Tag: eco eats

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Use 3 Ingredients Already In Your Kitchen To Detox And Energize Your Day

apple-ginger-lemon-healthy-smoothie

We all know the importance of a good, healthy breakfast to start the day right, but who has the time to make elaborated breakfast every day? Not me. And probably, not you either. Luckily, there’s a very easy, extremely effective recipe you can try. All you need is a blender and a few ingredients you already have in your kitchen to make the perfect breakfast smoothie.

 What you’ll need:

  • 4 Apples

  • 1 Lemon, peeled

  • 1 Tablespoon grated ginger

 Instructions:

  1. Cut the apples and the lemon into medium-small pieces
  2. Put them in a blender or a juicer with the grated ginger and mix them until you have a smooth consistency.
  3. That’s it.

 I told you it was easy. If you want, you can add a few fresh mint leaves or a spoonful of honey for a little extra flavor, but that’s up to you. You can drink one cup of this delicious smoothie over breakfast every day to improve your digestion, flush toxins, increase your energy levels and even help you with weight loss.

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 How does it work?

 The three main ingredients of this power-smoothie have been proving time and time again to provide a lot of health benefits when consumed regularly. Lemons, for example, is a natural antiseptic that can be used to treat throat infections and respiratory disorders. It has also been linked to a lower blood pressure and a better blood vessel function, and it is thought to even help with weight loss. But that’s not all, because lemon, like all citric fruits, is filled to the brim with delicious Vitamin C. This means that lemon will help you boost your immune system like no other. And on top of all this, lemon is deliciously refreshing, not a bad way to start the day, huh?

 An apple a day keeps the doctor away, as my grandma used to say. Apples are delicious and provide natural sweetness to this drink, but that’s not all they do. They are easy to digest, high in fiber and low on calories, which makes them great if you are trying to lose weight or decrease the bad cholesterol in your bloodstream. Besides, they are packed with antioxidants, which will really improve your cardiovascular health and reduce risk of stroke and respiratory diseases. If that’s not good enough for you, apples are linked to reduced risk of cancer. How do you like them apples?

 Finally, ginger is widely known to soothe digestive problems. It’s not a coincidence that your mom made you drink Ginger Ale whenever you had an upset stomach. This delicious root reduces nausea, dizziness and regulates your digestive tract. But that’s not all, because there is some research that shows taking ginger regularly can reduce joint pain caused by arthritis and improve mobility. On the other hand, there are some studies that link regular ginger consumption with reduced menstrual pains for more than 60% of women, that’s about the same as ibuprofen, but completely natural.

 So there you have it. A three-ingredient smoothie that can supercharge you for the rest of the day and keep you healthy in the long run.

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Articles Eco Eats Eco Tips

I Bet You Had No Clue These Celebrities Are Vegans And Vegetarians

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Being a celebrity is often confused with being a spoiled, selfish brat, who’s leading a life of excess, money, fame, and parties. But not all celebrities decide to take on their fame and use it to party 24/7 like Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton do. Some celebrities are praised for their acting or singing skills, but also, because they publicly speak out on matters that are important to the world. These are the most outspoken celebrities who lead the vegan and vegetarian life and we cannot help but praise them. For the right reasons.

Alicia Silverstone. Was one of the first celebs to publicly screamed to the world back in the 90’s, that she was a vegetarian. Author of the book ‘The kind diet’, is an outspoken mom who’s been a vegan for over 16 years now. Back it wasn’t so ‘common’ to hear celebrities speak about animal abuse and these sorts of diets. “I couldn’t reconcile being an advocate for animals and at the same time eating them — it made no sense,” she stated in her new book, The Kind Mama. And boy, do we agree!
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Alan Cumming. Who plays Eli Gold on TV’s hit show The Good Wife knows a thing or two about strategy and the power those political candidates carry under their sleeves. And being in the spotlight himself, Alan stands for animal rights and is completely against the hormones that dead carcasses carry in their bodies. He’s also a big fan of hummus. Who can blame him?!

