Another Blake Win!

Okay, so, I know I'm SUPER late on this.

I won letter trays from Sillycone Inc via BlakeMakes -- gosh -- a month ago?! But my trays arrived right smack dab in the middle of the moving process.

Today, I've unearthed them from a pile of unpacked kitchen items.

They're so cool!!!

According to Sillycone: "...colorful, educational, flexible and nonstick.Make Ice, Sidewalk Chalk, Jello, Butter, Soap, Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate, Muffins, Candles...is oven safe to 550 degrees F and (-50F)..." as well!

I haven't had a chance to make anything with them yet, but soon!

I received the letters, but they also make numbers and symbol trays. Too cool!

Thanks again Blake and Sillycone!

Cleaning Recipes

Our new home came with a septic system. I grew up on a septic system, but my parents never followed any of the "rules" (no bleach, no chemicals, etc) -- and our system was fine.

Nonetheless, DH begged me to not take the same approach, and to scale back on what I used to clean. So I have.

I figured I'd share a few of these "non chemical" cleaners with you here. They're pretty common and pretty simple...I don't know where they originated, but I got them from a co-worker (thanks Kim!)

I've found that most of the ingredients are available in my local grocery store. Things like tea tree oil, castille soap and lavender essential oil are also on my grocery store's organic section, but if your store doesn't have an organic section, call around to natural foods shops and see if you can find them. Or order them on the internet :-)

The rest of the items can be purchased in large quantities at a Club Store (Sam's club, Cosco, etc), or you can do like I do -- and just stock up at the dollar store :-)

All Purpose Cleaner
Combine in a clean spray bottle:
2 teaspoons Borax (found in the laundry detergent isle)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 quart water

Heavy Duty All-Purpose Cleaner
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon Borax
Hot Water
1/4 cup Castille Soap
Essential Oils (optional)

- Mix 2 tbsp vinegar with 1 tsp Borax. Fill with very hot water. Shake until borax is dissolved. Add 1/4 cup Castille Soap last. To scent, add 10-15 drops essential oil.
- How to use: Spray and wipe refrigerator, walls, shower, toilets, etc. To remove or prevent mold or mildew, use 1 tablespoon Borax in your mixture.

Window and Glass Cleaner
Combine in a clean spray bottle:
1 part vinegar
1 part water

Strong Glass Cleaner
Mix in a clean spray bottle:
1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
1 cup water
1 tablespoon clear, non-sudsing ammonia

Oven Cleaner
3 parts baking soda
1 part water
nylon scrubber
elbow grease

- Combine baking soda and water and use like a paste with the nylon scrubber. For really stuck on stuff, instead of 3 parts baking soda, mix half baking soda and half salt (this will increase the abrasiveness). Keep baking soda off the heating element.

Floor Cleaner
1/2 cup baking soda
1 gallon warm water
(For extra disinfecting power, add 1/2 cup Borax)

- Mix all together to dissolve the baking soda (and Borax). Apply with a rag or mop. When finished, rinse the rag/mop and go over the floor with warm, clean water so there's no residue left.

Fruit Cleaner
Mix in sink, scrub and rinse veggies/fruits well with:
3 parts baking soda
2 parts water

Drain Cleaner
Move over Drain-O!
1 cup baking soda
1 cup salt
1 quart boiling water

- Blend together and pour down drain, followed by boiling water. Let set for several hours or overnight, then run hot water down the drain.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- For scouring power, sprinkle baking soda in the toilet and scrub with your brush
- For stained toilets, try:
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
Beware, it bubbles and fizzes a bit.

Furniture Polish
Mix together:
1 part olive oil
1 part lemon juice

- Apply lightly with a soft cloth. Don't make much more than you need; it doesn't store well.

Hardwood Floor Polish/Shine
1 part vinegar
1 part olive oil or vegetable oil

- Apply to the floor, and then rub it in well.

Lavendar and Tea Tree Spray Cleaner
1 teaspoon Borax
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups hot water
1/4 teaspoon lavendar essential oil
3 drops tea tree essential oil

- Mic all ingredients together and stir until dry ingredients are dissolved. Pour into a spray bottle for long-term storage and use. Spray as needed on any surface except glass. Scrub and rinse with a clean, damp cloth.

Rosemary Deodorizer and Disinfectant
6 drops Rosemary essential oil
6 drops Grapefruit essential oil
4 drops Lemon essential oil
2 ounces purified water

- Combine oils and water in a 2-oz. glass spritzer bottle. Shake well before each use. Spray liberally into the air. This spray will combat oders and kill infectious organisms. During cold and flu season, add 2 drops of eucalyptus. This blend works well in a diffuser also without the water.

Apple Pie Bars

Of all kinds of pie, apple is my favorite -- by far. But really, the part I love about pie is the crust --not the fruit.

