Homemade Laundry Soap

I know, this is a LOOOOONG time coming and I'm so sorry! I am seriously trying to catch up, just hope I can stick to it! :)

A lot of people were asking for this recipe and I wanted to use it for a little bit before posting it, and I have, I've used a whole batch already and I love it!

There is another recipe that I want to try and will be getting the castile soap to make a batch for next week, so once I see how that works, will post it too, but will prob give it a week or so... ;)

Anyways... here's the long awaited SUPER easy home made laundry soap! :)

I should also mention that I have a front load HE washer and this stuff works GREAT with it! The soap you use in this recipe is a low sudsing soap, the kind you need for the HE washers. Now, I don't add that much soap, mine has a line to fill it too, and I probably fill it at the half way mark before the line. If that makes any sense? ;)


Homemade Laundry Soap

2 Gallons hot water
1 bar soap (grated)
2 cups baking SODA

Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Cook on medium -low heat stirring frequently until soap is melted.

In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted soap and stir well.

Then add the baking soda, stir well again.

This next time I make it, I'm going to put it in my big huge massive container that I had. I used to buy in bulk at BJ's, so I rinsed that out, and added the new homemade stuff. Like I said, I am going to make a powder version to try it out and see how I like it, then I'll put that in an empty ice cream container that has a lid.

Oh, for the soap, I got a 3 pack Ivory kind for under $2. Then the baking soda is one box, which is also under $1. I honestly can't remember how long this lasted, but for a good while! It's so cheap and the kids enjoyed helping me make it!

I don't have any pictures for this, but it's really easy! Any questions, don't hesitate to ask! :)
Let me know if you try it and how you like it! :)

Many Uses of Vinegar-MUST READ!!! ;)

Vinegar is an AMAZING cleaner!

A little hint....

Instead of using that expensive jet dry AND fabric softener, use WHITE VINEGAR!!!

Yes, you read right!

For dishwashers, make sure the jet dry is completely out, then fill it up with white vinegar! It works, I'm tellin ya! I've been using it for quite some time! :)

For washers, either fill your downy ball or your fabric softener container in the washer with WHITE VINEGAR! TRUST ME, your clothes WILL NOT smell like vinegar! I PROMISE!!! I've used it for my dish clothes, towels, dark and white clothes... I don't use it all the time, but when I do, it does not make my clothes smell! Give it a try... just once... ;)

I've also been using vinegar as a floor cleaner... Not only is it safer, it's cheaper, and healthier to for you and the family! ;) For the floors, I pour in, actually, I don't know how much, but the ratio is either 1/2 vinegar to 1/2 warm water, or 1/3 vinegar to 3/4 warm water. I want to try using it on my windows and mirrors and will try that soon!

I love using vinegar so much that one of my cleaning spray bottles is full of the vinegar water! Once it was empty, I rinsed it out really good and keep it handy! Someone spills something on the floor, we use that to clean it up, spray the spot and wipe it with a paper towel! also, I have a flat top for my stove, it works GREAT to clean it up and make it shine!

I've also taken the spray bottle and sprayed down my cupboards and wiped them off, the refrigerator... etc, you name it!

Next will be cleaning the bathroom! ;)

Let me know how you use vinegar to clean, I am open to more ideas! :) Also, let me know if you try any of these! ;)

BBQ Pulled Pork and Noodles

I just LOVE getting home from vacation and finding NOTHING in my frig!!! :\ The last time we went on vacation I made sure there was something in my freezer so I could pop that out when we got home and it would be ready to cook or re-heat the next day. I'd also make sure there was an un-opened box of cereal for the next day and pick up a gallon of milk before reaching home. But never have the energy to get much of anything else with that gallon of milk! ;)

So this was my dilemma getting home from vacation! The kids and hubs were outside working on cleaning things up from our wonderful hurricane weather we had, and I was standing in front of the frig looking for something to fix! Did I mention that it was 5:10 and we normally eat at 5:30!

I seriously was standing in front of the frig waving my magic wand WILLING something, ANYTHING to come out of my frig, already fixed at that matter! ;) It was quite a lovely site I might add!

Ok, I confess, I didn't have a magic wand that I was waving, but I was hoping to find soemthing to fix with what little I had in there!

I had some left over pulled pork, grabbed that, and some Famous Dave's BBQ Sauce. I then remembered I had a bag of homemade Amish noodles that I had gotten while we were in Indiana. Hmm, noodles, bbq pulled pork....?

Here's what I came up with! It would have been GREAT with mashed potatoes, but of course, I didn't have any potatoes! So I had a bag of frozen corn, so we had BBQ Pulled Pork and noodles with corn! I was praying it wouldn't give us food poisoning or kill us, and it didn't! The kids really liked it! So I was happy with that! If you make this, take the time to make sure you have potatoes to make some garlic mashed potatoes to go with! It would make it REALLY good! :)

BBQ Pulled Pork with Noodles

1 bag of homemade Amish noodles (if you don't have these, then a bag of egg yolk noodles will work or whatever kind of wide noodles will work too! :))
BBQ Pulled pork


Corn and Mashed potatoes

Cook the noodles to the desired doneness
Drain the noodles
Put the noodles back in the pan and add a little bit of bbq sauce, just enough to cover the noodles a bit
Stir it up
Add the pulled pork, as much or as little as you want
Stir it up and serve warm over mashed potatoes!

SUPER easy and good!




