Vanilla is considered one of the world’s most expensive spices, next only to saffron and cardamom. In fact, it is so highly-prized that growers will do just about anything and everything within the bounds of the law to protect their crops from thieves. These facts are not surprising considering the wide range of culinary uses vanilla has in many global cuisines.

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Did you know, however, that the vanilla extract can be used to make the Earth a greener place to live in? Yes, indeed but first a few basic things about vanilla just to enrich your knowledge of this aromatic spice.

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If you put two apples next to each other and they look exactly the same, how can it be that picking one of them is better for the environment? Maybe because the apple on the left came from down the road and and the apple on the right came from half the country away.

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Barbecue ribs, finger licking good…  Crab leg juices from cracking and removing…. And so many other tasty things we eat leave a sticky residue on our hands.

One simple thing you can do is not reach for the napkin, paper towel, or disposable wipe to clean off your fingers, because it will end up in the garbage.

Use damp washcloths instead. You can even prepare these ahead of time to be ready for the end of the meal. When you’re done, just add them to your laundry load.

In addition, don’t use paper towels to wipe up small spills of liquids, or to wipe your hands, and so on. Instead, keep some cloths handy. Dampen them, clean up what needs to be cleaned up, and then place them on a rack so they can dry and be used again.

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So you’re not in the mood to be healthy today and are indulging in cooking up some bacon or French fries or onion rings. And you’re not not baking or microwaving them. No, today you’re FRYING them. Well, that’s going to leave some reminders, and I’m not talking about calories.

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