After being inspired by gardening and canning friend Cheryl, we stole her slow oven roasted tomatoes technique (from a new book "Put 'Em Up") and compared it to the version in "The Everything Cookbook" by Mark Bittman and some other web sources.
Simple, delicious, oven roasted tomatoes that end up with a "sun dried tomatoes packed in oil" consistency and flavor.
We did this twice. Tweaking the cook times each time. Our final answer for the year:
30-50 roma tomatoes, cut in half, green core cut out
Enough extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
3 foil lined cookie sheets
Lay tomatoes, cut side up, tip to toe on the foil lined sheet. Drizzle with EVOO. Set in a 185 degree oven for 6 hours rotating pans every hour or two. After 6 hours, turn up the heat to 250 degrees for another 3-4 hours.
Remove from oven. Allow to cool. Eat. Freeze in a mason jar. They will keep for 6 months or more in the freezer. Apparently they will keep in the pantry for about 3 months, but I am not courageous enough to risk it. Too delicious to waste on an experiment gone wrong.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Canning Tomato Paste
We are woefully behind in updating our blog. I guess pregnancy, an unexpected basement renovation and an early harvest will do that. Regardless, tonight we canned tomato paste. Using the instructions on this link, we really enjoyed the making paste process.
http://www.pickyourown.org/canning_tomatopaste.htm
For our own records, we picked a crate full of tomatoes. We ran them through our Kitchen Aid Fruit/Vegetable Strainer which did the work of seeding, peeling and coring. What we were left with was pure tomato juice goodness.
Although the recipe calls for 8 qts of chopped, seeded tomatoes, we used 8 qts of our "juice". We did not add the bay leaves, salt or garlic because our intention for the paste is to use it as pizza sauce or spaghetti base, etc. and we wanted to control the flavor at the time of actual cooking.
We did the first reduction for 1 hour and then strained out the bell pepper chunks. We allowed it to simmer for the last 2 1/2 hours (give or take) in 2 pots to get a thick consistency.
We ended up with 6 1/2 pints of tomato paste. We would have loved to use really small jars but we just don't have many of those in our stash and ultimately will use large quantities of paste at a time.
It was still a long canning process, like anything. Being able to skip the blanching, peeling, trimming steps, however, was a real blessing. Our plan is to make any of UW tomatoes into paste in this fashion until the plants give up.
http://www.pickyourown.org/canning_tomatopaste.htm
For our own records, we picked a crate full of tomatoes. We ran them through our Kitchen Aid Fruit/Vegetable Strainer which did the work of seeding, peeling and coring. What we were left with was pure tomato juice goodness.
Although the recipe calls for 8 qts of chopped, seeded tomatoes, we used 8 qts of our "juice". We did not add the bay leaves, salt or garlic because our intention for the paste is to use it as pizza sauce or spaghetti base, etc. and we wanted to control the flavor at the time of actual cooking.
We did the first reduction for 1 hour and then strained out the bell pepper chunks. We allowed it to simmer for the last 2 1/2 hours (give or take) in 2 pots to get a thick consistency.
We ended up with 6 1/2 pints of tomato paste. We would have loved to use really small jars but we just don't have many of those in our stash and ultimately will use large quantities of paste at a time.
It was still a long canning process, like anything. Being able to skip the blanching, peeling, trimming steps, however, was a real blessing. Our plan is to make any of UW tomatoes into paste in this fashion until the plants give up.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Charlotte Mason - The Preschool Years
I established my blog to serve as a journal of my gardening experiences. I had no idea that as my children grew and their love for gardening developed that I would get more and more jealous of the teachers that would steal my son from me during the day and educate him outside of my garden. Maybe it is just more of that old fashioned life that I am clinging to, but homeschooling became appealing first out of a selfish desire to not be done teaching him at our pace in our way. The more that I learn about homeschooling, however, the more I have found great educational, social and family value in it's mission. The Charlotte Mason style of learning found us and won us over.... and today, we "officially" begin.
Monday, August 9, 2010
What a difference a summer can make?!
When we started this summer, we had a couple of key projects we wanted to get done... first and foremost preserve our family time with trips to the zoo, a stay-cation and visits with family and friends we don't see much. Thankfully, all of that happened. After that, we wanted to build the kids a sandbox, build a compost system and re-do the playroom. Our sandbox and compost bins did get done as well! The playroom.... well that is another story. It is still a work in progress. This first trimester preggo with "helpful" toddlers underfoot is just not as productive as usual. We are chipping away at it and no longer just trying to "get it done!".A couple of very interesting things happened along the journey. The more the playroom came together the more we began to see something in it we had never even thought of before - a classroom.... a real space for learning and creativity. The more we worked on it and talked out loud, the more we realized how anguished we
felt about sending Michael to school. We had already decided that he would have his pre-school experience at home, but the idea of genuinely homeschooling him snuck up on us from behind and captured our hearts and imagination.Some may wonder what in the world we are thinking. Some may wonder why in the world I would take on this stress. I know that some wonder if I could even do as good a job as a school could for my son. But here is my reality. God made me a voracious reader and researcher - he also made my husband and I teachers. God makes all of us the first and foremost teachers of our children anyway. Our fortune is that Michael is extremely extroverted and easily enjoys and interacts with his peers and others. Formal school for Michael would be more about socialization than anything else and we feel that that is something that we can easily supplement through VBS, playgroup, scouts, other home-school families, etc. For years I have owned a treasury of resources on the education of character, good literature and ways to teach your children to be curious and industrious. It has always broken my heart that I would send Michael to school and let someone else get the joy of opening his mind. I want to do it. I want to guide him and nurture him. I want to observe his interests and his growth and tailor his education to his needs and his natural inclinations. I want to guide him as he walks towards the calling that his Father in Heaven has for him. At least, I want to do it now. Maybe not forever. Maybe for just a few years, but each journey does begin with a single step and our first is to hang t
he black board. The next will be to try this on for size.I have not felt so invigorated as a mom - ever. Leaving the classroom and coming home to be a stay at home mom always felt like the right decision - but an impossible one. Now, I feel like it is coming together. I feel as though this is why He designed me with such a love for education. I am humbled, scared but most exhilarated. This journey is going to be an interesting one.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Is it August already?
As I said in an earlier post... June is the resting month. Once the 4th of July is behind us, things start happening and fast. Today is August 9th and I haven't had time to think about much of anything! We used June and July to build the kids a sandbox, the garden a 3 bin compost system and do a remodel of our playroom in the basement. All while harvesting herbs, some early peppers, some leeks and green beans. Yes... we did get some green beans this year - despite the rabbits.
Did you know that purple beans turn green when blanched and cooked? We didn't... what a bummer! I guess that I am much less impressed with purple beans now that I know that they will not retain any of their color. Regardless, we have several freezer bags of beans (better than we expected when we saw how much the rabbits were eating) waiting to be made into soup when the need arises in the winter months.
More to write... too many interruptions with the little ones underfoot.
Did you know that purple beans turn green when blanched and cooked? We didn't... what a bummer! I guess that I am much less impressed with purple beans now that I know that they will not retain any of their color. Regardless, we have several freezer bags of beans (better than we expected when we saw how much the rabbits were eating) waiting to be made into soup when the need arises in the winter months.
More to write... too many interruptions with the little ones underfoot.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Homemade Baby Food Class
I am "teaching" a class for new moms at one of the local clinics. Since I love growing food and making it into meals for our entire family, this one was a natural for me. I am excited about getting to use my mommy brain in a creative way. Most of the work on home made baby food 101 has been done by great women already. I am just going to steal from them (referencing them of course) and be the conduit between them and moms who are eager to learn about something that seems so big, technical and overwhelming. Thanks to www.wholesomebabyfood.com and "First Meals" by Annabelle Karmel, all I am doing is sharing my enthusiasm and their expertise.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
What to do while it grows...
So I have been asked what we do while we wait for everything to grow. Sure, we have some early harvest, but in NE Wisconsin, the growing season is pretty short and "early" is relative. June is often a resting month. February and March are the seed starting months. April is the month of exhilaration when the herbs are shooting up through the snow promising spring mud and tilling. As soon as the ground is worked, some early plants go in and then the real work begins in May. A lot of hurry up and wait from May 1st - June 15th as we hurry to put some things in and then wait to put the others. June is the calm before the storm.
What does grow very well in June are herbs and strawberries. Basil in particular. That being said, June is our soup, stock, strawberries and pesto month. We roast several chickens per week, piece them, eat some for dinner and then freeze the rest in 2c bags for winter soup. The bones and scraps also get frozen into 13c containers and when we have 2 or 3, we pick a bunch of herbs, some carrots, celery and onions and make stock. Our stock pot renders 6-7 quarts of stock per batch. When we are bored with the chicken task, we switch gears to picking 5c of basil every 10 days or so to make batches of freezable pesto. Around Father's Day, we go to Pick Your Own strawberry fields and enjoy watching our kids eat more than they pick. 3 trays of strawberries, a couple of hours in the kitchen and freezer jars render us a freezer full of jam. Last year's uneaten blueberries need to leave the freezer to make room for the jam and pesto and so they also become freezer jam. By then end of the month, we have a freezer full of strawberry and blueberry jam, stock, soup meat and pesto.
So, stock is piling up with more on the stove and I cannot wait to switch into tomato season!
