Composting can be confusing, with the never-ending options of components you can add to your pile. However, to balance the composition of your compost, you’ll need a good mix of nitrogen-rich wet greens, and carbon-rich dry browns. Here are some items you can easily obtain to add into your pile of compost.
A staple brown, newspapers will add carbon to your compost pile. Be sure to shred them first because a bundled mess of newspapers will hinder the necessary flow of oxygen.
This is another readily available item you can add to your compost pile, as we all know how quickly a household can go through a carton of eggs.
Adding eggshells to compost adds calcium to the makeup of your heap. This important nutrient, when added to soil, helps the plants to build cell walls and grow better and faster.
Wash them before adding into your compost so that you don’t attract any critters and reduces the risk of disease which raw eggs pose.
Another commonly used carbon-rich brown, dead leaves can be easily found around your house. However, you do need to shred them before adding them to your pile. Layer them with fresh grass clippings or other greens, and moistened with water.
Scraps like cores, peels, skins, and stalks from vegetables and fruits are some other things you can compost instead of simply disposing them. You should keep them buried deep in your compost heap to prevent pests from appearing.
Compared to loose tea leaves, tea bags are more complicated to compost because they can be made up of a variety of materials, and not all of them may be natural fibres.
If you drink Nilufer Tea's organic and pesticide-free herbal teas, you can empty the contents into your compost pile and discard the bag.
It is critical that all the cardboard you use for your compost is shredded into small pieces because large pieces take longer to decompose.
Remember to turn the pile every five days to speed up the decomposition. In six to eight months, the compost should be ready to use.
Compost in a DIY bin typically doesn't get hot enough to break down meat or bones. So if you do want to use plate scrapings in your compost pile, avoid these items.
If you’re the type who juices a lot, you can actually salvage the skins, peels and pulp for your compost pile. Not only does the fibrous pulp break down quickly, but it enriches your compost with a variety of nutrients too.
Paper towels and napkins are considered carbon-rich browns and can be used as a substitute for dried leaves. Make sure they’re not overly greasy so they can decompose quickly. This is because oil and grease reduces the amount of air in your compost, eventually leading to the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which creates an unpleasant stench.
Yes, you can actually compost hair! After all, it is simply protein filaments and thus, natural. Spread the hair out so that the larger surface area can help it to break down faster and easier. It’ll take a bit more than a month for it to break down enough before you can add it to your garden soil.
Most pencils are made from cedar, a wood that insects hate. Using pencil shavings in your compost pile and subsequently soil therefore, prevents pests from appearing.
Latex is a biodegradable material. So if you have tons of them lying around after a party, toss them in your pile – they’ll be gone within six months.
If you’re set on minimising your household’s waste output, you may want to try composting your pet’s droppings. However, if you do, remember never to use it in any garden that is growing edible vegetables and herbs. Let it compost for a long time so as to kill off as many harmful microorganisms as possible.
Composting doesn’t have to be a confounding process, so get to it, and you’ll be doing a great service to the environment!
Using natural ingredients to get beautiful hues on your food may be time consuming, but it certainly beats reaching for that bottle of food colouring. The natural colours from nature lets you indulge in the most colourful foods without any of those harmful additives. So rather than using colour-laden chemicals, why not go Au naturale by using ingredients that double up as dyes? Here’s how you can do just that.
Beetroot offers a natural way to get your foods a striking red, and they are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, iron and magnesium.
Start by boiling bite-sized chunks of beets and cover them with water, bringing it to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until they are tender, and the residual stained water will be your food colouring.
Blend in the desired amount of beetroot juice to your own frosting, and you’ll get a perfectly pinkish hue to top your favourite cupcake.
The best part about using beets is that you can save the chunks for a salad lunch later.
You can also use raspberries. Bring those luscious red berries to a boil, then use a food processor to puree them.
Turmeric is one of the few natural food dyes you can use if you’re looking for that vibrant yellow hue.
Bring some turmeric, sugar, and water to a boil over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, so that it doesn’t become lumpy. Let it cool completely before mixing it with frosting or icing.
Selected paprika can also offer orange tints. Heating the spice can also release a stronger flavour to improve the taste of your food. You can also try juicing carrots if you’re making sweet treats.
Not only does matcha turn foods green, but it is rich in nutrients, antioxidants and fibre. It also increases your metabolism and helps the body burn fat. Depending on how dark of a green you want, vary the amount of matcha powder you’re using.
