Homemade Laundry Detergent 2.0

About a year ago I wrote a post about how to make laundry detergent at home.  I have used this recipe for over a year, and it works great!  I never did get around to trying Fels Naptha over the Ivory soap (that's what happens when you buy a 16 pack of soap) but I also never felt like there was much reason to mess with a recipe that works.

That being said, I appreciate the value of time, and 24 hours to make a batch of laundry soap (even if that's mostly "curing" time) seems a little silly.  And funneling the detergent into containers can get messy.  So I did some Googling, and found many websites and forums where people said you could just make the powder and not bother with the water and it would work just fine.  I figured this was worth a shot!

The ingredients are the same as in the original detergent recipe, except for the water.  If you have a food processor, it Really comes in handy (especially if you have a grating blade for it).

The Process:
Grate your soap (use 1 bar of ivory or 1/2 bar of Fels Naptha)
Put grated soap in food processor, pulse a few times.
Add 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cut borax to the food processor
Pulse a few times until everything is well mixed.

This recipe easily doubles, so if you like it you can easily make more, less often.

To Use:
Use 1-2 teaspoons for an HE washer, or 2-3 teaspoons for a regular washer.

The Results:
This detergent works just as well as the liquid/gel, and is Much faster/easier to make!  I do, however, recommend keeping some of the liquid/gel on hand and using it for cold water washes, reserving the powder for warm and hot washes since it may not fully dissolve in cold water.  Depending on your washer this may be totally unnecessary.  I store my powder in a clean plastic peanut butter jar.  I threw in a silica pack to help keep the powder from clumping from moisture and that seems to work just fine.

Also, the cost breakdown is the same, since the amount of powder you use per load is equivalent to the gel.  This means each batch of laundry detergent, enough for 32-64 loads (depending on the type/efficiency of your washer and soil level of your clothes), costs only $1.90.

Re-Growing and Storing Green Onions

Green onions were one of those ingredients I usually just left out of recipes. At $1.99 for a small bundle (usually 7-9 onions), green onions are deceptively expensive.  Right now at my local grocery store yellow onions are 89¢/lb, or a little over 5.5¢/oz.  A bundle of green onions is $1.99 for about 1.5 ounces of green stalk.  That's a whopping $21/lb!  If you use the root ends as well that helps make them a little more cost effective, but by weight green onions are Super expensive!

Furthermore, if you're like me, you'll buy them for a recipe that only calls for half the onions.  Then, with every intention of finding a use the for other half, we put them in the fridge and forget them until they've gone bad.  This effectively doubles the cost of those little green onions, because we've now paid $1.99 to use 1/2 that bundle. 

After some Googling, I found that green onions freeze really well.  You just cut them up into small pieces like you normally would for most recipes, put them in a plastic bag, and throw them in the freezer.  That's definitely helpful, but I still shudder at the cost of those onions.  After some More Googling, and then some home experimentation, it seems there is a simple solution!

When you chop your green onions, don't go too close to the root, just get the green stalks.  Then put the root ends in a small glass (tall shot glasses work well) with some water, and place in a window.  Your onions will grow new stalks that you can trim and add them your freezer bag, and keep growing more after you trim them!  I hesitate to say this will make unlimited onions, but so far I've harvested nearly a 1/2 of a sandwich size Ziplock bag's worth of onions and they're still going strong.  I just keep the water topped off in the glass, and every time I trim the onions I change the water completely and give the roots a rinse under fresh running water for a few seconds.

I'm looking forward to being able to use green onions in recipes in the future without having to worry about how expensive they are!  Enjoy!

Wine Cubes - Freezing Wine for Future Use

"I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food."

- Julia Child (Attributed)

I'm a lot less picky about the wine that I use for cooking than I am about the wine I drink.  And, on occasion, I open a bottle of wine I've never tried, take a sip, and immediately move that particular wine to my "don't buy again" list.  But I hate letting it go to waste since around our house wine is a luxury, and I also don't like scrambling for a recipe that I hadn't previously planned on preparing that week.  So, what to do?  It turns out you can freeze it!

The Supplies:

Wine

Ice cube trays

A freezer

The Process:

Pour wine into ice cube trays, put in freezer, let sit at Least 24 hours.  

It's a lot less messy to leave them in the trays, but if you need the trays for other projects you can pop the wine cubes out and put them in a ziplock bag and return them to the freezer.  They will be a little slushy because alcohol has a lower freezing temp than water, but they'll hold their shape well enough.  This is super convenient for the next time you have a recipe that requires wine and you don't want to use the good stuff.  They may lose alcohol content over time, but most recipes cook the alcohol out of the wine anyway, so it's just a flavoring agent. 

What an easy way to keep something from going to waste!

Cheap window insulation

Want a cheap, temporary, and easy way to insulate your windows and lower your winter heating bill?  It isn't too good to be true!  For just a few dollars (or possibly "free" if you've moved recently), you can quickly and easily insulate your windows for winter, without losing your natural light!

How, you ask?

Bubble wrap.

Yep, bubble wrap can be utilized to insulate your windows and help keep your home warmer.

The Supplies:
Bubble wrap (I used the smaller type but I've seen websites that say the big bubble type is fine too)
Scissors
A spray bottle or water or bleach disinfectant anywhere spray

The Process:

Cut bubble wrap sheets to fit window panes.  The don't have to be perfect.  To save time you can cut one to fit, then use it as a template to cut a stack of 6 layers of bubble wrap at a time.

Once your sheets of bubble wrap is cut and ready to go, finely mist your windows with your squirt bottle.  I like to use my homemade bleach disinfectant spray because it lessens the chances of there being a mildew smell later.

Sorry this doesn't show it really well.  It doesn't take much, just a fine misting.

Look at your bubble wrap.  There is likely a smooth side and a bumpy/bubbly side.  While the glass is still moist, put the bubble wrap on the glass with the bubble side towards the glass.  This creates a space with lots of air pockets that will help keep warm air in and cold air out.

Repeat until all your windows are done!  If you have scrap pieces, you can save those and do patchwork pieces in oddly shaped windows or in windows where the bubble wrap isn't quite big enough.

Before   /   After

As you can see, this method still allows plenty of natural light in.  It can also be used as a way to add a little privacy to rooms without having to put up curtains or blinds.

