Meatless Monday: Cauliflower Steaks with Roasted Bell Pepper Sauce and Baked Ricotta

Do you love cauliflower?

Here’s a delicious and simple vegetarian recipe you can whip up in under an hour: Cauliflower Steaks with Roasted Bell Pepper Sauce and Baked Ricotta

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 1 cauliflower (cut into 1-inch thick steaks)

• 9 oz potatoes (cut into wedges)

• 9 oz low-fat ricotta

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp paprika

• 1½ tbsp olive oil

• Salt & black pepper to taste

• 1 cup roasted bell peppers

• 1 garlic clove

• 1½ tsp sugar

• 1 tbsp parsley (for garnish)

 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F).

2. Prep veggies: Cut cauliflower into steaks and potatoes into wedges. Place them on a baking sheet with the ricotta block.

3. Season: Mix onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Brush over the cauliflower, potatoes, and ricotta.

4. Bake for 30–35 minutes until fork-tender and golden. Flip cauliflower halfway through.

5. Make the sauce: Blend roasted bell peppers, garlic, sugar, and ¼ tsp salt until smooth.

6. Serve: Plate the cauliflower steaks and potatoes, drizzle with bell pepper sauce, and top with baked ricotta. Garnish with parsley and black pepper.

It’s hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor—perfect for a cozy dinner or a nourishing lunch.

If you don't have red bell peppers or any bell peppers, don't worry, just remove them from the recipe. It still makes a hearty, meatless recipe that is delicious. You could add more fresh herbs, like basil, as a garnish. 

To See and Behold: Why Witnessing Wildlife Is a Radical Act of Hope

In a world often overwhelmed by loss—of habitat, of species, of ecological balance—there is something quietly revolutionary about seeing. Not just observing, but truly beholding the rare and the newly discovered. It’s a form of reverence. A way of saying: You exist. You matter. We will fight for you.

This month, two extraordinary sightings remind us why bearing witness to wildlife is more than a pastime—it’s a call to action.

The Regent Honeyeater, photographed by Jss367

The Regent Honeyeater Returns

In the Queens Lake Nature Reserve on the NSW Mid North Coast, a group of birdwatchers spotted not one, but two critically endangered regent honeyeaters—before they even left the car park. With fewer than 300 individuals left in the wild, these birds are considered ecological ghosts, flitting through fragmented habitats in search of flowering trees and safety.

What makes this sighting even more miraculous? These honeyeaters were wild-born, unbanded, and feeding among other species. Their presence suggests that nature, when given even a sliver of sanctuary, still dares to persist. It’s a reminder that conservation isn’t just about numbers—it’s about dignity, habitat, and the right to exist without vanishing.

A New Manta Ray Emerges

Meanwhile, off the coast of Florida, marine scientists have officially identified a new species of manta ray—Mobula yarae, named after a mythical water spirit from Brazilian folklore. This gentle giant, stretching up to 20 feet wide, becomes only the third known manta ray species in the world. Its discovery is the result of over 15 years of meticulous research, underwater photography, and genetic analysis.

Why does this matter? Because you can’t protect what you haven’t named. Formal recognition of Mobula yarae allows conservationists to track its population, assess threats, and advocate for its protection. It’s a triumph of curiosity, patience, and the belief that the ocean still holds secrets worth saving.

Why Seeing Matters

To witness an endangered species is to stand at the edge of extinction and say, I see you. To discover a new species is to affirm that the world is still unfolding, still capable of surprise. Both acts are deeply human—and deeply hopeful.

They remind us that conservation isn’t just about preserving the past. It’s about co-creating a future where biodiversity is not a luxury, but a legacy.

So the next time you walk through a nature reserve or dive beneath the waves, remember: your gaze is powerful. Your presence matters. And every creature you see is a story still being written.

12 creative little libraries from around the world.

Our cities are full of large libraries that are amazing and free, but here we have chosen to share the little tiny libraries that are springing up everywhere. These libraries can be created by anyone, anywhere and each one has a story to tell about the love of books, the love of sharing, and a sense of community.

Hundreds of little libraries have been created but not all of them have been photographed and shared. That’s why we set out to find as many little libraries as we could. We love how they add uniqueness to the areas of the cities and suburbs where they are found. We really enjoy the creativity that has gone into making these libraries and have included what we feel are the most creative from around the world.

