Category Archives: recipes

Tuscan Lentil Stew

by Miragluten free, grains, legumes, recipes, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian

I love lentils

This recipe is one that I created as sort of an Italian style ratatouille, a French peasant stew. I substituted the lentils for the eggplant to give a protein boost and it's a great variation. Served over polenta with a side of spinach sauteed with garlic, lemon and Italian spices it makes a fabulous meal. So I've decided to call it Tuscan Lentil Stew. Whatever you call it, it sure is delicious! And the leftovers, if there are any, are even better than the original because the flavors continue to mellow and combine even after cooking.

Lentil nutrition

Lentils referred to in Indian cuisine as daal, come in a number of different colors/types. There are the traditional brown lentils that most of us see at the grocery store. You can however also buy red lentils, which have less fiber, the dark French green ones, a yellow lentil, and a type called Masoor which are brown on the outside but red on the inside. When combining lentils with a grain, such as rice, you get a complete protein as all of the essential amino acids are present.

Lentils are tasty little legumes which pack a powerful nutrition punch. High in fiber, protein, folate, iron, potassium, folate, and manganese, they are quick-cooking and easy to use in a wide variety of dishes and cuisines. They don't require lots of soaking and can be quickly prepared and ready for a dish without too much effort.

Tuscan Lentil Stew

2019-08-08 06:50:53

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Ingredients

1 C. lentils rinsed and picked over
1 onion chopped small
3 cloves garlic minced
3 zucchini cut into 1/2" slices
1 bell pepper diced
3 tomatoes diced
1 1/2 t. Italian herbs
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. olive oil
2 1/2 C. vegetable stock

Instructions

In a stockpot heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic until onion is starting to soften
Add the herbs and bell pepper and saute one more minute
Add remaining ingredients and simmer on med-low until lentils are done, about 30 minutes
You may need another 1/2 C. of stock
Salt to taste

Notes

Delicious served over polenta and topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

Easy Polenta

2019-08-08 06:54:32

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Ingredients

1 C. cornmeal (I prefer fresh ground but you can use store bought, be sure it's organic corn)
1 tsp. salt
3 C. water

Instructions

Bring water and salt to a boil
Reduce water to a simmer
Very slowly add cornmeal (this is important to avoid lumps)
Cook approximately 20 minutes until mixture thickens
Remove from heat and pour into a pie plate (for triangles) or a cake pan (for squares)
Let polenta set for 10-15 minutes
cut and serve

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

Updates for Tuscan Lentil Stew

This continues to be one of my most popular recipes. I love when I hear back from readers who make my recipes. Here are some of the comments I've received

Claire writes, “Tonight I invited my girl friend over for dinner and used your recipe to cook the lentil dish . I added a lot of Italian seasoning and ground basil and the aroma when the stew was simmering was just fantastic. Both my friend and I enjoyed the flavor as well. She needed to add some salt to it as I didn't put salt. But for me this dish is so flavorful, even without salt I didn't feel like it was missing anything (plus the chicken stock already contains sodium). I like the combination of the colors, textures, and flavors of the Italian seasoning, tomatoes, onions, and lentils, which really works! We served it over brown rice and it was great!

Thanks for your creativity & recipe. I have always enjoyed reading your posting about nutrition and yummy recipes. Keep up the great work!“

Carol wrote in and shared a number of wonderful thoughts:

Her method for making polenta “I put the mixture into the top of a double boiler and then don't need to keep stirring or even to check it, until it is about ready and it does not scorch if I don't check right on time.” – This is a great idea and I plan to try the double boiler method the next time I make polenta. One of the things that I like most about this method is that it removes the possibility of scorching which can be a problem.
“I don’t have any “Italian spice” mix but assume that it would include basil, oregano, parsley and perhaps a bay leaf and or some rosemary I’m really looking forward to trying, tasting then relishing this dish this evening.” – My personal mix, which I use for an Italian style seasoning if I happen to be out of my favorite Penzey's Italian Herb Mix, is 1 tsp oregano + 1 tsp basil + 1/2 tsp thyme + 1/2 tsp rosemary (crushed in a mortar and pestle) + 2 tsp parsley. This makes more than you need for the Tuscan Lentil Stew recipe but is delicious on a lot of things.
“I’m eating the stew right now; it is delicious. The lentils (which are a small dark variety) cooked up fine in the half-hour with just a prior rinsing, no soaking needed. I cubed a ball of buffalo mozzarella into the polenta after it cooled for 10 minutes, before transferring it to a round pan to firm up. Now, with the hot stew on top, the cheese melted into the wedge and the topping of freshly grated Parmesan on top give it all an extra, rich fillip. Thank you for sharing this recipe.“ – I love the idea of cubing some mozzarella into the recipe and can see how that would add a tasty texture to the polenta.

