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Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products May 28, 2008

Filed under: cleaning, environment — Allison S. @ 3:11 pm
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Over time I am slowly replacing my usual home cleaning products to ones that are environmentally friendly. There certainly isn’t a shortage of options. The problem is that few of them actually clean as well as their “sinfully-good’ counterparts. So far I have found three that I like and am willing to promote.

The first is the Ecos Fruit and Vegetable Wash. I find this product useful because it is just way to expensive to buy all organic groceries (especially with rising costs). So I pick and choose which items to get from my traditional grocery store. The problem with fruits and vegetables from the large chain grocers is that they have this nasty waxy feel on them. I am also unsure if the pesticides used to keep them shiny and colorful is harmful to my family.

To find this product, you can either purchase directly from Ecos or drive to your local Whole Foods (if you’re lucky enough to have one in the area.)

You can also make your own wash, as was recently featured on Oprah, but this is easier for people trying to ease into new products. Plus the baking soda will fizz on you. For the recipe, click here.

The second product is the Ecos Liquid Laundry Detergent. I just purchased this from Costco yesterday. As I was picking it up, a Costco employee stopped me to say that he had been using it for a year now and absolutely loves it. I have since done two loads of laundry and am a convert.

The detergent is non-scented. This is great for my family since we have a lot of performance clothing (for working out, camping, etc.) that is sensitive to perfumes and softeners. If you like the smell of freshly laundered items, I suggest adding a little Tide or use a dryer sheet. Ecos does have a softener in the detergent so a dryer sheet is not needed. The great thing about the softener is that it is soy-based, and their website claims that the detergent does not harm clothing.

In addition to detergent, I usually add in Clorox 2 for Colors. According to Ecos, I won’t need it anymore since this product preserves colors as well. So far I have been very pleased with this product.

The last product is Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap. I was first introduced to this product by my husband who is an avid outdoorsman. This product is great for washing your hands, hair and dishes. You need not worry about harming the environment since this product is organic, biodegradable and veggie-based. In the house though, we only use it as a hand soap. It smells great and your hands feel squeaky clean.

I hope these product suggestions appeal to you and that you will integrate at least one of them into your cleaning regimen. Good Luck and Good Cleaning.

 

Wedding Planning - Part I: Where to start??? May 28, 2008

Filed under: party planning, wedding — Allison S. @ 2:30 pm
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If you’re anything like me, you don’t have a binder filled with cut outs of fabrics, colors, and magazine pictures of the wedding you dreamed of all your life. There are plenty of resources (i.e. Martha Stewart Weddings) that will give you suggestions on the exact actions to take. Here I suggest some other ideas that you don’t normally hear of. Following are some suggestions on where to begin the daunting task of planning the party of the century in your honor:

  1. Make a binder for EVERYthing wedding related. The binder should hold at a minimum: your budget, your invoices/contracts, your samples, your timeline/schedule up-to and day-of the wedding, business cards, etc. This will be your wedding bible; do not lose it!
  2. Pick up some wedding magazines for ideas: Martha Stewart Weddings, In Style Weddings.
  3. Go to your local hardware store’s paint section. Pick cards of color samples for the palette of your wedding. This will help your vendors know what colors you want. Everyone has different interpretations of colors. Take the guessing out of it and get exactly what you want!
  4. Create an Excel spreadsheet of finances in these categories: Venue (includes - site fee, catering, alcohol, insurance, transportation), Flowers, Photographer, Accessories (includes - dress, hair/makeup, groom’s outfit).  You will notice that this list will grow as you get further into the wedding planning.
  5. In the above spreadsheet, create two tabs - one for expected costs and one for actual. This will help you track how close you are to budget.
  6. Scour the internet for ideas on vendors and locations that fit the number of guests you are anticipating.
  7. Hire a wedding coordinator.  If you cannot afford to have someone help you plan the wedding, be sure to at least get a day-of coordinator.  S/he will be your buffer on your wedding day.  If there is a minor snafu your coordinator will handle it.  Getting married is already filled with anxiety!  This person will make sure all the details have been addressed.  They will also know your ‘vision’ for your special day and will be sure that it happens.  Above all else, this is the one suggestion I highly recommend.

I hope this is a great, confident start for you.  If you have any questions or comments, please send them my way. Good Luck and remember to have fun!

