Best All Natural Shower/Tub Cleaners Ever!

I have always admired the tubs/showers at fine hotels. How do they keep them so clean and shiny? The answer is clear, they have maids that clean them everyday. There is no way I can pay a someone to clean my bathroom shower everyday...so what do I do? How can I keep my bathroom tub sparkly and spot free without a lot of elbow grease and time?

The answer came to me when I was drying off after a shower. "Okay, if I dry myslef off after a shower, why not the tub and tiles?" I grabbed an extra towel and began the experiment. I used the towel to dry the tub, tiles, and curtain, just like I dried myself. The tub had a sparkle. I turned on a small fan outside the door and let fresh air circulate in the bathroom.

I do this every day. The first few times I did this, it took me about 3 minutes to dry entire shower area, including the shower curtain. Now that I am practically an expert at this, it only takes me about 45 seconds. Yep, and the results are spectacular. Let me say, after an entire year of drying my shower and a bi-weekly cleaning with the scrubber, my shower sparkles better than ever! No mold! No mildew! No water spots!  Just like the fine hotels!!!!!

OH! One extra detail. I put some hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and once a month I spray all the surfaces and this is an excellent germ killer! Be sure to dry it off when finished...don't rinse it off until the next shower.

:D

Dill Pickles - WOW!

I really, really enjoy eating dill pickles. I do not care for sweet pickles...yuck.
Until a few years ago, I had only made jalapenos and pickles with my grandmothers. I took the memories from the 1970's, my grandmothers' recipes and whipped up a batch of pickled jalapenos. They turned out beautiful and delicious.

I decided to make another batch of pickled jalapenos, only on a much larger scale and the reults were super! I passed all of them out to family and friends. I got rave reviews and requests for more.

So, I decided to make pickles instead of jalapenos, using the same brine and processes. I successfully made a HUGE batch of I pickles. I used regular sized cucumbers because the smaller cucumbers used for pickling were unavailable. Again, they were uber delicious and were a huge hit with requests for more.

Today, I made yet another batch of dill pickles and these were even better! This time I found the smaller cucumbers at Walmart in the produce department. Well, I have to say that despite the complexity of sound of the instructions, these pickles are  resonably simple to make. My homemade pickles are free of artificail colors and other weird ingredients that I cannot pronounce.

However, the process of sterilization is slightly time consuming, but you can do this in steps on different days. I sterilize the jars the day before and cover them with a cloth.

I suggest you try a small batch on your first time out.
Having the right equipment makes the process much easier and successful!
Also, have all the ingredients measured and cucumbers cleaned and cut before beginning. You will be greatful!

MUST HAVE SUPPLIES:

• 6 pint size canning jars (can be reused but have to be cleaned and sterilized).
• 6 New lids and 6 rings (must be new and not reused).
• 1 large stew pot for boiling water for sterilization.
• Rubber tipped jar tongs. It is nearly impossible to remove the jars from the boiling water without them...and dangerous to your hands.
• Canning funnel (it is really difficult to fill the jars with the brining liquid without this handy gadget).
• Ladel
• Small strainer for removing cucumbers from hot liquid.
• Towels
• Cooling rack
• Cookie sheet

Additional Supplies:

• Timer
• Cook top
• Hot pads
• Steril gloves
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups (liquid measure)
• Paper towel

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of Vinegar (white distilled)
2. 2 cups filtered (bottled water)
3. 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
4. 2 Tablespoons sea salt
5. 6 pods of garlic (peeled but whole)
6. 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
7. 1 teaspoon of dried chili pepper seeds (Optional)
8. 6 (1 for each jar): Cherry peppers (You can use bell pepper slices, or whole chili peppers...anything colorful).

How to Sterilize Jars and equipment:

• Heat tap water to boiling in a large 10 quart or larger pot.
• Clean and rinse all jars, lids, and rings.
• Emmerse all of the jars, lids and rings, plus the strainer, spoon, ladel, and strainer.
• Let them sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Using tongs, carefully remove and jars and any water in the jars and set them on a dry towel. Allow these to completely air dry. 
• Cover with a clean dry towel for no more than 24 hours prior to using.

