Bread Balls

We brushed garlic butter on these.

I recently posted pictures of Bread Balls on my personal Instagram page as well as my personal Facebook page and I had a number of people ask for the recipe. When I went to find the original link of where I found the recipe, it said the website was no longer active; therefore, the recipe is no longer available on the web. So, I decided to share the recipe here as it is one that we share often with other people.

The author of the original recipe is Linda Etherton. I will share her recipe below, but please note, that we have used it with different kinds of milk. We have used canned coconut milk, raw goat milk, raw cow milk, and even almond milk. We did have someone make them for us who used the fresh coconut milk that Linda mentioned she used as well. No matter what type of milk we have used, they have always turned out. Sometimes we will brush them with garlic butter for a different taste.

We also use this recipe for a pizza crust base-just spread out in baking sheet that has sides. One recipe fills a 11x15 baking sheet. We then bake for 15 minutes, top with sauce and toppings and then put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes. We have discovered that if it is baked on the bottom shelf, it will get crispier which some of like better and some like it softer as when it is baked on the top shelf.

Bread Balls

1/2 cup melted coconut oil or cooking oil of choice
2/3 cup coconut milk (Linda used So Delicious Unsweetened)
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups tapioca starch or flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Place the tapioca starch in a large mixing bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the oil, milk, and salt until it just starts to boil and white foam appears on top.

Immediately pour over the tapioca starch and mix with a wooden spoon (we also sometimes use a rubber spatula). Let rest about 15 minutes.

Stir in the eggs and nutritional yeast.

Drop tablespoons of dough, forming rounded mounds, on a lightly greased cookie sheet. (We usually use a cookie or muffin scoop).

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The outsides will look dry and cracked.

Remove to a bread basket and serve.


After typing this all up, I decided to try once again searching for the original recipe and discovered that if I went to her website and then searched for the recipe, I could find it, even though the link I had saved before wasn't working. Linda blogs at Gluten Free Homemaker.

Chicken in Milk

So, I was going to totally take a picture of our dinner the other night so I could show you how delicious it looks, but the family was hungry and I completely forgot until we were done eating. Picture or not, it was YUMMY!

Picture from Jamie Oliver's website

I base my recipe off from Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk. I found the recipe when I was looking for recipes to use up the extra milk we had last summer. We have adapted it slightly to use what was in the house. Our favorite way is to actually use chicken leg quarters (because the chicken is more infused with the flavor), but we do make it with a whole chicken (as we did tonight and as the recipe calls for). Other changes I make are using lemon juice, powdered cinnamon, powdered sage, and I peel the garlic cloves. Also, if we use the leg quarters, I omit the olive oil, but I do use it when using a whole chicken.

We love putting the "sauce" over cauli-rice, mashed potatoes, or even for dipping our biscuits into it. I find this to be a pretty inexpensive meal (especially if we use either one of our own butchered chickens or the leg quarters that I can get for $ .49/lb.). We almost always serve this with a side of peas.

I hope you give this recipe a try. Let me know what your family thinks if you do give it a shot!

Sausage and Squash Soup

I have been trying to finish up using things in my freezers and on my canning shelves in creative new ways because the flour we use (garbanzo bean flour) has been difficult to get lately. I found a recipe for Spicy Sausage and Squash Soup on Pinterest, so I thought I would give it a try with a few adaptations to use what I have.

I had some frozen butternut squash, one package of frozen pumpkin and two jars of canned butternut squash that I used (yes, I have to make a lot to feed my family!). I also used frozen turkey stock and frozen diced onions. We used full raw cow's milk cream instead of the coconut milk. We used RealSalt  and cayenne pepper for our seasonings. I left out the bay leaf, apple cider vinegar, and water. We also make our own sausage with either ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground venison, but we had been given some actual pork sausage so we used that.

I have to say, it was a hit! Even my children who are picky eaters when it comes to squash had seconds and some even had thirds! My husband, who doesn't really care for soups, even commented about how good it was.

I am definitely keeping this recipe around to when the garden starts producing squash again.

If you try it (or your own variation of it), please let me know how your family reacted to it.

