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Heating without heating? That can work. How to make yourself warm and comfortable, how to save money and energy.

1. Leave the oven open: If you’ve had a cake or casserole in the oven, be sure to leave the oven door open after baking. The oven may be off, but the residual heat lingers on for a long time. It spreads pleasantly in the kitchen and warms everything up well. Make sure the oven is actually off, otherwise it’ll be an expensive treat.

2. Tiled stove or fireplace: A natural source of heat that you don’t need a heater for. However, there are a few things to consider here. The Federal Environment Agency advises in particular to buy a stove with a high energy efficiency class and, above all, to only burn dry and untreated wood. Get good advice beforehand, because burned wood can also be harmful to your health. Because wood never burns completely, but releases pollutant emissions during combustion. In addition, dust gets into the air and more than 90 percent of it is fine dust.

3. Candles: Candle temperatures can reach 1400 degrees Celsius on the surface of the yellow flame. This heat warms the surrounding air. The warm air rises and is distributed throughout the room. You can use this method for a short time in small rooms and short corridors. It only increases the temperature by about two degrees. For this reason, this is absolutely not a permanent solution and above all you should always keep an eye on the burning candles.

4. Seal windows and doors: If you have leaky windows and doors, this can lead to a lot of heat loss and the drafts also make the rooms feel colder. To check the seals, pinch a piece of paper between the window frame and the sash. If the paper cannot be pulled out again when the window is closed, the window is tight at this point. So replace your seals, look for door slits on apartment doors and thus ensure more warmth in the rooms.

5. Radiant heater: This solution should only be used for a short time. Although a radiant heater heats up the surrounding air quickly, many models are expensive. Here, too, good advice is necessary due to sustainability.

6. Warm clothes: A classic that brings a lot. Many heat unnecessarily much, although somewhat warmer clothing would be sufficient. If you don’t necessarily have to walk around the apartment in a T-shirt in autumn and spring, you can save on the heating with a cardigan, a scarf or even warm slippers. Do you work in the home office? Then make yourself really warm here. Lay out a blanket and prepare a warm spelled pillow for your legs. Keep your feet warm and drink a stimulating ginger tea from time to time. You will see that you can do without heating for a long time, especially in the transition months.

7. Fan heater: the absolute emergency solution. If there is no other way and the heating has failed, fan heaters warm up incredibly quickly, but not very ecologically. The small models are not expensive, but due to their enormous energy consumption they are anything but sustainable. The power guzzlers should therefore definitely be operated with green electricity.

8. This last point is more of an indirect tip. Heat sustainably and specifically, then you generally save more heating costs! Use adjustable thermostats, ventilate properly and regularly and ensure good thermal insulation. If you use these tips, follow the instructions for heating and get well informed, you will definitely not freeze.

If you overestimated your hunger and there are a few fries left over, you can reheat them later. Various methods allow you to make the fries taste freshly made.

Warm up fries properly: 3 ways

But you don’t have to throw away the soft fries. You can reheat them so that they taste freshly made again. There are several methods you can use to do this:

In the Airfryer: First switch on the Airfryer and let it warm up. Then fill it halfway with the leftover fries and fry them for about three minutes. Give the mixture a good stir and heat it up for another three minutes.
In the oven
On the stovetop: Start by heating about 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan. This is suitable for example

Which of the three methods appeals to you the most and which fries you like best, of course depends on your individual taste. But before you throw away the fries or eat them cold, try these options out and see for yourself.

After a long day at work, many go to the kitchen in the evening to prepare a warm meal. But what to do with the leftovers? Can you keep them warm in the fridge or should they cool outside?

Should you keep leftovers hot in the fridge?

The above points speak against cooling at room temperature. On the other hand, if you put hot food in the fridge, the entire cupboard heats up. The device takes a correspondingly long time to restore the optimal temperature and thus consumes significantly more and, above all, unnecessary energy. In addition, other foods that are also in the refrigerator are heated during this time. The warm food breaks through the cold chain of the other products due to the abrupt increase in temperature, which are then damaged more quickly. Sensitive foods in particular, such as yoghurts, could be affected quickly. In addition, with open, warm dishes, condensation can form in the refrigerator, which can later be found as icing.

In general, the food should be cooled as quickly as possible – that’s already clear. But how do you regulate the temperature without constantly having to think about high electricity bills, freezing or infection? Here are a few suggested solutions:
Pour the meal into another container, because heat escapes as soon as you transfer it.
Warm food cools faster when stored in small containers.
The food can be placed in a cold water bath for a few minutes before going into the fridge.
At the right time of the year or overnight, the cooked food can be covered animal-safe and placed outside, i.e. on the balcony or terrace.

If the food has to be kept warm in the fridge, don’t forget to cover it to avoid condensation.
When reheating: heat for at least two minutes at a minimum of 70 degrees to give no chance for germination.
Conclusion: lukewarm food can be placed covered in the refrigerator without any problems. Warm or hot dishes, on the other hand, should be cooled first, but then they can also be put in the fridge quickly. Dairy and meat products in particular, as well as foods with eggs, should not be left at room temperature overnight, as this can lead to the undesirable development of bacteria and germs.

