Homemade Dishwasher Soap

Like everyone else, I like to save a little money. A little over a year ago, I started making homemade laundry soap and it has saved us so much money. Because the laundry soap was a success, I wanted to branch out and try other money-saving ideas. After some research, I decided to try dishwasher soap. I found a great recipe online and after a trip to the local Wal-mart for supplies, I was ready to go.

What you need:

1 box of Borax

1 box washing soda (Arm and Hammer, yellow box, NOT baking soda)

3 cups Epsom Salt

24 packs of no sugar added lemon drink powder

BIG container to hold it all

Washing soda and Borax were in the laundry aisle, Epsom salt  was in the first aid section.

This was in the kitchen section, cost about 5 bucks. 

What you do:

In a VERY large bowl mix together all ingredients. I added a little of each at a time and stirred with a wooden spoon. Once it is mixed, transfer it all to the storage container. Use 1 tablespoon per load. 

My mixing bowl. Ironically it is too large to fit in the dishwasher. 

Ta Da! Soap! 

From start to finish, this only took about 10 minutes. Most of that time was spent on opening all those packs of drink powder. 

And here is the math. 

Borax-$2.98

Washing Soda-$2.77

Epsom Salt-$2.86 (plus there is enough from this bag for the next batch)

Lemonade powder-12 cents a pack-$2.88

Total=$11.49 per batch 

This made about 19 cups of soap so at 1 tablespoon per wash, that's 152 loads of dishes. It comes down to 7-8 cents per load. I compared with the brand I usually buy (a generic brand). It was 20-25 cents per load, so the savings here is pretty exciting. I also like that it makes so much, so I won't have to buy it that often. 

I just washed my first load of dishes with this and they came out really clean. 151 loads to go! I did read several different accounts that suggested to add some white vinegar as a rinse aid. Apparently this keeps the spotties away. 

What is your favorite money-saving idea? I am looking for more things to try! 

Tips for the single lady (or single guy) and a great bbq rib recipe

So as my hubby and I sat down for an extremely messy dinner last night, we began a very funny conversation. Sadly, this is not the first time we have talked about this subject. We were eating ribs and corn on the cob and a lovely salad for dinner, and while I was up to my elbows in barbecue sauce, we talked about things not to eat on a first date. Let's face it, some foods you need to be alone or with someone you love to fully enjoy. A new guy or girl may not appreciate seeing you slurp messy foods down your gullet.  Dining with a new person is not the place to eat certain foods. So here is a list of what NOT to eat on a first date. Trust me, you will thank me later.

1. Corn on the cob
2. Spaghetti (or any other type of long pasta)
3. Ribs of any kind
4. Fried chicken
5.  Tacos

I am sure this list can go on and on. Some foods, like the rib recipe below, are something that you must wait to share with that special someone. If you eat it too soon in a relationship, they will run from your sauce covered hands and face. You must wait until just the right moment. In my case, it was well after I married my husband. 

Ribs are a great summer food, but I don't grill outdoors. Even if we had a grill, I wouldn't. It's way too hot and I am afraid of lizards and snakes. This recipe is an indoor rib recipe, but it can be finished on the grill if you are more adventurous than me. 

What you need:

1 Slab ribs

1 can of Coke

Holy Trinity (Seasoning salt, pepper, and garlic)

Chili powder

Crushed red pepper

BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's original sauce)

What you do:

First cut the ribs into manageable pieces, about 3 ribs to a piece. Then sprinkle them with the spices. Once they are seasoned, rub the spices into the meat. Add your can of Coke to the crock pot and then place your ribs into the pot as well. Cook on low for about 8 hours. Once the ribs have cooked for a good long time, carefully remove them from the crock pot and put them on a plate. This is where you can decide to finish them on the grill if you would like, or if you are a chicken like me, you will finish them indoors. If you are going outside, be sure your grill is hot. Add some BBQ sauce to the ribs and finish them on the grill. Be careful though, they are super tender and will fall apart, so don't turn them over too much. If you are finishing them inside, dump out the juices in the bottom of the crock pot, add sauce to ribs, and put them back in the crock pot. Leave it on low for about 30 minutes to an hour and then taste and be amazed. 

These ribs will practically melt in your mouth. Ours were falling off the bone and were extremely messy and wonderful! Serve with corn on the cob if you are feeling like being extra messy. You'll be glad you are with someone you love. 

A crazy person's guide to making dinner, starring me:)

Last night, while browsing Pinterest (Thanks Anna, you have me HOOKED!), I received the usual text from my husband saying that he would be home in 30 minutes. Since he has a long commute, this text is essential for dinner preparation. We were having an easy supper last night, salad with lots of yummy veggies and grilled chicken.

