Uses for Vinegar

Vinegar is a staple here in my house. It is on my grocery list every other week - I shop once every two weeks. There are so many uses for it. It may not smell to pleasing, but what it can do is great. And since I mentioned the smell factor, nothing to fear. The smell disintegrates in no time flat, so it really isn't that bad when you consider it be a work horse and great for green cleaning.

Here are a few things it can be used for ~
Cleaning shower heads. Simply soak the shower head in some vinegar while you clean and the lime build up will disappear.

Great for cleaning up grease build up around the stove/oven area.

Drain maintenance - Pour 1c baking soda in the drain. Slowly pour 1c vinegar down the drain and let set for 5 minutes. Be sure to slowly pour the vinegar to allow the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar time to occur. After setting for 5 minutes, pour 1 gallon of hot water (again) slowly down the drain. This is great for cleaning drains and clearing up clogs. If you still have a clog, repeat the process following with a plunger.

Cleaning counter tops/bathroom sink. I have a mixture of vinegar in a spray bottle ready when I need it. I mix 1/2 water and vinegar in a spray bottle so I can use it on surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom.

Disinfectant - Use vinegar undiluted as a disinfectant in place of bleach wipes.

Fabric softener - Use in your washing machine in place of fabric softener. Bonus - great for the drain.

Dish washer - A cup set upright in the dishwasher filled with vinegar will work as a rinse agent. It will also help to reduce the lime build up on the coils in the bottom of the dishwasher.

Works great to neutralize cat urine smell. A neighborhood cat spent its summer spraying on my porch. As much as I love that he would hunt for mice I was not fond of him spraying. I would rinse the porch about every other week with water and vinegar. This would keep him from spraying for a while, in addition to neutralizing the smell his urine left behind.

See what I mean about it being a work horse?  These are a few reasons why we have vinegar as a staple in our house. It's great. Light a candle if you want to help combat the initial smell from the use of it. Oh, I had also found it is a great deterrent for kids. They don't like the smell of the area it after you cleaned, therefore avoid the area.  Happy cleaning!

Whoopie Pies and mixer dies

Sunday I decide to make some whoopie pies. Well, let me back up to last December 2009. Ahhh, yes! My Christmas baking frenzy. I decided that I would do a 12 Days of Cookies for hubby to give away to those that works on  his team. That was his gift to him. Whew...that was crazy. My second child was due to be born in March and here it was December - 5 months into the pregnancy with a 16 month old in addition. Nothing like a good challenge though! Amoung all my baking I had done something to my hand held mixer and knew that it may have messed it up. Fast forward to today. Mixing up some whoopie pies on Sunday/Halloween eve and my mixture decides that the gears on one side is stripped out leaving me with one functioning beater. Do you know how much more work that makes? I do. The whoopie pies could have been better. They were made. They were yummy, but not as good as they could have been if I had a fully functioning beater. Here is where the good part comes in. Are you in the same boat as me? Have one thats old and need a new one? Just need one period? Melissa at Motivate Mompreneur is offering you a chance at winning one. Stop over and visit her blog!

Easy Quiche

Really this should be called quick Quiche. Only because it's fun to say. And a good use of q's. Every day I do my best to get dinner ready/prepped/started when one of my two girls are down so that I am not juggling so many balls. Yes, supper usually gets started at 3ish, but it is something that will either take that long to make or can be prepped a few hours in advance. (hubby gets home around 5ish most days)

I had found this quiche recipe in "The Coupon Mom's Guide". She has a list of recipes in the back of the book that are on the cheap. The quiche one is a good way to use up leftovers to avoid throwing money out. I hate that we seem to waste so much food. Some weeks I can do quite well at curbing that, but I am not consistant at it.

Easy Quiche
2c or 8 oz shredded cheese (any type you prefer)
1/2 c add-ins, such as ham, peppers, onions, broccoli, ect (optional)
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c milk
3/4 c baking mix, such as Bisquick

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 inch square glass dish or a 9 inch round pie pan. Spread cheese on the bottom of the pan. Spread any optional add-ins over the cheese. Mix the eggs, milk and baking mix. Pour over the cheese and toppings. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly and serve whole or cut in half.

I love adding cheese and frozen broccoli. There are times where that is all I will add, making it a meatless night. Today I added leftover sausage (from a bad recipe) with spinach in it,  frozen broccoli and cheddar cheese. When I mixed together the egg mixture I added sour cream to that since I had that left from last week as well. In the past I have used leftover taco meat, salsa and cheese. It is great for dinner and what is left is good for breakfast as well! Enjoy!