Cleaning With Vinegar and Baking Soda Tips

I hate to admit it but I really do like to clean. I also like to experiment with homemade cleaning products. Making your own cleaning products is a great way to save money and reduce the number of toxins in your home. White vinegar is one of my favorite cleaning products. I think some people don't like to use it because of the smell, but trust me you can't even smell it after it dries.

My favorite toilet cleaner: Pour 1/2 c white vinegar into the toilet bowl then add 1/2 c baking soda. The mixture will foam then settle down after a few minutes. Let sit about 20 minutes, use your toilet brush to scrub and you should have a beautiful toilet bowl. (I don't measure the amounts every time, you'll be able to guess once you have tried it).

On a side note, we used to have well water that left a water ring around the bowl. Using light pressure with a pumice stone (available at hardware or some grocery stores) you can remove the hard water ring. Be careful not to press too hard or you could scratch your toilet bowl, and only use it on the hard water ring and not the actual toilet bowl. Then use your vinegar and baking soda to shine it sparkly clean!

For stubborn stains I mix 3/4 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup Kosher salt (and 20 drops of Lemon Essential Oil). I use this for the sink in my laundry room and bathrooms. One of the sinks is the one the guys use after they have been working on cars or in the garage, so there are a few chips in it. The baking soda is a natural deodorizer and is a mild abrasive. It's great to remove grease, can be used a whitener and disinfectant. I add a little water to my sink and sponge, the sprinkle the soda and salt mixture on the sink. I let it sit for 10-20 minutes (or until I remember it) and then scrub the sink - it works great!

My kitchen sink doesn't get as dirty so every day I use my favorite Spicy Sink Cleaner that we posted earlier.

Garage Sink - After

Garage Sink - Before

Happy cleaning all!

Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Grandma's Bread Pudding and Caramel Sauce

I was trying to think of something for dessert last night and homemade bread pudding was my choice. Our Dad was not a dessert lover but bread pudding was one of his favorites. Our grandma made the best bread pudding, hope you like it! Ingredients : 5 cups slightly dried out bread, any kind. I used Italian bread. 1/4 cup raisins (optional) 2 cups milk 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 T vanilla 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon Caramel Sauce Ingredients 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla Directions : Cut the bread in cubes. I cut some of the crust off (on about half of the bread). Place bread into a greased casserole dish or an 11x9 inch pan. Add raisins. Microwave milk and butter about 4 minutes on 60% power or heat in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Slowly add the mixture to the egg and milk and butter

Homemade Goulash

Last weekend I made meals for the freezer. It takes a few hours but this will save you time during the week (in case you have nights like I do when you don't feel like cooking) and your family will love it! I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen (it's called Bobby's Goulash). I used organic ingredients but use the products of your choice. I would have liked to use fresh tomatoes from the garden but my tomatoes weren't quite ready. You can also make it gluten-free by using gluten-free elbow macaroni. It's so tasty - my family loved it! Ingredients : 1 pound ground turkey 1 pound lean ground beef 1 -2 small onions, diced ( I used red onions) 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice 3 cups water 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 T Italian seasoning 3 bay leaves 3 T soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce 1 T seasoning salt course ground pepper to taste 2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked) Putting it together: Brown meat and onions in a lar

Dad's Homemade Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler fresh from the oven! One of our favorite desserts is Dad's peach cobbler. This is a recipe that I use when I need a quick dessert. I always have the ingredients and it only takes a few minutes to mix it up. I modified it for gluten-free by making a change to the flour type, just in case you're looking for gluten-free. You can use fresh or frozen peaches, or even canned peaches work. I usually freeze enough Colorado peaches to take me through the seasons so I use those. This recipe makes about 6 servings. Ingredients : 1/3 c butter, melted 1-2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced 1 c sugar (white or organic cane) 1 c all-purpose flour ( or white rice flour for gluten-free ) 1 tsp cinnamon (this is optional, my family loves cinnamon!) 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 c milk (I use organic 2%) Directions : Melt butter and pour it into a baking pan, a 9x9 square glass pan works great. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and sa

Natural Homemade Living

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