Monday Inspirations

My plan for this part of my blog is to bring moms weekly inspirations, hopefully on Mondays. There have been so many times in my life as a mom where I have heard a phrase, quotation, or read an article which is very inspiring to me. I use this inspiration to attempt to improve my life whether it is as a mom, wife, friend, or just as a person.  The problem is that it only takes a few days, maybe a week before I start to lose the inspiration or simply cannot remember exactly what it was anymore. I am starting this blog to share these inspirations with other moms so they may also hopefully benefit from them and to collect them for myself. Watch my blog for Monday Inspirations to begin after Labor Day. I look forward to sharing with you!

Amy

The Best Window Wash

I personally like to use homemade or natural store bought cleaners to save my family money and the addition of more chemicals in their lives. Also, it is great to be able to let my kids help me wash windows (yes, they actually love to help for now) knowing that they are not going to inhale Windex or accidentally spray something harmful in their eyes!
This glass cleaner works well. It gets the job done. It is a lot cheaper than even the cheapest window cleaner out there. Is it my absolute favorite? No, but it does a good job and again, I can let the kids help!

The Best Window Wash

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vegetable-oil-based liquid soap (for this I use my Seventh Generation Dish Soap)

3 tablespoons vinegar

2 cups water (I use warm tap water)

spray bottle

Just put all the ingredients into the spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would any window cleaner!

You can leave the solution in the bottle. It does not need to be made new each time.

This recipe comes from Clean & Green, The Complete Guide to Nontoxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping by Annie Berthold-Bond



Disinfectant Spray

I LOVE this cleaner! I use it in the kitchen in place of 409 for counter tops, appliances, cupboards and the stove (OK, I guess I use it for EVERYTHING in the kitchen!) I think it actually works better than store bought cleaners! It cuts through grease and really leaves everything shiny, spotless and with no streaks. If you are sceptical or just don't believe me, try it for yourself!

Disinfectant, Antimildew, and Gets-Appliances-Shiny Cleaner

1 teaspoon borax (if you haven't used this before, you can find it in a green box in the "cleaner"aisle)

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 teaspoon vegetable-oil-based liquid soap (I use Seventh Generation dish soap)

2 cups very hot tap water

spray bottle

Combine the borax, vinegar, and liquid soap in a spray bottle. Add very hot tap water, shaking the bottle gently until the minerals have dissolved. Spray onto the area to be cleaned and off with a sponge.

This recipe is from Clean & Green, The Complete Guide to Nontoxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping by Annie Berthold-Bond

Sour Cream Cherry Pie

My parents and I made this recipe a few weeks ago when we were given a bucket of tart cherries from their neighbors. We all agreed that this was by far the best cherry pie we had ever tasted! I just had to share- enjoy!

Sour Cream Cherry Pie

3 cups pitted tart cherries (if using frozen, thaw, drain and pat dry)

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

1 tablespoon butter

1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine 1-3/4 cups sugar, flour and salt. Stir in the eggs, sour cream and lemon juice. Add cherries and gently fold in to filling. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 30 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before cutting. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.

This recipe comes from tasteofhome.com- originally from Betty Wingo, Marshall, Arkansas

I slightly changed the recipe for my preferences.