Archive for the ‘How Tos’ Category

• Ecover Wants To Share A Little Eco-Love!

  Date: 2012.02.13 | Category: How Tos | Response: 0

  

  Love is in the air with Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Ecover believes (as they sing in the Broadway musical Carnival) that love makes the world go ‘round … and while it would be pretty great if people took the time every day to tell others how important they are, there’s certainly nothing wrong with that extra-special effort on Valentine’s Day!

  Because Valentine’s Day usually involves sweet and some wonderful gifts, we thought we’d share some suggestions for some sweet and sustainable options (for today or any day). Since chocolate is perhaps the number one choice for February 14^th (with over one billion dollars being spent on chocolate in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day!) we suggest you try fair trade or organic chocolate versions. And what about a bottle of organic wine for a great option…and if your loved one prefers a non-alcoholic or non-caloric token of affection, consider a massage or other holistic treatment. And even a donation to an environmental organization is a symbol of love that will have meaningful and lasting effects!

  If you’re a parent of a young child, you may be asked to provide cards or treats for your son’s or daughter’s class. One way to keep it green is to make cookie Valentines. Everyone loves cookies, they travel well to school (as opposed to, say, cupcakes) and they involve very little paper waste. A win all around!  Or make your own Valentines using recycled materials; cut out words from cards you received over the holidays or even use some old flashcards or playing cards—get creative!

  Ecover hopes you have a love-filled Valentine’s Day and are able to share your affection with friends, family or that special someone. And, if you keep it sustainable this year, you’ll feel pretty good about yourself too!

  Photo by Amydeanne via Flickr.com

   

• Ecover Finds That Beets Are Beautiful With Red Velvet Soup

  Date: 2012.02.03 | Category: Ecover, the business, How Tos | Response: 0

  

  When it comes to beets, many of us just don’t know how versatile and delicious they can be! The often under-appreciated beet packs a major nutritional punch: they’re rich in fiber, folate, iron, magnesium and a slew of vitamins. The foodies at Ecover suggest a recipe that will impress you with a creamy texture and stunning color – Kay Bushnell’s Red Velvet Soup. It makes for an irresistible combination and a great way to sneak more veggies into your diet. Seriously, this isn’t your grandfather’s borscht! So go ahead and try ‘em – you just might like ‘em!

  Ingredients:

  1 pound red beet (about 3 2-1/2″ beets)
  3 medium russet potatoes or 2 large potatoes
  2 cups beet cooking liquid
  1 cup soymilk OR rice beverage
  1 tablespoons cider vinegar
  1 tablespoon brown rice syrup OR sugar
  3 tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste)
  2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
  1/2 teaspoon pepper

  Directions:

  Scrub the beets and cut off most of the stalks, leaving 1 inch of stalks attached. Do not remove beet skins or thin root tails. Scrub the potatoes and place beets and potatoes in a large cooking pot. Cover the potatoes and beets with water, and boil them until they are tender, about 40 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove beets and potatoes from the pot, and set the red cooking water aside. Cool and peel the potatoes and beets, removing the thin beet root tails. Reserve 3/4 of one beet and slice it into julienne strips (matchstick-size strips). Place the remaining beets and all the potatoes in a blender or food processor along with about 2 cups of red cooking water. Blend until very smooth.

  Return the blended beets and potatoes to the cooking pot. Add the soymilk or rice beverage, vinegar, rice syrup or sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and julienned beets. Taste and adjust lemon juice and salt. Add more red cooking water if a thinner soup is desired. Heat gently and serve. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of thinly sliced chives or green onion.

  Yield: Makes 6-7 cups of soup.

  Recipe by Kay Bushnell © Copyright via Sierra Club.org
  Image by FotoDawg via Flickr.com

• Ecover Reminds Us That A Clean House Is A Safer House For Children With Allergies

  Date: 2012.01.27 | Category: How Tos | Response: 0

  

  At Ecover we know that allergies of all kinds are difficult and even dangerous to live with. Dealing with allergies can be particularly daunting for parents of young children who are faced on a daily basis with an allergen-filled world. The good news is that one of the best ways to keep children safe from allergens is to keep a clean home.

  Whether you’re trying to keep a bedroom free of dust mites or avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen, cleaning regularly and thoroughly can make a huge difference. For example, dusting and vacuuming routinely will help eliminate dust mites. In addition, using special covers for pillows and mattresses—and washing them frequently —helps keep dust mites at bay.

