a peek inside the fishbowl

This blog post and giveaway is sponsored by Ontario Tire Stewardship.*

I know a lot of community- and environmentally-minded Fishies follow this blog and I know this information will be of interest. It could be a game changer for YOUR local community project!

Have you heard about the Community Renewal Fund? It’s a grant that offers up to $50,000 to put toward building or renewing spaces using sustainable materials made with recycled Ontario tire rubber.

Recycled tires can be used in a lot of different ways. For example, did you know that playground pathways, for example, can be made out of recycled tire rubber? Not only is this a great way to use up discarded tires – which can’t be recycled in the same manner as pulp and paper or glass bottles – but it gives the kids something a little springier to play on. I’d call that a win-win.

Since the program’s inception, 48 projects in 37 communities across Ontario have been awarded funding for playgrounds, fitness tracks, and other shared community spaces. Harbourfront Centre’s Natrel Rink, for example, was furnished with recycled rubber flooring made from recycled tires. (A complete look at the transformation can be viewed on Rethink Tire’s YouTube channel!)

Ontario-based community groups such as municipalities, non-profit community groups or organizations, schools, or First Nations communities are all invited to apply to the Community Renewal Fund.

The Community Renewal Fund is targeted at larger public projects but there are many products made from recycled tires available for the home as well. Boot trays, winter car mats, planters, backyard pavers, stair treads, garden borders, roofing shakes ­– these are just a few things that are made out of recycled tires.

I have a $25 gift card to give away to one recipient to spend at Home Depot from Ontario Tire Stewardship. You may choose to spend it on something new made with recycled tire rubber, it’s up to you!

Interested?

• Just leave a comment below. That’s it!
• This giveaway is open to residents of Ontario. One entry per email address please!
• If you can’t post your comment for whatever reason you can email it to me for posting at andrea at quietfish dot com. Please note, I cannot be responsible if your entry is misdirected or gets stuck in my Spam folder.
• This giveaway is void where prohibited by law.
• I will draw one name using Random.org at noon EST on November 3, 2016 and I’ll contact the winner via email. The name of the winner will be posted here as well. So please check back!
• The gift card will be mailed to the winner by Rethinktires.ca.

For more information about the Community Renewal Fund and to apply online, or just learn about how we can make a difference, visit rethinktires.ca.

This blog post and giveaway is sponsored by Ontario Tire Stewardship. Thank you OTS!

I think the first part of every season is my favourite season.

Winter: it’s about fluffy flakes, boots crunching in the snow, and everything is peaceful and white.

Spring: we welcome longer sunny days and good weather and start to put aside the layers. The rain washes everything away and suddenly everything is bursting with life again.

Summer: warmth and sun, time spent outdoors, suddenly our living space is a million times bigger. There is freedom in flip flops.

And then there’s autumn, when the forests seem to catch fire and deliver one last show before the whites and grays set in:

I was cold, wet, tired and hungry. I was at the grocery store when I was struck by a sudden hankering for something hot that would light my taste buds on fire. Oh, and I didn’t want to spend any extra time in the kitchen. Ha.

It might be worth mentioning that at this point in time I did not know that when I got home I’d discover our Internet was down and we’d had a wee flood in the basement that would require a mop, a sponge, a bucket, and moving things around. Sigh.

ANYWAY. I grabbed a dry soup mix that caught my eye and decided that This Was The Day I was going to try something new. And you know what, I was pleasantly surprised.

Sidebar: I’m generally not a fan of prepackaged soups at all. I find canned soups too salty and I also don’t trust canned meat. There you go.

The ingredients on the package were simple and recognizable and all I had to do was add some fresh stuff of my own: broth, a sliced chicken breast, mushrooms, lime juice and coconut milk. I had some powdered coconut milk in the pantry, which I had bought after a recent Indian food demo. (I had no idea such a thing existed.)

But back to the soup. I added a bit of extra chicken and topped it with some fresh cilantro just before serving.

You know what, it was exactly what I needed:

It was quick to pull together, had a lot of flavour, and I didn’t need to buy a ton of extra ingredients.

Mark enjoyed it too (although he picked out the mushrooms) and I’m having it again for lunch again today. Yum.

(In case you’re wondering, this post is NOT sponsored in any way. I just like soup and wanted to share.)