Home Made Laundry Soap

I NEVER buy laundry detergent anymore. Thanks to the AWESOME Duggar family, and a friend who introduced me to recipe, I can now make 10 gallons of laundry soap at a time, for around $2.
Here is the link to the Duggar family recipe:
www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html
I am posting pictures of myself making this tonight just as a visual aid.



The basic materials are borax, washing soda, and Fels-Naptha bar soap. I bought my Fels-Naptha at the Kroger on Geyer Springs. You can also order it online. I haven't found it at Wal-Mart, yet.



You grate the soap using a food grater, or you could probably use a food processor. I like getting my arm workout though.



Heat your 4 cups of water in a heavy bottom pot and then add your grated soap. Stir until all melted.




Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of water. Add your melted soap, 1/2 cup of borax, and 1 cup of washing soda. Stir until all powder is dissolved.



Then you fill the bucket to the top with hot water, stir, cover, and allow to sit overnight to gel.
When you are ready to use, take a clean empty container and mix half of the mix and half water and then shake it up. Use 5/8 of a cup per load. My big bucket lasted almost 6 months, and I do a lot of laundry!
I will be happy to provide a sample to anyone who lives close to try!

Amanda's Zoo

So my husband has a slight issue with the fact that I have pets. He thinks animals are meant for the wild. He often refers to my "zoo". So please allow me to introduce the wild beasts of our home:
Harley is my lab/basset mix. He is a very sweet dog and loves his Mommy! He follows me all over the house. But once he gets outside, he just wants to RUN! He is a big baby and HATES thunderstorms. He will wake me up by putting his paws on the bed and 'patting' me. I usually get up and come sleep on the couch with him. DH will not let him up on the bed, which I support, I guess :) Simon is my cat. He came to live with me shortly after I bought this house in 2005. I rescued him from the mobile adoption center for the North Little Rock Animal Control. I hadn't planned on getting a cat that day, but it happened. It was really love at first sight. Simon is a really cool cat. He acts like a dog, just with a cat attitude. When he first came home, my neighbors all thought that I had lost my marbles. I would put him in a harness and leash and walk him up and down the road. It paid off, because he never goes farther than I ever took him walking. If I am outside and walk to a neighbor's house, he will follow along behind me and wait on the porch for me. He is really more loyal than the dog. He doesn't take any bull from the dog either. He kinda has a rep as a bully with other animals, but is super gentle with kids! HotRod used to play football with him and Simon would just look up at me as if to say, "Mom, do I really have to tolerate this??"!

So seeing as how I have a zoo in the house, DH decided he needed a pet of his very own. So I bought this vase for $1.99, added some clippings from Sparky (my really awesome, long, Golden Pothos plant), some marbles that I already had, and bought his fish at Wal-Mart tonight.

Meet Spike (DH said his fish was a bad butt and needed a fierce name. Yeah, ok!)

Now if I can just get a harness and leash for the fish....:)

Sisters

I think my best friend has always been my sister.



Brandy was born on my second birthday. I wasn't thrilled about that fact until MANY years later. I ALMOST had to go to a daycare that day, for the first time EVER. But our great-grandmother threw a legendary hissy fit and I got to go stay with her instead. She wasn't about to have her baby girl be watched after by strangers, especially on this important day. :)




We were VERY different when we were young. She was outgoing and I was shy. I remember when we would have to sell candy for sports fundraisers. Back then you would still go door to door in your neighborhood. Since we lived OUT in the woods, we would sell in our great-grandparents 'hood. We agreed that I would carry the boxes on my bike, and she would do all the talking. One house for her box, the next for mine.


She was a TOMBOY and I was a girly girl. At Christmas, we would often get similar gifts, but she would get the 'boy' version and I would get the 'girl' version.


