The world's easiest way to peel eggs (even farm fresh!)

One of the persistent myths about hard-boiled eggs is that if you want to peel them, they must be "old eggs" because farm fresh eggs don't peel easily since they stick to the shell.

This put me in a conundrum, because I like farm eggs, but that makes it tough to make deviled-eggs and some of my other favorite recipes. For many years, I found myself buying "old eggs" when I wanted to peel them.

Then I discovered how to peel eggs in a jar. Here are my farm fresh eggs (from my friends at Jackson 'Maters) and one of the pint jars I received from Ball canning last fall.

(how cute is the egg with the birthmark? lower right corner)

my gorgeous green glass Ball jars

You have to see it to believe it, so I videotaped myself peeling a farm fresh egg (before realizing I had dishes drying in the background... but check out the fact that YES, I do wash & dry my plastic zipper bags).

Things to consider when choosing diamond jewelry

When it comes to diamond jewelry, it's nice to know that a company is following some sort of standards and assurances that the diamonds are from socially responsible sources. In April 2003, The United States of America passed a law adopting the Kimberley Process, which requires all US diamond retailers to buy all their diamonds only from manufacturers who have documentation warranting that the diamonds were obtained through legitimate channels. Our Daily Green recently had a chance to review a piece of jewelry from Anjolee.

Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons of shopping for diamond jewelry with Anjolee

PROS:

Customization - you can customize your jewelry by gemstone, gold color, and carat size to create a piece that is exactly your taste. This is a great opportunity to choose a personal gift for your favorite graduate or wedding party as the season is coming into full force. Nothing says forever like quality jewelry. Additionally, at the time of shopping, you are able to order a replica of the jewelry in silver and CZ for a nominal fee.

Anjolee's Circle of Love Diamond Pendant

save 15% (use coupon code 15SP37 at checkout)

Commitment to the Environment - Anjolee utilizes a green manufacturing process when they make your jewelry. They recycle all materials and prevent any unnecessary toxic discharge to the environment.

Comprehensive online ordering and free shipping - ordering a custom piece of jewelry is convenient and time saving. They also offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

Elegant presentation - The ring I received for review is a replica of the Millgrain Edge Diamond Eternity Band set in sterling silver. It came in a lovely box with a built in LED light to showcase the jewelry.

CONS: 

The Kimberley Process - This regulatory system does not require individual diamonds to be traceable to their mine of origin.Governments often give Kimberley Process certification to diamonds with unknown histories – making it easy to smuggle banned diamonds into the certified supply. While this is not necessarily the fault of the jeweler purchasing the diamonds, neither should it be touted as a selling point. Fair-trade diamonds have a more traceable and ethical certification and have a more clear supply chain.

Price point - Anjolee sells high end jewelry and there is very little available to the consumer under $1000.  While Anjolee does a great job of providing video displays and detailed photos, it's difficult to make a purchase of such expense sight unseen, although the money-back guarantee is assuring.

Our Daily Green is happy to share this information with our readers. If you know exactly what you want in a piece of jewelry, shopping with Anjolee will save you many miles and hours of traveling to find the perfect piece. You can design it from the comfort of your own home and be wearing it within a week.

To see more of their pieces: find Anjolee: The Art of Jewelry on Facebook. 

Disclosure: In order for Our Daily Green to evaluate the company's products,  we received a silver and cubic zircon replica valued at $114.00 free of charge. All opinions shared are strictly my own. 

Waste to Riches: how recycled filament can transform the 3D printing industry

Let’s face it: plastic isn’t great for our environment. There are giant landfills of plastic in countries around the world, a small island of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean, and plastic bags that carry our purchases from most stores. That’s a lot of waste, but it’s also a tremendous opportunity. Imagine if we could harness our plastic bottles, bags, and packaging to create brand new items and drastically reduce our carbon footprint. That’s the idea behind new 3D printers like the EKOCYCLE Cube, which employs a special filament made from 25% recycled plastic. Equal to about three 20oz PET bottles, it’s a welcome trend in the 3D printing world. As we head into a more sustainable age, here are some of the exciting features to expect with a recycle-ready printer.

