Squeaky Clean~Homemade cleaning wipes

       For several reason, I have been on a mission to make my own household cleaning products.  For one they are healthier.  We do not have peanut allergies in our home, however do understand the importance of knowing what you are putting in your bodies and homes when you do have them or any other allergies.  Little Miss was allergic to Pampers when she was little! Really who is allergic to diapers!  Well that was our reality.  Thankfully it was only Pampers, and fortunately for us we haven’t come across anything else at this point.    I hope that we don’t.  I did come across an article recently that I thought would fit here well.  It is regarding nut oils and cleaning products produced by our very own Procter and Gamble here in Cincinnati.  You can read that article here. 
  Anyhow, I have been making my own glass cleaner as well as laundry soap and fabric softener, and like the previous posts dishwasher soap and waterless dog shampoo.  Now, I am onto the next product:  Cleaning wipes! 
     There is just some sense of pride when you know that you made said product.  I also love the fact that I can say with confidence that I know what is in my cleaning products!
     Here at the Clubb farm the kiddos are assigned weekly chores.  I have never liked the idea of the kids using the chemicals that our cleaning products are filled with, however who doesn’t like a clean home, right?  I always try a couple of different recipes.  I like them to be easy to make and the cheaper they are the better.  I also like them to use things I already have around the house.  This recipe fits all these points!

     So how do you make your own cleaning wipes?  First, you want to make sure you have an air tight container.  This is the only thing that I had to purchase for this.  I chose to purchase the Ziploc brand.  Then you need vinegar, dish soap, paper towels and water.  That is it!

    You will want to cut your paper towels.  Originally, I wanted to cut the paper towels in half, however they wouldn’t have fit in my container with the lid tightly closed.  This is something that you want to consider when deciding what container size you need.  I decided that the one-third size of the roll would work. 

                          

                      Next, I took the container and added to it the liquid ingredients.  (Don’t worry I didn’t forget how much of the ingredients.  I put a link at the bottom to take you to the site since the recipe isn’t mine.)  I stirred it slightly with a fork, then I put the paper towels in the container and turned it upside down to let the solution soak the paper towels entirely.  I let them sit for about 20 minutes and check them out. They were completely saturated. 

  Now it was time to test them out.  I hit the bathroom.  With three boys in the house do I need to say more?  I have to say that I couldn’t tell a difference in the homemade and the Clorox as far as cleaning EXCEPT the smell.  No “bleachy” smell and no worries about the kids using that harsh chemical!  I think this is the one! 

I want to say thanks to the ladies over at Fabulessly Frugal!  They made my task easier by testing and tweaking this recipe until it worked.  Thanks ladies!

Tasty Tues~Chicken Fajita Casserole

     I would rather have too much food than not enough, wouldn’t you?  Because of this, once a week we have leftovers for dinner when they don’t all get eaten during weekly lunches.  Tonight was one of those meals.  I had some left over chicken from a whole chicken that I cooked.  I wanted to do something different than just the normal heating up and serving it with sides.  You know add a little pizzazz to that boring old Tuesday night chicken dinner.  I hit the kitchen and started to browse the cupboards.  Not a whole lot since I needed to go to the store.  Bingo! Fajita seasoning!  We haven’t had those in a long time!Then I realized that I didn’t have the fajitas   This is what happens around here when I slack with the meal planning.  However, I can guarantee that no one has missed a meal.  So, I thought who doesn’t like a casserole, right?  Toss  little of this in and a little of that in and see what we have.  It will at least be edible.  I promise! 
     So, I took one can each of corn and black beans and added it to two cups of rice that I quickly cooked.  I shredded what chicken we had left which amounted to about 2 and a half cups.  I then mixed up 3 packets of fajita seasoning with the 1 and a half cups of water and stirred until there were no more clumps.  Then I took that and poured it over the rice, chicken and veggies and stirred until everything looked evenly mixed.  This made enough that I had to put it in my lasagna dish  (15x11x2.5) instead of my 9x13 baker.  Like I said I like to make big meals for the hungry men that live here.  With two teenage boys the refrigerator door never seems closed!
Back to the food!   I added about 1/2  jar of medium salsa and mixed again.  Once that was all well mixed.. into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes (or until the it is heated through) it went.  Twenty minutes later Viola!  Shred some cheese and call it dinner!  Now you don’t have to rub it in but you can always use this to fill tortillas with. 
  So was it good?  You bet!  This was such a hit here!  Remember that I put this in that lasagna dish that I used and there was about enough left for hubby to take some to work tomorrow!  Wow!
Try it out and let me know what you think!

Tasty Tuesday~Oven Baked Ranch Chicken Salad

Okay,  first of all, I usually associate salads with more summer fare.  Second, I absolutely love salads!.  Nope I wasn’t always that way.  In fact I remember a time when I used to eat salads with no dressing because I wasn’t sure what dressing I liked!  Yeah, I was a weird high schooler!  Anyhow,  I am glad that my taste buds haven’t changed and I did venture in the dressing realm also so now I compliment my salad with a Ranch, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Italian or whatever we have.  A few years ago I started making my own Shake n Bake style chicken and pork.  I thought I would experiment with this style and see what I could do with salad.  So, here goes…
    First, I took the chicken breasts rinsed them and patted the dry with a paper towel.  I sliced the chicken breasts into strips (you can cube or strip the chicken whichever you are in the mood for).  Once the chicken is cut take one sleeve of Ritz crackers and place the in a food processor and pulse until your crackers are crumbled fine.  If you don’t have a food processor or chopper you can place the into a plastic bag recloseable or even an old bread bag will work and beat with a wooden spoon or roll with a rolling pin until crushed.  Add to the crushed crackers a packet of the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix.  Close bag and shake slightly to mix.
     You want to then take your chicken strips about 2-3 at a time and place them in the bag.  Close the top and shake to coat the chicken strips.  Place coated strips on a greased cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining strips until they are all coated. 
     Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center (or has reached the internal temperature of 165 degrees). 
   Once chicken in cooked place on a plate/platter to cool. As the chicken is cooling it is time to prepare your salad.  I use a few different greens when I make salad.  I love romaine and the hubby likes the Iceberg so I started to mix those two together.  To that I add baby spinach and carrots.  I do at times cheat and purchase the pre-bagged salad mixes.  When buying pre-bagged I purchase the same lettuce. 
    Once the salad greens are mixed you are ready to assemble.  Lay out a bed of the greens, top with cucumbers, hard boiled eggs, green peppers, peas or whatever else you like on your salad.  Finally add the chicken strips, the cheese and the croutons.  Viola!  You are finished!  Grab your favorite dressing and enjoy!
     My favorite dressing is one that my friend found and brought to a get together (thanks so much Sharon!).  It is a classic vinaigrette made with garlic and apple cider vinegar here in my home state of Ohio.  That is kind of cool I think!
Note:  The chicken can be made ahead of time and placed in the fridge.