How to Make Your Own Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

Our family saves so much money by making our own laundry soap. I encourage you all to try it at least once!


The girls help me make it and we all enjoy that time together.  The process is much easier than I thought it would be, and much cheaper than I thought it would be, too.  All of the ingredients cost less than $10.00 at Walmart, and the amounts needed for one 10-gallon recipe cost less than $2.00.  The time it takes us to assemble it all is probably less than 15 minutes.  What a deal!


Disclaimer/Please Learn From My Mistakes/Warning:  We picked up a pickle bucket from a local pizzeria.  Unless you like the smell of dill pickles, you might want to go with a different smelling bucket than we did.  Our bucket of soap literally smells like soapy pickles.  But thankfully, our clothes do not. 

You can always add essential oils to your soap to make it smell even nicer.  If any of you use oils to scent your soap, please let me know which scent you use.  Id love to try, just not sure which one to use.


Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap Recipe


Ingredients:

4  Cups - hot tap water

1  Fels-Naptha bar of soap ($0.97 each, available at Walmart)

1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda* ($3.24 per box, available at Walmart)

½ cup Borax ($4.00 per box, available at Walmart)


Directions:


-Add 4 cups hot tap water to pot on stove over medium-low heat.

- Grate bar of soap and add to pot with water.

-Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.

-Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax to bucket.

-Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

-Fill bucket to top with more hot water.

-Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-The next day, stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water.

-Shake before each use.



Optional: You can add 15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons once soap has cooled.

Recipe will yield 10 gallons of liquid laundry soap.


-Top Load Machine- 1/2 Cup per load

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (never tried, but hear it works great)


Here is our video that goes through the whole process.  I encourage you all to give it a try!

This post has been shared at:  The HomeAcre Hop, Simple Lives Thursday, The Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Natural Living Monday, Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Read More..

How to Make Flour Tortillas Only 5 Ingredients So Easy!

 

 

When I found out how easy it was to make homemade flour tortillas, it revolutionized our taco life.  I told you before how much the SSL Family Dad loves tacos.  Well he loves them even more on homemade tortillas.  Theyre softer, they taste better and they only have five ingredients.  Weve said goodbye to the remaining 15 chemicals that are in our store-bought tortillas forever and that makes me one happy cooking mama.

 

Ingredients

 

2 cups all-purpose organic flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

 

1.  Combine dry ingredients and coconut oil in a mixing bowl and stir.

2.  Add milk and stir.  Dough will form into a ball.

3.  Sprinkle flour on your surface and knead dough for two minutes.

4.  Place dough back in mixing bowl and cover with a damp towel.  Let sit for 30 minutes.

5.  Divide dough in half by twisting apart.  Divide each half into five equal balls of dough for a total of 10 balls of dough.

6.  Place balls of dough on a plate and cover with damp towel.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

7.  Heat skillet on medium.

8.  Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin.  Roll each ball into 8" discs.

9.  Cook tortillas approximately 30 seconds on each side.  Bubbles will form, you can pop them if youd like to make the tortillas cook more evenly.

 

Thats it!  So easy and they taste great.  We use them for sandwich wraps, too.  I usually make a double-batch at a time for our family of five.  They last 5-7 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.  I usually pop them in the microwave before making sandwiches if theyve been stored in the refrigerator.

 

Blessings!

Lisa

 

 

 

 

 

 This post has been shared at:  Country Fair Blog Hop

 

 

 

Read More..

How To Make A Aeroponic System Build a Backyard Aquaponics Program with our Step by Step ! Read Reviews

Complete Step-By-Step Instruction On How To Build A Fully Functional Aquaponics System Using Simple Components! Visit NOW!

-

Where Need to You Place Your Aquaponic System

If youre decided to set up an aquaponic system in which to grow vegetables and fish for you and your loved ones, you can find some factors which you should know. The varieties of fish, the seeds which might be propagated and the specifics in regards to the proper water circumstances are the basic notions you need to know just before venturing in this activity. When you understand that you are able to start off putting each of the pieces on the puzzle together. Yet, another query arises: exactly where ought to you spot your aquaponic mini-garden?

