I’m a huge fan of the reusable bag.  I thought some of you would enjoy this little infographic about the life of a plastic bag.  More importantly, I love the tips on how to improve our use of reusable bags.  I never thought to color code them…read on to see why.

Click image to see a larger versionLife Cycle of a Plastic Bag via
Reusable Bags – Factory Direct Promos
Thanks for reading!

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Does anyone else ever run into cooking challenges when their husband or kids say they don’t like a critical ingredient in a recipe?  When I first started cooking for my husband, onions were a big no-no in the kitchen.  I know lots of other families deal with the same thing.  Today, I’ll share one of my secret ingredients that gives you onion flavor, but are easily picked out if necessary.

Hearty Beef Stew

The pearl onion.  You can buy them in a bag from the produce area, but I actually prefer the ones frozen.  If you buy them fresh, you have to peel them.  Trust me when I say this takes way longer than you think it should.  I finally learned my lesson and found them already peeled and frozen.  Most recipes call for onions to be sautéed so I just toss them in frozen and they warm up super fast. Make sure you buy plain onions, not the ones in a sauce if you are using them for a recipe.

Sautéed pearl onions

In my favorite beef stew recipe, I use pearl onions. The stew gets the onion flavor it needs, but I can pick onions out of my husband’s bowl if I need too.  I made it again this weekend and I left them in everyone’s bowl.  My husband actually liked them!  Funny how tastes change.

(click on the pictures to scroll through the album)

Hearty Beef Stew Recipe
(stove top)
2 lb sirloin strips cut into 1″ cubes
kosher salt and pepper
4 tablespoons of flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
8 oz pearl onions
2 1/4 cups beef stock (I used two cans low sodium stock)
1 can whole plum tomatoes, drained and seeds removed
5 carrots peeled, cut into 1″ pieces
8 oz white buttom mushrooms quartered
5 small boiling potatoes quartered

1. Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge (or roll) meat in flour.
2. In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add meat in a single layer and brown on all sides.  Remove meat and transfer to a bowl.
3. Add 1/3 cup of wine to deglaze the pan, scrapping up the brown bits.  Pour over meat. Repeat with additional meat if needed.
4. Add remaining olive oil, add onions and cook until golden all over. (3 minutes, even when they go in  frozen)
5. Deglaze pan with remaining wine, add back reserved beef and liquid. Add stock, tomatoes, season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 1 1/3 hours.
6. Add carrots, mushroom, and potatoes and cook 45-50 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Serves 6.
{adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe}

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The latest report is in from the EWG, or Environmental Working Group.  They offer guides on commercial products, ranging from sunscreen, lipstick to home cleaning products.  I thought I would test out my own choice of eco-friendly products in the 2012 EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning. Friends often ask what products I use in the home, since they expect me to pick the greenest options.  Let me tell you, I may need to do a little “house cleaning” of a different sort when it comes to some of these grades.

Kitchen Crew

• Biokleen Dishwasher Detergent: C
• Seventh Generation Dishwashing Liquid Soap: C
• Shaklee cleaner: not rated
• Seventh Generation All Purpose surface cleaner: C
• Dr. Bronner Pure Castille Soap: A  (I use it to make our own foaming hand soap)

Laundry Friends

• Mrs Myer’s Laundry Detergent (HE): F
• Shout Tripe Action Stain Remover: F  (has a “GreenList” seal)
• Eco Store Pure Oxygen Whitener: not rated

Household Hot Spots

• Method Wood for Good spray: F  (smells too good to be healthy)
• Resolve Tripe Action Carpet Cleaner: F (my weak spot because it works, not surprised here based on the lingering toxic smell in the house when it’s used.)

Test out your own cleaning products by visiting the EWG Guide page here.  I’m spending a little time checking out the Top Products page here.  I’m curious to see if any of the big name “green” companies shed any light on why they may have received a low grade.  Sometimes there are good reasons for something not to rank well so I’ll keep researching the updates.

Let me know how your favorites rank in the comments below!

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