Shiny Sink 101

I snagged this from a little blog I found and thought it was some pretty fine advice! I am always looking for ways to shine up my stainless sink...and tomorrow, it's gonna get a scrubbin'! I'll let you know how it turned out!

Shiny Sink 101
Many members have asked "How do I clean my sink until it shines?". So, just for you, we have posted FlyLady's "Shiny Sink 101" essay. Here's to a great shine!

Note: Follow this procedure the first time you shine your sink. You do NOT need to follow this method everyday. Just keep up the shine with a little window cleaner.

Dear Friends,

I want you to smile from ear to ear when you gaze upon your shiny sink.

I have heard every excuse in the world. Even old sinks can look new again with a little elbow grease.

Here is how you do it:

BE SURE AND RINSE WELL BETWEEN EACH STEP OF THE WAY!

1. Take all the dishes out of the sink.

2. Run some very hot water into the sink. Fill to the rim. Only do one side at a time. Then, pour a cup of household bleach into the hot water. Let it sit for 1 hour. Now, pull the plug with a pair of tongs. If you don't have tongs, then scoop some of the water out of the sink into the other sink and use your hand to pull the plug (wear gloves and don't get the bleach-water on your clothes).

3. Rinse your sink well.

4. Use some cleanser (Comet, Ajax, or Baking Soda) and scrub your sink. Ensure you rinse ALL of the cleanser from the sink.

5. Take a sharp edge and clean around the rim of the sink, just like you would clean dirt out from under your fingernails.

6. Clean around the faucets too. You may need an old toothbrush or dental floss.

7. Now, get out your window cleaner, I use Windex, and give it a good shine.

8. If you still don't like the way it looks, then you could try some car wax. Just know in your heart that you have cleaned it very well now and it doesn't have to be perfect. Our perfectionism is what got us in this situation in the first place.

9. Every time you run water in your sink, take your clean dishtowel and dry it out (I lay out a clean one, every night with my before bedtime routine). Before you know it, you will be doing this everytime you leave your kitchen. The rest of the family will too. No more water spots. You will have a clean and shiny sink.

10. Don't have a fit if someone doesn't take as much pride in your sink as you do. It is very easy to fix. You have already done the hard part. You will never have to go through this process again. Daily maintenance will keep it looking this way all the time. Nasty hurtful word are not as easy to repair. Just be sure and tell your family what you are trying to do. They will think you have gone crazy.

11. If you don't have a dishwasher, don't worry. A dishwasher is just a dirty dish disposal. Clean out a place under your sink and put a dishpan in there. Teach your family, that instead of putting their dirty dishes and glasses in the sink, place them into the dish pan. Get into the habit of putting your dishes away as soon as they have been washed and are dry. No more leaving the dish drying rack on the counter or in the sink. Put it away under the sink when you have finished. If your old one is nasty, you may want to soak it in the sink full of bleach water at the same time you soak the sink or go buy a new set. (I'm not so sure about this...sounds like a good way to attract bugs! Just do the dishes after using them!)

12. To insure that your family remembers this, put a note in the sink. It will get their attention and remind them where to put the dishes. Be patient! They have never been taught either. It is going to take some practice.

13. Now if you have a stainless steel sink, I recommend all of the above directions with one extra instruction added: after you soak your sink, rinse well, and use SOS pads to scrub it. This will buff the finish. It will look like new.

14. If you still can't get it to shine after the Windex, put a light coat of lemon oil or olive oil on it. I mean just a tiny bit on a cloth and rub it. This will make you smile. Some people have had very good results from Bar Keepers Friend.

Go Shine Your Sink!
FlyLady

Last note: ensure you don't mix cleansers like Comet, etc. with Windex (or other ammonia based cleaners), you can create dangerous gases! It is worth repeating: rinse well between each step.

Friday is my cleaning day...

I don't know about you ladies, but I have to discipline myself to a "scheduled cleaning" each week or I find myself at the end of the week with a dirty house, piles of laundry, a messy yard and stacks of junk laying all over my house! Now...you already know I'm NOT "Martha", nor do I have any "staffers" to come clean my house, so most of the time you WILL find a coat of dust on my furniture and if you walk barefooted, there will typically be a little "somethin'-somethin' that you crunch underfoot. BUT...for the most part, I TRY to keep my house at least tidy! I've been doing some different things in the past few months to keep myself motivated and one of the best things I've found is looking at clean houses!! I can't GO to them all the time or I'd never be home, so I turn to the internet and have found a blog from a little gal that works circles around me! I have her site linked at the bottom right...Hyperhomemaker is what she goes by! {I don't know her personally.) That house of her's is CLEAN! She has given lots of good ideas for cleaning and organizing (as well as cooking!) but I thought you might like some encouragement in this area too! I wanted to share with you one of my own concoctions and it won't cost you a THING! Do you have issues with cleaning your shower stall or bathtub surround?? I've always "DISLIKED" cleaning that part of my house and found that I would often skip it. Afterall, there were at least 2 showers a day that should keep it "clean"!
Yep...it's just an old empty milk carton!! Cut the bottom off, leaving the lid tightly closed and you have a FREE container to pour water over difficult surfaces!

