Household Cleaners

Here are 2 super easy, cheap, safe and effective household cleaners. They are so simple you will think there's no way they will work. I promise. You will be happily suprised.

#1. All purpose spray
      50% solution of vinegar in water. Either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar is fine. White vinegar has a more pickly scent, ACV is milder.
Add to this, a few drops of citrus scented oil. I have Citrus Spice. The citrus scent covers the pickly vinegar odor. When the vinegar dries, the odor disappears, leaving behind citrusy freshness.
Vinegar is a disinfectant. It will kill germs and inhibit the growth of mold and other nasties. In this wet, warm climate, nasties are everywhere. You can safely use this spray on the toilet, on the sinks, in the tub (though you may want to use the degreaser below), on the countertops, on the highchair, on the tabletop ( if it's not bare wood), on the floors, anywhere. It's safe and nontoxic. No worries about Baby licking Clorox off his highchair tray.

#2. Powerful degreaser
      I deep cleaned my kitchen, under the stove, behind the fridge, uuuuuggghhhh, today, using this degreaser. It was amazing. I almost couldn't believe it myself. I sprayed it on the grime and it started to melt away immediately.
Add approximately 2 tbs dishwashing liquid of your choice ( I used Gain) to a half cup of white vinegar. Shake it in a spray bottle and spray liberally. Let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes. Give it time to really chew up the grime. Then wipe it away with a rag. Easy, easy.
You can add citrus oil to this stuff, too. I didn't bother, because the full strength vinegar is going to smell pretty strong, even with the oil. If you rinse after, the smell dissipates pretty much immediately.

Happy cleaning!

Strawberry-blueberry smoothie pops

Please excuse the bites. The kids were too fast for me.

These smoothie pops are super rich in nutrients, antioxidants and tastiness. This is a cooling summer treat you can feel good about.

Into a blender pitcher, place one package frozen strawberries, one package frozen blueberries and enough almond milk (or other milk of your choice) to cover.

Blend until smooth.

Pour some into a glass and serve with a straw. Sip this super rich, not too sweet smoothie while you move on to phase 2.

Carefully pour the rest of the smoothie mixture into the popsicle molds, or large paper cups with popsicles sticks placed in the center. The mixture is very thick. Freeze overnight.

If you have leftover smoothie after filling your molds, place the pitcher in the fridge until you are ready for another smoothie or another batch of pops.

Or, place in a plastic, airtight container in the freezer. When it's frozen, you will have strawberry-blueberry sorbet.

This recipe makes 12 large popsicles and one tall smoothie.

Salmon salad

This is so fast and easy. It's a nice alternative to tuna salad (ick). You can serve it on crackers, crudites, as a sandwich spread, on a bed of greens, or (my favorite) with a fork.

1 can, drained or  4 ounces cooked salmon, chopped
2 tbs mayo
fresh or dried dill weed to taste

Mix all ingredients.


See? Wasn't that easy?

Happy Easter-Skillet Scramble

Happy Easter, Friends and Fans!


We had a simple Easter. We've had illness in the house for 2 weeks. I ran out last night to do last minute Easter Bunny shopping at what turned out to be the very wrong store. We ended up with rather skimpy baskets. The kids didn't seem to notice. They enjoyed Floam knock-offs and jelly beans, Peeps and plastic eggs like the were exorbitant treasures.

My little bunny got ears, Cheerios and a sippie cup in his itty bitty basket.

My floam bunny in side view.

Head on.

Ben's snail.

We balanced out the sugar with some oatmeal mini-muffins.

Aren't they pretty?

Top muffins with sprinkles before baking. They get all crispity and melty.

After they were sugared up to the point of insanity (mine), D and Baby W took a snooze while I herded the other 3 and the doggie to the park. They played  with htier new sand toys in a place where they could do little damage and Savannah romped the picnic grounds munching crawfish shells wherever she could find them.

When we got back, the sugar haze was in the past and everyone was ready for a real meal.

Savannah was in dire need of a doggie biscuit. Peeww. Luckily, we're well stocked and she enjoyed her treat.

