Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficient Products

Homeowners who purchase energy efficient products save money by reducing their utility bills. The U.S. government provides additional incentives for green improvements by offering income tax credit on energy saving products. Eligibility for tax credits requires that improvements are made to the homeowner's principal residence. Unfortunately, rental properties and new construction do not quality. Offers expire between December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2016, depending on the product.

Home owners should apply for a tax credit - up to $1500 or equal to 30% of cost - on energy saving products for their existing, primary residence on the following qualifying items:

• Biomass stoves, which burn biomass fuel (wood, grass, and other plant fiber) to heat water and provide home heating
• Energy efficient heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) products, such as:
• Advanced main air circulating fans
• Air source heat pumps
• Central air conditioning
• Hot water boilers used for residential heating
• Gas, propane, and oil heaters
• Geothermal heat pumps
• Insulation
• Water heaters
• Windows, Doors, and Skylights, including storm windows and storm doors
• Small residential wind turbines
• Solar Energy Systems, such as: solar panels & solar water heaters
• Fuel Cells

For more information about government tax credits for green home improvements, including qualifying product specifics, please visit Energy Star's Tax Credit Index.

Kashmiri Pulav ~ Guest Post

I never knew about Anu, a silent reader of my blog, until when I received a query mail from her. After exhange of few mails, the relation ship blosommed from reader to a friend. When I requested her for a guest post, she was happy to play along. Please welcome Anu to Kailas Kitchen and she comes with a plate of delicious looking  Kashmiri Pulao.

Ingredients


Basmathi Rice – 1 cup

Ginger garlic Paste – 1 spoon

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cloves – 3 nos

Cardomom – 3 nos

Cumin seeds – ¾ teaspoon

Aniseed – ¾ teaspoon

Pepper – ¼ teaspoon

Ghee – 2 spoons

Yellow food color – as preferred

Fruits cut into equal sizes( Apples, Pomegranate, Grapes, Pineapples) – 1 cup

Dry fruits (Pista, Cashew, Raisins, Badam) – ¼ cup

Salt – As required


Method

Rinse and soak the Basmathi rice for 5-20 mins

In a kadai, pour a spoon of Ghee and add cumin and aniseed first. Subsequently add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, grounded pepper(can add green chilli if preferred).  Also add ginger garlic paste. Just fry for 30 seconds and add the drained rice. Fry for 2 more minutes

Stop the flame, pour the rice and masala mix in the Rice cooker and add 1 and ½ cups of water along with required amount of salt and cook. Pour the rest of 1 spoon of Ghee.

Fry the Dry fruits with just little ghee and keep it aside

Once rice is cooked garnish with the fruits and dry fruits. I had made Onion Raitha and cauliflower pakodas to serve with the rice.

Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream

I would like to store some homemade vanilla ice cream in the freezer because sometimes I need it to serve with crumble or some hot desserts. Rather making a plain one, I was thinking to make the raspberry ripple so that it's also can be served straight. This is a recipe of Nigella Lawson but I've modified it a bit as I feel the custard is quite rich and thick. So, by reducing the sugar and adding some yogurt with fresh milk make a slightly light and refreshing ice cream. I like the sourly of raspberry, it served so well with hot chocolate desserts, crumble or cream puffs!

Recipe:

600g single cream (I used 300ml whipping cream & 300ml fresh milk)

6egg yolks

120g caster sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoon plain yogurt

100ml fresh milk

125g raspberries

1. Warm the milk, whipping cream and half of the sugar in a saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.


2. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir in the vanilla extract. Mix it into the yogurt and fresh milk, then whisk it vigorously. Stir until cool over an ice bath.


3. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.


4. While the ice cream freezing in the ice cream maker, put the raspberries and the remaining sugar in the processor and puree, then push through a nylon sieve to remove the pips. Then pour into a small, airtight container and stick it into the freezer to thicken but not to set hard.
   
5. When the ice cream frozen, but not solid, put one third of it into a container and then dribble over a third of the semi-frozen raspberry syrup. and repeat with another two layers of each. Take a wooden skewer and squiggle through so that the syrup ripples through the ice ream, Cover and put in the deep freeze till set. Enjoy!