Archives For Green Living

The Green Living category is for managing your home and life in a way that saves you time and money with a positive effect on the environment. Recycle, reuse, prioritize tasks, tips.

Get a Jump on Spring with Botanically Correct, Handmade Silk Flowers

Humble Abode —  February 16, 2013 — 1 Comment

Silk flowers for early springAfter the harsh, snowy weather in much of the U.S. this winter, spring can’t get here too soon. Unless you are lucky enough to live someplace like Northern California (home to Humble Abode headquarters), where there are already signs of an early arrival of springtime warmth and blossoms, you may have to wait a bit longer for fresh flowers from the garden.

Thanks to traditional artistry, contemporary craftsmanship, and modern materials, you can add beautiful blooms to your home now for a touch of spring – and every season – with extraordinary silk flowers and plants.

The Humble Abode Signature Series offers fine handcrafted silk accents to brighten any room in your home. We stay up to date with the latest in home fashion trends and colors to bring your environment to life with lovely, permanent foliage.

Our silk plants and flowers are made to order with a laborious manufacturing process that begins with botanically correct designs from live species. These distinctive designs are scanned, then an experienced sculptor creates an exact bas relief, from which a skilled mold-maker produces a plastic injection mold. Bolts of durable fabric are silkscreened to an exact image of the scan. Meticulous cutting, finishing, and assembly result in remarkably life-like flowers and leaves.

Another method scans individual flower petals, which are then hand cut and/or hand painted using the finest fabrics and dyes to the exact hues as found in nature. With either method, it usually takes up to two hours to produce one uniquely hand-crafted flower stem.

Stems are assembled into realistic arrangements in quality pots to suit every taste and mood. Best of all, they’re extremely durable, requiring no watering or fertilization to be totally maintenance free, thus an easy way to “go green.” They also make great gifts, especially for anyone who is housebound or in the hosptital.

These are not the ghastly artificial plastic flowers and leaves of old, but gorgeous handmade replicas that will brighten your home year round at a fraction of the cost of live plants and cut flowers from florists.

Here’s to a lovely springtime in your neck of the woods!

In Design and Decorate, Green Living, Living Well, Products, Seasons , , , , , , , , ,
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Do You Have a CSA? (Community Supported Agriculture)

Humble Abode —  June 9, 2012 — Leave a comment

Produce at Full Belly Farm CSA

You may not know it, but there is probably a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group nearby that could dramatically change how you shop for fresh produce. Not to mention your family’s diet and health.

Thanks to the efforts of many people who have devoted their lives to small organic farms and community gardens, there are co-ops and farmers markets thriving just about everywhere, including urban areas. Tired of soaring prices and declining quality in the big grocery chain stores?

Consider how easy it is to share in the bounty your community growers offer:

  • Visit LocalHarvest.com to find a CSA near you
  • Go to the CSA’s website, or visit in person, and complete a membership form
  • Pay a very reasonable membership fee
  • Choose a central delivery/pick-up area
  • Receive a weekly box of fresh seasonal organic produce

Produce display at Full Belly Farm in Sacramento, CAPrograms vary in cost and service, and depending on your membership level, each box holds about enough produce to feed a family of two or four.

Full Belly Farm is a 300-acre certified organic farm near Sacramento, California, which exemplifies how a great CSA works. Every week they bring exceptional produce to a market hungry for alternatives to pesticide-laden, genetically engineered, and highly processed foods.

These photos were taken by a Humble Abode office mate who attended last fall’s “Hoes Down Harvest Festival” at Full Belly Farm. Thanks, Thea!

Do you have a favorite Community Supported Agriculture group? Spread the word…

[ Learn more about CSAs in your neighborhood ]

In Food and Wine, Green Living, Lawn & Garden, Living Well, Seasons , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Easy California Meyer Lemon Limoncello

Humble Abode —  May 28, 2012 — Leave a comment

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Scenes of Meyer Lemons in Sonoma County, California

With its moderate Mediterranean climate, the unparalleled grape-growing region of Northern California attracts visitors from everywhere in the world. Humble Abode Inc. is blessed to be located in the beautiful heart of Sonoma County Wine Country, where less heralded but exceptional produce grows alongside the scenic vineyards.

