#reuse cooking oil

[digital1004]

Purifry Power Pack

The Purifry Power Pack is equipped with innovative features that make cooking oil safer for reuse, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness in your kitchen.

 This is the best cooking oil safer for reuse,

 Here’s how it accomplishes this:

Oil Filtration System: One of the key features of the Purifry Power Pack is its built-in oil filtration system. After each use, the appliance filters the cooking oil to remove food particles and debris, maintaining the oil's cleanliness and quality.

Oil Storage: The Power Pack includes a dedicated oil storage compartment where the filtered oil can be safely stored for future use. This compartment is designed to preserve the oil's freshness and prevent contamination.

Oil Testing: Some advanced models of the Power Pack come with oil testing capabilities. These models analyze the quality of the filtered oil, checking for factors such as acidity levels and impurities. Based on the test results, the appliance may recommend whether the oil is suitable for reuse or needs to be replaced.

Safety Features: The Power Pack prioritizes safety when it comes to reusing cooking oil. It ensures that only properly filtered and tested oil is recommended for reuse, reducing the risk of using degraded or unhealthy oil in your cooking.

Cost Savings: By efficiently filtering and testing cooking oil, the Power Pack helps you save money on oil purchases. You can reuse high-quality oil multiple times without compromising the taste or nutritional value of your dishes.

Environmental Impact: Reusing cooking oil not only benefits your wallet but also reduces waste. The Power Pack encourages eco-friendly practices by minimizing the amount of oil disposed of after each cooking session.

User-Friendly Operation: The Power Pack's oil management system is designed to be user-friendly, with intuitive controls and easy-to-follow instructions for filtering, storing, and testing cooking oil.

Overall, the Purifry Power Pack's oil management features make it a valuable addition to any kitchen, promoting sustainable cooking practices while ensuring the safety and quality of reused cooking oil.

[ritumistry11]

What Happens After Reusing Cooking-Oil - Saffola Oil

Read how reusing cooking oil can be hazardous and harmful to health. Reheated oil leads to the release of toxic substances that causes various chronic diseases.

https://www.saffola.in/blogs/what-happens-when-reusing-cooking-oil

[aesethewitch]

Learning to Cook Like a Witch: Using the Scraps

Cooking can create a lot of waste. From peels and rinds to bones and leaves, people throw away quite a lot of scraps in the kitchen. And witches, as you may know, are experts in the art of the cunning use of whatever we’ve got around.

As a witch who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, I’ve had ample opportunities to get creative in my cooking craft. It helps that I grew up in a household defined by scarcity: not our own, by the time I was conscious enough to remember, but my parents’ poverty. It colored the way I learned to cook, using everything I possibly could, making enough to last, preserving what I didn’t immediately use, and creatively reusing leftovers and scraps.

There are some topics I won’t necessarily cover here. Composting is an option, but there are some bits of food scrap that don’t need to be composted — they can be saved and repurposed for all sorts of things, magic and mundane. Likewise, recycling, buying sustainably, and growing your own food when you can are all great options for reducing household waste in the kitchen.

For the purposes of this post, I want to focus specifically on food scraps. This is an organized list of kitchen scraps that I’ve used in a variety of other dishes and projects. I’m focusing primarily on food waste, not so much on packaging (such as reusing egg cartons, milk containers, boxes, and so forth).

Vegetable Scraps

Freeze leftover vegetable scraps to make stock. This is a fairly common bit of advice — save bits of leftover vegetables to make a vegetable stock or another kind of stock. It’s good advice! I keep a bag in my freezer that I put vegetable scraps in to save until I’m ready to make a new batch of stock. Not all veggies should be saved like this and used for stock! Some make stock bitter or otherwise unpleasant-tasting. Personally, I tend to freeze these for stock:

- The skins, ends, and leftover cuts of onions (just be wary of the skins; too much will make your broth bitter) - The ends of celery (not the leaves — they’re bitter!) - Corn cobs - Garlic skins, ends, tiny cloves that aren’t useful otherwise, and sprouted cloves - The ends of carrots (also not the leaves) - The ends of leeks - Pepper tops/bottoms (not the seeds)

I would recommend against putting things like potatoes, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and leafy greens in there. Potatoes don’t add flavor, sprouts and cabbage make the whole thing taste like those foods, and leafy greens end up bitter. If something has a strong, distinctive flavor (beets, sprouts), I wouldn’t add it to my freezer bag. These scraps often form the veggie portion of my Sick-Be-Gone Chicken Broth spell recipe!

Regrow leeks, green onions, and celery. Pop these in a bit of water and watch them grow back! It’s a fun experiment, and you’ll never have to buy them again.

Plant sprouted garlic. Aside from the fact that you can still cook and eat garlic that’s sprouted, you can plant a sprouted clove in a pot. Care for it well enough, and you’ll end up with a full head of garlic from that one clove!

Fry potato peels. Anytime I make mashed potatoes or peel potatoes for something, I always save the peels. Give them a thorough rinse and shallow-fry them in oil, turning them over until they’re golden and crispy. Toss them in a bit of salt and pepper while they’re still hot, and you’ve got tasty chips to snack on while you cook the rest of your meal! No need to cover them in more oil or anything — the heat will cause the salt to stick right to them.

Save leaves for pesto. Yum, yum, yum. Pesto isn’t just all about basil, you know. Save the leaves from carrots, beets, radishes, and even celery to grind up alongside basil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice for a delicious pesto recipe.

Fruit Scraps

Save citrus peels. Peels from oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits have a multitude of uses. Candy them for a sweet treat, dry them to add to potpourri or incense, or save them to put into a simmer pot for bright, sunny energy.

Juice the whole fruit. Again, thinking mostly about citrus fruits, when you need the zest from something but not the rest, don’t just throw away the fruit. Squeeze out all the juice you can. Even if you don’t need it right now, you can freeze it to use later in simmer pots, fruity waters, or anything else that needs a touch of juice.

Turn extra fruit and berries into jam or syrup. If you’ve got berries and fruit that are about to go off, or maybe the ends of strawberries, don’t toss them! Look up recipes for jam of the specific fruit you’ve got or make an infused syrup. Syrups in particular can be used for cocktails, teas, and desserts for an extra magical kick.

Pickle watermelon rinds. That’s right. Pickle those suckers. They’re so tasty. I’ve seen people make kimchi with watermelon rinds, too, though I’ve never tried it myself!

