Our Country Living Magazine

Small ideas to protect the planet

By making small changes in our daily habits we can all participate in the preservation of nature and the saving of our planet’s resources.
Choosing to buy natural products from small local producers, giving preference to national brands and even reviving ancestral practices is a way to reduce our ecological footprint, protect our bodies and even save money. At home, you can opt for alternative ways of doing things, which ironically are nothing else but solutions from a while back and are proving to be quite innovative. For example, choosing organic products or home-based methods for cleaning the house and recycling are top green decisions.

Vinegar, the perfect aid

Have a good quantity of white fruit vinegar; it can have many different uses around the house. Vinegar disinfects and is perfect for removing fat or grease stains because of the high concentration of aseptic acid it contains. It is ideal in the removal of ingrained dirt and fabulous for cleaning the bathroom and kitchen. Apply directly onto moisture-darkened tile joints and around taps and showerhead. You can attach a plastic bag to keep the showerhead soaked in vinegar for about 2 hours, brush with an old toothbrush or rough-textured sponge and you will be happily surprised. Use it pure to remove grease and other stains from your stove and pots and pans. Mixed with water and kept in a spray bottle, (1 part vinegar to 4 parts water) vinegar has many different uses for cleaning and sterilization such as on smooth surfaces – cutting boards, countertops, desktops, kitchen cabinets, windows and even the floor. Add a few drops of lemon juice for freshness. Vinegar is equally brilliant as a clothes softener. Pour half a glass of vinegar into the softener compartment of the washing machine and feel the difference.

Other articles

Wild Mushrooms Recipe

Wild Mushrooms Recipe

Here in the area, there are edible wild mushrooms, known as “tortulhos”. We went to meet them.

Do you know how to check if eggs are fresh?

Do you know how to check if eggs are fresh?

Our most recent love is for chickens! We really want some chickens for our farm and we are already dreaming about all the fresh eggs, especially fried in our olive oil with Miguel’s bread, yum! And because we are really imaginative dreamers we are already thinking of...

What to eat in the fall

What to eat in the fall

Not everyone is aware of the fruits and vegetables of each season and so to help in your grocery shopping, we have created a list of the Portuguese Autumn products.

Save the soil

Save the soil

This year I was invited to participate in Terra Sã event, a biological agriculture fair, organized by Agrobio.

How to pick mushrooms

How to pick mushrooms

Mushroom picking has never been as fashionable as it is now, but there are some rules that we should keep in mind when we go out into the field.

How to plait onions

How to plait onions

Do you also experience days when you wake up feeling you really want to learn how to do something you’ve never tried before? I’ve just had one…

How to be healthier

How to be healthier

A new year begins and with it always comes a series of resolutions that we want to take to make our lives better.

Aromatic herbs in the kitchen

Aromatic herbs in the kitchen

Herbs have regained their importance in our kitchens mostly because they can be used fresh or dried, on their own or mixed with other herbs and are an excellent substitute for seasoning such as salt. Besides giving a special touch to any dish, we should not forget herbs represent the most natural and healthy way to prevent diseases.

The future is clearly Agro ecology

The future is clearly Agro ecology

Agroecology is the word that best defines sustainable agricultural production. This type of agriculture takes into account, respects and integrates the environmental, social, political, cultural, economic and ethical reality in which it is inserted. Different practices and theories evolved stemming from the same agro-ecological root; namely:

Why should we use olive oil instead of coconut oil?

Why should we use olive oil instead of coconut oil?

Powerful multinationals with no respect for the rules established by “Fair Trade” have succeeded in turning coconut oil into a fashionable product. This is rapidly dethroning traditional products, destroying regional biodiversity and bringing about negative consequences for the country’s economy.

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