Buffalo Shrimp Salad

Hot and Spicy are two of my fave words! Hot and spicy shrimp salad just makes my mouth water thinking about it! If you are a vegetarian you can substitute the shrimp for tofu or even tempeh.
I found this recipe on a list of Super Bowl party foods which I feel is a different but probably healthier choice from other options one would usually have on game day. I will say that this recipe would be good for parties (heck even dinner) and can be used for a multitude of different events from spring through summer depending on the event and theme, I’m just not sure how it would go over on game day but I could be wrong. The buffalo shrimp salad is quick, delish and could be a different take on what Super Bowl food can look like.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup low-fat organic buttermilk
1/2 cup organic sour cream
2 teaspoons organic apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh organic parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons organic chives, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons organic garlic, minced
Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 heads organic romaine lettuce, torn into pieces (4 cups)
2 cups organic carrots, grated
2 cups organic celery, sliced
1/2 cup organic scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons organic vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Brummel & Brown or organic butter
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/4 cup bottled buffalo-wing sauce or hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine buttermilk, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, parsley, chives and garlic in a bowl
2. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.
3. Chill for 30 minutes.
4. Toss lettuce, carrots, celery and scallions with buttermilk dressing in a large bowl.
5. Place in serving bowl.
6. Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat.
7. Add oil and butter.
8. When butter sizzles, add shrimp and cook, stirring, until opaque, about 4 minutes.
9. Add buffalo-wing sauce, stir to coat shrimp and cook 1 minute longer.
10. Pour shrimp and sauce over salad.

DIY JEWELRY ORGANIZER

I am not generally a fan of yard work. I don’t mind keeping up the garden or starting it but the hard raking and digging isn’t always my cup of tea. I especially despise rakes! We are not friends and more often than not I hurt myself or someone else when using one. I found this amazing idea for old rakes at WebEcoist.com!
I have a ton of jewelry I’ve acquired/made over the years and although I have a huge jewelry chest that is quite well organized you can always use more organization, I feel. The image above displays perfectly and simply how an old rake can be quickly transitioned into a jewelry organizer, however I would go one step further and instead of using just a string for your earrings (some earrings may not stay on well) I would say find old mesh or tulle you have around the house. Cut it to fit the area of the rake and either clue or tie it to the rake. This way you can fit more earrings and keep them attached more securely. I cannot wait to get home and take apart all of the rakes we have at home for this exact purpose….maybe it will get me out of yard work this year!!

Petal Purity

 You must know I love body scrubs because I write about exfoliating all of the time! I generally like to make my own but sometimes you don’t have time for a fresh beauty treatment so you must go to the next best thing! If you have to purchase a cosmetic or beauty product make sure you are choosing a responsible one. Remember whatever ingredients are in the product are going in and on your body. I know the words are difficult to sometimes understand on the back of the bottle but that should be the first clue that maybe you should rethink using that product. Cocoon Apothecary has a wide variety of skin care products that are perfect for the green beauty inside all of us.  You can see for yourself in their ingredient listings.  Nothing crazy in there.  You can pronounce all of the ingredients and probably have seen most of them in nature. I am actually drawn to the site simply because I think it is pretty. It is simple and almost elegant much like their products. No flashy designs or adds to confuse the customer, their products speak for themselves which speaks volumes about the kind of business Cocoon Apothecary really is.

Product Description:

This gentle exfoliating cleanser combines the purifying powers of lavender and geranium with spherical jojoba beads to remove dead skin cells and keep pores clean and clear. This facial cleanser is for all skin types so don’t be afraid to give it a try.

BENEFITS:

•Promotes skin-cell turnover, a process that slows down with aging.
•Keeps skin pimple-free by keeping pores clear and unclogged.
•A gentle formula that can be used daily as a scrub and a cleanser.

KEY INGREDIENTS:

•Jojoba Beads Non-abrasive beads that gently exfoliate skin.
•Lavender Essential Oil Anti-bacterial, healing, combats acne.
•Geranium Essential Oil Astringent, balancing.

GOOD STUFF:

•Biodegradable with eco-friendly beads
•Cruelty-free and vegan
•Made with certified organics
•Rated 0 on the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic Database
•Amber glass bottle, corn label, pre-cycled pump and cap

INGREDIENTS:

Distilled water, certified organic sweet almond oil, jojoba beads, certified organic virgin coconut oil, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, vegetable glycerin, certified organic geranium essential oil, certified organic lavender essential oil, sodium anisate, sodium levulinate, sodium cetearyl sulfate, rosemary leaf extract.

Eco-Chic Events

This article was written by our fave guest blogger and one of my closest friends Danielle Mosley! She wanted to share some excellent tips for hosting eco-chic parties in 2012.
Even though the holiday’s are over there is still a full year of events left to be scheduled!
Here are some simple tips on throwing zero-waste “eco-chic” parties:

1. First things first are invitations.
The easiest way to send an eco-friendly invite is an Evite. There are so many sites doing that these days so you can find the perfect one. Try Evite.com or Stationery by Amy Adele.You can also make your own invites out of things you have from around the house or find items such as recycled card stock at your local craft store. You can be original with the writing by using cut outs from a magazines or even images and make the invite a game to figure out, left over ribbon from the holidays, buttons, you name it!  Be Creative and have fun with it! Guests appreciate when the host goes out of their way and personalizes the party.

