Are Your Household Cleaners Safe?

There is nothing more frightening than a child making his or her way into your household cleaning supplies. It’s a parent’s worse nightmare!  To this end, it is important to find alternative ways to clean a home without jeopardizing the health of your children or your family.  We are all trying to become more environmentally aware of the dangers of toxins, not only in our home but as it relates to polluting our air, waters, and landscape.
Are your household cleaners safe? If not, here are some measures you can take to make your home a healthier one.

Vinegar, Borax, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Salt, and Baking Soda are all the ingredients you can use to clean your entire home. They are safe, non-toxic, and can do just as good a job as your more toxic household cleaners.

Let’s begin with windows. Instead of using a popular brand of glass cleaner, use water with vinegar and lemon juice to spray onto your windows. Vinegar can also be used to clean surfaces in your kitchen and bathroom; just add salt and water.  If the oven needs to be cleaned, use liquid soap, Borax and warm water. Borax can also be used as a disinfectant in hot water as well as for cleaning toilets.

Polish your furniture with olive oil and lemon juice. You can also use lemon juice to polish copper kettles; just add a bit of salt. For use in the bathroom, use baking soda and warm water. This can also be used to unclog the drain by pouring the baking soda down the drain with a cup of vinegar.

At a time when pollutants are contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer; while gas and oil fumes are literally killing our natural resources; it is time to take a hard look at what we can do as individuals to decrease the toxins from our air and water. Perhaps if we begin to use alternative methods to using brand named household cleaners, we can send a clear and definitive message to these companies that toxins are no longer an acceptable form to be used in any capacity. It all begins with our taking a stand; it all begins at home.

Ready, Set, Cook! 5 Minute Meals Your Family Will Love

With everyone on the go these days, it seems as if the family dinner has taken a back seat to after-school activities, and overtime. Even rarer is having the entire family sit at the dining room table for dinner on any given night.  While there are ten-minute meals, and the popular 30-minute meals on TV; would you be interested to know there are actually 5 minute meals your family will love? Yes, indeed! Here are a few recipes you can whip up in no time.

Angel Hair Pasta: This is, by far, the easiest pasta to prepare.  It takes less than five minutes to cook because of its thinness.  Available in your local supermarket, just boil a pot of water; add salt; throw in the entire box of angel hair, and cover.  Literally, within minutes, you have a most delicious meal.  Note: Prepare a large pot of the sauce on the weekend; use several containers to store and freeze; and take the container out of the freezer and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook.  You can always use a freezer bag to store excess pasta. When you wish to have the pasta again, just use the microwave to thaw it out.

Chicken: Cook a whole chicken or chicken breasts on the weekend; and freeze. Remember, the thinner the breasts, the faster they will cook – so pound them out until they are quite thin. This is another 2-3 minute meal you can prepare any night of the week.  You can also cut up the chicken breast to make a delicious salad.

Pork Chops:  These can be cooked for two minutes per side.  Boil a bag of rice; add a quick and easy salad, and another fast meal has been prepared.

The secret to preparing 5 minute meals is preparation.  When you buy salads and other vegetables on your next shopping trip; wash them and put them into a plastic zip lock bag. This will cut down the time needed to slice and dice.  Cook your sauces on the weekends, as well as other meat and poultry dinners you may wish to have during the week. Freezer bags are wonderful for preserving any kind of food you prepare.

There are also side dishes available at your local supermarket, such as Mac and Cheese. Four minutes in the microwave and you have a delicious side dish for the entire family.
Get ready; get set; cook!

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