Your Green Kitchen

Today is Earth Day, a day when we wonder how to reduce our carbon footprints and heal our planet. One way is "greening our kitchen'  making this energy sapping room into an environmentally sterling area.If you think it's hard, think again.It's simple to go green.

One of the easiest way is recycling kitchen waste. This is a good time to start a compost heap since planting season is only a week or two away. You can buy compost bins or buy them at any big box home improvement store and even Walmart. Keep the compost far away from the house  because t does give off  a funky kind of stink. To create what's known as a green compost, start with veggies and fruit. Use any leaves such as what you find on the top of strawberries along with banana peels and grape stems. These break down quickly and won't attract rats and raccoons the way baked goods and meats do (I wouldn't even put in cleaned bones because that still would attract critters. Egg shells can be added. They add much needed calcium and mineral to the blend. You can also us the shells in the soil around peppers and tomatoes. too.Coffee grinds also should go into your heap. They are loaded with nitrogen which helps the dirt. Also toss in the filters if they're biodegradable and made from natural fibers.

Another way to make your kitchen greener is by buying Energy Star appliances. Consider an Energy Star fridge if you're shopping for a new one. Make sure you get a traditional freezer top one. Fridges with freezers on the top won't suck up that much energy. Also size matters. One that is energy efficient should be between sixteen and twenty cubic feet. What about the old fridge? You could get rid of it or use it for storage in the basement or the garage. Your choice of stove also can affect the environment.Gas stoves consume less energy than electric ones.There are three types of gas burners: conventional burners with standing pilots,conventional ones with electric ignition which is the most common, and sealed burners where the burner is fused to the stove top.Another aspect to consider is the self cleaning oven. This sort is saves energy more the non-cleaning ones.What about microwaves and toaster ovens. Both  are vital to  a home chef.A microwave , surprisingly , is more energy efficient. However it doesn't toast or crisp up such leftovers as pizza and french fries. The best bet is buy both and use them sparingly.

It's easy to green your kitchen. Recycle the scraps and leftovers. Buy energy efficient appliances. You may think it's not so big a dent in healing the earth but it is. Keep on doing it for a somewhat better tomorrow.