Off The Grid Travels in Taos, New Mexico

Part Two-Earthship Biotecture
Have you ever wondered what to do with a bunch of old tires, used glass bottles and cans? Well I have just the project for you. Find some friends who have extra time on their hands to help you build your very own earthship home. Or move to New Mexico where you can buy a "Euro" Earthship home for just $369.000. Still not sure? Then consider an overnight Earthship home rental through Lonely Planets one of the top ten eco-stays in the world. Details at lonelyplanet.com

Earthship Biotecture world headquarters are in Taos, New Mexico. The Earthship is the epitome of sustainable design and construction. No part of sustainable living has been ignored with these ingenious buildings.

Earthships can be built in any part of the world, in any climate and still provide electricity, potable water, contained sewage treatment and sustainable food production. The homes are built with natural and recycled materials and offer thermal/solar heating and cooling, water harvesting, contained sewage treatment and solar and wind electricity.

For more information go to  http://earthship.com/ Since none of the three models were open for inside viewing (except office) go to this link above for interior photos. Click on Design. They look quite inviting.  

As we drove into the parking lot my husband thought this small village of earthship homes looked like something from the planet Tatooine. (a fictional desert planet that serves as the setting for many key scenes in the Star Wars saga, appearing in every Star Wars film).

Since it was toward closing time we got reduced rates. Admission for dogs; FREE. It was quite a bizarre experience touring this earthship project and impressive what can be done to experience sustainable living.  

If you are ready to start here are some tires we found to help build the walls.

The Rio Grande Gorge was a breathtaking surprise near Taos. 

For those brave souls you are able to walk the length of the bridge. Not I as the winds were fierce and the drop down was more than heart-stopping. 

Carrots of Many Colors

Cook's notes: This product found at Trader's Joes (and new to me) was brought to my attention by Kathleen who thought blog readers would be interested in knowing about Carrots of Many Colors especially with holiday meal planning. This is what I found out...

Did you know that we Americans consume more carrots than any other people in the world? On average, each of us consumes 11.5 pounds of these robust roots a year. Can you even imagine how those numbers would increase if more people knew they could get carrots in (almost) all the colors of the rainbow? We're on a mission to make that happen, one carrot at a time, with Trader Joe's and the Organic Carrots of Many Colors.

A little history… until a few hundred years ago, carrots were most common in myriad colors. The Dutch combined a yellow carrot with a red one and came up with orange, their national color. These new carrots took hold and became the standard by which other carrots are judged. These days, the colorful originals are making a comeback, and while we're big fans of orange carrots, we also have a strong affinity for the Organic Carrots of Many Colors. Every two pound bag is filled with a random assortment of yellow, cream/white, red, and of course orange carrots. They all taste like carrots -- no surprise there -- but their color really pops on a plate.

With this exciting carrot discovery I have just the perfect recipe for Carrots of Many Colors 

Maple Dijon Glazed Carrots

Sweet and tender roasted carrots in a tasty maple Dijon glaze. This adapted recipe comes from closetcooking.com and serves 4-6. This side dish would be amazing using Carrots of Many Colors.
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds carrots, well scrubbed or peeled
• 2 TB. Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 2 TB. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. grainy mustard
• 1 tsp.  dijon mustard
• 1/2 TB. white miso paste
• 1/2 TB. rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. lite soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. parsley flakes

Directions:

• Toss the carrots in half of the mixture of the olive oil, maple syrup, mustards, miso, vinegar, and soy sauce. 
• Arrange carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet. Arrange minced garlic in between carrots. Sprinkle with parsley flakes. 
• Bake in a preheated  oven 400 degrees until tender and lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes, turning half way through, before tossing them in the remaining glaze and serving.

Cooking Tips:

• You want to use thin carrots about 3/4 on an inch or less, so that they roast quickly. If carrots are too thick consider slicing them horizontally before roasting. 
• You should be able to find the miso in the Asian section of grocery stores and if you cannot find it simply omit it and these carrots will still be amazing!