Happy Anniversary to Me (Us?)

A year ago, I took the plunge into the literary pool of blogging and started this site. At the time, I had an infant, a kindergartner, a husband with a new business and an overwhelming sense of personal craziness.




It's possible that all have managed to do is branch out to find new things to stress over...because I'm like that.


There are a few things I feel I need to address first, for those of you who happen upon here at random.








Through this year, I know many have hit this site due to my blog name. And I have messaged the brave few who questioned just what *exactly* my deal is. I've considered changing the name a few times for fear that my macabre sense of humor is a mockery of the knife of illness that stabs at our numbers seemingly randomly. It's simply not true. The bottom line is that I chose the name 3 years before I started blogging after a long night in the kitchen,  so I could comment on my sister's blog, never intending to publish...and then I woke up a year ago and decided to publish, assuming the only people who would ever read this would be my mom and siblings. Man, was I wrong. Lesson learned....but I'm keeping the name because BB still sums up the duality of my existence, the ups and downs that are my every day. Extreme to no one but me, I am sure.

research

 Love me through this, dear reader, I evolve slowly sometimes.



Also, I would like to mention that just because my nickname is Betty Crocker, not every recipe listed here under that name is affiliated with the corporation that employs that imagine. In fact, very very few of them come from THAT Betty. If I ever publish an actual book (not that I plan to), I won't be able to use most of this site. Another lesson learned.





That said, I wanted to give some updates on some of the posts from this past year....things that worked out, stuff that didn't...











For instance, Thing 1 and Thing 2 are still alive and thriving despite all the recipe testing. No longer an infant and a kindergartner, they are a wall-climbing toddler and not-for-long 1st grader who has legs like a colt and the eyes of ancient soul.







The most popular post I've written was also one of the most painful. Who knew anyone still wanted another chicken soup recipe.



The second most popular post was for no-bake bar cookies that I still love so much I could eat a whole pan.

it's like a metaphor

I am still using homemade laundry detergent. Despite having dirty children who are learning to feed themselves and to not act like wild dogs, I have clean, fresh-smelling laundry that I am very happy with. I have not noticed any graying or fading and I'm spending less than two pennies a load AND I only have to make the soap every 3 months or so. I call that success.



Likewise, the all purpose cleaner is still getting a workout here. I use it for pretty much everything-including removing spots from the carpet. Mr. Devlin gave it a solid testing and gives it his seal of approval as well.  It's worth the effort.



Yes, I still make my own donuts....if you fill them with Nutella, it's possible you may fall into a coma--you've been warned.



Thing 1 has already put her vote in for another round of Easter peeps. Homemade marshmallows are within your grasp-don't be scared.

yes, the tomatoes worked

Likewise, homemade preserves are not just for over-achievers. I'm currently preparing to make the season's first batch of strawberry jam this weekend actually.



I'm proud of how far my homemade tortillas have evolved...enough so that I'm willing to serve them friends. Honestly, I can't begin to explain how having fresh tortilla changes even a simple quesadilla--Alice Waters would be so freakin' proud of me.

pot scrubbers

I'm still looking for more ways to recycle baby food jars but this certainly has helped....and Thing 1 loves them.



My post scrubbers went through a small makeover when I figured out how to work in an abrasive side by using a packet of hem tape as the starting circle. Hem tape is basically straight lace, generally in all kinds of colors, 3 feet long. It's the perfect amount to give the scrubby some, um, scrubby. Plus, these bad boys are so durable- I just throw them in the laundry and they are back to new.






After giving me crap over the first batch, Thing 1 started referring longingly to her blueberry poptarts as some kind of special treat that I withhold from her for spite. There is no winning as a mother, really, I guess the best I can hope for is that my grandbabies will someday ask me to make poptarts for them like I did for their mother....it's true, I totally can't wait to be that grandma that bakes all the really good stuff..





Despite the break in our routine due to my morning sickness, we still eat a fair share of muffins and scones so check out those recipes if your looking for something new.




I had a lot of fun with the Christmas baking this year- I hope next year's wow's you...and inspires you to try a few batches of this or that.





