Amazon.com: Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking (9780688112844 .
Amazon.com: Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking (9780688112844): Emeril Lagasse, Jessie Tirsch: Books.

The New Orleans School of Cooking

New Orleans Cooking Class - Viator.com
New Orleans Cooking Class in New Orleans. Find and book the New Orleans Cooking Class or other New Orleans

New Orleans Cooking - Restaurants, Chefs and Recipes in New .
NewOrleansCooking.com has the latest in New Orleans restaurants, chefs and recipes to direct you best on New

New Orleans Cooking Experience

Cook New Orleans

New Orleans Cooking Schools
New Orleans Cooking Schools. Take the secrets of Cajun and Creole cooking back home Sign up for class (or two)

New Orleans: Cooking with Carville Eatocracy - CNN.com Blogs
Feb 14, 2011 Laissez les bons temps rouler Eatocracy is in New Orleans this week getting ready for the second

Culinary Center
The Culinary Center in Lincoln City is a great place to explore your culinary side. From cook-offs to classes there's

Cooking School Culver City | Culinary Classes Los Angeles
Cooking School offering part time cooking, baking & culinary classes for beginner or experienced cooks in Culver City

Park City Cooking School
Park City Cooking School - Now with Two Locations in Park City We are exited to announce the opening of our second

The City Cook | Recipes, Menus, Advice, Ingredients, Ideas for .
The City Cook, thecitycook.com, is the ultimate guide for busy urban home cooks. Offering the best of manhattan new

But if you would go for cooking lessons and learn how to cook, that would give you many great benefits. You could:

1. prepare meals faster and with less effort
2. even cook complicated meals that people will admire
3. prepare food much healthier
4. adapt recipes according to your need and even create your own ones
5. teach your children to cook properly

1. Prepare meals faster and with less effort

When you have practiced a new skill for a while, things go much easier. The first time you drove a car was a battle. But after fifteen years of driving, you barely think about what you are doing.

It's the same with cooking. It's only difficult if you don't know what you have to do. Once you know, things will become easier, and after a while you won't even need a recipe for many things because you know what to do and how to do things best.

And when cooking becomes easier, you'll be faster too. A great advantage with the hectic schedule we have nowadays. You'll still be able to prepare healthy meals in this short time.

2. Cook more complicated meals

With your cooking skills, your ability to prepare more complicated dishes increases. After starting up with easy things like omelets, you can move on to some more challenging meals - because you have the knowledge and skills to handle these. And everyone who can't really cook will admire your stuffed turkey or three course meal.

3. Prepare food healthier

Some cooking techniques are healthier than others. If you know how to cook, you will be able to choose the one retaining most nutrients, how to cook with a minimum amount of fat and how to keep harmful substances out of your meals. You and your family will be healthier because you eat healthier.

4. Adapt and create recipes

Many recipes don't meet our needs properly. They contain ingredients that we don't like, don't have at home or can't get. They make too much or too little food, contain too much fat, or lack something. If you can't cook on your own, you are bound to your recipe. But if you do know, then you can simply adapt portion sizes, swap ingredients or reduce fat until the recipe meets your needs.

Even better, you can create your own recipes without even opening a recipe book, because you know how to prepare a certain kind of dish and how much of which ingredients you need.

5. Teach your children to cook

That's one of the greatest advantages of being a cook: the ability of teaching your children how to cook right, so that they can prepare healthy meals for themselves when leaving home. No need to send them for cooking lessons - you can teach them everything yourself.

These are just five great benefits of learning to cook. In a nutshell: If you have learned to cook, you can easily prepare healthy meals, even on a tight schedule, meals that perfectly meet your family's needs. And you can ensure that your children will have the same advantages when they go their own ways. That's why it's worth the effort learning to cook.

Bettina Berlin is a health professional specializing in healthy nutrition even on a tight schedule. Eating healthy and thus maintaining a healthy weight can significantly improve your health and help prevent many diseases. Is your life so hectic that preparing healthy food often seems impossible? Then visit http://www.elishas-quick-recipes.blogspot.com today and get your FREE fast cooking tips and much delicious quick easy recipes

Cooking Configurations | Big Green Egg
These different cooking styles require positioning your Egg components to achieve the cooking style you'd like to use

Quote by Paul Theroux: Cooking requires confident guesswork and .
10 people liked this quote by Paul Theroux: 'Cooking requires confident guesswork and improvisation--

Does microwave cooking require less salt? If so, what is the reason .
Answer 1 of 1: No cooking process (except baking in a salt crust) really requires salt; It's the food that needs salt,