We hope you enjoy this list of the most creative little libraries from around the world.

We would love to add more. Did we miss any from your neighborhood? Feel free to submit pictures at our Facebook or Twitter feeds to be added here or let us know in the comments below.

Tree stump library



Robot library Monica Thompson

Tardis in Kenmore Washington, USA. Jennifer Brozek

Wizard of Oz Tornado library Pomeroy Street MASSACHUSETTS, USA

Space age library

 

Winchester, Texas USA. 'We decided to build a library that reflected our small community.
A chicken coop theme fit us perfectly!' - Margaret Atkins.



Created by Stereotank, a public installation project providing New Yorkers
with a spontaneous opportunity to read a book.

Tree trunk library in Jackson Street Seattle, USA

Library in a phone booth

Public Bookshelf created in a bus stop in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil

Book house in Maleny, Queensland, Australia.

 

Houston, Texas USA. A boat-shaped Library at the church for Clear Lake Community.
Diane Jones.

 

If after seeing these cute and worthwhile structures you may feel inspired to build your own out of an old cupboard or some other creative design in your head. There are people who can help you with the considerations that you may yet have not thought apart like "how do I keep my little library protected from the rain? " or "how wide should the shelves be to house most books?"

Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds: 12 Miniature Structures You Can Build is highly recommended, as the book you need, by The Little Free Library organization. Yes, there is an organization! They are a nonprofit organization based in Hudson, Wisconsin, USA. Little Free Library (LFL) is an award-winning nonprofit organization at the center of a global literacy movement. Find out more about it here.

This book is produced in cooperation with Little Free Library, and is a builder's complete source of inspiration and how-to knowledge. Illustrated throughout with colorful step-by-step photography and a gallery of tiny structures for further inspiration, Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds covers every step: planning and design, tools and building techniques, best materials, and 12 complete plans for structures of varying size and aesthetics. In addition, author and professional carpenter Phil Schmidt includes information on proper installation of small structures and common repairs and maintenance for down the road. You can check it out or purchase it here. 

Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds book cover

If you liked this article you may also like History of the Little Free Library which includes the benefits of running a little library.

Awarded for services to the environment

Alison Teese was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to conservation and the environment at the 2015 Australia Day Awards. The OAM list provides national and formal recognition for Australians who have made a significant difference to their communities.

Alison Teese is a farmer who has been recognised for setting up a philanthropic trust to preserve the nation’s native eucalypt trees. She was raised on a dairy farm in Gippsland, Victoria, in Australia, and her early life shaped her passion for the land and natural science. Her work involves a range of projects that extends from creating bird habitats to conserving native trees.

In 1989, Alison became one of the founding members of the Moolort Landcare Group and still remains an active member today, as she continues to raise awareness of the environment including climate change and land management.

 

Landcare Australia Limited is the leading not-for-profit organisation responsible for raising awareness and funding for the Landcare movement.

 

SOURCE: Landcare's facebook page

 

Living plants generate electricity

A new type of sustainable energy is now available. Living plants are creating clean, renewable, sustainable, efficient, bioenergy.

Bioenergy is renewable energy made available from materials derived from biological sources.

Plant-e is a company that develops and produces products in which living plants generate electricity. To find out more please watch this video.

Pay it forward

International Pay it Forward Day is 

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Pay it Forward Day UK

Pay It Forward Foundation

Pay it forward is an expression used when someone who is done a good deed repays it to others not the original benefactor. The concept is old, but the term is quite recent:

• First use of the term may have been by Lily Hardy Hammond in her 1916 book In the Garden of Delight: "You don't pay love back; you pay it forward."
• The Pay it forward concept was the key plot element in an ancient Greek play from 317 BC called Dyskolos by Menander.
• The concept was described by Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Benjamin Webb dated April 25, 1784:

I do not pretend to give such a deed; I only lend it to you. When you [...] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.

• The term "pay it forward" was used by Robert A. Heinlein in his book Between Planets, published in 1951
• In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel Pay It Forward was adapted into a film of the same name, starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment. It describes creating a social movement of doing good deeds to make the world a better place.