What does grow very well in June are herbs and strawberries. Basil in particular. That being said, June is our soup, stock, strawberries and pesto month. We roast several chickens per week, piece them, eat some for dinner and then freeze the rest in 2c bags for winter soup. The bones and scraps also get frozen into 13c containers and when we have 2 or 3, we pick a bunch of herbs, some carrots, celery and onions and make stock. Our stock pot renders 6-7 quarts of stock per batch. When we are bored with the chicken task, we switch gears to picking 5c of basil every 10 days or so to make batches of freezable pesto. Around Father's Day, we go to Pick Your Own strawberry fields and enjoy watching our kids eat more than they pick. 3 trays of strawberries, a couple of hours in the kitchen and freezer jars render us a freezer full of jam. Last year's uneaten blueberries need to leave the freezer to make room for the jam and pesto and so they also become freezer jam. By then end of the month, we have a freezer full of strawberry and blueberry jam, stock, soup meat and pesto.
So, stock is piling up with more on the stove and I cannot wait to switch into tomato season!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Bunnies are so cute.... until they are eating your green beans!
It has been far too long since I updated this. Life with toddlers, a dog and a big garden seems to leave little time for much else. I am grateful and glad that my life is so full.
We have live traps. Two of them. Thanks to my friends Brian and Cheryl, the bunnies are going to be part of the 3915 Hasenfeffer Relocation Program. Every year that we have lived here bunnies have overrun our perimeter. Our faithful feline, however, made it clear that they were not welcome in the garden unless they were throwing themselves on his altar. Unfortunately, Casper's nine lives ran out this spring and our golden retriever hasn't figured out how to intimidate the cuddly little varmits. I have planted 4 rows of green beans - 3 times! I have a sparse crop of pathetic bean bushes and on Jul 2nd no hope of a harvest any time soon. Armed with live traps, some of Brian's expertise and the eventual addition of chicken wire, however, those little guys are going to find a nice country life for themselves starting tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed. My beans are in need of some relief!
(BTW... what is up with rabbits that eat green beans but not my gourmet salad garden... really?!)
We have live traps. Two of them. Thanks to my friends Brian and Cheryl, the bunnies are going to be part of the 3915 Hasenfeffer Relocation Program. Every year that we have lived here bunnies have overrun our perimeter. Our faithful feline, however, made it clear that they were not welcome in the garden unless they were throwing themselves on his altar. Unfortunately, Casper's nine lives ran out this spring and our golden retriever hasn't figured out how to intimidate the cuddly little varmits. I have planted 4 rows of green beans - 3 times! I have a sparse crop of pathetic bean bushes and on Jul 2nd no hope of a harvest any time soon. Armed with live traps, some of Brian's expertise and the eventual addition of chicken wire, however, those little guys are going to find a nice country life for themselves starting tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed. My beans are in need of some relief!
(BTW... what is up with rabbits that eat green beans but not my gourmet salad garden... really?!)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
And it nearly was May when the real planting began
My leek sets arrived from Jung Seeds in late April and got parked in the garage for nearly a week while I waited for the tilling to get done and the rain to stop. On 28th of April they got planted into 3 rows (about 20 per row) in the center of our garden. Tiny little things it is amazing that they can not only survive in this weather but enjoy it. Unfortunately, my helpers got bored with the repetition of planting (not pulling out) leeks and so when that task was finished, we retired from planting for the day. So... the rains came again, the fierce wind and a nearby tornado. Some of my perennials just didn't fare well, but the leeks stood still. When our riding lawnmower was finally fixed we were able to cut the grass and dump the grass clippings around the plantings which will feed them and shelter them from the elements and hinder weed growth.
On May 1st, the next task was to get our first planting of radishes, carrots and spinach in. I have always been tempted to purchase seed tape for these tiny little seeds to make the rows more tidy and the plantings more accurate. My friend Cheryl, however, fed me a link to a "homemade seed tape" idea. I have since lost the link, but here is what we did.
Michael and I took a roll of toilet paper and laid it out on sheet trays. We (er, he) spritzed (read: soaked) the paper with fre
sh water. Next we carefully laid the seeds in 1/2" spacing, alternating between a radish and then a carrot, radish, carrot, etc. After the seeds were laid out, we carefully folded the tp onto itself a couple of times until we had strips of seeds. Next, we took those strips out to the garden where we had prepared our rows. To prepare the row, we dug a small trench 7 feet long and about 6" wide. We filled the trench with rich compost and then laid the seed strips on top of 
the compost. Michael assumed that they needed to be re-spritzed and I wasn't about to argue with the budding gardener when he making a sincere effort to be helpful. Windy as it was, the re-spritzing was a good idea because it helped the seed tape to stick to the compost while we finished laying the row. When we had finished the row, we gently covered the seed tape about 1" with more delicious compost. And, of course, Michael re-spritzed the newly covered rows. When we were done with the radishes and carrots, we did a row of spinach in the same way.Our plan is to 3 successive plantings of spinach, radishes and carrots. For now, the garden is going to look silly because these crops are being planted between rows of gree
n beans that cannot go into the soil until June. Because of the seeming randomness of the rows (with so many things not yet ready to be planted), it was important that Michael and I mark off every 12" in the garden. Taking a tape measure and straws, we sunk a straw every foot on the border of the garden. As long as the baby girl doesn't pull any more straws out, we shouldn't have too much trouble keeping our spacing even.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Oh my aching back!
I am currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I love it. I truly, utterly love it. Something about it makes me feel inspired and connected. A few days ago, I enjoyed a section that perfectly describes my day today:
"Every gardener I know is a junkie for the experience of being out there in the mud and fresh green growth... we love our gardens so much it hurts. For their sake we will bend over till our backs ache, yanking out fistfuls of quackgrass by the roots as if we are tearing out the hair of the world. We lead our favorite hoe like a dance partner down one long row and up the next, in a dance marathon that leaves us exhausted... we spend hours bent to our crops as if enslaved, only now and then straightening our backs and wiping a hand across our sweaty brow, leaving it striped with mud like some child's idea of war paint. What is it about gardening that is so addicting?" (Chapter 12: Zucchini Larceny)
Today Michael and I planted all of the ground cover and flowers in the mailbox/thorn apple bed. It was a messy bed still suffering from it's past life of weed infested river rock. We dug and dug and dug (until the dog ran into the street and we had to haul him to the back yard) and then started sinking these tender little plants. They are such pretty little treasures that, hopefully, if fed enough fish tank water will grow and stretch and cover the patch of ground in which they rest. It was nearly two hours in the fresh Spring air and it left us feeling motivated to move to the much bigger and more daunting grass beds. As we planted, Michael named many of the anchors "this one is Pickle!" and "that one is Grandma". All counted, we had named a "Grandma" (alyssum), 2 "Grandpa's" (a dianthus and a sweet woodruff), a "pickle" (sweet woodruff), a "Little Guy" and "Baby Girl" (astible red sentry) and "Greta Girl" (aquilegia biedermeie). We planted more than that, but naming them started to loose it's appeal.
After Greta woke up, we came back outside to plant a series of gladiolas, more dianthus and 2 clematis that will be beautiful if we planted them correctly. All of those found homes in the grass beds. During their afternoon naps, I finished the digging and planting.
It was a back breaking but addicting day. Heavy rain is forecasted for the next 4 days. Looks like my leeks, carrots, radishes, spinach and salad greens are going to wait until May to get into the ground.
"Every gardener I know is a junkie for the experience of being out there in the mud and fresh green growth... we love our gardens so much it hurts. For their sake we will bend over till our backs ache, yanking out fistfuls of quackgrass by the roots as if we are tearing out the hair of the world. We lead our favorite hoe like a dance partner down one long row and up the next, in a dance marathon that leaves us exhausted... we spend hours bent to our crops as if enslaved, only now and then straightening our backs and wiping a hand across our sweaty brow, leaving it striped with mud like some child's idea of war paint. What is it about gardening that is so addicting?" (Chapter 12: Zucchini Larceny)
Today Michael and I planted all of the ground cover and flowers in the mailbox/thorn apple bed. It was a messy bed still suffering from it's past life of weed infested river rock. We dug and dug and dug (until the dog ran into the street and we had to haul him to the back yard) and then started sinking these tender little plants. They are such pretty little treasures that, hopefully, if fed enough fish tank water will grow and stretch and cover the patch of ground in which they rest. It was nearly two hours in the fresh Spring air and it left us feeling motivated to move to the much bigger and more daunting grass beds. As we planted, Michael named many of the anchors "this one is Pickle!" and "that one is Grandma". All counted, we had named a "Grandma" (alyssum), 2 "Grandpa's" (a dianthus and a sweet woodruff), a "pickle" (sweet woodruff), a "Little Guy" and "Baby Girl" (astible red sentry) and "Greta Girl" (aquilegia biedermeie). We planted more than that, but naming them started to loose it's appeal.
After Greta woke up, we came back outside to plant a series of gladiolas, more dianthus and 2 clematis that will be beautiful if we planted them correctly. All of those found homes in the grass beds. During their afternoon naps, I finished the digging and planting.
It was a back breaking but addicting day. Heavy rain is forecasted for the next 4 days. Looks like my leeks, carrots, radishes, spinach and salad greens are going to wait until May to get into the ground.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Please No Stinky Gardeners
I hate to stink. Really, other than toddler boys and Lacrosse players, who does like to stink? More importantly, I like to be hygenic. Since this little organic journey began, I have been targeting specific areas one by one and slowly but surely converting my habits into more organic, more homemade and generally more green alternative habits. Now that our cleaners have been more or less converted, cosmetics and body care seemed like the next natural step. A few weeks ago a couple of us spent a morning trying out lotion and deodorant recipes. The results? Lotion - great - can't wait to make more (I will share the recipe once I have tweaked it a bit). Deodorant - royal flop. Terrible. Hardened and difficult to apply it would have been worth it if it eliminated the stink and/or kept me feeling dry. None of the above! So... what to do, what to do. Go without deodorant? Nope. Go back to store bought regular deodorant - only for special occasions. Purchase organic deodorant - way too expensive for this hardworking gardener. I had to try some alternatives. And this is what has worked best for me. Better, in fact, than store bought deodorant.