Campfire Cooking: Recipes and techniques for cooking on an open .
Wood - -Campfire cooking requires a clean-burning, hot fire. This is only achieved with dry, seasoned wood. Stripping

How to Become a Serious Home Cook Without Going to Culinary .
Cooking amazing meals for friends and loved ones does not require professional schooling. Even big name chefs,

Healthy home cooking
Eating healthy foods requires cooking at home, using fresh ingredients. Here are some tips. White rice and black beans:

Cooking - Skill - World of Warcraft
To cook, you will need to either find yourself a fire - and have the required ingredients, of course. Many innkeepers and

In the South, the tradition of cooking recipes handed down by generations of cooks has created a cuisine loved around the world. now that southern cooking has become popular, and specialty products like Grits are now available nationwide.

About a Southern Favorite: Shrimp and Grits

A food that is a favorite southern recipe is Shrimp and Grits. Southern recipes for this dish are relatively new, when the South's cuisine enjoyed a renaissance in the mid-1980s, and its young celebrity chefs made the dish famous. Shrimp and grits actually is a very old dish, that Southern fisherman often ate for breakfast, shrimp cooked with bacon, serve on grits, which are commonly served at breakfast in the South.

For those never having tasted grits, if not from the South, they are very similar in flavor to Italian polenta, a soft corn meal product that is cooked into a porridge consistency. Corn meal mush, a recipe popular in the North, is also similar. But grits produced in the southern cooking style are considered by Southerners to be a superior product.

Southern recipes for shrimp are popular, because shrimp are abundant in the beautiful waters of the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Ocean that line the South. In the Low Country, shrimp and grits is not generally served with cheese, although that is a popular addition to recipes in many other areas of the South. Shrimp and Grits are now on the menus of most of the finest Southern restaurants.

Southern Cooking Recipe: Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients:

1lb Florida Shrimp
4 cups cooked grits
1 stick of butter
1 chopped onion
1 green pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, diced fine
1 clove of garlic
6 chopped green onions
Hot milk

Melt half the butter in a skillet, and cook the onion, green pepper, celery, and the green onions until softened, then add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked grits and hot milk if you need to thin the mixture a little. Stir until the grits are thickened slightly, but still porridge consistency. Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve. Melt the remaining butter in another pan, and add the shrimp briefly until they are just cooked. Serve the shrimp on top of a bowl of grits, sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper and serve with hot sauce on the side.

Enjoy this southern cooking recipe for your next brunch, and it is great for dinner too.

Finally, there is a shrimp n grits recipe to please the adventurous cook - Please head on over to http://SouthernCooking123.com and get cookin

Sicilians enjoy food such as fried rice croquettes with mozzarella, zucchini stuffed with cheese and an anchovy, fried olives with meat, and fried fillets to name a few. One dish that is popular among the locals is Porchetta; which is a roasted pig that makes a fatty and tasty meal that they find delicious. Another dish is Gnocchi alla Romana; a dish made of parmesan, flour, and eggs made into balls and boiled in milk then baked.

A lot of the foods we find in Sicily are made into balls and either fried or baked. Other predominately Sicilian food are deep fried balls of rice with a filling of bolognese and peas. You may also find fried balls of ricotta cheese. If you like fish, you might enjoy their calamari stuffed with bread crumbs and fish, baked in the oven.

When traveling through Italy and Sicily, you will begin to notice that there are many differences in the cooking styles and types of food they eat. They offer special kinds of cheeses, breads and wines. They make a variety of pasta sauces, each unique in its own way, depending on what region you are visiting. They have pasta cooked and prepared in numerous ways. Pizza and pasta are both favorites in the Italian restaurants as well as being prepared in the homes. Sicily boasts some of the finest sauces with various ingredients, many including fish and shellfish.

Some of the characteristics of Italian and Sicilian food are the simple preparations of the food with occasionally just a few ingredients. When people think of Italian food, the two foods that most come to mind are pasta and pizza, but Sicilian cuisine is so much more than this. To get some samples of what Sicilian and Italian food taste like you can visit local Italian restaurants and try this delicious cuisine. Many Sicilians emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s and brought their cuisine along with them. Sicilians enjoy foods such as cheeses, pasta, fish, artichokes, vegetables, red wines, and so much more. The food is prepared in ways that are quite different than in some areas making the food much more unique in taste. Sicily is known for its seafood, meat dishes, and the wonderful desserts, so you want to be sure to try all of their favorite foods when in Sicily or in an Italian eatery here in the States. Sicilians predominately settled in the Tri State areas of New York, NJ and CT, but they can be found all across the U.S. and in many amazing Italian restaurants.