It works for all different window and window pane shapes and designs too.  Here's some other windows in my house I've done so far.

You can see on the right side of this window where I pieced in some bubble wrap.  It really doesn't have to be perfect.

In the spring you just peel the bubble wrap off your windows and store it for next year.  If it starts to come a little loose before you're ready for it to come down, just peel the sheet off, spritz the glass with some water, and reapply.  It's That easy!

Home Made Hair Detangling Spray

At about $6/bottle, detangler is Expensive!  And if you have really thick, curly, and/or long hair, it's kind of necessary if you want to comb your hair quickly without ripping out handfuls of it in the process.  So, I decided to figure out a way to make my own, and I was not disappointed by my Google search, the ease of this recipe, or the results!

Ingredients:
Hair conditioner (Any kind.  In fact, this is a great use for sample packets)
Water
A spray bottle

I reused a detangler spray bottle I had finished, and conditioner I already had.

The Process:
Squirt some conditioner into your spray bottle.
Fill the bottle the rest of the way with warm water.
Put on cap.  Shake for 30 seconds.
Spray onto damp hair after showering to easily comb hair.

That's it!

The various websites I read recommended between 1 teaspoon and 2 tablespoons per cup of water.  My hair is very long but very fine, and I found that a teaspoon in my 9 oz. spray bottle was enough to detangle and smooth without leaving my hair looking greasy.  Adjust the ratio of conditioner to water based on your hair type.

The Results:
I've been using this detangling spray for about a month now and I couldn't be happier!  It is So much cheaper than buying it at the store and it works just as well!  I have not tried spraying it on dry hair, since my personal experience with detangling sprays in the past is that spraying it on my hair when it's dry makes it look greasy.  But since everyone's hair is different, find out what works for you.

Just an Update

Sorry I've been on this almost-two-month hiatus.  I figured the least I could do is drop in and give an update to make it clear I haven't given up on this blog.

We've Really been tightening the purse strings lately, as we're getting ready to move and moving is Expensive!  It also means that I'm not doing much experimenting with different projects.  The thing about spending money or using raw materials already on hand on new projects when you're about to move is if your experiment is a success, while that's great, you've also just created more/different stuff you have to box up and move.  And if it isn't successful, you've just spend money (either directly or through the initial cost of materials you already had around the house) that could otherwise have helped in the moving process and you don't really have much to show for it except for another notch in that ever expanding belt of experience and wisdom.  And don't get me wrong; every experiment yields results (even if they aren't the ones you were expecting/hoping for) and all knowledge is valuable (if I didn't think that, I wouldn't post the projects that didn't work out as desired). But, so is a person's time, money, and box space when in the process of moving.

So, sorry it's been so quiet! Here's a teaser of what to look for after the move is over and we're settled in:

A review of our experiences holding yard sales to get rid of stuff and bring in some extra dough before the move
Making bar soap
Home made deodorant
Experiments in growing crops in containers
Vermicomposting
Canning meat
Making red wine vinegar at home (Maybe. This is a project I Really want to try, but it is time consuming and requires some investment/set-up)
Make a fluffy loaf of 100% stone ground whole grain bread (not just whole wheat flour mixed with white flour)
Home made vanilla extract

So, lots to look forward to, so please be patient!

Home Made Dishwasher Detergent - Part II

Update 5/25/13:

Well, unfortunately this detergent Also leaves a residue on our dishes.  I'd hate for you to read the whole post thinking you'd found something useful only to find out at the end it doesn't work, so I figured I'd list go ahead and let you know.  I don't think it's our water, because regular store-bought detergents seem to work just fine.  So, we'll call this another less-than-successful experiment, and I'll try a different recipe some other time.  One of these days I'm bound to come up with a home made, cost effective dishwasher detergent that works.

A few months ago, I wrote a two part post on how to make liquid castile soap from a bar, and how to use that castile soap in a liquid dishwasher detergent recipe.  The liquid castile soap is still working out pretty well (I don't love how viscous it is, but it works really well), but as you can read in the 'results' portion of that post, the detergent didn't work out quite as well.  I was really disappointed, but as with any experiment, unexpected results doesn't mean failure.  In this case, it just meant I needed to tweak my recipe or find a new one.

Life got busy (RM and I Finally got married, so I actually Am a Missus now!) and making things at home got put on the back-burner for a while.  But now the honeymoon is over, and it's back to life as usual.

Additionally, our washing machine died last night, and fixing it was going to cost us more than buying a new-used washing machine.  So, the new-to-us used washing machine was purchased and installed today, and the bite that took out of our budget has especially spurred me back on to finding ways to save money here and there around the house.

So, to the point of this post; I have decided to try a new/different dishwasher detergent recipe I found online.  I had initially tried to make a liquid detergent, because the region I live in is humid and I didn't want to deal with a powdered detergent clumping.  This new recipe I found makes solid detergent cubes.  And, unlike the last recipe I tried which was a mish-mash of a couple recipes I'd found online with my own idea thrown in, I followed this new one to a T.

The website I found this new recipe on is here.

The ingredients couldn't be simpler; 1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda, 1/4 cup Epsom salt, and lemon juice (about 9 tablespoons).

First, I gathered my ingredients and supplies:

Next I measured my dry ingredients and mixed them well.  Try to eliminate as many clumps as you can.

I like to keep a pen(cil) and a printed copy of the recipe on hand the first few times I try something, so I can make notes as needed.  In this case, I took the time to weigh the ingredients for a cost analysis (found near the bottom of this post).

When I mixed a cup of dry mix and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice in a separate bowl, I found that a fork really did a better job than a whisk.  When it's all mixed, it looks kinda like scrambled eggs and has a texture like damp sand.

I patted it down into the ice cube trays bit by bit, trying to minimize air bubbles by layering it.  I was a little surprised at how quickly it firmed up.  By the time I got the 2nd cup mixed and started patting it down into cubes, the first few I'd done were already starting to harden.  So, you don't exactly need to rush this part, but don't walk away and expect it to be easily pliable if you come back more than 15 minutes later.

In the second ice cube container, I decided to do 1/2 cubes, since I like to play around with what quantity you actually need to get things clean, and also in case a whole cube doesn't fit in my detergent container/dispenser in the washer I can see if two 1/2 cubes would work instead.

