Do-it-yourself Dish Soap

I was pretty bored today with the kids being over at their dads and I was running out of dish soap...  Since this week I am going to be doing a lot of DIY type stuff - like laundry detergent, and I need to make some new cleaner...  I figured, why not try to make some Dish soap as well...  So... that is exactly what I did.

Following the recipe was the easy part. It didnt turn out the way I wanted it to... most likely because I used the wrong stuff... But I was able to fix my mistake, and I am actually pretty happy with the results! 

You will need: a large pot, Arm&Hammer washing powder (not baking powder!) a half a bar of grated ivory soap, 2 qts warm water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, essential oil (I used lavender  and food coloring (optional) 

Pour the 2 quarts of water into the pot, adding 1 cup washing powder, 1 tablespoon glycerin, 1/2 bar of grated ivory soap and white vinegar, bring to a slow boil. 

You want everything to become all nicely melted and the water will be mostly clear.  Remove from heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then add in 7 drops essential oil and your food coloring of choice (I used purple).

Let sit for an hour or so.  You will start to see a film on top, stir it every 20 minutes or so.  Pour into a 2 qt jug (I used a V8 jug!) You will see some solids in there, dont worry about it. Shake it every once in awhile. It will get thicker and thicker as time goes on!

The cooler it becomes the more it thickens.  

I spilled a little on my hands, and I love the feel of it.  My hands are smoother.. Not dry like most soaps will do!  It's not completely cooled. But I had fun making it! Definitely plan on doing this more often.  Also hoping that it sets right, but we will see for sure in a few days! Once its completely done I will take pictures and begin the next batch and actually show you all the pictures :) until then, have fun!

ADHD, Asthma and Autism, OH MY!

When my mother told me that my kids would pay me back for all the bad things I did when I was a kid, I laughed. Okay, not entirely true.  I sat down and thought "hmm, I wasn't really a bad kid!" (Until I hit the teenage years that is, but they still have no idea about that, so it doesn't count, right?) It's not that my kids are bad, but over the past several months it seems I have become a circus performer, jumping through countless hoops to get through just the day! Here is the update that is much needed!

Kathryn has been a "normal" 6 almost 7 year old.  Homework has become one more daily chore piled onto my already overwhelming list. For crying out loud seriously, who is in school here, me or her? It's a fight to see who has more stamina, who can sit there and cry, scream, yell the loudest, just to give in.  I can only do so much, right?

Dylan is his typical mischievous self.  He instigates almost all the fights between his brother and sister. Blames everyone else. Everyone sees him as this perfectly sweet, innocent little boy, who never does anything wrong.  I saw through that facade a long time ago. Dylan has 2 settings, Big Helper: Does his chores, even without being asked, homework done and then some. Andddd then there is Little Devil: fights everything I say, instigates everything, battles are usually lost with him standing in the corner. The weather is getting cooler, which means It is asthma season... I am dreading this.  I know a severe lack of sleep is on the way.  Luckily, I am stocked up on medicine and coffee.  For both of us.

Caleb.. He is the reason I have jumped through more hoops than a circus clown.  If you have ever had to have a child placed into the special needs program in school, then you know completely what I am talking about. I have battled (imagine suiting up in full chain and platemail armor and you know what I am getting at) with school boards, psychologists  school counselors  bus drivers (seriously, if you have an autistic child yourself, you should know and understand how he reacts to a big huge bus with lots of kids! HELLO! DUH!) doctors, nurses, and teachers (although his teacher is FRIGGEN AMAZING!) Seriously, His teacher is the best thing that has happened to me since sliced bread.  She completely understands his needs, and she helps us so much! If it wasn't for her I am pretty sure I would not have pushed so hard to get him on the special needs. It took 4 months to get my son onto an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) It has been a very rough and trying road.  But we finally did it!  Caleb is doing better than ever, and I couldn't be happier!

Overall, the kids have been doing very well. Every once in awhile I have one of those moments that I am on the right track, where I feel that everything is right in the world and I am not a complete failure.  But then, something shatters my bubble of perfection.  The whole single mom thing is not easy by any means.  But oddly enough, it is easier to deal with the kids without my ex around.  More and more I feel like myself, and not some screwed up carbon copy that was messed up in the presses.

When I found the second lump in my breast, I had to swallow a huge measure of pride. I already knew what the outcome would be when the doctor examined me but I chose to wait anyway. Needless to say it didn't disappear, but grew. Once again I went under the knife and had the damn thing removed. Stay gone this time!!!  I do not want to be a lumpy, pincushion that the doctor gets to use! (Although I must say I absolutely LOVE Dr Lisa Farmer! She is awesome, laid back and has great bedside manner!) My breast is still a bit tender, but hopefully that will disappear soon.

