Steps in process:

Re-do office room with the new paint from HD

compost or mulch all grass clippings

make more garden space- productive vegetables-

eliminate red meat

cook meatless meals at least three days a week(suggestions?)

working from home - cut gas bill in half

bought 5 bags of lump charcoal, all natural hardwood.  this stuff is great!!! less propane

cook up extra to save cooking gas

bought the toshiba sattelite laptop, energy star rated.

any other suggestions?

njtomatoguy - 24 April 2008 03:03 PM

compost or mulch all grass clippings

I’d recommend mulching.  I have the most vigorous lawn in the area, and I never fertilize, because I just let the clippings fall where they are cut.  It’s not as “pretty” as grooming them away, but I literally have never fertilized.

njtomatoguy - 24 April 2008 03:03 PM

make more garden space- productive vegetables-

Most definitely.  There are lots of food-producing or medicinal plants that are also attractive to look at.  We only plant “useful” plants here, and have been replacing existing purely-decorative plants as they die.  In a value-per-acre equation, herbs (medicinal or culinary) are better than vegetables.

njtomatoguy - 24 April 2008 03:03 PM

cook meatless meals at least three days a week(suggestions?)

Quinoa is a very useful grain.  Variations on hummus are also interesting.  You can flavor the basic bean-puree in any of a variety of ways, which don’t actually have to be even vaguely Mediterranean.  I have a recipe somewhere for a garbanzo-bean-based pasta sauce that tastes very similar to vodka sauce, but with no cow dairy.

njtomatoguy - 24 April 2008 03:03 PM

working from home - cut gas bill in half

And makes a good percentage of your household expenses tax-deductible, to boot.

njtomatoguy - 24 April 2008 03:03 PM

any other suggestions?

Black boxes.  Those little transformers that everything uses.  Cordless phone base stations, cell phone chargers, laptop chargers, etc. etc. etc.

Each one is a small drain, but add up all those transformers just sitting there plugged-in all the time, and the waste adds up.  Unplug what you don’t need.

TV’s and VCR’s and such also waste power even when they are “off.” A power strip solves that, assuming you don’t have to re-program things every time you power-cycle them, like with some older equipment.

LCD displays (TV,s’ computer monitors, etc.) draw less power and produce less radiation than older CRT displays.

Joe

As far as food goes try cooking pastas with your fresh vegetables, Look into cooking Thai food they use alot of peanuts and peanutbutter which is a good source of protein to substite meat, all beans are good sources of protein. Rice is also a good medium to put fresh vegetables in. Your food will cook much faster with the Hardwood lump coal it put out a tremendous amount of heat compared to NG and Propane. This is a good source for recipes http://www.epicurean.com/. Happy cooking.

Spread the word far and wide that red meat is evil. Maybe sales will drop and steak won’t cost me so damned much.

thanks for the replies..

garden will be all production record breaking year.

i just unplugged old computer, cell charger, tv in spare room/office, and lowered cieling fan 1 speed.

i only have 2 light fixtures left that are not cfl.  one in the hallway=pita to change, and one in the kitchen-fan light combo that takes candelabra style bulbs.

BB- steak is cheeeeeep here in NJ- paid 1.88 lb for london broil and 3.09 for sirloin at the local grocery store.. pork is probably your cheap meat in VA.

The essence of green is separating wants from needs and living in harmony with other living things in a sustainable environment.

BrotherBart - 24 April 2008 04:19 PM

Spread the word far and wide that red meat is evil. Maybe sales will drop and steak won’t cost me so damned much.

Right on this one BB.  started buying the summer steaks a couple weeks ago whenever they are on sale. and putting them in the new freezer for summer bbq.  by the way, replacing our old freezer (40 years old). brought our elec bill down by 15 a month. it`s a fact cause we have had it since last april.  and real is real.

Also,we quit buying those cheap steaks (too many spit outs). now nothing but t-bones, or porterhouse.

I’m blessed with a buddy who is a butcher, I go cut my own, local stock a mile down the road. I’d die without a steak on the bbq every so often, although we do alot of fish and veges and fruit too. Actually, my kids are teaching me to eat better, although we did hit the White Castle yesterday on our ‘boys day off’ carp fishing trip. Haven’t felt quite right since.

i had a steak on the grill yesterday- have not been right all day today.

heard it takes a long time for the body to break down heavy animal protien like a steak.

in my experience, fish/chicken or pork seem easier on the system-just my opinion

Just fyi: it takes the body a week to digest meat. veggies only a day.  that said--give me steak any day of the week.  with veggies of course

sonnyinbc - 24 April 2008 09:39 PM

Just fyi: it takes the body a week to digest meat.

A week?  If your digestion is that slow, eat more fiber.

Joe

BrownianHeatingTech - 24 April 2008 10:39 PM

sonnyinbc - 24 April 2008 09:39 PM

Just fyi: it takes the body a week to digest meat.

A week?  If your digestion is that slow, eat more fiber.

Joe

From looking at your posts ya ain`t just eating, you`re smoking something.  And it`s Right red raw.

sonnyinbc - 24 April 2008 10:56 PM

From looking at your posts ya ain`t just eating, you`re smoking something.  And it`s Right red raw.

Sorry, I don’t smoke anything at all.

Bark up a different tree, little doggy…

Joe

BrownianHeatingTech - 24 April 2008 11:13 PM

sonnyinbc - 24 April 2008 10:56 PM

From looking at your posts ya ain`t just eating, you`re smoking something.  And it`s Right red raw.

Sorry, I don’t smoke anything at all.

Bark up a different tree, little doggy…

Joe

Funny ya say that--you are always the one advocating dog-eat dog!!

sonnyinbc - 24 April 2008 11:27 PM

Funny ya say that--you are always the one advocating dog-eat dog!!

Actually, that would be you.

I advocate cooperation and compassion, which is rather the opposite of “dog-eat-dog.”

Joe

eeehhh-hummm....Back on track now.

To the green thing, figure out ways to reduce yard work, and mowing (landscaping, etc.) Can, preserve, dehydrate your bounty from the garden.

To steak: yummmm.  Simply won’t go without it (sorry Craig).  As far as taking 5 days to digest...not sure about that one, but I can pretty much eat road kill, and don’t even need a tums.  Ugggaa buggga.