That poor frog had yarn tied to his leg because I wouldn't actually touch the frog, but Brandy insisted that I take my turn playing with him. :)

As we got older, we would fight like cats and dogs, but if anyone said BOO to her, they had to go through me. And she loved me to. The big mean girl from across the way once knocked me down and was hitting me, because she was big and mean. My little sister jumped off the tetter totter and jumped on mean girl's back and started pulling her hair and yelling, "Get off my sissy!!" We always have each other's back.



I plan on writing a post about Brandy soon, but had to share a bit about her now. She is and always will be my best friend.

Salmon with Mustard Sauce and Asparagus

So, I got some flak from my baby sister about making 'elaborate' meals. This post is to share a delicious recipe and to show her how easy it really is to make a healthy, yummy meal at home. This isn't my original, but I don't remember when I got the recipe, so my apologies to the author.

Roasted Salmon with Mustard Sauce and a side of Asparagus

1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsps white wine vinegar
2 lbs fresh asparagus
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper
4 salmon steaks
1 Tbs olive oil, plus extra for grilling pan

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Mix mustard, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl. Put half in a separate bowl for basting and reserve the other half for drizzling at presentation.
-Season salmon steaks with salt and pepper. Using a brush, lightly baste each side with the mustard sauce. Place on baking sheet and roast until cooked through, about 10 - 15 minutes or so.
-Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss asparagus with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill (or use heavy bottom skillet on stove), turning occasionally until brown and tender (I like my asparagus slightly crisp).
-To serve, place salmon on large platter and drizzle with reserved sauce. Add asparagus to platter and serve. I sometimes add baked potatoes and fresh made garlic bread, since we are meat and tater people :)
The cost breaks down like this:
asparagus: $3.99
salmon: $4.00
grey poupon $1.13
oil $.10
vinegar $.10
sugar $.05
salt and pepper $.03
for a total of $9.40 / 4 servings gives $2.35 per serving.
A reasonable price for a delicious, healthy meal created with love.

So my kitchen window needed some help. I decided to try to grow some herbs in small pots on the sill. I am trying to use more fresh, clean foods in our menu now and thought that this would be the perfect project. Please ignore the hideous white walls. As soon as I convince DH on my choice of paint color, those are history!



Not quite right... the clay pot color wasn't working with my red and white theme. I wonder what a can of red spray paint would do?



Much better. The plant on the left is a cutting from Sparky, the golden pothos that I have in my office at work. Sparky now has vines over 10 feet in length, so he could spare a few cuttings for the home. I have planted cilantro, oregano, and parsley in the other pots. We will see what happens in 21 days or so.



Now we just need a little color on these walls...

Mom

I have been thinking about my Mom alot the last few days. DH and I are filling out paperwork for a special purpose, which I am not sure we are ready to post about yet...although our close friends probably already know what I mean. Anywho, must of this paperwork focuses on our feelings about family and our childhood experiences. I thought I would share my thoughts on my Mom.

My Mom is probably the person I am most alike in my family. We look alot alike, we think alike, we both stomp our foot just alike when we get really really frustrated. We both like warm pjs and a slightly cool room. We both HATE when our homes are dirty or disorganized. We are both just a tiny bit grumpy when we are tired. We are just two peas in a pod....but it wasn't always that way. Mom and I went through many years when we weren't close at all. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for the mother He sent me to and for always watching our for both of us. I am glad we are so close now and hope that any daughters that I may someday be blessed with will always know the love of their Grammy. (yes, she has already picked out her name for her grandchildren (HotRod has always known her by her first name, since he knew her before DH and I married)).
Mom has overcome many struggles in her life and I am so proud of her. I hope that I become at least half the lady she has become. I love her dearly and am very grateful for my Mom.

A first time for everything

So I have finally entered the world of blogging. One usually has a distinct purpose when beginning a new journey and I have several. I want a place to share our lives with family and friends who are far and near. I want a place to record memories. I NEED a creative outlet.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Amanda. I have been married to DH for 2.5 years. When I married DH, I became stepmom to his son, HotRod. Our story is a bit different than most, but we are glad to be together and a family. Please enjoy taking a glimps into our lives and join us on the advenure of a lifetime.