• 1. More Affordable Filament:

Typically, filament cartridges for a standard 3D printer will set you back around $50. The plastic material isn’t cheap to fabricate and then roll into a spool, but production costs go down considerably when you use recycled plastic instead. In fact, it’s often more energy-efficient to recycle household polymers (like milk jugs and shampoo bottles) through a 3D printer than taking them to a recycle plant. This is especially true when the recyclable materials need to be transported long distances before being reprocessed. Printers like the EKOCYCLE have brought us one step closer to a fully recyclable system, where you can feel good about buying sustainable filament and spend less money in the process.

• 2. More Recyclable Materials: 

Organizations like the Plastic Bank and the Ethical Filament Foundation have made it their mission to bring awareness to our filament usage and set environmentally friendly trends for 3D printing. The Plastic Bank understands that plastic waste is an enormous problem around the world, so they’ve created a printing center to educate poor citizens in developing countries about recycling their plastic. These wasted resources are worth around $15 a kilogram when processed into filament, so it’s a real opportunity for people to improve their financial situation and clean up their towns in the process. To achieve similar goals, the Ethical Filament Foundation works with companies to increase the use of recycled filament. In this emerging market, they want to set clear environmental standards for the industry.

• 3. New Printing Sources:

Right now, 3D printing uses around 30 million pounds of plastic per year, and it’s expected to reach 250 million pounds by the end of the decade. To offset some of that consumption, designers have been coming up with new printers that harness glass and sand as a resource. Glass has the potential to become a bigger source for 3D printers, although the recycling technology is still in its early stages. Creative engineers like Markus Kayser are already using sand as a printer source — he created a printer called the SolarSinter to harness sunlight and melt down sand in the middle of the desert.

Radon detection in the home

Feeling tired or sick? You might have a radon problem.

Radon is a type of naturally occurring gas that can come from the soil outside your home, leaks in your home or even cracks in your foundation. As the soil in your lawn or garden releases large amounts of this gas, cracks in the foundation and windows and damage to other parts of your home allows the gas to enter your bedroom and other parts of your home.

Using kits at home

"Electron shell 086 Radon"

 CC BY-SA 2.0 uk via Wikimedia Commons.

An easy and simple way to find out if you have radon gas in homes is with a leak detection kit. You can find these kits online and from some home improvement stores. Specifically designed to identify radon gas in homes, the kits can let you know if radon exists. The problem with these kits is that one will only tell you if you have radon gas in your home at that moment. Hiring a professional for an inspection is usually a better option. 

Why choose a professional inspection?

A professional inspection is the only way that you'll know if your home has radon inside, where that radon comes from and how much is in your home. Professionals can use tools and detectors that determine exactly where the radon comes from and how it got into your house. A professional can also tell you if mediation is necessary. When the radon levels keep rising, mediation lets you lower those levels and keep your family safe and healthy.

A special thank you to today's sponsor for keeping us advised to any potential health risk in the home.

Going green for spring parties

It is up to all of us to clean it up and help Mother Earth any way we can. One of the best ways we can do this is by going green. Using environmentally friendly products in our everyday life will help. If every person adopts this way of thinking, the positive impact on the planet as a whole will be staggering. Here are some reasons why you should go green:

1. Reduce the amount of waste

With graduation and spring party season in full force, many people rely on disposable table service to make entertaining clean up a much easier task. It isn't necessary to sacrifice convenience. me. By using products such as compostable bowls, you can do your part to reduce the amount of waste that goes into a landfill and stays there for decades, if not centuries. Compostable items will break down once they are thrown away, so they will eventually dissolve and become absorbed into the soil, leaving no footprint behind. Recycling will help to reduce the amount of waste as well. Rather than simply disposing of plastic and cardboard in the trash, take them to your local recycling center. Mother Earth will thank you for your efforts.

2. The world will be better for future generations

Going green is not just about making the world a better place right now, it is about making it better for the future. Your children and grandchildren will also need a clean and healthy place to live. Therefore, it is our responsibility to give it to them. By changing the way we live our lives today, we can ensure that the future remains bright for this wonderful planet we live on.

3. Quality of life increases

When the world is a cleaner and healthier place to live, the overall quality of life for the general public will be increased. It is the right of every human being to have clean air to breathe and fresh water to drink. If going green can help to make these things happen, then it is definitely a worthwhile endeavor for all people.

Thank you to today's sponsor for offering a wide variety of eco-friendly items for the home. 

Our Daily Green is proud to work with such companies. We have been compensated for this post, but the opinions voiced are our own.