oat milk

One of the ingredients hanging around in my cupboard, not being used, is oats. I try to like oatmeal, and it's not awful, but Erik doesn't care much for it so I forget to make it. A few nights ago, I came across this awesome post about making a variety of things with your juicer, one of which was oat milk! Suddenly, my juicer use has been taken to an all time high. 

I don't like milk very much, and tend to only use it to make yogurt. Almond milk is my usual purchase in the way of milk alternatives, but I'm completely willing to make a switch if it means not needing to buy anything. Finally, a use for all those oats.

One thing to note, however, is if your juicer has a small top opening, it's a little painful trying to get all the oats and water through without making a giant mess. I managed to, for the most part, contain my mess, but it was a little annoying having oat water spill around the juicer and countertops. I suggest something like a funnel or a small ladle (not a giant one, like I was silly enough to use) for a less likely chance of creating a lake on your counters.

If you don't own a juicer, here is a recipe for making oat milk with a blender and strainer. You can add sweeteners or seasonings to your milk if you care to, but I left mine plain.

Oat Milk

1 cup oats (anything but quick, I have steel cut)

3 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Soak oats in 1 cup of water overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, add the rest of the water to the oats and stir. Pour mixture into juicer, using funnel or ladle. When all the mixture has been juiced, take out the oat pulp and re-juice, just to get every last bit out. Pour into a jar or bottle, cover and store in the refrigerator up to a week or so.

The Simple Things//Magazine

Open publication - Free publishing - More family

I discovered a "sneak peak" into The Simple Things magazine over a month ago, bookmarked it, and totally forgot about it because of where it was in my bookmarks. I found it again over the weekend and am so pleased I did.  It sent a sigh of contentedness through my soul. The magazine looks to be so delightful and I'm eager to get a copy myself. 

The style reminds me of why I enjoy all the cookbooks I do. Homemade, Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights and La Tartine Gourmande all share a love for the simple joy that is excellent food, special moments and a beautiful cheese plate. And not excellence in the overdone. No,  excellence in a few fresh ingredients, some flowers picked and a well-used, but beautiful tablecloth. 

It is gems like these that I treasure forever, the ones that teach me time and again that simple is the best path to take, the truly beautiful. For one can have the overdone, but is it something you can recreate day after day, to be enjoyed time and again?

Take a moment to peek through this delightful magazine yourself.  Perhaps it will make you sigh, as well.

You can check out The Simple Things blog here

The greatest of feasts

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” 

―James Beard

I mentioned last week that I was baking bread and making butter as part of the "projects" section of my menu.  It's not a routine (or even common) event in my kitchen, but when I do happen to pull out the yeast and cream, it certainly results in a very happy me.  I end the day feeling accomplished  and as though I am truly living the simple, beautiful life.

For what is it to bake one's own bread and churn (mix) one's own butter?  What makes these used-to-be menial, weekly tasks so jaw-dropping?  Are we so accustomed to mediocrity (bread that tastes like nothing good and margarine standing in) that things which used to be normal and routine are now something to be cherished.  Can you imagine 100 years ago, saying "oh my goodness, you bake your own bread?"  

How things have changed.

Butter
2-4 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Salt, if desired

Pour whipping cream into a mixing bowl and add a touch of salt, to taste (if desired).  Mix on high speed for 2 minutes, then switch to medium low for the time remaining.  You will know when you're done mixing when solids suddenly separate from liquid.  Scoop out the butter (solids) and strain the buttermilk (liquid) into a container.  Set buttermilk aside for other recipes and add any solids to the rest of the butter.  Rinse butter under cold water through a fine mesh strainer until water comes out clear.  Store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

I use a recipe from Betty Crocker's cookbook whenever I bake bread.  The recipe can be found here.

Yogurt at home

Yogurt is one of those "things," isn't it?  One of those you-should-eat-it-because-it's-amazing-for-you things, right?  It's kind of become "that thing" you should be making yourself, too.  Mostly because it's cheap, but also because it's great for your tummy (part of what makes it amazing for you).


