Dirty Birds...

Hello lovelies!! I am SUPER excited about this post! It's been a long time coming to share this recipe. I had to perfect a few things before putting it out there and it's ready :-)

Why even try a new homemade laundry soap/detergent? Well, my husband works at a restaurant and the stains on his work clothes are awful. I'm talking grease, spices, dirt, grime etc. And the clothes smeeelllllllll....something fierce. It's gross. And honestly, I had gotten out of the habit of pre-treating stains because, well...quite frankly, ain't nobody got time fo dat! Even when I had pre-treated stains, and washed things multiple times, a lot of the stains were still there with regular detergent...the smell was always kind of still hanging around too. Hot mess.

My second reasoning for trying to make a homemade soap work was that we had switched to a free and clear detergent rule for our family because my kiddos have super sensitive skin. And they are SUCH dirty birds its unbelievable. Dirt from playing out in nature...sick. Germs...from playing out in nature...and with actual birds. Gross. Rabbit trail sorry. And when you look at the ingredients list of free n clear laundry detergent, it's not so free n clear. I know Free N Clear usually means "Free from perfumes and scents" but full of chemicals? No dice. So, a homemade laundry whipped soap offered me an option of having a TRUE free n clear soap that cleaned REALLY well. And so was born, this whipped laundry soap.

You guys, there are TONS of homemade laundry soap recipes out there. Some are ok, some are terrible, some are decent and a few are good. Not many are pre-cooked and hardly any are ground/whipped up like mine. It's definitely something different, and honestly, it looks like mayo (so PLEASE clearly label so no one ingests this, it will not feel good), but after multiple tries with different things, this is what worked and works best for me. It leaves NO residue on clothes, NO greasy feeling, gets the laundry incredibly fresh smelling, gets out almost EVERY stain I've tried it on and costs SO LITTLE!!! And we all know I'm all about a great dealio!

*** DISCLAIMER ***

For the love and the sake of your sanity, follow the directions as given. Adding ingredients at the wrong time or adding too much or too little WILL result in a crappy outcome. And no one wants to wash their clothes with crap. Right? Right! And...don't ignore this disclaimer like I know you probably did. :-) 

Ready? Here is what you'll need. Prepare for your mind to be blown by this amazeballs whipped soap recipe!

What You Will Need:
- 1 box of Borax (20 Mule Borax. Detergent Booster) Found in laundry detergent aisle. 1 cup.
- 1 box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda people) Found by the Borax. 1 cup.
- 1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap (Usually found in the hand soap OR laundry aisle)
- Large Pot
- 4 Cups water
- Wooden spoon
- Blender
- 2x 1 Quart glass jars
- 1 Tbsp measuring spoon


Step 1: Take your large pot/saucepan and heat the 4 cups of water over high heat until it comes to a roaring boil. While the water is coming to a boil mix the designated amounts of Borax and Washing Soda into a bowl, mix well, and set to the side to be added later in the recipe.

Main laundry ingredients! 

Step 2: You're going to have to grate up the Fels-Naptha soap. Some people have suggested using a food processor for this. Lets be clear...do. not. do. that. From experience, just don't. It gums up the entire works, gets all clumpy and gross and doesn't dissolve well at all. The best way that I've found to grate this, is with a hand grater. Even though it sucks, and takes a little bit, it's SO worth it. The fine dust chips of the soap dissolve SO much easier in the boiling water and gives you a creamier laundry soap to work with. No grit here!

See that finely grated soap? Perfection! And you'll have a super clean grater afterwards! :-)
I also use an extra bar of Fels-Naptha soap for any pre-treating stains that needs to happen.

Step 3: Your water should be boiling now. I suggest using a wooden spoon for this step. It's easiest on so many levels. Doesn't get too hot etc.

