DIY Project: Repurpose a Light Bulb!

Ever wonder what you can do with a burned out lightbulb? Here is a creative and eco-friendly idea found on instructables.com that will help you repurpose your old lightbulbs into mini terrariums or planters! One IMPORTANT note: make sure NOT to use fluorescent light bulbs as they contain phosphor which is toxic.

First, follow these steps on how to hollow out a lightbulb. Please make sure an adult is nearby to supervise these steps. Then go ahead and fill your mini terrarium with moss, soil, and rocks from your backyard! To stand up your lightbulb, some ideas include using an aluminum ring from an old hard drive, or constructing a stand from a piece of wire.

Get creative and have fun with this project!

Good Happens.

Pay it Forward!

Meatless Monday: Chickpea, Beet, and Apple Panini

Happy Monday! Start off your week with this delicious panini.

Here are some statistics about a the meat alternative to this vegetarian delight, the cheeseburger. According to Open the Future, 66 to 3000 grams of CO2 emissions are produced per cheeseburger. This does not include emissions from the restaurant operations and energy from driving to the restaurant. “Estimates for the average American diet range from an average of about one per week, or about 50/year.” Replace what might be your weekly burger with a healthier, savory sandwich.

Chickpea, Beet, and Apple Panini

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
8 slices sesame semolina bread (8 oz.)
1 medium golden beet, peeled and sliced
1 Granny smith apple, thinly sliced
¼ cup broccoli or radish sprouts
4 Tbs. prepared black olive tapenade

Directions:

1. Pulse chickpeas, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and tarragon in food processor until chunky.

2. Spread chickpea mixture on 4 bread slices. Top with beet and apple slices, and sprouts. Spread remaining 4 bread slices with tapenade; close sandwiches.

3. Spray panini with cooking spray. Coat skillet or grill pan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Place panini in pan; weight with smaller-diameter saucepan weighted with 2 cans. Cook 3 minutes. Flip, replace weight, and cook 2 minutes. (Or cook 4 minutes in panini maker.)

Recipe originally posted on Vegetarian Times.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Mondays: Eggplant Panini with Pesto

Happy Monday!

Check out the Center for Investigative Reporting’s video on the Hidden Costs of Hamburgers as part of the their Food for 9 Billion challenge.

Eggplant Panini with Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, about 12-14 oz
• kosher salt to taste
• olive oil spray (I used my misto)
• 12 oz french bread (or baguette), cut into 4 pieces
• 4 slices part skim mozzarella cheese (Sargento )
• 2 tbsp skinny pesto 
• 8 thin sliced tomato

Directions:

Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the eggplant slices on a paper towel and season with salt; set aside about 30 minutes. This will help draw some of the moisture out of the eggplant. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. Preheat panini grill. Lightly spritz eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, grill eggplant about 7-8 minutes, turning once half way through. Set aside. Slice the bread open and place 3 slices of grilled eggplant, 1 slice of mozzarella, 1/2 tablespoon of pesto, and 2 slices of tomatoes on each sandwich.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Grilled Eggplant, Grape Tomato, and Feta Salad with Basil, Parsley, and Caper Sauce

Happy Monday!

The 9 Billion states that protein production through the consumption of livestock requires 8 times as many fossil fuels to be produced than protein derived from plants. Get your daily protein this monday from our tasty Grilled eggplant recipe!

Grilled Eggplant, Grape Tomato, & Feta Salad with Basil, Parsley, & Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

8 medium-sized Japanese or Asian Eggplants
olive oil, for brushing eggplants
salt and fresh-ground black pepper for seasoning eggplants
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup crumbled Feta (or more)

Sauce Ingredients:

