I have dark hardwood floors in my house and I love them. However, the one thing about dark hardwood floors? They get dusty! Just like furniture, about once a week you need to dust them. I use a rag mop that I dampen with water and white vinegar (1 gallon water and 1-2 tbsp vinegar). I like a rag mop because it can get around the legs of furniture and into hard to reach corners with ease, as opposed to a stiff sponge mop.
Dusting for me is not just wiping off the top of furniture with a rag and some Pledge. I use a long-handled dust mop to get the tops of doors and window trim, the corners of the rooms where cob webs have a tendency to develop overnight, to wipe down blinds and shades, to wipe curtain rods and high shelves, and to reach down and wipe the baseboards. I first spray the dust mop with Pledge All-Purpose Cleaner, then start in the corner of the room and move left to right, top to bottom. I also use regular Pledge on table tops and legs, and any wooden furniture. Again, I start in one corner of the room and work my way around until I'm back where I started.
My To Do List for today looks fairly quick, but was actually made up of multiple larger jobs.
Daily Chores
Dust downstairs
Damp mop all hardwood floors
Vac rugs
Clean downstairs bathroom
Put clean linens on guest bed
Vacuum out car
Finish sorting boys clothes, put larger sizes in basement for future use
Replenish mixes*
Windex patio door
Put last batch of dehydrated lemons in jar
Wrap and freeze sliced cheese purchased yesterday
One of the (many) ways I save on our grocery bill and cut back on the amount of preservatives and chemicals in our foods is to make our own mixes. Today I made:
Bisquick Mix
Cream of Chicken Soup Mix
Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix
Jiffy Cornbread Mix
I particularly like the Bisquick Mix, because it actually produces a softer, fluffier biscuits and pancakes than the store bought mix. The savings is huge on this one.
- 9 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/3 cups powdered milk
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/3 cup baking powder
- 2 cups shortening
In a large pan, stir the dry milk, baking powder, sugar and salt into the flour; mix thoroughly. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until the MIX is the consistency of corn meal. Place the mix in a covered glass or plastic container and keep in a cool, dry place.
I use the end of a metal whisk to cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. You can also use a pastry blender or two knives. I have tried using my blender, but this recipe calls for such large quantities it was difficult to get everything blended equally.
If you're interested in recipes for the other mixes I made today, I have links on my Pinterest page.
I also highly recommend a book called The DIY Pantry: 30 Minutes to Healthy, Homemade Food
by Kresha Faber. This book has everything! Pasta, yogurt, peanut butter, ketchup, spices mixes and more. It's a well-used book in my kitchen!
These are products I've mentioned in today's blog post. They are an affiliation link.
I use the end of a metal whisk to cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. You can also use a pastry blender or two knives. I have tried using my blender, but this recipe calls for such large quantities it was difficult to get everything blended equally.
If you're interested in recipes for the other mixes I made today, I have links on my Pinterest page.
I also highly recommend a book called The DIY Pantry: 30 Minutes to Healthy, Homemade Food
by Kresha Faber. This book has everything! Pasta, yogurt, peanut butter, ketchup, spices mixes and more. It's a well-used book in my kitchen! These are products I've mentioned in today's blog post. They are an affiliation link.
No comments:
Post a Comment