Homemade Laundry Detergent

Many people have asked what recipe I use. Here it is and a link to where I got it.

Ingredients

• 2/3 bar Fels Naptha
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 cup borax power
• 5 gallon bucket

Instructions

1. Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.
2. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.
3. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. (Caution: when adding these ingredients add them slowly, as there is a tendency for the soap to overflow the pot. Big mess!!)
4. Remove from heat.
5. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.
6. Now add your soap mixture and stir.
7. Now add 3 gallons of water and stir.
8. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.

You use ½ cup per load.
For more details you can read the original post over at The Family Homestead.

Light Summer Cole Slaw

Ingredients

3 cups shredded green and/or red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 cup pecans, walnuts or other nut of your choice
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 T cider vinegar
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked 15 minutes, chopped (optional, the ingredient, not the chopping)
1 t fennel or poppy seeds (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Toss all ingredients and allow to marinate for 1 hour, stirring often.

Notes

Substitution/modifications

1. Instead of the sesame oil use toasted sesame oil. It gives it much more of an Asian flare.

Raw Foods Can Heal

Even though I don’t do it, and I know I should, “Raw Foods” can heal.

So many people believe in the common medical model that says everything has a pill and if it doesn’t have a pill then you are doomed. It just isn’t true!!

I haven’t read too much about this organization or any of the science behind it…but, if you have tried everything else and spent thousands, if not 10s of thousands of dollars already, what do you have to loose just changing your diet.

Take a look to see how an incurable disease, diabetes, can be reversed, that’s right, reveresed, by changing diet.

http://www.rawfor30days.com/rawfor30daysgoogle.html

Lentil Salad

This is a very simple and delicious recipe from “Carol Alt: Eating in the Raw (p. 135)”. It works well as a side dish or it can be a meal in itself.

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Pink Lemonade

Fill a pint glass with ice. Add:

• 1.5 oz Vodka
• 3 oz Sour Mix
• Splash of cranberry juice
• Dash of lime juice

Shake well and enjoy!

Make your own sour mix

“Sour mix”, also known as “Sweet and Sour mix” is a bartender’s shortcut used in recipes which would otherwise call for both lemon juice and sugar syrup. Today, most recipes call directly for sour mix.

Combine in a 1 quart (1 liter) pitcher or bottle:

• 18 oz Water
• 12 oz RealLemon brand lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar

Mix well and use in your favorite drink recipe. Highly recommended for Long Island Ice Tea.

Ginger Beef Tataki with Lemon Soy Dipping Sauce

Originally from Epicurious.com

The term tataki refers to beef or fish that is seared, then chilled, marinated and thinly sliced.

I have been making this recipe for about 6 years now and everyones eyes still light up when I tell them it is coming out. It is something that I do for special occasions because of the length of time that it takes to make. Not so much in the active cooking, but the fact that you work on it for about 30-45 minutes and then you wait 4 hours while it is marinating. This may not seem like such a big deal until you’ve had it and can’t wait for it to come out again.

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Beef Spaghetti Pie Ole’

This was a classic in our house when I was growing up thanks to Joan, a friend of the family and excellent cook. Now , after asking my mother (who would call Joan) for the recipe I don’t know how many times, I have added it here so I can keep track of it and share it.

This is an easy to make, inexpensive dish that tastes great! It is even a great foundation receipe for change. Maybe add a little extra spice by adding more green chilies, or get really crazy and try different seasoning all together to make something completely new.

Be sure to try it out and let me know how you like it or what you have done to improve on it.

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