Not all herbal teas are safe when you’re pregnant, but many are A-OK! So, what’s the skinny on tea during pregnancy?
Vegan-izing Your Holiday Favorites
As the holidays approach, so do the family get-togethers, office parties, and dinners. For those of us living a vegan lifestyle, finding something to eat can be challenging, to say the least. The good news, however, is that it is easier now than ever before to choose vegan eating options โ even during the holidays. Many holiday favorites can be “veganized” with a little advanced planning.
The Great Transition, Part I: From Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy
The great energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy is under way. As fossil fuel prices rise, as oil insecurity deepens, and as concerns about pollution and climate instability cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new world energy economy is emerging. The old energy economy, fueled by oil, coal, and natural gas, is being replaced with an economy powered by wind, solar, and geothermal energy.
Quinoa and Barley Give Healthy Eating a Good Reputation
In late August, I discovered that barley is a tasty and much healthier alternative for brown rice. After that menu-changing discovery, I wondered how quinoa compared. I cooked with it and did a little research. Here’s what I found.
October Unprocessed: Unsweetened Crock Pot Applesauce
When I first learned about October Unprocessed, the question that immediately came to mind is: what defines processed food? This crock pot applesauce recipe contains no refined or added sugars and should work for your month of unprocessed eating, no matter how strict you decide to be.
The DIY Aquaponics System: 6 Plans for Bringing Fish and Plants Together to Grow Food
Putting fish and plants together in a closed loop (that’s organic by necessity) strikes me as a brilliant use of biomimicry… or, at least the notion that “waste equals food” in the natural world. But can a backyard tinkerer put together an aquaponics system on the cheap?
Barley vs Brown Rice: The Ultimate Smackdown!
Ever wondered how barley stacks up nutritionally against brown rice? Here’s a side-by-side comparison plus some ideas for how to cook barley.
Minimize Food Waste By Storing Food In Your Refrigerator The Right Way
I tossed out a bag of mushy strawberries this evening, damn! Did you know that the average American wastes 40% of the food they purchase?ย Iย haven’t measured my own waste, but 40% doesn’t seem unrealistic. And that’s sad. What’s worse? Much of that wasted food ends up in landfills where it breaks down and forms methane, a greenhouse gas far more powerful than carbon dioxide.ย
Offshore Wind Energy Development Picking Up Pace
Wind power is the worldโs leading source of renewable electricity, excluding hydropower, with 238,000 megawatts of capacity installed at the start of 2012. Thus far, almost all of this wind power has been tapped on land; worldwide just 4,600 megawatts of offshore wind farms were operating as of mid-2012. Offshore wind capacity is growing quickly, however, expanding nearly six-fold since 2006. Twelve countries now have wind turbines spinning offshore, and more will be joining them to take advantage of the powerful winds blowing over the oceans.
10 Killer Quinoa Salad Recipes
There’s nothing like a good quinoa salad… it’s filling, refreshing, and makes you feel awesome knowing the goodness you just put in your body.
Soy — Devil-fruit, or Bean? (Hint: Bean)
Detractors frequently demonize the humble soybean. It stands alone in that regard, among its less maligned cousins: no one accuses pinto beans of causing cancer, black beans of causing man-boobs, or chickpeas of causing infertility and birth defects. The soybean has been exploited on a larger scale, but it’s just a bean. Processed foods — with or without soy — can cause problems. GMO foods — soy or otherwise — can cause problems. But soy contains no magic disease demons, no secret toxins, no evil plan to take over the world. It is simply a legume. So relax, good friends, and rejoice: for soy is no devil! ‘Tis but a bean.
Easy Lemon Cucumber Refrigerator Pickles
Iโm new to pickling, but my lemon cucumbers are at their peak so I used them for this pickle experiment, with surprisingly tasty results.
The Real Costs of Bottled Water
Bottled water is sold to us as a fresh, healthy, and pure product. Yet in reality, when you buy a bottle of water you’re may just be buying back your local tap water at a mark-up of up to 1000 times the actual cost. Not only is bottled water no better for you than plain old tap water, but the environmental cost of the packaging used to beautify it is a serious issue.
