What to do with stale bread?

Certain breads can go stale really quickly, and sometimes you just don't get around to eating it in time. So here are some suggestions on what to do with stale bread...

• Italian-style bread: Make croutons! This recipe also works well for French bread or baguettes of any kind. Toast the bread for 5-10 minutes (until brown), and, once cool, chop the bread into crouton-size chunks. Arrange the chunks in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and spices, and bake at 350 Farenheit for about 10 minutes per sheet. Voila! You've got homemade croutons! (I made these yesterday using fresh rosemary and thyme, and the croutons were delicious! I served them over creamy tomato kale soup with a little cheese sprinkled on top - these bowls were a delicious, filling meal all by themselves!)
• Pita-style bread: Make chips! This recipe works for tortillas, too. You don't need to pre-toast the pitas or tortillas, just cut or tear them into pieces first. Make sure that the pieces are only one layer each (not opening like a shell but flat like a pancake). Drizzle the pieces with olive oil and spices, bake at 350F for about 10 minutes, and you've done it! (I've made these pita chips several times, and they're always a hit! They are super-easy to make out of mini pitas especially, and great when served with hummus or tabouleh.)
• Any kind of bread: French Toast! The way I make French Toast is to mix 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 tsp. nutmeg in a large bowl together. This mixture is usually good for 3-4 slices of bread depending on the type of bread. I put plenty of butter or oil into a pan and fry the toast until is light brown on each side. Serve with homemade maple syrup and it's breakfast-dessert! (I sometimes use a sweetener in the mixture before frying the bread. I made this recipe last weekend, multigrain bread swetened with a pinch of raw brown sugar on each side of bread, served with warm pears and maple syrup - it made our Saturday divine!)
• Any kind of bread: Bread Pudding! I have never personally made bread pudding, but I have a British friend who makes it all the time, and it is wonderful. Here are a couple recipes I found online that sound delicious:  British Bread & Butter Pudding, and Amish Bread Pudding.
• Any old bread: Feed the ducks! (Unless there are signs asking you not to, that is.) If you live near a lake or pond where ducks or geese live, take a walk near the water and share your stale bread with them. They'll love it!

Save Green by Going Green Tip #3

Our next money-saving/planet-saving tip is...      Tip #3:  Make Your Own Rags

Making your own rags gives you something to do with all those old tee-shirts you were going to trash, and it saves trees!  Instead of using paper towels, use homemade rags to wipe up spills and messy counters.  An average family could save more than $100.00 per year by making the switch from paper towels to cloth rags.  Below I've listed a few times when rags could be used instead of paper towels.

• Wiping down countertops
• Cleaning up spills
• In place of paper napkins
• Dusting
• Cleaning the shower/bathroom
• Wiping off wet dog feet
• Wiping off messy boots/shoes

Follow this Link to see where I found the cost analysis on paper towels versus cloth.
Follow this Link to read a great New York Times article on paper towel use.

Be sure to check back with us to read more tips on How to Save Green by Going Green, and lots of other cool Green topics!

Save Green by Going Green Tip #2

Tip #2:  Reuse Containers

I know lots of people who wash out their nice, relatively new Tupperware sets and reuse those every time, and these same people sometimes miss valuable reuse-ing opportunities.  Most food items we purchase at the grocery store nowadays come packaged in containers of some sort, whether it be bottles, tubs, jars, or resealable bags.  All of these containers can be reused!  Just wash them out like you would a Tupperware container and use it again!  When you buy pre-packaged foods, be sure to look for foods packaged in glass instead of plastic, as the carbon footprint of producing glass is a lot smaller than that used to produce plastic (plus, glass containers hold up to washing better than most plastics).  Below I've listed a few types of containers that you probably see every day.  You can wash and reuse these products, save yourself money, and save the environment, too!

• Glass Jars (Great for dry goods, and can also be made into cups!  Remember Grandma's Jelly Jar Glasses? Can also be used for arts and crafts, to store hand-mixed paint or beads. We sometimes make food gifts and give them packaged in re-used glass jars with a piece of fabric or paper tied on top.)
• Glass Bottles (Useful for everything from olive oil to maple syrup - if you buy a large bulk tin of either, you can reuse a smaller glass bottle to store in the kitchen instead. Wine bottles also make great lights or candles. For lights, stuff the wine bottle with Christmas lights and tie a bow around the neck of the bottle. For candles, just stick a taper into the wine bottle opening and let the wax drip down the sides.)
• Resealable Plastic Bags (Good for smaller items and also for airplane travel. Also great for disposing of smelly or messy items, like paint supplies, or dog or baby mess.)
• Plastic Tubs (These can be used for pretty much everything, from leftovers to dry goods.  Just don't put them in the microwave!)
• Paperboard Boxes (These boxes can be used for storage, especially for messy things like art supplies and kids’ craft supplies. Also, these boxes can be used to make all sorts of arts and crafts themselves! Cut out a rectangle and write a postcard on the back, or cut out a shape for a tree ornament. Save trees while decorating them, too!)

All in all, most of us are doing our best to try to go green but make sure we're thrifty with our dollars, too. Stay tuned to this blog to find out more tips on both!

(Be sure to check out this link to the Ecology Center to see where I got some of my facts about Plastic vs. Glass.)

Save Green by Going Green!

We all like to save money, and most of us want to save the planet, too. For those of you who, like me, want to save both, here are some tips…

Tip #1:  Shorter Showers
Everyone knows conserving water is good for the environment, but what we don't always remember is that conserving water is also great for our wallets!  You can conserve water in multiple ways, so if you love your long, hot showers, don't worry - there's more than one option here.  Below, I've listed a few ways to conserve water in your home.  Whether you rent or own, these are great ways to rein in on your water bill and start saving money.

• Shorter Showers  (Not only is this good for water conservation, but it's also great for energy conservation.  You may cut down on your overall water useage, but you'll definitely cut down on Heated Water useage. Plus, I've heard it's better for your hair if you only wash it every 2-3 days. So cut down on shower time and stock up on shiny tresses.)
• Fewer Washes  (You can either wait to wash more items in one larger wash instead of two smaller washes, or you can hand wash some items which would otherwise go in a Mini load with one or two other items.  Just be sure to fill that washer when you can!)
• And the Kitchen Sink!  (If the dishwasher isn't full, don't run it!  I know we all want clean dishes and don't want to have to wait, but it's worth it.  Hand-washing dishes takes just as little time if there are only a few dishes, and conserves so much water.)
• Soak It Up (Soaking dishes in a small plastic tub can reduce the grease and food particles stuck to the dishes, thus greatly reducing the amount of water is sprayed out of the faucet to wash that same dish. The faucet uses much more water per second that a tub does, and this goes for the bathroom, too. Take a bath if you can, instead of a shower. It's relaxing and saving all at once.)