The answer is simple: it is possible to put it anywhere you like provided that the location has sufficient light to provide the plants. As you possibly know, the plants need to have light to prepare their meals. When the place where they are put has no or couple of light, theyll be unable to prepare their food, which in time will bring about their death. This really is anything you dont want! Yet, if you have a space (regardless of if it really is your kitchen, living space or garage) where there is certainly a moderate light, then there is exactly where you ought to spot your aquaponic garden.

In the event you live in an location with extreme temperature or weather circumstances, you will find also some other items youll need to take into consideration. 1st, the temperature: your fish like to have a moderate temperature (normally varies in line with the type of fish you choose), so you must monitor it to meet your fish

---

The Benefits of Fish Oil For Acne

Fish oil can be a dietary supplement which has been established to enhance all round health and handle circumstances like diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis. What makes fish oil so remarkable is that it contains omega-3. Omega-3 is an crucial fatty acid identified in specific fish like salmon and mackerel. Omega-3 can also be located in plant-based substances such as walnuts and flaxseed. Recently, fish oil has grow to be recognized for its skin-nourishing effects. Fish oil could be employed to lower skin sensitivity, minimize acne outbreaks and promote healing on the skin.

Lowered Inflammation

Acne happens when skin pores become blocked by oil and bacteria begins to develop. Youll find two types of acne; inflammatory which includes whiteheads and blackheads and non inflammatory which contains papule, pustules, nodules and cysts. Research from the University of Maryland Healthcare Center shows that omega-3 fatty acids located in fish oil will help reduce inflammation and enhance the all round appearance of skin.

Decreased Outbreaks

Fish oil may also reduce the occurrence of acne outbreaks. This is because fish oil is a mood enhancer. Due to the fact stress can trigger acne outbreaks taking fish oil can improve mood, thereby decreasing the possibilities of outbreaks associated with tension.

Healing

Crucial fatty acids identified in fish oil assist promote skin healing by nourishing and defending the skin. Actually, the UMMC reports that fish oil is established to minimize skin sensitivity as evidenced in a study following men and women with sun sensitivity known as photo dermatitis. Moreover, the gamma-linoleic acid found in fish oil assists stimulate skin and is usually utilized to heal skin lesions frequent amongst eczema sufferers.

It is really simple to get your day-to-day intake of fish oil. There are quite a few supplements out there. Or enough amounts of omega-3 may be obtained by eating just two servings of fatty fish a week.

Read More..

How NOT to Make Kale Chips

 

I would like to blame it all on the kids, but the truth is, it was all my fault.  Im the one that looked up the recipe.  Im the one that assumed that "Total Time" meant Total Baking Time.  BUT everything else that went wrong was on them.

 

The middlest SSL Kid took it upon herself to create this video.  The topic was her idea, the camera was hers, and she literally did everything herself except for preheat the oven.  And although our oldest was not in the video, she edited the entire video by herself, thanks to her 8th grade media productions class.

 

Although not edible, we are still very proud of the girls for trying to make kale chips on their own.   We all had a lot of laughs and we hope you do, too.

 

 

 

 

 

This post was shared at:  Homestead Blog Hop, The Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Homestead Barn Hop

 

 

 

 

Read More..

How to Make Soap From Bacon Grease

?

 

 

What to do with all that leftover bacon grease? With this simple process you can turn that unwanted grease into something useful around the home - soap. This recipe is very simple and the process takes about 90 minutes from start to finish.

 

The first step is to get the grease separated from any bits of burned bacon or other "stuff". The easiest way to do this is to pour it into a cup of warm water and mix it up. Let the mix sit at room temperature for a couple of hours and then put it in the refrigerator overnight. The grease will all float to the top and the bits will sink to the bottom. This also solidifies the grease a bit to make it easy to scoop off the top. I saved up the grease from a few batches over about 2 months and was able to get about 22 ounces. The lard keeps in the fridge for quite some time to you can save it up for as long as you need to.

