Reduce, reuse, recycle

Making a difference...


First: rethink. Then: reduce, reuse and recycle.


Think again. Really, this is the first step: rethinking the little actions we perform each and every day and changing them ever so slightly to make a difference.

Turn off the water when you're brushing your teeth. 

Wash out your plastic sandwich and bread bags and use them again (and again).

Flip off the light switch when you leave a room. 

Drive the speed limit. 

Make your own laundry soap and dishwashing soap (this is so much easier than you think). 

Hang some clothes out on a clothesline. 

Why not start rethinking today?

Written by Sarah Nussbaum

Seven Spending Cuts You Might Not Even Notice

by Philip Moeller 

for Yahoo! Finance

(Just some suggestions... things to consider... Every little bit helps. R.)

It's painfully clear Americans are still hurting financially. Jobless claims are far too high if we're actually in any kind of meaningful recovery. Penalty withdrawals from 401(k) plans have been increasing, not shrinking. Mortgage rates are hitting 40-year lows with regularity and we still can't find a pulse in the housing industry.

If there was a magic wand that would sharply raise incomes or reduce expenses, we'd be out there waving like mad. But that doesn't mean there aren't ways to cut and stretch. If you can afford it, give yourself some transition time to get used to spending cuts. Some will come at too steep a price in terms of your quality of life. But others may be painless, and you'll never look back.

1. Know where your money goes. This is my Number One Obvious Idea that many people don't follow. How can you possibly know how to save money if you don't know what you spend it on? There are a growing number of online budgeting sites to help you. Use one, or do this yourself. Whatever you've been spending each month, try cutting it by 5 percent. Then cut it by another 5 percent the following month. Keep it up if you can, and put the savings in the bank or pay down debts.

2. Make a grocery list and don't stray. Once you've tracked household spending, you will see how much you spend at the supermarket. What's less clear is that you also probably spend a lot of money on stuff you don't need. In our house, we began downsizing our grocery spending by seeing what we were throwing out and the items that had freezer burn and should have been tossed. This helped sensitize us to unnecessary purchases. (My mom passed away nearly 30 years ago and I can still remember her hollering at me about wasting food.) We also save money by making fewer runs to the store. Our greatest savings come when we make a weekly meal plan, create a shopping list for that plan, and then buy nothing but what's on that list.

[See 15 Things You Shouldn't Be Paying For]

3. Mothball a car. If your household has two cars, try leaving one in the garage for a month. See how it affects your life. With a modest amount of planning, a lot of households might be able to make do with a single car. Once you've determined that you can do likewise, sell the second car, bank the money, and also begin enjoying lower bills for auto insurance, gasoline, and maintenance.

4. Try free phone service. I've bought and used the MagicJack service, which is the most popular of its type. You order a small device -- perhaps an inch and a half by three inches and about an inch thick -- and it connects to your home computer. The software that launches when you connect the device provides easy-to-follow instructions. MagicJack also links from the computer to your existing phone set. So, you are making your phone calls over the Internet but using a regular telephone to do so. I've found the audio quality higher than with products that require separate headphones and microphones. And picking up the phone is such a long-ingrained habit that there didn't seem to be much to learn. You do need to get a new local phone number, which Magic Jack will provide at no extra charge. After the initial fee, there is no charge for domestic phone calls. This switch can easily save you hundreds of dollars a year. Think about keeping your existing phone line for a transition period in case MagicJack or a similar device doesn't meet your needs. If you like the MagicJack and also have a cell phone, if could make sense to cancel your home land line and switch your home phone number to your cell. You'd lose your existing cell number but you'd at least be able to keep your old home number.

5. Trim television services. Hey, I love my cable, and millions others love their satellite dishes. But if the times demanded, I would wave goodbye to a bundle of monthly cable charges. I'd also be in mourning during football season but I'd survive. I would install a digital antenna. And I'd begin making much heavier use of free online video sites that the networks and other providers offer.

[See Why Spending Less Can Make You Happier]

6. Recheck insurance rates. A year ago, I went out shopping to explore replacing all my insurance coverages. I wound up saving a bundle. When you've had your auto, home, life, and other insurance policies in place for several years, it's easy to forget what I call "creepage" -- those annual bump-ups in premiums. They really add up after a while. And while constantly rising health insurance rates may make it seem like premiums can only move in an upward direction, that's not true. When you do shop around, you also may discover that your coverage needs have changed. If your cars are the same ones you had five years ago, for example, you probably don't need as much collision insurance as you once did.

