Homemade Laundry Detergent and The Devil's Quiche

I've been thinking for while about making my own laundry detergent after seeing the recipe here.  The biggest deterrent was that I kept forgetting to save my milk jugs, but I finally managed to salvage a couple and set forth to make detergent.

It was really way easier than I expected.  It doesn't leave your clothes especially fragranced, but they definitely smell fresh. I haven't tried it on any tough stains so I can't say how great it would be at that.  

Here's the recipe should you decide you'd like to give it a try.

Homemade Laundry Detergent


1 bar of soap (any kind)

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda (I found the arm and hammer brand with the laundry detergent)

a big pot (holds more than 2 gallons)

a grater

a funnel

2 empty gallon jugs/containers

Grate the bar of soap into your pot.

Add a gallon of water to the pot with the soap.  Cook until soap dissolves.

Add borax and washing soda.  Bring to a boil. 

Turn off the heat.  Add one gallon of cold water and stir well.

Fill each container.

The mixture gets kind of "congealed" after it cools.  Shake it before dispensing to mix anything that has settled.  Use about 1/2 cup per load of laundry.

So I was talking on Facebook about making this, and one of my friends mentioned that washing soda can be caustic, and needs to be handled with care.  And could possibly wear down your clothes faster.  Then another friend mentioned she's been using this for a year and has had no problems.  So I guess you just have to weigh the pros and cons and decide if it's something you want to do or not.  The ingredients are certainly cheap enough, and I have enough left over to make several more batches.

Also, after reading I've found you need to be sure not to use it with bleach. 

Now on to food....

Quite some time back I made a dip call Jalapeno Popper Dip that I found at Closet Cooking.  It was quite delicious, so when I saw that Kevin had made a quiche inspired by the same dip, I had to go for it. 

Don't let my silly name fool you, it's pretty tasty.  I'm sure even old Scratch himself would approve.  But it definitely had some heat to it (and I didn't even use as many peppers as the recipe called for).    

Here's the recipe, if you'd like to wake up your taste buds...go for it!

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) pie shell, pre-baked  (if you buy storebought like I did, get deep dish)
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 jalapenos, diced (seed them is you prefer less heat)  (I only used one here)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

1. Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of the pie crust and sprinkle on the diced jalapenos.
2. Heat the milk and cream over medium heat until just before it boils, about 5 minutes and pour it into a large bowl.
3. Pour the eggs into the heated cream while stirring constantly.
4. Mix in the paprika and salt.
5. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, arrange the jalapeno slices on top, sprinkle with cheese and bake until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown, about 15 minutes.

*I don't know why my post has those white strips through it here and there. Please be my friend anyway*