Reader Nadene shares this recipe -

Crafty Cabbage makes for good soup!

Name: Addi Twigg

Affiliation: Add It Up (personal blog), Camelia Road (original folk music)

How did you learn about The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project?

Through fellow Pittsburgh blogger, Sue Kerr: lesbian correspondent extraordinaire (wait — since I got the interview already, can I stop kissing up?). Her LGBTQ radar found a piece I wrote a while back and we became fast virtual friends. Then I heard she was torturing herself for the benefit of this tote bag project and I just HAD to know more!

What other sort of volunteer work have you done?

I’ve done the Adopt-a-Family program through the United Way several times. My employer works with them, so different departments will typically sponsor a family. I like participating in that because if you don’t have money to spare, you can give your time, and if you don’t have time to spare, you can give them money. Or you can give both! My favorite part is wrapping the gifts for the families. Has anyone seen the tape?

What fact(s) about hunger and/or the environment resonate with you?

I think the bottled water craze is… well… crazy. For starters, bottled water is nowhere near as regulated as tap water. Secondly, all that plastic is going nowhere, and fast. People often don’t even finish a whole bottle before discarding it! It just seems so wasteful, and for what? The illusion of pristine water? Phooey, I say!

Describe your favorite tote bag. 

My favorite tote is my DSW bag. It’s a lovely purple, it’s enormous, and it helps remind me of that shoe problem — I mean shoe COLLECTION – I have waiting for me at home.

What tip do you have to help people remember to take their tote bags to the store?

After you unload, put all the smaller bags inside the bigger ones, like your own little collection of Russian nesting bags. This is much less creepy than I’m making it sound, I promise. Then just hang them on or near the door so you can grab them on the way out!

What should be the theme song of The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project?

Call me biased, but I think “Tote Me Maybe” is pretty swell. (Ok, I’m biased.)

Today’s deals are going to be short and to the point, focusing on two great items to share with yinz neighbors. Comment below if there are certain things yinz are looking for and I’ll do my best as Burgh Saver to find them and share them with yinz.

Giant Eagle (through Wednesday 1/16, from Lady Savings)

Cereal Deals with a $2 off instantly wyb 4 include General Mills Cereals (select) at 4 for $10 (which -$2 = 4 for $8, great deal even without coupon!):

Fiber One, Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters, Fiber One Carmel Delight, Fiber One Low Fat Bran
- any of the following printable coupons = $0.40 – $1.25 each
75¢/1 Fiber One cereal
75¢/1 Fiber One
85¢/1 Fiber One
75¢/1 Fiber One Cellfire or Giant Eagle eOffer (doesn’t double)
75¢/1 Fiber One Cereal SavingStar Deposit (remember, doesn’t double and “banks” into yinz SavingStar account. BurghSaver did this and made $0.75 on Thursday night!)

Cheerios – Multigrain
75¢/1 Multi Grain Cheerios cereal
75¢/1 Multigrain Cheerios (90210 here if needed)
85¢/1 Multigrain Cheerios
75¢/1 Multi-Grain Cheerios Cellfire or Giant Eagle eOffer (doesn’t double)
75¢/1 Multi-Grain Cheerios SavingStar Deposit (remember, doesn’t double and “banks” into yinz SavingStar account. BurghSaver did this and made $0.75 on Thursday night!)

Peanut Butter Toast Crunch
75¢/1 Peanut Butter Toast Crunch

Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch
75¢/1 Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch

Fiber One Chocolate Clusters
75¢/1 Fiber One 80 Chocolate Cereal
75¢/1 Fiber One Cereal SavingStar Deposit (remember, doesn’t double and “banks” into yinz SavingStar account. BurghSaver did this and made $0.75 on Thursday night, but you can only use this one time, so you get $0.75 for one box)

Campbell’s Condensed Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup 4 for $3 = $0.75
40¢/3 Campbell’s Condensed Soups
40¢/4 from 12/2 SS
$1/5 CampbellsKitchen.com
(As low as $0.48 each wyb 3 with coupon)

Wasa Crisp ‘n Light Crackerbread – $1.99
-75¢/1 ANY Wasa Printable = $0.49 (a really good healthy item to donate)

Yinz be sure to comment with any tips for the rest of us!

Chicken Taco Soup

Even though I’ve been trying really hard to eat healthy, it’s not always easy to break things you learned as a kid. You see, money was not very plentiful in my house growing up, so we made do with what we had. The things I now cook for my own family aren’t always made of the most organic, natural, local, or fresh products, so making a chicken taco soup primarily from canned goods really isn’t that unfamiliar to me. Here’s the recipe (adapted fromhere to make it more adaptable for items commonly in my house).

1 onion, chopped (I’ve been known to substitute it with an onion seasoning that I picked up at the dollar store and made to last)

1 16 oz. can chili beans (or whatever beans you have on hand, I really like white northern beans)

1 16 oz. can black beans (kidney beans…whatever!)