Winter presents many people with a great challenge. Here are the right tips for escaping the winter and enjoying even the dark hours.

Do you suffer from the cold and dark winter days and want to escape? Then you can either make the most of your time in your own four walls or take a short trip. Here’s how you can use a vacation, trip to a spa, or your own home to escape the winter.

1) A journey into the warm

When winter is in full swing and temperatures are below freezing, an easy solution to escaping this nasty weather is by booking a trip to a warmer country. Travel is often associated with high costs. But if you are only looking for a warmer travel destination, then there are cheap travel destinations for the winter even within Europe.

Portugal, for example, still has relatively pleasant temperatures even in winter. However, if you want to enjoy real warmth, then certain regions in Turkey or Egypt are ideal. The flight to these destinations takes only a few hours and the costs are relatively low. The places are regularly flown to and you can count on the fact that some German is also spoken at the holiday destination.
Even if you can’t get a vacation, you can still use the holidays to switch off and escape the winter.

2) A trip to the wellness oasis

Holidays abroad are certainly the best way to escape the winter in Germany. But there is not always enough time for this or the budget is not enough for the whole family. A visit to a wellness facility in the vicinity can give you a holiday feeling and help you get through the dark and cold days.
Whether you prefer to stay in the sauna, take a warm bath, or enjoy a massage. In winter it makes a lot of sense for your own well-being to spend a weekend in this warmer environment. Especially at Christmas time, many resorts offer vouchers to give away and reduced prices. As a gift idea, these are welcome and will probably make every recipient happy. Or make yourself a winter spa at home.

3) Experience the Christmas market

Winter can also present itself from a beautiful side. The Christmas market is one of the amenities that can only be admired in winter. You can immerse yourself in a fairytale world with your own children and, if the Christmas market offers it, also admire small animals.

In the evening you can meet up with friends for a mulled wine and warm your body a little from the inside. The Christmas market offers a variety of opportunities to spend some time with family and friends. Do you remember how you admired the big Christmas tree with warm cocoa as a child? Pass on some of this Christmas spirit and you will notice that winter can also have its beautiful sides.

4) Visit the solarium

Some people can hardly see anything positive about winter. Dark and cold days can quickly spoil the mood. Winter depression has become a real problem and poses an ever greater threat to the population. More and more people are tied to the office during the day or have to do household chores.

Lack of sunshine leads to decreased production of vitamin D. Studies have shown that this is a direct cause of poor mood. But if the sun hides behind the clouds and you hardly have the opportunity to use the few hours of sunshine a week, then going to the solarium is a way of stimulating the production of vitamin D. It’s not about looking as tanned as possible. A visit a week or every two weeks is enough to put some vitamin D back into the body. Your mood will rise noticeably and you will feel better.

5) Make yourself comfortable at home

You don’t always have to look far to escape the winter. Winter is a lovely time to curl up at home with family. Enjoy a relaxing movie night or do handicrafts with your children. Such moments are often neglected during the summer. After all, the children are out and about more often and spend a lot of time outside.

In winter you can get closer as a family again. There are some activities you can do at home during the dark season. Handicrafts, baking cookies, or making music can provide a short break from winter.
Of course, you can also spend time in nature. Walks or sleigh rides are also a nice change

Reheating pizza is actually quite simple. We’ll show you how to prepare a fresh and delicious meal from the “leftovers” from the day before.

Are you also a fan of cold pizza that you bought the day before? According to chemist Maureen Cooper of Sterling University in Scotland, the cold pizza still tastes good because the tomato sauce keeps the cheese from seeping through to the pizza crust and making it mushy.

Nevertheless, not everyone is enthusiastic about the taste of a cold pizza. With our methods you can get the taste pretty close to that of the day before. And at the same time you are doing something against food waste.

Reheat and spice up pizza

To make your pizza taste a little more “like new”, you can add herbs, vegetables or fresh cheese before or after heating it up:

Herbs and salad: Fresh basil, rocket, thyme or rosemary spice up any pizza. However, be careful not to put basil or arugula in the oven or pan, or they will lose their strong flavor and burn. With the other two herbs this is fine.
Pickled and dried foods: You can halve or cut olives, chili peppers or dried tomatoes into small pieces and spread them on the pizza. You can even put them in the oven, as they develop their flavor well when warm.
Fresh: Garlic and onions give your pizza a very special freshness. If you would like to add some vegetables, for example peppers or mushrooms are suitable.
Mediterranean cheeses: You can even enhance the cheese flavor of your pizza with feta, mozzarella or parmesan. Together with the herbs, olives or tomatoes mentioned above, your pizza will have a particularly Mediterranean flair. All types of cheese can be reheated or put on top afterwards, depending on whether you prefer a melted or fresher taste. Vegan cheese is also suitable.
Extravagant: Many people will have their hair stand on end at this recommendation, but for some, pineapple gives the pizza a very special, exotic sweetness. Canned fruit or vegetables are ready prepared from the tin or rather from the jar and can be processed immediately. Corn or beetroot are also recommended.

