Menu...Tuesday: Braised Carrots

Every Monday, I think, "I need to get back to blogging."  And then I don't.  :(

As you probably saw with the last post, I lost my mama and have been dealing with that the last two months, which is part of the reason I've been away.  Just as things started to settle back down, I got a new job!  I start Monday as the Associate Director of the Academic Success Center!  So I figured I might as well dive in; otherwise, I will be waiting forever for things to get back to normal.

Speaking of normal--or rather, the abnormal--I've been rubbish about cooking lately.  I haven't been too interested, very little sounds good, and/or I'm too exhausted by the time I get home.  (I've been working until 6 for weeks now to make up for time I missed.

But, by George (the Duchess's baby!), I'm getting back to it this week.  Last night, we did veggies, and I made these braised carrots because my usual glazed carrots recipe was too much work.  I was too lazy/tired to pull out my fancy camera, so iPhone will have to do.

BRAISED CARROTS

1 lb. baby carrots

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1.5 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. parsley

pepper

-Place carrots in the bottom of large skillet (so none are stacked on top of each other).
-Add water, sugar, salt, and butter.  Bring to a strong simmer and let cook for 15-25 minutes (depending on how thick your baby carrots are).
-Once the carrots are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, remove from heat, pepper and stir in parsley!  Easy peasy!

Menu Monday: P is for Poached Pears

One of the easiest recipes I like to make as a complement to a breakfast dish or as a dessert is poached fruit.  Usually, I do apples during the fall, and I believe I've done peaches several times, and occasionally, I do pears.  Pears are my least favorite, and I tend to combine them with apples when I can, or if not, I add lots of sweetener and spices.  However, Zach got some Royal Riviera pears from Harry & David's, and they were delicious.

But we ended up with too many for us to each, so I've been trying to use them up.  I made a pear cobbler, but I also made some poached pears.

POACHED PEARS

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

spices to taste

fresh fruit, peeled and sliced

-Combine sugar and water in a  saucepan and bring to a boil.

-Add spices.  (I usually go for a cinnamon stick and dashes of nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger.

-Add fruit (around 2 to 4 cups--or what is equal to 2-4 apples) and reduce heat.  Simmer for about 10 minutes until tender.  Be sure not to overcook!

You can also replace some or all of the water with wine for a richer taste.  I just have to be careful with how much alcohol I consume, so I tend to use water these days.  You can also add other fruit juices and citrus zest and dried fruits for more varied flavor.  This is the foundation recipe that I tweak for my needs (as you can see above with the different types of fruit I use).  Sometimes, we eat this as a side, but usually, we will spoon it over waffles, French toast, pancakes, or pound cake.

Bon appétit!

Menu Monday: A is for Asparagus with Brown Butter

Y'all, every school in our area had a snow day but ours.  We did start later (10), but STILL.  We couldn't get out of our driveway, so Zach's boss came and picked him up.  I'm either going to take a vacation day or make up the hours on lunch and after work.  It's supposed to start warming up tomorrow, but then we are expected to get "A slushy accumulation of less than an inch."  Pardon me? Arkansas, you better step it up with your road maintenance...  It is only January after all.

So while we were in Chicago, Zach said that he has decided he likes asparagus.  For the longest time, neither of us liked it though we did eat it on occasion and found it tolerable.  But now we are in the pro-asparagus camp.  This is one vegetable I never had growing up, and I'm pretty confident that the first time I tried it was in the past ten years, probably having been served it as part of a pre-determined menu (at someone's house or at one of those restaurants where you just don't request substitutes or removals).

With the New Year, I am trying my best to eat healthier and exercise.  I'm trying to follow the mini goals over at 100 Days of Real Food, and I'm proud to say I'm doing fairly well with Week 1--eating two fruits and/or vegetables with every meal.  We had veggies for dinner over the weekend, and I decided to try my hand at asparagus.  I served it with a brown butter sauce, and it was pretty yummy!

ASPARAGUS WITH BROWN BUTTER

1 lb of asparagus

1 cup of water

salt to taste

5 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

-Wash asparagus and snap off the tough ends.  (I felt finding the tough spot was very intuitive.)

-Using butcher string, tie asparagus into bundles of 6-10 shoots.  Sprinkle with salt to taste.

-Bring water to boil in a sauce pan and stack bundles perpendicularly to one another:  two going horizontally with two stacked vertically.  Continue until all are stacked.  Steam for 5 to 10 minutes.