I am brain-sketching new ideas to bring to you to make your lives easier, to spark some creative action on your part or to give you something really easy to make for dinner because you've run out ideas today.  If nothing else, I hope you get a chuckle.




So, send me an email or leave a comment if I missed something you were wondering about or if there is something you'd like me to cover (I PROMISE I'm still trying to find more one-pot meals and the how-to's on artichokes).



I'll be taking a small break in September for Baby #3...while we have chosen REAL names for this little person, I need something clever for here...I don't really think I can call them the Lorax, you know?


...17 weeks and counting.

Every day is a gift. Even when I'm cranky. Even when I have no way to plan for what is coming next. I'm only human and my family loves me despite that and because of that....and I love them for the same reasons. My job is to do the best with what I've got and never stop learning or growing or trying. And God will take care of us--He always has.


....that's what I've learned this year...I can only wonder what this next year holds.

Homemade Mildew Remover: Make Your Own Bathroom Cleaner

Sometimes in the attempt to save money, I end up with products that are less then effective and, therefore, a waste of the money I was trying to save. So it has been with some store brand bathroom cleaner that I purchased sometimes last year for a buck a bottle.
As it turns out, when the trigger on the bottle actually did work, the "cleaner" just managed to stain things a funny orange tint. At first, I thought we had a lot of iron in our water. Then, one day, I sprayed some of the cleaner on my white cleaning rag and realized that, no, it was actually the cleaner.

More and more, I am realizing that I can get pretty far with some basic cleaning products such as bleach, ammonia, borax, grease-resistant dish soap, rubbing alcohol and vinegar.

I have essentially stopped buying toilet bowl cleaner, laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, pre-treater, oven cleaner and now, bathroom cleaner.





This really can't be any more straightforward. Put a funnel you do not intend to ever use for food purposes in the mouth of a spray bottle. (Clean new spray bottles can be purchased nearly anywhere.) Into the bottle, pour 1/4 cup of bleach and 2 cups of water. It is best to do this in a sink in case there are any spills.

my high-tech paper funnel
for the borax

To this add 1 tablespoon of borax. I use a piece of scrap paper that I've twisted into a paper funnel so I don't get it stuck in my little plastic one, but that's just me.

give 'er a shake

Now, give the bottle a healthy shake. Voila! Mildew remover for your bathrooms.









Remember to always label any bottles of cleaner you have made and keep them out of the reach of children (unless those children are being used for hard labor of course....that's a joke, people, please....although I DO firmly support kids having chores and being responsible for clean up but I digress).

Also, be sure to rinse any area that you have used this on with warm/hot water for better results and to remove any excessive amounts of bleach from any areas that small mouths might go. This isn't a wimpy disinfectant by any stretch.

Homemade Laundry Detergent: Save Some Coins For the Holidays

I've met many of person who makes their own laundry detergent; apart from the fact that their clothes seem clean and they don't seem to have any "funny" rashes, they also seem very happy with the product. And nearly every recipe that I've collected appears to be made with similar ingredients and amounts.

I will say, I was tempted to double or triple the ingredients because it didn't seem to require much and I didn't want to have to mix a batch every Saturday morning. I'm glad I didn't though-this made a sizeable amount.

While you may not have these ingredients currently, they are easy and inexpensive to obtain at nearly any grocery store.

You will also need a large bucket for mixing and-if you choose-storing the detergent. If you don't have something lying around, you can purchase 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot or Lowes or anywhere home improvement supplies are sold.

