Have you taken any measures to make your home "green"? Over the past two years, I've taken a few steps in that direction at my home. Here are some of the measures I've taken:
Added insulation
Bought energy efficient appliances
Switched to low-energy light bulbs
Started recycling
Made a conscious effort to reduce waste
Cut back on paper towels and paper goods (rags work really well for cleaning)
Switched to environmentally friendly cleaning products (Many of them Quixtar-Amway Global products)
I'd love to do more. My furnace is due to be replaced in the next couple of years. I've researched various alternatives to natural gas and oil. Unfortunately, these are terribly expensive. And I am limited somewhat since I live in a condo association. Its a little difficult to convince your neighbors to spend thousands to put solar panels on the roof.
Have you taken any measures toward a green home? If you have a moment, drop me a comment and share what steps you've taken.
Spring has finally sprung here in West Michigan after a winter I thought might not end. We flirted with a few days in the 70s in late April, but the temps have only reached highs of the low 60s since then. And the long range forecast shows next week only being in the 50s! And this is mid-May.
Despite the weather, I am doing like so many others living in West Michigan do -- exercising hope and cleaning and preparing the patio and garden areas. My condo is a ground-level walk out, so I have a reasonable sized patio off my dining room. And there are some decent garden areas off the patio.
I have a table outside and enjoy serving dinner to friends there. I also love reading out on the patio on weekends and weeknights.
Unfortunately, my patio has a northern exposure, so it stays somewhat cool and damp. And cool and damp mean mold. I am using L.O.C. in a spray bottle to clean off the furniture, table, and other outdoor "stuff". I've even used it to scrub the concrete on the patio. It doesn't hurt the lawn or the gardens so I feel better using it than bleach or other harsh cleaners. And it gets the job done.
Next week, I am having a wood deck installed right over the concrete. Nothing fancy, just a slightly elevated wood floor. I figure the wood will be warmer than the concrete and will be easier to keep clean. I think it will look nice too. I'll let you know how it turns out.
I had an interesting conversation with some guests the other evening and I thought I would share and ask for input from my readers. The conversation revolved around the dining room table, both figuratively and literally.
One of my guests told me that she and her family never use their dining room table, having a table in the kitchen where the family eats all their meals. Her dining room and its table are used only at holidays. Another guest then raised the subject of setting the table. The group was divided over whether setting the table for a dinner party was necessary, fun, or simply a chore that went unnoticed.
My condo isn't that big. I have one table and its in the dining area. I can seat 6 people maximum. And when I have company for dinner, I love going all out and setting the table. For me, its like art -- the table is a blank canvas where I can experiment with ideas to make the dinner fun and more enjoyable. I put out matching napkins, place mats, candles, all the glassware, and sometimes even name cards.
Do you use your dining room? Do you even have a dining room? And when you have company for dinner is it paper plates or your best china? And what are your thoughts about table settings? Feel free to share.
I have a bluish-purple dress shirt I wear to work every so often. A few weeks ago I noticed a stain near the front pocket. I had no idea what happened or what stained the shirt.
I've been using SA8 since I started working at Quixtar/Amway Global four years ago. I've always liked the results. I find that the commercially bought laundry detergents actually sped-up the wearing out of my clothes, and half the time didn't get them that clean either. I would notice small stains and dark marks near the cuffs of my pant legs and around the pockets. When I started using SA8, these went away and my clothes seemed to last longer.
What I want in a laundry detergent are the following things -- 1) that it work, 2) that it not cost an arm and leg, and 3) that it is environmentally friendly or green.
A few years ago, I tried Ecover, a European line of green cleaning products. And I will say, this stuff is really good. Its hard to find though, I had to buy it at a local health and natural produce store since its not sold in the larger box stores. I liked Ecover because it is a truly green line of home care and laundry products. However, it costs more than SA8 and LOC and after trying them side by side for a while, I prefer our stuff. I know that sounds self-serving because I work for the company, but its true. Our stuff simply worked better and cleaned better. And our laundry line, SA8, was superior in every way.
Our cleaning products were green before green was popular. SA8 contains no phosphates. Its gentle on my clothes. Its concentrated and isn't overly expensive. And it works.
Now, returning to my purple shirt. I used the liquid SA8 stain remover, let the shirt sit over night. Then I washed it. I had to wash it twice and I was careful not to dry the shirt since that would have set the stain. As usual, SA8 did the trick and my purple shirt was saved.
Have you tried SA8? Are you a regular user? Any complaints? Comments? Let me know what you think.
I'm excited to share with you my updated blog. As I mentioned in an earlier post from a couple of weeks ago, my blog is expanding its focus. As Rocktucky Chef, I focused on food, entertaining, nutrition, and related these topics to some of Quixtar/Amway Global's products such as iCook.