How to Make Your Own Concrete Tamper
Our Earthbag Building Workshop is about to kick off tomorrow, and I spent the day doing some last minute preparations with our instructor, Scott Howard of Earthen Hand Natural Building. A big portion of the earthbag construction process is tamping the dirt into bags to make sure they’re packed tightly, and then tamping them again […]
Instead of What?
I’ve been contemplating the name of this blog and what it means to me personally. I don’t know the thought behind the name, as I was not involved in its development. What does insteading mean? According to the Urban Dictionary, the definition of insteading is: When you’re doing anything but the assignment that you’re supposed […]
5 Sustainable Eco Bath Mats
Your bathroom may be the least appealing room in your house by definition of purpose but that doesn’t mean that it can’t serve as an oasis of peace and solitude! While many aspects of your water closet determine exactly how appealing it is, there is no denying the power of the bath mat in setting a tone of design and usefulness as your bathroom’s centerpiece.
Concerns With Urban Animal Slaughter
Photo Credit by VeryGeeky. This article is a response to a Slate.com piece published by James McWilliams on June 6th, 2012. The article, titled “The Butcher Next Door: Why the rise of DIY urban animal slaughter is bad for people and animals,” tries to make the point that animal slaughter by untrained people in an […]
New Garden Resolutions: Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. I understand the intention to start a new year with healthy goals, yet they rarely last longer than a couple of months for most individuals. Instead, I am personally more successful with season resolutions. This year, as I toil away in the garden, my new
LEGO Upcycling Ideas: What to Do with those Extra LEGO Bricks
Got hundreds or thousands of LEGO bricks lying around, and thinking about trashing them? Don’t – you can make useful items with those “toys.” Here are ten ways that others have upcycled LEGO bricks.
5 DIY Projects for Indoor Gardening
When you live in a somewhat unpredictable climate, it can be truly frustrating to try and deal with a gardening routine. Many plants might even die if you accidentally plant too soon. That is why it can really pay off to do an indoor garden or, at least, prepare for it indoors until you are really sure a garden is workable outside.
Tips For Growing Stevia In Your Garden
Want to grow your own Stevia? It’s not the easiest herb to grow, but these tips will help you cultivate your own source of this natural sweetener.
5 Upcycled Bird Feeders
Want to get the kids involved in environmentally-themed projects? These DIY upcycled bird feeder ideas are simple and educational.
3 Surprising Ways To Conserve And Recycle Water
Happy World Water Day! Learn about three surprising ways that people and companies are conserving, sourcing, and recycling water.
Seattle Solar Installation Q&A
Seattle Solar Electricity Q&A I sat down last week with Amy Beaudoin of West Seattle Natural Energy, a solar & wind energy installer based here in West Seattle. We talked about a bunch of questions that I had as well as questions submitted by readers on topics like: Things you can do to improve your
Simple Ways To Save Money By Simplifying Your Life
Read on for simple ways you can help the environment, while saving a few bucks and reconnecting with your community in the process.
“Doing More With Less” Shows Businesses A New Path To Success
Insteading interviews Dr. Bruce Piasecki, author “Doing More With Less: The New Way To Wealth,” which hits shelves this month.
Edible Bus Stop: The Community That Gardens Together, Stays Together
A simple yet creative gardening project called The Edible Bus Stop transforms a public transit area that used to be full of trash, and brings an entire community together.
As Technology Becomes Ever-Present, the “Tech Detox” Movement Gains Steam
As mobile and wifi proliferate, our constant connectivity comes at a cost. Is a movement to disconnect in the making?
Public Garden Plots Put Town On Path To Food Independence
Rarely have we seen an entire town support the idea of long-term food independence the way the small Victorian mill town of Todmorden, West Yorkshire has.
Four Collaborative Consumption Trends Poised To Explode In 2012
To help you explore the new and exciting sharing economy, we’ve collected four collaborative consumption trends poised to explode in the next year.
Why One Laptop Per Child Is The Most Important Thing At CES
One Laptop Per Child designs hardware, content and software for collaborative, joyful, and self-empowered learning. Find out why I think they’re the best thing you’ll see at CES this week.
10 Creative Upcycling Ideas Anyone – Even the Non-Crafty – Can Do
Not everyone is that crafty, and you might feel that you don’t have what it takes to upcycle anything worth keeping. But never fear – there are plenty of interesting and easy-to-make items that make upcycling a breeze.