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REVIEW: Fire & Flavor Gluten Free, Certified Non-GMO Rubs

February 11, 2015 0

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In Florida, it’s always warm enough to grill! We recently received a set of Fire & Flavor’s gluten free, certified Non-GMO rubs and seasonings to review. Fire & Flavor, based in Athens, GA, helped to popularize cedar plank grilling, which as become a favored technique for grilling fish. A WBE certified woman owned business, Fire & Flavor was founded by Gena Knox. Knox’s Southern background and love of family and friends fueled her passion for cooking. Today, the company shares all kinds of ways to make food more delicious, nutritious, and easier to cook.

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Those of you who are experienced grillers know that a good seasoning or rub will compliment the natural flavor of a food without overpowering it—which is exactly what Fire & Flavor’s rubs do! Fire & Flavor uses all natural ingredients to make flavor-filled rubs that make any cook feel like a gourmet chef, including the Classic Rub, Everyday Rub, Turkey Rub, and Coffee Rub—yum! While grillers will embrace the dynamic uses of these seasonings, anyone can use them. Fire & Flavor’s website offers ideas for how to use the rubs and the Everyday Rub, for example, tastes great on seafood, chicken, and even sweet potatoes. As an added eco-bonus, rubs come in a recyclable shaker-top jar and the company uses BPA-free packaging. The company also sells brines, cedar planks, and cookbooks.

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We reviewed the seasons & rubs including the coffee, classic, everyday rub, and the turkey rub. The Coffee Rub, which combines fresh-roasted coffee with a hint of ancho chile pepper and brown sugar. We tried it on grass-fed steak. The Classic Rub is great for tenderizing lean pork chops, as well as chicken, without overpowering natural flavors – we used it on organic chicken.  The Everyday Rub is made from a mild blend of assorted chilies, paprika, brown sugar, onion, and garlic. We used this rub on fresh fish!

Whether you’re an avid griller or beginning cook, Fire & Flavor’s rubs add gourmet home-cooking flavor to any meal.

 

Full Disclosure: I received samples of this product and was compensated for this sponsored post – however, all opinions are my own.

38!

February 10, 2015 4

birthday-cake-380178_1280Today is my 38th birthday! I love birthdays! Over the weekend, the mister surprised me with a birthday luncheon at The Morikami Japanese Gardens with all of our Florida family. When a birthday starts out with family, Japanese gardens, and green tea ice-cream – it was destined to be the beginning of a great year! Thank you Mister Lyon. I have a feeling 38 is going to be pretty amazing – I can’t wait!

Energy Savings and the Environment: The Secrets of Solid Home Insulation

January 26, 2015 0

san-francisco-210230_1280Hello, Friends! This post was sponsored and wasn’t written by me. Thank you for supporting the companies that help to run Sweet Greens!
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Better insulation keeps your home more comfortable, and it is good for the environment and your heating and cooling costs. Improving the insulation of your home can pay for itself in energy savings in a very short period of time. This means you are reducing your home’s carbon footprint by reducing the amount of resources needed to heat and cool your home. Even a small reduction can have a significant impact on the environment. Less energy means less nuclear waste, methylmercury released through coal combustion, and other toxic volatile compounds released into the environment. You can read more about it on Reviewlr. Precious animal habitats are also disrupted less frequently if new sources of energy are not required to be utilized. Here are some tips for improving the energy efficiency of your home.

Older homes
If you live in a house made before the 1950s, it is likely that you have no insulation besides an air space. If your walls are six inches thick then you probably have at least four inches of air space. This was a traditional building method before the advent of fiberglass insulation and foams. In some cases you may be able to use expanded foam insulation to fill in this space via small holes in your walls that can be concealed with paint or patching. If you are replacing the wall coverings then you can use an eco-friendly insulation.

Roof and attic space
Heat rises. The insulation value of your roof or attic is crucial to the energy efficiency of your home. It is simply amazing how much heat a home can lose. One option for insulating an attic space that is unfinished or not used for storage is to use insulation made from shredded cellulose or recycled paper. This is blown into your attic space for even application. It offers superior insulation value at an economical cost. For those with a cathedral ceiling, foam insulation or fiberglass is the best option. There are many eco-friendly options available now – just ask.

Shutters
Some insulation solutions can add a lot of class and sophistication. Consider window shutters, for example. They are available in a wide variety of styles to suit the architecture and charm of your home. Custom shutters are also available if you want a truly unique style. This is an especially good choice for older and traditional styles of home.

