Pumpkin Sticky Buns {Gluten Free}

 
Well, this post has been in "draft" mode for the last year! I am so sorry I withheld these yummy vittles for so long!

This recipe was adapted from this one at Once a Month Mom. If you have special dietary restrictions, this is a great site for you!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Sticky Buns

1/3 c warm milk or water
1 packet yeast
3/4 c sucanat
3 T coconut, palm or olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 c pumpkin puree (canned or make your own: neck pumpkin or pie pumpkin)
1/4 c brown rice flour
1/2 c sorghum flour
3/4 c tapioca starch
1/2 c arrowroot powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
5 T butter (melted)
1/4 c brown sugar, coconut sugar or sucanat and 2 T cinnamon mixed together for center

For the Icing:
1/4 c pumpkin puree
2 T butter (melted)
3 1/2 c powdered sugar

Combine warm milk/water and sucanat in large bowl. Add yeast, stir gently and let rest until foamy. Add coconut/palm/olive oil, vanilla and pumpkin.

In another bowl mix flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum. Gradually pour into yeast mixture until very sticky dough forms.

Tape plastic wrap to the counter or table and spray the wrap and your hands with olive oil. Pat out the dough onto the plastic into the shape of a rectangle.

Brush on melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Use the plastic wrap to help you roll the dough into a log. Slice the roll (use knife or try the floss trick) and place in greased baking dish, leaving space between each roll. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place (I usually turn my oven on as low as it goes and then turn off once preheated) about 45 minutes. Mine didn't seem to rise too much this time.

Bake rolls for 30 minutes in 350 oven. Allow to cool before frosting (simply blend together all of the icing ingredients). I had trouble waiting and put the icing on while they were still warm and it turned out fine :)

If you want a sweeter icing, do not use the pumpkin puree in it but it was nice to have the extra boost of pumpkin flavor. These little goodies did not last long!

Before baking

After baking, with icing on the left, no icing on the right.

Baked Turkey and Bone Broth

This year I have fallen in love with local pastured turkeys. This is my third year baking a pastured bird and while the first 2 (one local, one not and mailed from a few states away) were very good they were nothing like this year! I did alter the recipe slightly from what I had done in the past and I like the results!

The turkey came from Rambling River Farm and was purchased at the Carriage House Market (one of my favorite local markets!). I bought one fresh for Thanksgiving dinner and was so impressed I went back and they luckily had frozen ones left (and the price is a little lower now, too!). I am bad and start the thaw of the turkey on the counter (please note that most experts tell you not to do this but I have not had any problems nor feel insecure with this as long as the meat comes from a quality and reliable source) and then let it thaw the rest of the way in the fridge for a few days. It was still slightly frozen on the inside so I just made sure to adjust my cooking time a little. Make sure you remove the neck and giblets. I usually just put them in the pan to roast with the bird.

Mix the following in a small dish:
garlic, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil. Exact amounts up to you!




Slice one apple, crush 5-6 garlic cloves, 1/2-1 whole onion and a large handful of carrots. Add this mixture to the inside of the bird. (If I had celery I would have added that, too.)


Start by separating the skin from the meat of the turkey with your hand. Then pour melted coconut oil (about 1/2 a cup) between the skin and the meat and spread around with your hand. Then take half of the seasoning mixture and also place between the skin and meat. The coconut oil will harden- this is alright.

Spread the rest of the oil on the outside of the bird and spread the rest of the seasonings as well.

Bake at 275. My turkeys were about 14 lbs and it took approximately 5 hours, this one a little longer because of still having some ice inside. Check with a meat thermometer. I usually listen to the bird for when they tell me they are ready. The thermometer was not reading quite hot enough and although I thought it was done I left it in longer and then the breast was a little dry. I should have just listened to my gut!

Now, if you are not going to eat this beautiful bird right away, no worries! Simply carve, place in freezer bags/containers and cover with juice from the pan and freeze until you are ready. Then reheat in the oven (covered) at 350 until warm. Sometimes it is even better this way, especially if it did get a little dried out.

And don't even think about getting rid of the bones! Use them to make some yummy and nutritious bone broth for soups and other recipes. SO much healthier than any store-bought broth. If you don't want to make it right away, simply freeze the bones, pan drippings, etc. until you have the time to use them. I currently have 2 turkeys and 1 chicken waiting in the fridge to be made into broth!

