Laundry Soap and a "failed" batch of hot process

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Ingredients:

1/3 bar of homemade soap You can use Fels Naptha but it is loaded with synthetic, unhealthy chemicals.

1/3 cup of washing soda

1/3 cup of borax

All these ingredients will not pollute the environment.

Steps:

1. Grate soap with 6 cups of water and gently heat until the soap is melted.

2. Add washing soda and borax and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat.

3. Pour 4 cups of hot water into a bucket add heated mixture and stir. I use a 5 gallon bucket and double the recipe.

4. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of hot water and stir.

5. Let the soap sit for 24 hours and it will be gelatinous and is ready to use.

6. You may add 1/2 to 1 ounce of essential oil to each recipe. Orange and lemon are less expensive and clean smelling.

I thought I had a failed batch of my hot processed soap in Ocean City during our class and was going to try and see what I could do with it. When I checked on it the next morning, to my surprise, it was perfect and solid. Just thought it would be good to post so that people in the class can be encouraged that it is fool-proof!

 

-Lisa

 

NATURALLY DYED EASTER EGGS

It is not too late to dye Easter eggs with natural dyes. My mom did some experimenting in the kitchen and the results turned out pretty awesome. If you want to do it, here are some of the ingredients my mom used for dyes: tumeric, cinnamon, beet root, and hibiscus. Just use a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar as a mordant to 10 ounces of hot water and add a couple tablespoons of natural dye. Let eggs sit in the cups of dye water for 3-5 minutes. Remove eggs and allow them to air dry. These hard boiled eggs are free from synthetic chemicals and are beautiful and delicious. I hope you enjoy trying natural dyes.

by Sophie Lilley

 

Sophie's Granola Bars

 
 

Here's an awesome granola bar recipe. I love having them for a little treat and I don't feel so bad when I have one. This recipe is really easy, fast and delicious for taking to work ,school, and anywhere on the go . So give it a try you will be so amazed about how good they are. No natural flavors or high fructose corn syrup.               

Sophie's Granola Bars

Makes about 30 bars

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup spelt flour

1/2 cup shredded organic unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup packed organic brown sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

1. Preheat the oven to 325 f and grease a baking sheet with sides.

2. Combine the oats, flour, coconut, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, vanilla, and honey.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir to combine.

5. Spread the granola mixture on a baking sheet and shape it into a 9x 13-inch rectangle that's about 1 inch thick. I put the granola mixture in cupcake liners and filled them about one inch thick and they worked fine.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden and dry to the touch.

7. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then cut into 3 x 1-inch bars using a serrated knife. These bars will remain fresh for several weeks if wrapped well.

Note: If the mixture is a little dry add some more coconut oil. Make sure that you warm the coconut oil and make it into a liquid.

Monika's Intereview

SOURDOUGH NOODLES

There is not much better on a cold wintery day then a pot of homemade soup complete with homemade noodles! Here is our new favorite recipe for sourdough noodles:

 

2 cups spelt or sprouted flour

1 cup of whey (raw milk is best)

6 egg yolks

 

Place flour into a large bowl or large cutting board and make a well in the center. Mix egg yolks thoroughly. add a pinch of salt and whey and mix together until homogenous. Pour mixture into the well of the flour and mix together until the mass forms a ball. Knead until smooth and elastic but not stiff.

Add more flour as necessary. Let sit for 2 to 3 days kneading once or twice a day and adding flour if necessary. Keep covered with a cloth on the counter.

 

After 2-3 days of above instructions, roll out noodles and cut. Cook in boiling water until done or simmer in stock. Delicious and nutritious.

 

To continue sour dough noodles, make sure you save a portion of dough about the size of tennis ball. Set it aside. Add two cups of flour to one cup of boiling water that has a pinch of salt and stir well so as there are no lumps. Cool slightly and add 3 egg yolks and a bit more flour so that a nice, elastic dough is formed. Combine this with your the portion of saved dough and knead well.

Repeat the 2-3 day process as stated above. What fun, more covered bowls on the counter!

-Lisa

Supertonic

*Sniffle Sniffle* Feel a cold coming on?
Whenever anyone in our family starts feeling a little sniffley or congested or a little flu-like, we grab our Supertonic. It is so easy to make and uses ingredients that are usually found in your kitchen.

Supertonic ingredients:

Equal parts of:

Chopped or shredded onion

Garlic

Horseradish

Ginger

Dash of Cayenne ( can add jalapeno or habanero)

Put mixture into jar and cover with raw apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 2-4 weeks, strain and bottle.

After straining it will store indefinitely in a cool dark spot. Dosage depends upon how you are feeling but we generally take a tsp every hour to kick it quick.

Corn Syrup Free Caramel Popcorn

It's kinda funny but even though I was born and raised in a town known for it's caramel popcorn and spent my early years on the beach by the boardwalk filled with the smells of Thrasher's fries with vinegar and Fisher's caramel popcorn, I really didn't start loving caramel popcorn until I spent 2 months working in a maternity clinic in the Philippines. Homesick and needing a change from our normal duties another intern and I set out to make caramel popcorn with her family's recipe. I kept that recipe when I came home but was always looking for an alternative to the corn syrup used in the recipe.
I finally found one and after some tweaking have been pretty happy with the results. The smells of boiling caramel and stirring it into the popcorn always remind me of the many memories that I made in Davao City.

This recipe makes approx. 8 gallons of popcorn. (about 4 c. unpopped popcorn)
Pop popcorn before starting.

8c. organic evaporated sugar cane or brown sugar
3c. butter
2c. heavy whipping cream

Combine and cook over medium heat until melted. Boil for about 1 minute.
Take off heat and add:
2tsp vanilla extract
2tsp salt
1 heaping tsp of baking soda
Mix and pour over popped popcorn. Stir until all pop corn is coated.
 Spread popcorn in pan and cook in oven on low until lightly browned and crunchy.