Afghan Cardamom Cake Recipe

natural cleaning products

Your Home & the Environment - Chemical Free Home & Garden

Chemical Free Home

Many of the items and products we have or use in the home and garden emit harmful toxins which have been linked to a range of common health problems. Carpets and floor coverings, paints and finishes, furntiture and fabrics, cleaning, personal care and pest control products as well as heating and cooking appliances can all contribute to a toxic environment in our home. The following information will give you tips on how to make your home chemical free.

Improve your Indoor Air Quality

Good ventilation is the best way to combat household pollutants. Open your windows and doors to flush the pollutants out and let the fresh air in. If you live on a busy road or are concerned about the quality of the air you are letting in, an air filter might be a better option. Indoor plants can help remove pollutants from the air Choose natural products that have low chemical emissions. Here are some examples to start you off: Beeswax polish and linseed oil for wood finishing, Plant or mineral based paints instead of petrochemical paints and finishes, Sisal, coir or jute floor coverings instead of synthetic carpets. Essential oils or fresh flowers instead of artificial air freshners. Cleaning, personal care (soaps, shampoos etc) and pest control products that are made from natural ingredients. Check out our section on Smart Shopping for tips on how to find these products when you are shopping! Your Home has more information on indoor air quality.

Clean your home with Natural and Healthier Products

Using non-toxic chemicals around your home is better for your health and for the environment. Use natural products such as vinegar, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), eucalyptus oil, pure soap and lemon juice and the recipes below from the Easy Guide to Natural Cleaning PDF (358k) to clean your laundry, bathroom and kitchen. Fridge Cleaner Bicarbonate Of Soda mixed with water can remove stains, mould and aerate odours in your fridge. Non-toxic Oven Cleaner Mix 1/2 a cup of table salt, 1/4 cup of borax, 1/2 cup of baking soda and enough warm water to make a paste. Apply liberally to the interior of the oven. Leave it for at least an hour and then wipe it down with a cloth soaked in vinegar and then with a clean rinsed cloth. Bench Cleaner White Vinegar cuts through grease, disinfects, bleaches and deodorises tabletops and sinks. Fizzy Bathroom Cleaner Mix 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Apply with a scrubbing brush or a cloth and leave the solution for 30 minutes before one last scrub. Finally rinse the area in warm water. Windows, Glass and Mirrors Combine 1 cup of white vinegar and 5 drops of eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle. Spray and then wipe down with a dry cloth. Be amazed as this recipe prevents mirrors fogging up. Specialised cleaning cloths and gloves are also a great way to clean without chemicals. These products are now readily available in supermarkets and are machine washable, so can be used over and over again. Try to avoid the disposable cleaning cloths as they just add to your household waste!

Chemical Free Garden

Herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilisers all contain chemicals that will effect your health, and the health of the living things in your backyard. There are non-toxic ways to control pests and diseases in your garden and much better ways of providing nutrients to your plants. Natural Pest Control Using herbicides and pesticides to control pests usually results in 'off target' impacts (where another plant or animal is unintentionally affected by the chemical you use), a build up of chemicals in the soil or runoff of chemicals into our natural environment. Analysis of sediment in our local creeks and rivers has highlighted the presence of chemicals that have been commonly used in gardens to control pests. Wet weather tip: Never use chemicals in your garden when it looks like rain - the chemicals will be washed from your garden into our creeks. Good pest management is based on having a good knowledge of the pest. Identify the pest you are trying to control. Assess where it lives, how it lives, what its lifecycle is and this will allow you to have a better idea of how to control it. There are many natural pest control techniques which include: Companion planting – many aromatic plants produce scents that are designed to make them unattractive to pests. For example: mint, lavender or marigolds Sacrifice plants - used as a decoy so that pests are attracted to them rather than your prized plants. Sticky traps, that use scents that lure pests to a sticky surface where they are trapped. Oils – which smother pests such as aphids on leaves Other natural products such as soap, chilli sprays etc. Hand removal of weeds or diseased plant material Using mulch or other plants to deter weeds Organic Fertilisers Traditional chemical fertilisers only add nutrients to your soil – not organic matter! This matter is essential for supporting life in your soil. Mulch - A great fertiliser and source of organic material for your soil. As your mulch decays it releases vital plant nutrients into the soil Compost - Recycle your kitchen scraps using a compost bin and produce one of the best forms of fertiliser for your plants. When your compost is consistent in colour and texture (brown to black, crumbly but moist and smelling like rich soil) it is ready to dig into your soil or use as a top dressing for your lawn. Worm Farm products - If you choose to use a worm farm instead of a compost bin, you will have both worm juice and worm castings in your garden. Worm juice should be diluted until it is the colour or weak tea before being watered into your garden. Castings when harvested, can be dug straight into your soil. Commerical products - Fish emulsion or seaweed fertilisers are also great products available from your nursery, supermarket or department store. Visit our Sustainable Gardening section for more information. There are many great books on how to avoid chemicals in your home and garden, some of which are available from Council's libraries. The Chemical Maze, Bill Statham (2003) Greeniology, Tanya Ha, (2003) Safer Cleaning and Better Living Tips, Robin Stewart (2002)