Unfortunately, I have neither planned a meal, nor made it to the store yet. Luckily, we were too sick to eat most of the last 2 weeks, so we have plenty of random ingredients in the fridge.
I fell back on an old standby. The Skillet Scramble.

This isn't so much a recipe, as a process. You can make a scramble out of potatoes, eggs (or tofu for a vegan option) and pretty much anything else you have. Veggies, meats, salsa, cheese, beans, grains, whatever.

Some suggestions:

Turkey, carrots, celery, onions, cranberries, gravy for a Thanksgiving-esque day-after.

Beans, salsa, chilies, onions, garlic, avocado for a Mexican flair.

Ham, bacon, tomatoes, swiss, cheddar, turkey, roast beef=club sandwich skillet.

Broccoli, carrots, spinach, onions, any other veggies=garden skillet.

Be creative and have fun.

Today, I did a sausage and gravy scramble. Mmmm. Watch this.

First, dice some potatoes. These are small red potatoes. Brown them in oil over high heat.

Dice some onions, if desired, and toss them in. I used wild onions that Ben picked. Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, chop and cook other stuff. This is mushrooms and breakfast sausage.

Once this stuff was browned, I added a sliced banana pepper.

When potatoes and toppings are cooked, layer the toppings over the potatoes.

But wait! There's more.

These are the pan drippings. Not much to look at, but this is a little puddle of super-concentrated flavor.

Toss some flour in there and scrape and stir. Cook and stir about a minute over low heat, until the flour mixture is just the teensiest hint of brown. This is a roux. If you've never made one, brace yourself. Your life is about to change.

Add some milk. I use almond milk. Be ready to stir fast. Do not let this sit around. If a dough forms, add some more milk. If you prefer a clear gravy, use water or stock. Same process.

Now you should have something like this.

Cook over low heat until thick and bubbly. The flour acts as a binder, keeping the milk from curdling. This will thicken quickly, with no lumps and no floury taste, because we cooked our roux before adding the liquid. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Now, turn off the heat, and set this aside.

It's time for the scramble. Break some eggs into a mug or bowl. I used 5 eggs for 6 people. Beat

the heck out of them with a fork. Add a splash of milk. Beat them some more, just for good measure. The more you beat, the fluffier they will be. The more liquid, the lighter and thinner the egg. Less or no liquid will give you a denser, richer scramble.

Add a little fat to a skillet. I used a dash of the sausage fat. Heat the pan over low heat. When it's nice and sizzly, pour in the eggs. When they start to firm up, scoop them toward the center and let the runny gooey part take their place. See the big fluffy center and the runny edges? Good.

Now the eggs are done. Don't they look nice? I chopped them up into teeny bits because I'm feeding people with very small mouths. This step is not necessary if your people have a full set of chompers.

Layer the eggs into the skillet with their friends.

Top with the gravy and garnish with a dusting of smokey paprika.

Serve it up!

My kids raved on and on about this. They declared it restaurant quality food-not diner quality, but hotel bistro quality, they specified. That is high praise, let me tell you.

Bonus points: See the 2 Easter eggs on top of the school bags? They didn't. Looks like they will have a surprise on library day.

After lunch, they had some quiet time, watching a movie with D, while I caught up on the necessities of life, dishes and laundry. Last, a campfire in the backyard, complete with toasted giant marshmallows. A little playtime, some blogging, and D is cooking dinner, bless his heart.

And thus, our beautiful Easter comes to an end. I hope you all enjoyed yours as much as we did. Thanks for joining me in the retelling of the day.

How to spend less on groceries without clipping coupons or resorting to crazy reality show antics

NOTE: I originally wrote this post this past winter and published it elsewhere. I am updating it a bit, but as you are reading it, you may want to turn up the A/C, shiver a little and pretend it's December.

Until recently, I have been feeding my family of 5-now 6- on about $50 a week. We eat, good, healthy wholesome foods. Very little prepared or convenience foods.
In recent weeks, we have had a bit more wiggle room in the budget, and another little mouth has started demanding to be fed non-liquids. I'm up to about $60-$70 a week. That is pretty meager in comparison to most Americans. But I have to say, we eat very well. In fact, to me, this amount feels almost lavish.