Besides matcha, you can also use spinach. Just grind a large handful of them in a food processor and strain the juice through a cheesecloth. Remember not to throw away the leftover remnants of spinach pulp; you can use it a soup or throw it into an omelette for a nice touch.
A rich source of antioxidants, butterfly pea flowers are the perfect option to replace blue food colouring. Its mild taste also ensures the natural flavour of your dish shines.
Commonly used in sticky rice desserts like pulut inti (a sweet glutinous rice dessert with coconut) and puddings, the flower, when added to a liquid, changes color based on the pH level of the substance added to it. So if you add lemon juice, the food "magically" turns into a bright purple.
Cover some red cabbage with water in a cooking pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, before draining it. If you want the residual purple solution to become lighter, add vinegar. And if you want to get a blue from there, add baking soda instead. You may want to start with small amounts until you get the desired colour. Keep in mind that both vinegar and baking soda can change the taste profile of your food, so don’t use too much.
You can also use blackberries but they are an expensive fruit to juice.
If you are opting for these natural dyes, do note that the result tends to be less vivid than artificial colouring. Also, they can possibly add an extra flavour to whatever you’re making. But it’ll definitely be fun experimenting with the different shades you can get!
If you want a naturally coloured tea to accompany your foods, try Nilufer Tea's Rose Paradise. The dried strawberry gives the tea a beautiful pink hue and a light sweet flavour, a treat for both your eyes and mouth. Get it here!
Otherwise, you can also opt for Blue Ocean and indulge in the light refreshing flavour while admiring the teal tint of the tea. Get it here!
Written by: Anna Fernandez
Eggs are highly nutritious, versatile, inexpensive, and easy to use in many dishes, and that’s why they make breakfast foods. Egg whites are packed with proteins, vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, and copper, while the yolk contains essential fatty acids. So if you’re stumped on minimalist egg-based recipes, you’ve come to the right place. Check out these five ways to step up your egg game, even when you’re rushing out of the house in the morning!
The best part about quinoa bowls is that you can use any ingredients, add a sauce to spice things up, and you’re good to go. Known as a super grain, quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat.
To get started, prepare a portion of quinoa for the base of your bowl. For a distinct burst of flavours, you can cook it in chicken stock first. Add a couple more ingredients that you desire like shredded chicken, tomatoes, grated cheese, or even avocado. For that melt-in-the-mouth effect, you can top it off with a fried egg with a set egg white and runny yolk.
The possibilities are endless ingredients-wise, but you can check out this recipe for some inspiration!
Again, many different ingredients can be used to make an omelette. Because they cook quickly, you would want to prepare all the fillings beforehand. Whichever ingredients you decide on, remember to cut them into smaller pieces so that your omelette doesn’t tear when it’s folded. You can use ingredients like ham, baby spinach, shredded cheese, and onions. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even add broccoli, corn, or chilli.
Nothing beats a wholesome breakfast omelette like this one.
If you’re someone who struggles with flipping omelettes, maybe frittatas would be more up your alley. The trick to making the perfect frittata is to make sure to fully cook any ingredients that might release moisture into the eggs, such as mushrooms and tomatoes. You can also add more substantial ingredients like chicken, smoked salmon, or asparagus.
Get your frittata fix by following this simple recipe, or get creative with your own!
If you’re going for a more substantial breakfast to get you ready for the day, a breakfast burrito or wrap would be the way to go, especially if you’re someone who likes to get a morning workout.
Salmon contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which increases your body’s metabolism, and determine whether you burn calories or store them as fat. Using it as an ingredient will turn anything into a great pre-exercise meal. You can also have this for dinner if you had something heavy for lunch.
You can use either the egg or a flour tortilla as the wrap. The tricky part of making a burrito is wrapping it so that its contents don’t fall out. Warming your tortilla makes it a little more pliable but don’t heat it up for too long as it’ll become crispy. Once you begin rolling, remember to make it as tight as you can from the start.
Find out how you can get wrapped up in your delish burrito here.
You’ll need exactly five ingredients for this, including eggs: oatmeal, bananas, maple syrup, and baking soda. Blend them all together and bake it for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
It’ll take some time, but if you make a large batch, you’ll find that the sugar in the bananas will actually continue to make the bread moister and sweeter the next day.