To make bone broth simply use as large of a stock pot as you can find. Put in the carcass and cover with water. If you want to add any other items (broccoli stems, etc) you can. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer slowly for as long as you can. I like to start early in the morning and go until afternoon.

The broth will need to cool before freezing so I like to separate into as many pots/bowls as I can to help it cool faster (the windows in my dining room usually steam up while this is going on!). Then to strain the broth, I use either unbleached cheesecloth or natural coffee filters in a pasta strainer to get out the smaller pieces.

I like to use my Pampered Chef batter bowl since it has the measurements on the sides and has a pour spout. Just make sure to make on the bag how many cups of broth you have in it. I have also seen that you can freeze in ice cube trays for small amounts but haven't done that yet. I usually freeze in one cup amounts, 4 cups and 8 cups.

You can actually save the carcass and use it another time to make broth!

Here are some of my favorite recipes using the broth, which one would you like to try?
Potato (Cauliflower?) Soup
Chicken and Rice Soup
Gluten Free Slippery Noodle Pot Pie

Christmas Baked Donut Holes {Gluten-Free}

I love waking up Christmas morning and trying out some new yummy recipe. Not that I was ever a big donut-eater, but I do enjoy them from time to time and since going gluten free not at all (almost 3 years now!). So I was excited to find this recipe and tweaked it a little to make it my own. I would like to try frying them in coconut oil- I think they would come out with the perfect donut hole consistency. Baking was easy, less messy and still very yummy!

Gluten Free Baked (or Fried) Donut Holes

1/4 c coconut sugar (or your favorite sugar, I would probably use sucanat)
dash salt
1/4 c melted coconut oil (or you can use butter, palm shortening, just please no margarine!)
splash of vanilla extract
dash cinnamon
5 T coconut flour

olive oil spray (for baking) or coconut oil (for frying)
powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder to roll in after baking

Cream together all ingredients except for the coconut flour. Slowly add flour and continue stirring. Once fully combine let sit for one minute.

Spray glass baking dish (I use a pie pan) with olive oil and preheat oven to 350. Roll dough into 12 balls and place in baking dish. Bake approximately 15 minutes OR melt coconut oil in pan/pot and fry for a few minutes until browned.

Allow holes to cool and roll in powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder.

 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese {Gluten-Free}

I adore visiting the local farmer's market and perusing the many local and often organic stands. You still have to ask questions as not every stand is sustainable/local/etc but many of them are. This last time I enjoyed a juice and lunch at Under One Sun with my sis. It is an awesome place to try a new juice combination or smoothie.

 This was my first time eating a meal there and it was delicious! I got the pesto chicken wrap (on a gluten brown rice wrap).

And my sis got a quesadilla.

There was one new stand this time, small and simple selling Pappardelle's Pasta. My purchase of a half pound bag of the Gluten Free Garlic Chive Rooster Comb noodles was a little bit of an impulse buy since I really didn't know the philosophy of the company and that is very important to me. The ingredient list was pretty safe (although not organic). After reading through their story on their web site I have no problem backing this company.

This mac and cheese recipe is based on this one found on their site but with some of my own alterations. When I tried one after boiling I wasn't impressed but knew it had to bake for a while and was hoping that would help the texture, in particular. It did! My daughter and I both enjoyed a large helping with some steamed broccoli. This recipe easily makes 6 servings as we have enough left over for one more meal for us to share and I was able to freeze 2 servings for my dad to try. It had a very alfredo-like taste although a little different. And as always, try to make as many ingredients local and/or organic if possible!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 lb bag of  Pappardelle’s Gluten-Free Garlic Chive Rooster Combs

pinch of Real salt

2 c milk

3 T butter

1/4 c Bob's Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose flour

10 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded or cut into cubes (save a little shredded for the top)

handful of Parmesan cheese

slice or 2 of provolone cheese (I prefer Applegate Farms)

fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Optional:

a protein such as lobster/crab meat, grilled chicken, steamed shrimp (add when cheese is added to milk mixture)

steamed veggies to mix in (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, etc)

Old Bay seasoning (to taste)

Cook noodles in large pot of boiling water (with the pinch of salt) until cooked but still firm and drain (will take about 15 minutes).

