Garden Plan for 2010

My garden plan for 2010 is done for now. Once we actually get into the dirt, however, I am certain it will change a bit. As much as I want to grow all kinds of great things, we really only want to garden things we either love to eat or things that will save us substantially at the market.... hence 24 pepper plants and 12 tomato plants. My herb garden and cutting garden have not gotten any attention from me yet, so that is still pending. I have started my pepper seeds on March 14th as well as some basil seeds. I need to make my seed starting calendar this week so that I do not miss important dates, but with the arrival of Rex, I am just behind on everything.

On this eve of St. Patrick's Day, I am certainly feeling my Irish roots. We just keep picking rocks out of our garden and yard!

Clothes Line Going Back Up

Ok... my husband doesn't know this yet, but I have plans for this weekend - and they involve getting my clothes line up. Today I opened all of my first floor windows to give my stagnat little house a much needed breath of fresh air. I tucked the kiddos into blankets for their naps, threw on a fleece and opened up the first floor pores. As I was putting Michael down for his nap, he kept saying "I smell the windows up here mommy!". I laughed and asked him if the window smell made him happy - to which he assured me that it did. (The monsters who hide outside the windows at night aren't there during the day, so it is ok to open the windows.)

As I came back down to put take my diapers out of the dryer and put the sheets in, I realized that the glorious sun was shining and I wasn't sunning my winter-weary dipes. Yep. It is time. Clothesline time again. And in answer to the obvious question, "Yes dear, I will be more than happy to don snow boots and trudge through the remaining pile of snow to hang the dipes... give me my sunsoaked clothesline and I will do almost anything.

Masarik Family Cleaners (Go-To list)

Here are the recipes that I use regularly:

Pet Safe Dry Carpet Cleaner
2 c baking soda
¼ c cornstarch
¼ cornmeal
10-12 drops of my favorite antimicrobial essential oils (my faves: lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, palmarosa)

Linoleum Cleaner
1 T of natural liquid soap
¼ c Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
¼ c vinegar
2 gallons of water
8-10 drops of my favorite antimicrobial essential oils (my faves: lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, palmarosa)

Citrus Loving Wood Floor Cleaner
¼ c. vinegar
2 gallons of hot water
10 drops of citrus essential oils

Wash floor. No need to rinse. To boost, add vinegar and 1 or 2 T of liquid soap as needed.

Borax Booster All Purpose Cleaner
4 T vinegar
4 c water
2 tsp borax
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
10 drops of any favorite smelling essential oil (peppermint is my favorite)

Fresh Smelling Furniture Polish
¼ c olive oil
4T white distilled vinegar
20 drops of lemon or orange (or combination) essential oil

The oils will moisturize your wood while the vinegar cleans it and prevents streaks and smears.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Make a thin paste of lemon juice and borax and rub the toilet.

Diaper Station Antibacterial Freshening Spray
2c Water
14 drops of lemongrass, peppermint, lavender or tea tree oil (or combination)

Homemade Cleaning Wipes
Use paper toweling cut in half or take old receiving blankets and sew them into 4"x4" (or any size you want) squares
Place in a used diaper wipes container
Mix 3 cups of water, 15-20 drops of antibacterial essential oils
Pour mixture over the "wipes" use within 2 weeks or so to prevent mold
If using cloth, throw them in your laundry and wash as you would rags or towels

Dishwasher Detergent Woes - SOLVED (for us anyway)

So, I realize that it has been two weeks since my inital posting on this recipe. We have learned alot in those two weeks.

1. Our dishwasher is old, poor and just plain old not working well and will probably need to be replaced this year. We've looked into repairing it, but the reality is that this machine was abused before we got it and hasn't fared well. Repair would be only slightly less costly than replacing and if we replace, we can go with a more efficient model.

2. The recipe works... pretty well. It works beautifully for stoneware and plastic. Does a much better than ok job on glass. Is hit or miss with silverware.