2. No matter the size of your party you are going to notice a pile up of trash from plates and cups to straws and cutlery. Skip the plastic and try reusable flatware. Plenty of places also sell biodegradable utensils and flatware, even napkins. Like these Bamboo Plates, Biodegradable Trash Bags or these Biodegradable Paper Straws.

3. Next is décor…you can deck out the whole party with biodegradable goodies like balloons and crepe paper steamers Make your own confetti with scraps of paper from your amazing homemade DIY invites. You can make a pretty amazing centerpiece with magazine flowers . You can even create a mini version of this for a party favor for your guests. Use clean vegetable cans, decorate the outside with a solid piece of recycled paper and decorate in a similar fashion to the invites. If your event calls for real flowers please make sure to buy them locally, make sure they are organic like OrganicBouquet.com.  If you keep bottles and jars like i do you can use them as vases or votives and make cute take aways for your guests as well. If you use candles safely you can save energy and since it is winter if you cook your food and plan arrival times can keep your venue warm without having to turn on your heat.  If you have to use party lights make sure to get energy saving bulbs, no need for your bills to sky rocket just because you want to have fun!

4. Next are food and drinks obviously. I know you know to go local and organic which is easy enough now many local groceries have their won organic or natural sections. In some areas it isn’t as easy to find organic wine or liquor. One of my fave organic wine retailers is OrganicWineCompany.com or you can try Crop Vodkas or Prairie Vodka. If beer is more  your style then try Eel River`s Certified Organic I.P.A .
If you are unsure what kinds of apps and fun food to serve you can always check out our receipe section where I have plenty of fun food for the greenie in you! Also keep in mind if you use all organic foods and biodegradable flatware, cups, utensils you can throw it all to be composted.

Interesting Uses for Dryer Sheets

If you still use dryer sheets at home here are some interesting uses I read about that will give you more bang for you dryer sheet buck!
Now I will also preface this list by saying that if you do still use them read this list very carefully and think about if the dryer sheet can do the things below maybe you should rethink if they are really necessary to your laundry regime…just sayin.

1. Dish Scrubber – If you have a pesky burnt or baked on something stuck to your dishes and you have no Brillo or anything to scrub it off with, put the dryer sheet on the dirty dish with some soap and warm water over night and apparently the gook will be gone. What is in those suckers?

2. Gnat Repeller – Apparently Kansas State had the funds and interest to find out what repels insects besides repellent and dryer sheets were a winner. Apparently the chemicals used in dryer sheets prevent gnat larvae from surviving. Are you sure you want to continue using those things.

3. Pet Hair Remover – Forget the convenient rollers! Dryer sheets do the work for you. Not only do they do it in the dryer but if you simply rub them on to your dry clothes while you are wearing them they fulfil the same purpose. Good to know!

4.Hard Water Stain Remover – Hullo! Do you have a water stain a sponge and cleaner can’t remove! Then just whip out your handy dandy dryer sheet and it will buff that right out for you! Good to know…or is it?

5. Instant Sachets – I will admit that a few times in the past when we were still using dryer sheets and a sheet got stuck in a pocket or something it def does freshen up your drawer but apparently it works even better when you put an unused one in there too! You can stop using those silly potpourri stuffed bags and just use them from the laundry basket!

Napa Soap Company

I love finding places that are green!! Besides having super cute and yummy smelling products a really cool thing they do is take packaging material donations which I think is pretty cool. Everybody should do this. It just makes sense especially now a days when people do so much online shopping and are swimming in boxes, peanuts or those plastic pillows. Simple ideas like these make for a greener world that is better for all of us. Another awesome bonus to Napa Soap Company is they make their soaps in the USA! To read more about Napa Soap Company and what they do Click right here!

Distant Lands Cell Phone Carrier Give Away

 
The winner didn’t claim their prize so we are running the contest again!! The contest begins today and ends on January 27th.
We love Novica.com for introducing us to super cool stuff made by some super cool people. The Distant Lands Cell Phone Carrie is made by Anchalika Chamnan who celebrates the colorful artistry of the Akha hill tribe people with this stitched phone carrier. Cross-stitch patterns recall the images that decorate traditional costumes. Each is sewn of cotton and lined, featuring a coconut shell button.
All you have to do is like me and don’t forget to share so your friends get a chance to win too! The winner has 48 hours to give me their contact info to where I can send their prize as well as send the shipping costs to my Paypal account. If in 48 hours I do not hear from the winner we will just start the contest over! Have fun and I hope you enjoy! Click here to enter!
If you want us to send you an additional gift friend us on Facebook at The Green Beagle and follow us on twitter twitter.com/thegreenbeagle. Once you have done this comment below and we will send you something special with the Distant Lands cell phone carrier.

