DIY Powdered Laundry Detergent

I decided to try some powdered laundry detergent. It is basically the same ingredients as my Liquid Detergent Recipe but concentrated. Decided that I needed to make more space in the laundry department, instead of having all these gallon jugs around. Don't get me wrong I still like my other detergent recipe (used it for 19 months). But we found we like the smell of our clothes better with this powdered detergent.   

DIY Powdered Laundry Detergent 

Ingredients

• 1 bar (or 4.5 ounces) shaved or blended in blender (a homemade laundry bar, Dr. Bronner’s, Ivory, ZOTE, or Fels-Naptha)
• 1-2 cups of Borax
• 1-2 cups of Baking soda or Washing Soda
• 30-40 Drops of Lemon Essential Oil or Purify Essential Oil (I did 50:50)

Directions

Thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes and enjoy the results! You can take this a step further and blend the mixture in a blender or food processor to create a powder that will dissolve easily even in cold water. (Just be sure to let the dust settle before removing the lid of your blender or food processor so you don’t inhale the fine particles.) Store in a sealed container with a small scoop.

Lemon Essential oil - Lemon is a powerful cleansing agent that purifies the air, disinfects surfaces, and can be used as a non-toxic cleaner throughout the home.

Purify Essential Oil - Purify can eliminate foul odors quickly and be an effective cleaner throughout the home. Purify contains Lemon, Lime, and Pine essential oils, known for their powerful cleaning properties, along with Siberian and Austrian Firs to purify the air and protect against environmental threats. The addition of Citronella, Melaleuca, and Cilantro give this blend an enticing aroma that’s uniquely dōTERRA and unmatched in purification properties.

To Use

Use 1/8-1/4 cup per load (depending on the size or soiled level).

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread or Muffins

Who does not love Great Harvest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread and Muffins? After working there and making it went out on online looking for a recipe that is so close to being the one I used to make (for legal reason I did not want to share the exact one I used in the store). Here is the recipe I found. Of course I make some changes. I make my own pumpkin puree for starts. Go here to see how I do it. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread 

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree or 2 cups 4 eggs 1 cup vegetable oil ⅓- ⅔  cup water (optional add only if too thick) 3 cups white sugar 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 bag (16 oz) Milk Chocolate chips (I prefer Ghirardelli)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2.	In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3.	Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!

Country White Sandwich Bread Recipe

I have been on the search for a great White Sandwich Bread recipe and I then found this recipe. Like like this recipe as well because I felt like the lady knows her bread baking. She is very informative. My family and I are in love with the results. Went through two loafs in three days (family of three). We froze the other loaf for later. I apologize for not taking many pictures of each step I just forgot.

Country White Bread

Makes 3 loaves, about 1½ pounds each

4 cups (1 lb, 4 oz) all-purpose flour

1½ Tablespoons* (17 grams) instant yeast

2 Tablespoons granulated or brown sugar or honey

2 Tablespoons melted butter

4 cups (2 pounds) warm milk (about 85° F)

About 6 cups (1 lb, 13 oz ) bread (high gluten) flour (or all-purpose flour)

1½ Tablespoons (22 grams) salt

* To bake an even better loaf, you can reduce the amount of yeast to 1 Tablespoon (or even less). This will make your dough rise more slowly, so you'll just need to increase the rising times. You can reduce the yeast in pretty much any bread recipe; a lot of bakers go by the formula, 'half the yeast and double the rising time.'

Step 1: The First Rise

In a very large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, yeast, and sugar (I use a stand mixer). Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the butter and the milk.

Mix well, then continue to stir vigorously, slowly adding 1 cup of the bread flour at a time, until you've added about 4 cups and have a sticky, shaggy dough; this should take several minutes.

Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Step 2: The Second Rise

Add the salt and 1 more cup of bread flour and stir it in as best you can. Add another cup of bread flour if the dough is still too sticky to knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it with floured hands until the dough is soft and smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes (I just keep it in the stand mixer and let it do all the work).

As you're kneading, sprinkle a little more flour at a time as needed to keep it from sticking to your hands or the work surface. You want the dough to be as soft as possible without being sticky; you may not need the entire six cups of bread flour, or you may need a little extra.

