There is an old saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I would argue that blueberry muffin goodness has no gender boundary and that these little babies are about as good as it gets. The obvious attraction is fresh blueberries, either raw or cooked in food have a rare, rich, explosively delicious taste. And to seal the deal, blueberries not only inhibit cancer, they apparently can ever cure cancer once it begins. Now that the blueberries are at peak season in the north country, it’s time to take advantage of their incredible flavor and health benefits.

Recently Donna cooked up a batch of melt-in-your-mouth blueberry muffins without the trans -fats and extra sugar you would find in store-bought or bakery products. And you know what? But for the egg, they are vegetarian and delicious! This recipe is quick and easy- try it and let us know what you think! (more…)

Unique Partnership Feeds Hungry People

I just sold four Smart Strip advanced power strips to my friend for her and her room mate. Or rather I should say, the Smart Strips sold themselves. Mary came to me and asked if she could buy them, because whe wanted to do something about their $100 a month electric bill.

Each year we spend hundreds of dollars on our electric bills for “phantom” or “vampire” electricity that feeds sleeping devices and appliances. In fact, “It takes the equivalent of 17 power plants to provide all the wasted power produced by phantom load in this country.” (SmartPower.org) That cell phone charger plugged in to the outlet? The DVD player with the digital clock? The printer and fax machines? The audio system? The garage door opener? They all drain power 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, day and night!

This adds up to $20 to @30 a month for most families. And that adds up to hundreds of dollars a year! But we don’t have to pay for that electricity that we don’t use. There is a simple solution. Advanced power strips simply shut down peripheral devices such as printers, DVDs, computers, etc. that are not in use. Advanced power strips such as Smart Strips actually pay for themselves in a couple of months! After that, they will keep on paying you. You can think of it as extra income! You can be green and save gold! Go to this page to see Oprah’s short video to explain how they work, and to buy Smart Strips for under $30 here! And the best thing is, for every sart strip sold in Vermont, we contribute $5 to our partners, the Vermont Foodbank! Read about our unique partnership here.

All Along The Watchtower Things Are Not Good

Out of sight out of mind, while our military advisors plan for disaster. Image: Ogunquit, Maine Sunrise, Glenn Fay

Imagine a pasta dish that combines fresh tomatoes, basil, black olives, mozzarella and garlic into an absolutely delightful meal. The steamy hot cooked ingredients are mixed with the cheese and meld (and melt) flavors together to please the most discriminating palette.  We rate this as an award-wining pasta dish that we serve over and over. Chilled white wine adds another dimension of beauty to this great summer dish (but outstanding any time of year). We use organic, fresh ingredients from Vermont whenever we can. (more…)

“The Hottest Year On Record”

If you can’t stand the heat, you better stop climate change. Ferrisburgh Sunrise by Glenn Fay @LoveEarthAlways

Those of us who have lived in the northeast for a long time can unequivocally say we can’t remember such a blistering summer. Around here if it hits mid to high 80s it’s usually not for long and it is not uncommon for the mercury to surpass 90, but rarely does the heat wave last for weeks. In this humid region of the country it is unusual to endure days in the 80s with little cooling at night, for weeks at a time. So after a stretch of unbelievable unrelenting heat we begin to wonder, is it me or this an unusually hot summer?

Come to find out, NOAA, the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric  Administration, says we are in the middle of what is so far, the hottest year on record.  Keep in mind that NOAA scientists are not whacked out treehugger subversives with any particular bias when it comes to climate change. They are climatologists who look at LONG TERM data, over hundreds of thousands of years when possible and in this case weather data, and then report it as they see it.

According to the NOAA National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) “The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for May, March-May (Northern Hemisphere spring-Southern Hemisphere autumn), and the period January-May according to NOAA. Worldwide average land surface temperature for May and March-May was the warmest on record while the global ocean surface temperatures for both May and March-May were second warmest on record, behind 1998.”

Also from the report: (more…)

It is time to become a fan of our Facebook page at Facebook.com/LoveEarthAlways. Why? We are giving away a Smart Strip advanced power strip next Wednesday July 28th to celebrate summer! All you need to do is ‘like’ our fan page on facebook to win.

Smart strips save you energy by automatically turning off electricity to gadgets when they are off, but still draining power, and your money. You can easily save an average of $10 a month on your electric bill with a Smart Strip that costs only $29.95.

Win a power strip by being a facebook fan at Facebook.com/LoveEarthAlways. And invite your friends to ‘like’ our facebook page too so they can have a chance to win. We will announce the winner next Wednesday!

Every year in Vermont we have a New England renewable energy festival known as Solarfest. Sited on the unforgettable Forget-Me-Not Farm on a south sun-facing hillside in picturesque Tinmouth, Vermont, Solarfest is a vibrant display of what you can do with a little sun, smart people, good food and music, all POWERED BY THE SUN!

There were over 85 educational workshops covering renewable energy, green building, thriving locally and sustainable agriculture. Solarfest offers fun and interest for all ages. This year Solarfest was bigger and better than ever.

Here are some snippets from the event, created by LoveEarthAlways Productions. You will see and hear Susan from hemppowerbag.com, Ben from BENKN.com, Doug Clayton, biochar enthusiast, Tatum and Julie from VtGREEN, Marc from Vermont Soap Organics and of course the string band Bogstompers. Enjoy, and see you next year at Solarfest!

Video: LoveEarthAlways  Productions, youtube

Today Homeport, the local fashionable home goods store on the Church Street Marketplace in Burlingto, will begin selling our Vermont landscape note cards! We are excited to be a part of the Burlington retail scene, especially in a fashionable and selective store like Homeport! Homeport is the independent, locally owned and operated version of the home decor giant Pier One. They are eager to do business with local artists and business people. We like that because it builds community, supports local jobs and opportunities, and helps keep us all a little greener. Find them online at HomeportOnline.com and follow them on twitter here and facebook here.

You can buy our note cards in a 5 pack here or buy them at Homeport in Burlington!