I made this

I have been hearing alot about homemade laundry detergent. I've been wanting to try it for my self. Two of my sisters-in-law have tried it and liked it. So, I'm up for the challenge. Their recipe makes a liquid detergent, but I opted for the dry stuff. The homemade version is also supposed to be quite inexpensive. I hate math, so I'll take their word for it. This is supposed to cost 5 cents (what? my keyboard doesn't have the little "cents" sign? How disappointing.) ...anyway, 5 cents compared to 30 or more cents per load. Unfortunately, for me, I bought my ingredients at an Amish tourist trap store, so, apparently, I paid several dollars more for my products than most people. Live and learn. Next time I'll buy it online somewhere. Also, each load only takes one tablespoon.
So, without any further delay, this is how I made my laundry detergent.

Here are the utensils needed:

Here are the three ingredients needed:

Step One: Use the grater to shred the bar soap

Add one cup Borax

Add one cup Washing Soda

Mix well, using hands to break up the soap shreds into smaller pieces

Put in container.

Use 1 Tablespoon per load.

Okay, I'll spill the beans on the prices I paid for my ingredients. I'm doing this for your benefit, so you will know how much NOT to pay!
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda: $ 5.49     (55 oz. box)
Borax 20 Mule Team                          6.95     (76 oz. box)
Fels Naptha Soap                                  2.49      per bar
Making My Own Detergent: Priceless!  One other consolation is that each box will make approximately 5 recipes.

Consolation #2: You can also make your own dishwasher detergent with these ingredients.  That recipe is as follows:

1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup citric acid

I have no cute pictures, but just mix it all up and it fits nicely into a 16 oz. sour cream container. Again, use 1 Tablespoon. I made this in a panic because I just ran out of my dishwasher detergent, so I mixed this up in a hurry. I had coarse salt, which I used, and no citric acid. It seems to work OK without the citric acid, but I will look to get some. Citric acid is used in wine making, so you can get it at a wine supply store.
Need a rinse aid? Pour white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment of the dishwasher. It seems to work fine, and is better than washing dishes by hand, in my humble opinion.

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WOW - BON!

Today's my birthday! Well, not really, but it feels like my birthday! Today is my day to shine as the BON (Blogger of Note) at WOW (Words of Wisdom).  I want to start out by thanking Pam and Sandy for featuring my blog, and welcoming everyone from WOW.  I've been blogging since January, and am still trying to "find my way", and be a better organized blogger. I'm not sure how much wisdom will be found in my blog, mostly because I'm so forgetful, but, maybe from time to time, there may be a smidgen. I'm not usually the one being out in the spotlight, but rather, standing somewhere in the shadows. I like it there. It feels safe. But today, the shadows are gone. So, I will do my best to shine brightly. (Even though my palms are sweating as I type this.)

So, with that all said, I'll share with you my latest adventure in baking. I've been out of the kitchen way too long. It's been about five weeks or so since I've cooked a meal.

Hubby and I have been doing some work for family members, who all live about three hours away. I paint and he does handy work  The first job required that we be gone about two and a half weeks. We were home for two days, then left on a two week road trip out West. (I promise to post pictures in the somewhat near future.) We were home one day, then left for another three day stint of more painting and handy work for another family member. We came home from that, then left the next day for a weekend family reunion. And the day after we got home from that, we discovered a produce auction, and we came home with three bushels of green peppers, three pecks of yellow peppers, 16 dozen ears of corn, two pecks of onions, two pecks of cukes, and three pecks of green tomatoes. So this week I have been freezing corn, and grinding everything else to make a sandwich spread, and salsa. Oh yes, and on top of all that, my Dad gave me some zucchini from his garden.

I have a really good recipe for zucchini bread, but I thought I would try something different. So I thought I'd hope onto the good old internet and quickly print out a new recipe. But, first I have to check my email, and I might as well see what's happening on facebook. Oh yeah, I'm looking for a recipe. About an hour later, after wandering around like an ant on different interesting looking sites, I finally stumble on a chocolate chip zucchini bread. Sounds like a winner. (Thank you Paula Deen!) And, I have just enough chocolate chips remaining that haven't been gobbled up from a chocolate feeding frenzy.