As soon as I got the text from him, I jumped into action. If I don't, he will know that I have been a slacker all day. So these are my steps to making a fine dinner last evening.

1. Empty dishwasher
2. Fill dishwasher with dishes that I have been avoiding. 
3. Dump goo from sinks into trashcan. 
4. While at trashcan, notice that I forgot to make the bed. 
5. Make bed. 
6. While making bed, see shoes on floor. 
7. Put shoes in closet. 
8. Finish making bed. 
9. See hair bands on dresser. 
10. Return hair bands to bathroom. 
11. Return to kitchen. 
12. Empty old breakfast coffee. 
13. Get new coffee ready for tomorrow. 
14. Check time. 15 minutes till hubby arrives. 
15. Assemble all veggies. 
16. Find old cantaloupe. 
17. Hurl old cantaloupe into trash. 
18. Look for chicken. 
19. Begin cutting veggies. 
20. Open trashcan. 
21. Throw trash from veggie area to trashcan from across the room. 
22. Pause for a little dance when I got 5 in a row in the can. 
23. Pick up pieces that I missed from floor. 
24. Wipe tomato goo off floor. 
25. Wash hands. 
26. Remember that the chicken must be cooked. 
27. Begin grilling chicken. 
28. Frantically begin assembling salads. Husband 3 minutes away. 
29. Pull chicken off grill and then put back on. Still pink. 
30. Finish salads. 
31. Find salad dressing. 
32. Check chicken. 
33. Remove chicken from grill as husband enters house. 
34. Survey kitchen for signs of insanity. 
35. Greet husband calmly. It is important to remember to act naturally here. 
36.  Act as though I have been working effortlessly. 
37. Enjoy a quiet dinner with husband. 
38. Explain to husband why making salad is so tiring. 

There you have it. These are the actual steps I used last evening. Feel free to give them a try:) 

Produce Ponderings

I tend to do some real thinking while at the produce stand. Not deep thinking, mind you, but thinking. I was shopping for some fresh fruits and veggies and I began to ponder some questions. Here is a sampling of what I remember.

• Asparagus:Am I the only person who thinks about the song from an episode of Alf every time I see or say asparagus? "Asparagus, Asparagus, help put us on your table, Asparagus, Asparagus, something, something, Aunt Mabel". (You can see that amazing song here. The awesomeness appears around the 3 minute mark.) 
• Onions: Do people really need onions the size of their head? I can't think of anything that I cook that would require onions any larger than my fist. 
• Old bananas: Is it just me, or is getting old, freckly bananas for 10 cents a pound really exciting? Think of the possibilities: banana bread and...ok, that's all I have, but banana bread is exciting, right? 
• Corn on the cob:Why are they 3 for a dollar? Do most families have just 3 people in them? Or multiples of 3? Mark those suckers 33 cents each. I don't want to feel pressured to buy 3 ears of corn when the hubby and I are only going to eat 2. 
• Yogurt:Is it completely necessary to put that yogurt contains milk on the label? That's a given, isn't it? Are there milk-less yogurts available? 

With all of these questions and thinking, it shouldn't be a surprise that I bought blueberries twice today. Yup, once at the grocery store and once at the produce stand. Also, I cannot confirm or deny that I was the one who did this as I entered the parking lot. I was in a hurry, it was raining. You get the idea. 

My spoiled husband

I love being a teacher. I absolutely love what I do. And I love having the summer off. However, I realized that my husband enjoys me being out of school even more than me. During the school year, we are both so busy. He has a long commute and I have long hours and work to finish at home. While school is in session, things around the house don't get accomplished like they should. Things are messier, the laundry piles up, the refrigerator becomes empty, and my husband is busier. He gets up and makes breakfast and packs our lunches, makes the bed, and he unloads the dishwasher.

But now that it is summer, he is getting so spoiled. I do everything. I love that I get to take care of him and give him a break, but I worry that he will become accustomed to this lifestyle. Perhaps I should stop doing so much. Yeah right, I secretly love being able to do so much for a man who is so good to me. Besides, I don't mind making the bed, especially if that means I can get back in it when he goes to work.

I married a good man. One who supports everything I do, who encourages me when I take on something new, who motivates me when I feel discouraged. Spoiling him during the summer only seems fair. Besides, when school starts again, it's back to the grind for both of us. He should enjoy this while it lasts:)

Me and the spoiled hubby! 

