Thanks to its citric acid and natural antibacterial and bleaching properties, lemons have a lot of uses around the house, from cleaning up tough messes in the kitchen to improving personal appearances.

In our three part series on lemons, lets get started with cleaning first.

Cleaning with Lemons

Cut grease. An enzyme in the citric acid of lemon juice cuts through grease as good as any commercial cleaner. Combine the juice from two lemons with ½ cup of vinegar to create a powerful grease-fighting cleaner.

Banish odors

Nothing says “I’m clean!” like the fresh scent of lemon. Not only will cleaning with lemons leave your home smelling fresh, but the lemons can actually remove the offending odor—not just cover it up.

Dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits

Just pour undiluted lemon juice on the deposits, or rub a cut lemon over the troublesome spot.

Clean cutting boards

Disinfect and freshen wooden cutting boards by rubbing a cut lemon over the surface. Let the lemon juice sit for a while before wiping clean.

Clean your garbage disposal

Strong odors and bacteria can buildup in your garbage disposal over time. To clean this hard-to-reach area, cut a lemon up into chunks, place in the garbage disposal and turn it on.

Remove stubborn stains from countertops

Just rub half a cut lemon over the surface, let the juices sit, then wipe clean.

Clear copper of tarnish

Make a paste from quarter cup of table salt and lemon juice. Apply the paste to copper or brass pots and pans, let sit for five to 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Buff dry with a soft cloth.

Naturally brighten whites

Want whiter whites? Skip the bleach and add ½ cup of lemon juice, which has natural bleaching properties, to the rinse cycle. (The lingering scent of fresh citrus isn’t a bad side effect either.)

Stay tuned for Part 2 of what wonderful things lemons can do.

A few minutes spent on basic refrigerator maintenance can trim your electric bill by $50 a year.

Here are some easy ways to ensure that your refrigerator is working at its most effective.

Test the Seal

1.    If you fridge won’t stay tightly shut, it may be that it’s overcrowded and your shelves just need some reorganizing. However, it may also be that the door gasket has deteriorated over the years, leaking warm air into the interior and forcing your compressor to work harder.

To check the seal, close a dollar bill in the door frame and tug it gently to see if it is held firmly in place. If it slides right out, contact your service provider about installing a new seal.

Check the temperature

2.     Keeping your fridge too cold is a waste of energy and can ruin your food. The ideal internal temperature is between 38 and 40 degrees F. To check, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water on the middle shelf and let it stand for five to eight hours. If the reading isn’t in the ideal range, alter the temperature control and check again in another five to eight hours.

Check the Coils

3. Condenser coils tend to get dusty and covered in pet fur over time, making them less efficient. If the coils are on the back of your fridge, pull it away from the wall and unplug it. Turn it and clean the coils thoroughly with a sponge or vacuum.

If the coils are at the base of the fridge, move the unit to unplug it (or leave it place and flip the circuit breaker). Remove the coils with a wand attachment until clean. You may also need to use a condenser cleaning brush to reach coils farther back. Do this every three months.

Chapped lips, dry skin and flyaway, staticky hair—we can thank winter’s lower humidity, and the central heating, space heaters and fireplaces we use to counteract it, for a whole host of cold-weather beauty woes.

To keep your skin and hair from making you miserable all winter, we found these natural skin care treatments from Ilona Pecnikov, director of esthetics at the New York City spa Just Calm Down, and Julie Gabriel, owner of skin care line Petite Marie Organics and author of The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic and Natural Skincare, Hair Care, Makeup and Fragrances (HCI, 2008). You’ll be feeling softer in no time.

Dab on olive oil. When it comes to strategies for natural dry skin care, Gabriel swears by olive oil, an amazing multitasker. It instantly grooms dry cuticles, works wonders on hands and elbows, removes makeup, and soothes and conditions itchy, dry skin all over the body.

When your skin feels extra parched, you can dab a thin layer of organic extra-virgin olive oil under your moisturizer for an extra dose of antioxidants and good fatty acids.

