This is just too cool for words!

Seriously, it is! Doesn't this just look good enough to just sit down and eat the entire bowl?!?  

  Well, don't.....cause it's not cake icing...it's laundry detergent! Okay, here's the deal "I do not make soap or do any really great "savings" kind of tricks...but, this weekend I found a great website. It is chocked full of wonderful tips and cost busting ideas. The site is Budget101 and I joined just to read about there Super Laundry Sauce which was supposed to be enough to wash 128 loads of laundry...and cost less than $2.00 Seriously, have you seen the cost of laundry detergent!! Outragious! So, I wanted to give this a try...but, also had to make a few changes.  I encourage you to go to the site and check out the original recipe and read all of the comments and chat about the "sauce". It is free to join the site. International folks might not find the exact ingredients that we use in the states...but surely you can find some alternatives. Anyway...here is my recipe and how I put it together to create 2 quarts of creamy laundry detergent...and you only use 1 tablespoon per medium/large load of clothes (or 2 tablespoons for oversize loads or extra oil/grease based laundry). This is a non-suds recipe...so you won't see loads of bubbles...but the soap is doing the job! Don't increase your amount or you might have issues in rinsing all the soap out of your clothes! Hugs!  

  RECIPE 1/2 bar of Fels Napha Soap 1 1/2 cups of boiling hot water 1/2 cup of hot water 1 cup of Twenty MuleTeam Borax 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda   You will need two quart size jars with tight fitting lids. It is okay to recycle old spagetti sauce or mayonnaise jars...or use canning jars with lids/rings.   STEP ONE: Grait or finely chop up the Soap. (I just cut mine into about 1/4 inch chunks...but think that grading would be even better.) Put soap into one of the jars and cover with the boiling water. Let this set for at least ten hours...longer is fine. Here's how it looks after ten hours.  

  STEP TWO: Loosen the soap mixture from the bottom of the jar by breaking it up with a spoon/fork/etc and pour the mixture into your stand mixing bowl. Using the wire wisk attachment (or beaters for a standard mixer) and low speed...begin to cream the soap/water solution. Once it starts to combine well (looks like cream cheese) then increas the mixer speed to medium.   STEP THREE: Add the cup of Borax and continue to mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on medium high for about 3 minutes or until creamy without any noticable lumps.   STEP FOUR: Add the cup of Washing Soda and continue to mix.    STEP FIVE: Slowly add the 1/2 cup of hot water (just let the tap run for a few minutes) and whip until fluffy like whipped cream....about 3 minutes.   STEP SIX: Spoon the finished "Laundry Cream" into two quart jars. If you have extra and I had about a cup too much for the jars...just put that into a bowl for the next few loads of wash this week (cover the bowl with plastic wrap). Keep the jars sealed tight and the laundry cream will last for months!

  STEP SEVEN: Use an old Tablespoon measuring spoon and place a level scoop of the Laundry Cream into your load of wash. Do not put into the dispenser...put directly on the clothes. (I just load my washer (top load) and start the water...then the spoon of laundry cream goes under the water and it washes out my spoon. Dry off the spoon on some dry laundry and put it away)) Think I'll tie a ribbon around my spoon and jar to keep them together. :)   You will have enough ingredients to make two batches with the purchase of one bar of soap. I decided to purchase 3 bars of soap because I didn't want a lot of extra Washing Soda and Borax on hand. So, with 3 bars...I didn't want to make an extra trip just for soap for a long time! These will be enough for me to create soap for my family as well. I have enough supplies to make the recipe six times (Thats 12 quarts of laundry cream)!! Here is my cost yesterday at Walmart for enough laundry soda for about 350 loads of laundry...   3 bars of Fels Naptha - $2.91 (.97 each) Washing Soda - $3.24 Borax - 3.38 TOTAL: $9.53   OR about 3-Cents per load of laundry!   Woot! Woot!    Edited to Add: Well, I've done laundry all day...and everything looks and smells wonderful! I even threw in the dog's bedding and blankets...and they are clean and fresh! So, I can earnestly say that this mixture works at cleaning laundry really well and does not leave any kind of "yucky" smell behind. Just fresh and clean smelling! And, my laundry is caught up for the week!    

