Orange and Ginger Carrot Soup

This recipe is courtesy of @bambigoesgreen on Twitter.

This warming and tangy soup has a really pretty muted-orange glow, and has just a touch of spice. I’m a big fan of lively soup! Be sure to try this recipe with organic carrots, potatoes, onions and celery, as their flavor is so much better than those grown on industrial farms.
Organic root vegetables like these are considered seasonal no matter where you live, and are found easily in health food stores and plenty of grocery stores, too. Choosing organic oranges is especially important when you make an orange zest, so as not to ingest the surface pesticides found on industrially-grown orange skin. Nothing good about pesticide soup, folks!

Ingredients:
1 oz onions, chopped
1 lb or 4 medium carrots
2 sticks celery
4 oz potatoes, chopped
1 pint stock/water
1-2 tbsp grated ginger
juice of 2-3 oranges
zest of ½-1 organic orange
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to sauté
small slice of butter (optional)

Method:
1. Rough chop onions. Scrub and rough chop carrots, celery and potatoes.
2. Saute onions and celery in oil in the bottom of a large saucepan. After a few minutes add carrots, and continue to sauté until onions are beginning to go pearly. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
3. Stir in the potatoes, then add enough water to cover the vegetables by a couple of inches.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add the orange juice, zest (if using) and grated ginger.
6. Blend the soup.
7. Add more stock/hot water/orange juice to achieve desired thickness.
8. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, bouillon powder and a little butter.

Electricity - Going Green Facts

All the green and red lights on your VCR, TV, DVD, computer and stereo, each add up to $70 on your electricity bill, and creates 190 lbs of green house gasses per year

How to Go Green

It seems that Going Green is what is on more and more peoples minds now a days. It is pretty easy to understand, with the ever increasing cost of heating homes, or air conditioning homes, depending where you live. As well as electricity to run all those appliances, and then there is the cost to running a vehicle. How does a family survive in this economic climate, and still put food on the table?

Start by doing all the simple things:

1. Unplug any appliance that is not in use, and does not need to keep time. Then purchase SMART power bars, that let you plug in alarm clocks and DVD players - that way when you turn off the power, the essentials (alarm clock) are still plugged in.

2. Cut back on water consumption by installing low flow toilets and faucets. Only turn the water tap on to the size of a pencil stream, when washing your hands. Use a glass of water for brushing your teeth. Limit the amount of time you spend in the shower to less than 5 mins - aim for 3 mins.

3. Only purchase Energy efficient appliances. Check with Energy Star to find out how your appliances rate.

4. Install weather stripping on your doors and caulk the windows.

5. Keep blinds closed during the day on hot, sunny days in the summer to keep it cool. In the winter, open the blinds to help warm the house.

6. Recycle everything that you possible can. Reuse or find new uses for anything that can be reused. Donate clothing, magazines, books etc to charities.

7. Change the furnace filter, and get ready for winter.

8. Grow your own vegetables and fruit, in your back yard. If you live in an appartment, then do container gardening. Many vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, even carrots can be grown in containers.

9. Compost your vegetable peelings and use it in your garden.

10. Get a rain barrel and use it.

11. Get your vehicle tuned up and have all the fluids either changed or topped up. Only drive your vehicle when you have saved up your errands and can get them all done at once.

12. Use public transportation, bike or car pool to get to work.

13. Shop for clothing at second hand stores or thrift stores. Infact, you can find many other things there, so take a look around.

14. Install a programable thermostat, and use it. Put a sweater on when your cool.

15. Line dry your clothing, if your community allows it. Only wash a load of clothes when it is full. Consider getting a front loading washer, as it uses less water, and electricity.

16. Opt out of junk mail getting delivered.

17. Install LED lights.

18. Turn off the TV and get outside for a walk.

This is just a simple list of how to get started, when you go green. Consider purchasing this book http://www.simplygoinggreen.ca/. It is full of great resources, links and information to making your going green journey easy.

Farmers Markets have so much more then vegetables

There are many Farmers Markets in and around Calgary, here is a link to help you get started http://www.calgaryarea.com/community/eventspsa/farmers/farmermarket.htm

This is a great time of year to go to a farmers market and taste some of our local fruits and vegetables. Many of the vendors give a little taste of whatever they are selling, and it certainly helps you find the ripest produce out there. I like to see what is available and then figure out what the menu plan is going to be for the next week.

One thing I have noticed when I go to a farmers market, is get there early, and bring your own bags, as it will speed up the process. After I have gotten the produce, and tucked it away to bring home, then I like to find a coffee and browse through the rest of the market and see all the various handicrafts and artwork for sale.

I think we have some of the most talented artists anywhere, and if you are looking for something specific, just ask, as many vendors know someone that can probably help. Farmers Markets have so much more then just vegetables to sell. Many families consider going to the farmers market a real treat. Next time you go to the farmers market, consider doing some of your Christmas shopping there, and see what treasures you can find.

Going Green Jobs

According to ECO CANADA, an environmental CAREERS organization in Calgary, Alberta - the hottest GREEN careers right now are environmental technologists and technicians, environmental engineers, conservation biologists, geographic informations system (GIS) analysts, and environmental communication officers.

Anyone that is going back to school to upgrade, should be considering these statistics - 65 per cent of environmental employers in Canada were hiring in 2008 and 71 per cent of green firms have said that they plan to expand their businesses in the next two years. Sixty-five per cent of environmental employers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have expansion plans.

