In A Pickle

For several years now I have been making my own housecleaning products or using all natural ones. The fact that my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, at 45 years old, has just ramped up my paranoia about environmental factors which lead to cancer. So, I have accordingly ramped up my efforts to live a more chemical free life.

So, that is why these days, I smell like I live in a pickle, or that I have just put up jars of pickles for the winter time. You see, I am addicted to the wonder fluid, vinegar. I was already big into vinegar for an organic and cheap way to deal with weeds and moss on walkways and patios and was able to deal with the fact that the yard smelled like a jar of pickled jalapenos for a few days afterwards. However, after reading more and more about the myriad of uses of vinegar inside the house-from laundry (instead of fabric softener!) to glass cleaning, to you name it, I had to go out and immediately build my arsenal of vinegar. I supplemented it with baking soda as it also has fabulous cleaning properties without chemicals, while being cheap. Did I mention it doesn't smell like pickles?

Don't worry I am going to fiddle around with this vinegar thing. Experiment by putting some essential oils in to cut that smell, and see what happens. All I need is a bunson burner and it could be like chemistry class all over again, except this time without the chemicals, and thus goggles (though as I remember making the old volcano with vinegar and baking soda in school, goggles might not be a bad idea, I wonder if they come in fashion colors?)

I just bought some fresh keffir lime leaves to go into the homemade thai food I am making tonight and can't help thinking that maybe one or two of those in the vinegar would make the whole thing smell better. I could be onto something, or maybe just creating a pickled condiment (in time for christmas presents?). Only time will tell.