  When it comes to food allergies, families cannot be too careful. While some parents keep potentially dangerous foods out of the home completely, others follow strict protocols to make sure that an allergic child is not exposed to the offending food. Keeping a clean kitchen is a must. In addition to keeping foods with the allergen in a specific (and out-of-reach) place, precautions such as washing dishes thoroughly and cleaning counters often are just two ways to help ensure that work surfaces and serving items are safe for children with allergies.

  Of course, using ecological products like Ecover is a good choice too, our products have mild or unscented varieties. In fact, many of our laundry products have been dermatologically tested to be safe for sensitive skin. A clean house is a safer house for kids with allergies … and Ecover is happy to be here to help make that happen!

  

  Image by needoptic via Flickr.com

• Ecover Tantalizes the Palate with a Sustainable Delight from the City of Angels

  Date: 2012.01.06 | Category: How Tos | Response: 0

  

  Amidst a panorama of palm trees, ocean, skyscrapers and chic shops, Ecover  is thrilled to report that the sustainable food revolution is alive and well in Los Angeles! One of the “green culinary revolutionaries” is none other than Chef Victor Casanova of Culina Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

  The Culina was designed and built with materials such as reclaimed wood, and nature is the driving decorative element throughout the space…and the food is, well, simply sustainable! Here’s a great and tasty example for you to try out yourself –

  Panzanella Salad

  
  

  Ingredients:

  Rustic country loaf, exterior removed then cut into 1/2 inch dice
  3 heirloom tomatoes cut into ½ inch dice
  2 cups fresh ripe watermelon, cut into ½ inch dice
  ½ red onion, julienne
  ½ bunch basil, torn into ½ inch pieces
  ½ cucumber, cut into ½ inch half-moons
  4 oz. ricotta salata, coarsely grated
  4 vine-ripened tomatoes, passed through a food mill
  4 oz. DaVero Champagne Vinegar (can substitute)
  3 oz. DaVero Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Dry Creek Estate” (can substitute)
  Salt & pepper, to taste

  Directions:

  1.  Toast bread in preheated oven at 375°F, until well-colored but not brown.
  2.  Reserve bread.
  3.  Take the 4 vine-ripened tomatoes and pass through a food mill, then combine in mixing bowl with vinegar & oil.
  4.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.
  5.  Reserve vinaigrette.
  6.  In a large salad bowl, combine all ingredients;  toss well.
  7.  Season to taste.
  8.  Divide into 4 small salad bowls.

  Yield: Serves 4

  Note:  Pair that with passion fruit-infused iced tea or 100% organic Arabica coffee and dark chocolate truffles! 

  Photos via Travel.nationalgeographic.com (courtesy of Catherine Karnow) and Yourdailythread.com (courtesy of Culina Restaurant)

  Recipe via Culina Restaurant (courtesy of Chef Victor Casanova)

   

• Ecover Celebrates a Green New Year!

  Date: 2011.12.30 | Category: How Tos | Response: 0

  

  Happy Green New Year! Here’s a toast with organic champagne to all of our Ecover fans who are busy at home, and who work to live more sustainably, from recycling to making sustainable food choices, to using our nontoxic, plant-based products. You are on the front lines doing your part – taking care of your family – as well as the planet! So to kick off 2012, we offer a few favorite ideas (dare we say resolutions!) for helping you out at home.

  Ecover is passionate in our pursuit of innovative ways to make our business more sustainable – but these simple, super-practical strategies are just as useful for everyday life:

  • Stretch your organic food budget – It’s hard on the food budget to only purchase organic products, but Daily Green’s Dirty Dozen list of foods with the most pesticide residue can help you choose wisely.
  • Gas up sustainably – Carpooling, public transportation, biking … all are great ways to reduce gas usage, but let’s face it, driving is still a necessity for most of us. Here are 16 ways – some of them quite surprising – to get the most mileage from each fill-up.
  • Decorate with your own stuff – If you’re crafty, you’ll love these ideas. And even if you’re not, you may still be inspired to create a memory quilt out of those precious baby clothes that you can’t bring yourself to give away!
  • Pare down on packaging and waste – Lots of people are accustomed to separating trash and recyclables, but it’s also important to reduce the amount of waste left curbside. If you have a garden, consider composting your food scraps, and avoid products with excessive packaging.

  Best wishes to all, and here’s to an even more sustainable new year!