Modern technology helping to keep remote communities connected

Many rural communities in AFRICA are separated by great distances from the urban centers, including the capital city of  Mali,  Bamako. Mali is the world's 24th-largest country, similar in size to South Africa. Most of the country lies in the southern Sahara, which is hot and dusty. Mali is mostly flat, rising to rolling northern plains covered by sand.



Image of children in Mali by Flickr: gao mali

Image of children in Mali by Flickr: gao mali

Communication tools such as internet blogging and affordable mobile phones are helping to strengthen the links between the residents of rural villages and the larger cities. This is especially important for many Malians who have left their communities for greater educational and economic opportunities in Bamako.

 

 

 

Read full story at Rising Voices which aims to extend the benefits and reach of citizen media by connecting online media activists around the world and supporting their best ideas.

Mali is in dark green and Libya in light green in Africa.

 

Change the world in just 5 minutes at a time

Can a bunch of school kids really change the world in five minutes a day? This class of Aussie primary school kids demonstrate over the course of a week that it only takes five minutes a day to make a positive impact—from recycling to planting fruit and veg to collecting old mobile phones and telling jokes.

Young people are carers of our land

Students from Cannon Hill State School in their school garden
PHOTO: Slow Food Brisbane

Australian children will be given extra support as carers of our land.

Landcare activities will be included in the school curriculum under a new program, by Landcare Australia and the Primary Industries Education Foundation.

The program, launched in September 2014, will initially be aimed at primary school students in rural and metropolitan areas.

 

This is good news for Australia's students and teachers and their knowledge of the environment. This is good news for the future of the environment.

 

Good Fact: 76% of primary schools already have some kind of growing program in their schools and Landcare will be supporting these.

"Research shows that I think it's close to 70 per cent of adults in the Sydney Basin, for example, have never seen a working farm, so their actual appreciation of how food grows is very limited." Ben Stockwin of Primary Industries Education Foundation.

The program will provide knowledge and a hands on approach about:

• Caring for the environment
• How food is produced
• Sustainable practices

There are Fact Sheets and learning sequences to help teachers and students.

Audio: Landcare Australia and the Primary Industries Education Foundation have developed curriculum for primary students. (ABC Rural)

Find out full story at ABC Rural
Find out more about Landcare.
Find out more about Primary Industries Education Foundation

A water bottle with edible packaging

Ooho is a spherical membrane for carrying water, which can be eaten after drinking the contents.

Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, Guillaume Couche and Pierre Paslier created the biodegradable packaging using a combination of brown algae and calcium chloride. To drink, you simply suck on the membrane and pour the water into your mouth. The packaging can then be either eaten or thrown away.

Each Ooho bag costs  0.02 USD to make. Ooho could soon be the cheap, environmentally friendly alternative to the plastic bottle.

The video shows the invention in action.

Have you heard of Zinio?

"To see magazines done correctly, look at Zinio" ~ Huffington Post

 

Zinio is all about digital magazines - thousands of them. There are magazines on news, politics, sport, technology, art, style, travel, history and so much more.

They are publishing magazines in the digital domain that you can download to mobile devices, tablets and desktops.

So besides being environmentally friendly they are definitely convenient and have some really cool features too like the Bookmark where you easily save your spot in the magazine you are reading at any time. There are over 5000 publications available in 33 languages and also some magazine articles are available free through the website or smartphone or tablet apps.

Try Zinio Now! Experience digital with a free magazine. Choose from BusinessWeek, Men's Health and more.

More than 3,000 articles are available free at any given time which is wonderful for reading when travelling or anytime. Go to Zinio website to have a look for yourself.

Oh by the way... I am an affiliate for Zinio

Promoter of Peace

Peace Pilgrim, in 1953, Toledo, Ohio, USA.

" In order for the world to become peaceful, people must become more peaceful." Peace Pilgrim.

At age 44, Mildred became Peace Pilgrim 
She put on a top on which she had sown her new name and set out to walk across America. She wore blue clothing because it was considered the international colour of peace at the time.
It was 1953 and Peace Pilgrim walked from California to New York, and from border to border, sharing the message of peace. Peace Pilgrim walked and spoke continuously across every state of America, and in Mexico and Canada from 1953 to 1981, when she died.