It is important for home owners to understand what they can do to their homes to make them more cost effective and energy efficient. Many people don’t live in new houses or may not have the means to completely updated their home to be as green as possible. The Green Self-Build Book helps homeowners out with some great ideas you can do yourself to be greener and more cost-effective for you.

Description:The Green Self-Build Book is a highly illustrated, practical handbook on eco-friendly building for homeowners.
Whether you want a turf roof, solar-powered hot water, a straw bale home, or a super-insulated (and cost-efficient) house, you need to know the essential elements of the process. In The Green Self-Build Book, Jon Broome gives an overview of the different methods of sustainable and eco-friendly construction techniques for non-professionals.

The Green Self-Build Book gives inspiration and information to guide you through the green building process. It is intended for anyone who is planning a do-it-yourself project, and for housing professionals, students, and teachers.

I am not sure if you have ever heard of Gifts With Humanity but I personally shop here whenever I can especially if it is for a gift for someone. I feel like spreading the word about this Gifts With Humanity is important. Many people won’t know and possibly won’t care but it is important that your money goes to the proper places. Gifts With Humanity is an excellent way to spend your dollars and support good causes globally! Gifts With Humanity supports artisans from the Americas, Asia and Africa. The holidays are here and if you have to purchase a gift won’t you feel better about the seasons of giving and being thankful if your money goes to people who are giving us great crafts and even more thankful for the support.

This year give gifts that give a more. Our gifts are 100% fair trade, recycled and you get 10% of your entire order with coupon code XMAS. Valis until Dec 24th 2009.

About: Gifts With Humanity is the retail division of Global Fair Trade Crafts Inc DBA Global Crafts.
Global Crafts was founded in 2002 by Kevin Ward and Renice Jones, who met as volunteer computing teachers in Kenya realized the capacity of the web to help individual artisans. After three years in Kenya they came to the USA and setup Global Crafts, initially as a small Fair Trade retail store. It soon became apparent that to sell in volume and change the lives of the artisans, the wholesale business would have to grow.
Starting in a garage at home Global Crafts has become a $1 million a year outlet for Fair Trade artisan handicrafts. We look forward to continued growth in the next few years and hope we are making a small difference.

Green Turkey Day Tips

Turkey Day is almost here and every year I post plenty of do it yourself decorations, crafts and activities to green up your Thanksgiving. There are some tips I mention over and over because they are that important. Thanksgiving has become a holiday of gluttony and not thanks for anything in my opinion. Try really being thankful this year and try to give back to the earth.

1. Save the seeds from your dinner and plant them when you can. You can also include the dried and cleaned seeds in a holiday gift for people who attended your Thanksgiving. Give them something to remind them how thankful they should be. You should be thankful for those seeds, they gave you a great meal.  Maybe if properly cared for you can serve those very veggies at your next holiday meal.

2. STAY LOCAL! Get your produce from local farm stands or local grocers. This season for fall harvesting didn’t do that well for some fruits and veggies. I know by me apples took a hard hit locally. You want to keep your neighborhood from becoming a ghost town? You want to make sure you have places to spend your money near you than purchase from around you. Not at the chain places at the Mom and Pop places. Helping your community helps you.

3. Compost all of your leftovers. If you can’t give things away,eat them all or reuse them in other recipes compost them for your yard. No need to throw food into the trash. Depending on what we have I make yummy meals for our pets. I know I am thankful for them so I share to make sure they know it.

4. Use as little packaging and throw away utensils as possible. I personally don’t appreciate disposable items. Not because of their wastefulness but because I feel like you are telling your guests you don’t have the time for real utensils or that they aren’t worth it. I understand disposing is easy but you can put that much more effort into a meal you have slaved all day over and make it look that much nicer. Again, remember show your guests you are Thankful for them!

5. Conserve Energy where you can. Your house is going to obviously get hot with all of the cooking, eating and people in the near vicinity. Turn your heat down or off (depending on the temp. outside) and open some windows. Let’s not forget to not turn every light and electrical gadget on in the house the entire time. While people are cooking try to get people to go outside and be active. Don’t have multiple tv’s, video games and lights on in the house. Force your friends and family to spend time with each other. You will be thankful you saved on your bill the month before the real spending begins.

6. Potluck? I know some people take pride in cooking the whole meal but think of the time and energy everyone saves if they are in charge of bringing one or two things. Everyone gets to actually sit, relax and enjoy time with their friends and family. Try it, you might be thankful that you did!

7. NO TURKEY PLEASE!!! I can read off a ton of statistics about how horribly turkeys are treated and the processes but that isn’t going to make most of you listen. I don’t expect all of you to listen but I hope some do. There are plenty of delicious options to having turkey on your plate. The photo is Tofurkey which looks delish! You can go with other less traditional and or vegan dishes. Get creative. Just because it is called Thanksgiving aka Turkey Day doesn’t mean we can’t change it to Tofurkey Day. If they called it Horse day would we have to eat horse????