The Only Sponge You’ll Ever Need

This week I will be telling you about this amazing sponge that I recently purchased recently.  You may scoff, but believe me, this is no ordinary sponge. I usually hate using sponges because they quickly get grungy and begin to smell and even with gloves, I don’t want to touch them. But at work I saw that we sell these Sterling’s sponges that claim to be anti-bacterial and have a non-scratch scrubber surface. They come it two different colors of silver and gold, you can choose the color of your liking. So I thought, why not?  For only $1.59 even if I didn’t like them I could just throw it out.

On the packaging of the sponge it advertises all the surfaces you can clean with this sponge.   These surfaces include stainless steel, plastic ware, Teflon, golf clubs, windows, microwaves, kitchen cabinets, glass cook tops, pet dishes, wash the pets, tile floors, car windows, china dishes, guns, and shower doors.  That isn’t even everything that is listed! At first I thought… they just put those on there for marketing.  So I got home and saw the pile of dishes in the sink that I had been avoiding and decided it was the perfect time to try out the new sponge.  I cleaned every dish in the sink and it worked great on cleaning them… but so do other sponges.  After the dishes I decided to test what the packaging says and clean different surfaces. I started with the microwave and it cleaned it beautifully, and didn’t scratch the inside at all. Next, I opened up the other one, as I had bought two and cleaned the mirrors in the house. It didn’t scratch the glass at all and left them streak free! I was truly impressed after this- what other sponge was tough enough to clean stuck on food, but gentle enough not to scratch my mirrors?

I was still a little disbelieving of the anti-bacterial part, but after two weeks of using it there was NO SMELL and it didn’t feel gross like most sponges do.  I still throw it in the dishwasher to clean it once a month and it comes out looking just like it did when I first bought it.  I loved it so much I bought some for other members in my family and just as I expected, they fell in love with the sponge as well!  I will never go back to a regular sponge again. Why would I, when I have these miracle working sponges?

Affresh Cleaners!

Now last week I told you all about my secret weapon to cleaning my dishwasher and garbage disposal, Affresh dishwasher cleaner.  But this week I want to tell you about the other cleaners I use in my kitchen from Affresh.  Using their products has cut my cleaning time in half, and I could not be happier about that!  In my kitchen my boyfriend and I have a stainless steel refrigerator, and it seems that no matter how many times I wipe it down, clean, or polish it, it just never lasts.  Same goes for our smaller appliances around the kitchen.

After trying Affresh dishwasher cleaner, I found out that Whirlpool made even more Affresh cleaners, so I had to try them! When I saw that there is a stainless steel cleaner I bought two right away; one for my house and one for my boyfriends’ parents.  They have a dog that likes to lick the refrigerator when he wants ice, so this cleaner is perfect.  I also picked up the afresh kitchen and appliance cleaner, to clean the small appliances we use daily.

When I got home from work, I was very eager to clean my fridge- which is unusual for me!  So I got the spray out and I started spraying down the fridge with paper towels in hand.  I let it sit for a minute and then wiped it down, and to my amazement my fridge was sparkling! It looked like I had spent hours cleaning it and then polishing it, but it only took me five minutes.  I was so happy!  The next day at work I went back and bought a container of Affresh Stainless Steel Wipes.  I use these whenever I need a really fast clean of the fridge; just wipe it down and you’re all done!  This cleaner even got the dog drool off of my boyfriends’ mom’s fridge!

When the refrigerator was all clean and I was finished staring at it in awe, I moved on to clean the counters and the appliances that sit on our counters.  I sprayed the kitchen and appliance cleaner all over the tops of the counter and my kitchen immediately had a great aroma of citrus from the spray! It was great! The spray worked great, I didn’t need to scrub to make it shine.  The spray got the wine stain out of the counter from where the bottle was sitting. It was effortless.  I cleaned the outside of our toaster oven, blender, and the inside and outside of our microwave with such ease it no longer felt like a chore.

