Lemon Chia Seed Cookies

Now that it is December and we are in the midst of the holidays, it is great to have some treats around the house for when guests come over and for you to snack on.  And while we love the traditional sugar cookies and gingerbread, it is nice to have something a little lighter and unique on hands in the midst of all the normal sweets.  We love these lemon chia seed cookies because they have a nice tangy flavor, but are but unexpected, which makes them so great for the holidays!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Dash of salt
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup butter/margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350*F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and chia seeds. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixture, cream together butter/margarine and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add lemon juice, grated lemon zest, beaten egg and vanilla extract.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture just just combined. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out over a floured, flat surface. Cut into desired shape and place on baking sheet.
5. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes until the edges are a light brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool for a few minutes before placing on a wired rack to cool completely.
6. To make the icing, whisk together lemon juice and powdered icing sugar. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.

{recipe and image via}

Stocking Stuffers for Baby!

Can you believe it is December?!  The holiday season is officially upon us, and that means that it is time to start getting gifts put together for the whole family.  At Our Green House, we have a big selection of gifts for everyone in the family!  Whether you are looking for something big, small, for the young or more mature, we have you covered.  We love picking out stocking stuffers for the whole family, because sometimes the smallest gifts are the most fun!  Today we are sharing a selection of stocking stuffers for the little babies in your life, and we have a whole section on the site just for stocking stuffers :)

Make sure to check out our great selection of stocking stuffers for the whole family at Our Green House!

Baby Shoes!

Can you believe it is November already?   It has started to get cold in lots of parts of the country, and that means we need to make sure our little ones are staying warm and cozy.  At Our Green House we have lots of adorable baby booties that are perfect for the winter months ahead.  Not only will our little booties help keep you babe warm, but they are super stylish and lots of fun!

Make sure to check out Our Green House to see all of our baby booties, as well as plenty of other baby gear!

One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

The fall is a great time of the year, but it can also be super busy.  We are 2 months away from Christmas, fall sports are in full swing, and kids busy at school.  This means there might not always be enough time at the end of the day to spend hours cooking dinner.  That is why we love meals that are simple and involve either one pot or the slow cooker.  This yummy zucchini pasta with mushrooms is great for the fall and is a cinch to make.  Plus is makes great leftovers to take to work or school the next day!

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced and quartered
• 2/3 cup peas
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, mushrooms, zucchini, peas, garlic, thyme and 4 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and heavy cream.
• Serve immediately.

{recipe and image via}

Sale Section!

Did you know that Our Green House has a sale section where you can find lots of amazing deals?  As we transition to the fall, there are lots of awesome items that you can snag for great prices!  Looking for a cozy bed that your pet will enjoy this fall & winter?  We have you covered!  Or if you are in the need for some kids toys and clothes, there are some great items available at fabulous prices.  

 

We have everything form jewelry to clothing, and games to items for mom!  We are adding new items all the time, but quantities are limited so  make sure you hope over to the sale section today and snag some great products :)

Green House Quiche

One of our favorite go to recipes is quiche!  It is the kind of dish that can be serves for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it is a super simple dish to make.  Quiches are great to take to a pot luck and you can put pretty much any vegetables you have on hand in them.  We always make sure to have pie crusts in the fridge because when you are in a pinch, quiche is the perfect meal to make!  One of our favorites is this broccoli cheddar quiche because it is so delicious and full of hearty ingredients.

