In the last few years particularly, I have found myself easily spending €50 to €70 per week on my daily lunch. If you eat your lunch out every day, you might not realise just how much it is costing you. A soup, sandwich and a drink doesn’t give much change from €10! I very much doubt I would spend that same amount if I pepared these lunches at home!

If you take this saving and calculate what you could put away over a 5 year period, it equates to quite a tidy sum!! Perhaps the Take your Lunch to Work campaign can take over from the heady days of SSIA schemes!!

I admit, taking your homemade lunch takes a little bit more organisation, but once you get in to the habit of it, it′s both financially rewarding and generally much tastier and satisfying!! My first tip is to invest in some good reusable containers and perhaps a flask if you fancy a hot drink – this also makes sure you′re cutting down on waste – so it′s a double whammy!!!

I already hear some of you groan at the memory of the soggy tomato sanger at the school lunch break!! But fear not, there is so much more choice there now!! Fill you lunch box with some fresh cut bread and a slice of parma and brie, and you have an epicurean feast to compare with the best deli in town!! I personally love to make a bowl of pasta twirls every few days, keep them in the fridge and use them to make a different pasta salad each day (you can′t beat tuna, sweetcorn & a good dollop of low fat mayo!).

Also don′t forget leftovers, this is definitely the easiest way to organise your take to work lunch. This is the easiest way to make your lunch: just make extra dinner the night before. Nearly every office has a microwave oven and you will be happy to have a bowl of last night’s beef stew, which will probably taste even better than it did right from the oven. Other leftovers don’t even need to be re-heated, such as poached salmon or a piece of cold chicken. By planning ahead you can steam some extra broccoli, saute an extra chicken breast, add another sweet potato to the oven, or boil some eggs while dinner is on the stove.

Two other suggestions that I think important, if you want this to work for you – firstly, just because you bring your own lunch doesn’t mean you shouldn’t really enjoy what you’re eating. Prepare and eat meals that you will look forward to eating and you won’t feel hard-done by nor be tempted to toss your homemade food in exchange for a slice of pizza.

Finally, even if you don’t have to leave the office to buy your lunch, give yourself a break. Take your lunch, and a friend, with you to a park bench, or do a quick visit to a nearby museum, browse in a bookstore, or just walk around the town. We need our lunch breaks not only to refuel our bodies but also our minds! So come on, join me Save money, Eat Better and Get Greener!!!

No, GreenMe are not advocating a slovenly lifestyle, just encouraging you to take it outside!! Cancelling your gym membership will not only save you money, it will also lower your carbon footprint!!

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I came across sweet almond oil when a friend of mine put together a hamper of organic skin products straight from the health shop .  To be honest I was dubious, as I think when it comes to skincare, you get what you pay for.

However the claim that it doubles up as a moisturiser and a makeup remover won be over (convenience is also very high on my list of priorities). The fact that I happened to tune in to one of those UK makeover shows when the make-up artist announced that almond oil is her one can’t do without make-up bag staple also helped. (more…)

This time of the year we are loath to open windows in fear of Jack Frost invading our homes.  This can often lead to a musty or stale air environment.

While we are not advocating that you keep all windows and doors closed throughout the whole winter, we do realise that anything more that 10 minutes airing per day is often as much as our senses will allow us bear.

So to counter any nasty stagnant air invading your home we recomment the age old redemy of using vinegar and lemon, or a bowl of baking soda to absorb odours.  Tea tree, eucalyptus and lavender, mixed with spring water will scent the room and lift your mood.

If you’re just too lazy to mix any of those concoctions Ecover’s Rosegarden Room Fragrance comprises as glass jar, plant based oils and porous sticks that exude scent for weeks. Check out our home and household section for suppliers of this and more eco home products.

It never fails to amaze me that no matter how good my intentions, I still spend the last 4 weekends in the lead up to Christmas on the batter.  Whether it′s work related, partner related or family and friend related there always seem to be a plethora of dinners, parties or shindigs to attend. (more…)

When old man winter comes knocking at our door,  as he most certainly has today, I start to think about keepping warm.  Inevitably, I want that to be as cost effective as possible but also as environmentally friendly as possible.  Thankfully staying warm and green on those long, winter nights without seeing your monthly bills skyrocket as the temperature falls in not out of the question.

A good place to start is checking for drafts coming from the doors and windows. Look to see if the caulking or weather stripping is damaged. If it is damaged or even destroyed, replace it immediately.

When replacing old weather stripping or caulking, it is important to remove it thoroughly before placing the new materials onto your windows and doors.

Another good tip for preventing drafts from your windows is to hang thick curtains, preferably lined ones.  Draw the curtains closed during the evening and night hours. Open them to the warmth of the sun during the daytime hours.

Additionally, you can also invest in a draft excluder for the bottom of your door to prevent drafts from entering your home. Ideally, you should follow this strategy at night when the air is typically at its coldest and the draft excluder will be less of an inconvenience.

If ther draft is really bad you may consider replacing old, outdated windows and doors. Replacing energy-inefficient windows and doors with energy-efficient windows and doors will save on heating costs. Plus, they should not require annual bouts of caulking and weather stripping.

