Green Tips for February

1. While brushing your teeth turn off the water. You can save approximately 95 L of water a month just by following this simple task.

2. Suggest sustainability ideas to implement at work. Suggest some ideas at work to make your workplace more sustainable, ways to save energy, water, recycle, re-use, save office supplies! This could also save money. Check out these tips to make your office go green, how to make your businesses greener, how to inspire change at your office and making a more sustainable office (see list on the right-hand side).

3. Reduce amount of water in each flush. If you have a toilet that was installed before the early 90's then there is probably more water being used than needed. Look into putting a water displacement device in the tank.

4. Wash dark clothes and colours in cold water. This saves both energy and money, it also keeps the clothes' colours more vibrant.

5. Get rid of unused 'electronic gizmo'. Clocks that have digital timers, power chargers or standby modes are sucking energy (called 'phantom electricity') when it is not being used. When devices are not being used, unplug them.

6. Winter heating: allow sunlight in during the day for passive solar heating then close the blinds at night!

7. Buy energy saving appliances. These are often rated 'Energy Star'. Compare the energy savings when shopping for appliances. Some dishwashers and washing machines will also save litres of water per load!

8. Find out where your energy comes from. Check with your electric company, more energy is generated from coal - the fossil fuel that is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the world!

Stay tuned for more green tips next week, until then stay green!

Must Reads.

Anytime is a good time to start reading. I have some must reads on a list and some novels I plan on reading in the near future. If you're looking for a good book to read anytime, here's your list.

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,
2. The Girl Who Played with Fire and
3. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - By Stieg Larsson.

After dropping three books off to his publisher Larsson found the elevator not working, so he had to walk up several flights of stairs. When he got to the top he had a heart-attack and later died. He was unable to see his three books become an international phenomenon.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is set in Sweden and is about an unlikely couple collaborating to try and solve a murder mystery from 40 years ago.  I finished this book in 4 days and spent as much time possible reading it. The second and third were as great as the first!

Apparently the "Millennium" Series was supposed to be a ten book series. Larsson was almost finished the fourth book, which is in possession of his partner of almost 30 years. I haven't heard if she has made any comment about having the book finished and published. 

4. Damaged by Pamela Callow. Callow came to my Persuasive Writing class at Mount Saint Vincent University winter 2010 to give us a reading. I was instantly excited to read her book, not only because it is set in my hometown Halifax NS, but it instantly hooks you. Visit Pamela Callow's website to learn more about Damaged, Indefensible and the other books to come in this thriller series.

5. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. Patterson is know for his exciting thrillers, but this time he switches it up to tell the love story of Matt and Suzanne. Using many elements from his previous years of writing thrillers, this love story turns into a book that becomes hard to tear your eyes away from. Read it for yourself, such a great book.

6. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This is Albom's story about his reconnection with an important college professor before his death. This novel is filled with passion and life lessons. A real thinker.

 7. The Shack by William P. Young. The Shack is Mack's story and battle with faith, family and life itself. Even for someone who is not religious, this is a wonderful story.

8. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner should be read by everyone. This is a heartbreaking story of the life of a young man from Afghanistan, who eventually flees to America.  Seriously, read it.

9. Tell It To The Skies by Erica James is a novel that starts in present day Venice Lydia's home for years, but she is taken into her past after a reminder of the place and people she had left behind many years ago. This novel is a story you want to keep reading until the very end.

10. 19 Minutes by Jodie Picoult. This novel tells the story of a high school shooting at Sterling High. It infuses the lives of the adults and teenagers in Sterling, New Hampshire to get over the tragic deaths and understand a misunderstood boy.

Some of these books have been since made into movies. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is in the works in Hollywood.There are so many other books I've loved! Check out my 'What I'm Reading' section to the right to see the last few books I've read!

Any other suggestions for great reads?

Turkey Apple Burgers

When I first read the recipe for turkey apple burgers I thought they sounded yummy, but my boyfriend who is a big double cheeseburger lover thought they were going to be gross. He did try them and loved them! As did I. They were delicious. I've sent the recipe to a handful of people to try out. This recipe is quick and easy to make and can be made in the winter or summer. Definitely try them out!

Ingredients:

Lean ground turkey                                     1 lb.
Large egg, fork-beaten                                1
Finely crushed soda crackers                       1 cup
Finely chopped onion                                   2 tbsp.
Small garlic clove, crushed                           1
Red apple, with peel, finely diced                 1
Chopped fresh parsley                                 1 tbsp.
Salt                                                              3/4 tsp.
Pepper                                                         1/2 tsp.

Directions:

Combine all 9 ingredients together in a large bowl. Form into 6 to 8 patties. Broil 4 inches from heat, 10 minutes per side, or grill over medium heat on BBQ.

