Green Energy: December 2021

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Shopping mall design creates a balance with light and dark

The best architecture blurs the lines between the outdoors and the inside space, marrying together elements of nature at every interior turn. Developers from 10 Design kept this concept in the forefront while completing Jinwan Mall, a new lakefront shopping mall in Zhuhai. The 117,000 square meters Jinwan Mall covers all the bases for a modern shopping center with striking visual appeal and function. It’s nestled up to the edge of Jinsha Lake in Zhuhai, China , which gives visitors a chance to connect with the environment . Related: Canada library reflects elements of parks and shopping malls Jinwan Mall is 10 Design’s second completed project on Huafa’s Jinwan Aviation City, along with the recently built Industrial Service Center and soon to be completed International Business Center. The massive mall undertaking was completed through a partnership of Ted Givens and Scott Findley. They designed it together with Project Partner Miriam Auyeung (COO), Project Leader Sonja Stoffels, and the entire architectural team made up of Peby Pratama, Joyce Lo, Vincent Fung, Yan Liu, Lufei Li, Wang Yang, Ruizhao Zhang and Echo Zhong. The basis of the design comes from nature and is mirrored in the integration of a traditional courtyard garden into the contemporary space. In addition to the views of plants and lake, the campus incorporates the main mall, retail street and the waterside pavilions consisting of F&B and retail spaces with ample outdoor spaces. A glass canopy spine connects the retail street and the mall, which provides protection from the weather while moving between the spaces. The striking façade represents the classic architecture of Chinese stacked stone walls and highlights unique and modern-day features such as the rhombi shapes inspired by the 4th-dimensional hypercube. In combination, the design creates a balance between dark and light, as well as massed areas with perforated panels and glass to provide natural light . “Our design for Jinwan Mall transforms the regular shopping mall into an outdoor retail experience closely linked to nature, creating a new paradigm of how people experience retail spaces and bringing a new destination to Zhuhai’s Jinwan District,” said Design Partner Ted Givens. Jinwan Mall designers braced against road noise with a solid wall to buffer sound on the street side. By contrast, the waterfront side of the mall features endless rows of windows and accesses to the pedestrian-rich area that features areas for pop-up shops and performances. The views towards the mall present green terraces and lakefront gardens that transition visitors into the space. “The Jinwan Mall development has been designed to maximize the nature and outdoor lifestyle of Zhuhai whilst tying it to the hypermodern concepts of discovery and exploration,” said Project Partner Miriam Auyeung (COO). “This new retail destination will provide the city with a public landmark that is inviting and accessible for all.” + 10 Design Images via 10 Design

* This article was originally published here

Monday, December 6, 2021

8 Simple Stovetop Potpourri Simmering Pot Recipes

A stovetop potpourri is basically a simmering pot made of spices, dried fruit peels, and/or extracts. Enjoy my favorites but be creative too!

Stovetop Potpourri

My thermostat is having trouble keeping the house warm lately. In other words, the cold weather is here to stay. So on very cold days, it seems like the furnace just runs and runs.

That’s when I often decide to get out the simmering pot to warm things up. In short, the idea is quite simple. It is a basic stovetop potpourri made up of spices, dried fruit peels, and/or extracts. There are really an infinite amount of combinations and it is so fun to experiment. So below I’ll share with you several of my favorite recipes.

Benefits of Stovetop Potpourri

There are so many benefits to using simmering pots, but my favorite is as a replacement for air fresheners. This simple DIY project will fill your entire home with the most wonderful aroma so easily. It seems to last and last throughout the day, even after you have stopped using the simmering pot.

Additionally, stovetop potpourri is a wonderful way to add moisture to the air. I often leave mine on for an hour or two, replacing the water as needed. All of that extra moisture in the air helps the heat to stay longer and carries the aroma throughout my house. The only downside to a simmering pot is having to clean the pot afterward! That’s why I have a “dedicated” pot for this very reason. It’s very well-loved but not very pretty to look at.

Note

Be sure to keep your simmer pot on the back burner and replenish with water frequently. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten about mine only to go into the kitchen and realize that I needed to add water ASAP!

Below you will find a list of suggested spices, herbs, fruit peels, and extracts that can be used in simmering pots. However, this list is not exhaustive by any means. To clarify, it’s just a few suggestions to help get your creative juices flowing. Finally, I will share with you several of my favorite simmering pot recipes after these suggestions.

Stovetop Potpourri Suggestions

Spices

Cloves
Juniper Berries
Cinnamon Sticks
Anise (whole)
Ginger
Allspice

(Find all of these spices here.)

Herbs

Lavender petals
Rose petals
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Sage
Mint
Bay leaves

(Find all of these herbs here.)

Fruit Peels

Grapefruit
Orange
Lemon
Lime
Apple

Extracts

Orange
Vanilla
Lemon
Almond

How to Make a Simmering Potpourri Pot

Making stovetop potpourri is quite simple! This is the recipe I follow, but there really is no wrong way to do it.

Firstly, choose a medium-sized pot and fill ¾ full of water.
Next, add in herbs/spices/extracts/fruit peels.
Now bring water to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer.
Lastly, replenish the water as needed.

Note: Keep in mind that cleaning the pot afterward can be a chore! Some scrubbing may be involved, so don’t use your favorite pot!