 

How to Make Your BBQ Environmentally Friendly April 28, 2008

Filed under: cleaning, environment, event planning, home, party planning — Allison S. @ 6:45 pm
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Here are some ideas to make your next barbecue a little less wasteful

  1. If possible use regular dishes instead of paper plates. It’s more time-consuming to wash but it’s certainly less wasteful. Same goes for flatware.
  2. If you must use disposable plates, use Bambu plates. They’re renewable since bamboo grows so quickly with little effort and they decompose in 4-6 months. They are more expensive than traditional paper plates but our planet is worth the extra money. (Quick Fact: Paper plates take 5 years to decompose and styrofoam take FIFTY years!!)
  3. If you also must use disposable flatware, check out the SpudWare line at Gaiam. It is totally compostable and is made of 80% potato or corn and 20% soy. The cutlery is reasonably priced at $6.00 for 50 pieces. That can’t be beat!!
  4. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. One idea - use bandannas, wash them and reuse for the next BBQ (or even bring them to your friends’ next BBQ).
  5. Throw away food left on plates into a compost pile. (Of course, you’ve got to start a compost!)
  6. Have guests take leftover food with them in reusable Ziploc containers.

I hope that you are able to incorporate at least one of these suggestions into your next party. We have only one Earth, let’s protect it one day and one change at a time.

 

5 Reasons Why You Should Support Your Local Farmer’s Market April 28, 2008

Filed under: home — Allison S. @ 9:36 am
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  1. You know where the produce is grown.
  2. You can ask growers what chemicals have been used on produce, if any at all.
  3. Help Save the Environment: Look cute with reusable basket-like bags http://www.ecobags.com/Our_Products/Woven_Bags
  4. Help Save the Environment: When you know the produce is locally grown, the amount of gasoline used to transport it is less than that of your grocery store.
  5. You can support the local economy by buying from local farmers.
 

Frugal vs. Resourceful March 17, 2008

Filed under: environment, home — Allison S. @ 9:56 am
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With the green theme so pervasive these days, it’s hard to ignore it. Fuel-efficient cars, campaigns to bring your own canvas bags to the grocery store, even a green campaign on NBC. I have always been conscientious about reusing, recycling and reducing waste. I guess I was an impressionable child and paid great attention to the world’s woes.

I was the kid who turned all the unused lights off in the house. I was the kid who saved everything so I didn’t have to waste it by throwing it away. I was the kid who recycled more than was feasible. Now the green theme is making a come-back and I seem to be at the forefront of the trend again. But now as an adult with my own home, I have a larger impact on the environment.

But what’s the difference between being frugal and being resourceful? There’s a fine line between the two. Maybe it depends on what the current trend is. For the person who doesn’t like to waste anything, for the person who takes the time to pack something away for use at a latter time; this person today is resourceful.

At least there is now the financial incentive to be green, and hence to not be wasteful. In a country with so much excess, this is probably the most influential driver. Local utility companies offer incentives to use less. Donating items to a local charity save our landfills and offer a tax incentive.

What are your thoughts???

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Now playing: Joni Mitchell - Little Green
via FoxyTunes

 

Cook Think - Creative Website for Cooks February 19, 2008

Filed under: cooking — Allison S. @ 3:15 pm
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I came upon a great website yesterday, thanks to TechCrunch’s article on CookThink.com. The website has been around since 2006 but it’s latest feature is probably the most helpful. On February 13, CookThink launched its “Dish Builder”. You type in the ingredients you are ‘craving’ and CookThink’s database cranks out a recipe with your ingredients.

This is clever for the cook who is tired of cooking the same meals over and over again. This is a great way to brainstorm for new recipes. Other recipe websites (please reference previous post on cooking websites) are great if you know what you want. But what if you don’t know what you want? CookThink is your perfect answer!

There are some flaws with the Dish Finder though. I have noticed that some of the resulting recipes are nothing like what I was expecting. One example, I put in: chicken, white cheddar cheese, herbs, pasta; and got Grilled Herb-Mustard Chicken Breasts. I felt that the resulting recipe was missing a main component: the pasta. One other thing the Dish Finder does not do is eliminate ingredients you do not want or are allergic to. My husband doesn’t eat pork or shellfish. It would be great to state the ingredients you want to eliminate. It’s not a perfect Dish Finder but it’s close.

The Dish Finder feature adds on to other useful aspects of CookThink’s website. The blog section has great ideas on what to do with leftovers and scraps (i.e. parmesan rinds, green onion ends). There is also a section that reviews kitchen tools.

All in all, this website is a definite must-add to your repertoire of cooking reference websites.

http://www.cookthink.com

**UPDATE - these suggestions have been sent on to CookThink and they are making some of the aforementioned changes to new versions. I’m excited to see the upgrades!

