Happy Guru 003 - Water
October 25th, 2007On Today’s show - lets discuss some quick water saving tips that you can start to put into place in your home, right away.
It’s easy to save water around the home - you just need to be mindful of how you use water.
Simple behavioural changes are just as important in the fight against water shortages as fixing leaking taps and buying water-smart appliances.
Our first point of call is to make sure you don’t have leaks in your homes plumbing.
Find a two-hour period when no-one in your house will be using water.
Checking for leaks in taps, pipes and dishwasher hoses is an easy way to reduce water wastage.
By using a dishwasher with at least a good water use rating, you can get this figure down to 18 litres per load and still get the sparkling clean dishes you’re used to. Try to wait until you have a full load in your dishwasher before using it. This saves water and energy, and reduces the amount of detergent entering the sewerage system. Using a dishwasher can be more economical than washing by hand - so long as you wait until you have a full load. Try to use phosphate-free, eco-friendly, bio-degradable detergents and cleaning products - there’s a great range to choose from these days and they’re much better for our environment.
That way, you don’t leave the tap running until the water gets cool…. If you have a two-basin sink, fill one with soapy water and the other with rinsing water.
Keep the water pressure low while you wait for it to get hot and try to capture the wasted cold water in a bucket to use in other jobs…. Wash fruit & vegetables all together at the same time in a basin or a partly filled sink - not under running water.
Most washing machines have a load adjustment button or dial, so try to set this to match the amount of washing you’re doing. If your machine doesn’t have a load adjustment function, try to wait until you have enough washing for a full load. Water from the washing machine rinse cycle can be reused in the garden.
Before 1993, the average toilet used 30 litres / flush. If you’re not sure how old your toilet is - take lid of the tank - manufacture date usually there.
Can’t replace toilet - you can still save water with a one litre bottle.
Fill bottle with a few pebbles or sand and water cap on and place it in your tanks so it reduces the amount of water required to refill the flush storage tank.
Since plumbing leaks account for about 14% of water used in the average home, so it’s a good idea to check your toilet for leaks…. Now put the lid back on and wait about 15 minutes, then check the toilet bowl.
A steaming hot shower is a wonderful way to relax, but a shower is the second biggest consumer of water in the average home. Shower heads manufactured before 1992 can use up to 22 litres of water / minute.
To run a simple test on how much water your shower head uses - turn the shower on full and catch all the water in bucket and wait 2 minutes. If the bucket is overflowing, you’ll then know that the shower head is not a low flow model.
New shower heads start at as little as $10 and can save you up to 50% with every shower.
Installing one of the latest shower head models can give you a great shower and save you around 5-10 litres of water a minute…. Don’t let cold water run down the drain while you’re waiting for your shower to heat up.
Save baths for special occasions and don’t use more water than you need. A bath can use 7 times more water than a shower…. On average, this adds nearly 5 minutes to the shower time and all that extra water can be saved by shaving from the basin with a plug in the sink to rinse your blade. When all else fails and you have a household of water mongers, try putting a timer in the shower to keep track of the length of shower time.
There’s no need to leave the tap running while you brush your teeth or wash your hands. When brushing, simply wet your toothbrush before you begin and use a glass of water to rinse your mouth. When washing your hands, wet your hands and apply the soap - then turn off the tap while you scrub your hands. Once you’re done scrubbing, you can turn the tap back on for a full rinse. Cotton applicators or any disposables should be put in your rubbish bin - never flush these items as they can block your toilet system and of course the disposing by flushing is a waste of water.
Our local water supplier - Sydney water - have a rainwater tank program which offers a rebate of up to $1,500 when you install a rainwater tank for household use. By storing rainwater run-off from your roof, rainwater tanks can provide a valuable water source for flushing toilets, washing machines, watering gardens and washing cars. Check our your local water authority’s web site for water saving tips - just about every water company has well documented details for applying water saving tips in your home.
With a few simple changes you can save buckets of water which over time translates to well …… As I said on opening the show - It’s easy to save water around the home - you just need to be mindful of how you use it.
Alrighty - well that’s it for another Global Good Soul Vibration Podcast from Happy Guru - we hope you enjoyed today’s show on water saving tips. Please stay subscribed to our show via iTunes and all good podcast directories across the web. This coming Saturday - the 27th of October you can find Happy Guru here in Sydney at the Fairfield Show-ground Markets from 8 until 4pm. For online shopping at Happy Guru - please enjoy our podcast listener discount of 20% by logging in to our store and using this coupon code to redeem your savings…. We have another T-shirt give-away this week - to win - all you need to do is send us an e-mail and in your own words, tell us why you need to be seen in a Happy Guru t-shirt…. Between podcast shows - get your guru fix by heading over to our blog page at www.happyguru.com/blog and getting your guru fix there…. For anything in the way of feedback or you want to say Hi - please go to our voicemail page and send us your recorded voice greeting from there.
Until our next auditory stimulation together - thanks so much for listening, keep in happy places and bye for now.