  Photo by Wandering Brit via Flickr.com

   

• A Festive Ecover Suggestion: Reuse Your Gift Wrap This Holiday Season

  Date: 2011.12.28 | Category: How Tos | Response: 0

  

  Can you believe that half of the paper consumed in the U.S. every year is used to wrap and decorate consumer products?!  We at Ecover hope you’ll help decrease the amount of paper tossed in the trash this holiday season by putting your gift wrap to good use. Check out these easy-breezy tips!

  The Gift that Keeps on Giving

  1.   Save your wrapping paper for reuse; if the paper has wrinkles, simply iron it on low heat.
  2.   Keep those ribbons, bows, gift bags and tissue. Ribbon can be re-curled using the edge of scissors to remove creases.
  3.   Torn paper can be saved and used as filler for the inside of gifts or gift bags.

  Other Nifty Ways to Reuse Gift Wrap

  1.    Cut wrapping paper into notepad sized pieces and use the back for scratch paper and grocery lists.
  2.    Reuse tissue paper to wrap fragile holiday items such as ornaments.
  3.    Reuse wrapping paper as the decorative background for scrapbooks or used to create decorative storage boxes.
  4.    Turn the wrapping paper inside out to cover your children’s books.

  Fun Winter Crafts for the Family

  1.   Create a Paper Holiday Wreath that can be used for years to come.
  2.   Make unique paper snowflakes.
  3.   Use the back of your wrapping as drawing paper for kids and fold the ends in on all sides to create a decorative border.
  4.   Make your own unique bookmarks by cutting a rectangle from an old cereal box and glue on the wrap. Punch a hole in the top and add a string or reused ribbon!

  We wish you happy, festive and recyclable season!

  Image courtesy of  Flickr

   

• Ecover’s Top Tips to Green Your Holiday Wrapping!

  Date: 2011.12.23 | Category: How Tos | Response: 0

  

  Oh, the inevitable but joyful task of wrapping gifts for the holidays! We know that traditional gift wrap can be terribly wasteful — to the tune of 4 million tons of waste during the Holidays – so here at Ecover we want to help this season; making it fun but with alternatives that are inexpensive, inventive, and more sustainable!

  1.) Use what you have: Brightly-colored magazines and newspapers, phone book or old calendar pages, brown bags, wallpaper, old maps, your child’s artwork – they all make great wrap. Old t-shirts, towels, and washcloths are perfect for odd-shaped gifts, too. (Secure open ends with a safety pin or knot!) You could even use an old potato-chip bag to wrap gifts! Really!

  2.) Box it up better. Your gifts will be stored safely in reusable boxes and jars. Jam and baby food jars are perfect for jewelry, bottles and tins are ideal for edible gifts.

  3.) Source trimmings from nature. Elements found in your own backyard or nearby park makes any wrapped gift look unique and organic. Forage for pinecones, red berries, branches, and bright leaves!

  4.) Get resourceful with embellishments. Use old ribbon, yarn, colored string and bakers twine to tie-up your gifts. Maybe have the kids draw or paint something special for the recipient on plain brown or white paper! Cut-outs from holiday cards make gifts pop!

  5.) Wrap better. Wrap a gift with a gift! Items like scarves, bath towels, hats, bowls and mugs are great paper alternatives. If you do want wrapping paper, get recycled craft paper or try gift wrap from some of these options:

  • Sheets of bamboo paper, Smock
  • Organic cotton bags, Lucky Crow 
  • Fabric wraps from Chewing the Cud made from organic cotton

  Happy Wrappingdays!

  Image by cuttlefish, via Flickr.com

   

• Ecover Wishes You A Chic and Elegant Holiday Party Season!

  Date: 2011.12.19 | Category: How Tos | Response: 0

  

  T’is the season for entertaining! Here at Ecover, we love a holiday party that spreads warmth and good cheer without leaving a mountain of waste behind. Luckily, celebrating sustainably never goes out of style…from your table décor to your front door, earth-friendly equalschic – and affordability too! Check out these great ideas for eco-friendly party planning.