We have perfect growing conditions for strawberries, figs, and even some citrus trees. One of our local favorites is the Meyer lemon, a sweet, versatile variety prized by chefs everywhere. A co-worker says her seven-year-old tree has heavily-perfumed blossoms nearly all year, and bears fruit from December to May.

The crop is so huge this year, she brought several dozen lemons to the Humble Abode office last week. You would’ve thought the lemons were lumps of solid gold! Word traveled fast, creating a rush to the break room for fresh cups of hot tea, bottles of spring water, and even fresh squeezed lemonade, all with chunks of the juicy citrus. They loaded up produce bags with more to take home amid exclamations about the wonderful lemony aroma.

Our Meyer lemon fiesta included ways to use this gold mine of lemons. Talk of mojitos created a buzz, until a colleague said he would make limoncello over the weekend. Why pay $25 for a bottle of this popular lemon liqueur imported from southern Italy, when you can make your own quite easily and inexpensively?

Everyone clamored for the recipe – and more fat, fragrant Meyer lemons, please! – so we thought you might like to see how simple it is to make your own batch of this luscious golden ambrosia.

To produce approximately one quart of homemade limoncello liqueur:

  1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of the bright yellow outer skin of about 5-6 large or 8-10 medium size Meyer lemons. Be careful not to include any of the white pith that is between the skin and the fruit.
  2. Put the lemon zest into a quart size glass jar and fill with unflavored vodka or other neutral spirit.
  3. Shake well to mix, tighten the lid, then store in a cool dark place until the lemon shavings lose their color. Give the container a few shakes every few days until the liquid turns a bright yellow and is very aromatic, approximately 2-3 weeks.
  4. Strain the liquid through moistened cheesecloth into a clean jar or bottle; be sure to squeeze all the liquid out of the cloth to get all the flavor.
  5. Make a simple syrup by combining one cup of sugar with one cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and has a mildly darkened color. Do not boil.
  6. When the syrup is cooled to almost room temperature, add it a little at a time to the lemon and vodka liquid until the mixture’s sweetness suits your taste.
  7. Pour the liqueur through a funnel into a large sterilized bottle and seal tightly. Let your limoncello rest for at least a week – the longer it ages, the smoother and more complex the flavors.
  8. When it’s ready, keep the limoncello well-chilled by storing in your freezer – it will not freeze because of the alcohol.
  9. Pour into your best liqueur stemware and impress your guests with this gorgeous homemade ambrosia after a wonderful meal or just hanging out on balmy summer evening.

Buon Appetito!

If you have any unusual ideas for using lemons, please drop us a comment. We love hearing from you!

In Do It Yourself, Food and Wine, Green Living, Lawn & Garden, Recipe, Seasons , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Bright Idea: Next Gen LED Lighting for Your Home

Humble Abode —  May 11, 2012 — 1 Comment

The incandescent light bulb has had a good run. More than a century after Thomas Edison advanced the science of electrical lighting, it’s hard to imagine life without it.

Today, what was once miraculous is outdated and quickly disappearing into the clouds of history, eclipsed by less expensive, more energy efficient technologies.

The improved efficiency and longer life of compact flourescent bulbs continue our transition to better energy solutions, but the toxic mercury they contain makes safe  disposal an issue. The race is on to find the next, better bulb.

Launched on Earth Day this year, the Philips “L Prize” LED bulb is the latest contender in the light bulb sweepstakes. It is a state-of-the-art breakthough in LED technology, yet only the beginning of what’s to come.

Will you pay $40 for a high-tech light bulb that will last twenty years, lower your energy bill,
and be better for the environment?

[ Learn more about the first light bulbs ]

[ More about mercury toxicity and disposal issues ]

In Fun Facts, Green Living, Home Improvement, Home Maintenance, News, Technology, Tips , , , , , , , , , ,
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Posh Poultry – Tailfeathers with Attitude

Humble Abode —  April 21, 2012 — Leave a comment

I have never given chickens much thought. I hear random things about their lifestyles (free range, caged, organic, fertilized, and so on). I occasionally feel gratitude to them for being a staple in my diet (although I try not to dwell on it). And the amazing egg is my favorite fast food at all hours of the day or night.

About this time last year, my next door neighbor built a small, luxurious coop on the other side of our fence. The sawing and hammering stopped, then constant, innocent peeping began. Three tiny chicks had hit the poultry lottery and were settling into their cushy new condo.

