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.

Love your pet, Naturally™

ArcaNatura produces high-end, organic products for dogs, cats and horses.

•    100% Natural
•    Clinically-proven
•    Contain no added dyes or fragrances

All of ArcaNatura’s wellness products are highly biodegradable, eco friendly and utilize recyclable packaging.

Telephone: (860) 405-9214

Support@ArcaNatura.com
Website: http://us.ArcaNatura.com

Sky Islands is a non-profit, tuition-free public high school, grades 9-12.   Studies integrate the natural environment throughout the educational program with a broad focus on place-based teaching and learning. Place-based education emphasizes learning through participation in green service projects in the community.  Local heritage, geography and landscape, and regional issues are used as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum.   Sky Islands currently has open-enrollment in all grades.

Dr Shari Popen
Director/ Sky Islands
3101 N Sabino Canyon Rd
Tucson AZ 85715
520.382.9210
director@skyislands.org

Visit their website: skyislands.org

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.

When was the last time you looked at the ingredient label of your favorite dog or cat food? Behind innocent-sounding words like “meat byproducts” and “meat meal” are horrific manufacturing practices that would turn your stomach. The nutritional considerations of pet foods go beyond the sources of meat in them. Pet food manufacturers add dangerous preservatives and vitamin fortifications that actually make your pets’ food less healthy.

What if we fed our pets a simpler version of what we eat ourselves? Just like feeding yourself, it might take a bit of planning, and little knowledge, but it’s worth the effort. Your pets will thank you.

Here are some tips along with a couple of recipes to get you started.

1.    Variety is important. Rotating protein and carbohydrate sources will help cover all the nutritional bases.

2.    Good protein sources include human-grade raw ground round or sirloin; ground poultry (higher –fat dark meat is best— pets require more fat than humans do); and occasionally organ meats, all from animals raised without antibiotics or hormones. If you are concerned about feeding your pet raw meat, cook it lightly.

3.    Good sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables. Pets usually like apples, carrots, green beans and yams just to name a few.

4.    Both cats and dogs have high calcium requirements. Add one teaspoon of powdered calcium , eggshell powder or bonemeal to each pound of raw meat and work it in before you add anything else.

5.    Portion sizes vary according to size, age and activity level.

6.    Make sure and monitor your pet closely when introducing new food. If you notice excessive licking, inflames ears, or digestive problems switch to a simplified diet.

Beef Dinner For Dogs

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 ounce beef heart or liver
10 ounces cooked brown rice
2 ounces mixed greens
1 teaspoon eggshell powder or bonemeal
½ teaspoon iodized salt

Method

1.    In a frying pan, cook meat until lightly browned
2.    Mix cooked meat, rice, greens, and other ingredients.
3.    Divide into portions and immediately freeze what cannot be eaten in the next two or three days.

Daily ration:
Toy- 1-2 cups
Medium- 6-7 cups
Large- about 8 cups
Giant – 9+ cups

Cat Dinner

6 oz. roasted turkey breast.

1/2 c. cooked white rice.

5 tsp canola oil.?1/4 tsp salt substitute (potasium cloride).

1/8 tsp salt with iodine

1000 mg taurine (health food store).

1 ground up childs vitaman/mineral tab. (garlic press works so well!)

1 1/2 tsp bone meal (health food store)

Divide into portions and immediately freeze what cannot be eaten within the next few days.

Can you share any of your ideas on eating healthy for pets? We would love to hear from you. Leave in the comments section below.

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.

After spending considerable time choosing organic produce and preparing nutritious food for our families, it can be pretty frustrating to learn that the products we are using to cook, bake, eat and store food with may actually put our families’ health at risk.

Materials such as Teflon, BPA, lead, aluminum, phthalates and melamine are commonly found in everyday kitchenware products yet have been tied to disturbing health issues.  The good news is there are many safer alternatives as well as things to avoid.

Avoid plastic whenever possible when it comes to food and beverage. Hard plastics can contain BPA, which is a developmental, neural and reproductive toxin. Scientists have linked very low doses of BPA exposure to cancers, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty, obesity, diabetes and hyperactivity. It can be transferred from plastic into food and drink. A recent study found that even BPA-free plastics contain synthetic chemicals which can migrate into food.

Follow these plastic guidelines: If you do use plastic in the kitchen, Choose BPA-Free, PVC-free plastic labeled #2, #4 and #5. Do not heat plastic in the microwave (“microwave-safe” only means that the plastic won’t actually melt—the extreme heat of the oven will increase transference of chemicals.) Do not store fatty, greasy or acidic foods in plastic. Do not use scratched, badly worn or cloudy plastics for your food and beverages. Hand-wash plastics to avoid wear and tear. Avoid hard plastic melamine dishes. They are made by combining the chemical melamine with formaldehyde (which is a known human carcinogen). Studies have shown that formaldehyde can leach from dishware.

Safer Food Storage choices include: glass, 304 grade stainless steel, food-grade silicone—all of which do not leach chemicals into your food.

When it comes to dishware, tempered glass is a great choice, followed by ceramic dishware with lead-free glaze. If you are concerned about breakage, food-grade silicone, high quality 304-grade stainless steel and bamboo containing food-safe finishes are all safe options.

Avoid conventional chemical nonstick coatings. They are manufactured using perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is considered “a likely human carcinogen.” When heated, cookware coated with Teflon and other nonstick surfaces emits fumes that can kill birds and potentially sicken people. Overheating of nonstick pans and any scratching or chipping of the materials can cause these chemicals to be released.

Avoid non-anodized aluminum cookware. Aluminum from pots and pans can migrate in measurable amounts into food. Aluminum has been linked to brain disorders as well as behavioral abnormalities and is considered a toxic substance by the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Many companies are switching from aluminum to anodized aluminum to create a more stable product. In this treatment, the aluminum is dipped into a chemical bath to create a more durable layer, so that the aluminum can’t as easily leach into food. But questions about aluminum in general remain. If the pan is scratched it can leach—so still not the safest choice.

The safest materials for cookware and bakeware include: glass, high quality 304 grade stainless steel, cast iron and lead-free ceramic cookware.

Use nontoxic cleaning products, avoiding bleach, ammonia and synthetic fragrances or dyes.

Filter tap water for drinking and cooking. Find a high-quality filter than can remove heavy metals, chlorine, VOCs and other contaminants.