2 apple refresher

This drink is amazing!

I don't really know how to explain it's flavour that describes quite how amazing it is. Let's just say its smooth and refreshing and tangy and sweet with a touch of creaminess :-)What a great summer afternoon refreshment!


Combine in a blender:

1 cup frozen chopped pineapple pieces
1 granny smith apple (chopped into pieces with core removed)
1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup plant-milk



Blend until smooth. You may need a touch more milk depending on your blender.




Serve :-)

So refreshing!

DIY Thursday

Who's joining in the 21 day kickstart?

Thursday evenings suggested meal is: Kickstart DIY: Green, grain and a bean

 

                                         Green: Silverbeet

                                         Grain: Quinoa

                                         Bean: Chickpeas

Here's the DIY adventure that I had:

Today at Coles I picked up this awesome McCormick recipe-creations spice pack for only $1.14! Of course that meant I had to incorporate that into my meal too.

This mixture of herbs & spices was just AMAZING! They really complimented each other & I will definitely be using these recipe-creations packs again.
This blend contains ground coriander seeds, coriander leaves, chili, garlic, paprika, and lemon pepper.
I used only a third of the pack and have stored the rest in a glass jar use at a later date.

To make my DIY meal I chopped a whole bunch of silverbeet, added water and placed in the microwave for 5 minutes. 
I boiled half a cup of quinoa in 1 cup of water for approx 15 minutes until the quinoa was cooked through.

I chopped a yellow capsicum & an onion. Placed them in a pan to water saute with the spices provided in the pack (except the coriander leaves).  I sauteed for 5 minutes til the onion was soft then added a drained tin of chickpeas and a teaspoon of lemon juice.

I assembled my collection of "green, grain & bean" on my plate and topped with the coriander leaves provided by the marvellous spice pack!

Result:
AmAzInGlY delicious meal that was quick & easy that will now become a regular!

When life throws you lemons......

Ever bought a lemon-of-a-car??

I've had my first experience of that happening this month. :''(
I cannot explain how incredibly frustrating it is..... and how hopeless you feel in the waiting moments to hear from mechanics/auto-electricians if it can be fixed..... or the dreaded bill..... when they haven't really solved the problem.

So when life throws you lemons.............

Make an all-purpose cleaning spray!!!!!!!!!!!

Because you need something to do while you're stuck at home with no car to drive ;-)

  Cut up some lemons into wedges and put into a cleaned glass jar. Pour cleaning vinegar over the top of the lemons. White vinegar works too.

Put the jars into a sink & cover with boiling water. Don't pour the water directly onto the jars in case they crack.

Leave to sit until the water has completely cooled down (or overnight).

Then you can empty the sink & strain the lemon/vinegar mixture into a spray bottle. (You can leave the mixture to sit in the jars for up to 2 weeks if you want!)

Your all-purpose cleaner is done! It will keep for about a month.

Now I can be a lean, mean, green cleaning machine!

What!!! Lean - phef, I'm a woman I have round bits & I don't want to be mean! 
And after all lemons are yellow.
Let's just say - now I can be a cleaning fanatic ;-p

Today is the last day for the pre-challenge tasks on the organised housewife challenge. Have you decided to join in? Have you done all the pre-challenge tasks? What are you most looking forward too?

I hope you have your list of goals handy so you can refer to them to keep you motivated!

I've got my folder all set-up and ready to go! I did it whilst enjoying a coffee and the sunshine (of course!)

Chemical Free Cleaning

I have recently decided to go chemical free in our home for cleaning.

I originally thought I would just 'try' to see how it went.

The main reason I decided on this was because I had been getting small cuts all over my hands & nothing seemed to help. Not amount of 'cream' seemed to stop the cuts from coming, yes some creams would soothe once I already had the cut but I couldn't get rid of them.

I had always just blamed "cold weather" or winter but the Summer just past I had cuts the whole time too. 

I wish I had of taken a photo to be able to show what my hands were like.

Lets just say, imagine having tiny paper-cuts all over the backs of your hands & by the time one heals there is another to take its place.

Painful, to say the least. 

Somedays I felt like I could hardly move my hands from the pain.

I would try to remember to wear gloves thinking that the less 'air' got onto my hands the better - but of course, if you have ever tried to live in gloves you realise how impractical it is!