Save seeds for abundance work. Seeds in general are great for spells geared toward long-term success, new beginnings, and — when there are a lot of them — wealth. Different fruit seeds have properties that tend to correspond with the fruit they come from, so consider their potential purposes before you just toss them! (Note also that some fruit seeds are toxic; these would be suitable for baneful workings.)

Keep cherry stems for love magic. Have you ever done that thing where you tie a cherry stem with your tongue? If I’m eating cherries, I like to save some of the stems for love workings. Tie them into little knots like you might with string while envisioning ensnaring the love you’re looking for. I wouldn’t do this with a particular person in mind; binding someone to you is almost never a good idea. I’ve used it to attract specific qualities in a person of romantic interest: attentiveness, humor, kindness, and so forth.

Use pits to represent blockages, barriers, and problems. I most often use them in baneful workings, typically jammed into a poppet’s mouth or throat to keep someone from talking shit. It could also represent a sense of dread in that way — a pit in the stomach, uneasy and nauseating. But you could also use them in the sense of removal, ritualistically removing the pit or problem from a given situation.

Herb Scraps

Freeze or dry extra fresh herbs. Different drying techniques are ideal for specific herbs. I’d suggest looking up recommended methods before sticking anything in the microwave. If you’d like to freeze your herbs instead, I typically will lay them on a damp paper towel, wrap them up, place them into a freezer-safe bag, and then put them in the freezer. Most herbs will keep for a couple months this way. When you want to use them, pull them out and let them defrost right on the counter.

Make pesto. Again, pesto isn’t just basil! Experiment with tossing in different scraps of herbs to find out what combination you like best.

Reuse steeped tea. Particularly when I use loose herbal tea, I like to lay out the used tea to dry out. It can be burned similarly to loose incense, though the scent may be somewhat weaker than with herbs that are fresher or unused. I find that it’s fine, since I’m sensitive to smells anyways.

Toss extra herbs into your stock freezer bag. Just like with vegetables, extra herbs make welcome additions to a scrap stock pot. I always make a point to save sage, thyme, marjoram, and ginger. You can add just about anything to a stock pot, but be aware of the flavors you’re adding. Not all herbs will match with all dishes.

Protein Scraps

Dry and crush empty egg shells. This is one most witches will know! I use crushed egg shells for protection magic most often: sprinkled at a doorstep mixed with other herbs, added to jars, and spread around spell candles.

Save shrimp, crab, and lobster shells. They’re a goldmine of flavor. Toss them into water with veggies and herbs, and you’ve got a delicious, easy shellfish stock. Use it to make fishy soups and chowders that much richer.

Don’t discard roasted chicken remains. Use them for stock, just like the shells. I like to get rotisserie chickens on occasion since they’re ready-made and very tasty. Once all the meat has been stripped off the bones, simmer the entire carcass with — you guessed it — veggies and herbs for a tasty chicken stock.

Reuse bacon grease for frying. After cooking bacon, don’t throw away the grease right away. Melt it over low heat, strain the bits of bacon out, and pour it into a jar to put in the fridge. You can use it to fry all sorts of things, but my favorite thing is brussels sprouts. They pick up the delicious, salty, bacony flavor from all that rendered bacon fat. So good.

Other Scraps

Use stale bread for croutons or bread crumbs. When I reach the stale end of a loaf of bread, as long as it isn’t moldy, I like to tear it into pieces and toss it into the oven for a little while. Let it cool and then pulse it in a food processor, and I’ve got delicious bread crumbs! Or, cut it a little more neatly, toss it in oil and seasonings, and then bake, and now I’ve got homemade croutons for salads. You can really hone your herbs for both of these, tuning them to be perfect for whatever spell needs you have.

Small amounts of leftover sugar. I don’t know why, but I always end up with a tiny amount of white and brown sugar in the containers. This can be used in teas, of course, but I like to offer it up to spirits. In particular, my ancestors tend to appreciate a spoonful of brown sugar stirred into a small, warmed cup of milk. You can also look up mug cake or single-serving cookie recipes; often, they’re cooked in the microwave, and they only need a little sugar to make!

Keep vanilla bean pods. Vanilla is fucking expensive. When I have a little extra and want to really splurge for a special occasion, I’ll get a couple pods. And because they’re so expensive, I hate wasting any part of them. They’re good for love magic, sure, but you can also toss the spent pods in a jar full of sugar to make vanilla-infused sugar. I’ll often use the pods to make infused milks, too; warm the milk over low heat, add the pods, and let it steep like tea. It goes great in teas and desserts. For a nice self-love spell, sometimes I’ll melt chocolate into the vanilla milk and make hot cocoa!

Save the rinds from Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese. You might not be able to just bite into these, but they’re fabulous additions to a stock pot. They add a rich, umami depth to the flavors. I also like to throw these into pots of tomato sauce to add even more flavor to the sauce.

Used coffee is still coffee. After I make a pot of coffee, I’ll sometimes save the grounds by letting them dry back out. I wouldn’t make another cup of coffee with them, since all the flavor’s gone, but they’ll still have attributes of energy generation and smell great. I like to pack used grounds into sachets to hang in places where I want to encourage more energy and focus, replaced every few days or so. Coffee grounds also have high amounts of nitrogen in them, which can help plants thrive; just be careful about pH values in the soil! You don’t want to hurt your plants with too much acidity.

Final Thoughts

I hope you found these tips helpful! There are a ton more ways to save and reuse kitchen scraps that would otherwise go to waste. Sometimes, tossing stuff into the compost or trash can’t be avoided. But I’ve found that being aware of the possibilities can help diminish the amount that gets wasted.

If you have questions or other suggestions for reusing kitchen scraps, feel free to drop them in my inbox, reblogs, or replies. And if you did enjoy this post, consider tossing a couple dollars in my tip jar! Supporters get early and sometimes exclusive access to my work, and monthly members get bonuses like commission discounts and extras. (:

[dronebiscuitbat]

Oil is Thicker Then Blood (Part 82)

The pod now lay in peices, a small team of drones hovering over each section, taking note of the way it was designed and more importantly why, so that it could be properly emulated then construction began on the proper escape shuttle.

That's what Uzi was doing now, sitting on a chair in the outdoor workshop that one of her team insisted she sit on instead of standing, and thinking realistically on what they would need to escape Copper- 9's gravity well safely and, more than that land somewhere else without being cooked in the atmosphere.