  • Set the tone with green invitations – Sending online invitations is a great option. If paper is the more appropriate choice, look for 100 percent recycled, bleach-free or FSC-certified paper.
  • Table the disposables – It’s tempting to stock up on fancy paper plates and plastic cutlery if you’re entertaining a crowd, but white linen tablecloths and napkins, along with your good china, are more elegant and eco-friendly.  Supplement your collection with flea market finds or rentals as needed. Don’t shy away from mixing and matching; it just adds to your shabby-chic style!
  • Green your tabletop and mantle – Bringing in natural elements to decorate makes a beautiful statement. Use your imagination – and the colors you love. You needn’t feel compelled to festoon your house in red, green and gold or blue and silver! Try mixing dogwood, birch, curly willow, sumac, evergreens and artichokes, along with fruits, birds’ nests and ceramic birds. Here are some other creative ideas for transforming candles into interesting centerpieces and accents.
  • Grocery shop sustainably – Food, of course, takes center stage around the holidays. Look for locally grown produce, organically grown ingredients and sustainably caught seafood.
  • Don’t forget to adorn your entrance – A wreath made out of old neckties or corks? Why not! And we love the idea of placing an antique sled or pair of skis near the front door.

  Most of all, remember to take the time to enjoy the season with those you care about most! Happy holidays! 

  Photo by Michel Arnaud via Good Housekeeping

   

• Take Your Cooking Up a Notch — Get Your Geek On in the Kitchen!

  Date: 2011.12.14 | Category: How Tos, Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  

  Remember the classic baking soda volcano experiment? Just add vinegar and – voila – erupting lava! Cool and fun to do with kids, yes, but also evidence that your kitchen is a culinary laboratory where a little scientific know-how comes in handy. Especially when the recipe leaves you hanging, or you just want to try something new with whatever’s on hand.

  At Ecover, we’re proud of the science behind our products, so we’re also intrigued by the idea of exploring scientifically based cooking tips. Hey, we love to eat, too! And when you think about it, every recipe is a controlled experiment involving a teaspoon of this and tablespoon of that….it’s a brave soul who goes rogue with hungry people waiting to eat. We say go for it, but be armed with information that many cookbooks don’t give you!

  

  For instance, have you ever wondered about the secrets to browning – getting that golden crust on freshly baked bread? We can thank the “Maillard Reaction.” When baking bread, sugars are reduced by heat and react with amino acids in the dough. Baked goods with sugar substitutes don’t participate in the Maillard Reaction and therefore won’t brown, so substitute at your own risk! Speaking of substitutions, check out this great comprehensive list that you can put to good use.

  Are you more curious? The Internet makes it easy to brush up on the “molecular art of grilling” or the “science of sugar,” as well as plenty of other kitchen science topics. Or generate fascinating dinner conversation with common kitchen myths! Who knew a box of baking soda in the fridge doesn’t absorb odors after all?

  Have fun testing your newfound knowledge, and may all your kitchen experiments be deliciously successful!

  Image 1 by rittyrats, via www.flickr.com
  Image 2 by Minimalist Photography, via www.flickr.com 

• What’s in Your Mascara? Ecover Has an Eye On It!

  Date: 2011.12.09 | Category: How Tos | Response: 0

  

  Lush and lengthy lashes – every gal wants ‘em, and many of us rely on mascara to get the full fringe nature has withheld. In fact, according to Mintel Oxygen Reports, mascara is one of the fastest-growing segments in the color cosmetics category. Ecover certainly understands why. Since mascara is such a makeup staple, we’re taking a closer look at the ingredients inside those little tubes. What we found is pretty eye-opening!

  Although mascara has been around since the ancient Egyptians began experimenting with kohl, mascara, as we use it today didn’t appear until the turn of the 19th century. These first mascaras were made with newly discovered petroleum jelly and were notoriously messy. With improvements came a few horror stories, such as the “Lash Lure” scare of 1933.  Sixteen women were blinded and another died after using lash dye which contained paraphenylenediamine, which is extremely toxic. Very scary, indeed.

  Fast-forward to modern mascara. Women today may not realize that the US Food & Drug Administration has only loose regulatory authority over cosmetics; it’s up to the cosmetics companies to vouch for the safety of their products. That leaves significant leeway for the use of unfriendly ingredients in mascara, including petrochemicals, parabens, titanium dioxide, coal tar colorants, and more rarely, mercury-based preservatives.

  What’s a beauty- and earth-conscious woman to do? A great resource for checking the safety and sustainability of ingredients in the products you use is the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database. To be totally on the safe side, consider switching to all-natural mascara recommended by Organic Beauty View or The Good Human.

  Ecover is confident you can find a mascara that brings out the beauty in your eyes without harming your body or the planet!

  Photo by neuroticcamel, via Flickr.com