Maple Coffee Cake

I have a recipe that I have used for years--Economical Coffee Cake. I've used it for so long that I don't even remember where I originally got the recipe. I have adapted it every time we have had a change in diet. First I changed it to use spelt flour, then to gluten free flour, and now to grain free. I've also used a few different types of sweetener and usually changed the butter to coconut oil.

The latest change was to using maple syrup as the sweetener and then we also serve it in a bowl with a little more syrup drizzled on top and some milk.

The latest changes have received the most praise from the family. In the past, they ate it, but it wasn't something they requested. They actually request it now!

Maple Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups maple syrup

1/2 cup coconut oil

3 eggs

1 cup milk (or whey)

2 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot powder

1/2 tbsp xanthan gum

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Mix the coconut oil and maple syrup as best possible. Add egg and milk. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Pour into a 9x13 pan (stoneware works best). Bake at 375 for approximately 40 minutes.

Trim Healthy Mama Fruit Pizza

I saw a recipe for a THM fruit pizza on Facebook the other day and saved it since I didn't have any fresh fruit in the house. I was going to stop by the farm market on my way home today and forgot, but fortunately, I did bring home some fruit salad from our last MOPS meeting today so I decided to make it for myself tonight. I'll post the original recipe and then mention the changes I made.

FRUIT PIZZA WITH "SUGAR COOKIE" CRUST.
I sort of threw this together and it was pretty darn good!! Recipe: crust- 3/4 cup finely ground almond flour, 3 packets of Truvia, splash of vanilla, 6 tbsp of butter, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 3 tbsp. of egg whites. Mix together and bake, 400 until lightly golden. Topping- block of 1/3 fat cream cheese, splash of vanilla, 3 tbsp of swerve, 4 packets of Truvia (sweeten to taste), 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. Mix with a hand mixer, chill and top. Then top with your "S" approved fruits!!! And maybe a squirt of whipped cream wink emoticon YUMMY S DESSERT!wink emoticon YUMMY S DESSERT!

I don't like to measure things so I didn't do anything exact. I did use approx. 3/4 cup almond flour, a splash of vanilla, approx. 6 tbsp butter, and approx. 3 tbsp egg whites; however, I only used 3/4 scoop of protein powder and I used a few shakes of green leaf stevia (big hole opening on my container) all for the crust. For the topping, I used about 2/3 of a block of regular cream cheese (because that is what I had), a splash of vanilla, a few small ladles of cream off a jar of raw milk, and then about 3 tbsp of my homemade truvia (xylitol and green leaf stevia mixed). I baked the crust at 400 degrees until golden brown, cooled it, "frosted" it with the cream cheese mixture and then topped with the fruit from the fruit salad.

I have to say that I really like it! I'm glad I made it and will enjoy it (I'll probably have some for breakfast tomorrow!).

Spaghetti Squash Fritters

Sorry for the "dirty" plate. I tried one before deciding to take
a picture and post about the recipe.

I have a freezer full of spaghetti squash and was looking for new ways to use it up. I came across this recipe for Bacon, Spaghetti Squash, and Parmesan Fritters. Since I rarely follow a recipe as written because I need to adapt it to our dietary needs and what we have in the house, I made some adaptations.

I loved our new spaghetti squash option! Most of the girls were okay with it, a few liked it as much as I did, and a few didn't like them at all (but that is because they don't like spaghetti squash to begin with).

Here is what I used. As usual, I didn't measure but I tried to eyeball the amounts of the recipe linked above.

eggs
gluten free flour (I want to try this with coconut flour to make it THM approved)
spaghetti squash
freshly grated Romano cheese (we use authentic Romano because it is made from sheep milk which is good for those of us with dairy allergies)
Real Salt
chopped onion
turkey bacon, chopped and fried
coconut oil

for garnish: 0% Greek yogurt

I fried the chopped up pieces of turkey bacon and when they were almost crispy, I threw in the chopped onion and finished cooking. I then added that to the bowl that already had the strained, cooked spaghetti squash, grated Romano, eggs, salt and flour. I mixed it all together and then fried in the coconut oil in patty shape. I cooked them for a few minutes on each side.

For me, the Greek yogurt on top greatly increased the flavor of the fritter. I would have loved to put some sliced green onion on top as well or maybe even some chives, but I didn't have any.

Delicious Gluten Free Pizza!