Podcast Show Notes - Water 003
October 25th, 2007Hello Gurus Thanks for joining us on Happy Guru Podcast # 3 for Thursday 25th October 2007 -
You’re listening to the Global Good Soul Vibrations Podcast - I will be your Happy Guru host for the show - My name is Duncan.
On Today’s show - lets discuss some quick water saving tips that you can start to put into place in your home, right away.
It’s easy to save water around the home - you just need to be mindful of how you use water.
Simple behavioural changes are just as important in the fight against water shortages as fixing leaking taps and buying water-smart appliances.
Our first point of call is to make sure you don’t have leaks in your homes plumbing.
Find a two-hour period when no-one in your house will be using water.
Check the water meter at the beginning and end of the two hour period. If your meter has changed at all, you can sure something is leaking.
Checking for leaks in taps, pipes and dishwasher hoses is an easy way to reduce water wastage.
Remember, one leaking tap can waste more than 2,000 litres a month.
Automatic dishwashers can use up to 40 litres of water per load.
By using a dishwasher with at least a good water use rating, you can get this figure down to 18 litres per load and still get the sparkling clean dishes you’re used to.
Try to wait until you have a full load in your dishwasher before using it. This saves water and energy, and reduces the amount of detergent entering the sewerage system.
Using a dishwasher can be more economical than washing by hand - so long as you wait until you have a full load.
Try to use phosphate-free, eco-friendly, bio-degradable detergents and cleaning products - there’s a great range to choose from these days and they’re much better for our environment.
In the kitchen
If you’re after chilled water - keep cold drinking water in the fridge. That way, you don’t leave the tap running until the water gets cool.
It’s best not to use running water to thaw frozen food. Leave it in the fridge overnight or if you have to, you can use a microwave to defrost.
Don’t rinse hand-washed dishes under a running tap. If you have a two-basin sink, fill one with soapy water and the other with rinsing water.
Waiting for hot water to come through can be a big water waster.
Keep the water pressure low while you wait for it to get hot and try to capture the wasted cold water in a bucket to use in other jobs.
It’s a good thing to avoid using water-thirsty kitchen-sink disposal units. Composting is an environmentally friendly alternative and the garden will love you for it.
Wash fruit & vegetables all together at the same time in a basin or a partly filled sink - not under running water.
Most washing machines have a load adjustment button or dial, so try to set this to match the amount of washing you’re doing.
If your machine doesn’t have a load adjustment function, try to wait until you have enough washing for a full load.
Water from the washing machine rinse cycle can be reused in the garden.
Bathroom
On average, up to 60% of water used in the home is in the bathroom.
The biggest water user is the toilet.
Before 1993, the average toilet used 30 litres / flush. If you’re not sure how old your toilet is - take lid of the tank - manufacture date usually there.
More modern toilet systems use only a about 6-10 litres.
If you’re in a position to change over your toilet, it’s a great move to make.
Can’t replace toilet - you can still save water with a one litre bottle.
Fill bottle with a few pebbles or sand and water cap on and place it in your tanks so it reduces the amount of water required to refill the flush storage tank.
Since plumbing leaks account for about 14% of water used in the average home, so it’s a good idea to check your toilet for leaks.
Here’s how. Put 5-6 drops of food colour in your tank. Now put the lid back on and wait about 15 minutes, then check the toilet bowl.
If you see any food colouring - there’s a leak that’s wasting water.
A steaming hot shower is a wonderful way to relax, but a shower is the second biggest consumer of water in the average home.
Shower heads manufactured before 1992 can use up to 22 litres of water / minute.
Check to see if yours id old or new. To run a simple test on how much water your shower head uses - turn the shower on full and catch all the water in bucket and wait 2 minutes.
If the bucket is overflowing, you’ll then know that the shower head is not a low flow model.
New shower heads start at as little as $10 and can save you up to 50% with every shower.
Installing one of the latest shower head models can give you a great shower and save you around 5-10 litres of water a minute. They also save you energy costs, as you’ll use less hot water.
Don’t let cold water run down the drain while you’re waiting for your shower to heat up. Instead, capture the water in a bucket and use it to water your plants.
Try to restrict your shower time. Five minutes is plenty of time to get a good clean.
It’s better to shower than have a bath. Save baths for special occasions and don’t use more water than you need. A bath can use 7 times more water than a shower.
Avoid shaving in the shower. On average, this adds nearly 5 minutes to the shower time and all that extra water can be saved by shaving from the basin with a plug in the sink to rinse your blade. When all else fails and you have a household of water mongers, try putting a timer in the shower to keep track of the length of shower time.
Taps and faucets also have flow rates - Have a look at the aerator on the nozzle.
To have an even closer look - unscrew and look to see what the flow rate is. For an update on your aerator, simply take it to your local hardware store for a matching replacement.
The most efficient aerators have a flow rate of less then 3 litres / minute.
There’s no need to leave the tap running while you brush your teeth or wash your hands. When brushing, simply wet your toothbrush before you begin and use a glass of water to rinse your mouth. When washing your hands, wet your hands and apply the soap - then turn off the tap while you scrub your hands. Once you’re done scrubbing, you can turn the tap back on for a full rinse.