7. Forget about green; go brown! The summer has been brutal where I live. But with dollars at stake, I am becoming very environmentally responsible. So what if even the goats pass by my yard?

Cooking with Food Storage: Use it or Lose it!

An article written by Kim Grant for the Mormon Times section of the Deseret News.

After following prophetic counsel to store food for years, church members likely have shelf after shelf of No. 10 cans to show for it. But one of the toughest hurdles of all when it comes to food storage may be knowing how to actually use it. It won’t help to wait until that first emergency, either, so learn how to use it now so you won’t be “losing” it later.

The most important rule is to make sure you've stored more than just basics. Don't rely on only being able to eat 40 pounds of wheat. Most stomachs can’t tolerate a diet of only one main staple. So even though it’s tempting to create a food storage supply one item at a time, it’s better to keep a balance. For instance, supplement your storage with spices and sweeteners, like honey, so your taste buds won’t get food “fatigue.” Also, stock commercially canned items your family already eats.

Creating a cache of food is only the first step; the second is learning how to use it. One idea for using what you've gathered is having a “food storage” night once a month to practice cooking. This will also prepare your family for the unique tastes and textures cooking with food storage can entail. Another idea is to make it a game. Just type up the names of basic items, cut them up, put them in a bag and let someone choose one. Then go online or reference a food storage cookbook to learn what you can make with this ingredient.

With that in mind, here’s a quick and tasty recipe that may get you thinking about your food storage in a different, more positive way.

Food Storage Shepherd’s Pie

2 cups of canned beef chunks

1 can of green beans

1 can of corn

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

3 tablespoons dried onion flakes

salt and pepper to taste

potato flakes mixed to consistency with evaporated milk or water

Instructions: Mix the first five ingredients and place in dutch oven or casserole dish. Top with reconstituted potatoes. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minute or until heated throughout.

Saving Money...

Save money and trips to the market with these tips and tricks from Rebecca DiLiberto’s Penny Saving Household Helper. You’ll be surprised how simple it is to keep food at its best.

1. Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causes vegetables to rot.

2. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot pan.

3. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs.

4. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.

5. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes.

6. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in a bunch.

7. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps.

8. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale – you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.

9. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.

10. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increments, to make honey clear again.

11. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture.

12. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread – or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.

13. If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze out exactly what you require.

14. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

Moneysaving idea

We are just passing along the information about this business and the opportunity for you to have your home become more energy efficient.

SAVE MONEY ON ENERGY EXPENSES AT NO COST TO THE HOMEOWNER!!!

Free Lighting Corporation provides NO COST Energy Services
to help reduce your utility expenses!

Qualified Homes May Receive
at subsizied or NO COST

The benefits of this service are:

• Weatherization measures to reduce the loss of cooled/heated air
• Seal air leaks in A/C Ducts
• Compact Flourescent Lights
• Showerheads
• Insulation

The State of Texas has developed programs to assist qualified Electric Customers of Investor Owned Utilities in installing energy saving improvements to help reduce consumption of energy. As consumer energy costs continue to rise, the State of Texas has mandated the electric delivery companies provide relief. 

To sign up or get more information:
Free Lighting Corporation
866-484-3519 or 281-922-4388
15255 Gulf Freeway, Suite 104G
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http://freelightingcorp.com/

Moneysaving idea

$8 Haircuts for kids 12 and under!!

$10 Haircuts for kids 13-18!!

Haute Looks for Back to School

 (400 W. Parkwood Ave/FM 528) #104 Suite 22 (Inside Melange Gallery of Salons)

 281-993-3522 

Ask for Shavonn or Natasha

No Coupon needed

Good through the month of August

Children's Clothing Exchange

We have been invited to participate in a children's used clothing exchange with Baybrook and Friendswood 1st Wards on Saturday, August 21st, from 9-10AM at the Friendswood Stake Center. All children's clothing, from infants to teenagers, is desired but the emphasis will be on school-age children. All of the leftover clothing will be donated.

So, clean out your dressers and closets and bring your outgrown-but-still-usable clothing to exchange for new-to-you clothing for your children.

Canning Meat!