See, my little one really liked it! :) The only reason he didn't have a shirt on is because he was outside playing in the water! ;)
Also, I was trying to get his expression when we were praying! I LOVE how he bows his head, and then his eyes sometimes go up to see if anyone is looking... ;)

When I made my pulled pork, I put it in my crock pot and poured a whole jar of banana peppers on top. I put it on high for about an hour, then right before we left for church, I turned it on low. By the time we got home from church, it was done! You can eat it however you want, but pouring some BBQ sauce on top and serve in a bun would be yummy! :)
Here's a link to the pulled pork:
http://mandysboxofrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/12/peppered-pork-tenderloin.html

A Month Menu???

Yeah, I did, I wrote out a menu for the whole month of September!!! it's all in pencil, so it can be changed, but it's also color coded! What? Am I going crazy?

Yeah, I guess I am! ;)

Breakfast is purple, lunch is yellow, supper is green, snacks and desserts are pink and then I even did one for things that need to be made the night before, or something I want to make while the kids are napping, that is a peachy color, or a really light pink!

Anyways, so starting September 1st, I will have started and will do my best to blog about the recipes! I do have one that I created last nite, so will try to post it tonite or tomorrow! ;)

Mexican Rice Bake

Yeah, I'm on a rice and beans kick! What can I say? It's good, it's cheap, that's about all! :)

There is some chicken in this, and I used the rotisserie chicken from Safeway. It was on sale, AND it was already cooked! BONUS! I am busy this week doing 2 cakes, one of them being my own sons! :) So, what I am saying is I need SUPER easy and fast! ;) This for sure falls in that category! ;)

I put my rice in my rice cooker and let that go. Then I got all the ingredients around and then threw it all in the oven for about 20-30 minutes! Viola, it was done AND good! It passed my hubs taste, even with the beans in there, so, BINGO! It was a winner! :)




Mexican Rice Bake

•1 1/2 cup chicken breast, cooked and shredded
•4 1/2 cups cooked white rice
•1/2 bag of frozen sweet corn, somewhat dethawed
•1 can (15.5) ounce can black beans, drained (or I used the black beans I had soaked and ready in the frig)
•1 tomato, diced
•1-2 tsp cilantro
•1/2 cup sour cream
•1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
•1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
•red pepper flakes, as much or little as you like, it just gives it an extra delish flavor

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the rice. While you are waiting for the rice to cook, mix together the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Once rice is done, add to bowl and stir to combine. Place in a 9x13 inch pan. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes until warmed all the way through.

Enjoy! Easy and good! That's how to do it! :)

Ranch/Onion Dip/Dressing Dry Mix

YUMMY!!!! :D


I love ranch dressing, so does everyone else in this house! But I don't like all the extra ingredients you find in the dressing, AND the dry mix! I ran across a recipe that I REALLY wanted to try, but it calls for the dry ranch mix... So got that my wheels turning and doing some research online at different recipes and came up with this one. I am sure I am not done "tweaking" it, but I like it, so do the kids, and the hubs! So it's a win-win for me! :)

So seriously easy!!!! :)



Ranch/Onion Dip Dressing Mix


1/2 cup dry minced onion
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
2 teaspoons paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon salt (I used sea salt)


Combine in a bowl and stir to combine. Store in an airtight glass or plastic container.

Good for up to 3 months! ;)


I kept one of those frappuccino jars (like the Starbucks sells, the glass jars, only mine was Aldi's version! ;)) and I just keep it in there. It fills it up about half way. I just shake to combine before using! :)


To make a dip, you can use 1 tablespoon mix to 8 oz yogurt.

To make dressing, you can use 1 tablespoon, 1 cup mayo, and 1 cup buttermilk. Shake to combine. Keep both the dressing and dip in the frig.

Another way I made the dip was 2 tablespoons dry mix to 1/2 cup sour cream. :)
(sorry, can't find the pics! :\)

Sopapillas (UPDATED, FOUND my camera!!! :))

These are soooooo good!!!!!!!!! I let my kids eat 2 and then after they went to bed, my hubs and I ate a few more! He really liked them cold too, it almost tasted like a cinnamon sugar covered pretzel! ;)

These are really easy too! I took pictures, but I can NOT find my camera! But I didn't want to wait any longer to post this recipe! I've had too many people ask for the recipe since I posted the one picture on Facebook! ;)


Roll part of your dough out


Cut into squares with pizza cutter, then into triangles.. As you can see, these are by far NOT perfect! ;)


Drop into the frying pan (I used coconut oil in my cast iron skillet!)


Here they are out of the frying pan!


Dump into cinnamon and sugar! Use a spoon to cover them completely!


Here they are!


Sooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) Betcha just can't eat one! ;)




Here's a picture of the finished product, the only one I have! :)





Sopapillas

1 ¾ cup plain flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup milk
Hot vegetable oil for frying
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Honey – optional
Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Add the milk and knead for 1 minute on floured surface. Let dough set for one hour. Roll dough into large rectangle 1/8” thickness. Use a pizza cutter to cut 2” wide strips of dough, then cut strips into 2” squares, then cut squares diagonally in half.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow baking dish and set aside.
Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in deep fryer. When oil reaches 375 degrees, drop dough triangles into hot oil. They should rise to the surface, and puff, then brown on the bottom very quickly. Use tongs to quickly turn sopapillas over. When dough is golden brown on both sides, remove from oil carefully, and place on paper towels. While sopapillas are still very warm, put them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and spoon mixture over sopapillas to thoroughly coat them.


Again, SUPER easy to make! And so very good!! :D