MYO: Oxy Clean

This recipe has been floating around on the net for some time.







1/2 C hydrogen peroxide


1/2 C baking soda


1 C. hotwater






Mix together and apply to stains, or add to machine and wash as usual.

Tammy
The Happy Homemaker

Oily Skin,what I have found that works for me

As I have gotten older I have developed oily skin and as a result I often have break outs. That's something I never had to deal with not even as a teenager,but alas it hit me. I tried many many products and nothing was working for me. I went for a facial as a Christmas gift from my husband and son's,she told me to use moisturizer even though I have a problem with oily skin. I tried and tried to find a moisturizer I could use and use as my daily regimen. I did find one that I love and use and it does great with my skin type but I still had problems with oiliness. Until I read on a blog about castile soap and oily skin, I thought to myself it's worth a try and I googled it to find out where on Earth I could find this stuff. I found it at Target and it was very reasonably priced,I think I got it for less than 10.00 for 16 oz.

I brought it home and washed my face with it. At first I thought it wasn't going to work for me,each day I got up and washed my face with it and each night before bed I washed my face with it. Still each day my face was oily, I was so frustrated and thought of making an appointment with our dermatologist. I didn't give up I kept at it and after a couple of weeks of washing my face with it I started noticing a change in the amount of oil on my face. Now after 3 weeks of using it I can really see a difference,my face is not only significantly less oily but it's also very,very soft something I didn't expect but love.

It only take a small drop in my hand to wash my face and neck. A little of this stuff goes a long way. It's thin so if you try this be careful with you use it. I have started using it as my shower wash as well. Two to four drops of water on my scrubby is plenty and the smell is awesome.

I use the Lavender scented castile soap one because I love lavender and two because of antibacterial agent of lavender it's a win,win for me and I hope it can be for you as well.

Tammy
The Happy Homemaker

Beef a roni

I had origonally gotten this recipe from my friend Crystal over at www.thefamilyhomestead.com but took a few ingredients out because it was to overwhelming and my family likes our version much better.


1 lb ground beef or turkey or eve Italian sausage (I use a bit more than a pound at times)
1/2 cup chopped onions (I have to finely chop these or my daughter will pick out each and ever one)
1 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni


Liquid mixture:
1/2 cup sour cream (sour cream can be made homemade very easily)
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
8 oz tomato sauce (either 1 can or homemade)
4 cups beef broth (the best beef broth is saved from the juices off my crockpot roast beef,yum)
sea salt,pepper

Mix this up in a mixing bowl and set it aside for now.

Brown the ground beef and onions in a pan,drain and return to a large cooking pot,layer the macaroni over the beef. Get the liquid mixture and pour it over the noodles and beef. But do not stir it,turn on the heat and let it come to a boil,then cover it. Turn down the heat and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

That's it! Quick and simple and yummy!

I have forgotten to layer it and not stir it before and even forgotten to not cook the noodles first and it turned out ok not as good as it would have if I would have followed the instructions but hey it's all good. And there are rarely leftovers of this dish when I make it or is there is they are quickly eaten up the next day. My picky eater (Carissa) even likes this dish.

We usually have this with a big tossed salad and some cut up fruit and garlic bread. It's a very filling meal and it's not to costly a winner in my book.

The Happy Homemaker

Homemade Buttermilk

I have been making my own buttermilk for about a year now maybe a little longer. I can tell you the quality of homemade buttermilk far surpasses anything you can buy at the grocery store.


Buttermilk is very easy to make. It takes bit of time to set but it's well worth it in my honest opinion.


I purchased buttermilk starters from here: http://www.leeners.com/  are a great company to work with.


You will need:


1 qrt canning jar with lid and ring


buttermilk starter


whole milk


thermometer


making my own buttermilk....


Fill at 1 quart canning jar with whole milk,I then pour that into a saucepan and warm it to 72 degrees. Then pour the warmed milk back into my canning jar and add one packet of buttermilk starter. Seal the jar by putting a canning lid and ring on it and tighten it. Give it a good shake and then set it on your stove top for 12 to 24 hours.


I set it on my stove top to keep the milk at 72 degrees or as close as I can to that. If it doesn't the milk won't set. I can tell you that mine sets closer to 12 hours than 24.


You will notice it's done when the milk is nice and thick. I use alot of buttermilk in my baking and have found homemade buttermilk is far better than store bought.