-Meanwhile, melt butter in a  saucepan and cook slowly on medium heat, whisking frequently, until it begins to brown and smells nutty.  You will also notice flecks start to form, which are the milk solids browning.  The butter will foam as it cooks; once the foam subsides, it will turn brown very quickly.  Remove from heat once it turns brown--better too soon than too late.

-Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour brown butter over steamed asparagus and serve immediately (1 Tbsp. per two bundles).

I served my asparagus with balsamic roasted potatoes, green peas, and Texas Toast (which isn't very healthy but is oh-so-good!  Brown butter can be intimidating because it does require a close eye.  But it is little effort for BIG taste!  It also makes a wonderful addition to many other dishes, including savory and sweet ones (you would just leave out the lemon juice and spices for baking).

And here are my tied bundles, of which I was very proud :) :

What are some things you are doing and eating to get healthier this year?

Menu Monday: S is for Sweet Potato Casserole

I mentioned last week this weekend...wait.  What day is it again?

We are on DAY 5 of being snowed/iced in, and it continues tomorrow.  (They've already called off finals for Tuesday, too.  We were supposed to open at noon today, but thankfully, they went ahead and closed campus ALL day.)  I know what the day it is; I just have no frame of reference for the past as the days seem to melt into one another quite unlike the snow outside our doors.

(I really do love snow and winter and the magic it brings.  I'm just bummed we didn't get to go see Theatre Squared's production of A Christmas Carol this past weekend.  And we're out of bread and low on eggs.  No more French toast pour moi.)

Anyhooooo, I mentioned sometime recently that Zach and I do a Fall Feast every year.  Usually, we get a rotisserie chicken, I make the sides (green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and Stove Top, which my husband prefers to actual cornbread dressing...weirdo), and we do the dessert up right.  We eat and watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Garfield's Thanksgiving.  It's something we started when we were dating: We decided to do our own "Thanksgiving" since we wouldn't be together for the holiday.  (That first year, I don't really remember.  I'm actually now not even sure if we did what we would call a Fall Feast now.  But our second year, when we were married, we actually watched the Halloween specials and had Halloween Funfetti cake...but I don't remember if it was before or after Halloween.  We do things in our own time.)  And it is a glorious tradition!  "The more you eat, the more grateful you're gonna feel..."  That song kinda irks me, and I don't think it's true for commercialized America, but I also find it stuck in my head for days after, so it does what it is supposed to do, I think.

Anyhooooo, this year, we did it much later this year than usual because we've been so busy and traveling on the weekends...and then when I ordered two chickens from my co-worker's son, I knew we just HAD to wait until they came in, so I could roast one for Fall Feast.

They finally were ready the week of Thanksgiving, and so I brought them home for Fall Feast...the first week in December.

It was my first time to roast a chicken, and it was a ROARING success!  The crowds went wild for the citrusy, herby, golden-skinned chicken!  (By crowds, I mean Zach and Amy.)  But I was very proud of my bird.  :)

I realize this is a terrifying angle.  It looks like a fish face.

I made some "Texas Roadhouse" (copycat) rolls along with the usual green bean casserole, but I decided to do more of a sweet potato casserole than just candied "yams."  I combined two recipes, and it was delish!

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

3 cans of sweet potatoes, drained

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

dash of ginger

dash of pepper

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

4 Tbsp. melted butter (1/2 stick)

1+ Tbsp. heavy whipping cream

mini marshmallows

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 pan.

-Mash sweet potatoes by hand until mostly smooth.

-Add all ingredients except marshmallows, and combine until well blended.

-Spread half of sweet potato mixture into pan and top with marshmallows as desired.  Spread remaining sweet potato mixture on top.

-Bake for 30 minutes.  Top with marshmallows as desired and bake for 10 additional minutes until marshmallows are brown and bubbly.

I know this is one of those dishes that is more like candy, but we only have it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I think we get a pass.  And I forgot to make the Stove Top, so it was one less dish.  :)

For dessert, we had a homemade chocolate cake made by a coworker's husband.  Holy YUM!

What are some traditions you have this time of year?

Menu Monday: R is for Raspberry Pancakes

I told ya it was coming!  Zach had a hankering for these, which I had never made, so I basically added raspberries to my pancake recipe.  Here is my recipe.  :)

RASPBERRY PANCAKES

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 oil (I use olive)

2 cups milk

2 eggs

1+ cup raspberries

-Combine dry ingredients together.