Stretch-A-Budget Recipe!

Want to know how to cook a meal for a small family ...for less than $10 And...have it taste great?  

  These seven hamburgers cost me the price of buns and a pound of beef. The other ingredients were on my shelf...but, I've allowed a little cost in my equation for them....otherwise, I'd say this is a $6 meal!!  

Ingredients: 2 eggs beaten 1/2 small onion chopped fine 1 clove garlic chopped fine (or 1 T jar kind) 1 cup rolled oats (not the instant kind) 1 pd of ground round or ground chuck (I like to use a 80/20 fat content) salt and pepper to taste  

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. I do this with my clean fingers...rather than a spoon....cause that's the way we do it in the south. Divide the mixture...and form the parts into balls. Flatten and place each into a non-stick kind of pan. Do not add oil if you want to keep the fat content down.  

Set your heat to medium. Set your timer for five minutes. Don't mess with them!  

  After five minutes, flip them over...and cook for another 5 minutes. After flipping...push them down with a flat spatula. I use my ceramic skillet for this, and you can see that there is no additional oil in the pan...just what the meat creates itself. Now, wait your five minutes...and don't mess with them! (That's a total of 10 minutes...five on each side)  

  Check them after the five minutes by cutting one in half...it should not be pink. This is how mine looked...you can cook longer if you want to...or if you stove does not cook like mine. (This one is for Buddy...so it's cut up)  I like mayo and ketchup on my bun...but you can put other condiments instead. A slice of tomato, a thin sliver of onion, and some lettuce if you like...or just plain is still great.

  I use my ceramic skillet for this, and you can see that there is no additional oil in the pan...just what the meat creates itself.   If you don't think the men in the family will want a hamburger that has "oatmeal" in it...just call it something other than a hamburger. I dub this recipe "The Italian Stallion Beef Burger". Variation: Add a Tablespoon of BBQ...and change the name to "Spicy Texas Longhorn Burger" Variation: Roll small...golfball or smaller size...and brown on all sides. Then add a jar/can of spagetti sauce...and you have super meatballs! Variation: Place the entire bowl of meat mixture on a baking sheet...form it like a loaf of bread. Bake for about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven...and you have meatloaf!   How do you stretch your budget when cooking?  If you missed the give-a-way this week...go back and check yesterdays post. Hugs!

Banana Bread Pudding

What to do with four over-ripe bananas?  Well, banana bread is always an option...but, I don't have any nuts...and I really love nuts in my banana bread. I could crack and pick-out some pecans...but I don't want to work that hard right now. (Yep, I'm lazy sometimes!) How about some banana bread pudding? No such thing...hey, why not! Here's how I did mine...and how it turned out.

 Took a 3/4 loaf of Texas Toast bread from the freezer and toasted it (4 slices at a time...took about 5 minutes). Tore the bread into pieces as it came out of the toaster, and loaded it into my 2" deep glass casserole dish.

Took one can of sweetened condensed milk (sugar/milk reduced). Used the can as a measuring cup (about 1 1/4 cup) and put about 3 cans of milk into the pan (about 3 3/4  cups)...and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Warmed this up until well blended...about five minutes.

Sliced up the bananas.

Tossed the bananas into the toast...and mixed them up some. (Optional...this would be good to add nuts and raisins too at this time! Yummy!)

Poured the milk/cinnamon mixture over the bread. (Optional...keep about 1/2 cup for sauce later on. Wish I had thought of that!) Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon over the top.

Here's what it looks like all together. Bake at 350degrees for about 40 minutes.

Here's what it looks like after baking...somewhat firmer...and smells great!

We scooped out some right away. Wish I had some of that sauce...but, too late for that now...I'll remember for next time however.

This was before....and nothing was left afterwards!  Easy, quick, tastes good, and feeds a crowd! Experiments sometimes DO work out!  

I've Missed You...Sooooooooo Much!

Well, my "Staycation" is over...and it had it's ups and downs...just like any vacation would. (BTW, isn't this a cute photo!) The first couple of days were dedicated to making cookies for the family holiday at Mothers. 