When cleaning I tried using gloves so I wasn't 'touching' any of the chemicals and when that didn't help I tried latex free gloves in case my skin couldn't handle the fabric of the gloves.

Still the same result.

Perhaps I wasn't moisturising enough. So I tried plenty of different products and applied numerous times a day.

Still the same result.

Nothing seemed to be working.

So, I randomly decided that I would try not cleaning with commercial products.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCE!

My hands completely healed in a week & I HAVE NOT HAD ONE CUT ON MY HANDS SINCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So glad I "tried".

A month later & I am so grateful that I made that decision!

I have my hands back!

I thought I would give a little run down of what I have been using & some helpful places to go for direction if you too are interested in keeping chemicals to a minimum in your home.

Grab yourself a few spray bottles! They are inexpensive & can be easily rinsed out to be re-used.
Another inexpensive must have is a micro-fibre glove. Its dust-collecting benefits are wonderful!

Number one cleaning product:

BI-CARD SODA!

I cannot believe how effective this stuff is!

It has so many uses.

- stain remover

- deodorizer

- body scrub

What I've been doing with it:

- To clean tiles I put a tablespoon bi-carb in a bucket with a teaspoon Eucalyptus Oil, fill with water = great for scrubbing floors & removing marks!

- I've been sprinkling bi-carb in smelling shoes = no more smells!

- Sprinkle some on pots with stains let set them remove = no need to scrub pots!

- Let cleaning clothes sit in sink with teaspoon bi-carb = very clean clothes that can be reused!

- About once a week I've been doing a quick wash in our dishwasher with a tablespoon of bi-carb = no more smelling dishwasher!

- I have a small container in the fridge with a teaspoon of bi-carb sitting in it = no more smells coming from the fridge!

Check out this link for some more ideas:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/51-fantastic-uses-for-baking-soda.html?page=1 

Who knew you could do more than just cook with bi-carb!!!!!!

Also handy:

LEMON JUICE

Great for cleaning soap scum. 

Use to clean the bathroom as it has mild bleach properties. 

Fantastic as a kitchen bench spray, as it works like a degreaser! Using a natural cleaner in the kitchen has got to be a positive when food prep is involved!

I have been squeezing half a lemon into a spray container & adding water - keep this for about a week & use as a general purpose spray.

After about a week flush down the drain - great for clearing drain smells too!

VINEGAR

Vinegar kills bacteria. Cleaning vinegar or white vinegar work equally as well.It can be mixed with lemon juice or bi-carb to use as a cleaner, or buy itself diluted with water. Mixing with lemon juice helps with the smell!

Vinegar has a great 'shine' quality to it - so this works well for polishing over those kitchen back-splash tiles and over general household furniture. 

Use to rinse out the toilet!  

Add to your washing in place of fabric softener! 

Use to clean coffee/tea stains off your mugs.

Oh and have I mentioned how CHEAP it is to buy!  

EUCALYPTUS OIL (also try tea tree oil)

Works as both a disinfectant and antiseptic. Can be used as a general purpose spray when diluted with water.

Try as an air-freshener, toilet spray or mould killer

Add to washing to kill dust-mites!

Apparently its great as a cockroach and ant deterrent too!

VANILLA

This is another great product to use for cleaning in the kitchen.

Best bit is the lovely fragance it leaves!

Great for cleaning over white goods and bench tops. Try using it for your fridge and microwave.

For some great ideas for chemical free cleaning check out these websites:

Back-To-Basics-Cleaning 

Shannon Lush (Amazing lady who is a chemical free guru - also did a TV series on the LIfestyle channel called "Lush House" showing heaps of tips)

Cannellini bean mash

Need added beans to a meal to complete it but don't want to eat them plain?
Can't be bothered peeling potatoes?

Here is the answer..... and a very tasty & easy one at that!

You'll need:
1 tin cannellini beans
2 tablespoons lemon juice (i use bottle stuff, otherwise i would recommend using bout half a lemon)
1 teaspoon dried garlic flakes

Drain the beans & place them in a microwave proof bowl.
Microwave on high for 1 and a half minutes.
Add lemon juice and garlic flakes.
Mash til well combined.

YUM

You can sprinkle some green herbs over the top for presentation if desired.


This picture shows the mash served with my sweet potato patties.