We have varied our silverware washing routine several times: insert full of food, insert used but without chunks, insert lightly pre-washed and just give up and handwash. Insert lightly pre-washed works pretty well. We just rinse our silverware with clean water and insert into the machine for sterilization.

Knowing that this recipe is so accessible, green and miserly, it is a winner for us. It isn't a fail safe, but then again... nothing in our dishwasher ever has been.

The recipe again is:

4 parts Borax (1 cup)
4 parts Baking Soda (1 cup)
1 part CANNING/PICKLING salt (1/4 cup)
1 part Citric Acid (1/4 cup)
A few drops of favorite antibacterial essential oil per batch (a batch for us is a popcorn tub)

Where to buy citric acid and oils: my new favorite organic, fair trade supply source: www.mountainroseherbs.com. They are great to work with, their prices are really fair and it is USDA organic and Fair Trade. How can I argue? I just wish I had a local vendor selling their stuff!

What if you have a batch of another kind of homemade dishwasher detergent that doesn't work? I am mixing mine with water and using it as porcelain bathroom scrubber. Be sure to rinse with vinegar water afterwards or else you will have that dreaded white film that vetoed the recipe from your dishwasher to begin with.

Happy home cleaning!

Dishwasher Detergent Woes

This has been a really tough conversion for us. Our primary goal is to first and foremost, save money. Additionally, I would like to be green. Dishwasher detergents have consistently been problematic because of the many variables - hardness of water, amount of water needed (miserly wash cycle vs. regular wash cycle), how much the dishes are prepped before going in, what is in your rinse aid compartment already and how much build up there may already be in your dishwasher. We have been trying a whole battery of recipes and have finally settled on doing a week trial of the one below. Some things to note:

1. Here in Allouez, we have Brown County Water which is "regular" or almost soft.

2. My older Kenmore dishwasher has a built in garbage disposal (like most) but it only works on regular or pot scrubber cycles. Didn't know that before yesterday and we have been using "Water Miser" for months, so we have some build up to deal with.

3. Ditch the Jet Dry and replace with straight vinegar. Well, unfortunately for me, the Jet Dry in my machine needs to be used up before I replace with vinegar.

4. I have been using the wrong salt. Kosher, table and other salts have an "anti-caking" property. This will leave a white film. Make sure to use Canning/Pickling salt. It is a different kind of salt without the "anti-caking."

5. Citric acid helps to break down the borax and baking soda. It is safe to use because it is used in canning and other food preparation. To purchase, go to a local brew store (in GB, House of Homebrew - Dousman/Main) or order online.

Here is the recipe that has started to restore the sparkle to our dishes. After 1 cycle, everything looks great. Cycle #2 will run during my Time Of Use Savings Hours starting at noon today. Note: the extra 4 gallons of water that I will need to use (from 8 gal during Water Miser to 12 gal during Regular) is inevitable and will cost less than handwashing and use less water.

Recipe that seems to work:
4 parts borax
4 parts baking soda
1 part citric acid
1 part canning/pickling salt

Use 1 heaping tablespoon per load. Run on "regular". Air dry.

Other recipes that would probably work but not fufill our objective of being green:

First, the homemade base:
1 pt borax
1 pt washing soda
1/4 pt salt

Combine the above. Mix 2 pt above combination with 1 pt cascade.

OR

2 pts Dawn liquid dish soap
1 pt baking soda
1 pt borax

Friday Night Pizza & Canning Pizza Sauce Recipe

I have been meaning to type this up for months. At my meeting last night, I realized that I never did archive this.... and well, now that it is time to share it, I must get to it.

Sara's Canning Pizza Sauce Recipe (Ball base, Sara's spices)
(makes 4 pint jars)

13 cups fresh plum tomato puree
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp basil
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 T garlic powder

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids.

2. Bring half of the puree to a boil stirring occassionally. Maintaining a boil, gradually add the remaining sauce. Stir in lemon juice and spices. Boil hard until sauce is very thin and saucy.

3. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim, seal with lid and band.