I printed off the recipe. What? Are you kidding me? Why is the print so stinkin' small? It looked like this:

I mean, I can read it, don't get me wrong. But, it does put a strain on my eyes. I could try and find my reading glasses, not that I need them, of course, but that would take too long. Unbelievably, Hubby knows how to enlarge the print  reprint the recipe so it is readable.

So, I start making the zucchini bread. I feel like a stranger in my own kitchen because it's been so long since I've used it. Things are going well. I'm mixing up the batter in the mixer, adding the spices. One tablespoon of orange rind. This was dried, and in a spice container. I measure it out, have it right above the batter, about to pour it in. For some reason, I stop and look at it. Hmmmmm. I double check. (Highly unusual for me). Holy cow! I nearly put in one table spoon of nutmeg! That was a close call.

I continue mixing everything else, add the chocolate chips, then pour the batter into the mini loaf pans. It seems a little runny, but I've never made it before, so I continue on. Put it in the oven, set the timer. I take a taste of the batter. Yum, it's good. I decide that Hubby might like a little taste. On my way to take him a taste, I walk past the bag of flour sitting on the counter. Hummmmmm. Flour? The warning lights are flashing. Flour! Flour!  Oh, shoot! The bowl of dry ingredients are sitting on the counter. I quickly pull the "bread" out of the oven, pour the runny batter back into the bowl, then add the dry ingredients.

In spite of the near disaster (twice!) the zucchini bread turned out to be quite tasty. It's served chilled with a dollop of cool whip.

If you have made it to this point, here are a few other stories you might enjoy.
The time I was almost arrested for stealing a car  
What are fudge farts? 
Unusual house guest

 Thanks for stopping by.

.

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Tis the Season!

It's that time of year! Time to transfer all the garden booty into jars or bags for the cupboard or freezer. The only thing that has been harvested from my garden is lettuce (so far!), but I have been canning and freezing for the last three days.


Hubby and I discovered a local produce auction. Amish farmers from far and near bring their horse-drawn wagons in, loaded with all kinds of produce. Our first purchase was 16 dozen ears of corn for $1/dozen! And the corn was deeeelicious! Hubby had the corn all husked for me, and helped me cut the corn off the cob. I was surprised at how quickly the job was done. My mother-in-law has the best recipe for freezer corn. Maybe it's a standard recipe, but it's the only one I have ever used, and we are totally spoiled. It is the only corn we can eat. Store bought corn--canned or frozen--tastes like garbage. 


Here's the recipe if you want to try it:


Delicious Freezer Corn
Cut the corn off the cob. Make sure to go back over the cob again to get the "milk" out.
In large pan, put 4 quarts of corn, 1 quart water, 4 teaspoons salt, 1 cup sugar (I don't add the sugar anymore)
Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes. Put in other pans to cool. Put in freezer bags.


Pretty simple. I've found that even if the corn is old, it makes great freezer corn.

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Home Sweet Home

Well, I am back from a whirlwind vacation out west.  We saw some awesome sights, and visited approximately 14 or so National Parks. Starting in Ohio, our travels took us through the states of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

We've been to the top of Pike's Peak, down to the bottom of canyons. We walked where presidents (Grant and Eisenhower) walked, and where thievin' bank robbers walked. (Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid).

We saw the awesomeness of God's creation at Yellowstone, Bryce canyon, Zion, and so many more. We saw the vastness of the United States, but were sad to see so much land not being productive, either in crops or pasture, or (dare I say) drilling for oil! There is no reason why this country should be in the mess it is in. If politicians would get out of our lives, and do what they are supposed to do, which is to protect us from our enemies, and not worry about our BMI, or carbon footprints (what a joke!) we would all be doing just fine, thank you very much. (Breathe deep!)

We also got to spend a little time with some dear friends who are now living in North Dakota.
We had a wonderful time, and we are still speaking to BIL and SIL, who planned the trip.