I purchased a really cheap yogurt maker about a year or so ago.  It had four tiny containers and kept a constant temperature so you didn't really have to worry about keeping track of all the temps that are important to a proper yogurt.  But for some reason, I just didn't use it.  And I think when we moved two times ago, several of the little containers got lost and now I've just got one small machine with one small container.  Not very helpful.


But since I'm home all the time and I'm feeling particularly dedicated to the health of myself and my husband, I've been on the look out for a good yogurt recipe.  And I found it! .  The Simple Dollar offers an awesomely easy recipe for yogurt made in a crock pot--because none of us use that crock pot quite enough, right?  I've made this yogurt a few times already (posted about it here) and it worked out perfectly all but one time (read here for some reasons yogurt might not turn out quite right)  I encourage you to try it out yourself!  


And remember--keep 1/2 - 1 cup of the yogurt at the end to make a new batch.


Have a happy Wednesday!

DIY Febreze Recipe

I had no idea you could make febreze until I saw someone I knew had made it.  She gave me the recipe, and then I did some research to find out where it originated from.  While it's always hard to track things like this down, I found the recipe I received at FakeitFrugal.

1/8 cup Fabric Softener

2 tablespoons Baking Soda

Hot water

 Mix fabric softener and baking soda in a measuring cup until smooth.

Fill measuring cup with hot water and stir until well mixed.

Pour into spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water.

Voila!  

Is it worth it?

Adjusting to life in a big city has been interesting for this small town girl.  When I visited Europe, I was just that--a visitor.  I didn't have to worry about how to get to work on time, when and where to do my shopping, avoiding traffic times and how I feel about going to meet friends at night.  It's all a big, new adventure that has been another great experience to add on to my belt.

One thing I've really noticed is getting around.  We share one car, mostly because I'm terrified of driving here but also because it requires paying for a second car.  Cars just aren't something I like spending money on if I can get away with it.  And if I'm going to get one, it's going to be a good one so I don't have to deal with overwhelming maintenance fees.  I once had a car with an alternator that went out three times.  No thank you.

So I take the bus.  It's often late and takes planning.  It's also slow.  But I'm a fan of public transit because it saves gas and keeps cars off the road (and I don't have to think about driving).  It makes me put a price tag on what I'll be doing, too.  Is this really worth me paying $5 roundtrip?  

Applying a monetary value to trips has kept me from joining a gym, helps me multitask on necessary errands and generally just keeps me from making unnecessary trips.  If I'm going to meet a friend, that's always worth it because friend time can be a little lacking and I need to get out of the house more.  

It has me wondering, though.  How often do we place a value on our trips?  Long-distance trips are almost always placed with some sort of number.  We know it will take us this much gas for this many miles just because it takes so long to get there.  A plane ticket gives us a value for our travel, in time and in money.  These things are easy to measure.  But what about carbon emission value?  Is my errand, my trip, my work-out worth the damage to the environment?  I know I hardly ever think in these terms, because I really want to be doing whatever it is I'm planning on doing.  Many times we'll drive the half mile to the grocery store instead of taking the ten minutes to walk there.

It just has me thinking.  

When accidents make for the best surprises

When Erik and I got engaged, I immediately set out to looking for absolutely everything we would need to pull this thing off.  We had about a 2.5 month engagement (AH!) and had to get everything done as fast as we could.

One thing I really wanted to do was find mis-matched dining ware at thrift stores.  I made some great finds, shopping at Goodwill as often as I could and finding pink/green/blue/red tagged items whenever those were 50% off.  And then I found out the town we lived in at the time did a Plate Project, so we could just borrow mis-matched plates, cups, silverware, napkins... everything.  Amazing, right?

Well I ended up with all these plates and bowls that I had started picking up.  I realized, however, that a lot of these plates are gorgeous and would definitely earn a place in our home.  So I picked through all the ones I liked and re-donated the ones that were leftovers.  

These are my favorite dishes and I have a lot of little plates, which makes eating reasonable servings a tad bit easier.  One other thing I have ended up with a lot of after the wedding (and not so much by accident) is lavender.  So much lavender... 

One skillet meal

Considering the fact that I'll be without decent kitchen supplies for another week, I wanted to post some "cooking a meal from one skillet and putting it into a bowl" pictures.

