Here’s a fantastic Gluten-Free Seed Bread Loaf recipe that’s perfect for a nutritious, hearty bread. It’s packed with seeds and made using simple gluten-free ingredients that you can find at Wasteless Pantry, where you can refill your containers to avoid packaging waste.

Gluten-Free Seed Bread Loaf Recipe (using a 500g loaf tin)

Ingredients:

• 350g gluten-free crusty bread mix
• 40g brown rice flour
• 315ml lukewarm water (+/- 20ml, adjust as needed)
• 2 heaped tsp dried yeast
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• 4 tsp ground flaxseed
• 20g pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 15g sunflower seeds
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 3 tsp (15ml) vegetable oil

Method:

1. Prepare Your Ingredients:
   Using a flat digital scale, place your mixing bowl on it and zero the scale. Measure out all your ingredients directly into the bowl.
2. Mix the Dough:
   In the mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free crusty bread mix, brown rice flour, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, pepitas, sunflower seeds, yeast, and salt. Stir in the lukewarm water and vegetable oil. Start mixing gently with a knife, and add a little extra water if needed to bring the dough together.
3. Knead the Dough:
   Turn the dough onto a floured surface (use brown rice flour to prevent sticking). Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky, so flour your hands and the work surface lightly as needed.
   • For a mixer: Mix on low speed for 1 minute, scrape down the sides, and mix for another 3 minutes on medium speed.
4. Shape and Rise:
   Form the dough into a loaf shape and place it into an oiled 500g loaf tin. Use a sharp knife to slash the top of the dough to allow for rising. Cover with a silicone baking sheet or a damp cloth.
5. Let It Rise:
   Place the loaf in a warm spot (around 35°C) for about 1 hour to rise. The dough won’t rise much in the oven, so make sure it rises enough before baking. A sunny car or a warm room works well for this.
6. Bake:
   Preheat your oven to 220°C. Bake the loaf for 30 minutes, then remove it from the tin and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
7. Cool Before Slicing:
   Allow the loaf to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing to avoid the bread becoming sticky.
8. Storage:
   If you’re not consuming the loaf within two days, slice it and store it in the freezer in a bread bag. Thin slices are perfect since this loaf is quite dense and substantial.

Benefits of Buying Ingredients at Wasteless Pantry:

At Wasteless Pantry, you can source your chia seeds, flaxseeds, gluten-free bread mix, and all the other ingredients for this recipe without the need for unnecessary packaging. By bringing your own containers and purchasing in bulk, you not only reduce plastic waste but also ensure that you’re supporting sustainable, eco-friendly practices. Shopping at Wasteless Pantry means you buy only what you need, helping to prevent food waste and live a more zero-waste lifestyle.

Here’s an easy and delicious recipe for homemade crumpets! Perfect for a cozy breakfast or snack, these crumpets can be made with simple ingredients and enjoyed fresh off the griddle.

Homemade Crumpets Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (250g) plain flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp dried yeast
• 1 ¼ cups (300ml) warm water
• 1 ¼ cups (300ml) warm milk
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Butter or oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Yeast Mixture:
   In a small bowl, combine the warm water, warm milk, and yeast. Stir in the sugar and set aside for 10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy.
2. Make the Batter:
   In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly pour the yeast mixture into the flour while whisking to form a smooth batter. The consistency should be thick, like pancake batter. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it sit in a warm place for 45-60 minutes until the batter has risen and is bubbly.
3. Prepare the Crumpet Rings:
   If you don’t have crumpet rings, you can use metal cookie cutters or empty, clean tuna cans with the tops and bottoms removed. Grease the inside of the rings with butter or oil.
4. Cook the Crumpets:
   Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and grease lightly with butter or oil. Place the greased crumpet rings onto the skillet. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of batter into each ring, filling them about halfway.
5. Cook Until Bubbles Form:
   Cook the crumpets for 6-8 minutes, or until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges start to set. Carefully remove the rings, flip the crumpets, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they are golden brown on both sides.
6. Serve:
   Serve the crumpets warm with butter, honey, jam, or your favorite toppings!

If you have a pie maker, that would make this super easy as you could pour them straight into there to cook!

Benefits of Buying Ingredients from Wasteless Pantry:

By purchasing your flour, yeast, and other ingredients from Wasteless Pantry, you can reduce unnecessary packaging and shop sustainably. Bring your own containers and fill them with bulk ingredients to help the planet and avoid single-use plastics. Plus, buying in bulk allows you to purchase exactly what you need, minimizing food waste.

I live in the Perth Hills and have done so for well over 20 years. Bushfire preparedness has always been something that we were supposed to get to. Every year we maintain the fire breaks and clean out the gutters and up until a several years ago, that was pretty much it. When the Parkerville fires came through 7 or so years ago we evacuated for a day or two with our small children and pets and that was about it. It wasn’t even that close to our home but we could see the smoke and didn’t want to risk it.

Just 2 weeks ago the Wooroloo fires came through on the other side of us and we could see the glow through the trees that first night. With the wind whipping around, we packed up again and headed out.

We were very lucky. Many were not.

The Lessons

Prepare.

