Our of my normal routine, I changed things up a bit. I made myself aware which is always the first step to noticing anything, right? This is how I changed my day:

• Very limited TV
• Used full loads for wash machine
• Literally, followed my children (who are ages 4 and 2) and flipped off the lights, over and over and over
• Ran dishes twice instead of three times. (I know this sounds a lot but I have a very small energy-efficient dishwasher so three to two runs was really good)
• Open the windows!

I felt pretty good about myself.

This is what I learned:

• My children do very well without the TV on, even though the majority of the day it’s on the music channel. The silence was very peaceful
• It was really nice to run the wash machine every other day instead of every day. In return, this was less work for this Mama!
• It’s good to teach my son how to turn off the bathroom light at this age, then trying when he’s a teenager
• I love the sunlight! Love, love, love. If I could live in a glass house, I probably would. I crave for sunlight way more than artificial so to turn off the inside lights and open the curtains, everywhere, was an amazing experience on its own!

When you become aware of being Eco-friendly or aware of any part of your life, you are noticing, observing, learning and eventually will make the changes necessary to you.

Did you know that you can also purchase Green Energy appliances? Yup, it’s true. These green appliances are used to reduce environmental impact and to save money on utility costs. The U.S Department of Energy’s Energy Star program helps determine if an appliance is considered a Green Energy appliance. This site is filled with lots of green goodies!

In my dream home (pray it’s the next one!) I would love to have solar panels. Oh yes! I love the sunlight. We currently have energy-efficient windows which are nice but I would ultimately love to live in a glass. Well, yes but not really… :/

As I mentioned there are lots of green goodies that you can add to your home:

• dishwashers
• wash machines
• dryers
• windows
• panels
• use energy efficient light bulbs
• Home Energy Monitor (oh yea!) Take notice of where the energy is being used at to decrease usage!

Not only are you being Eco-friendly but you can also receive tax credits, rebates and lots of savings so BE SURE to check it out!

What are some of you energy saving practices? Do you cook one meal and save it for two nights? How about eat raw so you use no appliances at all?! What are some more ways to save electricity?

The post Go Green, Go Healthy: #Eco-friendly Challenge, Electricity appeared first on Mama's Blissful Bites.

Tara, thank you!!!! – Mama

I am so happy to be guest posting here today. I have met Amber through our #SundaySupper group and as you already know she has a fantastic site. I am always excited to come over here to see all of her wonderful creations.

I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to share with you but after chatting with Amber I decided that this beautiful Indian Bread Pudding would be what I wanted to share. This makes a very unique and enticing side dish to accompany so many Indian dishes or have it on its own like we did for a vegetarian meal with a salad. You could also add cooked chicken to the layers if you want to bulk up the meal but I do like my vegetarian dishes.

This recipe is from a book I am reviewing called “Easy Indian Cooking”. It is a second edition featuring 30 new recipes and 8 additional photos. A delicious assortment of recipes from Street Foods, to Appetizers, Breads, Meat, Poultry, Fish , Vegetarian, Chutneys and so much more. A cookbook filled with lovely pictures, guidelines, common ingredients of Indian cuisine, hints and tips and basic techniques. Also there are insightful cooking tips throughout the book.

This recipe is by Suneeta Vaswani, I have not adapted it as this is a review. ENJOY!!!

Savory Indian Bread Pudding

Preheat oven to 400F.

13×9” (3L) baking pan, coated with vegetable spray

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. mustard seeds

4 cups finely sliced onion

1 tsp. minced green chile

6 cups roma tomato wedges, ½” thick

½ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped, divided

½ tsp. turmeric

1 ½ tsp. salt or to taste

1 ½ cups buttermilk

In a large saucepan, heat oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add mustard seeds and cover immediately. When seeds start popping in a few seconds, add onions and chile. Mix well. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until onion are soft, 6-8 min. Do not brown.

Stir in the tomatoes, ¼ cup of cilantro, tumeric  and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook until tomatoes are soft, 6 to 8 min. Coarsely mash mixture. There should not be any liquid separating from mixture.

