Time for a few more cool things you can do with vinegar from the All You article 45 Uses for Vinegar. I do love this liquid. Again, this is distilled vinegar in case otherwise indicated.
1. When flowers start wilting, put them in a solution for 1 quart of water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
2. Kill weeds in the cracks of the pavement. Pour vinegar over the weeds in the cracks of the walk- or driveway. Make sure to saturate down to the roots.
3. Keep windows frost free. By coating your windshield with a solution of 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water. The acid in the vinegar hinders the windshield from icing over.
4. Kill bacteria in meat. Marinate a steak with balsamic vinegar to kill bacteria. Use 1/4 cup of vinegar for every 2 pounds of meat and add in your choice of spices and herbs. Marinate for as little at 20 minutes or as long as 24 hours. The vinegar will also tenderize the meat.
5. Prevent hard boiled eggs from cracking. Add two tablespoons of vinegar when you hard boil the eggs. The eggs will also be easier to peel.
6. Rinse fruit and vegetables. Use a mixture of 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 pint of water to wash your fruit then rinse thoroughly. This will kill more pesticide residue than just water. This amount of vinegar is very important. I poured considerably more into a bowl with water to clean strawberries and they have a little tang to them.
Well, I promise to wrap up this love fest after one more installment. Then, maybe onto baking soda!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Vinegar....one small miracle cleaner
Yikes! Didn't realize it had been over a month since I last blogged! Anyway, back to business. Another great article from All You, 45 Uses for Vinegar. This may be a 2 or 3 parter, as there are a bunch of good ideas, but feel free to look at the whole article at your leisure. These suggestion all use distilled white vinegar.
1. Clothes Saver. Rubbing a bit of vinegar on a light scorch mark or antiperspirant stain then wiping with a clean cloth can save your garment. It was not mentioned if this could be done with all fabrics but worth a try.
2. Remove Old Paint from Brushes. Put brushes in a pot with vinegar. Let it soak for an hour then put the pot and brushes on the stove and set to simmer. Then drain, rinse and clean.
3. Stops Static. Another benefit for using vinegar in my wash! Put a 1/2 cup in your wash. The acid in the vinegar prevents static cling.
4. Restore Purses and Shoes. By wiping vinegar on shoes or purses to restore shine and lessen the appearance of scuffs.
5. Top Itching. Wipe vinegar on a mosquito bite to alleviate the itching. It also disinfects the area to help it heal faster.
I will be posting more uses for vinegar in the next couple of days. Or, if you don't want to wait go to 45 Uses for Vinegar. See you soon!
1. Clothes Saver. Rubbing a bit of vinegar on a light scorch mark or antiperspirant stain then wiping with a clean cloth can save your garment. It was not mentioned if this could be done with all fabrics but worth a try.
2. Remove Old Paint from Brushes. Put brushes in a pot with vinegar. Let it soak for an hour then put the pot and brushes on the stove and set to simmer. Then drain, rinse and clean.
3. Stops Static. Another benefit for using vinegar in my wash! Put a 1/2 cup in your wash. The acid in the vinegar prevents static cling.
4. Restore Purses and Shoes. By wiping vinegar on shoes or purses to restore shine and lessen the appearance of scuffs.
5. Top Itching. Wipe vinegar on a mosquito bite to alleviate the itching. It also disinfects the area to help it heal faster.
I will be posting more uses for vinegar in the next couple of days. Or, if you don't want to wait go to 45 Uses for Vinegar. See you soon!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
It's Summertime......
Morning. As we head into the summer, I thought this video contained some new info, at least to me. I never put together that taking an anti-inflammatory can help with sunburn!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Bamboo Bedding Plus
My new website, Bamboo Bedding Plus , sells 100%
bamboo sheets and 100% bamboo towel sets for individuals interested in “greener” options for their
household bed and bath linens. The site will be an online shop for people
looking for alternatives to the traditional cotton, cotton blend, and polyester
sheet and towel sets.