-Add oil, milk, and eggs, and mix until well combined.

-Fold in raspberries gently.

-Heat griddle (I have a cast iron one) over medium heat.  Ladle out batter.  Cook on one side until the surface begins to bubble.  Flip and cook until the underside is brown.  You may need to flip both sides again to get them to the desired golden brown.

That's it!  This has been my go-to pancake recipe (and waffle recipe) for a while.  I actually doubled the original (which is what you see here) because it only made about 4 or 5, and this one makes 8-10 large pancakes.  I guess the raspberries add extra height because these were much taller and fluffier.  If you weren't already doing this, make sure to rinse your berries in 1 part apple cider vinegar and 10 parts water.  Then pack them in single layers with a paper towel or napkin between them, and they will stay fresh for much longer!

Menu Monday: Crispy Smashed Potatoes

"You say potayto, I say potahto..."

Hello, old friends.  I've been on a hiatus.  It started out as one I didn't choose (my Macbook had to go to the hospital and then for much longer than expected) and did choose (I've been out of town for work, and since I got back, I've been trying to get back in the swing of things).  And now the semester is winding down, so I'm busy, busy, busy.  Only four three more weeks left!  (My class is on a Thursday night, which means we get Thanksgiving week off.)  So I'm back to blogging.  Nothing like procrastination to make the world go 'round, I always say.  :)

Zach got a promotion, and as I work three jobs, things have fallen by the wayside.  C'est la vie, non?  We've decided I can take next semester off from teaching, so I can do more at home to keep the house running now that he doesn't have as much time.  (Even as I type, he is going on his fourth hour of answering emails after working an hour over his normal 8 today.  And the man's been working 10+ hour days 5 days a week.  Sheesh.)

I vowed this weekend that I would get back into a normal routine this week:  cooking at home, working out, grading papers throughout the week rather than trying to get them all done Wednesday night.  As of 9:30 p.m., I've got 2 out of 3 done for today.  That ain't too shabby.

(The papers will have to wait.)

Here's a new recipe I tried tonight.  It was destined for me, and I knew it was the one I would be going after, after I saw I had pinned it THREE times:

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

potatoes (preferably red-skinned but I used russet)

olive oil

salt, pepper, spices

-Scrub potatoes.  Half and/or quarter them if using russet.  Boil until tender in salted water.

-Preheat oven to 450.  Grease cookie sheet with olive oil.  Place cooked potatoes on cookie sheet and smash until they are the size and shape of baked cookies.  Coat with olive oil using a pastry brush and generously sprinkle with spices.

-Bake for 20-30 until golden brown and crispy.

These were delicious!  I guess it was originally a Pioneer Woman recipe that took the web by storm.  I will definitely be making them again.  Next time, I'll try the red potatoes, but I think I'll stick with Italian herbs.  Happy eating!

Menu Monday: P is for Pumpkin Chili

'Tis the season:

I PROMISE.  There is pumpkin in there.  :)

With the cooler weather this weekend, I was craving a soup.  Or a stew.  Or a chili.  *ding ding ding*  But I wanted to mix things up and try something a bit different than my vegetarian, three-bean chili with chocolate syrup.  (And I just realized I have never posted the recipe for that.  How silly of me!)

I was pleased when I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Chili.  It turned out DELIGHTFUL:  half-gourmet, half-cowboy, and 100% autumnal.  Let me know what you think!

PUMPKIN CHILI

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1/3-1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef or turkey

2 cups tomatoes, chopped

1-4 oz. can green chilies

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup pumpkin puree

dash each: cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

2+ Tbsp. chili powder

1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed

sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese

-Saute bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic for about 5 minutes.
-Add ground meat and cook until done.
-Add tomatoes and green chilies and simmer for 5 minutes.
-Mix in broth, pumpkin, spices, and beans.
-Simmer for 20 minutes.
-Top with shredded cheddar and sour cream.

First Apples of Autumn :)

Zach had to buy some apples for a project at work, which meant he got to bring them home when he was done.  :0  We were supposed to go to a welcoming fall party Saturday night, so I considered making something with the Galas then.  However, after seeing what everyone else was bringing, I decided to make baked beans...but we had to bail on the party because Zach and I weren't feeling too hot.  So we stayed home and had a dinner of the beans, potato salad, and leftover steak from our anniversary dinner.  And the apples continued to chill in the fruit bowl.