Aluminum, lots of it, first and foremost, it was the lightest metal they had on hand, and thankfully, present in the vehicles that littered the roads, the bunker had a forge, it was offline at the moment (because they had no use for an industrial grade forge) but it shouldn't be too difficult to reactivate. They had enough solid fuel to keep it running temporarily… just long enough to see this through.

N and V could both lift cars with ease, so getting the burned out vehicles into the bunker was also a non-issue, so at the very least, they had that covered.

Oxygen wasn't needed, Drones didn't need to breathe, she… could breathe, but it seemed like she didn't really need to all the time if her vents could get enough air into her system unaided, it was only went she was doing something laborus or anxiety inducing would they really start going. They need some sort of air though… so it will have to be pressurized in some way.

Khan would probably be in charge of that, pressurized doors sounded right up his area of expertise, so she filed that away for something to give to him.

Next came recharging, it was probably a good idea to reuse the standing charge pods that were present in the landing pods, it would be uncomfortable sure… but it would save on space and weight.

With all that in mind, she began a preliminary sketch, trying to fit in as many charging pods in as little space as she physically could, the bigger the shuttle, the longer it would take to construct and the harder it would be to get out of the planets gravity.

The gravity wasn't very strong… lacking a core would do that, but light was best regardless.

“Liz, I'm not going to ask you to do this… it's more my responsibility…” She heard V's voice from outside the building, sounding wary and tired.

“Hell no, girl you are not claiming sole responsibility. We're all part of this now. May as well own it.” And that was Lizzy, Uzi grumbled lightly, glad that Tera was with N at the moment.

“Heeeey.” Lizzy poked her head into the doorway, it now had a sheet over it to keep out some of the draft, Uzi shivered slightly as the freezing wind hit her silicone, her core fluttering in displeasure.

“What?” Uzi asked gruffly, not wanting to really interact with her, she wouldn't call them enemies now, but a “freind” was probably still a bit of a stretch.

Even so Lizzy trapised up right to her side, V following close behind, arms crossed and looking like she'd just lost a fight with a bear.

Lizzy, the bear in question, leaned on the table in front of Uzi, quiet for a moment, V's eyes never left her, as if begging her to not do whatever she was about to.

“So V said you and N have a nest.” She started, making Uzi freeze up for a moment, feeling the embarrassment crawl up her back before shoving it down, there was nothing embarrassing about it.

“Yes.” She said simply, turning her head up from her very important work that she would very much like it get back to. Lizzy made no indication that she was phased by it.

“And that she's been sleeping in it for the past couple of days.”

Uzi blinked. Was… was Lizzy jealous? Of V sleeping in N and hers nest? Oh! Oh that was hilarious!

“Mmmhm?” A small smirk made it's way to her face, Lizzy didn't seem to notice it.

“Great! You won't mind a fourth then right?”

And suddenly the smirk was gone, and she heard V let out the world's most ‘done with this woman’ sigh she'd ever heard.

“Uh, Yes I do mind! Why do you even want to?!” Uzi exclaimed, sketch now long forgotten due to the audacity of this woman! Uzi didn't ask if she could sleep in Lizzy's bedroom, what gave the right for Lizzy to?

“Because V thinks it's her job and only her job to take care of you when N isn't around, and that's not right when I'm right here!” She pointed to herself, flipping her hair like she was the obvious choice.

“I don't need taken care of. I'm fine! I don't need all of you doting on me!” Uzi snapped, standing up quickly in protest… too quickly, her vison blurred for a moment as she was hit with vertigo, swaying and holding her head for a moment.

Lizzy steadied her on one side, V on the other, Uzi grumbled, leaning more into V automaticaly when her lovely warmth washed over her.

“Uh huh, face it girl, you need help and you can't hog my…” V looked at her, blushing furiously as she made a cutting motion with her hand.

“B-bestie all to yourself.” Lizzy finished with a stammer and a wild blush, Uzi rolled her eyes, why did they even try to hide it anymore? It was so obvious it hurt. Her and N weren't this bad. Right?

“Bite me. Both of you.” She grumbled, but her body betrayed her by purring loudly when she felt V pet her head gently, making Lizzy giggle and Uzi blush madly.

“Uh, Uzi?” The three girls turned around, Thad poking his head into the room with a sheepish smile on his face, his eyebrow raised as if he was asking a question.

“No.” Uzi groaned, but it clearly didn't matter, she felt Lizzy nod and then punch V in the arm, and she nodded as well. “NO.” She said more sternly, she wanted the nest to be private!

And yet… that daybreak the nest was full of all six of them, N and Herself, sleeping in the middle with Tera between them, V and Lizzy, curled up next to each other, V's tail and arm wrapped around her protectively, and Thad passed out in a corner, snoring like a freight train…

And she slept like a baby…

Next ->

[tiramisuwithmascarpone]

Flowers you gave to Gods have withered away? no problemo, reuse them!

Hello guys! I believe I made a post before in which I talked about my habit of picking up flowers for Lady Aphrodite, Lord Hermes, and Lady Athena whenever I come back home. However, since they do not have dirt in which to expand their roots and absorb water, they wither away very soon. Generally, I would advise you to not leave expired food or dried-up flowers on your deity's altar. But there comes the question

,, Jelly, what do I do with them afterward?"

Well, fear not, because I've got just the solution as your fellow devotee and flower enjoyer!

1. Make homemade Potpourri!

A potpourri is basically a jar full of flowers, fruits, spices, etc. Which you leave in your room for its scent. Once your flowers get all dry, you can make one of these and place them in your room as to fill it with scents that remind you of your deities! and it is also a way more natural alternative to room freshener. I personally follow this recipe:

– Spread your flower heads and petals on a baking sheet. – Dry your flowers in an oven at 93° Celsius (200° Fahrenheit), which may take up to two hours. – Place dried flowers in an airtight container with a lid and add two or three drops of essential oils for your ideal scent. Rose, lemon, lavender, and cinnamon are among the most common fragrances for the home. – Store for six to eight weeks to allow the flowers to absorb the essential oils.

PS: Can also be a good freshener for your altar!

2. Homemade dried flower body scrub!

I actually only found out abut this today. But, apparently, if you mix up dried flower petals with Epsom salt, sea salt, baking soda, and essential oils you can basically create a scrub! I dunno if I would recommend it to people with sensitive skin tho...

3.Scented room spray

Mix together essential oils, alcohol, and dried flowers, and BOOM natural room spray! poof a little on your altar every morning!