Dolphin Tour

This weekend, while we were at a great seafood restaurant in Gulf Shores, we found a flier that advertised dolphin tours. I grabbed my phone and looked up the prices on their website, and finding them to be affordable, we decided to give it a try. We spent hours and hours on the beach on Saturday, so around 2:00p.m. I was ready for a shower and a nap. My husband then called the dolphin tour and got us a reservation for the 4:00p.m. tour. I was excited until I realized it was 3:30 and the boat we were to board was in Orange Beach. 

We raced out of our hotel and headed to Orange Beach. Neither of us had our phones or an address to the place and pretty soon 4:00 came and went. I was so sad:( I wanted to see dolphins! We decided to keep looking for it and ended up in Florida. We saw some very unusual things along the Alabama/Florida state line as well. 

This was the name of a local newspaper. 

We quickly realized that this was not the place for us!

This is when we realized we had gone too far. 

My husband decided to take me out for Dippin Dots since it was clear we had missed the boat. We asked the ice cream lady if she knew where the place was, but she had no idea either. While we were enjoying our ice cream of the future, we decided to keep looking so we would know where it was for the next day and could make another reservation. Next we ended up at an arcade to ask for directions. We looked in their phone book, got an address, and programmed it into our GPS. It directed us inland. We should have known that we were going the wrong way. We stopped at a scuba shop and asked again, and this time we were given good directions. It was 5:45 and we were back in Gulf Shores. The boat was going out for it's final voyage of the day at 6:00. So, hubby thought we could make it. We arrived at about 3 or 4 after 6:00. This was our view as we got to the dock. 

Yes, that is our boat. Leaving. 

Thankfully, the lady that was booking the voyages whistled and asked if they would come back for us. They agreed and we had to jump onto the boat. An onlooker told my husband that he should be thankful that I was with him, because they wouldn't have come back for a man. We boarded the boat and thanked the kind captain for retrieving us. We took the only seats left which were right in front. Turns out, we had the best seats on the boat. 

Our perfect seat!

As we left the dock and pulled into the bay, I was anxious to see the dolphins! We passed some amazing homes built along the water including Dale Earnhart, Jr.'s house, or so the captain said. Then we passed this lovely item:

AaAAarggg! It's a pirate ship! 

Then it was off to the dolphins. I was wondering how they could guarantee dolphin sightings. They go out and find shrimp boats who are dragging their nets. The dolphins stick close to the boats looking for some snacks, and if they are lucky the people on the shrimp boats will feed them.

What most of my pictures looked like. The dolphins we so fast! My camera couldn't keep up. 

Got one! 

See the shrimp boat? 

Sadly, this is the best picture I got. 

 After we viewed these dolphins for about 20 minutes, the captain decided to take us out into the gulf to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous! My absolute favorite part of the tour was when we sailed under the bridge and headed into the gulf. The waves were huge and the boat was going really fast. I felt like we were airborne and I was standing up, holding the railing. It was amazing.

 After snapping these last few pictures, my camera batteries died. But we were headed back to dock. It was incredibly windy on the boat and sailing into the gulf only made it seem windier. Check out this after photo of my hair:)

That's what 2 hours on a boat will do to ya! 

If you are ever in Gulf Shores, I highly recommend that you find a dolphin tour. This was one of the best parts of the trip. I feel like we really got our money's worth out of the trip. As we got off the boat, there were a lot of fishermen bringing in their catch and having it cleaned right in front of us...needless to say, we didn't have seafood for dinner:)

Life's a Beach!

I love the beach! My husband took Friday off and whisked me away to Gulf Shores. We stayed in a great hotel, visited great restaurants, went sight-seeing (some intentional, some because we couldn't find a certain place!), but my absolute favorite part of the trip was the time we spent at the beach. It is so relaxing to just sit or lie there watching the waves crash into the shore. We collected shells, found sand dollars, walked along the beach, swam, spotted dolphins from the coast, had a picnic, and my new favorite thing, coffee on the beach. We spent time at the beach on Friday, most of Saturday, and Sunday morning. Saturday was the best. I am an early riser, so I convinced my honey to get up and go early. I am so glad we did! When we arrived at the beach, it wasn't even 8 a.m. There was hardly anyone there. It was so peaceful. We walked and talked and drank our coffee. I am sure I will share a little more of our adventures later, but for now, here are some photos of the trip:

Saturday morning at the beach. So peaceful! 

This is how excited my husband gets about the beach! 

ahhhhhhhhhh! 

My beach treasures! Such lovely shells!

 BEST. MORNING. EVER. Coffee+Beach=one happy me! 