Try natural exfoliants like yogurt, papaya, and pumpkin. You can find plenty of options for natural dry skin care in your kitchen, or in the produce and diary aisles of your supermarket. Yogurt, especially the plain Greek variety, makes an excellent cleanser with a mild exfoliating action that will remove dry skin and leave you feeling refreshed and comfortable. It’s a particularly safe exfoliant for very dry skin because it exfoliates using lactic acid, not scrubbing granules.

To add some oomph, try making Pecnikov’s Greek Yogurt and Papaya Enzyme Conditioning Mask for Face & Décolleté:

Mix ½ cup of Greek yogurt with 3 tablespoons of mashed-up papaya, and apply to skin. Pumpkin enzymes are at play in her Pumpkin & Cinnamon Mask for Face and Body: mix one can of pumpkin and a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Leave either mask on face or body for 5 to 15 minutes. Or treat your extremities to her Three Berry Antioxidant Hand and Foot Mask: Mix 3/4 cup each of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries with ½ cup kefir in blender. Drink any leftovers!

Make a homemade skin scrub. Economical and effective, a combo of sugar and any oil you may have around the kitchen makes a rich, nourishing body scrub for dry skin. Simply mix equal amounts of fine brown sugar and oil, and rub on using light circular motions. For an extra dose of vitamins and minerals, add a tablespoon of honey. You can also add lemon juice to this recipe. Make sure to shower thoroughly afterwards!

Harvest the healing power of honey. Honey is a time-tested cure for chapped, cracked lips, according to Gabriel. Apply a little organic honey in the evening and wake up to smooth, yummy lips. This trick also works to soothe cracked heels and rough elbows.

Natural remedies for dry hair. For dry hair, mix one egg yolk and a tablespoon of liquid castile soap to shampoo your hair and condition your itchy scalp. Egg yolks, when massaged into the hair and left to work for 5 to 6 minutes, may strengthen the scalp, and some believe it prevents hair loss.

Or try Pecnikov’s Hydrating Mask for Dry Overworked Hair: Mix 1 avocado with 2 tablespoons each of lightly heated rapeseed and olive oil. Massage into hair, and put plastic shower cap on head to retain heat and moisture. Leave on hair for 15 minutes. Double the ingredients for longer hair.

Don’t forget to treat your skin from the inside out. A diet rich in magnesium, essential fatty acids, vitamin C, and beta-carotene naturally feeds your skin from inside and makes it less prone to dryness.

Feeding your skin with a meal plan that includes dark chocolate, salmon and other fatty fish, oranges, mango, and carrots is recommended.

This weekend is the Super Bowl and Loaded Baked Potato Skins are a favorite “game food.” Yum!

Loaded Baked Potato Skins- Serves 4-6

6 large russet potatoes, cleaned

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon Celtic sea salt

4 slices bacon (organic, nitrate-free and pastured preferred), cooked and broken into bits

1 1/2 cups raw cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup green onions or chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat each potato with coconut oil (you can use your hands)  and sprinkle generously with salt.

Bake in oven for 1 hour or until a knife can be inserted without resistance.

Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes.

Cut each potato in half length-wise and carefully scoop out the flesh (I usually keep this and use for mashed potatoes or potato cakes the next day).

Sprinkle each potato skin generously with sea salt.  Smear 1 tablespoon of sour cream into each potato skin and top with cheese and bacon.

Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.  Before serving sprinkle with green onion.

Apples are a winter favorite. This yummy recipe is a combination of three varieties of apples which gives it a sweet-tart flavor and great texture. Because it makes seven 1-pint jars, it can make a healthy snack for the entire family for many months to come!

yield: Makes six to seven 1-pint jars

Ingredients

•    2 cups water

•    1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

•    3 pounds Fuji apples or other sweet-crisp apples

•    3 pounds Granny Smith apples or other tart apples

•    3 pounds Jonathan or Rome Beauty apples or other soft-textured apples

•    2 1/4 cups sugar

•    1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

•    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•    1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation

Combine 2 cups water and lemon juice in 10- to 12-quart stockpot.

Peel, core, and cut apples into 3/4-inch pieces; mix pieces into lemon water as soon as apples are cut, to prevent browning.

