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*

Migas

Just a quick post for you on this fine Mother's day eve.  In fact, this might be a fun dish to serve mom if you're doing a brunch thing. That is, if your mom enjoys flavorful, stick-to-your-ribs type food.  And it makes up a lot so there's plenty to go around!

not an especially photographic dish

I first heard of the Tex-Mex concoction on Pioneer Woman's site, so that's the recipe I went with.  I loved it, and I feel sure that you could adapt it to whatever you have on hand, just as long as you include those crispy little fried tortilla bits.  That's the key.  I added a bit of bacon but other wise followed the recipe exactly...here it is for you.

Printer Friendly Recipe

Migas

4 whole Corn Tortillas

1 whole Jalapeno, Seeds And Membranes Removed, Finely Diced

4 whole Plum Tomatoes, Roughly Chopped

1 whole Green Pepper, Roughly Chopped

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Roughly Chopped

1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped

12 whole Large Eggs

¼ liters Cotija Cheese, Grated (may Use Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Etc.)  (I have no idea how to measure cheese in liters....I used about a cup)

⅓ cups Cilantro, Chopped

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

¼ cups Half-and-half

In a bowl, whisk together eggs and half & half. Salt and pepper eggs, then set aside.

In a small skillet over medium heat, heat oil and fry each corn tortilla just until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop tortillas and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the olive oil with the butter. Add onions and bell peppers and cook until starting to turn brown/black, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in diced jalapenos and stir to combine. Add tomatoes to the skillet and stir around, then add tortilla pieces, stirring gently to combine.

Reduce heat to low.

When the heat has decreased, pour egg mixture into skillet. Stir gently to cook with the peppers, folding mixture very gently as it cooks. Add in grated cheese and chopped cilantro, and stir to combine

Hope you all have a great mother's day!

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Chances are you have everything you need to make this; if you've got some  berries in the freezer, you're good to go.  

And you definitely should make this!  It's delicious and light and moist.  If you're a coffee person it would be great with your first cup of coffee in the morning.  For me, it was great with my Diet Coke :)

It disappeared in a flash!

Here's the recipe I found at Mommy's Kitchen.  I just used a bundt pan instead...if you do just be sure to sprinkle the crumb topping in before the batter.  

2 - cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 - cups sugar
1/2 - cups cold butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 - cup milk
2 - egg yolks
2 - egg whites, beaten
2 cups fresh blueberries or
frozen (if using frozen don't thaw)

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Cut the butter into pieces using a knife and add to the flour mixture. Blend using a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture to use as a topping. Add the baking powder, milk, egg yolks and mix well and set aside. Beat the egg whites til soft peaks form. Add the milk and egg mixture into the flour and mix. Fold the egg whites into the batter and lightly mix everything together. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries and and add the reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
 

Raspberry Almond Blondies

 Raspberries were on sale so I just had to grab some, not really knowing what I wanted to do with them.  After searching around a bit I decided I wanted to make these bars I first saw at A Singleton in the Kitchen.

These are delicious, not too sweet. Perfect for breakfast I'd say.  I think they'd be great with a dollop of whipped cream right on top.  But alas, I had none.

Here's the recipe for ya.

Raspberry Almond Blondies
9 tablespoons (1 1/8 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sliced almonds, (3 ounces), toasted
1 pint raspberries
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 inches to hang over sides. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.
Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated. Mix 3/4 cup almonds into batter.
Pour batter into prepared pan; spread with a rubber spatula. Scatter berries and remaining 1/4 cup nuts over batter in pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into blondies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, 55 to 60 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before cutting into squares.

*I saved a little of the batter to smear over the top after sprinkling the berries on, that way they didn't get that dried out thing going on while baking.  

Simon Says....Quiche!

Oh that silly boy of mine. He can get some of the strangest notions in his head.  And he's quite persistent with them.  I can remember we had a period of time where we had to go outside and say goodnight to Luna (the moon) and sing the goodnight song.  Heaven forbid if the moon wasn't showing.  Then there was the time we had to pretend our chicken legs were mutton.  Most recently he's had quiche on the brain.  I have no idea why.   So when I ran across this recipe with a lovely picture at Indigo's Sugar Spectrum as Simon was peering over my shoulder, it was all over.

