My DIY Favorite! My Mix Laundry Soap

DIY Favorite! My Mix Laundry Soap!

We all have our favorites- the ONE recipe or household tip that started the ball rolling for DIY enthusiasts!

This laundry mix was mine- the starter of it all!

 I always had trouble with Laundry soaps. Tide is a hives producer, for me, personally. I always fought the laundry soap blues between budget and quality constraints. When my youngest started getting the itchies from other brand soaps I used, my options kept getting narrowed down. When the options I did have just didn't clean, or seemed watered down, or left bad smells (like some hypo allergenic unscented soaps can)...

...well,  I got fed up! Grrrrrr!

And the search was on.  Thus began my love for DIY!

And oh how my budget can love some of my discoveries.
Hence,  My project for the day!  My Mix!!!!!!! Yay!!!!! 
I'm always Always happy with the results of this one- it has never let me down! I absolutely love it!

I wrote about it before- at this link: My Mix Laundry Soap
So I won't be explaining everything over again, however- I'll give you the recipe once more- :DYay!

My Mix Laundry Soap

1 box 20 Mule Team Borax (4lb+)
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3lb+)
4 boxes Baking soda (1lb ea)
3 bars Zote soap (grated ahead of time)(14 0z ea)
3 Purex Crystals Laundry Enhancer (28 oz ea., or 2 -55 oz)
1 OxyClean  (3lb.)

step 1: grate the soap - like this:

(Note: A fine grate is best if you only use cold water. The Zote soap dissolves easily enough.)

Step 2: Mix it all into a large bucket! I use a recycled 5 gal. bucket from my hubby's pile in the garage. LOL  - I pour ingredient's into the bucket in layers or parts outside- because - well the powder can Poof! LOL and frankly I do not want Poof! in the house! ;) , Mix it all - well-  with large ladle or slotted spoon and then--- done! Yay!!!!!!!  It's as easy as that!

Step 3: Use it!   I recycle the OxyClean container and the scoop that comes with it. Fill it with my mixture and this sits on my washer for daily use. A large load to the 2 line on the OxyClean blue scoop is perfect!

Note: The remainder of the mix, I store in the garage (keep in a cool dry place, away from the children and label) , refilling as needed.

Also to note: because this is a low suds recipe- it is safe for HE washers, and does not leave a residue like some castile soap mixes can.
It lasts! About 6 months- or longer depending how often you do laundry. The cost is a whopping $35.  ---- (compared to the amount I paid before- averaging $20 a month, or more, on soaps- that's a previous cost of  $120 for 6 months of soaps- and I just paid less than $35 actually because I caught everything on sale. Savings $85. For me, this is a no brainer!)

Easy! Done! Enjoy!

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Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

3/4 c real butter
3/4 c applesauce
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp real salt
3 c quick rolled oats
1 c raisins
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees
In large bowl, beat butter, sugars, and applesauce together until smooth.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat well until egg is incorporated. In separate bowl- mix flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the butter/sugar mixture. Roll in oats and raisins and stir well
Place spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 F degrees in the oven (center rack) for 8-10 minutes.
cool and enjoy!

Great for holidays, or family events! Stay soft, and batch makes about 4 dozen! Perfect for sharing or the cookie jar!





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Mondays Homestead Barn Hop #139







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Good Smells for the Home - Quick and Easy

Good Smells for the Home - Quick and Easy

Today I checked the orange tree in our backyard; pulled the most ripe citrus I could find. Better now than tomorrow, I figured. Because our local weather is predicting a Hard Frost warning tonight, 31 degrees F.
Snow is coming Friday and Saturday.
On my orange tree, I fear some of the top fruit I didn't get today could be bit; but there wasn't much time.
I might have to brave the ladder tomorrow and see what I can salvage.

Today, however, I was after the ripest sweet treats! Oranges are fantastic fruit for the cold weather- to ward off sniffles -and one of the best grab and go treats I can offer the family! 

Bringing in the oranges today sparked an old favorite whim- the smell of fresh orange and cinnamon! But I personally do not do well with commercial potpourri that is soaked in chemicals and heavy on perfumes. I prefer to go natural, and it is so easy to do! Also a huge money saver! Frugal Home Recipe ! Makes the whole house smell great!