Ralph Molinari is a restaurant owner in Neptune City, NJ. Molinari's Restaurant & Pizzeria specializes in Monmouth County Italian Food Catering. Ralph has been a restaurant owner and proprietor on the Jersey shore for nearly 20 years. For more information about Ralph visit his website at MolinarisNJ.com.

Cooking Hawaiian Style, Island Princess Hawaii and Hawaiian Food Online provide website visitors an exciting way to win great prizes with its "Spin To Win" online game.

Visitors and fans of Cooking Hawaiian Style, Island Princess Hawaii and Hawaiian Food Online are invited to try their luck on the "Spin To Win" online Game. During the four month contest, from May 1, 2012 September 1, 2012, visitors to the Facebook pages of Island Princess Hawaii and Hawaiian Food Online also have a chance to play the "Spin To Win" game by simply liking the page and filling out a short entry form. The social media campaign is designed to share information about each company's products and services to people who are interested in authentic Hawaiian products. Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email.

Like Cooking Hawaiian Style we are passionate about all things Hawaii. We're based in Honolulu with Macadamia Nut orchards in Hilo. The contest was our way of reaching out to the community and giving back for the tremendous support received said Michael Purdy, President of Island Princess Hawaii. We want to give back to our fans and this was the perfect way to show our appreciation.

Cooking Hawaiian Style is a website featuring Hawaiian and Hawaii-inspired recipes contributed by members. The site offers 1000's of free recipes from all ethnicities featuring 5 new recipes everyday. "People from all over the world are now able to enjoy and share a part of our culinary heritage" said site founder Frank Abraham.

Island Princess Hawaii began in 1985 and is owned by Dr. Michael Purdy and his wife, Gwendolyn. Their Macadamia Popcorn Crunch and Mele Macs were an immediate hit. Three years later,the Maui based candy operation expanded to Honolulu. In 1998 Island Princess acquired a macadamia nut orchard and processing facility. This is a a 1,100-acre orchard and nut processing facility located on Keaau. The acquisition made Island Princess one of the few companies in Hawaii that grows, processes, manufactures and distributes macadamia nuts and confections. Today it is one of Hawaiis top suppliers of specialty macadamia nut products as it continues to set new standards of excellence that are based on the owners strong work ethic, vast energy and dynamic leadership.

Island Princess Hawaii Contact Information
2846 Ualena Street
Honolulu, HI 96819

Phone: (808) 839-5222
email: info(at)IslandPrincessHawaii(dot)com

Hawaiian Food Online specializes in shipping frozen Hawaiian foods directly to homes and businesses in all 50 states. The company was founded in 1991 by Keith and LeeAnne Evanovich in Nevada. Their love for the Hawaiian people and culture led them on a path to continue selling Hawaiian food, only now through their website http://www.hawaiianfoodonline on the internet.

Hawaiian Food Online Contact Information
6655 W Sahara Ave., Suite E-102
Las Vegas , NV 89146

Phone: (800) 819-5824
email: orders(at)hawaiianfoodonline(dot)com

http://prweb.com/printer/9447322.htm

Eco-vacations are all the rage with trips to the rain forest or stays on organic farms increasing in popularity. Sometimes the only get away is a road trip to a nearby state or town. The most eco-friendly vacation is one spent at home, but not everyone can enjoy a “staycation” and most can’t afford those extravagant ”greencations”.  So if you need to hit the road and enjoy some down town this summer, there are some tricks to help make your road trip more eco-sound.

When you must drive, here are some ways to drive efficiently.

Packed car

Drive Efficiently by Driving the Speed Limit

The posted speed limits aren’t just a suggestion, they’re the law. Furthermore, driving the speed limit is good for the earth. Driving above 70 miles per hour uses up to 25% more fuel.  Lead foot got you down? Use the cruise control if your vehicle has this option or make it a point to check your speed more often. Saving bank at the pump more than makes this simple task worth while. Of course not paying a speeding tickets also sweetens the deal.

{car photo via bradleygee on Flickr}

Think About Aerodynamics

You can increase CO2 emissions up to 20% by adding more items to the outside of your car and by leaving the windows open at higher speeds.  This aerodynamic drag is caused because air is no longer flowing fluently around the car. If you’re bringing bikes, you might want to consider rentals where you’re vacationing. Biking is becoming popular enough that many vacation hot spots offer inexpensive rentals.

