Category: Featured

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Eco Eats Eco Tips Featured

Mushroom and Asparagus Fettuccine for Meatless Monday

Looking for a simple and easy dinner recipe? We have found the perfect meatless Monday recipe for you! This recipe will take you about 25 minutes to make and it tastes delicious. Pair with a simple garden salad and a glass of wine!

Mushroom and Asparagus Fettuccine

Ingredients

8 ounces dried fettuccine or linguine (or your favorite pasta)

8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup mushroom broth or vegetable broth

1/4 cup half-and-half or light cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chopped plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh basil

1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh oregano

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Optional Ingredients

Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Cook fettuccine or linguine according to package directions, adding asparagus the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking; drain. Return pasta mixture to saucepan; cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in broth, half-and-half, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boiling. Boil gently, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Stir in tomatoes, basil, and oregano; heat through.

Spoon the mushroom mixture over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Divide among 4 bowls or dinner plates. Sprinkle with pine nuts and, if desired, Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

 

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Eco Tips Featured Recycling

4 Ways to Reduce Junk Mail and Paper Waste

Excess junk mail and paper waste… almost every household seems to have this problem. From credit card advertisements, free sweepstakes opportunities, magazine subscriptions you didn’t order, and of course the very popular free coupons. The coupons may come in handy.  As for everything else, the likelihood of them meeting your paper shredder is definite.  There are a few ways that you can decrease the pile of paper waste and junk mail in your home.

Unsubscribe Magazines and Newsletters: If you like receiving magazines or store catalogues, you can get these online.  For example, if you have a Nook, Kindle, or iPad, these subscriptions can be continued digitally and without the use of paper.  It would cost less as well to have your subscriptions electronically transferred to your portable reading device.

Opt-out: Sign up at the website optoutprescreen.com where you can remove your name and mailing address from the mailing list for credit card and insurance providers.  This will definitely decrease the amount of junk mail you receive!

Avoid Sweepstakes and Contests: If you have entered a contest or sweepstakes online, which requires you to give the website your home address, you will receive a lot of junk mail! Those guys won’t let you off easy.  They will want you to sign up for another contest or be part of a great deal in town! Try to avoid these sites.

Pay Bills Online: With current technology, banks, insurance companies, and other service providers have been able to give their customers the online bill pay option.  Rather than receive your bill in the mail, you can sign up online to receive an alert when the time comes to pay a certain bill. After that, you can go to the insurance site or your online bank account and pay the bill! That makes less bills coming through the mail. Most banks are trying to promote the option of bill paper to decrease the amount of paper waste!

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Eco Tips Featured Green Building Home Design

3 Benefits of Using Solar Energy at Home

Solar energy has recently become more popular due to its organic and natural qualities. It is also more economical to use solar energy due to its renewable supply. Ultimately, solar energy is worry-free and the only maintenance and upkeep needed are the application of solar panels and keeping the panels clean and clear of debris. There are many great benefits to use solar paneling for your home as a means of using energy.

  • Decrease in Energy Bills: When using solar energy, you are only taking from an ample supply of energy that regenerates itself naturally.  The use of non-solar energy only increases your electric bill every month, depending on the usage in your home. The application of solar panels will be beneficial because the energy produced will decrease your electricity bill.  Solar energy is free because it is natural and harnessed by solar panels.
  • Decrease Energy Demand: Using solar panel generated energy will decrease the demand for machinated energy. The production of energy costs hundreds of dollars, thus the expense of paying energy bills.  However, solar panels produce more energy than your local energy provider. All the excess energy produced by your home solar panels goes back into the power grid.  Therefore, the electric company writes you a check for the extra energy you produce.  Not only are you benefiting from home generated energy through solar panels, but you’re also being paid for the energy you produced!
  • Environmentally Sound: Solar energy is natural and can never run out. It is renewable and does not require a bill every month for its services for your home. You will experience some relief using your heater, appliances, and air conditioning unit knowing that your source of energy is renewable. Also, to produce energy without solar energy requires the use manufactured electricity, which requires a huge amount of power usage. The use of solar energy decreases the need for electric power.
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Eco Eats Eco Tips Featured

5 Reasons to go Meatless on Mondays

Meatless Mondays is a relatively new way of being eco-friendly and organic.  It’s just one day a week where you abstain from all meat and poultry. Of course, if you were to eat meat every other day of the week, you are encouraged to eat meat that is grass-fed, free range, and hormone-free.  It is both beneficial to your health as well as the environment. Here are a few important health and environmental benefits from applying Meatless Mondays to your lifestyle.