If you're looking for more delicious recipes using lentils:

photo courtesy of Claire Wang

Banana French Toast

by Mirabaking, breakfast, recipes, substitutions, vegetarian

Banana french toast makes a delicious breakfast. It's a great way to use up that last banana or two that is close to the edge if you don't have any more room in your freezer.

I freeze bananas two different ways. Peeled and stored in a ziplock they are great for throwing in to smoothies. The frozen consistency gives a little “slush” to the smoothie. If I'm going to use them for baking I leave them in their peels. That way when they are thawed you can snip the ends and they “goosh” right out.

But we've had our fill of smoothies and banana-baked goods lately. Not wanting to store the last banana I decided to use it up a different way. When they were little my girls used to make banana milk by blending together a banana, a cup of milk, and a splash of vanilla. I did made some and soaked the bread in it (leaving out the egg) to make banana French toast. It was delicious. A nice delicate banana-y flavor and we didn't even miss the egg at all. You could even make this vegan by using almond or rice milk instead of cow's milk. I topped mine with some orange marmalade and it was fabulous.

So if you need another way to use up some bananas give this a try, I think you'll enjoy it.

photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

A Delicious Twist On Cranberries

by Mirafruit, holidays, recipes, thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and as folks begin to plan their holiday menu out comes a wonderful fruit that only seems to make an appearance once or twice a year, cranberries. These deliciously tart fruits are grown on low shrubs in bogs. They're grown commercially in the Northern US and Canada with most of the crop being turned into juice, craisins (dried cranberries) or canned “sauce.”

It is believed that Native Americans shared the berries with the starving Pilgrims in Massachusetts and this may explain part of its appearance on our Thanksgiving table.

Health Benefits of Cranberries

It is unfortunate that cranberries don't play a larger role in our diet. These luscious red berries are high in fiber, a great source of vitamin C and also provide a lot of manganese and vitamin K. They are also high in anthocyanins and anti-inflammatory antioxidants. As if that wasn't enough, their health benefits range from improving cardiovascular health and supporting brain function to helping fight H. pylori and E. coli bacteria in the body.

Many folks are familiar with the use of cranberries as a treatment for urinary tract infections. A recent study, published this year, 2009, in the Scandinavian Journal of Nephrology and Urology, found that “daily consumption of concentrated cranberry juice can significantly prevent the recurrence of symptomatic UTIs in children.” It is important to note that this would be 100% cranberry juice with no added sugar, not cranberry juice cocktails which tend to be more popular.

Sweet and Spicy Recipes

This year for Thanksgiving we're having our traditional cranberry orange sauce which everyone loves. Now that we live in Texas we're going to add a new tradition and make a cranberry salsa. I bought a large bag of cranberries and will keep the extra (they freeze really well) to use throughout the winter in cranberry muffins, cranberry scones, to use in salads, I even put some in oatmeal with maple syrup for a tangy breakfast treat.

If cranberry makes an appearance on your Thanksgiving table, try making your own sauce instead of purchasing the over-processed jellied mass they sell in cans, it's not a lot of effort and it's so much tastier.