 

 

 

Once you have enough it is time to weigh it out and determine how many ounces you have. This will be the base for the recipe and all other ingredients will be based from this amount. Once you have the ounces head over to www.soapcalc.net and click on "soap calc lye calculator". This will take you to an 8 step process to determine your recipe.

 

1: Select NAOH - This is the type of Lye I used and is commonly bought as pure lye drain cleaner. You can also use KOH which is derived naturally from wood ashes.
2. Input the weight of your lard - mine was about 22 ounces
3. You can leave this at about 38% as they recommend
4. Super fat can be left at 5%. You can go lower and you will end up with a less oily soap, go higher for a more oily soap. If you go too low you risk having pure lye left over from the saponification process which could be bad for your skin. I recommend 4 or 5%
5.  Select "lard, pig tallow" from the list of oils. Here you can see you can make soap from all kind of different oils.
6. Click "add" and then type 100% in the box. You can mix other oils in with this calculator as well if you so wish.
7. Calculate and then display/print your recipe.

You now have all of the info you need to get started.

 

Get out two stainless or glass pots and set on separate burners, put both on low or one notch up from low heat. Next weigh out the water according to the recipe and add it to one of the pots. Add your lard to the other pot. Weigh out your lye according to the recipe and slowly stir it into the warm water until it is dissolved. Once the lard is liquefied go ahead and add the lye mix to the lard and slowly stir it in.

This is where the fun begins (ok, not really) you need to stir this mix for about an hour. I stirred it for about 5 minutes and then went away and came back after about 10 minutes to stir again. Keep doing this until the lard thickens. Once you are getting a trace behind the spoon when you stir you know it is ready.

 

At this point you can add some food coloring and essentials oils or other fragrance as you wish. You will need to turn the heat down and stir the coloring and fragrance in pretty well (I didnt do this well and that is one reason mine turned out pink and not red.)

 

 

 

Now you can pour the soap into some kind of mold. I used a plywood rectangle mold that I threw together in a few minutes. You can purchase nicer ones below. Once in the mold you need to let it sit for 24-48 hours and then you can cut it out and slice it into bars of any size. It is best at this point to let the soap sit for a week or two to fully harden and let the saponification process complete fully.

 

 

 

At that is it, you have just made soap from back grease or lard. We have been using it for about a month now and we all love it. It is not the best soap you can make but for next to nothing you can make basic soap from grease that you would probably throw away anyway. You can also be creative with the soap calc and add in other types of oils to get different results, have fun with it and see what you can come up with. Please share any recipes that works well for you on our Facebook page or here on the blog or YouTube comments.

 

Pure Lye - http://amzn.to/1KIq0Je
Soap molds - http://amzn.to/1dadmUR
                        http://amzn.to/1AJpUxu
                        http://amzn.to/1KIqaA7

 

 

All of these products and more recommended items from the SSL Family are available at the

Simple Suburban Living General Store

 

Please follow us on....

http://www.pinterest.com/simplesuburban/
http://www.facebook.com/simplesuburbanliving
http://www.twitter.com/simplesuburban5
http://www.instagram.com/simplesuburbanliving

 

Special thanks to The King of Random for the inspiration on this process. http://www.tkor.squarespace.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

This post has been shared at:  Our Simple Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday

 

?

Read More..

Make Your Home Bright With Smart Lights! ambiLite Wifi LEDs

Check out this awesome smart lighting solution for your home. This is the latest addition to the Simple Suburban Living smart home and we absolutely love them so far!

These WiFi LED lights from ambiLite are easy to setup and can be used in any standard socket (U.S). The Simple starter kit that I have comes with 3 LED lights and the control module (Genie) that connects them to your home WiFi network. The range on the Genie seems to be pretty good and can easily reach from the top floor all the way to lights in the basement with no delay.