 

Party Idea - Make your own pizzas January 27, 2008

Filed under: cooking, party planning — Allison S. @ 11:27 am
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I tried this out this past weekend and LOVED it. Having you and your guests make pizzas from scratch is a great way to get everyone involved in making the meal. (Rather than having you slave away by yourself in the kitchen.) Guests always seem to congregate in the kitchen anyway; so put them to work!

pizza dough

All the work for this meal is in the preparation. The dough should be made ahead of time since it takes an hour for the dough to rise. The dough can be made up to a day ahead and is even recommended if you have the time since the flavor of the dough is more pronounced after sitting in the fridge for 24 hours. Also, to ensure that you can spend time with your guests once they arrive, prep all the toppings ahead of time.

Some topping ideas:

  • Sauces - pesto or red sauce (I recommend adding tomato paste to a tomato-basil pasta sauce since it is less likely to be runny.)
  • Cheese - mozzarella, cheddar, goat, cojita
  • Meat - pepperoni, ham, shredded chicken (see additional notes below on prep)
  • Vegetables - red bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, spinach
  • Extras for increased flavor - olive oil, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, red pepper flakes
  • Miscellaneous toppings - pepperoncinis, pineapple, roasted garlic

Some hints on making the dough:

  • I used a 11-cup food processor and the water mixture leaked out when I added the flour. So I added some warm water to the dough to make sure it wasn’t too dry. But to prevent this, I would cut the portions in half or in thirds to make it more manageable.
  • Added some onion powder and garlic powder to the dough for added flavor. This is great if you’re using the dough right away.
  • Make sure the oven has been pre-heated to at least 450 degrees for 30 minutes. The oven needs to be HOT to properly cook the dough.
  • Put the pizza in for 6 minutes, turn it and cook for another 6 minutes.
  • Transfer to a cooling rack

Essential items:

  • Cutting board - to knead the dough and to roll it into usable pieces
  • Rolling pin - to roll out the dough when ready to bake
  • Food processor - 11-cups or larger
  • Pizza stone - not required but highly recommended to ensure even cooking
  • Pizza peel - not required but highly recommended. I use this to hold the pizza dough while I’m adding toppings and it is easy to slide onto the pizza stone when cornmeal is dusted on it.
  • Pizza cutter - not required but highly recommended since it cuts through the pizza more cleanly. HINT: lightly hit the crust with the cutter before slicing. This prevents the dough from being ‘crushed’ when slicing.

**Pizza Dough Recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230616

This recipe makes 6 crusts about 9″ in diameter. I recommended having enough dough for each person to make their own pizza creation. This is best for a party of 8 or less. You can only make 2 pizzas at a time (depending on the size of your pizza stone) and your guests will start getting hungry.

*Additional Note - How to cook shredded chicken

  • Chicken breast is a good option because it is lean compared to other meats
  • Spray a microwave safe dish with Pam or other cooking spray
  • Place chicken in dish, season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • Spray top of chicken with more cooking spray
  • Cover, and cook for 4 minutes in microwave
  • Turn chicken and season, cook for another 4 minutes
  • Cut the chicken open to see if it is done (should be white). If not, then cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Let the chicken cool, then shred with 2 forks

The great thing about making your on pizzas is that there is no wrong way to do it! Experiment with topping combinations and share with your friends. You’ll be surprised at the combinations you’ll enjoy most.

ENJOY!! Please post any questions you may have.

 

How to Clean Silk Shoes January 11, 2008

Filed under: cleaning, home, wedding — Allison S. @ 12:24 pm
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At this point I’m still going through some wedding items and trying to clear them out of the house. One item that I’ve been dreading to deal with are my silk shoes. They’re gorgeous and I would love to wear them again but the heels sank into the damp grass while we were shooting photos. Luckily, I decided to take them off after the ceremony and instead changed into my comfy Crocs. So my heels are not as dirty as they could be.

As always I started with an internet search on the best way to clean silk shoes. Oddly there were very few resources available. Of the ones I read they all had the same advice:

1. Let the “gunk” dry first. This will make it easier to take off and will prevent the stain from spreading.

2. Using the end of a toothbrush, tap the shoe to dislodge as much of the debris as possible.

3. Then use the brush end to gently brush the debris off.

4. If you have a hand-held vacuum available, run it along the shoe to pick up the loose debris.

5. Repeat if needed.

Unfortunately, my shoes were worse off than the average dirty shoes… they had grass stains. Since the heels were so badly stained I probably wouldn’t be able to respectably wear them. So I decided to use some water. This helped a lot but the grass stains and some of the stubborn dirt ones were still visible. At this point I used a teeny bit of dish-washing soap. This helped with both stains but there was still some residual left. Once the water dried, the shoes looked much better. In fact, they were presentable. I think I will be wearing them out this weekend!