4. If they are roses, make rosaries out of them!

Even though rosaries can be found a lot in Catholicism, many other religions use them. Buddhists, Muslims, and so much more! and, they actually used to be made out of actual roses. @jekraftbooks has a very good tutorial on TikTok about this, but basically, you need to:

1.Take your dried roses and throw them in a blender

2.Cook them down for several days at a low temperature. Only simmering, never boil.

3.When it begins to form like a clay ball, it is ready to go! Get a cheese cloth and squeeze all the water you can out of the clay. (Keep it for later)

4.Roll them into balls. Put a needle through them to make the hole, then leave them on cardboard for a few days to dry.

5. Once they dry, they will be rough, but we need them to have a smooth texture. Use the water from step 3, then rub some oil on them to give them some shine and protection from water ✨

6.Your beads are done! congrats! make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, any type of jewelry you wish for with them! You can also dedicate them to a deity as devotional jewelry or use them for prayer. Let your creativity go wild!!

[foodandfolklore]

Easy Ways to Kitchen Witch

If you're new to the craft, or if your path is recently at a cross roads where you're feeling more drawn to kitchen witchcraft, you might be looking for some easy ways to start. So often when you picture Kitchen Witchcraft, you think of elaborate meals of baked goods beautifully decorated. And sure, that can be part of it; but if you try to make Instagram worthy food for every meal, you'll burn out real quick. So how can you Be a Kitchen Witch without braking bank or burning out?

Stirring your intentions

This is going to be brought up any time talking about Witchcraft and Food, so I figured I'd get it out of the way first. The idea being if you want to add energy or personal intention to food, so that when it's consumed the magic activates. A lot of witches swear by: Stir Clock Wise to Add, Stir Counter Clockwise to banish (Get rid of bad stuff in food). I've mentioned this before, I personally don't feel like this makes a difference. Instead, what makes a difference is stirring towards you to add Energy and intentions. Stir away from you to Banish or remove. Which direction is Towards/Away? Whatever way feels right to you.

The neat thing about stirring is you can do it with any food or drink. You don't need to be actively cooking to do some stirring. You can use a straw, a fork, a spatula; whatever. And if you have something that can't be stirred, like a slice of pizza, try turning the plate.

Candle to Raise Power

Any time you're cooking in the kitchen, or doing anything in the kitchen, consider lighting a candle. I have a round candle holder with a lid that I wash and reuse. Just plop a tea light or votive candle in there. Candles are great at heightening the energy in a room, and as someone who's struggled with depression and motivation, I've found this little ritual/routine helps gets me going.

A few tips, first you wanna make sure the candle is in a place where you can see it but not in a place where it may get in the way. I keep mine on the back of my prep counter. Next, avoid strong scented candles. Scented candles can be great for a lot of occasions, but the smell of the candle can muddle or mute the smell of the food. Finally, as with any time you use candles, please practice good fire safety.

Spell Ingredient Correlations can Carry Over to Food

Have you done extensive research on Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme? Well I got good news! All of that research was not for nothing! Herbs and Spices used in Witchcraft and Spells are commonly used in food. If you use cinnamon in a lot of your spell work for prosperity and success, try throwing some in your food with similar intentions and see how it goes.

Granted, this is not going to apply to every spell ingredient as many plants used in witchcraft are toxic. Or at the very lest can be problematic when consumed in large amounts or if pregnant. So please use some caution and common sense. A little research can take you a long way.

Simmer Pots

These are great ways to elevate your home's energy. Also a good way to use up some dried ingredients that's been laying around. A simmer pot is not anything special. You can take any small pot you got, fill it about halfway with water, add dried or fresh herbs, and leave it on the lowest heat setting on your stove, uncovered. Everything will simmer and release amazing aromas and energy. The properties of the ingredients in your pot can release into the air of your home. This can be good to do in colder months when cleaning. Just warms up everything.

Saucy Symbols and Sigils

If your oils and sauces are in easy pour bottles, consider getting a little creative when you use it. Gunna put some Ketchup or Siracha on that? Why not draw a pentacle. Oiling a pan? Maybe cook your food in a symbol of infinity or life. Or create your own symbols and meanings. Add them to your food to help elevate their magic. You may feel limited by the pour spout, but remember it comes down to intention. But if it makes you feel better, you can always transfer your sauces to bottles with more precise pour.

Make a Magic Potion

If you are not a huge fan of Cooking or Baking, remember there's still options for Kitchen Witchcraft. Magic Drinks. You can infuse your magic into syrups, juices, teas, cocktails, mocktails, smoothies, and more. There are options for people who can't consume alcohol, caffeine, dairy, sugar, any dietary restriction. I think I a lot of people write this option off because they think it focuses too much on alcohol or they don't like tea/coffee. But there's a lot of options when it comes of conjuring drinks.

Cook with Sun and Moon Water

If you're not familiar with Moon water, it's fairly easy to make. You fill a glass jar and leave it out in moonlight to charge with moon energy. Same idea for Sun Water. I find Sun Water is better for general Cooking and Moon Water is better for Teas as the energy from moon water is more mellow.

Adding some Solar Energy with Sun water to soups or to cook your rice and pasta in can help infuse your food with some Solar energy. It ups the overall energy and power of the magic in the food, as well as adds success and thus increases the chance of things working. There's also many other benefits, but listing them all might be worth their own post.

Kitchen Witchcraft is more than Cooking

I think the most important thing to remember is that Kitchen Witchcraft is not just food. Kitchens are often the heart of a home, and many things will go on and get done in a kitchen. Family meetings or get togethers may happen in the kitchen, people may do their reading or web surfing there. Or maybe it's where they do their homework or paperwork. They may do their hobbies at the table or counter. There's more than just food going on in the Kitchen.

So, feel free to expand out. Do some crafts with kitchen supplies or for your kitchen. Protective charms and garlands made out of cinnamon sticks and other items. Or just try other kinds of Magic. Maybe you like the idea of knot magic and want to try knitting a protective scarf. Or you like plants and want to get into garden magic. You don't need to stay in some box; try some stuff out!

[buriedpentacles]

hi! since i've really leaned into witchcraft and spirituality, i became much more appreciative of the earth and i've been talking to her lots but i want to also become more sustainable in my daily life to help the environment even in small ways. do you have any ideas for simple things to do or habits to change to be more sustainable?

I do indeed!!

I think some the best things you can do for sustainable living is develop sustainable skills:

Learning to sew allows you to:

- fix holes in clothes

- adjust the height/seams/etc of clothes

- crop or add to items of clothing

Which means that clothes have a longer lifespan in general!

