Laundry detergent

This past week I was busy creating in the kitchen. Homemade root beer, ginger ale, homemade thin pizza crust, whipping up a batch of laundry detergent, and even bar soap was made!! My fab friends on Facebook messaged me pretty much daily for the recipes. Some even thought I was nuts and suggested I should go by a frozen pizza & a jug of soda....ummm thanks but no thanks. So, this post is all about getting our clothes clean. I found versions of this formula online at least a year, maybe 2yrs ago. I have tweaked it to make it work for our needs.

We use:

2 cups Borax

2 cups Washing Soda

2 cups Baking Soda

1 bar of Naptha soap, grated

mix everything in a bowl & store in an airtight container. It takes 2TBSP of powder per full load of laundry.

Perks we have found since using this:

It actually CLEANS!!! Ken gets grease and grime on his clothing pretty often. We are all known to slop food on our clothing. Anybody who doesn't has got to be well trained or have super human powers!! This powder gets it all out!! At least it has for us. Maybe water differences in areas will have different outcomes? I'm not sure I no longer search every nook and crannie on Ken's dirty clothes for hidden stains to pretreat. That makes me beyond happy!! This has also taken blood (from my dogs) out of their dog bed. We have used it on occasion to rub on clothing as a form of pretreating & it's fabulous! I'm telling ya, it works.

Ken has horrible allergies & since we started using this he is much better. Not perfect by any means. We still have the 5 dogs, and two cats to keep him on his toes. But his sensitive skin does not get rashy. We have tried many store bought brands & nothing has come close to this.

We both wear glasses and it never fails, we always get smudges or a doggy nose prints on them. It's not always easy to get a eyeglass cleaning cloth so we use our shirt. Guess what??? No smudges!!! The other filth would leave us with smeary glasses that looked as if we'd smeared petroleum jelly on them.

Another added bonus??? IT'S ooberously CHEAP!!! I'm not buffalo chippin folks!! It costs about $10 for all of these supplies. The boxes of powder will make 3 batches. The bars of soap cost $1 at most stores. So, for 5 months we spend a fraction of what we used to spend.

Experimenting

This post is brought to you from the weirdo with the mask, goggles and rubber gloves. I've been experimenting...in my kitchen with some heavy duty stuff. Here's a hint. And no, I am not eating lard, preparing for lard wrestling in the backyard or making Mrs Brady's meatloaf for the Brady Bunch!!

I'll be able to post all about it in approximately 3 days. =) Hope you are enjoying your weekend & doing something fun!!

Take a ride with me

I go down to the lake to think, to daydream and reconnect with myself and my thoughts. It's where, 16years ago I met Ken. As I ate my sandwich I watched the snow drift from the lake onto the road creating 2 to 3 foot snowdrifts. The area lacks snow & our lawns are exposed but not down by the lake...a mere handful of blocks from my home. There are still fish shacks on the lake but soon the ice will melt & the big ore boats will resume their shipping. We truly live in a beautiful area. Come, take a ride with me. I'll prove it to you. =)

As I sat down by the Museum I looked out at the Lighthouse as the snow blew all around me, making the snowdrifts on the bike path even bigger

Man was it windy! See the little sapling trees all bent?

I see snowdrifts! Heck, just the sight of snow makes me giddy like a school girl getting a Valentine from the cutest boy in the class. Just a smidgen of the bike path is showing. I look forward to our nightly 10-15 mile bike rides. This is on our route. Pretty awesome huh?

After I make my way out of the drifts I turn onto our Main Street & the parking stalls by the lakeside are nothing but a snowdrift.

The grass on Municipal Dock is exposed!! It's just by the Museum and beachhouse where the wind had whipped up some snow. Very soon we will be able to go biking!!

The last whoosh of wind blows snow across Main Street.

And there is snow on the grass to my right...

But maybe 50 feet from all that blowing, snowy driftyness I am in a place of nearly no snow. There are a couple businesses on the right hand side, which are lakeside. The buildings block the lake from blowing all sorts of snow. Kinda funny how it looked like a winter wonderland one minute & the next it looks like Spring is right around the corner. Only in the U.P. of Michigan do we get such diversity. Such a simple way to enjoy what is in my own backyard.