(This makes much more sauce than you need for the salad, but it’s good on any type of grilled meat, grilled vegetables, or sliced tomatoes.  The sauce will keep more than a week in the fridge.) 
2/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup parsley leaves (flat or curly)
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 T Dijon mustard
3 T capers
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high.  (You can only hold your hand there for a few seconds at that heat.)  Wash the eggplants if needed and cut off both ends.  Cut the eggplants lengthwise, brush both sides with olive oil, and season the cut side with salt and pepper
2. Lay eggplants on the grill cut side down, and cook until you see nice grill marks (about 5-7 minutes.)  Turn eggplants and cook about 5 minutes more on the other side, or until eggplant is softened and nicely browned.  Remove eggplant to a cutting board to cool.
3. Make the amazing sauce while the eggplants cool.  If needed, wash and spin dry the basil and parsley leaves.  Slice the garlic cloves, then use a food processor fitted with a steel blade to chop the basil, parsley, and garlic.  Add the Dijon, capers, and lemon juice and process until ingredients are well blended; then add the olive oil and process about 30 seconds more.
4. Cut grape tomatoes in half.  When eggplant is cool enough to handle, cut it into slices about 1 inch thick.  Gently combine the eggplant and tomato halves in a bowl and stir in enough sauce to coat the ingredients (about 1/4 cup).  Stir in the crumbled Feta and serve salad warm or at room temperature.
5. Even though tomatoes are best when they haven’t been refrigerated, this was not bad after it had been the fridge overnight.  It didn’t last much longer than that though.

Recipe originally posted on Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Watermelon Gazpacho

Happy Monday! A recent study from Imperial College London also found that reducing overall meat consumption can prevent long-term weight gain. Improve your health by reducing your meat intake and  having at least one vegetarian meal per week.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 6 cups coarsely chopped seeded watermelon
• 5 ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1 rounded tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1/2 cup whole toasted almonds
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chipotle sauce
• Salt
• 1/4 sweet white or red onion, finely diced
• 1 cucumber, seeded and diced

Directions:

1. Blend 2 cups of the watermelon in a blender until liquid. Add the rest of the watermelon, the tomatoes, paprika, garlic, almonds, balsamic vinegar, and chipotle sauce and blend until smooth. Transfer the soup to a bowl and taste and season with salt.
2. Chill for an hour before serving. Garnish with a spoonful of the onion and cucumber dice.

Recipe originally posted on Lucid Food.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Chocolate Fudge Zucchini Cookies

This Monday splurge a little with this delicious chocolate cookie recipe! In the United States, 80% of aquatic habitats in streams have been harmed and negatively impacted by the grazing of livestock. Help to reduce your impact by having a meatless meal every week. Take a look at our previous posts for main dish inspiration.

Chocolate Fudge Zucchini Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use Chobani 0%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars. The mixture will be thick and resemble sand-that’s ok. Add the yogurt and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.

3. Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.

4. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until almost set. Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes or until cookies are firm. Remove cookies from sheet and cool completely on wire racks.

Note- squeeze the shredded zucchini in a paper towel and pat dry to remove the excess water before using.

Recipe originally poster on Two Peas & Their Pod. 

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Broccoli Curry Udon

Happy Monday! Once again we bring you a delicious and healthy meal- we hope you enjoy our new meatless recipe!

Give up meat for one day out of the week to decrease your risk of contracting cancer. The Cancer Project claims that countries with a higher intake of fat, especially fat from animal products, such as meat and dairy products, have a higher incidence of breast cancer.

Broccoli Curry Udon

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dry round udon noodles
• Olive oil for sauteeing (I use a spray bottle of oil)
• 1 pound broccoli florettes (6 cups)
• Medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Big pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 cups vegetable broth mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (see note)
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Here are some extra ingredients and variations of the recipe you can try!

Shiitake & Red Bell Pepper
Omit onions, use half the amount of broccoli
Saute 8 oz thinly sliced shiitakes for 5 minutes
Saute a thinly sliced red bell pepper for 5 minutes

Bok Choy
Use 2 lbs bok choy in place of the broccoli
Saute the bok choy stems for 5 minutes
Add the leaves and saute 3 minutes more

Tofu
In addition to the veggies, saute diced extra firm tofu with a pinch of salt and pepper and add it to the noodles.

