New uses for vinegar...

Continuing our series on new uses for common ingredients, here's how to make vinegar useful all over the house!

• To clean your windows, mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water and pour into a recycled squirt bottle. Spray on and wipe with newspaper for a sparkling, streak-free windows!
• There are many laundry uses for vinegar. For grass stains, mix 1/3 cup white vinegar with 2/3 cup water and blot on stain to remove as much green as possible, then wash as usual. To make your laundry fresher and your colors brighter, add a capful of vinegar to the load. It will also take out strong smells (maybe someone in your house tangled with a skunk) but you'll have to add more! When pressing pants, dab a 50/50 vinegar and water solution onto the crease and press as usual. Those creases will be sharp!
• For carpet cleaning, try this cleaning solution: one part white vinegar, one-sixteenth part lemon juice and eight parts distilled water. The vinegar neutralizes pet smells too!
• Cleaning produce is a snap! Mix one part vinegar with three parts water in a spray bottle. Spray on fruits and veggie to remove toxins and rinse with water. Claims state that this method kills 98% of bacteria on produce.
• All you gardeners know sometimes cats are a problem, when they dig in your flower beds, that is! To deter them, simply pour vinegar around the edge of the beds every few months. Problem solved!
• In a sticky situation vinegar can help you out. Just rub a cloth dipped in vinegar over those spots left by price tags or that glue mess your toddler left for you. It also cuts grease!

In addition to saving money, you can also feel good that your home is cleaned naturally, without toxic chemicals. You and your family will reap the many benefits, so give yourself a pat on the back.

"Tart words make no friends; a spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar." -Benjamin Franklin

Apple ideas for every meal...

Truly one of the gifts of fall, apples are in season and amazing! Here are some options for including them in different meals this autumn....

• Make an apple pancake feast! Simply add peeled grated apples with a pinch of cinnamon to your pancake (or waffle) batter and cook as usual. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream and serve.


• Fried apples are always a hit. Melt a little butter in a skillet over medium heat; stir in brown sugar and thinly sliced apples until coated. Cover and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until tender. Serve as a side item to dinner or as a topping for cake or ice cream.


• The best grilled cheese is one with thin apple slices and Swiss cheese on raisin bread. Give it a try! Butter the outside of the sandwich and cook each side until brown. For a twist, add crisp cooked bacon or deli-sliced smoked ham.


• Roasted apples are yummy! Just tossed unpeeled apple wedges with a little olive oil, salt and dried thyme, spread out on a shallow baking pan and roast at 425 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Serve as a side dish with turkey, chicken, pork or beef.


• Try an apple-tizer: top crackers with deli-sliced smoked turkey and/or Swiss cheese, thin sliced apple and a dab of mango chutney; serve immediately. Quick, easy and delicious!


• A new twist on a bagel sandwich: toast bagel and spread cream cheese on both sides; place sliced apples on bottom, sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey. Put the top on, cut in half and serve. Kids love it!

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it definitely adds an extra something to any meal. Serve apples today!

"Ever since Eve started it all by offering Adam the apple, woman's punishment has been to supply a man with food then suffer the consequences when it disagrees with him." - Helen Rowland

Olive oil for everyone!

We've all heard that olive oil is one of the "good fats" which is very beneficial to a healthy diet, but to understand why you have to know the facts. Let's break it down:

• Types of olive oil include Extra Virgin (the best, first pressed that's least processed), Virgin (the second press, minimally processed), Pure (processed, filtered and refined) and Extra Light (considerably processed with only mild flavor). Always use extra virgin olive oil for flavor, taste and maximum health benefits!
• Benefits include protection against heart disease (our nation's number one killer among women), lowered risk of colon cancer, prevention of gallstones, lowered LDL cholesterol, soothing ulcers and raised antioxidant levels in the blood. What's not to like?!
• Storing olive oil is simple: keep away from light and heat, and always keep tightly sealed. As with all oils, it can easily go rancid when exposed to light, air and heat. Always smell yours before pouring!
• Other uses include as a make-up remover (dilute with water), as furniture polish (mix 3 parts oil with 1 part vinegar), as a hair detangler and conditioner (comb a little through dry, tangled hair or massage a few tablespoons into hair and scalp before shampooing) and as a zipper fixer (use a cotton swab with a little oil on the end).

If all that is not enough, here's the icing on your cake of doubt: Mariam Amash, the world's oldest living person at age 120, says her secret to a long life is downing up to a cup of olive oil daily. Wow! Might be worth a try....

"Olive oil...asparagas....if you're mother wasn't so fancy, we could shop at the gas station like normal people." -Homer Simpson

Fall Feel-Good Tips!

Finally, the days of fall are here...crisp, cool evenings, leaves turning beautiful colors, looking ahead to the holidays. Here are a few tips for making you feel good this fall- naturally, of course!

• Cinnamon has been shown to make you alert and ambitious by stimulating the goal-reaching part of the brain. Sprinkle some in your morning oatmeal, on top of the cream cheese on your bagel or use a cinnamon stick to stir your hot morning beverage. The taste and aroma will jump start your day!


• One of fall's fruit, the green apple, can do more than just keep the doctor away: research shows that the aroma of green apple is very calming and can even relieve migraine headaches. To add apples to your day, try hot apple cider, which will fill your home with its soothing scent while keeping you healthy with antioxidants. To use this season's fruit for decorating, fill a tall glass vase with green apples or a lovely brown basket with red apples.


• To ease your physical and mental fatigue this holiday season, use the scent of oranges to stave away that sluggish feeling. For decorating, hollow out orange halves and arrange on a tray. Place tea light candles in the orange halves and light; the heat from the flames will spread the citrus aroma throughout your room! For an a.m. boost, try bathing with a citrus bath and shower gel and reap the rewards!


• What may be the most used herb in the holiday season, sage, isn't just for Thanksgiving dressing anymore- studies show that it boosts memory and helps transmit messages in the brain. To enjoy the scent every day, keep sage plants in a bright kitchen window; the smell will help diffuse odors and keep indoor air fresh. Use it to season vegetables, pasta and beef as well as holiday poultry.


• If you're concerned about keeping your cool this stressful of all seasons, consider vanilla- it helps reduce anger, melt shyness and encourages calm. A favorite of cooks and bakers alike, this sweet fragrance is easy to spread through the house by simply making something and adding a little vanilla. It works on kitchen burns as well to soothe the skin. For an easy, constant scent, try a vanilla diffuser and vanilla hand soap.

Sometimes all we need to make a long day better is a happy smell. Fill your holiday home with warm frangrance and relish in the benefits!

"Fish and visitors smell in three days." -Benjamin Franklin