Cleaning Vertical Blinds Naturally

We've been living in our rental home here for the past 7 and a half years and until recently, have really struggled to find a good cleaning solution for my vertical blinds. We have them over the sink (which means they get splash spots on them) and we have them also in some of the bedrooms and in the big family room.
Let's just say that these bad boys accumulate dust, grime and grease like nothing else.

Enter my conflour solution!
I'd recently heard about how this recipe cuts through grease on windows and so thought I'd try it out on the vertical blinds.



The Recipe:

1. Fill a spray bottle about 3/4 of the way with LUKE WARM water (not too hot or cold or it won't work)
2. Use a funnel (paper or other) to add 2 flat teaspsoons of cornflour to the water
3. Shake
4. Spray small amounts onto desired area and wipe in a circular motion with a white face washer or cloth terry nappy. I used a coloured one to start with and noticed some of the colour of the cloth beginning to leach onto the blind so I switched to a white cloth instead.

Ok, now here is a little photo demo...
BEFORE on the verticals right near the kitchen tap (the greasiest and yuckiest spot!)
(keep in mind that this photo has no flash so it looks different to the after - it just wouldn't let me photograph it any other way)...



AFTER on the same vertical (I just did one here to show the difference) Again, please keep in mind that this is using a flash so it does look more bright than the last shot overall - it wouldn't let me take it with the flash off!)
Anyway, I think you can see though that there is a HUGE difference!

We also have verticals in the backroom (below) like I said (this is one third of them!) and I was able to clean them all yesterday.
I think my nesting instincts are really kicking in now!

Just thought I'd share that in case anyone else has these and has been looking for a natural cleaning solution for them too!

Oh and I forgot to add, the other thing I used to clean them with was the Chux Magic Erasers. While these are good and do seem to do the job, they are MEGA expensive when you have this many blinds to clean! So I am planning on using those for any bits that the cornflour mixture won't take off.

Have you had trouble cleaning your verticals? Do you have something that works for you? Let me know if you have a crack at using this recipe too :)

More another time,

Getting Well Naturally

Most of my readers will know that 5.5 years ago now I had a splenectomy; a removal of my spleen due to a recurring life-threatening auto-immune blood disease that I was diagnosed with just after our 3rd child was born. Most will also know, since I've spoken about it on here over the years, that my immune system doesn't function as well as a regular system should. I do have (miraculously) another mini spleen growing and so far this has helped and not hindered my overall health - praise Yah (God) for that! Needless to say that when I do get sick, it can turn sepsis very quickly. OPSI - Overwhelming Post-Splenectomy Infection is a very dangerous thing. The last time I had bacterial tonsilitis, I was in hospital for 5 days on a drip, away from my family and have HUGE doses of IV antibiotics.

So you can imagine that I not only want to stay as well as possible and out of hospital (who doesn't!?!) but I also want to know how I can get well using natural things if and when possible. I do not think western medicine is evil - i would probably be dead now if it wasn't for western medicine! But I have also experienced the benefits of natural medications throughout my life and know that they work! I have taken leaves in Fiji (which we can't get here in australia) to deal with severe and chronic menstrual pain. My mum would give us all kinds of naturopathic concoctions as children from mecurius bin iodide to bella donna, from herbs and natural resources like onion soaks, garlic broths, lemon and honey drinks.

Anyway, long post short ;) I was coming down with a TERRIBLE case of tonisilits this past weekend. My throat was incredibly painful very quickly and my glands were hard and sore. By the end of Friday night I could almost not swallow anything. I did take some pencillin (which i have to keep here on hand) but it didn't do anything (usually takes a while for it to kick in and in the meantime i was getting worse). I felt terrible and was in a great deal of pain.

I remembered reading on CARMEN'S BLOG OVER AT PEBBLE CROSSING about a herbal remedy for a strep throat and went over to check it out. Seriously, if you suffer from a sore throat or tonsillits, you should do yourself a favour and go check out Carmen's post about why it works! Thank you Carmen a million times over for posting this!

This worked for me (and my dad too who also had a sore throat that day) and within 24 hours, it was completley gone.

This will be my favourite default sore throat remedy from now on!

Just for my own records...

* 1 Tablespoon raw honey

* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

* 4 cloves garlic chopped as finely as possible

* Mix honey + pepper + then add the garlic.

* Take a 1/2 teaspoon every 1/2 hour (chew and don't wash down with anything!)

Warning: VERY hot so be discerning about giving to your children.

Once again, a BIG thankyou to Carmen for introducing this to me.

Now i've gotten rid of the sore throat, anyone have any good natural remedies to get rid of a head cold?