Add your freshly grated bar of soap to the boiling water. After adding, turn your heat to medium/medium high and start stirring immediately and keep on stirring constantly. It usually takes about 12-14 minutes for the entire amount to break down and melt completely. It'll clump together the first 5-10 min and slowly start to break down and the liquid will turn more and more of a pale yellow color.  ** Make sure to keep checking the melting status. If it seems to not be breaking down the soap, then you need to increase your heat. Make sure to keep the foam at a minimum. The wooden spoon helps to not make too many suds. Trust me...speaking from experience...you don't want this thing overflowing in your kitchen. :-)

Perfectionists: This step is going to drive you NUTS! Because, it's almost impossible to melt the bar completely. I drove myself crazy the first couple times trying to make sure there were NO lumps whatsoever, and peeps, it's not worth the hassle. Any extra that wasn't melted will get whipped into shape in the next couple steps. 

Keep on stirring until it's mostly smooth and liquid. Should be a pale yellow color. When this is done, remove from heat immediately. 

Just keep stirring...

Step 4: After removing from heat, add the bowl of the washing soda and Borax that you previously combined together. Add it all at once and stir it continually until it's all dissolved. The key with every step in this recipe is to stir, stir, stir. It helps make a creamy soap and helps it to not get gritty and melt completely when you use it in your laundry. 

At the very end, I like to take a wisk and give everything another good stir before adding to the jars. 

Step 5: Add the soap mixture equally into 2 quart mason jars. Once you've divided the laundry soap equally into the jars, fill them with water to the shoulder of the jar (where it starts to curve up to the top), cap them and flip them upside down. Basically, leave about 1 1/2-2 inches of space from the top of the jar. Let the jars sit like that for about an hour or so. Any soap that is still not dissolved will crystalize and separate from the rest of it. Then we will whip it all together in the next step. It won't separate much, but enough. This step is critical. Do NOT skip. 

Scoop. Fill. Cover. Set.

Step 6:  Here's the cool thing about the regular mouth sized quart mason jars...THE BOTTOM OF MOST BLENDERS (with the grinder/blade thingy on it), FITS ON THE TOP OF A MASON JAR!!!!!!!! It's incredible!!! Not only can that be helpful with this recipe situation, but you can do smoothies right. in. the. jar. Or homemade peanut butter! Or your pesto! Or...anything else!!! Your mind is blown right?!?! It's SO great!!

Yes, I am fully aware I am way too excited about this new found bit of information...

Anyway, uncap one of the mason jars. Screw the blade attachment onto the top of the mason jar. Flip upside down, fit onto the blender and blend on "blend" speed until it looks well incorporated. At this point, it still won't be whipped or fluffed but well mixed. Now, go ahead and hit the "liquify" tab and this will turn into the most amazing, fluffy, whipped laundry soap you ever did see. Takes about a minute of whipping total. 

If you have a super cool blender like a Ninja or VitaMix or something, you can't participate in this amazingness. But, you can add the mixture from the separated jars into the blender, blend it up and then scoop back into the jars. 

It'll be close to the top of the jar. Wipe off any excess and cover again with the regular Mason jar covers.

My mind is still blown from this. Love. 

Step 7: I guess there technically shouldn't be a step 7, but it seemed like it needed a lucky number 7. Cap your jars and admire your work. These can be kept for months just like they are in the jar. It's wonderful. These two jars will do 132 loads of laundry because all you need is 1 Tbsp of soap PER LOAD OF LAUNDRY. Listen when I say, do NOT add more. ONLY add 1 Tbsp of soap per laundry. I will put instructions for different machines below so everyone is covered and knows how to work theirs.

Cost Breakdown:    

- Fels-Naptha Bar Soap - $.98/bar

- Borax Detergent Booster - $3.59/box  

- Arm&Hammer Washing Soda - $2.98/box

Fels-Naptha Bar - 1 bar =      $ .98

Borax - 76oz box - 9 cups =  $ .39/cup

Soda - 55oz box - 6 cups =    $ .49/cup

                                               _______

                                      **** $1.86/batch ****

*I got a few ingredients on sale this last time, so my final cost this last time was only $1.67/batch. The REGULAR cost breakdown listed above is what you'll normally pay. :-) And still...it's stellar. I mean, $1.86 for 132 loads of laundry?? That's a win people!!!

Rules & Regs...Tricks & Treats

- NO fading with this soap!

- NO residue since you're pre-dissolved the soap into the recipe

- You can double, or triple this recipe. However you like to have it on hand always. 

- You can store this if you make a double or triple batch. Indefinitely. It'll harden a bit but will dissolve immediately in the washing machine. 

