Baking soda, bicarbonate of soda, is affordable and has many practical household uses. Yes, I know over the years more sophisticated, and expensive, products have come along. While these products are good and do the same jobs, but baking soda still works well, if not better. How do you use baking soda? These uses can save you money purchasing multiple products that baking soda can do alone.
 
Here are some projects to try:
 

1. To soften your skin, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath water.
2. Relieve diaper rash by putting 2 tbsp. of baking soda in your baby's bath water
3. Mix water with baking soda to create a paste to apply to insect bites, poison ivy, and rashes
4. For general relief from skin irritations from measles and chicken pox add soda to your bath.
5. Use 1/2 glass of water with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to help relieve heartburn and indigestion.
6. Stained clothing (oil and grease) - adding baking soda to the wash will help get the stains out better.
7. Sprinkle soda on a damp cloth to clean your fridge and freezer. Removes odors.
8. Open a fresh box of baking soda as a deodorizer in your fridge and freezer, this absorbs odors longer than just cleaning.  From time to time shake up the box and replace every 2 months.
9. Baking soda absorbs odors from kitty litter.  To the bottom of the litter box add 1-part baking soda and then add a layer of kitty litter on top.
10. For fresher laundry add 1/2 cup baking soda to in each load.
11. When cleaning your combs and brushes use baking soda and warm water.
12. Use soda and water when washing food and beverage containers.
13. Make your own baking powder - sift and stir together 1-part cornstarch, 1-part baking soda to 2 parts of Cream of Tartar.
14. Always keep a box of baking soda for electrical fires and in the kitchen in case of a grease fire.  Add the powder by the handful over the fire to safely put it out.
15. Keep baking soda in the garage and car again for electrical fires. This won't damage cart or anything it touches.
16. Natural vegetables and fruit cleaner. Add to water, soak and rise your produce.
17. Remove odors and clean trash cans with baking soda.
18. Soak and wash cloth diapers with soda.
19. 3 tablespoons, 1 quart of warm water to clean marble-topped furniture. Allow solution to stand 3-5 minutes (depending on condition) and then rinse.
20. Use a clean damp cloth and baking soda to clean Formica counter tops.
21. Baking soda can be used to put out fires – wood, rugs, drapes, clothing, and upholstery.
22. To remove stale smells from cooling containers and thermoses wash in baking soda and water.
23. Create a baking soda and water paste to for stubborn stain removal from plastic, marble, and Formica.
24. Get glass and stainless steel coffee pots (does not work on aluminum) with warm water and soda.
25. Put 1/2 tablespoon and water in your coffee maker and run it through the making cycle with a soda.

#organic, #bakingsoda, #cleaning, #household, #green, #eco-friendly, #moneysaving, #bicarbonate
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Have you been looking for simple everyday tips and tricks to green cleaning? You're a Bad Wife Because You Can't Clean the House?: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Home Mother-in-Law Approved was written just for you. Get your copy today! It’s affordable because everyone should be able to benefit from a healthier lifestyle.

by Jean Smith


Here's an easy recipe for both canned and frozen apple pie filling with some great info on comparisons of thickeners! Enjoy friends!






Each product works differently and is better suited to particular recipes depending on if it is cooked or not. Be sure to check the recipe and understand the differences before you interchange them. I use Perma-flo in my canned pie filling because of the after taste I feel Clear-jel leaves.

Here’s my recipe for canned pie filling along with a BONUS recipe from my cookbook, Lovingly Seasoned Eats & Treats.

Canned Pie Filling

2 c Perma-flo
2 c cold water
7 c sugar
6 c water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
24 c peeled, cored and sliced apples
*6 drops red food coloring, optional

1. In a separate bowl combine the Perma-flo and 2c water; stir until dissolved

2. In a large kettle combine the 6c water, sugar, salt and food coloring; bring to a rolling boil.

3. Stir the Perma-flo- water mixture again; then very slowly begin pouring the mixture into the boiling liquid, like adding eggs to a pudding, stirring constantly. Once it thickens to a goop, remove from heat, add cinnamon and apples.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.

4. Fill quart jars, leaving an inch head space; wipe the rims of the jar; put lid and rings on tightly.

5. Water bath process 30 minutes or pressure can at 5#’s pressure for 5 minutes.  Place the jars on a towel on counter and leave for 48 hours to ensure proper seal.

Freezer Apple Pie Filling
This recipe can be found in my cookbook, Lovingly Seasoned Eats & Treats on page 427 in the canning section.

6 c water
1 c Instant Clear-jel
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
5 c sugar
1 stick butter
16 c of peeled, cored and sliced apples

1. Combine sugar, Instant Clear-gel, lemon juice with 1 c cold water in a large kettle; stir until thoroughly mixed

2. Add remaining 5 cups water and 1 stick of butter. Cook on low heat until thick; cool.

3. Mix in apples, place in freezer containers and freeze.

*TIP: I use wide mouth quart jars for pie filling if possible because it is much easier to get out when you’re ready to use it.

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Do you have green or Eco-friendly tips and tricks?  We know you do, send them to us for an opportunity to be a Guest Blogger.  What better way to build your community by sharing your knowledge?

1st Green Clean - A Leader in Home Management Services
This holiday season give the gift of a healthier home.

1st Green Clean prides itself as a premier leader in residential home management services. 1st Green Clean is a luxury service provider we accept a limited number of appointments, we have an exclusive and limited clientele. When you invest in a home, you want a service provider that invests time in managing your home service needs, comprehensive consultation, and the security of reliable service. 

P.S. Hurry! Our services are exclusive and strictly limited. Don’t miss out! 

