Oven Cleaning Without Harsh Chemicals (AKA Holy Crap My Oven Is Nasty!) Part 1

My oven began smoking while baking last week.  I thought maybe it was a fluke thing, since it did not do it the next day when I continued baking. Then I baked an amazing Cheeseburger Pie (recipe will be posted soon) and the whole house filled with smoke and the alarm went off and it sucked.  I had to open all of the windows, turn on the overhead fans and all portable fans, and not finish baking the fish sticks Radin was going to enjoy for lunch.  I had it in my mind to clean out the oven.  Obviously something had spilled onto the bottom of the oven and was causing the smoke.  And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had NEVER thoroughly cleaned the inside of my oven.  I have lived here and used the oven almost daily for 5 years.  Gross.
So I took to the interwebs for instructions on how to run the "self cleaning" option on my oven.  Which I am pretty sure that is an option on my oven.  The wording is so worn out, but I think it says "CLEAN" on one of the knobs; past the word "BROIL."  Well, the advice online is to NEVER actually use your oven's self cleaning mode.  It could cause serious smoke damage to your home, especially if there is spillage on the bottom of the oven.  Great.  There goes my easy option.
Then I took to Pinterest for an "easy yet green" cleaning solution.  I found many different pins about using baking soda and vinegar and wound up following CaChingQueen's advice the most.
First off, this is how my oven looked before I did anything to it.

Yeah, gross.  There is a GIANT spill of something funky right in the middle.  And now it is baked on and charred.

Extra gross.  Makes me wonder what the heck I cooked that made that big puddle though.  Bleh.

The little Dragon and I took a trip to WinCo to pick up the supplies.

Doesn't he just look thrilled to be at the grocery store?! About as thrilled as I was when I remembered that you have to bag your own stuff at WinCo.  I'm so lazy.

Here is the ingredients we picked up and used today:

• Spray Bottle filled with 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water.
• Sea Salt
• Baking Soda

That's it!  Super easy checklist and you probably already have these items in your pantry.  I did not have these items, because Christmas just happened along with a ton of cookie baking.

Now here is what you do with this stuff:

1. Remove the oven racks (post coming soon about how to clean those bad boys, since the advice on this site did not do the trick for my racks).
2. Spray the whole inside of the oven with the vinegar/water solution.  Including the door.  Get it all nice and soaked.
3. Sprinkle (I heaved) baking soda everywhere; making sure to put extra on the really bad parts.
4. Sprinkle a thick layer of the sea salt over the baking soda.
5. Spray again with the vinegar/water.  It will get all bubble from the reaction between the vinegar and baking soda.
6. Leave it to sit overnight.
7. With the course side of sponge scrub the oven.
8. Spray again with vinegar/water to help remove everything.
9. Use damp towels to wipe up everything.

Okay, so at step 6 I varied form CaChingQueen.  I was impatient and let it sit for 2 hours and then attempted scrubbing.  A lot did come off, but not nearly enough to say the job was done.  So I smeared the baking soda around a bit and created a paste all over the oven (which helps with the back and walls.  Cuz gravity and all).  

Here is what it looked like before I smeared it about;

It just wouldn't stick to the back and walls without me smearing it into a paste. So now it is sitting overnight. I will update tomorrow on how it all turned out and if this recipe is worth it.  Here's hoping.

First Official Still From GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY!

HOLY BALLS, YOU GUYS!!!!  The very first official still from Guardians of the Galaxy has been released.  As you can tell, it is a realization of some awesome concept art that was released early last year!  I am now even more excited that this is happening...THIS YEAR!!

Here is the official word from Marvel that accompanied the unveiling of the still:

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team — the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits — Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand — with the galaxy's fate in the blanace. Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" is presented by Marvel Studios. The film releases August 1, 2014, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

My Top Ten New Year's Goals

Happy New Year!  With the New Year usually comes a list of resolutions that everyone is determined to keep…at least through the end of the month.  I have never subscribed to resolutions, because I pretty much know myself by now and know that I am not going to jog every day for the next year, or never drink soda again, begin juicing, or stop cursing like a sailor (when the baby is not around, of course).  But I think I should set some goals this year. 2013 was a terrible year for me and my little family, and we need to get back on the happiness track.  Here is a list I will do my best to stick to in this New Year (I received a lot of inspiration from ScaryMommy for this list):

1.      Live in the moment.  And no, I don’t mean YOLO it up like an idiot.  What I mean is, be present in my everyday life.  Notice the little things more and appreciate them.  When my 20 month old son is yelling “NOO NOOOO NOOOOOOOO” over an episode of Thomas the Train ending, try and not get angry that he is yelling over a tv program, and realize he is processing and professing his emotions…and that is a good thing.  When we are late for a doctor’s appointment because of ridiculous traffic, take the time to enjoy a sing-a-long with the little one.  Just basically enjoy my life as it is more and stop worrying so much about what is next or how I can make my life “better.”

2.      Stop calling myself fat.  Seriously, who is this helping, really? I don’t want my son to grow up hearing his Mom constantly worry about her weight or forever going through a new diet.  I know that how I project my self-esteem will largely affect how he feels about his own body and mind. 

3.     Practice what I preach.  If I want my little one to get outside and play more, than he needs to see me getting out and playing too.  If I want him to be a social butterfly, than he needs to see his Momma fluttering about a crowd happily.  This is hard for me, because I really am a homebody.  But I will do my best to reach out and make connections with friends and family that I haven’t “hung out with” in many years.  Plus, the little one needs some tiny tot friends, not just Thomas the f****** Train.

