Michael and Jaspenelle

The moment of truth…

I feel like I have been either cleaning or in the kitchen all day, and you know what? It feels really good (I think I need a foot rub though…) I feel like I haven’t had time to keep my house in order for weeks. I got a chance to try out the baking soda and vinegar cleaners some of you recommended to me awhile back and wow, they work really well.

Tomorrow Michael and I are going to a Beltane gathering in Medical Lake. It is a potluck so I made my potato salad and a whole wheat applesauce cake. The cake started life as a slightly more elaborate recipe which I have been simplifying over time, today I made the final jump from changing the brown sugar to honey. Now it only contains whole wheat flour, applesauce, honey, baking soda and cinnamon. Except for the cinnamon and probably the baking soda, it is a completely local cake. I canned the applesauce last Autumn (this was my last jar too!). I grind the wheat myself and it comes from this area. The honey I used is from a local apiary (I picked it up in Yokes though.)

I don’t know how many of you modify recipes but if you do, you know that moment of apprehension you have before trying a heavily modified recipe? I just experienced that before typing this entry with that cake. I was pleasantly surprised, the local honey has a really wonderful flavor. I love it, though I must admit I have an urge to cover it in cream cheese frosting. I’d post a picture for you but I seem to have misplaced my upload cable. (They should make wireless cameras for people like me…)

I love the challenge of cooking as locally as possible. I like supporting the local growers and in general I find the local crops to be much more flavorful. We have two farmers’ markets within a 20 minute bus ride of our home and I am really looking forward to them opening (one opens May 10th and the other June 5th.)

Anyhow, now to go chop the potatoes for the salad. Getting local potatoes in never a problem here as Idaho is virtually next door…

Microwave

I adore hot cocoa, any kind will really do but I really adore is homemade cocoa. I have my own recipe but I admit today I just heated up some milk in the microwave and stir in some chocolate syrup. I just finished cleaning the kitchen, I am not quite ready to dirty it up again.

Well it is almost clean…

Do you have that one area in your home (maybe even a couple areas) that you just do not like to clean? It is normally tucked away and easily ignorable until one day you realize it may indeed be a health hazard? You know, like the upstairs toilet that has more rings than you? Not that we talk about that…

I have such a place and I won’t be telling you how long it has been since it was last cleaned, as that is quite incriminating. Nor will I be showing photos, once again, quite incriminating, but that place for me is the microwave. Oh, I keep it looking nice on the outside, but inside, well, those who develop weapons of mass destruction might indeed be impressed.

We do not own one of those microwave cover things and we are bad at covering stuff that we nuke so the splatter has built up. I rarely use the microwave (I use the toaster oven more and I keep that as it has a clear glass front…) so it is easy for me to ignore, that is, until I heated up my milk for cocoa today. I covered my mug, not because of I afraid of overflow, but rather I was afraid of what might get in it. Which is pretty darn gross when you think about it.

Thus the microwave must now be faced, that or I should start eating raw food.

The problem is a lot of the food is pretty stuck on and doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere so, does anyone have any tricks for getting stuck off food out of the inside of the microwave? Preferably a method that does not involve any harsh chemicals?

I fear if I do not clean the microwave soon it may develop sentience and murder me in my sleep. Kind of like Michael’s fridge did when I first moved in with him. (I barely survived that battle…)

Cleaning with Marth… erg… Jaspenelle Stewart!

I think I am totally having a nesting instinct day. Michael ended up having to work until 13:00 today so I can’t move any of the furniture (heck I picked up a stack of newspaper this morning and I felt it. I didn’t realize those suckers were so heavy!) I can however clean, and not the light cleaning, that “let’s pull out the big guns!” cleaning.

Whoever said that cleaning doesn’t count as working out has obviously never cleaned like this.

I do not like harsh chemicals, I am one of those people who like to keep their homes as “green” as possible. However I am also frugal, even if Michael and I made an exuberant amount of money (which we don’t) I would probably still be frugal for three reasons:

• I hate waste.
• I like to do things myself.
• It is better for the environment.

So my cleaning my arsenal mainly consists of eco-friendly stuff. Even better then that factory made stuff is my favorite weapon, diluted apple cider vinegar. It is cheap and it works miracles. Yes elbow grease is required, however it is not matter what cleaner you use.

Step aside Pinesol, you cannot remove winter boot scuff marks on my linoleum floors, but vinegar solution can. They are now sparking clean (and smell like vinaigrette ** too…)

You can step aside too Windex, I use scrunched up old newspaper and a diluted apple cider vinegar field spray bottle to clean my windows and mirrors. I don’t know by the black ink doesn’t smear off on the windows, but it doesn’t and they get so sparkling clean!

Do any of you use homemade cleaners around your home? What are they?