1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 12 oz. can chicken broth

2 10 oz. cans diced tomatoes with green chilies (this is less common, I’ve done diced tomatoes plus a can of green chilies or jalapenos)

1 package taco seasoning (substitute with tabasco, chili powder, anything spicy)

2 cans chicken breast (yep, I use canned chicken, mostly because I hate raw chicken)

I cook this in my slow cooker for 4-6 hours on low. If a slow cooker is not available, I’ve done a soup pot on medium for about 45 minutes to an hour) then top with cheddar cheese and tortilla chip crumbs (the stuff no one ever eats).

As you can see, most of the items in the recipe are canned, but it doesn’t mean they are commonly donated to the food pantries. Of the items above, I’ve only ever donated tomatoes, beans, corn, and chicken. It’s made me think about the items I donate…how easy are they to coordinate with other items for making into meals? Not often very easy. You have to get creative. Also, if your pantry limits items (or only distributes one box a month), you might use your entire distribution in one meal like this (that’s why it’s easier to pop open one can and that be the meal!). I know I’ll think more about my future donations because of this!

Becky is the mom behind ‘lil Burghers and a member of The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project Steering Committee. 

Do you know when the recycling logo means item is made from reycled content v when its recyclable?

Unprecedented drop in donations, surge in demand test anti-hunger groups 

Green Resolution: Suck Vampire Power Out of 2013 #green

What do you think about “poor skills” a la @BitchMedia?  #poverty #hipster#co-opting

Massachusetts Town Bans Plastic Water Bottles  via @timenewsfeed

What’s life like at the poverty line?

10 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds and Tea Bags via @Earth911

Did you know that @PghFoodBank has an online recipe box to make delicious meals from food pantry items? Check it aht!

The awesome women at @WePropelle will be collecting #sistersupplies during their March Happy Hour!

10 Ways to Go Green from Your Seat  via @Earth911

Mom says “I’m going cold turkey on kiddie consumerism” | Hattie Garlick #thoughts

More than 1 in 5 California children live in poverty, study finds  via @lanow

For Many Battling Poverty, Savings Program Is the Key to Success – Spotlight On Poverty via @sharethis

Starbucks Hopes $1 Reusable Tumbler Will Cut Cup Waste  via @Earth911

Green Fellow Opportunity in SW Pennsylvania

RT @glccpgh: Every Thursday at the GLCC: Free HIV testing provided by @PghAids from 6-9pm.

Fiscal cliff law brings mixed news to charitable organizations | TribLIVE

Bike lanes may benefit small businesses  via @NBCNewsBusiness

Are you interested in #reuse? Join our Facebook group 

From used and unwanted to pulp; Program diverts books from landfills -Recycling – Waste & Recycling News via @sharethis

Greater Chicago Food Depository: #SNAP Challenge: Day Zero http://bit.ly/VRjsLi

Are you an accountant/bookkeeper/organizer? We need someone to serve as interim Treasurer for the project. This requires some minimal ledger management and sending a quarterly report to our fiscal sponsor. They handle the larger reporting requirements of a 501c3. You can do this from home. We simply ask that you be available on Saturday Feb 9 for an all day planning session 9-4. Contact us for more details.

Do like to drive and have some weekday availability?We need a regular transport of totes n food from the Northside to the Food Bank in Duquesne. This requires a reliable vehicle and about 1-2 hours of your time. Can be weekly or biweekly. No heavy lifting required. You may need to store items in your car for an overnight period. A typical load will fill a trunk and backseat or the cargo space of an SUV or van. You will help us get the items to our neighbors more quickly with this task. Contact us here.

Can you transport donations from Northside to Duquesne 1x or 2x a month?

Do you like to write? We are taking on new guest bloggers on topics from environmental issues to profiles of our community partners. Solid writing skills necessary, but blogging experience is not. We can provide you concrete assignments or you can propose your own topic. We are specifically looking for regular pieces in these topic areas:

• Reuse/Repurposing/Upcycling Crafts Related to Tote Bags
• Nutrition/Food/Cooking
• Environmental/Green/Sustainability Topics Relevant to Southwestern PA
• Profiles of our Partners – requires interviews and site tours
• First person stories about food banks and similar programs

When responding, please specify if you are offering to submit a one time guest post or write on an ongoing basis.

Been meaning to organize a tote bag drive?We have four excellent themes. Pick your dates & get it on the calendar.

This hair salon collected hundreds of sister supplies in 2012.

• Soup – January is National Soup Month
• Peanut Butter – January 24 is National Peanut Butter Day
• Heart Health – During February, we urge you to organize drives with red items (whole grain cereals, pastas, oatmeal, canned salmon) to promote heart health
• Sister Supplies – ask your hair salon to collect Sister Supplies during March. Or your nail salon.

Here’s our FAQ for Tote Drives (with or without food) and here is the registration form!

Of course, don’t forget the tote bag to collect the items! Contact us to register your drive.