Are you environmentally trendy?

(NC) The ever-growing emphasis on environmentalism has certainly impacted consumers of all age groups. Whether it's food, clothing or even the appliances you bring into your home, consumers have turned what once seemed daunting into a trendy, feel-good practice that all can enjoy.

Here are some trend-worthy tips on how you can be even kinder to Mother Nature:

• Up-cycling is the new recycling. We've all heard of recycling our clothes but what about up-cycling? This sustainable concept encourages consumers to convert potentially wasted material into new materials or products, extending the items' lifetimes. YouTube and Pinterest are swarming with fun and catchy ideas on how you can turn anything from drab to fab.

• Save your H2O. There are loads of tips available to consumers on how to save water around the house. One area often focused on by energy specialists is water consumption in the shower. For example, a product by Delta Faucet called H2OKinetic gives you a brand new shower experience. Within each showerhead is an internal system that controls the speed, movement and droplet size of the water, creating the feeling of more water than a standard shower flowing at the same rate. Additional details can be found at www.deltafaucet.ca.

• Just cool it. With almost half of a home's energy consumed by heating and cooling, it's often recommended to keep an eye on the thermostat. Industry experts agree that every degree below 20◦C during colder weather can shed 3-5% off your energy consumption. New technologies in thermostats to control temperatures remotely from a cell phone makes this task a cinch.

• Clean the green way. Want to skip the chemical cleaners? Why not consider using common household items to help keep your home spit-spot? Not only will cleaning with simple ingredients such as plain soap, water, baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice save you money, it can also be gentle to our planet. Check out Pinterest for a plethora of uses from these seemingly-simple ingredients.

There are countless tips about reducing our carbon footprint. These simple yet practical tips can help your family become 'environmentally trendy'.

Like A Hawke,
Susan

Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

DIY Painting Your Garage Door

Happy Friday Friends!  I found this great post on how to paint your garage door.  Just go here and you'll learn all about it!

Like A Hawke,
Susan

Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Tomatillo Sauce

Tomatillo Sauce

1 lb Tomatillo 1 white onion 1 jalapeno pepper 4 cloves of garlic 1 tsp cumin Juice of ½ lime ½ cup fresh cilantro Salt and pepper to taste

Turn on oven to 400 degrees. Line baking tray with foil. Slice Tomatillos in half, quarter onions, slice jalapeno in half remove seeds. Peel and slice garlic in half. Roast in oven until everything starts to nicely brown. Even slightly blackened is ok. Toss all ingredients into food processor or blender, add lime juice and cilantro. Pulse until mixed into a sauce.

Cassarole 1 Cup Basmati Rice 1 can organic black beans 6 free range chicken breasts 2 cups vegetable stock (I used my homemade stock from the freezer) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion - minced 4 cloves garlic - minced 2 tbsp chili powder 3 tsp paprika 2 tsp cumin ¾ cup plain yogurt (I used organic greek goat’s milk yogurt) 2 cups Salsa 11/2 cups raw organic cheese (I used a mixture of Cheddar and mozzarella.

Cook basmati rice in vegetable stock. When finished add rinsed organic black beans to rice. Stir in 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp cumin. While this is cooking bake or boil chicken breasts until juices run clear. Shred or dice the chicken meat. Heat olive oil in large fry pan. Add onions and sauté. When almost transparent, add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add chicken meat, chili powder, paprika and cumin. Stir. Then add yogurt and salsa. In casserole dish or 9 x 11 dish, lightly cover bottom with about 2 tbsp of Tomatillo Sauce. Then add the rice and bean mixture. Spread all but about 2 tbsps of the Tomatillo Sauce on top, ½ the cheese, then add the chicken mixture. Top with remaining Tomatillo sauce and sprinkle cheese on top.

Cover with tin foil at bake at 350 degrees for about ½ hour. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole. Enjoy!

Like A Hawke,
Susan

Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them!

You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

Decorating Trends 2014: How to add intrigue to a favourite room

Seaside Harmony gives you the colours of sun, surf, and sand. A cool palette of blue-green and white, plus the warm peach with white, revives the spirit. Design elements: minimal furnishings, sculptured driftwood, and sea glass. Behr Paint Colours: Ocean Liner (T14-1), South Peach (T14-2), Miami Weiss (T14-3), Edgewater (T14-4) and Sky Blue (T14-5).

 Urban Alternative applies neutrals like olive and burnt orange to showcase skills and craftsmanship in wood, metal and stone work. The atmosphere is modest, relaxed and attainable. Design elements: distressed wood treatments, raw metal finishes, filament lightbulbs and earthbound shades. Behr Paint Colours: Boho (T14-6), Offbeat (T14-7), Film Fest (T14-8), Hipsterfication (T14-9) and Coffee Bar (T14-10).