Once I had all the mixture in the trays, I set them up in my windowsill.  After 24 hours had passed, I knocked them out of the trays (they actually came out pretty easily, which was nice!) and, after a little fiddling with a block to make it fit, ran a load of dishes I had waiting for the first trial run.


Cost breakdown:
1 cup borax (Approx. 6.4 oz):  $1.08
1 cup washing soda (Approx 10/25 oz):  $1.82
1/4 cup Epsom salt (Approx 2.35 oz):  $0.04
Lemon juice (Approx 4.5 fl oz): $0.28

Total cost for 18 (whole) cubes of detergent: $3.22, or 18¢ per cube.

I figured 18 whole cubes because 4 of the 1/2 cubes could be condensed to 2 whole cubes, and I figure the remaining 1/2 cube would just be distributed among the rest).

The Cascade brand 'Complete all-in-1 pacs' that are those little detergent packs you put in the dishwasher are $14.99 for 48 packets at my local grocery store, or $10.97 for the same 48 pack at Wal-Mart (seen here) (I hate shopping at wal-mart, I always spend way more than I meant to on stupid crap I didn't really need or have any intention of purchasing when I walked in to the store, plus there isn't one convenient to my home, so it it Really out of my way and thus I hardly ever shop there).  This means that the home made cubes cost me half as much as the ones I buy at my local grocery store, or if I was willing to drive further and didn't take the cost of gas into account, they would still save me about 5¢ per load of dishes if I bought them at Wal-Mart.

Results:
This recipe seems to be a success.  I say 'seems' because my last attempt/recipe took a couple weeks of dish washing before we realized it was leaving a build up of residue on our dishes that didn't want to come off.  However, the first few loads I have run have come out clean, and I have high hopes for this recipe.  So, let's assume at this point that I've found a great way to save money while getting my dishes clean, and I'll update this post in the future if I find any problems in the efficiency of these dishwasher detergent cubes.

Update 5/25/13:
As started at the beginning of the post, it turns out this detergent leaves a residue as well.  So, it's back to the drawing board!

What I'll do differently next time:
This is a new section.  In most of my posts, I generally am posting what my experiences were in my first attempt at a process/recipe/method I found online. This holds true with this post.  I had never previously made dishwasher detergent cubes, so the problems I had are problems that others may run in to when they first try it.
Remember how I said I made some half-size blocks because I was concerned about how the full sized ones would fit in my detergent dispenser/container?  Well, I had the right idea, but it didn't work out quite as I'd hoped.  It turns out that the full size detergent blocks are a smidge too tall, and trying to put two half size blocks in doesn't work because then they are a smidge too wide.  So, I pulled out a cheese grater and a bowl and smoothed down the rough tops of my full size blocks.  The couple smallest blocks didn't need this at all, and the few biggest ones had to be grated down a bit more than just smoothing the rough edges.

The blocks on the left are smoothed out with the grater, the ones on the right are how they looked straight out of the ice cube tray.

I had quite a bit of powder left after I finished smoothing down the detergent blocks.

I used some of the powder I got from filing the blocks smooth in the pre-wash container.  We'll see what, if any, difference it makes.

Now that I know what size I need, I'll probably make 3/4 size blocks, or try to fill the trays a little more neatly.  As for the powder from smoothing them out, while I didn't really want powdered detergent, I might as well use it up.  I got about a rounded 1/4 teaspoon of powder from each block, and  I also crushed the 1/2 blocks I had since I didn't have much use for them, so it added up to quite a bit.  I had to crush the 1/2 blocks with a hammer because my small food processor wasn't up for the challenge.  I was surprised by how hard these blocks are!  I'll probably use the powder in the pre-wash cups on heavier loads until it runs out.

Home Made Creamy Peanut Butter

Ok, normally I save the "results" section for the bottom, but I just can't contain myself on this one!  This peanut butter is Fantastic!  It is easy, delicious, healthy, affordable, and unlike those natural peanut butters you buy at the store, you don't have to stir it* for 15 minutes every time you want to have some!  Now that I know how to make my own natural peanut butter, I will never eat store bought again.

* I don't have to stir mine, but I don't add any extra peanut oil.  I don't know whether adding oil will make it so it separates and has to be stirred.

Ingredients:
1 lb. of roasted, out of the shell peanuts (I recommend low sodium or no salt added out for your first try, then switch later if you want)
Sweetener of choice (optional)
Peanut oil (optional)

The Process:

Pour all your peanuts into a food processor.  A blender might work too, but I haven't tried it.

Believe it or not, Trader Joe's actually had the cheapest peanuts!

The first time you make this, I suggest waiting until the end of the process to add your sweetener (if you want to use any at all).  For your first batch, you will add it in small increments at the end of the process until you reach the desired sweetness, then make a note of how much sweetener you used.  The next time you make peanut butter, add your sweetener at the "balling up" stage so it will incorporate as the peanuts are processed.

I put my food processor on medium speed to start, and just let it go for a few minutes.  It went through a few stages as it worked.  In the first, the peanuts were processed into a flour like state.

Use a spatula to sort of push the peanut flour down off the walls of the processor back down towards the blades.  I do this through the food input chute in the lid of my food processor while it runs, since the worst case scenario would be it catches and eats my spatula.  If you have to take the lid off to do this, Stop The Processor/blender First!  Better to take a couple minutes stopping and starting it to push the food down a few times than to lose a finger!

After a few minutes, your peanuts will start to kinda ball up and look more moist.

If you would like to add a few teaspoons of peanut oil, do so now.  I don't, since I use peanut butter mostly for dipping celery sticks and apple slices, but it will make it more spreadable if you want to use it on bread.  This is also the stage where you should add your sweetener (if you're using it) once you know how much to use.

Turn the speed up to high, give it a few more minutes, and it will become smooth and actually start to look like peanut butter.  It will still need to run a while longer if you want it to be really smooth; it keeps a kinda grainy texture for the first several minutes.  If you are making peanut butter for the first time, start slowly adding your sweetener of choice now.  Add a little, let it blend, then stop it and taste, and continue until your peanut butter has reached the desired consistency and sweetness.