Now, as Rocktucky Living, my area of concentration has grown to include all things Home Related -- food, entertaining, cleaning, housekeeping, decorating, design, laundry, and so on. This will allow me to mention some of our other products, like SA8 and LOC, and others.
Anyone who knows me well or who has been reading my blog for a while, knows that home is extremely important to me. I'm passionate about having a peaceful sanctuary where I can escape from the crazy world we live in. And I love entertaining, home improvement, and the domestic arts.
In the weeks and months ahead, I hope you'll keep reading and join the conversation as we talk about any and all topics related to home and living well. Feel free to suggest topics, ask questions, and connect my ramblings to issues related to the business.
Given that I'll now be writing about laundry, cleaning, cooking, and so on, I thought you might like a little tour of my "laboratory". So, it's my pleasure to invite you over to my place for a tour. I'm pleased to give you a glimpse of where my blog posts derive their inspiration. My two bedroom condo is modest, neat, and very peaceful. Its not a mansion or anything fancy, but its home. So, come on in, take off your shoes, and stay a while!
I've been committed to healthy eating for over a decade now. I've made real progress in increasing my daily servings of fruits and vegetables, I've cut back on bad fats, nearly eliminated trans fats, and have cut back on red meat and other foods not to be eaten in excess. And I am pleased with the health results, although I would like to lose a little more weight.
There are challenges to eating healthy. One challenge is time -- most healthy meals require preparation and time, and the temptation is always to opt to something fast, but unhealthy. However, with a little planning, slowing down the pace of life, and taking advantage of vegetables that can be eaten raw as a snack and easy to make salads, this challenge can be met.
Another challenge is taste, or perhaps "perceived" taste. As you know, I have people over for meals a lot. And unfortunately, beef loaded with fat and potatoes slathered in cream are more of a crowd pleaser than kale, beans, and broccoli served with fish or lean chicken. I watch as my guests pick their out the tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, peas, and other "offending" items from their salads and side dishes. Unfortunately, they tend to pick out the healthy stuff. As their host, I don't make a fuss, but if I were their mother, you could bank on me scolding them.
I love the taste of healthy food and know many people who do. And healthy food can be creatively prepared to taste good. I love steamed kale with garlic and lemon juice. I love beans in soup, salads, and as side dishes. And there isn't a vegetable that I won't eat. The creative, tasteful uses for whole grains, vegetables, and fruit are endless.
How do you overcome the challenges to healthy eating? How do you deal with fussy guests? And what strategies are you taking to eat healthy and see that your family does too?
I blogged a while back about how we improved the taste of our meal replacement and protein bars. Now, I am happy to report that I've tried the new Nutrilite Sports Nutrition energy bars, and they really taste great. So far, I've sampled the Vanilla Pretzel and the Peanut Butter Pretzel, and they both are fantastic. And not bad with 14 grams of protein each!
I'm really glad to see that we are releasing food bars and energy bars that actually taste great.
This past weekend, I stopped for a moment to wonder if the ritual of the Sunday family dinner is still widespread. When I was young, our family tended to have an early, somewhat larger, dinner on Sundays, often including extended family. Instead of dinner beginning at 5pm or after, it would begin around 2pm.
Of course, this lead me to wonder if the tradition of the family meal during the week still exists. So many people are so busy, even children have complicated and packed schedules. Few families have time to sit down, enjoy a home cooked meal, and talk to one another.
The only time I use my dining room table and enjoy a sit-down meal is when I have company over. And observing my married friends with children, I think the same applies to them.
So, I'm asking -- do you have set meal times with your family? How often do you enjoy a sit-down meal with others?
I'll admit that the title of my blog post for today isn't the most appealing. But, in my defense, I want to talk about pleasant kitchen odors, in particular, what sort of odors appeal to you most?
We can start with food odors. I love the smell of fresh ground coffee, but I can't stand the taste of any coffee and don't drink it. I love peanut butter, including its smell, but its odor makes my poor mother turn green. I would imagine that the smell of garlic cooking and pies baking rank high among favorites.
The next set of odors are from cleaning products. You can get scented soap, scented dish detergent, scented kitchen cleaner, and so on. Even trash bags now come scented. I prefer lemon scented cleaners. However, Quixtar-Amway did have a spiced-apple LOC Home Trend Collection from a couple of years ago that was really pleasing.
Finally, there are air fresheners. I try not to use these, since most give off toxic chemicals while they "freshen" your air. Instead, I try burning essential oils. I love geranium, spruce, pine, and lavender.
What are your favorite kitchen odors? What says "inviting home" to you? And what scents appeal most?
I want to share with you some exciting changes coming to my blog. Sometime in the next few weeks Rocktucky Chef will become Rocktucky Living. My blog will expand its focus from food and cooking to include the whole range of "domestic arts" -- home care, cleaning, laundry, entertaining, cooking, decorating, gardening, and so on.