Foodie Friday: Soft Pretzels

Recently my new blog friend Melanie posted this recipe over on her blog. I whipped up a batch last week & let me tell you!! We will never, I mean NEVER go back to purchasing frozen soft pretzels...ever. Get my point? If I were you, I'd be bop myself over to her post at http://thedyingartofkeepinghouse.blogspot.com/2010/02/frugal-friday-make-your-own-pretzels.html for the recipe. Make yourself a batch of these for the weekend. Heck, who says they have to be for the weekend. If you are like Ken & myself they will not even last through the weekend!!

I dunked mine in cheese, had them warm with butter, plain, salted and I bet they'd kick all sorts of butt with cream cheese. The possibilities are endless folks!! Enjoy your weekend & do something fun with your loved ones.

Barely Recognizable

Watching the sunset over Lake Superior this summer

It's never too late to become what you might have been ~George Eliot

I have had this quote rolling around in my head for some time now. It fills me with hope, reflection and inspiration.

Most people know me at the happy go lucky gal who has it all. I am usually happy go lucky but what I have is too much. I have a constant struggle with this & I long to have a more simplistic life. I wonder often how we allowed ourselves to get back into this need to have, want to have type of life again. Let's back up a few years.

In 2003 we lost our first house after living there for seven years. Talk about embarrassing and humbling. After much influence and bad choices on our part we were forced to move out and forfeit everything we worked so hard for. We sold the nice pickup for less than what we owed, lost the home that we spent so much time working on. The same home we bought right before our 1st anniversary, had gutted down to the studs, and rebuilt. The same home that had the little veggie garden and a few flower gardens. The same home that we conceived our 2nd baby in, and lost it in. So many memories were left there.

After we lost the house we bought an old 5th wheel camper for $3000 and parked it in Kens parents yard. We would stay in that when we were not on the road which was about 3 days a month. We drove a pickup truck we bought for $300 from the neighbor...and we were fine. When our world was falling apart is when we, as a couple came together the most. We have always had an amazing relationship and we've gone through many struggles and heartache. But this event brought us closer & showed us the true people we were. We didn't need all the "stuff" We were happy.

During the three years of living in the camper and semi we logged thousands upon thousands of miles traveling in the semi. We traveled through all of the 48 continental United States and Many Providences in Canada. Everything that mattered was in that truck and that was each other, and our 4 dogs. Home was where the heart was...and our hearts were together. That is all that mattered.

After almost three full years of living in the semi & camper we were told by a family friend about her parents home going up for sale. They offered it to us at a great price. We decided we'd check it out, knowing that our credit was less than desirable. Ken told me if I liked the house to put money down on it...which I did. Then came the intense paperwork and jumping through this hoop and that hoop. By Ken's busting his butt on the road and my perseverance with the lenders I was able to secure financing for our home we are in now.

We were so excited on that October afternoon when we were given the keys and signed the papers. When we walked in the house we both began opening cupboards, imagining the food that would be made in the kitchen, running up and down the stairs, laying on the carpet and turning the faucet on & off. (Due to the fact that we were never home we didn't have running water or a working toilet in the camper. We bought a porta pottie unit from Walmart that we used in the camper & semi) We were ecstatic...and yet still simple. We had an old white pickup that we purchased from my cousin for $1000& a used Grand Am we purchased from a dealer that lends to anybody..even with crummy credit...and we were happy with that.

Now, four years later we find ourselves back to having it all. I mean seriously, who needs 3 honkan huge big screen televisions, a few computers, enough electronicals to choke a herd of elephants. The more we have or want the more Ken works. We have the fancy shmancy pickup truck all decked out with chrome that houses an 8.1 engine. That basically means we pour oodles of liquid gold aka $$$into it's tank and get a mere 9.66 mph on the highway. We have the camper, the Suburban. As hard as it is to admit, I have entirely too much Christmas stuff. Seriously, 99% of our attic is tubs of Christmas stuff. I am certain that I could decorate at least 10 businesses downtown with all of it. Do I really need it? no. We have the big three person exercise workout station and the top notch treadmill...neither ever get used...but somehow it was a necessity when purchased. I wonder how in the heck we got to where we are now from the people that we were just 4yrs ago.