Cranberry Orange Sauce

2018-11-08 16:47:39

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Ingredients

1 C. water
3/4 C. evaporated cane juice crystals
3 C. cranberries
1 orange chopped fine (I use a Cuisinart)
generous pinch cinnamon
nutmeg (I use a nutmeg grater and shave several times)

Instructions

bring the water and cane juice to a boil, stirring until crystals are dissolved
reduce to a simmer, add cranberries, orange, and spices
cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop
remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before serving

Notes

One really delicious way to use leftovers is to add a dollop to a bowl of oatmeal

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

Cranberry Salsa

2018-11-08 16:52:14

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Ingredients

2 C. fresh cranberries
2 bell peppers
3 spring onions, minced
1/4 C. evaporated cane juice crystals
3/4 C. fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
generous pinch sea salt
1 t. crushed red pepper

Instructions

Put cranberries and peppers into a food processor and chop well
put mixture into a bowl and add remaining ingredients
toss well and let sit at least 2 hours before serving for flavors to blend

Notes

This is a fabulous topping for a warmed brie with organic corn chips

The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/

Sources

Ferrara, P., et al. Cranberry juice for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections: a randomized controlled trial in children. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 2009;43(5):369-72
Matsushima, M., et al. Growth inhibitory action of cranberry on Helicobacter pylori. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Dec;23 Suppl 2:S175-80
Zafra-Stone, S., et al. Berry anthocyanins as novel antioxidants in human health and disease prevention. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2007 Jun;51(6):675-83.

No-knead Mesquite Bread

by Mirabaking, bread, gluten free, legumes, recipes

Those inventive folks over at Craftzine.com have come up with a new twist on the, by now, ubiquitous no-knead bread. Laura, one of the Editorial Assistants, found my post about mesquite flour and emailed me to let me know about this really fun article on how to harvest and process mesquite to make the flour. It includes a recipe for No-Knead Mesquite Bread which they said I could share with all of you. Living here in Texas I know we have mesquite, but there isn't any in my area. I'm going to have to learn to identify it though so that if I find any in my travels I can harvest the pods.

No Knead Mesquite Bread Recipe

3 cups white flour
3 tbls mesquite flour
½ tsp yeast
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups of water

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl
Add water and mix
Stir with fork (mix will be sticky)
Cover in a bowl, let sit overnight
Place bread dough on cutting board covered with towel for 2 hours
In metal bowl bake in sun oven @ 350 for 1 hour

photo courtesy of: Wendy Tremayne

Strawberry-Colada Scones

by Mirabaking, gluten free, grains, oats, recipes

Having leftover fresh ground flour from the ricotta pancakes, I decided to make some scones.

Scones are great! Not as dense as muffins, the right size for a snack and, like muffins, very pliable to modification.

Rummaging around the pantry and fridge revealed some strawberry yogurt and the last little bit of shredded coconut so strawberry-colada became the flavor of the day.

Unfortunately, I did not have any fresh or dried strawberries which I think would have made these scones even better; the currants worked well but the scones were a little light in the strawberry flavor.

In the future, I'll make sure to have strawberries available the next time I want to bake these.

In the past when I have made scone recipes using fresh ground flour I find that sometimes they are more dense than I'd like. Wanting to make sure these were light more fluffy I separated the egg. If you are using whole grain flour you may want to do the same.

Strawberry-Colada Scones

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Ingredients

1 C. oat flour
1 C. brown rice flour
1/3 C. evaporated cane juice crystals
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
generous pinch of sea salt
1 C. strawberry yogurt
1 egg separated
1/4 C. coconut oil melted
1/2 C. currants
1/2 C. shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400
Beat egg whites until peak forms, set aside
Mix together egg yolk, coconut oil and yogurt until fully blended
In a separate bowl mix together flour, cane juice crystals, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
Add dry mixture to yogurt mixture until just moistened
Gently fold in currants and shredded coconut
Gently fold in egg whites
Drop by tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet
Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown
Let cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to rack. Enjoy!

Ricotta Pancakes With Honey Glazed Plums

by Mirabreakfast, gluten free, grains, oats, pancake, recipes, vegetarian

Cooking and baking is always an adventure. Inspiration is all around you if you are open to it. There's no real explanation for why or how ideas come together but I can honestly say that frequently it's a matter of "oh gosh there's X in the fridge and I better use it up." Then I make something using that ingredient.

Most of the time I make tried and true recipes, either my own or those from trusted cookbooks. Sometimes the inspiration is something I ate elsewhere that I really liked and have been given the recipe. Other times the recipes find me but I somehow can't help playing with them a little bit.

Recipe inspiration

Such is the case with today's breakfast. The inspiration was a click-through Twitter post that brought me to Almost Bourdain's (AB's) blog, which I just discovered and like a lot. He credits his inspiration for this recipe to Bill Granger, I credit my inspiration to him. It's kind of neat how that works, we're all connected by this idea of ricotta in pancakes but we each put a slightly different twist to it; all of them, I'm sure, very delicious.