You will need a bar of Fels Naptha or Ivory Soap. Fels Naptha can be found in the laundry aisle.
You'll also need a box of washing soda (this is not baking soda, it comes in a yellow box) and borax powder.

grated soap

soap+water

Grate 1/3 of the bar soap into a pot and add 6 cups of water. Heat the mixture while stirring. When the water is hot and the soap is melted. To this stir in 1/2 cup of washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax. Stir until this is dissolved (you'll know because it won't feel grainy and the mix will actually feel like it is thickening).

soap+water+borax+soda
it starts to thicken

Cut the heat. Pour the soap mixture into the bucket and add 4 cups of hot water. Stir, then add 1 gallon (16 cups for those of you who slept through that part of school) and 6 more cups of cool water. Stir again and then let it all sit overnight to cool and gel. Use a half cup of soap with each load.

mmmm, blobby soap mucus stuff

This was fun to make, first of all. I love being a mad scientist. Thing 1 was utterly disgusted when she asked what I was cooking and i replied "Laundry soap."
"I'm NOT eating that." (thanks for the clarification-was I going to feed it to you?)
Secondly, this was easy--not nearly as daunting as I thought it would be.  So it won't be "no thing" when I need another batch (although that will be a while).

When I checked my soap later, it was all blobby goopy. From what I had read, this is normal and you should stir it up a bit before each use. It's like congealed gravy with lumps....actually, it's like a big bucket of mucus but it smells good.

I funneled mine into some empty detergent bottles. I think I'll need to shake 'em a bit before each use. Plus, now I have all the supplies for the next two batches....and by then it will be summer.

By Hook or By Crook

(...that title is funnier in this household).

It's not very often that I make something for this blog that I can't describe properly (or so I tell myself).

Once upon a time I was an English major with journalistic ideals and a strong belief that my future was paved with words....and then I dropped out of college...twice.

In the long run, I must work with my hands. I must do something that is tangible and physical. I'm so very very like my father, so very very German/Irish. And I'm too insecure to believe that any of my words have the power to change anything. I merely blog because it's too far to travel everyday to come over to your house (although I bet your coffee is better than mine).

My words are the best vehicle--most of the time-to convey what my hands are doing; though, not necessarily what my head is processing while I am doing it.

There are a million conversations I have had and must continue to have with myself if I am ever going to make any sense out of what is going on around me...if I am ever going to figure out how central a part I am to play in my own life.

*sigh*

...all this for a damn potscrubber.

I don't know exactly how to describe or explain how to crochet. Seriously. I just play around with the yarn until I come up with something useful....or tear it all out until I do. Last winter, we all go snowed in (by a massive 2 inches of snow--how did we survive???)....the entire family came away with hats for the ordeal.

I like the idea of crocheting. And then I open up a book on it, with it's cute, even afgan on the cover, and I am instantly transported back to elementary school piano lessons, with the notes like blobs taunting me from the sheet music. The teacher finally gave up in disgust, stating I was too stupid for piano. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps it is also my stupidity that leaves me mid-panic attack at a diagram for potholders.

Because isn't this something real women can do? Baby blankets and pot holders and slippers for the kiddies? ohmigod where's the lexapro?

But I find if I put on some West Wing or Underworld and just hook loops until something forms in my hands, I am able to make something from a ball of yarn. And-technically- it's crocheting.

Tonight, I made pot scrubbers. And I like them...a lot.

I won't be able to tell you if its single or double or whatever terms go into this. I can tell you that you'll need a double layer so the scrubber is thick enough to be practical. And I can tell you to make it to fit your hand but not so big that it would double as a trivet.

That's all I can tell you. Really.

Waste Not: Turn Bar Soap Into a Pre-Treater

pretty soap flakes

This is one of those ideas that makes me giggle with glee for all the ways it's useful.

No, I don't go out much. Why do you ask?

Not only does this make use of an empty glass jar but also of those little slivers of bar soap that are too tiny for anything else but having Thing 1 break into little pieces to watch them go down the drain. I know this because I caught her at it.

This is also a good way to use of old novelty soap or hotel soaps.

With a box grater, grate down all the soap you want to use. I used a jar funnel to help me get it all inside the tomato sauce jar I was using so I didn't lose any of it in transport, but you can do this just a easily with a paper funnel.

And can I just say that the particular jar I used was from some tomato basil sauce I had gotten at Aldi's and I seriously couldn't bring myself to throw out the jar. Don't be shocked that I bought some sauce--it was on sale for $.79 and I don't know anyone who can make it for that cheap. And the jar had volume increments on the side and it all just struck me as really cute. Anyways.....

