Trick or Treat?

Tis the season for a few tricks and treats. Guess what I did yesterday.....

Yes, I bought milk and buttermilk. I know what you are thinking..."Good for your Lindsay... I do that every week too." Yeah, but did you buy yours at 2 p.m. and remember that it was still in the car at 11 p.m. as you were drifting off to sleep? Yeah, didn't think so. You would have thought something had attacked me the way I wildly threw my arms outside of the covers while accidentally slap-punching my husband across the chest (sorry, honey) when I realized what I had done. I hate it when I do stupid stuff like this! Arg...

I'm happy to report that I bought replacement milk and buttermilk this afternoon and it is resting comfortably in my frig. Who knows what I will forget next...picking up the carpool kids?

Remeber the Barron Family Today - Interview Day Part II

I ask for your prayers for the Barron family (see earlier posts). Today is their "hardship" immigration interview in Mexico which will determine if Monica, Severiano, Kalen and Simon can be a whole and complete family in the USA. Their interview is at 9:30 am central time. Thanks for your prayers!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I've been reading up on making your own laundry soap since about May. When I started my research I had already bought a 150 load tanker of All. The All is All-most (get it?) finished so I decided...what the heck, why not try it? It's not very expensive to make and should last us forever. I did, however, make the mistake of making the Duggar family recipe. I now have 10 gallons (640+ loads) of laundry soap in my garage. If you want some of this homemade goop to try for yourself, bring over a gallon jug. I have plenty and would like to share.

So here is what I did...but I would highly recommend making a 1/2 batch or a 1/2 of a 1/2.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar*
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap with a box grater. Add flakes of soap to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. (Lindsay's Side Note: I recommend doing this outside on a propane grill burner. The smell overtook my house and made my eyes burn and water.)

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. (Lindsay's Side Note: Make sure you have a lid for your bucket. I got my bucket and lid from Atwoods for $6.) Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken. (Lindsay's Side Note: In the morning you should find a goopy mixture that resembles lemon curd.)

In the morning stir mixture in bucket and fill used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (Lindsay's Side Note: Or a milk jug works too.)

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil. (Lindsay's Side Note: Sleepy Hollow in Gentry has a variety of essential oils from $3-$9 depending on the oil. I bought Sweet Orange for $4. If I remember correctly tea tree oil kills certain kinds of oder causing bacteria. Something to keep in mind if you have smelly boys in your house.)

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Fels Naptha and Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" can be found at IGA or any grocery store. (Except for Walmart.)

If I was to do this all over again...I would make a 1/2 of a 1/2 batch...so that would be:

1 c. hot tap water
1/4 c. Fels-Naptha soap bar, grated*
1/4 c. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
2 TBS Borax

Start off with 1 1/4 gallons of hot water in your bucket to dissolve your mixture and add another 1 1/4 gallon. Let it sit over night, then add your smelly good oil. Fill up your detergent vessels with 1/2 goop then top it off with water. That should make a more manageable amount of detergent...unless you are a family of 22.

Seriously, if you want to try this stuff, give me a shout. It will take me two years to make it through 640 loads of laundry soap!

Random Rules

Rule # 1 when shopping with kids at the grocery store: If your kid pitches a fit, for heaven's sake do yourself and everyone else a favor, leave the cart behind and remove your child from the store.

Rule # 2 when shopping with kids at the grocery store: If it's your child's nap (or rest time as we always had to call it), resist the urge to "run in for just a minute." See rule #1 if you decide to go during nap..uh, rest time.

Rule # 865(b): Candy corn is a fall must-have and you must eat them one layer at a time.

Crockpot Breakfast

That's right, breakfast in a Crockpot. How amazing is that? My friend has been asking me for this recipe, so Jenny this is for you!

2 lb package frozen hash browns
1 lb. diced ham or sausage cooked/browned
1 small onion
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 c. milk
salt and pepper

Spray your Crockpot with some non-stick spray. Trust me, you will want to give it a nice coat unless you enjoy scrubbing. Layer hash browns, meat, onion, and cheese. I like to add fresh chives in place of onion sometimes. Whisk together eggs, milk and salt and pepper. Pour over the top and turn your Crockpot on low and slow.

It will need about 6-8 hours depending on how hot your "low" setting is. You can also cook it on high for 4 hours.