Homestead Barn Hop...Making Bath Fizz + My first crack at making homemade dishwashing liquid

I recently stumbled across AMY'S BLOG AT THE HOMESTEAD REVIVAL, (where I got the fabulous homemade deoderant recipe that I've been using and is FANTASTIC!!!!) I think through ANDI'S BLOG (thanks Andi!!!). Anyway, I'm joining in for the first time playing along with the HOMESTEAD REVIVAL BARN HOP.

This week, we made some bath fizz!

I've been wanting to start making some scented bath fizz as gifts for people. With bubba #5 on his/her way, I have hplan to be a little more organsied with a stash of homemade cards and gifts ready to be given away at a moments notice! We took the chance to kind of explore the science behind the reaction too and made our hypothesis' about what we thought might happen.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Epsom salts

1/2 cup rock salt (actually i think i'll put in one cup next time)

food colouring

essential oils of your choice (i used lavendar)

1/2 cup bicarb soda

1/4 cup citric acid

Method:

Chuck all the ingredients into a ziplock bag, take out the air, seal.

The mash it all around with your hands and get the colour throughout the salts.

Fill your sink, put in a tablespoon and see if it fizzes.

Pop into some nice containers which a cute ribbon or piece of twine and there you have a nice and cost-effective homemade gift for someone.

The science behind the fizz (as best as I could tell and find out! lol!):

The Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) and the salt (sodium chloride) and bicarb soda (sodium carbonate) chemcials all react together. When you add in the 1 part of citric acid to 2 parts bicarb, they make a cool fizz! (I kind of gleaned this info from a couple of different places as I was looking for easy recipes).

All the kids joined in the making and testing of it!

And the finished product...

The kids wrote up a little science sheet about the experiment (one i made up a couple of years ago and we are still using it and they really enjoy their 'science' experiments!)

I also had my first go at making some dishwashing liquid. I was going to try the castille soap recipe but tried the lux flakes recipe instead. It didn't turn out too badly. Am hoping to keep trying and be able to cross that as another thing off my shopping list that i no longer need to buy and can make myself for our family.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup soap flakes (i used lux)

2 litres warm water

1 Tbsp glycerin

1/2 cup white vinegar

few drops of essential oil

Method:

In a large non-reactive pan (i got one especially from the op-shop for this. cost me $4 which I'm using only for the purpose of soap-making), place the soap flakes and water.

Put the pan over medium heat and then reduce to low once it has heated a bit.

Heat the mixture on low and stir regularly.

Add the glycerine and mix well.

Remove from the heat.

Let it cool and sit for about 2 hours.

A jelly will have formed.

Add vinegar.

Blend with a stick blender, place through a sieve to remove excess suds and pour into a squeeze bottle.

Well, that's what I did anyway and it seems to have worked! lol :)

We've also had seeds delivered this past fortnight (purple carrots and loofas although we can't plant these yet). I am hoping to get my herb garden in better shape this week if the rains holds back.

Well, more another time.

Love + Blessings,

Frittata Recipe with love for Enid!

Taken from 'Super Food Ideas' Magazine Nov 2008 Issue, Pg 57

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup grated cheese

2 garlic cloves crushed

1 bunch spinach

'no bacon' - smoky vegetable rashers (in Australia these are made by Sanitarium) - optional

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius

Grease a 6cm deep, 19cm square cake pan.

Line base and sides with baking paper and allow for a 2cm overhang on 2 sides so it can be easily removed from paper later.

2. Whisk together the eggs, cream, cheese and garlic togeher in a jug.

Season with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange the spinach in the prepared pan.

Top with the 'no-bacon' if using.

Pour the egg/cream/cheese/garlic from the jug over the spinach.

Top with tomato halves, cut-side up.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and set.

Enjoy! We did ;)

Love Lus x

Sewing Efforts, Low Salicylate Meals, And other Random Family Things...

Minestrone Soup and Garlic Bread is fast becoming a family fave around here; not just because it tastes great (and is really healthy!!!) but because it is super easy to prepare. It was on the menu recently and I thought I might share it with you!

