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Eco Eats Uncategorized

Let’s Go Berrying!

Early summer means the arrival of fresh strawberries in the stores. Unfortunately, many supermarket berries are sprayed with harmful fungicides and pesticides. For the wise consumer, buying organic berries is a better choice. There are several ways to get sweet strawberry flavors without the harmful chemicals

You-Pick Farms

To get the freshest berries, the first choice is to visit an organic farm where you can pick the berries yourself. Even if you don’t have time to pick, you can buy berries that were growing on the plants just a few hours earlier. However, if you do have time, picking strawberries is a fun outing for the whole family. As you pick, keep in mind that strawberries don’t ripen after they are picked. Therefore, you should only pluck berries that are bright red all over. Don’t choose berries that are white at the top.

Farmer’s Markets

Visiting your local farmer’s market is another way to get tasty, all-natural strawberries. You may be able to sample several different varieties of berries. Get to know the farmers who sell their produce and ask questions about their organic practices.

Organic Stores

If you have a nearby organic store, talk to the produce manager to find out when the produce truck makes its deliveries. Berries are extremely perishable, so you will want to be there just a few hours after the truck leaves. Choose your berry boxes carefully, turning them over to check for crushed or moldy berries on the bottom of the container. Your box of berries should smell sweet and fresh rather than sour.

Preserving Your Harvest

However you get your harvest of berries, you should take care of them as soon as you can to prolong the flavor of fresh strawberries. If you leave them on the counter for a day or two, they will quickly become a moldy mess.

Organic berries are not sprayed with fungicides, so to kill any mold spores that may be on the surface of the berries, rinse them gently with a vinegar-water mixture. Add one cup of vinegar to three cups of water, swish the berries around in it, remove them, and pat them dry with paper towels. Rinsing with vinegar can greatly prolong the amount of time you can enjoy your berries.

To store berries in the fridge, line a container with a layer of paper towels to absorb moisture. Place unbruised berries in a single layer on the paper towels. On top of the berries, lay another paper towel and add another layer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Your berries should stay fresh and tasty for up to a week in the refrigerator when they are stored in this manner.

~April F. 

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Eco Tips Uncategorized

Go Green in the Kitchen

The kitchen may be one of the busiest rooms in your entire house, and it’s no surprise that kitchen appliances use a large portion of a home’s energy. Additionally, due to dishwashers and sinks, much of a family’s water usage happens in the kitchen. Use these tips to conserve energy in your kitchen every day. Not only will you be helping to save the planet, but you will also be saving yourself some money. There’s no reason not to use these five tips to go green in your kitchen.

1. Washing dishes.

If you wash dishes by hand, don’t run the water constantly. Instead, fill one side of the sink with soapy water for washing, and fill the other side with clean water for rinsing to save water. However, most newer models of dishwashers are much more efficient than washing dishes by hand, and you won’t need to pre-rinse the dishes. However, you should only run the dishwasher when it is completely full to save on electricity and water.

2. Check fridge and freezer seals.

If the seals on the doors of your refrigerator and freezer are leaky, you could be losing money every month as cool air escapes from the fridge. Put a dollar bill in the door so that it is half in and half out. If you can pull the bill from the door easily, you should replace the seal or give it a good cleaning.

3. Use small appliances.

Instead of heating the oven every time you want to cook, try using a slow cooker. This will not only use less power, but it also helps you to avoid heating up your house in the summer. You should also consider using small appliances, like electric teapots, toasters, and rice cookers, instead of your stove if you can.

4. Fix the sink.

If your sink drips, you could be wasting gallons of water every day. A new washer only costs a few cents, but it could save you many times that on your water bill each month.

5. Install a water filter in the sink.

If you are used to using bottled water, try installing a water filter on your kitchen faucet. You can fill a water bottle and still have the convenience of portable water. However, you won’t have the expense of buying water bottles, and you won’t be generating trash. Alternately, you can use a water-filtering pitcher.

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so express your heart for the earth by utilizing these green kitchen tips.

~April F.

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Eco Tips Featured Green Building Home Design Home Improvement

Save Money This Winter With New Windows

Do you have old creaky windows or your winter energy bill outrageously high? Have you recently been considering remodeling your house and replacing your old windows with new energy efficient windows? There are many benefits to replacing your old windows.

How windows lose and gain heat. Windows lose and gain heat by conduction, convection, radiation and air leakage. This heat transfer is expressed with U-values, or U-factors (U-values are the mathematical inverse of R-values. So an R-value of 2 equals a U-value of 1/2, or 0.5). Unlike R-values, lower U-value indicates higher insulating value. Conduction is the movement of heat through a solid material. Radiant transfer is the movement of heat as long-wave heat energy from a warmer body to a cooler body. Air leakage siphons about half of an average home’s heating and cooling energy to the outdoors due to poor weather-stripping or single paned glass windows. For more information on ways windows lose and gain heat check out this website.

Different Types of Energy Efficient Windows.  Make sure to check for the Energy Star rating seal when looking to purchase new windows. Here are the different types of windows you can purchase.Energy Efficient Windows

  • Awning. Hinged at the top and open outward. Because the sash closes by pressing against the frame, they generally have lower air leakage rates than sliding windows.
  • Casement. Hinged at the sides. Like awning windows, they generally have lower air leakage rates than sliding windows because the sash closes by pressing against the frame.
  • Fixed. Fixed panes that don’t open. When installed properly they’re airtight, but are not suitable in places where window ventilation is desired.
  • Hopper. Hinged at the bottom and open inward. Like both awning and casement, they generally have lower air leakage rates because the sash closes by pressing against the frame.
  • Single- and double-hung. Both sashes slide vertically in a double-hung window. Only the bottom sash slides upward in a single-hung window. These sliding windows generally have higher air leakage rates than projecting or hinged windows.
  • Single- and double-sliding. Both sashes slide horizontally in a double-sliding window. Only one sash slides in a single-sliding window. Like single- and double-hung windows, they generally have higher air leakage rates than projecting or hinged windows.