While noodles are boiling, heat milk in small pan on low heat (do not boil).

In large saucepan melt butter. Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes, then add milk while whisking and whisk for another 2 minutes on low heat. Preheat oven to 375.

Remove from heat and add cheeses and pepper and stir to help cheeses melt (it is ok if the cheeses are not completely melted).

Spray a glass baking dish (I used a large glass container from Pampered Chef so I would have a lid for storing leftovers) with olive oil. Layer, alternating noodles and cheese, ending with the cheese sauce. 

It will seem like there is too much liquid ( I know I thought there would be) but it will cook into the pasta.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, add a handful of shredded cheese and return to turned-off oven (uncovered). Serve once the cheese has melted.

I liked a dash of Old Bay on mine :)

Spicy Cauliflower Bites {Gluten Free}

I have definitely consumed more cauliflower over the last year or so than I ever had before! It all started with cauliflower soup then moved onto cauliflower crust pizza, cauliflower "rice" and now these:

Which as far as I can tell are similar to hot wings but much better in my book! My sister introduced them to me and I am so glad she did! When I wanted to make them tonight I couldn't find the recipe so I had to come up with one on my own. Feel free to tweak the amount of spices/pep that you give the recipe according to your own tastes. This version was less spicy than the ones I had made before, which I prefer. My daughter and I polished off the batch in no time where before I wouldn't have been able to because of too much pep!

1 head cauliflower (washed and chopped into florets)

1 c water
1 c Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour
1/2 T each garlic and onion powder
1 T Tiger Sauce or hot sauce (try to find one that is free of HFCS if possible)
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 T melted butter
1/4 c Tiger or hot sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together water, flour, spices and first amount of sauce in large bowl. Put florets in bowl and toss to coat. Pour on cookie sheet (covered with foil and sprayed with olive oil). Spoon excess mixture over florets. Bake for 15-18 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

Transfer florets to a fresh sheet of foil (there will be quite a thick layer of batter on the old sheet). Mix together butter and sauce and spoon over florets, stir to coat evenly. Bake for another 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Cookies

Sorry to all my gluten free readers but this is not a gf recipe (yet, anyway!). This is a popular recipe for my kids, they usually disappear pretty quickly and make an easy breakfast ;)

Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/4 c flour (I use King Arthur Organic All Purpose Flour)
dash each salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, all spice (sorry, I almost never measure these kinds of ingredients, just dump!)
1/2 T cinnamon
3/4 c sucanat
1 egg
1/2 T vanilla
1 c pumpkin (if you don't have quite enough you can also sub applesauce for some of it)
1/2 c coconut oil (softened but not melted the whole way)
Optional: mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets.

Cream together all wet ingredients. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to wet ingredient mixture. Use 2 tablespoons to drop cookies onto sheets. Bake 10-15 minutes, cool for a few minutes on sheet then transfer to cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Slippery Noodle Pot Pie (gluten free!) + Bonus Chicken and Rice Soup

One of my favorite comfort foods before going gluten free was homemade slippery pot pie. This might be foreign to you depending where you grew up, but to me the pot pie with pie crust was/is foreign!

So this weekend when I was busy cooking/baking for 10 hours (ah, it was so therapeutic and well overdue!) I decided enough was enough and I needed to finally try making a gluten free version. So I combined this version with my mom's recipe- and this time it worked (unlike my soft pretzel fiasco but that's another story!). My only change for next time is to make a double batch of noodles. The upside of making less noodles is that I had leftover broth which I used to make some yummy soup for a cold, dreary fall day.

Slippery Noodle Pot Pie

2 c Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour Blend (also extra for rolling/cutting)
1 T baking powder
1/2 T xanthum gum
salt, garlic, onion, parsley, pepper (did not measure...)
2 T butter
1 c. milk
1 egg
32+ oz chicken broth (you need enough to fill your pot about 2/3 of the way in order to leave enough room for everything else)
Optional: roasted chicken meat, veggies (garlic, carrots, onions, peas, potatoes, etc.)

If adding garlic and/or onion, saute in pot first, then add broth on medium heat. If you are adding potatoes or carrots, wash, dice and add to pot since they take longer to cook. Chicken meat can also be added right away if not already in the broth. The other veggies can be added with the noodles since they will not take as long.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and spices. Cut in butter with pastry blender, 2 knives or fingers until crumbly consistency (I prefer using my fingers. It is messier but efficient although I do not have a pastry blender and that might be best.). Make well in middle of bowl.

