Cleaning My Chalky Dishes in the Dishwasher

Chalky Dishes, Dishwasher, Limescale

I readily admit that housework is a challenge for me and that I use any shortcut or cheat that I can without endangering the life or well being of my friends and family. With that being said I had been using a powdered dishwasher distributed by Aldi's. I was happy for a while. Then this summer I started to notice that my dishes were chalky after they had been "cleaned" in the dishwasher. I was able to scrape the chalk off with my fingernail, it really appears as limescale. Not particularly a pleasant task to undertake. I use the dishwasher to make my life easier, not to add tasks to my day. I decided to buy Cascade. I have used Cascade over the years and I had never had any issues with it before. My first response was that Cascade has a new box. That is not really a big problem for me though. I am a firm believer in FUNCTION over FORM. I thought probably some research firm had decided that this newly designed box would entice more sales. The problem though was that my dishes did NOT improve. In fact, my previously black Farberware began to appear GRAY. My glasses and clear plastic cups all had a layer of limescale. I can remember an article, an announcement that my community had switched from using Chlorine to using Chloramine. So I decided to do some searching online. I found that many people across the country were having similar if not exactly the same issues as I was having. I asked a few local friends and they too were having trouble. I decided to try some of the solutions that I found online. I tried this first one, it works so I haven't tried any others.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
* 1/2 cup borax
* 1/2 cup baking soda
* 1/2 cup salt
* 3 envelopes unsweetened lemon drink mix (I am using Aldi's Flavoraide lemon-lime)
Use one tbsp for pre-wash and one tbsp wash.

I gave this recipe some thought. Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) and Unsweetened Lemon Drink Mix (Citric Acid) make that lovely foam (http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/baking-soda-and-vinegar.html) giving off water and carbon dioxide. If I put salt in my bath it softens the water. For that matter people pay to have Calcium and Manganese removed from their water with salt in "water softeners." Now, I am certain that the gray is in fact limescale! And limescale is often Calcium Bicarbonate and can be removed with citric acid.

I like the recipe because I can mix it up from items I actually already have on hand. I give it a try. Immediately, my dishes were clean AND less scaley. I tried adding vinegar during the rinse cycle in a load with all of my Farberware. Now my spatula and spoons look brand new again.

I am happy with this simple solution maybe you will be too!

Finally Chalky Dishes in the Dishwasher Come Clean

Our Camping List

Your usage may vary. We are tent camping and this is list I use to gather and pack for our trip. I also check it as we pack the car to make sure some item didn't get left behind in the house!

Tarp, ground cloth
Tent
Stakes
Mallot
Air matress
Sleeping bags
Pillows
Flashlights, Lantern & related supplies
mess kit

Clothes
Plastic bag for wet, dirty clothes
Toiletry articles - soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shower shoes, washcloth, towel, etc.
Camp Fire Vest with Uniform or red, white, and blue clothing to wear during ceremonial
2 pairs comfortable shoes – tennis shoes are perfect - absolutely no open-toe or backless shoes
Raincoat or poncho - no umbrellas, please

Sit-upon or folding chair- to use when sitting on the wet, dirty ground
Quiet time activity - books, cards, a toy or two
Sunscreen and insect repellent
First aid kit for the trip
Firewood, shovel, bucket, charcoal (optional)
Camp chairs and table (optional)
Supplies for special activities you want to do
Food - food, plates, utensils, drinks, ice, ice chest, & any needed supplies

ALSO:
first aid kit
ice? water
chair
rope tarps
tent
matches

I wrote this to my mom. She and I both live without Gluten. She is planning a trip to New Orleans.
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I was thinking, have you traveled Gluten Free (GF) yet? Maybe you have, maybe you have not? Here are some of my tips.

I know you'll be staying with family but you will also have car trips etc.

I always bring trail mix. A handful substitutes for a light meal and it doesn't need refrigeration or cooking. I used Aldi's Fit & Active Trail Mix. It has raw pecans, almonds, hazel nuts, walnuts & a splash of raisins & craisins.

I like to carry my spray bottle of Braggs.

I try to find what I can eat of what others are eating, sandwiches can be rolled in one piece of lettuce or ingredients can be eaten separately. Two servings of peas instead of a roll. I know you do this well.

Most restaurants have something but some are VERY tricky.

Bunny told me breakfast is usually safe but I found out many restaurants add pancake batter to their omelets. So I ask. IHOP does but also has a healthy choice egg substitute omelete that is GF.

I have ordered sandwiches at fast food restaurants sans bread. They all accommodate thinking I am on the Atkins Diet. They'll allow doubling the lettuce & tomato too.

Popeys - red beans & rice are GF so is the french fries and coleslaw. Green beans are crazy. They have wheat flour & wheat gluten added.

McDonalds - an easy cheap meal, 2 side salads & a cup of H2O. It'll cost $2 + tax. I use 1 Caesar dressing for both salads. Fries are GF. There are more expensive salads but I wasn't really impressed. They also sell apple slices but I don't usually get them. Got a really nice fruit smoothie there for another $2.

