Chocolate Cranberry Chip Cookies

These cookies are super delicious and perfect for holidays coming!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 3/4 cup organic butter, softened

• 3/4 cup organic sugar, granulated

• 3/4 cup firmly, packed brown sugar

• 2 organic eggs

• 1 tsp. real vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup hot water

• 1/2 cup bran cereal

• 1 cup organic dried cranberries

• 1 (8oz.) pkg. semi-sweet, organic chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.  In a medium bowl stir together the dry ingredients and set aside.  In a large bowl mix together the wet ingredients.  Mix the dry ingredients with the wet stirring constantly and let rest 5 minutes.

Drop on a cookie sheet in rounded teaspoons, that's been covered with parchment paper.  Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Cool on wire rack and serve warm or store in an air-tight container.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Eco-Tip:  Instead of reaching for a Styrofoam cup or paper cup, reach for a mug instead.  There is over 25 billion Styrofoam cups thrown into landfills yearly and over 400,000 paper cups.[1]  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

    

Brandon's Chicken Fajitas

As I am still mentally stuck in the festivities of birthday mode here in my house, I thought a nice Chicken Fajita recipe I learned from my very hipster/chef friend Brandon would be in order to keep the spirit of the season for the weekend going still.  This recipe is super simple and only requires a bit of time for the chicken to cook fully.  Of course, if chicken isn't your thing, you can always swap out for beef or pork. (Or imitation meat like this HERE)


What you'll need:

1.  Chicken (Pork or Beef)
2.  Worcestershire Sauce
3.  Onion (Diced)
4.  "Fajita Seasoning"
5.  Salt and Pepper (to taste)
6.  Whole Lime (Cut in half or purchased Lime Juice)
7.  Minced Garlic

•Cut the chicken into stripes, long, narrow stripes work best because the chicken will cook faster.

• Place the chicken strips into a medium-sized skillet and cook over medium heat.  Add Worcestershire Sauce, salt, pepper and Fajita Seasoning to the chicken as it cooks.

 •  Add the lime juice, freshly squeezed from a whole lime or 100% juice from concentrate. 

• Cook the chicken till almost done and add minced garlic along with the diced onions.

 • Cook until onions are soft and chicken has soaked up most of the juice in the skillet.

• Serve on a flour or corn tortilla along side guacamole, sour cream or even a bed of black beans.

Enjoy!

Eco-Tip:  Get out and walk more!  Walking is a great way to burn calories and if you live in a city, you can walk to locations you would normally take a car.  For this and other tips on living more green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

    

Food safety tips to keep in mind in the kitchen

Food safety is important in any kitchen, no matter how novice of a cook or professional you are.  Food safety falls under the category of everything from meat prep to handling of knives and everything in between.  Here are five food safety tips to keep in mind when handling or cooking any type of food.

• Wash each item you use for food preparation such as cutting boards, dishes, utensils and even the counter tops whether the food touched them or not. This is important before moving onto handling other food items thereafter. A half a slice of lemon rubbed on cutting boards after you wash and dry them will help cut out bacteria as well.
• Never thaw or defrost foods at room temperature in your sink or your counter top. Thawing foods should be kept in the refrigerator or thawed under cold running water. And never ever marinate foods at room temperature. Always marinate foods in a refrigerator due to bacteria setting in.

• Regardless of the expiration date, never use cans that are bulging or badly dented. Air leaks can happen with these dents and bulges and allow bacterial growth to take place.

• When using sponges and dish rags be sure to wash them regularly and dry them on hot in the dryer. The heat from the dryer will kill any additional bacteria that was missed when washed in hot soapy water.

• Always place your leftovers in shallow containers when placing in the refrigerator. Shallow containers will allow for quicker cooling that can reduce bacteria growth while stored.

• Additional, always check the expiration of your spices and seasonings. Some spices can be frozen while others that you use regularly need to be watched. Never use spices that are more than a month old.

Follow these and other quick kitchen tips can help reduce the bacteria and illnesses that come with cooking.  Sanitize often and always clean up as you go when preparing foods.  Cooking is fun but, safety is a must!

As the temperatures dip a bit this weekend, give this comfort food recipe a try!

• Potato and Onion Chowder

Makes 8 Cups

1 tbs. vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups fresh or frozen asparagus, chopped

1 large potato, peeled and diced

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 can (15 ounces) cream-style corn

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1.  Heat the oil in a medium pot and saute the onion, asparagus and the potatoes over medium high heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and corn to the mix and cook until the potatoes are tender.

