Okie Meatballs
At the request of a handful of folks, I am posting my meatball recipe. You could also use local bread to make the breadcrumbs if you wanted to go one step further but this is exactly how I made them for a recent gathering at my house and they were, as always, a big hit. I typically make them a day in advance (though this is not necessary) and cook them in a rich marinara sauce that I also make at least one day before serving. However, I chose to use a jarred Tomato Basil sauce for time’s sake and they were still pretty tasty.
Innovator Award: Best Use of Green Resources
I got a call from OKCMAR a couple of weeks ago saying that I had won an award from their GENext Committee. Then they told me I needed to come in for an on camera interview four days before my wedding. I mean, hey, I didn’t have anything else going on so off I went. They presented the awards and videos today at the Member Conference but I am in Italy so I couldn’t quite make the ceremony. I am pretty sure I still got the good end of the deal…………….and thank you to those of you who nominated/voted for me!
Realtors Celebrate Earth Day with Recycling Drive
PRESS RELEASE FOR EARTH DAY EVENT
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 2, 2010) – The Green Resource Council, a task force of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors (OKCMAR) is organizing a recycling drive to celebration Earth Day 2010. Local real estate brokerages are opening their doors as drop-off locations for recycling materials Monday, April 19 through Thursday, April 22.
OKCMAR’s Green REsource Council
In January, Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors launched a Green REsource Council. Our mission is to make the knowledge of green real estate practices available to everyone and to encourage our industry to produce greener homes and buildings. We have had two meetings to date and our agenda gets longer each time. The committee includes, Sarah Del Valle, Ryan Hukill, Katrina Washington, Shawna Vann, Simon Shingleton, Vickie Dupree, Elizabeth Foraker, Gayle Hough and myself.
Sustainability on Film
If you live in Oklahoma City and have picked up this week’s Gazette or tuned in to your friends status updates on Facebook, you may be aware that last night was the launch of a series of films on sustainability that will continue through the weekend at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
“Live Well Within Your Means”
What a motto to live by! As I took Fiona to Wilson Elementary for enrollment a couple of weeks ago, I parked across the street in front of the “Modern Family Bungalow,” home to Andy and Tracey Zeeck. With a smile on my face, I tell Fiona “This is the very first Gold LEED certified home in the state of Oklahoma!” Being four years old, she says “cool!” having no clue what I am really telling her.
How Much Energy is Your House Losing?
Twitter….what an interesting concept. I know you are thinking “What does this have to do with ENERGY?” and I will get to that in a minute. A couple of years ago when I first began to tweet, I used Twitter to see who was coming to dinner or who was up for a game of bones. Although that was a good way to eat up time during my daughter’s nap, Twitter has become so much more of a tool in recent months. A few weeks back, I found Temur Akhmedov, founder of the Oklahoma Green Business Alliance, on Twitter. This was the first I had heard of the OGBA and I wanted more information so we set up a meeting.
Last week, I met Temur (and Daryl from Safe and Green) for coffee. I started asking questions about OGBA, their role in the community and how we could work together, but then the conversation strayed to his livelihood. Temur is an energy auditor. Oooh. Cool! I had to get the scoop.
Temur explained to me that his energy audit consists of a two part testing process. The first being the blower door test which tests the air-tightness of the home. The second part is thermal infrared imaging or thermography. The thermography detects air leaks, gaps in insulation and changes in temperature. I watch Planet Green so I knew that much but what I did not know was that you can actually detect a water leak or other moisture issues, which can save you tons of money by being able to pinpoint the exact location of the problem.
He brought his thermal imaging camera in to Cuppie’s and Joe and actually showed us how it worked. I didn’t ask him if I could take it for a spin but I did make an appointment to have an energy audit done on my home!
He will be here tomorrow afternoon and I cannot wait to see the results. I was told that the process would take roughly 2-3 hours. Once he is finished with the audit, he puts together a comprehensive summary detailing items of concern. He also goes a step further to tell you which ones you can cost effectively tackle now and which should be addressed when making major repairs such as installing a radiant barrier the next time you replace the roof.