SOUP:
1. In a large saucepan, dump in a heaped teaspoon of minced garlic.
2. Add a chopped leek.
3. Add 3 carrots (round slice).
4. Add a can or two of red kidney beans.
5. Add a can of chick peas.
6. Add a can of white butter beans.
7. Add a can of brown lentils.
8. Pour in 500ml of beef stock (I use Massel's but it is not completely 'safe'. It just happens that our kids can tolerate this amount so we are ok to use it but you may need to use authentic stock if you have salicylate/amine issues).
9. Pour in about the same amount of water (i usually put in a little extra).
10. Bring it to the boil and let it boil for a couple of minutes then turn down to simmer. I usually let this simmer for about an hour in which time the carrots are nice and soft.
11. Add some celery. I put it in towards the end of the cooking process so it doesn't go all manky(official cooking term in the Austin kitchen!) and brown.
12. Sometimes, just to thicken the soup, I add a quarter box of cous cous (raw) straight into the soup mix before i take it off the stove. The kids love cous cous in it! Tonight though I'm cooking up some rice and will lay that down in the base of each bowl before I serve the soup.

Oh and I add some worchestershire sauce on mine once i've served up the kids', just for a little added flavour :)

GARLIC BREAD:

1. While the soup is cooking, take 250g (or more) of Nuttelex (or marg is you are ok with it!) and to this add about 2 teaspoons of minced garlic.
2. Grab a really nice big handful of parsely and chop it (or tear it) finely (or chunky if you like it that way!)
3. Add a little salt for taste if you want.
4. Stir it all together.
5. Heat up your oven and cut up some baguettes into slices.
6. Slather on the garlic/butter mix and pop the bread slices into the oven.

Hope this might be helpful to someone!
Enjoy :)


Ok ...so remember I said that I was going to really have a go at this whole sewing thing? Well I was very motivated after seeing my lovely and encouraging friend Karel's bag at church last week. It was a very funky bag that she had made from a pair of jeans!!! Talk about one creative woman!
I thought it was a sensational idea and she assured me it was easy to make. She does not lie! THANK YOU KAREL for inspiring me (creatively, in the home and spiritually too!). I share this with you bloggers but give full creative credit to my mate Kreative Karel!

So anyway, I took her advice and purchased a $2 pair of stretch jeans from the op shop this week size 8.

Here are the jeans before the hack...



I began by chopping off the legs just around the crotch area so that the back pockets were showing and sewed straight across the bottom to join it up. I sewed over it a couple of times to reinforce it. I used one of the cut up legs (trimmed crookedly!) as the strap.

And after I added some beaded leaves (which my mil kindly picked up from the op shop) and a crocheted flower (which i think came from one of Danielle Quarmby's QT kits?) and some torn fabric strips which i just added as little ties, this is what it ended up looking like...

And the best part is that this bag is SUPER COMFY to wear (and really quick to whip up to!)! I plan on making another but with a much longer strap so i can weart it like the way i love to wear all my bags; over my shoulder and across my chest so it is like a satchel i guess. But that will be for another time!

The other thing I wanted to share sewing wise was the bag I mentioned I made for my friend Lori's Bible Trivia card pack. We love these cards and I kept telling her that I would make a felt bag (which of course would have been held together with staples for those of you who may be familiar with my scrapping style!) However, when I got my new sewing machine, I thought it would be nice to attempt a bag on the machine for these cards. My lovely friend Karen brought around this great lady bird material (which i knew Lori would love) and after several attempts, broken needles and you tube tutorials, I made this little pouch!

Look - a button hole! lol :) Thanks to the 'you tube' ladies for the great tutorials i watched to help me learn how to do this!

And of course Lori loved it! I love her!

Some other snaps from around our place...

The boys asked to do craft outside the other day and carried some supplies out there till it got too windy. Liji asked how to write our friend's name (the lovely Elijah Stephen) and so I coached him through how to form them. He drew a picture of him and wrote his own name too. Ethi drew too.
About a month ago I posted the recipe for chicken schnitzel that we use but also added the disclaimer about the not-being-so-healthy-for-us thing. I tried a new subsititute last night for the chips and used these Rice Crumbs below (chemical free) and they tasted so delicious! It is now our new favourite chicken schnitzel recipe! I purchased this for i think about $5 from Coles in the health food section and i only used a quarter to a half a pack on crumbing 1kg of chicken tenderloins.

Brett cooked this scrummy brekky for the two of us this morning...


thanks baby it was delish! Love you :)

And the kids enjoyed meeting this little guy this arvo...

who got rather friendly rather quickly!...

These flowers - the colours, patterns and mixes of texture - show me so much about what an amazing artist God ! love that these are in our backyard :)

Psalm 25 was shared at church this morning and it is one of my favourites. I thought i would share it here as well. I pray God speaks to you through His Words too.

Psalm 25 of David (New International Version) Pasted from Bible Gateway.com

1[a] To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2 in you I trust, O my God.

Do not let me be put to shame,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you

will ever be put to shame,

but they will be put to shame

who are treacherous without excuse.
4 Show me your ways, O LORD,

teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,

for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful

for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?