Energy and Cost Savings. Windows have typically represented a major source of unwanted heat loss and unwanted heat gain, but there has been a major technological revolution. According to National Geographic, “Energy Star estimates that homeowners can save at least $27 a year by replacing windows. If you have single-pane windows, replacing them with Energy Star-qualified products will save you between $126 and $465 a year, depending on the number of windows you replace and where in the United States you live. The cost savings of replacing double-paned windows, however, is less than 25 percent of that amount; the most you can save by replacing double-paned windows is $111 per year”.

Sources: Green Living,  Efficient Windows, Energy.gov

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Eco Eats

New Year’s Resolution: Be Greener

New Year’s resolutions is a great time to change your habits. While normally it can be hard to stick with your resolutions, this one will be easier. Resolve to green your shopping habits (especially grocery shopping). The average American family gets rid of around 14% of their food every year. When you do the math that is about 600 dollars every year in food, just thrown away. Food that is uneaten and thrown away gets sent to landfills where it rots and releases methane (which is considered a greenhouse gas).  Just storing your food incorrectly can cause it to rot prematurely. However with some of these simple and easy implemented tips you can help to reduce the amount of food wasted and helps the environment out in the process!

Choose A Different Container. The most reached for reusable container mostly is mainly plastic; however glass or metal containers are better for the environment and for you as well! A problem with plastic is the chemicals that are in the plastic itself can seep into the food that is being stored in them, especially if the plastic container is being used in the microwave. If you like to use plastic containers there is a solution! Some plastic containers are made from recycled plastic and plastic containers are a lot better for the environment compared to Styrofoam.  If you are going to use the plastic containers make sure to hand wash them to keep their longevity.

Pack your lunch in style.  Get a reusable, fabric lunch bag. It helps save all those brown paper bags made for lunch and it can help add some style to lunch. See if there might be a matching napkin set (that way you don’t waste paper products). Stores now offer organic cotton bags and can be used instead of plastic sandwich bags.  Also some whole foods stores carry wax bags which can be used instead of plastic and are great for the environment (they are biodegradable and compostable).

Try to buy organic and recycled products. Choosing organic food means fewer pesticides in the ground and means healthier food for you and for future generations. Organic products tend to be a little on the pricey end so the next best option is to buy locally grown produce. When you buy locally grown produce you are helping the local farmers and local economy. Lastly the next time you are at the grocery store try and look for products that are made with recyclable packaging.

Source: Ecoexpert Blog

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Articles Eco Eats Featured Recycling

Green Your Shopping Trip

A simple way to green your life is by choosing eco-friendly products. When walking down the grocery isle at your local market so many products are labeled “eco-friendly”, “recycled”, and “organic” just to name a few. With so many “green” and eco-friendly products on the market, how do you know which is the real deal? These tips will give you the knowledge on how to choose which eco-friendly products are right for you and your family.

Look for certification.  There are a handful of reliable and trust worthy certifications you can reference. Use these as your guide to choose the best eco-friendly products. These are the seals you are going to want to keep an eye out for “federal government’s Energy Star designation on appliances and electronics; the USDA organic seal on food and cosmetics; Green Seal (and, in Canada, EcoLogo) on household cleaning products; and the Forest Stewardship Council logo on wood and paper products.”

Be Aware. With the current trend of “going green” companies are changing the product packaging to remain part of the trend, when they really aren’t going green! Look for specific words such as “natural,” “green,” “eco,” “nontoxic” and even “biodegradable”. These words make a product look eco-friendly however they aren’t currently regulated however “organic” and “recycled” are!

Buy Local. One of the best ways to be certain your fruits and veggies are fresh and organic is simply purchasing from your local farmers. Produce bought from your local growers do not have to be sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals.  You are also supporting your local economy and local produce tends to be a little bit cheaper than produce from the grocery store.

Trust Your Gut. If it sounds too good to be true, unfortunately most times it is. Make sure to do your research before making any major purchases and check out consumer reports as well as GoodGuide.com. Good Guide rates products from 1-10 on their eco-friendliness. Just because a company is saying they are “green” does not mean that they are.

Sources: NBCNews.com

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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?

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Eco Tips Featured

Be Green on Halloween

Halloween is a fun time filled with candy, costumes, and most importantly fun, family bonding time. It might be scary to think of all the waste that accumulates on Halloween but have no fear, we have come up with tips that will help reduce your Halloween waste.

  • Instead of buying plastic pumpkins  for trick-or-treating that might get ruined, make your own candy knapsack. Take old pillowcases and decorate them with your children.
  • Buy re-usable decorations instead of one-time-use ones. This might seem like a no-brainer but you would be surprised at the number of people that buy disposable decorations because of convenience or price. I personally think that you should invest a couple more dollars for products that will last a couple of years compared to one Halloween.
  • After Halloween is over, don’t throw away your costume. Re-use it or donate it to a local thrift store.  If you want to keep your costume, you can always take certain pieces of each costume to make a new one for next year!
  • Before buying decorations, make your own. A simple Pinterest search turned up creative and cleaver decorations using all sorts of household items. One popular craft is to make your own ghost lanterns out of old gallon sized milk jugs.
  • Make your own scarecrow out of old clothing and household materials. Your scarecrow doesn’t have to be scary, you can decorate him or her with leaves, hats, flowers, old scraps of material, and old clothing. Make your scarecrow unique, like you.

What are your green Halloween tips?