- Do NOT use Oxyclean or baking soda or any other "additive" with your laundry soap recipe. Also, don't add it into the recipe either. Your jar will explode. Your washer will overflow. :-) 

- This is AMAZING for people with sensitive skin

- You MUST whip your soap within 2 hours or risk it having an extremely grainy texture. Again, just follow the directions exactly and you'll be fine. 

You can use this soap in these different washers listed below:

- Front Loading

- Top Loading

- High Capacity

- High Efficiency (HE)

- Conventional

Front Loading Machine Directions

- Fill the machine with all your dirty birds clothes

- Take a 1 Tbsp measuring spoon (yes I actually measure it out) and measure out 1 Tbsp and put it on TOP of the pile of dirty clothes that you've put in. 

- Close the machine, start it on your wash setting (hot, cold, medium water...doesn't matter) and let it do it's thang!

Top Loading/Conventional Directions

- Fill the machine with your family's laundry

- Choose the cycle you want (hot, cold, medium...doesn't matter)

- Let the water run for a few and measure out (in your trusty 1 Tbsp measuring spoon) and let it drop in with the dirty clothes. 

- Close the lid and let it work!

It's literally THAT simple people. 

Thanks for reading friends!! I would love to hear your feedback, success stories, and comments!! 

XOXO,

Anna 

Basil Junkie

Those of you who know me know that I have a love affair with basil. Maybe it's because it's so aromatic? Or maybe it's because it tastes so fresh? I don't know why, but it's my favorite herb...with rosemary in a close second.

So...Imagine my shock and awe when I first tried and discovered pesto. What is pesto? Let's break it down. Basically, it's cups and cups of basil leaves with some of my other favorite ingredients...such as garlic, walnuts/almonds (for those of you who are weirdos, pine nuts), olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. It's blended and whipped into this heavenly green paste and you can (and should!!!!!) put it on everything.

Today, I am sharing my recipe for my pesto. I debated for awhile if I wanted to, but so many people out there need pesto in their lives. You guys, it makes life so much simpler....and frankly, way more delicious. Chicken is no longer boring and gross chicken "on the grill" or "in the oven" with no flavoring or seasoning...it's now dressed in all it's basil pesto glory sitting proudly on the plate ready to be devoured by your family, as they look at you with amazement in their eyes at the incredible meal that you just prepared using your trusty green friend. Ok...a little bit of a stretch, but for us moms, it's nice to think about...or dream about rather. :-)

First, let me do a shout out to all my cheapskate friends. Whether you're Dutch or just a cheapskate, listen up. Basil, unfortunately, can be quite expensive...especially in the winter months. Ok, who are we kidding?? It's CRAZY expensive in the winter time. $3.99 for a tiny sprig?? No thanks Meijer!! Rip off much?! But yet, I'm so addicted that I buy it anyway. Ha! So, I've learned to buy it in season, when I can get it for $1/bunch from my most favorite local farmers market vendor evahhhhh, and get 2-3 cups of leaves from each bunch. I make huge batches of pesto at a time so that I can freeze it and support my habit year round. :-) Not sharing who she is though...other people have discovered her as well....and it's ruining my life. How you might ask? I now have to leave my house at 7am to get to the market and buy most of it before all these other crazies do. And again, for those of you who know me...you know that mornings and I aren't in a good place.

Alright, first step. Get your pesto. Please buy local if you can. You support your local economy by doing so, save yourself some money and get a superior product. Win. Win. Win. For my large batch of pesto recipe I am sharing today (large being 2-3 pint jars/small Tupperware containers) you will need the following:

- 6 cups pesto leaves
- 6 garlic cloves (I like to use unbleached kind)
- 2/3 C of almonds, walnuts or pine nuts (if you're gross and like those)
- 1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (you can substitute Parmesan Reggiano too.)
- 1 C good quality extra virgin olive oil (you don't use all of it usually, so relax)
- food processor
- saucepan
- patience
- containers for storing pesto

Step 1: Wash pesto and separate leaves from the stalk. When I say wash, I don't mean under some water quickly or in a strainer. You need to separate the 6 cups (packed cups by the way) of leaves and then have a large bowl filled with water and soak them in there. The dirt will be washed off and settle at the bottom of the bowl because it's heavier then the water. 6 cups may seem like a lot, but it's not once it's all ground together.