2 step routine:
Step 1: Spritz my shaved arm pits with a mixture of mostly rubbing alcohol and about 10-15 drops of my favorite anti-microbial essential oils. I love peppermint. Leaves a burning sensation for many, but for me it is a quick sting followed by the beautiful smell. Lavender would work - I just hate the smell.
Step 2: In a mason jar I have combined equal parts cornstarch and baking soda with a few drops of any favorite essential oil (this time I use a blend from Rocky Mountain Oils called Baby Skin). I keep an old nursing pad (a powder puff, rag or anything soft would work) in the jar under the lid. For step 2, I dab some powder on my pad and then rub my arm pits. The cornstarch gives an immediate and lasting feeling of dryness. The baking soda and essential oils fight the bacteria that causes the odor.
I have decided that I do not need a stick deodorant/anti-antiperspirant because this quick little process is cheap, organic and extremely effective. I consider this a success and am ready to move on to trying more home made shampoos and conditioners.
2 step routine:
Step 1: Spritz my shaved arm pits with a mixture of mostly rubbing alcohol and about 10-15 drops of my favorite anti-microbial essential oils. I love peppermint. Leaves a burning sensation for many, but for me it is a quick sting followed by the beautiful smell. Lavender would work - I just hate the smell.
Step 2: In a mason jar I have combined equal parts cornstarch and baking soda with a few drops of any favorite essential oil (this time I use a blend from Rocky Mountain Oils called Baby Skin). I keep an old nursing pad (a powder puff, rag or anything soft would work) in the jar under the lid. For step 2, I dab some powder on my pad and then rub my arm pits. The cornstarch gives an immediate and lasting feeling of dryness. The baking soda and essential oils fight the bacteria that causes the odor.
I have decided that I do not need a stick deodorant/anti-antiperspirant because this quick little process is cheap, organic and extremely effective. I consider this a success and am ready to move on to trying more home made shampoos and conditioners.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Busyness...
Everyone is busy. I am busy. You are busy. That one over there is busy. Yup. Busy is a way of life. Lately, however, I have noticed a subtle and yet viral competition over whose busyness is more relevant or meaningful than someone else's. What a bummer! I don't know about you, but my busy is important to me. It doesn't have to be important to you. Of course I wish that you would respect that I am making the best choices I can for me and my family, but at the end of the day, your respect isn't essential to my success. I hate to sound relativistic because relativism is something that usually bothers me. In this case, however, I need to remind myself that my calling may be completely unlike your calling or his and that one over there's. At the end of the day, I serve my Father in heaven. I am accountable to him. His respect is most important to me.
So stepping away from the philosophical and into the practical... why am I so busy? I mean really... I am JUST a stay at home mom. I don't serve on any meaningful committees. I am leading a small little gardening group, but we aren't changing the world. What exactly gives me the right to say that I am busy? What exactly do I fill my day with? Why do I think that I have the right to tell people that I can't do this or that because I am otherwise occupied? Really... don't I have time for this or that? What do I do all day?
Do you really want to know? If so, I will tell you. It isn't earth shattering, but it is meaningful to me and my family.
I am not busy with committees, service groups, volunteer activities, employment and social clubs. I am not running a family taxi (yet). I am not juggling multiple schedules and managing a long list of appointments and activities. I am busy making an old fashioned life.
I call it my Laura Ingalls Wilder life. Silly maybe, but it makes me smile. I am making an utterly homemade life for me and my family.
I spend my hours pouring over books with my kids, planting seeds that may never germinate but give my toddler pleasure, nursing my baby and searching for missing puzzle pieces. I spend a huge part of every day cooking from scratch with love of food and family. I invest my intellectual energies in trying new recipes for homemade dishwasher detergent, lotion, sunscreen, deodorant and stain remover. I spend hours every week washing, hanging, sorting and folding cloth diapers, napkins, rags and other old fashioned cloth items. I spend minutes each day cleaning with homemade cleaners and elbow grease. I spend creative and physical energy tending to a garden that will stretch our pennies for miles and miles. Finally, I spend my best moments in prayer, in friendship and on family walks. It isn't a glamorous life. To an outside viewer it probably even seems trivial and selfish. To me, however, it is a faithful answer to my calling.
After years of working without ceasing, I have realized that this season in my life demands something different. Slow food, slow work, slow and mundane hours at home modeling work ethic, pride of ownership, love of God and family and character. I know that this season will not last forever. Soon enough I will be managing a family calendar that is color-coded and hyper organized. I will be a taxi driver and a classroom mom. Right now, however, I am simple house wife and stay at home mom who goes to bed physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted. I am enjoying this season of life and am always grateful to God for blessing me so abundantly.
So stepping away from the philosophical and into the practical... why am I so busy? I mean really... I am JUST a stay at home mom. I don't serve on any meaningful committees. I am leading a small little gardening group, but we aren't changing the world. What exactly gives me the right to say that I am busy? What exactly do I fill my day with? Why do I think that I have the right to tell people that I can't do this or that because I am otherwise occupied? Really... don't I have time for this or that? What do I do all day?
Do you really want to know? If so, I will tell you. It isn't earth shattering, but it is meaningful to me and my family.
I am not busy with committees, service groups, volunteer activities, employment and social clubs. I am not running a family taxi (yet). I am not juggling multiple schedules and managing a long list of appointments and activities. I am busy making an old fashioned life.
I call it my Laura Ingalls Wilder life. Silly maybe, but it makes me smile. I am making an utterly homemade life for me and my family.
I spend my hours pouring over books with my kids, planting seeds that may never germinate but give my toddler pleasure, nursing my baby and searching for missing puzzle pieces. I spend a huge part of every day cooking from scratch with love of food and family. I invest my intellectual energies in trying new recipes for homemade dishwasher detergent, lotion, sunscreen, deodorant and stain remover. I spend hours every week washing, hanging, sorting and folding cloth diapers, napkins, rags and other old fashioned cloth items. I spend minutes each day cleaning with homemade cleaners and elbow grease. I spend creative and physical energy tending to a garden that will stretch our pennies for miles and miles. Finally, I spend my best moments in prayer, in friendship and on family walks. It isn't a glamorous life. To an outside viewer it probably even seems trivial and selfish. To me, however, it is a faithful answer to my calling.
After years of working without ceasing, I have realized that this season in my life demands something different. Slow food, slow work, slow and mundane hours at home modeling work ethic, pride of ownership, love of God and family and character. I know that this season will not last forever. Soon enough I will be managing a family calendar that is color-coded and hyper organized. I will be a taxi driver and a classroom mom. Right now, however, I am simple house wife and stay at home mom who goes to bed physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted. I am enjoying this season of life and am always grateful to God for blessing me so abundantly.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Resolution #8: Reduce our energy usage by 5%
Well this one seems silly to even post about. While we are constantly battling our water usage, our energy usage continues to drop. We received our new budget for WPS and we are $20 a month less than the last budget. It does help that all of our regular lightbulbs are CF's and slowly but surely the recessed lights the kitchen, office and playroom are also being replaced with CF's. We are also watching less tv, wearing more layers and being more judicious about Time Of Use rates. Hooray! This one is going well.
Argh. The dishwasher detergent is failing me again.
How can something so trivial be so frustrating? Right now I am not as motivated to find the magic for my dishwasher as I was 6 weeks ago. Right now I want to be playing in the dirt... not in the caked on food. Nonetheless, our powder recipe is failing me and driving me crazy. It works about 90% of the time. 10%, however, inexplicably, it just fails. I have done some re-thinking and now that I own glycerine and Dr. Bronner's castile soap, I am much more willing to try some liquid/gel recipes for my machine. Fingers crossed, dishes getting loaded and an update to follow.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Update: Resolution #2 - Get a dog
And we did. A wonderful, loyal, cuddly gentle giant of a dog - Rex (or as Michael calls him:T-Rex). GRROW (Golden Retriever Rescue of Wisconsin) did a phenomenal job placing a fantastic 7 year old baby with us. Rex is keeping us walking at night and happy all day. He may be 7 but there is a lot of playful puppy in this old man that makes life around here truly fun. Last night Rex was so eager to play that he went to his basket (admidst all of the toy baskets) and pulled out a toy of his dropping it in front of the 10 month old princess. Every time Greta would grab it, he would gently paw it or retriever it with his teeth - careful to never hurt or scare her. She would grab it back and the game would continue. When her interest waned, he went to basket grabbing a new toy and dropping it at Greg's feet, then Michael's, then mine. In no time, dinner was halted and the entire family (sans cat) was on the living room floor rolling around stealing toys from each other and laughing endlessly. As cliche as it will sound, a dog has really balanced us out. Blood sugar peaks and valleys are no match for the happiness and love of a 93lb four legged baby. Thank you to GRROW and our Father in Heaven for giving us this very special gift.
Sprouting Peppers Are Rich With Promise
Whoa. I bit the bullet this year and decided to try to start peppers from seed. I know, I know, I know. Many are lucky with peppers - I am not. Once they are in the ground, I do ok... but starting from seed has never worked well for me.
We splurged and purchased 4 kinds: Golden Summer (Yellow), Gourmet (Orange), Marconi (Smoky Red and Green), Fat N Sassy (Red & Green Bells). We had a failed start and the Golden's paid the price. Only 10 seeds in the packet in a 9 cell block equaled failure of all but 1 seed. Everything else had mild but reluctant success. So, we tried again a week later. The Marconis and Fat 'N Sassys were much happier. The Gourmets only had 15 seeds in the packet. About 6 in total are fighting to make it.
