Laundry soap...

Today was our day to make laundry soap. It lasts us about 3 months (with 2-3 loads most days) and only costs about $2 to make a batch. They say it is a penny a load but because of one my favorite stores, E&S Sales, I can make it for a little less. I think it works well and am excited at how much cheaper it will make cloth diapers...if I can stick with them :o)

Our ingredients and a Selah girl sporting the necklace she made today

grate the soap

Melt it in 4 cups of water

Stir!

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half way with hot water, add the melted soap.

Stir in 1 cup Arm & Hammer washing soda and 1/2 cup Borax. That is Abby helping!

Fill the rest of the way with hot water, stir and there you go! Laundry soap for 3 months!

To use it, fill an old laundry soap jug half way with hot water and the other half with soap from the bucket. It really makes 10 gallons total because of this. Before you use it shake well, it gels up a bit. You can add a bottle of fabric softener to the bucket if you want to.

Selah and Abby enjoying one of their favorite games, Memory. Abby especially is very good at this game! See all her matches already? As I said previously, I have Swiss Cheese for a brain and so the girls love winning every time!

A picture of sweet Grace Anne, we can't leave her out. She is eating a really healthy breakfast of Marshmallow Pebbles...Yikes! I promise she had vegetables later!

This is a recipe for our favorite Banana bread. We made some today but don't have any pictures, sorry!

Banana Sour Cream Loaf

(Adapted from a Gooseberry Patch recipe)

2/3 c. Butter

1 1/3 cups Sugar

2 eggs

2 cups mashed ripe bananas

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup sour cream

Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs and bananas, beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add dry mixture alternately with sour cream to banana mix, blend well. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Test with a tooth pick to makes sure it is done. Sometimes it takes a bit longer. We love it with real butter spread on when it's warm!