Brian & Gabi Kinney
modernjourneymen@gmail.com

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  • We've been a bit quiet this past week because we've been working a lot. Brian is still full time at his job and I got the best job in Key West and have been training for the past several days.

But I get to treat people to free tastings of the most delicious rum at @keywestlegalrum three days a week! These guys know what they're doing and these are some of the best rums I've ever had. If you're ever in the Keys, you should definitely make a stop here. The people behind the operation are pretty amazing as well. We are always excited to find people who really love their craft and do it so well. ๐Ÿน๐Ÿ’– Now that we'll be getting back into a regular routine, we'll be posting more often again. Hope everyone is having a great week!
  • Just a gentle reminder - OUR FERMENTATION KIT IS 50% OFF!!!! - through the month of February. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿคฉ Trust me - it makes a fabulous Valentine's Day gift for your number 1 sweetheart! I would love to get this from my sweetie! ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’–โ™ฅ๏ธ Follow the link in our profile to read all about our awesome fermentation weights and git you some! ๐Ÿ˜˜๐Ÿ‘๐ŸŽ‰
  • It's #fermentationfebruary and here is another sweet ferment! I threatened to lacto-ferment the abundance of star fruit we had a little while back and I sure as heck did it. ๐Ÿ˜

Isn't she pretty? Tastes pretty good too. A little sweet, a lotta zing. Just like I hoped. ๐Ÿ™Œ

Follow the link in our profile to see how we did it! ๐Ÿ˜‰
  • So our weekend was like a scene out of Dexter. The good news is that the living room and kitchen area are about 99% done save a few touch ups. I will take a break from the painting until next weekend when we will tackle the bedroom/bathroom area. Luckily, it's a much smaller area! ๐Ÿ˜ฅ

Pic #2 is the delicious Zombie that I totally needed after this past week. The glass says it all. ๐Ÿ˜

I hope everyone had a great weekend! G'night. ๐ŸŒŒ
  • Brian had the opportunity to spend yesterday working on a lobster boat - unfortunately, they were catching crab and not lobster. I prefer crab anyway. Sadly, he did not get to bring any home. ๐Ÿฆ€๐Ÿ˜ญ It was a very long day and really hard work and he's happy to have had the experience. But I don't think it will be a new career any time soon. He did enjoy being able to watch the sun rise and set over the ocean in the same day. I may be a little jealous. ๐Ÿ˜’๐ŸŒ…
  • Coming along! ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ’Ž Painting, painting and painting. Can I tell you how NOT fun it is to paint a small space while you are living in it? I'm sure some of you have done it and the rest of you can imagine. It takes a lot of patience and luckily, I was born with a lot of it. ๐Ÿ˜’

Brian is the son of a painter and spent much of his young life painting and, ironically, he is doing it for a living right now. So he's quick and good at it. Quite good. I, on the other hand, am slow and very critical of myself, so it can be very frustrating at times. But I've painted with my talented husband many times over the years and am always improving. Steady as she goes.

I'm looking forward to having my small space tidy and uncluttered again. In the meantime, my kitchen island is like a jewel from the sea that sparkles in the sun. ๐Ÿ˜
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Be Yourself. Be Happy.

We want to return to a time of local craftsmen providing services for members in the community, not some faceless corporation far away. We want to enable people to create for themselves and their families.ย 

Like growing your own food in an urban apartment. Baking a fresh loaf of your own sourdough for dinner. Sharing a bottle of wine with your friends that you picked, fermented and bottled. These are the small things that you can do to take you away from the consumer-driven economy, create something wonderful and share it with friends and family.

Stay Positive. Always.

If you would like to be featured on our blog or want to recommend someone to be featured, get in touch. If you have burning questions, reach out. If youโ€™re just looking to chat, weโ€™re here for you.

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Green Clean Your Home With Only A Handful Of Natural Ingredients
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Homesteading, Self Care

Green Clean Your Home With Only A Handful Of Natural Ingredients

Posted by Brian & Gabi

If you are reading this, chances are youโ€™ve considered making your own household cleaning products.

Perhaps youโ€™ve already researched some DIY cleaners and maybe youโ€™ve even tried a thing or two in the past, but did you know that the same ingredients can be used in a variety of DIY cleaners?

With just seven household items, you can make a foaming hand soap, a powerful scouring scrub, an all-purpose cleaner, a simple laundry detergent and an everyday dish soap.

Weโ€™ve listed a couple recipe options for each cleaner and most take less time to prepare than the time it would take to run to the store and buy the commercial version.

