Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

I posted a recipe several years ago for a liquid homemade laundry detergent. I used it for several years because I generally prefer liquid detergent, but I find the powdered version is SO much easier to make and to store.

You will need:

1 bar of Zote soap

3 cups of washing soda

3 cups of borax

 

All you have to do to make the detergent is grate the soap. You can use a cheese grater but I prefer to use the grate blade in my food processor. Once the soap is grated I switch to the all purpose blade to mix the washing soda and borax in with the soap. I find this better than hand mixing because the blade removes all the clumps and make the powder finer, so it dissolves faster in my washing machine.

This is what it should look like after mixing:

 

Keep it in an air tight container. Otherwise moisture in the air may make it clump. A label is always a good idea as well. :)

Add 1 tablespoon for normal loads and 2 tablespoons for large or really dirty loads. I always start my water first, then add the powder, and then add the laundry.

 

This recipe works fine in HE washers as well as my old fashioned top loader.

 

Enjoy!

Food Journal and Avoiding Carbs. Mission Possible.

My Crossfit coach asked me to start keeping a food journal this week. I can see this being a very beneficial tool in helping me achieve my fitness goals. I am still tweaking my system but so far I am liking the MyPlate app from LiveStrong.com on my iPhone. I have used the desktop version before but would have to remember to enter what I eat. With the app I can enter things as soon as I eat them.
Yes, I am weighing my servings out on a kitchen scale. Why? BECAUSE ALMOST EVERYTHING HAS CARBS!!! Ugh! Carbs are the crack cocaine of foods. I have to really monitor how many carbs I am eating a day. My coach told me to stay below 50 grams of carbs daily and wants me to be really closer to 30 grams on most days. Did you know one serving of carrots has 7 grams of carbs and one serving of broccoli has 6?!? To stay within my target I have to be really careful. 

So what have I been eating? Well this is what I had on Tuesday.

Breakfast

I have the same thing for breakfast every day, an EAS AdvantEdge ready to drink protein shake. I love these because they are low carb, unlike many of the so called protein shakes out there, and they are something I can grab from the pantry and go straight to the car.
One shake has 100 cal, 2 g fat, 3 g carbs, and 17 g of protein. And they taste good too!

Lunch

 

I love my Planetbox lunch box. For this lunch I packed 1/2 of a cucumber, 5 ozs of cherub tomatoes, 70 ozs red seedless grapes, 2 boiled eggs, 28 grams of roasted almonds, and a lunch size can of tuna (I think it was a 3 oz can). This was plenty for lunch and my afternoon snack.

This meal had 541 cals, 27 g fat, 13 g carbs, and 43 g of protein. It seems like a lot of fat but that was healthy almond fat :)

Dinner

This was dinner last night. That is a 9.3 ounce top sirloin steak with 72 grams of steamed carrots and 91 grams of broccoli.
This dinner had 397 calories, 9.3 grams fat, 12.9 grams carbs and 62 grams of protein. I was happy with that!


My grand total for this day was 1038 calories, 38 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, and 122 grams of protein. In the future I may choose a leaner meat at night if I eat almonds during the day to reduce the fat intake just a bit but my carb intake was spot on! It can be done  :)

I cleaned the kitchen after dinner and avoided it for the rest of the night since that is my weak time. Any tips you all have to avoid eating at night?

More Paleo Lunch Ideas

Paleo Meat Balls

I made Paleo Meatballs for dinner tonight. The recipe is super delicious and can be found here. I am linking to the recipe since it is not mine and I want to give credit where credit is due. :)

Paleo Lunch Ideas

I have been trying really hard to eat Paleo for most of my meals. Something that really helps me is to make my lunch to take to school instead of eating in the dining hall or student union. By taking my lunch I have complete control over what I eat and I limit my portions to only what my Planetbox lunchbox will hold. I have shared a few pictures of my lunches on Instagram but decided to put them on my blog to help spark some ideas for others who need Paleo lunches.

Hopefully this will spark some ideas for you all on items to pack for a healthy lunch.

Fried Squash

Fried Squash Amanda Style

 

 

You will need:

Yellow Squash, peeled and sliced medium thick.

