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…

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?