Grand Reign captures the imagination with a sense of opulence, romance and mystery. Use luxurious detail, colour, and ornamentation. Choose a rich, masculine look, or delicate and feminine. Design elements: jewelled colours, layered textiles, guilded frames, and decorative mouldings. Behr Paint Colours: Imperial Jewel (T14-11), Coronation (T14-12), Grand Soirée (T14-13), Cloisonné Blue (T14-12) and Minuet Rose (T14-15).

Natural Avocation expresses respect for the things that intrigue you. In your favourite room, give any curious mind a rich colour experience in passions like botany, geology, archaeology and celestial events. Design elements: weathered maps, antique books, geological artifacts and illustrations of birds, plants and insects. Behr Paint Colours: Arboretum (T14-16), Archivist (T14-17), New Shoot (T14-18), Sunday Afternoon (T14-19) and Amaryllis (T14-20).

(NC) If you feel you've waited long enough to give your rooms a fresh coat of paint, now is the perfect time to take the home decorating plunge. Check out the dynamic trends for 2014 below:

Experts at Behr Paint tell us that the coolest concept right now is about expressing yourself, especially your passion for people, places and things. As a guide, the paint company has developed the 2014 Colour Trends to help spotlight the intrigue of history, hobbies, and nature. Illustrated in eye-catching images, the themes are Seaside Harmony, Urban Alternative, Grand Reign, and Natural Avocation. To achieve a similar look in your own home, take a cue from the visuals and colours noted below, with more details online at www.behr.com and at The Home Depot.

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Susan

Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

3 décor ideas for a quick sell

(NC)— In today's real estate market, a coat of paint and a good cleaning aren't enough for a quick sale at top dollar. You need to inspire the buyer's imagination and make them want to live there – and that is where home staging comes in. Here are three simple things that can make a real impact:

• Add a fireplace – this one element creates an inviting focal point with wow power. If you don't have an existing fireplace, electric is the way to go – and this change can be yours in a flash. Innovative companies like Dimplex, for example, offer a number of designer options for every décor style. The plug-and-play designs make installation a breeze.

• Remnant rug – A new rug can warm up the room, and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Check out carpet showrooms, as you will usually find remnants of carpet that have been bound. A neutral rug will help to ground the space.

• Flowers - People love seeing live plants and flowers in the family room. It gives a sense of life and good energy.

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Susan

Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

The Place in a House You Never Thought to Stage

No detail is too small for a home buyer. And while you’re making sure the kitchen counters are decluttered and sparkling clean, you might want to take a closer look in the refrigerator too, particularly if it’s staying with the house. The buyer likely will be. And what will they see when they open the doors? 

Like A Hawke,

Susan

Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them! You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada

Tomato Sauce

Below will make approximately 7 two cup portions. We increased everything proportionally to make 25 two cup portions, so we will (hopefully) have lots to take us through winter. Making tomato sauce at this time of year we were able to get almost everything freshly picked. Most of the ingredients were bought right at the farm or at the Farmer’s Market. Freshness is especially important for the tomatoes – you can really taste the difference. Of course, everything was also organic and pesticide free. Here’s the recipe we used:

Ingredients:

5lbs of fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded.

3 medium onions (we mixed red and yellow onions)

1 carrot

2 stalks of celery

½ banana pepper, seeded and finely chopped

8 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1/3 cup of fresh basil, chopped finely

2 bay leaves

1 sprig each of fresh oregano and thyme, 2 of parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of sea salt

2/3 cup of full bodied red wine

1 glass of full bodied red wine (drinking wine while making the sauce is a time-honoured tradition!)

Preparation:

Peel and seed the tomatoes: To peel the tomatoes, cut an ‘x’ in the bottom, drop into boiling water for 10-20 seconds and drench in an ice bath. To seed the tomatoes, place a strainer (holes must be smaller than the seeds) over a pot or bowl. Cut the peeled tomatoes into wedges and remove all the jelly (which contains the seeds) into the strainer. This method is quite quick and will produce very little waste.

Peel the garlic, shred half the carrot, peel the onions, de-seed the pepper and remove the white pulp, and break the celery stalks into four parts. Grind all these items together in a food processer with a little olive oil and the salt. Heat a large stock pot and put in some olive oil. Once heated, cook the mixture on high, stirring constantly until soft (about 10-15 minutes).

Add the tomatoes, wine, bay leaves, oregano, parsley and thyme

Seasonings can easily be adjusted to taste while cooking.

Cook on medium-medium low heat for at least 2 hours.

Puree with an immersion blender or food processor.

Like A Hawke,
Susan

Please check out my current listings and together we'll discover your real estate needs. If you know anyone buying or selling I'd love to help them!

You can follow me on Twitter: @susanhawkesells Instagram: @susanhawke Pinterest: @SusanHawke Facebook Page: Susan Hawke Remax Sales Representative Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Canada