Thinking outside of the box

I think everyone has the ability to think outside of the box if they want to. I know I am always trying to find easier or smarter ways to do things. My biggest passion is cooking and preparing food that make you want to devour it. We all eat with our eyes first and how our food looks does matter. A few days ago I saw a young boy in my local market clearly searching for some ingredients on a recipe he had on his phone. When I came up the aisle he ask me if I could help him find a certain spice. He told me he was making a special dish for his mom's birthday as a surprise. I was amazed at the complexity of the recipe he was planning and I quickly volunteered to help him find the remaining items he needed.
The last item on his list called for the zest of an orange. There were no graters to be found and he was on foot to shop. After looking all around the store for an alternate tool to accomplish the task I came across an "as seen on TV display" with a device designed to shave foot callouses. I realized it had a micro plain in it and a nice compartment to hold the shavings. I explained to the boy how the micro plains designed for food preparation had the same metal parts but way more expensive and that this would work well for his task at hand and may other tasks in the future. This young man had such a passion a lot like my own for preparing food and was very grateful for all of my help. I told him that it was really my pleasure to meet someone so young who already had such a gift to share with his mom. I think he was about 13 and very mature and determined.
So don't be afraid to think outside of the box because in a pinch you can almost always find an alternative to solve a problem if you need to. Just look at the ad and I think you will see this tool through new eyes. http://cli.gs/q28663

Back to cleaning and being green at home

Still trying to be more Green at Home? I just spent a few hours steam cleaning my bathroom tile so I could put our new kitten in there and know she would be in a safe environment. I recently rescued an abandoned kitten that needed to be quarantined. My daughter named her "Toad" because she sleeps with a stuffed green frog so she can go green too. Now she has room to run around and play safely. The steam cleaner made it really easy to clean with no chemicals to worry about and it did a great job. For a great deal on a small cleaner check this out: http://marycre8s.dealshop.us/asseenontv-offers/Monster-1200-Steam-Cleaner-As-Seen-On-TV
The money I save on cleaning products is substantial.

I love Halloween

I just found a great spooky soup on the Design Mom's blog I have listed. Last week I gave my friends eyes to eat. They were mini Caprese salads in little cups. They were a big hit. The soup is the next step. There are so many fun things to serve up on this fun night.

Tips for going green at home

I like to think of myself as a person who can save a little piece of the world each day and give a little back to life each day. I get a great feeling about life each time I volunteer for something or teach a child about the importance of recycling and volunteering. Too many people say they are too busy to volunteer for anything and their kids learn from their examples but there are so many programs that wouldn't exist if they didn't have people donating their time, talent and money.

I don't have any extra change to give away at this time but I do give of my time and talents to several groups and I like to think I make a difference. I have also organized school programs to help kids learn to give their time and talent to things in their own communities. I even serve on a board for a major food pantry.

I do several things at home to save money, help our planet, and to be creative which is the base of my talents. I recycle bottles and cans from my household and my neighbors house. I do my own repairs around the house from plumbing to carpentry and other handyman tasks and I always offer to help my elderly neighbors fix things in their homes. I rebuilt two window frames last year instead of replacing them which saved me about $1500.00 and it also meant I didn't have to throw away the parts that could be saved.

My latest discovery was to use a steam cleaner to clean my kitchen and bathroom and give up all of the harsh chemicals cleaners I used to use. I have a cousin who had some health issues with some products using one of these and having a housekeeper cleaning just about everything with water only. It was amazing how it cleaned in tough spots like the edge around her cook top burners and the grout in her tile counter top. I was hooked right away.

Check out my Twitter page and find out more about steam cleaning tools.