Call now! 866-905-9002 ext. 104

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By Guest Blogger Nicole LaBonde

I've been experimenting with making more things at home, especially things that, when store-bought, are nothing more than chemicals. (Stay tuned for shampoo, detergent and dish soap!) Last week a friend posted on Facebook about the carageenen in a number of products, including my preferred brand of almond milk. Carageenen, while a "natural" ingredient has been tied to inflamation and bleeding of the stomach in humansand even cancer in animals! And, as I was looking at the label, I realized there was lots of other things besides almonds in my almond milk. Which seems unnecessary. So, I looked up a few recipes online, and made my own. 

• 1 cup raw, organic almonds. Soak for at least 24 hours. I soaked for 48 hours, just to make sure they would blend!
• 4 cups purified water. 
• Drain the almonds and put in blender. Add the 4 cups of purified water. 
• If you like the vanilla milk, a drop or 2 of vanilla extract. Or add a drop or 2 of honey to sweeten. I left mine unsweetened, and still thought it was great!
• Blend until liquid. 
• Put a cheesecloth over your container of choice for your milk (I recycled pasta sauce jars). Strain the almond milk blend through the cheesecloth. 
• You can keep the almond puree in your freezer for baking or make a body scrub!
• Refridgerate the almond milk!

 

The entire process (besides the soaking, obviously!), took me less than half an hour!

In addition to having less chemicals in my body, I spent less! I bought raw, organic almonds at Whole Foods for $6.99/lb. I bought a 1/2lb, so it was about $3.50, which is about the price of 32oz of store-bought almond milk. The recipe calls for 1 cup of almonds, and it looks like I'll get about 3 cups from the 1/2lb, and with each cup of almonds making 32oz of milk, that means I'm paying a third of the price!

I hope you try this at home! Leave me a comment about your process!

About Nicole:  Nicole LaBonde wants to live in a world where all women are confident with their voices, bodies and lives. As a multi-preneur, she’s been featured in Business Heroine, Philadelphia Magazine’s BeWell Blog, and multiple ebooks on Health and Fitness topics.

When she’s not running her 4 business, you can find her voraciously reading, listening to podcasts or webinars, usually at the beach!

Her first 10 minute workout— Thigh Toning and Booty Blasting — is now available on CABARRET’s website.

Find out how to work with Nicole at www.nicolelabonde.com.


Nicole LaBonde

I'm currently in my 90 Day Game Plan! Do you have 90 Days to change your health and wealth? Call me! I want you on my team!

T: 610-731-6845
On the Web:

www.nicolelabonde.com

www.cabarretfit.com

www.publicpersonallc.com

www.nicolelabonde.isagenix.com


On Twitter:

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By Jessica Sunier

See that title?  Yea, that is how the soup SHOULD go. I have to laugh at myself because I seriously thought that a little under 25g of fresh ginger would be barely noticeable.  Whoops.  So, we can all learn from my mistake, and add more apple and less ginger.  Otherwise, this soup was amazing.  I really love to cook, and fall is my favorite time of year because I like really simple recipes.  What gets simpler than soup?  I hope a few of you tried my butternut squash soup from a few posts earlier.  That really is my favorite, but this comes in a close second, right next to my winter bean soup which I will post in a few weeks.  This recipe is vegan, and only has 70kcal per cup.  I'm not sure if you can call it 'paleo' because I honestly don't know the paleo rules (meaning, I have no idea if a can of vegetable broth is paleo).  But if veggie broth IS paleo, then bam! Its paleo.  I like to refer to it as healthy.  Not the USDA's or FDA's version of healthy, because lets be real, when you have grains as the staple food on the food pyramid, you are not quite right in the head.  Just all natural healthy.

Oh yea, if you don't have a food scale, you should get one.  No pressure.  But really, you should get one.

Ingredients:

2lbs chopped carrots (big chunks)
25-50g of onion
100-150g of apple
LESS THAN 25g OF GINGER (HOLY CRAP)
2 cans of vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Chop up onion, carrots, apple, and ginger and add it to a pan or pot.  Pour vegetable broth over top.  If you need more broth I just added water.
2. Let simmer for about 45 minutes or until carrots are soft.
3. Add to blender and blend until smooth.
4.  The spices I added while it was blending are as follows: salt, cayenne pepper, curry, and cinnamon.  I added cinnamon to tone down the ginger....so don't use a lot of ginger.
5. Scoop into a bowl and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon and flax seed.  Enjoy.

Nutritional Value:

Kcal: 70 
Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 16g
Protein: 1.5g

About Jessica Sunier:

Jess is the owner and creator of FitPOWER.  FitPOWER, LLC is the only training studio in Milwaukee, WI run by a certified exercise physiologist through the American Society of Exercise Physiologists.   Jessica has been an exercise physiologist for 5 years and has been training for almost 8 years.  The studio is dedicated and has made advances in becoming a greener and more Eco-friendly training facility.  FitPOWER has moved from chemical based cleaning to using Norwex cleaning cloths to eliminate the toxins chemicals leave behind after cleaning.  Recycling is a priority along with the use of natural sunlight as the main source of lighting.  The goal of FitPOWER is to empower their client to take back control of their health.  FitPOWER has found their niche in post physical therapy allowing individuals fresh out of physical therapy to enter back into a workout routine comfortably and safely.  Among her amazing accomplishments, Jessica is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grappling competitor, and trains many BJJ men and women.

To learn more about Jessica Sunier and FitPower you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Jessica Sunier
Owner, FitPOWER LLC
President, Wisconsin Association of Exercise Physiologists (WIAEP)
 
www.fitpowernation.com
fitpowerwi@yahoo.com
Facebook: FitPOWER
Twitter: JS_FitPOWER
(319) 541-5686