Although this type of home improvement can be expensive, most home improvement stores offer sales throughout the year – with the downturn in construction there are some really good deals to be made at the moment. In addition, discontinued styles are often sold at cost or close to cost just so the manufacturer can make room for new merchandise. This type of home improvement can raise the market value of your home, while also lowering your utility bills at the same time.

Another money-saving strategy for the winter is to purchase and install programmable thermostats in each room where it is possible to do so. Programmable thermostats can help to reduce the cost of heating your home. They can be set to lower the temperature during the times throughout the day and evening when you do not need the heat. This strategy saves on energy use and cost.

Another money-saving strategy is to replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. If you simply cannot do away with all of your incandescent bulbs, replace the ones that you can afford to replace. Fluorescent bulbs use less energy, and this fact can be particularly important in the winter months when lights are needed more frequently.

Finally, if at any time you intend to replace any of your appliances, purchase replacements that feature the Energy Star® logo. They really do use less energy and save you money in the process. During peak periods of winter energy use, you will be glad that you replaced your old, outdated hot water heater, furnace, or oven with an energy-efficient model.

It is important to follow as many of the above strategies as you can in order to exercise winter energy conservation. After all, what is the point of staying indoors if you can’t snuggle up?

source: www.eco-wisdom.com

Householders are being urged to improve the quality of the material they put in their recycling bins as contamination is dramatically reducing its commercial value.

That is the theme of this year’s Recycling Week, which starts today.

The initiative is organised by Repak, the industry-funded group focused on improving recycling rates.

Repak wants the public to recycle more and recycle better, particularly in the bathroom where half of plastic bottles are thrown out.

People are being urged to wash out items such as food cans, because if they contaminate the other recyclables it will dramatically reduce their value.

According to a Repak study, 60% of people do not rinse out things such as wine bottles.

They place them directly into the recycling bin, where they can render all of the other materials worthless.

High-grade recycled products are deemed essential in the current depressed global market, because prices have collapsed.

For more information and tips on better recycling practice – http://www.recyclemore.ie/repak_recycling_week?gclid=COuSkLmIup0CFaAA4wodDhXUiQ

Via: www.rte.ie

Precycling is trying to reduce waste by “pre-thinking” our purchases. While recycling is, of course, a positive thing, it still requires energy to transport the materials, melt them down and then re-manufacture items. Precycling tries to avoid the amount of stuff that gets chucked into landfills AND the recycling bin to begin with.

Here are some tips:

Buy in bulk, avoid individually wrapped items.
Buy items that come in recyclable packaging instead of non-recyclable.
Avoid junk mail.
Use a computer instead of reading “real” magazines and newspapers.
Bring your own utensils with you instead of using plastic ones.
Use cloth handkerchiefs and napkins.
And lets not forget to continue to reduce and reuse as much as you can.

I am setting out to write this blog when I am hungry.  So inevitably it is going to be about good.  And even before I start to write I have decided what supper is going to be tonight! Staring from it’s lonely perch on my kitchen worktop is a slightly stale ciabatta loaf.

There was a time when dishes made from slightly stale bread was thrifty.  Now it’s fashionable!

However, in order to follow this fashion trend your bread needs to be of a certain quality that avoids the mass produced bleached variety.

What I’m talking about is a traditional well made loaf that has that baked in the over feel to it!

Stale is such a harsh word. It eludes to the offending bread no longer being edible.

Let me make my case, by sharing this mouthwatering fashionable but more importantly eco concious meal idea with you.

Panzanella

This tuscan salad (do not be put off by the word salad – this is really substantial) is a real treat which I usually leave for Friday night treat!  Really good chill out food.

I originally got this recipe from a now treasured pressie – one of my favourite cookbooks ; Something for the Weekend by Simon Rimmer

Ingredients

1kg/2lb 2oz fresh plum tomatoes (do not try this salad without good tomatoes – we are still in good tomato season until the end of September)
2 red peppers, skinned, seeds removed
2 yellow peppers, skinned, seeds removed
1 small red chilli, seeds removed, chopped
100g/3½oz capers, rinsed and drained
12 large green olives
1 ciabatta loaf (preferably stale)
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
5 garlic cloves, crushed
250ml/9fl oz extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, to garnish

Method

1. Skin the tomatoes by cutting a shallow cross into the bottom of each, then plunge them into boiling water for about 30 seconds.
2. Carefully transfer the tomatoes into a bowl of iced water. The skins should then peel off easily.
3. Cut each tomato into quarters, scoop out the seeds and place into a sieve over a bowl.
4. Press the seeds and pulp through the sieve to release the juice into a bowl. Put the tomato quarters into a separate bowl.
5. Cut each of the skinned red and yellow peppers into eight pieces and add to the tomato quarters.
6. Add the chilli, capers and olives.
7. Tear the ciabatta into large chunks and place into a separate bowl.
8. Add the vinegar, garlic and oil to the sieved tomato juice. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk well to combine.
9. Pour the tomato juice mixture over the ciabatta pieces and leave to soak for an hour.
10. Add the tomato quarters and peppers mixture to the soaked ciabatta and garnish with the basil leaves.
11. Serve in a large salad bowl and enjoy with friends and family!

And on that note, I must now sign off and tuck in!!

Click here to see Ethical Paddy on the campaign trail

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