Substitute with what you have

My changes came about because I am trying to work more with gluten-free recipes lately. These are for a few people I know who are faced with gluten sensitivity. It's also, as always, inspired by what I have on hand.

AB's version calls for bananas and honeycomb. I didn't have enough bananas but did have plums. I didn't have any honeycomb either (and I miss my friends from CT who used to supply me with it) but I did have honey. Together with some breakfast sausage this made a great meal and is definitely on the repeat again list. I hope you like it too.

Honestly, these were fabulous. I would even consider serving them as a dessert by making the pancakes smaller and putting a dollop of creme fraiche on top with a dusting of cinnamon. Yum!

Ricotta Pancakes with Honey Glazed Plums

Indulge your taste buds with these luxurious ricotta pancakes topped with honey-glazed plums. The creamy texture of ricotta cheese combined with the sweetness of honey-glazed plums creates a decadent breakfast treat.

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Ingredients

For the pancakes:
1 1/3 C. ricotta cheese
3/4 C. buttermilk (for a little tang to offset the honey glazed plums)
4 eggs separated
1/2 C. fresh ground oat flour
1/2 C. fresh ground brown rice flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla
pinch salt
For honey-glazed plums:
2 plums
2 T. honey
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 t. butter

Instructions

Pancake instructions:
Beat egg whites until peaks form, set aside
Mix ricotta, egg yolks, vanilla, and buttermilk together until well blended
Mix together flours, baking powder and salt
Gently add flours into ricotta mixture
Gently fold egg whites into mixture until just blended
Grop by 1/4 C. measure into medium hot, greased pan
After 2 minutes flip to cook other side
Instructions for plums:
Cut plums into bite sized pieces
Toss with honey and cinnamon
In a medium-hot pan melt butter
Add plum mixture and stir until plums begin to soften just a little (about 7 minutes)
Serve pancakes with plums on top

Green Goddess Dressing

by Miraherbs and spices, recipesgreen dressing, parsley

When I was a kid we always had Green Goddess in the house, I think it was my father's favorite dressing. Creamy and a little tangy it was great.

Somehow when I got older I never had it in the house. Then I had kids and, like most kids I know, they had an instant love affair with creamy ranch. That and vinaigrette became the house standards. Oh sure, every now and then we'd get wild and throw in French Catalina or a Thousand Island, but most of the time we stuck with our good old standby dressings.

I recently had an excess of parsley; not wanting to freeze it, since frozen tiny packets of herbs tend to get lost in my freezer, I was casting around for an idea when I remembered this dressing. Paging through my favorite cookbook of all times, the 1975 edition of Joy of Cooking, I found a recipe on page 364. I made a few changes based on ingredient availability and personal taste (I do not like anchovies). This is my modified version:

Green Goddess Dressing

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Ingredients

1 C. mayonnaise
1 minced clove garlic
1/4 C. minced green onions
1/2 C. minced parsley (the original recipe calls for 1/4 C. but I like it with more parsley)
1 T. lime juice (it's supposed to be lemon but I was out)
1 T. tarragon vinegar
1/2 t. salt
ground black pepper
1/2 C. yogurt (this is supposed to be sour cream but I was also out of that)

Instructions

Blend it all together and put in the fridge until ready to use.
This makes almost a pint, however in addition to a salad dressing, it also makes a delicious dressing for wrap sandwiches.

Banana Bonanza

by Mirabaking, gluten free, recipes

Bananas are a comfort food for almost everyone. Creamy, tasty, and sweet, they are easy to eat. Everyone knows they are good for you (and unlike most other “good for you” foods this does not seem to bother anyone). Everyone also knows that bananas are a very good source of potassium. Most people, however, don't realize that there are a number of other healthy reasons to eat bananas.

Why eat bananas

They are high in fiber, in the form of pectin, which is excellent for helping to ease constipation (because of the high potassium content bananas are also a good choice when it comes to replenishing the electrolytes lost due to diarrhea). Bananas also provide a high percentage of our daily amount of vitamin B6, which, according to Phyllis Balch, author of Prescription for Nutritional Healing, “is involved in more bodily functions than any almost any other single nutrient.” B6 is important for the immune, nervous and cardiac systems and is also important for circulatory health. Another helpful component of bananas is something called protease inhibitors; these can be helpful in stopping the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.