1/2 cup corn meal

1/2 cup all purpose flour

salt and pepper (to your liking)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

canola (or your favorite kind) oil

 

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet on high heat.

Mix the milk and egg in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, corn meal, salt, and pepper.

Dunk the squash into the milk mix and then into the flour mix. You want a good coating on the squash so don't try to do it all at once!

Place several (maybe 7)  pieces of squash in the hot oil in a single layer. Let it cook for 2 or so and then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes. If you have ever fried eggplant, then it is the same principle idea.

Pull from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

 

This is so simple but soooo good, especially when you use fresh squash from the garden. It isn't really healthy (it is fried after all!) but it is a nice treat now and again.

 

 



 



Mamaw Mae's Rice and Tomatoes

Tonight as I was chopping an onion to prepare supper, I started crying. As much as I would like to blame the onion, it was innocent of any offense. I was crying because I was making a recipe my Mamaw Mae used to make. Even though she has been on the other side of the veil since 1993, I still think about her often and miss her very much. She influenced my life in many ways and I am eternally grateful for her love.  

In remembrance of my Mamaw, I want to share a recipe that she used to make often. It has always been one of my favorites. It is really cheap to make, as were most recipes that orginated during harder times.

 

Rice and Tomatoes

You will need:
2 cups slightly undercooked white rice
1 large onion, chopped
a tiny bit of cooking oil of your choice
1 quart of HOME CANNED TOMATOES (if you are completely desperate you can use store bought. It won't taste near as good though.)
salt and pepper to taste


Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet and saute the onion until done.
Add in your canned tomatoes AND the juice.
Liberally salt the tomatoes and add a good amount of black pepper. The amount of salt will depend on whether you use home canned tomatoes that were packed without salt or nasty store bought canned tomatoes that bring shame to your Mamaws that came before you.
Let this simmer for about 15 minutes while you cook your rice in a separate pot.
Stir the slightly undercooked rice into the onion and tomato mixture in your skillet.
Let it all simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and it looks about right.

You can serve this as a side dish with just about anything or let it stand on its own as a meatless, frugal dinner.

I hope you give this recipe a try. It is absolutely delicious and reminds me of simpler times spent in the kitchen with my best friend, Mamaw Mae.

Spaghetti Squash

I have mentioned spaghetti squash to several people and have been surprised when they either hadn't heard about it or had no idea how to prepare it. It is a fabulous, lower carb alternative to pasta. Here is how to prepare it:

You will need
1 spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt
pepper

Using a large, very sharp knife, cut the squash in half and use a spoon to remove all the seeds. Rub the inside with olive oil and season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Place cut side up on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. Keep an eye on it and pull it before it burns. You will know when it is done when it pulls away from the skin easily. It should look like this:

Let it cool for a few minutes and then use a fork to scrape the inside of the squash out. See how easy it is to do?

You can use this in place of pasta with most any sauce. Be sure and drain the liquid off. Otherwise your dish will be watery. I will often lay it out on a flour sack cloth towel to absorb some of the moisture.
It is also delicious when tossed with just olive oil and herbs and garlic.

Give spaghetti squash a try instead of carb loaded pasta!

Garden Omelet

I love omelets! You can put almost anything in an omelet for a nice brunch. Today I made a garden omelet and it was probably the best I have ever eaten. This recipe makes two generous servings.

Materials:
4 slices turkey bacon
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced bell pepper
1 medium zucchini
1 oz of fresh grated cheddar
3 eggs
pat of butter
salt
pepper

Method:
In a cast iron skillet, fry the turkey bacon. Remove to a plate.
Add onion and bell pepper to pan and cook until almost tender. Add zucchini and cook until heated.
Remove the veggies to a bowl.
Add a pat of butter to the skillet and let melt.
Scramble the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add eggs to the skillet, then add the veggies back, keeping them to the middle of the eggs and in a thin layer. Grate your cheddar on top of the veggies.
Let the eggs cook until the bottom is no longer runny. Fold the omelet over itself and let it finish cooking.