Check out how you can make this here, and munch away!
Some egg dishes can feel a little heavy on the mouth. That's why we recommend herbal tea to accompany your meal or to wash your food down afterwards. For some great choices of herbal tea, here are some great selections and tasty ones from Nilufer Tea. You can get them here!
It will be Chinese New Year soon and it is time to get the boxes out for a little spring cleaning. You may have dodged every attempt by your mum, your significant other or your own new year’s resolution to sort through your closet, look through your storeroom or even just recycle the stack of magazines you’ve collected over the year, but the time has now arrived to actually get down to it. If you don’t celebrate Chinese New Year, the start of the year is still a great time to get down to business and get over the cleaning you’ve been meaning to do.
Why clean?
Almost everyone succumbs to the temptation to buy things that we probably do not use. This means that we have things around the house that do not help us live our best lives while simultaneously distracting us from pursuing what is really important to us. Have you ever had the feeling of being overwhelmed while working at your overcrowded desk? Or been frustrated at your lack of clothing options although your wardrobe is at bursting point? Well then, a little decluttering can go a long way to maintain your mental and even physical health.
We might spend time and effort to rid our bodies of excess and of toxins but we seldom shift that good behaviour onto our living spaces and lifestyles. Just like detoxifying your body, decluttering your lifestyle and home will have great effects on your productivity and overall health. Read on to find out exactly how minimalism can help you in your day to day life and get you in gear to greet the New Year with confidence.
How many times have you known that you have an item but just did not know where you kept it? If rooting through your storeroom to find your required object among all the extras you have happens more often than you’d like it to, then it might be time to sort through your belongings. One easy way to keep your material possessions to a minimum is to get rid of duplicates. You do not have to get rid of these immediately. Put them in a box and if you don’t miss these items within a few months then consider donating these items. Decluttering your home would also allow you to organise your home better in order to find things with more ease. Thus, there’s no more mad rush when you need these things urgently. This will also prevent you from buying unnecessary things because you are well aware of what you have and don’t have.
Picture this: you are in the middle of working on an important work assignment when you need to retrieve some paperwork from your desk. There are stacks and stacks of paper – paperwork from your job, magazines you promised yourself you will read and grocery lists and bills that you need to keep. Even if you knew exactly where you kept your paperwork, you will be distracted even for moment about the million other tasks that you have got to get to, leading to frustration. There is a peace of mind when you take the time to clear out the unnecessary distractions and just have the work you have to do in front of you. Science agrees: the more objects competing for your attention, the more your brain multitasks and the less focus you have on the work you need to do. So take some time, organise your table-top items into compartments, file your paperwork and bask in your new found productivity.
Most times, things have an impact on you psychologically – a decorative vase from an ex or a book from a friend you’ve parted ways with. Though they take up space physically, they also affect your mental health, perhaps bringing to mind memories you’d rather not remember. By getting rid of such objects, not only is your physical space more free, you create for yourself an emotional safe space where you do not get saddened by the objects in your room. In fact, research shows a connection between clutter and depression. Clutter literally makes you sad. Getting rid of your clutter might not solve all your problems but it may well get you started.
While decluttering may not bring you complete detachment to worldly possessions, it will deeply benefit you in your day to day life. With all the responsibilities and goals in life, any little bit that helps is appreciated.
Composting is the process whereby organic waste biodegrades naturally into nutrient-rich soil for gardening. There are both anaerobic and aerobic composting; the former does not utilise any oxygen while the latter requires oxygen for composting.
If the idea of composting invokes images of a stinking pile of garbage slowly decaying in your yard, fret not! There is a proper way of composting and it doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience. So, rather than throwing away your kitchen scraps, why not try composting them at home? Here’s how you can do just that:
To ensure good air circulation in your compost bin, drill small holes on the lid, the bottom, and the sides. The bin should be placed in an airy area without direct sunlight.
It’s important to ensure that your compost bin allows for air to circulate freely as the micro-organisms would require oxygen to decompose the waste. If there’s insufficient air, gases like methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide can be produced, causing unpleasant smells.
You’ll need a good mix of browns such as dried leaves, cardboard egg cartons, and newspaper and greens like fruits, vegetables, kitchen waste, and coffee grounds.