As it turns out, Simon picked a very tasty and easy meal. That's my boy...always looking out for mom :)

I didn't do the hasbrown crust, just baked it in a regular pie crust, but I'm sure the hashbrown version would be great.

 INGREDIENTS

3/4 of a bag frozen hash browns, shredded
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cups cooked diced ham
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream



DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Squeeze any excess moisture from the potatoes and combine them with the melted butter or margarine in a small bowl. Press this mixture into the bottom and sides of an ungreased pie pan

Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 25-35 minutes, edges should be brown.
Remove pan from oven and arrange the ham and cheese evenly over the potatoes. In a separate small bowl, beat together the eggs and the cream. Pour this over the ham and cheese..
Return pan to oven and bake for 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until the custard has completely set.

Apple Bran Peanut Butter Muffins (& Pancakes)

So it all started when I wanted to make some muffins that were kinda on the healthful side, and found a recipe for just such a muffin.  I already owned pretty much everything I needed to make them, except the raisins which I was happy enough to leave out.  

After I mixed it all together and put the batter into the muffin tins to bake, I had quite a bit left over.  Which led me to wonder how this recipe would translate into pancakes.  I'm happy to report, it translated pretty darn well.  The pancakes were just a little "stick-ish" when you go to flip them, maybe due to the peanut butter chips, but it ultimately worked out just fine.

Smothered with peanut butter, and topped with strawberries and whipped cream, me and the kiddo's thought it was more than fine.  (who knew strawberries and peanut butter was such a great combo!)

And the muffins weren't too shabby either.

This was all made possible by the letter "B".  Just kidding, it was all made possible by the box of Kellogg's All-Bran Wheat Flakes I received as a part of Foodbuzz's Tastemaker program.  Yep, having my fiber and loving it too!








Here's the muffin recipe.  For pancakes, just cook them on the griddle like you would any pancake.
Apple-Bran Muffins
2 cups Kellogg's Bran Flakes
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup raisins (left these out)
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup egg substitute (equal to 2 eggs) (I didn't have any so I used 6 egg whites)
About 1/3 cup peanut butter chips, tossed in flour.

Combine cereal and milk in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, combine flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add raisins and set aside. Combine applesauce and egg substitute and stir into the cereal mixture. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened. Divide into 12 muffin cups which have been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 400* about 25 minutes, till lightly browned.
Makes 12 muffins. 

PW's Vanilla Bean Scones

Don't forget to enter my little cooking magazine giveaway that is going on through this Friday at midnight.  Click here to enter if you haven't already.

I made these scones this weekend for my MIL for Mother's Day.  I thought they were pretty tasty, but they turned out a little more cookie-like than scone-like.

I had a fairly difficult time with the crumbly-ness of this dough.  To help deal with this, I added extra cream so I would be able to work with it, and I think this caused them to spread out more like cookies, and also make the finished product very tender and prone to breaking.

See these broken ones below?  They had to be sacrificed.  It was a tough job, but I managed to take care of it.

I did love the sweetness and the vanilla.  The flavor was really wonderful.  I think if I make these again, I would use Ina Garten's recipe, (leaving out the fruit) and add some extra sugar and the vanilla bean.  I've made hers many times and never had any problem handling the dough.  

Here's PW's recipe:

Ingredients

• SCONES
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• ⅔ cups Sugar
• 5 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 sticks (1/2 Pound) UNSALTED Butter, Chilled
• 1 whole Large Egg
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream (more If Needed)
• 2 whole Vanilla Beans
• GLAZE
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• ½ cups Whole Milk
• 1 whole Vanilla Bean
• Dash Of Salt

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla “caviar” inside. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs.

Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it comes together.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary.

Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles.

Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

VANILLA GLAZE

To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the caviar. Stir caviar into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.

One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed.

Stuffed Snow Peas & Red Onion and Purple Potato Frittata

It's two recipes for the price of one here today.  Both of these come from the April/May issue of Taste of Home.