I usually sauté the most tough vegetable first, in this case, the potatoes.  Once I finished with that, I split those potatoes into two bowls.

Chopped up a leek and some cabbage, which were both nearing expiration dates and cooked those.

Nothing like a tablespoon or two of bleu cheese dressing to add just the tiniest bit of flavor and make it feel a little "creamy."

For dessert, a bosc pear with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of feta.  Since we don't have plates, washed yogurt lids are a great substitute.

We eat outside every day--it's where are only table is located!  Happy Friday :).

Repurposing mason

I am obsessed with saving glass jars.

And my husband absolutely cannot stand it.  The most recent jars I added to the collection I had to rescue out of the trash bin because they had ickies inside.  "But I can USE it!" is usually my reply to whatever else might be said about the poor jar.  Sanitized and happy, it gets stashed away in the cupboard set aside specially for my finds.

I'm often told that my hoarding is reminiscent of my great grandma, whom we lived with for several years when I was a child.  A woman of the Great Depression, she saved e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.  At seven years old, it seemed strange to save yogurt containers, clothespins and pieces of wrapping paper.  But now at a point in my life when I want to learn to reuse, repurpose and recycle, returning to the habits my great grandma developed doesn't seem odd at all.  In fact, it's smart.

Those pickle jars are now filled with other goods, such as nuts, granola and coffee.  The bathrooms are becoming more organized, tossing bobby pins and cotton swabs into their topless glass homes.  I even scavenged for more during trips to the recycling center, to be used at our wedding.  And I love it.

What things are you known for obsessively repurposing?

Pumpkins: Not just for carving

On Wednesday between the hours of 4:30pm and 1:30am, I spent the time baking and puréeing two very large pumpkins.  They were originally purchased for the sole purpose of carving, but never made it that far.  Last Halloween the same thing happened and the pumpkins ended up rotting, which I felt terrible about.  I don't know about you, but I really hate letting food in any form go to waste.  I just cleaned out my fridge and it wasn't a happy sight.

This year things would be different.  All I could think about when I saw these large orange boulders on my table was how many pies they might be worth.  Sure it's not quite as easy as buying a can of pumpkin (and maybe not quite as cheap either when you consider the oven cost) but at least I wasn't going to buy canned pumpkin and let these fresh ones rot.

As I usually do when faced with a new situation dealing with food and preservation, I hit up the Laurel's Kitchen cookbook my dad bought (and I confiscated) years back.  When I found nothing there, I googled it.

Side note--when did "googling" become a verb?

Here is my version of how to bake and purée pumpkins gathered from various sources.  Please note that I'm no culinary artist.  I'm just getting the job done.

1.  Cut pumpkins in half vertically so the stem is cut in half.  This makes it easier to clean and bake, in my opinion.  

2.  Scoop all the goop out, saving pumpkin seeds in a separate bowl for roasting.  

3.  Place the pumpkin cut-side down on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Doing this is like putting a lid on water so it boils faster.  It keeps all the heat in the pumpkin and I noticed it cooked a lot faster this way.  Then cover with foil, so as to keep the outside from burning and again, keep the heat "in."

4.  Turn the oven to 350 degrees and put your pumpkin in.  I don't let it preheat because when baking pumpkin your ultimate goal is to soften it enough to purée and preheating wastes energy if it isn't necessary.  

5.  Let your pumpkin bake.  Depending on the size of your pumpkin, it can take anywhere from 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours.  When it's done, it should be caving in a little which indicates it's soft enough to purée.  Take it out of the oven and let it cool.  I suggest 20 minutes of cooling time.

6.  Once you have let the pumpkin cool to where you are comfortable handling it, start scooping the insides out and place in a blender or food processor.  You should be able to get every little bit of the pulp while leaving a thin skin from the outside of the pumpkin.  Fill your blender to about 2/3-3/4 full, put the lid on and hit "purée."  The pumpkin is ready when it's smooth and there are no chunks left in the blender.

7.  You can store your pumpkin in the freezer or refrigerator.  If storing in the refrigerator, put in an airtight container and keep for 7-10 days (or so).  If storing in the freezer, fill freezer bags and store for 2-3 months.

