Monday, January 31, 2011

Monthly Review - JANUARY 2011

0 km TOTAL
Lowest monthly total since February 2009 :( Breaks my heart!!! :( :(

Sunday, January 30, 2011

How to Clean a Coffee Maker - Environmentally Friendly

All you need is 2 cups of white vinegar and fresh water ...

Clean a coffee maker by ...

1. Pouring the vinegar into the reservoir and top it off with water. Turn on the coffee maker and let it brew a cup of the vinegar and water mix.

2. Turn it off and let it stand for half an hour.

3. Turn the coffee maker back on. Let it finish brewing the pot of vinegar and water, then empty the pot, rinse it out, and fill the reservoir with fresh water. Brew the pot of water without interruption.

4. Empty, rinse, allow the coffee maker to cool a nit, and then brew another pot of water.

from Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck, p. 96

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Mushroom Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Considering spinach's nutritional profile, you can't have too many spinach salad recipes! Using a a fruity extra virgin olive oil adds not only taste, but also a variety of antioxidant compounds.

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. red onion, minced
1 Tbsp. orange juice
5 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. honey (recipe calls for 4 tsp. sugar - I substitute honey)
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. pepper, freshly ground
2 large hard boiled eggs, boiled
6 cups spinach
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced

In a food processor, combine oil, minced onions, orange juice, vinegar, honey (sugar), poppy seeds, mustard, salt and pepper until well mixed. Set aside.

Coarsely chop 1 egg and 1 egg white, reserving remaining yolk for another use. In a large bowl, toss together spinach, mushrooms, sliced onions and egg. Add dressing: toss to mix and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

PER SERVING NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Calories: 115, Protein: 5g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat 1g, Carbohydrate: 5g, Dietary Fibre: 2g

from The Enlightened Eater's Whole Foods Guide, by Rosie Schwartz, p. 81.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Replacing Fabric Softener in a Washing Machine (chemical-free)

Use vinegar instead of commercial fabric softener. Adding ¼ cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle is as effective as using commercial fabric softener, and won't leave oily residue on your washing machine. As an added bonus, vinegar is much less expensive than fabric softener, and will help to remove stains and brighten whites and colors.

Don't worry about your clothing smelling like vinegar - any vinegar odor will be removed in the rinse and during drying.