This menu is a bit old. I have since cut way back on meat, freeing up a bit of cash for more veggies and fruits, bumped up the quantities a bit and we are now enjoying the abundance of spring. Mid-summer, our meals will look more like the ones listed here, and in the fall and winter, these meals-or ones like them- (minus the meat) will return to our table.

How do we accomplish this impossible feat? Here are some tips.

#1 Meal plan. 

I plan about 12 dinners for 2 weeks. That leaves 2 nights for eating out, D's cooking (which does not come out of my budget), leftovers, etc. I usually don't cook every meal in my plan.

Meal plan tips:

 Pick an excellent cookbook, website or meal planning app. Simple recipes, few ingredients, nothing exotic. I shop at little country stores. If I can't grow it in the back yard, I'm not going to find it here.
It has to be tasty enough that you WANT to cook it, or you won't. If it's daunting, more than 30 minutes or 5 steps, you'll find yourself going for something easier when you are tired, stressed or rushed.

Some recipes are more frugal than others. Choose recipes that have lots of fresh, yummy, healthy foods, but aren't over the top expensive.

 Plan to buy big and split. Buy a whole chicken. Roast it one night. Use the leftovers the next night.
Or freeze them for later in the week. Buy the 20 pounds of potatoes, the 5 pounds of bacon, the 5 pounds of carrots, the 3 lbs of onions. Buy as big as you can store and use before it spoils. (more on this later)

Adapt your recipes. If it calls for asparagus and they are $3 (or more) a pound, sub green beans. Use whatever is in season. Closely related veggies can be subbed for out of season, nonlocal or more pricey ones. I generally do not spend more than $1 per pound on anything. If it is out of season, just don't put it on your list. You do NOT need strawberries in December. Buy a pumpkin instead. Or oranges. Or cranberries.

Some meals are cheaper than others. Soups, stews, casseroles and eggs are cheaper than meat and potatoes or salads in winter. Stretch your meal plan with lots of soups. I plan for 2 soups and at least one very large salad on every menu.

Here's my menu with $$ saving notes:

1. Asian-style wontons and cabbage and sprouted bean stirfry (cabbage is in season, less than 50 cents a pound. I sprout dried beans=free)

2. Chili with corn chips (dried beans are cheap. Cook ahead and freeze, or start early in the day)

3. Keilbasa soup and sweet potatoes (I bought the keilbasa on sale and froze it, sweet potatoes are 78 cents a pound at most, less in bulk)

4. Black bean salad (dried beans, cooked ahead)

5. Teriyaki Beef Bowl (tiny bit of beef, lots of veg, served with brown rice)

6. Western Casserole and Veg (another bean dish, with homemade biscuits. Whatever veg is cheap and in season)

7. Garlic Chicken and spaghetti squash (this was a pasta dish, but I'm serving it with squash instead, since it's in season, cheaper and healthier than pasta, and I won't need an additional veg. I'm growing my garlic = free! I'll save the squash seeds for next year = free!)

8. Honey baked chicken and butternut squash ( local raw honey from a farmer is cheap and wonderful in every way. I have a whole chicken in the freezer. I'll use the leftovers for the above dish. I already have squash seeds-and actually enough leftover squash for this meal, but I'll use it for baking and get another-so I'll roast these seeds for a snack)

9. Rice and ham medley and veg (If I can get a cheap ham-it's the holidays-I'll go with a whole ham. otherwise, I could get a small turkey ham or even sliced ham on sale. We want a ham for Thanksgiving, so we will likely splurge on this and use the leftovers for this dish)

10. 24 hr breakfast (an egg casserole. I buy the 5 pound "ends and pieces" bacon for about half the price of sliced bacon. It all gets chopped up anyway. We cook it all in the oven and freeze. Use as needed over the next week or 2)

11. Salmon noodle casserole (my version of a tuna noodle casserole. I'll be making my own noodles and using canned salmon I already have in the pantry= free! But if I didn't already have it, I'd buy a big can and pick out the skin and bones and feed those to the animals, or catch frozen salmon on sale. Fresh fish isn't fresh unless you are buying locally caught fish from a real fish market. The fish counter is stocked with thawed fish that was frozen for transport. If I want fresh fish, I go to the fish market down the street. I also have salmon in my freezer that I might use here or elsewhere. I will make a dairy-free cream sauce in place of the canned cream of something in the recipe)

12. Supper spuds (twice baked potatoes. Subbing sweet potatoes for white potatoes, using some of the bulk bacon)

Caramel apples (already have caramel kit)

Chocolate almond/walnut torte (a very simple cake.Need chocolate chips and extract. Will sub homegrown walnuts we got from a friend=free!)   