The Simple bulbs are adjustable from the app to any color temperature from 2700K to 6500k. This makes them great for use in any fixture and even grow lights if you do any type of indoor gardening in the winter months. I liked this feature as my wife and I sometimes disagree (what?) on the color our home lights should be. So now, I can switch them to 6500k(blue/white light) when she is not looking:)

The app also lets you control the brightness of the bulbs and for all of the controls you can group bulbs together or control up to four individually. the response of the controls is instant even if you are controlling them from away from home.

The app also has an alarm and sleep feature that is quite handy. The lights or group of lights can be set to come on at a certain time each day. This is a neat feature for hallways or even bedrooms where you want them to accompany your alarm clock or come on as the family is waking up for school or work. The sleep feature just allows you to delay the off command by slowly and gently dimming the bulbs to 0 over a minute or two. This is nice if you want to switch them off but still need to see for a minute before you are left in complete darkness:)

All in all these are the best value on the market for the features and easy of use. The kit can be added on to with the full range color Nabe set or more of the Simple bulbs as I have here. I will also be combining these with other smart home products for more control including motion, alarm systems etc. so stayed tunes for those products and videos in the future.

Check out the full video here

Simple Starter Kit - http://amzn.to/1Q3vv5H
Nabe(full color) Start Kit - http://amzn.to/2358Ahi
Simple Add-on bulbs - http://amzn.to/1OTV764
Nabe add-on bulbs - http://amzn.to/1OTVjlA

All of these products and more recommended items from the SSL Family are available at the

Simple Suburban Living General Store

Please follow us on....

http://www.pinterest.com/simplesuburban/
http://www.facebook.com/simplesuburbanliving
http://www.twitter.com/simplesuburban5
http://www.instagram.com/simplesuburbanliving

Read More..

How To Make Bread Using a Bread Machine

Do you have a bread machine just sitting around in your cupboard or basement like I did?  I received mine as a birthday present from my husband a few years ago and rarely ever used it.  I walked into my neighbors house several weeks ago and noticed she had a bread machine on her counter.  We got to talking and she explained to me that she never buys store-bought white bread.  She only bakes fresh bread for her kids lunches. 

 

Hmmmm....that got me thinking about that lonely little machine in my cupboard. 

 

That also got me thinking about all the ingredients (chemicals) that are in our $1 loaf of grocery store white bread.  And why doesnt bread mold anymore?  Its just got to be all those preservatives.

 

Its been about four weeks since Ive started baking bread daily for our family.  Yes, daily for our family of five.  You may be thinking, "thanks for asking me to fit one more task into my day."  Well, thats what I thought, too, and thats where the machine comes in. 

 

This recipe for basic white bread only uses seven ingredients and it only takes 5 minutes to put the ingredients in the machine and turn it on.  Four hours later, you will have a beautiful loaf of fresh bread.  Its very simple, the bread tastes much better, and our home always smells like fresh bread. 

 

And I have peace of mind knowing my girls lunches are a little healthier.

 

Basic White Bread Recipe (extra large loaf)

 

Dry yeast 1 1/4 tsp

Bread flour 4 1/2 cups

Salt  2 tsp

Dry Milk  3 tbsp

Butter  2 1/2 tbsp

Sugar  1 1/2 tbsp

Water  400 mL

 

Ingredients go into the machines loaf pan in the order they appear in the recipe.  No need for mixing!

 

When the timer goes off, your machine will automatically shut off so its okay if youre not home when the bread is done baking.  Take the loaf pan out of the machine, shake out the loaf onto a cooling rack.  Wait until the bread is done cooling to place in a bag or cellophane.  Thats it! 

 

Cleaning the machine is super easy, too.  Just wipe the loaf pan out with a dish towel and place back into the machine, ready for your next loaf.

