Because John likes to stock up when things are on sale, we hadn’t gotten around to using the liquid dishwashing soap from our Get Clean Kit until we used all the soap he had bought previously. Last month, I got to pull out and use the Shaklee Get Clean Dish Wash Concentrate.
It says on the bottle, “If we hesitate to mention that fresh scented Dish Wash is soft on hands
and the earth, it’s only because you might think it is soft on grease. But trust us. You need only a few drops to tackle a pile of greasy dinner aftermath. Really. Just a few drops. This is an exercise in restraint.” I love the messages they put on their Get Clean products – so cute!So…. there’s not a lot of suds. Enough to start but they disappear fast. I think most of us are used to squirting soap into dish water and getting a bunch of suds. To us, suds are key. (Same with shampoo.) Well, a little research proved that suds are a marketing gimmick, pure and simple. The amount of suds has ZERO to do with cleaning ability. It’s taking me a bit to get used to low suds, but knowing I am helping the earth just a little bit gives me the tolerance.
Restraint. The old soap I would pour and squirt and pour – thinking I was adding cleaning power. With this stuff, I added just a few drops as they said. (Did I tell you little to no suds?) Skeptically I cleaned a few dishes. Oh well, the hot water rinse will clean them enough. At this point I can’t tell if it’s actually cleaning or not. I’m sponging off dishes for God’s sake, wiping with only a sponge “cleans” a multitude of clinging food particles.
So – I’m not being theatrical here – I forgot our greasy sauté pan and it was the last to go in. (John made these amazing sautéed asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto – see recipe below.) Ok, here goes. Dull, dingy, no suds dish water bath. The pan came out SQUEAKY clean. No lie. I barely had to sponge it. Squeaky I tell you………
Dishwasher Soap
We haven’t used the automatic dish washer soap yet. With our new dishwasher we are only supposed to use a teaspoon of soap so the three boxes of “regular” soap we have in the pantry are taking us some time to get through. (Did you know that using too much soap will make your glasses cloudy? The ingredient in automatic dish wash soap that goes after proteins will go after the surfaces of your dishes if they are too clean when you put them in the dish washer. Note: don’t wash your dishes before you wash your dishes.)
I listened to some Shaklee cds last week, narrated by the SVP of Shaklee Sales. She talked about the Dishwasher soap. She said Shaklee is the only company to produce dishwasher soap with no phosphates. Big deal, I thought to myself. She went on to say that phosphates are a big no-no for the earth and phosphates were actually banned from laundry and dish detergents. The challenge was that no one could come up with a dishwasher soap that cleaned well and was phosphate free. So, like good Americans, that ban was rescinded for dishwasher soaps.
And this is what I love about Shaklee. They decided that this was a good challenge and they persevered. Shaklee is one of the very few (maybe the only) companies that produces a great dishwasher soap with no phosphates. They didn’t care that the ban was lifted, they cared that phosphates are bad for the earth. And they succeeded. Love ‘em. (And please know this integrity is found in every single one of their health and nutrition products, too.)
I just added another web domain name – http://www.cleangreenathome.com/ – so you can get to the Get Clean products directly. I’ve always been recommending the Get Clean Starter Kit yet, it is just as easy to order just one or two products, too. Earth Day is this month. Why not do a bit to help?
(I just got word from Shaklee that The April 18 issue of Family Circle magazine will include a photo and description of Get Clean Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate in an article called “eco smarts” which outlines a few little earth-friendly ideas that readers can do to make a big impact and protect the planet.)
Asparagi Fritti Al Prosciutto from RecipeLand.com
John found this recipe on line. We had some asparagus that was ready to go bad and we needed to eat them quick. This recipe is wonderful!
16 asparagus fat spears, washed, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
2 eggs beaten
1 x flour for dredging
16 small prosciutto slices
1 tablespoon oil
Asparagi Fritti Al Prosciutto from RecipeLand.com
John found this recipe on line. We had some asparagus that was ready to go bad and we needed to eat them quick. This recipe is wonderful!
16 asparagus fat spears, washed, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
2 eggs beaten
1 x flour for dredging
16 small prosciutto slices
1 tablespoon oil
Cook asparagus in boiling salted water until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, spray with cold water, and pat dry. Lay asparagus out on a platter. Melt three tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over asparagus spears. Put beaten eggs on one plate and flour for dredging on another. Heat remaining butter and oil in a skillet. Wrap each asparagus spear in a slice of prosciutto (John also used Serrano ham, Genoa Salami, Cappicola, and Sopressata.) Roll them in flour (brush off excess), dip in egg, and sauté them until golden, about two minutes to a side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. NOTE: If there are no fat asparagus, use twice as many skinny ones; cook a few minutes less and roll 2 spears in each slice of prosciutto.
John’s Under $10 Wine PickAs John says, “You’d lose money if you didn’t buy this wine!”
Villa Cerrina, Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, $5.49 at Trader Joe’s. I thought this wine was truly wonderful. It was a medium plus bodied wine and it had a smooth punch (is that possible?) to its finish. This wine had very full flavors of dark berries. FYI, the label tells us Villa Cerrina produces the wine, the grape is Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region, which is central Italy.
Cinch
I have, after 13 weeks, lost 15 pounds and ten inches. That’s all I’m going to say about that until I unveil my *gulp* before and after photos.
New direct domain: www.wannagetskinny.com
Easter in Atlanta
Hosting any holiday family dinner can be stressful. I love choosing the menu and setting the table a few days ahead of time. I hope everyone is jazzed by both that they don’t notice I didn’t clean my house. My friend Kit says I need to take Xanex. I just like to have many preparations taken care of ahead of time so I can enjoy our guests and the day.One of my traditions is napkin folding. I found this napkin folding book on sale years ago for $5 and it has given me hours of fun table setting! (Am I really admitting this!?) Per my usual, Easter napkins are little bunnies. So cute.
My folks won’t be here this year (are coming next week) so it will be dinner for eight only – small – this year. I am making Nathalie Dupree’s Ham stuffed with Grits and Greens. To keep with the Southern theme, I will also be making Paula Deen’s Mac and Cheese, Cheesy Olive Puffs (appetizer), and Garlic Biscuits. One of my old, stellar salad recipes – marinated asparagus salad - and good ‘ol greens for more side dishes.
What I am really excited to try is Paula Deen’s Krispy Kreme Donut bread pudding for dessert. This is going to kill us with sweetness, but hey! It’s Easter!
