Homemade cleaners

My husband and I have some strange hobbies.  A new one we've picked up this year is using homemade cleaners.  I'm not sure why we've adopted this, except perhaps we've grown tired of paying huge prices for laundry soap and bathroom cleaners.

Here is a recipe I chanced to come across at http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com website.


Powdered Dishwasher Detergent/Scouring Powder:
* 1 cup Washing soda
* 1 cup Borax
* 1/4 cup Kosher salt (reduces the effects of hard water)
* 1/4 cup citric acid (or as an alternative you can use the same amount of Fruit Fresh or two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon and ONLY unsweetened!)


You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, if you'd like, but I don't do that.  I'm afraid to leave oily spots in my dishwasher.

To use the detergent in your dishwasher, add 1 tablespoon of the powder to the soap dispenser and 3 drops of Dawn (or other dish soap) on top and close the lid.  Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher.

You may have to experiment a little to see what combinations work for your dishwasher and for your water.  We tried one load with 2 tablespoons of powder and the glasses came out spotty.  But, with 1 tablespoon, they are sparkly.  You can vary the amount of powder from 1 - 2 tablespoons and vary the vinegar from 1 - 2 cups to see what works best for you.

Give it a try and see what works for you!
 

Having an Organized Thanksgiving

I love to host Thanksgiving!  I love preparing the meal and anticipating everyone coming to my home.  I love the way my home smells and feels when the big day arrives.  I love greeting people and making them as comfortable as possible.

But.... getting organized for the event is sometimes a little nerve-wracking.  To ease my mind and give me focus, I make lists to help me keep things under control.  If I just jump into the work without thinking things through, I'll spin my wheels and not accomplish as much.  A list keeps me on-task and doing the most productive work that I can.

Saturday before Thanksgiving:  By this time, I have my turkey in the freezer and my pantry stocked with all the staples that I need.  I will have some other shopping to do, but it should be minimal.  Today I need to do these things:

• Clean out the frig to make room for all the goodies to come!
• Make a shopping list for the last minute items and do the shopping.
• Fresh cranberries
• Orange juice (Orange Cranberry Sauce -- yum!)
• Sweet potatoes
• Russet potatoes
• Onions
• Green beans
• (Double-check ingredients for pumpkin pie -- Done!)
• Celery and parsley for the stuffing
• Wondra flour for the gravy (check!)
• Coffee for adults; milk for the children.
• Put things away on the main floor -- this is a general "declutter" activity.  As you probably imagine, we fight the clutter ALL the time.  It will take about 20 minutes (just a guess) to pick things up and put them away.
• Dust and vacuum.
• Clean the kitty box.

There are some other things that I could do on Saturday, but they could be done anytime between Saturday and Wednesday.

• Plan out the serving dishes for the big day.  Write the food item that goes in each piece on a post-it or 3x5 card and place it in the dish.  Stack the bowls in a corner of the china cabinet or inside a kitchen cabinet so they are all in one place.  Then, when all your helpful guests come, they will know exactly what food goes in which bowl.
• Finalize the guest list.  Plan seating.  One year I made little seating cards to go on each plate.  It was easier for everyone when it was time to come to the table.  If I feel especially energetic, I might put "conversation starters" on the backs of the name cards.  I did that one year, and it was so much fun!  I heard some wonderful family stories I'd never heard.  Conversation Starters
• Set the table.  This can be done several days ahead unless you need your table for regular meals, of course.  Set the table and then cover it with another tablecloth or sheet to keep the dust off of your table setting.
• Thaw the turkey!  There are two methods for thawing the turkey -- the refrigerator method and the cold bath method.  I usually use the cold bath method because it takes less time and it doesn't tie up the refrigerator for several days.  Check the label on your turkey or read on the internet on how to thaw a turkey.  Be careful!  The time it takes depends on the size of your turkey.  Here's a website to tell you how long:  Tips for thawing and roasting

Tuesday:  Tuesday I will double-check all my ingredients and make my Orange Cranberry Sauce.

Wednesday:

• Bake the pies.
• Bake the banana bread (see Favorite Family Recipes).  I keep frozen bananas in the freezer, so I always have some on hand to make banana bread.  My kids are crazy for it!
• Chop up all the vegetables for stuffing, side dishes, etc.  Put in ziplock baggies or small plastic containers and refrigerate.  (This way, the only vegetable prep that needs to be done on Thursday is the potatoes.)
• Plan what time the turkey needs to go into the oven.  I have a 21-pound turkey and we plan to eat at 1:30.  The turkey will need to come out of the oven around 12:30 (because it needs to rest for an hour before serving).  My turkey will need to roast for about 4 hours, so I need to put it in at 8:30 a.m..  It takes longer if you stuff the turkey, but I usually just fill the cavity with a quartered onion, a quartered apple, a carrot cut in half and a stalk of celery cut in half.  I also add some thyme and sage for flavor.
• Just before bed, clean the kitty box again.
• Don't stay up late on Wednesday.  It is more fun to have Thanksgiving when well rested!

If I follow these steps and not lose my focus, we should be ready for all our guests on the big day.  I can hardly wait!  You can take my plan and adapt to fit your needs.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The joys of a whole chicken

Sometimes time-saving and labor-saving innovations save neither time nor labor.  And, quite often, they don't save money either.

I have recently discovered the joys of a whole chicken.  Before the last 2 weeks, I have probably bought a whole chicken 2 - 3 times in my life.  But, I have been watching prices lately and made a huge discovery!  Whole roasting chickens are way cheaper than buying boneless chicken breasts, thighs, legs, or any other chicken part.

Plus, for those of us not-so-organized, nothing is easier to cook than a whole chicken.  Take it out of the bag.  Wash it with clear water.  Stick it in the crockpot.  Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the top, and turn on the crockpot!  Easy!

And, at the end of the day, you've got a lovely roasted chicken that is moist and ready to eat whenever you are.

But, the joys do not stop there.  After dinner, pick off all the leftover chicken and put into a storage container.  You've got enough chicken left for casseroles, chicken salad sandwiches, salad topping, or Naked Chicken Burritos (a family favorite).

Now, look in that crockpot.  Yum.... fixings for homemade chicken noodle soup, or a variety of other soups that call for chicken broth.  You just know that broth is better than what you buy in a can!

So, there you have it.  Three super easy meals from one roasting chicken.  Perfect for the not-so-organized!