Other Stovetop Potpourri Recipes

You can find most of the dried ingredients for these simmering pots here.

Vanilla Mint Simmering Pot

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dried mint leaves (peppermint, spearmint, etc.)

Orange Spice Simmering Pot

peels of 2 oranges
1 tablespoon whole cloves (ground also works, but whole cloves are easier to clean out of a pan)
1 cinnamon stick

Floral Simmering Pot

½ cup lavender petals
½ cup dried rose petals
1 sprig rosemary

Holiday Spice Stovetop Potpourri

1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick
½ cup whole star anise

Fresh Fruit Simmering Pot

the peel of 1 lemon
peel of 1 orange
peel of 1 lime
1 teaspoon orange extract

Winter Woods Simmering Pot

½ cup juniper berries
1 sprig thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 sprig rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)

Ginger Citrus Stovetop Potpourri

¼ cup grated ginger (or 1 tablespoon ground ginger)
peel of 2 oranges
peel of 1 lemon
1 bay leaf

Apple Pie Simmering Pot

peel of 2 apples
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Find most of the dried ingredients for these recipes here!

Please feel free to share with me your favorite combinations in the comments below!

Have a favorite stovetop potpourri? Let us know! I’d love to hear from you.

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8 Simple Stovetop Potpourri Simmering Pot Recipes was written by Katie Vance.

* This article was originally published here

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Leaving Decisions to Farmers

This episode features Allan Savory.

Make farming easier with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/

Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpotco

Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i

Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/

* This article was originally published here

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Searl Effect Generator

Generator • November 25, 2021, 12:00 am

Water Glassing Eggs to Preserve Them for Years!

Water glassing eggs is a simple process of preserving eggs in lime water. Store in the pantry for up to 2 years and use as if they were fresh.

I have a small farm that includes about 30 chickens. In the summer, I get a ton of eggs. Sometimes literally! Upwards of 175 a week! I sell some and use some, but some end up going to waste because there’s no way to use them all. I remember my uncles storing their eggs in an old glass gallon jar. So I looked into it and it’s easier than you may think!

Water Glassing Eggs

You’ll want to start with clean eggs. Don’t use any that have poop or mud on them. But also, don’t wash them. When you wash eggs, it takes the “bloom” off of them and air can get inside. They will go bad faster. In the water tank, they can get water in them, which will result in rotten eggs in a very short time. So choose clean eggs that have not been washed for this project. Egg size or color doesn’t matter, so you can mix sizes and colors, or even create a cool pattern. You’ll be able to display your eggs on the counter as they are working. Or store them in a pantry.

What you’ll need

Water glassing eggs is a very simple project. You’ll need very few items and may even have them in your home already.

Fresh, clean eggs (see above)
A gallon glass jar
Cool, fresh, filtered water
Pickling lime
A kitchen scale
A spoon
plastic wrap or a plastic bag large enough to fit across the top of the jar with overlap

I use a big bowl to mix the lime and water before I put the eggs into it. Use 1 quart of water to 1 ounce of pickling lime. Be sure you weigh the water and lime for the best results. Depending on the size of your container, that could be 4 quarts of water to 4 ounces of lime or 8 quarts of water to 8 ounces of lime. I start with a smaller amount until I can see how the eggs will fill up the jar. I can always make more if I need it.

Make sure the jar is clean and sterilized. I run mine through the dishwasher.

Make sure your pickling lime is mostly dissolved before you add it to the eggs. There may be small bits that may remain after mixing. These are just larger crystals and will dissolve over time.

The Process of Water Glassing Eggs

Now that you have all of your materials ready, you can start assembling your jar. Add a layer of eggs to the bottom of the jar. You can either keep adding eggs randomly or make a cute pattern out of them. I put any that are weird shaped in the middle. As long as the shell is good, they’ll be fine. Try to place them with the pointy end down. This is how you would store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh longer. Think of this as long-term storage as well.

Add Lime Water

Once you have all your eggs in place, pour the lime water over the top. Make sure all of the eggs are covered, every single bit. If any part of the egg is exposed to the air, rot can occur over time. If you have space left in your jar, that’s ok. You can just add more eggs later.

What happens over time is that the pickling lime will start to fill in around the shell of the egg. This can help to keep them fresh for up to 2 years! I’ve seen studies done and the success rate at 8 months is around 100%. That means that all of the eggs were still good at that point.

Seal and Store

When you get all of your water glassing eggs and liquid in place, top the jar with plastic wrap. I know plastic wrap is bad in most cases, but in this case, it’s helping to form a seal. You can also use a plastic bag that fits in the top of the jar. When you get that on, cap the jar and tighten the lid.

As an alternative, you can float a good-sized layer of oil on the top. A quarter of an inch is good. Just enough to keep air out of it. This will hold up for a while but could go rancid over time, which is why I recommend the plastic wrap first. If you use the oil method, keep checking it over time.

That’s about it! Just be sure to rinse off your eggs before you use them. If a slight layer of crystals forms on top of the water, that’s normal. It’s just the lime recrystallizing. Your eggs will, believe it or not, look and taste just like they do when they are fresh. I’ve never really noticed any difference.

Have you tried water glassing eggs? It’s time to start a batch!

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Water Glassing Eggs to Preserve Them for Years! was written by Debra Maslowski.

* This article was originally published here