Starch versus antioxidants

Although we are used to seeing only two to three different varieties in the supermarket, there are believed to be around 500 varieties, including plantains. They come in all different colors and sizes. Bananas can be eaten when they are green, providing something called resistant starch which has a fiber-like effect on your system and also helps to promote “good” bacteria. The riper the bananas are when you consume them, the more antioxidants they provide, making them a great all-around fruit.

How to freeze bananas

Most people do not like to eat very ripe bananas. When the fruit starts to get spotted on the outside they are frequently considered to be “over-ripe” although this is usually not the case. But if you won't eat them the issue becomes what to do with them. If they are too ripe for your palate and you are not in the mood to bake you can freeze them.

If you want to use bananas in smoothies you can peel them and then freeze them. Be sure to lay them flat while freezing to make it easier to remove from the container and throw into your blender.

If they are going to be used in baking you can simply freeze them peel and all. I would, however, suggest still bagging them together. Otherwise, you wind up with a rather large collection of frozen bananas in all corners of your freezer (ask me how I know this LOL). Freezing bananas in the peel is fabulous because when you are ready to use them you simply let them thaw on the counter. After they thaw you can snip the end off the banana and let it “goosh” into your mixing bowl where it will incorporate itself very nicely into the batter.

Banana Pecan Chocolate Bundt Bread

Today I happened to have 5 very ripe bananas and decided that it was a good day to bake. The following recipe is modified from one originally given to me by my friend Theresa. She got it from her grandmother, the family name for it was 1940's Banana Bread. The basic recipe is the same, I've merely changed the flour to gluten-free, the sugar to evaporated cane juice, and added pecans, chocolate chips, and a little vanilla to make a wonderfully tasty banana bread. Theresa bakes hers in loaf pans but I love making this in a bundt for that little extra touch.

4-5 ripe bananas

2 eggs

2 C. gluten-free flour (such as Pamela's)

1 C. evaporated cane juice crystals

2 t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

1/2 C. chopped pecans

1/2 C. chocolate chips

preheat oven to 325 degrees F

grease a bundt pan and set aside

in a large mixing bowl mix bananas together

beat in eggs one at a time

add in flour, sugar and baking soda until well incorporated

add in vanilla, pecans and chocolate chips until well incorporated

pour batter into bundt pan

bake 1 hour or until cake pick inserted into batter comes out clean

remove cake from oven and let sit 10 minutes on cake rack

invert to release cake from bundt pan and let cool completely

Changing A Recipe

by Mirabaking, fats and oil, grains, holidays, questions, recipes, substitutions, sweetenersingredients, recipe, swap

For many people learning to cook is a fun activity; often it's something you learn when you're growing up. In the beginning you learn by simply following the recipes. That's why baking is sometimes equated to science, it has to do with the exactness of the recipes. That science-type focus can make it difficult to understand what to do when it comes to changing a recipe though.

Why do you need to know how to change your recipes? Maybe you've run out of certain ingredients, or, need to make dietary changes to your recipe. Making these substitutions is not always easy and actually can be somewhat challenging. You need to understand the differences between ingredients, which can be subtle and often requires trial and error.

Below are some guidelines to help you get started when it comes to switching up your ingredients.

Baking soda or baking powder?

Before we get into the substitutions I feel it's important to clarify the difference between baking soda and baking powder. A lot of people think they're interchangeable. They can be but you need to be aware of how they each function in order to know if the substitution will work. Some recipes may call for both while other recipes may call for just one of them.

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, requires acidity plus heat in order to create the rising action. However, this means that when you're using baking soda you need to be able to pop the recipe into the oven as soon as possible after mixing to take maximum advantage of the rising ability.

Baking powder, on the other hand, is essentially baking soda pre-mixed with an acidifying agent such as cream of tartar plus a drying agent, or starch, of some kind. Single-acting baking powder becomes active immediately after it is mixed with liquid. So the batter does need to be put into the oven as soon as possible.

Double-acting baking powder has a split reaction, partly when the liquid is added, and then a second reaction when the batter is exposed to heat in the oven. Because of this, recipes using double-acting baking powder can be held aside for a short while before you bake them.