Oh Sisters! Are we ever in for a treat! Sis. Moses and Sis. Ellsworth are teaming up to teach us the 'ins and outs' of meat canning!

IMPORTANT NOTE: The location of this meeting has been changed! We will now be meeting at Sis. Ellsworth's home on Thursday, October 1st at 7 PM. You do not need to bring anything other than your curiosity. They will show us examples of several different meats they've done, and they will also explain the whole process from start to finish so there should be no mysteries and no intimidation factor left by the time the evening is through. They will even have some meats there for us to taste!

And if you're wondering why you should bother canning meat here are three fantastic reasons: 1) it is shelf stable for 2-3 years (no refrigeration required until after you've opened it) and is therefore perfect for your year's food supply; and 2) since it is already cooked in the jar, it makes dinner preparation a snap! Just grab a can of meat and add it to your dish! Presto!; and 3) it's a lot cheaper than buying canned meat from the store!

So who's not convinced that they want to learn this yet??!

And seriously... it tastes good people. Don't be intimidated! Come and learn!

See you there!

MST #3: Homemade Yogurt!

I think it's time for another money saving tip. Ya? Well, I've been looking up a lot of homemade tips and tricks online and one that I've really wanted to try is homemade yogurt. We eat a lot of yogurt in this house and so it can add up pretty quickly. However, as it turns out, making homemade yogurt is super easy and can open up a whole world of other fun things to make-- like homemade yogurt cheese (nearly the same thing as cream cheese) and then ricotta cheese. Oh heavens. This can quickly turn into an all day affair. :)

So anyway, I finally broke down and plunged in to the yogurt making world, and it's not bad at all! Granted, it doesn't taste just like the yogurt in the store, but it's more healthy for you and definitely less expensive. So here is a peek into my yogurt making process:

Cast of Characters:

-1 quart milk (I used 2%)

-1/2 cup powdered milk

-1 to 2 Tbsp honey

-1/2 cup plain yogurt, room temperature

*Okay, some background info on our ingredients... when picking your milk, if you're going for nutritional value as well, you want to pick something in an opaque container since the nutrients in milk are light sensitive. We use the powdered milk to help add some more protein as well. The honey is just to help take the edge off the tanginess and sweeten it up a bit, but can be done without. And then there's the yogurt. The yogurt is the key here. When choosing a plain yogurt, you need to make sure that there are LIVE cultures in it. Not all yogurt has them. It will say somewhere on the carton if they are live or not. If you don't have live cultures in the yogurt this process will not work.

Okay, and away we go...

1. Pour milk into a saucepan.

2. Add the powdered milk

3. And the honey

I ran out of honey and so I just added another Tbsp of Agave (ask me sometime about the health benefits of agave vs. sugar or honey).

4. Whisk it all together over medium heat.

5. At this point you may want to set out your half cup of plain yogurt to start coming to room temperature (that's what's in the bowl). Meanwhile we want to be bringing the milk mixture up to 120 degrees F. (This is a great time to use a probe thermometer if you have one. If not, any thermometer will basically do. Just make sure it's not resting on the bottom of the pan, otherwise you will get the temperature of the pan instead of the milk.)

6. Once you've reached 120 degrees (oops, I got mine a little hot), remove the milk from the heat.

7. Take a 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and stir it in to your yogurt that has been coming to room temperature. (You need the yogurt at room temperature so that the bacteria cultures will "come to life").

8. Add the yogurt back into the milk mixture and stir it up.

9. Pour the mixture into CLEAN containers. (Clean them with hot, soapy water prior to starting this so that you know they are bacteria-free).

10. Seal it up with a lid.

11. Now here's the trick. The yogurt needs to stay incubated for anywhere from 3-12 hours (I do mine for 6 hrs) at a temperature as close to 115 degrees as possible. Anything lower than 110 degrees and the cultures will fall asleep, anything higher than 120 degrees and the cultures will die. A good way to do this is to wrap the jar in a cloth and stick it in an insulated thermos and just leave it there. Other options include lining a cooler with towels and packing the jar(s) in and putting towels all around them, then closing the cooler. Or you can get a heating pad to line a bucket and stick your container in there with the heating pad set to medium heat. Any of these should give you a good result.

12. Close your container and set it aside until the allotted amount of time has passed (the longer you let it sit, the 'tangier' it will become)...

