Between the environmental impact and having an allergic cat, I have always been hesitant of dryer sheets, even when they are all-natural and biodegradable.

As we have mentioned before, the most eco-friendly way to dry your clothes is to hang them outside in the sun. However, when there is snow on the ground or you are without a yard, line-drying is a bit difficult. For me, the next best thing are Dryer Balls. They are available in most stores and not only eliminate any of the ingredients that come with dryer sheets, but they also shorten drying time (which saves on energy) and “fluff up” the clothes you are drying (which means less ironing!).

It’s true that some are made from PVC, which is not an environmentally-friendly material, however you can also find some that are PVC-free (such as these from Nellie’s All-Natural) or you can make your own wool alternative. Some even say that tennis balls do the trick just as well.

Whatever material you choose, I definitely recommend giving dryer balls a try. You may be surprised to find that they will save you time, energy, money (on buying dryer sheets) and allergic reactions.

I first discovered the Big Girls, Small Kitchen web site when I was searching for a unique squash recipe and what a find it was! In their own words, “Big Girls, Small Kitchen is a food and recipe guide for twenty-something cooks looking for user-friendly, affordable ways to navigate their kitchens.” I now regularly check the site for unique recipes for all culinary skill-levels. (I’m also a sucker for great food photos!)

Whether you are looking for something sweet, salty, savory or satisfying, Big Girls, Small Kitchen will have something for you. And congrats to Phoebe and Cara on the upcoming book!

Over the holidays I went home to visit my Mom and she had cooked up some wonderful Italian beef sandwiches that we used to have all the time when I was growing up.  So when I was in Whole Foods this morning and saw that they are now carrying grass-fed beef I immediately called my Mom for that recipe.  I knew it was a crock pot recipe but had no idea how easy it would be to make - just 3 ingredients in a crockpot!

Crockpot Italian Beef

Put the following ingredients into a crockpot and cook on high for approximately 6 hours (or until the beef shreds easily with forks):
-approximately 2 lbs of a shoulder roast (trim a little of the fat from the sides)
-1/2 cup juice from a jar of pepperoncinis (I used Hungarian medium hot peppers instead)
-1 package of dried Italian salad dressing seasoning (I used about 2 Tbsp. of a dried Italian herb mix)

Shred the roast with forks and serve with sliced pepperoncinis on a bun of your choice.

I’ve been using my crock-pot a little more lately  because it’s so nice to have a nice hot meal ready to serve when I get home from work on these colder days this time of year. Do you have a favorite healthy crock pot recipe? If so, we’d love to hear about it. Leave it in the comments or send us an email.

January is national soup month and there is no better time for it — especially here in the Midwest where we are experiencing a cold streak.

Here at Green-Lemonade.com, we love soup all year round and invite you to warm up with some of these soup recipes we have featured in the past.

• Cabbage and Carrot Soup
• Farmers Market Bread Soup
• Simple Miso & Mochi Soup
• Ginger Peanut Soup
• Tofu, Potato & Mushroom Stew
• Tomato Bisque
• Turkey Noodle Soup
• Mushroom Soup
• Apple Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Cilantro Chutney
• Simple Butternut Squash Soup
• Corn Chowder

And don’t forget, January 23 is National Soup Swap day!

This recipe was originally given to me by a friend and it’s become an old favorite that we’ve been making for years.  I love this version of meatloaf because it has a great flavor and  is a little healthier by incorporating better ingredients like turkey and oatmeal.  It does have a somewhat long cooking time but I promise that it’s worth it and it’s super quick to put together.

Turkeyloaf

Preheat the oven to 350.

First, make the tomato sauce by mixing the following in a small bowl:
6 oz. tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine (or water)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt

Add 1/2 cup of the sauce  to the following in a big bowl:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
1 cup oatmeal
1/3 shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 packet of Lipton herb flavored soup seasoning

Mix it all together with your hands and shape it into a loaf.  Place it in a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cover the loaf with the rest of your sauce. Bake for 15 more minutes.

This year, instead of doing our own Holiday Gift Guide here at Green-Lemonade.com, we thought we would instead point you towards some of our own favorite guides available online.

• You can always count on an extensive Gift Guide from Treehugger.com
• Inhabitat also has a neatly categorized guide that is full of great gift ideas.
• The Daily Green has plenty of different green gift ideas, including the 21 for under $21 Guide and the Safe Sustainable Toys for Kids.
• Sustainable is Good Holiday Guide has a short but good list.
• Design*Sponge has some eco-friendly gifts in the 50 gifts under $25, 40 gifts under $50 and the 45 products is under $100 guides.
• Design for Mankind’s Guide has numerous unique (and usually handmade) gifts. The best part is that you have a chance to win many of them on the site.
• Dooce is also filling her site with good gift ideas, many of which come from Etsy.com, which is sells handmade and vintage pieces.

