Homemade Laundry Detergent - UPDATE

This is an update to the post from here, which I wrote way back in 2010.

I STILL use this detergent, guys. Still love it. HOWEVER, I accidentally discovered one day that there is an easier way to do it. It is much quicker than all that stirring I used to do before. The ingredients are the same, but the order in which you mix them is what has changed.

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

1. Baking soda

2. Liquid castile soap  (I use Dr. Bronner's and purchase it wherever I can find it on sale at the time. Sometimes Drug Emporium, sometimes Whole Foods, sometimes Azure Standard, sometimes Amazon, etc.)

3. White vinegar

4. Washing Soda (made by Arm & Hammer, or you can just buy soda ash; I can get this at both Wal-Mart and Kroger where I live)

Measure 1 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of castile soap and mix together using a pastry cutter in a large bowl. 

Mix well.

Then, add 1 cup of vinegar. Pause a moment while it foams up. It is MUCH foamier doing it this way than the way I used to do it! Sort of swish/mix it around with your pastry cutter. It should feel like the baking soda has turned into bubbles.

I will have to add a picture here later so you can see all that foam.


NOW add 1 cup of washing soda. This will begin to calm that foam right down. Work the soda into the mixture using your pastry cutter. It will begin to take on a pasty consistency. Stir until thoroughly incorporated and then give yourself about a three-minute break. 

Maybe wipe the counters. Put away all your ingredients, etc. And then chop and mix a little more with the pastry cutter. 

Eventually (and not long at all!) it will begin to dry out and break up into a powder. Just repeat the wait-a-few, mix-and-chop pattern until you are ready to transfer it into your container. (By the way, this does not need to be kept in an air-tight container.)

 
I don't worry about clumps, but you can if you want to. 

Y'all, I think it works great! And it is low/no-sudsing, so it is perfect for HE washers. 

Use anywhere between 1/8 to 1/2 cup per load. Depends on your washer and how large/how dirty your load. I tend to use about 1/4 cup. I have a friend who uses much, much less than this! So far, I've been too chicken to try it. I so hate doing laundry. I sure don't want to RE-do any of it! 

Here's the recipe one more time:

1 cup Baking Soda

1/4 cup Liquid Castile Soap

1 cup Vinegar

1 cup Washing Soda

That's it!!

The Best Asparagus You've Ever Had

Want a "quick 'n easy" yet healthful vegetable dish for your repertoire? Then this is the one.

Start with a clean bunch of vitamin-packed asparagus, perhaps my favorite vegetable of all time. I try not to buy the very thick ones, though. The thinner, the better. Trim off approximately one inch from the bottom and then halve them. Actually, the spear-end should be just a little bit longer, because it will cook faster. Basically, you want to even the score.

Because that's only fair.

Project 365: Week 49 "catching up"

Sunday, November 27, 2011

This is a big day in Noah's life. He finally gets to watch this classic. Thank you, Poppy, for letting us crash here (and watch your cable) while we have a house showing.

Soaked Whole Wheat Muffins

So...you've soaked some flour, milk, and raw apple cider vinegar, huh? What can you do with it? First, get a cute helper to unveil the happy mess.

Pineapple Cheeseball

Here's an easy "real food" appetizer (or easy lunch idea):


Pineapple Cheeseball


16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
2 Tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
1 Tablespoon Real seasoned salt (I get mine at Azure Standard)
2 cups chopped pecans, divided


Mix together the first five ingredients plus 1 cup of the chopped pecans.

At this point, I scrape as much off the sides of the bowl as I can to form a somewhat spherical mound in the bottom of the bowl. Then I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Once the cream cheese has firmed up a bit, I carefully add the remaining pecans, pouring with one hand and with the other, pressing them into the cheese. I also save some for the bottom once I've removed the cheeseball from the bowl.

The pecans that fall to the side in the bowl get mushed into the cheese as I form the ball with my hands. I then turn it upside down in the bowl and add the last of the pecans. Keep refrigerated.

I like this cheeseball best with good, sturdy crackers. If you haven't tried these homemade soaked crackers, they're worth a try. My kids adore them!! Just be sure to roll them reeeeally thin. And I add quite a bit more salt than the recommended amount. Just 'cause I like salt. Enjoy!


This post was originally posted at Real Food in Little Rock and is linked up today at Works for Me Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I made a gigantic sweet potato casserole for our Seder Feast last weekend and received lots of compliments. Mostly 'cause...DUDE, you can't go wrong with sweet potatoes. 