Here are a few websites I found helpful.  

Pick Your Own

The Pioneer Woman

All Recipes

The Happy Housewife

Happy puréeing!

A Random Friday

Happy Friday!  It is such a beautiful day!  After dreary weather that was highly reminiscent of February, it's finally sunny again.  Thank the Lord.

I don't work nor did I have to be on campus today.  In fact, I am writing this while still in my bed due to my lazy nature (and slight headache from the champagne I had last night to toast the new apartment).  I plan on actually getting everything cleaned up and organized today so I can finally post a few pictures of the new place.  Laundry and dishes will be caught up.  I will it to be.

I think I will also get started on the top I was mentioning yesterday.  I pulled out the fabric last night to make sure I had enough and I believe I do.

I may have posted about this before, but I have been testing the waters of Overnight Oats for breakfast.  I get out the door so fast in the mornings that unless I plan something the night before, I won't be eating until noon.  This recipe is from Fit Foodie Finds, a delightful blog by a girl in college who is living an incredibly healthy lifestyle.  I love her excitement over things such as grapes and almond butter.  It sure is encouraging :).  Anyway, this recipe is fantastic and quite delicious, not to mention nutritious.  I topped mine with some blueberries I got at the co-op a few days ago.  It's the first time I've done anything with chia seeds and I've gotta say, I love them.  I encourage you all to try out the recipe sometime soon!

Regression

I've suddenly found myself making more and more changes towards a frugal, green lifestyle.  I feel like I've gotten to a point where I'm "regressing" due to my current lifestyle change--doing my laundry in the bathtub.

As I mentioned recently, I made my own detergent a few days ago and I bought an indoor drying rack since it's been a very wet Spring.  When I couldn't find any quarters to do a load of laundry, I decided to take a page out of No Impact Man's book and toss the clothes in the tub.  Using 2-3 inches of cold water with a 1/4 cup of detergent I letting the clothes soak and then stomp around with my bare feet in the water to agitate the laundry.  So far I've done two loads, saving $5 already.  And by not using warm water or a dryer, I have made laundry an entirely electricity free chore (not to mention the extra exercise I get).  I'm hoping to get a hold of a washboard to help scrub out the dirt from my socks.

What are you doing to "regress"?

Decoupage it all!

As I mentioned yesterday, school is becoming rather hectic.  But not so busy that I won't include some decoupage into my day!  I decided to add pretty vintage labels from The Graphics Fairy to every single body and face care product I have on my bathroom counter--including the Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes!

It's probably the girliest looking bathroom I have ever had, but I adore it.

On top of that, I made a whole bunch of headbands!  The one below is my absolute favorite.  You can see the rest on my Etsy shop

And last, but not least, laundry detergent!  We've been running out of our current laundry soap so I decided it was time to make a batch myself instead of purchasing some from the co-op.  In comparison to the $10-$15 I spend on pre-made detergent, I spent roughly $1-$2 on 4 gallons which should last us several months.  I remember my family making it a lot when I was growing up, and funny enough it's the same recipe the Duggar Family uses.  Here is the recipe!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and allow to cool.

I suggest you add 15-20 drops of essential oil to your detergent if you want a fragrance other than the Fels Naptha bar.

-If you want a heavy duty detergent, use the soap as it is.  If you want to spread it out over a longer period of time and it works for you, dilute it using half the detergent to half water.

-Use 1/4 cup per load.

Getting into drawers

Well, it's time for another round of detox and rejuvenation.  Out of boredom, I tend to drink a little too much, and then I eat a little too much.  And my time ends  up spent on sitting around instead of doing a round of yoga or other fitness.  I need a break.  So, until the end of the semester alcoholic beverages are off limits.  I'm hoping this will help with my lack of physical fitness and bump up the healthy foods.

Last night I tried my hand at making my own underwear.  That's right, underwear.  I've never had to do elastic before, so that was a little difficult and they're too small but they still look cool!  I'm going to try again and see how it goes next time.  I need to work on installing elastic and making them big enough so I'll keep practicing.  If I can get it down, this will save me a bundle of money and I can make them fit perfectly.  I found a few websites that offered tutorials on making them, so I'll share them with you in case someone else wants to try this out!