I fretted about nasty smells and irritating sounds, none of which materialized. Each time I stepped out my door a flurry of peeping, and eventually clucking, greeted me. The neighbor coos to them, causinig me to wonder: Are chickens like dogs and cats? Do they respond to baby talk?

Well, yes, actually they do. As I’ve gotten to know these little ladies, I have discovered they are very social indeed. When we humans talk about the pecking order at home, work, or play, we probably aren’t thinking about chickens. But spend a little time with chickens and you’ll see where we got the phrase.

Charlotte clearly rules the roost and has taken it upon herself to keep the other two girls in line. She sports deep orange body plumage with extravagant blue and green tailfeathers. She knows she’s gorgeous and doesn’t take any guff.

Eavesdropping on their conversations, I have learned there’s a certain tone when they are contented, another when their owner talks to them, and a frantic cackling when they are out of sorts. When a satisfied twitter follows some raucous squawking, chances are good someone just laid a new egg.

One recent quiet Saturday, Charlotte clucked and squawked in an alarming new tone . My neighbor came out and shushed her, but she was inconsolable. Starting to really worry, I stuck my head out the door just as the ruckus stopped, and just in time to see a big fat squirrel leap from the top of the fence to a nearby tree. Charlotte had given him a piece of her mind while sounding the alarm to everyone within earshot.

I was happy to receive a few of the ladies’ first eggs last week and ate them with gusto – and toast. Other than summer veggies, I’ve never been so close to my food source, which is at once deeply gratifying and slightly disconcerting, mainly because I’m certain I could not eat the birds now that I “know” them. Fortunately, they are strictly layers, so we can avoid that dilemma. The bottom line is I now have a “guard chicken” close by who is as good as any dog when it comes to the neighborhood watch.

Do you have a suburban chicken story to share? We’d love to hear from you!

In Food and Wine, Fun Facts, Green Living, Lawn & Garden, Seasons , , , , , , , , , ,
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Tulips Take Springtime’s Center Stage

Humble Abode —  April 14, 2012 — Leave a comment

Pink Tulips at Humble Abode

After compliments to the cook for a beautiful Easter dinner, conversation turned to the fat pink tulips gracing her table. It was news to most of us that botanists have traced wild tulips to the ancient Himalayas, and seventeenth century gardeners in the Ottoman Empire were the first to cultivate them, where they remain a big part of Turkish culture today.

The tulip’s history took a strange turn in Holland in the mid-17th century, when “tulip mania” swept much of Europe into a financial futures market much like our modern tech and real estate bubbles. Demand drove tulip prices so high that speculators were actually buying houses and other real goods with plants before the inevitable crash.

While fortunes were made and lost, some early interior designer had the clever idea to display cut flowers for the first time, giving rise to ceramic vases. Master Dutch artists added bouquets with tulips in vases to their still life paintings, leading the rest of the world to forever after link the colorful flowers with the Netherlands.

A wealthy Massachusetts landowner probably brought the first tulips to the U.S. in the mid-19th century, where their popularity spread quickly. The shapes and colors of modern tulips became synonymous with our spring holidays. We plant the bulbs in early fall to enliven our outdoor spaces at winter’s end, while spending millions to include them in bouquets on our Easter and Passover tables.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, tulips will play a starring role again soon. Look for some unusual ones, like the “Flaming Parrot,” a frilly-edged red-and-white beauty. Be forewarned, you may experience some tulip mania of your own.

In Green Living, Holidays, Lawn & Garden, Seasons , , , , , ,
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Be Square and Get More from Raised Garden Beds

Humble Abode ® —  April 10, 2012 — 1 Comment

Everything you need to build a square raised garden bed

Ever wonder why raised gardens are typically rectangular? Maybe we have been planting in rows for so long it’s instinctive and, we assume, “correct.” I would rather have two 4′ square raised garden beds than one typical 4′ x 8′ size.

Depending on the size of your space, one garden bed may be enough. You could still plant in rows if you like, but you may want to look into square foot planting, to maximize the yield of your garden. Just one raised garden bed yields a lot of vegetables.