Add extra newspaper or dried leaves towards the bottom of your bin so that it can absorb any extra moisture from your wet greens. Browns are carbon-rich while greens are nitrogen-rich, and the micro-organisms use them both as food. To prevent maggots from appearing, try to make sure your bin is made up of three parts dry browns, and one part wet greens.
Then you’ll need an accelerator. This is responsible for kick starting and quickening the breakdown of the organic matter in your compost bin. An example is buttermilk or manure. You can also shred the waste in order to quicken the process.
A good aerobic composting pile should be moist, but not excessively wet. If too much kitchen waste is added, it may begin to smell as the result of anaerobic bacterial action.
Compost, when added to soil, increases its productivity by retaining soil moisture, improving soil structure, and enriching it with essential nutrients. This promotes the growth of healthy plants. Moreover, it reduces the use of pesticides and fertilisers, many of which can be harmful to the environment.
Because your pile needs aeration, you’ll need to turn the pile once in a while. Other than that, it doesn’t require much attention.
Aerobic composting prevents landfills from rapidly reaching their capacity. It also keeps organic waste, which often contain a lot of water, from being transported as well. Not transporting these wastes conserves fuel and energy. Because these organic materials don’t end up in landfills, it reduces the emission of methane into the environment. The overwhelming amount of methane gas in our atmosphere is a known contributor to global warming.
That’s it! Your compost is ready for use!
Depending on the materials you used, you’ll start to see that the result is a dark and crumbly mixture, with an earthy, soil-like odor to it after about 40 days (and especially if you contributed to your pile daily). Use it to grow your own produce and you’ll quickly get into the habit of composting.
Composting can help the environment in more ways than one, such as reducing water pollution. Fertilisers can be a major cause of water pollution, but when they are mixed with the compost in your soil, the compost binds to the fertiliser and prevents seepage and contamination of groundwater.
Written by Anna Fernandez
There are few things better than plucking a fresh juicy red tomato from your window for a salad or sandwich. After all, you are eating the fruits of your labour and that can be incredibly satisfying.
Besides herbs, such as mint and coriander, there are some vegetables that can be a great asset to your mini-garden as well. If you plan to venture into deeper waters, perhaps your next garden project could involve growing tomatoes.
The humble tomato, which is native to Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador, is a lot more difficult to grow than mint. The rewards, however, are just as amazing. If you feel inspired to add some tomato plants to your garden, keep these tips handy!
There are dozens of varieties of tomatoes, and all of them have slightly different characteristics and need different conditions for optimal growth. In sunny Singapore where the temperatures can be excruciatingly warm, you would find that it may be easier to manage tomatoes that are more tolerant of the tropical climate. Examples of these varieties include: Arkansas Traveler Heirloom Tomato, Black Cherry Tomato, Creole Tomato and Florida 91 Tomato. This is just the tip of the iceberg – some quick research will give you a mind-boggling amount of varieties to choose from.
It is no surprise that Singapore has land constraints, so it is rare that you’d have a plot of land to work with. But if you do, then just plant them about a metre apart. However, you live in an HDB or an apartment, things can get slightly trickier. You would need big containers or pots to contain your tomato plant. Ideally, each plant (unless it is a small tomato variety) should be planted in its own individual container that is at least a square foot.
Use good quality potting soil that is rich in organic matter and keep the pH slightly acidic at 6.2 to 6.8. It is extremely important that you fertilize the plants. Otherwise the beautiful fruits that you envision may not even appear. Mix some slow release fertilizer into the soil and water with a diluted liquid fertilizer every week or every other week.
As with fertilizer, tomatoes in the tropics need lots and lots of water. However, you need to be consistent in the amount of water you give to the plant, especially if you are growing your plants in a container. That means that if you water a specific amount, do not change that amount or skip days. If you do, your tomatoes may burst or crack. This is crucial especially when your tomatoes get bigger. Make sure that there is good drainage because with our humid climate, it is very easy for tomato plants to get fungal infections.
Tomatoes need lots of sun so make sure you put your plant by a window or a part of your veranda that receives lots of sunlight. However, do keep an eye on the temperature. Most tomato varieties do not grow well when the temperature climbs above 32 degrees Celsius.
With these top tips for successfully growing tomato plants and harvesting tomatoes, we hope your garden flourishes with the tasty tomatoes. If you plant them today, maybe in the next 10-11 weeks you might be using actual home-grown tomatoes in your recipes!
Written by Annmaria Patteri