13. And then... Ta-da! Yogurt! You can't really tell in the picture, but it is now a yogurt texture. Let it refrigerate overnight before eating.

14. There are multiple ways to flavor your yogurt, but I just add some jam preserves (you can do sugar-free) of whatever flavor I'm in the mood for. For vanilla yogurt, just add a small amount of vanilla extract (about 1/4 tsp for a regular bowl) and a small amount of sugar (about 1/2 - 1 Tbsp per bowl). Vanilla with some fruit on top is my personal favorite. :)

And how does it taste??

Oh. Oops! He's just kidding. It's really more like this:

:) Like I said, it's not the exact same as yogurt from the store (although vanilla tastes pretty much the same), but it's good! So go give it a try and save yourself some green. You'll be happy you did. :)

Also, I believe you can make this with only powdered milk (I'll have to give it a try soon and report back), and use cultures that come in a package and in that case, you would have totally shelf stable ingredients to make this homemade yogurt in your food storage recipes.

AND, if you leave it plain, you can substitute this for sour cream in pretty much any recipe. So there you have it... sour cream for your food storage as well! Wahoo!

And FINALLY, the coolest part about this? Once you have made a batch, you can simply reserve a half cup of your new, plain yogurt and set it aside to make a future batch. You don't have to buy a new thing of yogurt from the store! Isn't that awesome?! Well, I think it's awesome. :) The yogurt will be good for about 10 days in the fridge, so you'd just have to make another batch by that time to keep the cycle going.

Happy Eatings!

P.S. If you would like to watch a video of this process, Alton Brown (from Food Network's 'Good Eats') has a good one that I followed. Click HERE for part 1 and HERE for part 2 where he also walks you through making yogurt cheese!

Card Making Night

Homemade cards are a beautiful way to not only save a little money, but also to show someone you care. These are just an idea of how cute and fun homemade cards can be.

Treat Your Feet

...Okay and your hands too. :)

All-righty then... Here is the FOREVER overdue recipe for the Hand/Foot Scrub that we learned how to make at our Flip Flop Enrichment Party. (yep... I'm a slacker. No worries, I'm aware of this.) :) A super big thanks to Sis. Sanders for treating us to this homemade luxurious remedy for rough hands and feet. So now that the kids are back in school, take a load off and give yourself a day of pampering. (And don't forget the chocolate!)

Citrus Hand Scrub

To maintain soft, supple hands, Suzi Weiss-Fischman, OPI executive vice president and artistic director, recommends a citrus scrub with a one-two punch. Lemons and limes are a great source of natural fruit acids that dissolve dry skin, while sugar is an excellent exfoliator.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• A few drops of your favorite perfume or essential oil for scent
• 1/2 a lemon or lime

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the sugar, sunflower oil, and any essential oil. Squeeze the lemon or lime juice into the mixture right before you're ready to use. (Citrus, if left too long, will melt the sugar crystals.) Stir, then rub mixture onto hands and feet, paying close attention to dry spots. Rinse; follow with moisturizer.

A fun idea from the Sanders: You can also put it in cute little bottles (prior to adding the citrus to it) and give it as a gift along with the lemon or lime (instructions wouldn't hurt either). :)

Enjoy!

MST #2: Make Your Own Granola Bars

So, we all love money, we all love food, but let's face it... we hate to spend money on food. At least I do. Why? Because it's gone pretty much as soon as I buy it, and then I have nothing to show for it (except maybe a few extra pounds). However, making your own food from scratch can save you a lot of money... especially when it comes to things like snack foods. Those can get really pricey because what you're really paying for is the convenience of just being able to grab something and go. And granola bars are right up there in both price and convenience. I love granola bars because they are on the healthier side of grab and go snacks (again... I'm on a health kick), however, if you check out their ingredients you may notice it's not as healthy as you're thinking! SO, I've discovered that I can kill two birds with one stone by making homemade granola bars: I can make them more healthy and save a little green. Not to mention it's a great project that the kids can help with, so you're building good family ties as well. (What's not to love about this?!) :)

So anyway, I started checking for some recipes online but still found a bunch of corn syrup, sugar, etc in all these bars and never really settled on anything. And then I came across THIS recipe. After reading through some of the rave comments for them, I decided these had to be worth a shot. And seriously! They're so good! They're way better than what you buy in the store, way cheaper, and way healthier! Is there a down side to this?! ...Other than that now I will be having to make my granola bars instead spending two seconds to throw them in my grocery cart? ...but actually, that's half the fun too! And really it is, because this recipe is so versatile that you can customize it to be pretty much anything you want! I didn't have all the things the recipe called for, so I just used what I had on hand and they turned out fabulous. SO... give them a try. Click on the link for the original recipe, (plus she has great pictures for each step) but here's the recipe that I made...

