Homemade Dishwasher Detergent That Really Works!

I am very big on getting the best deal on my everyday items my family uses, but sometimes it just doesn't seem to pan out.  Especially here in Alaska.  Those who know me well, also know I will figure out a way to make it myself, BETTER and CHEAPER; and Dishwasher Detergent is no exception.

When I first started making my Dishwasher Detergent, I was bitterly disappointed.  After even the first wash, I had a horrible film all over everything!  Even adding vinegar to the rinse cycle didn't help.  I was doomed to give up.  That was until I found Lemi-Shine.  The white film I was finding was actually hard water attatching itself to my beloved dishes, glasses and cookware.  But adding just a tad bit of Lemi-Shine to my mix, solved my problem in a snap. 

Since moving to Alaska, I was having to using it in all of my dishwasher loads anyways even with my regular store bought detergent, so I thought I needed to give it one more try.  AND it was an absolute SUCCESS!

And don't forget to use white distilled vinegar as your rinse aid, to give you that sparkling shine!

Use just 1-2 Tablespoons per load.

NOTE:
If you don't have hard water, you may not need to add Lemi-Shine to your detergent mix. 
If you have already tried making your own dishwasher detergent just to be disappointed like me, give it a shot, you have nothing to lose and money to save!

Dishwasher Detergent Recipe #1
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
1/4 cup LemiShine or 8 packages Lemonade Cool-Aid

Dishwasher Detergent Recipe #2
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Borax
1/4 cup LemiShine or 8 packages Lemonade Cook-Aid

NOTE:
The amount of Lemi-Shine needed will vary according to your water hardness.  You may need to "play around" with the amount until you find the right amount.  If you choose to mix it into you batch and find you didn't add enough, you can sprinkle a bit extra straight into your dispenser.


Don't have Lemi-Shine or Cool Aid Lemonade?  Try adding 1/4 cup citric acid to your mix!

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Homemade Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup

Sometimes, my recipes come out of need for immediate substitution.  Very rarely do I need Cheddar Cheese Condensed Soup, but when I do, I can quickly create it myself, while saving time, money and the ability to control ingredients for my family.

Photo Credit: www.campbellsoup.com

Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup Substitute

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt, to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; add flour and whisk until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat; gradually add milk, whisking to keep smooth. Return to heat and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly until thickened. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt.

Reduced-Fat Version: Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup Substitute

1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free milk
1 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
salt, to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; add flour and a bit of the milk; whisk until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat; gradually add remaining milk, whisking to keep smooth. Return to heat and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly until thickened. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt.

Source: Meal Planning with Connie

Homemade Peanut Butter

Photo Credit: epicurean.com

Take natural peanut butter to the next level, cut the cost and make it at home!

Peanut butter is a staple in most homes, but have you ever looked at the ingredient list? The following list is from www.jif.com, you can find that link HERE.

Ingredients:

MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTSAND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.

Why do we need to add all these other ingredients? Molasses is just another for of sugar. Why are we sugaring up our kids with peanut butter? What happened to the real thing? You know, REAL peanut butter.

There are are a few brands out there that are considered "All Natural", but have you checked out the price? $3.99 for a 16 oz jar of peanut butter! Let me show you how to make it quickly, and easily at home for half that price or less.

I purchase the large 52 oz can of peanuts from my local Sam's Club. Right now, with prices at an all time high for peanuts, it is just at $2 a pound.

Now this is the easy part. Toss in any blender and blend on low to chop and slowly add speed. You may need to stop and stir a time or two just to push the peanuts off the side and back into the blades, but once they catch and liquidize, that's it. The blender does all the work, and you get all the benefits of all natural peanut butter with very little effort.

Just store in the fridge.  Because this is fresh peanut butter, I haven't had any issues with oil separating out, but if you do, just take a spoon and stir it back in.

RECALL NOTICE: Gills Onions!

ATTENTION: Please check your shelves at home and discard this recalled product if you have it!!!

Gills Onions Voluntarily Recalls One Lot of Diced Red Onions Because of Possible Health Risk

May 19, 2012-

Gills Onions, LLC of Oxnard, CA is initiating a voluntary recall, 2,360 pounds, of diced red onions with lot code 51RDA1A2119 and

use-by-dates May 14, 15 and 17, 2012 because it may be contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes.

The product is beyond its use-by-date, no illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall, and no other Gills Onions

product is affected by this recall.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Gills Onions - Recalled product sold at retail was packaged in a 7oz. clear plastic clamshell, labeled Gills Onions with the May 17, 2012 use-by-date and the lot code 51RDA1A2119 stamped on the UPC label UPC # 643550 00041 2 (However, since this number can also be on other products, please refer to the lot code in order to identify the recalled product.) Product sold to foodservice customers was packaged in 5 lb clear plastic bags, identified as

Gills Onions Diced Red Onions, and stamped with an expiration date of May 14 or 15, 2012. The lot code 51RDA1A2119 is also stamped on both the bag and box.

Mommy Wars... Where's The Real War?

Photo Credit: http://madamenoire.com/

A friend posted an article recently from the Huffington Post called "The Only Mommy War Worth Waging", and it got me to thinking.  Is there really a Mommy War going on?  The author mentions the Working Mom vs the Stay At Home Mom, as a battle from last month.  And of course we have all seen the new Time Magazine cover and article about extended breastfeeding and attachment parenting.  Is there really a difference?  Does one choice or a lifestyle of choices such as being a Stay at Home Mom really make you a better Mom?  Does baking homemade breads and having a creative side a mile wide, to qualify you as the next Martha Stewart make you "Mom Enough"? 

