I’d like to poll my readers to see which is the one small kitchen appliance that they couldn’t live without.  Honestly, this is a really tough question for me.  I depend on these appliances in my daily life, and without any one of them, life as I know it would be much different.

Please check out my poll at the bottom of the page and participate.  In a couple months, I’ll be going over the results of the poll and featuring some of my favorite brands of each of these items.

If you have any suggestions about these appliances or others, I’d love to hear them!

Keep in mind though, that it’s never too late to start either.  I’ve put together some great tips that I found through Better Homes and Gardens (one of my favorite magazines!) on making your own “green cleaners” right at home.  This will jump start you on your way to being green.  I’ve tried several of them and surprisingly, many work better than the comparable store-bought cleanser.  Try them out for yourself to see the results!

The Basic Ingredients of Do-It-Yourself Cleaners

• Baking Soda - This works best on proteins, grease, and animal messes. Because it’s slightly abrasive, it can be used for scouring — and, of course, it’s a natural deodorizer.
• Distilled White Vinegar -This mild acid works on alkaline substances, dissolving scale, inhibiting mold, and cutting soap scum. It’s terrific for stains such as coffee, rust, and tea.
• Simple Soap -Try castile soap, made with olive oil, or a vegetable-based soap. Both attach to soil at the molecular level, so you can rinse dirt away with water.

Home Cleaner Recipes

Soft Scrub - Add enough soap to 1/8 cup baking soda to make a creamy mixture. Apply with sponge to clean; rinse the surface well. Use and discard.

Appliance Cleaner - Dry baking soda shines up small appliances and even removes bread wrappers burned onto the toaster. Try rubbing a teaspoon onto your grubby blender or food processor with a clean flannel cloth.

Toilet Cleaner/Deodorizer - Sprinkle toilet bowl with 1/4 cup baking soda. Drizzle with 1/4 cup vinegar, then scour with a toilet brush.

Oven Cleaner - Sprinkle oven with 1/2 cup baking soda (more if needed) and spray with water. Let sit for several hours or overnight before scraping up stains and spills. Rinse thoroughly with water.

Hardwood Floor Cleaner - In a pail or bucket, mix 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar in one gallon warm water. Mop wood or linoleum floors, then rinse with water, making sure not to leave large pools to dry.

Scented Cleanser - Baking soda and salt are mild abrasives that can easily take the place of commercial scrubbing powders. Salt is slightly more abrasive but still gentle enough for most surfaces. Mix your own scented cleanser by stirring a drop or two of essential oil into baking soda or salt using a wire whisk. Store the mixture in a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. As the fragrance fades, refresh it with another drop of oil.

Lemon Scrubber - Borax and lemons are known for their cleaning and whitening powers, but each works differently. Because it is an alkali, borax is good for cutting grease, oil, and dirt. Lemons are slightly acidic, so they work well at eliminating soap scum and hard-water deposits. To get the benefits of both, dip a lemon half in borax and use it as a scrubber for the bathroom, kitchen counters, cupboards, and appliances — any surface that is likely to have both alkali and acidic dirt.  This recipe is great for cutting grease and soap scum.

Glass Cleaner - Make your own streak-free glass cleaner by mixing a solution of 2 cups water, 2 cups rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 cup ammonia. Put the mixture in a spray bottle (32 ounces or larger,) and use a clean, absorbent lint-free rag (soft cotton is ideal) to wipe the glass. The ammonia does most of the cleaning; the alcohol speeds up the drying time to help eliminate streaks.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 lb of green cabbage
• 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use real mayo, not Miracle Whip)
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Chop or shred cabbage into small pieces, add carrots and mix together in a large bowl.
2. Combine mayo, milk, vinegar, sugar and poppy seeds in a small bowl.
3. Pour liquid mixture over cabbage and carrots.  Toss to coat.
4. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
5. Prior to serving, stir cole slaw to make sure it’s evenly blended.

Now don’t get me wrong - chocolates and flowers are always good.  But my favorite thing to do is to personalize them.  You can do so many things with a bought gift to make it unique to the person whom you’re giving it to.  Use these unique ideas to personalize your Valentine’s Day gift this year:

• Red Hots or Hot Tamales- Use them to fill up a vase and stick in some chocolate flower candies, like a candy bouquet!
• Rub-On Letters - Use these neat letters to customize almost anything that has a flat surface.  Make your own picture frame and include a cute saying on the edge of the frame with a picture of your significant other inside.  This is also a great gift to give to any father, mother, or grandparent as well!
• Photo Album - Make your own photo album by putting together a mini scrapbook of special memories and moments.  You can even make it more suitable for Valentine’s Day by making it out of all pink and red colors, or make it more elegant by making a black and white photo album and simply tie a Valentine’s bow around the book for a closure.
• Pinata - buy or make a “Love” Pinata for your loved ones!  Any child or child-at-heart will truly appreciate this gift; plus, it’s fun and easy to do!  Stuff it with Valentine’s candy and have fun!
• “Love” Cookie Bouquet - Bake up some cute heart shaped sugar cookies on a stick and make a cookie bouquet this year!  You can then personalize them with your own unique phrases.
• Make Dinner Special - Cook for your loved one this Valentine’s Day.  It’s nice to make a special meal and enjoy the evening in peace and quiet without all of the hustle and bustle of a restaurant.  Check out this great cookbook by a very well-known New York Restaurant, Tavern on the Green to make this year’s meal special.  Don’t forget to turn down the lights, pour the wine, and light the candles!
• Breakfast in Bed - another great idea that any wife or husband will appreciate!  Make it special by using these heart shaped cutters to serve heart shaped eggs, heart shaped toast topped with raspberry jam.
• An iPod - You know they’ve been wanting one forever!  Pick up a Silver or Pink iPod for your significant other; but don’t stop there!  Open it up and load a bunch of your favorite love songs on it for them.
• A New Digital Camera - Purchase your loved one a new camera… go digital if you haven’t made the leap yet!  No price can be named for capturing those special moments!