Belle and Burger Panty Tutorial
Super Naturale T-shirt Underwear
Hanty Panty Tutorial

Natural smells--Keeping Odors Away

While I don't want to brag, I'm told whenever I have guests over that my house smells nice.  I'm quite obsessed with making sure that everything smells pleasant, since I remember growing up with cat smell.  But, most of the time anything that helps improve the smell of a room or home tends to add harmful chemicals to the environment.  Here are some ideas I've found to make your home smell extra pleasant.

1.  Flowers.  Not even living flowers are necessary.  I have a bouquet of dried lavender hanging on my bathroom wall, which not only adds decor and color, but a delightful smell.  The steam releases the oil from the flowers each time you shower, so the scent is constantly renewed.

2.  Essential Oils.  Take a bath.  Add sweet basil, eucalyptus, lavender or rosemary essential oils to your tub.  Not only will you make your skin smell incredibly delicious, but the whole house will smell amazing.

3.  Candles.  Remember that lighting a match trick?  It works.  Find some soy candles that contain essential oils and place them strategically around you home.  Or beeswax candles.  They have a fairly neutral smell, but do contain a very light honey scent.

4.  Baking soda.  Absorb the smelly things in your home.  Put some in a pretty bowl and find an inconspicuous home for it.  This way, not only are you trying to add pleasant smells but you're taking the yucky ones away.

Sister Bonding

Yesterday I receive a text from my dad that asks about my 14 year old sister, Olivia visiting for the week.  It's currently her spring break and she decided she wanted to spend it with me!  Aw :).  So they drove up last night and now we're finding fun girly things to do.  Right now, that includes taking clothes to the consignment store and getting a haircut, among other various errands I had to run today.

While on the topic of consignment stores, I'd like to recommend to people who don't really want to sell their old clothes through Ebay due to not enough time or energy, take it into a consignment store before the Goodwill.  For those who are trying to keep their finances in check, this is a great option for getting rid of the cluttered clothes.  Those clothes cost you quite a bit of money initially, so just tossing them isn't such a great plan.  While donating is an excellent option (and believe me, the consignment store will not take everything.  They only took a few of my items), you can still make a few bucks and donate at the same time.  Just donate the rest that they won't take!

Once your closet is cleaned out DO NOT BRING OTHER CLUTTER IN!  It's tempting to see all the room and decide to fill it up again.  But unless it's something that looks incredible on you, don't buy it.  You don't want more clothes that you only half like.  Find clothes that make you feel and look amazing.

And that's my little piece of advice on closet cleaning, since I've been going at it for the last week.  Have a wonderful day!

Food and Art: Beauty in Both

Today I came across two incredible things.  The first being a cookbook I received called "Simply in Season" part of the World Community Cookbooks series developed by the Mennonite Central Committee. This cookbook is organized by season, then by dish creating an easy-to-use format.  It also includes many resources such as a list of many vegetables and fruits, when they are in season and suggestions on preparation.  Not only that, but it does offer many tips for making a difference in the way you purchase and prepare your food, in order to positively participate in the World Community.

The second is The Graphics Fairy.  Oh my goodness.  I first found it through Shoregirl's Creations, where one of my followers suggested I check out since she had just redone her bathroom  in the French style (take a look if you love vintage-y, French, girly decor.  It's beautiful stuff!).  The Graphics Fairy has thousands of *free* clipart, printables and craft projects available--again, for FREE!  Everything available is beautiful and I had to stop myself from printing out all the French stuff that was available.  I currently have one hanging in my bathroom now.  Isn't it pretty?

While printing millions of things out may not be very eco-friendly, if one can do so responsibly and not go overboard, this makes an excellent tool for responsibly decorating.  Other than the cost for the ink, these are entirely free pictures and it sure beats buying home decor from Walmart (ick).  You can find frames at thrift stores to make this a very affordable (and more earth friendly) project.

To end--I made two book bags for my aunt who requested one in a bright blue color for her friend and a purple on for herself.  That was the only criteria.  So here's what I came up with!

This one is linen, with a muslin interior and small inside pocket.  There are five pockets total, two on each side of the exterior and one on the inside.