But sweet potatoes with a sweet, crunchy topping??!! Well, what's not to love??


I haven't the first picture, though. Because I made this last weekend when I kept forgetting my camera, so.....sorry. (Maybe I'll add one later.)


But I wanted to get this posted for those of you who might be interested in something yummy and festive for your Easter holiday celebrations.


Okay. Here goes.


Start with approximately 8-15 medium to large sweet potatoes. I know that's vague, but I don't really know how else to tell you. You want somewhere around 8 cups of cooked sweet potato, skins removed. I used about 15 medium-sized potatoes. But once cooked, I certainly didn't measure out 8 cups of potato. (I was in too much of a hurry.) So there's really no telling how much was in there. Could have been as much as ten cups! I guess that's what your "taster's" for. 


Wash the potatoes and then bake them at 300 degrees for 3 to 4 hours. (P.S. I don't poke holes in them.) The longer and lower you bake them, the better, in general. Many sweet potato casserole recipes will tell you to boil the potatoes, but A) that's a good way to lose a lot of nutrients; and B) baking helps to concentrate the natural sugars in the potato. And when you eat a sweet potato, don't you want it...umm...sweet?! 


If you've got time to kill, let the potatoes cool before handling them. (Your fingers will thank me later.) Slice 'em open and scrape the skins with a spoon until you've got as much potato pulp out as possible. 


I put the pulp into my KitchenAid mixer with the whisk attachment and then whisk on medium speed. (You could do the same with a hand-held mixer.) After a few minutes, detach the whisk and rinse it off in the sink. You'll see that all those pesky potato strings that sweet potatoes are often notorious for will be wrapped around the whisk. Get all that gunk off under running water and do the whole thing again several times, stopping every minute to minute-and-a-half to rinse the whisk. (You'll probably think you're losing a lot of potato, but really it's mostly just stringy stuff that you won't want in your casserole.) 


At this point, you might want to switch to a regular paddle attachment, so you won't incorporate any more air into your dish than you already have.  :)  Or, if using a hand-held, just go ahead and switch to a big ol' spoon. 


Now add 3/4 cup sugar. I used organic cane sugar. You could use Sucanat. But your potatoes will be extra brown-looking. I sort of figured 3/4 cup is not that much considering how big this casserole is. Besides, this is soooooo a special occasion dish. So, sugar it up, people!! Add more if it's not sweet enough for you. (I didn't. I was exercising great self-control.) 


Mix in the sugar, 4 beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 softened stick of butter (1/2 pound), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 4 heaping teaspoons cinnamon. (If you like nutmeg and cloves, they'd be good in this, too. But I left mine simple and straightforward.) NOW. Fold in a couple handfuls of raisins. Oh, maybe about a cup. Cup and a half. Something like that. Trust me. The little bursts of sweetness in every bite or so will make you very happy. (Unless you're my sister-in-law who doesn't like raisins. She'd probably say "hates," but that's such a strong word, don't you think?) 


Make sure the mixture is smooth-ish and then pour it into a huge casserole dish.


Next, in a medium bowl, mix 1 cup packed brown sugar (or Muscavado, which is what I used) and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour. Cut in 6 tablespoons softened butter until the mixture is coarse. Then stir in 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (my choice because I had a huge bag of them in my freezer). 


Sprinkle the nut mixture over the sweet potato mixture, spreading evenly. 


Things to keep in mind:

1. This size recipe really needs a gigantic casserole dish. I don't have a gigantic one, at least not in length and width. I have a really deep one, which held this recipe nicely. But it didn't give as much surface area for the topping to be thin enough on top, so it took longer to bake. Here's something to go by, HALF of this recipe fits in a 9x13" casserole. So. If you're gonna make the big one, you're gonna need a bigger dish, Sweetie Pie.  ;)
2. The topping WILL want to stick to the edges, especially if you have to cook it quite a while (as I did). Lightly buttering the sides of the dish will solve that problem.
3. Lots of recipes call for milk as well. I ONLY use milk when my potatoes are ultra thick. I have found, however, that with this amount of butter AND all the air I whip into them, the potatoes are quite soupy when it's time to pour into the casserole. (They will thicken up a bit during baking.) I don't think milk is necessary, and I would much rather have a thicker casserole than a runny one.
4. I would cut this recipe in half if I were making it for just my family. (Even with company coming.) Just FYI.