4. Stop being so “jelly” (jealous)!  I have an issue with comparing myself and my life with what others are doing or having.  I never seem to feel as if I am good enough or my life is complete enough.  I am always looking for more.  I need to straight up stop that nonsense.  My life IS full and my family IS complete.  I need to focus more on enjoying what I have and being happy with who I am.  This doesn't mean some character building is not needed.  Obviously everyone needs to continue growing and maturing as they age and experience new things.  But I need to follow rule #1 and be thankful for what I have accomplished thus far and enjoy it.

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Is catching my son shoving a fistful of dirt in his mouth really reason to lose my shit and freak out on him?  No, not really.  I am fairly certain I have stuck worse things in my mouth (if you know what I mean) and lived to tell the tales.  Is my house ever going to be completely clean and all the toys where they should be?  No, definitely not.  And that is okay.

6. Take some time for myself.  I have morphed into super Mommy and I spend every waking (and most dreaming) moment worrying about my son and my husband and their happiness and well-being.  I need to put a portion of that energy into taking care of myself.  I need to drink more water.  I need to finally start that skin care regime I keep putting off for no good reason.  I need to slather on lotion after a shower.  Seriously…that takes like 2 minutes and I never do it.  I need to do my hair every day.  And I don’t mean, style it all fancy and junk every single day.  I just mean take the time to actually blow dry it to a somewhat manageable style.  I know this will make me feel better about my self-image and then I will have no excuse not to go to the park with the little one.

7. Eat healthier.  This does not mean a diet.  This does not mean a juice cleanse.  But if I want my son to grow up with a healthy relationship with food, he needs to see me eating healthy foods and snacks.  He eats what I eat.  Plus, I need to branch out from the same old dinner menu we have had for the last ten years.  I love tacos, but not every other night.

8. Sex it up.  Yup, this is where it gets awkward for my family who read this. Lol.  But I need to put a bit (okay, a ton) more effort into my sex life.  After having a baby who never slept, a serious bout of depression, living with the in-laws for many months, and a terrible time with the depo-shot that made me bleed every day for almost a year,  I have basically just pushed sex and anything related to the back of the bus.  Time to relocate sexy Jenny and put her to good use.

9. De-Clutter.  I have so much stuff. Let me rephrase that;  WE have so much stuff.  The husband, the little one, and I all have way too much stuff.  Stuff I don’t ever use and will probably never use, but that I hung on to….just in case!  No more.  Time to go through the house, room by room and get rid of what we do not use or need.  Get ready for one epic spring garage sale.

10. Write more.  I used to love to sit and just write.  I would write what was on my mind, I would write fanciful stories of elves and mutants, I would just write nonsense.  I miss it.  It was what got me through my younger days when I didn't yet understand that I was depressed…and not just kind of sad.  Whether it is blogging, journaling, or just writing a story for my son, I want to take the time to write.

Pirate Bay Has Moved...Again!

In case you attempted to log on to TPB (thepiratebay.sx) earlier this week and found it down, I found where it went; thepiratebay.ac.  Well, now THAT is down too.  But have no fear...TPB is up and running at ThePirateBay.pe.  Hopefully they are allowed to stay there for awhile so I don't have to wast time in my pursuit of torrents.  I know...complaining about free stuff...shut up.

MALEFICENT Trailer debuts

It focuses a tad more on developing the Sleeping Beauty story more than on Maleficent herself, but she sure does look bad ass.  And that laugh at the end!! PERFECTION!  This has always been my favorite Disney villain and I cannot wait to see this in theaters.

2 Comic Books You Should Be Reading: IMAGE edition

Put down the typical superhero fare for just a moment and feast your eyes on these beauties that are full of mystery, conspiracies, stunning artwork, compelling tales, fantastic fun and so much for you brain to boggle!

 

MORNING GLORIES by IMAGE

Ongoing series currently at issue #32

Story by Nicke Spencer

Art by Joe Eisma (covers by Rodin Esquejo)

This is series is currently on issue #32 (moved back to 10/02/13 release date) and I still have not the faintest clue as to what is happening.  But I love it. The series takes place almost exclusively at the fictional Morning Glory Academy, an exclusive boarding school for teenagers. Beneath its placid facade, the school is actually involved in the murder and torture of students as well as various investigations into occult and supernatural phenomenon. This series has been accurately described as "Runaways meets Lost."  It is full of religious conspiracies, blood, gore, humor, and crazy time paradoxes.  What more could you want? 

SAGA

Ongoing series currently at issue #

Story by Brian K. Vaughan

Art and Covers by Fiona Staples

How are you not already reading this?! This is the BEST comic I have picked up in a very, very long time.  Saga is an epic space opera/fantasy comic book series. The series is heavily influenced by Star Wars, and is based on ideas Vaughan conceived both as a child and as a parent. It depicts two lovers from long-warring extraterrestrial races, Alana and Marko, fleeing authorities from both sides of a galactic war as they struggle to care for their newborn daughter, Hazel, who occasionally narrates the series.  Now this comic is not for the young ones, it has graphic nudity, sexual situations (like full-on sex), and lots of gore.  Plus some very odd looking aliens that I just love.  The story pulls you in and you are left begging for more!  I squee with absolute delight when a new issue finally comes out!  And the art work!! OH THE BEAUTIFUL ART WORK!  I am in love with Fiona Staples art work.

 

Fuck Yeah...'Merica! Cap 2 Trailer Now Up!

My ovaries cannot take that last scene!