Making your own home cleaning products is not only more affordable, but it can be a lot healthier too.

Homemade cleaners are often more cost effective and environmentally friendly. You control what goes into them and, therefore, can eliminate any harmful or toxic ingredients or potential allergens.

And for an added bonus, you can be eco-friendly by replacing plastic bottles with reusable glass ones.

All you need are a handful of basic, inexpensive ingredients to make several common household cleaners.

Castile Soap

This gentle, vegetable-based soap can be used for a variety of cleaning applications and most of us are familiar with the popular Dr. Bronnerโ€™s brand. You should note that castile soap does not mix with vinegar, so in some recipes youโ€™ll have to pick one ingredient or the other.

Most of the recipes listed utilize castile soap with the exception of the dish soap recipe where youโ€™ll want to use Dr. Bronnerโ€™s Sal Suds since castile soap doesnโ€™t quite have the grease cutting powers youโ€™ll want.

Distilled White Vinegar

Vinegar is a great glass cleaner that also removes hard water spots, but is best used as a disinfectant spray AFTER you have cleaned a surface.

As a cleaner, itโ€™s only really effective in full strength, but most of us arenโ€™t a fan of that intense scent left behind or the possible eye and nose irritation it can cause. It can also harm natural stone and wood surfaces, so be careful where you use it.

Baking Soda and/or Washing Soda

This natural, non-toxic ingredient causes dirt to dissolve in water, making it an effective cleaning agent. It is mildly abrasive and works well in scouring powders.

Washing soda is a stronger and more effective cleaner and, if you want to be even more frugal, you can make your own washing soda from baking soda. And who doesnโ€™t already have some baking soda in their pantry?

Water

Distilled or boiled water that has cooled is best to use with natural cleaners, as it will reduce the risk of developing mold or bacteria. Water really is the ultimate cleaner and what could be more natural?

Essential Oils

These optional ingredients are mostly used for their pleasing scents to mask vinegar smells and make your laundry and hand soap smell pretty.

Some are touted as having anti-microbial properties, but this is one of those subjects where it is important to do your own research. There is a lot of information out there about how to safely use essential oils and tell which brands are 100% pure and we recommend looking into it before purchasing.

This will also be the most costly ingredient, but only small amounts are used in the recipes and, again, they are optional.

Salt

Another optional ingredient, salt is mainly used for softening laundry or for its abrasive qualities in scouring powders. The two types used in our highlighted recipes are non-iodized and kosher and what type of salt to use depends on what you are making.

Borax

Given that this is controversial as a natural ingredient, Borax is optional. Weโ€™ve offered up a few recipes that include it and many that leave it out.

There has been a lot of debate over whether or not Borax is safe to use and nothing absolutely concrete in either direction that we have seen, so it is another one of those subjects where we highly recommend you do your own research and make your own informed decision to use it or avoid it.

Now that youโ€™ve got your green cleaning essentials, letโ€™s start building your arsenal.

All Purpose Cleaning Spray

Every home needs one of these trusty concoctions to tackle the everyday muck and grime that lands on our kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

  • This recipe is actually two recipes, one with castile soap and one with vinegar, as we mentioned earlier that the two will not mix. Just remember not to use vinegar on natural stone such as marble and granite or on wood surfaces.
  • Here ย is a recipe containing Borax, for those who are comfortable using it, and without vinegar. There is also a helpful FAQ about making your own cleaner.

Laundry Soap

Liquid or powder? Borax or no Borax? Whatever your preference, we found some great recipes for all options. It is also pretty inexpensive to make your own, as you can make a lot of it at once and store it for a long time.

  • If you need a bit of fabric softening, thisย Borax-free, powder version adds kosher salt to do the trick.
  • If you prefer a liquid, here is a simple recipe where the Borax is optional.

Dish Soap

Making your own dish soap wonโ€™t be a huge money saver, but it will score higher on the green clean meter than some popular store bought brands. ย This is where you will replace castile soap with Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds because, in our experience, it will be tons more effective at cutting through grease and will mix with vinegar if you need to add it for hard water. ย 

  • This recipe incorporates citric acid for more cleaning power and kosher salt as a thickening agent.
  • If you prefer a more simplified recipe, this 3 ingredient one will be just as effective and adds jojoba oil for softening hands.