We need 24 plants this year. We eat peppers like candy, we freeze them for pizza every Friday night and we grow them for my parents who need them all year long in their meals. So, we tried round three with all of the remaining Marconis and Sassys yesterday and will know in a week or so if we are going to make it. Buying plants is always an option. Buying more seeds is also an option. I would just love to taste success on this area of our garden more than anywhere else.
As it stands, we have more than our requisite 24 seedlings, but we need 24 PLANTS... seedlings are a promise of potential - but no guarantee.
Fingers crossed!
We splurged and purchased 4 kinds: Golden Summer (Yellow), Gourmet (Orange), Marconi (Smoky Red and Green), Fat N Sassy (Red & Green Bells). We had a failed start and the Golden's paid the price. Only 10 seeds in the packet in a 9 cell block equaled failure of all but 1 seed. Everything else had mild but reluctant success. So, we tried again a week later. The Marconis and Fat 'N Sassys were much happier. The Gourmets only had 15 seeds in the packet. About 6 in total are fighting to make it.
We need 24 plants this year. We eat peppers like candy, we freeze them for pizza every Friday night and we grow them for my parents who need them all year long in their meals. So, we tried round three with all of the remaining Marconis and Sassys yesterday and will know in a week or so if we are going to make it. Buying plants is always an option. Buying more seeds is also an option. I would just love to taste success on this area of our garden more than anywhere else.
As it stands, we have more than our requisite 24 seedlings, but we need 24 PLANTS... seedlings are a promise of potential - but no guarantee.
Fingers crossed!
April Showers bring May flowers...
And how true it is. I have an early April birthday. When I was a child, that rhyme made me uncomfortable and maybe even a little cranky. I felt certain that a little girl with an "April Showers" birthday was synonymous with a stormy personality and overcast appearances. Since my sister had a "May Flowers" birthday and her childhood nickname was "Sunshine," I felt even more certain of the truth that April babies were not as good as May babies. Childishness comes in many forms. As a gardener today, with 2 May babies, I have fully embraced the cold, muddy, mucky and overcast Aprilness of the season. In fact, I more than embrace it, I bank on it. What farmer or gardener is not grateful for April showers when seeds are being sown, gardens tilled and greenery popping up everywhere preparing for the imminent growing season? In fact, I not only enjoy the weather, but I give myself permission to look like April too. When my kindhearted postal carrier came to the door yesterday to deliver a package she was not at all surprised to see toddler, baby, dog and mumma all covered in black goodness. On a gorgeous April day, you will be hard pressed to find my family looking anything other than muddy. I never was the child that could do her hair, put an outfit together or resemble a flower in way, shape or form. I have a woody, stocky stature that more closely resembles my herb garden than a delicate flower bed. Sure, I’d love to look and smell like a rose, but since that is not possible, I enjoy the sun tanned, rain soaked and wind burned appearance that is proof that I live in my yard. More importantly, I am utterly grateful to celebrate my birthday in a month when everyone is too busy getting their gardens in to take notice of it’s passing. Secretly, I will relish every soaking rain, every sunny day and all of the earthy goodness that April showers upon me and I will choose to believe that that is my real birthday celebration. As long as April continues to end the winter and usher in the growing season, I will be utterly grateful to be a woody, muddy, messy April baby.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Vegetable Seed Starting Plan 2010
Our garden plan is done - more or less. Now, I need to map out my seed starting/planting calendar. I am still getting use to the warmer springs in Green Bay than I was use to in Two Rivers. My peppers are started (a little too early, unfortunately) and I am getting organized to start everything else.
April 1st - (Indoors) - Peppers*
April 15th - (Direct) - Asparagus
April 15th - (Direct) - Spinach
April 15th - (Direct) - Arugula
April 15th - (Direct) - Raddichio
April 15th - (Direct) - Salad Bed
April 15th - (Direct) - Cilantro
April 15th - (Direct) - Carrots
April 15th - (Direct) - Radishes
April 20th - (Indoors in peat pots) - Green Bean*
May 1st - (Indoors in peat pots) - Squash*
May 1st - (Indoors in peat pots) - Cucumbers*
May 1st - (Direct) - Dill
May 1st - (Direct) - Fennel
May 15th - (Jung Arrival) - Tomatoes*
May 15th - (Jung Arrival) - Leeks*
*Transplant after Memorial Day
My grow light is installed and I am chomping at the bit to get started! What a fun time of year!
Next step - get the herb garden planned (since we will be doing an expansion) and get the mint moved into the herb garden.
April 1st - (Indoors) - Peppers*
April 15th - (Direct) - Asparagus
April 15th - (Direct) - Spinach
April 15th - (Direct) - Arugula
April 15th - (Direct) - Raddichio
April 15th - (Direct) - Salad Bed
April 15th - (Direct) - Cilantro
April 15th - (Direct) - Carrots
April 15th - (Direct) - Radishes
April 20th - (Indoors in peat pots) - Green Bean*
May 1st - (Indoors in peat pots) - Squash*
May 1st - (Indoors in peat pots) - Cucumbers*
May 1st - (Direct) - Dill
May 1st - (Direct) - Fennel
May 15th - (Jung Arrival) - Tomatoes*
May 15th - (Jung Arrival) - Leeks*
*Transplant after Memorial Day
My grow light is installed and I am chomping at the bit to get started! What a fun time of year!
Next step - get the herb garden planned (since we will be doing an expansion) and get the mint moved into the herb garden.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Garden Plan for 2010
My garden plan for 2010 is done for now. Once we actually get into the dirt, however, I am certain it will change a bit. As much as I want to grow all kinds of great things, we really only want to garden things we either love to eat or things that will save us substantially at the market.... hence 24 pepper plants and 12 tomato plants. My herb garden and cutting garden have not gotten any attention from me yet, so that is still pending. I have started my pepper seeds on March 14th as well as some basil seeds. I need to make my seed starting calendar this week so that I do not miss important dates, but with the arrival of Rex, I am just behind on everything.
On this eve of St. Patrick's Day, I am certainly feeling my Irish roots. We just keep picking rocks out of our garden and yard!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Clothes Line Going Back Up
Ok... my husband doesn't know this yet, but I have plans for this weekend - and they involve getting my clothes line up. Today I opened all of my first floor windows to give my stagnat little house a much needed breath of fresh air. I tucked the kiddos into blankets for their naps, threw on a fleece and opened up the first floor pores. As I was putting Michael down for his nap, he kept saying "I smell the windows up here mommy!". I laughed and asked him if the window smell made him happy - to which he assured me that it did. (The monsters who hide outside the windows at night aren't there during the day, so it is ok to open the windows.)
As I came back down to put take my diapers out of the dryer and put the sheets in, I realized that the glorious sun was shining and I wasn't sunning my winter-weary dipes. Yep. It is time. Clothesline time again. And in answer to the obvious question, "Yes dear, I will be more than happy to don snow boots and trudge through the remaining pile of snow to hang the dipes... give me my sunsoaked clothesline and I will do almost anything.
As I came back down to put take my diapers out of the dryer and put the sheets in, I realized that the glorious sun was shining and I wasn't sunning my winter-weary dipes. Yep. It is time. Clothesline time again. And in answer to the obvious question, "Yes dear, I will be more than happy to don snow boots and trudge through the remaining pile of snow to hang the dipes... give me my sunsoaked clothesline and I will do almost anything.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Masarik Family Cleaners (Go-To list)
Here are the recipes that I use regularly:
Pet Safe Dry Carpet Cleaner
2 c baking soda
¼ c cornstarch
¼ cornmeal
10-12 drops of my favorite antimicrobial essential oils (my faves: lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, palmarosa)
Linoleum Cleaner
1 T of natural liquid soap
¼ c Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
¼ c vinegar
2 gallons of water
8-10 drops of my favorite antimicrobial essential oils (my faves: lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, palmarosa)
Citrus Loving Wood Floor Cleaner
¼ c. vinegar
2 gallons of hot water
10 drops of citrus essential oils
Wash floor. No need to rinse. To boost, add vinegar and 1 or 2 T of liquid soap as needed.
Borax Booster All Purpose Cleaner
4 T vinegar
4 c water
2 tsp borax
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
10 drops of any favorite smelling essential oil (peppermint is my favorite)
Fresh Smelling Furniture Polish
¼ c olive oil
4T white distilled vinegar
20 drops of lemon or orange (or combination) essential oil
The oils will moisturize your wood while the vinegar cleans it and prevents streaks and smears.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Make a thin paste of lemon juice and borax and rub the toilet.
Diaper Station Antibacterial Freshening Spray
2c Water
14 drops of lemongrass, peppermint, lavender or tea tree oil (or combination)
Homemade Cleaning Wipes
Use paper toweling cut in half or take old receiving blankets and sew them into 4"x4" (or any size you want) squares
Place in a used diaper wipes container
Mix 3 cups of water, 15-20 drops of antibacterial essential oils
Pour mixture over the "wipes" use within 2 weeks or so to prevent mold
If using cloth, throw them in your laundry and wash as you would rags or towels
Pet Safe Dry Carpet Cleaner
2 c baking soda
¼ c cornstarch
¼ cornmeal
10-12 drops of my favorite antimicrobial essential oils (my faves: lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, palmarosa)
Linoleum Cleaner
1 T of natural liquid soap
¼ c Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
¼ c vinegar
2 gallons of water
8-10 drops of my favorite antimicrobial essential oils (my faves: lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, palmarosa)
Citrus Loving Wood Floor Cleaner
¼ c. vinegar
2 gallons of hot water
10 drops of citrus essential oils
Wash floor. No need to rinse. To boost, add vinegar and 1 or 2 T of liquid soap as needed.
