Mop your floor with vinaigrette?

My, I have been busy today! I did laundry, dishes, cleaned my apartment, recured my cast-iron fry pan, and worked on some paperwork. I discovered something interesting today! While preparing to mop my floors, I discovered I was all out of wood floor cleaner. So, I thought I'd log on to the web and see if I could find a recipe for a home made wood floor cleaner. I was in luck! I found this site created by Michigan State University that was filled with every single kind of home made cleaner you can imagine. Definitely check it out, especially if you're on a tight budget or trying to take better care of the environment.

I tried out the floor cleaner that is equal parts vegetable oil and white vinegar. It cleaned beautifully, and my floors are nice and shiny. The drawbacks? The floors are a wee bit slippery (I think in a day or two they will be fine, once the oil has a chance to absorb,) and the whole apartment smells faintly of salad. (Oil and vinegar are the two main components in vinaigrette . . . !!)

Moral of the story: I will pick up some Murphy's Oil Soap at Target . . . but it's good to know that salad dressing would work in a pinch. :)

I had appetizer supper: an egg roll (Pagoda white meat chicken, methinks,) some pineapple, and some spinach and artichoke dip (on Wasa Crispbread) that's been in the freezer since Christmas. Here's the recipe, courtesy of Cooking Light:

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Combine:
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
8 oz fat free cream cheese, softened

Spoon the above into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Combine 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 2 tbsp grated parmesan and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, bread, etc.

I KID YOU NOT, THIS IS THE BEST SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP I'VE EVER HAD AND YOU'LL NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS KNOW IT'S "LIGHT!"

It's very easy to adapt as well. Sometimes I make it and bake just half if it's for a small party and freeze the remaining dip in 1/4 cup blobs on a cookie sheet. When they are good and frozen, I move them to a ziploc bag -- microwaveable single servings for later!! You could also make the dip in a small crock pot -- which would stay nice and warm during a lengthy party!

Later . . . .