One of my biggest pet peeves is having to put a $20 tub of laundry detergent into my shopping cart, having to lug it home and having to pour out all of it into my laundry. I don't know why but that just bugs me and make me feel like I'm wasting my money. Money which could be used many many blocks of cheeses! ( just kidding, I've actually cut down my cheese fetish substantially!) But seriously, money that could go towards a nice juicy steak or a pound of crab legs. I would much rather spend it on that instead. So my solution! Homemade laundry detergent! As with my first response, I'm sure all of you have a lot of questions or may be VERY leery about it. Let me try to answer all the questions that have come up since I've been telling people that I use homemade laundry detergent.
Does it work?? YES! I tested a very stained old coat, amongst other things and it works great. If I have tough stains such as grease or chocolate, (this actually happens quite a bit in my household) I pour in a cap full of oxiclean (my stain buster of choice) and it gets the job done. We all do that anyways with regular detergent.
Does it smell good? YES! One of the best things about this type of detergent is that you get the choose your smell. Hobby Lobby and Wal Mart both have a great set of concentrated fragrance bottles to add to your detergent, which make your laundry and your laundry room smell magnificent!
Is it worth it? YES! I am maybe spending $4/month now on detergent. I don't even think it's that much because I haven't taken the time to do the math. As opposed to $20 previously. That's a savings of around $220 a year. Thats worth it to me!
Is it hard to make?? Not really. The hardest part is grating a bar of soap, your arm may get a little sore, but your working it out and your body will get use to it. The first few times I made it, my arm was a little sore but now I'm use to it.
Where can I find the ingredients? I have been able to find all the ingredients at the local Harps stores. Walmart does not carry all the ingredients (shame on you walmart).
So after all of that here is the final recipe. This makes a gell type of detergent. I use a cup per load. I have my good friend Brenda from work to thank for this recipe.
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Chinese if you Please!
So just recently one of my families favorite places to eat is P.F. Chang's. If you haven't had the priviledge of experiencing delicous gourmet chinese, I strongly suggest this restaurant. The first time we ever ate there, Austin, my now 13 year old step-son, stood in shock and asked with deep concern, "where is the buffet?" It still makes me laugh, but it's true we almost always consider chinese food to be second class buffet's or mall style fast food. It doesn't have to be that way. You don't even have to eat out at P.F. Chang's to get delicous chinese food. Here are a few recipe's my family has enjoyed without spending $20 per person.
P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wrap
For those of you who have never been to P.F. Chang's, these amazing lettuce wraps are one of their signature and most popular dishes. This recipe has been tried and tested by me and found to be true!! These are amazing! The recipe for the sauces is great too! You must you course ground mustard- other mustard's won't have that spicy kick!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce
Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste
Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Directions
1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16. Top with"Special Sauce".
P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef
This recipe is absolutely divine! The freshness of the ingredients makes this one BETTER than the actual restaurants. If you are not famaliar with flank steak it is a very thin meat that runs anywhere between $7-$10/pound. Here in northwest arkansas I have found it at the Pinnacle hills neighborhood Wal-mart and at pinnacle whiteoak station.
Serves 2. Total time: 30 with 10 min prep.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onions
Directions
1. Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat.
2. Don't get the oil too hot.
3. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
4. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
5. Remove it from the heat.
6. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices.
7. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
8. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.
9. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
10. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).
11. Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
12. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.
13. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.
14. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.
15. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.
16. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.
17. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.
18. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.
19. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.
20. ENJOY TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT!!!
Incredibly Easy Egg drop Soup
You won't believe how easy it is to make such an incredible soup.
Serves 2, prep 5 minutes, total 15 minutes
Ingredients
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 scallion, with tops, finely chopped
Directions
1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in soup pot.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt & mix.
3. Combine water and cornstarch; stir into boiling broth.
4. Stir a small amount of hot broth into slightly beaten egg. Add egg mixture into hot broth slowly, stirring all the time. Cook until clear and slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
5. Garnish with scallion.
Chinese Fried Rice
Serves 4, prep 5 min, total 25 min.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
2 cups rice, prepared and cooled
1/2 cup cooked pork (optional) or cooked shrimp (optional) or cooked chicken (optional)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup cooked peas (optional)
Directions
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet or wok.
2. Scramble eggs in butter, breaking up the cooked eggs into small pieces.
3. Set aside.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet or wok.
5. Saute onions and/or green peppers in butter for 3 minutes.
6. Combine eggs, onions, rice, and meat.
7. Stir in soy sauce until color of rice is uniform.
8. Stir in peas.
9. Heat only until warm.
Enjoy your homemade Chinese cuisine, it will be so worth it!! Join me next week where I will share a few recipe's that aren't exactly edible!! God bless!
P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wrap
For those of you who have never been to P.F. Chang's, these amazing lettuce wraps are one of their signature and most popular dishes. This recipe has been tried and tested by me and found to be true!! These are amazing! The recipe for the sauces is great too! You must you course ground mustard- other mustard's won't have that spicy kick!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce
Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste
Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Directions
1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16. Top with"Special Sauce".
P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef
This recipe is absolutely divine! The freshness of the ingredients makes this one BETTER than the actual restaurants. If you are not famaliar with flank steak it is a very thin meat that runs anywhere between $7-$10/pound. Here in northwest arkansas I have found it at the Pinnacle hills neighborhood Wal-mart and at pinnacle whiteoak station.
Serves 2. Total time: 30 with 10 min prep.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onions
Directions
1. Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat.
2. Don't get the oil too hot.
3. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
4. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
5. Remove it from the heat.
6. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices.
7. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
8. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.
9. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
10. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).
11. Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
12. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.
13. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.
14. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.
15. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.
16. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.
17. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.
18. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.
19. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.
20. ENJOY TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT!!!
Incredibly Easy Egg drop Soup
You won't believe how easy it is to make such an incredible soup.
Serves 2, prep 5 minutes, total 15 minutes
Ingredients
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 scallion, with tops, finely chopped
Directions
1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in soup pot.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt & mix.
3. Combine water and cornstarch; stir into boiling broth.
4. Stir a small amount of hot broth into slightly beaten egg. Add egg mixture into hot broth slowly, stirring all the time. Cook until clear and slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
5. Garnish with scallion.
Chinese Fried Rice
Serves 4, prep 5 min, total 25 min.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
2 cups rice, prepared and cooled
1/2 cup cooked pork (optional) or cooked shrimp (optional) or cooked chicken (optional)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup cooked peas (optional)
Directions
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet or wok.
2. Scramble eggs in butter, breaking up the cooked eggs into small pieces.
3. Set aside.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet or wok.
5. Saute onions and/or green peppers in butter for 3 minutes.
6. Combine eggs, onions, rice, and meat.
7. Stir in soy sauce until color of rice is uniform.
8. Stir in peas.
9. Heat only until warm.
Enjoy your homemade Chinese cuisine, it will be so worth it!! Join me next week where I will share a few recipe's that aren't exactly edible!! God bless!
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