She was born in New Jersey, USA and given the name Mildred Lisette Norman.  She was married for 13 years to Stanley Ryder.
Her life was then changed by a mystical experience. In her book, she explains this "spiritual awakening" and the meditation practice that inspired her to start her walking journey for peace.
She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food."

Read more about Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words

“This is the way of peace: Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.” Peace Pilgrim.

Get more news about peace at GNN.

Hallie helps the environment

Hallie Turner is an eleven-year-old climate activist.  She has attended marches in Washington, D.C. and writes about climate change and what we can do about it.

For Hallie, it is not just about the Youth March that she led it is a continual and big picture view of taking action for the environment.





LINKS: iMatter
One of Hallies's letters

Four Corporations That Use Solar Power

The solar power industry is booming in the United States, though you might not know it simply by looking at the statistics.  The U.S. Energy Information Administration and Ecoworld did a survey on solar power usage throughout the world by country, and found that Germany ranked number one, followed closely by Spain and Japan. The United States is ranked 4^th on this list - which is no small accomplishment - however, there is definitely some serious room for improvement.
The US may be lagging behind other countries as a whole, but companies that are based in the United States have been significantly increasing their solar consumption.  The Solar Energy Industries Association and the Vote Solar Initiative found that US chain stores are relying more than ever on solar power companies to provide energy for their facilities.  You may be more than a little surprised when you learn which companies have been utilizing this renewable resource.
Wal-Mart
Many people are shocked to learn that Wal-Mart has been using solar power in some of their stores.  This multi-national retailer has seen a lot of controversy over the years due to many of their policies, and environmental activists have had many negative things to say about some of their products and regulations.  Wal-Mart is more than aware of their environmental shortcomings, and has been slowly trying to become a greener company.  They've recently begun to carry more environmentally friendly versions of their products, and have started to install solar panels on the roofs of many of their stores.
Kohl's
Kohl's is one of the nation's largest retailers, and their special department stores need a lot of power to to operate.  Kohl's has five strategies in place to help lessen their impact on the environment: maximize energy efficiency, minimize waste, responsible building design, reduce climate damaging emissions, and encourage environmental values.  The majority of the power that their stores use is derived from solar power and the company plans to continue to decrease their reliance on non-renewable resources in the coming years.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is no stranger to environmental controversy; people have been concerned about the pollution generated from their manufacturing processes as well as the ingredients in their products for many years.  Although Johnson & Johnson may have to improve some of their products and processes, they're doing great when it comes to using green energy.  They use wind power, on-site solar power, and they still manage to purchase renewable energy certificates from wind and biomass facilities.
Intel
When people think of environmentally friendly companies, electronics manufacturers probably don’t come to mind.  Many electronics manufacturers have been often criticized for using environmentally damaging minerals in their products, and for consuming a lot of energy during their manufacturing process.  The Intel Corporation, however, was actually named the largest Fortune 500 green power purchaser from the EPA.  They've purchased more than 1.5 billion solar kilowatt hours each year, and they're one of the largest solar energy users in the state.  Their four corporate locations in California rely on solar power, and many of their other locations also use solar power.
The fact that such an increasing demand on solar power companies comes from the nation’s largest corporations is a great indication of things to come. The United States has clearly expressed a commitment to greener energy consumption, and may very well rise to the top of the list of the most solar-powered countries in the future.

Jessica Holmes is an avid blogger who enjoys blogging about environmental concerns.

Reducing Waste Plastic & Poverty Around the World

Message of Lakshmi Puri of UN Women for International Day of theWorld’s Indigenous Peoples: 9 August 2013

UN Women is committed to promoting the human rights, empowerment and participation of indigenous women. 

 Indigenous women are strong contributors to the economy and to the social fabric of their communities and countries, as educators, workers, farmers, political leaders and government officials.

We promote indigenous women’s political participation and leadership not just so that their voices can be heard,
but so they are able to design and influence laws, policies and measures that empower indigenous women and girls.

