Homemade Laundry Soap

                            It’s only four ingredients!

1  (4 pound) box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 (4pound) Arm and Hammer box of Baking Soda

1 (4 pound) box of Borax

3 bars of favorite ivory soap Shredded

Mix well in a large container.

Add two heaping tablespoons to each load of laundry. Enjoy the sweetness!

AHHHHHHHHH! Smells sooooo good!

I love this, and it is cheap. 

$3.47- super washing soda

$3.47 - baking soda 

$4.88- Borax

$3.88 for six bars of Ivory

Total: $15.70 for 150 loads= $0.10 per load

Tide: $17.97 for 90 loads(at best)= $0.20 a load

and the homemade version doesn't have all the chemicals and perfumes that tide has including the broken glass. Doesn't make you itch and dry your skin out. Very helpful for people like us that see humidity rarely.  Perfect for front loaders, just take the clip for the liquid soap and don't lose it. 

 

Muddy Buddies

 

I was sitting here thinking about what I could make the boy and his kool-aid gang for a snack, when I remembered when I was in grade school, a girl from the class would always bring this treat in for her birthday and I thought, what a great snack! This was so incredibly easy to make, I had the boys make it. They had fun making it and eating it too!

9 c. Chex cereals (corn, rice and/or wheat)
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
½ c. peanut butter
¼ c. butter
½ tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Pour cereal into large bowl and set aside. Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 1 quart microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth (stir after 1 minute). Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until all pieces are evenly coated.
Pour cereal mixture into large container (with seal) with powdered sugar. Seal securely. Shake until all pieces are well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 9 cups.






Photo: auntpegsrecipebox.blogspot.com

Guinness® Corned Beef

4 pounds corned beef brisket

1 cup brown sugar

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Irish stout beer (e.g. Guinness®)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F . Rinse the beef completely and pat dry.

Place the brisket on rack in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Rub the brown sugar on the corned beef to coat entire beef, including the bottom. Pour the bottle of stout beer around, and gently over the beef to wet the sugar.

Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

An Extra Kick for Adults:

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Wash the sprouts and dry

Cut the ends off and split the sprouts in half

Mince 1 clove of garlic and 1 shallot

Heat the saute pan on high heat until it is hot. Add a few table spoon of olive oil and place the Brussels sprouts flat side down. Let it saute in the pan without touching it for 1-2 mins to caramelize the bottom

Add a pinch of salt and pepper

Add the minced shallots and garlic Stir or toss the brussels sprouts in the pan to mix

De-glaze the pan a white wine/water/ or in my case I used Sake and Mirin

Cook until the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat off and place a lid over it

For the kids:

During the last hour, you may put vegetables in the roasting pan as well. Try a wedge of cabbage, new potatoes, onion, carrots, etc. You may need to add a little more beer with your vegetables.

Photo: eataduckimust.com

Sara Lee's Crumb Cake

2 cups sifted cake flour
2 cups light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg well beaten
1/2 cup additional flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup milk

Mix sifted flour, sugar and margarine until crumbly. Set aside 1/2 cup.

To the remaining crumb mixture add remaining ingredients as given above. Beat well with mixer on low speed. Spread evenly in a greased 8-inch square pan.

Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top and bake at 350 degrees for
35 to 40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Dust warm cake with powdered sugar before cutting.

Photo: sweetpeabaking.com

Sara Lee's Pound Cake

                                                        

1/2 pound real butter
1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons dry powdered milk
1 2/3 cups cake flour
½ teaspoon lemon extract and vanilla

1 teaspoon corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 8 1/2-inch loaf dish with Pam and lightly floured.

Cream butter with sugar on high until light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and powdered milk;set aside. Add 1 egg and then a little flour, beating 2 minutes. Add 2nd egg and half of remaining flour and beat 2 minutes. Add sour cream, rest of flour and extract, beating 2 minutes.

Spread batter evenly in dish. Bake for 65 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Remove from dish. Slice 1/2-inch thick.