Mix together milk and egg and add to the well. Mix together with wooden spoon. If the dough is still very sticky (it was for me), gently sprinkle small amounts of flour and mix until the dough forms a ball.

Put on floured surface and knead lightly (make sure to dust your hands with flour first, gluten free dough is very sticky!). Form into a tight rectangle to aid cutting. Using a powdered or greased knife, slice the dough. Gently flour both sides of the slice and cut in 1/2 or 1/3 depending on the size. Set on floured surface. Repeat until all is sliced.

When you get close to the end, turn up the heat on the broth until it starts to boil. You need a pretty good boil when you start dropping the noodles in. Drop them in one at a time on end so they slip under the surface. They will most likely go to the bottom and then float to the top and puff up. It really looks quite neat :) Repeat until they are all in the pot, this gets harder as you continue especially if you did make a double batch of dough! You might have to push the noodles to the side for a place to slip the rest in.

Once all the noodles are in, reduce heat slightly and cover for 10 minutes. Then check one of the noodles (mine were still a bit chewy) and add any quick cooking veggies you wanted. Simmer with the lid off for another 5-10 minutes (this will depend a bit on how thick your noodles are). Keep checking the noodles until done. This recipe is slightly chewier than the "normal" version.

Bonus Recipe: Chicken and Rice Soup

Since my pot pie was only a single batch of noodles I had a lot of broth left over but not quite enough for more pot pie. I have really enjoyed chicken and rice soup lately and decided that would be best for the broth :)

2 c chicken broth (with or without chicken meat) + more to fill the pot, another 2-4 cups
1 c rice (I prefer an organic wild rice blend I can get bulk at a local health food store. Go for organic with the rice to help avoid arsenic.)
garlic, onion
carrots, broccoli, other veggies
parsley
salt, pepper (to taste)

Saute garlic and onion in medium pot. Add broth and rice (and carrots), bring to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. When there is still a little water left in the pan add any other veggies (I used frozen broccoli). When the rice is done cooking add the rest of the broth and simmer for about 10 minutes.

The rice will continue to soak up the broth so the first meal will be soup but any leftovers are more like stew :) I don't mind!

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal {Gluten Free}

I am always excited when new recipes happen, especially when they include pumpkin :)

Last year I was able to join some local bloggers for a meet up at The Tomato Pie Cafe and had my first taste of pumpkin baked oatmeal. I have a baked oatmeal recipe that I like just fine. It freezes well and is warm and comforting on cold mornings. But I have not been able to get the pumpkin oatmeal out of my head! So I finally decided to try one that would work for me and boy did it ever work! I could have probably eaten the whole batch at once! The recipe makes 12 muffins + 1 extra ramekin full, or you could make the muffin cups a bit more full. This works well if you are going to freeze them or want them already portioned. You could also put into a glass pie pan to bake although you might have to increase the time.

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

2 c rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
1 c pumpkin puree (make your own from a pie pumpkin or neck pumpkin)
1/2 c sucanat
1 T cinnamon

all spice, nutmeg, ginger about 1 tsp each
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 c milk of choice or water
2 eggs
1/2 c coconut oil (can also use butter but I love cooking with coconut oil for the health benefits and the finished product did not have a coco-nutty flavor if you don't like that)
1 T vanilla extract
 

Optional: raisins, craisins, walnuts, pecans, flax seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a pie pan with nonstick spray or use muffin tins.  In a large bowl, mix together wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into pie pan and bake about 35 minutes, approximately 20 minutes for muffin tins.

P.S. PLEASE store in the refrigerator as it will go rancid too quickly if not. I noticed some moisture inside the container after only 2 days and it was already going bad! I wished I hadn't rationed it out and just eaten it all like I wanted ;)

With a little milk from the local dairy

Plethora of Pumpkin

Like many others, I love fall for the pumpkin treats it brings. My husband was given a home-grown neck pumpkin (I wish I would have weighed it but suffice it to say it was heavy!) from a friend at work. I have never cooked down a neck pumpkin before, only New England pie pumpkins. You can read how to do that here. I realized  I still had pumpkin puree from last year in the freezer and figured I should use that up before cooking down more! I did make a gluten free pumpkin pie a few weeks ago but forgot to add sugar to the crust and I think I actually added too much cinnamon, or maybe it was the nutmeg. Either way it turned out alright but not great.

