Bringing Adventurers Together - christibdce's Blog - Tehachapi News

Found a great homemade cleaning tip that I used today...

So, I am cleaning a bunch this weekend (my weekend = fri/sat), partly to catch up and partly because family will be "following me home" for New Years after I visit them for Christmas.

Anyway, I knew my oven could use a cleaning and fresh foil protection at the bottom before my mom and I get our cooking on. But I absolutely HATE using Easy Off or any other oven cleaner. They make me sick, literally. Plus I have a not-quite-year-old kitty (see profile pic) who is dumber than a box of hammers that would get into it somehow and make himself sick, too. So, I went online to find a homemade solution. Here's what I found:

Sprinkle baking soda all over the oven.

Spray with water until damp.

Let sit about 10 minutes.

Repeat several times and let sit for a couple of hours.

Depending on the youckiness of your oven, you could allow it to sit over night.

Then scrub it and wipe everything up well with water.

That's it! It works really well. I was impatient with the above-mentioned kitty, so I didn't let it sit for very long, maybe a half hour. It didn't get all the really old grime off, but it did a great job for what time I put into it.

Also, I might recommend making a paste with vinegar and baking soda (just be careful of the bubbling when you mix it) for the really tough spots if you don't want to wait so long. Just apply and let sit, then scrub and wipe up really well with water so your kitchen doesn't smell like vinegar the first time you use the oven. This works well on my stovetop, so it should work well inside the oven, too.

Does anyone else have any great homemade, non-toxic cleaning tips?

VOTE TODAY!

I just wanted to remind everyone to vote today.

Did you vote yet?

(Please, no politics, arguments or debates on this blog)

Fresh local faire

I am still fairly new to Tehachapi (less than 2 years here) and I am loving the fresh local produce. What I would like to know is where I should go to get local year-round faire. I know that the Norbertine nuns up the mountain have great jams, etc. I'm thinking of cheese(mmmmm) and anything else that can be sold year-round. For all I know, the local farms - and the Farmers' Market - are closed once the Fall comes. Please, please, please tell me I'm wrong : O)

I feel all warm and fuzzy...

I had never heard of this story and was absolutely blown away. Watch the video on this page:

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/09/christian-the-l.html?xid=rss-popwatch-20080905-Christian%20the%20Lion%20gets%20a%20movie%20deal...

Cat groomers?

Hey! In this doggie-centric town, are there any good cat groomers?

I have a long-haired little guy (my pic is him at 8/9 weeks, he's about 6 months now), and I was thinking of getting him shaved for the hot summer months next year. Plus, he could do with a nice, er, "detailing" trim now. I usually bathe him myself and keep the fur between his toes trimmed (funny, huh?! It gets comically long), but I figured a professional cut maybe 2-3 times a year might be good for him, when I can afford it.

Any recommendations?

Best Food Vendors at the Festival??

Hey! I'm going to the festival for the first time in about an hour or two. Any "must taste" recommendations before I leave?

Local weeds?

Hey everyone!

As a first time gardener (and naturally curious person), I am wondering what the most prominent weeds are in my now extensive collection. Can any enthusiasts out there enlighten me? If you have a tested way to keep these particular buggers away, that would be great, but I'm also just curious as to what they are.

Thanks!

No more Brats?!

Ok, I just got back from the first Farmer's Market of the year (is the expansion permanent? If so, go Tehachapi!). I began a tradition last year of grabbing a Brat w/ saurkraut to take home for dinner from Kohnen's stand. Oh sooooooo good!

I could NOT find the Kohnen's stand today, and I was upset. Are they not going to be at the Farmer's Market anymore? I miss my brats and have been looking forward to them for months! The roasted corn was great, but it couldn't fill that hunger in the pit of my little (partly) German, Lutheran soul.

Anyone know what's going on?

[Also, does anyone know if it costs anything to set up a small table there?]

More earthquakes...

This time, I was awake and felt them, lol. Anyone else?

Farmer's Market

Does anyone know what date the Farmer's Market will begin this year? I'm hoping for the Thursday before Memorial weekend, because my Mom is coming up for her birthday, and she really wants to go to one of those (and how often can you get a Thursday off?) : O)