Fill up the jar with as much soap as you can--at least half way.

Now pour in boiling water to the top.

Screw on the lid and let sit a few minutes before shaking to help dissolve the bits.

When the jar is a little cooler, you can try stirring up any parts that haven't dissolved. Use a metal utensil for this so it cleans up easily.
Mine came out a pretty pale yellow thanks to a half-used rubber duck soap.

                                 Now all I have to do is smear a bit of this on before washing.

Fall Cleaning

I hope that all my readers have a fantastic weekend, enjoying family time and good food and the chance to sleep in should the gods allow it. We have some fun planned as well....but I've also got a bit of fall cleaning to do as well.
I know I know-all work, no play blah blah blah. But, like the ants of summer, I must make use of my time when I have it.
Here are some of the things I want to get done before the chill of fall and winter seeps in....

1.) Changing out the curtains for heavier ones. During the summer, I often only have sheer curtains up but as we have seriously non-energy efficient windows here, I'm adding heavier layers to the windows to block some of the heat loss that will cost us later.  For some of the windows, that means simply adding a second rod and a layer of darker curtains over the existing sheers.

2.) Vacuuming out the dryer vent and lint catch. WHOOWEEE! We sure do know how to have a good time around here! Once a year, I use the sweeper to suck out all that has gotten stuck in and around the dryer. Excessive fuzz in your dryer can cause fires.

3.) Reorganizing the entrance way to allow for the coming rain and snow. I add more/heavier throw rugs and add a bin for wet shoes and dripping umbrellas.

4.) Wash the windows and clean up the dead bugs. I'm sure I'll have to do this more than once if we get ladybugs like we did last fall....oh, while I'm at it, I'll suck all the dead bugs out of the lamps....suckers!

5.) Check the batteries in the smoke detectors.

6.) Change the filters in my vacuum and heating/AC unit.

7.) Add new weather stripping to all doors that lead outside. Even though we rent, they don't do this. It costs a couple of bucks for a roll of this stuff and it's totally worth it.

8.) Pull the fall/winter clothes from storage and put away the summer ones. *sigh*....my only consolation in this is that my winter clothes are a smaller size.

9.) Wash the carpets (thankyouthankyouthankyou for the carpet cleaner, Mom.) And since I'm already pushing around the furniture....I wonder if there is a group for us chronic furniture movers?

10.) Wash bedding and get heavier blankets ready. While it's still warm here, the nights are getting cooler so this is a great time to freshen up the heavier blankets I'll need. I also take advantage of the day's warmth to line dry anything I can instead of killing my dryer (and electric bill).

Yeah, I know, not exactly the kind of wild party you'd want to be invited to but sometimes we grownups have grownup things to do.
....And once it's all done, it's a great time to sip on some sangria that's been waiting for me as I chop some peppers and onions for the hot sausage sandwiches.

Have a great weekend!....we're off to see the new flamingo exhibit at the zoo!

I know, I know

Where the heck have I been? and why haven't I been posting? well, I told you I'm crazy and sometimes that translates into the inability to focus on anything long enough to write about it. Add that to our already busy life and you have the makings of Miss ADD USA (man, that should totally be a contest! Couldn't you just see the talent portion of that???)


....see what I mean? I could fill you in but-no, there is too much, let me sum up: 1st grade, baby cliff diving, roller derby (aw yay boi!), a few too many beers, debating the socio-economic impact of working moms/stay-at-home moms, target practice on the wii, multiple meals with no groceries, our mailbox being robbed, 100+ temps....basically, life. 
So instead of wonderful recipes for you today, all I really have to offer is some homemade cleaning supplies because in amongst the madness, I've been manic cleaning at weird times of the day/night.


I told you I'm crazy.