Basil is an extremely dirty plant. Not gross, just full of dirt, because it grows in the ground :-) Please don't wash the basil your own way, you'll end up bruising it and having gross dirt and worms in your pesto. And that's nasty. But, to each their own. Soak the basil leaves for a few min, stir them around to get any excess dirt off and then remove from water onto a clean kitchen towel. Pat dry (gently as basil bruises very easily) with a kitchen towel and then with a paper towel.

See how dirty that one leaf is? Soak in the water. Stir. This works so well because the dirt is heavier than the leaves. The dirt will settle at the bottom of the bowl and the clean, beautiful leaves will be on top! 

Step 2: Grab whichever choice of nut you decide on, and measure out the appropriate amount. I personally like to roast mine to bring out all the flavors and oils that it has to offer. Roasting nuts is the best way to maximize their flavor and that way, you don't need to use as many. Frugality first people! You can roast in the oven or on the stove top. For the sake of time and convenience, I always roast this small amount in a shallow saucepan on the cook top. Basically, all you do is set them on medium heat and stir them around so they don't burn, and wait for the moment...the moment is that special moment when you smell them roasting. It's heavenly. You'll know it when you smell it. After that, they're ready to be poured into the food processor along with your 6 cups of basil leaves.

I used roasted walnuts in this recipe. But feel free to use any kind!

Step 3: Repeat all the steps, but with the garlic cloves. Do NOT chop garlic or use a garlic press. Remove the skin from the garlic clove and repeat the roasting process with them. Takes about 2 min on medium heat. Add to food processor (or blender if need be) once roasting is complete.

Simply smash and peel. 

*To remove the skin easily and without saying a choice word or two, grab your knife, lay it flat against the garlic clove with skin still on and make a fist and smash the garlic clove by hitting the knife. This separates the clove from the skin for easy removal.

Roast following the directions above. Then add to your food processor. 

Step 4: Add your Parmesan cheese. I'm not super picky as long as it's a hard, fresh light cheese. It HAS to be some kind of Parmesan family cheese. And no, not the kind in the shaker. This kind comes in a block. I paid only a little over $5 for mine at Whole Foods. You can find it at your local grocery store. You're going to want to have 1 cup of this grated (you can also purchase it pre-grated) and throw that into the food processor as well.

Any hard cheese will do. I used my hand grater. 

Step 5: Add 1/2 C of the EV olive oil to something that's easy to pour from. You will slowly be incorporating the olive oil into the pesto as we are blending the ingredients from steps 1-4. This is why I keep talking about using a food processor instead of something like a blender. A blender WOULD work, but it's a bit harder to use with slowly incorporating the olive oil...trust me...I'm speaking from experience...and having it look like the Hulk exploded in my kitchen from trying to use a blender :-) But if you wanna try, be my guest!

Good quality olive oil. I added my 1 Cup to a spouted glass measuring cup for easy pouring. 

Step 6: Blend all the ingredients together. Slowly and steadily add a stream of olive oil while you are blending this together. The olive oil helps to keep the mix moist, easy to blend and incorporates it all together for a perfect pesto consistency. You might need more olive oil, you may need less. That's one thing you are going to have to decide on yourself...how much oil you will need. You don't want this to be a soupy consistency, but it also shouldn't be dry. I like mine the consistency of a thicker ice cream. Not as thick as peanut butter, but not as thin as yogurt. Make sense? Great!

Blend together slowly and steadily. Add in that steady stream of olive oil and it'll start coming together. Keep checking consistency and check for a good flavor at the end. 

**Taste test it!!! Make sure you like it!! Does it need anything? Is it lacking something? Need more oil? Cheese? Basil? Sometimes, I will add red pepper flakes for a batch with a kick. Sometimes I'll add a splash of lemon. I don't season with salt and pepper because I do that when I use it in/on things. I'm giving you my basic pesto recipe and am giving you creative control to dress it up or down however you would like. Experimenting with flavors is THE BEST thing you can do for your cooking life. You'll have some major fails...I have. Orange cake was my biggest fail ever. But that's a story for another time :-) I would just like to challenge you to use this recipe, but make it your own. Branch out and try some new things.