Quixtar-Amway Global offers a lot of great home care products. And this expansion will allow me to talk more about LOC our home cleaning products, SA8 our laundry detergent and clothes cleaning line, and Dish Drops, while continuing to reference iCook and other product offerings. I will also be able to bring eSpring and Atmosphere into the discussion from time to time.
I am extremely geeked about this change. Those of you who know me or read my blog know that I am "home" person, or as I describe myself, "a homebody with high social needs" and I spend a lot of time caring for my home, enjoying my home, entertaining others, and making my home a comfortable oasis of simplicity and peace that allows me to function in this crazy, fast-paced, complicated world.
And for those of you who wonder where the name "Rocktucky" comes from, it's my playful mockery of where I live --Rockford, Michigan and how rural it is compared to New York City where I grew up.
So, I hope you continue to read this blog and join the conversation about home life -- whether your home is in an urban, rural, or suburban setting.
A couple of weeks ago I splurged a little and bought some ice cream for desert. As I selected what flavor I wanted, I noticed that a mainstream main brand produced in a small, New England state had a line of organic ice cream. So, I bought a pint of organic cookies and cream.
Unfortunately, the pint tasted a bit flat. Over the Easter weekend, I tried another pint of organic ice cream from the same company, this time the vanilla. Same thing, flat and not very good.
I did a little leg work and compared labels of organic ice cream with regular ice cream. And while there were some things in the regular ice cream that I am sure weren't all that great from a health perspective, it sure did taste a lot better. Who would have thought that monoglyercides taste so good?
Has anyone had a similar experience? Anyone know of a good brand of organic ice cream?
Spring has finally arrived! Although, you might not think so here in chilly West Michigan. We have a few weeks to go before we begin seeing blossoms and blooms. In the meantime, here's a recipe I tried for a spring salad.Substitute smaller sizes for smaller servings. For example, use a quarter of a cup of the below ingredients for a salad for 1-2.
Spring Salad
Large bunch of washed greens or baby spinach (size depends on serving amount)
Cherry tomatoes
2 granny smith apples
1/2 cup of crushed walnuts
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1/2 cup of cooked lentils
1/2 cup of raisins
1 medium sized red onion
Medium sized chunk of crumbled feta cheese
Salt
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Balsamic vinegar
1. Mix the greens in a large boil with a little salt and olive oil.
2. Half the cherry tomatoes and mix into the salad slowly, along with the walnuts, almonds, raisins, and sliced red onion.
3. Having previously cooked the lentils, add them now into the salad as well.
4. Now, toss 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice over the salad and mix again.If the salad looks too dry, add a little more olive oil.
5. Add in the sliced granny smith apple pieces along with the feta cheese crumble.
6. Top with balsamic vinegar to taste, mixing the salad well.
Easter is coming up and Passover is next month, so you know meals featuring lamb aren't far off. I enjoy mint jelly with lamb, but this year I am going to try making my own mint sauce. Here's the recipe I plan to use. Feel free to share your ideas with me too!
Mint Sauce for Lamb
A bunch of fresh mint
Teaspoon sea salt
4 table spoons of red wine vinegar
1 table spoon fine, bakers sugar
4 table spoons of apple cider
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1. Strip the mint leaves and then crush and finely chop to release the flavor. The mint leaves have to be cut in really small pieces for this recipe to work. When done, place them in a bowl and pour half a cup of bowling water over them.
2. Add the sugar to the bowl and allow to cool for some time.
3. Drain the water and crush the leaves some more.
4. Add a little of the vinegar and apple cider at a time, seasoning to taste.
5. Do the same with the garlic and salt, adding as much as you like.
Mix well and chill. Some advice: the end result should look like a paste, not a bunch of wet mint leaves. Serve with roasted lamb or other lamb dishes.
I recently began using balsamic vinegar again in recipes, and so far, no complaints. In case you are not familiar, balsamic vinegar is a dark, flavored vinegar used in cooking and salad dressings, mostly in Italian recipes.
I find two primary uses for this lovely vinegar -- cooking chicken and as a salad dressing.
For a great salad, with some spring "zing" try this -- cut in half a bunch of grape tomatoes. Then cut up some baby spinach. Toss together in a bowl with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add balsamic vinegar to taste, and top with pine nuts and crumbled cheese of your choice.
For cooking chicken ***, or fish for that matter, use a deep frying pan, fill with olive oil, two table spoons of lemon juice, salt, garlic finely minced, and half a cup of balsamic vinegar. Cook the chicken breasts until done, usually about 15-20 minutes, turning them frequently. The chicken is then great with veggies, over pasta, or on top of steamed kale.