I started using a reusable cup just in time: This Friday, Starbucks is offering free beverages to people who bring in their own cups. Of course, this doesn’t absolve them of all responsibility for the trash they generate the rest of the year. But though I don’t see people using reusable cups in Starbucks very often, the cashiers in the three I’ve been to have been very complimentary of mine. (Even if their inability to write on the side meant they mixed up my order a couple times…)

Okay, I admit it: I’m not going to shake my iced chai latte addiction. I intended to give them up six months ago (and did for a while), but now I’m back to drinking them almost every day. So if I’m not going to make the perfect choice—stop buying the stupid things—I’ll make the slightly better choice: buying them in reusable cups.

my morning

Much like reusable bags, it takes a little while to train myself to use them (and I still only remember them half the time). When I was making the effort to stop, it seemed like too much extra willpower to switch to reusables, and I wondered if it was even worthwhile.

I had a hard time tracking down data on how many times I’d have to use a reusable cup in order to break even with the disposable ones Starbucks uses. The only study that I could find back-up material for is from 1994. Consider how much has changed in the world since 1994. (Did the internet even exist?)

Everyone made a big deal of the fact that the study said a ceramic cup would have to be used 1,006 times to break even with styrofoam, but they seemed to ignore the fact that it only needs to be used 39 times to break even with paper (far more common now), and a plastic cup only has to be used 17 times. Easy enough for a person with a coffee-a-day habit. And dishwasher efficiency has increased 42% since 1990, so reusables would make even more sense now than they did back then.

Ironically, I think one of the things that has changed the most since 1994 is that most places have switched from styrofoam cups to paper, which requires a lot more energy to produce. Of course, styrofoam can’t be recycled or break down in landfills, but neither can paper cups coated in plastic. (Unfortunately, disposable plastic cups for iced drinks weren’t even considered in the study.)

Eventually I hope to actually abandon this vice, but until then, I’ll make the effort to use reusable cups secure in the knowledge that after the first dozen or so, it’s far better than the disposable alternative.

Sharon tricked me into brunch this weekend by inviting me to lunch at a vegan restaurant: True Bistro in Teele Square. Even though I can get a little paralyzed in the face of so many choices, I love vegan restaurants because I’m able to sample everyone’s dishes. Luckily, there seem to be more and more opening up in Boston.

The atmosphere was upscale yet comfortable. Fresh flowers graced every table, but co-owner Linda Harrison was very accommodating to Mike and Sharon’s two-year-old. It was all quite friendly. Prices were $8–10 for brunch items.

My tofu benedict

The meals themselves didn’t try too hard to be fake versions of meat. My tofu benedict tasted nothing like its namesake but was yummy nonetheless (lemony, with well-fried tofu). Sharon’s cheeseburger was very crumbly and barbeque-y and would never be mistaken for the real thing. Jason’s “chevre” and fresh herbs scramble was the sort of thing I’d like to make at home, and he proclaimed their home fries some of the best he’s had. Mike’s biscuits and crumbled house “sausage”—my least favorite—was still covered in some good mushroom gravy. Oh, and the raspberry compote on Adam’s waffle was great, but he was more interested in the fresh blueberries.

The best part? Since Jason and I are more comfortable biking around the city this year, we rode our bikes to Teele Square, on the first truly nice day of spring. (Yes, that is smug that you’re smelling.)

I’m not sure exactly what makes Babeland’s sex toys “eco,” but I’ll bite. I don’t think I want a stone dildo, though…

• Babeland Donates 10% of Eco-Toy Sales to Grist During April – Babeland. Sex and environmentalism: my two favorite things!
• In JP, food scraps and yard waste fuel door-to door composting company – Boston Globe. I think the city should actually be doing this, but until that happens, this is a cool entrepreneurial idea.
• JP Shopping Spree – Jamaica Plain Patch. While I think the attacks on Whole Foods are misguided, I think drawing attention to local businesses is admirable.
• Mother Nature’s Melting Pot – New York Times. Did you know honeybees aren’t native to North America?
• Randolph firm’s vending machines dispense water, without bottles – Boston Globe. Whatever happened to water fountains? I guess this is the next best thing.
• Energy company, city working together to use byproduct of electricity generation to heat and cool buildings – Boston Globe. I always wondered what that steam coming out of manholes was…
• How To Cook Dried Beans – A Staple of Plastic-free Living – My Plastic-Free Life. I’m experimenting with dried beans, but I haven’t gotten used to them yet.

I was too busy to read much this week, so please send me anything cool you come across.

Jason’s job has been a little crazy lately, so he hasn’t had much time for breakfast in the morning—usually he grabs something at work. So this weekend we made a bunch of breakfasts ahead of time and froze them. The egg sandwiches were a bust (kind of dry), but the mini breakfast quiches were a success. They’re really more frittatas, since there’s no crust or heavy cream. You could make it with any combination of vegetables, (fake) ham, cheese, whatever. They’re a delicious source of protein and veggies in the morning, and even reheated they’re very moist. Also, my silicone cupcake liners are the perfect size for breakfast.

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Mini Breakfast Quiches
(recipe from Farm Share Stories)

1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
1/2 cup finely diced broccoli
1/4 cup finely sliced green onion
8 eggs
3/4 cup grated cheddar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Microwave vegetables for a minute with 2 tbsp water.
3. Whisk the eggs and stir in cooked vegetables, cheddar, and salt.
4. Pour into muffin cups, leaving half an inch at the top so it doesn’t overflow.
5. Bake 15–20 minutes, until puffy and set on top. Let cool before wrapping and freezing.
6. Microwave for a minute to eat.

I think next time I’ll follow Mark Bittman’s advice and flip the ratio of vegetables to eggs—maybe even double the amount of veggies I include.