homemade laundry detergent

I used to make my own laundry detergent, but then got lazy and went back to buying it at the store. There are certainly a lot of options out there for "cleaner" (ha! no pun intended) laundry detergents, but they usually come with a hefty price tag. I recently got back to making it myself and I was reminded of how simple it is to make. This powder detergent is three ingredients and it seriously works. I have two smelly, dirty boys and their clothes come out clean every time. This recipe works in both HE and regular washers.

Powder Laundry Detergent

1 bar of soap (I used Dr. Bronner's)

1 cup washing soda (this is NOT baking soda!)

1 cup borax

20 drops essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

Grate the bar of soap using a fine cheese grater or food processor. Mix in washing soda and borax. Add essential oils (if using) and stir. Store in a sealed container. Add 1-2 tablespoons directly to the clothes and launder like normal.

The washing soda and borax can be found in the laundry aisle of any store, and the Dr. Bronner's bar soaps are carried at all health food stores such as Whole Foods, Natural Grocers and Sprouts. I used the peppermint scent in the last batch I made and it smelled so good. The clothes don't come out smelling like a candy cane, just fresh and clean.

Original recipe here

freezer breakfast burritos

It's back to school time in our house, as I'm sure it is in most of yours as well. So long, leisurely mornings, and hello hectic craziness of trying to get everyone out the door on time. If there is one part of your morning routine that you cannot skimp on, it's breakfast. As a teacher, I see first hand the negative effects of children who do not eat a filling, healthy breakfast.

These breakfast burritos are something you can make ahead of time for a quick, filling breakfast on the go. I always make a big batch and freeze them. They are easy to pop in the microwave in the morning and my boys both gobble them up.

Breakfast Burritos

1 lb breakfast sausage (pork or turkey works just fine)

8 eggs, scrambled

shredded cheese

10-12 tortillas

Instructions:

Brown sausage and drain on a paper towel. In the same pan, cook scrambled eggs, then add the sausage back to the pan and combine with eggs. You can easily store this in the fridge for the week and make the burritos each morning by adding egg/sausage mixture and cheese to the tortilla. Or, you can make up the burritos and freeze for later. I've found it's best to lay burritos out on a cookie sheet in a single layer, then put the entire pan in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can transfer to a freezer friendly container. To reheat, simply wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 90 seconds, turning half way thru.

Makes 10-12 burritos

sopsky salad

While in college, I spent a semester living abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. I will not say "studying" abroad because there was very little studying that took place during my stay. It is still to this day one of the best experiences of my life, and this city will always be special to me.

Czech cuisine is nothing to write home about, but the beer, oh my, the beer. Our dorm had both a pub and a vending machine with beer, so that shows you how they prioritize. See why there wasn't much studying going on?

There was one salad served at a lot of restaurants that I still make at home during the summer. It's called the sopsky (pronounced shop-ski) salad and it's just four simple ingredients. There is no dressing, but the liquid from the veggies and the cheese sort of come together to make a dressing. It's so tasty when the tomatoes are at their best! This salad is the perfect side dish to take to that backyard cookout or pot luck dinner.

Sopsky Salad

2 medium tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 green pepper (red, yellow, or orange works too)

1/2 cup feta cheese

Instructions:

Chop veggies into similar sizes, about 1/2 inch pieces. Mix in feta cheese. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Makes about 4 cups.

peanut butter protein bites

These peanut butter bites are a great snack for kids and grown-ups alike. I'm thinking that they will be a great addition to lunch boxes when we go back to school next month (NOOOO!!!). You could easily swap out the peanut butter for any nut butter.

These bites are pretty sweet and are not considered a low calorie, so try to resist eating them all in one sitting!

Peanut Butter Protein Bites

1 c. natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1 c. oats

1/4 c. almond flour

1 tbsp flax seed

2 tbsp raw honey

2 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions:

Combine ingredients, then roll into ping pong size balls. Keep in fridge.

Makes about 20 balls.

foaming hand soap

I did a post about making your own hand soap, but for some reason my boys like the foaming kind. Something about the suds makes them scrub their hands a little better, and who can argue with that? This recipe takes about 60 seconds (and three ingredients!) to make.

Foaming Hand Soap

2 tbsp Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap

2 tsp fractionated coconut oil

1 cup water

10 drops essential oil (optional)

Mix soap, coconut oil, and essential oils in a foaming hand soap pump (either reused or new). Then fill the rest of the bottle with water. Give it a little shake every now. So easy!

Recipe Notes:

Fractionated coconut oil is a liquid form, unlike regular coconut oil, which is a solid. It has no nutritional value, but is great for soaps and lotions, as well as diluting essential oils. 

Do not use regular coconut oil in this recipe as it will solidify.

I used lemon and orange essential oils for the antibacterial properties.

homemade fruit and veggie wash

I used to think a quick rinse under the water faucet was enough to wash all the gunk off my fruits and veggies. Wrong! Produce, even organic, is covered in all sort of nasty stuff. Think about how many hands have touched that apple at the store. I'm no germaphobe, but that's just gross. And if you're not buying organic, then your produce is more than likely also covered with pesticides. There are a bunch of great fruit and veggie washes on the market, but it is so easy (and cheap!) to make at home.

Homemade Fruit and Veggie Wash

4 parts water

1 part distilled white vinegar

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. Spritz mixture on produce and rub it around a little. Let it sit for a minute or so, then wash off.

You can also mix up a big batch of this in a bucket or your sink and soak all of your produce at once. It's easy to just throw everything in, let it soak for a bit, then rinse. Now all your produce is ready to eat!

two ingredient ice cream

My sister in law told me about putting strawberries and a banana in the blender, and out comes ice cream. Actually she said it feel just like Dippin' Dots in your mouth. Say what? I just had to give it a try and you know what? She was totally right. Delicious! And it's the most beautiful shade of pink you ever saw. I'd like a pair of pants in this color, please.

Two Ingredient Ice Cream

10 frozen strawberries

1 banana 

(I used an unfrozen, ripe banana. I'm sure frozen would work great, too)

Blend in a blender or food processor. Blend longer for a smoother consistency. Shorter for the "Dippin' Dot" consistency. 

Makes about 2 cups

Stand there in awe at the beautiful creation you just made.