Today I find myself, the last man standing in a wave of stomach flu. The piles of foul laundry are daunting but fear not, i will prevail! As I need to make some super germ fighting laundry soap I thought I would kick off a new DIY series by sharing my laundry soap recipe. It is so simple and cost effective, it is good for you and the environment. You can tailor the recipe to meet your needs. Besides, why pay for water and mystery ingredients to be shipped all over the place?
here is the recipe:
2 cups of grated soap, any handmade soap or something like fels naptha
1 cup of baking soda
1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda
essential oil if scent desired
mix it all together and store. Use 2 tablespoons per load of laundry.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
600.00 Grocery Challenge Check In
A day late this week but better than never. We have a house full of sick children which always makes life interesting! The show must go on though right?
This week, I took my whole family with me to do the shopping on Sunday. It was the only way it was going to happen with the boys not feeling well. I will not be doing that again. I like to think, ponder, putter my way through the ethnic market I frequent. It is where I start to make the plans for the next weeks worth of meals. Three children and my lovely husband do not ponder the price of cabbage! Needless to say things made it into the basket that I was just to tired to fight.
Here are the totals for the week:
Farm Box - 33.00
Ethnic Market - 91.00
Trader Joes - 56.83
Weekly total of: 180.83
For a monthly total of: 213.83
Remaining Budget of: 365.17
One thing that has helped a lot has been a loose meal plan. It looks like this:
Monday - Rice of some sort, usually rice and steamed veggies from the farm box
Tuesday - Soup, this is a busy day for us so I need something I can prep in the morning or the
night before
Wednesday - beans or legumes
Thursday - grains
Friday - PIZZA
Saturday - pasta
Sunday - big sit down family dinner, usually meat centered!
Next week, I will post about my food co-op and I promise to keep track of meals and give you lots of yummy photos!
This week, I took my whole family with me to do the shopping on Sunday. It was the only way it was going to happen with the boys not feeling well. I will not be doing that again. I like to think, ponder, putter my way through the ethnic market I frequent. It is where I start to make the plans for the next weeks worth of meals. Three children and my lovely husband do not ponder the price of cabbage! Needless to say things made it into the basket that I was just to tired to fight.
Here are the totals for the week:
Farm Box - 33.00
Ethnic Market - 91.00
Trader Joes - 56.83
Weekly total of: 180.83
For a monthly total of: 213.83
Remaining Budget of: 365.17
One thing that has helped a lot has been a loose meal plan. It looks like this:
Monday - Rice of some sort, usually rice and steamed veggies from the farm box
Tuesday - Soup, this is a busy day for us so I need something I can prep in the morning or the
night before
Wednesday - beans or legumes
Thursday - grains
Friday - PIZZA
Saturday - pasta
Sunday - big sit down family dinner, usually meat centered!
Next week, I will post about my food co-op and I promise to keep track of meals and give you lots of yummy photos!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
$400 Grocery Challenge
I am coveting beauties shelves!ok, so maybe you have seen the challenge posted over at beauty that moves. She is attempting to feed her family of three on 400.00 for the month of October. Since we are a family of five these days, I decided to up the amount to 600.00 per month.
My total for the month so far is 33.00 for my weekly csa box. This should be very interesting!
My total for the month so far is 33.00 for my weekly csa box. This should be very interesting!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Accomplishments
both big and small. Just in case you have been wondering where I have been! We delivered our lovely baby boy peacefully at home on Jan. 18th!
Yesterday, I managed to make both bread and cookies with said babe in his sling. Mama is getting her sea legs folks.
Yesterday, I managed to make both bread and cookies with said babe in his sling. Mama is getting her sea legs folks.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The View From Here
Pig lounging in the sun waiting for her new house to be built. Her old house finally succumbed to the incredible amount of rain we have had and there is more on the way. Poor Pigalilly, this was a very traumatic experience for her. I had to sit out there and chat with her for two hours to calm her down.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Pumpkin Feast
The Holidays are upon us! Can you believe it? How this year has flown by and with so little activity here on the blog. I do apologize. This baby growing gig has me plum tuckered me out. Just another two months and I will be chalking it up to a babe in arms! So with the giving season fast approaching, I have been casting about for that special present to make for folks.
With the current economy and life being what it is, I knew I was going to have to get creative. Enter the lovely pumpkin! Many of you long time readers may remember my banana score back in June. So you know what a free food scavenger I am. That combined with my need not to waste anything brought me to this years holiday gift.
After Halloween, what happens to all of those lovely pumpkins that aren't sold? Well many of them are just abandoned in their lots. Sad, forlorn, and looking for purpose! For our Harvest Festival at the Waldorf school, we gathered about 30 of these cast offs and scattered them about. They looked lovely! At the end of the fair, I piled them all up in the back of the Blue Ox and carted them home.
Some have gone to the pig and chickens. I have roasted tons of seeds, so very yummy but most of that delicious roasted pumpkin flesh is headed for my freezer. Later I will process it with the following recipe and give it out to friends and family!
With the current economy and life being what it is, I knew I was going to have to get creative. Enter the lovely pumpkin! Many of you long time readers may remember my banana score back in June. So you know what a free food scavenger I am. That combined with my need not to waste anything brought me to this years holiday gift.
After Halloween, what happens to all of those lovely pumpkins that aren't sold? Well many of them are just abandoned in their lots. Sad, forlorn, and looking for purpose! For our Harvest Festival at the Waldorf school, we gathered about 30 of these cast offs and scattered them about. They looked lovely! At the end of the fair, I piled them all up in the back of the Blue Ox and carted them home.
Some have gone to the pig and chickens. I have roasted tons of seeds, so very yummy but most of that delicious roasted pumpkin flesh is headed for my freezer. Later I will process it with the following recipe and give it out to friends and family!
Pumpkin Butter
3 1/2 cups fresh ground pumpkin or canned pumpkin purée
2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 lemon, juice and grated rind
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
If using fresh pumpkin, mix with sugar, lemon, ginger, cinnamon and allspice in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature 8 to 10 hours
Transfer to a heavy saucepan, add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat, stirring often, for 40 to 60 minutes, to desired consistency. (With canned pumpkin, mix ingredients in heavy saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer on low about 20 minutes, to thicken.)
Pour mixture into hot, sterile, 6-ounce canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with sterile, 2-part lids and rings, as manufacturer directs, processing 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Cool; adjust seals.
Makes five 6-ounce jars.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