I like mine Extra Creamy, so I ran it for another several minutes after this point.

When you decide it's ready, pour into a container and store it in the fridge.  If it seems a little runny at first don't fret; it should thicken up a bit once it's cooled off in the fridge for a bit.  It should be good for a few weeks in the fridge, or you can store it in the freezer for several months.  The volume decreases somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 in the process.  From a pound of peanuts, I got a perfect pint of finished peanut butter.

YUM!!!

Oh, so how does the cost break down, you ask?  Well, at my local grocery store, a 40 oz. jar of JIF creamy peanut butter is $6.99.  After shopping around, the best priced peanuts (that weren't full of added chemicals) were $3.29 for a 16 oz. bag.  This means that buying peanuts and making peanut butter at home adds an extra 3¢ per ounce, or 48¢ per pound.  Well worth it in my opinion for Delicious, chemical free, no-stir peanut butter!

Pot Roast

Ok, I know I haven't posted in a while, but there's a good reason!  Well, there's a reason, but it's actually kind of mediocre.  Between learning how to make our most commonly used cleaning products for cheaper than I could buy them, pulling from our food stores to cut our grocery budget, and finally getting financial aid in and not being quite so poor, I haven't really been trying new tips and tricks to cut our budget because it hasn't come up.  Oh, and I've been ridiculously busy planning my wedding.  That actually takes up most of my time now.  But, I promise to try to get back on the ball, and to kick start this I'm going to share a recipe for an inexpensive meal that can help stretch a budget.  Yeah, I know, everyone has a pot roast recipe and this isn't exactly a post that will grab a lot of attention.  On the bright side, soon I'll be posting gardening tips I try out and review!


Pot Roast

The Ingredients:
Any kind of roast works, but I like using a shoulder roast.  Try to find         something on sale; I shop the "bargain bin" of marked down meats.
Potatoes (I like using red or new potatoes)
Radishes
Carrots
Celery
Lipton Onion Soup mix (or whatever onion soup dry mix packets you like)

The Process:
Wash all the vegetables.
Cut potatoes in half or quarters.
Chop celery in long pieces that will fit flat in the bottom of your crock pot
Cut roots and stems/leaves off radishes
Peel carrots and chop ends off.  Depending on thickness and length of your carrots, you may want to cut them in half.  I like using the really fat carrots that have turned a little woody in the center that wouldn't have tasted as good raw, because slow cooking them around a roast softens them and they still impart a great flavor.

You can brown your meat first or not, I don't think it really makes much difference.  If you want to brown it, just sprinkle a little salt and pepper on it and cook it for a minute or so on each side in a pan on the stove top on medium to medium high heat.  If you're trying to "fast" cook this roast (in the crock pot on high for 4-6 hours), I suggest taking the time to brown it, but if you're "slow" cooking it (in the crock pot on low for 10-12 hours) I think this is unnecessary.

Place celery in bottom of crock pot.
Place roast on top of celery.
Fill in gap around roast with radishes, potatoes, and carrots.
Mix 1/2 to 3/4 cup water with soup mix and pour over roast and veggies.  If needed, use up to 1/4 cup more water to rinse cup and get last of soup mix seasoning/bits into crock pot.

Cover and cook on Low for 10-12 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.  Your roast is done when you can stick a fork in it and turn it fairly easily and the meat just sort of shreds and yields.

Pull the roast out and let it REST on a cutting board or platter for 10-15 minutes.  This is the Most Important Step!!!  If you cut meat while it is hot, it will loose all of its juices.  If you want a tender and juicy roast, you have to let it cool a little bit so that the proteins can relax.  Here's a great article explaining resting meat.  They talk about steaks, but it really applies to all beef.

After 10-15 minutes, dig in!

Fruit Leather

One of the things we purchased when doing the Amazon.com textbook trade-in was a set of two fruit roll trays for our dehydrator.

I've been trying to figure out snacks to make at home, and fruit leather seemed like a great healthy snack option.  So, after checking the local store ads for what produce was on special, I went out and bought two pounds of strawberries, a pint of blueberries, and a pineapple.  I already had some apples and some lemons on hand.  Fruit leather is pretty easy to make; you can even make it in your oven if you don't have a dehydrator.  So, first I'll outline the process to be used for pretty much any fruit leather, then I'll give you the recipes I used for each of my two batches.


The Process:
Wash your fruit.  Cut the leaves and any bruised, moldy, and/or rotten parts off your strawberries.  Peel, core, and slice your apples.  You can view a great video on how to choose and cut up a pineapple here.  Put your fruit into a blender or food processor, then squeeze 1/2 lemon in with the fruit (use your hand, a cloth, or a strainer to catch any seeds).  Run the blender or food processor until fruit is thoroughly pureed.  Taste and add sweetener as necessary.

If you had some questionable spots on your fruit and/or you want to be extra careful, you may want to consider cooking your fruit for a few minutes to kill any bacteria that may cause harm.  Just put your puree in a pot and set it on your stove top at medium heat, stirring constantly, until it has been bubbling for a few minutes.  You don't have to boil it, you basically just want to pasteurize it.   In theory, when you dehydrate your fruit puree into fruit leather, the lack of moisture should inhibit any mold or bacterial growth.  However, your fruit leather will last longer if you take the extra step to kill any bacteria and mold that may be present at the time you dehydrate your fruit.  If you do cook it, you'll likely get some foam on the surface of your puree in the pot.  You can skim it off and mix it with yogurt as a nice flavoring, or you can just mix it back in once the puree cools.  I just mix it back in.

Once your puree has cooled and before spreading it, lightly grease your trays with vegetable oil (the cooking spray-can makes this really fast and convenient, but using a towel to spread a dollop of oil works too). Spread your fruit puree between 1/4 and 3/8 inch thick onto the sheets.  Dehydrate for 5-6 hours at 135 degrees F, rotating your trays once or twice during the process.