Now bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for at least 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.


Sweet Potato Casserole

8 cups sweet potato 
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1-1 1/2 cups raisins


   Topping:
   1 cup packed brown sugar
   2/3 cup all-purpose flour
   6 tablespoons butter, softened
   1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts


Bake at 325 degrees for 30+ minutes.


Serves 24
(Yes, it does! Twenty stinkin' four.)


This is part of Works for Me Wednesday.

(Christmas) Brunch Casserole

You've probably already got two questions just from reading the title.

1. Is it Christmas already?

And 2. Based on past posts, does this girl love breakfast or what?? (See this recipe and this recipe for a little taste (get it?) of my obsession.)

Well, no, it's not Christmas. (And my pocket book is thankful.) But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a holiday family tradition any ol' time! (Granted, it's MY family's holiday tradition; maybe not yours.)

But, yes. I do love me some breakfast. Oh, I do.

In fact, I love breakfast so much I sometimes want it for supper! Talk about comfort food!!

You may already have this recipe or one similar. But I do mine "real food" style. It's one of those recipes that happens to be E-A-S-Y to adapt to my family's standards. As you may know, that's not always the case. This one is simply a matter of quality ingredients: raw milk, pastured eggs, raw cheese, sourdough bread, grass-fed breakfast sausage. The recipe itself is quick and easy. If you want it for breakfast, do the mixing the night before. If you want it for supper, do the mixing that morning.

1. Brown a pound of sausage over medium heat.

2. While the sausage is cooking, cube six slices of sourdough bread. I use sourdough over other breads because it absorbs the egg as well as white bread (which the original recipe calls for) and looks appetizing in the dish. (Whole wheat bread retains its brown color, so you end up with big brown chunks in your egg casserole. Not that that's extremely important, but...) Besides, some would argue sourdough bread is healthier because of the natural leavening process, as opposed to the use of commercial yeast in other breads. Not to mention the fact that it's a fermented food.

3. Next, lightly beat eight eggs in a large mixing bowl. (Can you guess which two hens didn't eat as many bugs??)

4. To the beaten eggs, add two cups milk, the cubed bread, the sausage (after draining), one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon dry mustard, and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. (Yes, that's cheddar.)

5. Mix well and then pour into a well-greased 9x13" casserole.

6. Now the wait begins. Cover the casserole and place in the refrigerator overnight or approximately eight hours before you plan to cook and eat it.

7. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I usually set my casserole out on the counter for a while prior to and during the preheating of the oven so it can come more to room temperature before baking. Bake for 35 minutes. Serves 8 to 10. Goes great with a fruit salad at dinner or with the "full spread" at a brunch.

(Sorry I forgot to take an "after" picture. I was too busy stuffing my face.)

Easier-to-read version:

Christmas Brunch Casserole

1 pound sausage, cooked (preferably grass-fed)

6 slices bread, cubed (preferably sourdough)

8 eggs, slightly beaten (preferably pastured)

2 cups milk (preferably raw)

1 cup shredded or grated cheddar cheese (preferably raw)

1 teaspoon salt (preferably Real Salt)

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13" pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.

Originally posted at Real Food in Little Rock.

Speaking of food...I've been posting my weekly menu plans (to help myself become more organized). I even have two others linked up with me!!  If you blog, perhaps you'll consider linking up with your own menu plans! (Hey. Even if you DON'T blog, you can still link up. Email me to find out how.) Do it your own way. I plan all three meals on a weekly basis, others plan dinner only but for two weeks at a time. Anything goes!  Let me know if you're interested!!

Black Bean "Burgers"

I'm a sucker for a good burger. So's Paul. We like 'em with lots of dill pickles and...cheese? Yes, please. But we can't afford to buy all the meat we'd like to eat, so one day my hubby got a wild hair and decided to make himself some black bean burgers. (He was inspired by a menu item from Chili's way. back. when. that is no longer available. Of course.) He did a little recipe research, gleaned a few generalities, and then set about dumping ingredients into a bowl. (He's not much of a recipe guy. Measuring spoons? What's that?) But I'm here to tell you he performed some magic in the kitchen that day. Pure magic. And while black bean burgers actually taste nothing like a BURGER, they are exceptional. And they are affordable!! (They are maybe even a little addicting. So don't say I didn't warn ya.)