 Try them out and let me know what you think! 

Roasted Pepper Sauce

If you want a new pasta sauce to try out, this one is awesome! I totally recommend it, I made it for the first time a week ago and it was really great! I am going to try it with some other colour peppers as well. Since I'm a student I think it will be whichever pepper is on sale. After having the sauce I don't think I would use green peppers because it is nor as sweet, however the original  recipe recommends all coloured peppers.


Ingredients:
Large red peppers                                       5
Chopped fresh sweet basil                           2/3 cup

Hard margarine                                            1 tsp.
Garlic cloves, crushed                                  2
Green onions, sliced thinly                            6

All-purpose flour                                          1 1/2 tbsp.
Skim evaporated milk                                   13 1/2 oz. or 385 mL
Dried oregano                                              1/2 tsp.
Dried thyme                                                 1/2 tsp.
Salt                                                              1 1/2 tsp.
Ground pepper                                             1/2 tsp.

Place peppers on baking sheet with sides. Broil 3 inches from heat for 30 minutes, turning several times until skin is blackened. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel off skin and discard seeds, reserve juice.

Put peeled pepper, reserved juice and basil into blender. Process until very finely chopped.

Melt margarine in a non-stick skillet. Saute garlic and green onion until onion is soft.

Combine flour and evaporated milk in a small cup. Stir until smooth. Add oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Add to garlic mixture, along with pepper puree. Heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is boiling and thickened. Serve immediately. Makes 4 1/2 cups of sauce, enough for 4 servings.

1 serving: 155 calories, 11 g protein, 1.6g total fat, 1 162 mg sodium, 4g dietary fibre. 

The first time I made it I halved the recipe and it made 3 servings. It was delicious and I recommend it to everyone! Serve over whole wheat pasta.

Green Tips of the Week - Jan 31

1. Insulate everywhere. By making sure that your entire house is insulated including but not limited to the roof, attic, floors, walls and basements this will help keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Plus it with save some money on heating too!

2. Battle germs and mold with a green disinfectant. You can buy some in stores or even make your own with common household products. Mix a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide with two parts water in a spray bottle and use on areas to be disinfected.

3. Go for a walk. Instead of watching TV or booting up the computer every time you're bored take a walk outside! It will also be good for you and the planet.

4. Cut down on dish-washing. Designate yourself a glass for your drinking water or other beverages each day or use a refillable water bottle.
5. Shorten your shower. If you shorten your shower by a couple minutes you could save over 500 L of water/month. Showers use half the water a bath does!

6. Test your Toilet. Put food colouring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have yourself a leak! If you fix it, you can save over 4,000 L a month!

Did you know?
Fossil fuels for example coal, oil and natural gas are "non-renewable" because they took million of years to form. Hydroelectricity, wind, solar, tidal and wood-biomass energy are "renewable" forms of energy.


Check back next week for some more Green Tips!

Yummy Spaghetti and Meat-sauce

Something I think is important is a good spaghetti recipe. Who does like spaghetti? I mean I can understand why some people are sick of it, after growing up and having spaghetti every Wednesday night. But once you get past that spaghetti is a quick and easy meal. You can make it the day of, or ahead of time and freeze the sauce! I've done both with the following recipe and it works out great! :) Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 can beef broth
3 cups tomato sauce
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow or orange pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

1 package of dry spaghetti, cooked and drained

Preperation:
1. Brown the beef with onion and garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Drain excess fat.
3. Add beef broth. Simmer.
4. Add the next eight ingredients (switch to a deep pot).
5. Mix well.
6. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Serve over hot spaghetti with garlic bread.
** Optional - If someone doesn't like chunks in their sauce, blend the tomato and peppers to make a paste.

Green Tips of the Week - Jan 24

Here's this week's list of sustainability tips!  Go and make your life more green!

1. Eat meat-free meals once a week. Meat makes a person's eco-footprint much bigger as it takes more resources. However, chicken makes the smallest eco-footprint of all meats.

2. Reuse water. Collect the water used to rinse food like fruits and veggies, then re-use that water to houseplants! You can easily collect water in the summertime - just get some buckets to collect rain water.

3. Try to be "carbon neutral". Air traveling and driving all have GHG effects.  "Here's how it works: if you add polluting emissions to the atmosphere, you can effectively subtract them by purchasing carbon offsets. Carbon offsets are simply credits for emission reductions achieved by projects such as wind farms, solar installations, or energy efficiency retrofits. You can purchase these credits and apply them to your own emissions to reduce your net climate impact." - Check out more from www.davidsuzuki.org.

