Dishwasher Soap

I thought there must be a recipe out there in internet land for dishwasher soap if there were so many for laundry soap.  I found one on Newlyweds.  It was simple, so I thought I’d give it a try. 

You will need

1 cup borax ($5.39 per 76 oz, $5.39/76oz = $.07 x 4.5oz = $.32)

1 cup washing soda ($3.49 per 55oz, $3.49/55oz = $.06 x 10oz = $.63)

2 packets unsweetened lemonade Kool-Aid ($.29 per packet, $.29 x 2 = $.58)

¼ cup kosher salt ($2.99 per 48oz, $2.99/94.42 Tbsp = $.03 x 4 Tbsp = $.13)

Everything you'll need.

Mix and you’re ready to go.  I decided to store mine in an old honey jar.  I got a little fancy and affixed a pour spout to the top.  I got the idea from the Non-Consumer Advocate.  Cut the top off a salt box the size of a mason jar lid.  Looks good… Now how does it work?

I know, I'm so crafty with my sharpie.

I initially tried it by itself- I fill the wash part to the top, which is 2 Tbsp.  That worked just fine for a few loads, but by the third time around my dishes felt oddly powdery.  Then I tried it with a splash (about 2 Tbsp) of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher, and the issue was resolved.

Try It

$1.66 per about 2 ¼ cups, or $.09 per load.

Buy It

$4.49 per 45oz of Seventh Generation Free and Clear powder, or $.09 per load.

Verdict

I rechecked my numbers and my scale several times.  I don’t understand how Seventh Generation is so cheap!  If indeed my numbers are correct (my breakdown of the 7^th Gen. is $4.49/45oz = $.09 x .94oz = $.09), I will Buy It because it’s the SAME PRICE, and has less packaging due to the Kool-Aid packets.  Sheesh.

NEXT WEEK: Bib or nursing strap

Wheat Bread

I’ve been interested in making bread for a while.  Even though my family doesn’t burn though bread like some, who doesn’t love homemade bread?  Last time I tried making bread it was semi edible... But I thought it was worth a second shot.  The Frugal Girl is a blog that I subscribe to that has a lot of great ideas- including her own bread recipe.

You will need

2 1/3 cups warm water (free)

¼ cup honey ($5.97 per 32oz, $5.97/32oz = $.19 x 2oz = $.38)

4 Tbsp organic butter, melted ($5.49 per lb, $5.49/32 Tbsp = $.17 x 4 Tbsp= $.69)

1 ½ Tbsp yeast (2 packets) ($2.19 per 3 packets, $2.19/3 = $.73 x 2 = $1.46)

2 ½ tsp salt ($.47 per 26oz, $.47/30.69tsp = $.02 x 2.5 tsp = $.05)

3 cups organic whole wheat flour ($1.39 per lb, $1.39/16oz = $.09 x 18oz = $1.56)

2 ¾ cups organic all-purpose flour ($4.99 per 5 lb, $4.99/80oz = $.06 x 15.125oz = $.91)

Dry yeast mixture all ready...

I couldn't put my dough back in the bowl because this is what happened while I kneaded

Mix together yeast, salt, 1 cup wheat flour, and 1 cup all purpose flour in your mixer.  Add in the butter, honey, and warm water, mix on low till blended, then on medium for 3 minutes.  Add in the remaining 2 cups wheat flour, and enough all purpose flour to make it kneadable (I added 1 ½ cups, but it was pretty sticky).  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.

Blob of kneaded dough

This was the easiest way to put the bowl in a warm spot!

Put the dough back in the mixer bowl and cover with a wet cloth.  Place it in a sunny spot for 45 – 60 minutes.  After it has risen, punch it down, divide it in two, and flatten out each half into a rectangle about 5 inches wide (doesn’t matter how long).  Roll up your dough on the short side and put each log into a 9 x 5 loaf pan.  Cover them again with the cloth, put them back in the sunny spot, and let them rise again for about 30 minutes.  When they fill the pan nicely, put them in the oven (preheated to 350 degrees) for 30 minutes, till the bottom of the pan sounds hollow when tapped, and/or a meat thermometer reads 205 degrees when stuck in the end of the loaf.  Turn them out into a wire rack to cool.