Fruit Leather Recipe #1:
1 lb strawberries
1/2 pint blueberries
2 1/2 apples
Juice from 1/2 lemon


Fruit Leather Recipe #2:
1 lb strawberries
1/2 pint blueberries
about 1/3 pineapple (after trimming)
1 apple


The Results:
Both of these made Great fruit leather!  I used Granny Smith apples because it's what I had, and I noticed that I had to use a fair amount of sweetener in recipe #1.  In recipe #2, because I used less of the tart apple and because my pineapple was So sweet, I decided not to use any sweetener at all.  Because I am using round trays, I just cut my fruit leather into 8 wedge shaped slices per tray, and because the bottoms are slightly lubricated with the oil I can stack them and stick them in a ziplock bag.  One wedge makes a nice light sweet treat with a meal, and they're healthy enough that even if you indulge in a second one it's pretty much guilt-free!

When you find a perfect product, buy more of it

Pretty much everyone has experienced the joy of a product that exceeds their expectations, does everything they hoped and more, and is used until it is worn out.  And when that happens, we experience the disappointment of not being able to find that exact product again, instead having to settle for something inferior.  I have had a pair of Crocs for about four years that I have literally worn a hold in the bottom of.

I wore these Crocs everywhere.  They were my casual shoes, my garden shoes, my stepping out to the mailbox shoes, my 'I'm in a hurry and need to throw something on quick' shoes.  In the winter I wore them with socks.  When they got dirty I gave them a wash in the sink.  As long as they were clean they even passed as casual dress shoes.  I loved these shoes.  And I was seriously bummed when they finally wore out.

With low expectations, I began my search for a replacement pair.  A couple years ago, unable to find an exact match, I had bought a similar pair that I intended to be a replacement when my old pair started to wear. The old pair was supposed to be downgraded to yard and garden duties only.  But the new ones just didn't fit quite right, and just didn't have the same versatility in style.  So despite the unlikelihood of finding the same style again, I figured it was worth looking.  After all, 4 years of use out of a relatively inexpensive shoe is a pretty decent value.

Imagine my surprise when I found the exact same style, in my size, and the color I wanted, for only $10 with free shipping!  I was ecstatic!  I ordered 2 pairs, figuring if they really truly were the exact same style, I might order a couple more.  On the one hand it seemed a little silly to plan on buying 4 pairs of the exact same shoe, but for $40 I could expect as much as 16 years of use of these shoes.  Sounds like a deal to me.

The shoes arrive, and they were indeed exactly the same as my old pair, excepting of course they had a lot more tread on the sole.

They totally look way different in size, but it's just the way the shoe moulded to my foot over time.

I was kind of shocked at how much difference there was in thickness of the sole, even though of course it makes sense that new shoes wouldn't be paper thin on the bottom. I was impressed by how decent the tops of the old ones still looked, even when compared to the new shoe (this confirms in my mind that I wasn't deluding myself that they were nicer looking than they actually were).

Left: New shoe.  Right: Old Shoe.  Ok, maybe they were a little worse for wear.

 Anyways, I was so thrilled I immediately went online to order 2 more pairs.  Alas, it seemed not meant to be.  The shoes had jumped in price to $30 a pair.  Now, $30 a pair is still not a terrible price for a pair of shoes you expect to get 4 years of wear out of, but it is just a little rich for me for shoes that are intended as "back ups" of a sort, to just sit in a box until each successive pair wears out.

I'm a little sad the price went up, but I am absolutely thrilled to have 2 more pairs of a shoe style I love and had previously had little success finding.  And it only secures in my mind that if you find something you love, buy more of it, because in the long run it will be money well spent.  And you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be watching those shoes like a hawk, waiting for them to go on sale so I can get more.

Making Yogurt - Part 1

Yogurt isn't terribly expensive, but I like the organic kind with no added preservatives, flavorings  sweeteners, thickeners, etc. Not only does this mean that the yogurt I like is more expensive than regular yogurt, it also requires a special trip to a grocery store halfway across the city because none of the stores near me carry it.  So when I read that you can make your own using just milk and a little yogurt as a starter, I got really excited.  Especially when I found  this  article explaining how to do it with a heating pad.  It's a little time consuming, but not at all difficult.  It is a bit of an involved process, so for this post I'll let you just read through the instructions in the link, and then come check out my findings/results.

First Attempt Results:
So the first time around, I followed the instructions (almost) to a T. The result was a soupy, almost completely liquid "yogurt" even after chilling it for 12 hours.  It tasted very mild and smelled like yogurt, but it was the consistency of heavy cream.  Thankfully, I read somewhere else that you can carefully re-heat your yogurt to 110 degrees and let it hang out at that temp for a few more hours to thicken it more, which can also make your yogurt more tangy, which I don't mind a bit.  I decided to give this a try.


Salvage Attempt Results:
So, I poured my yogurt back into the container I used for incubation, and swaddled it back up in the heating pad and covered it with a heavy towel, checking the thermometer every 30-45 minutes to see when it reached 110 degrees and adjusting the heat setting as needed to keep it there.

I started reheating the yogurt at about noon, and it was 3:30 pm before the temp in the center of the yogurt reached 110 degrees.  I let it sit swaddled in the heating pad and a towel at 110 degrees until around 9 pm.  Then, as advised by another website, I moved the yogurt straight to the fridge and let it set overnight before stirring.  The results were pretty disappointing; the yogurt may have thickened ever so slightly, but it's hard to tell.  So, this failed experiment learning experience will be salvaged by using the liquid "yogurt" as a milk substitute for my next couple of batches of biscuits.  I'll try again once I've used up what I've made so far.

Swiffer Wetjet Bottle Refill

My whole house has hardwood floors and ceramic tile, so my Swiffer Wetjet sees a lot more action than my vacuum.  Unfortunately, those refill bottles are Expensive!  I'd tried removing the cap in the past, but with little luck.  Turns out all I needed was some instruction on how to do it.  So, with a little help from Google, I found a way to reuse the solution bottles with a home made solution. First, removing the cap:

The Supplies:
Empty Swiffer Wetjet cleaning solution bottle(s)
A pot (optional)
Water
Something you can use to get a good grip on the cap
Nail clippers, and Exacto knife, or scissors

The Process:
You can put some water in a pot and boil it, then put the Swiffer bottle lid down into the water for a minute or two, as outlined here, or you can try just running it under hot water from your tap for a couple minutes.  I ran it under the tap and it worked just fine.

Once the plastic has gotten soft and a bit more pliable, use your glove/gripper and give it a good twist.  There will be some resistance, but then the lid should pop off.