Add sugar, coarse salt, cinnamon, and allspice; stir over medium high heat until sugar dissolves.

Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until apples are soft and almost translucent, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat. Using potato masher, mash apples to chunky consistency.

Ladle applesauce into hot clean 1-pint glass canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch space at top of jars. Remove air bubbles.

Wipe jar threads and rims with damp cloth.

Cover with hot lids; apply screw bands. Process jars in pot of boiling water 20 minutes.

Cool jars completely. Store in cool dark place up to 1 year.

It’s official! It’s the New York Giants and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl. There’s no better time to start planning your Super Bowl party,  green style. Save money and the environment by greening your party, and still have a blast watching the big game. To add some eco-friendly excitement, here are some tips on how to make your Super Bowl party the best and greenest on the block.

Start with e-vites

Go electronic with the invitations. Instead of printing and mailing invitations, save the paper and send all your invitations out by email. You not only cut down on your paper consumption, but also get the invitations on the way in a lot less time.

Keep the surroundings simple

Many people spend a lot of money on decorations that everybody notices when they come in, and then never think about again. Don’t buy any new decorations this year. Instead, see what you already have around the house and figure out some new and creative ways to use the stuff. How about lining the buffet table with some fresh sod (white spray paint for field striping) instead of using a table cloth (if needed, protect table with a shower curtain or tarp). Or serve chips and dip in the inside of an old football cut in half and lined with recycled aluminum foil. Cloth napkins can be crafted in a snap using pinking shears and an old table cloth in your team’s colors. Roll them up and place inside an upturned football helmet for more fun.

In any event, it you just add a few simple festive touches instead of going all out, you’ll save yourself hours of putting up and taking down decorations.

Local, Local, Local

Make all the eats using food that is local. Buy your beer from a local brewery, make snacks and sandwiches using fruits and vegetables purchased at the local farmer’s market. This one simple aspect helps make your party less dependent on the need to use fossil fuels to transport the food from across the country, or possibly across the world.

Cut down on the Paper Waste

Use your usual dishware and cutlery. While paper plates and disposable glasses and cutlery are convenient, they are not necessary environmentally friendly. It really won’t take that long to wash the dishes, anyway.

Run a clean grill

If you’re one of those hardy people who don’t mind cooking outdoors in the dead of winter, think green. If you own a charcoal grill, consider something like Greenlink’s All Natural Briquettes. They’re made from entirely renewable materials, such as coconut husks, and don’t contain clay or anthracite fillers. Skip the liquid charcoal starter for an electric one, or opt for an efficient charcoal chimney to get things going

Share the wealth

Unless you want to be eating leftovers for the next several days, invite each of your guests to bring along a small container they can use to take some of the snacks home. Maybe arrange the leftovers on a reusable but cheap platter, wrap it with cellophane and a bow, and give them to that elderly neighbor down the street, or the family across the street who have several children. Everybody will be happier.

Of Course… the three R’s

Reduce, reuse, and recycle by decorating with items you already have or can make yourself. Also, use recyclable dinning products or your dishwasher to cut on waste. Always have your recycle bin handy so your guests don’t have to ask where it is.

Relax

Keep in mind that the idea is to use green ideas when and as you can. Don’t guilt yourself into not enjoying the party because you couldn’t get locally brewed beer or have to use disposable plates because you don’t have enough real ones to go around. The idea is to make the best use of what you have, not make you feel bad about not having more.

A decidedly tart finish to supper,  this wholesome, in-season, antioxidant-rich dessert can be prepared without additional sweetener, appreciating, instead, the full flavor of local blackberries frozen at their height of ripeness. For those of you who may prefer a little sweetness to balance out the potent, tart flavor of the blackberries, consider adding up to ¼ cup raw wildflower or orchard blossom honey.

Ingredients

•    4 cups whole, frozen blackberries

•    2 to 3 tablespoons filtered water

•    up to ¼ cup raw honey

Instructions

1.    Allow your frozen whole blackberries to thaw for about fifteen to twenty minutes.

After about twenty minutes, combine blackberry, filtered water and honey, if you’re using it, in a food processor. Pulse repeatedly to break up the berries, then process until the sorbet is smooth.