 

You will want to make sure you have your ingredients on-hand if you plan on doing away with store-bought bread like we did.  We have 50 lb. bags of flour and sugar that we picked up from an Amish store over the summer.  We also ordered a 2 lb. bag of dry yeast from Amazon.  And to make things a little easier, you can also stock up and make extra loaves and freeze them. 

 

I have enjoyed this lifestyle change so much that I had to share it with all of you.  I hope you give it a try!  Let me know how it goes. :)

 

 

Watch this video to learn how to make bread using a bread machine! 

 

 

 

            

 

Also available at Best Buy

 

 

This post has been shared at:  The HomeAcre Christmas Hop, Simple Lives Thursday, Front Porch Friday, Homestead Blog Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Country Fair Blog Hop


 

 

Read More..

How to Make Giant Candy Cane Decorations

I was asked to help with some props for the Christmas play this year and so I signed up to make some giant candy canes, seems easy enough, right? I started by looking around on Pinterest, Google, and YouTube for ideas. I wasnt impressed with what I was finding and so I came up with a design of my own. There are some great ideas out there using larger PVC piping and cardboard tubes but the cost and time required was too much for what I was in for. So I decided on the following process.

You will need

2 10 sections of 1/2" PVC pipe
2 rolls of white duct (duck) tape
2 rolls of red duct (duck) tape
4 pool noodles
Hair dryer or heat gun
Some scrap wood and piece of plywood (could also use a deck or come up with a  different way to bend the pipe)

Step 1 - Start by laying out the shape of the candy cane on the plywood. I used a trash can lid to trace the curves and adjusted it until I liked how it looked.

Step 2 - Cut up some small pieces of scrap wood and nail or screw them along the line you have drawn. Alternate pieces on each side of the line leaving space in between for the PVC pipe

Step 3 - Start to feed the PVC pipe through the template heating it with the heat gun or hair dryer as you push it through. This process takes a bit of time, just keep applying heat, alternating sides, and pushing the pipe further into the template in increments.

Step 4 - Once the pipe is shaped and cooled pull it out of the template and then slide two pool noodles over the PVC pipe. Cover all of the pipe except for whatever is left over a the bottom. You can cut this extra piping off and make the candy canes as tall as you need them to be.

Step 5 - Start with the white tape and wrap a piece around the seam between the two pool noodles. Then starting at the top, wrap the white tape around the noodles on an angle until you get to the bottom. Do this about three times until all of the pool noodle is covered in white tape.

Step 6 - Starting at the top, wrap the red tape around at an angle (like a candy cane) until you get to the bottom. This is the hardest part, try to keep the tape flat and evenly spaced as you wrap it. This is best done with two people, have one person hold the candy cane and the other hold the tape. Have one person turn the entire candy cane as the other applies the tape. You may have to work with it a little bit before you get it the way you want it.

Check out the full video here

Red Duck tape - http://amzn.to/1NUawEL
White duck tape - http://amzn.to/1NUayfG
Pool noodles - http://amzn.to/1NUaAEA

All of these products and more recommended items from the SSL Family are available at the

Simple Suburban Living General Store

Please follow us on....

http://www.pinterest.com/simplesuburban/
http://www.facebook.com/simplesuburbanliving
http://www.twitter.com/simplesuburban5
http://www.instagram.com/simplesuburbanliving

Read More..

How To Make Indoor Hydroponic System General information on establishing and maintaining an aquaponics system Read More!

Just follow the tips mentioned above and you will have great success in your attempt to grow organic food in your home.Join us

-

Why Is definitely an Aquaponic Method Much better than a Hydroponic One

Hydroponic gardens are already extremely common among men and women of all ages. They require little space, are easy to look after and give satisfactory final results. Even so, because you will need to provide the water with necessary nutrients, which are most of the times chemical, the taste of the crops just isnt really the ones people count on. Also, individuals trying to switch to organic products have a difficult time in coping with the chemical additions from the hydroponically-grown vegetables. Luckily, a new kind of gardening is available. It truly is known as the aquaponic program and can assist you to develop organic meals in your property.