Spread a thin layer of tomato mixture on bottom of prepared pan. Dip bread in buttermilk to soak both sides. (Do not leave in buttermilk longer than 1 min. as bread will get too soft.) Arrange bread in a layer on top of mixture. Spread generous layer of tomato mixture over bread. Repeat with remaining bread slices dipped in buttermilk. Spread remaining tomato mixture on top. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Bake, uncovered in preheated oven until golden, 25-30 min.

Excerpted from Easy Indian Cooking, 2^nd Ed. by Suneeta Vaswani © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Thank you Tara! I can’t wait to explore this cookbook!

The post Guest Post: Noshing with the Nolands, Savory Indian Bread appeared first on Mama's Blissful Bites.

Several types of gasses are emitted into the air when a vehicle is running. Carbon dioxide as well as carcinogens, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, metal and more are sent into the air every time a vehicle is turned on. Besides being incredibly bad for our environment, they are also bad for our health. In the 1970′s, the Clean Air Act was introduced and our air quality today is much better than it was. However, it’s still far from perfect.

This week, I wanted to see how efficient I could be  running errands and using our vehicle less. From my experiment, I discovered a lot more than what I thought I was in store for! Here is my mom confession: I love to leave the house daily. Every morning, I feel the need to leave and get out somewhere. See something, do something for my children’s sanity and mine! I do not like staying indoors all day and all night and doing it again the next morning. I like to be out and discover new places and fun activities so you can see, this was a challenge for me mentally as well. But the important part, I did it. I made it through, woo hoo!

I managed to stay home and create crafts, clean every spot I possibly could in my house and use our back yard. Yup, I re-discovered my small (but perfect for the kids) back yard. I started to make a mental note on all my errands and how I was going to handle them. In one day, I took my kids for the most efficient fifty minute car ride around our town. I wrote down all my errands and mentally planned out my route of travel. We traveled to the Good Will store, pick-up library window, grocery store and post office.

Why run errands all together?

• Saves gas! This was a biggy for us. I have a SUV and it’s a “gas guzzler”. I can easily spend $90 per week in gas. That’s WAY TOO MUCH. By bundling all the errands together, I wasn’t driving more than I needed to, saving gas and time!
• If your vehicle is off, then gasses aren’t being emitted into the atmosphere so let it sit!
• Save wear and tear on your vehicle making regular maintenance last longer

Other options:

• If walking/biking paths are accessible, use them! This is also a fabulous way to exercise!
• Car pool with friends, family co-workers to your destinations! When I did work (years ago) my job was located 20 minutes away. Due to the traffic, it took me an hour to get there! When I found a co-worker lived ten minutes from me, we decided to meet at her house and carpool the way up.
• Use one family car when can. Although we have two vehicles, we only use one. The other is really a backup for emergencies. I used to think, “how on Earth can we use just one vehicle?” but we easily managed the change. Sometimes my hubby drops me off at a location and he runs the kids to the next one with him. When he’s finished, he picks me back up. It’s a choice that we decided would be good for our family and the environment.

If you are in the market for a new vehicle, make your next purchase a green vehicle!

According to Wikipedia: The Toyota Prius is the world’s top selling hybrid car, with cumulative global sales of 2.0 million units by September 2010,.^[1] Some owners use its identity to make an environmental statement.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_vehicle)

Take some time to do the research. There are many other options available!

One of the first steps to making a more profound, positive impact on the environment is to become more AWARE of the choices that are being made. Try your best not to judge, but notice everyday choices. After you are more aware of what and how you do daily tasks, think of them from an Eco-friendly perspective. Is there anything you can do to improve your task? Why isn’t the task efficient? What changes can be made to make it more Eco-friendly?

The post Go #Green, Go Healthy: #Eco-friendly Challenge: Carbon Footprint appeared first on Mama's Blissful Bites.

My place of choice is an organization called, Slow Food USA.

You will soon understand and may even fall in love of why I choose to volunteer my time for them. I think this organization is amazing!

Slow Food USA vision:

Food is a common language and a universal right. Slow Food USA envisions a world in which all people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet.

