That way, your holiday decoration gets a second life and avoids ending up in a landfill.

Living Christmas Tree
Get Creative with the Gift Wrap

It’s no surprise that the use of wrapping paper increases during the holiday season. Most wrapping paper on the market actually isn’t recyclable, especially rolls with shiny gloss and sparkles. That means that, on average, 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper ends up in landfills each year, according to Earth 911.

Instead, have a more sustainable holiday celebration by substituting traditional wrapping paper with something a bit more creative. Newspaper, brown paper bags from the grocery store, old maps, and even scrap fabric are all great alternatives.

Ribbons and bows have become quite popular to spruce up wrapped gifts. If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet, according to Stanford University. If every American family wrapped just three presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

Utilizing more biodegradable options, like string, twine, rosemary sprigs, pinecones, and other natural materials, have a lower impact on the environment because they break down much faster.

While sending holiday cards is a tradition for many, consider switching to a digital version instead. Whether or not we like to admit it, most holiday cards end up in the trash bin at the end of the season. Americans mail out a whopping 2.65 billion Christmas cards each year, which could fill a football field 10 stories high. If we each sent one card less, 50,000 cubic yards of paper could be saved.

Natural Holiday Wrapping
Serving up Sustainable Meals During the Holidays

Food waste is a real problem in the U.S., with an estimated 63.1 million tons generated each year. During the holidays, a lot more food ends up getting thrown away from holiday gatherings and parties.

To avoid contributing to unnecessary landfill build-up, plan ahead for your gatherings and only make enough food for your expected guests. If you do have food left, send some home with your guests for a late-night snack or lunch the next day, get creative in reinventing future meals from what you have left, freeze what you can, or even contact your local homeless shelter or food bank to see if leftover food can be donated to those in need.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation suggested these additional tips to keep in mind when planning your upcoming sustainable holiday party:

  • Buy and serve locally grown food whenever possible.
  • Cook multiple items in the same oven and run appliances on full loads.
  • Avoid buying individually packaged drinks.
  • Serve your guests with reusable cups, plates, silverware, and utensils.
  • Tell your guests to bring reusable containers for leftovers.
  • Compost food that is not donated.
Start Some New Traditions

By getting outside (even if it’s chilly), you really learn to appreciate the reason why we want to make these Joyful Changes to begin with – to preserve the natural beauty our planet has to offer. Taking a hike with the family can become a great new holiday tradition to help you get others on board with keeping sustainability in mind year-round. Don’t forget to take a bag with you to pick up trash along the way and keep forests clean and safe for the wildlife that lives there!

People walking in winter nature

For over a century, the National Audubon Society has hosted The Christmas Bird Count, which occurs from December 14 to January 5 every season. In 1900, conservationists proposed a nationwide bird census to replace the tradition of shooting birds on Christmas Day. The event has seen growing participation every year since. Check out Audubon’s website to find a local group of birders to join and contribute important data that can be used in hundreds of analyses, peer-reviewed publications, and government reports that encourage bird populations to thrive.

While the holiday season is often driven by tradition, we can all make small tweaks that make a big impact collectively so our holiday celebrations are not only jolly but help create a more sustainable, “greener” future in the process.

Looking for more sustainable ways to shop this holiday season? Check out our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide for inspiration!

Written by Carley Kimball

Written by Carley Kimball

Freelance Journalist and OPL Content Contributor

“I’ve always tried to implement planet-friendly practices in my life but didn’t quite realize just how much of an impact individuals can make until I was introduced to One Planet Life. I’m so excited to be able to utilize my professional skills to contribute valuable information and positive personal experiences to help make the world a better place.”

How to Shop Smart and Save the Planet This Holiday Season

How to Shop Smart and Save the Planet This Holiday Season

by | Dec 7, 2022 | People and Planet First, Protect the Planet, Quality of Life

Shop Sustainably This Holiday Season and Give the Best Gift – A Greener Future for All

As the holiday season kicks into full gear, it’s understandable to feel a little overwhelmed when trying to choose the perfect gift for your loved ones. When trying to shop sustainably, it can become even more challenging. But look no further! One Planet Life’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide is here to help you find the perfect gifts for your friends and family that also align with your sustainability goals.

Eco-Friendly Companies

Just in time for the holidays, One Planet Life launched its very own online store to help our community easily make joyful changes to live more sustainably. We offer a wide selection of reusable totes, travel utensils, water bottles, and more. Check out our e-store for gifts that your friends and family will love – and help the planet by cutting the amount of single-use plastics that end up in landfills. 

But OPL isn’t the only place you can shop with the health of the planet in mind. Did you know that there is a special certification companies can qualify for that measures their impact?

Certified B Corporations participate in a thorough assessment to determine if their business practices meet high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors such as fair treatment of workers, customer service, and community and environmental impact.

The following B-Corps have caught our attention for going above and beyond to not only create products in a sustainable way but give back in other ways that add up when it comes to treating our environment with care:

Patagonia Works

Patagonia Works became one of California’s first B-Corporations in 2012. The outdoor apparel and gear company has been a leader in ethical business practices for decades. In September, founder Yvon Chouinard and his family announced they would transfer all ownership to two new entities: Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective. This move establishes that every dollar not reinvested back into Patagonia will be distributed as dividends to protect the planet. Projections estimate an annual dividend of roughly $100 million. That will go a long way to fighting climate change!

“It will help ensure that there is never deviation from the intent of the founder and to facilitate what the company continues to do best: demonstrate as a for-profit business that capitalism can work for the planet,” a press release from the company explained.