Directions:

1. Clean, rinse, and sterilze all jars, lid, and rings. Also, sterilize all utensils: funnel, tongs, ladel, and strainer.
2. Clean and rinse well all cucumbers.
3. Slice all the cucumbers in even slices, about 1/8 inch thickness.
4. In a large saucepan combine the water, vinegar, salt, and vinegar (this is called the brinning liquid). Heat until boiling.
5. Add in the mustard seeds, garlic pods, chili pepper seeds (or chili peppers) and sliced cucumbers.
6. Stir well and remove from heat. Let this sit for 10 minutes.
7. Insert the funnel into one of the sterilized jars.
8. Using a slotted spoon or small strainer, dip out a small amount of the pickles and place in the jar. Press them down tightly with a sterilized spoon. When the liquid is added the pickles will float and if it is not tightly packed there will be an inch of liquid without pickles.
9. Fill the jars to nearly the top.
10. After all the jars are filled, laddel in the brinning liquid (the seasond vinegar water). Fill with the brinning liquid to about 1/8 inch from the top.
11. Use the sterilized spoon and press the cucumbers down to help release any trapped bubbles.
12. Using a papertowel dip a corner of this in some boiling water and carefully wipe the top edge of the jar to remove any liquid that might have spilled when filling the jars.
13. Apply the lids and then the rings. Tighten the rings tightly.
14. Fill a 10 quart or larger stew pot with water and bring to a boil.
15. CAREFULL lower the filled and sealed jars in the boiling water using the canning tongs. Make sure that the jars are completely emmersed.
16. Let the jars of pickles set in the water for 7 minutes on a slow boil/simmer.
17. Turn off the water when the time is up then using the canning tongs, CAREFULLY lift out each jar and place them on the cooling racks or a surface coverd with a clean and dry dish towel.
18. Gently dry the excess water off the tops of the jars, but don't move the jars if at all possible.
19. As the jars cool you will hear the lids make popping sounds as they pull a vacuum.
20. When the jars are completely cooled, store in a dry and dark place until ready to eat. 
21. Refrigerate all opened jars and uneaten pickles.

Shelf life is 12 months if unopened and stored correctly.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

 These are my favorite cookies to  eat. White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are buttery with the creamy light flavor of white chocolate and the soft nut of the macadamia. OH, so delicious! The cookies are soft and gooey which just takes them over the top in yumminess! I only wish you could smell them and have one because you would agree that they are practically better than the boring chocolate chip cookies. Really!

Ingredients:
Be sure to premeasure out all ingredients before mixing. This will save time.

• 1, 12 oz. bag of white chocolate chip morsels
• 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts, made for baking which can usually be found with the pecans and other baking nuts.
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 2 sticks of butter - room temperature (or 1 cup shortening)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs (discard the shells)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar) This adds moisture to the cookies so they are softer than just using alll white sugar.

Additional Supplies:

Mixer

#40 cookie scoop

Baking sheet pans (two of them)

Non stick baking pads (silpat) or parchment paper

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Large mixing bowl

Spatula for scraping

Spatual for removing cookies from baking sheet

Timer

Oven

Oven mits

Directions:

1. Place the soft butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl. Using a mixer, mix them together until creamy and smooth.
2. Add in the eggs and mix again well. Scrap the side and bottom with a scraping spatula.
3. Next, add in the vanilla and mix to incorporate.
4. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir with a whisk or fork to combine.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture into the creamy butter/sugar mixture. I do this on a very low speed and put in about a 1/2 cup at a time so that I don't have a cloud of flour floating around.
6. After all the flour is mixed in, stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate morsels by folding with the spatula.
7. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
8. Line 2 cookie sheets with a non-stick cooking pad or parchment paper.
9. Using a #40 (1 1/2 tablespoons) cookie scoop, scoop and drop the cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet pans, about 2 fingers apart.
10. Place one filled baking sheet on the bottom rack and bake for 4 1/2 mintues. 
11. While those are baking, fill up another lined baking sheet with dough.
12. When the first batch have reached the half way point of 4 1/2 minutes, move them to the top rack and set the timer for additional 4 1/2 minutes. Place the 2nd filled baking sheet on the bottom and start the timer.
13. When timer rings, remove the first tray of cookies and move the bottom baking sheet to the top rack and start the timer for additional 4 1/2 minutes.

Total baking time 9 minutes for each tray.  Remove the baked cookies to cooling racks and when they are completely cooled, store them at room temperature in a sealed container.

Enjoy! :D

Here is what a #40 cookie scoop looks like:

Mini Pecan Pies

YUM! Bite size pecan pies...sweet, nutty, gooey, morsels of super yumminess!

I made a batch of these for a Bible study and they were snapped up in a blink. Not even a crumb was left on the serving platter.