Step 7: Add it slowly to your containers. IF YOU ARE FREEZING IT, you MUST add a thin layer of olive oil to the top so the top of the pesto is completely covered. Pesto is kind of like avocado, once it's exposed to oxygen it turns brown. It's not rotten or gross and it doesn't taste bad, but doesn't look so great. :-) I keep mine in the fridge for a week or two, never longer, but that's only because it doesn't last that long. And I freeze mine and use them all winter long. Look at you with your new pesto! Go on with your bad self!!

Jars or Tupperware containers work best!

How to use your new pesto: The possibilities are ENDLESS. I like to use it on angel hair pasta. I will cook a few heaping tablespoons of pesto with some cream or milk, add some cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper, chicken, onion, a bit of flour to thicken it and pour it over angel hair pasta...or whatever kind of pasta you have. I like to brush it on chicken or salmon for the grill. It's AMAZING on corn on the cob. Pork tenderloin. Any kind of fish. Red skin potatoes...don't even get my started on the starch category...I mix it in with scrambled eggs. So, add a little (or a lot) to everything if you wish..and enjoy!

Angel hair pesto pasta

I hope you try this awesome recipe!! Can't wait to hear what you all use it on!! Thanks for reading!

XOXO
AJ *

Fickle Pickle

Hey kids!! I feel like I've started off every blog recently giving the  "Wow, it's been a long time...how did I wait so long again to write something..." so, I'll spare you that line again. Just busy. With life. Family. Businesses. Job. Life. Etc...I know most all of you can relate to that. Sorry for neglecting.

Guys...it's summer! Halfway through almost. Isn't it crazy?! Didn't our snow here in Michigan JUST melt? I digress. One of my favorite things about the late spring, summer through late fall is our local Fulton Street Farmers Market here in town. I LOVE visiting my favorite booths, talking to the local residents/farm owners/vendors that are supplying home grown food for all of us to purchase at the market. It soothes my soul to see how many people are finally buying more local and supporting our local farmers. It's pure Michigan baby. Nothing like it.

I have many favorite things to make during the summer months. Pickles. Strawberry jam and pies. Cherry pie. Cherry salsa. Basil Pesto. Canned peaches. Blueberry pie. And the list goes on. And on. :-)

Today, we talk pickles!! Truth be told, if you would ask my friends and family if I ever eat pickle on anything, the answer would be no. Because they're gross. And soggy. And gross. And blah. But, during the summer months, when I can get fresh mini cucumbers and make my own? Then, I am pickles biggest fan.

First rule of pickling? There ARE NO RULES!!! Now, I know that my "I-have-to-have-a-recipe-to-follow-or-I-screw-it-up" people are freaking out by this statement, but just stick with me a minute. It's always good when you're new to something to follow some sort of basic recipe, but what I'm saying is you can take creative control, free reign and add a little extra of this or a little dash of that (with NO measuring! *gasp*) and it won't ruin your entire batch. And that my friends, is freedom. To not have your creative palette controlled by a recipe. Step into the light recipe-followers...it's ok NOT to measure. :-)

What you will need :
- Mini Cucumbers (I use approx 5-7lbs per 12 quart batch)
- Quart Mason Jars (or pint depending on size of cucs)
- White Vinegar (just lots)
- Fresh Dill (1 big bunch)
- Fresh Garlic (6 whole heads)
- Red Pepper Flakes (Optional. Use for spicy version. A few tsps)
- Pickling Salt (a few tsps)
- Whole Peppercorns (half a handful total)
- Cajun Seasoning (optional. Use for spicy version)
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife

***** NOTE TO READERS*****

I know some of you cheap skates, myself included, will think you can just use regular table salt for this recipe. No dice. You NEED to use the pickling/canning salt. Because the regular table salt has extra chemicals in it, it'll turn your garlic and pickles weird shades of pink and blue. It's weird and doesn't work as well. Even this Dutch girl went to the store and spent the whopping $1.47 on that huge box of pickling/canning salt. If I can, you can. 