I use a sponge with that fabric sour stuff over it. It doesn't scuff up surfaces at all....just helps pull gunk off stuff.

Spray the surround with Comet Bathroom Cleanser (I'm going to be making a homemade solution very soon that doesn't cost much at all...I share it with you if it works!), then use the sponge to clean the soap scum build up off. Honestly, it comes off VERY easy with this stuff!

Ya even have a handle to use!! This old guy has been with me for about 10 years now. I think I need to get a new one!!

Anyhow...this is my "tip of the day". I know Kathy, you might have some suggestions that make it even easier! If so, please let us hear from you!! ; )

This gal also has a nifty checklist sheet that I printed off. I'm nutty like that...I'm a list maker! I have even been known to "add to the list" after I've done something just so I can check it off to make me feel like I did more! I'm weird like that! Anyhow...I'm going to try (thanks Kristin!) to put that link on here so you can use it if you are a listmaker too! My goodness...there are things on that list that I've never even CONSIDERED cleaning! Take a peek, if your're so inclined! Happy Cleaning!

Cleaning list

God's Winter Provisions

I was walking around the yard this morning before the rain started falling and was amazed at all the berries I saw in my own backyard!! Watching the life cycle of plants is something that makes me stop in my tracks at times....and today was one of them. I had to run back in (okay, lollygag back in!) and get my camera! I don't think I knew that Lily of the Valley put on a red berry at the end of the season! I did know that Soloman's Seal put on the most graceful "blueberry" as it hangs in the tunnel of the tall bending "stem with many leaves". That is just THE coolest plant! Carolyn gave Dennis and I a start of her miniature honeysuckle vine...and it smells so divine! After it blooms it's fragrant flowers, there are more red berries hanging in clusters from the same vine! And my beloved Cotoneaster...grows low to the ground and puts on the sweetest little pink flowers in the spring, followed by these vivid red/yellow/orange berries in the fall! God lets his berries be seen by the little birds, doesn't HE? I suppose they are getting their fill before winter...hope they don't get sick! About that time, the rain began to fall! And I mean FALL! It's been pouring all day long, thanks to Gustav! I had no idea the remnants of that would make it up this far north! We surely needed the rain though, so I'm grateful...and so are the birds!
graphics by: ScripityScrap Designs, Nature Walk

For Sandy....and the rest of ya's!

When I saw that darling picture of Ray playin' in the water with the stick, I remembered the day little Rylie did the same thing. I think I'm seeing a theme here in this family...children, water & sticks! And lookie here Grammy, what your youngins dug up for your viewing pleasure! I just wanted to say again how much I appreciate your teaching and patience as I learned how to do digi-scrapbooking. (am still learning, but I went thru my notes and figured out how to make the ants dance {or whatever you called it!} to make the twig frames! I know this page could be a lot more elaborate, but I just wanted to THANK YOU for being you! YOU'RE a pretty special lady! Plus, you're my daughters other mama...and that makes you right up there at the top of my list! Enjoy these lil' mugs and hopefully I'll have to make a "Chapter Two" in a few years! Miss you!!

One Last time...Homemade Ice Cream

I buy my cream in a quart container from Sam's and I had 2 more cups left. OH...it is so hot today and I know how hunny likes to have a bowl of ice cream at night...so I pulled out my FROZEN ice cream freezer and whooped up one last batch for the summer!

There are some things that I'm a brand "snob" with and vanilla is one of them. (Mayo is another) I only use Watkins! (Yes, I still order mine from Kathy Mos.er...keeps me close at heart!!) I don't know why I still put periods in my secrets now that my blog is private, but I do. Anyhow...a FULL measuring spoon (probably 3 T. at least!) is what I use for my little freezer full. I also put vanilla bean pods (that I've already scraped the tiny chigger sized beans for other yummy things) in the bottom of my sugar container. I leave them in there for about a year, or until I scrape out another vanilla bean. Oh...it gives the sugar a vanilla flavor...very subtle but so yummy! Beat those eggs, sugar and vanilla till the sugar is dissolved and it's whippy.

Add the cream...and I don't use the beater after this point. Just stir it in with that big ol' spoon from the vanilla. If you do whip it now, you make it frothy instead of letting the cream incorporate into the the rest of the ingredients...making the ice cream frothy.