Affresh is great for my kitchen cleaning. It cuts my cleaning time in half and it makes everything look amazing.  It’s also such a great price I don’t have to worry about using too much.   No more scrubbing for hours for me, just spray and wipe!  Happy cleaning everyone!

Affresh Dishwasher Cleaner

Have you ever pulled open your dishwasher to unload it, only to discover that your glasses have a layer of soap scum and sediment that makes them look dirtier than when you put them in? Have you used your garbage disposal, only to smell the garlic from Monday’s linguini still wafting out of your sink on Friday? It was a long time irritation for me, that no longer how long I scrubbed, I couldn’t remove all of the odors and soap scum from my machine. I finally gave up and did a cursory cleaning every so often and thought that it was impossible to fix the root of the problem.

 

But in my work I talk to appliance service people and salesman all the time. I heard about Affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner Kit for only $5.99, which allows you to clean your dishwasher once a month, with no bending or scrubbing involved. I decided at that price it couldn’t hurt to try. I followed the instructions and after one application I no longer had to worry about funky odors wafting from my appliances. Plus, I don’t have to spend hours scrubbing trying to remove the soap build-up! My dishwasher and garbage disposal smelled fresh and my glasses actually looked clean when they came out of the dishwasher.

The process is simple, when your dishwasher is empty put one tablet of the Affresh Cleaner in your detergent pouch, run the machine through the hot cycle, and enjoy the compliments on your sparkling stemware! For the Disposal cleaning there are simple instructions to follow and 6 tablets are included in the kit. Penetrating the odor causing bacteria allows your kitchen sink and dishwasher to smell fresh and clean, and allows you to enjoy brilliant dishes.

When you take the time to clean your appliance, you prevent mildew growth, a deposit of bacteria, and soap scum that causes streaks on your clean dishes. Taking five minutes once a month will make you enjoy the time in between that much more. I hope you enjoy Affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner Kit as much as I do!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

 

With the New Year comes New Year Resolutions! If your New Year Resolution was to try to get fit and be healthy then this is the article for you. Not only will you find great recipes for your new lifestyle, but you will also learn how you can maintain your oven and keep it clean. Oven maintenance is very important not only for safety, but also for the food you cook in it!

 

Need something quick for breakfast? Well, if you are on the go, try to makes these little Egg Muffins the night before and simply store them in the fridge. That way when you wake up you will have a simple high protein breakfast that will heat up fast in the Microwave.

 

Egg Muffins: You will need to have a silicone muffin tin or silicone cups, eggs, green onions, cooking spray, and whatever veggies or meats you want in your egg muffins! Make sure you spray the muffin tins with a nonstick cooking spray. Next, in a bowl add 15 Large eggs, 1-2 tbs of seasoning salt, 2 cups low fat cheese, and any other ingredient you want to have in your egg muffins. You can put anything from spinach, ham, turkey, bacon, sausage etc. The possibilities are endless. After you mix the ingredients together in the bowl, pour the mixture into the tins until the tins are ¾ full. Preheat the oven to 375 and bake for 25-35 minutes. You want the muffins to be slightly browned and to have risen.

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/10/egg-muffins-revisited-again.html

 

Clean-up: Even though your oven is “self-cleaning” this does not mean that it gets all the grease and gunk removed by itself. You need to make sure that you still clean the oven to prevent grease fires, uneven cooking, too fast or too slow of cooking times, and also to extend the life of your appliance. Run your oven through the self-cleaning cycle to burn any food remnants or grease in the oven. At the end of the cleaning cycle you will see what has been burned up from the cycle as there will be clumps of charcoal looking remains. It will therefore be simple to scoop up the piles and remove them from the oven. Now it will be easier to really deep clean the oven. We have previously written a blog on a natural way to clean the oven which you can still reference, but if you want to use a oven cleaning product, now is the time to do so. Spray it onto the inside surface of the oven and let it soak for the time required. After you let it soak you can just wipe it down and have a very clean oven!

