Natural Gas Heating and Air Conditioning Units Are Money Savers for West Coasters

The cost of the average electric heating & air conditioning unit is generally not a very cost efficient way to go. Although, some areas of the country do not have access to natural gas, for the most part it is the cheapest option. On the West Coast, it costs pennies on the dollar to heat a home with this form of energy as opposed to your other options.

Near the Pacific Ocean oil, wood, and electricity are less economical choices. If you are a homeowner and you have a home with one of these fuel sources for heating consider the financial coup you can attain by switching out to a natural gas heating and air conditioning unit. Not only will your bill be less each month in the summer because you have installed a new, preferably Energy Star certified unit, but you will see a significant drop in the winter as well.

The other plus to switching to a gas heating & air conditioning unit is that the gas company will subsidize your switch over. If you have been running on electricity, which many older homes have, the savings to you and the utility companies themselves is huge. Pushing eco-friendly appliances, as well as weather stripping your home has been a big issue for these companies over the last decade.

If you are unsure as to which one you should buy, the utility companies can help you with that as well. They give suggestions which one's they recommend which are always Energy Star certified. Energy Star is a program backed by the U.S. government which helps homeowners and businesses alike achieve superiority in energy efficiency. Putting their star on all appliances that meet their standard, this seal of approval makes it easy to determine which appliance to buy at a glance. This program is so large now that it is almost impossible to find anything without this logo. Not only do they make recommendations, but they have a very generous rebate program as well.

You can also go to Consumer's Digest to get information. This magazine specializes in testing products and publishing their results so you, the consumer, can have the highest level of intel when you hit the stores.

As well, there are numerous internet sites where you can check and see what the rating of the various heating and air conditioning units are. With the advent of technology and the internet, there is no reason why anyone should go to the store unarmed with knowledge of what is going to be the best product for them in the long run. A little homework and research and you'll be glad you switched.

Vegan Gluten-Free Tapioca Pudding

Tapioca derives from the root of the cassava plant which is native to Northern Brazil. It's a starch that is packaged as flakes, flour, or pellets which are often called pearls. It's commonly used instead of wheat flour in South America, the West Indies and India. It is also widely used in warmer and tropical climates in a variety of ways. It is mainly in the western world that tapioca is used to make the pudding dessert we are familiar with. Other countries use it to make savory dishes such as the Indian dish Sabudana Khichdi which is often made with potatoes, roasted peanuts, coconut, curry leaves, and lemon.

While a natural food, tapioca is almost pure starch, and not good for low calorie diets, but is good for children and those trying to gain weight. It's not bad for you, but has little nutritional value. Tapioca is not very fattening. To save fat while making this recipe replace the soy milk and coconut with lite soy milk. Tapioca naturally has no sugar. Add less sugar to this recipe to lessen the amount of sugar or use an alternative sweetener like stevia. Tapioca also makes a great treat for people with celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities because it is gluten-free.

This is an Old-Fashioned recipe, in that it takes time, but it has a new modern vegan spin, and with a bit of cardamom it's slightly exotic.

This recipe takes 1 hour to soak, 30 minutes to cook and feeds approximately 4 people.

Ingredients

- 2 cups Soy or Almond milk
- 13.66-fl. oz. can coconut milk
- ½ cup tapioca small pearls (not instant)
- ¾ t. cardamom
- 1 t. vanilla
- ½ cup brown sugar
- Pinch salt