Inside the lid there are little phalanges that lock the lid onto the bottle.  Simply use your clippers, knife, or scissors to trim these.  It does not need to be perfect.

You now have a Swiffer cleaning solution bottle that you can refill with your own floor cleaning solution.  You can use whatever cleaner you like (Pine-sol, etc).  Here is what I made:


Swiffer Wetjet Cleaning Solution Refill

The Supplies:
Empty Swiffer Wetjet cleaning solution bottle(s)
Water
White Vinegar
Murphy Oil Soap
Pitcher
Funnel (optional)

The Process:
Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup Murphy Oil Soap into a gallon of warm water in your pitcher.  Stir well.  If you have one, use your funnel to help pour the solution into your Swiffer bottle(s), otherwise just pour as carefully as you can.  Twist the cap back on, load it into your Swiffer Wetjet, and you're all set to go!  Excess can be stored in an old jar or bottle until needed.

The Results:
This cleaning solution works at least as well on my floors as the Swiffer solution did (and I think it works even better), and it smells Much better!  I'll never buy those refill bottles again!

Dishwasher Detergent & Castile Soap

Update 5/24/13:
I'd hate for people to read this really long post, only to find out at the bottom that this dishwasher detergent recipe doesn't work (the castile soap is awesome though).  I also don't want to delete my less-than-successful attempts at things as if they never happened.  So, I have tried a new dishwasher detergent recipe, although unfortunately it hasn't worked out so well either.  If you're interested, you can find the recipe/process to my most recent attempt HERE.  Now, on to the original post:

Surprise!  I feel bad for not posting anything for a while, so this post is a two-for-one special!  I'll be discussing how to make liquid castile soap from a bar, and how to use your liquid castile soap in a recipe to make your own liquid dishwasher detergent!

If you have a membership to one of those discount wholesale stores, or if you don't use your dishwasher often, then dishwasher detergent isn't terribly expensive.  But if you're like us, you run your dishwasher A Lot.  We don't live in a region prone to droughts, and we pay the same price every other month for our water regardless of the amount we use (there is a ceiling for that deal, but we never hit it).  Also, because we almost exclusively eat home cooked meals now, the dishes pile up faster than they did when we ate out a lot.  So making our own dishwasher detergent just seemed like the next logical step in our cost saving efforts.  As a bonus, the recipe uses a lot of the same ingredients as the laundry detergent recipe we made a few weeks ago, so we already had a lot on hand.  Unfortunately (or so it seemed at first) the recipe I wanted to use requires liquid castile soap, which isn't exactly cheap.  I was concerned that the expense of the castile soap would undo any savings from making it at home rather than buying pre-made detergents.  Then I found this blog post about how to turn a bar of castile soap into a nice thick liquid castile soap.  It's super easy!  So first, I'll show you how I made the liquid castile soap, and then we'll move on to the dishwasher detergent recipe.

Liquid Castile Soap

The Supplies:
1 bar castile soap (I used Kirk's Original Coco Castile Soap, 4oz.)
Water
Measuring cup and/or a scale

The Process:
If you know the weight of your soap (it's usually on the label), then just multiply that times 4.  This is how much water you will need using the same weight units.  For example, my bar of soap was 4 oz., so I needed 16 oz. of water.  For those not familiar with imperial units, 1 cup of water is 8 oz., so I needed 2 cups of water.  If you don't have a measuring cup with weight units, and/or if you don't know the weight of your soap, just use your scale.

Combine your bar of soap and your water in a bag or bowl (I found a quart size plastic zip bag was perfect) and let it sit for five days.  If you use the bag, set it in a bowl just to support it and to catch any potential leaks.  If you use a bowl, ideally use one with a tightly fitting lid, or otherwise cover it with plastic wrap.  If you are impatient, like I am, you can chop your soap up into smaller pieces so that it will dissolve faster.  Just make sure you get all the little bits that break/slice off into the bag.  Feel free to stir or shake your soap and water mix once or twice a day, as you will want to check it to see if it is ready, and this will help it incorporate faster.

The Results:
After a few days, you'll have a nice thick liquid castile soap, for a fraction of the cost!  It has a nice slick, thick texture; it's thicker than most liquid castile soaps you buy at a store; you can water it down more if you like but it isn't needed. It also spreads and suds's well, traits often lacking from bar to liquid soap conversions. The price is also right! At my local grocery store, a bar of Kirk's castile soap was $2.29, versus 16 oz. of Dr. Wood's liquid castile soap for $10.99.  That's an $8.70 savings!  That kind of cost savings made all the difference in making dishwasher detergent!


Dishwasher Liquid

I really didn't want to try to make a powdered dishwasher detergent because we live in a humid region and I didn't want to deal with it clumping up.  Finding a liquid dishwasher detergent recipe was a bit more difficult than powdered, and the two main recipes I based mine off of were rather different from each together, so I decided to combine the two, along with some tips I remembered from reading about this a long time ago but unfortunately can't remember where.  If you'd like to see the two main recipes I drew inspiration from, you can view them here and here.

The Supplies:
10 cups water
6 cups white vinegar
1 ½ cups washing soda
1 cup borax
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
2 tablespoons Dawn dish-washing liquid (You can use whatever brand you                  like; I find Dawn does the best job cutting grease.  Using a scented                detergent is also a great way to add a scent if you want it.)
Container(s) to hold 1 gallon of dishwasher liquid

The Process:

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.  Remove the water from heat and stir in washing soda, borax, liquid castile soap, and Dawn. Stir in Vinegar, then allow the mix to cool for 24 hours.  The detergent will “gel” up over next 24 hours.  Using a whisk, egg beater, or electric hand mixer, mix the detergent well, then pour into storage container(s).  I reused a dishwasher detergent bottle and a 2 liter soda bottle.

To Use:

Give the soap a good shake to re-incorporate all the ingredients, then use 1 tablespoon per load.

Cost Breakdown:

6 cups vinegar: $1.31
1 1/2 cups washing soda: $2.67
1 cup borax: $1
1/2 cup liquid castile soap: 57¢ 
Dawn: 20¢ 
Total: $5.75 for a gallon (256 loads worth) of dishwasher detergent.  Not bad at all!