Baking powder can be a good substitute for baking soda. If you only have baking soda and need baking powder you'll need to add 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda; as an example, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar plus ½ teaspoon baking soda creates the correct ratio.

Substitutions

I've made some great doorstops/hockey pucks in my time by switching everything in a recipe and not understanding where or how I needed to make further changes. Keeping notes along the way is important. It can help you understand the evolution of your recipe and help prevent those inedible disasters.

I will share from personal experience that if you try to change everything at once you may find that you get an unpleasant result, so be careful when swapping. I usually change the flour first, then the fat, then the sugar.

Sugars

1 cup of sugar → substitute 1 cup of applesauce

You'll need to reduce the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup – good for cookies, muffins, and quickbreads

2 Tablespoons sugar → ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Good for any baked goods, up to 4 tablespoons of sugar

1 cup sugar → 2 Tablespoons stevia powder or 1 teaspoon liquid stevia

The recipe may need further modification to make up for the loss of the volume of sugar

Flour/Starch

7/8 cup white flour → 1 cup whole wheat flour

You may need to let the batter sit for a few minutes to allow the extra fiber to absorb some of the liquid in the recipe

1 cup white flour → 1 cup mashed black beans

Wonderful in brownies

1 cup white flour → 1 cup nut flour + ½ teaspoon baking soda or baking powder

1 cup white flour → 1/3 cup coconut flour + 1 egg + a splash of water

Good for pancakes, cookies, and cake

1 cup white flour → 1 cup gluten-free flour blend

Depending on the recipe you may need to add tapioca starch or xanthan gum to make up for the loss of gluten

Fat and Dairy

1/2 cup oil or butter → ½ cup applesauce

Good for muffins or quick breads

1 cup butter → ¾ cup prunes + ¼ cup boiling water blended together

Good for brownies and other chocolate-flavored baked goods

1 Tablespoon butter → 3 Tablespoons ground flax seeds + 1 Tablespoons water

Let the mixture sit for 8-10 minutes to thicken before adding to the batter

1 cup oil or butter → 1 cup mashed banana

Good in brownies, muffins, or cookies

1 cup buttermilk or kefir → 1 cup whole milk + 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes to sour

1 cup milk → ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water blended together

If you need a slightly thicker consistency you can use a little more evaporated milk and a little less water

Eggs

The video below is a great resource for how to make substitutions for eggs.

Natural Window Cleaner And Weed Killer You Can Make At Home

by Miraenvironment, holidays, questions, recipes, vinegarhome cleaner

My friend Tracy recently asked, "I'm looking for a natural window cleaner as well as a natural weed killer. Do you have any proven concoctions you would like to share? I'd love to give up the Windex, and pulling weeds around the pool patio -- well, let's just say there must be a better way!" Luckily, there is a better way, and surprisingly, you can use the same key ingredient for both (with some disclaimers).

Natural Window Cleaner

For windows, the classic vinegar and water solution works wonders. I use ¼ cup white vinegar mixed with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. This simple solution leaves mirrors, glass, and chrome streak-free and sparkling clean. You can easily make a variety of effective household cleaners using common ingredients. For more great DIY cleaning recipes, check out Women's Voices for the Earth, where you'll find everything from all-purpose cleaners to drain openers.

Natural Weed Killer

Weeds are a bit trickier. A study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Horticulture found that vinegar (acetic acid) is effective as a weed killer, but a stronger 20% solution works best. Most household vinegar is only 5%, making the 20% solution harder to find for regular home use.

However, I’ve successfully used a mixture of vinegar, liquid soap, and water to kill weeds—especially in areas like brick pathways, where you want to avoid harming nearby plants. Be careful with this spray, as it affects most plants it touches. A single application usually kills the plant, though plants with fuzzy leaves seem to be more resistant. For weeds with thick roots, like dandelions, multiple applications may be necessary to fully weaken and eliminate them.

Here’s the formula I use:

1 part dish soap
2 parts vinegar
2 parts water

For a small batch, mix ½ cup dish soap, 1 cup vinegar, and 1 cup water.

It feels great to use simple, natural ingredients that work without resorting to harsh chemicals that are harmful to both you and the environment.