Homemade Laundry Soap

I love Pinterest...a lot. It's an addiction. I have made so much stuff from the website and gotten tons of ideas. I first saw homemade laundry soap on there and I dismissed it. I thought it would be too hard, would not work with my HE washer, and would not clean very well. I have been proven wrong.
I researched recipes for laundry soap online. I found this one on myearthgarden.com. I made it today and have washed three loads of clothes with it...and love it!
I'm using the powder. Normally, I'm a liquid soap girl but this seemed way easier to make.

Homemade Laundry Soap:

2 cups Borax
2 cups washing soda (NOT baking soda!)
1 bar of soap (This recipe does not call for specific soap. I used Fels Naptha because it is a laundry bar soap and because it was right next to the Borax and washing soda.)

I have read lots of different recipes and it seems the most difficult part is figuring out how to get the bar of soap into little pieces. myearthgarden.com has it figured out! Take your bar of soap and put it in a microwaveable dish. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until the soap puffs up. It looks odd but works great. Combine 2 cups of washing soda with 2 cups of Borax in a container of your choice. (I found a cute glass jar at Walmart for $5.) Take a little of the powder mix and combine it with some of the puffed up soap in a food processor and process away...until fine. Do this until the entire bar is processed and combine all ingredients in your container.

It's that easy and that mess-less! I use 2 tablespoons per load. It has virtually no scent so I use the Purex Crystals to add scent to my wash loads. The final great thing about this? I bought a box of Borax, a box of washing soda and two bars of Fels Naptha for around $10.

Update: my cousin, who also makes her own laundry soap, reminded me that this needs to be stored in an airtight container because it can harden quickly. She also suggested using a cup of Oxyclean per batch for stain removal. (Thanks Audria!)

Oreo Cookie Pops

These were my third and final project for today. I'm not a big Oreo fan but thought these were very cute. They were a little trickier than I thought they would be.
Since I am preparing for a crowd, I used two regular sized packages of holiday Oreos (they have red filling). I used approximately 60 of the thin lollipop sticks. The recipe called for double stuffed Oreos which I didn't buy. When I started putting the lollipop sticks in the cookies, I realized why I should have used double stuffed! I'm going to assume it's much easier to use the double stuffed Oreos but I made it work.

Oreo Cookie Pops
1 package of double stuffed Oreos
1 package of vanilla almond bark
50 lollipop sticks
Sprinkles

Melt almond bark according to package. While the almond bark is melting, push the lollipop sticks through the cream part of the cookie...all the way through.
Once the almond bark is melted, use a spoon to pour the bark over the cookies. You can try dipping the Oreos in the almond bark but the cookies just fell off when I tried it!
Lay the cookies on wax paper and sprinkle them with your sprinkles :). Allow to cool and that's it! You can cover these with little treat bags and tie with a ribbon. Then maybe stick the sticks in something to display. I just put mine in a pan because I didn't have time.
They're very cute!

Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats

I've made these twice now and I LOVE them! This time, I made them for our Christmas get together tomorrow.
Here's the recipe:

Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats
1 10 oz. bag mini marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup of yellow cake batter (the dry mix)
6 cups crisp rice cereal
Canola spray
Sprinkles (the softer ones are my favorite)

Measure out your 6 cups of crisp rice cereal and have in a bowl. I like to spray my bowl with canola spray so the mix doesn't stick.
Also spray a cake pan with canola oil to put your finished treats in. I prefer a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
Melt your butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Once it is melted, add your marshmallows. I am usually stirring constantly so this doesn't have a chance of scorching. After the marshmallows melt, add your DRY cake batter mix gradually, stirring well. The recipe calls for a quarter cup but I upped it to a third cup and like it better. After this is combined well, pour this in your crisp rice cereal and mix, coating all the cereal. Add sprinkles and mix.
Pour into your baking dish and press with your hands. (I usually lightly spray my hands with canola oil to keep from having the cereal stick to me.) Top with more sprinkles and let set until the mixture is firm.
Easy peasy and yummy!
One last note...I did not create this recipe. I found it on Pinterest.

Button and Felt Barrettes

Lots of projects today. First up, I made a few barrettes for Bella Mae Rega, Brooke and Brad Rega's daughter. Since I have a little boy, I decided to make these for Bella so I could get my girlie craft fix :)
These were so easy. I had everything I needed at home except the barrettes which were $3.99 at Hobby Lobby.
I made two barrettes with buttons...a variety of sizes and colors. I made another barrette with buttons and a Scrabble tile. The last two are felt flower barrettes...so simple!
They took me maybe 30 minutes and I think they would be sweet little gifts for a sweet little girl in your life!

New Project: Christmas Diaper Cover

Tomorrow is my son's December photo session with Brooke Rega of Bella Mia Galleria, Cherokee Village, AR. Soooo I'm making my first diaper cover. I have ordered one previously and am using it as a pattern. The one I am making is made from red felt and trimmed in white furry looking stuff to match his Santa hat.
I chose felt so I won't have to finish the edges. Felt is also inexpensive and since I'm only using this diaper cover once, it's perfect. The photo below is of phase one...will update as soon as this project is complete.

Update: I attached a photo from the session with Brooke Rega. It turned out cute and worked perfectly! The front was secured with two black buttons.

Taco Casserole

Welcome to my blog! I figured that I would post one of my family's favorite quick and easy recipes for my first blog. That recipe is Taco Casserole. I did not create this recipe but I did tweak it to our tastes.
I love casseroles...seriously. I think a good casserole is essential for family life. Now while this may not be the most gourmet dish, it is a good one and most men love it. And the best part? It is super easy.

Taco Casserole:
1 lb. ground beef
I package taco seasoning
I 15 oz can refried beans (I use fat free)
I cup of salsa (I use more)
Shredded cheese
Bag of Doritos
Small can of sliced black olives, drained(optional)
Small can of green chilis, drained (optional)
Shredded lettuce (optional)
Diced tomatoes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef. Drain. Add taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water (TIP: tear off top of taco seasoning packet, dump seasoning in skillet, use the packet for your water. It's roughly 3/4 cup and allows you to get all the seasoning.) Bring to a boil and then simmer for a couple of minutes.
While your taco meat is cooking, put your refried beans in a microwaveable dish and add salsa. Heat this in the microwave for a couple minutes or till heated through.
Spray a glass baking dish (either an 8 x 8 or a 9 x 13, your preference) with canola oil. Crush up Doritos and lay in the pan. This is your first layer. Add refried bean/salsa mixture next. Then add a layer of shredded cheese. Next is your taco meat. After that, another thin layer of Doritos. More cheese and top it with black olives, if you want. Pop it in the oven for a few minutes till your cheese is melted. After the cheese is melted, remove from the oven. You can add lettuce and tomatoes to the top and serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole or whatever your little heart desires.
Now, I suggest that y'all tweak this to match your family's tastes and I also suggest you double it if you're feeding very many because it doesn't go too far in my house.
Happy Monday!