Carolina Calendar

Sweet, Simple Solutions

Apples add fall flavor to family meals

Busy mornings, afternoons and evenings are the norm for many families with days full of work, school and extracurricular activities. Finding time to share a fresh meal is often a priority that may remain difficult to achieve. These apple-based dishes can be the perfect solution to making easy, in-season meals.

Both recipes work best with apple varieties known for being especially crisp, such as Envy apples (envyapple.com). Other varieties that are grown in North Carolina and in season also work well, including Honeycrisp, Gala and Jonagold.

— FamilyFeatures.com Apple Avocado Toast Apple Avocado Toast provides a simple way to fuel up on weekday mornings or can be enjoyed as part of a weekend brunch with the family. 2 eggs 4 slices sourdough bread 1 ripe avocado, sliced 1 crisp apple 1 teaspoon lime juice ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons chia seeds 1 tablespoon minced chives

Edible flowers, for garnish (optional)

In pot, cover eggs with one inch of cold water. Boil 6–7 minutes, then place in cool water bath.

Peel eggs, halve lengthwise and set aside.

Toast sourdough bread, then mash avocado across bread with fork. Cut apple into thin slices and place on top of avocado along with egg halves. Top with lime juice, Parmesan cheese, chia seeds and chives. Garnish with edible flowers.

Crisp Apple Tacos Crisp Apple Tacos put a fresh spin on a dinnertime classic. Children can help with the prep by mixing the dressing, apple sticks and cabbage for the tasty slaw. ½ pound pork tenderloin 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra, to taste, divided 1 teaspoon pepper, plus extra, to taste, divided 2 crisp apples, divided 3 sprigs rosemary ½ cup shredded carrots ½ cup shredded red cabbage 1 cup shredded green cabbage 4 tablespoons honey 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon mustard 1 tablespoon white vinegar 12 soft taco shells 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 lime, cut into wedges

Cut pork crosswise into 1-inch medallions. Coat pork medallions with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, then add to saucepan over medium heat.

Slice half of one apple into thick wedges and add to saucepan. Slice remaining half into thin wedges and set aside.

Add rosemary to saucepan and heat 2–3 minutes. Flip the pork medallions and heat 2–3 minutes until pork is slightly golden and cooked through. Let pork rest 3 minutes, then slice into strips.

Thinly slice half of remaining apple into thin sticks around same size as shredded cabbage. Reserve remaining half.

In serving bowl, toss apple sticks, carrots, red cabbage and green cabbage.

In another bowl, mix honey, mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar into dressing. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Mix dressing and cabbage; refrigerate at least 1 hour prior to serving. Cut remaining apple half into thin wedges. Top taco shells with pork, slaw, sour cream and squeeze of lime juice. Top with apple wedges.

Which Heat Pump Option is Right for My Home?

By Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen

Heat pump technology has improved a lot over the past 10 to 20 years, and the systems work double-duty, heating your home during winter and cooling during summer months. There are a few different types of heat pumps, so learning about each can help decide what works best for your home and climate. There are a few main types: air-source — both ducted and “mini-split” systems, and ground-source.

1Ducted heat pump If your home has a forced air furnace, a centralized air-source heat pump can work well. A compressor outside your home that looks like an A/C unit is connected to your home’s existing duct system. Like your furnace, the temperature is controlled through one main thermostat. This is a solid solution if your system has quality ductwork that heats and cools every room evenly, which is rare.

Ductwork in most homes is not designed to heat or cool every room evenly. Long supply runs provide little air to some rooms, and it’s typical for some rooms to lack return air registers. Also, ductwork is often leaky, which creates comfort issues. If leaky ducts are located in unheated areas such as crawl spaces or attics, it will increase your heating and cooling costs. Poor ductwork will render any kind of central heating or cooling system much less effective. Some HVAC contractors can repair ductwork problems if the ductwork is accessible.

Heat pumps vary in efficiency, and this is measured in two ways. The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) rating measures heating efficiency and the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating measures cooling efficiency. The minimum ratings for a new heat pump are HSPF 8.2 and SEER 14. Heat pumps with the Energy Star® rating are significantly more efficient than the minimum standard. The quality of the installation also matters, and some contractors will have more experience and training than others.

Also, newer models of heat pumps can operate effectively in sub-zero weather, but sometimes they do so by switching to electric resistance mode, which is much less efficient. In a colder climate, it may be worth investing in a dual-fuel system, where propane or another fuel provides supplemental heat on extremely cold days. 2 Mini-split heat pump Ductless mini-splits are an excellent option if you don’t have central air ducts, your ducts are leaking, or you only want the new ductless heat pump to heat or cool one portion of the home. With a mini-split heat pump, tubes connected to the outside compressor carry refrigerant to one or more air handlers, which are mounted high on a wall to distribute air. Thermostats regulate each air handler, providing control of different zones in the home.

In climates that don’t experience extreme cold, a ductless heat pump could supply all the heating and cooling in a small home. They are also often used in combination with a central heating and cooling system.

3Geothermal (or ground-source) heat pump Several feet underground, the temperature remains constant year-round — typically between 50 and 70 degrees in North Carolina. Heat is transferred into or out of the ground by pipes buried in a loop 10 feet underground or drilled up to 400 feet into the earth. The pipes carry water to a compressor, which uses a refrigerant to transfer the heat to or from your home’s ducts.

A geothermal heat pump system is extremely energy efficient, since the earth’s temperature is warmer than the outside air in the winter and cooler than the outside air in the summer. But I should note this efficiency comes with a high price tag, which is the initial cost to install the pipe loop or drill the hole for a vertical pipe. For this reason, ground-source systems are relatively rare.

For additional information and guidance on heat pumps, give your electric co-op a call. If you have a qualified energy auditor in your area, an audit could be a great next step, especially if it includes a duct leakage test. Then you’ll be ready to reach out to contractors and request a few quotes.

Peter Stevens An air-source heat pump compressor located outside the home can distribute hot and cold air through your existing duct system.

The condenser for a mini-split is often mounted on an exterior wall. This column was co-written by Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative Efficiency. Visit carolinacountry.com/your-energy for more ideas on energy efficiency.