So, I needed some more recipes (and time) to use up the rest which finally came this last Saturday with a marathon 9 hour cooking day!

This week (or more, it is a busy week) I will share with you 2 of my favorite pumpkin recipes, plus a bonus comfort food that I have not had in 2 years since going gluten free and let me tell you it was wonderful! (How's that for a teaser!)

Still wondering how to cook a neck pumpkin? My apologies for not having pictures, I really need an assistant to do my photography when I am in mega-cooking mode! So how about a picture of my newest candle? Pumpkin spice made from sustainable palm oil :)

How to Cook a Neck Pumpkin

1. Heat oven to 375. Wash pumpkin and slice into approximately 6 inch sections.
2. Peel off the outer thick skin (I tried to use a vegetable peeler which did not work at all so I just ended up using my large kitchen knife. Probably not the safest so be careful but it worked!)
3. Cut each section in half and then in quarters or thirds (depending how thick it is). The larger the slices, the longer the bake time. Try to keep the pieces as uniform in size as possible.
4. For the round "belly" of the pumpkin simply cut in half, scoop out the pulp and seeds and place face down in 9x13 baking pan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Do not worry about peeling the skin. Wash the seeds, coat with olive oil, salt and bake while you are baking the rest of the pumpkin but it will not take more than 10-15 minutes.
5. Spray baking sheets with olive oil and lay out pumpkin pieces on the pan.
6. Bake 45 minutes. Turn each piece and stick with a fork. If it goes in easily set out to cool and if not leave in another 15 minutes then recheck. Repeat until all pieces are fork tender. Also check the "belly" pieces of the pumpkin and simply scoop out of the shell when tender.
7. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Allow to cool.
8. Scoop into 1 c batches in zip top bags, then put the smaller bags in large freezer bags and label.

My pumpkin made 14 1/2 cups of pumpkin!

At NO point should you break your blender. Um, well I did and it was NOT convenient! Any suggestions on what to buy next? I've gone through 2 Magic Bullets in the last 2 years, they just are not tough enough to stand up to my every day abuse (green smoothie) and special occasions. Easy to clean is a MUST!

Zucchini "Crab" Cakes

If you like zucchini, or crab cakes you will LOVE these! This is based off a recipe from my friend Robin. If you happen to be unsure if you will like it or not just ask my sister, she ate half a batch herself last night! I've been making them for over a year but I could never get a picture since they get eaten so quickly! The first time I made them my step-son and mom thought they were really crab cakes! If you peel the zucchini before you shred it, you may be able to fool others :)

They are also good cold (according to my daughter) and freeze well. What a great way to use up your garden zucchini to enjoy later in the summer (if you can refrain from eating them all at once!). This recipe also works well if you need to cut it in half.

2 c zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini grated and squeezed- use a paper towel and squeeze over sink to get out excess water)
2 eggs
2 T mayo
onion powder, garlic powder, Old Bay to taste (probably 1/2 T garlic/onion and 1 T Old Bay)
1.5-2 c bread crumbs (gluten free work great but do NOT use the brown rice gf bread crumbs, they do NOT taste right in this recipe at all)

palm or coconut oil for frying

Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. You may need to reduce the heat as the patties cook. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, then add bread crumbs. Start with 1 c and then add more until mixture sticks together. It is important it is not too dry, you want it to stick together but not be too stiff. Form into small patties and place on wax paper. It should make 18-24 patties depending on size.

Place about half the patties in the oil and fry 5-7 minutes until brown. Flip and fry on second side then place on paper towel.

I like to add a little extra Old Bay on top when I eat them. They are one of my favorite foods right now!

Looking for more zucchini recipes? Check out these:
Quinoa with shrimp and zucchini
Zucchini Parmesan

Homemade Cream of Crab Soup

No secret here...I love crabs and just about all foods made out of crabs such as Maryland crab soup, crab cakes, crab dip (recipe not on here yet, I'll have to get on that soon!). You name it, I love it!