  • Decrease Cancer Risk:  Studies have shown that the consumption of processed red meat and poultry increases the risk of developing colon cancer. Those who eat more fruits and vegetables in their daily diet, with limited amount of meat, lead healthier lives and reduce their chances of getting cancer.
  • Heart Disease:  According to the results from a study performed by Harvard University, you lower the risk of heart disease by 19% if you decrease the amount of saturated fat full foods, such as meats and dairy. You can replace these saturated filled foods with polyunsaturated fats, which are various nuts, seeds, and vegetable or coconut oil.
  • Diabetes and Obesity:  Decreasing red meat consumption reduces the risk of developing type two diabetes.  Ultimately, red meat is filled with saturated fat, which decomposes into sugar in your body.  Sugar build-up will lead to weight gain and diabetes. Also, chicken you buy at a local grocery store are normally not free-range and filled with hormones. Of course, meat and poultry provides required nutrients and protein for our bodies.  But, if we are not careful, this can lead to diabetes and obesity.
  • Eco-Friendly:  According to the United Nations’ food and agricultural organization, the meat industry produces at least 1/5th of the greenhouse gas emanations, which has been accelerating the world’s climate change. This is far more than what transportation devices emit. The demand for meat only increases the amount of gases emitted. Abstaining from meat at least once a week will help decrease the demand that meat industries have to accommodate.

 

Mary Kate Seymour is a professional blogger with an English degree from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. She is one of seven children, raised in a Marine Corps family. She loves to read, write, explore new places; research new craft ideas and work on crochet projects.

She has become a frequent user of Pinterest this past year and, as a result, her “to-do” list for crafts has grown immensely. She’s an animal lover and has a miniature poodle named “Rosie.”  Her long term goal is to secure a position as a high school English and Literature teacher. She thoroughly enjoys being a writer, nanny and tutor. 

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Eco Tips Featured Furnishings

How to Create a Meditation Spot at Home

Life can become stressful, whether you’re raising a family, getting through school, working full time or running a business. Meditation is a wonderful way to wind down and relax, especially after a long day. The goal is to find your own unique space and method for meditation. Here are a few simple ideas for you to create a meditation space at home:

  • Find a quiet spot inside your home, outside in the garden or in a screened patio.
  • Make your space comfortable and suited to your personality. For example, decorate your meditation space so that it becomes a sweet escape from your busy world. Use your favorite colors in soft tones for a relaxing effect.
  • Avoid bringing in too many objects into your meditation spot. You don’t want a cluttered space when the goal is to feel relaxed and at ease.
  • Use a mat or throw rug to sit with some comfortable pillows for support. A side table would be beneficial so that you can place candles, books or plants.
  • Add peaceful aroma to your space by lighting some soy candles that have a nice, fresh scent. Candles that smell like fresh linen, cotton, or lavender will have the most relaxing effect. Another option is to use incense. Fragrance helps to create a pleasant atmosphere and will help bring focus to your meditation practice while relaxing and soothing the body and senses.
  • Bring something from nature into your space. For example, put some of your favorite flowers in a vase, a water feature that creates a soothing sound of water falling, or herbs hanging on your wall.
  • Music is another great element to bring into your meditation spot. You can use nature sounds or soft music for added tranquility.
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Eco Tips Featured Home Design Uncategorized

4 Quick Eco-Friendly Interior Fixes and Facelifts

Vintage Charm. Switch old pressed fiberwood cabinet or closet doors with antique swirled or crackled glass. The textured or crackled glass will still keep your kitchen looking open and airy while hiding the interior cabinet contents on occasions when things aren’t completely orderly.

Easy Update. Give your cabinets and kitchen drawers an updated look with a fresh coat of no or low VOC paint and new drawer pulls. Use one style on drawers and a contrasting style on doors.

Hide Floor Flaws. No need to entirely refinish a scratched, scuffed wooden floor. You can creatively cover scratches and scuffs with a coat of ECOS VOC-free Floor Paint. Find a variety of colors and finishes at Ecospaints.net.

Beadboard Display. Camouflage that unattractive stove hood by covering it with repurposed beadboard and adding some molding or finials to display china or heirloom kitchen collectibles.

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Eco Tips Featured

5 Natural Alternatives to at Home Air Fresheners

According to recent studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most store-bought air fresheners contain formaldehyde, petrochemicals, p-dichlorobenzene and aerosol pollutants (these chemicals can cause asthma, watery eyes, respiratory problems and more)! Store-bought air fresheners release pollutants more or less continuously. Upon reading about all those harmful chemicals in air fresheners I immediately started researching natural and eco-friendly ways to freshen my home without risk of potentially putting myself at risk. Here are three ways to leave your home smelling fresh without using harsh chemicals and most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry!

Simmer Spices. You can simmer spices such as whole cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg on the stovetop or place them in a crockpot for all day smell.