Cotton applicators or any disposables should be put in your rubbish bin - never flush these items as they can block your toilet system and of course the disposing by flushing is a waste of water.
Installing Rain water tanks
Check with your local water authority to see if rebates are available.
Our local water supplier - Sydney water - have a rainwater tank program which offers a rebate of up to $1,500 when you install a rainwater tank for household use.
By storing rainwater run-off from your roof, rainwater tanks can provide a valuable water source for flushing toilets, washing machines, watering gardens and washing cars.
Check our your local water authority’s web site for water saving tips - just about every water company has well documented details for applying water saving tips in your home.
With a few simple changes you can save buckets of water which over time translates to well … buckets of money.
As I said on opening the show - It’s easy to save water around the home - you just need to be mindful of how you use it.
Alrighty - well that’s it for another Global Good Soul Vibration Podcast from Happy Guru - we hope you enjoyed today’s show on water saving tips. Please stay subscribed to our show via iTunes and all good podcast directories across the web. This coming Saturday - the 27th of October you can find Happy Guru here in Sydney at the Fairfield Show-ground Markets from 8 until 4pm. For online shopping at Happy Guru - please enjoy our podcast listener discount of 20% by logging in to our store and using this coupon code to redeem your savings. This week’s code for the store discount will be WEC552. Simply go to www.happyguru.com and start shopping. We have another T-shirt give-away this week - to win - all you need to do is send us an e-mail to
and in your own words, tell us why you need to be seen in a Happy Guru t-shirt. It’s that easy. And of course - the most creative answer will always win. So best of luck - we look forward to reading those entries. Between podcast shows - get your guru fix by heading over to our blog page at www.happyguru.com/blog and getting your guru fix there. There are lots of new and very yummy cooking recipes added to the recipe category in the blog. For anything in the way of feedback or you want to say Hi - please go to our voicemail page and send us your recorded voice greeting from there.
Until our next auditory stimulation together - thanks so much for listening, keep in happy places and bye for now.
Vegetarian Quiche
October 25th, 2007
Ingredients
Olive oil or canola oil spray
1 sheet frozen reduced-fat puff pastry, thawed
3 eggs
1 cup Carnation Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup red capsicum, deseeded and sliced
1 tomato, diced
4 button mushrooms, sliced
2 vegetarian sausages, sliced (optional)
1/4 cup grated low-fat tasty cheese
4-6 bread rolls
tossed salad to serve (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Lightly spray a 20cm pie dish with oil and line with pastry (stretch pastry up edge of dish).
Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl, then add broccoli, capsicum, tomato and onion.
Pour mixture into pie dish and arrange mushrooms and vegetarian sausage, if desired, over the top.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until egg mixture has set.
Jamaican Rum Coffee
October 25th, 20071 Tbsp of your favourite instant coffee
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 Tbsp rum
ice cubes
cream, whipped
nutmeg
Combine Instant Coffee, sugar and boiling water, refrigerate until cold, add rum.
Place ice cubes in 2 serving glasses, pour in coffee, top with whipped cream, sprinkle with nutmeg.
Minty Ice-Cream Slice
October 25th, 2007This recipe is just to die for. I LOVE it. Yummy Yummy - get in my belly. I have tried this with Peppermint Crisp Bars and Crunchies - they are both as gorgeous as each other. I suggest you decide for youself which one you like best and try them both.

SQUARE MALT BISCUITS
600ML THICKENED CREAM
CAN OF CONDENSED MILK
4 LARGE PEPPERMINT CRISP BARS
Using an electric mixer, beat cream and condensed milk together until thick and creamy.
Break up peppermint crisp bars (easiest if done while still in packet) and add to mixture.
Line base and sides of a 6cm deep, 24cm x 34cm base baking dish with baking paper. Cover bottom with a layer of malt biscuits. Spoon over the mixture, and cover with a single layer of malt biscuits.
Cover and freeze.
OH - and if this all didn’t sound gorgeous and too slimming - Melt 125 grams of dark or milk chocolate and a little butter and spread over slice. Refrigerate and serve.
Note: Don’t forget to try the “Crunchies” version.
Your Writing Is A Mess
October 24th, 2007Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs. I can uesdnatnrd waht I am rdanieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to rscheearch at cmabrigde uinervtisy.
It deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny
iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but
the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt.
lvoe to you - dnucan xx ![]()
Podcast 004 Already?
October 24th, 2007Not that we have arrived. But in advance you can see what’s coming up so here it is. Podcast 005 - Moon will look at The Full Moon and how you can celebrate and remember love when the night is bright with a table spoon of moon glow. The full moon is a wicked sight every time you see it. I love the moon and in this show I hope to share some reasons for you to love it even more yourself. It’ll be a great show. Love to you, Duncan.
Sorry I’m Capital S for Slow
October 24th, 2007The Podcast 003 - Water will be out by the weekend. Running behind although a behind is good to run behind. Love to you all, Duncan ![]()
International United Nations Day
October 24th, 2007The Happy Guru Birthday Book just reminded me by standing up and talking like a pirate to say that it’s International United Nations Day. So I went ot have a read. Check it out.