Now, pour your batter in the frozen/spinning ice cream maker and let 'er go for about 30 min. or so, until it's firm and building up through the top.

This batch is just a little soft, but I emptied the container last night and put it back in the freezer, so it might not be frozen solid inside. I put a plastic shower cap (really, I can buy those at Sally's or the Dollar Store for CHEAP and you can use it as food toppers!) on it and put it in the freezer until after dinner. I whip this up mid afternoon so it gets a few good freezing hours on it.

Serve it with your favorite topping or just plain vanilla...my personal favorite! I know someone in AZ who would like it with chocolate and peanuts! Wish you were here to help consume this batch!!!

Cheryl's Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

2 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

1 whoopin' spoon Watkins Vanilla (about 3 T.)

2 c. real whipping cream

2 c. 1% milk (if you use a higher percent milk, adjust the cream down or you'll have butter!)

Beat eggs till frothy. Add sugar and beat until light in color and sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla and whip it up. Slowly add cream and milk, stirring slowly until incorporated. Pour into FROZEN ice cream freezer and turn on for 30 min. or so, until frozen and coming out the top. Cover and place in freezer for further freezing. Don't count points!! You will not be happy!

We LABORED on Labor Day!

We had a busy day at our house...because it was LABOR DAY! Doesn't that mean it's a free day to WORK? LOL! Come along and see some before and afters of our day!

First off....I AM NOT that kind of wife, so don't even think about quoting that verse to me! (At least, most of the time I'm not!) He got another FARM breakfast this mornin to get him going!

Before of the front.

After...oh what a difference!

My before BLA front porch...you don't have to look hard to see where the old shutters WERE!

Oh..I'm LOVIN it!

This 'ol house hasn't had a thing done to it since it was built about 20 some years ago so it was in need of a fresh coat of paint. Well, since it is siding and we don't want to spend THAT much money....we opted for new shutters and this week I will be buying primer so I can prime the garage doors and then paint them a nice fresh coat of WHITE to match the trim. I'd love to buy those fancy pants new garage doors that have black hinges on them, but hunny wants underground sprinklers next year so he can keep his Hosta garden alive! Hmpf...guess to keep him off the corner of the roof...I'll buy white paint! We had a GREAT weekend and hope your's was equally as fun!

Evenin' Gatherin'

Here we are just after they arrived, visiting on the porch. (I LOVE this porch....THANK YOU Dennis and Adam!!). Tis so sweet to have iced tea on the porch!

Ohhh...lookie what just came out of the oven!

I take the cheaters way out...I cannot for the LIFE of me do a true lattice top pie crust. First off...it takes too much time to weave. (I'm not a basket weaver!) Second, I get too confused of which goes over the top and which goes under and before I get done, I just have a hobble-jobbled mess...so I give up and throw out the strips, put a struesal topping on and forget it.

Okay...it's not beautiful, but this pie crust recipe has not failed me since I started making it! Very tender and melt in your mouth good!

Getting ready to enjoy it...along with a freezer of homemade ice cream. It was a GREAT evening of fun, food and fellowship! Doesn't Dad look GREAT?? (well, they all do, but the rest of 'em haven't gone through what Dad has the past 4 months!)

Now...iffin ya want that pie crust recipe and you don't have the energy to find it on the side links...here it is again. Kristin, I DO believe you could do this...even Caroline...YOU could do it! I know, it's SOOO not healthy, so no comments on that part! LOL!

Savory/Sweet Pie Crust

1/2 c. shortening, cold (since I don't use shortening THAT often, I splurge and buy those little bricks of Crisco and keep em in the fridge)

1/4 c. butter, cold (I do use this WAY too often!)

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

1/4. t. salt

3-6 T. ice cold water (depending on your flour, you will need more or less)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Measure flour, salt and sugar into medium sized bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the shortening and butter into the flour, sugar and salt with as few cuts as possible until the mixture has clumps about the size of peas.

2. Sprinkle water over the top of the flour mixture 1 T. at a time. Continue to use the pastry cutter until a ball can be formed with the dough. (don't overwork it!)

3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into 10" circles. (Unless you are going to do a cheaters style *diamond pattern, then roll the second ball out into a rectangle and with a pizza cutter, cut each strip into 1/2" widths long enough to reach from side to side your plate) This can be used to make one 9" double crusted pie or two 9" single crusted pies. (can be frozen up to two months).

4. Fold crust and place in 9" pie or tart pan. Fill with your choice of savory or sweet filling and bake.

*for the diamond pattern...just twist each strip a couple times and lay it diagonally over the entire pie. Then when you get to the other side, slightly angle the next set and go back to the other side. It's kinda like "tilting" the camera! Ha!!! Go ahead...make fun of me! : )