This one is my favorite.  I made a few flowers to put on the outside.

I think one of my favorite parts of this bag is the interior.  I found matching fabric in white, so you can just barely see the same pattern inside.

What free or local cooking resources have you found helpful?

French Inspiration

The last few weeks I have been entirely obsessed with everything French.  French books, French decor, French food, French music... the list goes on and on.  There is something classy and elegant about French culture (if not perhaps a tad uppity, no offense to those who may be French).  French "vibes" just make me happy.  It may be that I love movies such as "Julie and Julia" and "Chocolat" who give a romantic, charming feel to the French life.  Maybe in reality this isn't the case, but the France in my head most certainly is. 

In celebration of my current life inspiration, I wanted to share some beautiful French inspired home decor.

I think my favorite thing about the decor is an "aged elegance."  Most pieces look as though they are at least 100 years old, but there is a certain beauty about that.  While much of Western culture tends to go for the new, hip and modern, the French design seems more used in a glamorous and easy way.  I also love the use of colors.

What country/culture/style inspires your decor and/or creativity?

Mending: A Lost Art

Yesterday I realized that I had gone to work wearing a sweater with a tear in the shoulder seam.  I was completely embarrassed because this wasn't a subtle rip, and it very clearly showed my skin (God forbid :) ).  This year I have been trying extra hard to have a neat appearance, so an obvious tear in a black sweater is unacceptable.

While I've owned this sweater for nearly ten years, it still should have another ten to go.  A quick mend would do the trick, especially since it's black, and it will be good as new.  As I was sewing it up this morning, I wondered how many of us actually take the time to mend clothing anymore.  Mending piles were one of the most common things seen in households 50 or so years ago, but now they are rare to find.  Whether it be lack of time to do the mending, or lack of knowledge (or both), this seems to have become one of many lost arts.  But the amount of resources it saves is wonderful.  Instead of throwing out an article of clothing that has become damaged and purchasing a new one, mend the tear, rip or hole and the item will be perfectly fine.

Here are some resources I have found helpful to learn how to repair all kinds of damage to clothes.



I have referenced this book in the past, but would like to give it another plug.  The information given on mending of all kinds is quick, to the point and very useful, with pictures to aid in the process.


Craftzine.com had an entire mending month, which offered a variety of articles on how to repair all sorts of things, even how to get certain stains out.


TLC Home has an article about repairing clothes, resoling shoes and fixing a broken zipper, among other things.  Such a useful tool!

Now I'd love to hear from you!  How often do you bring out the needle and thread to patch up a worn piece of clothing?  Or do you just toss it?

Responsible Living Resources

Today I wanted to pass along some blogs and other information related to natural housekeeping and frugal living that I've found helpful and inspirational.  I think we all know that it's not always easy to keep a home without all the household conveniences and a little extra encouragement from others can really help.  Because making your own soap, hand-washing dishes and hanging your laundry can be tiring and it's tempting to just buy soap, stick those dishes in a dishwasher and toss the laundry in the dryer.  But in the long run, we all know it's worth it because we're choosing the responsible route, saving money and the planet.

Keeper of the Home is a blog I stumbled upon a few days ago as I was looking for suggestions to do grocery inventory and meal planning.  Stephanie is a wonderful woman offering advice on all areas of natural homemaking including gardening, pantry cleaning, organization and making your own cleaners.  She also home schools, which is something near to my heart and offers helpful tools for the home schooling mom.  While I do not always agree with her religious opinions, her website is brimming with useful information that can be called upon often.

Adventures in Diapering and Beyond has a little more to do with raising children responsibly, but is still a great tool for housekeeping information.  I have often referred to this website when trying to help my sister and friend find some resources for cloth diapers, making your own baby food and other things.  Morgan also has some home schooling information.

Living on Less offers daily money-saving tips and links to coupons and other resources that help you save money.  She has quite the following!

The Frugal Girl features Kristen,  a woman who is "cheerfully living on less."  I love all her money-saving tips, gardening advice, and how-to's that include how to make yogurt.  She is an inspirational woman and has a real presence about her, even online.

This post from Organized Home offers several recipes for natural home cleaners.