Right now, OK Energy Savers is running a special on their energy audits!
Homes up to 2,000sf $99.00
Homes 2,000 – 3,000sf $149.00
Homes 3,000sf + $199.00
Those chilly winter months are quickly approaching. Make sure that you are ready by scheduling your audit now. Proper insulation not only helps save energy and protect the environment but also cuts back on your energy bills. I, personally, don’t know anyone who wouldn’t enjoy that!
Call Temur at (405) 229-9165 to set up your appointment! You can also email him at info@centaurustech.com.
I Love Water!
Anyone who knows me has probably seen the “I love water!” bumper-sticker on my car. I picked it up at a street fair a couple years back while talking with some folks from the Portland Water Bureau. My hope is that at least one person a day notices it and gives it some thought.
Local Spotlight: Safe and Green Natural Pest Control
A few weeks back I stumbled upon Safe and Green on Twitter. I had posted a tweet looking for a natural pest control company here in Oklahoma City as I have done several times in the past, on a variety of social networking groups, with no luck. This time, I sent my request out in to cyberspace and actually received a response. I almost fell out of my chair. Could this be? I immediately checked out their website and called the number to ask a million questions. Since then, I have been in contact with the owner several times.
Daryl Willmon, owner of Safe and Green has a degree in finance and an MBA so I wanted to know how he got in to pest control. What I discovered was a man with a passion for his family and their personal safety. With a house full of girls and a spider infestation, he knew he had a problem. He wanted to take care of the spiders without introducing harmful chemicals in to their home but couldn’t find any safe over the counter “green” products that quite did the trick. When he saw an advertisement for a Green Pest Management Conference, he decided to go. When he realized that he could not purchase the natural insecticides without a fairly expensive license, he went through the proper training and certification to get it anyway. He is now able to treat homes and yards, businesses and personal residences alike.
The following is a dialogue between Daryl and I:
M: What all services do you provide?
D: I provide general pest control for homes and businesses as well as lawn treatment for weeds and organic fertilization.
M: Do you treat for larger pests as well as insects?
D: Yes, I can handle rodents, snakes and other pests.
M: What makes your product safer? More effective than traditional insecticides?
D: I use a Pyrethrum (Py) base which comes from the Chrysanthemum. Although is originates in nature, it does not last long in nature so it has been combined with essential oils of clove, thyme and rosemary to preserve it and provide residual protection. The Py is a very effective insecticide. Bugs have become resistant to many of the traditionally used, harmful insecticides over the years. They adapt and build up an immunity to them. However, they are not resistant to Py.
M: How long does a typical treatment last?
D: Treatments for pest management/maintenance generally last 60 days. If there is an infestation, I spray more frequently, say every 30 days. I also, suggest that businesses, particularly restaurants, spray every 30 days.
M: Do you guarantee your services?
D: Above and beyond!
M: How does natural pest control compare to traditional so far as pricing is concerned?
D: My pricing is very comparable.
M: What do I do if I only want to get rid of a particular pest in my garden, like the cucumber beetle?
D: Gardens are tricky. I don’t recommend spraying a garden because it kills everything, good and bad. Create a toad house and let them eat your pesky insects. If anyone has questions about how to get rid of a particular insect, I am more than happy to help come up with a solution. Give me a call!
I always enjoy a good story about someone who stumbled upon their career by accident. It generally means they are doing something that they feel strongly about and take great pride in. I am also a customer service junky and Daryl truly enjoys being helpful and providing a service that no one else has yet to tackle here in the Oklahoma City area.
For more information on Safe and Green Natural Pest Control visit their site or give them a call (405) 585-2501.
Images: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Chesapeake Thursday Farmer’s Market
Its Thursday OKC and that means that you can buy fresh and local this evening at the Thursday Market. In case you are not familiar with the Thursday Market it is an extension of the OSU-OKC Farmers’ Market that takes place at 400 N Portland on Saturdays. The Thursday Market is held from 3:00pm – 7:00pm in the Glenbrook East parking lot located at 1120 NW 63rd street across from Mamasita’s.
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