Scouring Powder

This one goes hand-in-hand with dish soap. As wonderful as our homemade recipes are, sometimes you need just a bit more grit to get those pots and pans sparkling and your tubs and tile pearly white again. Non-iodized salt is used because it will be more abrasive than your basic table salt. ย 

  • Insert this super simple scouring powder recipe for those tougher jobs. ย 

Hand Soap

After all of that cleaning, youโ€™ll need something to freshen your lovely hands. This is where youโ€™ll likely pinch the most pennies, as one 5 ounce bar of soap can make up to a gallon of hand soap. And you can get ย creative with your soap dispenser or recycle an old one.

  • We have super simple recipes for both a liquid hand soap and
  • a foaming hand soap depending on your preference.
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Our mission is to celebrate the journey of life, to learn as much as we can, to share as much as we can and, hopefully, tell great stories as we go. At the end of the day, we want to meet good people, eat good food, drink good drink, make love, and have fun.
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RECENT POSTS
  • Lacto-Fermented Fruit
  • Pineapple-Turmeric Kraut
  • The Art of Old World Bread at McBurney Manor
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FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
  • We've been a bit quiet this past week because we've been working a lot. Brian is still full time at his job and I got the best job in Key West and have been training for the past several days.

But I get to treat people to free tastings of the most delicious rum at @keywestlegalrum three days a week! These guys know what they're doing and these are some of the best rums I've ever had. If you're ever in the Keys, you should definitely make a stop here. The people behind the operation are pretty amazing as well. We are always excited to find people who really love their craft and do it so well. ๐Ÿน๐Ÿ’– Now that we'll be getting back into a regular routine, we'll be posting more often again. Hope everyone is having a great week!
  • Just a gentle reminder - OUR FERMENTATION KIT IS 50% OFF!!!! - through the month of February. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿคฉ Trust me - it makes a fabulous Valentine's Day gift for your number 1 sweetheart! I would love to get this from my sweetie! ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’–โ™ฅ๏ธ Follow the link in our profile to read all about our awesome fermentation weights and git you some! ๐Ÿ˜˜๐Ÿ‘๐ŸŽ‰
  • It's #fermentationfebruary and here is another sweet ferment! I threatened to lacto-ferment the abundance of star fruit we had a little while back and I sure as heck did it. ๐Ÿ˜

Isn't she pretty? Tastes pretty good too. A little sweet, a lotta zing. Just like I hoped. ๐Ÿ™Œ

Follow the link in our profile to see how we did it! ๐Ÿ˜‰
  • So our weekend was like a scene out of Dexter. The good news is that the living room and kitchen area are about 99% done save a few touch ups. I will take a break from the painting until next weekend when we will tackle the bedroom/bathroom area. Luckily, it's a much smaller area! ๐Ÿ˜ฅ

Pic #2 is the delicious Zombie that I totally needed after this past week. The glass says it all. ๐Ÿ˜

I hope everyone had a great weekend! G'night. ๐ŸŒŒ
  • Brian had the opportunity to spend yesterday working on a lobster boat - unfortunately, they were catching crab and not lobster. I prefer crab anyway. Sadly, he did not get to bring any home. ๐Ÿฆ€๐Ÿ˜ญ It was a very long day and really hard work and he's happy to have had the experience. But I don't think it will be a new career any time soon. He did enjoy being able to watch the sun rise and set over the ocean in the same day. I may be a little jealous. ๐Ÿ˜’๐ŸŒ…
  • Coming along! ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ’Ž Painting, painting and painting. Can I tell you how NOT fun it is to paint a small space while you are living in it? I'm sure some of you have done it and the rest of you can imagine. It takes a lot of patience and luckily, I was born with a lot of it. ๐Ÿ˜’

Brian is the son of a painter and spent much of his young life painting and, ironically, he is doing it for a living right now. So he's quick and good at it. Quite good. I, on the other hand, am slow and very critical of myself, so it can be very frustrating at times. But I've painted with my talented husband many times over the years and am always improving. Steady as she goes.