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Lovely Anne Hathaway, who plaid an innocent intern in the movie Devil Wears Prada dropped 60 pounds for a movie role. She went from a slim girl to an unbelievably tiny shred of her old self. She chopped her hair off as well, but that wasn’t the only change in her life. She ditched her old eating habits and turned to veganism. She seemed to be in the right track, according to PETA and other vegan crusaders, when suddenly in 2014, she decided to switch to the Paleo diet which is packed with a different kind of protein. Hey! Whatever works for her! She just might come back to being a vegan, right?
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Emily Deschanel. Also known as ‘Dr. Brennan’ on Fox’s show Bones, got pregnant and maintained her vegan diet. Twenty years ago she started the green life and has never looked back. When she was pregnant, she stated “I don’t think it’s any more challenging for me than it is for anyone else: You have to make sure you get all those essential nutrients.” And we all know she’s talking about getting enough vitamin B12 and omega-3s, which is something most vegans lack.

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Eco Eats

3 Delicious Heart Melting Eco-Recipes To Gift On V-Day

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heart-shapped-food-love-panckaesEveryone knows that to get to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Tell that to Lisa who just went straight to the heart and is now single in a mental ward. Gosh! Some people take everything really literal. Enough about that, especially when Valentine’s Day is almost here. What better way to show your love then by baking something sweet and tasty to share with your significant other. No baby, you are not baking yourself. The special part of the gift is that they are all eco-friendly. So they are eating something healthy and lovely.

Here are three delicious heart melting eco-recipes to gift on Valentine’s Day.

1. Finger Licking Good Hors d’oeuvres – Get all of their favorite organic snacks (fruits, chips, nuts).  Set them aside. Now get the blender out. Blend all of the following ingredients together.

  • One heaping tablespoon of organic Fair Trade cacao powder
  • Flesh of one young coconut
  • Organic agave nectar
  • Fresh coconut water
  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • One capful of organic, Fair Trade Vanilla extract
  • Couple pinches of sea salt

Pour it into a serving bowl and let the dipping begin. Plus chocolate is an aphrodisiac. You are welcome.

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2. Aphrodisiac Salad – This one is simple and flavorful. It has six ingredients that are aphrodisiacs. All you need is:

  • One bag of organic baby arugula
  • One large red bell pepper (diced)
  • Two medium or one large avocado (cubed)
  • Half a cup of toasted pine nuts

Put those all into a bowl. The dressing is so delicious. All you need to do is mix: extra virgin olive oil, honey, and one organic lemon, 1 clove of garlic, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Pour it over the salad and eat. It is so damn good that even a carnivore would fight for it.

3. Bread Cuddle Heart Breakfast – You need organic bread, organic butter, organic egg, and organic cookie cutter (just kidding). The cookie cutter needs to be in the shape of a heart. Cut out the heart shape from the center of each bread slice. Butter both side. Butter the baking sheet. Put the bread slices evenly on the baking sheet. Crack the eggs in the heart shape. Put in the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes at 350F. They are so cute. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Serve with organic fruit on the side.

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Now you have three wonderful eco-friendly Valentine’s Day recipes they will surely love.

Feed your love something sweet on Valentine’s Day. They will surely be saying yum and will come back for more. Now if you cannot bake, then you are sift out of luck. Seriously though, all you need to do is go to Godiva and buy some chocolate covered strawberries and some wine from ABC Liquor. It is that simple. Plus throw the box away and say you made them yourself. They will never know. Love can have its white lies sometimes. I guarantee that your significant other will adore all three recipes as much as he adores you. Just don’t go asking Lisa, and Kelly for advice.

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Eco Eats Eco Tips Lawn & Garden

Food Gone Wild: Super Usefull Foraging Tips

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forage-food-edible-guy-picking-plantsThere will come a day when you are lost in the forest, or even worst, the wild, and you have nothing to eat. Well you have your fingertips, but that is just disgusting, and also a bad habit. Anyway, if you are afraid of finding yourself truly lost and starving then you need to learn about foraging for food. I mean if squirrels can do it…so can you. Let Mother Nature feed you her essence. Why start foraging? Well…food costs are rising, edible plants in nature are free, they give you nutrients, and some are used for medicinal purposes.

Here are some beginner tips on foraging.