Warm up pizza the right way: in the pan or in the oven

Note: If you reheat the pizza in the microwave, it will get pretty mushy.

Reheat pizza in pan:
Heat your pan to medium-high without adding oil.
Add the pizza and cook until the dough is no longer “wobbly”.
Now turn the heat down, add half a teaspoon of water to the bottom of the pan and place a pan lid on top.
After a minute or two, when the cheese melts, your pizza should be ready.
Reheat pizza in the oven:
Place your pizza on a baking sheet. Instead of baking paper, use a more sustainable baking paper substitute.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Spray the pizza lightly with water and drizzle some olive oil on top so it tastes fresher and crunchier at the end.
Bake them for about five minutes.

Delicious winter smoothies can also be mixed from “winter vegetables”. Here are three delicious smoothie recipes with seasonal fruit and vegetables.

Of course, citrus fruits in particular are everywhere in winter, but they have come a long way. Tropical fruits are also delicious, but ecologically not sensible.

Instead, there are enough fruits and vegetables from local cultivation or from your own cellar to make healthy smoothies. Our winter smoothie recipes are based on the Utopia seasonal calendar. In it you can read when which fruit and vegetables are in season with us.

We have three simple recipes for you that require few ingredients, are therefore quick to prepare and are suitable for any time of the day. So that the fat-soluble vitamins can also be absorbed by the body, you should never omit the nuts.

Winter Smoothie Recipe #1: Spicy Beetroot

You only need a few ingredients for a smoothie that warms you from the inside with the spicy spiciness of ginger:

1 medium sized beetroot
1 large pear
1 piece of ginger
1 handful of hazelnuts
some water
How to prepare the winter smoothie:

Peel the beetroot and cut into pieces. Because the red juice stains strongly, it is better to wear gloves when processing the tuber or rub your fingers with lemon juice afterwards. Remove the core of the pear and peel the piece of ginger.
Now add water to taste and process all the ingredients into a creamy smoothie. The more ginger you use, the more warming the winter smoothie will be.
Tip: You can also use nut oil instead of grated hazelnuts. Simply add your nut oil of choice while blending so it emulsifies well. If you use roasted oil, the nut aroma is more intense.

Beetroot bulbs can weigh up to 600 grams and can be stored very well. That’s why they are also considered “winter vegetables”, although their harvest takes place in summer from July. So there is no reason to only eat them in winter.

The vegetables contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, especially potassium, B vitamins, iron and folic acid. With manganese, copper and selenium, beetroot also provides rare but important trace elements.
However, beetroot also has quite a lot of oxalic acid. Anyone who tends to form kidney stones should avoid excessive consumption of the red tuber.
Beetroot is also a good nitrate storer. Nitrates are used as fertilizer in agriculture and can be converted into toxic nitrite. If the field is over-fertilized, a relatively large amount of nitrate is stored in the beetroot. To minimize this risk, you should only buy organic beetroot.

Winter Smoothie Recipe #2: Winter Apple

Apples are a native fruit that is available to us practically all year round. They contain a lot of soluble and insoluble fiber such as pectins. Pectins are water soluble and cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Dietary fiber promotes digestion. They are also said to be helpful in preventing colon cancer. There is evidence that a high-fiber breakfast can directly or indirectly lower cholesterol levels. Tip: It is best to eat apples in their most natural form – as a whole fruit with skin.

The taste of this smoothie is reminiscent of baked apple. You need:

1 large apple
50 grams of raisins
1 handful of hazelnuts
Cinammon
some water
Here’s how to enjoy the winter smoothie for breakfast:

Soak the raisins in water the night before.
The next morning, remove the core of the apple. Then put the apple in the blender with the raisins, the soaking water and the hazelnuts.
If the raisins aren’t soaking in enough water to make them drinkable, add a little more water. Season with cinnamon and enjoy immediately.
In case you forgot to soak the raisins the night before, they will swell faster if you pour hot water over them. The better the raisins are soaked, the less power your blender will need. You can then also make the smoothie with a regular hand blender.

Smoothie Recipe #3: Fresh with lamb’s lettuce

Lamb’s lettuce also grows outdoors in winter in sheltered locations or under fleece. Not only in the cold months it is a good alternative to lettuce from greenhouses or southern growing areas.

Tip: If you don’t have any lamb’s lettuce at hand, you can also use other “winter salads” such as winter purslane, which is also called postelein.

For the green winter smoothie you need:

125 g lamb’s lettuce
1 large apple
1 tbsp walnuts
some water
How to prepare the winter smoothie:

Wash and clean the lamb’s lettuce well and cut the core out of the apple.
Put the apple and lettuce in a blender with a little water or use an immersion blender to make a green smoothie.
Roughly chop the walnuts and sprinkle over the smoothie. Do not puree with the other ingredients, the bitter substances in the walnuts would literally “bitter” the smoothie.
Tip: The smoothie recipe also tastes good with cress instead of lamb’s lettuce. In winter you can simply grow cress yourself on the window sill. You don’t need any special equipment for this: a plate and some kitchen paper are all you need to grow your own salad in the kitchen.