4. Place jars in canner. Make sure to completely cover with water. Bring to a boil. Process for 35 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes. Remove jars. Cool. Label. Store.

My pizza crust of choice: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizza-Dough-I/Detail.aspx

New pizza sauce recipe (when my cans run out this month): http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Exquisite-Pizza-Sauce/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

UPDATE: Resolution #6 - Homemade Cleaning Products

We did it! Chemicals are on their way to others who will use them. We have replaced them with our own "green" concotions that are saving us some green! We are still tweaking our dishwasher soap, recipe, but it is almost there. I compiled everything into some handouts for a meeting that Ang and I are doing and thought that I would share here. A big thanks to Cheryl for answering my never-ending list of questions! Here are the recipes we are using.

Pet Safe Dry Carpet Cleaner
2 c baking soda
¼ c cornstarch
¼ cornmeal
10-12 drops of lavender or lemongrass essential oil

Natural Carpet Stain Remover #1
¼ c vinegar
1 c water
1 tsp organic dish soap
Thoroughly mix and put into a spray bottle. Shake, spray, blot.

Natural Carpet Stain Remover #2
Sprinkle cornstarch, leave 20-30 minutes
Scrub with 1 c. vinegar mixed with 3 c. water

Natural Kitchen and Bath Floor Cleaner #1
½ c. vinegar
2 gallons of water
3 T. natural liquid soap
¼ c baking soda
15 drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil

Natural Kitchen and Bath Floor Cleaner #2
½ c. Borax
2 gallons of hot water

Linoleum Cleaner
1 T of natural liquid soap
¼ c Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
¼ c vinegar
2 gallons of water
10-12 drops of lavender or citrus essential oil

Citrus Loving Wood Floor Cleaner
¼ c. vinegar
2 gallons of hot water
10 drops of mandarin (or orange) essential oil
5 drops of lemon essential oil
Wash floor. No need to rinse. To boost, add vinegar and 1 or 2 T of liquid soap as needed.

Miserly Floor Cleaner
½ c. vinegar per gallon of water
Add 5 drops of essential oil per gallon of water

Green and Clean Surface Cleaner
1 tsp of organic liquid soap
2 c water
10-12 drops of tea tree essential oil
10-12 drops of lavender essential oil
5 drops of a citrus essential oil
Add to a spray bottle. Shake before every use. Safe enough to spray on any kitchen or bath surface. Very anti-bacterial, ant-viral and anti-fungal.

Super Simple Spray Cleaner
2 tsp of tea tree or lavender oil (or 1 tsp of each)
2 c of water

Borax Booster Cleaner
2 T vinegar
2 c water
1 tsp borax
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
5 drops of peppermint essential oil

Miserly Disinfectant
14 oz of water
3 T castile soap
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
10 drops of lavender or peppermint essential oil

Simple Glass Cleaner
Club soda. Pour (carbonated or flat) into a trigger bottle and wipe with crumpled newspaper)

Anti-Streak Window Cleaner
½ c water
½ rubbing alcohol
1 tsp of liquid soap
(This works best on glass with build up. 1 or 2 applications should cleanse it and then you can return to the above solution)

Dishwasher Soap
2 T Borax
2 T Washing Soda
¼ tsp table salt
5 drops of favorite essential oil

Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Ditch the rinse aid, fill up with vinegar.

Porcelain Cleaner (Tubs, counters & sinks)
1/3 c borax
1/3 baking soda
10 drops of favorite essential oil – recommended: lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus or lemongrass

Mold & Mildew Cleaner
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
5 drops of peppermint essential oil
2 c water
Combine and spray affected area daily, do not wipe – just allow to air dry.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Make a thin paste of lemon juice and borax and rub the toilet

Spritz-and-Spray Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap2 tablespoons baking soda2 tablespoons vinegar1 teaspoon orange essential oil1 teaspoon grapefruit essential oil2 cups waterMix all ingredients in a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl. When you mix the vinegar and baking soda, it will foam. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before pouring into a spray bottle.