#2 Shopping list

Because you have been buying in bulk, you won't need every ingredient in every recipe. If you have 3 pounds of carrots, don't buy more. Check your pantry, fridge, freezer and other storage to avoid duplication. I once cleaned out my pantry and found 10 pounds of dried beans and 5 different kinds of pasta I didn't know we had.

Organization is key. If your storage is a mess, sort it out. Put all the spices together, all the seasonings next to them, all the baking supplies together, stack the dry goods, sort the cans-fruits, veg, ready made foods, soups, etc. However it makes sense to you. I only have 5 cabinets (including the undersink, which is really just a yucky extra space) and 4 drawers in my kitchen. They hold all of my dishes, bakeware, cookware, spices, seasonings, vases, utensils, cutlery, storage dishes, serveware, drinkware and small appliances, and most of our dry foods. I have dishes for 12 or more and substantial cookware. I have considerable space left over. I have 2 shelves for extra space. One was cheap, the other is ugly. But they hold juice bottles, cereal boxes, large cookware, like the roasting pan and stovetop popper, a case of emergency water, cookbooks, bulk storage boxes, 3 bottles of ketchup, a squash or 3, onions, potatoes, flours, sugars, sundry other items as needed. Right now, I have 10 boxes of stuffing (at 10 cents a piece) tucked under there. Before D built this current, larger shelf, I used the floor of my bedroom closet. My crockpot sits on the floor. I have 2 large 5 gallon buckets in the dining room, tucked into a corner. One holds 20 pounds of dog food, the other 50 pounds of popcorn seeds. Use the space that you have. If you don't have space, find some or make some.

Substitute what you can. Tomato sauce, puree, paste, V8, tomato soup and juice are pretty easily interchangable. If you have 10 cans of soup (on sale for 10 cents a can) and a gallon of V8, don't buy tomato sauce. Use something you have. 

Make everything you can yourself. Raw ingredients will almost always be cheaper and healthier than prepared. Pie crust? make it. Noodles? make it. Biscuits? make them. Instant mashed taters? No ma'am. Mash your own. Don't know how? learn. Use whole grains, fresh ingredients, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, whatever you need. Butternut squash can replace pumpkin, macaroni works just all well as penne, fresh sauage can take the place of ground beef.

Write EVERY THING you need or want on your list. If you want a treat and you don't know what it will be-maybe chocolate, maybe potato chips, maybe dried fruit- write "treat" on your list. Don't know you will want for lunch? write "lunch foods". Seriously. It's important.

Here's why. DO NOT buy anything that's not on your list. Not toothpaste, not laundry soap, not chocolate chips. If you didn't plan for it DO NOT BUY IT. The end. A $100 list can double in minutes if you start tossing random things in your basket because they are on sale (we will tackle this in a minute) or they look really really tasty. Of course they do! Jillion dollar ad campaigns and marketing and product placement exist just to separate you from your money. Don't fall for it. Pumpkin spice coffee creamer? Is creamer on your list? Yes? Grab it! No? Walk on by. Go home and put it on your next list. Buy it then. If it's all gone, then it wasn't meant to be. Try again next year. Your life will not be altered. Or, better yet, MAKE YOUR OWN with real spices, real cream (or not, whatever) and real pumpkin (or butternut squash leftover from last night's dinner. They taste almost the same. Yes, really.)

Plan for the night you don't want to cook. Frozen pizza is cheaper than ordering out. Canned spaghetti sauce and pasta, even the lamest, noncooking hubby can handle that. Avoiding processed foods is ideal, but sometimes, processed foods are the lesser of 2 evils. Or plan breakfast for dinner or freeze ahead. But have something on hand that will keep you OUT of the drivethru. Whatever your usual last minute indulgence is, duplicate it in a cheap, ready to go way. Put it on your list.

