Monday, February 21, 2011

Make Your Own Lavender Laundry Detergent--for Pennies

Make Your Own Lavender Laundry Detergent--for Pennies: "Simple Washing Powder 

16 cups baking soda
12 cups borax
8 cups grated castile or glycerin soap flakes*
3 tablespoons lavender, lemon or grapefruit essential oil

Combine baking soda, borax and soap flakes. Add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk. Use 1⁄8 cup per load.

Yield: This recipe makes enough powder to last a family of four one year.

*Try Sun Feather Natural Soap Company, or buy bars of castile soap (e.g. Dr. Bronner’s) and grate with a kitchen grater."

Almond & Brazil Nut Bread

SERVING SUGGESTIONS AND TIPS
The cooking time will vary, give or take 15 minutes, depending on the oven. If cooking in a toaster oven, consider reducing heat to 300 degrees F, and/or cooking time to 45 minutes.

Slices of nut bread are good "toasted" at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes.

The bread will rise during cooking but will fall and become dense upon cooling. This is normal.

The bread consistency will resemble a dense, crumbly pound cake or soft shortbread.

To make crispy nuts, soak in water overnight up to 24 hours using 1 tbsp of salt for every two cups of nuts and water to cover nuts about an inch. Dry in dehydrator at 125 degrees for 12 to 24 hours.

The ghee or lard may be replaced with coconut oil and the total fat may be adjusted to up to 1/2 a cup per loaf.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups blanched crispy almonds
1 1/2 cup crispy brazil nuts
4 eggs
1/4 cup ghee, slightly melted
2 tbsp lard, slightly melted
1 tsp natural sea salt

Preparation Instructions

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups blanched crispy almonds
1 1/2 cup crispy brazil nuts
4 eggs
1/4 cup ghee, slightly melted
2 tbsp lard, slightly melted
1 tsp natural sea salt

Preparation Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees, F. Line loaf pan with wax paper cut to fit into the bottom of loaf pan. Grease paper and sides of loaf pan with lard or melted ghee.

2.Pulse/blend almonds and brazil nuts in food processor until it turns into a thick nut butter. Remove 1/2 cup of nut paste and set aside.

3.Add eggs, ghee, lard, and salt. Blend until well mixed.

4.Add back the nut paste that was set aside little by little until the mixture resembles very thick cake batter, blending with each addition. Refrigerate any leftover nut paste to use in a future batch of nut bread.

5.Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Smooth out the top of batter with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula.

6.Bake in preheated oven for approximately an hour, or until a knife or metal skewer comes out clean. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes in pan, then run a knife around the edge of the bread and remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Homemade Dish Washing Recipes

Powder Recipe #1

1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

Powder Recipe #2

1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Borax
For the above two recipes:
Mix thoroughly and store in a plastic container, use approximately 2 TBS per load.
Use vinegar in the rinse compartment as a rinse agent to help prevent residue
Try adding 2-3 drops essential oil
Powder Recipe #3

1/4 cup Washing Soda
1 TBS Liquid Dish Detergent
Use the above for each load of dishes.

Liquid Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

1 part baking soda
1 part borax
1 part water
1 drop lemon or orange essential oil per cup of detergent
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in a seal-able jug.
Use 2 to 3 TBS per load.
If you’re having a cloudy dishes problem after using the homemade detergents:
Try adding a few drops of liquid dish soap to the powder compartment when you add the powder.
You could also try cutting back on the amount of soap used (if you’re using 2 TBS, try cutting it back to 1 – 1 1/2 TBS).
Make sure to use vinegar in the rinse cycle
*Update: There are several comments from readers reporting both success and problems (namely that the homemade detergents below cause issues including a cloudy residue left on dishes). I don’t know why there’s a discrepancy, but it may have something to do with water temperature (not hot enough) or water quality (too hard, etc.). My dishwasher is still going strong with no problems, dishes are consistently clean with no residue and it’s about 20 years old–good old Maytag!

Because these recipes I’ve collected below are at least 10 or 15 years old (I’m going from memory here), the problem could be with newer models of dishwashers? How much water is used to flush & rinse the dishes? I’m not sure. I would suggest you watch carefully how the homemade detergents affect your dishes when first trying them (do they leave a powdery residue?).

If you have any advice or feedback, please feel free to share them below.