This is no guarantee of your results, but hopefully you’ll be able to wear your shoes out now!

Here are some before and after pictures of my hard work. ENJOY!!

Before Cleaning:    
dirty_2

dirty shoes_1

After Cleaning:

clean

 

Quick Tip: Kitchen Trash Can December 27, 2007

Filed under: cleaning, home — Allison S. @ 5:25 pm
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Now playing: Black Eyed Peas - Smells Like Funk
via FoxyTunes

Ever get that nasty stink in your kitchen trash can and find yourself still suffering from that awful stench? Here are two quick remedies by using items already in your home:

1. Put a box of baking soda at the bottom of the trash can, outside the bag. This will also help to prevent the moisture that will sometimes accumulate. **Resourceful Tip: When you are switching out the baking soda in the fridge every three months, put it into the kitchen trash can.

2. Put some moth ball packets in the bottom of the trash can, outside the bag. Moth balls are great at eliminating odors. However I would suggest purchasing some lavender scented ones so your kitchen doesn’t smell like moth balls.

We’ve used this technique for the last year in our home and it has been fairly successful. This won’t prevent all odors but will eliminate the “lingering” scent after the trash has been taken out.

Any other tips to prevent kitchen trash can odor? Comment to this post with yours!

 

Best Recipe Finder Websites December 26, 2007

Filed under: cooking, event planning, home, party planning — Allison S. @ 11:00 pm
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The purpose of this blog post is to list the most comprehensive recipe websites. Ever find yourself craving something delicious but have no idea of how to make it? These websites are bound to have what you’re looking for. Here are my top 3 picks:

#3 - Williams-Sonoma: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/index.cfm?cm%5Ftype=gnav

This is a great starter website, especially if you are still stocking your kitchen with appliances and cooking tools. For each recipe, there are related cooking items on the left. With so many tools available, this is a great way to slowly stock your cooking arsenal. Another useful tool on the website is the “Recipe Box”. This function allows you to save recipes. This is a great function if you’re like me and browse multiple sites before picking the recipe of choice. The recipes I’ve made from the WS website have been delicious and the prep/cooking times accurate.

Williams-Sonoma was part of our wedding registry. Once we received our All-Clad slow-cooker, I used the WS website for slow cooker recipes. These are not as easy to find; but WS had plenty for me to choose from. Some of the recipes I have used include: 6-hour Chili, Beef Brisket Sandwiches (but without the sandwich portion), Beef Short Ribs with Roja Sauce. <A note on changes I made to these recipes will be posted at a later time.>

#2 - My Recipes: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/

There are a lot of delicious, rich recipes out there. But what about when you want to find something on the lighter, healthier side? My Recipes is great because it pools recipes from multiple magazine sources, including: Cooking Light, Health and Sunset. There is even a tab for “Healthy Diet” recipes. My Recipes also allows the option to save recipes. An additional feature allows users to add their own recipes to a private recipe box. This allows users easy, instant access to their own recipes. This eliminates the need for the traditional unkempt, recipe box.

#1 - Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/

This is by far the best resource for finding recipes online. The recipes are pooled from past issues of Bon Appetit and Gourmet. With the arsenal of these two magazines you know you will find some crowd-pleasing recipes. As with the previous two websites you can save the recipes into your personal recipe box.

Another reason I frequent this website the most is the user reviews. Users rate how well they liked the recipe, and most users will also add in comments on how to make the recipe more tasty and easier to make. It’s hard to go wrong when you have a resource like that at your fingertips. With an average rating of 4 forks out of four from 329 users, you can feel confident in the recipe.

I hope this blog post will assist you in finding an easy recipe for a last-minute weekday dinner or in creating a menu for your New Year’s Eve party. Feel free to post any other websites you’ve used and found useful. I have only seen so many, and there are bound to be numerous other great recipe finder websites. Thanks again for reading!!

**Addendum (12.28.07)- Today I went to my “Recipe Box” at epicurious.com and was DENIED!! It has been down all day. During the holidays?!! Normally I would be okay with this but I am hosting a book club tomorrow and a New Year’s Eve party on Monday. I wanted to do most of my shopping today. The one saving grace is that all the recipes were still available with the search function; I just had to remember what I wanted to make and which recipes were from epicurious.com. In the end everything worked out. It was just so frustrating and totally needless.