Cream of Crab Soup
(not gluten free, based on this recipe although I do want to try it with Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour)

2 lb. crab meat (it is usually best if you can pick your own and freeze but the claw meat does just fine in this recipe and is cheaper than the "special" or "lump" meat)
1 pint half and half
1 pint milk
1 c water or chicken broth
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c flour
1/2 c diced onion
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 T Old Bay (and more to add to own bowls when serving)
1 T parsley

Make a light roux with the butter and flour.  Melt butter, add flour and stir continuously in a large heavy pot on low heat, until smooth. (about 5 minutes) Add onion and celery and continue to cook and stir for 5 minutes. Slowly add water/broth and stir until thickened, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in half and half and milk. Add crab meat, parsley, Old Bay and cook on low heat until thoroughly heated through, but do not boil. Simmer until soup is desired thickness. Sprinkle extra Old Bay on top if desired.

When I first made this I was very afraid it would not thicken but low and behold it did! I was also afraid the celery would not soften (I can't stand the crunch of celery) but it did, too!

 Alas I did not take a picture of it (and no leftovers were to be found) so you'll have to make do with a picture of some crabs!

Homemade Laundry Detergent {Guest Post}

I love how Facebook can connect you with people you would never be able to meet in person! My friend Rachel posted about making her own laundry detergent and it ends up the recipe came from her cousin in North Dakota! After many technical difficulties, here, finally, is her guest post and please visit her blog, Modest Handmaidens.

Since posting my recipe for Laundry Detergent on my Modest Handmaidens blog and Facebook page, I have been amazed at the number of ladies who have been eager to try this!

Rachel G. in Pennsylvania made the following comments:

“Made this today!! We did 4x the recipe: $16 for 320 loads of laundry!!  ($0.06 per load)”

“It is cleaning beautifully, even my hubby's work jeans!...Which I was most skeptical about!”

I am so glad that Rachel calculated out those costs!  I have been purchasing the ingredients, as I needed them, for so long, that I didn’t have that information handy to pass along.

I have been using this recipe (with a few tweaks along the way) for the past three years.  Just by having a few basic ingredients on hand, you'll be able to make detergent quickly and easily, whenever you need it!  
Thank you, Laura, for giving me the opportunity to share this with your readers!

So let's first gather what we need!

These are the ratios that I use.  You can easily adjust for larger or smaller amounts.

3 Cups Borax

2 Cups Washing Soda (or OxiClean Powder can be substituted)

16 oz. Baking Soda (about 2 cups)

1 Bar of Soap (Fels-Naptha or Ivory)

Grate the soap.  I use an old cheese grater that is designated just for this purpose.  And make sure the kids know it's not cheese so they don't try and sneak a taste!

I have found that I prefer the Fels-Naptha for a couple of reasons.  First it is a drier soap than Ivory, so when I grate it, it becomes more powdery.  If I do use Ivory, I will let it sit out unwrapped for as long as possible (a couple of weeks) to try and get it to dry out.  If the Ivory is still soft when grated, you will need to try to crumble it with your hands as you add it in.  I have also noticed that Ivory may not fully dissolve in a cold wash, whereas, I have never had that happen with the Fels-Naptha.

I use a Rubbermaid cereal container to store the detergent.

I start by adding the 3 cups of Borax.

Then the 2 cups of Washing Soda.

Followed by one 16 oz. box of Baking Soda.

The Baking Soda may not even be necessary, but it's good for your laundry and helps the detergent stretch further!

Put your grated soap on top!

I prefer to mix by hand.

And here it is....your own homemade laundry detergent!

For a full-size load, you only need 1/8 of a cup.  How's that for economical?

This batch will last me quite a while!

Here's the finished product!

For my machine, the detergent goes in first, then the clothes, 
then start the machine to begin filling with water.

***Just a note, I do not have a new washing machine that requires "special" detergent.  Mine is top-loading and still works great!  The Duggar Family website has a similar recipe that says it can be used for front loading machines.  Click here to view.

God Bless; Happy Laundering!!

Article contributed by Eve Mercer, owner of www.ModestHandmaidens.com. Modest Handmaidens specializes in vintage and hard-to-find sewing patterns, as well as promoting modest living.  She lives in Hebron, ND with her husband, Michael, and seven children (ages 9 years to 6 months).  Eve enjoys homeschooling, sewing, pattern design, and serving in her local church.