 I baked enough to fill a couple of box lids for Mom's, a one gallon tub each for son and daughter, and a large cookie tin for myself, and a shoebox full for the neighbor/son.  All of these were fast to do...they were all done and packaged within 3 hours. And there was some "cheating" along the way...and loads of quick mix types...but all were tasty, and looked really great. Not fancy...but definitely like I had slaved in the kitchen for days baking. I'll share all the secrets of course...so you can do these as well. First...the cookie mixes. These were basically just ready mixes in a box...and you add egg, milk, butter, etc and mix...spoon out or roll out as the package requires. The trick is to add a little extra when you can.  Types: Oatmeal (Raisin Pecan) Cookies,Sugar Cookies,Gingerbread Stars   The sugar cookies and oatmeal cookies were both mixes by Jiffy. The sugar cookies are a no brainer...just mix ingredients all together like the box says and spoon out and bake. A sprinkling of colored sugar on top and they are done...and that only takes plain sugar and food coloring. Or, do sprinkles which can be purchased at the grocery store...and you just shake them out before baking.

The oatmeal cookies were the second Jiffy type mix...and I added some raisins and chopped pecans because I had them available...and that made them special and extra yummy!  Sorry, forget to get a picture of the oatmeal ones...but they were also my favorite. Just mix, spoon, bake...can't get much easier than that.

My secret sister had sent me a gingerbread mix...which just needed water added...and a little butter. Easy to mix up. These took a little more time since they had to be rolled out, cut, and then the scrapes all mushed back together for another roll and cut procedure. I took the easy route and did stars.

  I did have visions of gingerbread men with icing...but, then thought that speed was best since I was baking the day of the party. Yeah, I was...JUST On TIME! And, see the "lemon cookies box"...in the photo above. I put it that just for you...on purpose. They are one of two true CHEATER cookies. I love these little lemon cookies...and get them at General Dollar for $2.50 a box. There are about 3 dozen in the box. Empty the box onto some waxed paper, a cookie sheet, or some freezer paper...and turn them all so that they are facing "heads up".  Mix a little home-made lemon icing (powdered sugar, a few drops of vanilla flavoring, and a spash of lemon juice; stirred until is looks like children's white glue consistency). Drizzle the icing all over the top of the cookies and let them set a few minutes until the icing gets a little hard...and they are done! (see photo below, cookie on the right is the lemon one)

There is also a good cheater chocolate cookie at the bottom left. These are right out of a package...$1 for a dozen...also at General Dollar. A little home-made vanilla icing was done with a half can of ready made icing left over from cupcakes...and a little warm milk to thin it out. Just mix until soft and put it into a piping bag (or a ziplock bag...filled...then snip off one tiny bottom corner). Add a little chocolate syrup over the icing piped on top. The last little cookie on the lid pictured above is the RolloPretzelPecan. Just a mini pretzel with chocolate/caramel (Rollo Candy) atop...slightly melted (350 degrees for about 3-4 minutes)...and squished down with a pecan half...then chill the cookies in the fridge for about 15 minutes, or the freezer for about 5 minutes. Next was a quick cake-mix cookie.

 These are the chocolate "WhipperSnappers". (They can be lemon if you don't like chocolate.) The recipe is simple...a cake mix, one beaten egg, one tub of Whipped Topping (8 oz Kool Whip). Mix all those together, spoon this batter into a bowl of powdered sugar (about a cup)...roll the cookie around until it is all covered in the confectioner's sugar...then place them on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 14 minutes on 350 degrees. They do spread out a lot, and I'm always rushing them...so they are never round when I get them off of the sheet...more like wrinkled up bow-ties...but, they are chewy and good!

So, the next time you need to make a fast and fabulous thing for your office party...girls brunch...large gathering...or sharing in general...think about some quick ready mixes "dressed up" AND some "cheater cookies" disguised to look home-made!   Makes me hungry for more cookies...how about you! There is a lot more to tell you about my Staycation...but, I'll save that until tomorrow!

Susan's Easy and Fabulous Cake!