Homemade Soft Scrub Paste
½ Baking Soda
2-4 squirts of liquid castile soap
10 drops of lavender, tea tree or eucalyptus essential oil for added anti-bacterial boost

Natural Stain Cleaner
½ c water
1-2T organic dish soap
1T vegetable glycerin
Spray on clothes as soon as possible, wash as normal.

Fresh Smelling Furniture Polish
¼ c olive oil
4T white distilled vinegar
20 drops of lemon or orange (or combination) essential oil
The oils will moisturize your wood while the vinegar cleans it and prevents streaks and smears.

Homemade Air & Fabric Freshner (aka Febreeze)
Recipe #1 – Not a green solution
1 cup fabric softener1 cup white vinegar2 cups water

Recipe #2 – is a GREEN solution
8 drops lavender essential oil
4 drops of tea tree essential oil
4 drops of peppermint essential oil
4 drops of lemon grass essential oil
½ c cheap vodka
½ c distilled water
(as long as you use tea tree and/or lavender oil, other may be substituted for scent preference)



Cleaning Ingredients 101

Baking Soda: a mild abrasive which scrubs dirt and grime well. Great for boosting laundry, deodorizing, removing stains and a base for most bathroom and kitchen cleaners.

Washing Soda: sodium carbonate – a natural mineral that is great for laundry and in some cleaning applications – specifically as a degreaser. Can cause irritation in the mucus membranes, so always use with care.

Vinegar: is a naturally occurring acid – fermented wine. Vinegar is a fantastic all-purpose cleaner and the smell can be softened with the inclusion of essential oils. Combined with baking soda, borax or washing soda as abrasives, it become a super cleaner.

Castile Soap: a vegetable oil based soap that is natural, gentle and a great degreaser. A few drops (like Dr. Bronner’s) go a very long way.

Borax: sodium borate - a natural mineral that is a fantastic substitute for chemicals like bleach. It can be toxic if swallowed straight and can be irritating to the skin – always dilute and use it correctly. It is a great base for laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent and general all purpose cleaners.

Essential Oils: nature’s gift to us! All essential oils have some antibacterial properties and can be used somewhat interchangeably. Lavendar and tea tree oil, however, are a slam dunk for cleaners because they are safe to the skin, highly anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. A few drops go a very, very long way.

Cornstarch: is a great absorber of oils, grease, stains and grime.

Essential Oils 101

Essential oils have been a part of clean and healthy living since biblical times. Oils that are rendered from their plants (or flowers) have unique characteristics onto themselves. Throughout history, we have seen cultures use these oils in the perfumes, body care and general cleaners as much for their beautiful smell as for their anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal properties. No two oils are identical in their tendencies or application. Some can cause great sensitivity when exposed directly on (or “neat") the skin. Always understand an oil before you use it so that you can apply it correctly and prevent irritation.

When purchasing essential oils, it is critical that you purchase only PURE essential oils (which is harder to do than you think). If you buy something that has been adulterated or synthetically stretched, you run the risk of exposing yourself to chemicals which are not natural as well as diminishing the anti-microbial benefits of the oil.

“The anti-microbial actions of essential oils are one of the most extensively studied aspects of botanical medicine. Research into the antiseptic properties of essential oils has been going on since the 1880s, starting with oils such as oregano oil, cinnamon oil, and clove. By the 1930s a considerable amount of conclusive studies had been amassed, including proof that essential oils used in perfumes had antibiotic powers...” - http://www.floracopeia.com/content/monographs/26

If you own no other essential oil, the one to own is LAVENDER. Just as there are superfoods, Lavendar is a superoil. It is highly anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral while also being safe enough to be applied to baby’s bottom.

Great Oils for Cleaning
Lavender
Tea Tree
Rosemary
Lemon
Eucalyptus
Patchouli
Pine
Orange
Geranium

Medical Research supporting the use of essential oils: http://www.gogreengal.org/