Drop the Weight for More Efficiency

Think about the “family truckster” in the movie Vacation, that’s exactly what you should avoid. If you have belongings piled in the trunk and on top of the car than you definitely need to pare it down. You might start with each person’s gear. Make sure you bring the basics and the least amount of clothing. Most hotels have washers and rental until should as well. Toiletries are staples at hotels or you can buy bath essentials when you get to town. When possible, use multi-purpose toiletries. Try a two-in-one shampoo/conditioner and maybe try it as a body wash as well. Think cautiously about what goes in the vehicle. Do you really need it? Will it be used enough to call for its weight on the drive?

Keep on Moving

Stop and go traffic is pure death for eco-driving. Highway driving offers the least harmful effects on CO2 footprints so try to drive during off peak hours. If you’re cruising into Los Angeles at 5:00, be ready for disturbing amounts of stopping.If you can time your trip right though, you might be able to slide in before or after the traffic poses a problem. Also, don’t tailgate. Not only is this practice unsafe, it causes more braking. If you stay far enough behind you might be able to cruise a while longer before having to brake.

Airing up tires

Air Up Those Tires

Fuel Economy reports improvements in gas mileage of up to 3.3% with properly inflated tires. Also, start with tires in good condition. This not only increases safety, it helps promotes better gas mileage and lower CO2 emissions. It extends the life of the tire giving a little more relief to Mother Earth before she accepts another used tire.

{tire photo via Rosa Say on Flickr}

{Source: Fuel Economy}

So Are you headed out on a  road trip this summer? What are your tips for easing up on carbon emissions and gas mileage? 

No related posts.

See the rest here:
Eco-Vacations: When You Must Drive, Drive Efficiently

Multi-Mate Multi-Purpose 1 X 310ML Tube Silicone Sealant House Bathroom Kitchen

GBP 2.35 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 23:36:03 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 2.35 Buy it now | Add to watch list

BELFAST BUTLER PULL OUT SPRING CHROME KITCHEN TAP -- RRP £218 ONLY £89

GBP 89.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 23:37:00 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 89.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Chrome Wall Mounted Kitchen Mixer Tap - Disability Ease Of Use - 1/4 Turn

GBP 80.00 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 23:37:00 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 80.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Chrome Bridge Lever Kitchen Tap - Brand New Only £79.99

GBP 79.99 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 23:37:00 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 79.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

If you walked into an energy generating gym, you might not notice at first. You’d see your regular sweaty, toned bodies on sleek workout machines, but there’s a special icing on the cake here – these machines are hooked up to batteries that generate electricity. Essentially, kinetic energy from your workout is converted into DC, then converted into AC, the form of electricity used by most homes and appliances today. So your workout could potentially power the building, or even sell it back to the grid.

You can exercise to create renewable energy, what a novel concept.

The Concept Behind Exercising for Energy

The concept is not new since a gym in Hong Kong has created renewable energy since 2007, but a trend is growing. An increasing number of college campuses are installing gyms that generate energy, giving students a visceral, real-life example of just how renewable energy can be created. While the actual power output is still fairly low, the gyms serve a very valuable educational service, creating awareness, and inspiring creativity about how energy can be harnessed from the most unlikely places.

Who’s Using this System?

Florida-based ReRev uses converters on elliptical machines. A 30 minute workout on an elliptical will generate around 50 Watts of power, which is enough to power a CFL bulb for 2.5 hrs. So far ReRev has installed converters at over 180 machines around the country in universities and local gyms.

Now, there are even outdoor gyms generating electricity. The Great Outdoor Gym Company uses your human energy to power light installations for evening gym use. According to CoExist, an outdoor gym in northeast England generates enough power to light the gym at night. They hope in the near future that it will be possible to charge cell phones and music players, and even send some energy back to the grid.

People say it feels good sweating and working out for a larger goal – one of creating clean energy. I certainly would love to work out there!

{workout photo via The Great Outdoor Gym Company}

What do you think? Would you want an energy-generating gym in your town?

No related posts.

More here:
Exercise to Create Renewable Energy

The popularity of documentaries like Food, Inc. and Forks Over Knives have helped bring food safety to the forefront. For many viewers, the films forced them to research how to decrease their exposure to illnesses and long-term diseases. While diets consisting of meat are the most common in the U.S., outbreaks of illnesses, however small, are causing a pause in thought about what is truly healthy and safe.