We had big waves on Friday! Hubby likes to body surf. I like to watch people get washed ashore:) 

The longest hike EVER across sand. Yellow flag=big waves! 

Beach graffiti

That dark spot is a dolphin. We saw them every day from the beach. 

Our view from the boat Saturday night. 

What an awesome weekend. I am so thankful that we live so close to the beach. I love to go and spend time with my husband. It was such a blessing to be able to get away. We are so thankful for the resources we have been blessed with. This trip was just what we both needed.

Popcorn Night

Wednesday night is popcorn night. It is one of my favorite things. My husband works really long hours and on Wednesday, it seems longer. He usually gets home around 7:30 in the evening, so during the week, we eat dinner together when he gets home. Except on Wednesdays. By the time he gets home, I am already at church. He comes and sneaks in late and by the time we get home it is 8:15 or later. We don't get to have dinner together on Wednesdays at all. He and I pick up something separately and dine solo.

This is why we have Popcorn Night. It is a scheduled part of our routine, and we work hard to make sure that neither of us have any work to finish during that time. After church, my husband pops a huge bowl of popcorn (the good stuff, made on the stove). Then we settle in for some TV, a movie, or sometimes we just sit and talk and catch up. This time on Wednesday evenings has become one of my favorite things. I look forward to it. It breaks up the week. It feels like a date night stuck right in the middle of the week. We catch up, make weekend plans, talk, laugh...all while eating some delicious popcorn.

This morning, as my husband kissed me good-bye and headed off to work, he said, "It's Popcorn Night". I love how we both look forward to spending even just a few hours in the evening together. So, if you need me tonight, you know where to find me. I will be sitting with my man, watching some silly show, eating some awesome popcorn.

Yumm-O

What do you do to stay connected when life gets busy?

Sunscreen 101

I have fairly fair skin. I can tan, and I do tan, but I have to ease into it. I wear sunscreen most of the time. I usually always put it on my face and ears and shoulders when I am in the sun. Or I go for the whole-body application if I know I will be out in the sun for most of the day. I even reapply. I have used all kinds of SPF. 4, 15, 20, 30, 50, 70, and even 100. Yes, there really is a 100. It is for people who are slightly see-through. I feel a sense of responsibility as I am slathering on this lotion-ey goodness. I even believe that if I use it often, I will grow old gracefully and not look like a 40 year old handbag in a few years.

This weekend I picked up some new sunscreen at the local drugstore and as I was applying it, I noticed that it was sweat proof and water proof. Good thing, cause we were at the pool and it was a zillion degrees out.

Just as I was finished applying the goo to my pasty skin, I turned the bottle over to read the back (because I am obsessive and read EVERY thing on bottles, boxes, and inserts). Well, to my surprise and dismay, look at what the same sunscreen says on the back.

Do you see it? "Rinse with water to remove."

Seriously?

Things that drive me crazy

I try very hard not to let things I can't control get to me, but sometimes a girl just can't help it. Currently, there are a few things that top my list of things that drive me crazy.

• "Cold" water-I have learned that if you want cold water in Alabama, you have to refrigerate it. You can turn on the cold water and wait for hours, but the water isn't going to get cold. The closest I can get is lukewarm. 
• The term "occasional table"-What is that anyway? There is a commercial that plays all the time here that advertises occasional tables. I need more of a commitment than that. I need at least a frequent table, or better yet an always table. I need to know I have a table that I can count on. 
• Bumpy sidewalks-You know, those sidewalks that look like Legos. I am sure that they serve some kind of a purpose, but they were clearly designed by a man. Ever try to walk on those in heels? or thin flip flops? 

• Incorrect grammar-It must be the teacher in me, but when I hear or see poor grammar, it really bothers me. I don't like when the words to and too are switched. Or your and you're. Or there, their, and they're. I can understand if you mix up lie and lay. Those are the tricky ones. However, if your Facebook status continually says things like, "wow, I can't wait to go their" or "there shoes were ugly", I will hide your status from my view. 
• Text speak-Perhaps this one makes me old, but I would rather write out the word "people" than ever put "ppl". If my husband were to shorten his "I love you" to "ily", I would not be happy. I see beauty in the English language, and it really bothers me to misspell things. To me, text language is misspelled. Plus, as I mentioned before, I must just be old. I can tolerate the occasional "lol", but only in a text. Please do not tell me in a face-to-face conversation that something made you lol. That is unacceptable. 

These are just a few of the things that drive me crazy. What things drive you to the crazy place? 