We got back last night, and I spent two hours today weeding out the garden. I picked my first tomato, and have quite a few more coming on. I'm really counting on having enough to make some salsa. The lettuce is growing like crazy, the cabbage is just starting to form heads. I'm not sure what's happening with the brussel sprouts and eggplants. I've never tried to grow them before, so I'll just watch and be surprised. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get to my flower garden!

It is good to be home.....even though we have to leave tomorrow for a few days of painting down in Cincinnati. I feel a bit like a gypsy!

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Go West, Old Foggies!

This will have to be a short blog because there is a 20 minute limit on the use of the computer here at the Days Inn. 

We did not get to see a great fireworks show as I had hoped. Partly due to the weather...it was stormy with lots of lightening. We watched a few fireworks through the window of the hotel. Not a great view,but, that's life. 

Today we are in the thriving metropolis of Turrey, Utah.  There are about two hotels, one restaurant, and one gas station here.  We spent most of the day at the Capital Reef National Park.  There are some amazing sights to see in this country of ours.  Every turn seems more spectacular than the last.  Okay, so a lot of the sights are of rock formations, but, they are spectacular just the same. 

We have made it to Pike's Peak (which is NOT the highest point of the Rockies).  Since my memory is so bad, I can't remember the name of the lady who wrote "America the Beautiful" , but, she was inspired to write it while at the top of Pike's Peak. The air is pretty thin at 14,000 feet, and I found myself feeling just a bit naucous, and starting to get a headache.

We've been at the top of canyons looking down, and today we were at the bottom of a canyon looking up. In case you might be wondering, we did not hike.  We were able to drive down.

I've only taken about 600 pictures, and this is day six of our vacation. I'll have to wait to get home to post some pictures.

Since my time on the computer is limited, I'm not sure how many blogs I'll be able to visit, but I'll do my best.
I hope you are enjoying your summer, and Jennee, if you are ready this, I hope you are tending to the raspberries and the garden! (Thanks!)

Till next time!

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Travelin' shoes

Tonight I find myself (along with Hubby, BIL and SIL) in Abilene, Kansas, the home of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was also President of the United States, but when he went  back into the private sector, he preferred to be called "General".  We visited the Eisenhower Museum, Library, and Home. It was quite interesting. Things have changed quite a bit from those times. Did you know that they had to pay for their food while at the White House? That was a surprising fact. That was before presidents were treated like royalty. They have forgotten that they work for us.

We then had supper at Brookville Hotel, and it was deeeelicious!!!!  They have one meal. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn (fabulous), biscuits, cole slaw, cottage cheese, and relish plate.

We are leaving in the morning for Colorado Springs, Colorado, and hoping to enjoy a fireworks show there. 
Pikes Peak is also on our list of things to see.

I'll have to wait to get back to post pictures.

Have a happy 4th of July, and remember, freedom is not free.

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My Garden

Yeah, I have got to work on my titles. But, it's kind of late tonight, and I'm not feeling very creative. Hubby and I are leaving on vacation at the butt crack of dawn on Friday morning. YAWN!

This is my first year for a garden. This is also the first year we have taken a summer vacation. What are the odds? Much to my surprise, everything that I planted is now growing. I've even remembered that the purpose of a garden is to harvest it, and we have enjoyed several salads made with our fresh garden lettuce.

My garden has actually progressed much farther than the pictures show, but, you get the idea.  I put in lettuce, spring garlic, sweet peppers, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, red cabbage, white cabbage, broccoli, peas, eggplant, beets, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, radishes, and onions. I'm also trying strawberries and asparagus.  This morning, I added a row of green beans.

Here are a few pictures.

My tomatoes! Okay, these are not the ones I started from seed, BUT, the plants I did start from seed, are also growing quite nicely. It's very exciting! I'm hoping to make plenty of salsa this fall!

My blueberry plants. They are supposed to have blueberries the first year, but, I'm not so sure.

My little herb garden. (Actually, it still looks about like this, sadly.) My cilantro has greatly disappointed me.

My raspberry plants.

Well, there you have it. I hope to be busy this fall, harvesting, canning and freezing.

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