Weekend Retreat and a Sweet Surprise

Well, I'm glad to report that the beans turned out great! I can't wait to try the recipe again, though I may prepare them so that I can stick them in the oven before heading off to church. I did manage to get up at 2:40 in the morning to check on them, but that's not a pattern I'm eager to get into.

Basic Baked Beans from "More with Less Cookbook"

Seriously, give these beans a try. They were a hit at our campfire picnic, even though I left out the bacon. Let me know in the comments if you want the recipe.

I didn't take any photos of the water sports because I'm clumsy enough with my phone that I was terrified of dropping/loosing/breaking it. Instead, here are some photos of our campfire gathering.

Additionally we had worship outside Sunday morning. I loved watching the sun sparkle through my hat onto the hymnal while we sang a cappella.

Then to top the weekend off, I decided to stop by an ice cream shop in town to get a cool treat. This summer since I've started eliminating plastic from my life, if I go out for ice cream I have been keeping myself strictly to the cones as they are completely edible/biodegradable (when considering the little paper wrapper). However I really wanted a mixed ice cream treat. So I stopped in a national brand's shop on my way home and did what I usually do when interacting with businesses that use plastic.

Worker: "Hi! How may I help you?"

Me: "Hi. Yes. I would like ________. Um, actually I have a strange request to make."

Worker: "Okay," with a look of puzzlement on her face.

Me: "Well, I'm trying to cut out plastic as much as I possibly can from my life--"

Worker: "Oh!" with a look of surprise. There's a slight pause while she takes this in. "That's so great! How wonderful!" (This is how roughly 75% of my conversations go at this point).

Me: "Thanks! So, well, I know that most paper cups are actually lined with plastic. So I was hoping instead of using one of your cups, would it be alright if I got my treat in this glass jar I brought with me?"

At this point, I'm totally expecting her to still turn me down. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are health code regulations that would prevent customers from providing their own containers.

Worker: "Oh, sure."

Me: "Really?? Are you sure?"

Worker: "Yeah! No problem."

Me: "Okay. Great! Thanks so much! This jar has a 2 cup capacity, so whatever size that is is what I want. I'm totally willing to pay more, you know, for the extra trouble."

Worker: "Oh, don't worry about it. It's fine."

Guys! Can you believe it?? A national chain allowed me to use my own container when getting this sweet treat!

I'm still a little in shock. I'm accustom to smaller chains or local small businesses being accommodating on this type of request, but this is the first time I tried it out on a national chain. I'm specifically not identifying them because I'm not sure if the worker was legally/policy wise allowed to do what she did. I don't want my local shop (and certainly not the worker!) to get in any trouble for 1) being kind and 2) doing an environmentally wise thing. Do any of you out there know of US laws/policies on the food industry and customer provided containers? If you don't live in the US, what are the rules or customs in your country? Any insights would be most welcome :)

And yes, let me acknowledge that the worker did still give me a plastic spoon. I didn't see it until it was already in the ice cream. She was so sweet about everything I didn't want to end our interaction on a sour note, so I just took it. Next time, though, I'll be sure to remind that I don't need a plastic spoon either. This means I'll have to carry one with me. ***Are you catching on to a theme here?? To cut out waste, we have to think ahead and be prepared.

I already keep a flat of these jars and some canvas bags in the trunk of my car so they're ready when I need them, but I don't currently carry a set of cutlery with me. I've seen some really cool bamboo sporks and some collapsible stainless steel sets out there, both of which should be really light weight. So if any loved ones are reading this, it's never too early to start thinking of my Christmas list, right??

Thanks again for joining me on this journey. Every day is full of adventures if we look for them. Until next time, take care.