Learning to garden (even if its windowsill gardening!) helps you:

- spend less on certain herbs or plants (an easy way to start is regrowing spring onions in water)

- grow more native plants in your area

- encourage more insects into your garden

Learning to cook and bake can actually be super helpful because:

- you don't rely on takeaways or ready meals as often

- you can have more control over where your food is sourced and what you're eating

- you can meal plan and prep which saves time and money

- you can learn how to make your own jams, pickles, syrups etc! And you can get pretty creative with it!

Learning simple diy skills is super beneficial as you can:

- make things unqiue and suited to yourself (I.e. perfect sized shelves or a cabinet that fits perfectly in that gap between your bed and wall)

- restore thrifted furniture (staining to a preferred colour, cutting off legs to shorten it, fix the wobbly door etc)

- recycle old furniture, cabinets or similiar unused items into something else (I've turned a old cabinet into a small outdoor storage unit) rather than throwing them away

Learning basic maintenance for things you own is a money saver and:

- means you can fix your bike chain or replace your car's oil and filter without needing to call anyone or spend extra money

- can keep you safe and at a lower risk of motor accident (knowing how to do basic maintenance checks can help you see warning signs for damage)

- means that simpler things like clogged drains, non-flushing toilets, leaky taps etc no longer require calling and paying for a plumber

Of course you don't need to be an expert in any of these, I'm certainly not! But I can cook myself a decent meal, sew some new buttons on an old shirt or fix a hole in my jeans and restore an old wardrobe into something usable.

I love Pete Seeger's quote:

"If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production."

Basically it's so important to be aware of your consumption - avoid overconsumption, buy quality over quantity, thrift and reuse things, trade with people. Throwing things away should be a last resort or a necessity, rather than a "I don't know what else to do with it".

And, while recycling isn't quite the saviour people think it is, it is so important to get into the habit of sorting your rubbish correctly!!

Other important sustainable habits include:

Changing your eating habits. If it's feasible for you, try:

- reduce meat and dairy consumption (including fish, as they're massively overharvested)

- prioritise locally and ethically sourced animal produce (local butchers can be a great place to start for this)

- eat more seasonally (its not really feasible to only eat seasonal foods, but try to learn about them and incorporate them more)

- reduce food waste with composting, food donations, meal planning/prepping and learn to love leftovers

- invest in a tap filter and reusable water bottle (drinking tap water is not always safe depending on where you live so research first!!!)

- use public transport (or walk) where possible!

- connect with other people near you who also care about sustainable living: trade services and items and knowledge!

- learn about your local area and ecology!! I sound like a broken record saying this, but the BEST way to start living with nature, is to understand it. You can't help your local wildlife if you don't know it, you can't take steps to protect your environment if you don't know the threats.

All of these are just a few tips and ideas, they may not be feasible for everyone for numerous reasons but it's important to remember that it's not about being perfect, it's about *trying* and doing what you can.

There's so much more I could get into here, from foraging to activism to how and what to thrift vs when to splurge on new items but I think this post is long enough! Let me know if there's anything you want expanding or going into more depth on!!!

[ligbi]

Now that we are in a dungeon meshi lull, I want to share the bread recipe I have been using every single week to have Saturday morning bread with my mother. It's essentially this recipe [x] but for people who have not yet tried their hands at baking, I'd like to break down the process so everyone can have a delicious treat.

To start you will need on hand:

Oven that can get to 425° F

Refrigerator that seals and stays cold

9x13 baking pan- glass or other

Salt- table

Sugar- normal

Flour- all purpose (normal)

Olive oil

Yeast

Either drinkable tap water that can get Hot or water and a microwave

Measuring spoons (teaspoon specifically)(the bigger but not biggest one if you have four)

Measuring cup

A large ceramic bowl

Spatula- the kind for scraping

Hand towels or tea towel- kitchen towels. Cheap towels

Pam or another spray oil (buttered flavored if you have that on accident) - optional but useful

Salt- big and crunchy - optional but useful

A piece of twine you can measure and cut, or a rubber band

Big spatula- flippy kind- optional but useful

Plates, napkins, cooling rack, oven mitts, sponge, dish soap balsamic, dipping bowl(s) - your call on what you need for eating and cleaning

Bread knife - or rip it with your hands like an animal. Or use a normal knife

I always start Thursday night- it takes about 20 minutes to prep, and then do the rest Saturday morning- 5 minutes of prep part 2 + 5 minutes of pre oven prep + 30 minutes of cook time. So the entire process is about 30 minutes and a lot of waiting.

To start, you will want to put two teaspoons of yeast into the ceramic bowl (clean). The glass jars of Fleishman can be found at most grocery and big box stores. If you do not want to buy a whole jar, one of the packets they have is about the right amount (they usually come in 3 packs).

Measure 2 cups of hot water. We want about 110° so too hot to touch comfortably but not scalding. You need your water hot to activate the yeast, but too hot will kill it.

Slowly pour the hot water over the yeast, and sprinkle in a pinch of sugar, and mix this brown water with a spatula (scraping kind) for about 10 seconds before letting it sit for 10 minutes. The yeast eats the sugar and the time allows the years to proof. After 10 minutes you will see a type of foam on top of the water, which is proof the yeast is active.

Measure out two cups of flour and add them to the yeast+water. King Arthur all purpose flour is just fine and dandy, you do not Need bread flour and King Arthur is employee owned.

On top of the flour, add two teaspoons of salt. You can use any salt, and can experiment with different flavor profiles. If you go to spice shops or even Renaissance Faires, you can find flavored salts that add a nice kick. You can also use regular normal table salt.

Use the spatula to mix the flour+salt into the water+yeast until you have a goo.

Add one more cup of flour and mix it in with the spatula. Add the last cup of flour and finish mixing it into a dough.

Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and that everything is mixed in. The dough should be unable to hold shape well when pushing it into a ball, and there should be no visible white flour left in the dough.

Pour some olive oil around the dough into the bowl. You can eyeball this (1 tablespoon minimum)- you are not drowning the dough but you do want enough to cover the dough and then some. You can easily swap out olive oils for flavored and infused ones. There are a lot of bootleg oils on the market, but whatever you probably have on hand should be fine for your first bake.

Roll the dough around in the oil with the spatula to make sure it is fully covered. While you are not adding in olive oil properly, you can mix it in a little when oiling it up to make it nice.