2.  Add the frozen peas and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and ladle into serving bowls.  Sprinkle tops with cheese and serve!

Eco-Tip:  Before the weather turns cold, raining, and windy take advantage of nature's clothes dryer while you still can.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

    

Organic fruit salad

Using the fruits that are in season for September, you can make a quick and very easy fruit salad with just using a few items you have on-hand.  This is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen, as well.

What you will need:

• A Bowl

• Organic Honey

• Lemon or Lime Juice (Fresh is best)

• In-season Fruits

Using fruits, such as apples, apricots, bananas, grapes(make sure these are organic), pineapple and even pears, peel and dice the fruits to bite-sized pieces.  Add them all to the bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons of honey and 3 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice.  Drizzle the honey into the juice slowly while whisking with a fork rather quickly.  Once it's combined, pour the dressing over the fruits and toss. 

Place in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.  This is a great fruit cocktail for parties or just a lazy afternoon at home and the best part....IT'S HEALTHY!

ENJOY!

Eco-Tip:  Playing in the dirt was once frowned upon by many mothers, but anymore, playing in the dirt can be a good thing.  Growing your own garden, having house plants, or even a kitchen window herb plant is a great way to live more green.  Plants give us the oxygen we need to survive and in turn, many plants can give us more than just that.  Grow something, anything, it's your choice and enjoy the benefits of what playing in the dirt can really give you.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

    

How to make your own MetroMint Water

I have always loved MetroMint and when I first started drinking it the company only put out Peppermint Water and Spearmint Water.  Now there is all sorts of other flavors like, CherryMint, and LemonMint, and even GooseberryMint.  But the price of each bottle soon adds up, so I went on a hunt to find out how to make my own in a pinch and here is what I discovered.

I used the peppermint herb for my water, but spearmint or even peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita) could be used.

What I found with the essential oil though, it wouldn't dissolve.  You know, because water doesn't mix with oil.  But if you were in a hurry just to get the mint flavor, I could see dropping a few drops in the water and making a dash to the gym or work in the morning with it.  No harm there.  

Here's what I did with my mint-water:   I took a few snips of leaves from my peppermint herb.  

Washed them thoroughly and cut them into smaller pieces.  I then boiled them for about 30 minutes over high heat.

Then strained out the leaves from the water.  

I smashed them a bit with the backside of a spoon just to make sure all the oils from the leaves were extracted.

I allowed it to cool to room temperature and then placed it in my fridge.

I poured 1/2 cup of peppermint water to 32 oz. of water in my water bottle.  It works best when the water is ice cold.  It has a slight tint to it from the leaves, but it taste the same.  You can even add this to some lemon water and get the same flavor as LemonMint.  Be sure when you use any type of essential oils (especially citrus) that you store those in glass containers.  The oils will eat through and break down plastic containers.

Enjoy your homemade MetroMint® water! :-)

(Metromint water is a registered trademark of Soma Beverage Company, LLC.)

Eco-Tip:  Unplug your chargers once you are finished with them.  Even though the phone, Kindle, or other electronic device isn't hooked up, electricity is still being used.  So unplug and save power.  For this and other green tips visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

      

The "Hype" of Organic Foods

Making a switch to organic food is a great way to improve your health, it really is.  Organic foods have been around since the 19th century, but didn't really come into play, for market value, until around the 80s, when people wanted to eat better and improve their health and well-being. 

Not everyone believes that organic food is better than other foods, but as more and more companies are going organic with their food, even foods you once enjoyed as a kid, more consumers are making the switch.   To read more about why organic foods are important, Samuel Fromartz goes into great detail with his book Organic Inc.

When it comes to organic foods, a lot of fruits and vegetables are over-looked when it comes to purchasing them raw.  The list of the Dirty Dozen is a list that all of us should remember when purchasing these foods at the local grocery store, or even at some Farmers Markets.  Not all foods are created equal and most are made with ingredients that you probably wouldn't eat otherwise.  Making the switch to health eating is a great start no matter if it's organic or not, but taking the extra step and going completely organic is a wonderful step in the right direction.  That means cutting out a lot of "processed" foods.  Sorry.  :-)

  Here are a few that might find their way into your cabinet soon.

     

    

     

     

     

     

    

These organic selections are just an option when it comes to going organic in your menu at home.  The links above are sold by the case and stocking up is a great way to help save you money too.  