4. Install a water-efficient showerhead. If your shower fills a 4L bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the shower head with a water efficient model. At Canadian Tire you can get a "low-flow showerhead" for as low as $5.99.

5. Plastic #2, #4 and #5. These are the safest kinds of plastic to reuse. Then you can check and see if #1, #3, #6 and #7 are recycled in your province! Check out About.com's information about recycling plastics.

One last fact: Canadians and Americans are the heaviest users of energy in the WORLD, on a per capita basis.

Now head back into your daily life and go green :)

Green tips of the week- Jan 15

Here are some Green Tips for this week!

1. Host a clothing-swap. My sister and I do this a lot, as do my best friend and I. If you are sick of some of your clothes, go through your closet and put the ones you don't want anymore aside. Tell some of your friends to do the same, then get together and swap clothes! It's a great way to get new clothes (new-to-you) and be sustainable. Any leftovers can be donated to Big Brothers and Big Sisters!

2. Reduce your carbon footprint. There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint - this includes using your car less or buying a more fuel efficient vehicle.  You can calculate your carbon footprint here: http://tiny.cc/49cd1

3.  Always carry reusable bags. This is one I really want to start working on, because Scott and I always forget our reusable bags at home! Some reusable bags fold up and fit in any size purse great. Invest in a few of those and you'll always have a bag on hand! Plastic bags can take from 50 to 1,000 years to decompose!!

4. Use biodegradable detergents for your laundry and dishes. Many chemicals used to make detergents "more powerful" cause damage to our Earth. By using biodegradable detergents we are helping out the Earth! It's also a good idea to use vinegar and water to clean the kitchen and bathroom. Vinegar acts as a cleaner for pipes, so not only will it clean those spaces but it will help clean your pipes also!

5. When printing documents - use recycled, non-bleached paper.  The number of trees cut down can be reduced and the chemicals used to making paper so white can also be reduced. Staples sells recycled paper, check it out: http://tiny.cc/qv7jj.

6. Buy local! For all of you who had Mrs. MacDonald for grade 12 geography can't you remember her telling us, "Local, local, local". She always tried to drill in our head how fantastic it was to buy local. Now I totally understand this reduces the shipping because it is not coming from far away! And we are able to support our local farmers.

Here are your tips for the week! Try them out and let me know how they're working out for you.

Green Tips of the Week

I have a new desk calendar in my living room which gives daily sustainability tips. So I have decided to share some of the best tips weekly!

1. Make a resolution to 'go green'. Read books about going green, follow blogs, or research information about being sustainable.

2. Stay fit by jogging, biking, walking or skating outdoors. By spending time outdoors you will develop an appreciation for nature. Since it is winter one often finds it harder to get outdoors, so skating, skiing or sledding are great ways to keep fit while spending time outdoors.

3. Wash your clothes in cold water. Not only will this save money but, lower energy consumption reduces greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere. However, things like dishcloths and towels should still be washed in hot or warm/cold water.

4. Repair your clothes. Instead of throwing out clothes that have gotten a hole etc., repair those clothes. Extending the life of your clothes makes it so you "buy less, save money and put less demand on the environment". If you can't sew, try and learn or find someone who can help you out.

5. Drink tap water, not bottled water. In North America most cities have water that is just as good - or better than - bottled water. This also reduces the plastic waste that is filling up our landfills. If you are on a well and do not want to consume your water - try buying a filter to attach to your tap.

6. Use baking soda as a cleaner. Not only can baking soda help your fridge stay fresh, but it can clean the tub, the toilet or even your carpet and rugs! By using baking soda instead of harsh chemical cleaners it is better to send those down the drain. Also, by sprinkling baking soda on carpet, rugs or your fabric couches and letting it sit can help clean it!

7. Compost! Composting naturally breaks down organic matter, not only does composting reduce what goes in our landfills but it also can provide soil for a garden!

Try these out and next week I will post more tips to make your life more sustainable!

Videos that make me smile

I often spend time watching videos friends post on facebook and twitter. I thought I'd share some of my favorites and then ask you to share in the comments below some of your own favorite videos I may have not seen or forgotten about.


Recently my sister showed me this video and it makes me happy every time I watch it!

 

If you are like me and love animals - especially elephants you'll appreciate this next video.

For holiday/ animal lovers!

Someday this kid may hate his Dad for this - but really I think he should embrace it.

This next one is amazing, but I wonder if the elephants enjoy painting - or if it is something they HAVE to do.

The biggest regret about my life is that I'll never have a dog.

Baby monkey. That is all. Now watch.

Here's a classic:

Makes my heart melt <3

Now I've shared some of my favorite videos, do you have any that I may like? Hope this made your day a little bit brighter :)