Cooking with Waterless Cookware is not only the healthiest way to cook it provides you with additional benefits. It saves time and energy therefore saving you money!

Waterless Cooking can benefit you in the following ways:

• More nutriants are retained due to the lower temperatures used and the absence of added oil and water. Low temperature cooking retains more of the natural vitamins and minerals in food, it also means less oxidisation which results in the food retaining maximum flavour and colour.
• Saves time because food cooks faster, no need to stir during cooking. This method also makes cleanup easier.
• Lower temperatures mean savings on energy costs.
• Almost any recipe for the oven can be cooked in this cookware on the top of the stove, e.g., Lasagna, Pineapple Upside-Down cake. Again, saving on energy costs and time.
• This cookware comes with a lifetime guarantee.

If you would like more information on this method of cooking then contact info@itsecotime.com. To view the cookware visit www.itsecotime.com and click on the waterless cookware link.

I am so happy to read current consumer reports which show the trend for buying bottled water is shifting. Of course some of this shift can be attributed to the economy as bottled  water is expensive.  Hopefully though some people are making this choice because filtered tap water is a greener option. Quality home water filters are a more economical and convenient solution to ensuring your family enjoys healthy water. Remember they key points I made in an earlier blog:

• There are no government standards that require bottled water to be purer or safer than tap water.

Recently I have read lots of articles with quirky tips on how to save energy, reduce costs etc. While they are all very commendable I’m sure, at It’s Eco Time we believe that, to make a sustainable difference and to green up your lifestyle on a permanent basis, the changes you make need to be embedded into your home environment. For instance I read a recommendation from someone who said that to reduce the water consumption in her shower she put the radio on and only let the water flow for the duration of one song. I’m sure this works but how to you get your husband and kids to sign up for this? Isn’t it better to invest a small amount of money in a water saving showerhead and forget about the issue? Likewise, making a stand and turning the heat way down, then suggesting everyone wears an extra sweater can become confrontational within the family. Purchasing a programmable thermostat means you can programme your heat or air, not only for different times of the day but for different days of the week. The advantage of this is that once installed you can forget the issue and still be saving money on your fuel bills. At It’s Eco Time we believe there should be no “pain” involved it leading a healthy green lifestyle - only gain.

Using waterless cookware  really is the most energy efficient, healthiest way to cook. The food cooks in its natural juices, it tastes terrific and it retains approximately 98% of its vitamins and minerals, compared to only 58% when using conventional cookware. Cooking with waterless cookware is easy once you understand the fact that you simply don’t use as high a temperature as with regular cookware, and it seems to take less time than conventional cooking. Since the heat is so evenly distributed there’s less chance of burning or sticking, which makes the pots easier to clean. And of course you don’t have to use oil to prevent sticking. A Special Steam-Release Valve Lid is used to keep water from escaping. The lid forms a seal with the pot, and locks in the natural moisture that normally escapes from the food during the cooking process. Once the natural juices have created a sufficient amount of steam, a whistle sound is heard coming from the steam valve. At that time the heat is turned off or down, depending on the foods you’re preparing. This, of course, saves much energy, and the foods cook at a more constant temperature, because of the cookware’s heat retention capabilities and the steam heat inside the pot.

At this time of year it is an excellent time to start thinking about setting up that rain barrel, or barrels, to capture the Spring rains.  Rain is free, and shortage of water a growing global concern, so it makes sense to make recycling rainwater as much part of your recycling programme as bottles, cans and newspapers.  It can take as little as 1/4″ of rainfall to fill a 60 gallon rain barrel. Capturing rainwater as it falls will help reduce your domestic water needs and is another great way to green up your lifestyle.