Serve immediately, or, if the blackberry sorbet is too soft, pour it into a container and freeze it for a few hours – stirring periodically to break up any ice crystals that may form.

Many of us can’t afford solar panels or a new hybrid car — and newly produced items like those can actually add to a personal carbon footprint, because of the energy and resources needed to make them. But there are simple, constructive ways to reduce your carbon shoe size without the big price tag.

Here are some easy everyday choices and actions can make a huge difference:

Buy organic and local

When possible, buy organic or “fair trade.” There’s a better chance the food was grown in an eco-friendly way, and if it’s locally grown, it didn’t have to travel that far. This also goes for those double lattes — coffee often has a large carbon footprint because of the distance those beans had to travel to get here, and how they were produced. Also, try eating at restaurants that serve locally produced or seasonal foods.

Pay attention to packaging

When out shopping, try to go to stores or co-ops that keep packaging to a minimum. For example, you may chose to buy the loose tomatoes rather than boxed or plastic-wrapped tomatoes. Also, take reusable bags to the grocery store. When it comes to resources, plastic is better than paper — but a reusable cloth tote-style bag is better still.

Bye Bye bottled water

Bottled water has a huge carbon footprint — it’s bottled at one location in small plastic bottles and shipped all over. Try buying a reusable water bottle or canteen for your water. Also, a lot of restaurants have made the move from offering fancy bottled water, usually imported from an exotic source, to using in-house filtration systems that make tap water a good choice. Many plastic water bottles are recycled, but most are not, making the footprint even bigger.

Energy-proof your home

We’re not talking major upgrades here… Make sure all of your windows close properly and that the attic in your home is properly insulated. This can save you big bucks on your energy bill. Also, keep your heating and cooling systems properly maintained, and switch to reusable filters when possible. Try switching from incandescent to compact florescent light bulbs. Compact florescent light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than our normal light bulbs and last much longer. Compared to regular bulbs, the fluorescents are more expensive, but they will eventually pay for themselves due to lower energy costs.

Go native

Use native plant species to landscape around your home or business. The plants will probably grow better in a familiar environment, and the plants may also get shipped a shorter distance to get to your local nursery. Also, use organic soil when planting — it’s made using more eco-friendly methods, and uses less resources. And remember, green plants are a good way to offset carbon. So plant something, anything — it helps.

Window shop

If you have the urge to spend, try window shopping or browsing first. This helps ensure you are only buying things you really need, or really want, and you’re not just impulse buying. Remember, every item in a store, no matter how small, has a footprint — so if we are conscious consumers, we can reduce our own footprint and the overall footprint of our nation.

Take a direct flight

If you need to travel by airplane, try taking a direct flight when at all possible. Your impact is reduced when you take one flight, as opposed to hopping on a couple or more passenger jets to reach your final destination. You might also feel a little less harried when you arrive, because changing planes can be a real hassle.

Switch water heaters to vacation mode

Most water heaters have a “vacation” setting for when you are away from home for an extended period of time. Switching to that “away” mode still keeps the water warm, but will not use the energy it takes to keep a tank full of piping-hot water. Enjoy your vacation even more, knowing that you’re saving money and reducing your footprint.

Unplug it!

Unplug appliances that you don’t use frequently. Most electronics have a standby mode that siphons energy even when not in use. Cell phone chargers, laptops, televisions, stereos — there’s a whole list of items that should be unplugged when not in use. Try using a power strip for groups of electronic items. One flick of the switch and it’s all off.

Keep your car

With gas prices seemingly always on the rise, it’s tempting to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle. But if your older-model car is in good condition, you’re better off keeping it in good running condition. Even hybrids create a big footprint when they’re built, so consider driving that old clunker for a little while longer. Also, try more eco-friendly modes of transport when possible, like buses, trains, a bicycle, telecommuting or even walking.

