Eco-Friendly Entertaining

Entertaining family and friends adds quality and wealth to life. Follow the eco-friendly tips below when hosting casual entertaining and feel good about the fact that you are supporting sustainable materials and lessening negative consequences to your neighborhood.

INVITATIONS

Using e-vites to invite your guests is not only eco-friendly but budget-friendly as well. Evite.com or pingg.com has free online invitations. This is a win-win idea as it saves trees and postage. And did I mention they were FREE?

FOOD

• Shop locally at your Farmer’s Market. I am a BIG fan of Farmer’s Markets.

• When you purchase fruits, vegetables, eggs, meats, flowers, seafood, olive oils, honey, etc. that are grown locally, your are preventing pollution as a result of shipping from faraway places . If you are shopping at your grocery store, look for foods that are grown locally.

• Buy organic products that have no artificial pesticides or fertilizers used to produce them.

• Purchase local wines. Again, less shipping distance means less gasoline consumption and less pollution.

• If serving soda, choose aluminum cans over plastic. Aluminum takes up to 95% less energy to recycle. bull; Use what you have! Instead of purchasing disposable serving dishes and platters, use your own.

TABLE

• Using your own dishes and glasses can save you a lot of money. Using your dishwasher for full loads not only saves you time, but it is also much more efficient than washing dishes by hand.

• Or purchase disposable products that are either made from recycled or biodegradable materials. More “Green” disposable products are coming to market every day. Whole Foods 365 house brand carries a line of disposable dishware made from sugarcane.

• Rather than buying disposable plastic tablecloths, use a cloth one you already own or a pretty bed sheet or window sheer. Either of these will fill in nicely for a tablecloth. Use cloth napkins if you have them.

• Purchase small containers of herbs for table decorations and plant in your garden or window box after your dinner party. Or purchase flowers or a bowl of fresh fruit or veggies at your Farmer’s Market.

• If you are having a large party, rent tables and chairs rather than buying them.

• If entertaining outside in the evening, use beeswax candles or solar-powered lanterns or LED lights.

• Have a recycling trash can available for your guests to use.

Bio: Patricia Mendez loves to help beginners gain confidence and host successful, casual entertaining. She is the author of the book, Easy Entertaining for Beginners, a 2009 Mom’s Choice Award recipient. “You don’t have to be a gourmet chef or a nervous wreck to host a great dinner party!” is her motto. She is the Easy Entertaining Spokesperson for Lifetime Products and writes articles for print and internet media. She has taught cooking classes and has catered and coordinated special events since the early 1990’s. Learn more: http://www.ezentertaining.net and http://www.learntothrowaparty.com.

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