The dough punched down and divided

My rectangles were a little wonky, but they work

Risen loaves, ready for the oven

I was really intimidated coming into this one, probably because of how gross my last bread came out (different recipe, different type of bread).  This is a nice sandwich bread, that does indeed taste delicious as Kristen suggested- warm with butter.  When they cool I’ll stick one loaf in the freezer and use the other this week for PB&Js and whatever other bread needs come up. 

Aren't they pretty?

The perfect way to celebrate successful bread!

Try It

$5.05 for 2 loaves totaling 48oz, or $.11/oz.

Buy It

$3.29 for a 20oz loaf of Nature's Own Whole Wheat, or $.16/oz.

Verdict

It’s a little cheaper to make organic bread than to buy conventional.  All in all it took a little over 2 hours to make, but all but about 20 minutes of that was completely hands off.  We keep our bread in the fridge to make it keep a little longer, and by the end of the week it was tasting a little dull and sad.  Next time I'll freeze a loaf and a half to accommodate our slow bread use. In conclusion: Try It- it was even easy with Spencer’s brand of help.

NEXT WEEK: Dishwasher soap

Laundry Soap

A friend asked if I’d ever tried making my own laundry soap, and suggested the Duggar family recipe.  I checked it out, and thought it sounded great, but I wasn’t taken by the Fels-Naptha soap bar when I looked it up.  I am a reader of Thrifty Living, who posted a powdered laundry soap recipe that looked up my alley.

You will need

½ cup borax ($5.39 per 76oz, $5.39/76oz = $.07 x 2.25 oz = $.16)

½ cup washing soda ($3.49 per 55oz, $3.49/55oz = $.06 x 5oz = $.32)

1 bar Yardley soap ($1.99 per 2 bars, $1.99/2 bars = $.99)

Very fragrant.

It was surprisingly smooth to cut.

Chop the Yardley soap up a bit and throw it in the food processor.  Process it till it becomes these weird nubs that don’t grind any smaller.  Add the borax and soda and process till combined.  Pour into a container and use one Tablespoon at a time.

Weird nubs that made my equipment smelly.

Finished.

Try It

This made about 24 loads of laundry soap for $1.47, or about $.06/load.

Buy It

I normally use Seventh Generation detergent, which is $7.99 for 32 loads, or $.25/load.  I also normally use Rockin’ Green detergent for my diapers, which is $13.95 for 90 loads, or $.16/load. 

Verdict

I have tried the soap on my whites on hot, my husband’s permanent press shirts on warm, and on our colors on cold.  My husband didn’t notice any difference at all.  I noticed the scent, which was a little overpowering for me (I used the Cocoa Butter bar); again- I have a crazy sensitive nose.  Our clothes also feel softer than with Seventh Generation detergent, but not that gross chemical soft like fabric softener leaves behind.   I haven’t tried it on cloth diapers yet, but Beth Anne at Thrifty Living has been for years and hasn’t had any issues.  All that said, I think once all my bought detergent is used up, I’ll Try It full time, though I may try a different scent of Yardley.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (with Flakes!)

After making the Magic Shell, I had to try making ice cream with the flakes!  I used Miss Molly’s easy-peasy vanilla ice cream recipe, but replaced the vanilla with mint.  Make sure your ingredients are good and cold before you begin.

 

You will need

1 cup organic whole milk ($5.99 per gallon, $5.99/128oz = $.05 x 8oz = $.37)

¾ cup sugar ($3.29 per 5 lb, $3.29/ 80oz = $.04 x 5.625oz = $.23)

2 cups organic whipping cream ($2.99)

1 – 2 tsp mint extract  ($4.65 per oz, $4.65/6tsp = $.78 x 2 = $1.55)

Homemade magic shell to taste ($.24 per Tbsp, $.24 x 4 = $.96)

Whisk together the milk and sugar until sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Add whipping cream and mint, whisk to combine (I like mine super minty, I used 2 tsp of extract).  Add to your ice cream maker.  When the ice cream is nearly thick enough to remove from the maker, start to pour in your magic shell.  I drizzled it in with a spoon, adding about ¼ cup to the batch.

Drizzling chocolate into the ice cream maker

Look at all those beautiful flakes!

Spencer got to lick the mixer blade afterwards

And… It worked!  That does indeed make flaky chocolate chips!  I would think that if you poured it in a little faster rather than drizzling it might make larger flakes. 