Last week, while at retreat...Susan (TX~Wildflower) brought a Bundt cake for us...and it was heavenly. (I ate three pieces....sssshhhhh). She was kind enough to let me have the recipe...and said that I can share it. Today, I baked it...and although I still think Susan is a better cook than I...it did turn out wonderfully! I'll be repeating this next week for Thanksgiving too!

 The ingredients are simple...   Pecan Praline Cake   1 pkg butterpecan cake mix 1 container coconut pecan frosting 4 eggs 3/4 cup oil (veg or cannola) 1 cup water 1 cup pecans (chopped)   Place everything into a large bowl and mix for about 3 minutes. Pour batter into bundt cake pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 55 minutes.
Here are photos of my creating the cake...for all you "non-bakers" out there...

 Preheat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan with nonstick spray, put a few of the chopped pecans in the bottom...and set aside.

  Crack the eggs...one at a time into a bowl (to make sure you don't get any bits of shells), then pour all four of them into a large mixing bowl.

Add water and oil to the mixing bowl with the eggs. Mix on medium a few seconds.

Next, add the cake mix to the same bowl...and mix a couple of more seconds.

Lastly, spoon the icing into the same mixing bowl...and mix for a couple of minutes.

Here is the cake all mixed up. It even looks good just like this!

Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan...then place in the oven on the lowest or next to lowest rack...and set your timer for 55 minutes. 

 When the timer goes off...pull out the cake pan and test the cake to see if it is done by poking it with a toothpick or fork. If there is no batter on the toothpick...then it is done (see my toothpick). If there is batter clinging to the toothpick, then let the cake cook for another five minutes...and test the doneness again. For my oven, the 55 minutes was just enough baking time.

Remove the cake pan from the oven, and let it sit and rest for about 15 minutes (at least). You will see that the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Then, wrap a hand-towel around the pan and give it a gentle shake...this will let you know if the cake will come out of the pan easily or is "stuck" somewhere. Mine was hanging on to the center tube...and I slid a butter knife down between the pan and the cake in the center area to loosen it some. Another little shake...and I could see the cake "jumping" up around the center and the sides.

Place a plate on top of the cake pan, and a dish towel folded long-ways...so you won't burn your fingers (or just wait until the cake is all the way cool....but, I have no patience). Turn the plate and pan over at the same time. Lift the cake plate off...and you have your finished cake (see top photo).

Here, I've cut it into to parts...one for me...and one for Mother...and a "test" slice for the cook! Ha! Thanks Susan for such a great recipe!!!  

Lentils and Chicken

 I actually made this a few days ago, and forgot to post about it. Found the photos still loaded on my phone...so, here they are...a little late. The plate has lentils and chicken...

  with some steamed frozen collards and a fresh orange that I've cut into slices. Half of the collards and lentils with chicken went to dinner for three days; the remainder had a quart of my canned tomatoes from the garden added and that "soup" went into the freezer for two batches to be warmed up on a cold winter night!

These are the types of lentils I used...they are also the only ones in my area. Both of the grocery stores here do not carry lentils...these were found at Walmart. And, they were the only type available...even there!

 I started by putting my frozen chicken breasts into a half-pot of water. To that, I added a medium sweet onion (chopped) and about five stalks of celery (chopped). Seasoning was a pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

 I let this come to a boil and cook about 30 minutes, then I removed the chicken to cool.

 In the meantime, I looked and washed the lentils...and put them into a bowl.   Next, I added enough water to cover them about 1/2 inch. 

Within the 30 minutes the chicken was cooking...the lentils soaked up all of their water.

 I added them to the onion/celery/chicken broth to cook. I set my timer for 25 minutes...

 Next, I took the three cooked chicken breasts...cooled now...

and cut them into chunks.  The lentils cooked for about 35 minutes total. After 25 minutes, they were almost tender...and had soaked up a lot of water. So, I watched them really closely for the last 10 minutes...afraid they might burn.  I tested a spoonful to make sure that they were tender...and then added the chicken and took them off the stove.

They were oh so good!! And, made enough for 3 meals...and two half-gallon soup mixtures when I added the leftover collards and tomatoes! That's really stretching a buck!