Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!!!!!

Image courtesy of Sacromento Scoop

Want to celebrate Earth Day in your gluten free cooking? Here are a few ways you can use less energy:

1. Boiling eggs.
Bring your water to a boil, add your eggs and allow the water to come back to a boil. Then turn off your burner. Let the eggs sit for about 10 minutes and you will have perfectly boiled eggs without using your burner for the whole cooking period. You can use the same technique for some gluten free rice pastas, rice & potatoes.

2. Letting bread rise the old fashioned way.
To quick rise a yeast bread, we turn on the oven and turn it off and then allow bread to rise in the hot oven for about 30-40 minutes. This is a great method when you're short on time... but if you want to do it the old fashioned way, just let it rise on the counter. If it's not super warm in your house this can take several hours, but I think it makes a better tasting bread because the yeast develops more slowly and you don't use the energy from your oven to let it rise.

3. Use homemade cleaners for countertops and glass stovetops.
My husband makes a cleaner from about 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 tbsp. earth-friendly dish detergent, and fills up the rest of the spray bottle with water. We use this to clean counters, bathtubs, sinks, windows, etc... it works great. If I have something that needs to be scrubbed we add baking soda. Works like a charm. Green & cheap.

4. Plan ahead and use your crockpot instead of your oven.
Your crockpot uses less energy and doesn't heat up the area surrounding it (like heating up your whole kitchen) to cook something. Cooking with your crockpot can also save you time and money! :-) Both good reasons to give it a try!

5. Shop locally & eat seasonally.
Know of a local farm or CSA that you can buy fresh vegetables, eggs, chicken, or meat from? Check out Local Harvest to find a farm that has community supported agriculture shares, fresh eggs, meats, handmade soaps, jams & jellies, etc... You will be eating foods that are fresh, local, usually organic, and you will save energy by not purchasing products that come from a long distance and use lots of fuel to get to your grocery store.

6. Check out all these ways to save energy in your kitchen this week:
http://earth911.com/news/2007/04/02/dishwasher-tips/