Borax Booster All Purpose Cleaner
4 T vinegar
4 c water
2 tsp borax
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
10 drops of any favorite smelling essential oil (peppermint is my favorite)
Fresh Smelling Furniture Polish
¼ c olive oil
4T white distilled vinegar
20 drops of lemon or orange (or combination) essential oil
The oils will moisturize your wood while the vinegar cleans it and prevents streaks and smears.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Make a thin paste of lemon juice and borax and rub the toilet.
Diaper Station Antibacterial Freshening Spray
2c Water
14 drops of lemongrass, peppermint, lavender or tea tree oil (or combination)
Homemade Cleaning Wipes
Use paper toweling cut in half or take old receiving blankets and sew them into 4"x4" (or any size you want) squares
Place in a used diaper wipes container
Mix 3 cups of water, 15-20 drops of antibacterial essential oils
Pour mixture over the "wipes" use within 2 weeks or so to prevent mold
If using cloth, throw them in your laundry and wash as you would rags or towels
Dishwasher Detergent Woes - SOLVED (for us anyway)
So, I realize that it has been two weeks since my inital posting on this recipe. We have learned alot in those two weeks.
1. Our dishwasher is old, poor and just plain old not working well and will probably need to be replaced this year. We've looked into repairing it, but the reality is that this machine was abused before we got it and hasn't fared well. Repair would be only slightly less costly than replacing and if we replace, we can go with a more efficient model.
2. The recipe works... pretty well. It works beautifully for stoneware and plastic. Does a much better than ok job on glass. Is hit or miss with silverware.
We have varied our silverware washing routine several times: insert full of food, insert used but without chunks, insert lightly pre-washed and just give up and handwash. Insert lightly pre-washed works pretty well. We just rinse our silverware with clean water and insert into the machine for sterilization.
Knowing that this recipe is so accessible, green and miserly, it is a winner for us. It isn't a fail safe, but then again... nothing in our dishwasher ever has been.
The recipe again is:
4 parts Borax (1 cup)
4 parts Baking Soda (1 cup)
1 part CANNING/PICKLING salt (1/4 cup)
1 part Citric Acid (1/4 cup)
A few drops of favorite antibacterial essential oil per batch (a batch for us is a popcorn tub)
Where to buy citric acid and oils: my new favorite organic, fair trade supply source: www.mountainroseherbs.com. They are great to work with, their prices are really fair and it is USDA organic and Fair Trade. How can I argue? I just wish I had a local vendor selling their stuff!
What if you have a batch of another kind of homemade dishwasher detergent that doesn't work? I am mixing mine with water and using it as porcelain bathroom scrubber. Be sure to rinse with vinegar water afterwards or else you will have that dreaded white film that vetoed the recipe from your dishwasher to begin with.
Happy home cleaning!
1. Our dishwasher is old, poor and just plain old not working well and will probably need to be replaced this year. We've looked into repairing it, but the reality is that this machine was abused before we got it and hasn't fared well. Repair would be only slightly less costly than replacing and if we replace, we can go with a more efficient model.
2. The recipe works... pretty well. It works beautifully for stoneware and plastic. Does a much better than ok job on glass. Is hit or miss with silverware.
We have varied our silverware washing routine several times: insert full of food, insert used but without chunks, insert lightly pre-washed and just give up and handwash. Insert lightly pre-washed works pretty well. We just rinse our silverware with clean water and insert into the machine for sterilization.
Knowing that this recipe is so accessible, green and miserly, it is a winner for us. It isn't a fail safe, but then again... nothing in our dishwasher ever has been.
The recipe again is:
4 parts Borax (1 cup)
4 parts Baking Soda (1 cup)
1 part CANNING/PICKLING salt (1/4 cup)
1 part Citric Acid (1/4 cup)
A few drops of favorite antibacterial essential oil per batch (a batch for us is a popcorn tub)
Where to buy citric acid and oils: my new favorite organic, fair trade supply source: www.mountainroseherbs.com. They are great to work with, their prices are really fair and it is USDA organic and Fair Trade. How can I argue? I just wish I had a local vendor selling their stuff!
What if you have a batch of another kind of homemade dishwasher detergent that doesn't work? I am mixing mine with water and using it as porcelain bathroom scrubber. Be sure to rinse with vinegar water afterwards or else you will have that dreaded white film that vetoed the recipe from your dishwasher to begin with.
Happy home cleaning!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Dishwasher Detergent Woes
This has been a really tough conversion for us. Our primary goal is to first and foremost, save money. Additionally, I would like to be green. Dishwasher detergents have consistently been problematic because of the many variables - hardness of water, amount of water needed (miserly wash cycle vs. regular wash cycle), how much the dishes are prepped before going in, what is in your rinse aid compartment already and how much build up there may already be in your dishwasher. We have been trying a whole battery of recipes and have finally settled on doing a week trial of the one below. Some things to note:
1. Here in Allouez, we have Brown County Water which is "regular" or almost soft.
2. My older Kenmore dishwasher has a built in garbage disposal (like most) but it only works on regular or pot scrubber cycles. Didn't know that before yesterday and we have been using "Water Miser" for months, so we have some build up to deal with.
3. Ditch the Jet Dry and replace with straight vinegar. Well, unfortunately for me, the Jet Dry in my machine needs to be used up before I replace with vinegar.
4. I have been using the wrong salt. Kosher, table and other salts have an "anti-caking" property. This will leave a white film. Make sure to use Canning/Pickling salt. It is a different kind of salt without the "anti-caking."
5. Citric acid helps to break down the borax and baking soda. It is safe to use because it is used in canning and other food preparation. To purchase, go to a local brew store (in GB, House of Homebrew - Dousman/Main) or order online.
Here is the recipe that has started to restore the sparkle to our dishes. After 1 cycle, everything looks great. Cycle #2 will run during my Time Of Use Savings Hours starting at noon today. Note: the extra 4 gallons of water that I will need to use (from 8 gal during Water Miser to 12 gal during Regular) is inevitable and will cost less than handwashing and use less water.
Recipe that seems to work:
4 parts borax
4 parts baking soda
1 part citric acid
1 part canning/pickling salt
Use 1 heaping tablespoon per load. Run on "regular". Air dry.
Other recipes that would probably work but not fufill our objective of being green:
First, the homemade base:
1 pt borax
1 pt washing soda
1/4 pt salt
Combine the above. Mix 2 pt above combination with 1 pt cascade.
OR
2 pts Dawn liquid dish soap
1 pt baking soda
1 pt borax
1. Here in Allouez, we have Brown County Water which is "regular" or almost soft.
2. My older Kenmore dishwasher has a built in garbage disposal (like most) but it only works on regular or pot scrubber cycles. Didn't know that before yesterday and we have been using "Water Miser" for months, so we have some build up to deal with.
3. Ditch the Jet Dry and replace with straight vinegar. Well, unfortunately for me, the Jet Dry in my machine needs to be used up before I replace with vinegar.
4. I have been using the wrong salt. Kosher, table and other salts have an "anti-caking" property. This will leave a white film. Make sure to use Canning/Pickling salt. It is a different kind of salt without the "anti-caking."
5. Citric acid helps to break down the borax and baking soda. It is safe to use because it is used in canning and other food preparation. To purchase, go to a local brew store (in GB, House of Homebrew - Dousman/Main) or order online.
Here is the recipe that has started to restore the sparkle to our dishes. After 1 cycle, everything looks great. Cycle #2 will run during my Time Of Use Savings Hours starting at noon today. Note: the extra 4 gallons of water that I will need to use (from 8 gal during Water Miser to 12 gal during Regular) is inevitable and will cost less than handwashing and use less water.
Recipe that seems to work:
4 parts borax
4 parts baking soda
1 part citric acid
1 part canning/pickling salt
Use 1 heaping tablespoon per load. Run on "regular". Air dry.
Other recipes that would probably work but not fufill our objective of being green:
First, the homemade base:
1 pt borax
1 pt washing soda
1/4 pt salt
Combine the above. Mix 2 pt above combination with 1 pt cascade.
OR
2 pts Dawn liquid dish soap
1 pt baking soda
1 pt borax
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Friday Night Pizza & Canning Pizza Sauce Recipe
I have been meaning to type this up for months. At my meeting last night, I realized that I never did archive this.... and well, now that it is time to share it, I must get to it.
Sara's Canning Pizza Sauce Recipe (Ball base, Sara's spices)
(makes 4 pint jars)
13 cups fresh plum tomato puree
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp basil
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 T garlic powder
1. Prepare canner, jars and lids.
2. Bring half of the puree to a boil stirring occassionally. Maintaining a boil, gradually add the remaining sauce. Stir in lemon juice and spices. Boil hard until sauce is very thin and saucy.
3. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim, seal with lid and band.
4. Place jars in canner. Make sure to completely cover with water. Bring to a boil. Process for 35 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes. Remove jars. Cool. Label. Store.
My pizza crust of choice: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizza-Dough-I/Detail.aspx
New pizza sauce recipe (when my cans run out this month): http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Exquisite-Pizza-Sauce/Detail.aspx?src=etaf
Sara's Canning Pizza Sauce Recipe (Ball base, Sara's spices)
(makes 4 pint jars)
13 cups fresh plum tomato puree
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp basil
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 T garlic powder
1. Prepare canner, jars and lids.
2. Bring half of the puree to a boil stirring occassionally. Maintaining a boil, gradually add the remaining sauce. Stir in lemon juice and spices. Boil hard until sauce is very thin and saucy.
3. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim, seal with lid and band.
4. Place jars in canner. Make sure to completely cover with water. Bring to a boil. Process for 35 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes. Remove jars. Cool. Label. Store.