I like to serve this omelet with a few slices of avocado and a generous spoonful of homemade (no store bought please!) salsa. You can serve with fresh fruit with a balanced, nutritious breakfast. Enjoy!

Stir fry: An easy, healthy meal

I have been struggling this week with how to incorporate my love for cooking and baking into a healthy lifestyle. I have started working out twice a week with a Crossfit coach and he is constantly reminding me that "We can't out train poor nutrition!". I love to cook and so tonight I decided to make a stir fry that follows the nutritional guidelines found here.

Stir fry is one of the easiest ways to incorporate more vegetables and lean protein into our diets. It is so versatile that you can literally use whatever you have on hand. For example, tonight I used leftover beef steak. I almost always cook my steak rare, partly because I like rare meat and partly because it makes it easy to use in a second meal without over cooking the meat.

     

 

                                          

Easy Stir Fry:

 

minced garlic
sliced onion
cabbage (finely shredded)
yellow squash
zucchini
bell pepper
mushroom
left over steak
1 tbs oil
sunflower seeds
Stir fry Sauce Recipe at Eat Live Paleo

Heat your wok over high heat. Add oil by pouring down the side of the pan and swirling to coat all sides.
Cook garlic for a minute or so until browned.
Add onion and cabbage and allow to cook until onion starts to soften.
Add the remaining chopped vegetables and rare steak. Cook until heated and tender crisp.
When almost done, make a hole in the middle and add in a little Stir Fry sauce (see link above for recipe). I also sprinkled on a few sunflower seeds at this point for crunch.
Serve and enjoy!

Dried Fruit Snacks

I put some strawberries and bananas in the dehydrator tonight and wanted to share how I dry fruit to make super yummy and all natural fruit snacks.

You need to wash your fruit well and take the time to prep it correctly. Try to make all your slices a uniform thickness so that the food will dry evenly. Any food that turns brown shortly after you cut into it like apples, bananas, or pineapples will need to be treated before they are dried. You can do this by mixing lemon juice and water and tossing the fruit or you can use a commercially available product such as Fruit Fresh. Place the sliced fruit evenly on the drying racks. Leave a little space between each piece so that the air can circulate.

 
I usually put my fruit in the dehydrator overnight and check it first thing in the morning. You want to make sure it is dried out thoroughly. I like to put mine in a zip lock because I will eat it fairly quickly. You can also vacuum seal it and it will keep for at least 6 months. Enjoy!

School and Sammis

Remember when you were a kid and you came home from school and felt like you were STARVING? Yeah, that also happens when you go back to school as an adult. And I decided this week to give up my beloved diet soda. Do you know how hard it can be to drive past Sonic during the peak of happy hour???
Alright, enough whining and on the sammi. I was starving hungry when I got home so I wanted something quick for supper.

 

 

Turkey, Avocado, and Feta Pita Sammi

 

For each half sammi, layer in order:

1 pita pocket

1 big leaf romaine lettuce

1 smear of home made guacamole

2 thin slices of turkey

1/2 Roma tomato chopped

1/8 cup feta cheese

1/2 tablespoon Greek dressing

 

This is so filling and has great flavor. It was also quick to fix and didn't dirty any dishes other than the cutting board and a knife :)

 

What is your favorite sandwich?

 

 





Spinach Tortilla Chips

As part of my efforts to eat healthier, I am really trying to avoid foods that are excessively processed or contain tons of artificial preservatives. I was really excited to find Spinach Tortillas at Whole Foods today. I was afraid that they would go bad before I used them and I had a serious craving for chips with my hummus tonight so I made them into tortilla chips. They turned out FANTASTIC! I used my pizza cutter to cut the tortilla into the desired size and baked them on a lightly oiled baking sheet at 350 degrees. I didn't time them since I was busy making the hummus, so just keep an eye on them. They were nice and crisp and fairly thick, like a pita chip. Give them a try! It was nice knowing I was eating something that had only 5 or 6 natural ingredients.

Smoothie Recipe

I am ashamed to admit that I had never actually made a smoothie at home until today. I think it turned out fantastic.