  • Tip 1: Do not eat everything that you see. Curiosity killed the dumb brat for a reason. Some plants can be poisonous.
  • Tip 2: Know what environment you are going to end up hiking. Suit up properly too. Gloves are your friends.
  • Tip 3: Bring a bag. Use it to keep your foraging finds.
  • Tip 4: Before you eat the plants, test them out to see if they do not upset your stomach and make you plant one in the toilet.
  • Tip 5: No seconds, my dear. Let the area you picked plants from have a chance to grow back.
  • Tip 6: Stay away from highway, nuclear, and landfill plants.
  • Tip 7: Read twice, pick once. That is the foraging motto…for me. Some plants can fool you, so read the books twice and cross-reference it with other plants to make sure you are eating the right one.
  • Tip 8: Make sure you are not allergic to specific plants. Rub a bit of it on a small area of your arm and then some on your lips. If you are not dead, then go ahead.
  • Tip 9: Be thoughtful. There are some endangered species of plants. Read up and find out which ones they are. The last thing you want is to eat the last one of its kind.
  • Tip 10: Do not make a mess. Littering is frowned upon.
  • Tip 11: Mushrooms are great to eat, but some can kill you on the spot. Always have a picture book of edible plants or food.
  • Tip 12: If you do not know if something is edible then do not collect it.
  • Tip 13: Make it a daily routine. Explore different areas to forage for new items.
  • Tip 14: Bring a camera to take pictures of plants, fruits, herds, weed, etc. that you find to keep track of what is in your environment.
  • Tip 15: Say thank you to Earth for giving you great natural nutrients.

So when you are out and foraging for your food, make sure to follow these tips. Remember that just because Mother Nature is giving you free food; it does not mean that you cannot repay her back. Plant some new seeds or throw some seeds in the wind and let nature take its course.

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Eco Eats

Holiday Choco Cookies Even Santa Will Want To Steal

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chocolate-chip-cookies-treats-yummy
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With the winter season here there are many treats that you can imagine making. Sweet or savory; my taste buds do not mind. One thing different this holiday season is that I have gotten on the eco-friendly trend. A better planet means a better holiday season for not only me but for you too. Look for some new eco-friendly treats to make this Christmas. They are so easy to make and great to enjoy with everyone. Just because it has eco-friendly in the recipe name it does not mean that it will not be as delicious as the original. The treat will only be made using products that are safe for the earth.

Try this delicious cookie. You will surely love it.

Eco-Friendly Choco Cookie

Here is how you make them. Get two separate bowls; one for the dry ingredients and another one for the wet ingredients. Sift the almond flour, sea salt, and baking soda together. Add in the chocolate chips (you can use chunks if you prefer). Stir well. Now add in the grape seed oil, agave nectar, and vanilla extract all together. Mix well until you get a cookie dough texture. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat their sauna to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll 1 inch balls and place them on the parchment paper. Place them 2 inches apart from one another. Using the bottom of the 1/4 cup measurer, flatten the cookie balls a bit.

Bake for 8 minutes, and then take them out to cool off for 20 minutes. Eat and let your mouth have an orgasm.

These cookies are one of many eco-friendly holiday treats that I have enjoyed recently. I have eaten Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, and Vegan Fudge.

Yesterday I had Peanut Bites. I used whole grain bread and cut eat slice into four pieces. Then I spread homemade peanut butter. I then finished each decadent piece with fresh fruit slices like kiwis; grapes; strawberries; and bananas. They were delicious and it kept me from using that sugar packed jam.  I cannot to wait to indulge my taste buds with healthier yet delicious treats that are earth-friendly.

Hopefully you too can try these yummy eco-friendly choco cookies. They are easy to make, and they are easy to make disappear. Everyone will fall in love with the flavorful bite of chocolate in each cookie. You can easily give these away as a gift too. Recycle one of your aluminum foil boxes. Cover the box with newspaper and put parchment paper in it. Line the cookies in and close the box up with twine. A perfect homemade eco-friendly gift for anyone. Just keep it away from the pets who love to sneak under the tree.

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Eco Eats

Add Green Stuff to What You Eat

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fresh-fruit-veggies-carrots-heart-shape
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Do not let the title deceive you. You are not adding anything that is green into your food. You are adding green colored foods into your daily meals. Green colored foods include veggies not green apple Jolly Ranchers.  A lot of us hate vegetables. Some of us adore them. Then there are some of us who are picky about which ones we actually like to eat. I prefer crunchy veggies with a lot of flavor and dressing. Oil and vinegar normally do the trick.

Here are some ways to add veggies into your food. The best part is that you will not even know that they are there.

