TGIVF!
Well, here it is: the first day of July (where did June go??) and the 7th Vinegar Friday of the year. I can't believe how fast these come around.
Last evening, I had a small gathering of women at my home for a party. And you know what that means -- I had to spend the day cleaning. As I was cleaning the bathroom, I discovered a rather sluggish sink drain. It's not that it was totally clogged, but it seemed to take an awfully long time for the water to go down as I was rinsing out my Norwex Envirocloth.
In days (years) past, I would have called my husband, who was out and was planning on stopping at the hardware store, and I would have asked him to buy some Liquid Plumber or Drano or some such toxic substance. But now I know better. **That's not to say that I haven't had to resort to those products from time to time when things got really bad, however.**
First, I made sure the water was really hot. Then I dumped about a 1/4 cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by about a half cup of distilled white vinegar (DWV). I watched as the oft-used science experiment took place. Goop and brown stuff showed up in the bubbling mess. Yuck. When the reaction settled down, I ran hot water until it was clear and then wiped up the excess dirt that clung to the side of the sink. Since the drain was still a bit sluggish, I repeated the process. Two times. Finally, the water was draining freely. Vinegar to the rescue once again.
In my book, VINEGAR FRIDAYS, I recommend using boiling water as a chaser, but I was admittedly lazy and just ran hot water instead. Perhaps if I'd done it the right way, it wouldn't have taken 3 tries, but it worked and I was happy.
I also dumped a cup of DWV into the toilet and let it soak for awhile. Later, I swished it with the toilet brush and it was clean and disinfected.
The dishwasher was full after breakfast, so I poured a half cup of DWV in the bottom and ran it. Shiny dishes!
And, of course, what's a party at Green Grandma's house without vinegar... especially on the eve of Vinegar Friday? I made bruschetta and drizzled it with a balsamic vinegar glaze. Oh my. Here's my recipe:
- Small crusted Italian toast slices
- Diced tomatoes
- Mozzarella
- Basil
- Balsamic glaze
Since my day was already full, I admit to buying a can of organic diced tomatoes. I spread them on top of the toast. Then I sliced up some mozzarella string cheese and placed 4 slices over the tomatoes. I stepped out onto the patio, picked some organic basil leaves and, using my handy-dandy herb scissors, I cut slivers of basil and sprinkled them on top. Finally, I graced my little masterpieces with a decorative drizzling of balsamic glaze. Delicious! I could've eaten an entire meal of these. But since they were for guests, I refrained. I just wish I'd taken pictures of them!
So, all-in-all, it was pretty much a Vinegar Thursday yesterday. So tell me, how are you using vinegar today?
TGIVF!
Cooking out this weekend? While I know a lot of you are vegans or vegetarians, I am not. I really enjoy a good steak now and then. So, if you don't eat meat, skip over the steak part, and move on to the mushrooms. Both were absolutely delicious.
Last weekend, I was in the mood for steak. So I ran to the store and bought a couple of the cheaper chuck steaks (you know, the ones with all the unhealthy fat). I looked at the organic grass fed beef, and the price tag nearly scared my appetite away. Since I don't eat steak often, I bought the less expensive conventional beef and tried to ignore the hormones, antibiotics, and GMO feed that was most likely present (now I'm losing my appetite again). See, even Green Grandma isn't a purist. Honestly, I can't afford to be. Besides, I thought about how often I've eaten steaks in restaurants, and let's face it, they're probably not the good stuff either.
My daughter, Bethany, bought me this wonderful balsamic glaze for Mother's Day. It's called La Prima Glassa Balsamic Blaze Tartufo. Let me tell you... this stuff is delicious!
For the steaks, I just brushed them with the glaze and let them suck in the goodness for a couple of hours. Then my husband threw them on the grill until they were done to our liking (medium rare). His review? "This is the best steak I've ever had." While others have rivaled it, I'd have to come close to agreeing.
While he was tending to the steaks, I was sauteing fresh cut mushrooms in butter and a couple of teaspoons of the glaze. Oh.my.goodness. Yeah, they were that good.
I think the next thing we'll try is thick sliced sweet onions (Mayan or Vidalia) brushed with glaze and grilled. And I'm thinking they're going to be mighty good.
So keep your eyes peeled for Blaze or Google it to find out where you can purchase this bottle of taste bud heaven. If all else fails, you can buy it from Amazon.com. It's worth the effort because it really is that good.
Keeping it green and delicious with vinegar,