One thing that I absolutely love about this organization (besides bringing back the roots of real food!!) is the local chapters that are created! The big picture is the USA but you can find a chapter located near you to participate as well!!!! I was super excited to find a local chapter in my very own back yard!

Be sure to check out their site!!!!

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/

In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about one of the local Baltimore events I am attending through the Slow Food USA Baltimore. PS. I really hope you can attend too

Please join me on

June 29th from 12pm – 3pm for an ICE CREAM SOCIAL!!!!

Slow Food Baltimore will host an Ice Cream Social at the Prigel Family Creamery!

Join us for a communal potluck (can you guess what I’m bringing??), a tour of the creamery and of course, lots of ice cream!!!!

Tickets are $7 per person. The benefits will go to Slow Food Baltimore. (Awesome!)

Please bring a seasonal and local dish to share, lawn chairs or picnic blankets, plates and cutlery.

Be sure to check out Slow Food Baltimore’s site by clicking here.

Follow them on Facebook by clicking here.

Come and support our local Baltimore chapter!

Volunteer where you can. Give a hand to your favorite organization. Live by the things you love and your mental healthy will shine.

The post Go #Green, Go Healthy: #Eco-friendly Challenge, Volunteer appeared first on Mama's Blissful Bites.

Goodwill works to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.

- Copied directly from the source: http://www.goodwill.org/about-us/our-mission/

I have taught my children that we are rich and need to give to others. I truly believe this. Being rich in my book, does not constitute for the many items and things we have. We are by no means the upscale money overflowing, can’t decide what to do with rich; however, we do have our share of items. One of the times we donate is prior to Christmas. I explain to the children that we are giving our gifts to others and therefore it teaches them how to share and give. But, today was especially different because my four year old noticed that I was donating my stuff. I usually can bundle up a good bag or two of children’s clothes and toys but I am slim this round. They grow so fast that it’s the first item to think of! This time, I realized I didn’t have any clothes to give (from anyone) so I needed a new idea.

Why is donating green?

Donating clothing and household items is Eco-friendly because the unused and/or unwanted item  is not directed to the landfill. An item that is perfectly good, could be sitting the dump. Perhaps even worth a good penny or two. Why fill our landfill with more unnecessary “junk” when that item could have easily been reused by someone who wants it? Let’s take for example clothing. Children go through clothing rather quickly because they are growing and need bigger sizes. The smaller sized clothing isn’t bad it’s just not useable to the children in the household. So donate to be reused!

This is just one category item. Today I donated a really nice MP3/Cd player with alarm clock (perfect condition but I don’t use it), a never opened in-the-box stoneware kitchen pieces, never worn classy shoes (still even had tag on), hand-made blankets, a jewelry box etc. These are just some examples. I decided to explore the rest of my house besides our closets!

I do this for the following reasons:

1. I look at these items as clutter in my house. I’m never using them and they are sitting on the shelves in boxes crying for a new home

2. I feel so much better knowing they can be of good use to someone else

3. It helps me simplify my lifestyle and frees my mind on different levels

What to be aware of!

Bet you didn’t think I was going to go there but I am…

There are many “bins/boxes” that are placed in parking lots, churches, bars, gas stations etc. These bins will say things like “Save the Planet, Collect Clothes” or “Collecting Shoes” etc. It’s basically a drop off box. I can only suggest, what I recommend with everything, RESEARCH! Find out where your clothes are being sent to, what they are doing with them and anything else you can. I researched one of those boxes one day and found out the money for the clothes were being sent to an organization that I couldn’t find anything on overseas!

You read that right.

I don’t know why I thought the clothes and/or shoes or whatever else was being sent to a good-caused organization or they were used in some good way. But I never imagined the money being used was for an organization that I couldn’t find any research on!

On the flip side, not all of these drop boxes are unworthy of your donation. Some are good. Some are great. All I can suggest is to take the initiative to do the research for yourself. Does it make you feel good donating to that organization or is it an organization at all? What other alternative could you take that are Ec0-friendly? What is efficient?

Back to my children…

They were excited to see Mama donating not their toys but my toys! Lessons are being taught all across the board and this makes a Mama feel good.  I think my son kind of understood the concept today when he said, “Mama, you’re nice to share.”