Crust:

Pizza with venison sausage

2 cups Organic Tapioca Starch
2/3 cup real Romano cheese (real Romano cheese is made with sheep milk so it works for those of us who have dairy issues)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp water
2 organic pastured egg

-Preheat oven to 390 degrees with stone bar pan in oven.
-Combine all crust ingredients into mixing bowl and stir/knead with spoon

 -Cut two pieces of parchment paper to fit your bar pan
-Place one piece on the counter, apply some oil to the paper, and place the dough in the center.
-Push the dough out as flat and apply some more oil to surface of dough.
-Place 2nd piece of parchment paper on top of dough and roll out with pin until the crust touches the edge of the paper on all four sides (or close to it)
-Remove top parchment paper (save it for next time)
-Use finger to push a crust up around the dough

I cut these into 8 large pieces

 -Apply sauce and toppings
-Transfer pizza (parchment paper and all) onto stone.
-Cook for about 20 minutes.
-Remove pizza (and parchment paper) onto cooling rack
-Allow it to cool, cut and serve!

Sauce:

Open jars of homemade tomato sauce or store bought sauce. Add Italian seasoning blend, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, olive oil and a little sugar to taste. Simmer on stove until thickened.

Toppings:

Whatever you desire--ground meat, sausage, veggies, etc. and shredded mozzarella (homemade mozzarella made with goat milk is great!) or provolone cheese (or combination).

I make four of these to feed my family of 11.  The first time I made these the girls asked me how I got gluten free store bought pizza--it's that good!

Lemon Bars

2 c gluten free flour

1 c butter or coconut oil, softened

1/2 c powdered sugar

Mix the above ingredients press into a 9x13 inch pan.  

Bake for 20 min at 350.

2 c evaporated cane juice crystals

4 tsp grated lemon peel

4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt 4 large eggs

Beat the above ingredients for about 

3 min or until light and fluffy.  Pour over

 hot crust. Bake 25-30 min at 350.  Cool completely on a wire rack, about

1 hour.  Dust with powdered sugar.

Homemade Yogurt

I had a few people ask about how I make my yogurt, so I thought I would do a post on my method.

Yogurt

1 gallon milk (I use goat milk most of the time)

2 ½ tbsp plain gelatin

½ cup cold water

1 cup plain yogurt (I started with store bought, but now keep some from a previous batch)

1 ½ cup evaporated cane juice crystals (optional)

Heat milk in large double boiler to 180 degrees. Remove from heat, let cool to 110 degrees. I put the pot in a sink full of ice water to speed up the process. Meanwhile, soak gelatin in cold water. When milk reaches 110 degrees, stir in gelatin, yogurt, and sugar. Beat until smooth. Set back into double-boiler and cover with a towel and set aside

for 4-6 hours. When yogurt has set for 4-6 hours, beat again and chill for 4 hours.

Eat plain or add fresh or frozen fruit. Thicken any thawed frozen fruit you add by combining 1 cup cold water and ¼ cup arrowroot powder and whatever fruit and cook until thick. Cool before mixing in with yogurt. Make sure you reserve 1 cup of plain yogurt first for your next batch.

Chickpea & Cucumber Salad

Thanks to some great sales at Meijer this week, I had some cucumbers and grape tomatoes in the refrigerator. The girls actually asked me to make this yummy Chickpea & Cucumber Salad that I created last summer. I was happy to oblige because it is packed with protein and vegetables. I had some corn tortillas in the refrigerator as well so I cut them, toss them with some olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and baked at 400 for about 10 minutes to make them into chips to go along with the salad. Some of my girls had fourths!

Chickpea & Cucumber Salad

I first poured some olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil in the bottom of a large bowl. I then added a quart of chickpeas. I cut up 2 large cucumbers into chunks (I quartered and then sliced), 1 pint of grape tomatoes (quartered), and large diced a small onion. I mixed it all together and chilled for an hour before lunch.

Garden Recipes

Garden Soup

2 quarts home canned tomatoes
1 quart water
1 med zuchinni, halved and sliced
1 med yellow squash, halved and sliced
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 egg
1+ cup flour (I used gluten free)
pinch of salt

Mix first 7 ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Beat egg and then add flour and salt to make a dough (add more flour if needed). Take dough and run through a cheese grater so the "noodles" fall into the pot of boiling soup.

