Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

One of the ways that I save money is by making my own cleaning products (go here for a list & recipes). This week I am making my own dishwasher detergent. I have never tried this before but I am curious to see if it will work. The recipe I am using is for liquid dishwasher detergent since the liquid works better in my dishwasher. There is also a recipe for the powder version here.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Baking Soda


• 1 Cup Borax


• 1 Cup Water


• 2-3 Drops Lemon Essential Oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix baking soda, borax & water until dissolved and then mix in essential oil.


2. Store in a jar or squeeze bottle.


3. Use 2-3 tablespoons per load.
   

For more great frugal ideas visit Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar Recipe

I just made Homemade Granola Bars for the first time. Here is the recipe for Pumpkin Spice Chewy Granola Bars:

2 cups Oats
1 cup Whole Wheat flour
2/3 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Wheat Germ
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 cup Honey
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin
1/2 cup Canola Oil
1 Egg (beaten)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Next, mix in all of the wet ingredients. Make sure all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Spread the mixture in a greased 9x9 pan. I prefer using stoneware for this recipe especially if you like chewy granola bars. Pat with a spatula until the mixture is evenly distributed and flat. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

After you remove from the oven, allow them to cool for 5 minutes then turn the pan upside down and remove in one big piece. This is when the stoneware pan really makes a difference, mine came out so easy! Cut into bars and allow to cool completely. Store in an air tight container. The granola bars should keep for about a week or they can be frozen.

Yummy!!

OAMC/Freezer Meals

I love Freezer or OAMC (once a month cooking) meals. I fill my freezer with meals that are ready for the crockpot, no defrosting necessary. This really cuts down on the urge to eat out, since I have 15+ meals ready to go in the freezer. I stock-up on meat when it is on sale and then spend 1-2 days a month preparing these meals. I put them in Ziploc Freezer bags and lay them flat in the freezer. When I am ready to prepare a meal for dinner, I take it out of the freezer and run some hot water on the Ziploc bag (just enough so I can break it into a couple of pieces to fit in the crockpot). I then cook the meal in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. This really simplifies dinner. I can put the meal in the crockpot while I am preparing my son's lunch and then at dinner time I make a side dish and/or veggie to go with the meal. I am amazed at how this has cut down on eating out. The main reason we were eating out was not because we really liked restaurant food but because I didn't plan ahead for dinner. This has also cut down on our grocery bill since I plan the meals ahead of time, stick to my grocery list and buy everything at rock bottom prices. My husband jokes that we could go without grocery shopping (except milk and produce) for at least 6 months because of my Freezer Meals & stockpiling!

Here are some of my favorite freezer meal recipes:

Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings

Taco Roast

Asian Lemon Pork Tenderloin (sometimes I substitute chicken in this recipe)

Cheesy Mexican Chicken

Burgundy Beef Tips

Creamy Italian Chicken

Creamy Tortilla Chicken

Garlic Basil Chicken

Italian Pear Chicken

Go here for more great Freezer Meal Recipes.

For more great frugal ideas, visit Frugal Friday at Life as Mom!

Homemade Laundry Soap: Part 1

For several weeks now I have been using my Homemade Laundry Soap and I have to say that I LOVE it!!!!!! It really cleans our clothes and does not leave behind a heavy perfume smell. If I have really dirty clothes or a load of whites, I add scoop of Biz or Oxi-Clean to the washer. So far, all stains have come out. I have a hubby and a 5 year old boy so believe me when I tell you, we have a lot of stains in this house! I have received several requests for my recipe so I am posting the recipe and process again. Leave a comment if you have tried this recipe or have a recipe of your own!

These are the supplies (prices are estimates - I lost my receipt) that I purchased to make Homemade Laundry Soap :

5 Gallon Plastic Bucket with a lid $4.00 (Wal-Mart)

Cheese Grater $2.50 (Wal-Mart)

Borax Laundry Booster $2.50 (Wal-Mart)

Arm & Hammer Washing Soda $2.60 (Hy-Vee)

Ivory 3 Pack Bar Soap $1.00 (Wal-Mart) or you can use Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar Soap (available in the laundry aisle at Hy-Vee)

Total Cost = $12.60
The cost was a little bit higher because I purchased the bucket and the cheese grater. These are one time purchases.


Click here for Homemade Laundry Soap: Part 2
Click here for Homemade Laundry Soap:  Part 3

Homemade Laundry Soap: Part 2

Making Homemade Laundry Soap is EASY!! It took about 20 minutes, including clean-up. Here is how we did it:

Step 1: Grate 1 bar of Ivory soap (or Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap) using a cheese grater. The Ivory soap was very soft and grated easily (so does the Fels-Naptha). I would recommend buying an inexpensive cheese grater to use only for grating soap.

Step 2: Add 4 cups of water and the grated soap to a pot and heat on medium on the stove until the soap is completely melted. I would recommend using an old pan or purchasing one at a Thrift Store or Garage Sale to use for this step.

Step 3: Fill the 5 Gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot tap water. Add the melted soap mixture.

Step 4: Stir the mixture.

Step 5: Add 2 cups of Washing Soda.

Step 6: Add 2 cups Borax.

Step 7: Stir until all of the powder is completely dissolved.

Keep stirring.

And keep stirring!


Step 8: Fill the bucket with hot tap water.



Step 9: Place the lid on the bucket and let it thicken overnight.

Click here for Homemade Laundry Soap:  Part 3

Homemade Laundry Soap: Part 3

The laundry soap thickened overnight. Now, take a clean and empty laundry soap bottle and fill it with the Homemade Laundry Soap. Shake well before each use. I am ready to try out the soap on a load of laundry!

I added 1 cup of the Homemade Laundry Soap to my washing machine. The soap does not make bubbles, but that is ok. The bubbles are not what cleans your clothes. The soap smells really nice. I can't wait to see the results!