 Ingredients

• 1 homemade or store-bought single-crust pie dough
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 2 cups medium diced yellow onion (from 1 large onion) 
• 1 1/2 cups of diced vegetables
• 3/4 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (4 ounces)

 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out dough to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie plate, fold overhang under, and crimp edge. Place a sheet of parchment paper over dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edge is dry and light golden, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Add onion, bacon, and cheese and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk to combine, pour into crust, and bake until center of quiche is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

{recipe adapted from here}

Appple Sandwich Snack

Can you believe it is already September?  This summer really flew by and now fall is right around the corner.  Two big events that we always associate with September are being back in school and apple season!  The fall is such a magical time of year, and if you are lucky enough to live in a place that has apple orchards, then you know how wonderful it is to have all those delicious apples in season.  Apple picking is a great family activity, and there are so many ways to use apples.  Apple crisp, apple sauce, apple cake, and the list goes on and on.  But when the kids get home from school and are super hungry, we love whipping up these yummy apple sandwiches.  They are great because they are a serving of fruit, have protein, and are fun to make with the kiddos.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Apples
• 2-3 tbsp Peanut Butter (or any type of nut butter)
• 3 tbsp Granola
• Raisins

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Remove cores from apples and cut into 1/4-1/2″ thick slices
• Spread two apple slices with nut butter
• Top one slice with granola and raisins.  You can use any type of toppings here (for a dessert apple you can use marshmallows, mini chocolate ships, crushed graham crackers, etc).
• Place second slice on the one with toppings so they stick together.
• ENJOY!

 {image via}

Frozen Veggie Pops!

When the August heat is just too much to bear, sometimes a cold treat is the best way to cool off and relax.  But so many of the frozen pops from the store are loaded with sugars, weird ingredients, and have no nutritional value.  Well guess what?! Making popsicles at home is super simple, and our you can make them plenty of vegetables and fruits so they are extra healthy!  We absolutely love making these frozen veggie pops because they tatse great and are loaded with wonderful ingredients that will leave your kids feeling refreshed and full.

Ingredients

Orange Delight Popsicle

• 3 large carrots, cut into chunks and steamed until soft
• 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 whole mango, sliced
• ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• ½ cup water
• 4 TB raw honey

Green Dinosaur Popsicle

• 1 cup raw spinach
• 2 bananas
• 1 cup pineapple
• 1¼ cup water
• ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 2 TB raw honey

Tickle-Me-Red Popsicle

• ⅓ cup roasted beets (learn how to roast beets for smoothies)
• 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• ½ cup water
• 4 TB raw honey
• 1 banana

Instructions

1. Place the ingredients for each smoothie (or smoothie of choice) in a high speed blender
2. Blend ingredients.
3. Pour the liquid into popsicle molds and freeze for at least four hours (this time will vary depending on your freezer).
4. To remove the popsicles, run the molds until cold water for 10 seconds, pulling the popsicles away from the molds.

{ recipe and image via}

Organic Summer Clothes

Summer is still in full swing, which means that your little ones are running around and in need of plenty of summer clothes.  We have a great variety of clothing options in different sizes, and our clothes are organic, comfortable, and great for kiddos on the go!

Check out some of our favorite options and shop all summer clothes here!

 

Onesies are great all summer lone because they keep your baby cool and are totally acceptable to wear out and about.  And of course sundresses for your little lady are a must in the heat.  Plus every little girl loves to twirl in a sweet dress.  And we can't forget t-shirts for the busy kids on the go and who enjoy a more casual look!

Don't forget to share your Our Green House purchases on Instagram & twitter and tag @ourgreenhouse !

Lily & Laura

When it comes to fun and unique jewelery, we have you covered with our Lily & Laura bracelets.  Customers love these colorful bracelets that they can stack together and wear with other pieces to create the perfect 'arm party'.  But Lily & Laura bracelets aren't just pretty, they provide steady work for women in the Kathmandu region of Nepal!  Through fair trade practices, owner Laura works with talented female artisans to create a huge variety of beautiful bracelets that are hand made using the highest quality of glass beads. 

 

At Our Green House we are so happy to support fair trade practices.  With every purchase you will know that your are helping to provide work for women so that they can support their families, get an education, and improve their quality of life :)

The Leaky Collection

At Our Green House, we love carrying products that have a positive impact on the world.  We are proud to carry jewelry from The Leaky Collection, a wonderful company that that employs native African tribes to create unique pieces and gives back to the community.  Katy and Phillip Leaky founded the company in 2002 and have been working since then to create beautiful pieces that are recognized by the Fair Trade Federation and Green America.