Directions:

1. First boil water for the udon. Cook udon according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute broccoli in a few sprays of oil and a pinch of salt for about 7 minutes. Keep covered while cooking, lifting the lid just to stir a few times. In the meantime, prep everything else.
3. When broccoli is done, remove from pan and set aside. Next saute onions in a bit of oil, with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes. You want them to retain some crunch. Remove from pan (transfer to the same bowl as broccoli to cut down on dishes). Now you’ll make the sauce in the same pan.
4. Saute the garlic and ginger in a little oil for about 1 minute. Mix in the red pepper flakes. Add the vegetable broth/cornstarch, the curry powder and soy sauce. Cover pan and bring to a boil. Let thicken a bit, for about 3 minutes. Mix in coconut milk and turn off the heat.
5. Add noodles to the pan and mix to coat. Then fold in the broccoli and onions. Divide between bowls and top with garnishes (if using) and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Recipe originally posted on Post Punk Kitchen.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Happy Monday! This week we have two recipes for a stuffed sweet potatoe. One is moderately stuffed and the other is mega stuffed if you’re extra hungry, or can’t resist that mouthwatering picture.

According to the 9 Billion, the meat and livestock industry is responsible for 37% of methane and 65% of nitrous oxide emissions in the world. Cutting meat out of your diet once a week can help to reduce carbon emissions.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Recipe One: Simple Stuffed. Skinny Style.
1 sweet potato, oven-baked/slit down middle
3/4 cup plain soy yogurt
1/3 cup tomatoes, diced
sprinkle of chopped cilantro
chopped chives
a few dashes of chipotle spice
salt/pepper to taste

Recipe Two: Over-Stuffed. Fully Loaded.
1 sweet potato, oven-baked/slit down middle
1/2 cup refried beans (spicy flavor for me)
1/3 cup mushroom quinoa (basic quinoa tossed with sauteed shiitake mushrooms + optional nutritional yeast)
1/4 cup marinated kale salad (recipe below)
2 Tbsp vegan chipotle sweet potato sauce (recipe below)
chopped chives
pepper to taste

Directions for stuffing potatoes: Simply pile on the toppings! Sticky or heavy items are best layered first. For the loaded potato I did beans, quinoa, salad, dressing, chives/pepper on top.

Kale Salad
2 cups kale, chopped
1 tomato, diced
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
2 scallions, chopped
tossed in Miso Dressing - recipe in this post

Chipotle Sweet Potato Sauce
1 Tbsp baked sweet potato (scoop from potato)
1 Tbsp mayo
a few dashes chipotle powder
1 tsp maple or agave syrup
(thin out with a splash of liquid if desired – water, vinegar, oil works)

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Quinoa Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Happy Monday! Reduce your meat intake to improve your health by having a meatless meal at least once a week. According to the Cancer Project, countries with a higher intake of fat, especially fat from animal products, such as meat and dairy products, have a higher incidence of breast cancer.

Quinoa Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa (I used Red Quinoa)
2 cups water
Pinch of salt

For the Honey Lime Dressing:

Juice of 1 large lime
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

For the fruit:

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/2 cups chopped mango
Extra chopped mint, for garnish-optional

Directions:

1. Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature.

2. To make the Honey Lime Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, and mint together until combined.

3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, blueberries, strawberries, and mango. Pour honey lime dressing over the fruit salad and mix until well combined. Garnish with additional mint, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note-Use your favorite fruit in this salad. Blackberries, peaches, kiwi, raspberries, pineapple, grapes, etc. are great options!

Recipe originally posted on Two Peas and their Pod.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

‘Sunny Chernobyl’: A New Kind of Ecotourism

Andrews Blackwell’s book, Visit Chernobyl and other Adventures in the World’s Most Polluted Places, describes his encounters with deforested areas of the Amazon, oil sand mines in Canada, the infamous Chernobyl, and Linfen, China, the most polluted city in the world. Black realized that even though he cared about the environment he had never been a witness to the damage being done to it. He found that even though these places had been plagued with unthinkable harm to nature, they were still beautiful; a different kind of beauty but beauty nonetheless. The purpose of the journey was to” find what’s still natural, what’s still beautiful, what’s still worth caring about.” He believes that it’s just as important to see these places as the majestic waterfalls and valleys that ecotourists seek out.

Take a look at Andrew Blackwell’s list of recommended destinations and his reasoning for why they would be worth your while. This would definitely be a new kind of eye opening traveling experience.

Listen to All Things Considered’s interview with Andrew Blackwell and learn more about his book on his website.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!