Chuck your microwave

Admittedly, this is a bit drastic. But this speaks more to those convenient frozen dinners some rely on because of their busy schedules. A freezer full of meals is actually more energy-intensive — it costs more to freeze foods, ship them cold, display them frozen in the grocery store and keep them frozen in our homes. So while the modern convenience of the microwave and the Lean Cuisine is enticing, it’s much more resource-intensive. Cook fresh food when you can, and you’ll also find yourself eating out less often.

Use cold water

No, not in the shower… but maybe in the washer. Try using cold water to launder things that don’t need to be cleaned in hot or warm water. It takes a lot of energy to heat up water — multiply that by the number of loads, and that’s a big footprint. Most major detergent makers sell detergents designed to have the same cleaning power as with regular soap. Try washing mixed loads in cold water, too.

Have the family over

Family gatherings are a good way to spend some quality time with loved ones, with very little carbon impact. Cooking and entertaining for larger groups is more efficient and, per person, a lot less expensive. And who can put a price on these “carbon freebies”?

Make time for errands

A lot of us try to run errands in-between work and other commitments. Try bundling errands together to reduce how far you need to travel. Going back-and-forth to the same part of town on different days to run errands uses more gas than if you planned and did everything in the same area all at once. And if you really want to make it a “carbon freebie,” try carpooling and running errands with a buddy.

The Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

It seems like something from a kid’s sing-a-long, but sometimes we lose sight of just how much we buy. Try buying less, and reusing and fixing things when you can instead of buying new. And for a lot of people, recycling is as easy as rolling the trash bin to the curb. Just remember to do it at work, too.

Winter’s dry air and cold-weather illnesses can leave your throat raw. But relief is no farther than your kitchen cabinets.

Dry air, colds, flu, screaming about the lousy weather—all of it can all give you a scratchy throat this time of year. But there’s no need to grab that bottle of neon-colored, tastes-like-Drano throat spray. “Natural cures really are good remedies for sore throats,” says Benjamin Asher, MD, PC, a member of the Committee on Complementary and Integrative Medicine at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and an expert on integrative medicine. In fact, he says, many natural sore-throat remedies can be made right at home. Which means you don’t even have to expose your tender tonsils to frigid outdoor air.

Here are three ways to cope the next time your throat’s feeling sore.

Coat your throat

The standard remedy of a tablespoon of honey in warm water with lemon is a good natural remedy, says Dr. Asher. “You want to look for things that coat your throat,” he adds, because they soothe irritation. He also recommends slippery elm lozenges and Organic Throat Coat tea from Traditional Medicinals, which contains the anti-inflammatory herb licorice.

Rinse and relieve

Gargling with salt water or other solutions helps cut down on sore throats caused by irritants like dry air or allergies. In an Indian study of patients with postoperative tracheal tubes, gargling with a mixture of one teaspoon of licorice in eight ounces of water led to less-severe sore throats than those experienced by patients who gargled with ordinary water.

The licorice mixture can be used as either a drink or as a gargle. (You can find licorice syrups or powders at stores that sell natural remedies, but make sure they contain real licorice.) And Dr. Asher adds that gargling with Bragg’s organic apple cider vinegar is an effective treatment as well. “It seems to be cleansing,” he says, “and it’s not as harsh as other forms of vinegar.” Another idea: In The Big Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies (Rodale, 2009), Thomas Gossel, PhD, RPh, suggests adding a spoonful of bourbon or whiskey to a glass of warm water and gargling with that. It numbs the throat and is soothing at the same time.

Prevent a relapse

Prevention is the best medicine for sore throats caused by irritation or viral infections, says Dr. Asher. For instance, if you notice a sore throat in the morning, it could be caused by dryness from breathing through your mouth in the night, or it could be triggered by acid reflux while you’re sleeping.