Bushfires have always been a reality but they are becoming more frequent and more intense with climate change. Fortunately, we watched Big Weather on ABC iview late last year and that really gave us the motivation to get our preparations in order. We now have an emergency pack with all the essentials and the really important bits that lives permanently packed in a central location in our home. If we were home, it would take us only a minute to grab and go. If we weren’t home, it would be easy for our neighbour to grab it for us.

We also have a written plan and have discussed when to go and where to go if bushfire comes through. Our kids know what we will take and what we will leave behind should we need to evacuate.

We are continuing to do what we can about reducing the fuel load in our gardens, and make it as easy as possible for our home to be defended against fire.

Given how close the fires came to the suburbs this year, it doesn’t matter where you live, it is worth knowing your plan. It is quick to do and then you have peace of mind when a crisis occurs. Check out for https://mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au/ more details.

Address.

Whilst we have to prepare for the likelihood of ongoing fire threats, we can also be doing whatever we can to tackle climate change. There are actions we can take that can slow down and start to reverse the trends.

For starters, reduce your waste.

The less waste we create that has to be landfilled, converted to energy or recycled, the less burden there is on the earth. The less stuff that has to be produced new the better. Instead, go secondhand, borrow, share, repair and look for better alternatives. Use up your stuff or find someone else who will give it a meaningful use. Eat all your food or feed it to the chickens or worms. Avoid your bins wherever you can.

Then help rehabilitate through things like tree planting and clean-ups.

During February 2021, Wasteless Pantry is helping to do that by fundraising for Carbon Positive Australia’s good works! Carbon Positive Australia uses the funds raised through donations and carbon offsets to plant native trees on degraded land in Australia. Over almost two decades they have planted 5,992,261 trees, restored 4,757 hectares of land and captured 632,681 tonnes of carbon. Impressive huh?!

The recent bushfires have reinforced just how important it is for us to do what we can to slow down and even reverse climate change. More trees and less waste will help!

So this February help us with our fundraising! All you need to do is make a purchase over $25 at your local WP store during February to qualify for a $1 donation. So, come refill your jars and do even more good.

Connect.

The last big lesson for me was the amazing support from our community. There were so many offers of help and others just reaching out to make sure we were okay. In speaking with others that were affected, the overwhelming message was that in times like these people do band together and make it work. They lean on each other and offer what they can.

Please get to know your neighbours, be empathetic when someone is having a bad day, and just smile at people when you are walking by. These little gestures cost nothing but mean the world some days.

Last week, our own Jeannie from Wasteless Pantry was given the opportunity to tour Food Bank for a behind-the-scenes peek at the amazing facilities and the team hard at work. She even got to enjoy a lunch prepared in the kitchens from rescued food.

Most of us know that we have a big problem with food waste in Australia. But did you know that over 300,000 people in WA live below the poverty line and struggle to access regular nutritious food? And thanks to Covid19, many people are now experiencing food insecurity for the first time.

Food Bank is an organisation that tackles both these issues, rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste, often on a huge scale and turning it into delicious, nutritious meals for those who need it most. And on top of all that, they now package the meals in compostable packaging!!

In the 25 years since its inception, the organisation has saved 50 million kilograms of food from landfill and provided 100 million meals.

You can read more about it here https://www.foodbank.org.au/?state=wa

Maybe you’d like to consider making a less fortunate persons Christmas a little bit brighter this year, with a donation to Foodbank’s Uncancel Christmas appeal?https://www.foodbank.org.au/WA/uncancel-christmas/?state=wa

These are all my favourite things to pack when I’m travelling and I can get them all at Wasteless Pantry before I go! 🌴🏖️👙

• Insulated water bottle: great for keeping water super cool and hot beverages, well, hot! I find that having this is means I don’t need a separate reusable coffee cup, so I can travel light. If you have more room in your bag then you could easily take both.
• Cutlery set: I’ve been caught out without it and regretted not having it. Either I end up feeling bad for using plastic single-use cutlery or I don’t get to enjoy my meal fully by eating with my hands. This way I always feel good chowing down.
• Reusable container: I love having a 2 tier variety since I can separate out meals or tailor to the quantity of leftovers I have better. Plus, I can also use it to store small items in my bag between destinations so they are easy to find on arrival.
• Handkerchief: Multipurpose goodness! Use it as a tissue, napkin, wet wipe, flannel, sweatband on your wrist, wrap for your sandwich, tie for a water bottle to your belt for hands-free hydration, and more. As they are so lightweight easily handwash in a sink at the end of the day and it will be dry by morning to go again.
• Shampoo bar, conditioner bar and stain remover bar in a travel tin: Shampoo bars double as body wash, conditioner bars double as body lotion and stain remover bars triple as laundry, dishwashing and handwashing products. The travel tin isn’t airtight which means that my bars can dry out a little even in transit.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste: Taking my own bamboo toothbrush and refilled toothpaste means that I can give the hotel samples a miss.
• Refillable deodorant: I love my natural deodorant and my own little refillable container is just the right size.
• Lip balm refillable tin: My handy little tin fits plenty of lip-saving wonder, this one is tinted to give me a little colour and I know that the ingredients are just right for me because I made it.
• Moisturiser: I want to look after my skin for the happy snaps so refilling my container before I travel is a must.
• Bamboo comb: It’s lightweight, it does the job and it is a great shape to pack easily into my bag.
• Plastic-free hair tie: I’d be lost without a hair tie and if I do lose one then I want to be sure that it will biodegrade back into the earth rather than sticking around forever harassing wildlife.
• Reusable bags: Having a stash of cloth and mesh produce bags plus at least one shopping bag that folds down to practically nothing means that I can avoid ever taking a plastic single-use bag. Cloth produce bags are great for buying bread, rolls and sandwiches. Mesh produce bags are great for fresh fruits and vegetables, and bulk foods, as well as keeping your small laundry items together at the end of your trip. Shopping bags also double as handbags for takeaway meals or laundry bags or any time you want your hands free.

