A few days ago, I came across a hilarious tweet in a list of “Dad Memes”. (Why I was looking at Dad Memes, I cannot fathom. The internet is a strange place!)
Anyways, giggling with glee, I showed it to my husband:
“My God!” my husband exclaimed, laughing. “You’ve turned into your dad!”
Yes, I replied. Yes I have.
It’s actually pretty simple: As an adult, a homeowner, and of course, a person who pays bills, I care about saving energy and saving money. And truthfully, it probably took all three for me to realize the importance of managing my electricity use. Not only can I monitor my energy consumption in an effort to reduce long-term energy costs, I can also increase the comfort, usability and market value of my home.
Thankfully, with a brand new home, we have a head start. All of our appliances are ENERGY STAR certified, which means they use less energy than older models. Our new, high-efficiency furnace is controlled by a smart thermostat, reducing our heating and cooling costs by up to 15 per cent. And, we’ve sealed our ductwork joints in our unfinished basement, diverting warm air to the places that matter most, like our bedrooms. It’s true, I’m an energy-saving ninja.
Even if you’re not in a new home, there are many ways to save on energy costs! Visit Save on Energy to learn about the actions you can take now and into the future to ensure your home and community are energy-efficient. You’ll also find tips, resources and rebates to save on your monthly energy bills. Sweet!
Of course, with the holiday season right around the corner, I’m realistic that my energy usage will increase. From late nights planning menus to long hours in the kitchen – not to mention the tidal wave of holiday lights that seem to be plugged in EVERYWHERE – it’s hard staying energy-efficient this time of year. However, that’s when I rise to the occasion! Working with Save on Energy, Ontario’s go-to source for energy efficiency, I’m pleased to share the following tips for reducing energy consumption during the holidays.
1. Prepare dishes in advance to save some of your mental energy – especially when entertaining. You’ll be thankful you prepared side dishes and desserts in advance when you have a full house of family and friends.
Late night bake-a-thons are a tradition in my family and my favourite way to usher in the holidays!
2. Use the right baking dish. Did you know that glass and ceramic dishes retain heat better than metal, allowing you to reduce the oven temperature by up to 25 degrees F? (If you’ve ever baked a cake from a boxed mix, you’re familiar with this bit of info!) Glass and ceramic dishes also distribute heat more evenly and stay hot longer, reducing the need for reheating – perfect for vegetable sides.
3. Try a no-bake recipe, like these No Bake Pumpkin Shortbread Bars!
Skip the stand mixer and the oven (an energy-saving two-fer!) with these super simple holiday-themed bars. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas – or any time you want a pumpkin pick-me-up – they’re my favourite dessert to bring to potluck dinners. They will definitely be making an appearance at this weekend’s Thanksgiving dinner!
Adapted from this popular recipe from Recipe Girl, I’ve added my own twists including a dash of pumpkin spice because, pumpkin spice.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tub whipped topping, thawed
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, butter and sugar. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 1/2 x 11-inch pan. Place the pan into the freezer while you prepare the rest of the dessert. (If making the crust ahead of time, the fridge is fine!)
In a large bowl, use a whisk to mix the cream cheese until creamy. Stir in the sugar, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and sour cream until well-combined. Add in the milk and the dry pudding mix; stir vigorously for two minutes.
Remove the pan from the freezer/ fridge and spread the pumpkin mixture evenly on top. Next, spread the whipped topping (as much as you’d like). Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice, crushed cookies or both! Refrigerate the dessert for at least a couple of hours before enjoying.
Et voila! An out-of-the-box and made-from-scratch way to reduce energy costs this holiday season. Combined with my hawk-eyed thermostat monitoring, my dad would be proud :)
Remember, visit Save on Energy for tips and tricks to reduce your energy consumption, ways to save on monthly energy bills and information on keeping our communities powered and thriving.
This post is sponsored by the Independent Electricity System Operator, a not-for-profit entity established by the Government of Ontario. The opinions on this blog, as always, are my own.
Ooh this sounds really good! I like a good classic FALL dessert with a twist!
Yum! This energy saving and no stress recipe looks so tempting. Got to definitely try this one for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing Lena.
I’m sort of obsessed with saving energy. We just today received our final energy usage report after doing a bunch of renovations that included upping our basement wall insulation to R25, upping our header insulation to R25, adding a heat pump and air sealing. After all that we’re getting $1925 back in rebates. There are a bunch of rebates out there and they are worth looking into! According to the report we received today, our home is now more efficient than the average new home (and this house is 43 years old!)
Also, candy cane bark is an easy and delicious no bake treat for the holidays!
I did appreciate your hints and they do save time.
I am a turner-down of thermostats :0 I really like the look of the pumpkin shortbread bars. I’m not a pumpkin pie fan, but these I could do.
Love it!
That’s hilarious that you’re turning into your dad. I never cared much about turning all the lights off after I leave a room, but I’m starting to.
Great ideas for saving energy Lena! We just switched to an ecobee thermostat and it has saved quite a bit of money already.
This sounds so good!
I made a bunch of freezer meals that can be cooked in my Instant Pot. Saves money from the food budget and the IP is cheaper to run than the oven/range!
We used to do these bakeathons during the holidays … baking into the wee hours in the morning. Those pumpkin shortbread bars look delicious. I’m thinking about getting an instant pot for pressure cooking … that should save time & energy.
I live in a very old house so we have drafts but I still follow the time of use, and I keep my heat done, the biggest one for my family is not turning lights off, it’s like everyone is scared of the dark..lol so I switched all my bulbs to led. but I do know one thing I am going to make that dessert, omg sounds and looks sooooo good!!
That looks so delicious! I love to save energies and use my toaster oven instead of stove quite often. We turn the heat down at night but keep it comfortable during the day.
I have found myself turning into my dad a lot of the time too haha. Saving energy is important to me now that I’m older.
Looks so good I want to try this
fabulous! and no bake is totally my way to go
With all the guests we’ll be entertaining and the dinners we will be hosting, we will definitely be referring to the Save on Energy guide! I am not the best baker so I do love a delicious no-bake recipe too – a big bonus for me!
Good to be aware of this, could really help you save long term and reduce carbon footprint
I definitely need to keep these tips in mind. I love baking so have never tthought of doing a no-bake recipe! These No Bake Pumpkin Shortbread Bars look absolutely delish though!
Great ideas for saving energy, including no bake desserts.
these are some great suggestions and this recipe truly looks so good! :)
I visited Save On Energy through the link you provided. I learned that my ceiling fan can help me save up to 15%on heating bills in cold weather. That’s awesome! Reminder: In cooler months, your ceiling fan should be spinning clockwise at a low speed.
I grew a lot of pumpkins this year so I make my own purée. So I still have to use
My oven to cook my pumpkin and my mini food processor to purée it bit by bit. This recipe looks great though.
I like to think I’m pretty good about energy use but I don’t really think about it much when it comes to using my kitchen.
I’m quite pedantic about switching off lights, pulling the toaster plug when not in use (there is a constant digital display when plugged in, most annoying!), defrosting the freezer, turning the heat down (16 C at night) etc etc. It really annoys me when I go upstairs and find that someone has left the lights or radio on in my son’s part of the house – what a waste.