The Results:
This detergent works great!  My dishes come out clean and sparkly, and with no residue like they sometimes had with store-bought dishwasher detergent.  It doesn't perform any miracles when it comes to baked-on stuff, but then neither does store bought detergent (at least from my experience).

Update 3/2/2013:
After having used this detergent for a few weeks, we have been seeing a white residue on many of our dishes.  After one load came out with a particular build up of this residue, I ran the rinse cycle again to see if it was an issue of needing to use less detergent (since dishes otherwise seemed "clean").  The extra rinse cycle didn't help, so next we ran a load with regular dishwasher detergent bought at a dollar store, but this didn't seem to help either. Tomorrow we are going to go buy a small bottle of the detergent we used to purchase and run the load again and see if the dishes come clean.  If not, I can't help but wonder if this is somehow a water quality issue, since the home made detergent seemed to work fine for a while.  I will update with our findings soon.

Update 3/8/13:
The store-bought detergent cleared up the residue, so it must be something about my detergent formula.  The  liquid castile soap is still awesome though. So, hey, at least part of the experiment turned out well!

Textbook Trade-In

I love Amazon.com.  They have so many great specialty items and I almost always find the lowest prices there when it comes to home goods.  I was also vaguely aware that they offer a trade-in service, but never thought seriously about taking advantage of it.  Well, thank goodness RM did!  He told me a few days ago that he had some old textbooks and he had looked into trading them in on Amazon.  It turns out that they pay for the shipping (you just print a shipping label and slap it on the box you're shipping the books in), so it's easy And profitable!  For the cost of a piece of paper to print the shipping label on, and the short drive to our post office, we got $130 credit for our (mostly RM's) old textbooks!  I've had a "Garden & Home" wishlist of things that I'd like to have around the house for a while, and I was able to seriously stretch that $130.  As RM put it, "it's a good way to alchemize stuff you don't need into stuff you do need."

Just to be clear, Amazon.com is Not paying me or offering any type of incentive for me to write this.  They haven't had any contact with me at all, for that matter, outside of shipping confirmations and such as is standard/expected from purchases, returns, and exchanges as a customer.  And there's no reason you have to go through Amazon; lots of used book stores will give you good credit for your used books that you can use towards new ones, ebay is pretty simple to use too, or you can always have a good old fashioned yard sale to get cash for your stuff that would otherwise sit around collecting dust.  I just wanted to share this little experience because it brought so many other possibilities to mind, and allowed us to get many items that will help us save even more money in our efforts to cut expenses and become more self-sufficient!

Bleach Disinfectant Anywhere Spray

This post is actually about a cleaning product I've made and used for years, but I feel like it still deserves a nod in this blog.  Did you know that for just pennies you can make your own disinfecting solution that is the exact same product as Clorox Anywhere?  Yep, Clorox has been raking in the dough from that particular product; for years they've been duping their customers into buying spray bottles of water with a couple teaspoons of bleach mixed in.  That's all it is.  I actually learned how to make this disinfecting solution when I worked in a restaurant years ago.  For the same cost as what one bottle of Clorox Anywhere costs, you can buy all the necessary supplies to make 283 bottles of the exact same solution!  Here's how:

The Supplies:
Bleach
Water
Spray Bottle (a 1 liter size makes mixing easiest)

The Process:
Measure out 1 liter of water into your spray bottle
Mix in 2 teaspoons (9.5-10 ml) bleach

That's it!

Here's the math: Clorox actually admits that Clorox Anywhere spray is 0.0095% bleach and the rest is water.  This strength solution is strong enough to kill 99.9% of germs on non-porous surfaces, but weak enough to not leave a dangerous residue.  This means that in a liter of water, you need 9.5 milliliters of bleach.  One teaspoon is equal to about 4.9 ml.  So, if you mix two teaspoons (9.8 ml) in your liter of water, you achieve a 0.0098% bleach solution.  "But wait!" I hear you saying, "that's not the same ratio!"  Well, you're right!  It's the teeny tiniest bit stronger, but still totally and completely safe to use.  I mean, I wouldn't drink the stuff or spray it in my eyes, but I'd say the same about Clorox Anywhere.

How to Use:
Just like Clorox Anywhere, spray your disinfectant spray on any non-porous surface you wish to sanitize, let sit at least two minutes, then wipe.  Or don't wipe, it actually doesn't make a difference.  Actually, that same Clorox FAQ website linked above will answer all your questions about your own home made solution; sweet huh?

The Results:
The spray works great!  I use it on counter tops, toilets, sinks, etc.  We're not germaphobes here, but I am careful about cleaning up after cooking, and if you're going to take the time to clean any surface, why not disinfect it while you're at it?

Here's a nifty .pdf on disinfection from Iowa State University.  Scroll down to page 12 for info on bleach solution ratios.

Tallow Candle

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors learned how to create fire, and it has been our companion ever since.  One of the early ways of lighting a space was to use a tallow candle.  Tallow is simply rendered fat.  After my success rendering lard, I decided to try rendering tallow (don't ask me why it's lard when it's from a pig and tallow from any other animal fat, because I have no idea).  I had a few pounds of 70/30 ground beef I cooked in a frying pan, rendering the tallow using the same steps as when I made the lard.  I'm not really sure how to use tallow in cooking, but I was curious about how well it burns as a candle substance.  I've read a little about candle making, and I decided to try my hand at making a tallow candle.  For clarification, if I call the fat tallow, I mean it's in its solid state, and if I call it grease, I mean while it is still liquid.  I'm not sure if that's all the proper terminology, but I figure it's the easiest way to make sure what I'm saying makes sense.  Here's how I did it:

The supplies:
Rendered fat (tallow)
Wick material
Wick holder
Container
Something to hold the wick straight while the tallow sets

The Process:
First, I had to decide what to use for my wick.  I don't have any candle wicks laying around, and I wanted to make this a free project.  Remember that under shirt RM gave me for the lard project?  Well it was the type Wal-Mart calls "A-Shirts" but I grew up hearing them called "wife-beaters" (I know, it's a terrible name).  Anyways, the necks and arms holes are essentially just serged, and I figured that would work great since they are 100% cotton.