Sauce: Instead of buying a can of spaghetti sauce, make a homemade version full of sneak attack veggies. The great thing about a homemade savory sauce is that you can add any ingredient that you want, except candy and chocolate of course. How do you add the veggies in without anyone noticing? You puree them in. That way all the veggies will blend in with the sauce. It tastes so good that your little ones will not even notice that the spaghetti sauce is full of eggplant and carrot puree.

Sandwiches: Are you making yourself a turkey club sandwich for lunch? Add a little crunch to it. Slide in a crisp leaf of Romaine lettuce, a crunchy pickle, and slices of cucumber. Trust me you will love it and not even know that the added goodness is from veggies.  Try eating a sandwich lettuce roll. Get your deli meat selection and put it between two pieces of lettuce. Roll it up and enjoy.

Fruit Platter: Of course apples, grapes, orange slices, pineapple chunks, and melon wedges are the norm in a fruit platter. How about adding some baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, and celery sticks to round it out? Caramel, ranch, and peanut butter dips are optional.

Taco: Yes you already have the shredded lettuce and pico de gallo. Add some extra veggies to the ground beef. You can add spinach, beans, shredded carrots and even pumpkin to the meat to give a kick of sweetness. Plus the cheese and crunchy taco shell will help you mask those veggies.

Desserts: Carrot cakes, and pumpkin pies are the normal go to veggie star desserts. Did you know that you can have a scrumptious cake full of eggplant and chocolate? A Sweet Potato Mousse? And Plantain Ice Cream? I bet the answer is no because the veggie words scared you off. Try a dessert full of veggie nutrients. Your heart will not regret it. Carrots dipped in chocolate are to die for.

There you have it. Simple ways to trick your loved ones and yourself into eating more green stuff. Food is food, but not everything can be red, yellow, brown, and white (colors of a normal burger). Mix the veggies in and everyone wins. From sauces to desserts, green stuff will find its way to make you smile. By green stuff I do mean veggies still. Just incase. So go start tricking peeps into eat green.

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Eco Eats Eco Tips

Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving Party Ideas

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November is here. You all know what does that mean? My birthday of course. Oh, I mean…THANKSGIVING! The happiest time of the year to give thanks to everything good in the world and to be thankful for stretch pants. Gobble gobble. Talking about gobble; I recently have gotten on the eco-friendly craze, and want to throw a Thanksgiving party while at the same time thanking the Earth for all it has given us.

So here are some eco-friendly thanksgiving ideas everyone will love, even the turkey in the backyard.

Table Deco: The leaves are falling in many shades. Instead of raking them up an putting them in glad bags that do not make any landfill glad, use them to make wonderful decorations. Glue some together to make tablemats. Use semi-large ones as coasters so no liquid will damage your reclaimed wood ten seat table. Glue some one inch apart from another on some twine or rope for a festive garland. Acorn turkeys are always fun to make.

Halloween’s Treat:

  • Keep those pumpkins you carved out. You can turn them around and carve thanksgiving theme patterns to illuminate throughout the house. You can even use some as flower holders. Who does not like a cute pumpkin vase?
  • Have any extra face paint from your costume? If you do then use them to make one–of-a-kind hand turkey art with the kids and display them throughout the house or use them as name cards.
  • Use anything orange you saved from your Halloween parties. Reuse and make it look new. No one will know once all the pies are on the table.
  • Left-over candy from trick or treating is always rare. If you have any then use them on your deserts. You can make turkey cookies or leaf cookies and use M&Ms to decorate them.

Faux Turkey: Go vegan for one day. Save a turkey. Yes they taste good especially with a bit of honey. C’mon, stop it. The turkey is an animal and has feelings too. Trust me it will be thankful if you do not kill it. Instead why not kill it with kindness and make a tofu turkey substitute? If your family does not like it then tofu-rkey-ing bad.You get the point.

Energy: Play outside with the family. Have your own football game. Turn off the television, turn off the air conditioner, and go outside for a while. Be thankful you have a family to enjoy such a wonderful holiday with.

Dishes: If you are having a small gathering then use you green set of plates that you bought specifically for this festive holiday. Wash them all at the same time to conserve water. Or do what I do…recycle them. If you are having a potluck type get together then purchase some biodegradable plates, napkins and utensils. If you do own a dishwashing machine, you may want to wait until you can wash a load of dishes that fills it up entirely, therefore you’ll be conserving water and not wasting away our sacred electricity.

