My Green Weekend

It’s my job to write about the environment, so I try my best to walk the walk when it comes to the size of my carbon footprint. But even this ecophile can do more. So one weekend my fiancé, David and I set out to make a few simple, eco-friendly adjustments to our apartment that could also reduce our utility bill. And, we figured, what better time to end greening our home than while our friends’ young daughter, Rebecca was visiting.

First thing Saturday morning, we went through each room, taking stock of all appliances and electronics that were plugged in to various sockets. They included everything from lamps and coffee pots to computers and cell phone chargers. We came up with a total of 21 plugged-in appliances and consolidated them into five power strips with on-off switches. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, unplugging idle electronics and appliances can cut as much as 75% of the electricity they consume. Now when we walk out of a room, we automatically save energy by simply clicking off the power strip.

Next we chose to tackle lightbulbs. The apartment was lit with the incandescent bulbs of ancient, so we chose to switch to their greener counterparts, Compact Fluorescent LightBulbs. CFLs use just a quarter of the energy, last up to 10 times longer and can cut lighting costs in half! So how many environmentalists does it take to change a lightbulb? In this case, two. I let David and Rebecca handle the hardware, while I tended to some laundry.

Already washed, the clothes just needed a small shaking out before I hung them to dry on two retractable clotheslines. (Clothes dryers typically rank second, after refrigerators, on the list of largest energy-gobbling home appliances.) Since it was cold outside, I let the heating do double duty and dry our clothes for us. Of course, if the weather happens to be nicer, you can hang your clothes on a line outside.

The best way to calculate just how much money you’re saving by reducing your energy consumption? Check your monthly electricity bills, and take note of reduced fees and the kilowatt-hours used, which should be listed on the back of the bill. For a complete analysis of your household’s energy use, go to the government’s Home Energy Saver website (hes.lbl.gov)

With our work done, we then started brainstorming activity thoughts for tomorrow. Eventually we chose that we’d visit our nearby farmer’s market to pick out ingredients for a nice Sunday-night dinner. The recipe we had in mind was vegetarian lentil stew. Not only did the dish sound appetizing for a cold winter’s evening, but organic legumes and vegetables grown by local farmers — which is excellent for the planet, the pocketbook and the waistline!

The next morning we set off with our reusable tote bags and a rolling, collapsible shopping basket. We could have driven there, but we opted to walk, saving gas and getting some fresh air on a gorgeous Sunday morning. At the market we filled our bags with onions, spinach, red lentils and a loaf of fresh-baked bread.

And that night we loved our savory stew by candle and lamplight. It was a peaceful and eco-friendly note on which to end our green weekend.

Green Beans Will Help To Lose Weight

Green beans – a real godsend for people, who want to lose weight. Green bean-pods have very useful fiber. Like all legumes, bean is rich in vegetable protein. Vegetarian menu contains this remarkable product necessarily. The minerals, contained in the green beans, improve functions of liver, kidney and lung. Due to the presence of calcium in the bean, it is recommended during pregnancy and menopause. Green beans contain iron, vitamins C, A, PP and Group B.

Green beans satiate you with a small part, enrich your organism with vitamins and minerals, protein and fiber, going well with many products. And finally the main property of this vegetable is that green mean has only 34 calories in 100 grams!

To eat raw bean-pods is not recommended. It’s better to eat them stewed, boiled or poached. You need to boil green beans no more than 15 minutes on medium heat. Broth of green beans can be used as a broth for the vegetable soup. Here you can find some simple recipes.

Salad for breakfast. This salad can be made from green beans and also from French beans. It can be both a garnish and a separate dish. Boil the beans, spread on a platter, sprinkle with pepper, fine salt, and decorate with sliced rings of onions and sprigs of green. Season salad with special dressing of 3% vinegar and vegetable oil.

Soup with green beans. Place sliced potatoes in boiling water and boil until half ready. Then add some shredded cabbage and green beans, sorrel, fried onion, salt and spices. Cook until readiness. Place half a hard-boiled egg in the plate with soup. Gorgeous, tasty, simple!

Tomato soup with greens. Chop onion, carrots and garlic. Heat the oil in the pot and fry all ingridients. Cut fresh tomatoes into cubes, add to the pot. Also place beans in the pot. Dilute to desired consistency with water and cook 10-15 minutes. At the end add the chopped coriander, salt and pepper.