After I cut that out, I had to figure out what to use to hold it up.  I have a bunch of tea candles that I bought at the dollar store ages ago, and I realized the little tin holders they come in would be perfect.  I pulled the candle part out and then used a nail to poke a small hole in the bottom of the tin.  I threaded the wick through the hole, and it worked great!  I have lots of little glass candle holders, so I can put the tea candle in one of those when I want to burn it, so it won't go to waste.  I decided to use one of those glass votive holders as my candle container.

Left to right: Tea candle as it came, disassembled tea candle parts, wick material, nail

Candle tin with hole punched

Candle tin with wick threaded

If you're using a wick material that hasn't been pre-soaked in wax or some other flammable material, go ahead and pull it back out because you're going to have to soak it in your grease.

When you've filtered your grease and while it's still liquid, soak the wick material in it for a few minutes.  Afterwards, re-thread it through your wick holder. Pour just a little grease in the bottom of whatever container you're going to use to hold your candle, then put the wick holder in the container and make sure it's resting on the bottom of the container.  To hold my wick straight while the grease cooled and set, I used a clothes pin laid across the top.  Here's a picture of it after I finished pouring the grease, but we're not to that part quite yet, so just set your wick straight for now.

Once you've got your wick straight, put the container in the freezer for a few minutes.  The purpose of this step is to let the grease set to tallow, so that when you pour the grease in the container, the wick holder will stay anchored to the bottom of the container rather than float up.  Your container of grease can stay cooling on the counter while the candle holder cools in the fridge, it won't set that quickly.

After 3-5 minutes, when the grease in your candle holder has set to tallow (it will have turned white), pull your container out of the freezer and slowly pour more grease until it's 1/8 to 1/4 inch less than what your final desired height will be.  Use a toothpick to eliminate any air bubbles, then return your candle holder container to the fridge or freezer, double checking that your wick is centered.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes, until grease has set to tallow.  Remove your clothes pin and trim your wick to about 3/4 inch, then slowly pour your last 1/8 to 1/4 inch of grease, pouring it onto the wick to give it one more coating.  Let set on counter or in fridge until hardened.  If needed, trim wick a little more.  Your final product should look something like this:

I didn't do a very good job getting the air bubbles out, which is why the bottom looks funky.

Place any unused grease/tallow in the fridge or freezer for future use.


The results:
I'm really impressed with how bright the little flame on this candle was!  I wish I could have gotten a good picture to show how much light this puts out, but there was too much glare when I turned the lights off.  I'm not sure for how many hours this will burn, but I'll post an update once I've tried it out.  If you're not planning on burning your candle in the next few days, store it in the freezer.  The tallow will harden enough in the freezing temperatures that you shouldn't have to worry about doing any damage to it if it gets bumped or knocked around.

Home Made Laundry Detergent

I found a website describing to to make your own laundry soap, and since RM and I were running low, I decided to try it.  All of the ingredients together cost almost the same as a 150 oz. container of pre-made detergent would, and will make a Lot more batches.  I followed the basic recipe showed here, but since I had a 10 quart stock pot I used it instead of a smaller pot and a bucket.  Here's how I made mine, and the cost breakdown:

The bulk ingredients:
20 Mule Team Borax, 76 oz. box - $12.82
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, 55 oz box - $9.79
Ivory soap, 16 bar pack - $7.99
Water, 2 gallons - practically free

The Process:
Grate one bar of Ivory soap and add it to stock pot.
Add 10 cups water, turn on medium heat, stirring occasionally until soap melts.
Add 1/2 cup (about 5 oz) washing soda and 1/2 cup (about 3 oz) borax powder, stir until dissolved.
Remove from heat.
Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups water, stir well.
Let sit 24 hours.*
Mix Really well before funneling into permanent container (an electric hand mixer works great for this part, and I'm re-using old laundry detergent jugs)

*If you don't have an electric hand mixer/blender, I Really recommend stirring vigorously every few hours.  It took me between 10 and 15 minutes with my electric hand mixer to get everything well blended after I let the detergent sit for 24 hours, because it solidified on top but was liquid at the bottom of the pot.  This would be a real pain in the butt with just a whisk or even an egg beater.

Use 1/2-1 cup per load.


Cost breakdown:
The Ivory soap came 16 bars to a pack, and 1 bar is used per batch, thus 1 batch's worth costs 50¢

The washing soda came in a 55 oz box, and each batch requires approx. 5 oz. thus there are 11 batches worth in each box, with each batch's worth costing 89¢

The borax came in a 76 oz box, each batch requires approx 3 oz, thus there are 25.3 batches per box, with each batch's worth costing 50¢

Thus, the grand total cost for one batch of detergent: $1.90 for 32-64 loads worth of detergent!

That's right, this recipe makes 2 gallons of detergent, and you only use 1/2 cup per load, thus you get 64 loads of laundry from one batch!

The results:
Ok, so the website I got this recipe from recommended using 1/2 cup of the detergent per regular size load.  I used the suggested amount in my top loading HE washing machine, and was kinda disappointed in the results.  So, I tried using a full cup, and then my clothes came out clean and smelling fresh and I was really pleased with the results.  I'm not sure if I need the extra 1/2 cup because my washer is HE, or if it's because I used Ivory soap instead of Fels Naptha, or if the creator of the recipe just doesn't mind if their clothes still have stains on them and smell a little funky.  Regardless, there's still a huge cost savings in this detergent.  A 32 load jug of HE detergent at my local grocery store runs anywhere from $6-9, so I'm saving anywhere from $4-7 every 32 loads of laundry.  I will keep using this recipe until I run out of the ingredients I've already purchased, but I may play around with ingredient quantities, and next time I'll buy Fels Naptha soap and see if it works any better.

Update 2/6/13:
After a few weeks of using this detergent, I've found that 3/4 cup seems to be the sweet spot, where it's enough to get my laundry clean without using more than necessary.  I'll still be playing around with the recipe a bit, and will update if I figure out a ratio that I think works better. 

Update 5/4/13:
I've noticed that as I get down to around 1/2 to 1/4 of a jug of detergent left, it starts getting thicker in consistency.  What it gets thick enough that I notice this, I add 1/4 cup of water at a time and shake the jug well until it is thinned back out to the initial consistency it had when fresh made, and this seems to do the trick just fine without affecting its cleaning effectiveness.