Before you put something on your list, ask yourself:
Do I already have this?
Do I have something that can sub for this?
Does the recipe need this? (many dishes call for ground meat and beans. Leave out the meat and use the beans alone. Don't top everything you cook with cheese. Leave the sour cream out of the burritos. It's expensive and unhealthy.)
If the answer to ALL of these questions is YES, put it on the list.

The one exception to this rule, if something is on crazy sale-75% off or more-buy it. IF and ONLY IF it is something you will actually need and use. For instance, the 10 cent tomato soups and 25 cent boxes of stuffing mentioned above. Not on my list. Not necessarily things I had to have. But, definitely things I would use. 10 cans of tomato soup cost me $1, and saved me many dollars of tomato products I would have purchased over the course of the next few weeks. The 15 boxes of stuffing I bought cost me $3.75. I love stuffing. It's maybe my favorite thing. That $3.75 bought me a lot of happiness.

#3 The shopping trip

Check the sales. Go online, read the circulars in the newspaper or the mailbox, or pick them up at the front of the store as you walk in. My local public library often has stacks of sales papers waiting to be sifted through by thrifty shoppers, free for the taking. Stores advertise their best deals. They want you to know what they are offering, because chances are, if you walk through the door, you will buy a lot more than 50 cents a pound tomatoes. One of the stores in my town posts wall-sized circulars on their front windows. Take advantage of the sales.

Do not drive 20 miles to save 10 cents on onions. Don't drive to 15 different stores to get the best possible price on every single item unless you-and any children who are accompanying you-feel like you can handle that without an emotional breakdown. Take into account the very expensive gas you will burn driving all over town.

If you have a discount grocery, start there. If you have a farm stand, definitely hit that up. Fresh, local, not-shipped-across-miles-of-highway-in-a-diesel-guzzling-conveyance produce is better for your body, your taste buds and your wallet. It is more ripe when picked and stores longer. Avoid super-grocery-and-everything-else-you-don't-need-but-can't-leave-without-once-you've-seen-them stores if at all possible. Yes, they might have good prices on some things, and maybe they have odd ingredients you can't get elsewhere. But they are very very dangerous to your carefully crafted budget. If you do have to go for one or 2 items, ONLY pick up those items. Think about it before you go and make sure that anything you might actually need from that store is ON YOUR LIST.

Compare prices per unit. On the grocery shelf tag there are some very very tiny numbers. On of those numbers will have a unit next to it. Something like "0.25 per oz". That is the price per unit. Generally, the larger the package, the lower the price per unit. This is because the most expensive part of the item is the packaging. This is why buying in bulk is good. But this is not always the case. Two items that cost the same may not be the same size. Or the smaller package may be marked down. Right now a lot of manufacturers are reducing package sizes to off-set rising costs. Go look at your coffee. It's probably 12 oz. Last year, it was a pound. Go ahead. I'll wait.
See? You are now paying more per ounce or pound or whatever than you were a year ago. But not all manufacturers are reducing sizes, and not all by the same volume. Always check the price per unit to make sure that you are really getting the most for your money.

Last tip, tally as you go. Use a calculator (there is one on your phone in "tools") to add up every single item that enters you basket. If you live in a place that taxes food (like I do), round up a few cents to account for it. This ensures there will be no surprises at the register. If you find that you are creeping dangerously close to your spending limit, pause and reevaluate. If you have everything you need and there's a good bit of space left over between you and your ceiling, go ahead and treat yourself to the big bag of fish sticks or a candy bar at the register. Or put that money towards a new bottle of nail polish on your drug store trip. Or go home and crow to your hubby that you came in under budget. I promise, he will be happy about it. And so will you.

Most likely, no one is going to use all of these suggestions every week. Maybe some of them are making you roll your eyes. That's ok. My feelings aren't hurt. I don't do every one of these things all the time. But I'm sure that everyone can use some of these tips at least some of the time. You might just find yourself eating better, and saving money at the same time.

Homemade fingerpaint

Making finger paint is surprisingly easy. It has no smell, it's much less expensive than store bought, is all natural, safe and edible. This recipe only requires 3 ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen.