Pecan Chicken

I love the summer time. I love not having a lot to do. I love the great summer vegetables and fruits that are available. I do however, hate planning meals in the summer. I love to cook, but it is so hot in the summer that I want to just eat Popsicles for dinner every day. I am always trying to find new things to make in the summer and new ways to use the delicious fresh things I find at the local produce stand. This is a recipe that I have used forever, but I have only made it once since I got married. Last night we had a great dinner of pecan chicken, asparagus, and sweet potatoes. It was delicious. The pecan chicken is very simple to make.

What you need:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 egg white
salt and pepper
low fat honey mustard (we like Newman's) for dipping

Place the egg white in one shallow bowl and pecans and parsley in another.

Dip the chicken in the egg white and then into the pecan and parsley mixture. Put on a baking sheet and then add salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Since I was heating up the oven for the chicken anyway, I decided to put some sweet potatoes and asparagus in as well. The asparagus was so delicious. I brush them with olive oil and lemon juice and then add a little salt and pepper. The asparagus only takes from 5 to 10 minutes to cook, so I put it in when the chicken was almost ready.

mmmmm!

As soon as my husband came home, dinner was ready. We had a delicious and relaxing dinner. I think that we will have it more often!

1st week of summer vacay

This is my first real week of summer vacation. I had such high hopes. I have so many projects that I want to accomplish. The beginning of this week was awesome. My brother came to visit on Tuesday. It was perfect. I got to sleep in and do a few things while I waited for him to arrive. Once he got here, we got to laugh and talk. We had an amazing dinner with my in-laws and he got to eat some of the most amazing Peruvian food ever. It was perfect. He had to leave the next day after we had lunch together. I haven't seen my brother since my wedding, so it was nice to hang out with him.

Precious :) 

Wednesday, after he left, I made a crazy decision to go and get my hair done. I have wanted to for a while now, but I kept putting it off. Since I had the time and hubby's permission, I went. I didn't have an appointment, so I was hoping to just walk in for a cut and color. Crazy, I know. Thankfully, there was a girl there with no appointments and she was AMAZING! I was ready for a change. I have a crazy fro of hair. I gave her a list of things I wanted and a while later, I had a whole new look. I am so excited. I wish I could remember her name so I could give a proper shout out.

Please ignore my crazy face and lack of  makeup and focus on the hair. So fab!

Then, yesterday, it was time to get on with the projects. Yeah right, I had the stomach flu. What a horrible way to spend my Thursday. Thankfully, I married an amazing man who sat in bed with me last night and went to get medicine. He is so good to me.

So now, it is Friday and I have a week's worth of projects to catch up on. Or maybe they can all wait until Monday:)

Memorial Day Weekend

Wow! We have had a great weekend! My in-laws took the long weekend to head to the beach so my husband and I took full advantage of their pool. On Saturday, we headed to their house with some good things to grill. It was fantastic! I have never grilled in my life, unless you count all my hard work on the George Foreman grill. My sister-in-law had some chicken and steaks and we brought burgers and sausages. I would have to say that my first grilling experience was a success. Especially the chicken! Yum! It was so delicious...and the piece I ate while in the pool was even better! Fact: Things taste better when eaten in a pool.

MMM...for grill that was good food! 

We spent hours and hours in the pool and snacking on yummy grilled goodness. It was just what I needed to recover from a long week of finishing things up at school. We came home Saturday evening and I fell asleep while watching a movie.

Sunday morning, we went to church as usual, and after church my husband took me out to lunch. It was pretty much the only way that he was going to have lunch. I was still so tired from the day before that I was going to skip lunch and go straight to bed. We went to a local Mexican restaurant and had a great meal. I love to go to Mexican places with my husband. He always speaks Spanish to the workers and this time was no exception. But this time, the man at the cash register asked me if I spoke Spanish and we had an extremely short conversation in Spanish. This is a big accomplishment for me. I have taken years of Spanish, but I am too self-conscious to speak. I understand a lot of it, but don't tell my in-laws:-)  After lunch, it was time for a good old Baptist nap. I slept for 3 glorious hours before I had to head to choir practice. After church on Sunday, we hung out with some good friends and had some great conversation.

Monday morning, I had to get some things accomplished around the house, so my awesome husband helped with some of the chores. By 11:00 we were finished and on our way to the pool. This time we had the place to ourselves and it was so hot and sunny. SO HOT! It is a million degrees or so here. We called our friends and they came over with their cute son and we grilled again. It was such a relaxing day. At the end of the day, our tummies were full and our skin was singed, so it was time to head home.

aaaahhhhhh...refreshing! 

We had a great time this weekend. We relaxed. We spent time with friends and family. We swam. We ate. We rested. What a great weekend! It was just what I needed.