Let’s take another look at Mad Cow Disease, E-Coli and other health hazards associated with beef and what changes can be made for increasing health, wellness and safety.

Cow in the pasture

What is Mad Cow Disease?

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is commonly known as Mad Cow Disease. It can cause variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (vCJD) a fatal brain disease affecting humans. Mad Cow Disease spreads as a prion, not a virus, so disinfectants and antibiotics cannot kill it, although some antibiotics interfere with prion formation. These prions are not alive, they are actually proteins. The incubation period for BSE is problematic as it takes months to years before showing signs and once cattle exhibit symptoms they are terminal, dying within a few months. Sustainable Table offers a helpful fact sheet about the disease including how to keep your family safe.

{cow photo via freefotouk on Flickr}

E. coli

Escherichia coli, popularly known as E. coli, are a collection of bacteria. Not all E. coli make you sick, in fact, E. coli is common. There are strains, however, capable of causing serious symptoms including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory distress and pneumonia. The illness causing E. coli produce toxins and are known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). While these illnesses can affect anyone, the young and elderly are most susceptible. Eating infected and under cooked meat is just one method of exposure to E.coli, other ways include ingestion of feces from unwashed hands, drinking infected raw milk and even drinking water from infected lakes.

Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer

A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine  reported, ” a daily increase of three ounces of red meat was associated with a 12 percent greater risk of dying over all, including a 16 percent greater risk of cardiovascular death and a 10 percent greater risk of cancer death.” The popular documentary, Forks Over Knives drives this information as the main reason for moving from an omnivore’s diet to that of whole and raw foods. A diet free of meat and dairy products can greatly decrease your chances of getting cancer and heart disease. The question remains, is that hamburger worth a handful of medications or worse, your life?

Vegan "beef" and vegetable dish

Making Healthy Changes

Perhaps you’re not yet ready to go meat and dairy free. It’s understandable, habits are hard to break. Going meat-free at least one night a week is a great way to start. From there you may increase the days you go meat-free. Jumping head first into a vegan lifestyle is quite a task, but moving slowly from carnivore to vegetarian to vegan is quite common. Still, there are those who simply go cold turkey and give up meat all together. Maybe they have a cabinet full of medications or maybe they’ve recently received a scary diagnosis. Whatever the reason, whole food and raw diets are becoming more common and continue to grow in popularity. For help in making changes Meatless Mondays is a great place for recipes and information on easing out of a carnivore’s diet. Of course you should also visit our post on beef replacement ideas.

{vegan meal photo via steve loya on Flickr}

{Source: Center for Disease Control}

Are you a meat-eater, vegetarian or vegan? If you eat meat, do these illnesses make you think about decrease your meat intake? 

No related posts.

Read this article:
Mad Cow, E-Coli and Other Health Hazards Associated with Beef

As some of you may know, I’m back to my vegan roots and have been kicking the cheese habit – again (15 days, but who’s counting?). Whether you are a vegan, vegan wannabe, vegetarian or are an omnivore and love delicious food, you might appreciate the power of the mighty cashew and it’s amazing versatility.

Did you know these yummy kidney-shaped nuts are actually the seeds of the cashew apple that grow on the cashew tree? The tree is indigenous to coastal Brazil, but of course made its way to Asia and Africa where they are now also cultivated – thanks to some 16th-century Portuguese explorers. While we don’t eat the cashew apple, it is considered a delicacy in Brazil and in some Caribbean island countries.

Cashews are potent little beasts, sometimes referred to as “nature’s vitamin pill.”  They are lower in fat than most nuts, but of the monounsaturated fat, it contains oleic acid, which is the same heart-healthy fat found in olive oil. Cashews are touted to be very heart-healthy, high in antioxidants, good for weight loss, and can help reduce risk of diabetes. Wow. These things are also supposed to help reduce risk of gallstones and according to OrganicCashewNuts.com, the “chemicals in cashew nuts kill gram positive bacteria, a pervasive mouth affliction that causes tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis and leprosy.” Wow x 2! There’s even more information about the health benefits this website about healthy foods.

Now, I’ve been in love with cashews before ever seeing all this interesting information. One reason is that when I was doing a raw food, vegan type thing back in the 80s, I learned how to make cashew yogurt from my friend Steve Meyerowitz (aka Sproutman). I forgot that we used to make nut cheeses too. So, last week I made a fairly decent nut cheese that was close to what we used to make. The thing I remember from back then, was that you could get pretty creative with flavorings.

