Orange Vinegar

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I picked up a resealable bucket for free from one of the Amish shops I visit. It contained black ground pepper and still smells very strongly from it.

What I am doing is making an orange vinegar with it. I put the peels from an orange into the bucket, and have covered it with vinegar. I add new peels every time i peel and re cover the bucket with the sealed lid.

I can use this vinegar in a variety of ways. I can use it for an interesting kick to my recipes that require vinegar. I can use half vinegar and half water in a spray bottle as an effective surface cleaner. I can use an even more diluted vinegar mix as an acid rinse for my hair (dandruff fighting) and as a soap scum remover for the bath.


Cost? About 60 cents for the vinegar.

Replaces or enhances: Gourmet Balsamic Vinegar, Dandruff Shampoo, Hard Surface Cleaner, Fabric Softener, Water softener.

Reduces Plastic Packaging, and gas wasted on distribution of other products :)

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Homemade Soda Pop

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Description:
Yummy, and High Fructose Corn Syrup freeeeeee!

Ingredients:
1. 2 parts Sugar ( I use 2 cups of raw sugar)
2. 1 part Water (I use 1 cup)
3. Club Soda
4. Flavoring (I use sassafras concentrate for the root beer replacing the water with it or a couple tbsps of vanilla extract for cream soda. You can find other flavorings at the store or you can use ginger in the syrup, the possibilities are endless)

Time:
5 minutes
Difficulty:
Easy
Serving Size:
2 liters if you use 1 cup water and 2 cups of sugar

Preparation:

1. Clean your prep area! FFS what, were you born in a barn? Don't answer that. Do you have a funnel? A container to keep your syrup in? Do you have a pan? A measuring thingy?A spoon? Do you have flavoring? Good, let's go.

Instructions:
1. Put your water into the pan and boil it.
2. Add flavoring
3. Put your sugar in and boil one minute longer
4. Take off heat and let cool for a few minutes
5. Pour into a clean container and store in the fridge (you can keep it there for a week or two, remember no preservatives means it has a shelf life)
6. Use 4 Tbsp per 8 ounces of club soda
7. voila! Homemade soda!

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Chocolate Syrup of Win

Image by 427 via Flickr

1/2 cup of high fat (22-24%) Natural Cocoa powder
1 cup of water
2 cups of organic sugar
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 tsp of natural vanilla extract

In a 2 quart saucepan whisk the water and cocoa together over medium heat until simmering, stirring constantly. Whisk in the 2 cups of sugar slowly until it is all dissolved. Bring mixture to a rolling boil on medium high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and boil for 3 minutes, still whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in salt and vanilla. Store in a sterilized mason jar or bottle in the refrigerator. It will seem thin at first, but will thicken as it cools. Use on anything you would regular chocolate syrup on . It makes AWESOME chocolate milk. :D


Important note: You can use regular sugar, regular cocoa, regular vanilla in this recipe. It will still taste sooo much better than anything you can buy at the market. This is just what I have on hand.

MockBisquickity Mix

Light, fluffy and perfect! I absolutely cannot get enough of this Biscuit mix replacement. The lactose (milk sugar) adds the perfect amount of sweetness, and the salt isn't overpowering.

You'll need:

• 9 cups of AP flour (or whatever mix of wheat and white flour you want, just know that the more whole wheat you use, the heavier the mix will be)
• 2 Cups of Non-Fat INSTANT Dry milk powder. (I cannot stress the instant enough, if you don't know that difference, then you probably only have access to instant. The non instant is through the LDS Cannery)
• 1 Cup of Coconut Oil (It does not taste like coconuts. It's just very good for you, trust me)
• 1 Tbsp Sea Salt
• 1/4 cup Baking Powder

Mix it up in either a kitchenaid mixer with the whipping attachment or with a pastry cutter (or even a fork, just mix it up thoroughly) until it starts looking a bit like cornmeal. Use where you would use Bisquick. Store in a sealed container (I use a reclaimed #10 can that my freeze dried veggies came in) in the freezer to keep it at it's freshest, or in the refrigerator.