Wendys - chili, fries & baked potatoes are all GF.

Taco bell -stick with hard shells, yummy.

Cracker Barrel - it was one of aunt annie;s favorites. They say these items are GF safe: bacon, sausage, grilled catfish, grilled chicken tenders, hamburger steak, rib eye & sirloin steaks, apple sauce, carrots, corn, green beans, pinto beans & turnip greens.

I never heard of anyone who thickens their jambalaya. Gumbo will be thickened but some families always used corn starch.

Many big chains have GF menus but I sometimes get frustrated trying to figure it out when I am hungry. PF Changs, Ruby Tues., Chilis, etc.

I don't know what to do about beignets & muffallattas. I am leaning toward ordering a muff without bread or handing them GF bread to make the sandwich on.

Hope this helps.

Arts and Crafts

I made "Jack" Pack by fashioning an emblem out of craft foam.

Have you ever figured out the difference between "arts" and "crafts?" I love art. I love to see it, feel it and create it. I love painting, drawing, carving, modeling, gluing, soldering, cutting and sewing. Most of the art I make looks much like the products your 7 year old brings home in the their backpack each Friday from school. But it is still my art. It makes me happy to create it, to look at it and to give it away. I do wish that in the end it would look better but only so that the people that I give it to could appreciate it better. So to me the difference between "arts" and "crafts" is only this: if I have created art others see it as a craft. Back to my beading now...

Knots etc

So I started to carry a few pieces of rope around. Sure enough, we have all learned to tie the Bowline. My 4 year old daughter always has a little trouble at the start but once we get that first loop right she can finish the knot. I am going to try to keep this up a while to really get it into out long term memory.

Not Knots!

A couple of days ago we were at the beach. We lost our raft. We had used a granny knot to secure the anchor line. Guess what? A granny knot will not hold an anchor line. Luckily we were able to find the line and with only two attempts I was able to recall a bowline. So I decided that we would start practicing knots. We started with the Bowline. We are practicing it everyday. My son and I are going to master these knots. I should have known better. And how cute is it anyway to see my 4 year old tying a bowline.

My Nursing History

My circle is widely varied. I know women who didn't nurse at all. They didn't even try. They had no desire to try. I know women who nursed their children till they were 6 years old. I know women who nursed their children for some amount in-between.

When I was pregnant I really didn't give much thought to nursing except that since it was best for the child I would give it a shot. I only really knew one women who had nursed, or at least nursed around me. Beth Wright in Louisiana in the early 1980s. I had baby-sat her two sons who were about 2 and 3 years old at the time, Brandon and Matthew. She not only nursed her toddlers, she also had a family bed. Both ideas seemed reasonable to me but seemed to shock some of our mutual friends.

So, I gave birth and started to nurse. I had trouble. I knew there was something wrong because there just weren't enough dirty diapers. He was dehydrated. I attended La Leche League Meetings. The women there were very kind and helpful. I learned how to nurse more successfully for me. Strangely (or not so strangely) I ended up nursing the way felt most comfortable to me instead of what all the books said. I nursed on one side for each sitting. The next time we nursed we would nurse on the other side. Just that simple and baby thrived.

At the La Leche League Meetings I learned about child led weaning. Child led weaning begins when your child is interested in food. It is completed when your child no longer asks to nurse.

Even though I just started out giving it a try, after 3 years I was still nursing my first child. He had been nursing just once a day, just to fall asleep at night when I ended nursing. One day my breasts were really tender. I explained to my child how they hurt to touch them and how I didn't think I could nurse hime to sleep. He only asked the one night and never asked again.

My second child was another story. At her birth, I had some trouble. Again La Leche League members gave me good advice from their own experiences. We had thrush and once that was cleared up we were a happy nursing team.

She nursed more frequently than my son but she thrived. At four years old, for my own sanity, I had to persuade my daughter to give up night-time nursing. She did not reduce the number of nursing sessions per day as my first child had. She only changed the timings of the sessions to all day time nursings. Instead of feeling like I was caring for my daughter and enjoying the one-to-one and that unique closeness I was still tired and feeling trapped. So I started asking other moms around at the park one day. One of friends said she had bribed one of her sons out of nursing with a truck that he wanted. On the way home, I just asked my daughter if there was something that she would trade for nursing. She was quick to answer, she wanted a big prize from Target (a department store). I told her when she had stopped nursing after one week we would go to Target for a big prize. That was it, she was a little nervous later that first day but that night was fine. I took her to Target a week later. We went up and down every toy isle but she couldn't find anything that was right. Target didn't have any dresses (the employee said that they were out of season). I took her to Bealls (another department store) where she picked out two very fancy dresses and a pink scarf.

P.S. She didn't ask to nurse again until she was sick (once in February and then again in May) and was easily comforted by sitting on my lap.