Garden Veggie Pizza

1 cup warm water
1 tbsp evaporated cane juice crystals (sugar)
2 tbsp yeast
4 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp honey
3 eggs
grapeseed oil
2 cups homemade chevre (could use store bought or even cream cheese)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup mayo
2 tsp dill
salt & pepper to taste
veggies--diced zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers (red, green, yellow, and/or orange), broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc.

Mix warm water, sugar & yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk egg and honey and then add to yeast mixture. Add flour & salt. The dough will be wet.

Pour a little grapeseed oil on two bar pans. Divide dough in half and press dough out onto pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Let cool.

Mix chevre with garlic, mayo, dill, salt & pepper. Spread onto cooled crusts. Sprinkle on whatever veggies you have from your garden.

Spicy Ranch Chicken and Cauliflower Rice

I love when I find new recipes that are both easy and yummy! We tried two new recipes on Tuesday that were delicious and simple. I adapted a recipe for Spicy Ranch Chicken from Mennonite Girls Can Cook to use what I had available and then "winged" the Cauliflower Rice recipe.

Spicy Ranch Chicken

Mix up some ranch dressing by mixing minced onion, parsley, garlic powder, and dill with some buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, mayo, and milk. I didn't measure anything so I can't give measurements. I know I ended up with 2 cups "liquid" with a combination of buttermilk and goat milk.

Pour 1/2 the ranch dressing in the bottom of a crock pot. Then pour in a 1/2 jar of salsa and mix together. Place in a whole chicken, in which you have cut off most of the skin, breast side down. Mix the remaining dressing and salsa and pour on top. Cook on high for one hour, then turn to low for 4-5 hours. Remove chicken and shred the meat. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a pan, whisk in 1/4 cup flour and then add sauce from crock pot (this thickens it a little). Add the shredded chicken back in and serve over rice.

Cauliflower Rice

Coarsely chop a head of cauliflower (we would have to do at least two for our family if we all had the cauliflower rice, but some of them had brown rice). Saute for a few minutes in some olive oil. Put a lid on and steam lightly for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add some butter and sea salt.

The Cauliflower Rice was a great substitute for regular rice for my daughter who needs to be grain free for a couple of weeks. I'm trying to increase my vegetables to aid in weight loss so I had the cauliflower rice as well. My youngest (1 year old) devoured it as well.

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

I've never cooked or baked with rhubarb before. In fact, for many years I thought I didn't like rhubarb because I had tried it once and didn't like it. Then, a couple of years ago I ate a dessert at a church potluck and was surprised that it was rhubarb. Since then, I've had more and more rhubarb and enjoyed it. While at my in-laws house for Mother's day, I mentioned that I would like a little rhubarb to try cooking/baking with it. My father-in-law ended up giving us a large box of it so I have lots of rhubarb cooking/baking in my future!

I figure rhubarb is a frugal food to use because it grows about anywhere and it grows in abundance. I am looking forward to finding new recipes for my family.

The first thing I made with it was a rhubarb pie which I thought was pretty good. Yesterday I tried strawberry-rhubarb muffins. I took a recipe I found on Pinterest and of course changed it to make it a bit healthier and to use ingredients I had in the house. Everyone liked it so I will probably just stay with my version instead of some day trying the other.

Here is my version of Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins.

• ¼ cups Coconut Oil
• ¾ cups Sugar
• ¼ cups Safflower Oil
• 2 1/4 cups whole grain Spelt Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 cup soured milk
• ½ teaspoons Almond Extract
• ¾ cups Chopped Rhubarb
• 1 cup Chopped Strawberries
• ¼ cups Brown Sugar For Tops

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease your muffin tins (approx. 18 muffins).

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and oil until smooth. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the egg, soured milk and almond extract to the creamed sugar mixture and mix well. Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Add the chopped rhubarb and strawberries and lightly mix in.

Scoop the batter into tins. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on the top of each muffin.

Bake for approx. 15 minutes until golden on top.