And since some trends never go out of style, I have listed out our previous guides from years past.

Moms, Sisters, Girlfriends - 2007 | 2008
Dads, Brothers and Other Dudes - 2007 | 2008
Babies and Toddlers - 2007 | 2008
Kids and Teenagers - 2007 | 2008
Significant Others - 2007 | 2008
Pampered Pets - 2007 | 2008
Homemade Gifts - 2007 | 2008
Charitable Gifts - 2007 | 2008
Smaller Gifts for Whomever - 2007 | 2008
Last Minute Gifts - 2007 | 2008

Lastly, if you aren’t a fan of guides (or want to save on shipping), there are plenty of stores that surely you could stock up on gifts for more than just one recipient, such as Celery Street, VivaTerra and Branch.

Believe or not, we STILL have some delicata squash hanging around our counters. And while it was VERY tempting to make some more Inside-Out Ravioli, I decided to completely shift gears and try to make a salad instead. I found and followed a great recipe at Chow.com for a Roasted Delicata Squash Salad. I did make some changes though from the recipe posted online.

I used two shallots instead of one (since that plus the olive oil and vinegar make up the “dressing” and we seemed to need a little more than what the recipe called for). I also used Red Wine Vinegar instead of Sherry Vinegar. (Trader Joe’s didn’t have sherry vinegar and I didn’t feel like driving all over to find it.) The same was true with ricotta salata, so I used feta instead. (I didn’t add the Saba either.) And then instead of buying and using pumpkin seeds, I just roasted and used the delicata seeds instead. (They taste just as good!)

All in all, despite my variations, the salad was VERY tasty and I would have never thought of that combination without the Chow.com Recipe. This salad would be a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner addition as well. For those who want to add some greens to your feast, here are more last minute salad ideas for the Thursday meal. Happy Thanksgiving!

• Kale and Avocado Salad
• A Waldorf (Without) Salad
• Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
• “Beet This” Salad
• Traditional Spinach Salad

Basic Hummus

• 1 can of chickpeas
• 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of tahini
• couple shakes of ground cumin powder
• couple shakes of cayenne powder
• couple shakes of garlic powder (or 1-2 cloves)
• couple teaspoons of salt

Throw it all together in a food processor and add just a touch of water to get it all moving along nicely.  Puree to your desired consistency.  It’s lovely with fresh veggies or try it with some won ton chips.

There has been an abundance of Delicata squash at our house lately, and I was ready to try something new with this wonderful winter vegetable. I searched high and low for a recipe that was a unique main entree and hit the jackpot with this recipe for Inside-Out Squash Ravioli Pasta on the Big Girls, Small Kitchen web site. The result was a delicious and filling “comfort food” meal that we will be sure to make again. Next time, we will probably add a little less nutmeg, to better suit our personal tastes.

I have re-posted the recipe here below with the permission of Big Girls, Small Kitchen. Make sure to check out their site for more great recipes!

Inside-Out Squash Ravioli Pasta

1 18-0z winter squash
2 teaspoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch cayenne
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons cream
5-6 ounces pasta
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
Freshly ground pepper

Bring about an inch of water to the boil in a large stockpot. Cut the squash into large wedges and remove the seeds. Arrange in a steamer basket. Steam for 8-12 minutes, until the squash is very tender. Remove the steamer basket and let the squash cool so you can handle it. Remove the flesh from the skin into a small bowl, then mash it well with a spoon.

Meanwhile, fill up the pot with water for pasta and start it boiling.

In a medium frying pan, melt the butter over very low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden, about 8 minutes. (Don’t raise the heat and try to rush this.) Add the cayenne, nutmeg, and salt.

Now, add the milk, cream, and mashed squash to the pan, stirring to smooth. Raise the heat slightly, bring to the simmer. Simmer over medium heat until reduced, about 7 minutes. When you reach this point, you can add your pasta to the boiling water, so it’ll be ready at the same time as the sauce.

When the sauce is reduced and the pasta done, reserve a 1/2 cup of pasta water, and drain the pasta. Add it to the simmering sauce, spooning in reserved water if necessary. Season with pepper and more salt to taste, then divide between two bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve. (Serves 2)

Holiday shopping season is quickly approaching and while we have had gift guides in past years, I certainly think that you can’t go wrong with doing a little holiday shopping at Etsy.com.

I have made more than a few Etsy purchases in the past, including this sunglasses case made from plastic bags, this calendar printed on recycled paper, and just today I treated myself to a pair of stunning vintage earrings. Needless to say, I plan on doing some Christmas shopping at Etsy as well.

Esty.com can also be a very eco-conscious shopping destination. You will find tons of recycled and “upcycled” pieces, such as this clock and these arm warmers. In addition to plenty of handmade items, there are also quite a few vintage finds, from the fun to the fabulous.