Zesty lime green is a wake-up call that’s easy to create. Here, it’s a simply painted, rustic door that feels like an enchanted cottage. The floral-embossed Melange drum tables add another dimension of natural charm. Photo: Hooker Furniture
Earth Day is April 22, but “going green” offers year-‘round benefits. Our fundamental connection with Mother Nature shows up in some surprising ways. For starters, science has found that simply looking at the color green makes us feel better – a great reason to add more green to our home and furniture decorating schemes.
Rich, deep green conveys luxury as well as health. Expressed in a unique accent piece like the Tolli 3-Drawer Chest, the piece offers storage as well as focal-point drama. Photo: Hooker Furniture.
Vibrant spring green brings a happy spirit to any space and makes a cool, elegant room glow with youthful energy. Adding metallics with the Luna Accent Table brings an even brighter outlook. Photo: Hooker Furniture
Big-picture botanicals evoke the complex beauty of nature and add an elegant, Old World touch to a piece like the Treviso Lateral File. Photo: Hooker Furniture.
We’re most refreshed by green in living plants. NASA scientists in the ‘80s found that certain easy-care houseplants filter the air from toxins and allergens and add oxygen.
Peace lilies (in the corner) and snake plants are among easy-care houseplants that clean the air by filtering toxins and allergens and adding oxygen. Try these hardworking beauties around the house. Photo: Home Depot.
Wicker plus tropical print fabric on the Zephyr Recliner evoke the world’s precious rainforests in a sophisticated way. All colors work beautifully with greens, so your style can be preppy, natural or wild. Photo: Sam Moore
Health-conscious desserts can also be part of “going green.” For a fun Earth Day (or any day) celebration, consider this delectable Paleo Sweets Cookbook recipe for Vanilla Cake with Green Tea Icing. Amazingly, it’s free of refined sugar, dairy and gluten.
This yummy and pretty Vanilla Cake with Green Tea Icing recipe is from the book “Paleo Sweets” by Kelsey Ale.
Here’s how to make it:
Vanilla Cake with Green Tea Icing
INGREDIENTS:
Matcha Green Tea Frosting
1 cup arrowroot starch
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons (tbsp.) + 2 teaspoons (tsp) matcha green tea powder
2 cups palm shortening
Vanilla Cake
½ cup arrowroot starch plus extra for flouring cake pans
10 eggs
2/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup almond milk
2 tbsp vanilla
Zest of ½ lemon (about 1/4 – 1/2 tsp)
1 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
PREPARATION:
Frosting
Combine arrowroot, honey, maple syrup and matcha in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Add palm shortening; whip with an electric mixer or whisk until smooth.
- Set frosting aside while you prepare cake.
- Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Oil two 8-inch round cake pan, dust with arrowroot and line pan bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, honey, almond milk, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk until fully combined and smooth.
- In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, arrowroot, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until fully combined.
- Add dry ingredients (#4) to wet ingredients (#3) and mix to incorporate. Mixture will be lumpy. Let sit 2-3 minutes, then mix until smooth.
- Pour batter into oiled, lined cake pans.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven; let cool in pans 5-10 minutes. Then turn cakes out of pans onto wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
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