What’s been your favorite Valentine’s Day gift that you’ve either given or received?  I’m willing to bet it was creative and thought out.  Do something special this year!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 (28 oz) can sauerkraut
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 3/4 cup of beer
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 lbs pre-cooked bratwurst or kielbasa

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, except wursts, in slow cooker.  Stir well.  Add meat and stir.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.

Makes 6 servings

This recipe comes from one of my favorite magazines, Easy Home Cooking, Issue October/November 2006.  Unfortunately, they have ceased publication, but these are definitely pulled out of recipe cupboard often!  I hope that you enjoy this one as much as we do!

To make Mulled Cranberry Tea, you’ll need:

• 2 tea bags
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 (48 oz) bottle of cranberry juice
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries (this is optional, but it definitely looks prettier with the berries.)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large lemon, cut into 1/4 inch slices (additional lemon for garnishing the glass is optional)
• 4 cinnamon sticks (optional: another 8 sticks will be needed if you wish to serve it with the tea)
• 6 whole cloves

Directions:

1. Place tea bags in a slow cooker. Pour boiling water over tea bags; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Stir in cranberry juice, cranberries (if desired), sugar, lemon slices, 4 cinnamon sticks and cloves. Cover; cook on LOW 2 to 3 hours or on HIGH 1 to 2 hours.
2. Remove and discard lemon slices, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Serve in warm mugs with additional lemon slices and cinnamon sticks.

Makes 8 servings

What’s your favorite warm winter beverage?

I’ve also found that the more that I let them help out in the kitchen, the better they eat the meal and the more appreciate (well as appreciative as a 2 and 3 year old can be) they are of the food.

Here’s a little video of my girls “cooking” Jello Instant Pudding. Chocolate of course! It’s something that they can do independently; which we all appreciate. I hope that all of you get the opportunity to share little moments like this with your loved ones!

Here they are showing off their Individual-sized Jello Packets

And it was obviously a huge hit! Mmmmm Chocolaty!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 6 or 7 large red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
• 1 lb of ham (cured works best, but any kind will do) chopped into small cubes
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can of 2% milk (if you don’t use cured ham, reduce milk by half, as other types of ham generally contain more water)
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp butter, chopped into smaller pieces

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, blend together milk and soup together. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper until mixed well.
2. Gently toss potatoes and ham together into a 3 quart baking dish.
3. Spread soup mixture over the top and sprinkle pieces of butter over all.
4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 90 minutes.
5. Let cool for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

This dish is great paired with corn or green beans and applesauce. Nothing like a home cooked meal! Serves 5-6 people.

To really understand if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, first we need to know what technically makes fruit a fruit, and what makes a vegetable a vegetable. The main factor to determining if produce is considered a fruit or a vegetable is to find out DOES IT HAVE SEEDS?

In the case with a tomato, the answer is yes; this means that technically, a tomato is a FRUIT.  It also means that cucumbers, squash, green beans and walnuts all fruits as well.

VEGETABLES such as, radishes, celery, carrots, and lettuce do not have seeds (that are part of what we eat anyways) and so they are put into the grouping of vegetables.

So… I don’t get it.  The tomatoes are always in the vegetable section of my grocery store.  In cookbooks, they’re always considered a vegetable as well.  No wonder why I always get confused as to the answer of this question.  If you ask me, a tomato is a vegetable.  Plain and simple.  Think about it… you don’t just pick up a big, juicy tomato and eat it like an apple now, do you?

What’s your verdict?  Is the tomato considered a fruit or vegetable?

With the holidays over, and the new year, it’s usually a common time of year to start cutting back on the calories, starting new diets, and eating more greens.  This is a great recipe for those of you who are trying to be more health conscious in 2009.

Polenta and Vegetables With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Polenta is a great addition to any vegetarian fare. A delicious alternative to tofu, this dish will not only leave you satisfied but will also fulfill nearly a quarter of your daily fiber needs. Try this meatless meal today.

Serves 4

Ingredients
* 1 cup uncooked instant polenta
* 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided
* 1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* Vegetable oil cooking spray
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or oregano) or 1 tbsp dried
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 8 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed
* 8 scallions, trimmed
* 2 small Japanese or Italian eggplants, trimmed and halved
* 1 medium-large yellow squash (about 1/2 lb), cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Sauce
* 1 jar (12 oz) prepared roasted red peppers, drained
* 1/3 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth
* 1 large clove garlic, chopped
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, basil or parsley (plus extra for garnish)
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preparation
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Add polenta in a stream, whisking to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/3 cup Parmesan and season with cayenne and salt. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Transfer polenta to pie plate, smooth into an even layer and let cool 15 minutes. Heat broiler. Whisk garlic, thyme, lemon juice and oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables with dressing. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange vegetables in 1 layer (or in 1 layer in a grill basket). Broil vegetables about 4 inches from heat until tender and slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter. Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Sprinkle polenta with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan. Broil polenta in pie plate until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, then cut polenta into 8 triangles. Divide polenta among 4 plates. Top with vegetables, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with chives. Serve any remaining sauce on the side.

Nutrition Facts:
* 280 calories per serving
* 7.2 g fat (2.3 g saturated)
* 45.4 g carbs
* 6.1 g fiber
* 9.8 g protein