Looking for more places to donate to? Check out some ideas below:

Local Nature Centers: Sometimes they are looking for milk cartons, snacks etc. to keep their programs going. Be sure to call them

Dress For Success Provides women who are seeking employment with stylish clothing

Hopeline: Verizon provides cell phones to survivors of domestic violence to help stay connected

Kids Flicks: Donate your movies to help create libraries full of movies in children hospitals

One Warm Coat: Collects coats in the Fall season to distribute to those who need them for winter

You can also refurbish an old piece of furniture, host a yard sale, use Craigslist or even your best friend!  The point of reusing it so the items don’t end up in our landfills. There’s enough stuff there. Learn to reuse or let others reuse! Think carefully of the items before ditching in the can!

The post Go #Green, Go Healthy: Day 2 #Eco-friendly Challenge, Donate appeared first on Mama's Blissful Bites.

On my search for new Eco-friendly products, I came across a company called Zen Society. My, did I fall in love fast! The founder of Zen Society, Kaitlyn Lockman, is a board certified Holistic Health Practitioner who specializes in Master Herbology. She has created a natural skincare product line which is free of chemicals and toxins. She also took it a step further by making the products vegan, natural and ORGANIC! Honestly, I have never seen a company carry such a high-quality skincare line! I had to email Zen Society to see if I could do a review and I was ever so happy that Kaitlyn said yes!

I have been in search for a good-quality, natural facial set for a while so luck would have it when the Zen Society Facial Starter Kit showed up at my door, I was truly excited! Now the test, to find out if the products worked!

I reviewed the following products:

• Tea Tree Facial Cleanser
• Makeup Remover
• Hydrating Rosewater Mist

For a week, I used the products daily. I first started with the tea tree facial cleaner every morning.

Does it work? This is probably the first question I was curious to find out. I really enjoyed using this product. If you read my blog, you will know that I am currently going to school to become a Holistic Health Practitioner as well as a Holistic Life Coach, so I have come across a lot of research on the use on Tea Tree essential oils. The main property of tea tree is that it’s used as a cleansing agent. I actually use it in my homemade deodorant so when I saw it was in my facial cleanser, I knew I had a good product in my hands. I was very happy to only use a little bit daily. It removed the daily buildup without leaving any redness or harsh affects to my skin and a little bit went a long way. I have sensitive skin or skin that “freaks” out when harsh products are used and this worked perfectly.

Is it affordable? Yes, yes and yes! As I mentioned, I have shopped for a natural cleanser for a long time. I know the ranges of natural skincare lines and Zen Society knocks it out of the park. Not only is Zen Society all natural, they use USDA Certified Organic Oils! The price for such high-quality is amazing. You really can’t beat $16.00 a bottle!

Makeup Remover

Does the product work? I was really impressed with the results of the makeup remover. Just a little bit took off my daily eyeliner and mascara easily! I accidentally purchased a bottle of waterproof mascara (which I can’t stand) and this makeup remover took it off with ease! How many times have I rubbed and rubbed my eyes apart til all the mascara came off….too many! Now, I don’t have to. I was super excited. Zen Society uses Organic Sweet Almond and Hemp Seed Oil which also makes this product a facial moisturizer as well!

Is the product affordable? For a mere $10, you will receive 2 fl oz of makeup remover! This is quite a deal considering you will only need a little bit each time. Again as mentioned, Zen Society has used top, high-quality ingredients so I find this to be a steal!

Lastly, I used the Hydrating Rosewater Mist. I have to admit, I use this regularly. When I go to meditation groups, a rosewater mist is sprayed on our faces prior to meditation. I was really impressed to find out that Zen Society uses roses that have been organically grown and  distilled from the Bulgarian Rose Valley. How awesome is that???? My skin is always so smooth after I use it. It’s one of my favorite products.

Does this product work? The hydrating rosewater mist not only put my mind at rest but also my skin! This mist helps balance the skins pH levels, moisturizes the skin, reduces wrinkles and inflammation, helps tighten the skins pores and so much more. It’s a must in the everyday facial regiment. My kids actually love to be sprayed throughout the day. The scent of beautiful roses is sure to give anyone a great pick-me-up!

