Homemade Laundry Soap

I jumped on the bandwagon and made my own laundry soap.  It was super easy to make (though a little messy), and so far it seems to work just as well as Tide.  The first batch, which costs around $12 plus the cost of a 5-gallon bucket with lid, makes 5 gallons of concentrate... 10 gallons of laundry soap after it's all said and done.  I have enough of two out of three ingredients to make at least 4 or 5 more batches, so those will only cost around $4 (or less) each (the cost of the 3rd ingredient... a soap bar.) 

I found all the ingredients at Wal-mart, but they are also available at Ace Hardware or online. 

A 100 oz. jug of Tide costs around $12 each... the recipe I used makes 1,280 ounces. That's a huge savings!  (Plus, the homemade version has the added benefit of being mostly all-natural and easier on clothes and skin.)

I used the Duggar's Liquid Laundry Soap recipe.  You can use the Fels Naptha "laundry soap" bar like they recommend, or you can use any other type of soap bar... Ivory, Pure & Natural, etc.  Let me know if you decide to try it!

January... and oatmeal!

Not my picture, but this is sort of what it looked like.  ;)

Isn't it everyone's goal to blog more in the new year?  It's my goal, too.  Yippee! 

Today I want to share about my lunch.  What did I have for lunch, you ask?  Well, I had steel-cut oats with honey, crunchy apples, and pecans.  Sounds good, huh?  It was SUPERB and super satisfying! 

I used Quaker steel-cut oats, put the oats and the water in the pot at the same time (makes it creamier), and added a little salt.  I got it to boiling, then turned the fire to low, and let it simmer for 25 minutes.  When it was done, I put in a little butter and honey, half an apple, diced, and a couple tablespoons of chopped pecans.  I'm thinking about having this for dinner, too.  It was that good. 

I think next time I'll add cinnamon, and maybe some nutmeg.  Mmmm....   Oh, then maybe I'll try it with banana instead of apple!  So many possibilities!

Next, I'll blog about our new homeschool semester:  in full swing next week!

Mama's Fave Crock-Pot Meal

image credit

 I'm cookin' a roast & veggies in my pot today, but a post from a friend made me think of (and share with her) my favorite Crock-Pot meal, so I thought I'd share it here, too.  I hope you make it and love it!

Creamy Chicken Italiano
Jen's Version

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix
8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
10 3/4-oz can cream of chicken soup
4-oz. can mushroom pieces, drained (optional)

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle dressing mix over chicken.
   
3. Break cream cheese into pieces and place on top of chicken.
   
4. Spoon canned soup on top of the cream cheese.
   
5. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  (If I use frozen chicken, I'll start the crock pot on low at 6am and it's ready when I get home at 5pm.)
   
6. When it's all done, I take the chicken out and use a whisk to mix what's left in the crockpot... chicken juices and the cheese mixture. It makes a GREAT sauce!
   
7. Chop up the cooked chicken and add it back into the sauce.
   
8. Serve over hot buttered noodles or rice.

Yumm-o!