Step 1: Visit your local farmers market, vegetable stand or your own garden (and Meijer for those of you who won't go to these fine places) and grab a pound or two of mini cucumbers. I like the ones that are weird shaped, bumpy on the outside and all kinds of shades of green. They make THE crunchiest pickles evahh. Grab your cutting board, favorite sharp kitchen knife and wash them and gentle chop off a tiny bit on each end.

Wash and hand dry your mini cucumbers. 

Gently chop off each end with sharp knife. 

Step 1.5: Yes, there is a Step 1.5. Because it should really be done before or simultaneously as Step 1. Anyway. You're going to need mason jars. Lots of them if you plan to do lots of pickles like I always do. I usually do 12 jars of pickles at a time. I use approx 5-7 lbs of mini cucumbers and use wide-mouthed quart jars for my spears and pickle chips. When you buy them new, you MUST...I repeat, you MUST wash and sanitize them. I won't even try to describe the foul smell that these mason jars possess when they are brand new, but it's nasty and gross. Just wash them. please. I soak mine in piping hot, soapy water for about 20 min then rinse them twice in hot water and air dry. 

Step 2: Fun part! Once your jars are dried, line them up on the counter. Before you start adding any ingredients to the jars for the pickling, you need to decide if you want the spicy version of my recipe or just the regular garlic dill one. I'll walk you through both. I like to do half and half for my family, although the spicy version seems to be the favorite pretty consistently. 

- Add 3 sprigs of your fresh dill to the bottom of each jar.

- Add 3 peeled (not chopped!) cloves of garlic to the bottom of each jar.

- Add 1/2 tsp of WHOLE peppercorns to the bottom of the jar

My favorite knife.

How gorgeous!! Multi colored whole peppercorns. 

Line those babies up!

See how cute and cozy? Just waiting for their vinegar bath!

Step 3: If you want spicy pickles, DO this step. If you want regular garlicky dill, please skip ahead to step 4. 

This is where the spice comes in. It's not terribly spicy, but the spicy pickles definitely have a bit of a kick to them. I think they're amazing. So do my kiddos. 

- Add 1 tsp (or more) of dried red pepper flakes to the bottom of the jars above. Feel free to add more if you want a spicier option. 

- Add 1-2 tsp of Cajun Seasoning 

Step 4: Decide if you want to have pickle chips, pickle spears or both. I like to have both. Chop them into spears and slice into thin pickle chips. Not too thin, because you want them to be crunchy but not too thick. ok? ok!

They won't always be even or the same thickness, no worries, they all taste the same!

Then add them slowly into the quart jars. I like to tilt the jar sideways when adding them to make sure I fit as many in there as possible. This is why you want the wide mouthed jars. 

Sit them right on top of the ingredients that we added in steps 1-3. 

Step 5: Add your pickling liquids! A simple ratio for each jar of:

     - 1 cup white vinegar

- 1 cup cold water

 - 1 tsp pickling salt

As long as it's white vinegar, you're golden. 

Found in the spice aisle by regular table salt in your local grocery store. 

Fill it close to the rim

If you have added one cup of water and one cup of vinegar and have some extra space in the jar, fill the extra space with water.

Step 6: Pop on those lids, shake WELL and go on with your bad self!! Admire your awesome work!!

Spicy garlic dill pickle chips

Garlicky dill pickle spears!

That's it folks!! Now, these are refrigerator pickles, so we won't be boiling them or waiting for lids to pop and seal etc. They are fresher, crispier and way more delicious this way. Keep them in your freezer for 5-7 days and they'll be ready to devour. My pickle chips are usually ready in 5ish days, and the spears for sure need 7+ days. Just open and try them and decide if they need more time. Good luck trying to not eat them before! :-) They will stay fresh for up to a week or so after...but they never last that long.

** I go in my fridge everyday and give each jar a good shake. Just to stir up the ingredients. You definitely don't have to do this, but it helps stir things up and mix the flavors well. **

And....that's all she wrote! I hope you all enjoyed your Fourth of July holiday weekend. We sure did. Spent it with family and friends and it was amazing. Even brought some of these pickles :-) 

Can't wait to hear what y'all think of them! 

XOXO from Michigan,

AJ