Homemade Laundry Detergent

This is a great powdered detergent regardless of the type of washing machine you have. I have an HE front loading.

Ingredients:

• 2 Ivory soap bars
• 2 cups borax
• 2 cups washing soda

Directions:

• Grate the two bars of ivory soap
• add 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of washing soda
• Mix for several minutes until the ingredients are mixed well
• Store in a container you have or recycle a store bought container
• for large or heavily soiled loads use 1/4 cup
• for smaller loads use 1 to 2 tablespoons

That's it! Easy peasy! =)

Now for the exciting part... cost per load:
(cost may vary depending on where you buy your ingredients, if you pay less for ingredients your cost per load will be less)

Borax 76 oz. box $5.49 = $0.07223 per oz.
Washing soda 55 oz. box $4.59 = $0.08345 per oz.
Ivory Soap 10 pack $4.37 = $0.437 per bar

2 cups = 16 oz.

So...

Borax 16 oz. x $0.07223 = $1.16 per batch
Washing Soda 16 oz. x $0.08345 = $1.34 per batch
2 bars of Ivory soap x $0.437 = $0.87 per batch


Cost of detergent per batch = $3.37 per batch ( 1 batch renders about 20 large loads)

Cost per load (1/4 cup) = $0.17 per load !!!  YAY!

Remember - you can pay less per load if you purchase your ingredients for less than what I paid also if you have smaller loads. Our family is a family of seven; four of them hard playing, rowdy boys. =)


Have fun saving money! =)

Quick and Easy Goulash

What's For Dinner? Goulash! In my house this dish is a big hit. It's really quick and easy to make and you can usually get away with using what you have on hand. Most of my cooking is done with a dash here and a spoonful there. I don't measure a lot unless I am following a recipe for a dish I don't make very often. Goulash is one of those meals that is usually different every time I make it because it's one of my "go to" meals when I need to" go to" the grocery store but I am either too tired or too busy and our pantry is running low on food. =)

Quick and Easy Goulash

Ingredients:

Macaroni and Cheese
Milk and butter ( for the Mac and Cheese)
ground meat (beef, turkey, venison)
diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
diced onions
garlic
kernel corn (canned, frozen or fresh)
salt
pepper
paprika ( if you like it)


Notice there are no measurements for the above ingredients? It's because this is a recipe that is in my head. The first time I remember making it was in high school with my friend Wendy at her house. We made it the same way back then. A little of this and a little of that. (I have such fond memories with Wendy). And seriously a little of this and a little of that will do the job. You really can't mess this up.


Directions:

1.  Boil a large pot or stock pot of water for the macaroni. (The size depends on how many boxes of macaroni you need to cook for the size of your family. For us it's four boxes.
2. Follow the directions on the macaroni and cheese package for cooking.
3. While the water is boiling, brown the meat. You can add diced onion or garlic if you like it.
4. Add the salt, pepper, and paprika to the browning meat.
5. Drain the grease from the ground meat mixture.
6. A few minutes before the pasta is done, add the corn. (however much you want or have on hand)
7. Drain the pasta when it is ready and follow the package directions for making the macaroni and cheese. This usually includes mixing in the milk, butter, and powdered cheese.
8. Once the mac and cheese is mixed, add the browned meat and stir.
9. Next, add your tomatoes - do not drain the can. (as much or as little as you desire - or have on hand). Mix it up.
10. Serve in bowls and your meal is complete. You can also serve it with garlic bread and/or fresh salad.

That's it! It's really simple and in my house...the kids all go back for more!

Enjoy!

Back On-Line

It's been a long minute since I have been on my blog. About a year and a half ago I decided to leave the wonderful world of blogging behind for a season. I was going through a difficult time in my life and needed to re-prioritize my life. I had to let go of a few things and blogging was one of them. I find myself contemplating my life, my journey, and the experiences I have been through. I have realized that what good are those experiences, good or bad, if I don't share them with others. My hope is that my stories and life experiences will encourage others, make people smile, and help them realize they are not alone.

I was thinking about changing the name of my blog or finding a specific theme in which to carve out my own little niche in the blogger sphere. But, I think I am just going to be me. Hey, now there's a good idea. =) I don't have to stick to a recipe blog, arts and crafts, homeschooling, Biblical encouragement, adult learning or any other specific theme. I can write, post pictures, and share other's blogs on any topic that fancies me. Maybe people will like what I post - maybe they won't, and that's okay. Take me or leave me... this is who I am and who God made me to be.

Hi. Let me introduce myself. My name is Melanie. I am a Christian princess (daughter of the King), daughter to two parents whom love each other very much, sister to two brothers and one sister, granddaughter to four grandparents who are home in Heaven, Niece to a very small handful of aunts and uncles, Auntie M. to 11 nieces and nephews, Aunt Mel to 3 nephews and a niece, Sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, wife to my dear hubby of 17 years, mother to five blessings living with me and one blessing that lives with Jesus, home school mom, part-time worker, adult university student, and loyal friend. That's the short list! We all wear many hats, don't we?

So now you see my quandary. How do I pick just one or two themes to blog about? There are so many options for me, so many different things I could blog about, and I have a lot to share.

I hope you will join me in this season of my crazy, blessed, sometimes messed-up, beautiful, Joy-filled life!

I hope you have a Joyful day!