Kids birthdays are literally right around the corner. Dylans is exactly one week away, with Kathryns and Calebs right behind it.  I don't have anything to give them, which makes me feel awful. I guess it also makes me feel awful that I am doing this birthday party in hopes that kids bring gifts to them, to make up for the fact that I can't afford to get them anything.  *Please don't let the other parents be stingy!!!*

Well, thats about it, so much has happened since my last post, and I am really trying to get back into writing- hopefully that will help me get out some of my frustration in the world around me.  Either that or maybe I should find an abandoned building and start smashing windows...  either or could be satisfying...

Best Dinner... Ever....

I sat there today, debating on what on earth to cook. I was frustrated because I forgot to take out something last night, and I didn't want to wait several hours to cook.  My eyes rested on the bag of Whiting...  Well, it is Just me and the kids.  So... I went online and typed in Whiting recipes...  Many came up...  The one I decided on making though... I ended up changing completely!!! I had decided to make Whiting with Garlic and Lemon. My biggest thing is I HATE frying food. Any kind of food.  So, I decided to bake it, using bread crumbs.

First I took the fish and soaked it with Worcestershire sauce, then dipped it into the bread crumbs, making sure they are fully coated.

 Lay skin side down on baking sheet sprayed with olive oil spray.

Put the fish in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. When they come out, they should look similar to this.

Then make your sauce.  I have to say I completely went away from the recipe with the sauce.  I took garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil and combined it with some hollandaise sauce.  The sauce came out perfectly!  The end result...  was absolutly amazing!  The fish had a beautifully smoky flavor to it, and it was fabulous! The kids even had no complaints.  I also made cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and buttered french style beans (yes, with Garlic!)  I am a garlic fiend, it's okay. I admit it.  So sue me.  Anyway, here is the final picture!  It turned out fabulous!

Garlic Lemon Whiting

6-8 Whiting filets

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (give or take)

Worcestershire sauce

Coat fish in Worcestershire sauce, coat both sides with bread crumbs. Put in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes turning over halfway through baking time. Meanwhile make the sauce.

Sauce:

1 pkg Hollandaise sauce

5 garlic cloves, mashed and diced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup 100% lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Make Hollandaise sauce as stated on the pkg. Add in remaining ingredients. Allow to come to a boil stirring CONSTANTLY! Otherwise it will clump up. Continue stirring until thick remove from heat, stir one more minute. Plate fish and whatever other sides you have, place sauce over fish! (Sauce would be great over steamed mixed veggies too!)

No complaints from this family!!! I was worried that the sauce wouldn't come out right, but I am so glad that I went with my instincts! A perfectly yummy meal!!!

Remember that Vinegar and Orange cleaner I made not long ago? Well, it works wonderfully! Smells great, and it cleans like a dream! I don't have to worry about the kids breathing in toxic fumes when they do their chores. A win/win for me! Not to mention the cost is perfect for my budget!  If you can't remember how to make it, it is simple:

1 mason jar (I used old spaghetti sauce jars)

fill it up with orange rinds (from the kids lunch)

add vinegar until it is full

put the lid on, and let it sit for at least 10 days. Mine sat for 2 weeks and smells divine!

Have a great week, Happy Cooking and parenting everyone!

Rice Krispy Treats and a touch of Nutella... Awesome!

So I have been promising the kids for awhile now that I would make Rice Krispy Treats. Tonight was the night! I made them from an easy easy recipe from the back of the marshmellows bag, but once the kids finished pressing the treats into the 9x13 pan... my gaze drifted lazily over to my pantry. I kid you not I swear the Nutella lit up. The gears started turning. Hmmm, Nutella Rice Krispy treats... Now that sounds awesome! At first I was going to do a thin layer over the top, but then I thought how much fun it would be if we just did swirly designs with a spoon. So thats exactly what we did. I must say, it turned out great!  So here is a picture to get you salivating.

Now go make your own... These are mine...(and the kids since I HAVE to share.) Another post to come later!

By the way, I am in a cooking mood...  hehe Beware!!!

Update: ACV and other things I have learned!

Holy cow! (No there is actually not a holy cow anywhere in the vincity.. that I know of, its just a phrase people, just a phrase.) I have been pleasently surprised to learn that ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar, check out my last post if you need clarification to what on earth I am talking about!!) Really is a cure-all. That terriblely painful UTI that I had?  Completely gone. No more problems. I took it roughly 3 times a day in the V8 Mixture, adding a little lemon juice each time = no pain, and completely gone.  I am impressed.  So over the past week I have been doing tons of research on ACV and it's curing properties.

ACV has been around since 400BC. Originally found for curing different ailments in the body. Okay, great. History is awesome, it really is but what we really want to know is WHAT can vinegar do right? Here is a short list:

• Cure UTI's (I am proof to this!)
• help manage Diabetes
• weight loss
• Cures Acid Reflux
• helps in the beautify department: hair, nails, skin etc.
• helps to make warts disappear
• Helps with hot flashes
• gets rid of fleas, ticks on animals
• Helps animals skin conditions, 

ETC ETC ETC!!!