I have expressed these thoughts to Ken numerous times. Although I am thankful for everything he does to provide us with these things, I don't need it all. In fact, there are things I don't even want but continue to pay for because he wants them. Where have the days of digging out a board game and sitting at the table to play gone? We do that on rare occasion but really...So much of our time is spent watching shows we DVR'd because he was on the road...working, to provide cable...that he never gets to watch...because he is working. How much sense does that make?

I long for that more simplistic life. I don't care if someone looks at us funny because I don't have it all. We got so much of that when we lost the house and it's no big deal at all. Through the ordeal of losing the house we found out who our true friends were...and believe me, there weren't many who stuck around. Plus we had each other & looking out our windshield was a postcard. We were blessed without even realizing it.

I know how and enjoy growing food, canning & preserving it, crocheting afghans, slippers, toys, clothes, dishcloths for the home & gifts, sew and quilt. I make our laundry soap, spin yarn, love hanging clothes on the line. There is so much more I'd like to learn and implement. I am able to make do...and God forbid...GO WITHOUT!! I enjoy the almost choreographed dance we do in our small kitchen when we cook together. We have it down pat so we don't knock each other over but still are able to prepare food together. There is nothing better than taking a ride to the woods and foraging for blueberries, baking from scratch, watching a sunset. You know, the simple things in life people all too often ignore.

What do we really "need"? For me, I know...and had it all 4yrs ago when we had basically nothing but one another. What do I desire or hope? To get rid of the stuff we don't need. Donate, give away, sell, re purpose into something useful. Simplify our lives. We don't need all this stuff. I will work my hardest at doing what I can to simplify...Each week I will do something...

This quote reminds me that with dedication and hope I can & will become the me I want to be. I don't have to follow what people view as the "American Dream" to have happiness and be successful.

The day the library told me off...

I am very interested in reading this book "The Shack" by William Paul Young. I recently went to the Library with a list of books I was interested in checking out. I then remembered I would like to borrow this book so I went to the computer & typed in "The Shack" to get the shelf location. I was astonished as to what I saw and thought it must be some sort of joke. Now, keep in mind, I love books, and libraries. I should have known what it meant when I got the response of F YOU...I pushed the back button hoping to redo my search. This had to be a mistake...it had to be. The computer seized up and both Ken & I figured this had to be a joke. Someone clearly hacked into the libraries system.

I made my way to the front desk where I approached the Librarian who was checking out my other selections. I asked her if she knew where "The Shack" was located and I then, in my whispering library voice ...that I can't even hear told her that I did a search & it yielded F YOU. I then said F as in fish, Y-O-U. I wanted to bring it to her attention. I was still certain it was some sort of joke & Ms Librarian needed to know that the library is basically telling people off. She then calmly asked me the authors name & I responded...William Paul Young...still NO clue...she responded with a smile "Fiction Y-O-U...as in Young" Good golly grapes Katherine!!! I should have KNOWN that!!! Ken & I made it to that section & the book was checked out. We both scurried out as fast as possible.

I have to wonder if Ms Librarian thought I was nuts. Oh well. It gave us and many of my family a good chuckle. Perhaps they should change it to Fic You....just a thought


Title
The shack : a novel
Author
Young, William P.
Publisher:
Windblown Media,
Pub date:
c2007.
Pages:
249 p. ;



Escanaba Public Library
Copies
Material
Location
F YOU
1
Book

Over the road adventure

I am leaving on an over the road adventure this week with my dear hubbykins & our fab 5 (the dogs). I plan on doing oodles of reading, crocheting, daydreaming of my upcoming gardens, picture taking, music jammin' and spending a good few days with the love of my life. I wish you all the bestest week. There are a few posts scheduled...hopefully we are home by the end of the week =) Peace, Love and Rock On!!! Kat

Where I wish I was...

The house is in such shambles so I decided to go through some pics...this is where I wish I was: In my craft room!!

Immursed in my stash of yarn,

Or maybe doing more painting on the Pooh scene

perhaps the tree needs apples?

There's gotta be something I could do up there!!!

I know, I could work on making cards!!! But for now I am stuck doing remodeling stuff. I should be getting reaquainted with my craft room very soon though =)

Ten Randoms

There is so much on my mind right now...thought I'd share 10 of them...