We've been eating loads of crap lately, so I'm trying to get more fruits and veg back into our diet.  Sunday, he and a coworker spent 14 hours editing a video--they were up until 3 a.m.!--so I wanted to make some quick and easy for dinner.  Lots of times, we end up having breakfast for Sunday dinner (brinner, if you will), so I decided to go with that.  I had come across an apple and cheddar frittata recipe when I was on Pinterest Saturday morning, and I thought it would be awesome with bacon, especially since I was trying to use up the last few strips.  And so the ABC Frittata was born!

ABC FRITTATA

2 apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)

3 strips of bacon, cooked (I used turkey--turkey, apples, and cheddar is soooo good!)

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

8 eggs

2 egg whites

1 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of nutmeg

-Heat oven to 450.  Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.

-Beat eggs and egg whites.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese and salt and pepper.  Crumble bacon into egg mixture and stir.  Add egg mixture to skillet.

-While the edges cook to set (3-4 minutes if using cast-iron skillet), layer apple slices around the top of the egg mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheese over all.  Then add pinch of nutmeg and more salt and pepper, if desired.

-Transfer skillet to oven and bake from 17 to 20 minutes until the center is set and frittata is turning golden brown.  Remove frittata from skillet and let rest on a platter or plate for five minutes before cutting.

This was my first time making a frittata, and it is definitely going to be in my rotation this fall and winter!

How are you marking the first days of autumn?

Also, if you are so inclined, my friend's cousin and his wife are trying to adopt.  If you haven't heard, adoption is very expensive.  They need about $20,000 more to bring a baby boy home this weekend.  I know that sounds kind of wild, but the mother wants to give her son to a couple who cannot have children at all, and they are currently the only ones that fit that bill with the agency the mother is using.  They only found out a few days ago that the mother will be induced in a week.  Since this morning, they have raised almost $8,000!  They have four more days to get the rest taken care of.  If you cannot support their efforts financially, please join us in praying for Baby O.

I'm DY(E)ING to tell you about my new shirt...

So a million five years ago, I picked up this light grey shirt at Target.  I LOVED it.  I bought it out of necessity because on one of my early days of grad school when I was still commuting from Benton to Conway, I spent the night at Katie's on a whim and didn't have any clean clothes to wear to school and work the next day.  So I went shopping before class and found this beauty:

It felt a bit hippie and a bit classic, and while the color was kind of a wash, I liked it because I didn't own too much grey.  And it was so comfy and carefree.

(This photo was taken after Zach and I created our first cake together:  Zach envisioned it, and I carried out the vision.  We've been doing that since 2008, folks.  :)

Fast forward a few years to when my beloved shirt somehow got some bleach stains on it.  :(

I tried bleaching all of the color out:

But all that did was make it a mottled peach-pink-grey color.  :*(

I kept trying to bleach it to one shade, but it never worked.  I had almost given up hope...

...until this TWENTY-FIVE CENTS clearance miracle came into my life!

For a long time--basically since I discovered New Dress a Day--I have wanted to try my hand at dyeing.  (Or is it dying?  I just never know; I only teach English.)  But I was so nervous to do it, and even though dye is cheap, I still didn't want to spend money and then have to spend more because I destroyed something else.  Until Zach and I swooped down the clearance aisle last week.  I thought this baby was a buck, so I was pleased as could be when it rang up for 25 cents.  I wanted to go back and buy a few more boxes!

Here is what I did:  I washed my shirt.  Then I dissolved the entire box of dye in water I heated on the stove.  (I used an old Cool Whip container so I could throw it away.)  I set the washer on the regular wash cycle at the hottest temp and let it fill up.  I added about 3/4 cup salt and a Tbsp. detergent while it was running.  When it came time for the agitation to start, I turned it off and poured in the dye.  Next, I rinsed my shirt in hot water in the skin, squeezed the water out, and uncrumpled it.  After adding it to the dye, I let it sit for 30 minutes, stirring it with a plastic knife every 10 or so minutes.  At the end of the 30 minutes, I turned the washer back on and let it run.  I rinsed my shirt in the sink after the washer cut off, and I dried it in the dryer.  During that time, I added detergent and bleach to clean the now speckled washer.  It came right off for the most part!