That's alot, but there is so much more, of course I am sure you know that you can clean with Vinegar right? If you didn't, you do now.  Right now, I have 2 spaghetti jars filled with Orange peels and White vinegar.  You're supposed to leave them for 10 days, which I have done, and its supposed to make an excellent cleaner... Which is does! It also smells so much better than the cleaners you get at the store, it's non toxic to children and pets but it is toxic to that nasty bacteria like E Coli and such.  Not to mention that it saves me a ton of money! I go through cleaners like crazy, usually I end up spending around 20 dollars a month on cleaners, But a big huge bottle of White Vinegar is only 3 dollars at walmart, and then you have the oranges, which I buy anyway for the kids. It works out perfectly!

I have been on a mission to find ways to save money. One of those ways is to make my own detergents, cleaners, etc. So in the next few blog posts I will be doing just that! Hope you all have a great week!  Enjoy!

Drugstore Diva's Giveaway

Drugstore Diva's is giving away a pretty awesome gift bag of Nimble Balance Bars for women and several other goodies!  Go check it out at...

http://drugstoredivas.net/2012/06/18/review-giveaway-balance-bar-nimblequickie-chick/

They sound yummy! So check it out- Also make sure you check out Drugstore Diva's site.  She is pretty awesome and has lots of great tips and tricks!  (Not to mention a great resource for couponers!)

Cure for UTI's? Can it be? A Cure all for just about anything???

The bane of my existence just happens to be Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). For anyone who has never had one, it is a terrible burning, need to pee feeling that doesn't go away.
Me: Outta my way! I gotta pee!  ahhhhhhhhhhh... ow ow ow damn't I have a UTI
Bladder: haha bitch!
Me: ok call doctor, get antibiotics and funky sulfur pills that turn my pee orange. Get up, start to walk out of bathroom and...
Bladder: Hey you! You gotta pee again, turn around and get back on that toilet, stay there all day!

That is the average argument I have with myself EVERY time this happens.  UTI's are dangerous. If you let an infection go without getting it taken care of- the bacteria will travel from your bladder to your kidneys, therein causing a mass infection of painfully epic proportions.  Okay enough of the anatomy lesson.  Needless to say that are very painful and make you pee a lot. Wait, correction make you feel like you have to pee a lot, because you actually don't have to pee very much when you have the infection.

Now a lot of people claim the best thing to do is go to the doctor, get antibiotics and sulfur pills, drink lots of cranberry juice to flush out your body... All that is great, really it is. Yet what about those people who do not have health insurance or are afraid that taking all these antibiotics are going to give way to super resistance bacteria. I prefer the more natural, saving money way.

About a month ago, I woke up with the need to urinate so bad that I thought I was going to pee my pants. Jumped up and ran to the bathroom. After the initial "ahhh" feeling, came the burning, ohmygod hold your breath the pain is unbearable feeling. I went to wipe and of the toilet paper was covered in blood. The toilet water was red from the amount of blood in my urine.  I went to Urgent care, they gave me antibiotics, and I started them immediately. The bad news is: it came back.

A couple weeks later I felt the burning sensation again. I almost started crying. Money is tight, and I cant afford these constant trips to the doctor for this. But I also didn't want to be running to the bathroom every five minutes either.  So I did what any other poor broke student and mother would do.. I got online and did my research.  More than once I ran into the miracle cure... Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).

Really?  Something I have always used in my laundry, is a miracle cure for just about everything from weight loss to UTIs?  hmmm. Alright, I'm desperate.  There are about a hundred different ways to take the ACV, from capsules to drinking mixed with water or for the very brave those who can slam it down straight! (Can we get those people a freaking medal please?) Most recipes called for mixing the ACV with water and honey and sipping throughout the day.  I decided to try something else.

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons 100% Lemon juice
Mixed with a nice tall glass of V8 Splash Berry Blend

MMM, now that was good. It has just a tiny kick to it. but overall awesome.  Within 15 minutes the feeling of having to constantly urinate was GONE!!! It has been several hours now, and there has been no more pain.  Holy crap. The best thing to do is to keep drinking clear fluids, and that is what I intend on doing for the next few days, and taking this awesome ACV mix 3 times a day until all symptoms are gone. UTI's are usually around for a week once the antibiotic treatment starts, so I will continue the ACV mix that long! I will keep you all posted!

Did I mention that I have also been getting a stuffy nose and a cough? Since I took the ACV mix, my nose has cleared up and I can breathe now, as well as the incessant need to cough has diminished greatly! I am impressed.  How have I not heard about the curing properties of this before?  It is also supposed to help with weight loss, diabetes, high cholesterol, and blood pressure issues. Of course you should always talk to your doctor before starting any homeopathic remedy.  I will keep you all updated as to whether this "miracle cure" really works, and for the budget conscious and frugal person you can't beat the price!

I look forward to hearing other's points of view on the subject, and if anyone has any additional information. Also if you do try it for a medical condition, I would love to hear your results!