Homemade Granola Bars
-2 cups old fashioned oats

-3/4 cup wheat germ
-3/4 cup flax seed*
-3/4 cup coconut
-1 cup chopped nuts (I used 1/4 cup chopped pecans and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts. Finely chopped almonds are also really good)
-2/3 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup honey
-4 Tbsp butter
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp Kosher salt
-about 1 cup dried fruit (I used Craisins);
(*half of this was milled flax seed, and half was just regular seed. You could do it all with regular seeds, but it tends to be a little bit "seedy". I've tried it both ways.)

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
-Mix the oats, nuts, flax seed, wheat germ, and coconut on a baking dish (with sides) and toast them in the oven for about 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don't get burned.
-While they're toasting, get a 9x13 glass baking dish and line it with parchment paper (you can use wax paper with a nonstick spray if you don't have parchment, but be aware that you may end up having to pick wax paper out of your granola bars! -don't say I didn't warn you!)
-Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly. (Don't forget to check on your toasting mixture as well!)
-Once it comes to a simmer, remove it from heat. And your grain/nut mixture should be done now too, so take it out of the oven (and you can turn the oven off too... we're done using it).
-Throw the toasted mixture into a large bowl and pour the melted mixture on top, along with your dried fruit. And mix, mix, mix.
-Mix some more. :) You want to make sure that everything gets coated with the "gluey" syrup.
-Dump your granola mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread it out as evenly as possible.
-Using another piece of parchment (or wax paper, but again, watch out for sticking), press down HARD all over the top of the granola. You want to compact it together so the bars won't fall apart when you cut them.
-Wait 2-3 hours, or until the granola has completely cooled.
-Turn the granola onto a large cutting board and peel away what is now the top layer of parchment paper.
-Cut the granola into bars by firmly pressing down with a big cutting knife (not sawing). You can make the bars whatever size you like, but if you make them the general "granola bar" size, you should be able to get 18-22 bars out of this.
-Finally, you can either wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap so they're ready to grab and go, or you can just store them in an airtight container (with a piece of parchment placed between any layers).

Ta-da! Homemade granola bars. Enjoy! They're tasty!
Also, if you read through the comments on the original recipe, there are options for substituting things like agave syrup for the sugar, or reducing the amount of sugar and honey and adding some peanut butter instead... stuff like that. Really, you can just play with it and make it to your tastes! Have fun!

Money Saving Tips: Introduction

Hey Sisters! I am going to start doing some new 'Money Saving Tips' (MST) entries. Any time I come across a good money saving tip, I will pass it on to you. Any time you want to check on all of the tips we've collected, just click on 'Money Saving Tips' listed under the "Labels" section on the right hand side. Oh, and while I've got your attention drawn to the right hand side column... if you notice, there are some new sections over there that link to other blogs or websites with some good information. There's an "Also Check Out..." section with general sites that are either church related or food storage related; an "FHE Lesson Ideas And More" section where you can find great ideas for lessons, activities, etc.; a "Fun For The Family" section that has links to sites for fun ideas of stuff to do with the kids, etc; a "Yummy Cooking Sites" section that has links to great recipe sites (for meals, desserts, cooking with kids, etc.); and also a "Money Saving Sites" section (self-explanatory, right?). If you come across any great websites or blogs that you think all the sisters would benefit from, feel free to leave a comment on this blog (or email me) and it will be added to the links (provided it is indeed an appropriate blog/website to be sharing). :)

Okay, that was a bit of a tangent. Back to the original topic... Money Saving Tips. :) Now, I am only one person and therefore only come across so much money saving ideas. SO, in order to make this more effective, if any of you have some tips, tricks, and ideas you would like to share, please email me at: fwd2rs@yahoo.com and I will share the ideas with everyone on this blog. It'll be fun! And better yet, it'll help us be more financially independent! (Woohoo!) Here's to saving a little $$ and having a lot of FUN!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Back a few weeks ago when we had our RS Birthday Dinner Enrichment Night, we had a great demonstration given to us by Debbie Sanders and her daughter, Tabitha, on how to make homemade laundry detergent. I thought I would go ahead and add that to our blog. But to help take out some of the drudgery of everyday life, I've decided to turn it into a play. And so, I present to you...