Senior Marketing Manager, Chris Stewart, with ECO Canada, said the top three sectors hiring employees in the area of environment in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were water quality at 34 per cent, waste management with 27 per cent, and land quality with 19 per cent.

According to Stats Canada, the province of Saskatchewan had employment growth in 2008 in several sectors related to the environment. For instance, Forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas employment increased by 11.5 per cent and businesses, building and other support services increased by 12.4 per cent. As these sectors increase, the need for green technologies & clean technologies not only for energy, but also safe water and waste management, can be expected to increase too.

Going Green is not just cute, it is the right thing to do. It helps to save the environment for future generations and it saves money, and for many companies - it is the bottom line that speaks the loudest.

Go Green in the Park

After taking my lunch to the local park (Bowness Park) and sitting down to enjoy the beautiful day, fresh air, and the sheer joy of being outside is this beautiful park. I decided to stroll around the park, getting some exercise, and enjoying the rest of my lunch.

I had not walked far, when I came across a real estate agent, who has set up in the park with his vehicle. He has a few signs up, and anyone that is interested in looking a some pictures of homes, will find this location quite peaceful.

I guess everyone needs a break, and if you can run your office from the local park, then why not. Go Green, and get in the park to work, it might change your perspective, and give you a fresh approach to whatever project your working on.

I would personally love it, if they installed wireless modems for all of us office workers, so we could move our laptop to the park and work on our Vitamin D quotas for the day, not to mention our tans...LOL

Arugula Salad

This recipe is courtesy of @bambigoesgreen on Twitter

This recipe really speaks for itself. Show me a person that dislikes warm goat cheese, toasted pistachios, and caramelized onions and I’ll show you a person that hasn’t lived.
Okay, maybe that’s extreme. But this is really good salad. And that’s extremely truthful.

Ingredients:
One bunch of arugula, washed and dried
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp maple syrup
4 Tbsp fresh goat cheese
4 Tbsp green pistachios, shelled (or walnuts)
3 Tbsp blueberry balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
Fresh black pepper and sea salt to taste
Optional: Red onions, pears

Method:
1. Divide the greens and goat cheese between two plates. DO NOT eat all of your goat cheese right now impatiently, you need it for the salad. PUT IT DOWN.
2. Now, put a dry frying pan on med heat and toast the pistachios until golden and fragrant. Again, don’t eat all of your pistachios right now, save them for the salad. Trust me, you don’t want to eat too many pistachios anyway. Your stomach will hate you for it.
3. Remove from pan and place to one side. Melt the butter in the same pan and slowly cook the onions over low heat for about twenty minutes.
4. Add the maple syrup and let it thicken. Whisk together the vinegar and oil and set aside.
5. Divide the pistachios between the plates and top with the onions and dressing. Add pepper to taste.

ORGANIC SHAMPOO

About one year ago, I decided to go green and switched to Jason's Organic Shampoo & Conditioner. You can find their website here www.jason-natural.com

I like wearing my hair long, as it is naturally curly, and the length and weight of the hair, helps to hold it down and stop it from looking frizzy. I have tried many hair care products that are suppose to help with naturally curly hair, but so far I have found they do nothing for my hair.

Anyways, since I switched to Jasons Organic hair care products, my hair is absolutely beautiful. I do not have split or dry ends, and even my hair dresser is very impressed. It is a lot easier to control the curls, and I no longer have frizzy bad hair days.

I give Jason's Organic hair care products the thumb up!

Now, if someone could recommend a really good Organic hair dye, that lasts longer then 2 to 3 weeks, that would be great - I refuse to grow old naturally and am fighting it every step of the way.

Strawberry Salsa and Cinnamon Tortillas

@bambigoesgreen at twitter, has kindly allowed me to include her great recipes here.

Ingredients:
4 Flour tortillas
2 tb Butter, melted
2 tb Cane Sugar
3/4 ts Cinnamon
2 c Strawberries, chopped
1 tb Chopped fresh mint
1/2 ts Grated lime rind (I’ve used lemon rind and juice before and it tastes just as good, I promise)
1 tb Lime juice
1 1/2 ts honey

Method:
Brush both sides of each tortilla with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over each side of tortilla. Bake on lightly greased baking sheet in 375 degree F oven for about 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cut into quarters.
Combine strawberries, mint, lime rind and juice and honey; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Put the salsa in a bowl and dip your tortillas in it. Yummmmy!

Animals Help Big Box GO GREEN

August 23, 2009

On a recent trip to a big box store to purchase some plants, I was greeted by a little kitten, at the front doors. I bent down to pet this little kitten, and to see where this little one belonged, checking out its tags. Much to my surprise, the tags stated that this kitten belonged to the BIG BOX STORE.

According to the manager, they have 3 of these kittens, and they opted to have them instead of using toxic poison to get rid of the mouse problem. This is a very unique approach. A little further into the conversation, I was told it was the staffs idea, and management agreed to try it out.

Apparently, all the staff just love these little kittens, and all the customers do too. With plenty of petting, and lots of food and attention, these kittens just flourish. A vet that lives in the mall where these kittens now reside, makes sure the animals are properly cared for and their shots are up to date.

It is a unique GREEN solution, to an everyday problem for big box stores.