A humidifier can rectify the dry air, and arranging your bed or pillows so that your head is slightly elevated can prevent sore throats due to reflux. “If you change around your environment, you’ll be less susceptible to sore throats,” he notes. Alternatively, you can take a few tested-and-true cold prevention products sold at natural food stores. “Zinc does nothing for colds,” Dr. Asher says, but he does like a Canadian product called Cold-FX, which contains a proprietary blend of compounds from ginseng, and another called Umcka, derived from an African herb calledPelargonium sidoides. The latter has also been found effective at preventing sinusitis and bronchitis. “In my own practice, I’ve found it’s pretty amazing,” he says.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore a sore throat that lasts longer than a week, which could be a sign of a serious problem. “If you have severe pain that leads to difficulty swallowing, go see a doctor,” Dr. Asher says, and if you experience localized pain—soreness on one side of your throat and not another, for instance—it’s time to seek medical advice. Also, “any smoker with a persistent sore throat has got to see a doctor,” he advises.

Courtesy of Rodale

Would you like to eat healthier but think it’s too expensive?  Think again! You may have to put a little effort into it, but it can be done. Here are some easy, budget-friendly tips on how to eat healthier on a budget.

Think Farmers Markets-

Shop your local farmers markets. They may not always be organic, so just ask the grower.

Consider CSA’s-

Consider joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). These groups purchase vegetables from organic farmers and then have them delivered to a central drop-off location in your area. Just google!

Know Your “Clean” Fruits and Vegetables-

These following are considered “clean” because they tend not to have the pesticides, so it’s not necessary to buy the organic version.

Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet peas
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermelon
Broccoli
Sweet Potato

Stock your fridge and cupboards with items that are quick and easy to cook (yet kind to your wallet):

•    Beans and lentils, whether canned or dried, make nutritious, hearty soups, and can be a main course with the addition of fresh vegetables or rice.

•    Brown Rice is a great addition to leftover meat and veggies. Although brown rice is slightly more expensive than white, the nutritional payoff is well worth it. Another inexpensive, easy-to-fix grain, millet, is best when bought fresh. Simply rinse and toast before using it in recipes.

•    Pasta, likewise, is quick and easy to prepare, and can be paired with veggies, meat, or a fresh salad. Have fun adding your own embellishments (mushrooms, spices, and herbs.) Choose whole-wheat pasta whenever available.

•    Soups can’t be beat for nutrition and convenience, especially since you can use canned or packet soups as your base, then add your own veggies and leftover meat. Again, try to experiment, adding your own herbs and spices.

•    Fresh vegetables and fruit should be bought at least once or twice each week, preferably in season, to ensure optimal taste and nutrition. You can also rely on canned/frozen varieties as handy additions to last-minute meals. Veggies make great stir-fries and vegetable patties, while fruit is good for a quick nutritious snack.

•    Meat and fish can be kept on hand also for last-minute meals— try the newer tuna and salmon pouches, and shop for inexpensive cuts of meat that work well in stews and casseroles.

•    Condiments add flavor and interest to your dishes. Keep a selection of dried herbs, spices, curry powder, marinades, vinegars, tomato and soy sauces, along with stock cubes, in your cupboard. Experiment with the new, such as Japanese miso, an aged salty condiment made from soybeans and various other ingredients (found in the natural foods section, usually refrigerated).

Absolute No No’s

Make sure and remove the following from your cupboard:

Proteins: Commercial chicken; highly processed luncheon meats

Fats: Commercial cooking oils, margarines and spreads; anything “partially hydrogenated”

Dairy: Low-fat dairy products; anything ultra-pasteurized

Carbohydrates: White bread; white rice

Beverages: Soda; anything containing high-fructose corn syrup; anything containing synthetic vitamin D2, which can have toxic effects. Condiments: Anything containing high-fructose corn syrup; anything with lots of additives and colorings

Baby Steps

Most of us cannot buy everything organic, but it is important to try and incorporate it into your lifestyle. It’s worth your time to indulge in a few key items.  For example, since chicken and pork are usually grown in total confinement, it’s probably worth it to pay extra for the organic versions. Beef and lamb, on the other hand, are still grown at least partially on pasture—so they are good conventional choices for shoppers trying to keep costs down.

The most important item to remember is that you don’t have to make these changes overnight. Little by little begin to incorporate some of these suggestions into your lifestyle. You’ll be happier and healthier for it!