"Based in the Rift Valley of Kenya, East Africa, these renowned designers used natural elements of fallen wood, sustainable grass and “bush fired” porcelain to create uniquely exotic products. Each colorful piece contains vibrant design appeal while giving back to those that produce it.

The Leakey Collection protects the environment while giving economic opportunity to local communities in Kenya. Its natural elegance distinguishes this high end product line as one of the world's premier offerings."

We are excited to carry an array of pieces from The Leaky Collection, and we love how buying a piece of beautiful jewelry can have a great impact on others.

Summer Jewelry Trends

Wearing jewelry is a  great way to show off your personal style and add a little extra pizazz to your outfit.  At Our Green House we are always on the hunt for unique, fair trade jewelry that will help complete any outfit.  This summer we love pieces that are versatile and can be worn with an array of outfits.  Whether you are going to the office, on vacation, or just having dinner with friends,  we have jewelry that is right on trend.

Everyone love Puravida because these vibrant bracelets have a classic laid back surfer vibe that is perfect for summer.  They are popular this time of year because they transition well from the beach to a summer wedding, and are great for every day wear.

 

If you are into a more 'hippie' look, then our Beads for Life bracelets are going to be more your style. These handmade African paper beads are vibrant yet casual so you can wear them every day and be right on trend.

If you are looking for a more classic look, then fair trade earrings from The Andean Collection are right on point.  These beautiful earrings will add a touch of class to any outfit and their simplicity will be on trend year after year.

 

We have so many great jewelry options at Our Green House.  Stay tuned this week as we share more about the brands we sell that have a great impact on the communities where they  are made.

Camping Foil Packets

One of the hardest parts about camping is often organizing the food.  Since you won't have a fridge or appliances, its all about getting resourceful and figuring out the best meals to make over a campfire or charcoal grill.  Sure, you can go the traditional hot dog and hamburger route, but that can get a little boring.  When we go camping, we love making tin foil packets filled with unique and delicious meals!  They are essentailly a whole meal bundled up in tin foil that you can throw in the fire or on the grill to be cooked.  If you prep the packets at home and then keep them in the cooler until meal time, it makes getting dinner ready so much easier!

You can do loaded baked potatoes, vegetable stir fry, chicken & corn, and even fish.  One of our favorites is this lemon herb steak with veggies.  You can use any sturdy veggies (asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli, etc) and it is such a crowd please :)

 

Ingredients (for one packet):

 
1 thin cut steak (i used rib-eye)
1/2 lemon
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Dried Thyme
Salt (Kosher) & Pepper
Butter & Olive Oil
Heavy Duty Foil – 2 sheets (approx. 12″ x 12″)
Asparagus or your choice of vegetables

Instructions:
Preheat your grill or heat your coals on your campfire to medium high. 

On a piece of heavy duty tin foil (approx. 12″ x 12″), lightly coat with olive oil and dot with butter. Season both sides of your steak with salt and pepper.

Place the steak in the center of the foil. sprinkle with thyme, rosemary leaves and a slice of fresh lemon.

Place fresh vegetables and lemon next to the steak. dot with butter and cover with the second piece of foil over the top.

Seal each side of the foil shut. once your packets are sealed and marked, place them onto the grill at medium-high heat.

Grill them for 8-10 minutes (depending on how you prefer your meat), flipping them over halfway through cooking.  When they are finished grilling, let stand for 2-3 minutes before you open foil in the middle and enjoy!

{recipe and image via}

Summer Camping

With all of the kids finally out of school, and summer in full swing, now is a great time to plan a fun family trip!  We love camping every summer because it is a great way to spend quality time with the family and to unplug (read: no electronics!)  Camping is a great weekend activity and you might be surprised at how many local campgrounds are nearby.   You can often reserve a spot at a campground online to help make the planning process much more convenient.  Today we wanted to share some camping tips that will make your trip a little easier and more fun!