Eco-Tip:  Cut out the paper towels in your home.  A single-family home of just 3 people can go through a roll and a half each day.  That's 547 1/2 in a year and at $2-$3 a roll that's more than $1,500 a year wasted on nothing but a paper towel.  For a great alternative to paper towels use a stack of inexpensive white dish towels or hand towels for jobs that require a paper towel. This tip courtesy of The Frugal Girl.  Check out other tips at her site and save the planet and yourself some money.  For more tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

    

Recipes: A new Twist on Greek Fruit Parfait

This recipe may seem very simple, but it's oh so yummy and healthy for you.  Greek yogurt has become my new favorite and with added berries and granola, it makes for a very good treat when I am having one of my sweet tooth moments.  Here's what you'll need:   

• 1 cup organic Greek Yogurt

• 1/2 cup fresh organic blueberries (washed)

• 1/2 cup fresh organic strawberries (washed and sliced)

• 1/2 cup granola

Using a deep-set bowl, large-mouth glass, or even a pudding dish, layer ingredients into the bowl starting with the yogurt, then the blueberries, next the strawberries, top with more yogurt and sprinkle with granola.  You can top your parfait with anything from apples to cranberries too!  I've topped mine with a bit of chocolate shavings too!

ENJOY!

Eco-Tip:  Carry your own bags to the grocery store and to the market.  Carrying your own bags cuts down on the amount of paper and plastic waste being sent out of the stores, and cuts down on the amount of paper and plastic waste coming into your home, as well.  For more tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

    

Food and Plate Art

Playing with your food may be something unheard of at the dinner table in your house but, it's now a thing of the past for Casa de Perrin, which creates beautiful works of "plated food vignettes."

These plates of art food art bring a bit of fun, joy, and excitement to the average dinner plate.  It might even make you rethink the plating of your food each time you sit down to eat.

To see the full spread visit Oh Joy! 

Photo Credit:  Andrea Bricco via Oh Joy!

Eco-Tip:  Picture taking has come a long way since the first camera to grace us with it's presence.  Digital film has become the staple in some households, but film is still used by some.  When it comes to film cameras remember to recycle the film cartridges when it's processed and go with film brands that allow recycling of their own film.  If you aren't sure were to start, give Fuji Film a try.  For more tips visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

    

Queso Dip and Veggie Wraps

I love white Queso dip!  There's this little restaurant in Sheridan, Arkansas called Cotija Mexican Restaurant and they have the best Queso dip in there.  It's almost comparable to Don Juan's Mexican Restaurant in Hot Springs, Arkansas, but I prefer Cotija's because I get to go there with John when I am back in Arkansas.  We have this little back bench we sit at and it's very cozy.  Although, it is near the kitchen door where they cook and prepare everything, and I am always prone to look in there just to be nosy.  But it does have it's benefits, I always know when our order is coming out.  Ha!

The Queso dip they serve at both of these Mexican restaurants is almost impossible to duplicate and I have been on a hunt to find something similar for the longest time now.  I have experimented with different cheeses and different seasonings just to find that one-of-a-kind taste, only to come up short handed once again.  But I have found a nice, "tide me over" alternative to their delicious dip.

What's you'll need:

(This recipe was created when I was vegan for 6 years prior to dipping SLOWLY back into eating meats once again)

Make sure the cheese you pick is definitely Mozzarella cheese though, or it won't melt right and it will be a sticky mess later.  

Pair this dip with your favorite chips, or make your own!

You can pair this Queso dip with chips, bread, or even a veggie wrap.

All you need is, a flour or wheat tortilla, cream cheese, herbs and garlic goat cheese (you can get all of these ingredients organic too by the way), black olives, pickles, shredded cheese, and uncured ham.

Start by coating the tortilla with a generous amount of goat cheese and cream cheese. 

Add the black olives, shredded cheese, ham slices and pickles.

Roll up burrito style and tuck one end under to create a pocket to contain all of your goods.

There it is!

Veggie wrap!  You can dip this in the Queso or just eat it along side the Queso by itself.

Look how wonderful these cherry tomatoes look too!

Enjoy!

  

Eco-Tip:  Having beehives is a great way to live off your own land.  Consider keeping one hive before winter hits and see how well you do, then venture out to get more.  For tips on getting starting in the beekeeper business visit the National Honey Board website.  For more tips on living better and homesteading visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.