Stovetop Potpourri
On the back of the stove, I cut up 2 oranges, and added water to fill the pan and 2+ cinnamon sticks- and set it to simmer. You can use ground cinnamon as well! The wonderful smell soon came from the kitchen! Inspiring! Inviting!  Wonderful! Yay! A Fall favorite anyone can do!
 It Took less than 2 minutes and I had simmering potpourri for the rest of the day! So easy!  Made the house smell fantastic! Loved it!
(Note: simmer the potpourri mixture, and check the water off and on all day, It will run out! Don't forget to check. Simply add more water if you need. Be sure to turn off if you leave, or head to bed!)

It can be done with any citrus! Oranges, Lemons, Limes!  And different spices! Anise, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon! or Mint! Whatever combo strikes the inspiration in you! Even just the smell of simmering cinnamon can be a welcoming change! Try apples! Ahhhhh! Fantastic! Aromatic and romantic! and best yet- all natural.

Hope you might try it! But be careful! You might end up absolutely LOVING it!.


You might like the tips shared at:
Frugal Days Sustainable Ways #100





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Returning to Home -

It was breezy and the small wind seemed to increase a bit, but nothing prepared us for the gust that came! Suddenly it gusted 3- - no 40 - no 50 mph! picking up dirt, debris, bits of tree branches flew by. The gust didn't end - it increased! dirt and sand in the eyes- we couldn't see the road any longer- so thick was the wall of dirt going by-  the umbrella for the table picked up and flew 10 feet into the pool, trying to grab it and save it and nearly fell in -then continued blast- trash and tree limbs flying across the parking lot... a dust devil the size of a small tornado picked up large tumble weeds and threw them into a whirl 200 feet up in the air... it kept going....until it was gone.
... just as suddenly as it started....
I saw this happen last month.

 An actual occurrence, that turns out to be a perfect analogy for our lives this last three months.

A whirlwind, a tornado of events, turmoil, upheaval, and then sudden calm.  Discovering how to survive a storm and still smile with little left.
I am not comfortable giving out whole details, but in short- we were buying a house, the seller backed out 5 days before escrow, everything fell through, and three months later- after multitude of events such as losing cars and jobs- we are finally back in a rental house.
It is now a week after our move and I am still going through boxes, and discovering where things might go and basically...settling down.

Whew.
I never intended to be away so long.

I learned a great many things during that time and I want to share it all with you, I just have to figure out how to word it all. I missed writing!
The three months covered the bulk of summer here. The hottest months- we did a great deal of swimming and walking.
Many hours got spent outside- and we enjoyed the BBQ many nights, rather than going out to eat fast food. I found out just how bad I could feel after nasty fast food. (McD's made me feel like I had poisoned myself into a sluggish grease pit, I wasn't alone! Everyone including the kids agreed!)
Oh, how I missed real food! I craved home cooking daily. We all craved it after just a week of not having it! The BBQ helped, but really  nothing compares to homemade lasagna fresh from the oven (our voted most missed food 2nd was baked chicken).

 I missed my All natural cleansers and safe cleansers. I used baking soda whenever I could but could not escape the motel cleansers etc.

In the heated outdoors, I discovered Lavender Essential Oil is fantastic for mosquito bites, and spider bites, and virtually eliminates all itching! It also deters ants and flies.

I discovered my small jar of coconut oil could become far more than cooking oil, it turned into my daily moisturizer, my hand lotion, and a soothing answer for sunburn!

I discovered my bottle of castile lavender soap could wash dishes, be a hand and body soap, and shampoo!

I discovered that even in trying times and adversity I still could not compromise my beliefs that natural is better than the convenience products sold on the shelves. All in all the experience was like a test for all of us- did our steps to go real food and more natural before really take hold? I'd have to say a resounding YES!!!!!

So happy to be back! So happy to be able to write it all again!

As I unbox and unravel from the past summer- I hope to start sharing everything again. Thanks to everyone for following and thank you for your patience!

-Janey
a truly Consistently Sporadic Writer

DIY Greasy Hand Cleanser

 DIY Greasy Hand Cleanser

Have a man in the house always working on something? Mine is...
He was a Diesel Mechanic for Railway for many years. I learned over that time there is nothing to use against Cosmoline (a railroad mama's nightmare!) However, the regular grime and grease out that can happen with cars and small engine's is another story. And yes,  I have an answer for those greasy grimey hands that can often need extra strong cleaning.