He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13 He will spend his days in prosperity,

and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;

he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the LORD,

for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied;

free me from my anguish.
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress

and take away all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased

and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;

let me not be put to shame,

for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,

because my hope is in you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,

from all their troubles!

5 things I am thankful to the Lord for:

1. Teaching the kids how to play Uno yesterday as a family

2. Re reading through lots of Liji's autism diagnostic reports and seeing just how far the Lord has brought him (and us!) in such a short amount of time. Miracles right there :)

3. Being able to create stuff with my hands

4. Date night with Brett

5. God's mighty compassion and love.

Love to you,

Lus x

24.12.08 Chicken Schnitzel

As promised I will share our chicken schnitzel recipe but again i warn you that it is not a very healthy option! It has less chemicals in it than a McDonald's meal or something like that but it is one we only have as a treat.

Ingredients:

1kg chicken tenderloins
2 big bags of Coles Smart Buy Potato Chips (in this brand there is only potato, vegetable oil & salt): crushed up into small pieces (the kids will probably enjoy helping with that bit!)
5 eggs
minced garlic (or a couple of garlic cloves crushed)
plain flour

Method:

1. Set yourself up three bowls for dipping your chicken in.
One will have the flour, one will have the cracked eggs mixed with the garlic and the other will have the chips all crushed into small pieces
2. Dip the chicken into the flour first, then the egg/garlic mixture and finally into the chips
3. Shallow fry in some canola oil (we do ours in the frying pan or the wok) and turn with tongs

Serve with safe salad (iceberg lettuce, beetroot, carrot, boiled eggs, snow peas/beans) or Chunky Fries (we get the You'll love Coles brand which are a great safe option).

Our kids really love this meal and any left overs they enjoy for lunch the next day on sandwhiches.

Enjoy!
L x

12.12.08 friends food farewells

We decided that today would be Stass' last day attending school. So she made these 'thank you for being my friend' cards to give to each of her classmates. She decorated them and wrote on them all by herself.

We have really been blessed to have two wonderful teachers this year looking after her class. They really are the kind that go above and beyond the call of duty putting in lots of extra time to care for the students. So we gave each teacher and their husbands, a movie pack that I put together.

Here's how to make a quick one:
Step One:
Buy these plastic popcorn holders from Coles


Step Two:
Fill each one with candy bars to snack on during the movie (or make your own alternative healthy snacks to pop in there)

Step Three:
Add in the adult movie tickets

Step Four:
Wrap in cellophane or foil wrap with a nice ribbon and card
And each year our mother's group has an end of year party; they understand our family doesn't observe Christmas and so refrain from making it in that theme which is really lovely for us. We all give a small family present and card just to say thank you to each other for loving and supporting one another throughout the course of the year. It is a beautiful thing.
This year I made low salicylate ginger bread (without ginger) men. They were big ones and had one for each person in the family. I typed out the recipe I used and added it as part of the gift.
I also bought some fridge magnets from Camera House and then added the family surname to each one in those tiny Making Memories mini letters just up in each corner. That way each family could choose which fave family shot they wanted to slot into the magnetic frames.



Here is the cake that Brett made last night and it was so good!



Here are our beautiful friends Heiko and Lori

and me with the beautiful Sharon who left church last week with her 4 gorgeous homeschooled children (one coming on the way! She is 5 weeks ahead of me). We will miss them so much and they have been such an encouragement to me. PS: Diane I can't believe how small the world is!!!

And here's the low salicylate gingerbread men (without the ginger!) recipe from Sue Dengate's Fed Up book:

Gingerbread Men

Ingredients:

125g Nuttelex
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
3tsp bicarb soda
1 egg
3 cups plain flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius.
Dissolve nuttelex, sugar & golden syrup in the microwave.
When lukewarm, stir in bicarb soda & egg. Place flour in bowl, make a well in the centre to add other
ingredients. Knead to form a dough, roll out on floured
surface & cut into gingerbread shapes. Cook for 15 mins.

So today is the end of an era for our family; the last time I make the trip to school to pick Stass up. The last time I say 'thank you' to her teacher and the last time I ask her if she's remembered to pick up everything! lol :) But while she was sad (completely normal) for a little while, we all have God's peace that this is the right decision for our family. She has been asking tonight if we can do homeschooling work tomorrow! lol :)

5 things I am thankful for today:

1. for Arley dropping in some gorgeous baby clothes

2. a lovely encouraging chat with Christina

3. my dear friend Gail Oates

4. brett working hard for our family and still having enough time to come home + rumble with the boys

5. Philipians 4:8

Lus x