Is the product affordable? I personally believe so. The price is $22 for a 4 oz however I have purchased not-organic and low quality mist for an even higher price. When I read the product is $22, I think that is quite fair and affordable.

If you are not ready to take the plunge into these awesome full-sized products, Zen Society also provides a Facial Starter Kit for only $28.00

Not only does Zen Society offer facial products, they also offer body oil, body scrub, soap, lip balm, repair serum and more!

Be sure to check out Zen Society at: http://www.zensocietyskincare.com

You can also like them on Facebook at by clicking here

Tweet them at: https://twitter.com/zensociety

If I haven’t mentioned how much I love Zen Society enough (and I will personally become one of their customers!), they offered to giveaway one of Mama’s Blissful Bites readers the following:

• One Sweetgrass Shower Gels and,
• One lip balm!

How sweet is that?! It’s easy all you have to do is enter below!

Be sure to leave a comment on what Eco-friendly skincare product would you like to have?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was given the above products for review. No other compensation. All opinions are my own.

The post Zen Society #Giveaway Natural, Organic, Vegan Skincare Products appeared first on Mama's Blissful Bites.

Have you ever read the label of a deodorant bottle?

For starters, most commercial deodorants contain aluminum. Be very cautious of this! Aluminum is a very toxic metal to our bodies. Studies have shown it linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer. Studies are inconclusive if it’s linked to breast cancer but I rather not even take that risk! Why do companies use this harmful ingredient? Because it suppresses perspiration however I feel “stinkiness” out weighs disease anytime. The key is prevention.

Parabens are also found in deodorants. If it’s in your make up or in your deodorant, you don’t want parabens either! Make sure you are aware of these chemicals and read the labels!

Afraid to stink?

Did you know that if you eat a healthy balanced diet, your perspiration won’t smell nearly as bad? But you should also know, it’s actually healthy to sweat and free all of those toxins from your body! This DIY formula contains baking soda which will help fight the body odor. For sensitive skin, use less in your formula.

Essential Oils

I haven’t experimented much with EO. I will be honest, I only have three. Since tea tree oil has amazing cleansing properties for the skin, I chose to use it.

A little bit goes a long way. If you would like to place it in an old container (or a roll up) you can do that as well. The mixture will harden.

Be aware that coconut oil has a melting point at 76 degrees. So you may not want to store it in the bathroom if you take really hot showers!

Mama’s Notes:

You can locate this DIY “recipe” almost anywhere on the internet. It’s nothing new. I found it used on quite a few sites, so I checked it out for myself. On a personal note, I may consider adding some shea butter or beeswax in my next batch but it’s not necessary. I really love this formula as it is.

There you have it. Day 1 complete. You now know how to make a fabulous toxic-free deodorant! Who would have thought?

Do you use a natural deodorant? What kind of essential oils do you use?

The post Go #Green, Go Healthy: #Eco-friendly Challenge, Deodorant appeared first on Mama's Blissful Bites.

What is the Go Green, Go Healthy: Eco-friendly Challenge?

Every few days a new activity, food or product will be posted that will help improve the environment, our home of even ourselves! There will be 30 activities/posts in the end. I originally wanted to post every day, however I will post every few days not to overwhelm anyone and to help us stay together. (And to be perfectly honest, not to overwhelm me!)

The challenge: I challenge you (and me actually…shhh) to become more aware and more environmentally friendly in some way, shape or form!

Why Go Green, Go Healthy?

We need our environment. I’m sure you may have noticed that as a society, we are unbalanced. Our world is becoming more complicated with an overflow of processed foods, an over abundance of trash and we are losing site of who we really are. You know the saying, one person isn’t enough but when we all do it together, we make a big difference? That is the plan.

How do you Go, Green, Go Healthy?

Simple. You don’t need to do everything in the challenge but try a few things that you haven’t tried before. There will be lots of information and activities that I’m sure you will find something that will want to try!

Is the Go Green, Go Healthy challenge going to cost money?