Especially delicious with a little extra magic shell on top!

Try It

$6.10 for 1.37 quarts, or $4.45/qt.

Buy It

$6.59 for 1.75 quarts, or $3.77/qt.

Verdict 

Well, it’s more expensive than store bought, even if I compared it to the organic ice cream ($3.99/qt), but it is really tasty, fun to make, and fit in perfectly while we were waiting for bread to rise.  Overall, I’ll Buy It, but it’s nice to Try It from time to time.

Magic Shell Chocolate Sauce

Okay, a little explanation:
For Easter, I was going to make homemade Cadbury eggs.  I got halfway through the process of making them and basically got a bad attitude about the whole thing and quit.  My attitude problem stemmed from the realization that my all time favorite holiday treat is nothing but an oversized chocolate filled with fondant.  Having made many fondont chocolates in the past, I just couldn't believe that was it.  I have read, however, that Cadburys have an enzyme in them to break down the sugar and make it all gooey inside.  If you would still like to try these, check out the instructables page that originally inspired me.  Please enjoy this deliciousness instead:

On my last day at work my co-worker Bethany gave me an interesting and very simple recipe for Magic Shell.  It would never have occurred to me, but once she said it, it made perfect sense.  Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature, so when a warmed combination of coconut oil and chocolate hits something as cold as ice cream it would obviously harden.  Oh, I can’t wait!  We also got to talking about other ways to use this- specifically, if you pour it into an ice cream maker while it’s going, could you get the flake chocolate like some brands of mint chocolate chip?  I had to find out…

You will need

7oz quality chocolate, roughly chopped ($6.99 per lb, $6.99/16oz = $.44 x 7oz = $3.06)

2 Tbsp coconut oil ($9.99 per 14 fl oz, $9.99/14oz = $.71)

I used dark chocolate

In a double boiler (or in my case a metal bowl set over a pot of water) mix the chocolate and coconut oil over medium high heat until fully melted and blended.  Pour into a small jar, and store in the fridge.  To remelt, place it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.  

my fancy double boiler

After just a few minutes, we have sauce!

It is awesome.  It has a very faint and wonderful hint of coconut flavor but not enough to come through when it’s on ice cream.  Really delicious.  Read on to the next post for the ice cream experiment!

Try It

$3.77 per 16 Tbsp, or $.24/Tbsp.

Buy It

$2.09 per 12 Tbsp, or $.17/Tbsp.

Verdict:

More expensive than store bought, but I don’t go through a ton of this stuff, and store bought magic shell has a distinctly fake flavor.  If you’re a big fan of the squeeze bottle stuff, continue to Buy It.  If you want a really delicious addition to impress your friends with at your next ice cream sundae party- Try It.

S'mores Granola Bars

If you followed my trial of Raspberry Granola Bars you know that I left that experiment happy but unsatisfied.  Looking for more of a chewy chocolate chip version this time, I ended on this recipe from Simple Organized Living after quite the search.  I changed a few things to use up what I already had in the pantry: I added those dry marshmallow bits that come in hot chocolate mixes (bulk from Yoder’s), traded the flax seed for a little unsweetened coconut, and used all honey in place of the corn syrup.

Ready for a school lunch!

You will need

½ cup honey ($5.97 per 32oz, $5.97/32oz = $.19 x 4oz = $.76)

½ cup brown sugar ($.99 per 16oz, $.99/2.35 cups = $.42 x .5 cup = $.21)

½ cup homemade peanut butter ($.26 per oz, $.26 x 4oz = $1.04)

2 cups organic rolled oats ($1.49 per lb, $1.49/16oz = $.09 x 8oz = $.75)

2 cups Rice Krispies ($3.55 per 9oz, $3.55/8.75 cups = $.41 x 2 cups = $.81)

2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut ($3.49 per 12 oz, $3.49/4.13cups = $.85 x .125 cup = $.11)

2 Tbsp wheat germ ($2.79 per 16oz, $2.79/3.5 cups = $.79 x .125 cup = $.09)

1 cup chocolate chips ($8.69 per lb, $8.69 x .43lb = $3.74)

½ cup marshmallow bits ($3.29 per lb, $3.29/16oz = $.21 x .5oz = $.10)