My pizza crust of choice: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pizza-Dough-I/Detail.aspx
New pizza sauce recipe (when my cans run out this month): http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Exquisite-Pizza-Sauce/Detail.aspx?src=etaf
Monday, February 1, 2010
UPDATE: Resolution #6 - Homemade Cleaning Products
We did it! Chemicals are on their way to others who will use them. We have replaced them with our own "green" concotions that are saving us some green! We are still tweaking our dishwasher soap, recipe, but it is almost there. I compiled everything into some handouts for a meeting that Ang and I are doing and thought that I would share here. A big thanks to Cheryl for answering my never-ending list of questions! Here are the recipes we are using.
Pet Safe Dry Carpet Cleaner
2 c baking soda
¼ c cornstarch
¼ cornmeal
10-12 drops of lavender or lemongrass essential oil
Natural Carpet Stain Remover #1
¼ c vinegar
1 c water
1 tsp organic dish soap
Thoroughly mix and put into a spray bottle. Shake, spray, blot.
Natural Carpet Stain Remover #2
Sprinkle cornstarch, leave 20-30 minutes
Scrub with 1 c. vinegar mixed with 3 c. water
Natural Kitchen and Bath Floor Cleaner #1
½ c. vinegar
2 gallons of water
3 T. natural liquid soap
¼ c baking soda
15 drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil
Natural Kitchen and Bath Floor Cleaner #2
½ c. Borax
2 gallons of hot water
Linoleum Cleaner
1 T of natural liquid soap
¼ c Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
¼ c vinegar
2 gallons of water
10-12 drops of lavender or citrus essential oil
Citrus Loving Wood Floor Cleaner
¼ c. vinegar
2 gallons of hot water
10 drops of mandarin (or orange) essential oil
5 drops of lemon essential oil
Wash floor. No need to rinse. To boost, add vinegar and 1 or 2 T of liquid soap as needed.
Miserly Floor Cleaner
½ c. vinegar per gallon of water
Add 5 drops of essential oil per gallon of water
Green and Clean Surface Cleaner
1 tsp of organic liquid soap
2 c water
10-12 drops of tea tree essential oil
10-12 drops of lavender essential oil
5 drops of a citrus essential oil
Add to a spray bottle. Shake before every use. Safe enough to spray on any kitchen or bath surface. Very anti-bacterial, ant-viral and anti-fungal.
Super Simple Spray Cleaner
2 tsp of tea tree or lavender oil (or 1 tsp of each)
2 c of water
Borax Booster Cleaner
2 T vinegar
2 c water
1 tsp borax
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
5 drops of peppermint essential oil
Miserly Disinfectant
14 oz of water
3 T castile soap
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
10 drops of lavender or peppermint essential oil
Simple Glass Cleaner
Club soda. Pour (carbonated or flat) into a trigger bottle and wipe with crumpled newspaper)
Anti-Streak Window Cleaner
½ c water
½ rubbing alcohol
1 tsp of liquid soap
(This works best on glass with build up. 1 or 2 applications should cleanse it and then you can return to the above solution)
Dishwasher Soap
2 T Borax
2 T Washing Soda
¼ tsp table salt
5 drops of favorite essential oil
Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Ditch the rinse aid, fill up with vinegar.
Porcelain Cleaner (Tubs, counters & sinks)
1/3 c borax
1/3 baking soda
10 drops of favorite essential oil – recommended: lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus or lemongrass
Mold & Mildew Cleaner
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
5 drops of peppermint essential oil
2 c water
Combine and spray affected area daily, do not wipe – just allow to air dry.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Make a thin paste of lemon juice and borax and rub the toilet
Spritz-and-Spray Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap2 tablespoons baking soda2 tablespoons vinegar1 teaspoon orange essential oil1 teaspoon grapefruit essential oil2 cups waterMix all ingredients in a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl. When you mix the vinegar and baking soda, it will foam. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before pouring into a spray bottle.
Homemade Soft Scrub Paste
½ Baking Soda
2-4 squirts of liquid castile soap
10 drops of lavender, tea tree or eucalyptus essential oil for added anti-bacterial boost
Natural Stain Cleaner
½ c water
1-2T organic dish soap
1T vegetable glycerin
Spray on clothes as soon as possible, wash as normal.
Fresh Smelling Furniture Polish
¼ c olive oil
4T white distilled vinegar
20 drops of lemon or orange (or combination) essential oil
The oils will moisturize your wood while the vinegar cleans it and prevents streaks and smears.
Homemade Air & Fabric Freshner (aka Febreeze)
Recipe #1 – Not a green solution
1 cup fabric softener1 cup white vinegar2 cups water
Recipe #2 – is a GREEN solution
8 drops lavender essential oil
4 drops of tea tree essential oil
4 drops of peppermint essential oil
4 drops of lemon grass essential oil
½ c cheap vodka
½ c distilled water
(as long as you use tea tree and/or lavender oil, other may be substituted for scent preference)
Cleaning Ingredients 101
Baking Soda: a mild abrasive which scrubs dirt and grime well. Great for boosting laundry, deodorizing, removing stains and a base for most bathroom and kitchen cleaners.
Washing Soda: sodium carbonate – a natural mineral that is great for laundry and in some cleaning applications – specifically as a degreaser. Can cause irritation in the mucus membranes, so always use with care.
Vinegar: is a naturally occurring acid – fermented wine. Vinegar is a fantastic all-purpose cleaner and the smell can be softened with the inclusion of essential oils. Combined with baking soda, borax or washing soda as abrasives, it become a super cleaner.
Castile Soap: a vegetable oil based soap that is natural, gentle and a great degreaser. A few drops (like Dr. Bronner’s) go a very long way.
Borax: sodium borate - a natural mineral that is a fantastic substitute for chemicals like bleach. It can be toxic if swallowed straight and can be irritating to the skin – always dilute and use it correctly. It is a great base for laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent and general all purpose cleaners.
Essential Oils: nature’s gift to us! All essential oils have some antibacterial properties and can be used somewhat interchangeably. Lavendar and tea tree oil, however, are a slam dunk for cleaners because they are safe to the skin, highly anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. A few drops go a very, very long way.
Cornstarch: is a great absorber of oils, grease, stains and grime.
Essential Oils 101
Essential oils have been a part of clean and healthy living since biblical times. Oils that are rendered from their plants (or flowers) have unique characteristics onto themselves. Throughout history, we have seen cultures use these oils in the perfumes, body care and general cleaners as much for their beautiful smell as for their anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal properties. No two oils are identical in their tendencies or application. Some can cause great sensitivity when exposed directly on (or “neat") the skin. Always understand an oil before you use it so that you can apply it correctly and prevent irritation.
When purchasing essential oils, it is critical that you purchase only PURE essential oils (which is harder to do than you think). If you buy something that has been adulterated or synthetically stretched, you run the risk of exposing yourself to chemicals which are not natural as well as diminishing the anti-microbial benefits of the oil.
“The anti-microbial actions of essential oils are one of the most extensively studied aspects of botanical medicine. Research into the antiseptic properties of essential oils has been going on since the 1880s, starting with oils such as oregano oil, cinnamon oil, and clove. By the 1930s a considerable amount of conclusive studies had been amassed, including proof that essential oils used in perfumes had antibiotic powers...” - http://www.floracopeia.com/content/monographs/26
If you own no other essential oil, the one to own is LAVENDER. Just as there are superfoods, Lavendar is a superoil. It is highly anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral while also being safe enough to be applied to baby’s bottom.
Great Oils for Cleaning
Lavender
Tea Tree
Rosemary
Lemon
Eucalyptus
Patchouli
Pine
Orange
Geranium
Medical Research supporting the use of essential oils: http://www.gogreengal.org/
Pet Safe Dry Carpet Cleaner
2 c baking soda
¼ c cornstarch
¼ cornmeal
10-12 drops of lavender or lemongrass essential oil
Natural Carpet Stain Remover #1
¼ c vinegar
1 c water
1 tsp organic dish soap
Thoroughly mix and put into a spray bottle. Shake, spray, blot.
Natural Carpet Stain Remover #2
Sprinkle cornstarch, leave 20-30 minutes
Scrub with 1 c. vinegar mixed with 3 c. water
Natural Kitchen and Bath Floor Cleaner #1
½ c. vinegar
2 gallons of water
3 T. natural liquid soap
¼ c baking soda
15 drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil
Natural Kitchen and Bath Floor Cleaner #2
½ c. Borax
2 gallons of hot water
Linoleum Cleaner
1 T of natural liquid soap
¼ c Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
¼ c vinegar
2 gallons of water
10-12 drops of lavender or citrus essential oil
Citrus Loving Wood Floor Cleaner
¼ c. vinegar
2 gallons of hot water
10 drops of mandarin (or orange) essential oil
5 drops of lemon essential oil
Wash floor. No need to rinse. To boost, add vinegar and 1 or 2 T of liquid soap as needed.
Miserly Floor Cleaner
½ c. vinegar per gallon of water
Add 5 drops of essential oil per gallon of water
Green and Clean Surface Cleaner
1 tsp of organic liquid soap
2 c water
10-12 drops of tea tree essential oil
10-12 drops of lavender essential oil
5 drops of a citrus essential oil
Add to a spray bottle. Shake before every use. Safe enough to spray on any kitchen or bath surface. Very anti-bacterial, ant-viral and anti-fungal.