A little planning before your trip can go a long way.  Create a fun scavenger hunt bag by putting pictures on a brown bag and have your kids find all of the items during your camp trip.  This will help them learn about plants and flowers!

 

 Bundling up dried sage and burning it every once in a while will help repel the mosquitoes.  This is a great alternative to spraying yourself with big spray or burning citronella candles.

 

Create single use soap slices by  using a potato peeler to shave pieces of soap off of one bar.  Try to use a natural organic soap that won't harm the natural elements of your camp ground.

 

Create your own large batch of trail mix that you can then divide up into individual bags and containers for snacking.  We love nuts, dried fruit, chocolate covered raisins, sturdy cereals, and granola.  We love making our own trail mix because then we don't end up with items people don't like, plus it is usually healthier than what you buy in the store.

Camping is such a fun summer activity and the proper planning makes it easier and much more fun!

Recycled from the Beach

Going to the beach with your family is such a fun and memorable trip.  Whether you live down the street from the beach, or only visit every once in a while, it is always nice to take a little piece of the beach back home with you.  Today we wanted to share a few ways to bring add a little bit of the beach to your home by using recycled beach finds!

Turn all of those shells you collected at the beach into beautiful ornaments!  You can use glitter and paint to make lots of ornaments for your own tree, or to give to friends.

Using driftwood to jazz up picture frames is so fun because each frame will be completely unique!

Kids (and adults too) love keeping an eye out for seaglass when at the beach.  When you get home add all of your collected seaglass to an old mason jar or wine bottle.  The different colors of seaglass look so pretty together and it make such a great conversation piece.

 

Last but not least, how adorable are these seashell koalas!?   Gathers all different size seashells, and when you and the kids get home you can sort through them by size and make a whole family of seashell koalas to remember your beach trip by.

 How do you like to recycle your beach finds?

Summertime Beach Activities!

Now that summer is in full swing, it is time for lots of outdoor activities including going to the beach!  For those who are lucky to live near a beach or visit one this summer, there are lots of great beach activities that you and your family can do together.  Best of all, these activities can be done with the whole family and lots of them are free of don't cost a lot of money.

Kids love collecting seashells at the beach, but often when you get home they just end up cluttering up a drawer.  Put them to use by making a seashell mobile!  Simple drill small holes in the shells you have collected, and hand them from a piece of driftwood.

Beach bowling is a fun activity, especially at low tide.  Simply create different size holes in the sand, and have everyone line up the same distance from the holes.  Then have everyone take turns rolling tennis balls into the holes and award points based on the size of the hole the balls roll in to.

Flying kites is a great beach activity because there is often a good breeze by the water.  Kites can be fairly inexpensive and you can even make your own!  Flying kites is also great on beach days when it is too chilly to swim in the water.

 

Making sand castles is one of the most iconic and fun activities to do at the beach.  All you need to build great sand castles are some buckets, or even household items such as cups and bowls.   Get the whole family involved and create a whole sand castle village!

 

There are so many fun activities to do at the beach, what are your favorite?

Protabello Burgers

Did you know that you can make an impact on the environment based on what you are eating?  Eating foods that are easy to compost, and then actually composting them in your own home/yard, is a great way to do your part in keeping our planet clean.  Today we are sharing our favorite Portabello Burgers and we know you are going to love them!  One of the great things about them is that if there are any leftover scraps on anyone's plate (which we doubt there will be since they are so good) you can just put it in the compost pile and it will easily decompose!  You can serve these with buns or without, and we love them with sweet potato fries (also compostable!)