Bamboo is an extremely environmentally friendly plant, once planted, it does not need to be replanted, grows quickly, and does not require pesticides or fertilizer to help it grow. It grows faster than cotton and does not need reseeding to grow once it is cut.
Viscose from bamboo is exceptionally soft and less expensive than silk or cashmere. Additionally, bamboo sheets and towels are more durable then these two fabrics and can be conveniently washed at home in the washer and dryer.
Bamboo is an extremely environmentally friendly plant, once planted, it does not need to be replanted, grows quickly, and does not require pesticides or fertilizer to help it grow. It grows faster than cotton and does not need reseeding to grow once it is cut.
Viscose from bamboo is exceptionally soft and less expensive than silk or cashmere. Additionally, bamboo sheets and towels are more durable then these two fabrics and can be conveniently washed at home in the washer and dryer.
The bamboo yarn also
makes the bamboo sheets both insulating and breathable, making them perfect to
sleep on in both the summer and the winter. It acts as a thermal regulator to
one’s body temperature. Research suggests that the bamboo material stays about
two to three degrees cooler then there is warm weather and a few degrees warmer
when the nights turn cold.
Bamboo Bedding Plus
offers 100% bedding and bath linens for the environmentally conscious consumer.
Please, take a look at the site, let me know what you think. Also, as kind of a grand-opening, I am having a "Friends and Family Sale" for the next couple of weeks, so if you see something you like, please feel free to place an order. There is no pressure, but I figured if anyone deserved deals it is you guys.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Weight Watcher's Provides "Cooking-Light" Tips
A few years ago, I did the points program from Weight Watchers' a few years ago. It was a good program and worked for me, but the only reason I bring it up is that since I started the program (and ended it), I have been on their e-mailing list. Some of the stuff has been useful, so I didn't see any reason to unsubscribe. Anyway, that brings me to today's post...Weight Watchers' sent me an article this morning of twenty-four tips to lighten up your cooking, ways to reduce calories while improving texture and using "highly flavored" ingredients to lower calories of some of your favorite dishes. Here are a few of my favorites.
1. Butter or oil substitutes for cookies or cakes--they recommend no more than 1/3 of the total amount--for light batters, applesauce, for chocolaty batters, pureed prunes. Two that I hadn't thought of that WW says to try are pureed pumpkin or pureed sweet potato.
2. My sister, Deb, uses this tip for root veggies and brussel sprouts. Sprinkle or mix the vegetables (peppers, carrots, onions..)with some olive oil, sprinkle them with salt (and pepper if you like) and roast them in the oven. The process brings out the flavor and natural sweetness.
3. Try fresh herbs, strong spices, citrus juices, relishes and chilis to add flavor when you reduce the fat in a recipe to replace the flavor.
4. Thicken soup with prepared instant mashed potatoes or pureed cooked potatoes. It is a fat-free alternative to cream.
5. They also recommend thickening gravy with pureed cooked potatoes.
6. Replace mayo in chicken, pasta, egg or tuna salad with plain low fat yogurt or pureed silkened tofu. To add flavor use spices and vegetables.
7. Use seasoned oats, cornmeal or corn flakes to coat your fish or chicken, instead of bread crumbs.
These are just 7 of the 24 tips Weight Watchers' offers. Feel free to check the rest of them here.
Enjoy!
1. Butter or oil substitutes for cookies or cakes--they recommend no more than 1/3 of the total amount--for light batters, applesauce, for chocolaty batters, pureed prunes. Two that I hadn't thought of that WW says to try are pureed pumpkin or pureed sweet potato.
2. My sister, Deb, uses this tip for root veggies and brussel sprouts. Sprinkle or mix the vegetables (peppers, carrots, onions..)with some olive oil, sprinkle them with salt (and pepper if you like) and roast them in the oven. The process brings out the flavor and natural sweetness.
