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.

Macaroons

My friend Diane was very kind to share this recipe for the BEST macaroons! I have to hide them from my kids if I want them to last more than an hour! I recently asked her for the recipe again since I had misplaced mine and when she told me she couldn't find hers either I was concerned. That is, until I looked way back into my texts and found the ingredients list she had sent me once. We were able to remember the rest from there. So, enjoy this awesome recipe which was almost lost forever!

Macaroons

2 1/2 cups grated coconut

1 cup cashews, finely ground (I have had bad luck grinding my own without it turning into nut butter- so I prefer to purchase it ground. It's called meal- like almond meal or cashew meal. While on the topic, you can use nuts other than cashew.)

1 cup sugar

3 egg whites

butter

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar, allowing it to dissolve a little at a time into the egg whites. It should end with a nice glossy appearance. Gently fold in by hand the coconut and ground nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Touch each top with a little butter, this ensures a nice golden top. Bake at 325° for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Basic Cheesecake

This recipe is one of my favorites for a basic 6" cheesecake.  It is a "real" cheesecake that has a creamy, smooth quality to it. Some people may be afraid of the cheesecake old wives' tales but it really can be quite simple. I usually give it a jiggle to see if the middle appears set. If in doubt, I find that cheesecake really doesn't get overdone, it just cracks a bit on top but is still yummy.

Basic Cheesecake

Crust:

2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine the graham crackers with the butter and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 6" springform pan.  This can be tricky, don't worry about getting the crust up the whole side. It's alright if the filling is higher than the crust.

Filling:

3 eggs

2 8ounce packages of cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla (PLEASE do not use imitation)

3 cups sour cream

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (this can be omitted but I like the combination of the hint of lemon when serving it with a berry sauce)

Beat the eggs well. Add the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla and beat until light and smooth. Add the sour cream and just beat until blended. Pour into crust and bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes. When making cheesecake, use the time as a guideline, different elevations and different ovens may take less or more time. Remember the jiggle test, it should jiggle like set jello, not like soup.

Berry Topping:

3 cups fresh or frozen berries

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir continuously until thick and bubbly. Cool.

Ham & Potato Soup Recipe

This recipe came from my friend Jennifer Shimon, who made it for our family when Annika was born. We loved this non-heavy comfort food (it is a "cream" type soup without cream- you can use skim milk if you like) which was so fast to heat and serve when life is busy with a newborn. I now go to this recipe often when friends have babies or when we are just in the mood for it. It is one of my most requested recipes- enjoy!

Ham &Potato Soup

4 cups cubed peeled potatoes

1 1/4 cup chicken stock

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 Tablespoons parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

 dash dillweed (do not skip this- it makes the dish!)

3 1/2 cup milk

3 Tablespoons flour

1/2 cup milk

ham steak cubed (the original recipe did not call for ham, so put in as much or as little as you like. I usually buy a slice of ham steak)

In a large saucepan or small stockpot, add chicken stock, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and dillweed. Boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15- 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add ham. Add 3 1/2 cups milk and heat until hot (do NOT let the milk boil or the soup may separate.)  Blend flour and 1/2 cup milk and add to the soup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is thick.

We enjoy this soup with a package of Rhodes heat and serve buns (I know I should be making homemade but oh, well.) If you have time to pre-plan, this soup is much better the second day!

Texas Caviar Recipe

This recipe is from my friend Mandy Puls, who shared it with me since my husband always requested it when we saw her. I since usually make it for family gatherings at the cottage.

Texas Caviar

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 cup green peppers- diced

1 small jar jalepeno peppers- diced (I use a small can of diced chile peppers when I make it for a group or kids so it's not too spicy)

1 bag frozen corn- thawed

1/2-1 cup green onions- diced

Sauce=

1 cup sugar

1 cup oil ( vegetable or olive)

1/2 cup cider vinegar

Bring to a boil, then cool

Mix all ingredients together and let sit overnight, then drain. Keeps well. Serve with Fritos scoops.

*Any kind of peppers or beans can be used