So, I decided to focus on cashews last week in the Green Divas Test Kitchen.

Cashew Yogurt – Healthy Creamy Vegan Goodness

This stuff is divine. Can be used in place of yogurt, cream or sour cream with great results in many recipes. My daughter eats it plain and LOVES it. There are a variety of recipes, but this is how I was taught by Sproutman, and it worked, so I’ve stuck with it all these years.

Ingredients
1/4 c. organic millet
2 c. filtered water
1 c. raw organic unsalted cashews (pieces are fine)

Soak the millet in the water (preferably in a glass container w/ a loose lid or cloth covering) for about 8 hours (or until kind of foamy at the top) – should be done in the most humid-place possible (if it isn’t a hot humid day out, I put mine near the washer & dryer). This makes rejuvelac, a grain-based healthy liquid loaded with all kinds of beneficial bacteria and enzymes. Rejuvelac can be made from a variety of grains, but I found I liked millet. To test your rejuvelac, according to Anne Wigmores Hippocrates Health Drink recipe, ‘rejuvelac should have a pleasant yeasty smell with a lemon-like flavor’.

Once you’ve achieved rejuvelac, place the cashews in a good blender and fill water to just cover the cashews. blend to a nice smooth, even consistency. Sometimes you have to add either rejuvelac or cashews to get it right. Put early stage cashew yogurt in another glass container with a loose covering – again, humid placement is good. Let stand for at least another 8 hours. It should be a little bubbly when it is done. Put it in the refrigerator – NOTE: I reserve a little for a couple of tablespoons to use as starter for the next batch.

____________________________

No related posts.

Read more here:
Green Diva Vegan Recipes – Cashews, Creamy Cheesy Yum

Chinese Cooking Class Cook Book ("Australian Women's Weekly" Home Library),

GBP 2.73 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 22:54:43 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 2.73 Buy it now | Add to watch list

VINTAGE PLAYING CARDS "ALF COOKE " BALLERINA'S(PINK EDGE"

GBP 1.04 (2 Bids) End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 22:56:25 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Blood Magic NEW by Matthew Cook

GBP 7.49 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 22:56:53 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 7.49 Buy it now | Add to watch list

On Cooking + Cooking Techniques Dvd: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals Alan M.

GBP 130.30 End Date: Saturday May-19-2012 22:57:03 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 130.30 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Mother’s Day is a few days away, unless you’re in Mexico than you really blew it. If you waited until now for mom’s gift, don’t despair, we got you covered. We also think Mother’s Day is a perfect holiday for honoring Mother Earth and that special woman in your life.

Here are some last-minute Mother’s Day gifts for Eco-moms or lovely women looking to go green.

Clever Mother's Day cupcakes

Last Minute Gifts

Regurgitate Valentine’s gift ideas. Hey, we did a great job offering superb last-minute sweetheart gifts and most are perfect for mom so go check out the list.

Shop Indie for sustainable jewelry and wearable gifts. If you have a local Farmer’s Market, many take place on Saturdays, take a look at the amazing handmade products for sale by local artisans. Local Harvest offers a helpful tool for finding local markets.

Take a cue from Food Inc. and by from local ranchers. The Meat Shop in Phoenix, Arizona has a special Mother’s day package that includes breakfast meats from local farmers, a $10 gift card and a floral reusable tote for $35. This is a great way to help mom start shopping local. Not in Phoenix? No worries, most cities have a local butcher selling local, grass-fed meat. Again, Local Harvest will help find them.

Buy Used Books. But don’t head online to Amazon or some other big wig store, visit your local indie bookstore selling used books. Instead of buying a just one or two you’ll be able to buy a stack. Many of these shops also carry work from local artisans as well.

Wrap it Eco-Friendly. Once you find the perfect gift you’ll want to make it look amazing. Visit our tips on green wrapping ideas.

Feed Your Mama. Guess what? All those tasty gift ideas we talked about for Christmas are also perfect for Mother’s Day. Instead of Christmas tree cookies make flowers or something representing your special mom.

Give Her Memory-Making gifts. Speak to mom’s heart and buy non-materialistic gifts that matter and bring delightful memories for years to come.

{Cupcake photo via clevercupcakes on Flickr}

What are you buying that special woman in your life? Have any other green ideas to share? Leave them in the comments.

No related posts.

View original post here:
Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts for Eco-Moms

Mother’s Day is a few days away, unless you’re in Mexico than you really blew it. If you waited until now for mom’s gift, don’t despair, we got you covered. We also think Mother’s Day is a perfect holiday for honoring Mother Earth and that special woman in your life.