Honey mixture with homemade peanut butter ready to stir in

Dry ingredients ready to mix

Mix the honey and brown sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring constantly, until all the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Add the peanut butter to the honey mixture, stir until incorporated.  In a large bowl combine the oats, Rice Krispies, coconut, and wheat germ.  Pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients; stir to combine.  Add in the chocolate chips and marshmallow bits; mix with your hands or a rubber spatula until incorporated.  Fold into a greased 9 x 13 pan, patting down with your hands or rubber spatula until even.  Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Patted down and cooling

These are really good!  I've made them twice now, and they were really different-

The first batch I used the homemade peanut butter, old overly thick honey, and whole foods bulk chocolate chips.  The peanut butter was fine, the honey made my syrup way too thick, and the chips had a gross metallic taste. Even so, they were gone within a week.  The first batch I also waited a little while to add the honey  after seeing what a mess the chocolate became for Andrea at Simple Organized Living.  This was a mistake.  Instead of the chocolate becoming messy, it was difficult for the chips to stick to the rest of the mass, hence the uneven distribution in the picture.

The second batch had one issue- I didn't have enough peanut butter, but decided to continue, anyway.  They tasted much sweeter and chewier.  I also added the honey mixture right away, which melted my Tollhouse Chocolate Chunks a bit, but it didn't get too messy.  This batch seems to be disappearing even faster than the first batch!  Spencer loves these in his school lunch, it's a big treat for him.  I like that I can give him a tiny square instead of a whole bar (not to mention the lack of wrappers).

One thing I especially like about this recipe is that it's so versatile.  If you'd rather have an almond and cranberry bar, mix that in, instead.  If you have some leftover oat bran from making granola, or anything random in your pantry that you don't have a use for- candy, nuts, dried cherries, etc,throw it in!

Honey basically never goes bad, but it certainly gets stickier.

Try It

$7.61 for 26oz (about 17 bars), or $.29/oz.

Buy It

$3.15 for 6.7oz (8 bars) Quaker Brand Chewy S’mores Bars, or $.47/oz.

Verdict

I will definitely continue to Try It.  They are tasty, chewy, healthier than the Quaker Brand, and fun to make. 

NEXT WEEK: Easter surprise, if I get my act together...

Exfoliating Body Scrub

Even though I generally like to use a sisal bath scrubber when I’m in the shower, there is definitely a place for a good exfoliating scrub.  I use one sparingly, but I like to use it when my hands are feeling particularly rough, or after a wax.  The last time I bought a scrub I thought the price was outrageous.  I bought it anyway, and it did last a long time, though it separated every time so it got thinner and oilier with every use.

Setting out to make one, I wanted a recipe that was simple, and a scrub that was coarse.  I also wanted it to be a sugar based scrub, as I’ve never liked the idea of rubbing salt into my skin when I never know if I’ve got a cut on my hand, and my skin is naturally dry.  With all that in mind, I found a very simple recipe on ehow, which I cut in half.

You will need

¾ cup turbinado sugar ($2.39 per lb, $2.39 x .375lb = $.89)

¼ cup coarse sea salt ($2.15 per 22oz, $2.15/43.37Tbsp = $.05 x 4 Tbsp = $.20)

¼ cup coconut oil ($9.99 per 14 fl oz, $9.99/14oz = $.71 x 2oz = $1.43)

sugar and salt mixed together.  Isn't it pretty?

If you've never worked with coconut oil before, it is solid at room temperature.

Mix together the salt and sugar.  Add in the coconut oil, and mix with your hands to combine. 

I microwaved the coconut oil for 15 seconds before getting it out of the jar to soften it enough to measure properly.  When it was mixed, I gave my hands a good scrubbing, washed them, and put the mixture in an old salsa jar.

It smelled so good I wanted to eat it!

I really like it.  It’s very coarse, so if you’d rather, switch to a finer grit- like regular salt and granulated sugar.  It has just the right amount of coconut fragrance, and my hands feel great.  This small jar will last me a very long time!

Try It

$2.52 for 10oz, or $.25/oz.

Buy It

$12.99 for 9oz of Hugo Naturals Brown Sugar and Kumquat, or $1.06/oz.

Verdict

It was much cheaper than store bought and could easily be modified for your preferences.  It only took five minutes to make, and I loved the way my hands smelled and felt when I used it.  Definitely Try It.

NEXT WEEK: S'mores Granola Bars!