Read the rest of the statement
See more official messages for World Indigenous People's Day:
Message from UNESCO

Message from the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

Message from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Message from UN Women

Message from UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)

Message from WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

Message from Stop TB Partnership

Message from IFAD (International Fund for Agricultrural Development)

Message from the International Land Coalition

Smile in Each Moment By Leo Babauta

There’s a tendency to get caught up in the tasks of our day, the urgency of what’s coming up, the distractions of being online.
And we forget to smile.
In the rush of the day, the stress of wanting things to happen a certain way, we lose the enjoyment of each moment.
In every moment, there’s the capacity for happiness. It’s not that we need to be ecstatic, full of pleasure, excited or even joyous each and every second of the day. Who needs that kind of pressure? And it’s not that we can never feel sadness or anger or stress. It’s that we can feel happiness, in some form, any moment we like, even in the midst of stress or sadness.
And it’s exceedingly simple. We just need to remember to smile.
You can smile in each and every moment.
OK, maybe you don’t need a smile on your face all day long — your cheeks will feel tired. But we can smile more, and in between physical smiles, we can have an internal smile.
Try an internal smile now: have a calm, unsmiling face, but think of the miracle of this moment, and find a thought to smile about. Feel the smiling feeling inside. Isn’t that amazing?
What do you have to smile about in this moment?
Some ideas:

• You have someone in your life who cares about you.
• There is beauty all around you, in many forms.
• You are generous, compassionate, and good-hearted.
• You have someone you can help.
• You have eaten today.
• You can move.
• You can see the sun shining.
• You can appreciate the leaves of a tree, rain falling, wind blowing.
• You can taste chocolate.
• You get to spend time with someone you love.
• You have music in your life.
• You get to create something.

And so on. You probably don’t have all of these, but you might have one or two, and if so, that’s a more than good enough cause to smile.
You’ll forget to smile in some moments, because your mind gets caught up in stories about the past, stresses about what might happen in the future. None of this is happening right now — it’s just movies playing in our heads.
Instead, remind yourself of what’s happening right now, and see the beauty in it, see the reason to smile. And then smile, externally and internally.
This changes your day, because now instead of being caught up in stress and stories, we are present, and happy. We can be content with every moment.
It changes your life, because too often we miss the smile-ability of life when we are not paying attention.
Thanks Leo.

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Indigenous pupils relish lessons in heritage

The heading, above, in the newspaper caught my eye. Did you know Australia has 250 indigenous languages?  They were recorded by Captain Cook after he landed in Australia in 1770. When we went to school we were taught, as white fellas, that captain James Cook discovered Australia. Well I think that the indigenous people who lived across the wide continent for thousands of years somehow knew it existed! It is estimated that they had lived on the continent from between 40 to 70 thousand years before Cook came ashore.

Anyway back to the good news - Aboriginal peoples want to retain a connection with their ancestral language and culture,* and the Aboriginal language and culture is being used, learnt, taught and transmitted within the public school system in Australia and in Aboriginal playgroups around Australia.

* from Noel Pearson's good article in The Weekend Australian July 13 - 14, 2013.

Important Khmer statues were returned to Cambodia

Great news! Important Khmer statues were returned to Cambodia during the opening of the UNESCO World Heritage meeting in Phnom Penh.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said: “We are all encouraged by the historic voluntary restitution of two important Khmer Pandava statues by the Metropolitan Museum of New York to the people of Cambodia. This restitution is an expression of strong ethical and moral behaviour that provides an example of good practice to other museums and collectors...” Read more.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will consider the inscription of 32 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List from 16th to 27th June in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (Cambodia).  Find out more.

Photo: UNESCO/Eric Esquivel

More good news stories and events can be found at GNN Good News Network.

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Frugal Friday: Live More With Less

Live More With Less that is basically what my idea of frugal is all about. But how do I do this?

More: celebrate a simple life, focus on what really matters to me, enjoy time with family and friends, live within my means, care about the earth's resources,  work towards self sufficiency, gain appreciation for the things I already have in my life.

Less: less spending, less unconscious spending, less waste, less stuff cluttering up my life. Of course these are all just ideals or statements of intent that I am working towards. When I look at the large amount of stationary items I have accumulated in the past, now sitting in a drawer, I know I have a long way to go. But I am on the path: I no longer go to the office supplies or stationary shop but instead try and use what I have in this drawer.
 

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." is how L. Reid expressed it.

I know frugal can mean so many things to different people and I would love to know what frugal means to you?