Aug 13, 2009 | Green Living, In-Edibles, Recipes, Uncategorized
Liquid Laundry Detergent
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
a bit of tea tree oil (to cut the mildew smell front loaders can have!)
1/4 cup or so of Dr. Bronner’s Baby Castile liquid soap
4 cups hot water (first) then added about 8 more cups
**My mom pointed out that this makes a VERY concentrated soap. It does! If you use this recipe you’ll only need a tablespoon or so for each load. She uses quarts instead of cups of water in her recipe (same amounts of everything else) and it makes a not-as-concentrated recipe that you’d use a capful of a normal washing bottle. I am using the quart method now myself because the other was overflowing!
I mixed it in a bowl with a whisk because the washing soda (soda ash) gets hot when it gets wet. (Luckily I knew this from my pool or I’d have probably burned my hands trying to get the clumps out.) I did put the end of it in the blender and mixed it there to try and get all the clumps out. Here are more recipes.
Aug 11, 2009 | Uncategorized
Here is the update on the soapfront…
I ended up using:
Liquid Laundry Detergent
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
a bit of tea tree oil (to cut the mildew smell front loaders can have!)
1/4 cup or so of Dr. Bronner’s Baby Castile liquid soap
4 cups hot water (first) then added about 8 more cups
I mixed it in a bowl with a whisk because the washing soda (soda ash) gets hot when it gets wet. (Luckily I knew this from my pool or I’d have probably burned my hands trying to get the clumps out.) I did put the end of it in the blender and mixed it there to try and get all the clumps out. It will be pretty runny, not gooey like usual laundry soap. Here are more recipes.
Like I said before the Fels-Naptha soap really smelled perfumy to me so I didn’t attempt to use it. I found out it is made by the Dial corp. (and I’m SOOO allergic to Dial soap.) I might use the Castile bar soap next time if it’s a lot cheaper than the liquid (which I think it is.)
It filled up 3 of the 32 load HE washer bottles, and another small container I had. The cost to make it was a little more since I used the liquid, probably $3.50 total. That’s about what I pay for one 32 load bottle (with coupons/sales etc.) Not bad at all!
I’m doing a test load now! Me, excited about laundry? Wow! Now if I can just rig up a clothesline I’ll be set!
Some of the goodies I got at market today!
(I’m getting hungry- can you tell?)
peppers, heirloom tomatoes, fairy eggplant, honey, cantaloupe, okra, purple hull peas, corn, Danish cucumber, zucchini (all go good with cornbread, don’t they?)
Aug 11, 2009 | Uncategorized
Today is market day. I’m hoping I can get little dude awake so I can get there before all the good things are gone! We have missed the past three or four weeks due to rain or sickness so I’m anxious for some fresh veggies!
I’m also going to try a new recipe for making laundry detergent a friend gave me. I think it’s the recipe the Dugger’s use (and they should know laundry!)
Here it is:
You can use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk’s Hardwater Sastile, or Zote bars. Don’t use heavily perfumed soaps. I found everything at Kroger’s. It cost approx. $2 (for the liquid which is approx 180 loads for a top load machine – 5/8 cup per load – makes 10 gallons)
*And I usually use All Free & Clear which is around $3.50 for 32 loads (on sale!) That’s $.10 per load and the recipe is about $.02 per load! Wow! Hope it works.
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap
4 cups hot tap water
1 Fels- Naptha soap Bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
-grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda, and borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons
-Top Load Machine – 5/8 cup per load (approx 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines – 1/4 cup per load (approx 640 loads)
I’ll post progress and results later.
**Update! I just went to grind up the Fels Naptha soap bar and I am so sick. It has so much perfume in it! Wish I’d realized that before. Glad I didn’t start with it! I am going to go get a different soap to use (unscented!) Dr. Bronner’s bar soap maybe?
Aug 9, 2009 | Uncategorized
I found this on my phone messages!
Aug 7, 2009 | Main Dishes, Recipes, Uncategorized
(I really need to find my camera! My cell phone doesn’t take the best pics.)
ground turkey 1 1/2 lbs or so (you could use another meat or sub more beans for this if you wanted)
1 onion (chopped finely)
3 or 4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
Olive Oil
Chili powder (I used Penzey’s Chili 3000) add as much as you’d like
1 can of Bush’s Chili Starter
1 can of Bush’s Chili Beans (or any beans)
1 bottle of Corona beer
1 28 oz can of Muir Glen diced tomatoes
about 1/2 cup of Herdez Salsa Taquera
Brown onions in olive oil in large pot. Add garlic and meat and brown with spices.
Add chili beans, starter, tomatoes, beer, salsa, and cook til it’s done!
Best served with homemade cornbread, hot from the oven! (Fritos will do in a pinch though!)
I like mine with cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top.
Aug 7, 2009 | Uncategorized
Okay, I’ll admit. I am totally obsessing over this purge and cleaning of the boy’s closet/room. Today was spent making labels for things and finishing up the room clean.
I found a neat idea on this cute site for making labels for the Closetmaid canvas bins. I ended up using some scrapbook tin label thingys attached with little brads. I think they look nice and I can change them if needed.
Bins all labeled!
I have the boys undies, socks, pjs, and swimsuits in these. Their t-shirts are in the cabinet, their shorts and jeans in drawers. The rest of the clothes hang up. (I got rid of SO MANY clothes- trying to make my life easier.) The “too big” clothes are in large tubs on the top shelves.
Pirates and aliens that invaded the shelves when I wasn’t looking!
My oldest son was so adorable. He came in and said, “Wow, mom. This is so awesome!” The coolest part is the light that my honey installed. It’s motion activated so it turns on when you go in and turns off after a minute or two! (Wish I had them in every room!)
Now I’m anxiously awaiting the donation truck to come on Monday. I have about a whole bedroom full of stuff to give away! Two dressers, three car seats, about four boxes of clothes and two of toys! Maybe I’ll find more before Monday…
Sick Kid Update: We found out that the flu that the kids had was Type A. Even though the kids are better the school told me to keep them home the rest of the week. They are scouring the school this weekend because they’ve had so many cases already.
Makes me a bit angry that:
a) the school didn’t inform parents that the flu was running rampant (or shut it down)
b) The doc didn’t tell me that it was the flu until we went back a second time. They just assumed it was strep only. I kept them home until they were 24 hrs fever-free, but who knows?
