Tag Archives: Diy

Can It, Bake It, Grow It, Swap It!!!

May 11, 2013 5:27 pm \ Leave a Comment \ Carol B.

Last week when I was talking about my carrot cake jam, I mentioned that I was making it for a food swap our library was hosting. I knew that there would be some tasty treats there (we have a large population of excellent cooks in our community), and the results did not disappoint!

So… what is a food swap and how does it work? Well, basically you bake, can, grow, forage, or otherwise bring something to the proverbial (and literal) table. You taste. You talk. You trade. It was so fun, and a great way to engage with our neighbors! We had many curious patrons who expressed interest in participating in our next go-around. And I hope they do! What a fun way to try new things.

Here’s what we had today…

Cookies:::

Ginger-chocolate mini scones:::

(My) carrot cake jam:::

Granola:::

Fresh honey nut butter:::

Local eggs from happy chickens:::

Sriracha (better than anything with a rooster on it — trust me!):::

Handcrafted vanilla extract:::

Spicy Guinness Mustard:::

We shall eat well, indeed! I feel a little bit spoiled, and a lot bit lucky to be part of this.

I am already thinking ahead and deciding what to make for our next one. Perhaps some fermented sauerkraut or spicy pickled vegetables? I definitely think it will be something fresh and vinegary. But homemade hot fudge could be fun too… So many delicious possibilities!

Posted in: Food & Wine, Hudson Valley \ Tagged: Clinton Community Library, Clinton Corners, cooking, DIY, food, food swap, homemade, hudson valley, preserving, Rhinebeck

It’s A Miracle! My Grout is Clean!

May 9, 2012 8:00 am \ 2 Comments \ Carol B.

This is such a horrifying post to write, because I feel like it makes me look like a terrible housekeeper since the grout in my kitchen is so gross. But I have a feeling a lot of people struggle with the issue of cleaning grout. When we moved in (eight years ago!), we had no idea that the builder never sealed the grout on our kitchen tile floor. (And it’s a huge kitchen). It didn’t take long for the dirt to set in.

Over the years I’ve tried various methods of grout cleaning and nothing seemed to work. Then, the other day I was browsing Pinterest when I stumbled upon the miracle of miracles — a grout cleaner that does the job! Hat tip to Accessorize and Organize for this amazing discovery!

Could it really be this simple? Yes. Yes it could. Yes it is. Just… YES!!! All it is, is one part bleach to three parts baking soda. How amazing is that? OK, you might think that I’m way too excited about this, but lately the grout has really been getting me down and I was at a loss. But just look at this:

Shut the front, door! Right? Of course, now that I have something that works, I will be scrubbing my kitchen and hallway floors every night for the next two weeks until the job is done, but hey… I can live with that. Then you bet I’m getting my butt to the hardware store for some grout sealer.

DIY Homemade Grout Cleaner Paste

1/4 cup bleach
3/4 cup baking soda

Mix together until a paste forms. Apply to grout lines and use a toothbrush to scrub. Leave the paste on for an addition 10 minutes and then wipe clean with a damp cloth.

I can’t believe what little effort it took to clean the grout. The dirt just melted away. The recipe as given above does not make a whole lot, so you will probably need to make several small batches depending on the size of your tiled area. The one caveat: cleanup is a huge PITA. The baking soda likes to stick to the tile, so just be aware of that. Even so, it’s just time-consuming and not difficult, so if you really want your grout clean (like I do!) it’s worth the effort!

Posted in: House & Home \ Tagged: cleaners, DIY