5 Spice Sugar

5-6 Tablespoons

5 min 5 min prep

Change to: Tablespoons US Metric

5	tablespoons sugar
1/2-1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2	teaspoon ground ginger
1/2	teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2	teaspoon ground coriander

Use on French toast/Pancakes

HOW TO BAKE THE PERFECT BUNDT® CAKE

Helpful Hints For Fail-Safe Results

1. Use the proper cooking spray. Spray the Bundt pan with a non-stick vegetable oil. We recommend a non-stick spray such as Bakers Joy* which contains flour. After spraying, take a pastry brush and brush the oil into the grooves of the pan and then turn the pan upside down on a paper towel, allowing excess oil to drain away. Avoid using spray with Lecithin listed as an ingredient as a gummy residue can build up over time. Better than using spray, brush pan with a solid vegetable shortening and dust lightly with flour. Briskly tap the pan several times with your hands to distribute the flour evenly and then turn pan upside down over sink and tap to remove excess flour (for awesome detail, Wondra* flour works best).
2. Avoid bubbles in the batter. To prevent air bubbles in the cake, slowly pour the batter in one corner of the pan and allow the batter to slowly flow in and around the BundtÒ design. Gently tap the filled cake pan on the counter a few times, this will make the air bubbles/pockets rise up and away from the outside of the cake.
3. Showcase the details using a spatula. With a spatula, push the batter to the outside of the pan pushing slightly up the walls; this will help the cake climb up the sides, giving you greater detail on the outside of the cake.
4. Bake and then cool for 10 minutes before inverting. Place the pan on the center rack of the oven. Black or dark colored pans require a 25-degree Fahrenheit (10 deg. C) heat reduction from the recommended oven temperature. Bake for time indicated and cool 10 minutes – no less, no longer. With hot pads, pick up the cake pan and gently shake the pan from side to side listening for thumping. This indicates cake is loose and ready to invert. A plastic knife may be used to carefully loosen the cake around the center tube and sides if sticking persists.
5. Invert, continue cooling and dust or drizzle. Invert on plate or cooling rack; continue to cool. Dust with powdered sugar using a sifter or drizzle your favorite sauce or glaze on top, or decorate with fruit. ENJOY!

* Instructions can be used with any Nordic Ware Bundt® pan.

Baker's Joy

CRISCO® SIMPLIFIES BAKING WITH NO-STICK FLOUR SPRAY

Bishops Bread (Alternative)

INGREDIENTS: 1 egg 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup chopped well drained maraschino cherries 1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips PREPARATION: In mixing bowl, beat egg with electric mixer until light, about 1 minute. Add sugar, oil, and vanilla. Beat well. Blend in the buttermilk. In another bowl sift together the flour, soda, and salt. Add pecans, cherries, raisins or dates, and chocolate chips; blend well. Add to the first mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove to a rack to cool completely.Makes 1 loaf of Bishop's Bread

Bishops Bread

1 ½ cup Flour 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup choclate chips 2 cups walnuts 1 cup dates 1 cup glazed cherries 3 eggs 1 cup sugar

• Grease angel food cake pan
• Mix flour, Backing powder, Salt, Chocolate chips, walnuts dates, and cherries until coated
• In large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar
• Fold in flour mixture pour into pan bake at 325 Fahrenheit for 1 hour 10 minutes