1. The fact that my biological Mom has an aneurysm on her brain has me scared. She also has MS, osteoporosis amongst other health issues. I was not raised by her and just began having a relationship with her in the past 5yrs. I have always known her but life never brought us to know one another. I am very blessed to know her now. She's made bad choices in her past but she is a kind, compassionate, loving person.

2. We are still amidst the big remodel & my house is a blasted mess...for real. It stresses me out. But I know it'll be awesome when we are finished. I am so proud of my hubby for tackling this project on our own and he's doing a remarkable job.

3. I am thankful that my little brothers JJ & Josh & real dad came over today & helped with the remodel. I am so fortunate to have an amazing, helpful, and strong family.

4. Last night I had horrible nightmares that my good friend passed away. I woke up wanting to call her.

5. I'm not afraid anymore of what Meniere's has done and can do to me. I am at peace with it. I have the utmost wonderful people in my life who love me just the way I am. I am so very fortunate

6. I'm getting excited for Spring & cannot wait to start my seeds indoors. We just need a yard for a big honkan garden now. We are looking into participating in the local gardens where you rent a plot for $20 for the growing season. Hopefully we can secure one or two of those plots.

7. The snow is almost melted (not that we had much this year anyway) and very soon we will take the peddle bikes out & return to our daily 15 mile bike rides. I love that we live right by the lake!!!

8. I feel so fortunate to have been able to go on one cross country ski run this year. It had been well over 5yrs since we had been due to my balance issues. We would have gone more but remember...Mother Nature kept forgetting about us when it snowed. =(

9. I am thankful for my stocked pantry in the basement. Home canned tomatoes, sauces, jams, jellies, veggies & fruits, toiletries, other canned goods and miscellaneous items we use daily sit on the shelves just waiting to be used. I look forward to the canning/preserving season & hope to can at least 2 new things this year.

10. My sister Jamie & I have secured an abundance of sheep fur once Spring comes. Bring on the spinning of yarn!!!

New Handbag!!

I have had my eye on this for well over a month now!! A local gal makes these out of refurbished blazers and woolen sweaters. Each time I went to the Deli I'd eye it up but would never pay the price. Now, fast forward to this past Thursday. I had an appointment to get my nails done. (No, I do not splurge on this normally... but was given a gift certificate from my hubby) After my appointment with my fab friend Kellie, we went to the deli for lunch. I decided I would treat her. We looked at the handmade items for sale & out of nowhere she decided to buy this for me!! I cannot even thank her enough. It fits everything I need in it & also looks amazing =) I never thought I'd get so darn tootan stoked about getting a new handbag!!! I'm one lucky gal!!!

Prayer request

This picture was taken at my sister Jamie's house. Many of my friends know, I was adopted by my biological Dad's parents. I didn't have much at all to do with my biological Mom until later in my years. Anyways, the woman in the picture with me is my biological Mom... she had a stroke today & is in the hospital and not doing so swell. Tomorrow Ken & I are going to go visit her.

I have such strong feelings right now & I really hope she will be ok. I just got to know her, as an adult...and she is a great person with a wunnaful heart. I am not ready to let her go & look forward to sharing more of our lives with one another. I know she made some not so swell choices in life but I don't hold that against her. I had a great life & am very thankful I was adopted.

I am not completely sure how she is other than she is having a hard time talking and her right side is not working properly. She also has Multiple Sclerosis, osteoporosis and a few other health woes...I ask that if you are the praying type to please say a prayer for her and keep her in your thoughts.

Foodie Friday: Beef Roast in the crockpot

A handful of years ago our friend Joy made this roast and we enjoyed it so much that it is now the only way we make a roast in the crockpot. The drippings make THE most outstanding gravy...in this WORLD!!! Also, the leftovers, along with the gravy make a wonderful stew, beef barley soup, or veggie beef soup starter. Just thin the gravy a bit, add some seasonings & whalaaa...you are on your way to a scrumptious re purposed meal =) Re purposed as in another meal is created from the leftovers rather than just heating up the originals.