Does it really matter that one child's mom works, while another stays at home?  Don't they both love their children?  Don't they both care for them, and do their best to be an example to look up to?   Is this really a Mommy War?  What about the mom who chooses to feed her baby formula?  Does it really make that much of a difference that she isn't breastfeeding?  Is this worth getting upset over?  Is it worth debating?  Is it worth pitting one mom against another over?   Simply stated, NO.

Kristen Howerton drives her message home about which war is worth the fight, "When it comes to issues of motherhood, there is one issue I care about: some kids don't have one."    

Photo Credit: http://wn.com

She also states:

•  "This is the only mommy war I'll wage. I'm confident that most mothers are doing the best that they  can for their kids, even if their choices are different than mine. I think it's ridiculous that so much energy      is spent on debating largely inconsequential parenting decisions when so very little attention is given to the children who DON'T HAVE PARENTS. Why isn't this causing outrage? Making magazine covers? Inciting ranty twitter posts?"
• "The only mommy war I support involves moms banding together to talk about the number of children in our world who are missing out on basic human needs. Security. Love. Affection. Let's wage a war about that.  Not everyone can adopt, but we can all do something. Even if it's just using our voices for something more productive than personal parenting choices.
• Let's stop quibbling about what competent mothers are choosing for their kids, and step it up for the kids that don't have one."

Thank you, Kristen.  I for one have been touched by your article.  I don't care what your personal parenting style is.  You love your kids, and for that I am truly happy.  But I am once again reminded and saddened over the many children, babies through teens, who so desperately want and need a loving real family.  And I'm sure, they really wouldn't care what your parenting style is; as long as they loved.  

Photo Credit: http://nfivt.org

If you haven't read the article yet, I encourage you to check it out HERE.

Homemade Bisquick Mix

I finally found it!  I promised a sweet friend of mine, I would post my Homemade Bisquick Mix recipe for her, and for the life of me, couldn't figure out where I put it.  But I finally found it, and am posting it here, for you all to use, and in part so  I don't lose it again. LOL

This recipe can be used as any other biscuit or baking mix in a recipe.  You may also follow the included instructions to make biscuits, pancakes, waffles, muffins or even cookies!

Photo Credit: www.bigoven.com

Homemade Bisquick Mix:
     10 cups flour
     1/2 cup powdered milk
     1/3 cup baking powder
     1/4 cup sugar
     1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt
     2 cups shortening

Combine all ingredients (I use my Kitchen Aid) to cut in shortening.  Once shortening is mixed well, the mixture will be crumbly.  Store in an airtight container.   Store for up to 6 months.

Biscuits:
     2 cups mix
     1/2 cup milk
Roll out and cut with with biscuit cutter.  Bake at 450* F for 15-18 minutes.

Pancakes:
     2 cups mix
     2 eggs
     1 cup milk
Spray griddle with non-stick spray.  Pour onto hot griddle, and flip when you have bubbles.

Waffles:
     2 cups mix
     1 1/4 cups milk or buttermilk
     1/4 cup butter, melted
     1 tsp vanilla
     1 egg
Spray hot waffle iron to help keep from sticking.  Cook on normal settings until desired browning is reached.

Muffins:
     2 cups mix
     2/3 cup milk
     1/3 cup sugar
     1 egg
     2 Tablespoons oil
Fill muffin tin 3/4 full and bake at 400*F for 15-18 minutes

Peanut Butter Cookies:
     2 cups mix
     1 cup peanut butter
     1 cup sugar
     1/2 cup hot water
     1 tsp vanilla

Roll into balls and press in a crisscross pattern with a floured fork.  Bake at 350* F for 6-8 minutes.  Do not over bake.

   

Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffeecake

This is a guest post from my sweet daughter M2 who is now 13, proving that Mom's are not the only ones who can create delicious treats for the family.

I found this recipe in an old cookbook my mom had stored on her shelf, called "The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook".  I had pulled out some of last years rhubarb from the freezer, wanting to make a pie or cobbler.  As I searched for a recipe with my mom, she found this coffeecake version that sounded interesting.  With a quick read through of the ingredients we found we had all of the necessary ingredients except for the buttermilk.  My mom decided it was a good time to teach me how to make buttermilk on the fly.  It was super easy!  

This recipe has multiple steps, but is still pretty easy to make.  Let us know how you and your family like it!

~M2

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds rhubarb

1 pound frozen strawberries

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 3/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

*******************

3 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Clean rhubarb and cut into 1-inch pieces.  (about 3 cups) 

 In 3 quart saucepan combine rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice.  Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.  

In small bowl mix 1 cup sugar and cornstarch.  Slowly add to rhubarb & strawberry mixture, 

stirring  constantly.  Bring to a boil, & continue stirring for 4 minutes. 

 Remove from heat and set aside until ready for use.

In a large bowl combine 3 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut 1 cup of butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl beat together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. 

Stir buttermilk mixture into the crumbled mixture until just combined.  

Grease 9 x 13 pan and Spread half of the batter evenly in the greased pan.

Spread the rhubarb filling over the batter.

Drop the remaining batter by heaping tablespoonfuls of the rhubarb filling. 

 in the sauce pan, over low heat, melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter.  

Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of sugar

 until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  

Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the batter.

Bake at 350* F for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. 

 Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Cut into squares and serve warm

Serves 12.

 Hope your family enjoys this delicious dessert as much as my family did!