Homemade Laundry Detergent

I use the Dugger Family Recipe for my laundry detergent and love it!

Here it is....

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (.45 cents)
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda* ($2.99-makes at least 6-7 batches)
½ Cup Borax ($4.29-makes 20 batches

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

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

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

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

If you have none of the ingredients and are starting from scratch it will cost you about $8 to get started. The first batch makes 10 gallons of detergent. Take a second and figure out how much ten gallons of your favorite laundry detergent would cost...I love Gain, a gallon of Gain cost me about $5 at Walmart, when it's on sale. So...the same amount of Gain would cost me at least $50. That doesn't even include the fact that once you buy the arm and hammer and borax, it is several batches before you have to buy more.

I've read that basically it is 10 times cheaper to make your own...nice!

Make your own sour cream!

Easy Homemade Sour Cream Recipe

Making home made sour cream doesn't take long and you'll really notice the difference in taste compared to the store bought variety.

Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup buttermilk


Mix heavy cream and buttermilk in a screw-top jar. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature overnight until it thickens. Chill sour cream well before using then store in the fridge.

OK if you are a polar bear like me and keep your house chilly, then room temperature is too cold for making your own yogurt or sour cream. Instead put the jar into the oven with the oven light on. That makes it the perfect temp! Just make sure you don't invite the husband, Brad Hacker over because he is a oven light turning off fiend and will delay your yogurt!

Pina Colada Muffins

These muffins are super yummy, but I think could use some more sweetness so you may want to increase the amount of suger. I am a sugar addict though....

Pina Colada Muffins

1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup flaked coconut
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin pan, or use paper liners (These muffins are super moist and stick A LOT to the paper so next time I make them I wont be using the papers).

In a large bowl, combine sugar, margarine, egg, sour cream and rum extract. Beat together until smooth. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend into egg mixture. Stir in pineapple and coconut. Divide batter into 12 muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly tapped.

AMISH WHITE BREAD RECIPE

I found this recipe on AllRECIPES.COM, and it is super delicious! I can't keep it made! My kids are running thru it faster than if I had made brownies!!!! You gotta make you some!

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour
Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.