Sprinkle flour in the dough bowl, place the dough in it, liberally dust it with flour, and cover it with a damp tea towel. Or you can let it rise in a straight sided, food grade plastic container with a snap-on lid, which is what I do now. Mark the spot on the container that the dough will reach when it has doubled in volume.

Set the dough somewhere that is preferably between 70°F and 75°F until it has doubled in size, about 60 to 75 minutes. Ideally, the dough itself should be between 70°F and 75°F. It's fine if your dough is cooler; it'll just take longer to rise and will end up even tastier.

Step 3: The Third Rise

When the dough is ready to be shaped, you should be able to push a floured finger deep into it and leave an indentation that doesn't spring back. Unless your dough is rising in a straight sided container, it can be difficult to judge whether it has doubled in size, which is the guideline most recipes use. I find the finger poking method to be more reliable.

Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, flattening gently with your hands to break up any large air bubbles. Divide the dough into three equal pieces.

If you're using a baking stone, put it in the cold oven now and heat the oven to 375°.

Shape the dough into loaves. Place the loaves seam side down in greased loaf pans and dust them with flour. I like my sandwich breads to be tall, so I use 8-inch loaf pans.

Cover the loaves with a damp tea towel and let them rise until the dough springs back just a little when you gently poke it with a floured finger, about 40 to 60 minutes.

Bake at 375° for 35 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow if tapped (you need to carefully take a loaf out of the pan to check this). Remove the finished loaves immediately from the pans and let them cool on a wire rack. The bread will continue to bake inside while it's cooling, so try to wait at least 40 minutes before cutting into a loaf.

Store at room temperature or freeze in zipper freezer bags. Make sure the loaves are completely cooled before sealing in bags.

Note I copied the original recipes instructions because I felt that she did an amazing job explaining

DIY Moon Sand Tutorial - Baby Safe

In Maryland we have been hit with storm after storm, so we have had a lot of inside time. Plus morning sickness has taken all my energy. I was looking for something fun and safe for my 18 month old and saw this idea here. I used coconut oil and arrowroot powder both amazing for the skin and safe if consumed. The perk of using these ingredients is that they helped with my dried and crank skin from this harsh winter. I also rubbed it all over my toddlers dried spots, he thought that was fun. Love multipurpose activities. Plus adding Wild Orange Essential oils helped with my nausea (at least for a little bit).

Moon Sand Recipe

Ingredients

• 2-4 cups cornstarch or arrowroot powder 
• 1/2-1 cups coconut oil, melted 
• food coloring, if desired*
• Doterra Oils for scent, click here for more information
  
  

Directions

Step One: Add arrowroot powder or cornstarch to a medium/large bowl. I used arrowroot and only 2 cups. 

Step 2: Melt coconut oil in microwave (I started with 1/2 cup). If you’re using food coloring, now is the time to add it to your coconut oil.

Step 3: Mix all together. I kept adding more oil to make the mixture more play dough like, because I thought my toddler might like that consistency. You do what works for you. Add essential oils. 

Step 4: Play time!!! I laid out a old curtain that had a semi water proof side to help contain the mess. Clean up was a breeze. I first stored the moon sand in a jar, shook off the play mat, and then swept the floor. DONE! 

Honey Lemon Ginger Syrup - for colds, flu and just pure deliciousness!

My dear, dear friend introduced me to this stuff. My husband and I just love it!!! Use it sooth throats, clam the stomach, uplift the mood and get a spoonful of honey. It is very easy to make only requiring three ingredients. 

Honey, we use honey from our parents beehives

Lemons 

Fresh Ginger

Step 1:
I don't measure the ingredients there is no need. You will need any size mason jar (we use a Quart size jar, but if this is your first time use a Pint).

Step 2:
Cut up the lemons either sliced or cut into chunks (I prefer sliced to get more surface area of the lemon).

Step 3:
Skin ginger and microplane (basically it grates it very finely). I like a bit of a kick of ginger so I add about 2-4 tablespoons of grated ginger to a Quart.

Step 4:
Layer the lemons and ginger till they almost reach the top of jar (they will condense as the sit in the honey over night).

Step 5:
Pour in honey using a knife to get it to fill all the spaces in the jar. Fill till it covers the lemons.

Step 6:
Put on lid and let it sit for 6-10 hours. Use to make ice or hot tea (simple spoon into cup for in hot water or ice water and add more honey lemon ginger mixture to your liking) or my favorite by the spoonfuls. YUM!!