Homemade Laundry Powder and Liquid

For over a year now I've been making my own laundry powder from the following recipe:

2 cups of soap flakes(LUX)
1 cup washing soda
1 cup of borax

Just 2-3 teaspoons does one wash but I have to dissolve it in hot water first as I only ever use cold water in the machine.

Rhonda blogs here about making the laundry liquid and I find this works much better for me.

Nana Gardner is also a recent convert ;)

ETA I now use a cup of bicarb in place of that cup of borax...it's less damaging to the environment and therefore us.

Simple Living Thoughts from the Forum

Last week Rose asked us to do this little questionnaire about what we'd achieved over the past week and here are my responses...

Over the last week:

I made a great meal of:slow cooked lamb....a cheap boney thing that I hadn't had before.....$2.05 and it was quite meaty and very tender, very good with a few sultanas added, fresh thyme and lots of potatoes.

I baked:bread and a date loaf(from my folder and I added some chopped fresh dates)

I preserved:pickled onions

I stockpiled:tins of tuna that were very cheap($1 each for 95gm tins)

I handmade/started to hand make:baby clothes:a cotton dress(Itty Bitty Dress) and simple knitted jumpers(Milo) etc

I repurposed:a soft drink bottle to make a fruit fly trap

I saved money by:staying in

I sowed seeds/planted seedlings/cuttings of:mizuna seeds but I also have tomatoes etc self-seeding and doing very well.

I harvested:rocket, thyme, chives, limes and lemons

I tried something new:Puy lentils tiny ones that are popular in France....I cooked them in tinned tomatoes and garlic and they're lovely. I bought them at Pantryman in Rockingham City, around $9 a kilo.

I read and was inspired by:Slow Cooker Recipes for Vegetarians, the many posts of our members here
at the forum.

I finally tackled:My knitting patterns and wool stash ~ this involved Joe lugging my 57litre box out to the loungeroom....it's a bit embarrassing really as there's two more boxes almost as big and I still want to go to Spotlight for more!

 I really enjoyed:Spring-like days in the garden and knitting while watching Wimbledon(recorded) on TV

Finished knitting is my first Milo vest for Phoenix,

Biting The Bullet

Peace roses from my garden, a gift from Kerry R and Jane B 12-14 years ago!





July 17th 2011...nothing special about today other than I'm going to have a go at blogging in order to create a diary of memories for my children and grandchildren in the coming years.

I spend a great deal of time on-line moderating and posting at the Down To Earth Forums and would like to preserve my own record of my modest craft, cooking and gardening and my travels overseas. Of special importance are my childhood memories, growing up in Morecambe, coming to Australia at 11yrs of age and my teenage years in Kwinana.


Bear with me?