When Basil Bolts

When the summer sun starts to heat up, basil will attempt to bolt (or go to seed). Our basil did just that last week when temperatures here in Northern California reached into the 90's. 

The flowers are actually kind of pretty. They look like little rosettes from the top.

But since we would like to keep eating from these basil plants, and bolting can greatly diminish the flavor of the leaves, I trimmed back each stem about an inch or so below where it was flowering.

Once I had trimmed back each stem, I removed any larger leaves from each plant.  Harvesting basil actually promotes new growth, so regular harvesting is the best way to encourage basil to continue producing its yummy, tender leaves.

These plants were really full and I gathered about 2 1/2 cups packed full of basil leaves! We are making a big batch of pesto with it now to share with friends and family :)

Basil Pesto

Our favorite basil pesto recipe from SimplyRecipes.com

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup pine nuts

2 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

** We like to reduce the garlic so I've listed 2 cloves instead of the 3 that are called for in the original recipe. Make this pesto to suit your taste, it is delicious!

** If making ahead of time, mix only basil leaves, olive oil and pine nuts. Since garlic can become bitter when frozen and cheese can lose its flavor, its better to leave these ingredients out until you are ready to use the pesto.  I also find that making it this way, keeps it tasting fresh, even after it has been frozen. When ready to use, defrost and put in food processor.  Add cheese, garlic and salt & pepper, blend, and serve with a fresh baguette or some nice ripe tomatoes!

Enjoy!!!

Our new Clothesliner!

Last weekend we hung a clothesliner (my childhood term) in our front yard.  

We're really happy that we found a location that gets lots of sunshine and is mostly 

out from under the trees (we have a lot of trees so that wasn't easy!). 

We found all the parts we needed at our local hardware store and only spent 

about $25 for the whole kit and caboodle (even the clothespins!).

It goes from one tree, to our house, and its completely out of 

the way of our (and our neighbors) entry and walkway.

Of course Napali kept watch the entire time :)

And supervised as the first load of wash was hung to dry.

We're really happy with how it turned out.  

And our first load of wash dried in about 35-40 minutes, 

much faster than if I had put it in our dryer!

Spring Cleaning with Green...

I really like a nice clean, fresh smelling home.

 But I don't like cleaning with chemicals.    

So I've started to revamp the cleaning products I use to try and include more all natural (i.e. non-chemical) products. And after some time now (it's taken me a good 6-9 months) I'm not only comfortable with my new arsenal of cleaning products, I'm 100% confident that they are actually working to clean my home, and I have grown to like them much more than their chemical counterparts. So here's a run down of my go to products/recipes for cleaning every room in the house.

First I collected a few mason jars (which our favorite salsa happens to come in!) and ran them through the dishwasher, bought a pile of these soft towels, a scrubby brush, and a spray bottle. I don't recommend using old spray bottles from other cleaning products (unless they were all natural and chemical free to begin with) because the residue of the original cleaning product may be difficult to completely clean out of the bottle and spray mechanism.

ALL-Purpose Countertop/Tabletop/Hard Surface Cleaner

You will need an empty spray bottle and the following ingredients:

2 tsp. Baking soda

4 tbsp. White distilled vinegar
1 tsp. Dish Soap

warm water
10-20 drops essential oil

Begin by mixing the baking soda, vinegar and dish soap in the spray bottle. You will notice this mixture foams up quite a bit (this is the baking soda reacting with the vinegar). Give it a few minutes to settle down and then add your favorite essential oil (our favorite is Rosewood Oil) and enough warm water to fill the spray bottle about 3/4 of the way full.

Spray on the counter or any surface that needs cleaning (i.e. tabletop, coffee table, end tables, night stands, dressers etc.) and wipe with a soft cloth. We get these cloths at Ikea by the bundle. They're great and they have a little tab to hang them with in between uses.  Just throw them in the wash when they get real messy and use them again and again. No paper towels please!

KITCHEN

We are big cooks and bakers, so our kitchen gets A LOT of use and it's especially important to me that the space where we prepare and enjoy our food is clean. I keep the ALL-Purpose Cleaner (listed above) under the sink because I probably reach for it 10 times a day! Here are some others that I have found to work well.

Sink Cleaner
Sprinkle the bottom of the sink with a bit of salt. Using a scrubby brush, clean the bottom of the sink. Salt is a mild abrasive as well as a disinfectant and will keep your sink nice and clean. For any tea stains, rub half of a cut lemon all over the surface of the sink and rinse with hot water. The used lemon can then be put down the garbage disposal for a nice lemony fresh smell :)

Faucet and Pots & Pans (or anything you want shiny :)
Mix together equal parts Baking Soda & Water. Rub with a soft cloth on the surface to be cleaned and then buff to a shine with a clean dry cloth.

Cutting Boards
To keep wooden cutting boards fresh, rub with a freshly cut lemon and rinse clean with hot water.

Also....
I keep boxes of baking soda in the fridge, the freezer, the trashcan and under the sink to absorb any foul odors and keep everything smelling like it should.

And did I mention these sponges?! We love them! They are made by a company called TWIST and they are 100% biodegradable and work really well. No more chemicals anywhere in my kitchen :)

BATHROOM

All Purpose Cleaner listed above works great for any counter top surfaces, the back of the toilet, etc.

Toilet Cleaner
Baking Soda
White Distilled Vinegar

Sprinkle baking soda inside toilet bowl, along the edges of the water line and the sides. Then pour vinegar over the baking soda. The baking soda will immediately react and foam up (I find this part very satisfying :) Scrub with a toilet brush and let sit for 10 minutes before flushing. If needed, repeat.

Mirror & Window Cleaner
White Distilled Vinegar
Water
Mix in a spray bottle and wipe with a soft clean cloth or newspaper for a shiny clean mirror/window.

Bath Tub Scrub
Mix the following together in an airtight container (I like to use a mason jar)
1 cup Baking Soda
1/2 cup Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap
Essential Oil

Scoop a couple of spoonfuls onto the tub floor and with a scrubby brush, and scrub it clean! If you have any trouble spots (or a tub ring) just leave the tub scrub for a few minutes before scrubbing. Rinse clean with water. This mixture will keep for up to a year in your cabinet, just keep it in an airtight container.

One of my favorite books for all natural cleaning recipes, and where you can find several of the recipes listed here is Organic Home by Rosamond Richardson. I constantly reference this book for anything from how to clean a stain off the couch to how to treat the dog for fleas and ticks.

Happy Spring Cleaning!