High Tea, Low Impact: Throw a Green Tea Party

The return of Downton Abbey to the states has sparked a trend for all-things British. While not everyone can visit Highclere Castle, the setting for the ITV/PBS series, holding a high tea is the next best way to bring a little bit of Britain into your home. (If you aren't a fan of the hit drama then keep in mind that January is National Hot Tea Month and there's no better way to celebrate your favorite beverage.)

Adding a green touch to your next tea party is an enterprising idea that even the Dowager would approve of. Here are some ways you can do it: 

The Tea  

To party in true Grantham style, be selective about what tea you serve. Look for organic and fair trade labels when choosing a blend. See if there is a tea maker near you or make your own mix. 

There are a multitude of other ways to green your tea choices, like buying loose-leaf and composting used tea leaves. 

The Sandwiches

Tea sandwiches don't have to be so last season. Spice up the classic cucumber with local greens that are in season, like arugula, watercress, or dandelion greens. A simple egg-salad can be made with free-range eggs, or for a vegan option, try tofu and Vegenaise. 

Make your plate even more special by using gluten-free bread or making it yourself (but don't let Mrs. Patmore know you were in the kitchen). 

8 Transformative Staycation Ideas

Traveling takes time and money, not to mention the waste it produces. Staycations have grown increasingly popular in the past few years, and it’s no secret that staying at home is a greener option than increasing congestion on roads or hopping on a plane. Plus, when you’re vacationing at home, you can go anywhere you’d like. So whether you’re held captive inside your home due to a snow monster rampage (hi, polar vortex) or simply opting for a greener vacation, here are eight different worlds to transform your living room.

1. Island paradise

Break out leftover ribbon to make these DIY leis and infuse the room with native music from your favorite islands, or simply the sound of crashing waves. Turn a room into a cabana by bringing lawn chairs inside and placing them on tarps. Keep the island fusion going through dinner with a warm bowl of asopao de pollo and Caribbean spice cake.

2. The big blue

Whether you live on the coast or 100 miles from water, it’s easy to bring the ocean into your home. Make a faux-aquarium in your sink with underwater-inspired toys and save broken or leftover paperware from the recycling bin by decorating with hanging paper bowl jellyfish and paper plate fish. For a laugh-filled evening, make portraits of one another in fish form and hang them on the walls. Later, go with the flow and hold a viewing of Finding Nemo (2003) while chowing down on starfish-shaped sandwiches and seaweed salad.

3. Camping country

7 Gluten-Free Bread Bowl Alternatives

During winter, you may find you have less motivation to add zing to your usual recipes, leading to a terrible food rut. But this winter will be different! Whether you partake in a gluten-free diet or not, these creative bread bowl alternatives will bring any dish to the next level. Use these different foods as bowls for soup, eggs, or salads, and kick off 2014 on a particularly gastronomic note.

Bell pepper: Bell peppers are a great way to add some color and flavor to any meal, and now you can use one as a bowl. One of the more popular ideas in the blogosphere is a red pepper egg-in-a-hole, but if that doesn't immediately strike your fancy, try using it as a vibrant container for egg or chicken salad. This delicious vegetable is a perfect match for a flavorful veggie stir fry as well.

Coconut: Half a coconut is a wonderful option for an easy, sturdy bowl. Try filling it with this coconut curry turkey rice soup for a harmonious meal. For those of you with a particularly prominent sweet tooth, use the coconut as a bowl for ice cream or sorbet. In the morning, you'll find this is also a great flavor-infuser for granola with yogurt or milk.

Squash: Any kind of squash is an ideal bowl for soup on a cold night. If you're really squash-crazed, pick out a butternut squash or pumpkin soup to accompany your vegetable bowl.

3 Hot Recipes for National Soup Month

This month, soup lovers will rejoice in the one time of year when their passion is finally regarded nationwide. January is National Soup Month, and we plan to celebrate to the fullest. Not only is soup relatively easy to make, it is also extremely versatile, making it a great way to break out of a winter food rut. We’ve searched the web to find three tantalizing soup recipes that will bring your taste buds out of hibernation.