Feeding Your Family on a Budget, Part 7

Meatless or Less Meat Meals

Scalloped Egg Casserole

10 hard boiled eggs

6 tbsp butter

6  tbsp flour

2 tbsp mustard (dry or prepared)

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

2 slices of bread

Melt butter, whisk in flour and mustard and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk until thickened. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Peel and slice the eggs. Put a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pan, then a layer of sliced eggs, more sauce, and another layer of eggs, and keep going until gone. Butter bread slices and cut into cubes and put on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

This is a good side dish or double to use as a main dish.

Quinoa and Black Beans

2 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 ½ cup uncooked quinoa

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 quart canned black beans

parsley

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and parsley.

Note: Other beans may be substituted or substitute rice for the quinoa (you’ll have to cook longer though).

 

Lentil Sloppy Joes

1 cup dried lentils
2 cups water
1/8 cup onion, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder 
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. celery seeds
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste or ketchup
1-1/4 cups water (omit if using ketchup)
6 to 8 whole wheat buns or 2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:
Rinse and pick through lentils.  Add two cups water to pan with lentils and bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 40 minutes until tender, but not mushy.
For the sauce, combine the minced onion, salt, sugar, dry mustard, chili powder, minced garlic, and celery seeds. Combine well and set aside.
When lentils are done, add the tomato paste and water. Stir in the sauce seasoning. Combine well and heat through. Let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes on low heat to combine flavors.
Serve on whole wheat buns or over brown rice.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Herb Bean Spread

1 clove of garlic
1 can Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon basil, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

With motor running, drop garlic into food processor or blender. Add beans, juice, water, and oil. Puree until smooth. Add basil, salt and pepper. Pulse until incorporated and herbs are coarsely chopped.
Spread the bean spread on the inside of the pita and layer in the veggies of your choice.

Leftover Oatmeal Cake

When I joined Pinterest a few weeks ago, I found a recipe for leftover oatmeal cake. Since I do not like to waste anything, I quickly pinned it so I could try it. Today was the day.

Of course, I made some changes to it to try to make it a little bit healthier and something that could be eaten for breakfast. I came to the conclusion that I should have decreased the sugar even more than I did. I also used a combination of leftover oatmeal with apple pieces and leftover oat groats. Everyone loved it!

Below is the recipe with even more sugar taken out. If you find it still too sweet, decrease it more!

Leftover Oatmeal Cake

Cream together:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sucanat (OR half white sugar & half brown sugar OR all white sugar plus 1 TBS molasses)
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
2 cups (more or less) cooked oatmeal

Sift together:
1 1/2 cups whole grain spelt flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. (or more!) cinnamon

Add sifted mixture to creamed mixture and beat well. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until tests done.

This cake is very rich and moist so serve in small pieces.

Leftover Peanut Butter Bars and Giveaway winner

I like using leftovers in a new way. I found this recipe last year and my family loves it.


Leftover Peanut Butter Bars
2 cups leftover oatmeal, cold and slimy is fine
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
1 cup sweetener…sugar, sucanat, etc….
1 egg
1 cup whole grain flour…wheat, spelt, etc
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3  cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter, sweetener and eggs in a bowl. Add oats and other ingredients; mix well. Spread into greased 9×13″ baking pan. Bake at 350′ for 10-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack; cut into bars. Yield 12 small servings.

We double this recipe and serve it warm with milk for breakfast. You can also cool them and use them for snacks. Whenever you have leftover oatmeal, put it in a container in the freezer. When you have enough for the recipe, then go ahead and make this. Just this morning, we made it with some leftover oat groats and oatmeal.

Now, for the winner of the tea wallet . . . HappyMrsBaas! Since she is the only one who entered, it was kind of a given. Thank you for sharing the giveaway on Facebook!

Pancake Sausage Strata

I want to first thank everyone for their prayers. It was a rough couple of days, but things are better. There is definitely power in prayer!

I want to share a great recipe that we just tried this morning and everyone loved. I adapted it from a recipe that I found somewhere (sorry, I can't remember where) to make it easier and healthier.

It's not the prettiest presentation, but I wasn't planning on taking a picture!