First, let's talk about the oven. Because I hate hate hate cleaning the oven. I hate it almost as much as I hate cleaning the fridge (more hate hate hate). Usually, I just avoid it. But I've been having this whole internal timeline thing going on in my head  lately about how "last year at this time....." (which is starting to take on a Lifetime movie quality to it but I think I've finally picked out the soundtrack for it at least.  See what I mean?) ANYWAYS, I realized I haven't cleaned the oven in a year. Actually, I've never cleaned this oven because when we moved in a year ago, it was already cleaned. Filthy, I think, is the word you are looking for. I clean the top all the time-take the knobs off and clean the rings around the elements (I have a craptastic electric stove). By the way, the best way to get all that gunk off is just to rub down the nasty bits with baking soda. It's the cheapest, most effective scouring powder ever.

For my oven, though, I really needed to ramp up to it. So, naturally, I was drawn to the "recipe" for Lazy Person's Oven Cleaner. Yep. That's me. Right here, lazy.

First, pour about 3/4 cup of ammonia into a bowl (not plastic) and place it in a oven that is cool and close the door on that baby overnight.  The fumes from this will do the dirty work. If you want (and because I'm a paranoid mommy) turn the vent hood on low for overnight.

In the morning (or, in my case, when I got around to it during Thing 2's nap), remove the bowl of ammonia and toss. Wipe down the interior with a clean wet rag (rinse it out often). If there are any stuck on parts, scour them with baking sour and wipe clean.

No cans of Easy Off. No newspapers strewn about the floor to catch drips. No need for long yellow gloves (unless that's your thing). Just a clean oven. Maybe I'll even clean the thing more than once a year.

Nah.

Poor But Clean

In my ever-widening quest for all that is homemade, I have been experimenting with homemade cleaners. And today, I bring you an all-purpose jobby that's, well, just fantastic (that's a hint, kids). 


Thanks to the power of the internet (add dramatic music and and thunder--yeah, thunder is a good effect--here), I tracked down the price of comparable products so you could have a basic idea of savings.


One bottle of Fantastik cleaner is on average $3.25. A bottle of 7th Generation All-Purpose Cleaner is around $4.99. That's for 32 oz. Now, take that money to Target or Walmart  and buy, instead:

1 plastic spray bottle
ammonia
rubbing alcohol
lemon juice
dishwashing liquid

You now how enough cleaner to make at least 6 times that amount of cleaner (more so if you get a big bottle of alcohol....everyone should have a big bottle of alcohol)

....And here's how to do it:

In a bucket or plastic container you don't plan to ever eat out of, mix together

3 cups of water
1 tsp dishwashing liquid
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup rubbing alcohol
1 tsp ammonia




Unless you have a set of measuring cups you only use for chemicals (and who here doesn't?), use only a glass measuring cup to avoid, well, you know, poisoning your family and self later (some would say I'm being a little over-protective here, I know, I know, what doesn't kill you and all that....)
Stir your mixture with a metal spoon as well. I also keep a plastic funnel set aside for just this sort of chemical fun--they usually come in a stacking set anyways.

Pour the mixture into a plastic spray bottle and label. Sometimes, I also label when I made the cleaner so when it's empty I can gage how long it took to use it all up (because I get off on that kind of geekiness, ok?)

And Now For Something Completely Different...

Lest you think all I do is bake all day, here's my latest project--making my own detergents and cleaning products. Why? well, partly due to budget cuts while Mr. Devilin builds a client base (because HOLY CRAP IT'S CHEAP TO MAKE) and partly because I just love the idea of skipping two aisle at the store while snickering as I am sooo crafty.
And so, here is my version of dishwashing detergent. (*note: there are about a bazillion versions of this out there; this is the kind that works in my tank of a dishwasher).

2 cups baking soda
2 cups Borax
4 pkgs of lemonaid koolaid (without sugar) ....don't use any other flavor or you'll have funny-colored dishes.

yeah, that's it. Put it in a plastic container and shake it together (and don't open it immediately or you'll snork that up your nose....not that I did that or anything....)

Depending on your water, one to two tablespoons of this in the detergent slot is all you need (if your dishes come out a little cloudy, go to one tablespoon).
Oh, and you know those little bottles of jetdry you've been buying? yeah, white vinegar will do the same thing. That's all you need. Now you can save a few coins for something fun instead of the dishwasher.