Turning your house into tip-top shape for the Spring doesn’t need to leave it reeking of chemicals and detergents. Here are five ways to do your top-to-bottom tidying with items from around the house.

Sure, the Irish-inspired diet doesn’t really run synonymously with green. With visions of heavy beef stews, beer-laden dishes, and corned beef springing to mind, neither does the word vegan.

We won’t accept that for a moment.

Today the world celebrates being Irish, St. Patrick and lives inspired by the colour green, and here is a savory, vegan, Irish-inspired menu that does just that.

Vegan Irish Stew

4 cups vegetable broth (learn to make your own)
1 1/4 lbs potatoes, cut in chunks
8 oz can white beans or chickpeas
3 large carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
2 large onions, peeled and cut in chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
1/2 cup quinoa, barley or brown rice
2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Saute onions in a little olive oil in a large stock pot. When translucent, add broth and potatoes. Cook for ten minutes then add carrots, beans, celery, tamari. Simmer on low for another 20 minutes, then add grain and fresh herbs. Bring back to a boil then reduce to a simmer, continuing to cook until grain is softened.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

2 cups non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 cups whole grain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.

Mix lemon with non-dairy milk and let sit to curdle, about ten minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir the non-dairy milk/lemon juice, and slowly pour into flour, stirring to combine. Using your hands, knead the dough three times, then place on prepared sheet.

Using a serrated bread knife, make an “X” across the top of the bread. Bake 3o to 40 minutes, until lightly browned and baked through (an inserted toothpick will come out clean). Let cool at least 10 minutes and enjoy warm with stew.

Irish Coffee

1 1/3 cup hot, strongly brewed coffee
1/4 cup Irish Whiskey
1 tablespoon agave nectar
vegan whipped cream (make your own)

Whisk together all ingredients and enjoy!

Image courtesy of ti-journal.com

While on a coffee run I noticed, as I stood by the counter awaiting my Grande Vanilla Latte, that many coffee-goers were taking trays which are intended to provide convenience to those customers ordering more than two drinks. 

Seven European countries are going a little greener in their bathrooms, with a new eco-friendly toilet that is set to reduce pollution, conserve water, and maintain nutrients. The “NoMix” toilet has been brought to centre stage.

Waterborne disease has a chance to be combated with a new low-cost water purification technique recently outlined in Current Protocols in Microbiology. By using seeds from the Moringa oleifera tree, 90.00% to 99.99% of bacteria can be reduced.

Whether you’re a designer, manufacturer, supplier or just have an interest in sustainable design, having a sourcebook scouting out eco-friendly products would be a great addition to the book shelf. And luckily, there is one. ecoDesign: The Sourcebook is now in its fully revised third edition – and a must for the search for sustainable style.

Bottled water has been under scrutiny for its health conscious claims due to emerging clinical data that reveals the contrary. Bottled water also poses a wide range of health and environmental problems

Despite Spring being in the air, we seem to have a few chilly days still emerging for the opportunity to highlight winter produce in our meals.

We recently stumbled upon Be Love Eco Apparel, a company driven by what they refer to as “destiny”. Founded by KamGi Chak and Kyle Finch, they are committed to spreading the word about non-violence through their gorgeous, green clothing line.

Whether we are seasoned yogis and yoginis or just stepping foot into the world of yoga, connecting to a practice that is 5,000 years old is as relevant today as it was back then.