Here are some last-minute Mother’s Day gifts for Eco-moms or lovely women looking to go green.

Clever Mother's Day cupcakes

Last Minute Gifts

Regurgitate Valentine’s gift ideas. Hey, we did a great job offering superb last-minute sweetheart gifts and most are perfect for mom so go check out the list.

Shop Indie for sustainable jewelry and wearable gifts. If you have a local Farmer’s Market, many take place on Saturdays, take a look at the amazing handmade products for sale by local artisans. Local Harvest offers a helpful tool for finding local markets.

Take a cue from Food Inc. and by from local ranchers. The Meat Shop in Phoenix, Arizona has a special Mother’s day package that includes breakfast meats from local farmers, a $10 gift card and a floral reusable tote for $35. This is a great way to help mom start shopping local. Not in Phoenix? No worries, most cities have a local butcher selling local, grass-fed meat. Again, Local Harvest will help find them.

Buy Used Books. But don’t head online to Amazon or some other big wig store, visit your local indie bookstore selling used books. Instead of buying a just one or two you’ll be able to buy a stack. Many of these shops also carry work from local artisans as well.

Wrap it Eco-Friendly. Once you find the perfect gift you’ll want to make it look amazing. Visit our tips on green wrapping ideas.

Feed Your Mama. Guess what? All those tasty gift ideas we talked about for Christmas are also perfect for Mother’s Day. Instead of Christmas tree cookies make flowers or something representing your special mom.

Give Her Memory-Making gifts. Speak to mom’s heart and buy non-materialistic gifts that matter and bring delightful memories for years to come.

{Cupcake photo via clevercupcakes on Flickr}

What are you buying that special woman in your life? Have any other green ideas to share? Leave them in the comments.

No related posts.

Here is the original post:
Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts for Eco-Moms

Chefs Bib Apron Royal Blue 29" x 36" Polycotton 10 Pack

GBP 39.99 End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 1:15:26 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 39.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Chefs Bib Apron Gold 29" x 36" Polycotton 10 Pack

GBP 39.99 End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 1:16:56 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 39.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Chefs Bib Apron Cream 29" x 36" Polycotton 10 Pack

GBP 39.99 End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 1:18:28 PDT Buy It Now for only: GBP 39.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

We recently discussed the possibility of solar power in colder climates, but what about sunny states? Which states rank highest for solar power and who is adding solar power to their home energy plan?

The following infographic offers clear and insightful data answering these questions.

Solar Infographic from Solar Sphere

{Info-graphic Courtesy of http://www.spheralsolar.com/}

Do you live in one of the ranked solar states? Do you use solar power? If not, do you have neighbors who do?

No related posts.

Read the original:
Solar Power Infographic

We recently discussed the possibility of solar power in colder climates, but what about sunny states? Which states rank highest for solar power and who is adding solar power to their home energy plan?

The following infographic offers clear and insightful data answering these questions.

Solar Infographic from Solar Sphere

{Info-graphic Courtesy of http://www.spheralsolar.com/}

Do you live in one of the ranked solar states? Do you use solar power? If not, do you have neighbors who do?

No related posts.

Read the original post:
Solar Power Infographic

Most of us still have lawns all around us, which, while beautiful, are truly energy intensive in Maintaining. They’re use of water, gas-powered mowing and weed killing are harsh on local eco-systems . You could consider a lawn alternative, such as a native plant garden, or something that fits with your micro-climate. Some people even grow food and veggie beds in their front lawns. If your heart’s set on keeping your lawn, consider cutting down on your energy use with a push-reel lawn mower and let your grass clippings stay on your lawn.

Here’s how to compost and recycle your grass clippings.

Push mower

 Recycling Your Clippings

This type of recycling is called “grasscycling” and it acts like a mulch, allowing the grass clippings to decompose naturally and add water and nutrients to the soil. It naturally fertilizes your lawn and will save on having to scoop up and bag grass clippings! It will also reduce landfill waste and methane emissions, along with fuel for trucks. Grasscycling is the most eco-friendly way to take care of your lawn.

Composting Grass

If you don’t want this extra layer of mulch on your lawn, the next eco-friendly choice is composting your grass clippings. They are a  tricky composting ingredient due to high  nitrogen levels and ability to clump together.When this happens, good air flow decreases and the compost heap will smell funky, like ammonia.

