HOME MADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Life seems to go full circle, doesn't it?  While the new trend is "going green" and "being thrifty" I realize that my grandmother was way ahead of the times 50 to 60 years ago.  One of my earliest memories of helping grandma was going down to her basement and watching her wash clothes in the old wringer washer.  She kept a bar of soap with a grater or knife and would scrape this soap into the wash water.  I loved the smell of clothes being washed.....


I didn't realize it at the time but grandma was using Fels Naptha bar soap to clean her clothes.  I remember her dish towels and whites were spotless!  I don't ever remember seeing stains on her whites even though she cooked and canned every day.


Recently, while on facebook I saw that one of my friends had begun making her own laundry detergent.  She said that is worked every bit as good as the grocery store detergents and said that her clothes even seemed cleaner than before, and it was very inexpensive.   I began to search for recipes and I found that one of the ingredients was "Fels Naptha" bar soap. 


All of these ingredients can be found at your local grocery stores, however, I was surprised to find that Wal-mart didn't carry them.


I am getting ready to mix up my first batch of detergent and thought you might like to see some of the recipes I've found.  I plan to try one batch of dry soap and one batch of liquid.  I'll have to let you know which I prefer:  Here are some of  the recipes:


Dry Recipe:
2 Cups Washing Soda (not baking soda)
2 Cups Borax
2 Cups grated Fels Naptha Bar Soap


Mix together and use about 1/8 cup per load.  (may have to be adjusted if using in extremely hard water).


Liquid Recipe


1 quart boiling water
2 cups grated bar soap (Fels Naptha)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing soda


Add grated soap to boiling water. 
You can leave this on low heat until disolved.
When this step is complete pour water and soap into a large container (I will use a plastic 5 gal. pail)
Add borax and washing soda mixing until disolved.
Add an additional 2 gallons of water to the mix and stir well.  Let stand;  this will turn to a gel like substance.


Stir each time you use it since it will gel.  Use about 1/4 cup per load of laundry.


These recipes came from http://www.tipnut.com/ if you would like to check it out.  Let me know how you like these.
* note:  I found that one bar of Fels Naptha yeilded 3 cups grated soap.


Blessings,
GrandmaB

MY HANDY DANDY WHITE VINEGAR BOTTLE

I've lived in this house for 41 years and unfortunately we have never had a water softener.  We have VERY hard water and proof of its existence shows on my showers tiles, my faucets, my coffee pot, my shower head....well, you get the picture.

Today I couldn't take it anymore and had to clean my shower tiles.  I just didn't want to get the chemicals out of the basement and I thought, why not use my trusty old bottle of white vinegar.  I sprayed the tiles, walked away for a few minutes and then began to wipe with a wet cloth.  Tiles looked like new.  There were a few that needed a little scrub with a brush but most came clean with just spraying. 

I gave the shower head a little spray, cleaned the sinks with the vinegar and was done.

How have you used white vinegar lately?

Cleaning Your Car Headlights

I recently took my car in for an oil change and some other minor work.  While there the mechanic noticed the covers over my headlights had yellowed and were causing my lights to dim.  I knew they were like that but thought I would have to remove them to get them clean.  To my delight, the mechanic showed me a little tip to clean them.  He took a little brake fluid and rubbed it on the headlight covers and they cleaned up good as new.  Although I don't have a picture for you, I thought you might need this little tip someday.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SIMPLE LIFE?

Notice the space Sidney left between each plant.

Summer is supposed to lazy hazy days where we get to lay in a hammock and drink an iced tea or lemonade, right?   It's just not happening for me this year!  If you have been following my post you know that Sidney and I have planted a large garden of vegetables and flowers.  The planting is my favorite part!  We planted, watered, weeded, and waited.  Now poor Sidney isn't just  picking  a few things each day, but baskets of fresh vegetables;  squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and within just a few days fresh sweet corn.

