Seventh Generation

As nice as it is to be able to have home-made cleaning products ( because they are so cheap ) sometimes it is just easier to buy products already made up and packaged. I am really liking Seventh Generation and Method products right now.

I purchased SG dishwashing detergent and Method triple concentrated liquid laundry detergent a few weeks ago and have been really pleased with both of their performance. The dish detergent has gotten all of my dishes clean; sparkling even! I have found also that I don't have to use as much of the powder as I had to of the 'gel' I was using before. As for the laundry, the soap has gotten stains out, has a nice scent and uses SO LITTLE to clean. These products are a little pricey but to me, the value is in the performance and earth friendliness of the cleansers.

Affordable Solar Power!

I get an e- newsletter everyday from the Sierra Club updating me on all things green. I love opening the email to see what interresting things they have to say today. Sometimes they are useless to me, others are very practical. Just like everything in life, you take the good with the dumb : )
Today's news had a link to a very cool new product called a HYmini. It is a solar and wind powered battery charger for your cell phone, MP3 Player, PDA, hand-held games, etc. Pretty much any 5V appliance you have can be recharged using this little device.
First, you charge the battery of the HYmini. There are a few ways to charge it such as setting out the solar panel ( looks about 3x5 in), setting the device out in the wind ( it takes about 9mph wind to start generating a charge. You can also strap it to your arm when you run, hook it to your bike when you take a ride somewhere which as we know will create wind resistance ) or you can plug it into the wall. When the battery has enough charge you can hook up your appliance to it and recharge away! This is portable, so it would be great for camping or people who are always on the move.
Recharging our 'stuff' takes quite a bit more electricity than we think it does, and then the tendancy is just to leave the charger in the wall ( like I used to do with my cell phone ) which leaches more electricity. This little power generator which is about $80 for both solar and wind capabilities (including adaptor accessories) could easily pay for itself over the course of a year. Not to mention being able to charge your phone or MP3 player ANYWHERE you go! For more information go to hymini.com.

Martha Stewart's Green Pan

Call me a geek, but for my birthday I asked for a skillet. Not just any skillet though, the new Green Pan from Martha Stewart's line at Macy's. This new pan is non-stick without using Teflon. In the last few years a lot of noise has been made about the toxicity of Teflon especially when at high temperatures. Being an EXTREME violator of the temperature standards for this product ( I like things to get hot and cook fast! ) I thought maybe this pan would be a great alternative to my Wearever pan and also be a lighter option to my cast iron skillet. Needless to say I love it! The enamel coating on the heavy aluminum is as non-stick as you can get. Food just slides around in the pan making it healthier fat wise too because you don't have to use oils. The construction of the pan also makes it cook evenly and is oven safe to 650 degrees.

It is a thing of beauty! : ) For under $40 you can get this GREAT pan at Macy's and feel better about what you are cooking your family's meals in. I also recommend the trusty old cast iron skillet that I mentioned earlier. It takes a little finesse to use cast iron, which is why I would say to use this pan if you are a novice chef, but if you can get a good season on your cast iron it will work just as well as the Green Pan plus you get the added benefit of small amounts of iron leaching in your food ( this is a good leaching! ). If you are in the market for a new pan, looking for a wedding or housewarming gift this pan is perfect. Even our cooking utensils can be environmentally friendly!