Going Green In your Kitchen

My next few posts will be about different ways to make each room of your home more environmentally friendly with out breaking the bank. I'm going to start with the kitchen. It is said that the kitchen is the heart of the home and having a green heart (not literally ewww) is a great place to start.

1. Composting ...... Take those table scraps, vegetable peels, coffee grinds, that half a glass of juice the kids left on the table... ect and compost them. I even have a video at the bottom of my blog to help you out. All you really need is a small bin with a lid in the kitchen and a bottomless bin in the back yard. Take the left overs out at the end of the day and dump them in the bin in the yard. Rinse the Kitchen container and dump the water in the compost to keep it moist. Add some leaves, grass clippings, shredded newspaper or even shredded bills (only add those if you know what kind of ink is used. You want soy based ink. You should be able to find out with a quick call) Turn your compost once a week to allow air to flow through it soon it will look like rich dark soil.
2. Check out your local farmers market and buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Don't know which produce is in season check out http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/eatseasonal/ Here you can find whats in season when and put in your zip code to find stores and farms near you.
3. Get an aerator for your kitchen faucet and cut your water usage in half.
4. When using your dishwasher let your dishes air dry to save electricity.
5. When every possible use a toaster oven or slow cooker which uses less electricity then an oven and doesn't heat up the house as much. (think less air conditioner use)
6. Drop the soda habit. Ok Ok I know this will be hard for some people. But soda is just plain unhealthy. Regular soda is a sugar overload and diet soda is a chemical nightmare. Plus no need to recycle the cans if they are not in your house to begin with. That aluminum can be use to make something more useful.
7. If you use baking soda in your fridge and freezer reuse it when you replace it by pouring it down your sink followed by a cup of vinegar. It will help keep your pipes clean and fresh.