To make more simply take 3 tablespoons of my homemade buttermilk and use that as my starter instead of the packet of starter.


The Happy Homemaker

MYO: Laundry Detergent

I know there are many versions for this but I wanted to share mine. So here goes...







What you will need....






1 five gallon bucket with lid


2 Cups borax


2 Cups washing soda


1/2 Cup baking soda


1/2 gallon white vinegar


1 bar of soap




grate your soap into a medium sized pan (I use the 6 to 8 qrt size),cover the soap with water and place on stove and melt over medium heat. Stir constantly to avoid it overflowing and making a big mess.


Once it is fully melted,add the borax and stir until completely dissolved (add water as needed),then add the washing soda and baking soda again stir until dissolved.


To the bucket add your vinegar and 4 C of hot water. Add your soap mixture to the bucket,it will fizz a bit adding it to the vinegar and water because of the baking soda. Stir and stir some more to make sure it's all well blended. Then fill the bucket up with hot water. Add the lid and wait 24 hours for it to set.


 1/2 cup per load.


I use baking soda and vinegar in my recipe because of the boosting power they provide. Vinegar kills germs and odors and is a natural stain fighter. Baking soda is a detergent booster making my recipe work harder and your clothes to come out very clean.




Happy Homemaking

Frugal Friday:Making Your Own Cleaning Products

I am making most of my cleaning supplies now at home. Using things that I have already on hand or that can be purchased at a low cost.







Vinegar,


baking soda


ammonia


lemon oil


olive oil


bleach










most of the things that use to clean my home I make from this list. Window cleaner,comet (like it anyway),wood cleaner,floor cleaner,toilet cleaner,ect.






Cleaners can be made pennies on the dollar this way.






For cleaning my sink,tub and counter, I use vinegar in a spray bottle,if I need to scrub it I spray it down and add a little baking soda let it set for a minute or two and then scrub it clean. No you home will not smell like vinegar. Once it dries it odorless.






Windows,ammonia and water in a spray bottle






Toilets bleach in spray bottle,for the bowl just a cap full of bleach,let it set for about 10 minutes then scrub it clean. Crack a window when dealing with bleach.






You can also use bleach when cleaning your floors but only if you have light colored tile or vinyl flooring not wood.






For wood floor use vinegar and water






To clean wood use vinegar and water,if you want to condition it while you clean add a bit of olive oil to it. If you want to condition and shine it after cleaning use lemon oil






 It's not hard and these things can be bought very cheap and a little goes a long way.

Happy Homemaking

Frugal Fridays

I think it's important that we as women take care of ourselves. From the inside out. Eat right,drink enough water,get some exercise and take a little time to do something nice for yourself.

I love getting facials but I don't like the price of getting them. So to avoid that high cost you can do them at home. Give yourself a facial or do it with your daughter or a friend,it's a great way to relieve stress and anxiety and will leave your skin feeling and looking great. Your husband will love it.


Here are a few links that show how to do a facial at home step by step.

Give yourself a facial at home
How to give a steam facial at home (video)
At home facial

Happy Homemaking

Deep condition and hair clarifier

I have naturally curly hair and because of that my hair is naturally dry. If I'm not attentive to it, it will frizz badly. On humid days it's frizzy no matter I do but I do tame it alot,on cold days it lays nice,on rainy days it's extremely curly (lays in locks). If I use products for my hair then I'm able to control it much better. But that gives me some build up on my scalp so I do a clarifier once a week on Friday's when I do my deep conditioning. Here's how I do it.....



Put the shampoo into a small bowl and  add 1 to 2 tablespoons of  baking soda stir to blend well then massage into my scalp really well. I leave it in there for a minute or so and then rinse it out. Your scalp will tingle a little that is normal.


That's it and it helps to remove the build up that the products I use in my hair leave behind.


Now because my hair is naturally dry,conditioner is my best friend. LOL Once a week I do a deep conditioning, it easy and only takes a short time to complete....


wash your hair as usual or if your doing the clarifier then do that first,then add your conditioner,I then use a comb and comb it through my hair to make sure it gets on each and every strand of hair. Then I twist it up into a bun and put a shower cap on. I shower as usual. The heat from the shower will help the conditioner work better. Then before I get out of the shower I remove the cap and rinse my hair well.


That's it,1,2,3 easy. This keeps my hair soft and I love it because I don't have nearly as many tangles as I use to have.






Happy Homemaking