And to top it all off, I really don't like making pie crust. I can do it, I just HATE IT.

So these bars seemed like the perfect solution! Apple pie, in bar form, with more "crust" -- awesome!

They really are delicious. You could omit the nuts if you wanted, but they add a nice crunch to the strusel topping, so I recommend you use them.

Apple Pie Bars

(Peanut Butter and Julie)

*Julie says it makes 12 bars...I cut mine smaller and got about 18

For the filling:

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

For the crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

For the strusel:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cubed

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, as I used)

Directions

- Cook the apples: In a large skillet or stockpot over medium heat, combine apples with the brown sugar, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon and cardamom. Cover the pan for 5 minutes to allow the juices to release, and then uncover and cook, stirring occasionally until the apples have turned a golden brown and there is almost no liquid left in the pan (Julie says 15-20 minutes -- but my apples were super-juicy and took a little longer). Set aside apples to cool.

- Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and butter the foil. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix to blend. Then, on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients until just combined. With lightly floured hands, press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown.

While the crust is baking, prepare the streusel.

- For the streusel: Combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans (or walnuts).

- When the crust is done, immediately spread the cooked apples evenly over the hot crust. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples, lightly pressing to adhere. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the bars for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned and crisp.

- Let the pan rest to cool and chill for several hours before cutting. Lift the bars out of the pan with the foil and cut on a flat surface.

- Julie says to dust the bars with confectioner's sugar and serve -- I omitted the confectioners sugar

Some Notes:

- Julie reccommends granny smith apples here, but you can use your favorite baking apple

- To get nice clean lines on your bars when you cut them, you must let them cool for a few hours. Fresh out of the oven, they're too soft to stand up to a knife

- I'm sure you could omit the cardamom if you don't have it (it's pretty expensive..) but if you have it, throw it in. It adds a nice undercurrent of flavor to the apples.

Menu Monday

Finally getting to try some new things this week...the stovetop and oven that came with the house we just bought are relatively new (2004) but they're very different from anything I've used before -- so the past two weeks I've been trying to figure out how to optimize it!

I think I've nailed down the cooktop (it's a glass flattop, but what makes it weird to me is the heat doesn't stay on consistently -- it turns on and off to maintain temperature. Drove me mad the first two weeks!!!) but the oven and I haven't quite been seeing eye-to-eye...

So this week, I'm using the oven a bit. Trying to learn about it!

Saturday: I cleaned all day -- perhaps I'll post some of my "natural cleaning" recipes, for those who don't know them yet.
Sunday: Apple Pie Bars
Monday: Nada -- out with co-workers for a "bridal shower dinner" -- DH on his own.
Tuesday: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Wednesday: Steak, broccoli
Thursday: Spaghetti with meat sauce
Friday: Leftovers

Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you're a hot wings fan, then you'll adore this dip.

It's been passed around -- fondly discussed as "crack dip" -- with my friends for many years. However, I don't like hot sauce, so I never made it.

DH andI had a "reunion" to go to last weekend (basically, it was DH's 10-year high school reunion, but he and a bunch of his buddies didn't want to go to the REAL event -- so they held their own!) and I knew it would go over well with the boys.

Plus -- we had just moved in the week before...so my crockpot was about the only thing unpacked I could cook in!

You could also heat this dip up on the stovetop, or even toss it in the oven until it's bubbly, but if you leave it in the crockpot, it stays warm and ready to serve all day long.

Oh, and P.S. -- I've discovered it isn't nearly as spicy when it's cold...and I really like it cold!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

(Kelly's Recipe)

2-8oz. cream cheese, room temperature

2-10oz. cans of chicken, shredded

1 cup ranch dressing (You can also use bleu cheese dressing if you prefer. It does change the flavor of the dip)

3/4 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

- Toss all of the above into a crockpot; keep on low for your party, stirring occasionally.

- Serve with tortilla chips (or some people serve with celery as well)

Admittedly, it doesn't exactly photograph well...

It's back..Menu Monday

Well, we're "in" our new house! I say "in" because about 30% of everything we own is still in boxes -- just trying to figure out how to organize the place!

Next week is a pretty simple menu, because of the continued unpacking, and a few, err, "new homeowner" issues we've come across (I don't suppose anybody's an electrician?!).

Saturday: Buffalo chicken dip for a party
Sunday: Alas, probably nothing -- lots of cleaning to do. I *may* post some of my cleaning recipes...we're on a septic system now, so no more store-bought chemical cleaners for me.
Monday: Steak, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes
Tuesday: Turkey burgers, *insert veggie here?*, mac and cheese or fries
Wednesday: Parmesean pork chops, *insert veggie here*
Thursday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, fresh salad
Friday: Leftovers