Here's our version:

1 (15 oz.) can of black beans (or the equivalent of soaked and cooked dried black beans)

Green olives (a handful or so), chopped

Feta cheese (maybe 3 oz.), crumbled

Rolled oats (Have them soaked and ready to make this meal more nutritious)

1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

Couple "bams" of homemade "Essence of Emeril"

Whatever else you'd like to throw in there

Buns and burger fixins

You'll need some sort of food chopper/processor. I start with my olives. Just chop 'em up and set aside.

Next I process my beans. A teeny, little bit of the cooking liquid will help the beans process smoother and quicker. They don't have to be completely smooth. Lumps are perfectly acceptable!

Transfer your beans and olives to a mixing bowl and start adding stuff. I've never once measured the oats, so I apologize that I can't help you there. Maybe 1/2 to 1 cup??? Ehh...just eye it!  :)

We luuuuuuuuv Feta!!

Sometimes I sneak in a shredded veggie. Sweet potatoes work great, too! And the veggie helps the mixture hold together better as well.

You'll end up with a goopy mess that looks anything but appetizing. But hang in there...

You'll want it to be pretty thick. Oh, yeah!! An egg will help it all bind together a little better. Once your griddle is preheated, oil it (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee, etc.--I use coconut oil.) and start scooping out your burgers.

You'll need to use the back of your spoon to sort of flatten and shape your burgers while ON the griddle. (You can't pat them out ahead of time the way you do beef.) As you can see, the burger on the left is shaped, while the burger on the right just got plopped down.

Flip 'em when they stop sizzling and are nicely browned.

I like to serve mine with mayonnaise (make it lacto-fermented if ya can), tomatoes, lettuce (or spinach leaves, in this case), and sliced raw cheese.

Ain't my hubby an amazing man? This is one of my absolute favorite meals. And it's kid-friendly, too!

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday and was originally posted at Real Food in Little Rock.

Surreptitious Baking

I was making Baked Oatmeal one day last week and had a sudden twinge of laziness.

I didn't feel like peeling my good, organic Honeycrisp apples this morning for the baby and the "texture-issues" child, so......................

I secretly shredded them skin and all.

And nobody noticed a thing.

Mmmwwahahahaha!!!

Kale Krisps

Admittedly, at first sight...kale might not be one of the most yummy-looking vegetables you could buy, but take my word for it--it's worth a try. Did you know this about kale?

"Kale is (...) a form of cabbage, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; kale is considered to be anti-inflammatory. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium."  (from Wikipedia)

Kale is easily one of my family's favorites. And, as a parent who is forever concerned with the nutrition my family receives, it is a favorite of mine for ensuring my favorite peeps will be getting lots of great vitamins with every bite! We like it cooked (in the last few minutes) in soups or shredded up and wilted in homemade spaghetti sauce, but we also enjoy it as a side dish prepared as follows:

You'll need...

1 bunch organic Lacinato kale (Whole Foods has it, but you can also get other varieties from your local farmer!)

1/2-3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Then...

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Fill your nice, shiny sink with cold water, allowing your greens to soak for a few minutes. Then swish them around a bit, allowing loose dirt, sand, etc. to fall to the bottom of the sink. Shake the excess water off.

Sometimes I tear each stem of kale by folding the two sides of the leaf toward each other, grasping the stem in my left hand, and then tearing the doubled-up leaf from the top of the stem to the bottom.

(P.S. Noah thanks you for reading and, hence, giving him the opportunity to use his mommy's camera.)

Other times, I find it's faster to fold the leaves in the same way as above, but then just cut them away from their stems on a cutting board. Depends on my patience level at cooking time, I suppose.

Once you've got your stems out of the way, shred the kale thinly.

Now spread the greens out on a parchment paper-lined baking pan. The thinner you can spread them out, the quicker and better they will cook.

(I didn't spread mine very thinly.)

Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. I've tried mozzarella, but it's not nearly as tasty. The cheddar pairs very nicely with the natural saltiness of the kale. I find that this dish needs no extra seasoning. How's that for simple and healthy? Pop your pan in the oven to bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. (If you have as many hungry mouths in your family as I do, you might want to do two bunches...)

About the time that your cheese starts really getting brown, your kale will be crisp-tender and ready to eat.

This side dish can go with lots of different meals. Sometimes we have it along with tomato soup (my favorite pairing). Or with baked potatoes. It also goes well with a chicken, fish, or meat dish.