Drape a kitchen towel over the top of the bowl so it is fully covered. Take your twine or string and tie it tightly at the top of the bowl and cut it it. This can be reused with this bowl in the future. If you do not have twine, a rubber band will also keep the towel in place. We just want to keep the breathable piece of fabric tight over the top of the bowl.

Stick the bowl in the fridge for like. A day- day and a half. If you started at 10pm Thursday night, it should now be about 10:20 with a spatula, measuring spoon, and measuring cup to clean up. The dough will slowly rise in the fridge and you can move onto the next steps after 24-48 hours.

I wake up at a stupid time like 6am on Saturday.

Spray the pam or other oil on the sides and bottom of the 9x13 pan. You can also just use a paper towel to rub olive oil on the sides. We just want everything greased.

Pour some olive oil on the bottom of the pan and tilt it around to cover the entire bottom. Start with a little and add more if needed. More is not bad- it will give the bread a nice crunch while still being soft inside.

Take the bowl out and use that spatula to gently pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will have risen and will seem stringy when pulled away.

Slowly pour the dough into the greased pan until it plops out.

Shake it around a bit and maybe poke at it with the spatula to get it centered and not flipped over on itself. The dough will be expanding for the next 4 hours and you don't have to worry about spreading it in the pan.

Cover with a/the same tea towel and try to get it taut over the pan to keep the towel from touching and sticking to the dough. Trying to get the covers of the pan on top of the edges of the towel may work depending on the towel.

Set that aside for four hours. I go back to bed. At some point between here and the next step you should put some dish soap in your bowl and fill it with water. After a 20 minute soak its easy to wash it clean with a sponge.

9:30 or 3 and a half hours later- pre-heat the over to 425° F. If you want Celsius or other measurements this whole time, its about 280 Celsius, 2 teaspoons is about 10 millimeters or .35 oz (dry) and 2 cups is 16 oz fluid.

MAKE SURE THE OVEN IS EMPTY FIRST. Other trays or pans will take some of the heat and the bake will be off.

Once the oven is done pre-heating (it should beep or have a light indicator for this) wash your hands really really well, and pour some more olive oil on top of the dough. You will carefully cover the top of the dough with oil by rubbing it over with your hands. Make sure it is fully covered. There may be bubbles on the top now- that means you've done it right till now. If not, that's fine it will still be good.

Take your big chunky salt (sea salt works well or chunky kosher salt) and sprinkle it on the dough. You do not want to go too heavy, but it will add a nice texture. If you have a salt container with the cracker thingy you turn to get it out, i do about 6-8 cracks while trying to move it up and down the dough.

Take your clean hands (because you washed after the oil and then again just now after the salt) and spread your fingers out and down like shitty claws. Dimple the bread with your fingers by just poking it a lot. Try to avoid the bubbles if you can for a nice look.

If you ever want to put something on top like rosemary or sliced tomatoes or whatever, now is the time. Not me though.

Stick that baby in the oven roughly center and set the timer for 30 minutes.

While it bakes, get your cooling rack/big plate/serving board out, and your oven mitts. And a bread knife/whatever knife you want to use. And a really big spatula (flipping kind).

When the 30 minutes is up, use the oven mitts to pull out the pan and put it on a heat resistant surface like the top of the oven. Take your big spatula and slide that bad boy down a side and try to wiggle it around until it's under the loaf. If you don't have a big spatula, you can always flip the bread out of the pan by dumping it out onto your rack/board/plate.

With the oven mitts, move the pan to your cooling rack and with one hand tilt it up and with the other use the spatula to slide the loaf out onto the rack.

Set the pan and spatula aside to wash later.

Take your cooling rack and put it amongst friends with the knife. Get some plates. If you have any balsamic vinegar and/or more olive oil for dipping, set that out too. Napkins. Drinks. Delicious in Dungeon on the tv. Live. Laugh. Love. Eat.

[wicca-foxes]

Witchcraft and recycling

Wicca, and by extension witchcraft, value nature as both a host and a guest in our lifes. Making the most of our resourses is both financially wise and respectful of our believes and values. It is very easy to emast a wide catalogue of stuff in our every day lifes, harvesting what we can to reuse can be a fun way to recycle.

A few examples of using "scraps" for witchcraft:

recycling paper at home, using opened envelopes to write your spells/notes on;

collecting rainwater to use in spells and for watering plants;

using kitchen scraps (like lemon peels, orange peels, used cinnamon sticks) as offerings;

using the coffee zest for fertiliser (do not worry it is around pH7 and it's perfectly safe for plants and/or composting - I have tested it) or lose tea;

using old/damaged chopsticks as a "beginner wand";

the bottles from cooking extracts (vanilla extract, orange extract) or essential oils bottles are PERFECT for storing seeds and for being spell jars (bonus points because they're so small and cute!);

re-melting remaining wax from candles to form new ones;

using old paintbrushes as a "beginner broom" (especially good for a hidden/small-pocket sized altar);

using an old pot as a cauldron, or thrifting one as needed;

using pressed/dried flowers as offerings;

considering a digital book of shadows (Word is excelent for this, combining it with Excel, can be used in browser for free);

using digital libraries for books of study (@coreycore420 mentioned https://z-lib.org and it's a godly recommandation and tool!);

avoiding essential oils;

using dried pine needles as incense sticks (for outdoor use only);

growing a few herbs used in both spells and cooking in tin cans (starters) then thrifted pots is amazing!;

going around your neighborhood, take a look around the dumpsters or glass collectors, people can throw away usable pots, plastic storage boxes, baskets or jars and glass bottles (make sure to properly clean and clense the item);

if avalable - trade and swap local groups on Facebook can help you thrift with ease, especially if you don't have thrift stores where you live;

using old papers/magazines as packaging/wrapping paper (hello holidays).

With all these corner-cutters, you need to be careful to not hoard items. I have made the mistake of holding to items thinking I can find them an use, my rule of thumb is that 1 month is enough to plan a craft/purpose, and 2 months to execute it, ajust the time to your liking, but don't keep it longer than 6 months overall. Also be prudent with what you plan to reuse, as certain ideas can be dangerous (not me looking at my idea to reuse burned out lightbulbs and cutting myself by mistake), so don't force anything.

I want to highlight an important aspect: you doing all these things, bending your way back to have a lesser impact on the environment, is not going to make the big impat you dream of. Take it as "I'm doing my part to respect my host and my believes", or as a challange. Do not sadden youself for your waste, as most of the time it is forced upon you.

