Coconut milk has only recently become a fixture in my day-to-day cooking. In fact, before I embraced a plant-based diet, I never touched the stuff, save for the once-in-a-blue-moon piña colada. However, when trying to conjure ways to replace the dairy component in recipes characterized by their creamy textures and thick consistencies, coconut milk rose to the occasion and brought with it more than just an animal-friendly face; it introduced potent health benefits to the body. The following 15 unusual uses for coconut milk do the vegan dairy alternative some delicious and wholesome justice.

Polishing silverware seems like something only grandmothers and butlers do, right? Nowadays, we're inundated with "silver" ware and serving ware options that are anything but silver. They're steel, aluminum or, heaven forbid: plastic.

But, if you're lucky enough to have had a grandmother (or butler) pass on some true silver to you, or if you're thrift-savvy enough to find good pieces on your own, you know how much they can transform a meal.

Kitchens get dirty quickly, but when you clean them with toxic cleaning products they’re far worse than a little grease and grime. Many all-purpose cleaners, degreasers, oven cleaners and drain clog removers on store shelves contain seriously concerning ingredients for your health and for the environment. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released 10 low-scoring kitchen cleaning products from its database of cleaners. Find out what makes these kitchen cleaning products the worst of the worst.

Your kitchen needs to stay clean and healthy. It’s where you prep and cook your food. It’s the spot where you bake, munch on snacks and store your groceries. And, what you clean your kitchen with matters too. Many store-bought cleaning products contain toxic chemicals and unknown ingredients. Plus, the FDA doesn’t regulate claims on cleaning products labels, so it’s hard to decipher truth from greenwashing. Until now. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released 10 top-scoring all-purpose and kitchen cleaning products from its database of cleaners. Find out what makes these kitchen cleaning products the best of the best.

There's nothing quite like a vacation. Sure, it can be near impossible to believe that a few days of doing not much of anything can really bring about a change when you're knee-deep in deadlines, routines and the busy-ness of everyday life. And in truth, some vacations can add to your stress levels with all the packing, lugging and travel. Then, of course, there's the food. This is a particularly discomforting issue for vegans. Are there vacation spots that cater to the vegan diet?  

No one likes germs – that’s why disinfectants are so darn popular. But chemicals in disinfectants (all hail the powerful and creepy bleach) aren’t so great for anything that’s alive. Luckily, there are green cleaning disinfectants you can concoct that will pack a punch to bacteria and leave your home healthy and clean.

Many store-bought cleaning products out there are basically poison. They contain a slew of toxic chemicals that may quickly get rid of soap scum, grime and toilet bowl rings in the bathroom but they also create serious health issues and negative environmental effects. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released 10 low-scoring bathroom cleaning products from its database of cleaners. What makes them the worst of the worst? Find out.

When shopping for healthy and environmentally safe bathroom cleaning products, you know to expect greenwashing. Companies claim that their cleaning products are natural or even made from organic ingredients, when really they may contain one organic ingredient and are also filled with petroleum-derived components and toxic chemicals. Even the supposed “green” brands often make unsubstantiated claims about their products’ safety and eco-friendliness. What’s a health-conscious person with a dirty bathroom to do?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released 10 top-scoring bathroom cleaning products from its database of cleaners. Find out what makes these store-bought bathroom products the best of the best.

Ah, the mundane tasks of everyday life, the chores and domestic duties that never seem to end but always repeat: housecleaning. The experience of cleaning our homes should fill us with pride and gratitude for the many material blessings that we have the privilege of cleaning. You have dishes to wash, clothes to iron, carpets to vacuum and floors to sweep – aren’t you lucky? During the course of a life, most things change: jobs, homes, friends, lovers, careers, political persuasions… but what will always be there? Dirty dishes.

Jewelry gets dirty. There’s no getting around it. If you wear your jewelry, then it’s going to become tarnished and less-than-shiny over time. Want to make your necklaces, rings and earrings sparkle like new? You don’t need regular jewelry cleaners and polishes to do it.

A lot of information out there encourages you to use chemicals to clean your jewelry at home: Ammonia to make diamonds sparkle. Window cleaner to remove tarnish from gold and silver jewelry. Yuck! The chemicals in store-bought jewelry cleaners are bad enough. Don’t use nasty chemicals in your own homemade cleaners, too. Instead, try these natural (and safe!) options to get your jewelry lookin’ good.