Food: Two words…organic and local. Buy in bulk for less packaging waste. Save leftovers, or better yet let your guest take some home to keep them from wasting energy the next day. Recyling leftover food is easy, you can always make a pie out of anything.

Hopefully these tips help you out on your day of thanks. If it does then all I can say is…you are welcome.

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Eco Eats

4 Eco-Friendly Fall Treats

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Fall is here once again and with it comes some awesome holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Jack O’ Lanterns, trick or treat candies and pumpkin pies are just some of the things we have come to expect around this time of the year. But it does not have to be all about sugar and chocolate. (Who am I kidding?) There are several eco-friendly treats that you and the kids can enjoy for the fall season.

Your first instinct might be to buy a bunch of those assorted bags of candies at your nearby Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart. Yep. The truth is that most of those candies are toxic; well not in the sense that if you eat one you will die. The materials that are used in their construction are harmful to the environment and let us not mention the fact that a lot of the people making them are doing so under some questionable working conditions. So for Halloween this year, why not go for the healthier eco-friendly alternative?

Granola Bars might not seem like the ideal choice for a trick or treat bag but it is healthy with a number of vitamins, proteins and fiber to keep your kid regular.  Best of all, because Granola bars are made with natural ingredients you will not have to worry about any of those difficult to pronounce ingredients on the back of the label that you might be feeding to your kids or your neighbors’ kids. Just make sure that that manufacturer of the granola bars does not use GMO, which are genetically altered materials like yeast, insects, plants, fish or mammals.

Now for the next item, I know apples get a bad rap. Some think apples are too healthy while others are simply traumatized by the story of Snow White and the delicious red apple given to her by the evil queen that put her in a death-like sleep. But that is fiction. In reality, apples, especially green ones are delicious. They are great for your teeth and they do not have any of that extra sugar and artificial ingredients that can make your child obese or as I like to call mine, fluffy like a marshmallow. To ensure that you are being eco-conscious, pick only organically grown apples from your local market.

Another great treat that can get you through the fall season is an orange-ganic snack. All you need are 3 oranges and a celery stick. You start by peeling the oranges and placing them on a plate. Then you cut the celery stick into 3 pieces.  Then ease each celery piece gently into the center of the orange where it splits and voila! Instant treat! It looks like a pumpkin but taste like an orange. Orange you glad it tastes good.

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With Halloween practically done and over with for the year, you are looking at a lot of pumpkin seeds left behind. Of course you can always use the pumpkin that was once your carved Jack-O-Lantern to make a pumpkin pie or you can buy a new slice of pumpkin at your local store to make a pie too. Just do not throw those seeds away. You can actually roast pumpkin seeds, let them cool a bit and then suck on them. It has a natural sweetness to them that is absolutely delicious. If sucking on pumpkin seeds is not your idea of a good time, you can always turn good old Jack into pumpkin cookies or pumpkin muffins too.

Who could have imagined that fall treats, particularly those typically seen during Halloween, could be healthy, eco-friendly and organic?

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Articles Eco Eats

Have a Green Thanksgiving

 

iStock_000010991193SmallLooking to make your Thanksgiving more eco-friendly this year? It’s a lot easier than you might think. Every year Americans waste on average 200 millions pounds of turkey this year (Latimes.com). Don’t be apart of that staggering and frightening statistic. Do your part and go green this Thanksgiving.

Use real plates. Although buying paper plates, napkins, and cups might seem easier, it’s actually worse for the environment. It’s far better for the environment if you were to just wash your dishes. Feel free to use the dishwasher! Just make sure to not choose the “high heat” setting because it uses a lot of extra energy.

Use to-go containers. Use reusable to-go containers instead of plastic wrap. According to life.gaiam.com Americans use enough plastic wrap to cover the entire state of Texas. This year do your part and boycott the plastic wrap.

Actually eat your leftovers. I’m not a huge fan of leftovers and I know that I’m just as guilty as the next person for contributing to the 200 million wasted pounds of fowl. Make delicious left over turkey sandwiches or hot turkey gravy sandwiches. After you have finished all the meat, use the carcass and make a turkey stock. You can use the stock later this winter for hearty winter soup.

Buy organic. This year try to buy organic. All the same items you use year after year have an organic alternative. Organic food is free of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and is not only better for the Earth but better for your body.

Do you have any tips for an eco-friendly Thanksgiving?