I, personally, have gone through far too many pairs of headphones to even think about… I don’t want to know. They’re expensive, the good ones at least, and I will wear them until the day that they make me so angry that I toss them out the darn window.

I want to help! Don’t throw away those great headphones just because one of them doesn’t work any more — or hey, neither of them work any more. Or you spend half of your bus ride trying to sit perfectly still because you know if you move you’ll lose the sound in one of your headphones. So very frustrating.

For about 5 bucks, do-it-yourselfer Chris Metcalf photo-documented how he replaced a faulty connector on his best earbuds with a big shiny new one from Radio Shack.

Check it out before you add those beautiful, expensive headphones to the nearest landfill.

Rosti night was my absolute favourite night in my first year of university. I’d never had them before then but once exposed to them, I was helpless to their potato-y charms. Now, many years after university, I still make them! For those not in the know, Rosti are traditional Swiss fried potato cakes. And guess what I’ve discovered? They’re even better when made with other veggies.

Ingredients:

3 cups Carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup Beets, peeled and grated
1 cup Parsnips, peeled and grated
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Canola oil (for frying)
1/4 cup Sour cream or plain yogurt, full-fat
1 tsp Cumin, ground
1/2 tsp Dill, dried

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix sour cream, cumin and dill. Refrigerate until needed. In a large bowl, mix together grated veggies, eggs, flour, salt and pepper until well combined. Divide mixture into twelve patties and put on a large sheet of parchment paper.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to pan and let it heat up, add four patties of carrot mixture. Press patties into pancakes and fry on each side 3-5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.

Place on a baking tray and bake 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with sour cream sauce if desired. Yields 12 cakes.

Dearest loyal readers,

Ooops! Wordpress ate my Saturday posts! It’s entirely my fault for not checking the site to be sure that the posts were up and working, but what can you do, right?

I didn’t notice until a reader messaged me on Twitter to ask me if I was going to do a weekly recap using her comment — and I thought I had!

They will be up as soon as I get them re-written, so check back later on tonight for Saturday’s posts!

Yours truly,
Bambi

I know, I know — buying a house during a recession sounds terrifying! But this home builder is hoping that purchasing a green house may save you some of that angst.

Newt Bartel is the owner of Fortress Homes and has been involved in construction for a long time.

“We’ve been doing it the same way for twenty years! Why would you do anything the same way for twenty years when there is new technology out there to do it better”.

Check out all of the cool ways you could use organic lighting; imagine wallpaper that lights up!

Demonstration from GE’s global research center.

Recently in the news I’ve been hearing all about U2’s David Evans (aka The Edge) sqwabbling with his Malibu neighbours over his plans to build not one but five “environmentally friendly” mansions. His neighbours are suggesting that the eco-friendly homes might not be as eco-friendly as the famous musician claims.

How is he fighting back? Well, recently he’s launched a new website called “Leaves in the Wind.” The site details his building plans, features some cool architectural drawings, and even features a section dedicated to dispelling the myths associated with the project.

“I never thought I would have to resort to this form of communication, but because of recent inaccurate media coverage, I felt compelled to set the record straight. I hope you will agree that my partners and I have worked diligently to design homes that meet the highest environmental standards; that fit appropriately and aesthetically into this beautiful part of Southern California; and that are truly remarkable examples of the best architecture and design.”

The website states that the homes will be LEED-certified, take up only 1 of the 156 acres he owns on the mountaintop, and will employ nearly every green technology available. Check out his site for some of the cool photos and architectural designs.

[via]