I've learned a bit about dyeing/dying now.  For example, you use salt if the material is a natural fiber, and you use vinegar if it's not.  And not all fabrics are created equal.  I also need to invest in some color remover, rather than using bleach because it weakens materials.

And now I have this lovely bluish-grey/purple blouse!  Since the temps have started to fall a bit, I decided to put on a scarf for the first time in months, and this one matched perfectly!  You can still notice where the bleach stains were, but the dye definitely improved the mottled look.  I love the shade--it's so unexpected!

Menu Monday: Ratatouille!

Confession:  I've never seen the movie Ratatouille.

I was really tempted to back when there was a Ratatouille tie-in with Jon & Kate Plus Eight.  (I was obsessed with those multiples back in the day...2008.)

Anyhoo, this recipe has been floating around the Internet lately, so I thought I would give it a whirl.  Since I don't have an oval platter, I used a Pyrex dish.  It didn't turn out quite as lovely as the original.  But it was darn cute.

I figured it would allow me the opportunity to try eggplant in a different way, and maybe, just maybe, I would like it.

I didn't really like it, but I did like the ratatouille.  Make sense?  The squash and zucchini and red pepper and tomato and onion was yumm-o.  :)

RATATOUILLE

1/2 purple onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, slivered

1+ cup tomato puree 

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 skinny eggplant

1 summer squash

1 zucchini

1 skinny red bell pepper

fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

-Preheat over to 375.

-Pour tomato puree into 13x10 Pyrex dish.  Add onion and garlic.  Stir in seasonings and 1 Tbsp of olive oil.

-Wash veggies and trim off the ends.  Slice into very thin slices.

-Layer veggies atop tomato puree in a swirl towards the center.  (I could have ton a bit better at this.)  There may be some veggies left over, and you may have to use two slices of the same veggie if they are small (like my zucchini) or cut down the slices if they are too big (like my eggplant).

-Drizzle veggies with remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle thyme across the dish.

-Cut a piece of parchment to cover the dish, so that the paper fits inside.

-Bake 40 to 55 minutes until the veggies are cookie and the tomato puree is bubbling up.

[serves 4]

Next time, I'm leaving the eggplant out!

Have you ever had ratatouille before?  Have you seen the movie?

Let me know what you think of this if you try it!

Menu Monday: Cinnamon Toast

Last week, we didn't do a ton of cooking because I started off the week sick, which mean we hadn't bought groceries.  Then we were struggling to find time to hit up the grocery store after work, and the one day I could go, my purse got locked up in my office!  (The new security officer couldn't find the right key to let my boss and me in.)  I finally made it Thursday evening, but then the weekend arrived, and we had plans with friends.  So...not much cooking happened.

But I did make some more Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Toast for breakfast, which was the third time I had made it in about a week and a half, which is crazy for us because I have to have variety.  If you try it, you will understand why!

CINNAMON TOAST, THE PIONEER (WOMAN) WAY

(It just happens to match my coach.  Apparently, it really IS cinnamon-colored.)

4 slices of bread

1/2 stick of butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

-Preheat oven to 350

-Mash butter with a fork.  Add in sugar and spices, and mush to blend.

-Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

-Spread one side of bread with the cinnamon butter mixture.  Place on baking sheet, buttered side up.  (Duh. ;)

-Bake for 10 minutes.  Then broil for one.

[serves 2--you probably want to double this!]

Sooo good!  It reminds me of my childhood and of fall and yummy things to eat.  SOOO GOOD!

Are you getting in the fall mood with food?  The weather has been ridiculous here, so I've been wearing boots and dreaming of pumpkin bread and spiked apple cider.  :)

Menu Monday: P is for Peach Tart

We bought some locally grown peaches this past week, but then we both got sick and didn't quite feel like eating much, much less healthy snacks.  Some of them were getting a bit soft, so I decided I need to make something with them.  I thought about my peach cobbler, and then peach pie, but settled on peach tarts.  However, I didn't feel like making small ones, so I decided to try a RUSTIC PEACH TART.

RUSTIC PEACH TART

1 pie crust (I use the recipe in my KitchenAid mixer cookbook.)

3 cups peaches

1/4 sugar

4 tsp. flour

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. sliced almonds

milk

-Preheat oven to 375.

-Roll out pie crust on a cookie sheet so that it is close to 13 inches.

-In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and nutmeg.  Add peaches and lemon juice; toss to coat.