Photo: farsnotoria.blogspot.com

Hidden Valley's Ranch-Style Dressing Mix

DRESSING MIX:

15 saltines
2 cups dried minced parsley flakes
1/2 cup dried minced onion
2 tablespoons dried dill weed
1/4 cup onion salt
1/4 cup garlic salt
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder

SALAD DRESSING:

1 tablespoon Dressing Mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk

Put crackers through blender on high speed until powdered. Add parsley, minced onions, and dill weed. Blend again until powdered. Dump into bowl. Stir in onion salt, garlic salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Put into container with tight-fitting lid.

Store dry mix at room temperature for 1 year. Makes 42 one-tablespoon servings.

To use mix Combine mix, mayonnaise, and buttermilk. Yields 1 pint of dressing

Photo: fooducate.com

Oreo Cookies

Cookie Dough:

1 (18 ounce) box devil's food cake mix

2 eggs

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup bitter cocoa powder

Cookie Filling:

1 envelope unflavored gelatine

1/4 cup cold water

1 cup Crisco

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound plus 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Cookie Dough: Blend all ingredients together until the dough can be shaped into a smooth ball. Let it stand 20 minutes, loosely covered.

Form dough into marble-size balls. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Flatten each with smooth bottom of a drinking glass greased once and dipped into Nestles' Quick Powder (or use sweetened chocolate drink powder). Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes. Remove cookies at once from baking sheet, to paper toweling and immediately flatten each cookie with back of pancake turner. Let cool 20 minutes.

Fill with Cookie Filling mixture.

Cookie Filling: Soften gelatine in cold water. Place in heatproof cup in pan of hot water till gelatine is transparent.

Meanwhile beat Crisco until fluffy, adding vanilla extract and sugar a little at a time. Beat in gelatine mixture when it is completely cooled, but not yet "set" or firm.

When cooled, shape filling into 1-inch balls. Place between the two bottom sides of the cooled cookies, pressing gently until filling has spread to edge of cookies and rounded out like the originals.

Photo: www.burghilicious.com Courtesy: recipegoldmine.com

Otis Spunkmeyer Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

5 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 (1 ounce) baking chocolate squares

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup sour cream

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup light Karo syrup

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 12 muffin liners with Pam/

In a double boiler or microwaveable bowl combine first three ingredients and melt over simmering water or in microwave. Cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl combine sour cream, sugar, syrup, egg and vanilla extract; mix well. Pour lukewarm chocolate

mixture into egg mixture and blend well.

In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to chocolate mixture, blending well. Fold in chocolate chips. Add batter to prepared muffin liner. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

Photo: www.rachelleb.com Courtesy: recipegoldmine.com

Pepperidge Farm Sausalito Cookies

1 pound butter, softened

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

5 cups flour

1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups chopped macadamia nuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets.

In a large bowl cream together butter, eggs, vanilla extract and sugars.

In another bowl sift together baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour until well mixed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until blended. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes.

Photo: www.sodahead.com Courtesy: recipegoldmine.com

Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies

1 cup

butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a bowl, cream together the 1 cup butter and sugar. Add vanilla extract and flour; mix until smooth. Shape level teaspoons of dough into log shapes. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.

Microwave chocolate chips and the 1 tablespoon butter for 2 minutes; stir until smooth. Spread chocolate on flat side of cookie and top with the other.

Photo: www.bzzagent.com Courtesy: recipegoldmine.com

Prego Spaghetti Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large minced garlic clove

1/2 onion, very finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (29 ounce) can tomato puree

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

Heat oil over medium low heat. Add garlic. Stir and cook until golden brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add onion and cook until soft and golden, stirring frequently.

Add seasonings and tomato products. Slowly bring to the boil at a medium high heat. Let boil for 10 minutes, covered

Reduce to lowest heat. Cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. This makes six cups.

You can add your favorite additions, such as mushrooms, sausage, and etc;

Photo: www.soyouwanna.com

Stove Top Stuffing

6 cups cubed bread

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

3 cubes or 3 teaspoons vegetable, chicken or beef bouillon

1/4 cup dried minced onion

1/2 cup dried minced celery

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake bread for 8 to 10 minutes or until dry.

In a large bowl, toss bread with remaining ingredients until evenly coated.

Store in an airtight container. It will keep for 1 to 4 months or 12 months frozen.

To prepare, combine 2 cups stuffing mix with 1/2 cup chicken bouillon and 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Yields about 7 cups.

Photo: www.robertsplace.ca