He has helped me with canning these up by peeling over two 5 gallon buckets of cucumbers for our "Red Cinnamon Pickles", slicing another bucket for "Bread and Butter Pickles", helping me to slice and grate numerous bags of zucchini and yellow squash, and in just a few days the corn will be ready!  The tomatoes are coming in pretty steady too!

When Sidney planted this garden he was careful to leave lots of extra space between his plants.  He said that he didn't want to fight to get around the vegetables so he left more than the directions called for.   We did ask God to bless our garden and wow!  Has he ever!  Just look at the way the garden looks now!

Zucchini Plants are Huge

   Squash Plants, tomatoes, and corn looking and tasting good!

The garden has grown so big that you cannot walk between rows.  The zucchini are touching the tomatoes, the tomatoes are touching the corn, the cucumbers have gone all over.  I have never seen anything like it!  It has been beautiful and it is producing delicious produce.

As of today, I have canned 13 jars of bread and butter pickles, 36 pints of zucchini relish, and tonight the cinnamon pickles go into jars.  Next are the tomatoes and then I will freeze home grown sweet corn!  Yes, we're busy, and things don't seem to simple for now, but this winter when we are enjoying the fruits of our labor, we will be so happy and then we will be enjoying the simple life!

Blessings,
GrandmaB

ZUCCHINI BREAD Mmmmmm!

With all the zucchinis I had to make some sweet bread.  While I like most recipes for this bread, this might be my favorite.  The  secret spice in these loaves is 'nutmeg'.  This is a very easy recipe and I promise you will enjoy it!

SQASH BREAD

(Copied from:  Ste. Genevieve Plain Good Cookin Recipes)

2 cups grated summer squash

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, beaten

I cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup pecans (or more if you like)

Mix sugar, eggs, oil, salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add squash and mix well.

Stir in flour and pecans and blend well.  Pour into well greased 8X4 inch loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until the top springs back when lightly touched.  Remove and cool on racks. 

Yeild: 2 loaves.

I hope you enjoy!

Blessings!

GrandmaB

THE ZUCCHINI'S HAVE LANDED

For years I have heard the horror stories of people who plant 'zucchini' squash and it just keeps multiplying and multiplying.  I had never experienced this for myself because our zucchini plants would always bring us an ample supply then the heat would cause them to die off before I had my fill.  This year is different!  These long green beauties seem to be multiplying before my eyes!

Sidney began to bring in the harvest sometime last week.  He laid a few zucchinis on my countertop and I was so pleased.  A few yellow summer squash were placed into the mix.  Ahhhh!  I sliced, breaded and dropped these delicious chunks into the hot oil!  For a few minutes I was in heaven!  Sooooo good!

My daughter-in-law introduced me to a delicious zucchini relish, so I decided to make a few batches.  Todaymy final count was 36 pints.  Now I'm beginning to see the bottom of the squash basket!  With the remaining squash, I sliced them and placed them in freezer bags so we can enjoy the bounty this winter.  I also carefully placed extra grated squash into 2 cup portions for winter soups and breads.

Sidney and I have given away at least a bushel of these babies this week to friends and relatives, but is the basket empty yet???  NO WAY!  I just looked and there are at least 6 to 7 more squash to do something with, and tomorrows zucchinis hacen't been picked yet! 

Apparently a few of my friends are having an invasion too because I have been offered zucchini from at least 3 of them.   Let's see, what else can I do with zucchini?  Do you have any ideas?

ZUCCHINI RELISH (Dale & Jill’s )                    

24 cups of grated Zucchini squash
8 onions chopped or grated
4 large green peppers chopped or grated
4 hot peppers
2/3 cup or 10 Tbs of salt

Spinkle with salt and let stand overnight
Drain and rinse with cold water

Bring to boil:
5 cups apple cider vinegar
3 tsp celery seed
7 cups of sugar
4 tsp pickling spice
2 tsp tumeric

Pour over the squash mixture and bring back to boil.
Pack into hot sterilized jars and seal. 10-12 pints.
I give these jars a 10 minute water bath

I hope you enjoy your summer harvest!
Blessings!
GrandmaB