Geek is the new Hunk

I went for drinks with a few friends tonight, and as most conversations between women go, this one turned to men. I've recently found myself single, and one of my good friends insists on setting me up with this guy she works with. Only problem is, I keep telling her this guy is not my type. He is too "perfect" looking, if that even makes sense.

I just am not into this whole "metro sexual" thing that is happening with guys right now, and this particular one looks like he spends way too much time in front of the mirror. So what is my friend's response to this? "Oh D, your are so shallow for judging this guy by his looks"

Umm...excuse me? I'm too shallow because I won't go on a date with a guy who goes to the gym everyday, goes to tanning salons, and has a wardrobe that could probably fill up every closet in my house! Then fine, I'm shallow.

All my previous boyfriends have had a similar style I suppose. You could say they were all geeky looking ;) I can't help it, I love seeing a guy wearing the buddy holly style glasses. I like a guy who's well informed on current events and news, but still finds some time to play his silly video games and shout at the tv like an angry child, when the game isn't going his way. A man who can probably recite the entire Star Wars trilogy by heart. A guy who would rather go to a pub, or just have drinks at home instead of going to the hottest newest club in town. I just want a guy who doesn't give a rat's ass what the hell he looks like. As long as he's clean though! Yeah you need to take a shower!

So does that make me shallow? Maybe. I suppose I wouldn't like being dismissed by a guy just because I didn't fit his "mold" of the perfect girlfriend. Honestly though, I don't think I should force myself to go on a date with a guy I'm 100% sure I have nothing in common with. In fact, this guy is more my friend's type. So why the hell is she setting ME up with him??

Yep, I think I need to have a talk with her...

Cleanliness is next to Godliness (yeah right...)

Alright, I've got more economical and ecological cleaning tips coming at ya! Since I've been seeing a lot of people talking about the economy is hard on them right now, I thought it would be fitting to incorporate these solutions in my blog everyday from now on.

Ok so first tip: Instead of buying some window cleaning product, use this little recipe to clean them. All you need is to mix about three tablespoons of white vinegar in around 11 liters of warm water. If there is a lot of grime and dirt on your windows, then lightly clean them with water and soap first then move on to this mixture I told, using an old cloth made out of a used cotton shirt. Voila! Clean windows!


To clean the bathtub, all you need is a brush, some baking soda and a little bit of warm water. It'll be as clean as if you used one of "those" expensive products.

Finally, for your sink, simply fill it with half white vinegar and half warm water. Let this sit overnight, and remove the next morning and dry with an old cloth. That's all really.

So remember people, Vinegar is your friend!!

Mint Mint Mint!!

So today I went in the garden, and to my surprise, I was faced with a fresh mint invasion! It is everywhere, in fact it's already making way for the neighbor's backyard.

I brought a little bit home, and let me tell you, the kitchen smells even better! I'm just faced with a little dilemma though. What do I make with this mint besides lemonade and mojitos?

I've been searching on the web for some great recipes, but so far 99% of the ones I found use mint only as garnish. That sucks. I'm might make some mint jelly for the first time though. Don't know if I like it yet, since i've never actually had mint jelly.
Here's a amazing lemonade recipe I found on the web years ago, and have been making since. It's great and at least I get to use some of my mint:

Lemonade with Fresh Mint

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1 cup fresh mint leaves
* juice of 2 oranges
* juice of 6 lemons
* 4 teaspoons grated orange peel
* fresh orange or lemon slices and sprigs of mint for garnish

PREPARATION:
Lemonade directions
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Place mint leaves in a small bowl; add sugar syrup, orange juice, lemon juice, and grated orange peel.

Cover and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a 1-quart container; cover and keep refrigerated.

To serve, mix 1 part lemon mint mixture with 2 parts water. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon or orange slices and sprigs of mint if desired.
Makes about 1 quart syrup, or 3 quarts of lemonade.

Get ready to make lots of this lemonade during the summer, because it's delicious!!

Recycle old cooking oil

So cooking oil is something that is very hard to dispose of. You can't really throw it down the drain or it will clog your pipes and make a big mess. Can't throw it outside as it's not good for lawns and plants. So what CAN you do with it? Well how about some soap! Here is a great soap recipe I came upon while reading one of those Brazilian magazines for women that my mother owns.


Soap Recipe

Ingredients:
- 5 liters of used cooking oil (make sure to remove impurities)
- 2 liters of water
- 200 ml of softener
- 1 kilo of lye

Put lye carefully in a large plastic container, and slowly pour the boiling water over it. Mix it slowly until all of the lye has been diluted. Add the cooking oil, and mix again. Finally, add the softener and mix once again. Once you are done, pour the mixture in soap molds and let dry.



BE CAREFUL when handling lye. Make sure to always wear gloves and keep lye and soap mix out of reach from children and pets!

I translated this recipe from Portuguese, but I'm pretty sure I've gotten everything right. Now think twice about discarding your old oil!

Look Ma, I'm gardening!

My crown gourds are finally growing!! So is my Arugula!! I can't wait to bring these babies outside. If only the weather permitted it! It's early may and we're still freezing half the time. GRRRRR

At least, I can finally walk around the garden centers in town. I've been going a bit crazy buying new herbs (haha!) I've got my basil, sweet marjoram and oregano to add to the garden. Right now, I'll just let them consume the kitchen with scent!

My main issue this summer though, will be to fill the front of the house with new plants. Damn grubs ate all the lawn! Since this seems to recur, I'm giving up on lawn, I just want perennials plants and shrubs now. It'll look prettier at least.

Eco-Friendly Fabric Softener

Ok so here are two other recipes for an easy to do eco-friendly cleaning product.
This time it's for fabric softener.

Fabric Softener Recipe #1

- 5 liters of water
- 4 tablespoons of glycerin
- 1 plain soap, grated
- 2 tablespoons of Rose milk

Boil 1 liter of water with the grated soap, until the entire soap is dissolved. Then add the other 4 liters of water (cold), glycerin and rose milk. Mix ingredients well and bottle. Use 1/4 cup per wash.


Fabric Softener Recipe #2

- 2 cups White Vinegar
- 2 cups of Baking Soda
- 4 cups of Water

Mix all ingredients together, slowly because the baking soda will fizz a bit. Bottle mixture and shake well. Use about 1/4 cup per wash.


Please, keep these products out of reach of children and pets! Now go on and do your laundry!!

Enviro-Friendly cleaning

We all know that a lot of cleaning products out there aren't exactly "green" material. Plus, most of these new environment friendly detergents aren't exactly cheap either. So I asked a good friend of mine, who makes her own cleaning products, if she would gladly share some of her recipes. She was kind enough to give me quite a few, so here is the first one:

Multi-use detergent

Ingredients:
- Water
- Vinegar

- Liquid Ammonia
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Boric Acid

Preparation: (make sure to use gloves when using some of these ingredients!)
In one liter of lukewarm water (around 45 C), add a tablespoon of vinegar, a tablespoon of ammonia, a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate and a tablespoon of boric acid. Mix together and bottle. Please make sure to label your bottle, and store it someplace out of reach of children and pets!
This cleaning product can be used in all sorts of cleaning chores around the house.



I will be adding some new recipes from time to time. If you have any suggestions as well, I would love to hear them!