Begin with 2 tbs cornstarch per cup of water. Mix cornstarch in a small amount of water. Once well blended, add to the rest of the water in a saucepan.

Whisk and cook over high heat. Continue stirring constantly. If you stop stirring, say, to take a picture for your blog, lumps will form. If you find it's getting very thick, whisk in some more cold water.

Bring to a boil and continue cooking and stirring until thick, bubbly and fairly clear. Mine is very thick, so it stayed a little cloudy. If you mix it thinner, it will come completely clear. 

Let it cool slightly. It will thicken as it cools. Divide into bowls, one for each color.

Stir in food coloring. I MUCH prefer cake decorating colors. The intensity is so much greater than the liquid. This recipe used up the last of the set I bought 11 years ago.
These are gel colors, but paste colors work equally well. You can find them at any major craft store in the cake decorating section, at some grocery stores in the baking aisle, or a cake decorating store. For those of you  local to me, the Targil spice factory store has a HUGE selection of very well priced colors.

Mix one color into each bowl. Look how vibrant those are. Don't you want to stick your finger in one? I did.



Portion out the paints for each child. A little goes a long way.
This was a huge batch. All 3 kids used less than a third of the paint. Excess paint can be stored in an airtight container. If the paint gets a bit too thick, revive it with a few drops of warm water. I prefer to store in glass canning jars. Paint will stain plastic containers.

Lay down an old towel, newspaper, or a plastic sheet or tablecloth. This paint will stain. Start creating!

For this project, my kids did apple prints. Slice an apple in half (or thirds if you have an odd kid), dip in paint and stamp on paper.

Gratuitous pictures of my children:

Baby W didn't join in, but he enjoyed observing.

Some variations:
If your child is allergic to corn, you can substitute a TBS or 2 of white flour in place of the cornstarch. The result will be cloudier and a bit grainier but equally effective.

Likewise, arrowroot or any other thickener can be subbed, but I cant' give you amounts, as I've only used flour and cornstarch. Both thickener and water can be added during cooking until desired thickness is reached. Mix thickener with a bit of water before adding to avoid lumps.



Easy, effective, natural laundry detergent

There are a lot of recipes floating around the frugal internet for homemade laundry detergent. I've tried a few, but I found chasing odd ingredients, boiling water, and working huge batches is daunting and unnecessary.
My recipe is way easy. It's easily tailored to make as much or as little as you like. Best of all, it can be made from simple, inexpensive, easy to find ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen and bathroom.

Here's everything I used to make approximately 4 months worth of detergent for my family. We are a very cloth heavy family (cloth diapers, 4 kids, no paper products in the kitchen, lots of mud, etc.). This amount would probably last an average family 6 months to a year. I made 2 batches. I'll list the recipe for a single batch.

4 ounces of pure soap
Borax
Baking soda (NOT washing soda)
a box grater
an airtight storage container
a measuring cup
a plate, bowl, cutting board, etc to hold soap shavings
Salt (optional and not shown)

First, let's talk about soap.
You are going to want to start with a pure soap, like Ivory, Fels-Naptha, Zote, or Dr. Bronner's. I'm using Bee and Flower, a very nice herbal soap imported from Shang Hai. It it scented with pure essential oils. Here, I have Jasmine and Ginseng. They smell divine. Sandalwood is my favorite.
In a pinch, or if you are more adventurous (like me), feel free to use any bar of soap. Avoid soaps with added moisturizers or conditioners. These will build up in your washer, dryer, clothes, towels and diapers, causing everything to become slick, nonabsorbent and hold onto dirt and oils even after being washed. If you use cloth diapers-especially with synthetic fabrics like fleece, microfiber or minky-this waxy buildup will give you a world of stinky hurt.
Make sure the package says the word "soap". I know this sounds dumb, but detergent bars, body wash bars, and any other non soap masquerader will cause buildup problems.
Personally, I prefer a vegetable-based soap. Most soaps are made of tallow, which is the leftovers from the fat rendering process that produces lard. I can't speak for anyone else, but the idea of coating myself and my babies in beef and pork fat is not so terribly appealing. So I opt for veggie soaps. I also generally prefer them. They seem gentler and less drying to me. Dr. Bronner's and Bee and Flower are both veggie based. Glycerin soaps are veggie based, but not appropriate for laundry detergent. You want real soap for this.
Bars come in a range of sizes. My bars are a little over 2 ounces each. A standard bar is about 4 oz and a "family size bar" or laundry bar will run somewhere around 8 oz. This recipe is for 4oz of soap.