What about you? What are your must-haves for zero waste travelling? Pop in and share them with the team at Wasteless Pantry!

Absolutely, YES!

I hear the same thing over and over.  “What I do doesn’t make a difference, there are so many people/government bodies/businesses/others that waste more than me, so why bother?”

And then I hear the reply, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.

It’s not enough to want a better planet if that isn’t going to inspire you to not only think differently but also to ACT differently.

That is why Plastic Free July works.  It gets you to do something different.  It’s as small or as big a challenge as you think you can manage.  Many go into it thinking it will be easy.  I love these people. I was one of them.  The ones that think it will be easy are usually the ones most profoundly changed by it.  We find out that once you are truly aware of the issue on a personal level there is no going back.  You come face to face with the reality of just how much plastic waste is embedded in our everyday lives.  The blindfold of the daily routine is removed and you get to start seeing the world clearly via the multitude of decisions that we have to remake to succeed at the challenge.

You do it as a community.  At this stage, it is a global community with individuals in more than 130 countries participating last year.  If you have questions, there will be answers.  If you have struggles, there will be support.  If you succeed, we will all cheer you on and delight in what you have achieved.  It is no small feat.

You’re family or housemates don’t have to be on board for you to join the challenge.  This is about the choices you make.  Encourage, support and share your experiences; be a role model of the change.  You never know who you will inspire!

With the media sharing more and more about the problems in the world around waste and unnecessary plastics, this is an actual solution.  It is a guide to get you started on a meaningful journey to solving the problem.  When enough people are involved, aware and conscious of just what is going on with our disposable culture and how to address it, the effect will be amazing.  But in the meantime, the changes you are making are leading to a real quality of life that is missing with a disposable lifestyle.  You can try telling me that you love drinking out of a disposable plastic straw, and I will smile at you whilst I savour sipping from the glass without a straw knowing that tomorrow someone else will be able to enjoy the same experience. Whilst 50 plus years from now someone else will still be trying to figure out why you thought that straw was so instrumental to your happiness.

Alone we still make a difference.

It’s only one day, one week, one month… how hard could it be?

Find out more about the challenge and join us by registering via http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

If you have done the challenge before, share your experiences with us at Wasteless Pantry!

Living a more sustainable and less wasteful life is a personal journey, but it’s natural to want to share that experience and encourage others to do the same. The truth is, you can’t make someone change their ways, but you can certainly inspire and motivate them to start thinking differently about their habits toward eco-friendly change.

We all bring our unique perspectives, beliefs, and experiences into how we live, and that includes how we approach sustainability. Some people may already be on their eco-journey, while others may be just starting to contemplate change. It’s important to respect where people are in their process, but there are effective ways to encourage them.

5 Easy Tips to Motivate Sustainable Change:

1. Be a Good Role Model
   People are more likely to adopt eco-friendly habits when they see someone else doing it with ease. If you live a low-waste lifestyle and visibly enjoy it, others may become curious. Lead by example, and let your actions speak louder than words.
2. Keep it Simple
   You don’t need to give long explanations about why you’re reducing waste. A quick comment like, “I’m trying to cut back on waste,” is enough to get someone thinking. If they’re genuinely interested, they’ll ask for more information later.
3. Make Eco-Friendly Choices Easy
   Help others by setting up opportunities for them to make sustainable choices. Have reusable shopping bags or containers readily available, or let them try refilling containers at a store. By removing barriers, you’re making the transition feel less daunting.
4. Focus on One Change at a Time
   Too much change at once can be overwhelming. Start with small, manageable habits like switching to reusable water bottles or packing lunches in containers instead of cling wrap. Once that habit becomes second nature, introduce another small change.
5. Offer Positive Reinforcement
   Celebrate any small steps towards reducing waste, even if it’s not perfect. Positive reinforcement encourages continued efforts, while criticism can demotivate someone who is trying. Focus on what’s going well and be supportive in their journey.

The Benefits of a Positive Approach

Inspiring others to reduce waste is about empowering them to make choices that align with their own values. By being a supportive role model, simplifying the process, and celebrating each small win, you can help create a ripple effect of sustainable living in your community.

By shopping at Wasteless Pantry, you’re also helping others make the change by showing how easy it is to shop without creating waste. Our range of bulk, package-free products makes reducing waste simple and accessible for everyone.