Sustainable principles for a better life and planet

The Tropical Cook book has been a labour of love, it represents my love of good home cooked food. This goes in hand with my passion for nurturing a healthy mind, healthy body and reflects my desire to tread lightly on our planet.

These are some of the easy principals I follow at home:

1. Buy local seasonal produce at markets This saves on transport and cold storage. The fruit and vegetables are freshly harvested and will be at their optimum. Another bonus is locally sourced produce is not usually wrapped in an extravaganza of plastic.

2. Support local business If we shop locally we help to create a flourishing small businesses community with an enviable array of
merchandise for our selection. next time you buy an online item consider the packaging and energy that went into making this single item appear on your doorstep!

3. Avoid disposable things Choose to drink tap water from a re-useable water bottle and takeaway beverages from your keep cup, always carry your own shopping bags.

4. Human energy Enjoy the health benefits of walking, cycling or catching public transport.

5. Renewable energy Get the sun on your side by installing some solar panels to harness a consistent and renewable source of power for your home.

6. Native plants In the garden grow hardy native plants and trees, enjoy the secluded shade and protection afforded to your home during days of blistering sun or riding out a wild cyclone.

7. Home herbs It is simple and rewarding to plant an array of herbs. A handful of herbs to enhance your meal is like waving a wand which elevates an ordinary salad andwich to sublime without the addition of fatty, artificially sweetened and heavily salted condiments.

8. Home fruit trees Grow some fruit trees for the immense satisfaction of harvesting, eating and sharing produce you have grown.

9. Home compost Consistently use a compost bin for organic food waste, you garden will love it and you are not contributing to landfill.

10. Healthy cleaning For cleaning and polishing around the home look up the various combi nations of lemon, olive oil, white vinegar and bi-carbonate of soda which make cleaning a breeze and do not result in harmful chemicals leaching into soil and harming our water ways.

11. Smart reuse an old tee shirt is a great cloth for wiping up around the home. By
choosing not to buy a microfibre cloth you are reducing the tiny plastic particles that are shed by nylons and synthetic fibres continuously, these tiny plastics windup in our waterways and oceans and are now part of our food chain.

This book is an edition of 5 numbered and signed artist books. Each artist book comprises 4 lino cuts and hand printed fly leaf; and tropical recipes printed on yupon paper.