 

 

Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili

9 Sacrifice-Free Resolutions

For the past couple of years, we've given you tips and tricks to make your New Year's resolutions last and even provided a list of resolutions to accomplish in the next 24 hours. But for some of us, New Year's goals are viewed as an unpleasant sacrifice where one swears off chocolate or BuzzFeed. The problem is that people tend to dislike giving up what they enjoy, which leads to the demise of well-intentioned resolutions. For those of you who want a sense of achievement without the suffering, we've listed nine resolutions that don't ask you to leave behind anything you would rather keep around.

1. Add local, organic, seasonal foods to your diet. This doesn't mean you can only eat foods that satisfy these requirements -- instead, think of this as an excuse to try out more tantalizing recipes that rely on eco-friendly foods. If you don't know where to start, look up organic farms in your area to see if any participate in community supported agriculture, a program that rewards you with fresh, seasonal produce each week of the farming season.

Recipe: Vegan Matzah Ball Soup

As a child of mixed religions, my mother brought her culture to all special family days. This meant that I grew up having matzah ball soup on Hanukkah and Thanksgiving (and Christmas and Easter). Matzah ball soup was and continues to be something that comforts me when I'm sick, connects me with my mother, and links me to my family's history. When I went vegan, I knew I had to make a version of my grandmother's special recipe. After the "once in a lifetime" event of Hanukkah falling on Thanksgiving, it seemed only right to share it. Enjoy, shalom, and thanks!

Matzah Ball Soup

Give Green, Fight Waste, Make Change

Black Friday has made the news in recent years for the frenzied and sometimes dangerous enthusiasm it incites in the nation’s most devoted shoppers, many of whom gather outside malls and big box stores as soon as they’ve downed their turkey. But the Environmental Protection Agency gives us another reason to think twice about having participated in the biggest shopping day of the year: the estimated 25 percent increase in household waste in the United States between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. That translates to about 1 million extra tons of gift wrapping and product packaging (including those endlessly frustrating plastic blister packs in which all electronics are packaged). A number of groups have come together to fight the waste that seems to come hand in hand with the Black Friday, claiming the holiday week for less wasteful and more sustainable causes. Here are a couple ways to give sustainably this month: 

5 Outdoor Activities to Beat Holiday Stress

The holidays often bring families together, which can be both a wonderful and an extremely stressful thing. If you're anticipating a full house of stir-crazy relatives this Thanksgiving, plan a moment to give everyone some much-needed breathing room and get outdoors. Younger family members can run off some energy and adults can work up an appetite with these outdoor activities perfect for your holiday celebration. However you celebrate, take a minute to step outside this Thanksgiving (if only to avoid your grandmother asking for the fifth time why you aren't married yet). 

"Turkey Trot": Many cities host annual Thanksgiving walks or runs to benefit charity. These events are a perfect opportunity to get outdoors and give to others. Most have kids' races as well, so the whole family is welcome. 

4 Awesome Ways to Prepare Squash

Most people make the mistake of only using squash for decoration. But squash, which come in loads of unique varieties, are a lot more versatile than you think. With the holidays right around the corner and loads of different kind of squash in season, it is definitely the right time to learn some new ways to prepare these crazy veggies.

These simple squash creations should have you appreciating gourds a lot more, and they might even help you spice up your traditional holiday feasts with some new food classics.

As always, if you know any other awesome, crazy, or unique ways to prepare squash, make sure to let us know in the comments.

3 Easy Vegan Pies for the Holidays

With multiple vegan dessert books under her belt, including Easy as Vegan Pie: One-of-a-Kind Sweet and Savory Slices (Skyhorse, 2013), which includes over 100 recipes, it is pretty safe to say that Hannah Kaminsky knows a thing or two about pies. So with the holiday season on our heels, we asked Kaminsky to share some of her favorite recipes for vegan pie creations. She even threw in a simple crust recipe, which we put at the bottom of this post. Pretty sweet...

Cran-Cherry Impossible Pie