The Dirty Laundry Dilemma

An American Play by Debbie Roberts

Cast of Characters:

Borax (1/2 cup)

Washing Soda (1 cup)

Fels Naptha Bar Soap (1 bar)

and Water (lots)

*These items can be found in the laundry aisle of a store. We use Fels Naptha soap (as opposed to just any ol' bar of soap) for it's laundry cleaning, stain removing capabilities. It can be hard to find, but can be found at Kroger (and possibly other stores) or can be purchased online. Also, don't mistake Washing Soda for Baking Soda. They are NOT the same! I also found the Washing Soda at Kroger.

Supporting Cast:

Grater

Pot

5 Gallon Bucket with Lid

Large Bowl

Empty Container (i.e. milk jug), thoroughly cleaned

Spoon (not pictured)

and a Funnel (also not pictured)

The Setting:

The year was 2009, and times were tough. The economy had plummeted and everyone seemed to be feeling the effects one way or another. Money was often tight, but hopes were high. And through these dark times came a ray of light: another way to save money! With the cost of store detergent so high, homemade laundry detergent seemed to be the answer to everyone's dirty laundry problems...

The Plot:

Grate your bar of Fels Naptha soap. It will look like cheddar cheese, so make sure you don't mistakenly through it on a salad or something! Also, it helps if you've been nice to your hubby that day (or some other strong person) so that they can do this step for you! :)

Place 4 cups hot water in your pot and add the soap. Cook over medium heat until all the soap dissolves, stirring constantly.

Fill a 5-Gallon bucket half full with hot water.

Add your soap mixture...

And your Borax and Washing Soda. Stir until dissolved.

Fill your bucket to the top with more hot water.

Stir and seal. Let it cool over night.

(The next morning... or day... or even week if you want!)...

When you open your lid you will find that your soap has somewhat gelled. (Note: my soapy level looks low in this picture because I had already done 2 batches by the time I took the pic)

You can give it a little stir if you'd like to help even out the gelled parts with the liquid.

Using some sort of scooping device (I used a large pyrex measuring cup), scoop and poor approximately 1/2 a gallon of cooled soap mixture into your large mixing bowl.

Add equal amounts of water to your bowl. (A gallon milk jug will take about 6 cups soap mixture and 6 cups water to fill).

And now for the fun... Dig in! Using your hands (or if you have an aversion to slimy things, a whisk would work) mix together your soap mixture and water. And yes... it's slimy. :)

Use a funnel to pour your mixture into your empty, clean storage container (I used an old laundry detergent container).

And walah! Your very own homemade laundry detergent! Wasn't that fun??! And with a little Mod Podge and scrapbook paper, you can even add a little spice and personality to your laundry woes.
Use about 1/2 to 1 cup detergent for each load (depending on how dirty the clothes are). Oh, and you may want to give your detergent a little shake before you pour it in to help mix up the gelled/water parts again.

(Please Note: If you don't want to make 10 gallons of detergent right now :), you can leave the rest of the detergent 'concentrate' as is in the 5 gallon bucket. Just keep the lid on it, set it aside somewhere and then follow the last couple steps again when you run out of the detergent you just made and need more.)

The Reviews:

So does this actually work? It does!

Some have said that their whites are actually whiter when they use this detergent. For me, I have noticed that my clothes are softer! And who doesn't love snugly soft clothes?! :) The only downside (if you can call it that) is that although the detergent has a nice fresh scent in the bottle, that scent doesn't carry over to your clothes... they come out unscented. So if you like your clothes to come out smelling a certain way, you can try adding some essential oils to your detergent to get a scent you enjoy.

Also, I know there were questions about using this with an HE washer. It works just fine. I have an HE front load washer and I just use about 1/2 cup detergent, add it like I always do to the machine, and I have had no problems.

Thank you for supporting The Roberts Theater. Now go turn on your favorite music and dance around the kitchen while you make a soapy mess! :)

THE END