The aquaponic program is a mixture in between the aquaculture, because it needs developing fish inside a unique fish tank and hydroponics, as it entails expanding plants with water and nutrients. You will probably wonder what function the fish play in all this company. Properly, things are really simple: the fish excrements contain ammonia which can be later decomposed in nitrites and nitrates. The latter substance is benefic for the plants, supplying them enough nutrients to develop and develop normally. Hence, there will probably be no require to provide your plants with chemical substances as theyre going to already have all the food they need to have.

This leads to the many positive aspects that the aquaponic system has over the hydroponic one. Very first, the vegetables will have a much better taste as theyre going to grow only with organic meals and at their very own peace. This will likely give them that delicious taste you enjoy a lot in veggies. Then, the method is easier, as you are going to no longer ought to feed your plants each and every and daily. Just be sure that your fish are in good shape after which let nature take its course.

Final, but not least, together with the aquaponic system you do not only develop vegetables, but you also have fish which it is possible to use for decorative purposes or you can extremely nicely cook delicious meals for you and your household.

Aquaponics is definitely an improved version on the hydroponic system. The crops are better along with the process is less difficult. In addition to which you get to consume organic meals! What more are you able to want for?

---

Hydroponic Program Plans - Aquaponic Options

Standard farming exactly where you need to have lots of space to grow your plants is just the thing in the previous. Now, youll be able to always grow your plants anywhere despite not possessing really the lot to spare. Indeed, this can be achievable together with the support of hydroponic method plans which you can find virtually anyplace you look these days. This method can assure that your plants can grow without having ever needing soil or none of these farming methods that most of the people discover extremely daunting.


Lots of people typically discover it difficult to come up with their own hydroponic system at house. Not simply can it be confusing for some, the majority of its steps demand quite the background to put each and every element inside the appropriate order for the whole technique to function properly. And this is exactly where hydroponic program plans are quite handy. All youll need is to follow the guidelines each step on the way and surely you may be enjoying the advantages of expanding plants at property without all the hardship there may be within a common farming or gardening atmosphere.

Readymade hydroponic systems are also really considerably accessible inside the marketplace. These systems come in kits like all of its main elements available and all theres left for you personally to accomplish is always to assemble them based on the instructions it comes with. Nonetheless, you are able to lessen your spending need to you go create your own personal system out from scratch.

One particular excellent purpose for you personally to build your personal program at house is merely because many of the vital elements of a readymade kit can also be located in your nearest supply depot. Surely youll be receiving all of your moneys worth should you decide to go look for the supplies oneself and make an effort to assemble your own system with all the aid of a guide.

Imagine obtaining a system out of pvc pipes, plastic tubs or perhaps plastic containers. Are not these components currently obtainable at your property? For this reason opting to get hydroponic program plans are way practical than receiving premade systems. Look for the very best guides these days and start building your own from scratch.

Read More..

How to Make Inexpensive Curtain Rods for Your Front Porch

 

Part of my Front Porch Makeover project was adding outdoor curtains.  I love how cozy and inviting they make the porch feel!  I just cant bring myself to take them down for the winter just yet. 


To keep the project as inexpensive as possible, I made my own curtain rods.  I found the design idea online and recruited the help of the SSL Family Dad to help me decide which material to use for the rods.  The concept is super simple, but there are a few tricks to making and installing the rods and hardware. 


Here is the inspiration photo that pretty much explains it all.

The curtain rods are 1/2" electrical conduit that we picked up from Home Depot.  The hardware is eye hooks that are just big enough for the conduit rods to pass through. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldnt be happier with how they turned out, and with the price tag:

 

Electrical conduit and eye hooks:  $12

 

 

Here is my video that explains the process in further detail. 

 

 

 

This post was shared at:  HomeAcre Hop, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Wonderful Wednesdays Blog Hop, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop

 

?

Read More..