Basement or crawlspaces
What is under your home is a much overlooked area. It is possible that you are losing a lot of heat through your floor. While modern building codes usually require insulation in floors, older homes may have none. Newer homes may have some but it might be minimal. Spraying expanding foam insulation can make your floor a lot warmer to the touch and cut down on your overall heating and cooling costs.

As you can see, there are many ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home. The methods you choose will vary depending on the age and condition of the house. Getting a professional to do an energy audit and helping you to make the best choices when it comes to insulating your home in an eco-friendly way can be a big help if you are still having trouble deciding what is best for your home.

HOW TO: 7 Steps To Grow An Organic Garden In Your Basement

January 21, 2015 6

It’s amazing how many organic foods you can grow in your basement. What? True story. Every January the mister starts his organic garden in our basement. It is easy to do and we get to enjoy delicious organic vegetables all winter and spring. To start your own garden in the basement, try easy growing organic vegetables such as bush beans, cabbage, lettuce, spinach and small cucumbers. Read on to get started in a few short steps.

What you will need:
  • tables
  • hanging shop lights
  • T-8 fluorescent light bulbs
  • chain
  • pots
  • organic seeds
  • organic potting soil
  • organic fertilizer
  • watering can
  • light timer
Directions:
Step 1: Start the Seeds
Start by planting organic seeds in organic potting soil and biodegradable peat pots. Then, place the peat pots in small reusable greenhouses in south facing windowsills throughout your home.

Step 2: Transfer the Seeds
Once the seeds sprout and are an inch tall, transplant them into 4-6″ pots and place them on a table in your basement.

Step 3: Hang the Lights 
Hang directly above the tables fluorescent T-8 light bulbs, suspended from the ceiling on a shop light.(The mister suspends the shop lights with an adjustable chain, which is adjusted to always be 2″ above the plants.) Then, plug the lights into a timer, we use a holiday light timer. The plants get 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness to rest each day.

Step 4: Water the Plants
Waters the plants once a week – once the plants are 4″ tall, start to fertilize them with organic fertilizer. (See the instructions that come with the organic fertilizer that you purchase.)

Step 5: Replant
At six weeks transplant the beans and cucumbers into 8-12″ pots. All of the other plants can stay in the 4-6″ pots.
Step 6: Add more Water
At 2.5 months, start to water the plants twice a week.
Step 7: Harvest and Enjoy
After 3 months you will have amazing vegetables that you can harvest and enjoy all winter and spring long.
Have you ever gardened inside your home?

6 Affordable Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget

January 15, 2015 0
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Feeding your family well-balanced, healthy, and delicious foods is very important. However, for many families finding extra money in the budget to eat well can seem impossible. Since one of the largest expenses in many families monthly budget is food, making the most of your money at the grocery store is essential. Eating well on a budget is possible, you just have to be thrifty, creative and smart. Read on to discover my 6 favorite ways to stretch your budget while buying the best groceries (even organics) for your family.

 

1. Set a Budget
First things first, figure out how much your family can afford to spend on groceries each month – be realistic. Then, take only cash with you to the closest local grocery store – it is impossible to go over your budget when you are paying with cash only. Also, stop by the customer service counter on your way in and ask for any coupons they have available – you would be surprised at the goodies they have, if you ask.

2. Shop in Season

When it comes to produce, only buy what is in season. Not only is it more affordable, it will be fresher too! It’s a good idea to buy produce when it is in season and then freeze it. For example, hit the local farm when strawberries are in season – get an even greater deal when you buy a large quantity, then freeze what you can’t use now to enjoy all year long.

3. Cook with What you Have

This one is simple, use the ingredients that you have on-hand now to make your meals. This is a great way to use food before it spoils and while it is at it’s freshest. This goes for your refrigerator and the pantry! We eat a lot of soups at our house, because the mister will put together all of our veggies before they spoil.

4. Stock Up 

When an item that you frequently use goes on sale, that is the time to stock up on it. This is a great way to stock up on spices, canned goods, dried beans and rice. This is also a great time to whip out those coupons – you can double your savings when you use coupons on food items that are already on sale.

5. Prepare Vegetable Based Meals

Let’s face it, meat products are more expensive than vegetables. Instead of basing all of your meals around meat, make veggies the main course. Not only is this a healthier way of eating, it is much more affordable and better for the environment too! When you do cook meat, for example chicken – purchase a whole organic chicken and when you are finished eating the meat, boil the carcass down for stock.

6. Make Your Own Snacks

Processed foods can be expensive, unhealthy and usually come in wasteful packaging. Instead of purchasing processed/packaged foods, make your own goodis. It is very easy to make your own cookies, granola bars, frozen pops, or granola – and your children will love cooking with you!

How does your family eat well on a budget?

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