Chocolate beetroot muffins have a rich, chocolately flavor and lovely color. And you are getting the good nutrition of beetroots in a sweet treat. Look for fresh beetroots in the produce section of your market. If they have the greens attached, cut them off and cook them as you would spinach. Here's how to make a dozen chocolate beetroot muffins. Ingredients -1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder -1  1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour -1 cup superfine or extra fine sugar (you can also whiz regular white sugar in a blender to make it finer) -1/4 teaspoon salt -1 teaspoon baking powder -1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional) -1 cup beetroots, peeled, cooked, and mashed (you can also puree the cooked beetroots) -2 teaspoons vanilla extract -3/4 cup oil (such as canola or safflower) -2 large eggs -powdered sugar for dusting Preheat the oven to 350. While it heats, sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. In a mixer, cream the oil, sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the beetroot mash or puree to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed. Keeping the mixer on low, mix in the dry ingredients a little at a time. Fold in the mini chocolate chips by hand. Spoon into muffin cups lined with paper. ...

You know the feeling - it's mid-afternoon, your children want you to do something fun and active, you have to get dinner ready soon, and you just want nothing more than a nap. It's that draggy, afternoon feeling that busy parents sometimes experience. Besides slugging down caffeinated drinks (which isn't very healthy), what can a busy parent do to get an energy boost? Here are some tips. 1. Eat well. Good nutrition is key to feeling good. Whole grains, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables deliver a lot of nutrition per calorie. Some people claim that raw foods are especially effective at boosting energy levels. 2. Supplement if you need to. There's no shame in taking a good-quality multi-vitamin. Just be sure to get one that is natural and high in B-complex vitamins. B vitamins can really help energy levels. 3. Exercise. While it may feel like the last thing you want to do, exercise can invigorate the body. It promotes good circulation and gets oxygen throughout your body. Do something light and invigorating like jumping rope or brisk walking. 4. Meditate. Even if it's just for a few minutes, meditation can help you escape from what's stressing you out in the first place. All the stimulation and stressors ...

Cleaning around the home or office typically involves the use of harsh chemicals that are not only dangerous for the environment, but also dangerous for your health. Making changes in your cleaning habits is a great way to help the environment and your health. Steam cleaning is one method to consider. While traditional steam cleaners are not green, dry vapor steam cleaners are.  These devices only use water to eliminate dirt. They require absolutely no cleaning products because they are solely reliant on water vapor. The dry vapor models use only a small volume of water to operate, much less than a person would use to do cleaning by hand with soapy water and a sponge.  The dry steam vapor cleaner will eliminate large amounts of dirt from nearly every surface in a home, including tiles, curtains, grout, and patios. These devices need little energy because they convert a small amount of water into a powerful jet of steam so there is less need to heat water. While a dry steam vapor cleaner may not replace all your household cleaning products, it certainly is a great alternative to reducing your reliance on those products. Microfiber cloths are another great tool to use ...

A great and easy way to reduce your carbon footprint is to install solar driveway or garden lights on your property. Solar lights are a great way to cut down on your power bill and can be incredibly easy to install. When it comes to what type of solar light to use, standard solar garden lights work great on the driveway or in the garden, offering many benefits to the homeowner. Installing the lights is a piece of cake, and you can find a wide assortment to choose from at your local hardware or gardening store. The solar garden lights come ready made and simply need a patch of grass to stand in. You simply stick the stand, which is pointed at the end, into the grass where you want the light to go. During the day the solar light will absorb rays from the sun and at night will use the sun’s energy to emit light. These lights are a great way to maintain a certain look around your property, as they go great all around the exterior of the house. If you’re in the market for a more permanent solution, consider using the above ground solar driveway light. These solar ...

How to Boost Your Metabolism There are foods that can actually help you boost your metabolism - in other words, they can speed up the rate at which you burn calories. Here are some of the best foods and beverages for speeding up your metabolism. 1. Almonds Aren't nuts high in fat? Yes, but the essential fatty acids in almonds actually stimulate your metabolism. They do have a lot of calories, but eating a handful of raw ones is a healthy snack. 2. Green Tea Green tea has a certain catechin, or flavonoid, called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This gives your nervous system a boost, stimulating your body to burn more calories. 3. Jalapenos These spicy little peppers contain capsaicin, which is said to boost your calorie-burning for some time after you eat them. 4. Broccoli Because it has vitamin C and calcium, broccoli is a good metabolism booster. 5. Grapefruit Full of fiber, grapefruit requires a lot of energy to digest and break down. It also lowers your insulin levels (insulin stimulates your body to store fat). 6. Turkey Lean turkey meat is full of protein but not fat or sugar, making it ideal for building lean muscle and increasing your metabolism. 7. Apples An apple a day keeps slow metabolism away! This fiber-rich fruit ...