Super Simple Spray Cleaner
2 tsp of tea tree or lavender oil (or 1 tsp of each)
2 c of water
Borax Booster Cleaner
2 T vinegar
2 c water
1 tsp borax
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
5 drops of peppermint essential oil
Miserly Disinfectant
14 oz of water
3 T castile soap
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
10 drops of lavender or peppermint essential oil
Simple Glass Cleaner
Club soda. Pour (carbonated or flat) into a trigger bottle and wipe with crumpled newspaper)
Anti-Streak Window Cleaner
½ c water
½ rubbing alcohol
1 tsp of liquid soap
(This works best on glass with build up. 1 or 2 applications should cleanse it and then you can return to the above solution)
Dishwasher Soap
2 T Borax
2 T Washing Soda
¼ tsp table salt
5 drops of favorite essential oil
Dishwasher Rinse Aid
Ditch the rinse aid, fill up with vinegar.
Porcelain Cleaner (Tubs, counters & sinks)
1/3 c borax
1/3 baking soda
10 drops of favorite essential oil – recommended: lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus or lemongrass
Mold & Mildew Cleaner
10 drops of tea tree essential oil
5 drops of peppermint essential oil
2 c water
Combine and spray affected area daily, do not wipe – just allow to air dry.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Make a thin paste of lemon juice and borax and rub the toilet
Spritz-and-Spray Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap2 tablespoons baking soda2 tablespoons vinegar1 teaspoon orange essential oil1 teaspoon grapefruit essential oil2 cups waterMix all ingredients in a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl. When you mix the vinegar and baking soda, it will foam. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes before pouring into a spray bottle.
Homemade Soft Scrub Paste
½ Baking Soda
2-4 squirts of liquid castile soap
10 drops of lavender, tea tree or eucalyptus essential oil for added anti-bacterial boost
Natural Stain Cleaner
½ c water
1-2T organic dish soap
1T vegetable glycerin
Spray on clothes as soon as possible, wash as normal.
Fresh Smelling Furniture Polish
¼ c olive oil
4T white distilled vinegar
20 drops of lemon or orange (or combination) essential oil
The oils will moisturize your wood while the vinegar cleans it and prevents streaks and smears.
Homemade Air & Fabric Freshner (aka Febreeze)
Recipe #1 – Not a green solution
1 cup fabric softener1 cup white vinegar2 cups water
Recipe #2 – is a GREEN solution
8 drops lavender essential oil
4 drops of tea tree essential oil
4 drops of peppermint essential oil
4 drops of lemon grass essential oil
½ c cheap vodka
½ c distilled water
(as long as you use tea tree and/or lavender oil, other may be substituted for scent preference)
Cleaning Ingredients 101
Baking Soda: a mild abrasive which scrubs dirt and grime well. Great for boosting laundry, deodorizing, removing stains and a base for most bathroom and kitchen cleaners.
Washing Soda: sodium carbonate – a natural mineral that is great for laundry and in some cleaning applications – specifically as a degreaser. Can cause irritation in the mucus membranes, so always use with care.
Vinegar: is a naturally occurring acid – fermented wine. Vinegar is a fantastic all-purpose cleaner and the smell can be softened with the inclusion of essential oils. Combined with baking soda, borax or washing soda as abrasives, it become a super cleaner.
Castile Soap: a vegetable oil based soap that is natural, gentle and a great degreaser. A few drops (like Dr. Bronner’s) go a very long way.
Borax: sodium borate - a natural mineral that is a fantastic substitute for chemicals like bleach. It can be toxic if swallowed straight and can be irritating to the skin – always dilute and use it correctly. It is a great base for laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent and general all purpose cleaners.
Essential Oils: nature’s gift to us! All essential oils have some antibacterial properties and can be used somewhat interchangeably. Lavendar and tea tree oil, however, are a slam dunk for cleaners because they are safe to the skin, highly anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. A few drops go a very, very long way.
Cornstarch: is a great absorber of oils, grease, stains and grime.
Essential Oils 101
Essential oils have been a part of clean and healthy living since biblical times. Oils that are rendered from their plants (or flowers) have unique characteristics onto themselves. Throughout history, we have seen cultures use these oils in the perfumes, body care and general cleaners as much for their beautiful smell as for their anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal properties. No two oils are identical in their tendencies or application. Some can cause great sensitivity when exposed directly on (or “neat") the skin. Always understand an oil before you use it so that you can apply it correctly and prevent irritation.
When purchasing essential oils, it is critical that you purchase only PURE essential oils (which is harder to do than you think). If you buy something that has been adulterated or synthetically stretched, you run the risk of exposing yourself to chemicals which are not natural as well as diminishing the anti-microbial benefits of the oil.
“The anti-microbial actions of essential oils are one of the most extensively studied aspects of botanical medicine. Research into the antiseptic properties of essential oils has been going on since the 1880s, starting with oils such as oregano oil, cinnamon oil, and clove. By the 1930s a considerable amount of conclusive studies had been amassed, including proof that essential oils used in perfumes had antibiotic powers...” - http://www.floracopeia.com/content/monographs/26
If you own no other essential oil, the one to own is LAVENDER. Just as there are superfoods, Lavendar is a superoil. It is highly anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral while also being safe enough to be applied to baby’s bottom.
Great Oils for Cleaning
Lavender
Tea Tree
Rosemary
Lemon
Eucalyptus
Patchouli
Pine
Orange
Geranium
Medical Research supporting the use of essential oils: http://www.gogreengal.org/
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Resolution #7: Reduce our water usage by 8%
This one will take a little more patience and practice. Right now, I am just guessing at what will and will not work. So far, we have made some slight changes:
1. We have adjusted the floating arm on our Master Bath Toilet to require less water on refills. For 10 days... no trouble... we'll probably do it to the other two as well.
2. Thanks to Rocking Green and my homemade bathroom sanitizer, I am able to wash diapers every 3 days instead of every 2. I spritz tired covers that are not dirty, but not rosy. They smell good, are somewhat disinfected and we have stretched their use to all day or almost all day instead of one or two changes. Also, I sewed more diapers so that my stash could stretch.
3. Shorter showers... not sure if we really are taking shorter showers, but oh well.
We'll see how we did at the end of the month!
1. We have adjusted the floating arm on our Master Bath Toilet to require less water on refills. For 10 days... no trouble... we'll probably do it to the other two as well.
2. Thanks to Rocking Green and my homemade bathroom sanitizer, I am able to wash diapers every 3 days instead of every 2. I spritz tired covers that are not dirty, but not rosy. They smell good, are somewhat disinfected and we have stretched their use to all day or almost all day instead of one or two changes. Also, I sewed more diapers so that my stash could stretch.
3. Shorter showers... not sure if we really are taking shorter showers, but oh well.
We'll see how we did at the end of the month!
Resolution #6: Use up brand products and replace with homemade
Well, we have a slight disagreement on this point. We (Greg and I) are in complete agreement that greener is better, safer and cheaper. However, I, the excitable one went off and made a whole bunch of things that I cannot wait to use. My hubby, on the other hand, believes that since our income was already spent on the items sitting in our pantry, they should be used - first in, first out. So... a compromise has been reached. The brand laundry detergent is being used exclusively on his professional clothing while the homemade on everything else (except for dipes... only Rocking Green gets near them). As for the other products... well... they are sitting next to each other on the shelf and he can grab what he likes and I grab what I like. Tee hee. At the end of the day, we have very little of the brand product left anyway in most arenas.
Products I have successfully made (and love):
Tea tree and peppermint bathroom sanitzer
Lemongrass Baking Soda dishwasher soap
Lemongrass Baking Soda carpet cleaner
"Gentle Baby" Baby wipes
Lemon Rosemary Cloth Tissues
Tea Tree and Peppermint Surface Cleaner
Lemon Glass Cleaner
Lemon Furniture Polish
Still to make:
Goo Gone
Febreeze
Hand Soap
Dish Soap
Shampoo
Conditioner
Bath Soap
Body Wash
Toothpaste
Deodorant
This is very exciting and very addictive.
Products I have successfully made (and love):
Tea tree and peppermint bathroom sanitzer
Lemongrass Baking Soda dishwasher soap
Lemongrass Baking Soda carpet cleaner
"Gentle Baby" Baby wipes
Lemon Rosemary Cloth Tissues
Tea Tree and Peppermint Surface Cleaner
Lemon Glass Cleaner
Lemon Furniture Polish
Still to make:
Goo Gone
Febreeze
Hand Soap
Dish Soap
Shampoo
Conditioner
Bath Soap
Body Wash
Toothpaste
Deodorant
This is very exciting and very addictive.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Resolution #5: Cook our way through Prescott
So, our very dear friend Janet introduced us to Jill Prescott's Ecole de Cuisine cookbook. While it was our first real foray into French cooking, it has turned out to be one of the most authentic. Her recipes are exquisite and much easier than the initially appear to be. We have made quite a few of her recipes and while we do not love all of them, we find them to be very pleasing and often very impressive. I cannot wait to host gourmet group because we are choosing "French" as our theme and plan to use many of her recipes.
Resolution #4: Serve family dinner consistently before 6:30
This one is tough. It may get a whole lot easier now that I am no longer co-leader of my mom's group, however, dinner time always seems to float in our house. Our ability to sit down with a warm, home made meal, at a regular time every day just seems to escape us. We know that this will only get harder as the kids get older - especially if we do not work to safeguard it now. So, this year, especially with Mothers and More obligations behind us, nap time will become dinner prep time and we will find our way to consistency. Our weekly menu plan certainly helps:
Sunday: Gourmet for Fun
Monday: Canned (from our garden) tomatoes night - spaghetti, sloppy joes, etc.
Tuesday: Leftovers from the weekend
Wednesday: Soup and sandwhiches - all freshly home made
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Family pizza night
Saturday: Gourmet for Fun
Sunday: Gourmet for Fun
Monday: Canned (from our garden) tomatoes night - spaghetti, sloppy joes, etc.