What you'll need:

1 dry packet ranch dressing

1 dry packet Italian dressing (I sometimes used the zesty version)

1 dry packet brown gravy

1 dry packet mushroom gravy

2-3 cups of water

up to a 4 pound roast (I have done a roast as small as 3lbs with this & as large as 5lbs & still have plenty of juice)

a big crockpot

an onion

carrots

potatoes (if you wish)

Combine the seasoning packets along with the water, mix well. Put your roast in the bottom of the crockpot, add chopped onion, carrots, and potatoes. Cover. Cook on the low setting for 6-8hrs

What you will have is the most delicious roast you will ever eat. Trust me =)

Dog-gone-it my pups are spoiled

I know it's not Foodie Friday but I just had to post this. I made these biscuits Wednesday for my pups from the "Three Dog Bakery Cookbook" by Dan Dye & Mark Beckloff.

I was only able to capture McKenzie eating hers as the other 4 puparoodles scurried off & left me with flashes of a furry blur. Gosh darn I love my furry kids!! LOL

Monkey Business

One of the projects I am working on: A stuffed crocheted monkey for my dear friend's baby shower this weekend. They are having a girl & the nursery is going to have a monkey theme. It's going to be rather big...hopefully baby Ava won't be afraid of it!! Ok, off to work on my monkey business...literally =)

Spinning Yarn

One of my favorite things to do is spin yarn. I've talked about it often & many friends have shook their heads in disbelief when I tell them what it is. Seriously, it's relaxing, teaches control and it's soo rewarding. Plus the feel of the fibres as it runs through your fingers is nothing less than exhilarating!!

I purchased a large amount of roving from a woman who sets up shop at the Gas & Steam Engine Village at the fairgrounds. A couple times a year the Association has activities that we partake in. Just this past year we decided to join the Association. I look forward to sitting in the yarn shack spinning yarn & crocheting with the other ladies this coming Autumn when they do their annual Gas & Steam Engine Show. But, tonight as I sit in my recliner, my youngest dog by my feet & the fireplace going, I am spinning yarn & imagining what I will make out of the finished product.

Foodie Friday: For our feathered friends

This is not a "human recipe", rather it is for our feathered friends. After all, they need to eat in the winter too. All too often people only feed the birds in the summer months. Winter is a hard season for our feathered friend up north so we feed in winter as well.

I gathered up some pine cones when we were in Massachusetts from Nana's & took them home thinking I would use them all for decorating & whatnot. Well, Ken's Nana really enjoyed feeding the birds so I opted to use the pine cones from her yard rather than our Upper MI ones.

What I do is take a couple cups of wild bird seed, a handful of dried fruit, and enough peanut butter to make it spreadable & smear it on the pine cone, attach a loop of yarn around the cone & hang it on our lilac tree in the front. Birds flock to these lil things & eat it up. Sometimes the squirrels get to the cones after the birds are finished & chew on the husks & the yarn can be used in the birds nests. A perfectly green recipe for our outdoor feathered friends.

Hope you are having a fantabulastic weekend & have a very happy Valentine's Day.

The stories our walls tell

For those who don't know, we bought this house 4 years ago from a friend of the family. For three years before this purchase we lived in an old fifth wheel camper when we weren't on the road. We lost our 1st house in 2003. The previous owners were best friends of my parents. I had heard years ago it was my Mom & Dad who got John & Helen together. Now years pass, Mom & Dad pass away, Helen passed away & John decided to go live in an assisted living home. We could not pass up the deal on this home. We knew the house had history with my parents. We also knew the home had a history of having "unpaid guests" Now, say what you will but we have had numerous occurrences happen in our home since we bought it. We have seen & heard things, lights turn on, our dogs snarl up the stairs, Ken has felt "someone" pass him on the staircase...the list goes on. We are not afraid of our home however. In fact, we feel blessed to be here & we take great pride in our old house & take great care when we do remodeling. Any sort of changes seems to stir up the activity in the house.

Anyways, last week we decided after 4 long years of not liking the dining room & den that we would remodel. The house is in complete array right now so I won't share oodles of pictures. Instead I would like to talk about this one....


We had a built in desk/curio cabinet along the one whole wall. When we took the bank of drawers out this is what we found: 1 completely empty vodka bottle, another vodka bottle with a tiny amount in it and a cabinet making book from 1949.