Now, let's get started. Grab your box grater and soap shaving receptacle. I like a flexible cutting mat. It's easy to work with.
Depending on your preference and how wet or dry your soap is, choose a side of your grater.
I prefer shreds, because it's easy, particularly if your soap is moist. These are very coarse shreds.

If you prefer a more uniform, commercial-looking powder, try the crumber. Be warned that if there is even a slight breeze, you will likely inhale a lot of this very fine powder. My sinuses are thoroughly cleansed.



We now have approximately 2 cups of soap flakes.

Pour these into your jar.

Next step, measure 2 cups of Borax. Borax is laundry booster. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but every recipe on the internet calls for it, commercial detergents contain it, and if you skip it because you don't have any in your pantry, your laundry won't get all the way clean. Trust me on this.

This is the one ingredient you are likely not to have in the house already. It's handy for lots of cleaning applications, it's safe, natural, and cheap. This box costs around $5 and makes a ton of laundry detergent. You can find it in the laundry aisle of any grocery store. 

Pour this into your jar.

Now, let's talk sodas. Most recipes will call for WASHING soda, NOT baking soda. I went to a bunch of different stores, found the washing soda, obediently added it to my mixture and found that my clothes were very dingy. The advice I found was to reduce it by half. I reduced by half, and found my clothes to be half as dingy. See where this is going? Eventually I cut it out entirely. Now my laundry is much happier. Note there is NO washing soda in this recipe. This is not an accident or oversight. Washing soda is bad. If you really want to use it, probably, this is not the recipe you want to follow.

Baking soda, in this recipe, is not here to replace washing soda. Baking soda removes odors, brightens whites (which I dearly needed after the washing soda incident) and neutralizes acids. If you use cloth diapers, the urea in the pee pee converts to uric acid when in contact with air. So, unless you are rinsing immediately after every pee (if you are, please stop), you have a good bit of uric acid in your diapers. The baking soda will take care of that. If you don't use cloth diapers, you probably have some other kinds of odors. Baking soda will take care of that, too.

You can see in the top picture, I buy the VERY BIG BOX of baking soda. It's just that handy. The big box is also around $5 and makes a bunch of batches of detergent, among many other uses. Little boxes cost about $0.50 each, and are also handy and a good deal. Either one. Doesn't matter.
Measure 2 cups of baking soda. Pour it into the jar.

Not shown-salt. Regular, cheap, iodized salt is about $1.50 a pound. The salt dissolves in the water, and actually separates out the individual fibers, letting the water penetrate better and wash the dirt out more effectively. This sounds a little hokey, but it really really works. It's stunning. This also makes the fibers much softer, without any yucky waxy buildup.

The detergent will work without the salt. But it will work much better with it. It didn't add it this time because I forgot to buy it, and I couldn't bring myself to use my good kosher salt in the laundry. I'll pick up a cheap box next time I go shopping and add it then.

Measure one cup, and add it to the jar.

Close the jar tightly and shake the dickens out of it. When you are finished, it should look something like this.

Looks just like laundry detergent, doesn't it?

This is some super concentrated stuff. Don't use very much. I have a super capacity (yes, that is what is says on it) commercial quality washer. I use 1-2 tbs per load. I would recommend one tbs for an average load, maybe half a tbs for a small one.

Let's review.

The basic ratio is 1:1:1:1/2. If you find this isn't soapy enough for your taste (for instance, if you have a lot of greasy laundry), adjust the ratio to 2:1:1:1/2. If your clothes are not as soft and fresh as you'd like, increase the salt to 2 cups.

This works beautifully for my laundry in my top-loader in Southern Louisiana. We have some pretty scary water. I've worked this out over the past 8ish years. You might need to tweak it a little to work for your washer, your water and your laundry needs.

Good luck and happy washing!