Consider the benefits of square raised beds:

  1. Save your back, with less bending and reaching
  2. 1 person can carry lumber and materials that will fit in a car
  3. Fit in more spaces in your yard
  4. Assemble and build on concrete
  5. No walking on soil for healthier garden
  6. Limit digging or damage by pets
  7. Easy and efficient maintenance
  8. Keep your shoes clean

Square raised beds make for more efficient gardening that can fit in any backyard. Best of all, it makes this project really simple and fast.

Tools and Materials:

  1. Buy one 16′ x 2″ x 10″ board and cut into 4 – 4′ long boards (Most lumber yards and home improvement stores will cut into 4′ pieces for you)
  2. Buy two 8′ x 2″ x 4″ boards and cut into 4 – 2′ x 2″ x 4″ pieces angled at one end for ground stakes (Ask your retailer to cut down to fit them in a smaller car)
  3. Deck Screws 3″ – 1 box of 50
  4. Cordless Drill

Simple Assembly:

  1. Set up the 4′ x 2″ x 10″ pieces on your driveway, square them up, and put four screws in each corner
  2. Gather and sort the 2′ long stakes with a point on one end
  3. Select the location, level the ground, and loosen dirt before placing frame over it (for improved drainage)
  4. Pound two stakes on the outside of each side with two screws in each stake
  5. Fill with quality planting soil and start planting!

Do you have raised garden beds? Please let us know if you have any tips to share.

In Do It Yourself, Green Living, Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden , , , , , , ,
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9 things I moderately dislike about gardening | barelypoppins

Humble Abode —  April 7, 2012 — Leave a comment

Wheelbarrow in the gardenHumble Abode salutes all you intrepid gardeners out there who are working feverishly to keep up with an early spring this year. We’re sharing this quick, hilarious read from barelypoppins because it reminds us that gardening is supposed to be fun.

9 things I moderately dislike about gardening | barelypoppins.

In Green Living, Lawn & Garden , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Arbor Day 2012

Humble Abode —  April 1, 2012 — Leave a comment

Arbor Day is one of our lesser-known holidays, but we think planting, nurturing, and celebrating trees deserves plenty of attention. Visit this wonderful blog and browse the archives to see beautiful pictures and learn about when and how all the states celebrate Arbor Day:

April | 2012 | Arbor Day Foundation Blog.

In Fun Facts, Green Living, Holidays, Lawn & Garden
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Banish Burned Food Odors

Humble Abode —  April 11, 2011 — Leave a comment

CinnamonThere is a simple trick to eliminate burnt food or stale kitchen odors in the home. Scatter cinnamon on a baking sheet and place the sheet in a warm, not hot oven. An oven temperature between 200 to 225 degrees is best. The slightly toasting cinnamon will banish unpleasant kitchen odors.

In Food and Wine, Green Living, Home Improvement , , , ,
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Oh, what a relief it is!

Humble Abode —  March 3, 2011 — Leave a comment

For those old enough to remember, the advertising jingle “plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!” was ubiquitous. The jingle was used to promote Alka-Seltzer, a treatment for heartburn, minor digestive ailments and other aches and pains. Alka-Seltzer is also useful for household chores. Amazingly, Alka-Seltzer can be used to clean the toilet. Simply drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets in the toilet and wait for 20 minutes.  Brush, flush and the toilet is clean! The citric acid and effervescence of the product cleans vitreous porcelain!

In Green Living, Home Maintenance , , , ,
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Blue Moon

Humble Abode —  November 22, 2010 — Leave a comment

Most of us know the Blue Moon as the second full moon in a month.  This “extra” full moon in a month occurs roughly every 2-3 years, however the Blue Moon was defined differently before the early 20th century. In most years, there are 12 full moons in the calendar year, or 3 full moons in each season. The moons were refered to as the ‘first moon’, the ‘middle moon’ and the ‘last moon’. Those years with 13 full moons, there is an extra moon in one of the seasons. The third extra moon in the season was called the Blue Moon. Today, November 21, 2010 is a full moon day. This full moon is a Blue Moon by the old definition. The next full moon of the year is December 21st. If the winter solstice is December 21, how can the moon in November be a Blue Moon? Technically, the full moon on December 21st occurs hours before the earth reaches the solstice point in her orbit, so that full moon is the ‘last moon’ of the autumnal season.

In Green Living , , , , , , ,
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