I'm looking forward to having my small space tidy and uncluttered again. In the meantime, my kitchen island is like a jewel from the sea that sparkles in the sun. ๐Ÿ˜
  • New month, new week. February can be a dreary month, so why not try something new and dabble in fermentation? ๐Ÿ˜‰

Today we're launching #fermentationfebruary! Every week throughout the month we'll be posting a few of our favorite ferments. Recipes will be up on the blog as well. โœจ

First up is an antioxidant powerhouse, Pineapple Turmeric Sauerkraut. Not only is it all sparkly goodness, but it's super good to your tummy too! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿ‘Œ Follow the link in our profile to get the recipe!
  • We are not Superbowl watchers. Never been football fans, either of us. We've spent all day painting the island in our RV kitchen. I have been painting cabinets in the hot sun all day. โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸŽจ So no post about ferments or funny commercials or sports teams. Instead, these two. Two happy pups enjoying #keywestlife on a beautiful day. ๐Ÿ˜

Shorty on the left is a shorkie. He is a mama's boy whose happy place is my lap. No one is allowed to hug or kiss mom, not even dad, or he will complain profusely with barks, snuffles and snorts. We adopted him through extended family. He wasn't wanted any more. Hard to believe since he is the snuggliest and most loyal boy. He is my kuala bear. ๐Ÿจ

Lily on the right is a pomchi. We rescued her 6 months after we got Shorty to give him a friend. She was brought up to Pennsylvania from Georgia where she was being bred in a puppy mill. She was very sick and very skittish when we brought her home. We had to quarantine her for a month before we could introduce her to Shorty. She is the most loving and silly pup I have ever known. She hates birds and cats. She is our foxy lady. ๐ŸฆŠ

These two are best friends and they are our family, our babies. We are very lucky to have found them. Expect to see more of them here. And they badly need haircuts. ๐Ÿ˜‚

Happy Superbowl watching!
  • Today was a busy Saturday for us. We spent the morning checking out farmers markets and art festivals in the area and then it was home in the afternoon to start working on some ferments. Five hours later and I'm ready for some takeout and Pj's. ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜ด Despite being wiped out, I am happy with our progress. We've got lacto fermented star fruit and strawberries, tropical fruit kimchi and fermented turmeric root and ginger all a brewin'. We even started a tropical fruit wine! ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ We'll be working on getting all of these recipes up on the blog in the coming weeks. In the meantime... ๐Ÿ•๐Ÿป๐Ÿ›Œ
  • Happy February, everyone! We have an exciting announcement! After several months of hard work, we are officially launching our own line of products under the name Wildcraft Culture!! ๐ŸŽ‰

We love fermentation in all its forms and, being busy people who like to live in small spaces, we were always looking for products that were easy to use and practical. We had trouble finding products that made sense for our unique needs, so we decided to create some of our own.

Our very first product offering is a set of fermentation weights and silicone airlocks designed for wide mouth mason jars. Our weights have a unique easy grip handle that makes it way easier to get them in and out of the jar. We had such trouble with this with Brian's big man hands and my tiny lady hands that this design made so much sense! ๐Ÿ˜…

Also included in the set are four food grade silicone airlocks that are low profile, making it easy to store your ferments in tight spaces like a shelf or cabinet. This is essential for us while living in a small space. Plus, they come in fun, pretty colors cuz fermenting is fun! ๐Ÿ’ƒ

The best part of all is that through the month of February, our fermentation set is 50% off on Amazon!!!! What?!! That is a great deal, so if you have been wanting to give fermentation a try or are looking to upgrade your tools, make sure you don't miss out. Follow the link in our profile and check out the set! โ˜‘๏ธโ˜‘๏ธ We'll be adding new products to the line in the near future, so keep your eye on our page for updates.
  • Farmers market score - fresh turmeric root! And a lot of it. ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

What will we do with all of it? The heck if I know. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ We'll be strapping on our fermenting gear - whatever that means - because it's going to be a busy weekend. ๐Ÿ˜
  • "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts..." ๐ŸŽถ .

One of the advantages of Brian's job is free fruit. And a gigantic haul of coconuts is obviously necessary. Obviously. ๐Ÿ™„ If coconuts were currency, we'd be well off right now. ๐Ÿ˜‚ .

So, now the planning has begun on what to do with all these cuties. The green ones don't have much in the way of "meat" but their water is good and we are going to attempt a kefir. The yellow have "meat" and we can get oil from them, which we use often for cooking. There will also hopefully be yogurt and - my favorite - ice cream! ๐Ÿฆ๐Ÿง๐Ÿจ .

Does anyone have any other fun ideas for ๐Ÿฅฅ๐Ÿฅฅ๐Ÿฅฅ๐Ÿฅฅ๐Ÿฅฅ๐Ÿฅฅ๐Ÿฅฅ๐Ÿฅฅ?
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Brian & Gabi Kinney
Anywhere USA
modernjourneymen@gmail.com
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    Lacto-Fermented Fruit
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    Pineapple-Turmeric Kraut
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