Organic Basics

Organic Basics is a B-Corp that takes responsible fashion to the next level. Each garment, constructed from sustainable materials, carries an Impact Index that helps you better understand how the items you buy and wear contribute to your environmental footprint. This information is part of a larger effort, the Impact Report, that takes a holistic look at the company’s impact across several categories. Additionally, the company is a 1% for the Planet member, partnering with environmental groups and grassroots activists and donating the equivalent of 1% of sales to positive environmental efforts. 

“As a fashion brand, we have a massive responsibility to consider the environmental impact of our choices,” the company website reads. “Everything we do uses precious resources like water and energy and creates carbon emissions along the value chain.”

Grove Collaborative

Looking for gifts other than apparel? Grove Collaborative earned its B-Corp status in 2014 and has been growing its reach ever since. Known for its subscription boxes of home and personal care products that are better for the planet, Grove Collaborative focuses on curating products that “go easy on the Earth, prioritize sustainable packaging materials, and carbon offset every shipment that goes out the door.” The company has also implemented a five-year plan to move from its current status of 100% plastic neutral to 100% plastic-free by 2025.

This year, Grove Collaborative has made it easy for eco-conscious holiday shoppers, featuring an array of eco-friendly brands and products for the beauty guru, chef, gardener – and even the pet-lover – in your life. 

Interested in learning more about B-Corporations? Read our article to dive deeper. 

Thrifting is Trendy and Sustainable

Buying secondhand makes a significant impact, as “fast fashion” is filling up landfills at record rates. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all CO2 emissions globally and is expected to surge to more than 50% by 2030. Help offset these troubling statistics by shopping secondhand. Patagonia offers its own marketplace to buy and trade gently-used Patagonia clothing and recrafted clothing on its Worn Wear site. 

Shop for name-brand clothing and accessories on sites like Thread-Up or Poshmark for the fashionista in your family – giving the gift of on-trend items without the negative impact.

Shop Smart at Thrift Stores
Are you involved in an annual Secret Santa? Switch up the rules and see who can find the most outrageous gifts under $10.

The catch? You can only shop at your local thrift store! This year, my family decided to do a secret Santa book exchange with one caveat – we had to find a book at a thrift store. My husband and I plan to make a date night of scouring Goodwill stores and used bookstores to find some fun books for our designated gift receiver. 

If you plan to gift books this year and don’t have much luck locally, check out Better World Books. The company, funded through literacy grants, donates a book to match each one purchased. They also help keep books out of landfills by selling secondhand and have reached 87,000 tons of carbon offsets through carbon-balanced shipping. Books are great gifts that keep on giving! 

You never know what you’ll find at your local thrift or antique store, which makes holiday shopping even more fun. You may just stumble upon a unique item that triggers a cherished family memory, making a positive, thoughtful impact that your loved one – and the planet – will appreciate!

A Homemade Touch for the Holidays

The best gifts come from the heart. Throughout the pandemic, a lot of people picked up new skills and hobbies. Now that you’ve had some time to hone your craft, devote your December weekends to making homemade gifts this year!

Knit or crochet a cozy scarf, recycle fabric to make something completely new, or break out your paint set and brushes to make homemade tree ornaments. 

Shrubs Handmade Gift Idea

Everyone likes edible presents. Bake fresh bread from scratch, pull together a meal gift basket, try your hand at making holiday candies, or even plant some starter kitchen herbs for a loved one this year. 

Check out our most recent recipe for Fruit Shrubs, a delicious vinegar-based syrup known as “drinking vinegars” that are a perfect gift for the cocktail or mocktail enthusiast. 

Canning is another option for edible presents. Homemade canned goods are easy to travel with and last a long time. There are so many ways to spruce up the presentation, utilizing fabric for the lids or even using foraged items, like pine cones, to tie around the jars. Jams, jellies, soups, and sauces are just a few of the many possibilities. Read our recent post to learn how to whip up a delicious Pepper Jam to include in your gift baskets! 

Skip the Stuff, Support a Non-Profit

With a rocky economy on many people’s minds these days, a lot of families are scaling back on the number of items they buy this year. Plastic knick-knacks that collect dust, general gifts that end up in a landfill or donation bin a month later, or the thousandth coffee mug that won’t fit in the coffee addict’s cupboard – all these scenarios are avoidable. 

Instead, skip the physical gifts and make a donation to your friend or family member’s favorite non-profit. For that person on your list that seems to have everything, this is a great opportunity not only to show that you’ve taken notice of causes they care about but also to make an impact for those less fortunate this holiday season.

OPL has curated a list of environmentally-focused non-profits to help you find the perfect organization that supports specific goals for a healthier planet.

Support Your Community by Shopping Local

For every dollar spent in a local store, as much as $3.50 goes into the local economy. Skip the big box stores and shop locally this year. 

By supporting local artisans and small businesses, you are helping your neighbors and community thrive. Some of my favorite items to pick up each year include honey from our favorite local apiary, Buzz Worthy Apiary in Hagerstown, Md., homemade chocolates from the candy store in our community, and small-batch roasted coffee beans from my go-to coffee shop. 

Buzz Worthy Apiary

Read more about another local favorite apiary, Bedillion Honey Bee Farm, located in Hickory, PA. 

Take some time to explore small shops in your hometown, and you’re sure to find some new favorites to share with others!

This time of year is known for generating tons of unnecessary waste. By making sustainable choices that support eco-conscious and local offerings, you can do your part to make this holiday season less harmful to the environment and more fulfilling and maybe establish new holiday traditions in the process.

Written by Carley Kimball

Written by Carley Kimball

Freelance Journalist and OPL Content Contributor

“I’ve always tried to implement planet-friendly practices in my life but didn’t quite realize just how much of an impact individuals can make until I was introduced to One Planet Life. I’m so excited to be able to utilize my professional skills to contribute valuable information and positive personal experiences to help make the world a better place.”

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