My kids adore it. But then, they ALL ate pureed kale regularly as babies. It's a flavor they are accustomed to. If you, dear grown-up, have not tried it, you really should do something wild and crazy today and buy yourself a bunch of kale. How much easier can this dish get? 

I originally posted this at Real Food in Little Rock, and today it is linked with Works For Me Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday.

Lori

Project 365: Week 32

Sunday, August 1, 2010

A dog from waaaay down the road escaped paid us a visit today. Noah was beside-himself-happy to take her home. I tell you, if Noah had had a tail, he'd have definitely been waggin' it. The boy needs a dawg.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Today's Farmer's Market was a scorcher, but we got some beautiful food!! I didn't get a picture of the okra we bought, but it was the purtiest okra I'd EVER seen.We got one of these cantaloupes, too. It was divine. The tomatoes we bought are still ripening on our counter. They are huge and gorgeous. I resisted the temptation to buy one farmer's 45-pound watermelon. Resisted with every thing inside of me. "Why?" you ask. Only because there was no room in my fridge. Doggone it.

I just have to tell you guys. You blessed souls who don't live in Arkansas. The produce our state grows is about the ONLY good thing about summer in Arkansas. We are having record highs. Like, not since ten years ago has it been THIS hot!! Tonight I walked by the thermostat at 11:45 p.m. Eleven forty-five, mind you! And...well...here's the proof.

Set for 74, but still registering 78...after nearly three hours of dark. All I could think was, "Lord, please give comfort to those who don't have air conditioning!" (I can't imagine.)

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

After a very interesting fermented foods workshop tonight, which I will write about soon, I came home staaarving. This was my snack, sprinkled with Real Salt and eaten with a spoon. Oh, my.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Our church did a little Kids Kamp Tuesday and Wednesday this week. A few of the men taught about biblical friendship, coordinated games, food, activities, and swimming. It was held at a home about 45 minutes from town, so we carpooled. Here are my two big kids about to head out for their second day. They loved it!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

I made homemade soaked granola today. We don't eat boxed cereal. ANY boxed cereal. So the kids (and their daddy) are very excited about this special treat!

Friday, August 6, 2010

We attended a very fun, free event at a local library. It was called Lamanpalooza, Laman being the name of the library. They were giving away lots of prizes, including the coveted iPad. We didn't win it, despite our frantic race around the library to complete our required "Treasure Map." However, we got to climb in an ambulance and a fire truck, see some big ol' Arkansas fish, enjoy a great concert on the lawn, and eat some popcorn and popsicles. Praise the Lord it wasn't horribly hot. (By the way, the ticket Noah was holding was 7 numbers off from the winning ticket for the iPad! So close...)

As soon as we arrived we ran into my cousin and her sweet kiddos. This is Noah and Cousin N. on the ambulance.

.

Fishies.

Note to self:  Three-year-olds can't smile on command.

I never figured out what this was about. Some form of creative dance??

Chillin'.

Saylor enjoyed the music.

SOMEbody enjoyed the popsicles a little TOO much!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

It was Membership Appreciation Day at our zoo. So we braved the heat. All for the unlimited free rides on the train and the carousel. My kids didn't even know there WAS a carousel because their mean mommy always avoids the extra cost! Atticus was so proud of himself sitting atop his horse, he wouldn't even let Paul TOUCH him. Until, that is, the ride actually started. Then he changed his tune real fast!

Gabe kept saying, "Yee haw!"

Sneaking a shot...

This was, by far, Saylor's favorite thing to do at the zoo.

I'm pretty sure this was the only shade in the whole zoo.

 

Tiger wouldn't turn around for the camera. Reminds me of someone else I know...

Atticus is fascinated lately with these guys. "Chomp! Chomp!"

This is Molly. I photographed her several years ago, and it is still one of my favorite pictures. Isn't she photogenic?

We had a great time, though we were all HOT (with a capital H-O-T), tired, and hungry by 11:30. Members got free meals, too. Just do me a favor and don't even ASK what we ate. The point is, I was grateful for it today. Grateful. Because, did I mention we were HOT, tired, and hungry?

And then tonight, my man and I celebrated our anniversary with dinner out.

Whew! That was one photo-intensive week. I wonder if anyone else had anywhere near as many animal pictures as I did. Very doubtful. See for yourselves at Sara's.