-In the center of the crust, pile the peach filling on, but leave two inches around the edge.

-Fold up edges over filling, crimping as you go, so that it is flush.

-Sprinkle almonds over filling and brush milk onto the crust.

-Bake for 35-42 minutes until crust is brown.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 30 minutes.

[serves 8]

This was so good and only took about 30 minutes to prepare, and then I could pop it in the oven and go about my business!  The nutmeg flavor was subtle yet definitely left me dreaming of fall.  Next time, I think I will make a praline pecan topping to add as I saw that many of my peach pie recipes combined those flavors.  YUMMY!

What have you been baking lately?

Weekend Update and a Laundry Day Recipe

Over the weekend, I joined Twitter, started an account on Pinterest, and started uploading to Instagram.  Oh, I started a Facebook page, too!  But I haven't really done anything with that yet.  ;)  This 21st Century social networking business is hard stuff.  You can connect with me through the icons on the left.

Speaking of social networking, I give you my weekend in Instagrammed pictures.  :)

1)  I had to take Hobie to the vet on Friday.  We've been having some behavioral and tummy issues with the kitties.  :(

2-4)  So they got lots of lovings this weekend.

5)  This is how my husband naps when he has gotten up at 11 to take a nap at 1.  *smh*

6)  We captured a sweat bee (by we, Zach), and we let the kitties watch it in the jar.  They were the ones who actually found it in the fireplace.

7)  Late in the afternoon, we headed out to take care of some business.

8)  We fought the tax-free-weekend crowds at Target and rewarded ourselves with some Starbucks.  I got an iced chai tea latte of course.  :)

9-10)  Then it was time for some Bliss!  Thanks, Living Social.

11)  I found some sandals on sale at Kohl's and fell in love.

12)  I've been drinking lots of hot tea this weekend because my allergies (thank you, vet/Hobie) have been acting up and giving me swollen lymph nodes.  (At least, I think it's my allergies...)

13)  Saturday night, I made a turkey pot pie.  YUMMY!

14)  And Sunday morning, we had biscuits and gravy.

And I can't forget my clothes.  It was a royal blue and orange weekend!

I decided to do something a bit different for Menu Monday.  Over a year and a half ago, I started making my own laundry detergent to save money.  It has worked well for us; two gallons last about four months, based on my calculations.  Keep in mind, there's only two of us.

We ran out this week, so I had to make some more.  First, however, I had to buy some more washing soda.  Then, once I got home with that, I realized I was out of bar soap.  Thankfully, Walgreens had Coast soap on sale (8 bars for $3.99) AND I had a coupon, so I got the soap for $3.49!  The coupon was from a few weeks ago, but Zest is also on sale, and there was a Zest coupon in the paper THIS week.  So this might be the perfect opportunity for you to try making your own soap!

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT

1 bar soap
1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda
2 gallons water
2 empty gallon jugs

-Shred bar of soap into a large stockpot.

-Add 1 gallon of water and boil until the soap is dissolved

-Add Borax and washing soda.

-Bring to a boil until it coagulates.  It will start to get foamy.

-But make sure you watch it very closely--or it will boil over!  Every. single. time. I turn my back for a second because it's not doing anything, and then it boils over onto my stove!

-Turn off the heat.  Add 1 gallon cold water; stir well.

-After it cools a bit, use a funnel and ladle to place detergent into jugs.

Sometimes it will get too thick; try using less soap next time.  Since this was my first time using Coast, I think I used too much, and I also overcooked it.  It was pretty solid by the time I began to funnel it!  *lol*  So I just heated it up for a bit until it started to melt again.  I really liked how easy it was to grate Coast; some of the other soaps have been near impossible!  You can choose what soap you want; I tend to add some of the Downy Unstopables to boost the fragrance anyway, and I have come to like much less fragrance than I used to.  (I also got my Downy beads as free samples; it said to add the whole pack, but I find ten or so increase the smell quite nicely.  :)

If we hadn't spilled our washing soda accidentally some months back, it would have lasted even longer.  I feel like the box of Borax and washing soda should last over 6 recipes' worth.  I believe Borax is a bit more, but the washing soda is only about $4.

I hope you will give it a try!  It only takes about thirty to forty minutes or so to cook from start to finish, but the funneling does add considerable time, especially if it is thick.  I think it is much more affordable than buying detergent.

What have you tried to make homemade?  Has it turned out?