Keep Grass Compost Healthy, Smelly

Here are some ideas to help make sure your grass clippings compost evenly:

1. Lay out your grass clippings to air dry for a day or two before composting.
2. Remember to turn your compost pile if it is full of grass clippings. Turn more often to loosen up clumps and ensure full air flow and even composting.
3. Use a 2:1 ratio of browns with grass clippings. The browns should be dried leaves, twigs, or wood chips. Add a thin layer of grass clippings in between every layer of browns, so a good carbon:nitrogen is maintained.

Grass clippings make a great addition to your compost pile. They can act as a nitrogen activator, but be sure to have plenty of carbon sources like dried leaves, twigs, branches, wood chips, newspaper, or cardboard.

{Mower photo via Gardening in a Minute on Flickr}

Do you compost, if so, do you use lawn clippings?

No related posts.

Continued here:
Grass Clippings: How to Compost and Recycle Lawn Waste

Until I interviewed the Dark Ranger (aka Kevin Poe), I hadn’t thought much about the seemingly disappearance of the stars in the sky. I knew my suburban existence had something to do with not seeing as many stars as I remember as a kid, but I also figured I had romanticized that magical sparkly starry sky of my summer-camp days in the Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts. The other time I remember a fabulously star-filled sky was during a honeymoon trip to a pretty remote island – the tiki torches didn’t seem to diminish the twinkling of that night sky much at all.

Kevin (who I kept calling Ken during our first interview – Sorry Ken, I mean Kevin! Public apology #2), is a park ranger in Mt. Zion National Park and has made it somewhat of a life’s mission to help illuminate (cute, right?) us about why we need to start paying attention to light pollution.

Sometimes terms like, sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter and over-illumination are used to describe excessive night light’s intrusion on a naturally dark sky. Here’s the International Dark Sky Association’s glossary of relevant terms about light pollution page. Also, if you want to see where light clusters around cities and towns are and what they look like from the sky, here’s a great interactive google ‘night lights’ map that you can search for your own area and see how it looks from the night sky.

Good reasons to be concerned about light pollution:

Waste of Energy - Let’s face it, there is probably a lot of over-illuminating going on, especially here in the US, where we have an obsession with keeping the lights on all night. According to the International Dark Sky Association, we burn up a whopping 22,000 gigawatt-hours of useless light that is pointed up towards the sky! Their math has this at an estimated cost (in terms of money) of $2.2 billion a year. In terms of carbon footprint?

3.6 million tons of coal or 12.9 million barrels of oil is used
to generated this type of lost light

Ecosystems & Wildlife - While light pollution can disrupt elements of the ecosystem in subtle ways that may ultimately have lasting effects, it has a definite and negative impact on nocturnal animals. In general all animals (including humans) have a biological code that follows a circadian rhythm, which is just a inherent natural clock.

Birds: Many species rely on darkness to hunt, and birds can become drawn to an artificial light source like a beam that can results in a number of negative effects. The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that the number of birds that die due to attraction to tall towers that are lit at night is 4 to 5 million! Migrating birds can be thrown off course from artificial light at night never to reach their destination.

Reptiles: Sea turtles are a tragic example of how coastal light pollution can harm reptiles. Sea turtle  hatchlings crawl to the ocean instinctively by following the stars and moon, but coastal night lighting can confuse them and cause them to go in the wrong direction and they become exhausted and dehydrated and expire before making it to the ocean.

Insects, amphibians and of course humans are also effected and there is a lot of research still taking place to understand the full impact of this type of environmental hazard that has mainly been riding under the radar for a lot of us.

So, here’s what you can do!

1. Minimize outdoor lighting - only have it where you really need it
   
2. Install A full cutoff fixture - full cutoff fixtures reduce the chance for light to escape above the horizontal plane – keeping the light focused downward where it is needed
3. Put your outdoor lights on timers - obviously this will help those of us who sometimes forget to flip the switch on the way to bed
4. Get motion-sensor lighting - hopefully you can find one that works better than ours and of course, this helps minimize lighting that doesn’t need to be on all the time
5. Colored lights can help - using yellow or amber lights can reduce the negative impact of night lighting
6. Get active - find out what the lighting plan is all about in your community and make sure the powers that be are educated about how important this issue is
7. Listen to the Green Divas: Short & Sassy 1.5 minute piece on Light Pollution
8. Listen to the Green Divas Radio Show interview with Kevin Poe, the Dark Ranger

No related posts.

Read the original post:
8 Ways to Reduce Light Pollution – Keep the Stars Twinkling