Use Essential Oils. Dab a little on a light bulb or a warmer to gently scent a room. You can also combine then with other scents and make one uniquely your own!

Cooking Odors. Eliminate cooking odors by placing a shallow bowl of vinegar nearest the scent. It will help “capture” the scent and rid it of your house!

Create Your Own Potpourri. Create your own potpourri from bulk herbs, flowers, and spices and leave a little in a bowl or place them in sachets. You can use your left over herbs from your herb garden and flowers from your flower garden as well!

Odor Absorbers. Use a neutral odor absorbent such as a box of baking soda in a stinky area (especially in the refrigerator to help capture smells). You can also sprinkle especially smelly spots (such as the garbage can) with a little vinegar and baking soda to help with the smell.

Sources: kimberlysnyder.net, (http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2012/03/10/the-danger-of-air-freshener-and-10-alternatives-for-a-great-smelling-home/)

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Eco Tips Featured

4 Things to Help Keep Your Kitchen Eco-Organized

Space is a valued commodity in most kitchens, so we came up with a few new uses for old items that most of us already have stashed away or collecting dust in a closet.

Vintage ceramic crocks. Keep an eye out for ceramic crocks at a second hand store or antique shop. Use them in the kitchen to hold utensils or dried herbs.

Wicker baskets. Wicker baskets are easy to find at most resale shops or just stashed around the house. Use larger baskets for organizing or storing placemats, plates or silverware.

Glass jars. Old glass jars can be labeled and reused as small canisters to hold healthy snacks like almonds, granola or dried fruits.

Loaf pans. Retired loaf pans are ideal to use for neatly classifying and storing kitchen spices or seasonings in cabinets. Label each pan based on general use:  baking spices, poultry seasonings or meat seasonings.

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Eco Tips Featured

4 Ways to Recharge After the Holidays

Even though the holiday season means spending treasured time with friends and family, it can also be pretty hectic due to all the shopping, cooking and cleaning. Consider a few of these post-holiday tips for staying energized and centered all year long.

Use energizing essential oils. Try adding an essential oil to a diffuser and place the diffuser in the bathroom as you get ready in the mornings. Essential oils like Grapefruit and Ylang Ylang have uplifting and motivating properties.

See the light. Research has shown that even just 20 to 30 minutes of sunlight each day can improve your mood. Get outdoors (just remember your sunscreen) or sit and read a book in a sunny, window filled room. Natural sunlight encourages the body to produce vitamin D and protects us from seasonal mood changes.

Plan a sabbatical. A sabbatical is defined as, “A break or change from a normal routine (as of employment).” There is a reason people take sabbaticals and are given vacation time. Don’t use yours getting things done around the house or, worse yet, skip it altogether. Planning a time for some future R&R is important and gives you something to look forward to after the holidays.

Get moving on the weekends. Create a weekend routine that will get you up and out of bed. Leave a set of gym clothes next to the bed before you go to sleep so it’s easier to hit that early AM yoga class. Or, make a brunch date with that bubbly friend you’ve been anxious to catch up with. Her mood will be contagious. It’s a downer to feel like you’ve spent your Saturday or Sunday moping around all day, so find a reason to get up and get moving!

Source:  Definition of sabbatical, Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sabbatical)

 

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Eco Tips Featured

6 Eco-Friendly Resolutions To Put Into Practice

As the current year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to assess how we have been running our lives and homes. Most of us can easily take a step back, learn to plan better, and put a few smart practices into place.

Reuse and recycle by donating your stuff. The New Year provides a good opportunity to clean out, simplify and start fresh. Have household items you no longer use? Give them away on Freecycle.org. Have clothes or shoes you don’t wear anymore? Donate the items to a local shelter, drop off at Goodwill or host a clothing swap.

Go dairy free and meat free once a week. Join “Meat Free Mondays” and make a green, animal-friendly, earth-friendly resolution for the coming year. By going meat free, you reduce your carbon footprint, limit cancer risk, reduce the risk of diabetes, help curb obesity and lessen the chances of heart disease.

Grow something. Start small with a pot of basil or thyme on your patio or kitchen windowsill. Plants give off additional oxygen, help clean the air, and bring living energy to a room. Having your own pesticide-free organic herbs to use when cooking isn’t a bad thing either.

Install and use smart power strips. Get in the habit of using smart power strips to turn off TV’s, computers, kitchen appliances, and other electronics completely. You just might notice your electric bill go down.

Replace the standard light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent ones. Energy-smart bulbs use 70-75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer.

Replace your air conditioner filter every 30 to 60 days. A dirty filter will block the airflow and cost you more to run since the unit has to work twice as hard. Have extra filters on hand at all times.