Nowadays you can opt out of certain waste (opting for no cutlery if buying takeaway, bringing your own coffee cup/thermos to a coffee shop to avoid the paper cups, bringing your own reusable straws, using trays or silicone ice cubes instead of using the plastic ice-maker packs, etc.). There are little changes you can make, or ask for, in your life in order to minimise your waste, or just to save some money.

Please take care of yourself out there!

[rjzimmerman]

Turbine Blades Have Piled Up in Landfills. A Solution May Be Coming. (New York Times)

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

The blades on the newest wind turbines sweep an area longer than a football field and are nearly impossible to recycle.

At the end of their life span of around 20 years, they are chopped into pieces and buried in a handful of landfills across the Great Plains. Those few sites in Wyoming, Iowa and South Dakota have a spooky nickname: wind turbine graveyards.

But this waste problem from a growing source of low carbon energy could become a headache of the past.

Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have developed what they say is a turbine blade made from plant material that can be recycled. The new substance is made from inedible sugar extracted from wood, plant remains, used cooking oil and agricultural waste.

They say the prototype they developed can perform as well as traditional blades that are made from a combination of fiberglass and plastic and which have been very difficult to reuse.

The new, recyclable material could be easily adopted by industry, said Robynne Murray, one of the researchers at the national laboratory.

Because the blades for wind turbines are shaped in large molds, which can take up entire warehouses and are expensive to build, it is critical for any new material to be compatible with existing molds and production facilities. And the substance developed by the national laboratory does exactly that, Dr. Murray said.

It’s “designed to be a drop-in replacement,” she said. “Manufacturers should be able to just take it and use it.”

Blades made from the new materials could be 3 to 8 percent more expensive than traditional blades, according to one estimate.

[quaintpanic]

you can reuse cooking oil as many times as you want. but watch out! the gunk.

[cognitivejustice]

Meet Valdirene Militão: An Urban Farmer and Creative Recycler Fighting for the Self-Reliance of Favela Women

Valdirene Oliveira Militão, affectionately known as Val in the Roquete Pinto favela in Complexo da Maré, located in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, where she has lived for 52 years, embodies the possibility of everyday sustainable practices accessible to favela residents.

Agroecology and sustainability, which increasingly gain space in public debate, are knowledge passed down in the favela in an affectionate and local manner by elders.

Yet, these grassroots insights are made invisible and delegitimized for being practical, conceived through lived experience and need, through “pretagogias” [Black pedagogical practices]. Such values only become accepted and seen as a solution when they are whitewashed and transformed into commodities, into tools of control.

In this sense, reusing waste and (re)creating from scrap materials Val resignifies life and her community with her hands. This fusion of perspectives encapsulates Valdirene Militão’s initiatives toward sustainability and the economic empowerment of women. Through workshops, she teaches other women how to repurpose leftover materials to transform and market them, generating income.

In the area surrounding her home studio, where she carries out recycling activities, Val gathers milk cartons to craft protective blankets for animals. Additionally, the visual artist collects coffee capsules, costume jewelry, and PET bottles to fashion decorative objects and clothing. Notably, she gathered 204 coffee capsules to create a futuristic-style garment worn by digital influencer Yá Burihan at the 2024 Vogue Magazine Carnival Ball.

In addition to her career as a visual artist, Val promotes other sustainable initiatives. She was one of the founders of the Ricardo Barriga Project, which emerged during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 to generate income for Maré residents and promote food security. The initiative was named in honor of Ricardo Barriga, Val’s former brother-in-law, who died of Covid-19.

The activities aim to promote a culture of sustainability, such as workshops on making soap from used cooking oil, distribution of baskets of basic foodstuffs, face masks, and eco-friendly soap.

[tea-withnofixinsplease]

We're makin leaps and bounds with this whole sustainability thing since we moved from our apartment a few years ago. Whenever i feel like im not doin enough I lay out all the tiny swaps we've done on the table

we no longer by styrofoam cups and reuse the ones we have

We no longer use plastic plates, we either use glass or compostable ones (and throw the compostable ones in the compost)

Our building has solar panels for electricity

Our soaps are zero/low waste

My mother and I started our loc journey so its much easier to find all-natural, plastic free hair care

I use reusable pads

I don't buy new clothes often if at all, 4 shirts in the last 7 years

3/5 of us eat strictly plant-based bc we're vegan,

We have an indoor hydroponic system growing leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers and fruits, and we bought seeds in bulk. We're planning on swapping rockwool cubes with reusable and compostable hemp fiber cubes

Since the hydroponic system is so bright, and the led lights last for 5 years at a time, we use the living area lights much less, opting for natural sunlight if the hydroponic system is not enough or is off.

We have a bokashi indoor compost bin for food scraps, and an outdoor cold compost bin for the scraps that cant go in the bokashi bin to make our own soil

We started a kitchen garden, and a pollinator/tea garden, and as of 2023 we now have a plum tree, a grapevine, two blackberry bushes, 5 reusable grow bags, 4 big planters and 2 big raised garden beds, lookin forward to fruits and vegetables in the spring, summer, fall and winter. We're planning to buy one more steel raised bed to ensure that we are cycling through what we're growing each year to limit pest-control methods, even neem oil, and planning on purchasing a lot more perennials and native perennials/annuals.

This fall Im gonna purchase a mushroom growing chamber kit for more low waste vegan meat alternatives and to add some healthy mushroom soil to the compost cycle

Our laundry detergent is environmentally safe

Our washing machine is water-efficient

We have a fridge with a water filter for cooking and drinking water

We have reusable grocery store bags

Im gonna try to grow lufas next year to replace our kitchen sponges and steel wool scrubbing pads,

Our property is small, and our neighbors are not as social/gungho about bartering or Co-Op food gardening,

but I'm proud of wat we've done so far, and I can do a lot more, and I plan to do so, so any advice would be welcome

[brokoala-soup]