Ingredients

• 2 cups portabella mushrooms, cubed (smaller pieces); gills removed
• 2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and divided
• 1 cup minced broccoli, fresh only
• 1/2 cup red onion, minced
• 3 XL eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbl Panko or Gluten Free Panko
• 1 Tbl Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1 Tbl Worcestershire *for full vegetarian style use one that does not contain anchovies
• 2 Tbl minced garlic
• 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl add 1 cup of black beans and mash with a masher (chunks are OK).
2. Next, add in the mushrooms, the rest of the beans, broccoli, garlic, onion, Worcestershire and steak seasoning.
3. Mix just until coated.
4. Add in the eggs, cheese and bread crumbs and mix gently with a large spoon until the mixture is combined.
5. Set aside while you place a medium non-stick pan over medium heat and add in 2 Tbl of oil.
6. Once the oil starts to shimmer (about a minute or two), using dampened hands (the mixture will stick to you if you don’t), scoop a 1/2 cup of mixture into the palm of your hand and gently shape into a burger all the while pressing together. The mixture should hold a burger shape. If it doesn’t add just a Tbl more of bread crumbs.
7. Place in the oil and cook for 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and a crust has formed on each side.

{recipe & image via}

Composting Buckets

If you are looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly in your home, why not try composting!  Composting is a way of recycling organic household waste that has the ability to naturally decompose over a period of time.  For instance, if you compost fruit & veggie rinds/skins they will decompose on their own in a matter of weeks/months, leaving you with a nutrient rich fertilizer for your garden!  Composting is natures way of recycling, and anyone can compost at home with the help of our kitchen compost buckets!

Our kitchen compost buckets are great for beginners and long time composters alike.  At the end of each meal, simply put all compostable scraps in your compost bucket.  When the bucket is full, you can either dump the contents into a larger compost pile in your back yard, or put the compost right into your garden!  The buckets feature two charcoal filters to keep your compost smells to a minimum, and the ceramic insides are easy to clean & dishwasher safe!

 

If you'd like, you can even add some red worms to your compost buckets to help speed up the composting process!

These beautiful compost buckets make great gifts for those who are environmentally friendly, as well as for avid gardeners who would love to have their own compost for their garden!

Fun Facts About Composting!

Composting is a great way to reduce waste in the kitchen and recycle organic waste for re-use in your garden.  Anything that was once living will eventually decompose, meaning that all of those scraps of food from your kitchen that once went into the trash can actually go into a compost pile and be used again!

Here at Our Green House we love composting, and we want to share a few fun facts that might help convince you to start your own compost pile!

1.  While the most common items people compost are fruits and vegetables, you can compost lots of other items as well! These include:  tea bags, bread crust, egg shells, junk mail (shredded), jell-o, pet fur, saw-dust, and much more!

2.  You can compost all year round, even if you live in an area that gets very cold in the winter.  Learn more about composting in the winter here.

3.  Composting can decrease plant disease and possibly eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers in your garden.  Compost can also help clean contaminated soil.

4.  On avergae, each US household genterates 650 pounds of compostable material each year, and about 60% of what we throw away is organic material that could be composted.

5.  Adding red worms to your compost pile can help speed up the process.  

image via

Starting a compost pile in your own backyard is a lot easier than you might imagine.  For tips and directions on how to start your own compost pile, click here!

S'well Bottles!

With summer almost in full swing, we are excited about enjoying lots of fun outdoor activities.  Whether we are going to the beach, the park, or on a hike, we always make sure to have a water bottle in order to stay hydrated.  But we don't use just any water bottle, we use a S'well bottle!  We love S'well bottles because they keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours.  You can leave these bottles in a hot car in the middle of July and your beverage will stay cold.  They come in two sizes and a variety of color, so everyone in your family can have one that fits their own personality!

 

The S'well bottle's are made of 18/8 double-walled stainless steel, they are non-toxic, non-leaching and are BPA free.  They are easy to handle, and their sleek design makes them a stylish accessory.   They will keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours, and and hot for up to 12, making them the perfect beverage bottle year round!

 

 Make sure to head on over to Our Green House to pick up your S'well bottle today!