 

If you are sick of going out or having the same old things for lunch how about a new healthy spin on pizza? This new twist is grilled zucchini pizza slices, they are super easy to make and taste great! http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/08/recipe-for-grilled-zucchini-pizza.html?m=1

 

Grilled zucchini pizza slices: Cut slices of Zucchini ¾ in. thick, and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Next you will grill the slices on one side for 7-8 minutes or until there are grill marks, and they are tender. If you are not grilling the slices, put them in the broiler. After the slices have been grilled you will put about 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce on top of each slice. After you put on the sauce you will add cheese and any other toppings you want. Now you will take the slices with the toppings and put them back on the grill or in the broiler for an additional 7-8 minutes! Then eat!

 

 

Oven maintenance is imperative! Check around your oven to make sure everything is okay. Check the light bulb, if it is out, simply replace the bulb with a bulb from our website! Also you want to make sure all the gaskets are plugged into the back of the oven, and are functioning properly. Check around the door of the oven to see that the gasket is correctly seated and sealing properly. If this is off it will allow heat to leak out and vary from different cook times. If you bake a lot in your oven you will want to get your range hood filters checked, and changed. Because if there is a build up with them you could start a fire in your house! If you keep up these simple steps your oven will last long, and your food will cook great every time! https://brightnest.com/todos/maintain-your-self-cleaning-oven

 

Now it’s time for dinner!! Lets start off with a healthy appetizer, and you can even use this recipe for snacks in the day. This appetizer is a Buffalo “Chicken” Vegetarian style, instead of chicken you will be using cauliflower! You will need:

1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 cup buffalo sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

For serving:  Bleu cheese dressing, celery, etc.

 

Now you will preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, flour, and garlic salt, whisking until mostly smooth (it’s ok if there are a few lumps left). Very gently (cauliflower can be pretty delicate), place the cauliflower in the bowl and lightly toss to completely coat with the buttermilk mixture. Place the cauliflower in a shallow baking dish and bake for about 15-18 minutes or so (watch it, it may start to brown up quickly on you.) Meanwhile, combine the buffalo sauce and the melted butter in a small bowl. Carefully remove the hot cauliflower from the oven and pour the buffalo sauce mixture over it, stirring gently to coat it as best you can. Return the cauliflower to the oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes or so. Let cool slightly and serve while still warm.

 

http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2012/08/18/buffalo-chicken-vegetarian-style/

 

And for the main course, creamy avocado pasta- its a new twist for the same old pasta dinner!

http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2012/08/creamy-avocado-pasta.html

 

Creamy Avocado Pasta:

12 oz. pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

2 ripe avocados, pitted and scooped

1 lemon, juiced

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 handful fresh basil

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly grated parmesan

 

Directions

Set a medium-sized pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta, reduce heat slightly and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes.

 

In a food processor, combine avocado flesh, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, basil and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside in a large bowl.

 

Transfer cooked pasta to the bowl. Toss with avocado mixture and freshly grated parmesan. Serve with additional grated parmesan, if desired.

 

Then finally time for a healthy dessert to bring it all together. But make sure you make these the night before, because they need to freeze overnight!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/07/frozen-mango-kiwi-raspberry-pops.html

 

Ingredients:

 

9 tbsp water

2 tbsp sugar

5 oz kiwi, peeled

6 oz mango, peeled

6 oz fresh raspberries

 

Make a simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil; boil for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Set aside.

Puree fruit separately in the blender (I used my magic bullet). Set aside in 3 small bowls.

 

Divide the simple syrup between the fruit purees and mix in.

 

Equally fill four small 5 oz cups with the kiwi puree and place in the freezer; freeze one hour.

 

Add mango puree and freeze 20 minutes. Insert sticks and freeze at least 2 hours. Add raspberry puree and freeze overnight.

 

 

Now that you have new recipes to try, and cleaning tips to make your oven cleaner and safer, you can start the New Year off right! And remember to always use Everyappliancepart.com for your appliance parts needs!