I think my aesthetic might be something along the lines of cottagecore and light academia with a tinge of Studio Ghibli and bits and pieces of chaotic academia. So this includes:

classical music blaring out of cheap speakers, homemade food served in reused takeout containers, half dying houseplants in everything but traditional flower pots, the fragrance of jasmine and mint, mirrors reflecting sunlight on to disorganised bookshelves with the most random collection of books, soups in glassware, gel pen doodles all over my notes, herbal teas in whiskey glasses, locally sourced incense sticks, handmade woolen blankets over commercially sold quilts, baking granola bars on a lazy sunday afternoon, adding chocolate to literally everything, mid day naps when the weather is cloudy yet humid, ribbon ties instead of stapler pins, making my own spice powders, scented oil lamps, being obsessed with cloves, sleeping on a bed full of pillows only to find over half of them on the floor next morning, missing alarms because closing my eyes for two more seconds won't make me fall asleep again, picking flowers and herbs from the garden, sleepy afternoons, careful skincare but with the most day to day products, eucalyptus oil, use and throw inhalers to deal with my anxiety because the smell of menthol calms me down, short nails and neutral manicure, smelling like flowers one day and like the sea the other, getting excited whenever I spot the moon, absolutely in awe and in love with the clouds because they're amazing and so creative, puppies, calligraphy using ball pens, homemade mocha latte using soya milk, my grandma's childhood earrings that I wear all the time, newspapers, organic vegetables sold by retired social workers, tote bags, reusable metal water bottles, hot showers and cold rinses, using my grandmother's favorite brand of soap because I love smelling like her, herbal hair oil, smelling like sandalwood, cooking pasta with the family, reading secondhand books, collecting fused light bulbs, pencil underlines, postcards, 1 am poetry, pop instrumentals and pensive journaling, benzene rings on page margins, berry flavoured cough syrup, baking bread, long walks, loud conversations, thrifting, e-books, chocolate wrappers hidden between dictionary pages, colourful periodic table prints, plushies, honey, fleece blankets, sleeping cats, signet ring, dried rose I'd bought for myself and carried around like a trophy travelling back home with it in the public bus, twinning perfumes coincidentally with my best friend, vintage looking brand new ink pen and expired ink, sticky notes with motivational quotes covering my wall, never buying perfumes and only using the ones I'm gifted, random words that remind me of niche incidents or memories written along the corners of my study material, pearl jewelry set that my dad gifted my mom but it's me who wears it now, combat boots bought at ¼th it's price at a discount clearance sale, all my jackets being bought from different countries by my dad and thus each serving as a token of memory, lipstick shades that match only extremely specific vibes and look off and odd at other times, cherry lip balm stick that I've used only twice, daily calendar sheets reused as a notepad, birthday candles from my 16th birthday sitting on my work table, the lingering smell of multiple beverages in my room because I seldom wash the cups I drank them from and now they're cluttered all over the room, hand me down luxury watches older than me, chipped nailpolish, reminders written down on tissue papers, bus tickets all over my bag, sugar-free chewing gum, deodorant that never washes off my clothes, wearing clothes purchased 5 years ago and getting compliments simply because it's not trendy but is unique, mini origami cranes, rose sprays, lychee scented sanitizer, baking bread at home on weekends, homemade hair masks, turning up late because i was busy enjoying life walking through the eucalyptus grove on the way to class, running to the station yet missing the train, all my everyday ornaments having a deeper meaning to me.

[epersonae]

the cooking project - microwave mug brownie

ok, it's the most least recipe (well, no: formulas for various instant pot foods are the most least of all my recipe cards), but today was kind of a challenging day if I'm being honest, in a challenging week, and I made this for myself as a little treat and thought, eh fuckit this counts too for this project.

I found this via a search online at some point I think in the winter of 2018-19, in a Sad Time, or possibly early 2019 after I moved into the Yellow House? Definitely a time when I lived alone and wasn't baking. I tried several "microwave mug" whatever recipes and this is the one I liked the best.

Recipe text, transcribed

Microwave Mug Brownie

3 tbsp flour 3 tbsp brown sugar 3 tbsp cocoa 3 tbsp oil 3 tbsp water pinch salt 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp chocolate chips

60 seconds in microwave

In which I am a Very Precise Person

I love this because most of the measures are 3 tablespoons; I always put in a "scant tablespoon" of chocolate chips instead of the 2 teaspoons because then I can just reuse the tablespoon measure and it's not that much difference.

Everything goes in order so I don't have to clean the tablespoon measure except for the chocolate chips. Also, stir the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients, it mixes better that way.

It's kind of ugly and a little heavy but I like it

(yes, that is an MIT mug. 1000 years ago, which is to say probably in 1999 or 2000, I got sent to MA for a work training, some fundraising database that my employer at the time was switching to. got to do a tiny bit of sightseeing, ended up in the MIT gift shop, bought this (for my ex, ironically, but it ended up in my things), a magnet, and a t-shirt. it is the perfect size and shape for the microwave brownie. I did not go back to MA until 2019.)

[mariacallous]

The best part of Hanukkah? No question: All the delicious fried foods we eat, which commemorates the oil lasting eight nights instead of just one. If you are gearing up for some latke, donut, churro or bumuelo frying, here are some of the best oils to handle the job. 

Canola or Vegetable Oil

My go-to oil for frying latkes – or anything that takes a bit of time to fry (like schnitzel or sufganiyot) – is canola or vegetable oil because of its high smoke point and neutral flavor. When you are frying you tend to use a larger quantity of oil, and it’s definitely the most cost-effective choice. You can reuse canola oil for frying – just use a fine mesh sieve to strain out any pieces of food in the oil, store in a container at room temperature, and use 1-2 additional times, depending on how much cooking debris is left in the oil.

Safflower Oil

Made from sunflower seeds, safflower oil has a high smoke point and neutral flavor, but is pricier than canola or vegetable oil. However, it may be the healthier option for frying, since some research has indicated that there are numerous health benefits to cooking with it, including fighting inflammation and boosting heart health.

Avocado Oil

Like safflower oil, avocado oil has a high smoke, though it has a much stronger – sometimes sweet – flavor, which may add an unwanted taste, especially when it comes to latkes. It also can be pricey, and since you need a large quantity of oil for Hanukkah-frying projects, that can add up quickly.

Peanut Oil

Peanut oil has a high smoke point, which is why it’s commonly used for deep frying (hello, Five Guys French fries!). It can add a rich, nutty or buttery flavor, which you may or may not enjoy. While it’s a cheaper option than safflower oil and avocado oil, due to the prevalence of nut allergies, I tend to stay away from using this, just in case.

Schmaltz

OK, I wouldn’t recommended frying your latkes exclusively in schmaltz for two reasons: it’s pretty fatty and you will need a large quantity of it. However, if you are into going old-school, my recommendation is to use ⅔  canola oil to ⅓ schmaltz, to balance the flavor.