I did a goof. I forgot the butter I needed to use for baking today had to be at room temperature. So, while I was ready to bake, the butter was not and here I sit passing the time. I could be cleaning or doing food prep, but I’d rather do that later.
After the storm
I intended to blog about the chicken marsala I made last week, but yesterday I changed my mind. Then, when I sat down, I intended to blog about my birthday this past Sunday, but I uploaded all the pictures I’ve taken in the last week and changed my mind again. I have to just go with what moves me when I write. I could blog the planned posts, but they’d probably be less passionate even if I couldn’t stop eating that chicken marsala.
A massive storm system blew through the Midwest yesterday. I happened to be out running errands and applying for a job before it really hit. Leaves, rain, and debris were flying sideways. I wound up outside in it on our lanai (balcony) closing our storage room door that blew open and picking up the camping chair that fell over. The cover for the chair was missing. I’m guessing it’s in Virginia by now. I wound up sopping wet in the minute it took me to take care of that. The tornado sirens went off and one of the trees lost some branches. Normally, I’d want to just curl up with a good book (Star Wars: Fate Of The Jedi: Abyss) and something warm to drink during a storm like that. But, I needed to clean.
I started using cleaners that are essential oil based and non-toxic about 10 years ago. One day while cleaning, I started having a hard time breathing in reaction to one of the cleaners with bleach. Several years later, I delved into the aromatherapy arena with the help of a fellow aikidoka (student of aikido). I really pushed more into aromatherapy after Granny passed away from liver cancer in 2004.
Au naturale!
Natural cleaners are safe and cheap. Bonus, they don’t bleach your clothes. How many of you have turned a favorite shirt into rags because you got some of that toxic stuff on it while cleaning? Yeah. Me, too. I still have some store bought non-toxic all-purpose cleaner and non-toxic window cleaner that I am trying to get used up. Once it’s all gone, vinegar, baking soda, and Thieves Oil will be the only things I’ll use to clean. It will be nice to not have a clutter of bottles under the kitchen sink for once.
Yesterday, I mixed the 3 up into a paste to use as a cleansing scrub for the tubs. The bathrooms were smelling nice and clean by the time I was done, rather than toxic and deadly.
Thieves Oil Paste
Another bonus of natural cleaners is you don’t have to worry about having something separate to mix them in from what you use for your food. I just used one of my smaller glass mixing bowls.
If you’re wondering what Thieves Oil is, it is a blend of essential oils that was used by thieves during the 15th Century plague when they were robbing the homes of plague victims. My naturopath told me about it and I did some research. I found a lot of different recipes but I went with the easiest one – equal parts essential oils of rosemary, lemon, clove, cinnamon, and eucalyptus. The oils have a combination of antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral, and antiviral properties when mixed together. I keep a large quantity mixed in a Boston Amber glass bottle so I can use as much as I need when I need it and not have to mix it every time I clean. Amber glass bottles help keep the sunlight from degrading the oils. When you mix the oils, pour them all in the bottle and then rapidly roll the capped bottle between the palms of your hands. All essential oils have different densities and this rolling helps the oils blend better and become synergistic.
Some cautionary advice. When making a paste for a scrub, make sure you have a large enough bowl and that you only use a small amount of vinegar and water. Too much liquid with baking soda will yield a runny cleanser. Also, if you haven’t mixed vinegar and baking soda before, there is a bubbling reaction when it comes into contact with each other. Rosemary is a great all around essential oil for cleaning and for health purposes. However, it is a great eliminator as well and should not be used by pregnant women. If you want to leave the Rosemary out of the Thieves Oil, the blend will still have all the cleansing properties that it has with it. If you have pets that are pregnant, I would keep the Rosemary out of the blend, as well.
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