Laundry Soap

I received this recipe for laundry soap. The dry ingredients are easy to put in storage and you can mix it up whenever you need.

Items needed:
* A 5 Gallon Bucket to store detergent in
*1 Bar Zote Soap (may also use Fels Naptha)
*1 1/2 Cups Arm and Hammer washing Soda
*1 1/2 Cups Twenty Mule Team Borax
*Lots of water

Directions:
Heat 12 cups of water in large pot. Grate Zote soap and add to water. Stir until soap melts. Add washing soda and Borax--ingredients will foam--stir until everything is dissolved. (Approximately 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Heat 8 cups of water in separate container and place in 5 gallon bucket. Add soap mixture and stir. Add 2 gallons plus 12 more cups of water and stir. You may add 1-2 oz of essential oil for scent if desired.

Cover and let set for 24 hours. Stir a few times over the first few hours of sitting so mixture does not thicken too much.

Use 1/2 cup per load of laundry. Great for sensitive skin. Detergent will not be sudsy in washing machine. Total cost is approximately 1 cent per load.

Products can be found in most grocery store laundry aisles. In Utah, Macey's stocks all the items. Even if you don't use it on a daily/weekly basis it is a handy recipe to have on hand in case of an emergency. You can store dry ingredients indefinitely. Make sure to buy multiple Zote bars to go with one box of of other items.

My disclaimer is that I have not yet tried this out, but it appears from the ingredient list that it would probably work quite well. If someone gets around to trying it before me let us know how you like it.

Three Month Supply of Dinners

Angie and I have both been working on menus for a three-month supply of everyday foods. The idea is to have on hand all the ingredients you would need to fully feed your family for at least 90 days. My first task was to plan dinners (then I'd do the same for breakfast and lunch).

Recipes: I've been collecting and trying different dinner recipes that are comprised of ingredients that are easily stored. I decided on 15 dinner recipes, with the idea that I'd cook each dinner 7 times. Yes, I know that 15 X 7 = 103 meals (I like to be extra prepared!) Basically I figured we'd eat the same thing twice a month.

Calculations: Next, I went through each of the 15 recipes and wrote down all the ingredients (including spices) and how much I'd need. Then I multiplied the amounts to figure how much I'd need of each ingredient if I were to make the recipe 7 times. Next I determined what I already had stored and what I need to buy.

Organization: I've decided to photocopy each of my 15 recipes and put them together in one binder along with the calculation/ingredient list.

Discoveries: What I learned was that I need a lot more of some items than I previously thought. For example, I'm short on chicken bullion, diced canned tomatoes, and chicken breasts. Calculating it out helped me to see that we use a lot of some items.

Limitations: The recipes I have chosen do require electricity for keeping the frozens frozen and fuel for cooking. I have considered modifying my list to include some menu items that are ready-made and could be used with little preparation should cooking be an issue. I'm still thinking that one through. Any ideas?

Dinner Ideas: Here is my list of 15 dinners. I picked these recipes because my family will eat them. I also selected these recipes because they use canned goods, grains, lean meats, and legumes. I'd like to hear your dinner ideas, too!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Taco Soup
Soft Tacos with Tortillas & refried beans
Chicken Noodle Soup
Cream of chicken soup mixed with veggies & Chicken over rice
Chicken pot pie
Hamburgers
Hamburger Veggie Soup
Spaghetti with Alfredo Sauce
Chicken, Lentil, and Barley Soup
Shepherd's Pie
Chili with potatoes & peas
Beef Stew
Beef Barley Soup
White Chicken Chili