Organic Counter Cleaner Homemade

Sometimes during food prep, whether just making a sandwich or preparing a gourmet meal, it's possible for some of the ingredients to come in touch with the kitchen countertop. Because of this it's important to use a 'safe' counter cleaner, one that doesn't leave a toxic footprint.

By following this simple and inexpensive recipe you can be assured that your countertops are not a toxic transfer station.

Only two ingredients are needed to make this terrific organic counter cleaner:

1. White vinegar
2. Orange peels

Directions:

Designate a jar large enough to hold the peelings of several large oranges. If you don't have a jar large enough or attractive enough to meet your needs, visit your local thrift store where you can find one that quite possibly will surpass your expectations. Old fashion quart or gallon canning jars work nicely.

To begin, each time you or another member of  your household eats an orange, peel the skin from the orange and place the peel(s) into your chosen designated jar and cover completely with white vinegar. Continue doing so until your jar is completely filled with peels submerged in vinegar.

Soak the orange peels for two or more weeks before transferring the orange-infused vinegar into the spray bottle of your choice. To avoid confusion as to contents, it's best to write on the face of the spray bottle the ingredients within. Store any remainder liquid not fitting into your spray bottle into your designated jar for refill at a later date. Waiting the two-week infusion period is the hardest part.

To use you only need to spray and wipe.

Simple, user-friendly, inexpensive, eco-friendly and one step closer to becoming more self-sufficient.

Really? What are you waiting for. If you don't have oranges to pick from your yard, get to your grocery store soon and buy a bag of oranges.

Rid your home of toxicity, remember:

THE GREATEST WEALTH IS HEALTH
                                            -VIRGIL

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Rhubarb, a tart seasonal fruit which usually grows in abundance, is generously shared from neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend, relative to relative, etc. Many children have fond memories of eating freshly picked rhubarb stalks dipped in sugar at one time or another. If you share these memories I bet the juices in your mouth just started flowing. : )


Most often rhubarb is cooked into jams, sauces and pies. Faithfully, for many years, my abundant rhubarb patch has supplied me with enough of a harvest to be able to make many a jar of my favorite jam to enjoy through the winter season, enabled me to bake as many pies as I chose to bake and provided additional crop to share with others. This year the stalks grew tall and very thin so after doing some on-line research I determined it will be necessary to dig and separate them for replanting in the fall. For 24 years this rhubarb patch has proven successful so I'm looking forward to giving it this makeover to ensure another 24 years of good production.

For several years I would spend one day each year with my mother baking as many rhubarb pies as we could physically handle; she made a wicked crust and I made a wicked filling. Assembly-line fashion we would assemble and bake 10-14 pies (we had two ovens going at a time.) After the pies cooled each would be wrapped in it's glass pie plate appropriately for freezing. We both owned large freezers which housed them through the winter. For serving as dessert on a cold winter day, it was only necessary to pull out a frozen pie, place it in the oven (or toaster oven) until heated through, and serve - with or without ice cream. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever surpass the memories of this time spent with my mom and the rewards of our fruits of labor.....reason being why I want to share this terrific recipe for our old-time rhubarb pie.

RHUBARB PIE

(filling)

 

3 c. rhubarb, diced

1 3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp. milk

3 tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pie crust for one pie

butter

 

Combine rhubarb and sugar; let set until juice appears.

Add eggs, milk, flour and cinnamon to rhubarb.

Pour mixture into pie shell; dot with butter.

Cover with top crust.

Put slits into top crust to avoid bubbling over.

Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour

(until bottom crust is brown.)

Tip: cover edge of crust with foil to prevent burning.

 

 

PIE CRUST

(makes 1 top and 1 bottom)

 

combine:

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c. Crisco

1 tsp. salt

 

mix in separate bowl:

1 egg beaten

1 tsp. white vinegar

12 c. half & half or milk

drop of vanilla

 

Combine all ingredients.

Separate into two balls wrapping each individually

in plastic wrap.

Store overnight in refrigerator or freeze for better roll-out

 

 

ENJOY!!!