3. Try fresh herbs, strong spices, citrus juices, relishes and chilis to add flavor when you reduce the fat in a recipe to replace the flavor.
4. Thicken soup with prepared instant mashed potatoes or pureed cooked potatoes. It is a fat-free alternative to cream.
5. They also recommend thickening gravy with pureed cooked potatoes.
6. Replace mayo in chicken, pasta, egg or tuna salad with plain low fat yogurt or pureed silkened tofu. To add flavor use spices and vegetables.
7. Use seasoned oats, cornmeal or corn flakes to coat your fish or chicken, instead of bread crumbs.
These are just 7 of the 24 tips Weight Watchers' offers. Feel free to check the rest of them here.
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
How long Can I Keep Food?
I am always flummoxed by how long I can keep food before it goes bad. Real Simple ran an article a few weeks go that had some guidelines on how long you can store food. The Ultimate Food-Storage Guide is a comprehensive guide that the people of Real Simple put together. By their own admission, they erred on the conservative side of the time it takes for food to go bad. I usually do sniff test if I am unsure. But, they did consult the USDA, as well as a number of other experts. You can take a look at the full article at your leisure but here are some of the things I learned reading the article:
1. Meat and poultry can be frozen in its original wrapping inside a resealable freezer bag, unless you are planning on freezing it for a few months. Then it should be wrapped individually and then bagged.
2. Beef and Lamb should only be refrigerated for two to three days.
3. Cold Cuts: Deli Cut can last for 5 days in the fridge. If you buy them pre-packaged- 5 days once opened or up to 2 weeks unopened.
4. Most fresh seafood should only be 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.
5. Don't freeze fresh fatty fish (salmon and mackerel)--it will become mushy when thawed.
6. For fruit and vegetables, they recommend keeping the produce in is bag or original packaging and washing before using. Unless, you buy greens and they are dirty or sandy, like from a farmer's market. Then they should be rinsed and dried and then wrapped in paper towel and placed in a plastic bag.
7. To ripen food like apricots or avocados, put them in a paper bag on the counter. The ethylene gas they emit is trapped and helps them ripen. To ripen them faster, put an apple in the bag with them.
8. Dairy products and other refrigerated items: you can freeze semi-hard and hard cheeses, as well as grated cheese, but never freeze soft cheeses, sliced, either deli or packaged.
9. Fresh mozzarella can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
10. Unshelled egg whites can be frozen but unshelled whole eggs cannot.
Other related lists include, expiration dates for condiments, guide to leftovers and food storage, and the storing of pantry items.
I don't know if I will completely give up the sniff test but these lists are pretty comprehensive and give good guidelines for those foods that I buy infrequently enough to not know what to do with them.
1. Meat and poultry can be frozen in its original wrapping inside a resealable freezer bag, unless you are planning on freezing it for a few months. Then it should be wrapped individually and then bagged.
2. Beef and Lamb should only be refrigerated for two to three days.
3. Cold Cuts: Deli Cut can last for 5 days in the fridge. If you buy them pre-packaged- 5 days once opened or up to 2 weeks unopened.
4. Most fresh seafood should only be 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.
5. Don't freeze fresh fatty fish (salmon and mackerel)--it will become mushy when thawed.
6. For fruit and vegetables, they recommend keeping the produce in is bag or original packaging and washing before using. Unless, you buy greens and they are dirty or sandy, like from a farmer's market. Then they should be rinsed and dried and then wrapped in paper towel and placed in a plastic bag.
7. To ripen food like apricots or avocados, put them in a paper bag on the counter. The ethylene gas they emit is trapped and helps them ripen. To ripen them faster, put an apple in the bag with them.
8. Dairy products and other refrigerated items: you can freeze semi-hard and hard cheeses, as well as grated cheese, but never freeze soft cheeses, sliced, either deli or packaged.