Ginger Ale Water Kefir Recipe - Whole Traditions

Ginger Ale Water Kefir Recipe - Whole Traditions


Ingredients
4 to 5 tbsp sucanat, rapadura, agave nectar, maple syrup, or other crystalized sugar

1 tbsp water kefir grains
about 1 quart filtered or spring water

3 to 5 slices peeled ginger

1 slice lemon or squirt of lemon juice (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Add water kefir grains and sweetener to a non-airtight quart sized jar or bottle.
Add enough water to fill up the jar or bottle while leaving about 1 inch of space at the top.
Shake or stir until the sugars are completely dissolved. Add ginger slices.
Cover with a non-airtight lid and allow to brew at room temperature for 24 to 48+ hours.
When it's done to your liking, strain out the grains, discarding ginger slices. Add lemon if desired, and store covered, in the fridge.
For an especially fizzy brew, strain out grains and decant water kefir about 1/2 day before it's done into airtight bottles and allow to ferment at room temperature for another 1/2 day before storing in the fridge. Open with caution as the drink may be strongly carbonated.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Chicken Crescent Rolls / Feed Four People with 1 Chicken Breast


Feed 4 People with 1 Chicken Breast
And they will get 2 servings each!

• 1Chicken Breast; cooked and shredded
• 1 package Refrigerated Crescent Rolls
• 1 small 3-ounce package Cream Cheese
• 2 tablespoons Chopped Onion
• 1/2 cup Milk or Cream
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
Preheat oven to 325ยบ.
Butter a 9×13 baking dish.
Separate rolls.
Blend cream cheese and onion well.
Place this mixture on the widest side of each crescent.
Place some chicken on top of that; then roll up.
Place chicken crescents in baking dish.
Mix soup with milk and pour over all.
Bake 45 minutes or until brown.

Poor Man's Cake




This recipe came out of the rationing that was done during World War II, when you had to use your eggs judiciously. This cake doesn't call for any eggs at all. And if there were recipes I post here that I could somehow force people to make, this would be one of them. This cake is fantastic, beyond what the simple list of ingredients would indicate. (author's note)



Water
1 box of raisins
1 t baking soda
2 C sugar
1/2 C shortening
1 t salt
1 t ground cloves
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
4 C flour

Put raisins in 2 C of water in a saucepan and cook on med-high heat for 10 minutes. Remove from stove.

Add 1 C cold water and 1 t of baking soda; stir.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, shortening, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add raisin / water mixture. Add flour, mixing well.

Pour into a greased cake pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done.

This cake is perfect for fall, full of raisins and spices, and it's very moist and dense. Absolutely a family favorite of mine!

Source:
http://www.milkbreathandmargaritas.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

Cheese Blintz (Mennonite)

These blintzes are an old favorite of ours. I know there are other ways of making them but this is how I make them. Sometimes I roll them up instead of these bundles..the taste is the same. This recipe is found in the Mennonite Treasury. I use the recipe for German pancakes to make the blintzes. I changed it up a wee bit.

German Pancakes:
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 cups milk

Mix flour and salt, add eggs and milk. Beat until free of lumps, this makes a thin batter.
Heat up a cast iron frying pan, works in other pans but I like my well seasoned cast iron pan the best and when 'almost smoking hot' brush with butter and pour approx 1/4 cup batter in the pan tilting the pan till a thin layer covers the bottom of the pan.
Cook on med high until dough is set. Turn and cook until golden brown underneath. Watch carefully as these brown up fast.
Pile up on a plate and keep warm in oven.

Blintzes

Cottage cheese mixture:
1 375g tub dry cottage cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and start making the blintzes.
Place a spoonful of cottage cheese mixture in center of pancake, fold in the edges and place folded side down in well buttered cast iron frying pan.
You may now just pile them all up in the pan as I did and bake them covered at 350 for 15 to 20 min OR brown the blintzes in the frying pan and serve immediately. They are delicious served with cream gravy.

Cream gravy:
Melt 3 tbsp butter in frying pan, add 1 cup whipping cream and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. I also add a pinch of sugar. Turn oven down to med heat and cook until gravy thickens, stirring frequently.
Pour over the blintzes and enjoy. These are good served with farmer sausage and coleslaw.
Delicious!! (from blog Mennonite Girls Can Cook)