Tuesday: Leftovers from the weekend
Wednesday: Soup and sandwhiches - all freshly home made
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Family pizza night
Saturday: Gourmet for Fun
Resolution #3: Maintain Sunday Sabbath
Last year we were struggling with balance, a need for family quiet, an appropriate Lenten commitment and a time for focused spiritual development. What followed was a commitment on Sunday's during Lent to turn off unnecessary appliances, hault housework and work projects, ignore any phone call or email that would inspire work and dedicate our Sundays to faithful church attendance, devotion time, rest, play and family centeredness. It was awesome. So awesome in fact that we decided to make it a weekly ritual. Throughout the months that followed, we achieved about 80% success. We were able to at least pause on Sunday's, remember which day it was and why the Lord created it and question any work that would detract from our overall health. We are renewing that commitment this year with even more vigor. We make an allowance for cooking on Sundays because, for us, cooking is a treat and most certainly a fun family activity.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Resolution #2: Adopt a Dog
After three years of talking, researching, thinking and planning... we have applied for dog adoption! Before we were married we knew that we were going to adopt a dog... it was non-negoitable. We both love dogs and we cannot wait to have one join our family. Our lifestyle, however, was not always been optium for it to occur. As DINKS (dual-income-no-kids) we were work-aholics renting... a dog would have been an accessory and not the family pet it should be. With a new baby in a rental, still, not ideal. The first year in a new house and being pregnant... not perfect. So... the baby is 7 months old, the toddler is desperate for a four legged playmate and we are finally ready - physically, financially and emotionally.
So, now that we are ready, we want the right dog. After several years of haggling back and forth, we are in agreement that a golden retriever is the right kind of dog. We considered getting on a list to adopt a "career changed" leader dog. The wait, however, can be very long. Instead, we looked into GRROW - Golden Retriever Rescue of Wisconsin (http://www.grrow.org/grrowi/dogs+currently++in+foster+care/default.asp). We applied, had a home visit with a GRROW volunteer and her dog and love the program. Since being a approved (right before Thanksgiving), we have been called by foster homes twice - one dog was 11 and the other was 8. Neither were the right fit for us. Because we have very little kids, we want to adopt a dog who has a longer life expectancy so that the kids would likely be older when the dog passes on. GRROW is awesome. They really do work hard to make sure that they dogs they love are going into homes that are a great fit. They will not give us a dog that has undocumented or poor history with kids. They will not give us a dog that has a personality that doesn't fit our lifestyle and our needs. At the end of the day, they want the dogs to go to their "furever" home. We are being patient because we believe the process will work to get us the right dog for our family.
So, now that we are ready, we want the right dog. After several years of haggling back and forth, we are in agreement that a golden retriever is the right kind of dog. We considered getting on a list to adopt a "career changed" leader dog. The wait, however, can be very long. Instead, we looked into GRROW - Golden Retriever Rescue of Wisconsin (http://www.grrow.org/grrowi/dogs+currently++in+foster+care/default.asp). We applied, had a home visit with a GRROW volunteer and her dog and love the program. Since being a approved (right before Thanksgiving), we have been called by foster homes twice - one dog was 11 and the other was 8. Neither were the right fit for us. Because we have very little kids, we want to adopt a dog who has a longer life expectancy so that the kids would likely be older when the dog passes on. GRROW is awesome. They really do work hard to make sure that they dogs they love are going into homes that are a great fit. They will not give us a dog that has undocumented or poor history with kids. They will not give us a dog that has a personality that doesn't fit our lifestyle and our needs. At the end of the day, they want the dogs to go to their "furever" home. We are being patient because we believe the process will work to get us the right dog for our family.
Resolution #1: Homemade laundry detergent
After reading http://www.thesimpledollar.com/ and a few other convicing blogs, we decided to take the plunge - make our own detergent. For a newbie, easier said than done...Arm and Hammer Washing soda... not easy to find.. kind of. We called 7 different hardware stores and walked through many stores... never to find the stuff. Finally, Acehardware ordered for us. Great! $4 and it arrived within days, no shipping. After Greg picked it up and we put it to work, we discovered that our neighborhood Piggly Wiggly had the stuff! At a lower price! Don't we feel silly. Oh well. So... what was the result of the experiment?
We made 2 kinds of detergent: Simple Dollar liquid and Duggar's (19 Kids and Counting) dry. Both work very, very well... better in fact than our store brand detergent. Is it better than Tide Coldwater... about the same. Better than Rockin Green? Well... let's not be silly. Nothing is better than Rockin' Green... we just cannot afford it for all of our washing.
The recipes we used:
Simple Dollar Liquid:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/
Duggar's Dry:
http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html
Cost... CHEAP! We bought a box grater ($1), used an old spoon (free), Washing Soda ($4), Borax ($3), 3 bars of Dove soap and a special bucket from Fleet Farm ($8). We have most of the box of Borax, most of the washing soda and a bar of soap left for future batches. Cheap, cheap, cheap. Truth be told, we prefer the liquid soap but both work very well. Our budget and sense of pride could not be happier!
Fabric softener solutions are next!
We made 2 kinds of detergent: Simple Dollar liquid and Duggar's (19 Kids and Counting) dry. Both work very, very well... better in fact than our store brand detergent. Is it better than Tide Coldwater... about the same. Better than Rockin Green? Well... let's not be silly. Nothing is better than Rockin' Green... we just cannot afford it for all of our washing.
The recipes we used:
Simple Dollar Liquid:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/
Duggar's Dry:
http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html
Cost... CHEAP! We bought a box grater ($1), used an old spoon (free), Washing Soda ($4), Borax ($3), 3 bars of Dove soap and a special bucket from Fleet Farm ($8). We have most of the box of Borax, most of the washing soda and a bar of soap left for future batches. Cheap, cheap, cheap. Truth be told, we prefer the liquid soap but both work very well. Our budget and sense of pride could not be happier!
Fabric softener solutions are next!
New Year, New Resolutions...
Isn't this everyone's topic of choice right now? Well, I am happy to admit that hubby and I are right on track... new year, new resolutions. This year, we decided to make a long list of very attainable small resolutions instead of some biggies like "exercise X # of hours per week" which would otherwise guarantee failure. Our long list of littles is source of great excitement for us... everything on it is something we are truly excited about tackling. Interestingly... quite a few of them are food-centered... guess that's just what we love. So... here we go:
1. Homemade laundry detergent for everything except diapers and Greg's work clothes
2. Adopt a dog
3. Maintain our Sunday Sabbath Commitment
4. Daily family dinner served consistently before 6:30pm
5. Cook our way through Jill Prescott's Ecole de Cuisine... we are about 25% there
6. Use up brand cleaning products; replace with home made
7. Reduce our water usage by 8%
8. Reduce our engergy usage by 5%
9. Increase our retirement by 1%
10. Increase our charitable giving by 5%
11. Spend at least 2 hours per week playing against each other on the Wii
12. Cloth, cloth, cloth
13. Always have homemade cookies and bread in the freezer
14. Go camping in our backyard
15. No car payment in 2010
16. Family devotions at dinner - including the Christmas Card prayers
17. Buy a tiller
18. Put in a cutting garden next to the garage
19. Move the lilac tree to the cutting garden
20. Install grow light
21. Grow peppers and herbs from seed
22. Fix the riding lawn mower
23. Rake and Roll the lawns
24. Read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
25. Take Michael and Greta to the Field Museum
26. Take Michael and Greta to the Shed Aquarium
27. Volunteer at Marion House
28. Finish the Morrison Childhood Photo Books
29. Finish the WII Letters from Grandpa
30. Can soups for the winter
31. Get all of the home videos edited and transferred
32. Greg and Sara do morning devotions together over coffee
33. Convert to only Fair Trade coffee by starting with weekends and then expanding to the rest of the week.
34. From May 1 - Oct 1 walk every night with the kids (weather permitting)
35. Use all of Greg's vacation and do more fun family activities
So... that's it. A long list of things we care about and are committed to. Fingers crossed, prayer list started, we are off and running.
1. Homemade laundry detergent for everything except diapers and Greg's work clothes
2. Adopt a dog
3. Maintain our Sunday Sabbath Commitment
4. Daily family dinner served consistently before 6:30pm
5. Cook our way through Jill Prescott's Ecole de Cuisine... we are about 25% there
6. Use up brand cleaning products; replace with home made
7. Reduce our water usage by 8%
8. Reduce our engergy usage by 5%
9. Increase our retirement by 1%
10. Increase our charitable giving by 5%
11. Spend at least 2 hours per week playing against each other on the Wii
12. Cloth, cloth, cloth
13. Always have homemade cookies and bread in the freezer
14. Go camping in our backyard
15. No car payment in 2010
16. Family devotions at dinner - including the Christmas Card prayers
17. Buy a tiller
18. Put in a cutting garden next to the garage
19. Move the lilac tree to the cutting garden
20. Install grow light
21. Grow peppers and herbs from seed
22. Fix the riding lawn mower
23. Rake and Roll the lawns
24. Read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
25. Take Michael and Greta to the Field Museum
26. Take Michael and Greta to the Shed Aquarium
27. Volunteer at Marion House
28. Finish the Morrison Childhood Photo Books
29. Finish the WII Letters from Grandpa
30. Can soups for the winter
31. Get all of the home videos edited and transferred
32. Greg and Sara do morning devotions together over coffee
33. Convert to only Fair Trade coffee by starting with weekends and then expanding to the rest of the week.
34. From May 1 - Oct 1 walk every night with the kids (weather permitting)
35. Use all of Greg's vacation and do more fun family activities
So... that's it. A long list of things we care about and are committed to. Fingers crossed, prayer list started, we are off and running.
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