9. Fresh mozzarella can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
10. Unshelled egg whites can be frozen but unshelled whole eggs cannot.
Other related lists include, expiration dates for condiments, guide to leftovers and food storage, and the storing of pantry items.
I don't know if I will completely give up the sniff test but these lists are pretty comprehensive and give good guidelines for those foods that I buy infrequently enough to not know what to do with them.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
In honor of Earth Day and something for my techno-gadget friends
--In honor of Earth Day--here are a few ideas of for making your life greener, as well as apps for my friends with smart phones.
Some of these are from an online article from Real Simple.
1. Use greener cleaners. Chemicals in many cleaners can cause air pollution inside and out. They can aggravate asthma and allergies. The article recommends reading labels and choosing products that are plant-based. One of my mom's favorite cleaners is vinegar and water. It cleans the counters,mirrors and windows. It can also be good a good way to help a slow drain or freshen up a smelly kitchen drain. Pour in some baking soda and then the vinegar, then some cool foaming action occurs, and it helps most of the time.
2. Leave your shoes at the door. Excellent advice for keeping the house cleaner. It can be considered the equivalent of washing your hands, keeping outside dirt, exhaust, pollen, and chemicals from being tracked into the house. For people with allergies, this is sooo helpful.
3. Select fragance-free products. People with sensitive skin and other allergies realize some of the benefits but there are other benefits. Some of these products can cause hormone disruption and also mess with the water supply when they are washed down the drain.
For the full article, please click here.
1. "At the touch of a button, you will have instant access to the latest green information from one of the web’s most popular green technology and sustainability blogs, Ecoble."
2. "Get the latest Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics on your iPhone, including company scores, further information, videos and links."
3. "GoodGuide’s science-based health, environment and social ratings for over 120,000 products. GoodGuide’s personalization features enable you to choose the issues you care about most - like nutritional value, safe and healthy ingredients, animal welfare, human rights, climate change, energy efficiency, and more. The app will then inform you whether products pass or fail on your key criteria."
Special bonus for those of you who use Kiehl products--tomorrow at Nordstrom's, if you bring in an empty Kiehl bottle, tube,or jar, you will get a sample lip balm. While supplies last.
Happy Earth Day!
Some of these are from an online article from Real Simple.
1. Use greener cleaners. Chemicals in many cleaners can cause air pollution inside and out. They can aggravate asthma and allergies. The article recommends reading labels and choosing products that are plant-based. One of my mom's favorite cleaners is vinegar and water. It cleans the counters,mirrors and windows. It can also be good a good way to help a slow drain or freshen up a smelly kitchen drain. Pour in some baking soda and then the vinegar, then some cool foaming action occurs, and it helps most of the time.
2. Leave your shoes at the door. Excellent advice for keeping the house cleaner. It can be considered the equivalent of washing your hands, keeping outside dirt, exhaust, pollen, and chemicals from being tracked into the house. For people with allergies, this is sooo helpful.
3. Select fragance-free products. People with sensitive skin and other allergies realize some of the benefits but there are other benefits. Some of these products can cause hormone disruption and also mess with the water supply when they are washed down the drain.
For the full article, please click here.
iphone apps
Please excuse the lifted quotes, but it seemed that the Apple App Store said it best.1. "At the touch of a button, you will have instant access to the latest green information from one of the web’s most popular green technology and sustainability blogs, Ecoble."
2. "Get the latest Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics on your iPhone, including company scores, further information, videos and links."
3. "GoodGuide’s science-based health, environment and social ratings for over 120,000 products. GoodGuide’s personalization features enable you to choose the issues you care about most - like nutritional value, safe and healthy ingredients, animal welfare, human rights, climate change, energy efficiency, and more. The app will then inform you whether products pass or fail on your key criteria."
Special bonus for those of you who use Kiehl products--tomorrow at Nordstrom's, if you bring in an empty Kiehl bottle, tube,or jar, you will get a sample lip balm. While supplies last.
Happy Earth Day!
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