It might. You may be inspired to try a few DIY projects or want to purchase a new Eco-friendly product to help you save money in the long run. It’s entirely up to you. As a blogger, I make nothing off of my challenges, my goal is to give my information and knowledge so we, together, can go on this simple journey together.

What will I get out of the Challenge?

Everyone will experience the fun of becoming more Eco-friendly differently. I can imagine that some people will love to go “hard core” into the new lifestyle and yet some people will want to take baby steps. It is entirely up to you. This is your personal journey. This is a more simple way of living. You may want to write in a journal about your experience of what you like and inspires you. Everyone will experience green living differently.

Remember: I am doing this with you! Leave me comments, write me an email, keep me updated on how you are doing so we can connect together in this journey!

Peace and Love,

Mama

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Berries are currently in season now for us in the United States, so after my children and I picked strawberries from our local farmers field, I decided to add them in a tasty and satisfying salad. If you know my blog, you will also known that I am quite passionate about local farms, field to table and Eco-friendly activities, so these salad challenges are perfect.

I want to give a big shout out to Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet for pulling this together for all of us! You are amazing Wendy!

I love adding glazed or candied pecans to any salad. It adds a touch of extra sweetness to each bite. Eat them plain as a snack or in a salad! Be sure to try out my Glazed Pecans to up your salad as well!

Be sure to check out other amazing berry-good salad recipes! If you have one, join us!

The post Candied Pecan Strawberry Salad #TheSaladBar appeared first on Mama's Blissful Bites.

I love this company because they use unbleached paper, recycled materials and wood from sustainably managed forests. They also replace petroleum based ingredients with natural and renewable resources. Yup, it’s all right there. One amazingly environmental friendly company that is a must in changing our ways to a more sustainable, simple lifestyle. I knew I had to try them out so I contacted If You Care right away. They supplied me with their household gloves and 100% sponge cloths.

At first, I was hesitant on the cloths. I have never used cloths before! To my surprise, I quickly fell in love with them. Not only could I reuse them and clean them through the wash machine but they were even better than the commercial sponges. My husband loves the old-school sponges. He has a line up, even though he’s never in the kitchen to cook or clean! But what  I noticed is that the sponge cloths are very easy to maneuver around my pots and pans and very effective in the clean up job. They handled all of my dishes easily. When I was fished with the cloth for the day, I placed it in my laundry basket and used another one. There are five in a box! VERY convenient! Nothing made me happier than using NO paper towels at all! This means no waste from towels in the landfill! Very Eco-friendly. I also love how affordable such a fantastic product is! And, just so you know, we no longer have those dingy conventional sponges anymore, wink wink. You can check them out by clicking here.

Next, I tested out the Household gloves.

Yes, I truly fell in love with them as well! They are made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified latex with 100% natural cotton lining, biodegradable non-toxic ink and glues and cardboard processed chlorine-free! This simply blows my mind! This company takes all leaps and bounds to produce very Eco-friendly products!

My husband must have been smiling because I couldn’t wait to clean everything! And so I did…

I love the way my hands felt. They didn’t leave behind that “rubbery” feeling afterwards! Really great for me!

If You Care not only offers environmental household products but sandwich bags, trash bags, parchment baking paper, firelighters and more!

The item I really want to try next in their Natural Laundry Detergent! Yes folks, I said it! Made with only pure ingredients (all natural formula made from 100% plants!) I want to try it now! They even offer this amazing detergent in lavender, my absolute favorite!

WANT TO WIN A FREE BOTTLE OF LAUNDRY DETERGENT?

You can enter to win a free bottle of this environmental friendly laundry detergent by entering here.

Be sure to check them out at their website: http://ifyoucare.com/

Follow them on Twitter by clicking here

Follow on Facebook by clicking here

And …. there’s more!

If You Care is kind enough to give one of Mama’s Blissful Bites readers Cloth Sponges and Household Gloves as well! Giveaway ends on Friday, June 14th,2013. Be sure to tweet every day for more chances to win!

PS For an extra chance, answer this question: What is the one household product that you would love to see go from conventional to Eco-friendly?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Green Living!

Love,

Mama

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