Supplies/equipment:

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

whisk or hand mixer or stand mixer

2 large mixing bowls

Rolling pin

Pie Dough cloth

medium biscuit/cookie cutter

Pie Dough Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)

1/2 cup shortening

1 stick room temperature butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup ice cold water

Directions for pie crust

1. Prepare a 24 count mini muffin pan by coating each muffin cup with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl stir together flour and salt.
3. Using a pastry knife, or a food processor, or a fork, and cut in the shortening and butter. It should have the consistency of beach sand when it is completely incorporated.
4. Add in the Ice cold water and vanilla extract. Blend until a solid ball of dough.
5. On a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth, roll out the dough until about 1/8 inch thick.
6. Use a medium round cookie/biscuit cutter. Cut 24 mini crusts.
7. Place one round pie dough circle into each mini-muffin pan (24 mini cups)
8. Gently press the pie dough circles into each cup and pinch the edges to form the crusts edges.
9. Set aside in the refrigerator to cool while you prepare the pecan pie filling.

Ingredients for Pecan Pie Filling

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup molasses (or real maple syrup, or honey)

4 whole eggs (discard egg shells)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of chopped pecans

Directions for Pecan Pie Filling

1. Preheat oven 325f degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl add in the sugar, both syrups, melted butter, salt, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Use a whisk or hand mixer and blend well.
4. Remove the prepared pie crusts from the oven
5. Use a 1/2 teaspoon measure and fill each pie crust filled muffin cup with the chopped pecans.
6. Pour or spoon in the pecan pie filling until it nearly reaches the top of the crusts. Don't let it spill over or the mini crusts might stick and you could have difficulty removing the mini pies after cooking.
7. I had a lot of crust and pie filling left over, so I made a small regular pie...You could make 48 mini pies with this recipe. I just didn't do it and I like to have a whole pie for my husband to have...he deserves it.
8. Turn down the oven temperature to 300f degrees.
9. Bake on the center oven rack (in the center of the oven) for about 40-50 minutes. 
10. I use a toothpick to check for doneness. When the toothpick is inserted and then pulled out it should NOT glisten or be wet looking; however, if some of the pie filling is clumped, gelled, and leaves solid pieces on the toothpick, then they are done.
11. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
12. Allow them to cool completely before storing at room temperature in a sealed covered container.

Enjoy!!!!!!

Hot Cocoa Time!

It is officially hot cocoa time! My family cannot wait for me to mix up a new batch of my hot cocoa mix. As soon as we have our first cool spell we are in the mood for hot cocoa!  Not the traditional hot milk with cocoa powder and sugar. AND, this mix tastes way better than the pre-mixed boxed stuff! It has more so much more chocolate flavor and is extra creamy! Also, not as sweet...but if you like yours sweeter, just add more powdered sugar to your mix.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Extra Large Container (33 oz.) of Powdered Non-Dairy Creamer
• 1 Container of Nestle Nesquik powdered chocolate mix
• 1 container (8 oz.) of Hershey Special Dark Unsweetened Natural Cocoa powder
• 2 packets (9.6 oz each) Carnation powdered milk (you may use the regular cocoa powder as a substitute)
• 1 lb. powdered sugar (not shown in photo)

Additional supplies:

• 2 gallon size plastic zipper bag (I find this size at the Dollar Store)
• Several large storage containers with sealing lids

DIRECTIONS:

1. Open the extra large zipper style plastic storage bag.
2. Open and empty all containers into the storage bag. Be careful and sit the bag on a sturdy, solid surface as it will get very heavy and will try to topple over. It is a good idea to have a helper around for this step.
3. Close the zipper bag well!!!!!!!
4. Gently...and I mean GENTLY move the zipper bag around until it is well blended. I sometimes use packing tape to reinforce the seams...I have had a bag tear open and a cloud of mix went everywhere!!!!
5. Cut the tip of the bag over one of the containers. Fill slowly. Use multiple containers as necessary.
6. Store in dry area...and make sure your containers are airtight. 

TO MAKE HOT COCOA:

1. Scoop 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mix into a coffee mug.
2. Gently pour in very, very hot water, about 10 ounces.
3. Stir gently.
4. DRINK UP.
5. We like to top our cocoa with whipped cream and mini-marshmallows!

Try adding other flavors to your hot cocoa.

* A light shake of ground cinnamon or ground cloves

* Use a candy cane to stir your hot cocoa during the Christmas season!

*Add some cinnamon red hot candies to the cup before adding the hot water. DELICIOUS!

*1 teaspoon of instant coffee...or make the hot cocoa with hot coffee instead of hot water

*Try flavored creamers like French vanilla, or Caramel Macchaito.

*Add a shot of Irish Cream or Amaretto for the adults. YUM!