DIY Greasy Hand Cleanser

1/4 c salt
1/4 c baking soda
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c Dawn dish soap-The blue stuff - (+-)
10 drops Tea tree essential oil (for anti bacterial properties) Lemon works well too! Or both. 
1 tbsp bentonite clay (optional -if you really need extra power)

In a tub that's reusable, but not breakable- (I used a rubbermaid tub that holds at least 2 c liquid) 
sift together the dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Add dawn dish soap and mix until thoroughly incorporated. If too paste- like, you can add more dawn until it comes out creamier, but not too liquid. You want the scrub capabilities!
Have that guy scrub, and rinse with warm water.

Works well as gardener's mix too. Especially after a long day in the dirt! :)Yay!

Better smelling than the orange gunk they usually use in the shop- but very effective. Better for them too, but you don't have to tell them that.   ;)

Shared with, and you might like the links at:
Monday's Homestead Barn Hop #117

Frugal Days Sustainable Ways #79









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Diced pork and black beans

I made this tonight for dinner, turned out savory and delish- but I do not know what to call it. :)
I just did it- no recipe. So I'm going to write what I put together; and call it literally what I made. Embarrassing, but that's what I get when I experiment. It's fun when it works, and the family tells me it did.
Everyone loved it- hope someone else might too.

Diced Pork with Black beans

olive oil

1 cup onion diced

1 diced tomatillo

1 clove garlic minced

1 tsp.pepper

1-2 diced jalapeno  depending on amount of heat desired.

1 cup black beans (about 1/2 can drained)
3 pork chops diced 

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock

chopped fresh cilantro (if desired)

tortillas- warmed

In fry pan, heat tbsp. olive oil and toss in garlic, onion, jalapeno, and pepper. Dice pork into small pieces and toss into pan, frying on med heat until browned. add diced tomatillos and black beans. Add stock and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and allow juices to reduce down slowly, stirring frequently until most of the sauce is gone- just a few minutes.  serve with fresh chopped cilantro on tortilla. eat like a burrito.

Easy Oven Roasted Chicken

Easy Oven Roasted Chicken

Ever looked at a whole chicken in the store and wondered,  "what in the world would I do with that?"
Whole often intimidates new cooks and it actually can be the easiest juiciest most delicious meal you have ever cooked!

Easy Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
1 tbsp. coconut oil, or real butter
paprika
garlic powder
pepper (or seasoned mix like Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb)
1 tsp. basil or italian seasoning (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prep a casserole baking dish, with either a thin coat of olive oil or butter to prevent sticking. Set aside. Grab your bird and take it to the sink. In sink, take chicken from wrapping and rinse thoroughly, let water into every nook and cranny. (Many complain they do not know which side is up, it's easy. at the large hole find the little tail bone- this side it's on goes down, that leaves the breast side up!) Place it's tail side down into pan. tuck the legs and wings as close to the body as you can. Using either your hand or a spoon, spread coconut oil or real butter all over the top side doesn't matter if it clumps in places. Wash your hands. Sprinkle top side with paprika to color, garlic powder and pepper. A pinch of  basil is awesome sprinkled across the top. Cover with foil, and put in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes-(to-1 hour -if 4 or more lbs.) . Check it. Remove foil and let finish baking until browned and a fork pulls meat away easily! about 15 minutes.  Ready to eat!
Optional: before placing in oven, fill the sides and gaps of casserole dish with carrots washed and cut into 2-3" pieces and a few quartered potatoes. This will give you roasted vegies for side dish! sprinkle them with the seasonings as well before putting in oven.

Not hard at all- wash, sprinkle, and bake! eat!
Never fear the whole bird again.

Note: This also works well with turkey, the rule of thumb for cooking a whole bird is 15 minutes bake time per pound. So a 4 lb bird (like chicken) = 15 minutes x 4 lbs=1 hour. A 10 lb turkey  would be 150 minutes or 2 hours and 10 minutes.

see, falling apart easily with fork. Easy! Makes wonderful left overs!