3/4 cup frozen fruit
1/4 cup frozen blueberries (because I had some on hand)
1/4 cup raw rolled oats
1 cup Dannon Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt (started with 1/2 cup but couldn't get the fruit to break down with that small an amount)

Blend it in a blender until smooth. I ended up needing to add just a splash of juice to thin it out.

 

 

Best baseboard cleaner, ever!

I tackled my kitchen baseboards today. I have been needing to do it for a while but putting it off. I found a floor grease cutter cleaner recipe on Pinterest several weeks ago and was pretty excited to try it out today. I decided to mix up a batch and clean the baseboards before I started on the kitchen floor.
All I can say is WOW!!!!  This stuff works great! Best baseboard cleaning session I have ever had the pleasure of enduring :)
I also used it to mop my kitchen floor and have mixed results. I made a fresh batch for the floors and think that I might have gone a little heavy on the dish soap because I had mega suds and needed to rinse the floor afterward. But it still did a pretty darn good job on cleaning my old vinyl kitchen floor!

Here is the recipe:

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
• 1/4 cup washing soda
• 2 gallons tap water, very warm

Place all the ingredients into a bucket and mix well until sudsy.

Not recommended for waxed floors--it may make the wax gunky

Give it a try and comment below how it worked for you!

Pizza bites

I am always looking for quick, easy lunches I can fix for myself when Jason is working. I found a winner with these pizza bites.

mini french bread
tomato sauce (I usually have a jar in the fridge)
seasonings (I used Shirley J pizza and pasta season mix)
shredded cheese
pepperoni


Slice your bread fairly thin. Mix tomato sauce and seasonings to taste. Top each bread slice with a little sauce. Sprinkle on cheese and any toppings you might have in the fridge. Toast until the cheese is melted and bubbly. I use my toaster oven for this. It only takes 5 or 10 minutes. Just watch it close.

So yummy, so simple, so quick.

Powdered Laundry Detergent

In the past I have made and used liquid homemade laundry soap. You can find the liquid recipe here. 

Recently I made a batch of the powdered laundry soap. The powder uses the same dry ingredients and amounts as the liquid, but takes up much less room to store. I haven't had any problems with it clumping on my clothes, even when washing in cold water. I use about 2 tablespoons for a large load. Even using coupons, I find this much cheaper than any store bought detergent and it works VERY well. Because it is non-sudsy, it works fine in regular and HE washers. :)

Cheese Cake Fried Pie

As requested by so many of my Facebook Friends, here is my recipe:

Cheese Cake Fried Pie

Filling (this is to easy!):
1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 jar of marshmallow cream

Mix well in a bowl.

Everyone has their own favorite pie crust, so I am not even going there!
Just roll out your crust and cut into circles. I didn't bother pulling out the biscuit cutter. I had a wide mouth mason jar sitting on the counter waiting to be put away so I used it.

Place a scant spoonful of filling in the middle of each circle. Dampen your finger with water and run it around the edges of the circle. Fold the circle in half and kind of redistribute the filling with your hands to even it out and get rid of the excess air. Use a fork to seal the edges nice and pretty.

I fried my pies in a heavy bottom skillet with about an inch or so of canola oil heated to about 375 degrees. It only take a few minutes. When the pie starts to float, flip it over and brown the other side. These will burn quick so watch carefully!

Drain on a wire rack and paper towel. For an even better time, dust the hot pie lightly with powder sugar. Enjoy!

Vegetable Juice Potluck

Vegetable Juice Potluck

1 tomato (I used a handful of tomatoes off my plant)
2 celery stalks
2 large carrots
5 large broccoli florets
1/2 cucumber

I only give this juice a 5 out of 10. It has an after taste that I find unpleasant. I do like getting my veggies in though. It made a decent lunch.

Juice #3 How Sweet It Is

Today's juice is all fruit and all sweet:
Sweet Surprise
3 spears pineapple
1 orange (peeled)
4 fresh strawberries
1 bunch of grapes

I give this juice a 10 out of 10! It is sweet and smooth and easy on the taste buds. Just know that it has a lot of fruit sugars so if you have blood sugar issues be cautious!