I posted a few pics of the whole remodel on my facebook for friends to see & because almost all of the pics have "orbs". Now keep in mind, we know the family who owned the home prior to us. Sandy, who is John & Helen's daughter commented on this particular picture & said that she remembers when those bottles & book were put there. This is what she said:

"I remember when my dad put the vodka bottles in the wall, Donald and Thelma came over that night. They shared what was in the empty bottles, and then they (dad and Donald) put the bottles there for kicks, mom was upset but laughing. They said in 100 years who will give a shit, and then he threw his cabinet book in there too. I will tell you there ... are many stories those walls will tell, and I know exactly which ones have the biggest tale, I will say be careful with the sledge hammer you never know what is behind old walls;). I often think I should have bought the house, just so I can dig stuff back up. I will tell you one spot if you have not already removed. The kitchen counter top that was by the sliding doors. Every time dad would place something to be covered up for the future mom would say "John Rickel I might want that", or she would say "I might need that" of course, he never listened."

We are having fun finding out the stories beneath the walls but at the same time, we are sooo ready for this project to be done!!

Lookie Here

Meet my new friend...she doesn't have a name yet & I'm not sure if she'll ever have one...but she's brand spankan new. Even the dent on the lower left hand corner was put in there by us...well the hubby actually cuz he really doesn't exhibit much as far as patience goes & he ran into the door while carrying it. Hence why he's not a doctor!! Ok, that was lame!!

We had an old jalopy of a washer that came with the house when we bought it. But she worked nicely until...she had a sudden seize this past week. She would fill up with water & it wouldn't drain or spin at all. Her twirling days were over...Ken was thinking he would be able to fix her, that it would be mechanical. But alas, her motherboard or something electronical went on her & we had to part with the 20 something year old beaut.

We both had desires to get a front load energy efficient model. Those things are beyond gorgeous & are supposed to save big buckaroos & are way awesome for the environment. All pluses in our book. We did some research & found that their electronical system lasts about 5 yrs...now, to pay a handful of hundred $$$'s or a grand or more how would that save us any money at all in the long run seeing we'd be replacing it in a handful of years? We priced them around town, checked online to see what they usually go for, did comparisons & in the end we bought this one at Sears. Don't get me wrong, the dandy bright, shiny green front loading green beaut had me almost drooling, envisions of doing laundry in it were running through my head. I could picture me with that having "loads" of fun with her. Really. That's how pathetic I am. I quickly snapped out of it & told Ken I would love to have the Kenmore in the picture. Anything with the name Ken in the brands works for me =) I anticipate a long, productive life for her.

After she was installed, the 1st load put in we started gutting our den/dinging room. Talk about chaos!!

Foodie Friday: Twinkie Cake

Oh wow, this week whooshed right by without a single post. I didn't plan it that way I assure you. On Sunday night I decided at the last minute to go on the road with my hubby. We got home on Tuesday night. Wednesday I caught up on my domestic goddess duties around the house that I had missed the previous days. I'm pretty anal about staying on track with my cleaning schedule. I'll talk more about that in a different post. Anyways, I had hoped to write something witty yesterday while in between loads of laundry but the darn washer decided it would be a fine time to croak...and the hubby is on the road so I'm yet another day behind schedule. I honestly can't tell you where yesterday went & I'm not all too happy I basically got nothing done. So that brings us full circle to Friday & I cannot NOT post this recipe!! I made it a week ago & that very same day it was GONE!!! No joke!! It's that delicious =) I'm not a huge Twinkie fan but occasionally enjoy chowing down on one. But this cake...yeah, pretty much kicks all sorts of bootie!!

Twinkie Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding (I used the big box)

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt (I omitted this)

Filling:

1 cup water

5 TBSP flour

1c. sugar

1/2 cup oleo

1/2 cup Crisco

2 tsp vanilla

bit of almond extract

Mix all of the cake ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a 9 X 13 inch pan lined with wax paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool and turn out onto tray. Split into two layers. Put top half back into pan.

Filling: Cook 1 cup sugar and 5 TBSP flour on stove top until thick, stirring constantly. Cool and add the sugar, oleo, Crisco and extracts. Beat until thick and light like whipped cream. Fill cake. Put other layer on top. Chill cake (if you have the patience...we DIDN'T! and it was still delish) Keep in refrigerator (if you actually have any left...we didn't) May be frozen.

One more thing...I also made this with a strawberry cake mix & holy bean bags Batman!! Scrumdiddleeeumtious indeed!! Today I am going to have a good ole date with my kitchen & try this with a lemon cake. =)