Green in the Kitchen

 Here are some helpful tips for "greening" in the kitchen.

• Use the microwave or toaster oven to cook and reheat small dishes. A microwave uses only about 20 percent of the energy that a conventional oven uses, while a toaster oven uses about half.
• Only peek at food in the oven when you really need to. Every time the oven door opens, heat escapes and increases cooking time.
• Allow only as much preheating time as is necessary, and only preheat when the recipe calls for it.
• Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking foods to reduce oven time.
• Run the self-cleaning feature immediately after using the oven to take advantage of residual heat.
• Prepare more than you need and reheat leftovers in the microwave. If you bake a casserole large enough for three meals and skip the oven twice a week, you'll save 229 pounds of carbon during the course of the year.