I saw these stuffed snow peas and just thought they were the cutest things.  And they're certainly not difficult.  I think it would be cute to serve at some sort of a shower or brunch.  You know, if you're one of those type of people who has friends and does those sort of things...hehe.  

Stuffed Snow Peas

Ingredients:
8 oz softened cream cheese
2 tsp minced chives
1 tsp dried basil
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (didn't use these)
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
36 fresh snow peas, trimmed


Directions:
Combine first 7 ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. (I didn't do this step, and thought they tasted fine)
Let filling stand at room temp 30 minutes.  Meanwhile bring 6 cups water to boil.  Add snow peas, cover and boil 1-2 minutes.  Drain and immediately place peas in ice water.  Drain and pat dry.  Gently split peas open, pipe about 1 tsp of filling into each pod.  


my notes:  The recipe recommend not to make these too far in advance.  Need to be chilled and served within 3 hours.  I halved everything because I was only making a few, and don't really think the full recipe would fill 36 peas.

This was my first time making a frittata.  Which I suppose is just basically a baked omelet.  

I saw these purple potatoes and just had to give them a try.  My daughter didn't really believe they were potatoes.  I wonder if they have any extra nutritional value since they've got some color to them.

Red Onion and Potato Frittata
Ingredients:
1 large red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
4 tbsp butter, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound red (or purple) potatoes thinly sliced
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese


Directions:
In 10 inch ovenproof skillet, saute onion and rosemary in 1 tbsp butter until tender.  Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Remove from pan and set aside.
In same skillet cook potatoes in 2 tbsp butter tender.  Remove and keep warm
Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and cheese.  Add onion mixture.  Melt remaining butter in skillet.  Add egg mixture, bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Top with potatoes and bake another 3-5 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes, and cut into wedges.

Breakfast Confessions

Since Sundays, and the weekend in general, seem to be a fairly quiet time here on my blog, this seems like a good time to make a confession to you all.  It's rather dark in nature and I'm not proud of it.  But I need to get it out there.

I have an addiction.  I've tried to stop.  I've tapered off.  Gone cold turkey.  Tried mental imagery.  But I always go back.  

I know in the big picture it's not really "good", and definitely not good for me.  But something coded into my DNA needs it, and needs it in a bad way.

You guessed it, it's McDonald's Sausage McGriddle.

I know, many of you are just shaking your heads, possibly making little gagging noises.  I just can't explain it.  Like millions before me, why do I continue to run back to something that only harms me, and takes my money?

I don't know the answer to that question.  But I may have found a solution.  Once again thanks to Hungry Girl.

This little guy is the fake McGriddle.

I think I could grow to love him too, and he'll be much kinder to my arteries and my thighs.

These are the main components to the pancake part of the fake McG.

Here's how you make it:

1.  Melt 1 tsp light buttery spread in the microwave.

2.  Add 2 1/2 tbsp sugar free syrup, 1 1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour, and 1/4 tsp baking powder and mix well.

3.  Bring a skillet sprayed with non stick spray to med heat.  Add batter to form 2 small pancakes.  Cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden brown.  Then set pancakes aside

4.  Cook a veggie sausage patty (I used Morningstar Farm's) according to package directions.  Place between pancakes and enjoy.

Here's how I think the nutrition info breaks down.

The sausage patty is 80 calories.

The components of the pancakes add up to about 70 calories.

So about 150 calories compared to 420 for the real deal?  It's time for me to finally let go of my addiction.


Now if I can figure out how to put an "M" on top and mass produce it, I'll be in business.

Oatmeal Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips

Don't forgot my coffee giveaway here!

I probably should have said with peanut butter chips and chocolate chips, but the title was long enough as it was.

Found these at the Noble Pig. All her recipes are great, but these are SO good and really easy. And they've got oatmeal in there, and you know that's good for you!

Click here for her recipe, then go forth and make them immediately!

I also made her cheesy pepperoni strata, which I've never tried before.

It was pretty good too, although the pepperoni's I picked out were rather spicy.

When I served this my family looked at me like I had these guys crawling out of my ears. Guess it wasn't their favorite dinner ever, but I enjoyed it.