Ok...I, like many others, am a hardcore Pinterest addict. I love it. All of it. The funny bits, the food, the crafty ideas, the home decor...you name it, I will pin it. My intentions upon pinning are always good. "Oh! That looks so good! I will grab those ingredients at the store and make that this week!" Yeah right. So many pins...so little time. One of the blessings of my profession is a short break in the summer. (Disclaimer--Yes, teachers get some time off. However, I am attending several workshops, realigning my curriculum to new state standards, reading the new novels I will be reading again with my students in the the next year, and working in my classroom....and I am far from the busiest teacher in the summertime. Just in case you wanted to make the "I wish I was a teacher so that I could only work 9 months a year comment...because you shouldn't. :) ) That being said, I have decided to take some of my "time off" to try out those pins just sitting on my various boards waiting to be used. I will report back here with the outcomes as sort of a public service announcement for the posterity of any others who were wondering about said pins. Fun...yes? Hope so...because here we go!
Today I will be discussing two pins: one claiming to be the "ONLY" floor cleaner you will ever need and another for homemade brownie mix.
1) Floor Cleaner
Ingredients: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 TBS liquid dish soap, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 2 gallons
of very warm tap water
( I have white, ceramic tile in my kitchen/bathrooms and wood tile in my husband's office. )
The description on the pin said that my floors would be spotless and everything would be left "smelling amazing." Well...here's the scoop...they were half right! My floors were definitely sparkly clean and it was super easy (and cheap) to mix up. It made loads of suds (which I love) and my floors were not remotely sticky afterward. It is also a safe, (harsh) chemical-free cleaning alternative. I am by no means the greenest person on the planet...though I would love to be...but I do always try to find environmentally/pet/kid friendly products for cleaning...and this fit the bill for me! As for the smelling great part....I didn't notice much of a smell at all. At first, I was worried that it would have a strong vinegar smell that would linger for a while...but that was not the case. I think the lack of smell is what I like most about it. Clean floors...no strong odor...safe for the family/environment...sold! I give this pin a thumbs up!!
2) "You'll never buy boxed brownie mix again!"
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 2 eggs,
1/2 cup oil, 1 tsp vanilla
Bake: 350 F for 20-25 min
I am married to the biggest brownie lover I have ever met...and he can be particular. So, when I saw this recipe I decided to give it a whirl and not tell him they were made from scratch. If I said that they were a hit, that would be an understatement. He LOVED them! The ingredients are already in you pantry (for most folks) and it takes no time at all to whip them up (which is both dangerous and wonderful). I will admit that they are not always as moist as some store-bought brownie mixes, but they are always tasty. I use the Pampered Chef brownie pan (if you don't have one...find a consultant and order one ASAP...LIFE CHANGING!!) and the recipe yields the perfect amount. I also love that it is super easy to double/triple if you need a larger number of treats. The BEST part about this is it's gift value. You can mix up the dry ingredients, put them in a sassy little jar/baggie, attach a card with the rest of the recipe, and voila! The perfect teacher/hostess gift! You could even just mix up several baggies of dry ingredients to keep on hand for your own benefit. All-in-all, this is a winner for me!
I hope you will stay tuned for the next installment of my Pinterest adventures! I welcome any pin suggestions and would love to have someone write a guest post or two about their experiences! Until next time!!
Awesome, maybe Ill try the floor cleaner, I have however tried the homemade shampooer cleaner (haha that doesnt sound right) would love to do the brownies but trying to be healthy....lol Maybe on my cheat day!!
ReplyDeleteHeather, swap the oil for applesauce and try splenda or truvia (some other sugar substitute) for the sugar. They tend to be a lot sweeter than regular sugar though, so I would start with half as much and taste to see if you think it is sweet enough. If not, add a bit more until it is!
ReplyDeleteI use the same floor cleaner. But I do like a bit of a smell when I am done. Bathroom full of boys all the time. So I add a few drops of essential oil to my mix, and presto! Crisp smell and clean!
ReplyDelete