Green

I've been thinking about going green for a while, but have been very uninformed about it. All I've noticed is that green products tend to be more expensive than regular cleaners. I was reading on WebMD.com today, one of my new favorite past times, and found this article about green cleaning products.

Did you know that combining chlorine bleach with toilet bowl cleaner can produce a poisonous gas? Since green cleaners are more expensive, the article provided some great insight in cleaning products that are safe and effective:

Some people may choose to make their own cleaning products. It's surprisingly easy, cheap, and for most ordinary household jobs, do-it-yourself cleaning products can be as effective as anything you'd buy at the store. It’s easy, inexpensive, and for most ordinary household jobs, do-it-yourself cleaning products can be as just as effective.

General Non-toxic Solutions:

• Use a reusable microfiber cloth to dust -- it picks up dust particles without needing any chemical help.
• White distilled vinegar can be used to clean windows; kill mold and mildew; get rid of soap scum; and sanitize kitchen counters and cutting boards.
• Use baking soda and a few drops of soap to scour kitchen counters and bathtubs. For tough stains, use borax.
• For fresh scents, use lemons or essential oils like lavender.

Try these recipes for homemade cleaners:

Household Cleaner	Instructions
All-Purpose Disinfecting Cleaner	2 cups water (preferably distilled water) 1 1/2 to 3 tsp. liquid castille soap 1 tsp. tea tree oil Mix ingredients above to store and keep. Add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to give it a pleasing scent.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner	1 cup borax Pour into toilet bowl before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush.
Rust Remover	1 lime Salt Sprinkle a little salt on the rust. Squeeze a lime over the salt until it is well soaked. Let the mixture set for two to three hours. Use the leftover rind to scrub the residue.
Glass Cleaner	1/4 cup white distilled vinegar 1 quart warm water Mix ingredients above. Pour into a spray bottle or apply with a sponge. For lint-free results, wipe dry with crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels. Buff to a shine.

Photos from Europe

Waiting in the airport.

I have not added anything from Jeff and my trip on the Humanities Tour at BYU-Idaho. Here are a few:Big Ben.

Lighting a candle for St. Thomas Beckett (Canterbury).
Versailles!

One of my favorites. Jeff drawing at a Monastery Garden in Canterbury.

some healthy fries

I was reading on WebMD.com about the healthiest french fries. The results were surprising:

Best:
1. Sonic regular fry
2. McDonald's small fry

Worst:
1. Carl's Jr. natural cut fry
2. Jack in the Box natural cut fry

The article also had an amazingly delicious recipe for healthier french fries. They are extremely easy and very tasty. I made these twice yesterday. Once for dinner and then again for playing games with my family, Halie, Brett, and Jeff. The second time, they were better because I used less oil and let them get a little more crispy.

*I suggest adding pepper to the mixture in the bag. The fries needed a little extra spice.

Parsley-Parmesan Oven French Fries

Ingredients:

4 medium (or 3 large) unpeeled russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (canola oil can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a nonstick jellyroll pan with canola oil cooking spray.
2. In large zip-top plastic bag, combine potatoes with olive oil and salt; seal bag and toss to coat potatoes well.
3. Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese and parsley. When fries are light brown, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese mixture over the top and bake about 5 minutes more. Remove pan from oven; let cool for 2 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members: Journal as: 3/4 cup starchy foods with 1 tsp fat

Nutritional Information: Per serving: 287 calories, 9 g protein, 50 g carbohydrates, 6.1 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 406 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 19%.

"Now or Never"

I have been going back and forth about this show for the last season or so. Sometimes I love it, other times I just want to strangle Shonda Rhimes and anyone else responsible for ruining what once was the best show on television.

The season finale was almost completely redemptive for me, and after reading another blog about Grey's, I've discovered why. Since I can't put it into words, I'll let that blog do it for me:

"I wish I was able to go into this one pristine, but I wasn't, and I still liked a lot of it. During those fallow periods in the middle of the last few seasons, people kept asking me why I was still watching and/or blogging about "Grey's Anatomy." This last batch of episodes is why. This show is a free-swinging power hitter. When it swings and misses, it looks horrendous. But when it connects with the pitch it wants, all you can do is sit back and admire it."

That's it! "When it swings and misses, it looks horrendous. But when it connects with the pitch it wants, all you can do is sit back and admire it."

I will now remove my hypothetical fingers from Shonda Rhimes neck, and sit back and admire her work.

London!

We're in London right now. I'll update more later tonight. We're going to the British Museum right now.

Yesterday:

Arrived.
Spoke Spanish to help Hostel staff.
Ate at the Shakespeare (fish and chips).
Went to Wicked!

Europe, here we come!

Jeffrey and I are joining the Europe tour, and will be leaving today at 10:30! I am so excited, and plan to update my blog as often as possible with updates of where I am and what I'm doing. We'll see how it goes. 

Here's the itinerary:

London

Canterbury

Amiens

Paris

Rome

Siena

Florence

Salzburg

Vienna

Munich

PS~ Congratulations, Brad. The reading was awesome.

12, 605 views

Explosions

My YouTube video has:

12, 605 views

4 1/2 stars

70 favorites

5 site links--including a link on the band's MySpace page! Who would have thought?

I'm just a little wowed right now.