Pancake Sausage Strata

leftover pancakes
cooked sausage crumbled (could crumble up patties if needed)
eggs
milk
salt
maple syrup (we used homemade pancake syrup)


Rip pancakes in small pieces to cover bottom of a baking dish that has been sprayed or brushed with oil or melted butter. Spread cooked sausage on top. Scramble eggs with milk and salt. Pour over food in dish and bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and pour maple syrup over and bake for another 30 minutes. You can serve it with more maple syrup if you wish (Chad ate it with more syrup, but the girls and I didn't).

I know some of you are wondering about amounts. Well, I can't tell you exact amounts except for I used 12 eggs, 3/4 cup milk, and a large pinch of salt, 1 lb homemade venison sausage and a 15x10 pan. Adjust however you see fit.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have been asked about the laundry detergent I make. I used the recipe from the Duggar's website and adapted it for our use. Because we don't have any convenient place to store a 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent, I use make 2 1/2 gallons of the concentrate. I don't like the smell of Fals Neptha and I wanted something more natural, so I use a bar of Dr. Bronner's soaps. When I make this recipe, it lasts us about 2 months and we average 15 loads a week. I can buy the washing soda, borax and 1 bar of soap for the same price as one jug of natural laundry detergent. I've used the washing soda three times to make this batch and have enough for a fourth if I don't use it at other times as I have already done for a homemade oxy clean I've been trying. If I didn't use it for that, I would get at least 5 batches out of one box of washing soda. My borax box is still 3/4 full after using it for three batches. Combine that with the fact that 1 jug of store bought only lasted me 2-3 weeks, it is a HUGE savings to make my own detergent.

2  Cups - hot tap water
1  Dr. Bronner's bar soap (any scent)
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap (I use my food processor) and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted. 

After melting the soap into the water.

Fill two 1 gallon buckets and an empty laundry jug half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken. Shake laundry soap jug and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

I filled two 1 gallon pails and 1/2 a 1 gallon pail because the jug I had been using broke yesterday and I haven't gotten a replacement yet.

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 5 gallons.

I use 2-3 tablespoons of detergent in my front loader depending on how dirty the load. I use 1 tablespoon for my cloth diapers.

Easy, Cheap Coffee Cake

On Sunday mornings I usually try to do something very simple for breakfast and of course, cheap is always a good thing. When I don't have time to make something on Saturday (like this weekend because we were gone all day Saturday), then I use this coffee cake recipe.

1 1/2 cup sugar                                  
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, room temp
2 eggs                                                
1 cup milk
3 cups whole grain spelt flour              
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Beat soft butter and sugar. Add egg and milk. Mix in dry ingredients. Spread into greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar on top. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Variations:

Arrange thinly sliced apples on top before sprinkling the cinnamon & sugar. Bake this for 40-45 minutes.

Combine 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over batter.


Note: Today I used 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp stevia and it was too sweet so I should have done 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp stevia. We found when we did all stevia, it altered the taste too much.

Scalloped Egg Casserole

I'm going to start sharing recipes more often because I don't know of a wife/mother that isn't always on the lookout for an easy, cheap meal. Almost everything I make is pretty simple and inexpensive.

Today's recipe was handed down from my grandfather. I grew up around men who cooked all the time so I have had to learn to be content with the fact that my husband never cooks. But back to the recipe. Scalloped Egg Casserole is a comfort food for me. I like the fact that it provides lots of protein for a small investment. I have used this recipe when we have had friends over for dinner who are vegetarians and they all liked it.

I wish I had a picture for you, but I don't. This is something I've been wanting to make, but haven't lately for a few reasons. One, we were off yeast for a while which meant no bread and I just wasn't sure if I would like it without the bread cubes on top. Two, we were using a lot of eggs when we were off sugar so I was low on eggs by the time we could have bread again. And three, we are going out of town this weekend so even though I would love to make it, it will have to wait until next week. Maybe I'll post a picture then!

Scalloped Egg Casserole

10 hard boiled eggs                                                      6 tbsp butter--don't use margarine, please

6 tbsp flour                                                                   2 tbsp dry mustard

2 cups milk                                                                   1 tsp salt

2 slices of bread for bread cubes

Melt butter, whisk in flour and dry mustard and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk until thickened. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Peel and slice the eggs. Put a small amount of sauce in the bottom of pan, then a layer of sliced eggs, more sauce, and other layer of eggs and keep going until gone. Butter bread slices and cut into cubes and put on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.