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Real Food Wednesday 7/3

Traditional Beef Stroganoff

Traditional Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. Beef steak cut into strips

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. pepper - I used 1 tbsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb seasoning

½ cup of chopped onion (White or yellow works best)

1 minced clove of garlic

1 cup sour cream

½ cup milk

Few drops A1 Steak sauce

Garnish with parsley, and or chives chopped

Clean and cut steak into small thin strips.  Place into bowl. Cover with whole wheat flour, salt and pepper. Turn and toss together (dredge) until all meat is coated with mixture.

In large fry pan, heat oil, add meat onion and garlic and a few drops of A1 Steak sauce.  Cook on med high until meat has browned. About 10 minutes.  Lid. Reduce heat to low and cover; cooking for 20 minutes.  Stir and flip meat to ensure no burning about half way. Remove lid, add milk and sour cream. Heat only until milk mixture warms and is creamy. Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley or chives. You can Serve with a baked potato, Or with cooked and slightly buttered egg noodles.

Note: One of the ugliest recipes I have ever tried to photograph, but the taste is fantastic!

Going Nuts! for Coconut Oil!

Coconut Oil for cooking

oh wow- do I love coconut oil!!! Such an awesome wonderful surprise! I cannot sing it's praises enough!

 As a child and teen learning how to cook in the 80's, the new surge of bad, fake and over processed oils was dominating the market. Suddenly media went nuts over highly refined vegetable and Canola oils and margarine -all the products that made the big name businesses lots of money and never were really good for us anyway. 
I wish I had known then...what I know now! How many times have you said that?

I am still learning the benefits of coconut oil. It's crazy good for so many things, it's astounding! 
For cooking alone, it enhances flavor of foods! It doesn't chemically breakdown in the heat of the skillet as fast as other oils (heat stable), it doesn't hurt your body with bad fats, and it's super healthy.  Organic, unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil is higher in antioxidants than any other oil. It is known to boost metabolism, and helps provide greater energy which can lead to weight loss. It is known and proven to boost the body's immune system!

Coconut oil benefits include the fact that it's anti-bacterial, anti fungal, anti-microbial (which means it helps to fight infections)! It's anti inflammatory! It improves thyroid function! It helps with absorption of vitamins so your body takes in more of what it needs, particularly calcium and magnesium-- that means it's awesome for bone support! And new studies indicate it can help Alzheimer's stop symptoms! ( I loved learning this!!) 

There is so much more! You can cook with it just like you did all the other vegetable oils, and get all the added benefits you never got with them! And it tastes soooo awesome! You really do not get a heavy taste of coconut, at first there is a hint- but as it cooks with the food it seems to just enhance flavor of what you are cooking, not dominate it. You can fry, add to baked items, any recipe that calls for vegetable oil- you can use coconut oil!

I personally use either Coconut oil or Extra Virgin olive oil now for all my cooking. Olive oil for light cooking, coconut oil for rich flavors or to add flavor to more bland foods.  I will not buy anymore over processed vegetable oil, or canola oil ever again. It's a choice I feel very good about- a healthier choice for my family. The benefits are listed in the hundreds! At this time, I cannot begin to list them all, and I have not even touched on what it can do for your skin and beauty routine!  Do not be afraid to research the benefits! It is well worth it!

You can find Coconut oil sometimes at the grocery store in the organic section, at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Health Food stores. You can purchase it online at  Amazon, and Tropical Traditions




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Cardinal Red! Taco Brunch -For the sports fans out there!

For the sports fans out there!

 An original  addition for the Cardinal Team lovers out there!  A fun way to sport the red and white on game day. 

Cardinal Red! Taco brunch 

White corn tortillas

6-8 egg whites – separate the whites from yolks into bowl & whip

1/2 cup chopped white onion

½ cup red bell pepper or red chili – (or both, depending on what heat you prefer) chopped  into small dices

1 clove garlic minced

1 tbsp. Olive oil

1 large fresh tomato diced

3/4 cup crumbled Queso Fresco, or jack cheese, shredded.

Red Salsa

In fry pan, over med heat warm a white corn tortilla per person. Set aside in plate.

Add olive oil to pan and lightly fry the bell pepper, garlic, and onion  until tender, then add the egg whites, cooking scrambled style until done.

Place med. amount on warmed tortilla and top with crumbled or shredded cheese, layering red tomatoes, and white cheese, topped with red salsa! Cardinal colors to support your team!  Makes about 6-8 tacos.